Tian Jinping wrote a letter overnight and gave it to the housekeeper, asking him to quietly go to the capital and ask the Ministry of Punishment about the handling of Guan Xicheng's case.
When the butler was leaving, he said to Tian Jinping: "Master, I have been with you for so many years, and I want to tell you the truth. This Ministry of Punishment is of no use if you can't go there. They don't want to see us, and I may not even be able to see a principal!"
"
Tian Jinping whipped the butler: "The older you get, the more senseless you become. Is this what you should say?"
The housekeeper had no choice but to pack his luggage and set off on the road overnight.
Tian Jinping knew for sure that as long as the case passed the review of the Ministry of Criminal Justice, Guan Xicheng would definitely die.
Even if those two monsters were extremely capable, they would not be able to make the Ministry of Punishment admit their mistake. Except for Liang Daguan's family, no one could make Yu Shangshu admit his mistake.
But what if the Ministry of Punishment hasn’t reviewed it yet?
Even if the housekeeper travels day and night, it will still take seven or eight days to get to the capital, so there won't be any changes, right?
Tian Jinping was worried when the official came to report that someone had complained.
Tian Jinping frowned and said, "What's the matter?"
The government official presented the paper to Zhang Qiquan, a drink vendor, who was beaten by Xie An in the street. His front teeth fell out and two bones were broken.
Magistrate Tian asked: "Which Xie An is he suing?"
The Yamen said: "That troublemaker is also a frequent visitor to our place."
Tian Jinping thought for a moment and asked, "Did this businessman named Zhang Qiquan fight back?"
"He said he didn't fight back, but Xie An had injuries on his face."
"He didn't fight back, how could there be any injury on Xie An's face?"
The officer said: "Xie An said the same thing, and he also said that Zhang Qiquan was the one who made the move first."
Tian Jinping smiled and said, "This case does not need to be tried: "Who made the first move? Who can tell clearly about this matter. It was obvious that the two of them were fighting in the street. Each of them should be reprimanded and let them go back."
The yamen official said in a low voice: "Sir, Zhang Qiquan has a witness. A pear seller at the adjacent stall is willing to testify for him. Everyone has arrived at the yamen gate."
"They are wagging their lips and gossiping!" Tian Jinping angrily yelled, "These unscrupulous merchants are just looking at the fun and want to cause trouble. They collected his pears and banned him from setting up a stall for three days. I don't think he dares.
Keep talking!"
…
Zhang Zhuyang's memorial has been sent to the General Affairs Department, where it was handed over to Emperor Zhaoxing for review.
In Daxuan, when it comes to the technical content of memorials, no one can compare with Yushitai.
Compared with Zhang Zhuyang's memorial, the complaint written by Guan Xicheng was bland and tasteless.
Guan Xicheng's complaint only stated the cause and effect of the matter, but Zhang Zhuyang's memorial conducted an in-depth analysis from three angles and elaborated on Tian Jinping's crime step by step.
From the first perspective, looking at the matter, Tian Jinping is ignorant of law enforcement and cares about human life, which shows that this person has a problem with his ability and is a mediocre official.
From the second angle, the deceased, Geng Dejun, was the son of a wealthy businessman. Tian Jinping was eager to close the case and was suspected of being a corrupt official.
From the third perspective, there are many witnesses in this case. Guan Xicheng is not guilty of killing the thief, but Tian Jinping turns a deaf ear and arouses public resentment. He is an evil official.
After analyzing from three angles, we came to the conclusion that Tian Jinping was the sinner of Daxuan and a great traitor.
Even though the memorial was so wonderfully written, Emperor Zhaoxing only glanced at it briefly.
He had read too many memorials from the Yushitai, and his words were so harsh. How could Emperor Zhaoxing care about the affairs of a seventh-rank magistrate? He only said: "Severe punishment" and asked the Chief of Ceremonies to send it to the cabinet for review.
The cabinet dealt with it quite cautiously. First of all, this was a murder case, and the Ministry of Punishment had to be informed first.
Yu Guangyuan (Yu Shan's father), the Minister of Punishment, received the news and quickly ordered a thorough investigation into the matter.
