"I think the trial is about to start at this hour." The servant woman said: "I heard that in addition to the Ministry of Punishment and the Yushitai, the county master has also been ordered by the saint to go to jointly hear the case."
The county boss she talks about is naturally Mingluo.
"Such a situation is expected. The person who died was a member of the eldest grandson's family, and it happened when he was praying for blessings at Dayun Temple. The saint and everyone everywhere will pay special attention to it..."
Chang's brows furrowed even more as he said this.
The more attention paid to everything, the more likely mistakes will be made.
"Send more people to Dali Temple to keep an eye on today's court hearings, and report to me all the necessary details," Chang explained.
The physical evidence and motive are all there. Now no one suspects that he is elsewhere. If the Changsun family put pressure on Dali Temple in anger, that would be great. It would be best if the Changsui An order could be made in court today.
sin...
The servant came down and saw that her wife was tired and tense these days, so she said with relief: "Madam, don't worry, she will take care of this matter in time, no one will be suspicious of the prince, and everything will go smoothly."
Chang made a "hmm" sound, frowned and said, "The biggest variable now is that idiot from the Feng family. I'm afraid that if she can tell Xie Shi today, she will be able to tell others tomorrow."
"It shouldn't be possible. After all, she herself killed someone..."
Chang sneered: "Normal people can't imagine what kind of stupid things those stupid people can do."
"I have tried my best to plan for this, and I am always cautious. I can never let the success or failure of this matter depend on such a stupid thing, and let her make stupid mistakes outside." Chang said while holding back her disgust: "It is better to bring the person in as soon as possible.
"
"Then Madam, are you ready to agree to Lord Xie's conditions?"
"What if you don't agree?" Ms. Chang stood up and said, "She is right in saying that my son's life is more valuable than her entire Feng family combined."
It is no good if you push people into a hurry at such a juncture.
Her unsatisfactory son had caused such a disaster. How could everything be settled smoothly without paying a higher price?
You have to be willing to throw out the meat buns in your hand when it’s time to throw them out, otherwise it’s easy to make a big mistake out of a small thing.
Zuo is just a fifth-rank official, just like feeding dogs.
But this fifth-grade official is not something she can easily decide on her own. She still has to find the real owner of the Duke's Mansion.
Since Ming Jin was injured, Ying Guogong rarely set foot in the Chang family's residence. He either took turns staying in his concubine's room, or simply rested in the study outside the front yard.
Mrs. Chang is naturally dissatisfied with this, but compared to the troubles and troubles her son has brought, she has not been able to take care of those concubines who are ready to move around recently.
Chang went to the front yard and found Ying Guogong who was playing chess with his second son.
The father and son were playing chess against each other, and the atmosphere was very harmonious. This scene of father's kindness and son's filial piety made Mr. Chang's eyes hurt.
Ashen is the eldest son. People always have more preferences and expectations for their first children, and her husband is no exception. In the past, he could not see the existence of those two timid and cowardly bastards, but now
…
"Why are you here?" Ying Guogong asked with a frown.
Chang wanted to sneer when he heard this.
But now that he was sitting with the concubine, these words made her look like an uninvited outsider.
"I'm here to discuss something with the Duke." Mrs. Chang suppressed her anger and looked at the young man who stood up and saluted her.
The boy's fear of his aunt was deep-rooted. He was about to retreat when his father said: "The chess game is not over yet. Please wait aside."
The young man could only stand there, trembling with fear - his father didn't care about his life or death at all, so why bother comparing him with his aunt's mother?
"Is there something that my family cannot listen to?" Ying Guogong looked at Mr. Chang and said, "Just say it."
Mrs. Chang clenched her fingers tightly and said without squinting: "I want to carry a side room into the door for Ashen to celebrate his happiness. I just want to help him out of trouble."
Duke Ying was stunned when he heard this: "What did you say?"
Mrs. Chang was angry for a moment: "I said I would carry a side room through the door for Ashen -"
"...Why did you go there earlier!" Ying Guogong was puzzled: "In the past, when it was time for him to get married, you made all kinds of choices, but now you only have a stick and no drum, and the abacus beads are out of frame... You think of it.
Marrying him a concubine? Isn’t this buying a comb for a bald man?”
The young man standing nearby shivered when he heard this: "..."
