On February 27th, the Spring Examination ended.
Countless prisoners were suddenly released like imprisoned wild monkeys, screaming and cheering, without any trace of
Partying all night long, indulging in the fear of the past few months, forgetting sleep and food, looking forward to the glory of becoming a new Jinshi after the results are released.
Thousands of brothels occupied all the entertainment venues in the city. In the brothels, everyone had guests and everything was orderly.
Xia Jingyun, who was openly told by many courtesans that he would never charge a penny for prostitution from now on, did not sit still and join in the fun, but returned to the Hou Mansion early.
When I arrived at the house, I didn't even have time to sleep. I just freshened up and started talking secretly with the people in the Hou's house to deduce the situation tomorrow.
The same situation happened in many places throughout Zhongjing City.
In the East Palace, the lights remained on all night;
In the Prime Minister's Mansion, the study is brightly lit;
In the Duke's mansion, whispers continued until the cockcrow.
The great changes in Zhongjing City came quietly as the night came and went.
It was just getting dark, and the main hall of the Criminal Department was already decorated.
The big case in the middle of the hall is still placed in the distance, and that is the seat for His Royal Highness, who is presiding over the case.
Next to the big case was a small case, which was for the Minister of Justice who was at home.
One level further down, there are two small cases facing the door, which are reserved for Jing Zhaoyin and the head of Heibingtai.
There are four viewing seats on both sides of the lobby below, facing each other, reserved for the dignitaries who come here.
Behind each chair were two small chairs for possible attendants.
Further outside, twenty chairs were set up in the open space outside the lobby for the remaining dignitaries and stakeholders who were qualified to come here to watch the ceremony.
It is said that it is a public trial, but in fact it is only among high-level officials. It is impossible to let a large number of ordinary people come in to watch.
When the time came to the end of Chen hour, people from all parties arrived one after another.
There were dignitaries from the court like the British Duke, stakeholders like Xia Jingyun who came to represent the Hou Mansion, representatives from various ministries and government agencies who came to inquire about information, and children of powerful people like Qin Sichao.
When Da Zongzheng of Zongzheng Temple appeared and walked slowly into the arena, everyone was startled, and then instantly felt a sense of excitement about something big happening.
As the owner of the Qin family, the old head of the family, accompanied by his son and granddaughter, came to the hall and was arranged to sit down on the first table on the right.
Then the chief officials from the Criminal Department, Jingzhao Mansion, and Heibingtai arrived hand in hand.
When His Royal Highness the Crown Prince walked calmly into the arena and sat in the middle of the stage, everyone looked at him with a somewhat complicated look.
This should be the last time he appears on such an occasion in such a position that one person is inferior to ten thousand people, right?
From now on, will he be called the deposed prince or a certain king?
Just as everyone's minds were racing, Prince Dongfang Ming slowly spoke, "The assassination of Qin Yuwen, the eldest son of the Qin family, shocked the government and the public. The father was furious and ordered the three divisions to jointly investigate the case. Now the investigation and interrogation by the three divisions has begun. After getting the results, we will hear the case today in front of all the princes, in order to appease the Qin family’s loyalty to generations and to bring clear justice to the people of Zhongjing.”
The resounding words fell into the ears of everyone, but they were full of irony.
You, a fucking mastermind, have the nerve to say this!
If there were too many ordinary people, their simple sense of justice might drive them to make noise.
But those present here are all high-ranking officials with high reputations in the entire empire. Their justice and bottom line are very flexible. After listening, they all waited calmly.
After the prince finished speaking, he looked at the Minister of Punishment and said, "Master Fei, let's get started."
The Minister of Punishment subconsciously bowed his hands respectfully, then straightened up again, picked up the documents on the table, and said loudly: "Now, I will introduce the case to you."
"On the 29th of the first lunar month of the 24th year of Chongning, Xia Jingyun, the sworn brother of Empress Dowager De, was assassinated on his way out of the palace. The assassin is still being traced."
"On the second day of February in the twenty-fourth year of Chongning, Qin Yuwen, the eldest son of the Qin family, was traveling in a carriage and was killed by a carriage driver with a hidden arrow in his sleeve. Then the carriage driver committed suicide brazenly under the siege of the Ministry of Punishment and Heibingtai. Shocking the government and the public.”
"That night, Duke Fengyang, the old head of the Qin family, came to the palace to ask for an audience. His Majesty issued an order to order the Ministry of Punishment to investigate the case together with Jingzhao Mansion and Heibingtai. After many days of inspection, we preliminarily eliminated the initially identified suspect. Sishui Prefecture We solved the suspicion of Yuan Xia Jingyun's revenge assassination, and after that, we worked together to capture important witnesses and achieved a major breakthrough."
"Then, we followed the important clues and continued to dig deeper. Finally, we sorted out the entire case and formed a file. In order to show fairness, we will try the case openly. Now, I will bring witnesses!"
As he was stunned, two officials from the Ministry of Justice walked in holding a man in white.
Apart from his disheveled beard and hair, and his clothes being a little dirty, there were no blood or injuries on this man's body. Because he had not yet been convicted and not shackled, many uninformed people lamented the civility of the court's law enforcement agency.
