Eight years ago, Bai Yujing, Shanhe Mansion.
Shanhe Mansion is the highest judicial office in the Sheng Kingdom, responsible for the trial of criminal and prison cases, and is divided into two branches: Shanshui. The gate of the mountain is as immovable as a mountain, and most of its gatekeepers are smart, alert, fair and serious people, responsible for the investigation and punishment of cases in the government; the water gate flows like water, and its gatekeepers are many with great martial arts and are spread all over the world. It is the execution agency responsible for arrests and executions. (The mountain gate is similar to the Dali Temple in ancient times, and the water gate is similar to the Ministry of Punishment)
At this time, He Nan was competing with others in a torture chamber in Wuyue Pavilion. He had been without water or sleep for fourteen hours. His eyes were wide open and bloodshot, as if they were about to pop out at any moment. His teeth were clenched and his face was ferocious. This posture combined with his skinny face made him look like an evil spirit from the underworld. The present world is generally terrible. The man opposite, whose hands were separated and hung up, and who was kneeling on the ground, was even worse. He had endured the same fourteen hours as He Nan. Whenever he fell asleep and just closed his eyes, He Nan would cut him. It was a kind of mental torture to listen to the sound of blood dripping on the ground after being cut to bleed, not to mention that during these fourteen hours, he had only faced a ghost-like person who said nothing but stared at him with a ferocious smile. Congratulations.
The man's head began to tremble up and down again. He Nan looked at him and waited for a full stick of incense as he looked like he was about to fall asleep. When he was still and just fell asleep, He Nan sharply slashed the dagger in his hand. The ground penetrated the man's thigh. Following the man's painful growl, He Nan asked calmly: "Are you going to move me?"
The haggard man's eyes were filled with only fear, a fear that was almost desperate. This knife and this question completely broke the man's psychological defense. He burst into tears and shouted: "I'll move! I'll move! I'll move!"
Seeing the man like this, He Nan cut off the hemp rope hanging his right hand, threw the pen and paper in front of him, and said softly: "Then write down the charges." He Nan didn't bother to take another look at the man's collapsed appearance. He turned around and opened the door and left the torture room. When he slowly pushed open the door of Wuyue Pavilion and saw the dazzling sunshine outside, his eyes suddenly darkened, blood surged in his chest, and he fell down.
It was already dark when he opened his eyes again. He Nan turned his head to look at the lit candles on the table and asked, "How long have I been unconscious?"
The girl sitting by the bed put a handkerchief soaked in hot water on He Nan's eyes and replied softly: "It's been a day."
Before He Nan could speak again, the girl asked again: "Why are you working so hard?"
He Nan grinned and said with a smile: "It is said that the first thing a new official does when he takes office is that although he is not a high-ranking official, at least I finally have a place in the court. If I don't show off my talents now, when will I be able to do so?" What about getting ahead?"
The girl curled her lips, "You have been the prime minister for almost half a year, are you still a new official? These are not just three fires, the fire you set almost burned through Bai Yujing!"
What the girl said was exaggerated, but there was no lie in it. Li Zhanchun always favored He Nan. This time he was ordered to investigate the case, and the Imperial Censor completely delegated power to him. The man who was interrogated at noon was a guard of the Hussars General's Palace. As expected of someone who came from the General's Mansion, his bones are really hard, He Nan thought in his heart. He had never handled such a difficult case before - the Cavalry General was so powerful that he was feared like a tiger. Although he was often at the border, he would stomp his feet and even the capital would tremble. This time, one of the general's nephews killed someone, but no one dared to say anything about it. Secondly, the mouths and bones of the people in the General's Mansion were as hard as iron. This guy bit him to death and said that he had no intention of killing anyone. He just starved him for three days and kept him awake for a day and a night before he let go with a knife. . It will probably be even more difficult to judge others later, especially the arrogant and domineering young master.
At this time, the girl brought a bowl of noodles to He Nan. After watching He Nan gobble up two mouthfuls of noodles, she said cautiously: "Can I discuss something with you?"
