The official who came to hear the case from the South Factory turned out to be the factory director himself. Zhao Xuan immediately realized that there must be something wrong with this. He hurriedly sent a message to Xu Jiujing: "How long will it take before Mr. Xu makes a verdict?"
Xu Jiujing also knew that Uncle Zhenwu's late arrival must have ulterior motives, and there was no way he could make the situation worse. If the case was closed in a hurry now, it would not look good if Uncle Zhenwu was offended. It would be better to present the facts and reason, and convince people with reason.
So he pretended not to hear Zhao Xuan's words, got up and left his seat to greet Uncle Zhenwu.
Everyone present was a third-grade official, and the earl was a super-grade, so they had to leave their seats to greet them. Xu Jiujing took the lead to greet him, and Zhao Xuan and Feng Qingshan had to follow closely. Eunuch Cao of Dongchang did not dare to entrust him, either.
Follow behind and greet.
The name of Zhenwu Bo is still widely circulated among the people. People in the market often hear storytelling, and the story books all talk about this first brave general of the Ming Dynasty, from the earliest defeat of the chain horse to the capture of Dorgon alive.
Then one man rides alone to kill the rebels in Dongchang. It has developed from a single book to a series of long storytelling, and it is extremely popular. Not only storytellers are competing to create and learn various new jokes, but also the audience is listening to them.
I have read the jokes about Uncle Zhenwu so many times that I am even proud to know them by heart.
Scholars may not respect Liu Ziguang, who was born as a warrior, but his influence among the people is still relatively large, so he caused a commotion as soon as he appeared at the gate of Dali Temple. People gathered around to see the magnificence of Zhenwu Bo. Liu Ziguang sat
The tall horse looked at everyone with a smile and raised his whip in greeting from time to time.
"Uncle, you want to avenge the slaves~~" A prostitute from Ruhua's support group suddenly shouted, and then other prostitutes also shouted, asking Uncle Zhenwu to pay attention to the case.
Liu Ziguang reined in the horse and stopped, stretched out his hands and pressed it down. Everyone knew that he was going to speak, so they stopped making noise, and the lively scene suddenly became silent.
"Everyone must believe in the imperial court and the Three Justices. A prince who breaks the law is as guilty as the common people, not to mention a little censor. Since I have come to hear the trial under the emperor's order, I should supervise impartially and never let the bad guys go. Please rest assured."
What sounded like a fair statement was actually very biased, implying that Guo Zheng deserved his punishment. Of course the prostitutes were happy after hearing this, and spontaneously applauded. Everyone moved out of the way and invited Uncle Zhenwu to enter the Yamen.
"He is really good at winning people's hearts." Zhao Xuan grunted dissatisfiedly, and the three people came out of the yamen to kowtow to Uncle Zhenwu. Liu Ziguang politely gave him a little support, and the three people got up politely.
There is no sincerity at all in meeting Shangguan.
Liu Ziguang didn't think he was dissatisfied, he smiled nonchalantly, and walked into the court with swaggering steps. Today he was not wearing a python robe. He was wearing an earl's official uniform. On the chest of the bright red official uniform was embroidered "Uncle Duke".
, a unicorn patch specially designed for the prince-in-law, a brand-new black gauze hat on his head, and one hand holding the loose jade belt around his waist. He looked a bit like a distinguished official. He smiled and said to everyone: "The governor was here just now.
I am in the imperial study room to listen to the emperor's instructions, so I am late. I hope you will understand me."
The emperor left you to speak, what else can we say? Everyone quickly said politely: "It's not too late, it's not too late."
"Uncle Zhenwu, please take a seat." Xu Jiujing gave way politely.
Liu Ziguang waved his hand: "No, I'm here to hear the trial, not to try the case. You judge, you judge, don't worry about me." After saying that, he consciously sat down on the chair that had been prepared on the side of the courtroom.
.Behind him, several big-bodied and round-waisted Nanchang fans lined up, holding swords on their waists, guarding the factory governor.
