As the saying goes, the world knows autumn when one leaf falls. The sycamore leaves are large and fall with the wind at the beginning of autumn. The huge leaves swirl in the air and slowly fall to the ground.
In early autumn, there are always many willows planted in Beijing. Dry willows and weeping willows are mostly found on both sides of the road. Willow trees are also favored by people in the capital, and many places are named after "willow".
Just like the residence of Liu Shangshu of the Ministry of Justice who lives in Shuangliu Hutong, he also changed his daily living place to Xueliutang. As usual, he got up early and played a set of Wuqinxi. As he breathed in and out, he felt refreshed.
A middle-aged and thin woman walked in from outside the house. In her hand was a red lacquer plate with gold begonia patterns, and a cup of willow leaf tea. The willow leaves were picked in spring when the willows were about to bloom, and the buds were dried in the sun. Drinking tea can not only dispel fire and eliminate dryness, refresh the mind and improve qi, but also improve eyesight and clear the heart.
The woman brought it to Liu Shangshu, who sneered: "You are afraid that I will be angry, so you bring willow leaf tea."
"I dare not." The woman is Liu Shangshu's concubine, her maiden name is Ying. Because Liu Shangshu's first wife died, he never remarried, so now he is the housekeeper of his aunt Ying.
Seeing that Liu Shangshu's expression seemed to be calmer, she couldn't help but mention: "Yesterday, the Yu family came to the door again, asking for help from the master."
Liu Shangshu put down the tea cup and snorted coldly: "When he married Li Shu, Li Shu escaped from the marriage and disappeared. Because I felt sorry for him, I helped him a lot in his career and money, and I didn't even give Li Shu her dowry. He wanted it back, but he still felt that it was not enough. Now he even dared to embezzle money from the river, and his rule was even more chaotic. He also killed the censor, committed such a major crime, and was said to be involved in the affairs of the foreign countries. One injustice and another. It’s too late for me to avoid suspicion, why can’t I help him finish it off?”
Aunt Ying frowned: "He has been just a prefect these years, why is he involved in Fanbang again?"
"This matter will be known today. The original river fraud case involved foreign countries. You also know that His Majesty is celebrating his birthday. All the vassal countries came to Beijing to congratulate him. Dali Temple asked the three divisions to jointly review it." Liu Shangshu was originally the Shangshu of the Ministry of Justice. After the trial in Dali Temple, they can just review it. Now the matter is more involved, and it may be the death penalty or hanging. That's why the Ministry of Punishment, together with Dali Temple and the Metropolitan Procuratorate, will try the case.
For such a serious crime, Yu's family dared to come to ask for help. It is true that they should be beaten out.
In order to show his innocence, Liu Shangshu originally wrote a letter to recuse himself, but he had no choice but to trust him and still let him supervise the case.
Thinking of this, he shook his head.
Aunt Ying knew nothing about it and didn't mention anything. In fact, after all these years, if the Yu family hadn't come to visit her again, she couldn't seem to remember that her family was related to the Yu family by marriage.
From time to time, Liu Shangshu arrived in the backyard of the Yamen in an official sedan. Unexpectedly, he saw Zheng's consort as soon as he entered the door. He was immediately embarrassed, because Zheng's consort was originally his son-in-law.
At that time, Zheng Hao was originally named the number one scholar in high school and wanted to go to Chuzhou to marry his third daughter Lishu. Unexpectedly, he was granted a marriage by the emperor. From then on, the Zheng family and the Liu family had no contact with each other. Otherwise, Liu Shangshu would not have quickly married his daughter Lishu to Yu Maozhong. After his daughter met Yu Maozhong during the wedding, she left a letter and ran away. Her whereabouts are unknown, and her life or death is unknown.
At first he was very angry about this kind of behavior, but now that he saw Maozhong as a corrupt and cunning guy, he thought that maybe Lishu had seen through his true nature and was not running away from marriage because she disliked poverty and loved wealth.
It's just that in today's joint trial of the three departments, Zheng's son-in-law is an idle bureaucrat and has nothing to do with him.
…
In the court, Yu Maozhong was brought out. He was born with an honest and loyal appearance. If he had not committed such a major case, no one would believe that he was a bad person.