There was a trace of annoyance on Mrs. Chang's face: "The doctor has already said that Ashen is not without possibility of recovery...that's why we have to bring him joy and eliminate his misfortune."
Duke Ying's brows tightened: "What kind of doctors are you looking for? How come they are also Feng Shui masters?"
Mr. Chang tried his best to suppress his anger: "...the theory of happiness was not said by a doctor. I asked an expert to calculate it for Ashen."
Duke Ying said "oh" in understanding.
Chang: "?"
Oh what does it mean!
Seeing that she seemed to be quarreling with him, Ying Guogong took into account her recent mental state, waved his hand in time, and said in a tone that he was too lazy to argue with her: "If you want to make trouble, then it's up to you."
It's just a side room anyway.
Mrs. Chang then told her, "She is the granddaughter of Lord Feng."
"Jun Feng?" Ying Guogong thought of the scandal that Jie had caused before and frowned, but he didn't say much.
After all, which normal high-ranking family would agree to let their granddaughter be the guest room for weddings? Some weddings would be good.
"But before people come in, there is something I need to trouble the Duke to come forward with."
Chang's stated Xie's conditions in a different way.
Duke Ying sneered when he heard this: "Fifth-grade official, her tone is quite serious. Is she selling her granddaughter?"
"With such an attitude, it doesn't matter whether we get married or not." Ying Guogong didn't intend to coddle the other person: "Since it's just a matter of happiness, then just find another family!"
Chang was not surprised that Duke Ying had such a reaction.
Promoting someone to a fifth-grade official is indeed not a trivial matter. It requires a lot of thought and effort. The reason why she agreed to Xie's family was because she knew the pros and cons, and it would be impossible not to agree. But her husband knew nothing about the inside story.
, naturally it is impossible to let go easily.
This chapter is not finished yet, please click on the next page to continue reading the exciting content! "But the fortune teller said that only the Feng family girl's horoscopes can help Ashen avoid disasters." Chang took it out and prepared it on the way.
rhetoric.
Ying Guogong sneered: "What kind of expert is this? Is he taking advantage of the Feng family?"
"How could I be so stupid as to let people from the Feng family do tricks under my nose?" Chang said: "The master said, this time it will not only be Ashen's disaster that will be eliminated - if this disaster is not dealt with in time
If they are driven out, it may bring disaster to the entire Duke Ying's mansion in the future, and I am afraid that the Duke and I will also be implicated."
Duke Ying's expression froze.
After a moment, he said: "...well, I'd rather believe it."
Chang felt very ironic when he heard this, and this trick was indeed the most effective.
Ying Guogong looked at her, frowned and said: "It's okay to bring joy and eliminate disaster, but disaster comes from people, so you should discipline and restrain him, let him recover in peace, and don't cause trouble again!"
It was also his fault that he had been confused before and thought that his eldest son had followed his masculine ways. On the other hand, the two concubines were too timid and timid, which made him look down upon them.
Until these years, as the eldest son got into more and more troubles, and his manly demeanor was clearly only used to get into trouble and accomplish nothing in serious matters...
Only belatedly, he realized that although the eldest son had inherited some of his best qualities, he had taken the best and made it into dregs.
As a result, he gradually came to appreciate the good deeds of a concubine. It was true that he was young and did not know how good a concubine was, and mistakenly regarded a rebellious son as a treasure.
Now he feels bad when he mentions his eldest son.
If the saint had not personally reminded him not long ago, asking him to take care of his family affairs and stop causing trouble and gossip, he would have really wanted to dethrone the rebellious son from his position as heir apparent immediately.
The sage has said it before, so now he will just avoid the limelight of this troubled year. After three or two years, he will change his eldest son to a good son as the heir apparent because he has no children.
But the premise is that the traitor must never cause trouble again!
Ying Guogong wrote this final bottom line on his face.
Mrs. Chang smiled coldly in her heart.
The bottom line is still being met, but little does one know that this bottom line has been secretly trampled and trampled to pieces, and no scum is left.
She was just secretly struggling to clean up the mess.
"Although it's just a side room, the arrangements should be made early, so you can go and do your own thing."
Duke Ying dismissed his wife impatiently and asked his second son to continue playing chess with him.
After the Chang family left, Ying Guogong had a casual chat with his second son and casually taught him: "...the situation is not as stable as it was in previous years. It is precisely because you are descendants of the Ming family that you must be more careful in your words and deeds. Don't imitate you."
