Upon hearing this, Zhang Qingyuan's anger and agitation eased slightly. Taking a deep breath, he said in a deep voice, "I wish to enter a plea of denial!"
Qin Mu had explained this process to him in detail the day before, which was divided into two directions. In civil litigation, this referred to either an admission or a denial of the allegations. If admitted, the jury would be dismissed by law, and the judge would continue to hear the case. In criminal proceedings, however, it was divided into a guilty plea or a plea of not guilty. If a guilty plea was entered, the jury would similarly be dismissed, and the judge would conduct a separate hearing.
At this stage, he certainly could not agree to the plaintiff's accusations; he had to argue in defense of his reputation.