The chief interrogator was the Minister of Dali Temple. Although he presented all the evidence, Yu Maozhong was very cunning. He said what he said: "These are all done under coercion. I am just a prefect, Liu Dashikou, Cen Tingwei, Mr. Lu, these are all false accusations. I am just a prefect in Anzhou, how can I carry out such a big case?"
Da Sikou refers to the Minister of Punishment, that is, Liu Shangshu, Cen Tingwei refers to the Minister of Dali Temple, and Lu Zongxian refers to the Zuodu Censor of the Metropolitan Procuratorate.
Liu Shangshu had some relationship with Yu Maozhong, and it was too late to tell him off at this time. How could he help him speak for him? Lu Zongxian looked at the minister of Dali Temple.
The Minister of Dali Temple couldn't help but smile: "You really won't shed tears until you see the coffin. You deny it even though the evidence is solid. Come here, please bring me witnesses and testimonies."
He stood up and peeled off the cocoon, which could be said to make sophistry and cunning people like Yu Maozhong collapse to the ground, not daring to shout out that they were wronged.
The people watching outside said: "Cen Tingwei is really a god in solving cases!"
This case was temporarily concluded, but the Dali Temple Minister suddenly glanced at Liu Shangshu and said to Maozhong: "There is another case, Yu Maozhong, do you still remember what happened to you eighteen years ago?"
Yu Maozhong never thought that Cen Tingwei would ask this question. He thought about it and immediately shook his head: "No, eighteen years ago I was just a scholar. I had not yet entered the official career. I studied hard at home."
Consort Zheng, who had been silent just now, sneered: "Yu Maozhong, why don't you tell the truth?"
Everyone wondered if this matter had something to do with Zheng's consort. This was impossible. Zheng Hao had just been elected as the consort eighteen years ago and had already arrived in the capital. Yu Maozhong was just a student in his hometown. What would happen to the two of them? Related?
"My lords, I have said everything I can say..." Yu Maozhong also wanted to cry but had no tears.
The Minister of Dali Temple said calmly: "Please witness."
I don't know when a golden sedan stopped outside, and a person walked out. She was about twenty or so. Her black hair was tied up with various colored soap yarns, a peacock hairpin was inserted in the middle, and there was a unique turquoise stone from Wusun Kingdom on her forehead. . She stretched out her snow-white wrist and put it on the hand of a young man of eighteen or nineteen years old. As she walked, she looked slim, light and graceful.
She took off her veil before entering the inner court. The people around her were stunned when they saw her beauty, and could not speak for a long time.
Everyone didn't know who the witness was. Liu Shangshu took a sip of tea and thought that Cen Shiyan was very tight-lipped. When he asked about it himself, he didn't say a word.
But when he saw this woman coming in, his hands were a little unsteady and he almost dropped the cup in his hand.
The Minister of Dali Temple then stood up and cupped his hands and said: "The Queen Mother Wusun is well."
This woman was originally the Queen Mother of the Wusun Kingdom, and standing next to her was her son King Zuopu, also known as the Wusun King.
Empress Dowager Wusun said with a smile: "Thanks to Wei Cen Ting for this matter, otherwise, I am afraid no one will know about my grievances." Her smile made even the people in the yamen blush, but they saw that she was as cold as ice again. Looking at Yu Maozhong: "Do you still recognize me? Yu Thief."
Yu Maozhong had been hungry for a long time and his eyes were already dim. He wanted to take a closer look, but he was pulled by the officers and soldiers and just shook his head.
Empress Dowager Wusun's voice was clear and gentle. She originally smiled and spoke in a charming manner, but now she said: "You really don't remember me, so I have to tell you. Back then, my father got seriously ill because he went to Beijing to take the exam, and he was also killed by his family. The slave took away the money and only met Uncle Yu a few times, but Uncle Yu helped him. My father, thinking of his kindness, specially betrothed me to you. He even knew that your family was poor, and he was afraid that others would say that our family is arrogant and extravagant. I was not allowed to take any more from my servants, but I didn’t expect that on the night of your wedding, you drugged a cup of wine and sold me to a thief for ten thousand taels.”
"What?" Liu Shangshu could no longer sit still. He couldn't help but said: "Lishu, you are really my Lishu."