The officials of the Third Law Division took their seats and started the trial again. They first narrated the case to Zhenwu Bo, and then told him the results of the peace negotiation between the three judges - Guo Yushi should have been wrongly accused.
"Is this how you try cases?" Uncle Zhenwu frowned, "Isn't it too hasty to close the case in a hurry without any reasonable explanation for many doubtful points?"
"Master Liu, I think the facts are very clear. Several unscrupulous people were bribed by traitors to frame Guo Yushi." All the witnesses and evidence could not prove Guo Yushi's guilt. With decades of experience, the official
I believe that the judgment in this case is correct." Zhao Xuan spoke eloquently. He had worked in the local judicial department before and also had several years of work experience in the Yamen of the Ministry of Justice. He did not need to be too different from Xu Jiujing's qualifications to judge the case.
"Hmph, the existing witnesses and evidence cannot prove Guo Zheng's guilt. That's because you didn't try hard enough. The sky net is vast and there are no omissions. According to your trial method, most of the criminals in the Ming Dynasty will be innocent. Let's try again!
"
This was too disrespectful to these old criminals. The faces of the three judges suddenly became elongated. Even the veteran Xu Jiujing was a little angry. He stood up and cupped his hands: "We are incompetent, why should we ask Zhenwu to do so?"
Bo comes to judge."
"I am only here to hear the trial, not to be a judge. Mr. Xu, you are still here to judge. I would like to re-interrogate the original defendant." Liu Ziguang is not going to take Xu Jiujing's seat as the presiding judge. He only needs to play a role.
The prosecutor's role is enough. The time just now was not spent talking to the emperor, but to collect evidence.
The three judges exchanged glances and agreed to Liu Ziguang's request. They wanted to see how this guy who knew nothing about "The Law of the Ming Dynasty" asked the case.
The trial resumed. Liu Ziguang glanced at Guo Zheng, who was standing proudly in the hall, and said, "Who is this guy? Why don't you kneel down?"
"I am a Jinshi in the third year of Tianqi's reign. I am a fourth-rank right-ranking imperial censor of the Metropolitan Procuratorate. According to the rules of the Ming Dynasty, you can go to court without kneeling." Guo Zheng glanced at Liu Ziguang sideways and replied coldly.
, the subtext is that you don’t even understand these rules, and yet you come to try the case.
"Unbridled!" Liu Ziguang didn't give a damn, so he had to slam the tea cup on the coffee table, "It's against moral customs and harmful to the natural world. How dare you mention that you were born as a Jinshi, but all the sages' books in the poor ten years have been read into the stomach of dogs? Come on, give it to me.
If he's down, hit him with a hundred killing sticks first!"
Two fans immediately jumped out from the left and right, kicked Guo Zheng in the knee socket, and knocked him to the ground. Then he had to use two water and fire sticks to hit Guo Zheng's board. The spectators outside cheered and cheered.
The three judges looked at each other. This was too out of line. "Master Liu, how can we try this case if we beat the defendant to death with a hundred killing sticks?" Xu Jiujing, the presiding judge, asked with a sad face.
"Well, then remember it first and fight after you finish asking the case." Liu Ziguang didn't intend to beat Guo Zheng to death, he just wanted to kill his prestige. It just happened to give Xu Jiujing some face.
"The criminal Guo Zheng, I would like to ask you, on the day of the crime, you disguised yourself and went to the old street where prostitutes gathered in the south of the city. What did you do?" Liu Ziguang began to ask questions.
"I received a secret letter asking me to go there and submit evidence that a high-ranking official of the day was corrupt and perverted the law." Guo Zheng still gave the same answer.
"Where's the letter? Where's the person?" Liu Ziguang asked.
"The letter has been destroyed and no one can find it. Since it is a secret letter, it will definitely leave no trace."
"That means there is no evidence. If there is no evidence, you still drag me like this. Just go to a prostitute. What are you embarrassed to say? Why did you fabricate some secret letter? Do you think the governor is a three-year-old child?" Liu Ziguang replied to this question.
Use your nose.
The faces of the three judges were even more ugly. Wouldn't it be insinuating that they were three-year-old children? This uncle was really unobtrusive.