When the man saw the prince, he trembled and lowered his head, not daring to look at him.
The Minister of Punishment was shocked, "Who is here?"
"I'm going to be the official of the Prince's family, Dong. Dong Sicheng!"
Everyone was in an uproar. They had heard rumors before, but now that they saw it with their own eyes, they felt different.
"On February 18th, you put on casual clothes and secretly went to the unknown blacksmith shop in Nancheng Mudwa Lane. What did you do?"
"Xiaxiaguan"
After all, it was the prince in front of him, and this prince really couldn't bear to stab him in the back.
But at this time, how could he have any room to retreat!
The Minister of Punishment was shocked and shouted in a deep voice: "Dong Sicheng, the confession in black and white is still here. Your Majesty is personally paying attention to this matter. There are many dignitaries in the room in front of you. Is there any room for you to back down? If you confess, you will be lenient, if you resist, you will be strict. , you have thought clearly!"
The prince's face was dark, but he did not dare to say a word.
When he got the will of Tao, he had already anticipated this moment, but he didn't expect that when he actually faced it, his emotions would be so intense.
So much so that after more than 20 years of practicing Xiao Fu Di and cultivating Qi, he still had trouble controlling his expression and was clenching his fists tightly in his sleeves.
Dong Sicheng was also awakened by these words. Anyway, even if he survived this disaster safely, the prince would never trust him again. If he was frank and meritorious, he could still seek leniency. So he took heart and said: "In the past six months, I have been serving as a priest. I obeyed the order of His Highness the Crown Prince and contacted the groom. He was bribed by us and often provided us with information about the Qin Mansion. After this incident, His Highness ordered me to clean up the head and tail and leave no flaws. I had been worried before Someone would be watching this shop, so I waited for half a month before going there, but unexpectedly I was caught on the spot."
As soon as these words came out, the crowd started talking again.
If this matter is true, then this matter is a certainty!
And if the matter is revealed in front of so many people, can the prince, the prince, still sit firmly?
Everyone looked at His Royal Highness with pity in their eyes.
Although he is still the crown prince at this moment, I think this is his only remaining glory.
The Minister of Punishment asked, "Have you ever given an order to the horseman to assassinate Qin Yuwen?"
Dong Sicheng shook his head, "No. I don't know why he would do it."
"Then have you ever received an order to contact this person to assassinate Qin Yuwen?"
This sentence almost clearly pointed the finger at the prince, but the prince still did not dare to refute at all and could only listen silently.
"No. It's just that some people have suggested that if the prince waits for an opportunity, the Qin family will suffer a lot. They say that the Qin family now has no support and is strong on the outside. It only needs a big fall, and then it will be much easier for the East Palace to pretend to be a good person and subdue it. But I don’t know exactly what this big pain is.”
"Who suggested it?"
"Prince Zhan Shi Lu Hongyuan."
"Take Lu Hongyuan!"
Soon the prince Zhan Shi and Lu Hongyuan, dressed in white, were also brought in. Since they had not yet been convicted, they were also not shackled.
After a round of threats that were exactly the same as before, Lu Hongyuan recognized the situation earlier than Dong Sicheng, and began to explain the situation like pouring beans into a bamboo tube.
As the prince's true confidant, he knew far more than Dong Sicheng.
In his mouth, a clear and definite vein gradually emerged.
The prince wanted to bring the Qin family under his command because of the need to increase his strength. Now there is no one in the Qin family in the court. He thought that the two would be happy and hit it off, but unexpectedly the Qin family flatly refused.
Among them, Qin Yuwen, the eldest son of the Qin family who the prince first came into contact with, was the most resistant. He had rejected the prince's overt and covert attempts several times, and when the prince finally spoke out, he made it clear to the prince that the Qin family was focused on business and did not want to He got involved in the prince's affairs and then left the table directly.
"When the prince returned to the East Palace that day, he was so angry that he threw things on the floor and said that he was a great prince. Even Qin Yuwen dared to treat him like this. He must take revenge on the Qin family and make him look good!"
Lu Hongyuan continued: "At that time, I suggested that the prince find a way to give the Qin family a heavy blow, and then secretly let people target and embarrass the Qin family, and then I would help him conquer the Qin family in the name of the prince. By then, the Qin family would not be It’s up to us.”
"In other words, Qin Yuwen's death was caused by His Highness the Crown Prince's hatred, and he ordered you to do it?"
Lu Hongyuan shook his head quickly, bowed his head and shouted: "This matter has nothing to do with the villain. Your Highness did not give me an order. I don't know who ordered it!"
Naturally, the Minister of Punishment had no choice but to interrogate him in court in front of so many people, and then showed the rest of the evidence to everyone.
These are all personal and physical evidence, and the details of the prince's plot against the Qin family are gradually completed.
By the time the conversation came to this point, it seemed that interrogation was no longer necessary.
Da Zongzheng of Zongzheng Temple who arrived with a mission, Emperor Chongning’s uncle Qi Wangfang Jiong looked at Dongfang Ming who was sitting on the stage, and said slowly:
"Prince, what else do you have to say?"
(End of chapter)
