The Ministry of Punishment did not make any announcement, but first checked the files sent by Jingzhao Mansion and found that Yu Wenhao had killed the butcher. In other words, Yu Wenhao had convicted the wrong case.
Before the matter could be reported back to the emperor, it spread throughout the capital. The butcher suddenly became a pitiful victim for everyone. His wife suffered humiliation for stealing, and was eventually executed as a murderer.
The Prince of Chu's Palace is really unlucky. It has aroused public outrage again and again. Although the incident of the Crown Princess going to Leprous Mountain has calmed down, I don't know why. Because the Crown Prince misjudged the case, it is now brought out again.
Everyone believed that the prince had made great achievements in wars in his early years, had a good reputation, and had been in charge of Jingzhao Mansion for so long. He had never had an unjust or false case. Now that he had wrongly convicted the butcher and killed the wrong good man, the prince must have been infected by leprosy on the mountain.
Due to bad luck, the prince is the foundation of the country, and now it has affected the prince. Who knows what will happen next?
Therefore, the emperor did not ask any questions, and the people started to riot.
Let's make a fuss, but I don't know what happened. Someone actually spread the news that King An Xianneng was the best candidate to inherit the throne. If this was just a few rumors, there were still people who came to Huangcheng Street and shouted.
He wants the emperor to depose the prince and make King An the prince.
When Gu Si led people out to arrest them, the clamoring people dispersed. Gu Si only caught one person and took him back for rigorous interrogation. The person could not survive the torture and confessed that someone had given them money to instigate them.
They went to the streets of the Imperial City to make noise and let the emperor and the civil and military ministers hear the voice of public opinion.
As for the person who gave the money, she was a woman, very beautiful.
Gu Si naturally replied to Emperor Ming Yuan. Emperor Ming Yuan was furious and slapped the table, "Public opinion?
Haven’t I heard enough public opinion recently?”
Chu Shoufu said from the side: "Your Majesty, please calm down. There have been several troubles among the people recently, and there seems to be someone behind them. Especially the matter of the Crown Princess going to Leprous Mountain. The people were in an uproar, and they dared to attack the Crown Princess at the gate of the Prince of Chu's Mansion, and they
Originally, they called King Huai Xianneng, and King Huai should be established. Now they say that King An is worthy, and King An should be established. In the opinion of the veteran, this person should have deliberately disturbed the Northern Tang Dynasty and shaken the foundation of the country. He needs to be strictly investigated to rectify the unhealthy trends.
Peace of mind."
Emperor Ming Yuan was still angry, "Lao Wu is also ridiculous. There have been so many cases in Beijing recently, and none of them have been solved. Isn't it possible that all the Jingzhao Mansion is just a fool?"
Chu Shoufu said: "One case was solved, but civil strife also started because of this case. Yesterday the prince executed the murderer of the case. Unexpectedly, someone came to the Ministry of Punishment to surrender, saying that he was the real culprit, but the Ministry of Punishment only paid off the crime.
Before it reached the hands of the old minister, it was spread out. When the people heard that he had been wrongly convicted, they all felt aggrieved for him and denounced the prince. The few people who clamored for King An to be the prince were the people who made trouble in this group.
Inside.”
Emperor Ming Yuan frowned, "Is there such a thing?
Has the Ministry of Punishment verified it?
Is the person who surrendered himself the murderer?"
"Still investigating."
Emperor Ming Yuan said angrily: "Since it hasn't been verified yet, why did it get spread?
If that person was not the murderer, people would be suspicious if word spread about it. How could the Ministry of Punishment let the case leak out?"
Chu Shoufu bowed and said: "Your Majesty, please calm down. I'll go and find out what's going on. Tomorrow is the morning of tomorrow, and I believe the Ministry of Punishment will report this case to the court."
"Go and watch, you must find out the truth."
Emperor Ming Yuan said.
"yes!"
The chief assistant resigned and left.