My eldest brother’s bad habits.”
The young man responded respectfully.
My father was really overly worried. His eldest brother's temperament was nurtured by his father and his aunt. How could they, bastards who had lived under the shadow of their aunt since childhood, learn such a difficult thing?
However, his father probably felt that raising the older one was useless and that he would have to work harder to raise a younger child, so he continued to preach.
"It is not advisable to fight fiercely and act recklessly. Let's look at the current fate of the husband of the Chang family. This is the best lesson for others!"
In this comparison, the rebellious son of his family is actually quite peaceful.
If he really faced the Chang family husband's impulsive and brainless crazy son, who even dared to kill the girls of the eldest son's family, he would really have no chance of survival, so he might as well clean up and crash to death in front of his sister!
Duke Ying was inexplicably happy, and felt that it was imperative to control the children at home, so he continued to teach his second son.
…
In the front office of Dali Temple, the young man, still wearing the same robe he was wearing when he was arrested, is kneeling in the lobby. Compared with the high spirits when he left home that day, he is now only embarrassed and uneasy.
"You refuse to admit the murder of your eldest grandson, the Seventh Lady. How do you explain the jade pendant?"
The person who asked the question was the Minister of Criminal Affairs, and the case was tried jointly by the three divisions.
At this moment, in addition to the chiefs of the three divisions, there were also Mingluo and Changsunyan, the son of Changsunyuan, who had come here with the order.
Changsun Yan, the master of suffering, was sitting there, staring intently at the young man who denied it.
"I accidentally lost that jade pendant a month ago!" Chang Sui'an explained.
"Lost where?"
"I...I'm not sure." Chang Sui'an said: "But it should be around the Mid-Autumn Festival in Furong Garden!"
If he could clearly determine where it was lost, he would not be unable to find it.
"I will send people to Furong Garden to verify this matter." Yao Yi said: "But it has been a long time and it is not easy to verify it. Since it is difficult to tell whether this statement is true or not, there is currently no evidence to prove your innocence."
What he said was very tactful. He had handled countless cases and knew very well that if someone was really setting up a frame-up, they would not leave such obvious clues. Most of the traces would have been erased, making it difficult to find anything else.
Yao Yi's inference has been confirmed by Chang Suining, who was listening outside the hall with everyone at this moment.
She had thought of the hibiscus flower feast from the time when Chang Sui'an lost her jade pendant yesterday, so she immediately sent people to the Hibiscus Garden to try to find clues.
With the help of Yu Zeng, the investigation went smoothly. But there was no harvest. There was no clue about the whereabouts of her brother's jade pendant.
However, there is something suspicious hidden in the list of changes in people in Furong Garden - on the second day after Chang Sunxuan disappeared, a servant who was working at the Furong Garden Racecourse "accidentally slipped" and fell into the water and died.
Racecourse...
Her brother had raced against Ming Jin at that racecourse, and it was most likely that the jade pendant was thrown away at that time.
It cannot be a coincidence that the chamberlain fell into the water and died at such a juncture.
But the man is dead, and now there is no evidence of his death.
However, in Chang Suining's view, this trip is not a fruitless one. Being able to take care of all these things in such a short period of time shows that the identity of the person behind it is extraordinary...
Secondly, if the chamberlain really picked up the jade pendant, but it fell into the hands of someone else, it would be equivalent to the other party pretending to claim it. However, since the identity is unusual, it cannot be for such a small gain——
Since he is not coveting the jade pendant itself, it is probably for the owner of the jade pendant.
Even if the other party framed the crime of killing the eldest grandson Qi Niangzi on her brother, it might be a temporary move, but the other party's motive when secretly leaving the jade pendant was definitely not pure.
The person who would have such thoughts and pay such attention to her eldest brother's personal belongings must be an acquaintance who has had some issues with him.
Someone who has a festival, has an unusual identity, and participated in the Mid-Autumn Hibiscus Flower Banquet and the Dayun Temple prayer at the same time - this is the scope of clues that Chang Suining has temporarily obtained.
And if we were to make a bolder guess, "this person" would most likely have had a quarrel with the eldest grandson, the Seventh Lady, or there was an irreconcilable conflict of interest between the two parties. Otherwise, he would not have committed such a murder under the eyes of the emperor.