The court was full of ups and downs. Empress Dowager Wusun did not look at Liu Shangshu, but said to Maozhong: "You have been addicted to gambling for a long time, and your family's wealth has been ruined. With these ten thousand taels, I sold it to a man." Maritime businessman. But the kidnappers saw that I was a daughter of an official, and it happened that a big official bought me on the way to replace his daughter as a concubine. So I replaced his daughter and became one of the six concubines of Princess Pingning. Seven people went to Wusun, and I was the only one who came back. The reason why I want to survive is because I want to come back and kill you all the time."
At this moment, Liu Shangshu knew why Zheng's consort had arrived early. He was engaged to his daughter Lishu, so he was particularly unwilling to marry the princess. He also hated the prime minister Bai Xingzhong who had suggested that Zheng's consort marry the princess. Just read his book, so the relationship between Zheng's consort and the princess is not harmonious.
He himself couldn't believe it. In the early years, he heard that his daughter had run away from marriage, and he also saw a letter from his daughter saying that she wanted to elope with someone. He was afraid that she would disgrace her family, so he declared her dead long ago. He didn't expect that she would encounter such a rough situation.
At that time, Da Qi was at war with Wusun and Dawan, but was defeated and was forced to send the princess to get married. Naturally, the gift was not a real princess, but a noble daughter of the clan, and the six concubines were all wealthy officials.
The Empress Dowager Wusun remarried three times to her father and son, and was reportedly banished to the wasteland. However, she survived and took her son to become the new king of Wusun. Later, she took the initiative to resume contacts with Daqi. She even heard that this mutual trade was successful, and it was she who Suggestive.
Therefore, the Emperor of Da Qi was very polite to the Queen Mother, but he did not expect that she was actually his daughter who had escaped from marriage.
Yu Maozhong shivered in fright, but he still said stubbornly: "You escaped from the marriage on your own, what does it have to do with me? Why do you need to falsely accuse me."
But the minister of Dali Temple was shocked: "Yu Maozhong, you are really crazy."
King Wusun, who was also young and energetic, stepped forward and kicked him before saying, "The person who abducted my mother has been found and can be confronted face to face."
The minister of Dali Temple set up a table and asked the Empress Dowager Wusun and King Wusun to sit down first. He then told how Yu Maozhong lost everything because of his gambling addiction and how he conspired with the kidnappers. As for the officials who wanted Li Daitao to die, he also found out .
All the evidence was conclusive, and Yu Maozhong was sentenced to death as a prisoner.
The common people outside are deeply aware that Yu Maozhong is really crazy, but fortunately the sky net is not missing anything.
After the case was over, Empress Dowager Wusun blessed Cen Tingwei: "Thank you very much, Lord Cen."
After saying that, she turned around and left, ignoring anyone. All the officials present looked at Liu Shangshu and said in their hearts, it's no wonder that Prince Consort Zheng has been thinking about her for so many years. In fact, this woman's jade skin and beautiful appearance have the beauty of a country.
But Liu Shangshu stepped forward and shouted: "It was my father's fault back then. I just thought that your uncle was such a good person and his son also had fame, but I didn't expect..."
Empress Dowager Wusun didn't look back: "The past has passed. Liu Lishu died yesterday, and I don't dare to blame you. If I want to blame, I have to blame myself. My mother died long ago. She should not have existed. I also He’s someone who shouldn’t exist.”
She walked out quickly. Liu Shangshu, who had always been serious about words and expressions, was nearly sixty years old, but he cried for some reason.
Prince Consort Zheng stepped forward and patted Liu Shangshu on the shoulder and said: "Uncle Liu, my nephew heard that the Liu family's sister said that she accidentally escaped from a kidnapper once, and even wrote a book in blood and had it delivered to your house, but no one found it. Rescue, so she was forced to marry and go to a desolate place like Wusun. She didn’t tell these things, just to preserve the relationship between you and your daughter and preserve your dignity."
The dignified Minister of the Ministry of Justice married his daughter to such an unfaithful and unjust person, causing his daughter to be sold. The daughter came to ask for help, but ignored him. If word spread, I am afraid it would be shocking. Let alone being unable to be an official, just walking among the clan. I'm afraid some people think he is not worthy of being a father...
Liu Shangshu cried loudly and almost fainted. Prince Consort Zheng was startled. When he was about to help him up, he saw him muttering to himself: "Qiujun, Qiujun..."
Prince Consort Zheng didn't know who he was calling, but he just felt that Liu Shangshu looked a little miserable for no reason.
