Chapter 7

Chapter 7 — The Thousand-Nyang Lawyer (4)

Kim Jiseok stared at Doyul, lost in complicated thoughts.

Young man... why are you here when you should be devoting yourself to your studies?

Doyul was clearly not an oejibu.

He was poor, yes, but undoubtedly a respectable commoner preparing for the main state examination.

And yet he had appeared in court representing a merchant?

What exactly had happened?

There was something else bothering Kim Jiseok too.

...Then were you the one who wrote that petition?

The petition's contents had been so shocking and unusual that when the magistrate first read it, he assumed an ignorant merchant had carelessly confessed his own wrongdoing.

Even then, he'd wondered why the handwriting was far too neat for an ordinary merchant.

But now it appeared that the brilliant young scholar before him had written it.

...Just what are you thinking?

Hiding his emotions, the magistrate questioned Doyul.

"Plaintiff's representative, explain why you have appeared in the plaintiff's place."

Doyul answered casually.

"Well, you see, Ppaengi apparently overeaten last night and developed terrible stomach pains. Heaven knows what he ate, but the smell was awful and he kept running back and forth to the latrine. It looked rather pitiful, so after speaking with him briefly, I came in his place."

"...What?"

Kim Jiseok's eyebrow twitched.

Normally, when a representative explained why he was appearing for someone else, even a minor inconvenience would be exaggerated into some unavoidable crisis.

But Doyul spoke as casually as though he had merely come to substitute for someone doing routine administrative work.

Feeling something was strange, Kim Jiseok immediately looked toward Park Jeongdo.

Did you arrange this?

Sometimes one side would bribe the other party's representative to secure victory.

It was the first possibility that came to mind.

...That lunatic. Doesn't he even understand what a lawsuit is? Ppaengi, you fool. You dug your own grave just to save a little money!

But judging by the genuinely dumbfounded expression Park Jeongdo wore while looking at Doyul, it didn't seem he had arranged anything.

Then why...?

In principle, representatives existed to substitute for parties who had unavoidable reasons preventing them from attending court.

So the magistrate couldn't object to the reason itself.

Still, a representative who behaved too casually would inevitably make a bad impression.

If Doyul wasn't careful, his presence could prove worse than simply not appearing at all.

Kim Jiseok spoke with obvious displeasure.

"...Kang Doyul, representative of Plaintiff Ppaengi. Your reason for attending has been noted."

Seeing the magistrate's frown, Jeongmu could barely suppress his laughter.

Hahaha! Where did that idiot Ppaengi find another idiot like this? Winning the magistrate's favor is the most basic principle of litigation. Even in the worst case, this will be an easy victory!

But although Doyul stood under everyone's gaze with an easygoing expression, his mind was as cold and sharp as a drawn blade.

This was all part of the plan.

...Don't forget the objective.

The goal of this lawsuit was not to defeat the opposing side or crush Dolmok and Jeongmu.

The only goal was the safety of his client, Ppaengi.

And achieving that required a strategy separate from merely winning the lawsuit.

If the only issue were whether the fraudulent contract was valid, Ppaengi or even Donggu could have appeared and easily gotten it declared invalid.

But afterward...

What if the magistrate declared that the agreement was invalid yet still punished Ppaengi?

Then they would have won the lawsuit in name while losing in reality.

The strategy for winning a lawsuit and the strategy for achieving the client's actual objective were not necessarily the same.

That was why Doyul had to act carefree despite how unnatural it felt.

He needed to create an atmosphere of looseness.

"...Both representatives have now appeared. We shall begin the trial. Kang Doyul, representative of the plaintiff, state the grievance suffered by your client."

At Kim Jiseok's words, Doyul answered in a loose, almost indifferent tone.

"Ah. Yes. Apparently, Plaintiff Ppaengi made a written agreement with Defendant Dolmok concerning the sale of tangerines..."

He scratched his cheek.

"But things seem to have gotten a little strange, so we've come to confirm that the agreement is invalid."

Doyul spoke as casually as if he were reading from a schoolbook.

The reaction from the crowd exploded instantly.

"What?! Did I hear him correctly?"

"What in the world is this?"

"That man's gone insane!"

"What the hell is that shameless bastard thinking?"

"He's completely lost his mind! Coming to the government office and behaving like this!"

As Doyul expected, the people's reaction was intense.

"What a shameless wretch!"

"No need to hear another word!"

"Beat that bastard senseless right now!"

...Hahaha. Just what are you planning?

Kim Jiseok, presiding over the trial, nearly laughed from disbelief.

Even a three-year-old child knew that an agreement to buy and sell precious tangerines meant for royal tribute would be invalid.

And yet...

What had the representative just said?

He had proudly brought an agreement involving royal tribute tangerines before the government office and asked the magistrate to confirm that it was invalid?

You surely know that this itself creates a problem... So what are you thinking?

The Great Ming Code contained punishments for smuggling.

But this situation could not clearly be called smuggling.

Nor could it clearly be called innocent.

It was somewhere in the realm of preparation and conspiracy.

That inevitably made the final judgment dependent on the magistrate's discretion.

Kim Jiseok questioned Doyul.

"...It is perfectly reasonable and obvious that a written agreement to sell tangerines meant for royal tribute would be invalid. However, secretly buying and selling goods belonging to the state is a grave offense. Why did you submit this petition? Does the plaintiff wish to confess and seek reduced punishment?"

Doyul answered as though the matter were trivial.