He Nan only focused on eating without raising his head, "Say it."
The girl frowned and said coyly: "This afternoon...Qi Dan came to see me." She glanced at He Nan's expression timidly, and seeing that his expression was as usual, she continued: "Qi Dan told me , could you please let go of Jiang Chen who accidentally killed someone to save his face? He said that the Jiang family has always been on good terms with him, and that the younger generation is like a sympathizer with him. At this time, General Hussar is not in the capital, and the Jiang family is His eldest son is in charge, that Jiang Chen is his clan brother. He was young, frivolous and ignorant, and committed a murder. Please show your support, and he will definitely thank you greatly in the future. He also said that the deceased will be buried well and compensated, and Jiang Chen will be taught a lesson when he goes back, so that he will not do anything in the future. Dare to do it again."
When He Nan heard this, he put aside the half bowl of noodles in his hand, wiped his mouth randomly with his hand, and sighed heavily.
"Why are you sighing?" The girl looked at He Nan's expression and asked quickly.
"Jiang Chen, the eldest son of Jiang, Qi Dan, the last message came to you to plead for mercy. You really think highly of me... Which of these people can I afford to offend?" He Nan smiled disdainfully. , the smile was full of sarcasm. "When an aristocratic child kills someone, a relative of the emperor intercedes for him, and gold and silver treasures buy his life. But those people in the market, ordinary people who commit crimes, will be severely punished. Do you know that the person who was beaten to death by Jiang Chen was He wanted to take a woman who was as old as us, but she refused, so he became angry and killed someone. If I spare the prisoner's life, then who cares about the life of the deceased? "
"It is only right to kill someone to pay for life." He said sternly, "Princes who break the law are guilty of the same crime as the common people. Even if the five princes killed people like this, I congratulate them and do it. The Sheng Kingdom has the "National Law". If the common people break the law, they will be punished according to the national law. According to the law, nobles who break the law will be dealt with lightly, so the national law should be renamed the family law." He Nan's words were impassioned and strange, but they made some sense.
The girl said angrily: "Did you count me and that Jiang Chen in the same group?"
He Nan smiled awkwardly and said: "My aunt... From a family background, it is true that I am not someone I can afford to mess with. But in terms of character, talent and appearance, you are taller than those three people combined. "The latter sentence does seem to be a bit of a random compliment to the girl. It's true that Jiang Chen is a dandy, but the eldest son Jiang and the fifth prince are both talented in both civil and military affairs. They can be called the two jewels in the capital. In terms of talent, they are so much higher than this little girl who only knows how to fool around. However, the appearance of the little girl is indeed excellent. She has a beautiful face, petite and exquisite, a pair of fox eyes that are quite heroic, and her two eyebrows are also endearing. It is not an exaggeration to say that she is like a jade.
Of course the girl also knew that He Nan was exaggerating, but which girl didn't like to be coaxed? She approached He Nan, gave him a gentle slap, and whispered coquettishly: "It's already so late, I should go home. As for this mess... I believe you can clean it up."
He Nan watched the girl jump out of the house. When he was about to leave the small courtyard, he called her softly: "Zhu Zhao'er."
The girl turned back to look at him, "What's the matter?"
He Nan hesitated for a moment, then hesitantly squeezed out two words: "Qi Dan..." After all, he couldn't bite the bullet and finish the sentence. He just hoped that Zhu Zhao'er could understand.
Zhu Zhaoer looked at He Nan's awkward expression, smiled knowingly, and agreed: "I know!"
Zhu Zhaoer's leaving figure had been blocked by the door, while He Nan remained rooted to the spot. After a while, he suddenly felt something in his heart, and he felt some ominous premonition, but he couldn't tell where it was.
Early the next morning, He Nan went to pick up Jiang Chen and take him to Wuyue Pavilion, but he didn't expect a sudden change to occur at this time.
"Congratulations." Sir Wuyue, two young men stood side by side, and one of them called him.