"I would like to ask you again, why did your bamboo hat and candle fall into Ruhua's house?"
Guo Zheng sneered: "Let me say it again, the bamboo hat and candle are not mine. It didn't rain that day, why should I wear a bamboo hat? Candles are even more ridiculous. Have you ever seen someone walking at night with a candle?"
This is true. A bamboo hat is a kind of rain gear. Few people wear it on sunny days. It is even more unbelievable to walk with a candle at night. Most people use lanterns to light their way.
"Hmph." Liu Ziguang snorted disdainfully and said, "Some people don't dare to show their true colors, so of course they have to wear a hat. As for the candle, it's a prop for you to play SM. Did I say it's for lighting the road?"
"According to your reasoning, everything in anyone's house could be mine? How can such a frame-up be convincing?" Guo Zheng was still quibbling. He decided that Liu Ziguang couldn't produce evidence to prove that those two things were.
his.
"I know you are not convinced. I will convince you sincerely. Come and bring witnesses and evidence." Liu Ziguang gave the order, and two people came in, one was a young man in coarse cloth, and the other was a middle-aged man in a silk shirt.
The two men walked into the court tremblingly, knelt down and kowtowed to the adults. Everyone was wondering, which way did these two new witnesses come from? What can they prove? Liu Ziguang stood up from his seat, walked to the middle of the court and said: "I am
The governor would like to introduce these two new witnesses to the adults. This young man’s surname is Li. He sells bamboo hats on the street. The stall has been open for four years. His bamboo hats are of high quality, the price is fair, and he is honest. This is
There is an old gentleman named Su who runs a candle shop. The dignitaries in the capital all use his Huozi brand candles. Although these candles are more expensive, they are of good quality and beautiful in appearance..."
Liu Ziguang said, suddenly turned to Guo Zheng, stared into his eyes and said: "What's more important is that the red candle contains a lot of additives, so the dripping wax is not very hot. I think this is what Mr. Guo likes most."
Bar."
"Mr. Liu, what are you doing with these two unrelated witnesses? Are you trying to help them sell hats and candles?" Zhao Xuan mocked with a smile. He thought he was very humorous, but neither Xu Jiujing nor Feng Qingshan
Laughing, because they noticed that Guo Zheng's face had turned livid.
"Shut up! The witnesses called by the governor will certainly be useful." Liu Ziguang turned around suddenly, pointed at Zhao Xuan and scolded.
Zhao Xuan was so angry that he couldn't speak. Liu Ziguang continued to ask: "Brother Li, how many bamboo hats did you sell on September 13th?"
The young man replied: "Business was not good that day, so we only sold five pieces in total."
"Very good, then let's see which of these bamboo hats belongs to your family?"
The evidence bamboo hat was brought up together with several other bamboo hats. Brother Li easily found the bamboo hat he had made by himself: "Come back to my lord, it's this one. The villain's craftsmanship is different from others. It's easy to tell the difference."
, and the edges of this cap are a bit torn, so I remember it very clearly."
"Oh, what do you remember? Tell me."
"This bamboo hat was sold on September 13th. Because the edge was scratched during transportation, I put it on it and wanted to sell it at a low price. However, a big brother left a few big copper coins without bargaining.
, so the little one remembers it very clearly.”
"Do you remember the appearance of this wealthy man?"
"Remember, with a white face and a slight beard, you can tell that you are a well-educated gentleman."
"Haha, do you think there is such a person in the lobby?"
The little brother of the Li family looked around and locked his eyes on Guo Zheng. He said happily: "Brother, I have found you. You gave me an extra three cents that day. I will give it to you right now. My father said to do it."
You have to be honest in business."
Guo Zheng looked livid and didn't answer. He knew as soon as the witness came in that something was wrong. The dragnet in Nanchang was really too big, and even the merchants selling bamboo hats and candles were found. It was really unexpected.
"Very well, little brother Li, please step aside. I have something to ask Boss Su." Liu Ziguang saw Guo Zheng's shocked expression and felt very proud. He walked a few steps in the courtroom with his hands behind his back and said:
"Boss Su, how much does your red candle cost?"
