Water Margin: The opening scene involves assassinating Emperor Huizong of Song and forcibly taking L

Chen Dong then asked, "You said you recognized those officials who threatened the witnesses?"

Yu Gui said, "One of them is a clerk in the legal department. I don't know his full name, I only know that he is called Gu Da."

"There was another one who wasn't a government official, but Sun Su, a servant of the Mao family. He was wearing government uniforms and pretending to be a government official."

"When the case was retried this year, I didn't dare to say anything reckless again; I had already confessed."

"Afterwards, Sun Su even led some people to beat me up, and now my left leg is lame."

“I was also fired by Yongcuilou, and they didn’t even pay me for the last half month of my work.”

"Ah!"

Chen Dong slammed his gavel: "Bring Gu Ren and Sun Su to the court!"

"Spare me, spare me..." Gu Ren started wailing even before he was outside the door.

Sun Su, on the other hand, was rather nonchalant and remained silent throughout the entire process.

After verifying their identities, Chen Dong asked the witnesses, "Were they present when you were threatened to give false testimony?"

Most of the witnesses nodded quickly, but two of them couldn't remember.

Because I was too scared at the time, I didn't dare to make eye contact with those guys and didn't see their faces clearly at all.

Chen Dong asked, "Are you a legal officer in Shanzhou Prefecture?"

Gu Ren cried out while wiping away his tears, "I was forced into it! It was Zhao Facao who told me to do it. If I didn't obey, I would be punished."

"The Mao family only gave us six strings of cash, and Sun Su hosted a banquet for my brothers."

"I didn't actually hit anyone, I just threatened them. It was Sun Su who broke Yu Gui's leg later..."

Chen Dong then asked, "Who else joined you in threatening the witnesses?"

Gu Ren replied, "There are too many people around, so I dare not bring too many. Besides Sun Su, I only brought two of my brothers from the legal department."

"One is my brother-in-law, named Li Yingfei; the other is my sworn brother, named Dong Liang."

When the Henan Provincial Surveillance Commissioner retried the case this year, he had already interrogated these people, but they all pretended to be stupid and denied threatening the witnesses.

Gu Ren, a clerk in the government, was not even honest with the provincial inspector, so he felt that the Mao family had powerful figures backing them up.

Now that the emperor has intervened and ordered the three judicial departments to conduct a joint trial, Gu Ren finally dared not conceal anything.

Chen Dong shouted, "Bring Li Yingfei and Dong Liang to the court!"

After questioning, Li Yingfei and Dong Liang admitted to threatening the witnesses, saying that they were both taken there by Gu Ren.

Gu Ren claimed that he was under the command of Zhao Hui, a legal clerk.

Soon, Zhao Hui was brought into the hall.

This fellow was born into the Zhao family of Xi'an County, Quzhou, and was, by definition, a distant cousin of Li Hanzhang.

Two years ago, he served as the legal clerk of Shanzhou Prefecture, an official position specifically responsible for judicial matters.

Similar to the judicial system of the former Song Dynasty, county-level government offices could only handle civil cases.

Once a criminal case is involved, it must be transferred to the state barrister (similar to a municipal court).

After the prefectural legal officer conducts the initial review, the case is transferred to the provincial judicial commissioner for further review.

For ordinary criminal cases, the Criminal Division can make the final judgment. However, for serious criminal cases, the case must be sent to the Ministry of Justice for review.

Zhao Hui is equivalent to the president of the municipal court. He was promoted to Hebei this year, but was arrested and brought back to Beijing a month ago while he was in office in Hebei.

Chen Dong asked, "Did you send someone to threaten the witness?"

Zhao Hui looked at the officials of the Three Judicial Offices, his expression seemingly filled with regret, but he remained silent.

Chen Dong and Zhao Hui looked at each other for a long time before Chen Dong said, "You used to be a legal clerk, so you should know about the Ming Dynasty Code."

"The three judicial departments have already conducted a joint trial, and His Majesty is watching. Do you still want to exonerate anyone?"

"Ugh!"

Upon hearing this, Zhao Hui sighed deeply.

Chen Dong said, "Tell the truth, and perhaps we can get a lighter sentence."

Zhao Hui said, "The murderer's father was a classmate and close friend of my father."

"The Mao family of Jiangshan has been intermarrying with the Zhao family of Xi'an for generations."

"Although the Mao family of Shanxian County separated from the Mao family of Jiangshan County, it was only a matter of two generations."

"The murderer's seventh brother was engaged to my younger sister at the time."

"Because of the murder, the engagement between the two families was also canceled last year."

Zhao Hui even deliberately slowed down his speech, pausing after each paragraph to make it easier for the court clerk to take notes.