This case has been reviewed and originally planned to be submitted to the Supervisor of Ceremonies for a ruling by Emperor Zhaoxing, but fortunately it has not been sent yet.
If he didn't send it, everything would be fine.
When the cabinet took no further action, the Ministry of Punishment issued a document and sent it to Luzhou to remand the case for retrial.
Wu Jingchun (Wu Chunyang's father), the prefect of Luzhou, received the news and understood the cause and effect of the incident.
First, there is indeed injustice in this case.
Second, the Yushitai has already reported it. If no one takes the blame for this matter, the Yushitai will not let it go.
Third, Tian Jinping is not a valuable person and is suitable for taking the blame.
Wu Jingchun's mind is very clear. This case must be immediately returned for retrial.
He can be considered a self-made man. Being able to reach this position, he naturally understands the trade-off between advancement and retreat. What is needed at this time is thunderous means! The impact must not be allowed to expand further.
On the day he received the document, Wu Jingchun immediately wrote a letter to impeach Tian Jinping. He first disowned himself and then sent a general judge to retry the case.
The case must be re-tried quickly, and the action must be ruthless, so that everything can be dealt with properly before the Ministry of Punishment and the Ministry of Personnel take action.
But this matter is not that easy to handle. No matter how bad Tian Jinping is, he has been the magistrate of Xunshan County for more than thirty years, so he will have some foundation. Once the case is delayed, Wu Jingchun will have to take the blame.
If you want to get things done, there are two prerequisites.
The first thing is to keep it confidential.
Second, choose a ruthless person.
Who among your subordinates is ruthless enough?
Wu Jingchun thought about it again and again and finally had a candidate.
Zhou Kairong, the former Zhonglang of the Ministry of Civil Affairs.
Zhou Kairong was originally from Luzhou. After offending Wu Xu, he was forced to leave the capital and returned to Luzhou, where he became a sixth-grade general judge.
I originally thought that my official career was over, but I didn't expect that there would be another chance to make a comeback.
Zhou Kairong naturally did not miss this opportunity. After receiving the order from the prefect, he set off for Shanxun County on the same day.
When Zhou Kairong arrived in Shanxun County, the housekeeper had not returned yet, and Tian Jinping knew nothing about what happened in the capital.
Tian Jinping had little contact with Zhou Kai Rong, and he didn't know the purpose of Zhou Kai Rong's visit to the mountain to inspect the county. He even set up a table of wine to welcome Zhou Kai Rong.
Zhou Kairong didn't drink his wine, and Zhou Kairong didn't want to say a word to him. If he delayed it for a moment, the case might go wrong.
He went to the jail for interrogation that day, and a retrial was held the next day. On the same day, Guan Xicheng's case was overturned.
Everything happened so fast that Tian Jinping was unprepared. In the courtroom, Tian Jinping still wanted to argue a few words: "Master Zhou Tong, you are so hasty in judging the case. Is there something wrong?"
Zhou Kairong smiled and said: "You are so disrespectful of human life, but you still dare to say that I am inappropriate?"
Tian Jinping said angrily: "Since you and I are colleagues, we should speak with some discretion. Although I am lower than you, I am also an official of the imperial court. How can I allow you to slander me?"
Zhou Kairong said: "According to the laws of the Great Xuan, if you enter a house to commit murder, you will not be guilty of murder. If the criminal forces you to kill him, you will not be guilty of murder. You don't even know the law. How can it be considered slander to say that you are indignant about human life?"
Tian Jinping stood up and said: "Geng Dejun was killed in the Xuefang Zhai residence, but this was not his private residence. How can it be considered as a murder inside the residence?"
Zhou Kairong has been an official for most of his life. He is tired of such shameless remarks and chews them up. He can retort them with just one mouth:
"The magistrate's government office is an official residence, not your private residence. If a bad guy enters the government office and kills you, does that count as an intrusion into the house?"
"You..." Tian Jinping turned pale with anger, "Let's put aside the matter of the private house. Geng Dejun is the owner of the suffering, can he be considered a villain?"