"Sir, the small candles are made of exquisite materials. The wicks are all made of high-quality nine-strand cotton. The molds are also unique, so the price is slightly higher, at thirty cents each." Boss Su is obviously the first.
The first time I went to court, my voice was trembling, but I finally spoke clearly.
"Then is this a candle made by your family?" Liu Ziguang asked the yamen servant to present the evidence candle to Boss Su. Boss Su looked at it carefully for a long time and said: "Yes, it is produced by the trumpet."
"Very good, I would like to ask Miss Ruhua, how much is your daily income?" Liu Ziguang turned to the plaintiff Ruhua and asked.
"Replying to your lord, the slave's exhausting work of receiving guests every day only costs forty or fifty cents." Ruhua replied timidly. She vaguely felt that this adult was on her side, and she couldn't help but feel a little happy in her heart.
"Very good." Liu Ziguang turned to face the three judges again: "Excuse me, three adults, would a prostitute be willing to spend more than half of her daily income to light candles? Doesn't she need to eat or dress?"
The three judges were speechless.
Liu Ziguang then asked Boss Su: "Who do you usually sell your candles to? What are they used for?"
"The red candles produced by Xiaohao are specially used for weddings. Most of the people who buy them are dignitary officials in the capital. The red candles are for celebration."
"I see. I heard that the third wife Guo Yushi married three months ago used a lot of red candles, right? Mr. Guo is famous for his frugality. There must be many unused candles, right? If the governor sends
If you go to your house and check, you will definitely find a few of the same ones, right?" Liu Ziguang asked several questions in succession, leaving Guo Zheng speechless.
"What is this? There are many people with candles like this, and there are red candles like this in my palace. Could it be that I am also suspected?" Zhao Xuan stood up angrily, expressing his dissatisfaction with this kind of guided questioning.
"Master Zhao, why are you so anxious? I didn't say anything." Liu Ziguang sneered: "I have witnesses!"
The witnesses who came to court this time were two old prostitutes and a dog. Liu Ziguang said: "I would like to introduce to you, these two ladies are Ruhua sisters, Miss Xiaohong and Miss Cuilan. This other one
It’s our Nanchang’s case-handling expert—the divine dog that brings wealth.”
The two prostitutes were originally witnesses, but the judges thought that the prostitute's testimony was not enough and they did not testify based on their talent. At this time, Liu Ziguang called them in again, obviously not giving the three judges face. The faces of the three were a little dark.
, but because of Liu Ziguang’s official title, he still dared not say anything.
"Girls Xiaohong and Cuilan, you said you have done business with Mr. Guo. Do you have any evidence?" Liu Ziguang asked gently.
"This old man always comes from the dark side and goes out from the dark side. He is so boring that it scares people to death. He talks like a gentle man, and he does things harder than the dock coolies. He also likes to whip people with his leather whip and use it to kill people.
Red candle dripping wax oil burns people, if you don't see it every time
With the income of ten taels of silver, I am not willing to take his business." Xiaohong is a fierce character, and she dares to call herself my mother in court. However, Liu Ziguang was not angry and asked Cuilan with a smile: "Cuilan
Miss Lan, do you have anything to add?"
"Yes, this uncle not only likes to torture the slave family, but also likes to use the clothes of the rich wife's wife for the slave family to wear, and then strips them off to do that, and calls her mother while doing it. The slave family has never had such a crazy guest before.
I've seen it before. By the way, Mr. Guo has a red birthmark on his buttocks," Cuilan said timidly.
There was an uproar. No one expected that the sanctimonious Guo Yushi could have such a bad taste. Not only the people outside the yamen were making a loud noise, but even the yamen guards on duty could not help but whisper to each other. The three judges even more
His face was feverish and furious, his hands under his official robe were trembling, and he was mumbling: "
It's an insult to elegance, it's an insult to elegance..."
"Come here, take off Guo Zheng's pants and verify it in front of the court!" Liu Ziguang shouted. He was determined not to give up until this case was settled.