On the second day of the twelfth lunar month, Dali Temple went to the hall to inquire about the case.
There were three officials presiding over the case, namely Yan Yu, Qing of Dali Temple, Yang Yin, Minister of Punishment, and An Guo Gong Yushou, who was appointed by the emperor.
In addition, there were several attending officials, including Yao Tai, Ma Zhong and others.
As soon as the two teams of yamen servants lined up, the holy driver arrived.
Everyone hurriedly got up to pick him up.
The emperor came in and said: "You just judge, I will also listen."
So he hurriedly set up a screen, set up seats behind it, and asked the emperor to move over.
After the emperor sat down and asked for permission, he officially ascended to the throne room.
The plaintiff was ordered to bring dozens of people from Longxi to the court, and they immediately knelt on the ground in darkness.
Yan Yu then asked the two leaders: "Li Baozhong and Zhang Lianjiu, you two came to Beijing with the paper in hand. Are the things written on the paper true?"
"As for Master Qingtian, the common people don't dare to lie. They are really forced to have no way of living. Otherwise, how could they have the courage to sue the prince?" Li Baozhong said.
"Master Qingtian, please make the decision for us! This year's crop harvest was not good, but winter hit us again. The livestock were either frozen to death or starved to death.
When they heard that the imperial court had sent someone, the people thought it was a savior. But within a few days, I discovered that was not the case.
The grain given out was moldy and rotten, and whatever was edible was mixed with sand. Not two of the ten families could share the clothing to keep out the cold. They were both cold and hungry, and many people died.
Not only that, many girls were taken away, saying they were serving the fifth prince. Anyone who dared to stop him was severely beaten.
We ordinary people couldn't bear it, so we gathered hundreds of people to petition.
But he was falsely accused of being a troublemaker and was almost never beaten to death. "Zhang Lianjiu touched his head to the ground.
The two leaders made statements like this, and the rest of them also cried out and cried bitterly.
"Quiet!" Yang Yin slapped the crowd in shock and said, "Do you have any evidence for what you said? If you are deliberately framed, the nine tribes will be punished!"
"Sir, if the injuries all over our bodies cannot be used as evidence, please ask the imperial court to send someone to Longxi to investigate.
It’s not just thousands of families who are suffering? If we dare to come and complain, we have already put life and death at risk.
Killing the Nine Clan is a serious crime, but if you can't live a good life, your family will be ruined sooner or later. "Li Baozhong looked like he was risking his life.
"I would like to ask why you didn't appeal to Longxi? Does Shen Jingzhi, the governor of Longxi, know about these things?" Yan Yu asked.
"If he wanted to take care of us, he should have taken care of us when we were suffering." Zhang Lianjiu wiped away his tears and said, "He could watch helplessly when thousands of people were fighting for their lives with the King of Hell. Such a sense would give us Make the decision?"
"Aren't there officials from the Ministry of Household Affairs who went with the Fifth Prince to provide disaster relief?" Anguo Gong Yushou spoke at this time, "With such a witness, it is natural to interrogate him in detail."
"Gong An Guo is right, come here, bring Wu Wanduan." Yan Yu immediately ordered to bring witnesses.
Wu Wantuan is a Cao official in the Ministry of Household Affairs. Like Wang Cheng, his position is not high.
From the beginning, he refused to say anything except to apologize. Now that he was in court, he remained silent.
"Wu Wantuan, as an official of the imperial court, under this situation, you should tell the truth.
Otherwise, it will be contempt of court and you will be tortured. "Yang Yin's naturally cold face looked even more majestic in the hall at this time.
"My lords, I'm just a lowly official, traveling to provide disaster relief. I can't decide anything." Wu Wantuan was helpless.
"I know you can't make the decision. I just want you to tell the truth. These victims from Longxi said that the Fifth Prince fished the common people and deducted money and food during the disaster relief. Is this true?" Yang Yin said, having already taken out the punishment lot. The meaning was obvious. , if Wu Wantuan continues to treat him like this, he will be tortured.
"The official just copied some accounts and didn't go to the disaster relief in person. I don't know about these things." Wu Wantuan tried his best to avoid it.
Yang Yin threw down the lot, and immediately a Yamen servant came up, dragged Wu Wantuan down, and started playing with the board.
Wu Wantuan was still holding back at first, but later he couldn't bear the pain anymore and cried: "My subordinates have also advised me, but my words are so slight, how dare I say anything again?!"
The meaning of his words was obvious, the fifth prince had indeed behaved inappropriately.
When asked in detail, the officer who carried out the execution said, "Sir, this man couldn't stand the punishment and passed out."
Yang Yin discussed with the other two presiding officers to take Wu Wantuan down first to let him take a break.
At this time, someone was heard playing drums outside, and An Guogong asked: "Who is playing drums to complain about injustice? But is it related to this case?"
Immediately, someone was sent out to inquire. The person came in and reported back: "There is a civilian woman, Wang Bai, who claims that her husband, Wang Cheng, has a grievance and is related to Longxi'an, so she came to complain."
"I remembered, isn't that Wang Cheng the Ministry of Household Official who went to Longxi to provide disaster relief with Wu Wantuan?" Yushou said, "In that case, bring in the woman who complained about the injustice."
At this time, there were subtle changes in the faces of everyone in the hall. Yao Tai and Ma Zhong, who were listening, glanced at the hall, their eyes touched Yang Yan and then separated.
Mrs. Wang walked into the hall dressed in mourning clothes. Her husband Wang Cheng passed away less than half a month ago, so the mourning clothes cannot be removed.
"Ms. Wang Bai, a civilian woman, pleads grievances for her husband." Mrs. Wang knelt down and held the paper in both hands. "My husband Wang Cheng went to Longxi with the fifth prince to provide relief. Not long after he came back, he was called out to have a drink by his colleagues. He was depressed when he came back. Three days later commit suicide.
Before his death, he gave two letters to a civilian woman, in which he explained the reason why he was forced to commit suicide.
He Wenzhao, a member of the Ministry of Household Affairs, called my husband out and coerced and induced him to join in the frame-up of the fifth prince.
My husband doesn't want to do such immoral things, and he doesn't dare to confront him face to face.
Just because He Wenzhao said that the person behind him was so well-connected that not even the prince took him seriously.
Hu Ce, the minister of official affairs, was also at the banquet that day, and he was promised an official position and gold and silver.
All the details are in the letter, please take a look at it. "
The yamen officer presented the letter, and several presiding judges read it in turn.
Then Shang Qiyan came out from behind the screen, took the letter, and showed it to the emperor.
"Ms. Wang Bai, since you have this letter, why didn't you come to complain earlier?" Yang Yin asked with a cold face, "You said that your husband committed suicide out of fear. He is not even afraid of death. Are you still afraid of testifying?"
"Yes! You said he committed suicide because he was afraid of harming his family, so why did he write this suicide note? Aren't he afraid of causing trouble?
There are many contradictions in your own words. I think your evidence is mostly forged. "Yan Yu also said.
"My husband's refusal to give false testimony shows that he is not a complicit person.
It is true that he does not want to harm his family.
But after all, he still has his conscience and hopes that I can meet a fair and selfless person. So I left this letter. Mrs. Wang defended herself, "Although I am an ignorant woman, I still know how to write the words "loyalty to the emperor and service to the country".
I settled down with my mother-in-law and children, and I only filed a lawsuit because I didn't want to betray my conscience, and I didn't want my late husband to die in peace. "