Zhou Kairong laughed loudly and said: "Looking at your age, you are still arguing like a three-year-old child. Geng Dejun almost beat Guan Xicheng to death. Guan Xicheng broke several bones and the scars are still there today."
Now, isn’t this considered a villain?”
Tian Jinping said: "How can we prove that Guan Xicheng's injuries were caused by Geng Dejun? Is there anyone who can testify? Is there any physical evidence? Some things cannot be explained clearly in just a few words!
Zhou Tongxing, how can you be so arbitrary! Guan Xicheng has already pleaded guilty, how can you repeat your words lightly? This case should be considered in the long term!"
Zhou Kairong laughed ferociously.
He Xini, are you trying to get on top of me?
Then don't blame me for being cruel. Magistrate Wu has already written a letter to impeach you, so I'll help you add fuel to the fire!
Zhou Kairong shouted: "It wasn't Geng Dejun who beat me, could it be you? The reason why Guan Xicheng pleaded guilty was because he was beaten into submission!"
"You!" Tian Jinping was trembling with anger. He tried to speak again but was speechless.
Zhou Kairong was a Confucian practitioner and used the technique of following rituals to force Tian Jinping to silence his voice.
He stood in front of the public in the court and shouted to the onlookers: "The emperor's kindness is so great, how can we allow good people to be wronged! The law is strict, how can we allow young people to do evil! Guan Xicheng, today I will restore your innocence!"
As soon as he finished speaking, Zhou Kairong used the sixth level skill again, showing great righteousness.
The onlookers were affected and cheered in unison. Xu Zhiqiong and Xue Yun mixed in the crowd and also shouted twice.
Amidst the cheers, Tian Jinping clutched his chest, coughed and wheezed, and fell into a coma.
Xue Yun whispered: "Isn't this old man going to die like this?"
Xu Zhiqiong said with a smile: "It doesn't matter if you die, the more than seven inches of sin will be easier for you."
"If I have committed a crime, I will definitely have to settle the dispute with you."
"This man deserves to be killed, so what's the point of judging right from wrong?"
"I deliberately left some loopholes. I can't monopolize the merits. After you have settled the matter, I will go to Judge Xia to judge the crime. Anyway, it is you and your wife, and there is no advantage for others."
Xu Zhiqiong said in astonishment: "You know all this?"
"I still don't know as much as you do. You started with the case, then started with the black hat, and brought down Tian Jinping. What is the truth behind this?"
Xu Zhiqiong said: "The truth is, it is difficult to get out of the mud, but it is easy to push it down. You have to push it down from top to bottom!"
Unfortunately, Tian Jinping survived and recovered soon.
Xue Yun said: "This guy is really tough."
Xu Zhiqiong said: "It doesn't matter, just keep an eye on him in the future. When he retires from office, you can take action!"
Xue Yun smiled and said: "I don't have the heart to stare at him, so I'll find someone else to attack him!"
The two were talking and laughing when suddenly they saw Guan Xicheng getting up and looking around.
His mother, Mrs. Liu, wiped her tears and was also looking around.
They want to find a lawyer who will seek justice for them.
Xu Zhiqiong left quietly, and Xue Yun chased behind him and said: "This time, I didn't earn any merit or fame. What are you doing for this?"
Xu Zhiqiong raised his head with a solemn expression: "My duty is only for the law of heaven."
Xue Yun was silent for a moment, then turned around and went to the restaurant to buy some food and wine.
"Ma Yilang, I want to go to your Yilang Courtyard and sit for a while."
Xu Zhiqiong smiled and said: "But it cost you money again."
The two returned to Yilangyuan and set up a wine table in the front yard. Yang Wu looked at it and licked his lips.
Xu Zhiqiong burned a piece of sandalwood for Yang Wu, and we each had our own.
After drinking two jars of old wine in a row, Xue Yun was slightly tipsy and stood up and said: "Brother Ma and I are very close to each other. I have a gift that I want to give to each other in person."
Xu Zhiqiong repeatedly declined: "It's just a small gift, what's the big deal!"