"Plaintiff Ppaengi never had even the slightest intention of illegally selling royal tribute tangerines."

Naturally, the watching commoners erupted.

"What kind of nonsense is that?!"

"He signed an agreement but never intended to sell them? And that fellow calls himself a representative?"

"No need to hear more! Bring the plaintiff here and beat him severely!"

But Kim Jiseok maintained his composure despite the chaos.

He is no ordinary scholar. There must be some purpose behind this. But I cannot understand what it is.

"I ask again. Did the plaintiff truly have no intention of illegally selling the tangerines?"

"That is correct."

"Then perhaps there is some misunderstanding concerning the circumstances under which the agreement was made. Does the plaintiff's representative possess evidence showing that the plaintiff did not execute the agreement?"

Doyul shook his head.

"That isn't what I mean. There is no doubt that Plaintiff Ppaengi personally placed his hand seal on the agreement."

...Exactly as the petition says.

If he had claimed the document itself was forged, that at least would have made sense.

Instead, the plaintiff's own representative had just confirmed that the seal belonged to the plaintiff.

Could it be that the plaintiff confessed to a serious offense and this representative accepted the case only to ensure that he is punished?

Kim Jiseok couldn't understand Doyul's behavior.

And Jeongmu was equally bewildered.

What? He's admitting that Ppaengi made the hand seal himself? Is he insane?

They had drugged Ppaengi, forced him into unconsciousness, and then used his hand to press the seal.

Yet instead of challenging that fact, the plaintiff's own representative had voluntarily admitted it.

Jeongmu was pleased.

And deeply confused.

"I have heard the plaintiff's representative. Defendant's representative, what is your response?"

After exchanging several questions and answers with Doyul, Kim Jiseok turned to Jeongmu.

"This is an absurd contradiction. He was not drunk, stood there with a normal face and clear mind, and said he would sell tangerines to Dolmok. How can he now claim he never intended to sell them?"

"Defendant's representative, explain the circumstances in detail and submit any evidence you possess."

Jeongmu immediately produced the bottle of alcohol he had prepared.

You fool! I don't know what you're trying to do, but thanks to you, this case has become easy!

Naturally, Jeongmu had prepared thoroughly for the trial.

If he lost, he would lose Park Jeongdo's trust and therefore his income.

His pride as an oejibu would also be wounded.

He had no intention of allowing defeat.

"The plaintiff's representative's argument is obvious. He means to say that Ppaengi signed the agreement, but he was drunk and therefore didn't truly intend to make the transaction!"

Jeongmu pulled out the bottle.

"But that cannot be true! On that day, Elder Park and Ppaengi drank very weak alcohol!"

"Is that the same alcohol they drank that day?"

"Yes! It is not strong at all. If two grown men shared a bottle, even someone weak to alcohol would have no reason to become drunk. And furthermore..."

Jeongmu smiled confidently.

"Elder Park Jeongdo, known throughout this county for his virtue, drank with Ppaengi personally. Why don't we simply ask the elder whether my statement is true?"

"..."

Kim Jiseok's expression tightened again.

Officially, the magistrate's authority was naturally higher.

But unlike a local official, who would leave after at most a few years, powerful local elites could spend their entire lives building influence in one region.

If Park Jeongdo appeared as a witness, his words could not easily be ignored.

"...Haah. Then I ask Witness Park Jeongdo. On the day you invited Ppaengi to drink, did you truly drink the liquor held by Dolmok's representative? And... was Ppaengi truly sober?"

Hehehe. Let's see how you escape now!

Park Jeongdo hid his true thoughts and answered politely, like the model of a benevolent gentleman.

"The representative speaks truthfully. We certainly drank that liquor. And Ppaengi's complexion remained normal. He did not appear drunk in the slightest."

"Are you certain?"

"Yes. Completely certain."

...It's over.

Park Jeongdo was confident of victory.

At best, Ppaengi could have tried to excuse himself by claiming drunkenness.

But the most influential man in the region had personally appeared and denied it.

Unless the magistrate wanted open conflict with Park Jeongdo, he would have no choice but to recognize that Ppaengi signed the contract while sober.

And if that fact were recognized?

There isn't a fool alive who would believe that a man signed a contract while perfectly sober yet never meant to make it.

However...

"...Since both parties' statements match, it is now certain that Ppaengi did not execute the agreement while drunk."

Both Jeongmu and Park Jeongdo stared at the magistrate in shock.

"What do you mean both parties' statements match...?"

"...The petition filed by Ppaengi says the same thing."

What... does that mean?

"Excuse me? P-Ppaengi's own petition... says he was sober?"

"Indeed. He wrote that although the agreement was executed during a drinking gathering, he was not drunk at all and was fully clear-minded."

"W-What?"

The magistrate had read the petition submitted by Ppaengi.

Or rather, written by Doyul.

He had read it again and again.

No matter how many times he looked at it, he couldn't understand.

What exactly was this petition trying to argue?

Jeongmu couldn't understand.

Park Jeongdo couldn't understand.

The spectators couldn't understand either.

If anything, Ppaengi should have desperately begged that he had been too drunk to remember anything.

Instead, he had filed the petition himself...

And insisted that he had been completely sober?

Then, quietly among the crowd, one person celebrated inwardly.

...Good.

"I have something to submit to the magistrate."

"...Speak."

Doyul, who had written the petition and arranged the entire situation, smiled gently.

"Plaintiff's representative Kang Doyul will now present the plaintiff's final argument."