When the imprisoned Jiang Chen saw these two people, he could be regarded as seeing a savior. He shouted: "Cousin, save me!" He Nan, with quick eyesight and quick hands, quickly took out a piece of cloth from his arms to block Jiang Chen. mouth to prevent this guy from talking nonsense again and causing trouble.
Seeing these two people, He Nan screamed in his heart that he was unlucky. He came to interrogate Jiang Chen so early just to deceive him into writing out the charges as soon as possible, so as to avoid the fifth prince and Zuo Fengyi from causing trouble. I just didn't expect that these two people had been waiting in Wuyue Pavilion for a long time. He Nan couldn't stop complaining in his heart about why he didn't interrogate Jiang Chen overnight last night, but now that the matter was at this point, he could only bite the bullet and move forward.
It was the fifth prince Qi Dan who called He Nan's name. The fifth prince was at his weakest age and already had the talents of heaven and man. His face is like white jade, and his eyes are like shooting stars. He usually has an upright and unruly temperament, and his gestures are very elegant. He is a humble gentleman and an extraordinary talent. In contrast, He Nan's appearance was as skinny as a starving ghost, and even had some criminal features. His eyes were good-looking, but they were too fierce. Although not ugly, he was far from handsome. Moreover, his perverse and arrogant character is even more annoying. His famous saying, "There are eight talents in the world, I own one, and the rest owe me two in total" was even praised as "shameless and shameless" by students from the same school as him in Shanhe Prefecture. It’s a classic. The two of them could be said to be as different as clouds and mud. No wonder He Nan hated the fifth prince so much. Of course, He Nanke didn't think that he was an annoying character at all. Instead, he felt that other people's dislike of him was due to the jealousy of so-called "mortals".
The man who was equal to the fifth prince was Jiang Wenbing, the eldest son of General Hussar, Zuo Fengyi of the capital. Jiang Wenbing was in his twenties this year. He was more than eight feet long and had extraordinary strength. The eldest son of the Jiang family has been on the battlefield with the Hussars General since he was a child. He has been in battle for many years as a boy. He has an extremely arrogant personality and few people in the world can understand him.
Qi Dan and Jiang Wenbing had always been on good terms with each other. They were both civil and military, and relaxed at the same time. They were often called the "Twin Jewels of the Empire". What's more, if Qi Dan becomes emperor, the general will be the official title specially created for Jiang Wenbing. It's just that Qi Shanling is the fifth prince and not the prince, but he doesn't dare to say this openly.
At this moment, He Nan heard Qi Dan calling him. Although he was not happy, he could not respond. He had no choice but to bow his hands and say vaguely: "I would like to congratulate Nan on seeing His Highness the Fifth Prince, Lord Zuo Fengyi."
Jiang Wenbing's face was filled with uncertainty, and he said preemptively: "Since we know our identities, let us go." Then he waved to the two guards who were escorting Jiang Chen, gesturing for them to untie the ropes tied to Jiang Chen's body.
When the two guards heard Jiang Wenbing's words, they didn't know what to do. After all, He Nan was their immediate superior, but if they disobeyed the hot-tempered Zuo Fengyi, their heads would probably fall to the ground. The two of them raised their four hands in the air, not knowing what to do. At this time, He Nan stretched out a hand to restrain the movement of a guard. He looked up at Jiang Wenbing, who was standing on the steps with his hands behind his hands, and said with a smile: "Master Zuo Fengyi... This is not good, after all, Jiang Chen is now an important criminal in our Shanhe Mansion..."
The ferocious tiger on the steps turned his gaze to He Nan and said word by word: "I'll let him go if I tell him to, didn't you hear?"
"What if I don't let you go?" He Nan looked at Jiang Wenbing's eyes and was panicking, fearing that the domineering tiger would suddenly rush down and tear him apart. His whole back was soaked with cold sweat, but he still held on through the gaps between his teeth. squeeze out these few words. "Master Li Zhanchun, the imperial censor, told me to get to the bottom of this case. Letting him go at this time is not conducive to the investigation..."