"A small gift? Is this what I should say?" Xue Yun was stunned for a moment, "Well, if you say a small gift, it is a small gift. This small gift is a set of ancestral sword skills that I have never passed on to outsiders. Now I would like to pass it on to Brother Ma.
!”
When Xu Zhiqiong heard this, he was not interested.
He had learned swordsmanship in the academy.
When I arrived at the Imperial City Division, I also learned some sword skills from my colleagues.
Even Wu Xu once taught Xu Zhiqiong's sword skills.
But these sword techniques were all based on suicide and were of no use to him.
"Brother Xue, since the sword technique is passed down in your family, I won't learn it. I can't break the rules of your family."
Xue Yun knew what Xu Zhiqiong was thinking: "Brother Ma, you don't know something. The White Tiger Killing Way is the best martial art in the world. Most of the swordsmanship in the world comes from the White Tiger Killing Way, but the Killing Way swordsmanship is known for its fierceness and is not suitable for me.
As for Tao cultivation, Xue’s set of sword techniques are specially created for my Tao.”
Xu Zhiqiong asked in surprise: "Your family's ancestral sword skills are specifically designed for the judge's way? Could it be that your family's ancestors are all judges?"
"No," Xue Yun said, "I created this set of sword techniques myself."
"What kind of ancestral inheritance is it if you create it yourself?"
"Self-created is also passed down from ancestors. I originally planned to pass it on to my son!"
Xu Zhiqiong said angrily: "The madman is rude!"
Xue Yun drew out his saber: "Aren't you convinced? Come and see where you stand."
Xu Zhiqiong also pulled out the Biao Chi Blade: "Let's learn two moves and stop as soon as we hit them."
Xue Yun nodded: "You come first."
Xu Zhiqiong said: "I am at the seventh level and you are at the eighth level. My cultivation level is superior, so let you take the lead!"
"Thank you for taking care of me!" Xue Yun was not polite and slashed Xu Zhiqiong's head with a knife.
Just look at the stance of this sword, it is ordinary, not much different from Meng Shizhen, far worse than Qiao Shungang, and completely different from Wu Qianhu's sword technique.
What is there to learn from this?
Xu Zhiqiong ducked to the side, preparing to fight back.
Unexpectedly, the knife was struck vertically, but came out horizontally, directly hitting Xu Zhiqiong's ribs.
This move was fatal. There was no way to dodge, and it was difficult to parry. The blade was pressed against his ribs, and Xu Zhiqiong did not react.
Xue Yun smiled and said: "Is this sword skill still good?"
Xu Zhiqiong thought for a moment: "I know your methods, let's work together again!"
Xue Yun raised the knife again, using the same move as before, slashing down from the top of his head, with the blade going out sideways.
What is the reason for this?
In fact, it's not complicated. Xue Yun's knife drew an arc in the air.
This time Xu Zhiqiong was on guard and immediately retreated to dodge.
Xue Yun stepped forward and stabbed, but Xu Zhiqiong tried to deflect it with his blade.
But he missed, and Xue Yun's blade suddenly lifted up and hit Xu Zhiqiong's chin directly.
Xu Zhiqiong turned his back to avoid it. The blade fell instantly and hit Xu Zhiqiong's chest.
Xu Zhiqiong fell to the ground in response.
This was when Xue Yun showed mercy and turned his wrist in mid-air.
If the blade were struck instead of the blade, it could directly split Xu Zhiqiong's chest.
From beginning to end, Xue used the eighth-level speed, which was slower than Xu Zhiqiong.
But even though Xu Zhiqiong was faster than Xue Yun, he couldn't even take two moves.
Xue Yun smiled and said: "How is this sword technique?"
Xue Yun stepped forward and pulled Xu Zhiqiong up: "Do you want to learn?"
Xu Zhiqiong was hesitant: "Are you really willing to teach?"
Xue Yun sighed softly: "When the judge reaches the seventh rank, he should no longer have too many entanglements with the mortal world, but you can't let go of the entanglements.
If you can't let it go, you can't let it go. Maybe your Taoist door is in the mortal world, which is dangerous and dangerous. If you learn this sword technique, you will have many ways to settle down!"