Among the maids who committed the crime, Xinglan and three others have already confessed.
All other witnesses are also present.
The source of the poison and the corresponding physical evidence are all available.
The key is that Zhang Shiru and his wife did not raise any objection when facing Deng Pinzhong's interrogation.
According to the general common sense of the case, this case should be closed.
But Deng Pinzhong always felt that something was wrong.
Deng Pinzhong picked up a cup of tea and drank it lightly. He didn't know what the problem was for the time being, but a voice in his heart reminded him repeatedly that the case was by no means as simple as it seemed.
Deng Pinzhong was silent, and suddenly he heard a calm and majestic voice coming from his ear: "Deng Pinzhong, how is the investigation of the Zhang family's mother-murder case going?"
Deng Pinzhong suddenly raised his head and saw the majestic and upright emperor standing in front of him. He was startled and quickly stood up and bowed down in the tunnel: "Long live my emperor!"
Wang Lin waved his hand and said: "Okay, don't be too polite. I came here uninvited. I mainly want to ask about the progress of the case. Deng Pinzhong, do you know that this case has caused a stir in the capital and the court is in turmoil, which disturbs me very much.
Safe?"
"Your Majesty, I still have some doubts in my heart. I always feel that something is wrong, so I dare not close the case."
Moreover, there are many rumors circulating in the market, which are extremely critical about the personal ethics of Li Gang, Zongze and Guo Zhishun.
However, the two men committed the crime and the evidence was so conclusive that even the emperor could not overturn the case for them.
Zhang Shiru burst into tears: "Your Majesty, it was the guilty minister who sent someone back to instruct the maid Xinglan to do what he did. This case indeed has nothing to do with the guilty minister's wife. Your Majesty, please take a closer look!"
Wang Lin was sitting behind the dragon case, and Li Gang, Zongze and Guo Zhishun were also sitting in the room.
After all, the normal operation of a great country's machine takes a lot of effort and energy, which is beyond the imagination of the world.
In the royal study.
"In that case, why not close the case?"
There is no doubt that once Wu Lan is convicted, Wu Min, as Wu Lan's grandfather and a minister of the Great Yan Dynasty, will lose face. It is a trivial matter, and he may be attacked by a group of officials in the court.
I am puzzled by these four doubtful points, so I have to further explore this case."
Wu Min had no choice but to take the initiative to plead guilty.
Wang Lin remained calm and stared coldly at Zhang Shiru in front of him. This man was less than thirty years old, with fine features, slender figure, and elegant manners. He really couldn't imagine that such a person could be so ruthless as to poison his own mother.
As Zhang Shiru and his wife were imprisoned in the Dali Temple Prison, the mother-murder case of Zhang Shiru and his wife, which caused a sensation in Yanjing and the government and the public, finally came to an end. Although the final verdict has not yet been announced, the people, especially the scholars, are abuzz with material discussions.
Zhang Shiru had his own intention to die.
Wang Lin fell silent again.
Wang Lin's cold voice came, Zhang Shiru's face turned pale, he slowly raised his head, his shoulders trembled.
Attack Zongze is a headstrong character and a cruel man. He tortured and killed soldiers when he was in charge of the Western Army.
Zhang Shiru's confession is consistent with the evidence.
Although he and Li Gang had no military exploits, the emperor knew very well that without Li Gang, Wu Min and Guo Zhishun in the rear, he would not be able to lead his army to achieve brilliant victories in the war against the Jin Dynasty.
He clearly sensed that the huge waves caused by a matricide case had or were triggering cruel fights in the court.
The situation in the court was turbulent, and it seemed that he would not give up until Wu Min was pulled down.
I have checked that Zhang Shiru's father died early when he was young, and his mother was a widower who raised him. Mother and son have been dependent on each other for many years, and the son killed his mother, destroying human relations. Zhang Shiru is a Hanlin poet who has read the books of sages, how can he do this?
