After listening to Jiang Mengzhen explain the laws of the Jin Kingdom, she found it somewhat unbelievable and fired off three rapid questions like a barrage: “Does this law conflict with other laws? Is the implementation time still valid?”

Hao Cheng, not being a legal professional, had seen a few lawsuits and watched quite a few dramas featuring lawyers as the main theme, so she had some understanding of the law.

Jiang Mengzhen replied confidently, “Before you report it to the authorities, go to the shop and buy a copy of the ‘Laws of Jin Kingdom.’ Turn to page 250, count the twenty-third column from right to left, and find the thirteenth chapter, the 1,035th law. See if it matches what I said, then consider whether to follow my advice.”

He didn’t feel offended, as Hao Cheng and he weren’t particularly close, and if she lost the lawsuit, he might get blamed.

If Hao Cheng wasn’t cautious and blindly followed his instructions, he might have thought she was under some enchantment, too easily swayed and gullible, not someone he could rely on.

Hao Cheng was skeptical but brought back a thick copy of the “Laws of Jin Kingdom” that very day and found the page as Jiang Mengzhen had instructed.

She checked a few laws, and he answered them all fluently. To boost Hao Cheng’s confidence, Jiang Mengzhen even showed off a bit.

He asked Hao Cheng to flip to the last page of the “Laws of Jin Kingdom” and began reciting the provisions from memory. His recitation was fluent and clear, but it lacked any logical coherence.

Hao Cheng stared at the book without blinking, listening carefully. She realized that Jiang Mengzhen wasn’t just spewing out gibberish but reciting the laws backward, word for word, from the last word of the last law, in reverse order. The chapters were reversed, and the sentences were reversed, but he recited flawlessly.

In her previous life, Hao Cheng had a classmate who could recite an English dictionary, and she already thought that was impressive. This “Laws of Jin Kingdom” was over 700 pages long, with nearly 4,000 laws. According to Jiang Mengzhen, he was equally familiar with other laws, which gave him the confidence to make such a guarantee.

Even if Jiang Mengzhen might not be as impressive as he claimed, his ability to recite the “Laws of Jin Kingdom” flawlessly was enough to impress Hao Cheng.

Young people should have some courage. Hao Cheng closed the book, clearly convinced of Jiang Mengzhen’s expertise in the law, “So, what should I do according to your advice?”

Jiang Mengzhen pondered, “If I had the qualifications of a lawyer, I could help you. But now, without even proper identification documents, it’s not appropriate for me to intervene. If you trust me, follow my instructions, and don’t say anything unnecessary.”

Hao Cheng, not being an actress, was afraid she wouldn’t perform well, so she rehearsed with Jiang Mengzhen several times in the house.

Whenever she didn’t understand something, he would analyze it sentence by sentence, “Officials fear being accused of disrespecting the emperor the most. When you go up there to accuse someone according to the laws of Jin Kingdom, don’t mention the county magistrate at all. Just say that the Broker office acted recklessly, violating the law.”

If Hao Cheng involved the county magistrate, the latter would inevitably try to deflect blame. By solely focusing on the Broker office, the county magistrate, to show loyalty, would protect her reputation and, under pressure, act impartially.

Officials prioritized their own interests. People like the county magistrate were greedy and self-serving. They might seem like solid allies, but once their own interests were at stake, they could turn on anyone immediately.

Moreover, the connection between the Broker office and the county magistrate was weak, based only on a beautiful servant girl. The Broker office troubled Hao Cheng by cheating her out of her money, not through physical harm.

Unfortunately, Hao Cheng couldn’t tolerate such mistreatment, nor would she tolerate them tarnishing her reputation for no reason. They troubled her, so she would deal with them in kind.

Once they finished rehearsing, Hao Cheng went to the government office early in the morning to sue the Broker office. She held the “Laws of Jin Kingdom” high and presented the lawsuit written by Jiang Mengzhen.

When Kou heard the commotion from his residence, he spat out her tea, “You didn’t hear wrong, did that fool really sue the Broker office?”

The maid who reported nodded, “Yes, she sued the Broker office.”

Kou smiled, “My niece has always been erratic in her actions. She’s just a poor scholar, but she’s very proud. She can’t even bear such a slight grievance and wants to throw herself into the fire.”

The maid asked, “What should we do then? Will she implicate you?”

It was him who had made the Broker office trouble Hao Cheng. Since he hated Hao Cheng so much, the Broker office would naturally collaborate with him, so there was no possibility of shifting the blame onto him.

Kou’s lips curled up with a hint of mischief, “What can we do? Of course, we should prepare a carriage and go watch the show.”

Who knew, when he got to the government office, he might just see Hao Cheng get kicked out for delaying official duties and falsely accusing the government.

He felt pleased, while the county magistrate was being driven mad by this scholar. Others who reported to the authorities would first submit their lawsuit and then plead their case, all in a submissive manner, just to please the authorities.

This scholar, on the other hand, submitted the lawsuit, but when she saw the official, she didn’t kneel. She slapped the table and said sternly, “I brought the ‘Laws of Jin Kingdom’ with me. According to Article 123 of the ‘Laws of Jin Kingdom,’ those who come to plead their case with the ‘Laws of Jin Kingdom’ can be exempted from kneeling.”

The county magistrate thought it was nonsense. How had she not heard of such a bizarre rule? But the scholar seemed confident, so out of caution, she had her steward quickly check. If it turned out to be false, it wouldn’t be a big deal, but if it was true, her opponent could use it against her.

In fact, Hao Cheng had never heard of it either. But there were many strange laws in the Jin Kingdom, and many loopholes to exploit. However, who among the common people would carry such a thick law book to the authorities? Even if they did, who would remember such obscure regulations?