The tiger's gaze was fixed on He Nan's face. He straightened up, as if the muscles on his body were trying to break free from the shackles of his clothes, "Don't use Li Yushi to pressure me... I will only ask you one more time, let go." Don't let it go. The former is a favor from my Jiang family and I won't argue with you about this matter. If it's the latter... I don't think Li Yushi will get angry with me, Jiang Wenbing, for someone like you... You have to think about it. ." Jiang Wenbing's words were like an ultimatum, and no one present would doubt that if He Nan refused to let people go, his head would explode like a watermelon on a fruit stand.
But... He Nan's thoughts were different from theirs - not to mention that today's matter was handled by him impartially, and whether he let it go or not was not a matter of his own thoughts, but based on the laws of the country. It's what you Jiang Wenbing said - what do you mean by "give me some face and don't argue with me about this matter?" Could it be that I, He Nan, was ordered to investigate the case to offend you? If Jiang Chen is executed according to law, will you blame me? The person who committed the crime was a member of your Jiang family, and the person who killed was the nephew of General Hussar, so why am I guilty?
The man below the stairs was filled with countless mocking and insinuations towards Jiang Wenbing in his mind like thunder and lightning, but his legs were indeed a little weak. After all, it was his own head that suffered the consequences. The uncle hesitated for a long time, sighed and said: "I have been ordered to investigate the case. If there is any offense, please forgive me. Although the Jiang Chen case is not a major case, we, the people of Shanhe Mansion, have always walked on the loess with our feet and the blue sky above our heads. Every crime must be punished and every case must be exposed. It is really difficult to follow Zuo Feng Yi's orders."
As soon as he finished speaking, there was a roaring wind from the palm. All that was left in front of He Nan's eyes was Jiang Wenbing's tiger claw heading straight for his door. He was about to bend his knees and crawl away when he saw an arm wrapped in white firmly blocking Jiang Wenbing's fist. Next, it is His Highness the Fifth Prince.
"You..." Jiang Wenbing turned his head and looked at Qi Dan, wondering what kind of medicine he was selling in his gourd.
Qi Dan put down Jiang Wenbing's arm with a smile and said: "Brother, please don't be angry. What He Nan said is not groundless. The mirror of Shanhe Mansion hangs high, and justice will be given to brother Jiang Chen. I'm afraid he will be punished if he shouts about this matter. It’s as if we want to bully others too much.”
These words sounded like they were meant to give He Nan a step down, but the meaning behind them was full of threats. Just as He Nanda was about to answer, Qi Dan spoke again: "I will make the decision on behalf of Brother Jiang today. Tomorrow night, I will hold a banquet at General Hussar's Mansion to express his gratitude to the Prime Minister. I also hope that Prime Minister He will stay under the sword for the time being." people."
He Nan vaguely accepted Qi Dan's invitation and sent away the two giant Buddhas. But he was filled with doubts - this Jiang Chen was not an important person in the Hussar General's mansion. He was not favored by the general, and he was not a talented person. All in all, he was just an ordinary dandy. But Jiang Wenbing even invited Qi Dan out to protect him. Qi Dan also wanted to hold a banquet for me? Speaking of which, the Shanhe Mansion's Fu Cheng just had a rather deceiving name. In terms of rank, he was only a minor official of the eighth rank. In Baiyujing, if a plaque fell from a restaurant and killed three officials, how could I let Qi Dan and Jiang Wenbing bother so much?
It won't be for...
He Nan never believed in pie falling from the sky, at least it wouldn't fall into his own mouth. His parents died for some reason when he was young, and he has been crawling on the streets ever since. Not to mention that he is young and mature, but his childhood experience has at least made him understand a lot of people's ways. It is already difficult for a humble orphan to reach the Shanhe Mansion with his own honed cleverness. Now he is invited by the prince of the empire because of a case... If it is not for some purpose, then It was the fifth prince who lost his mind and went crazy.
This matter has become intriguing, and it seems that it is far from being as simple as it seems on the surface. He Nan didn't even bother to interrogate the prisoner at this time. He hurriedly threw Jiang Chen into the cell and rushed to Penglai Pavilion, the office and living quarters of his mentor Li Zhanchun.