Secondly, Xinglan, the maid of the Zhang family who was heard by Farden Wengu, was one of the murderers. Why would she risk her own life and voluntarily surrender and bite back the master's family? This is really unreasonable.
He took the initiative to plead guilty and exonerate his husband Zhang Shiru in front of the emperor.
Wang Lin said slowly: "Zhang Shiru, when your mother was poisoned and killed, you were still in office in Cizhou. How could you instruct the servants in the mansion to poison your mother?"
The frenzy of struggle gradually spread from Wu Min to him, Zongze, and Guo Zhishun.
…
It can be said that in Wang Lin's heart, the existence of the four cabinet ministers, Li Gang, Wu Min, Zong Ze, and Guo Zhishun, is the cornerstone of Yan's stability and cannot be shaken.
There is also public criticism.
For example, Guo Zhishun offered his daughter to Wang Lin, who was not yet the emperor at that time. It is said that he sold his daughter to seek glory and relied on nepotism to obtain the position of cabinet minister.
There were heated discussions for a while, and the Guo family almost did not dare to go out easily.
He sent someone to summon him back to his hometown to poison his mother, and that servant was already detained in the Dali Temple Prison.
Subsequently, the clamor for impeachment focused on Wu Min.
The world doesn't know the merits of Li Gang and others, but Wang Lin knows it best.
Deng Pinzhong's heart trembled, knowing that the emperor wanted to bring Wu Lan and his wife to justice, which meant that he no longer wanted to protect Wu Min.
For example, he attacked Li Gang for controlling the government in the past, and ostracized the former Song emperor Zhao Ji to monopolize power.
Once Wu Lan is arrested and imprisoned, it will be confirmed that Wu Lan committed the crime, which will inevitably affect Cabinet Minister Wu Min.
Prior to this, the emperor personally presided over the interrogation of Zhang Shiru's wife Wu Lan.
This person also confessed that he was assigned by Zhang Shiru to return home to deliver the mission. He first informed his mistress Wu Lan, and then accused Wu Lan of personally arranging for the maid to poison Xue.
Wang Lin is not sure.
Wu Min was one of the cabinet ministers who had been in control of the government since the former Song Dynasty. Together with Li Gang, he made unimaginable contributions to the stability of the former Song Dynasty and the establishment of the new Yan Dynasty.
Although Deng Pinzhong's Yushitai is taking the lead in handling the case, Zhang Shiru and his wife have not yet been brought to justice because the emperor must be cautious considering that it concerns Wu Min.
"Your Majesty, one: What is the intention and motive of Zhang Shiru and his wife to kill their mother?
Thirdly, since Xinglan Fadeng heard the drum and came to the court to apprehend the relevant suspects, many maids and servants of the Zhang family took the initiative to surrender. Since they had killed people, why did they surrender and bite the master's family afterwards?
Fourth, Zhang Shiru’s wife Wu Lan is the direct granddaughter of Prime Minister Wu. I heard that this woman is intelligent and pleasant, familiar with the books of sages, has been taught by her family since she was a child, and is upright and gentle. How could she commit such a treasonous act as murdering her mother-in-law?
And this, in Wang Lin's opinion, is the biggest doubt.
He knelt down with a puff and said: "The guilty minister Zhang Shiru, long live my emperor!"
The expressions of the three of them were very gloomy.
Zhang Shiru's relatives and friends, old friends of the Zhang family, and anyone who had anything to do with Zhang Shiru and was an official in the court were attacked and impeached one after another.
Li Gang looked at the emperor.
This situation had never happened before during Deng Pinzhong's investigation.
Zhang Shiru and his wife were taken away. Wang Lin frowned and said in a deep voice: "Deng Pinzhong, although there are still doubts about this case, but at this moment, if the details of the case are not made public for a long time, I am afraid that the public will be furious and the court will be under great pressure.
"
Amid the clamor for impeachment, signs of impeachment against Li Gang, Zongze and Guo Zhishun have begun to appear.
Zhang Shiru and his wife, who were under house arrest in the mansion, were quickly taken to Yushitai Yamen.