After leaving the palace, the chief assistant went straight to the Ministry of Punishment, and together with the Minister of Punishment, presided over the interrogation of the suspected murderer who surrendered.
The suspect's name is Rong Guichun. He is originally from Baixi. He is very tall and has a fierce appearance.
He confessed to the crime, saying that his wife was a thief who was killed by him. After killing his wife, he fled to the capital and worked as a cook in a restaurant incognito. He rented a house next door to the butcher. Knowing that the butcher's wife was having an affair with the widower, he remembered his wife's betrayal of him. In a moment of rage, he killed the two of them. After the killing, he was so frightened that he threw the blood-stained murder weapon, blood-stained weapons, and blood-clothes at the butcher's house. The butcher pretended to have killed his wife and ran away to hide.
But after he went out, he remembered that he had received kindness from the butcher, and felt guilty, so he hurried back to Beijing and thought of surrendering, but it was already too late. The butcher had already been sentenced to beheading by Jingzhao Mansion.
He could tell the facts and details of the murder clearly and clearly, and it was clear that he was the murderer.
After the interrogation, Sun Shangshu of the Ministry of Punishment asked someone to take the murderer away, and then bowed to Chu Shoufu, "Shoufu, I personally participated in the interrogation of this case. In your opinion, has the prince made a wrong verdict?"
Sun Shangshu was new to the post for two months. He was originally the deputy envoy of salt and iron. Later, he was recommended to head the Ministry of Punishments and served as Shangshu of the Ministry of Punishments. He was promoted.
He was a very vigorous and resolute person. Ever since there were several murder cases in Beijing, he had made great efforts to urge the Jingzhao Mansion to solve the case. It was also his order to give the Jingzhao Mansion to solve the case within a time limit.
Chu Shoufu flipped through the case files several times and said in a deep voice: "This person's confession matches the facts of the murder, and the details of the murder are almost the same as those found in the investigation. It seems that he is really the murderer."
Sun Shangshu said: "In this case, Xiaguan will start the performance in the palace tomorrow. In addition to reporting the case, he must also participate in the prince's book. Should the chief assistant and Xiaguan jointly participate in the performance?"
Chu Shoufu looked at Sun Shangshu's face eager for quick success and said: "Master Sun, just report the case. After reporting the case, it doesn't matter whether you participate or not. The emperor will make his own decision."
Sun Shangshu said righteously and solemnly: "I thought that the case was settled and the murderer was brought to justice after the investigation. However, His Highness the Crown Prince misjudged the case and killed innocent people. As the governor of Jingzhao and the father-in-law of the common people, the Crown Prince is like this." The chief minister should not just sit idly by and ignore human life."
Chu Shoufu said: "If you want to submit a statement, you don't have to go to court tomorrow morning. You can go to the cabinet first and let me review it before submitting it to the emperor. This way you can also take care of the prince's face."
Sun Shangshu said: "I think there is no need to bother with this. Since I have to report on this case tomorrow, why not just take part in it?"
Moreover, I believe that the prince’s face is important, but it is more important than losing someone’s life.”
The first assistant said calmly: "Then you go ahead and report it. I was ordered to investigate the case. I will only tell the emperor the truth. As for whether to participate or not, Mr. Sun will decide."
After saying that, he asked someone to make a copy of the case file and left.
He did not go to the palace to report, but went directly to Jingzhao Mansion to find Yu Wenhao.
Yu Wenhao didn't know that the storm was coming, so he still worked overtime in Jingzhao Mansion to investigate the remaining cases. When he saw the chief assistant arriving, he welcomed him in and served him tea and soup.
The chief assistant threw him the case copied from the Ministry of Justice and said, "Prince, let's take a look. The murderer confessed."
Yu Wenhao invited Fu Cheng in and looked at the case files together.
The first assistant gently knocked the table with the back of his hand and said: "The prince must be mentally prepared for the morning meeting tomorrow. Sun Shangshu is looking for someone to join you."
Yu Wenhao blinked, "What can I do?
If you look cute, many people will always think about you."