Early in the morning, on the streets of Chang 'an City, a huge wedding procession walked towards them.
"Di di da da!"
Six musicians were playing festive tunes. The bridal sedan carried by eight people was unusually imposing. It was adorned with brocade bells, and as the sedan bearers walked, the bells jingled. Even the passersby could feel the joyous atmosphere.
"Matchmaker Zhu, which family is this marriage? It's so grand! " In front of the wedding procession, a fat matchmaker with heavy makeup and coquettishness asked the passersby who knew her.
Matchmaker Zhu was a famous matchmaker in Chang 'an City, but her reputation wasn't good. She specialized in matchmaking for rich families and only recognized money.
"Which family can it be? Of course it's Old Master Hu's family! "Matchmaker Zhu said seductively.
"Old Master Hu? Old Master Hu is already 70 years old, how can he still get married? "The passersby laughed.
"Of course it's not Old Master Hu, it's Old Master Hu's youngest son." Matchmaker Zhu pretended to laugh while covering her mouth.
The passersby said in surprise, "Isn't that a fool? I heard that when his illness acts up, he beats up everyone he sees! Even Doctor Sun can't treat him. "
"Really? Which family's daughter is willing to marry a fool? Isn't this pushing their daughter into a fire pit?" A middle-aged woman said in shock.
Matchmaker Zhu snorted and said, "What do you mean by pushing her into a fire pit? The Hu family is a big family. If she marries into the Hu family, she won't be able to enjoy a good life."
"You have a daughter, why don't you want to marry into the Hu family?" The middle-aged woman snorted.
Matchmaker Zhu's face froze. She lowered her head and covered her face. She quickly called the wedding procession to leave.
"I'm afraid this is another arranged marriage!" The passersby sighed.
Yesterday's news spread like wildfire in Chang 'an City. Everyone was talking about it. However, people like the Zhou and Yan families and the Zhang and Liu families were in the minority. Most people wouldn't break off the marriage just because of Meton's words.
There was no such thing as a wall that didn't have a crack. Not long after the wedding procession left, the news came.
In order to repay his gambling debt, Han Laitou, who lived in the west of the city, betrothed his daughter to the Hu family with fifty taels of silver as a betrothal gift. From the betrothal gift to the wedding reception, it only took six days. It could be said that it was a standard arranged marriage.
Speaking of Han Laitou, he was also a legendary figure. The Han Family was originally a rich and powerful family, but because Han Laitou was addicted to gambling, he lost all of his family's fortune. Not only did he not repent, he even went from bad to worse. In his early years, he even sold his wife to a brothel to pay off his gambling debts. Now, he did the same thing and sold his daughter to that idiot from the Hu Family for money.
"Laitou Han is a good-for-nothing. He should go to hell and suffer a thousand cuts." Many people gritted their teeth and said.
Chang 'an City was the imperial capital. As long as one was willing to work hard, there was no reason for one to not be able to survive. However, Han Lai had fallen to the point of selling his wife and daughter. It could only be said that he was a gambling addict.
When the wedding procession arrived at the Hu Residence with gongs and drums, the Hu Family's son, who was dressed in wedding attire, welcomed them at the door with a silly smile.
Actually, according to the rules, the groom should personally ride a tall horse to fetch the bride. However, the Hu Family's son was too stupid and could not be helped onto the horse. Therefore, he could only fetch the bride at the door. For this reason, Han Laitou asked for another five taels of silver.
"The auspicious time has arrived. Bride, please get down from the sedan chair!" Matchmaker Zhu shouted.
However, Matchmaker Zhu shouted three times, but there was no movement from the sedan chair. Matchmaker Zhu suddenly had a bad feeling and quickly went forward to open the sedan chair.
In the sedan chair, the Hu Family's daughter, who was dressed in bright red wedding attire, was already lying on the floor. Her body was cold.
"She's dead!"
Matchmaker Zhu screamed in horror.
The Hu Family's guests immediately dispersed. A joyous occasion had unexpectedly turned into a funeral. Some busybodies had already informed Mo Hospital and Chang 'an City's yamen.
Soon, Mo Hospital's ambulance and Constable Cao arrived at almost the same time.
A doctor got down from the ambulance and checked the pulse. He shook his head and sighed, "Her heartbeat has stopped. There's no hope."
Constable Cao frowned and said, "Doctor, did you find out the cause of death of the Han Family's daughter?"
