The eldest princess Lin Luotong was so angry that her blood surged up. She squeezed the fly whisk tightly and gritted her teeth bitterly and said: "Okay, since you are so disrespectful and insist on causing trouble to both sides, I will help you. Hu Maoxi, tell me, the Chu family
What crime should be committed?”
The three eldest princesses immediately focused their eyes on Hu Maoxi.
Hu Maoxi tremblingly glanced at Sun Wucai beside him, and saw him carefully considering and replying slowly:
"Replying to your highnesses, if the Chu family breaks into the palace without permission, you will be punished with eighty sticks according to the law."
"Eighty rods?"
The three of them looked at each other for a moment, then smiled strangely:
The woman in front of me is so skinny that even if she is beaten with an eighty-point cane, her skin and flesh will be torn apart and she will not be able to survive.
But before the smile on his face could cover his face, Sun Wucai changed the topic again: "However, the county law stipulates that if a government official secretly enters another person's house on official business and performs great merits, he will not damage property or hurt anyone's life.
He will be exempted from physical punishment and sent to the county jail to reflect on his mistakes for three days."
This is also to prevent people who are greedy for merit from violating the laws established in private homes and harming innocent people in order to blindly perform meritorious deeds.
After hearing this, Hu Maoxi no longer cowered, and immediately stood up and reported truthfully: "This case of the Shen family involves the royal palace. It was indeed difficult to handle before, but it involves people's lives. I don't dare to slack off. If
If we must pursue accountability, the lower officials have an unshirkable responsibility."
Lin Jinshu listened for a long time and saw that the three aunts would not give up if they did not give an explanation. He immediately asked: "Hu Maoxi, since it was just to investigate the case, have you now found out the whole case?"
Hu Maoxi replied respectfully: "In reply to the princess, we have initially grasped the evidence of the case, and we are just waiting for the court to accept it."
"Okay, since I and the two elders are here, I will go back to the county office with you today to see how you handle this case."
Unexpectedly, as soon as Lin Jinshu finished speaking, Lin Luochu insisted and demanded: "That's not possible. If you don't punish the Chu family first, you won't be able to take my master away."
Hu Maoxi grimaced: "I'm afraid this won't work for the time being."
"Why not?"
Lin Luochu stared.
Hu Maoxi frowned and smiled: "Ms. Chu is now the lawyer for the convict Shen Yang and the uncle of the Wei family. She has to litigate for them. Only after the case is concluded can Mrs. Chu's guilt be determined."
"Can"
Lin Luochu reluctantly wanted to argue again, but before she could speak, she was stopped by the eldest princess Lin Luotong: "In that case, I and the two sisters will go with you. I also want to take a look.
How does this Lady Chu plead for the guilty?"
She didn't believe that Mr. Han dared to bite Uncle Master in front of her.
"Two elders please, all princesses please."
Hu Maoxi obediently led everyone out to watch, went down the mountain, and then ordered people to go to the Shen family to invite the Han family into the hall.
Chu Nanzhi looked at the dispute that had calmed down. She squeezed the Gelsemium flower in her arms thankfully and could finally breathe a sigh of relief. She pulled Xiaofen and followed everyone out of Nanhua Temple.
It was a scorching afternoon, but the Luyanggang County Government Office ushered in a rare moment of glory. Within a few miles of the front street of Zifu Government Office, there were many soldiers everywhere, and the solemn and majestic wind scared the passersby who did not dare to look at each other.
He looked at it from afar and quickly took a detour.
In the courtroom, Hu Maoxi was sitting directly above, with the county magistrate and the chief clerk standing beside him. Several people looked at Nie Lao Changlao and Princess Jin Shu who were sitting upright on the lower left, and then looked at the three people on the right with cold faces.
The eldest princesses all had fearful expressions on their faces, their expressions were extremely stiff, and they were almost breathless.
Chu Nanzhi calmly stared at Shen Yang and Wei Ziqing who were kneeling in the courtroom, thinking that they would be able to redress their grievances immediately, which made her feel a little excited.
She calmly took out the Gelsemium flowers from her arms and asked someone to wash them. She also asked someone to bring a table, prepare two tea bowls and boiling water, and brew two bowls of tea first.
Just looking at Taoist Tan Hua standing next to the eldest princess, she suddenly had some new ideas.
The man's expression was relaxed at this time, without any fear at all. He was afraid that he had already predicted that the Han family would not dare to testify against him. This man had been so guilty and eager to destroy the evidence before, so it was impossible for him to be divorced from this case.
She looked around the hall, her eyes fixed on Hu Maoxi, and said with a solemn expression: "This Taoist priest Tan Hua is now a suspect in this case. Please let him evade first."
Hu Maoxi nodded. He was also worried that Taoist Tan Hua would collude with the Han family. Just as he was about to speak, the eldest princess came over and scolded her harshly: "No, if you don't let me here, how can I use that woman from the Shen family to frame him?" ?”
"There are three eldest princesses here, so how can the Han family frame him?"
Chu Nanzhi argued with reason, then glanced meaningfully at the three eldest princesses, then calmly looked at Lin Jinshu and the second elders on the left, with an extended smile and said: "Today, the two elders and the princesses are attending the case. , in order to advance the case smoothly, the civilian woman boldly asks you to listen carefully. If there are any discrepancies in the civilian woman's words and deeds, it will not be too late to correct them later."
These words spoke exactly what Hu Maoxi was thinking. He couldn't tell that the three eldest princesses were here to cause trouble. He just couldn't express his pain and could only keep it in his heart.
After hearing this, Mr. Nie and Mr. Chang immediately expressed their stance: "Ms. Chu, you don't have to worry about others, just follow your own ideas."
Lin Jinshu also heard the meaning of her words. With his eyes moving, he decisively pulled out the shining sword from the sheath, thrust it towards the front of the hall, and said solemnly and majesticly: "This sword was given by your majesty. Cut off the ignorant at the top, and cut down the ruthless people at the bottom. Chu family, you and the county magistrate can rest assured to resolve the case. The sword in my hand only recognizes reason and not people."
When the three eldest princesses heard this, their faces turned pale with fright, and they did not dare to say another word as they looked at the gleaming sword blade.
Seeing Taoist Tan Hua being taken out, they looked at each other with indescribable pain in their hearts: The mistress of the Shen family didn't know the sisters, and the Chu family had ulterior motives for doing this. How could they deter her? Han family?
While he was still hesitating, he saw Mr. Han leading a group of people from the Shen family into the government office.
Since the government officer Hu Maoxi sent to invite him did not hold an arrest document, the woman still looked carefree and comfortable, and she luckily thought she was just here to observe the case.
Chu Nanzhi quietly glanced at Shen Yunqing and Shen Erlang beside her, but in addition to the two children, there was also an aristocratic woman wearing a Luo shirt, who must be the second wife of the Shen family.
Not allowing her to speak first, Han saw Shen Yang kneeling on the ground and wearing ragged clothes. She rushed over crying, threw herself to the ground and supported Shen Yang and cried hoarsely: "Sister, my poor sister, How could you be tortured to look like this?"
"Sister, don't be sad. Madam Chu has promised to avenge my sister. My sister will be fine soon."
Shen Yang comforted Han with a gentle expression, but when he saw the emaciated Shen Yunqing, he couldn't help but shed tears.
While Chu Nanzhi picked up the scented tea she had brewed, she patiently watched the two sisters chatting and reminiscing. After the two of them calmed down, in full view of everyone, she suddenly strode towards Mr. Han and said with solicitude and concern:
"Ms. Han, you've come here after all the hard work. It's a dry day. I've prepared a cup of tea for you. Please drink it before I reply."