Wang Lin fell silent.
…
Zhang Shiru entered the lobby of the Yushitai and saw Deng Pinzhong standing at the side, and behind the public case sat a majestic and handsome young man wearing a bright yellow dragon robe. He knew it was Wang Lin, the emperor of the day, and was greatly moved.
Intuitively, he felt that Zhang Shiru and his wife did not seem capable of committing the serious crime of matricide.
Zhang Shiru kowtowed violently, his forehead covered with blood.
Then there was turmoil in the DPRK and China.
Wang Lin quickly exchanged glances with Deng Pinzhong.
"Say!" Wang Lin yelled angrily.
Especially Li Gang.
Wu Lan's performance was almost the same as Zhang Shiru's.
"Look up, let me see, the Hanlin Ci Minister of the Yan Dynasty, the magistrate of Cizhou, who is already a parent official at a young age, is actually capable of committing matricide. I want to take a good look at you."
How smart is Wang Lin? How could he not know the huge conspiracy contained in this. And those who can set off such huge waves in the government and the public must be extraordinary.
Zhang Shiru and his wife chose to rush to admit their guilt when they met with the emperor. They wanted to understand the case and had an obvious intention to protect each other.
Almost a hundred officials and admonishers in the court came out in full force to impeach Wu Min every day for his lack of discipline and lack of personal ethics.
Wang Lin said silently: "There is no other good way, so let's do this for now. Deng Pinzhong, please remember my words. This case will be investigated openly and secretly. Perhaps after the matter is made public, the culprits behind the scenes will be able to come out and reveal their flaws."
Come with clues."
Attacking Guo Zhishun for his corruption, the Ministry of Household Affairs, the Ministry of Works, and various financial departments under his control were all corrupt and perverted the law.
After a long time, he said slowly: "Deng Pinzhong, bring Zhang Shiru and his wife here separately. I will see them."
When the eyes of the monarch and the minister met, they both understood each other's eyes.
"Tell it to me."
Not only that, the disciples and former officials of the three people were also impeached and attacked.
Zhang Shiru's body trembled and he said sadly: "Your Majesty, the guilty minister knows that he will not escape the death penalty. The guilty minister confesses everything, but this matter has nothing to do with the guilty minister's wife. It is all done by the minister alone, and the minister's wife has no knowledge of it.
Please also ask Your Majesty to grant the guilty man a death so that he can understand this case!"
And the target of the attack was the cabinet ministers headed by Li Gang... Wang Lin's face was slightly shaken, and he looked up at Li Gang.
The government and the public call the cabinet ministers headed by Li Gang and their disciples and former officials the old party, while the young faction headed by several military ministers newly promoted by Wang Lin's confidants are called the new party.
The emperor's face was equally gloomy.
Zhang Shiru's complexion turned even paler, and his whole body was shaking violently.
First, thousands of scholars signed a petition, requesting the imperial court to bring the mother-killing traitor Zhang Shiru and his wife to justice as soon as possible, and to eliminate the scum of the scholarly community.
In the end, Wu Min, under the pressure of public opinion, could only claim to be ill and stay at home.
"Tell me, why did you poison your mother? You have been studying the books of sages for many years, and have you read them into the stomach of dogs?"
Deng Pinzhong said solemnly: "Your Majesty, on the surface, the evidence is conclusive and the clues are complete. It is certain that Zhang Shiru and his wife killed his mother. Moreover, I have repeatedly interrogated Zhang Shiru and his wife, and neither of them has objections."
Taking the initiative to admit guilt, but taking it personally.
The signs of the struggle between the old and new parties are beginning to emerge!
If Li Gang and others are brought down, the New Party will naturally benefit the most politically.
The New Party was also called the Royal Party.
Naturally, what the New Party did was easily interpreted by the government and the public as instructions from the emperor.
Realizing the mysterious joint, Wang Lin's expression changed drastically.
Are it really those people from the Military Aircraft Department who are manipulating public opinion and triggering political strife behind the scenes?