"She committed suicide by taking poison!" The doctor looked at the sedan chair and wedding attire and immediately understood the reason. He could not help but look at Matchmaker Zhu with disgust.
"It's not my fault. I only went to act as a matchmaker," Matchmaker Zhu said with a trembling voice.
Old Master Hu had been waiting by the side for a long time. Now that the bride had died, the wedding had turned into a funeral. Finding some free time, he hurriedly went to Cao Li and said, "Lord Cao, this matter has nothing to do with my Hu Clan. My Hu Clan indeed wanted to marry the daughter of the Han Clan, but before we could even enter the door, such a depressing matter had happened. My Hu Clan is the victim! Lord Cao, you have to help us! "
Cao Li looked at Old Master Hu with disdain. If your idiot did not want to marry the bride, how could such a thing happen?
"Let's wait for the Han Family to come first," Cao Li said unhappily.
Cao Li sighed and ordered a yamen runner, "Go to the Han Family and find Han Laitou. If you can't find him, go to the gambling den."
Immediately, a yamen runner received the order and left. Han Laitou was a famous gambler in Chang 'an City. The yamen runners knew him very well.
Looking at the corpse of the bride in the red sedan chair, Cao Li suddenly had a headache. If it was before, this matter would be easy to deal with. But now that the ink magazine had just been published, the whole city was talking about the sale of marriage. Moreover, the Hu Family did not hesitate to openly sell marriage.
Now that a life was involved, if he did not deal with it well, he was afraid that the whole city would point at him and scold him. Even Cao Li did not dare to act on his own.
Old Master Hu wanted to say something, but Constable Cao did not answer. He could only stand aside and watch.
"I want a wife, I want a wife!" Beside Old Master Hu, the Hu Family's idiot kept hugging Old Master Hu and shouting. It made one's heart turn cold.
Soon, a yamen runner came over with Han Laitou in tow.
"Reporting to Constable Cao, we found this person at Qingcai Gambling Den. The money from the sale of marriage is almost gone," the yamen runner said hatefully.
Constable Cao felt a wave of sadness in his heart. A father who forced his daughter to marry an idiot and used the money from the sale of his daughter to gamble. Such a father was detestable.
"You with the surname Hu, I gave my daughter to your Hu Clan, but your Hu Clan forced her to her death. How do you want me to compensate you?" Han Laitou looked at his daughter's corpse and wailed. He wanted the Hu Clan to compensate him.
"Compensation? Your daughter hasn't even stepped through the Hu Family's door. How could we force her to death? You still want compensation from the Hu Family? The Hu Family wants to sue you for cheating the betrothal gifts?" Old Master Hu shouted angrily.
The two of them did not care about the corpse of the Han Family's daughter lying on the street. One insisted that she had already married into the Hu Family and was forced to death by the Hu Family. The other insisted that she had not stepped through the Hu Family's door and the marriage was not completed. Neither of them was willing to bring back the corpse of the Han Family's daughter.
"She's already dead, and you're still shirking responsibility and only talking about money!" Cao Li scolded angrily.
"This is not our fault!" Old Master Hu, Han Laitou, and Matchmaker Zhu all cried out their grievances.
Cao Li was also in a difficult position. According to the laws of the Tang dynasty, he really could not do anything to the three of them.
"Since you have no one to complain about your grievances, then let me uphold justice for you!" The crowd suddenly separated and Meton walked out.
"Mo Jiazi!"
The crowd suddenly cried out in surprise.
Old Master Hu and the other two looked as if they had seen their savior. They pointed at Merton and said in unison, "It's all Mo Jiazi's fault."
"My daughter loves face the most. If it wasn't for your article, my daughter wouldn't have committed suicide. Return my daughter to me! " Han Laitou saw Meton and cried as he threw himself at Meton. Compared to Mo Jiazi, the Hu Family did not have much money. If Mo Jiazi were to compensate, wouldn't they be able to pay more money?
Cao Li waved his hand and a few yamen runners immediately restrained Han Laitou.
"Marquis Merton, please step back for now!" Cao Li said worriedly.
Modun shook his head and said, "Arrester Cao, please take the three of them back to the yamen for the time being. Keep the Han Family's daughter under control for the time being. Wait for me to sound the Warden Drum and seek justice for her."
"Wen Deng Drum?" Cao Li was shocked.
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