But she knew too little about Zhang Sunxuan and couldn't make any more guesses at the moment.
As for the people behind the scenes, Chang Suining has now drawn a rough outline and is just waiting to eliminate them one by one and dig deeper. She came to the court today to watch the interrogation. First, she wanted to pay attention to the reactions of all parties and try to see if she could draw new clues——
Secondly, I just wanted to see my brother.
At this time, Chang Suining felt relieved when he saw with his own eyes that Chang Sui An was safe and sound, and that there was no sign of being tortured to extract a confession.
Fortunately, the Minister of Dali Temple was Yao Yi, otherwise her brother would not have been able to survive unharmed just because of the pressure from the Changsun family.
Sometimes under power, there are not so many legal processes and principles to talk about. Chang Sui Ning knows this very well.
Although he did not suffer too many external injuries, the young man, who had never experienced anything like this before, faced such a sudden charge. He had hardly eaten or slept in prison for the past few days, and he had lost weight visibly to the naked eye.
Facing this trial, the young man tried his best to prove his innocence, but everything he said was rejected.
"But when I went to Dayun Temple to pray for blessings, I was not wearing this long-lost jade pendant. Everyone who has seen me in the temple should be able to testify!"
"Even if someone can prove that you didn't wear that jade pendant around your waist that day, it doesn't mean that you didn't carry it with you personally——"
The jade pendant is not on the waist, but may be in the sleeves, arms, or under the cloak.
It’s not that the examiner is tricky, but that the case should be handled with rigor.
Anything that is not rigorous enough cannot be used as evidence.
The Minister of Punishment then asked solemnly: "Many people have mentioned that you disappeared from people in the back mountain for a long time. When you were away from everyone, where did you go and what did you do? Can anyone prove it?
"
These questions one after another were filled with a sense of oppression. Chang Sui'an always reminded himself to stay calm and not to panic.
There are benefits to being calm, which prevented him from subconsciously denying that he had never stayed away from the crowd because of fear.
Since he is innocent, he only needs to answer truthfully and does not need to lie to cover up anything.
"I did leave the crowd that day..." Chang Sui'an thought about these questions and answered: "But I was always with Prince Rong at that time! We were talking by the river!"
"Prince Rong?"
"That's right!" Chang Sui'an suddenly realized that this might be a turning point: "Prince Rong can vouch for this!"
The faces of the officials and Mingluo sitting in the hall changed after hearing this.
Although the jade pendant is the decisive evidence, if Prince Rong can prove that he stayed with Chang Sui'an when others could not see him, the case will still need to be further investigated. Then, in
Until new evidence is found or it is proven that Crown Prince Rong committed perjury, Chang Sui'an cannot be convicted of this crime.
Yao Yi immediately said: "Come, please come to Dali Temple, Prince Rong!"
Seeing the officer leaving as ordered, the onlookers started talking a lot.
Qiao Yubai and Cui Lang were worried about Chang Sui'an, so they both skipped classes at the Imperial College and ran over. At this time, they subconsciously had high hopes for the arrival of Crown Prince Rong.
In the crowd, a young boy's voice said coldly: "Who knows that Prince Rong admired and even asked to marry a girl from the Chang family? Who knows if he will perjury on behalf of the murderer?"
Chang Suining and others looked over after hearing this.
The young man looked to be only twelve or thirteen years old. His clothes were unusual but too plain, and he had a piece of white silk tied around his wrist.
His eyes were extremely red, and he was staring closely at Chang Sui'an in the hall.
Cui Lang wanted to step forward to argue with him, but Chang Suining stopped him with his hand.
This young man seems to be a member of the eldest grandson's family. A verbal conflict with him in front of everyone will only bring more trouble and criticism.
Moreover, it is of little significance to Chang Suining to argue about whether Crown Prince Rong would commit perjury.
Perhaps what we should be more worried about now is...will Prince Rong come forward to testify?
I hope she is narrow-minded and judges others with a villain's heart.
Chang Suijing waits quietly.
Until then, the messenger who went to invite people turned back.
"Your Excellency, according to the servants of Prince Rong's Mansion, Crown Prince Rong fell ill due to the cold due to a trip to worship his ancestors. Later, he was frightened and triggered an old illness. He developed a high fever last night. He is still unconscious and unable to move forward for the time being.