Chapter 3298 Premeditated Murder

After the clerk put down his pen, Zhao Hui continued, "Mao Jiabalang did not kill intentionally; he and the deceased were always friends."

"Because of jealousy, the two had increasing conflicts."

"The deceased repeatedly threatened Mao Balang, claiming that he would expose his cheating in the imperial examinations."

"During their final argument, Mao Balang, filled with fear and rage, accidentally strangled his opponent to death."

"Mao Balang was so frightened that he went home in a panic. After running for a while, he turned back and dragged the body into the river."

"He shouted for help by the river and later claimed that the deceased had accidentally fallen into the water."

"But the deceased's family thought it was too suspicious because neither of them had any servants with them."

"During the autopsy, the coroner also found strangulation marks on the neck."

"The woman who caused them to fight over her was a young widow from Shanzhou. This widow had affairs with both the murderer and the deceased."

"This matter concerns the reputation of the widow's husband's family and her own family. Neither family wants to cause a scene, so they want the Mao family to discuss a solution with the deceased's family."

“When I got involved in this case, the murderer, the victim, the widow’s husband’s family, and her own family had actually reached an agreement.”

"My exoneration of Mao Balang was merely a convenient move, and of course, it was also out of consideration for the generations-long friendship between my Zhao family and the Mao family."

"The case later escalated because the deceased's biological mother went to the Provincial Surveillance Commission to plead her case and even stopped the carriage of the Imperial Inspector."

"The other families were furious. After a heated argument, the other members of the deceased's family also got angry and started to mobilize their connections to fight to the death."

“All the officials and their families who got involved in the case have been implicated and are forced to pull strings everywhere to cover it up.”

Chen Dong sneered: "You've said so much, but it seems you've missed something."

"First, why did the testimonies regarding cheating in the imperial examinations disappear from the case files after multiple trials?"

"Secondly, how was the former Henan Provincial Surveillance Commissioner dragged into this mess?"

"Third, why would the Ministry of Justice risk helping you cover it up?"

"Fourth, why did that inspecting censor ignore this case?"

Faced with Chen Dong's questioning, Zhao Hui remained silent for a moment: "You should ask the prefect about these matters; he should know more than I do."

"Ah!"

Chen Dong banged the gavel again: "Bring Jiao Yifeng, the former prefect of Shanzhou!"

A young official, not yet thirty, was quickly brought to the courtroom to await trial.

Chen Dong's face was very ugly. He did not interrogate Chen Dong directly, but said, "A branch of the Jiao family moved to Danyang. I am also from Danyang."

“When I was a young student, my mentor’s surname was Jiao.”

"My mentor told me that one should be upright and that virtue is more important than talent."

"My mentor also used my uncle as an example. That uncle also had the surname Jiao, and his given name was Qianzhi."

Have you ever heard of it?

Jiao Yifeng was immediately filled with shame and lowered her head, saying, "It is indeed my great-uncle."

Chen Dong added, "I heard from my mentor that your great-uncle was an official who served as the Vice Minister of the Court of Judicial Review, but when he retired and returned to his hometown, he had no house to live in."

"It is only with the financial assistance of students that I can build a house, settle down, and live out my old age in peace."

"He was incorruptible and kept himself pure, and overturned many wrongful convictions at the Dali Temple."

After saying this, Jiao Yifeng raised her sleeve to cover her face.

“Unworthy descendants, disgracing the reputation of our ancestors. If I am to be buried after my death, please tell the Jiao clan to bury me far away from the ancestral graves.”

After saying that, Jiao Yifeng suddenly rushed towards the pillar.

The officers who escorted him in had already retreated to the sides and were completely unable to react at this point.

Fortunately, his feet were shackled, preventing him from running.

He rushed to the pillar with small steps, slammed his forehead against it, and blood gushed out, but he did not die on the spot.

The officials of the three courts jumped up in alarm and first ordered the coroner waiting outside the hall to provide first aid, while at the same time sending someone to fetch the best trauma doctor in Tokyo.

Chen Dong roared, "All those involved in the case, tie them to chairs and listen to the trial!"

Jiao Yifeng, who attempted suicide, had an uncle named Jiao Qianzhi.

Initially, he was a tutor hired by Lü Gongzhu for his son. He soon gained the favor of Ouyang Xiu. He was exceptionally talented, incorruptible in his official career, and died without leaving any wealth.

"Bang bang bang!"

Chen Dong pounded the gavel haphazardly: "Bring in Chen Hong, the former Provincial Surveillance Commissioner of Henan. Tie him up, tie him up tightly!"

Chen Hong was from Houguan County, Fuzhou, and became a Jinshi (a successful candidate in the highest imperial examinations) in the fifth year of the Zhenghe era.

The reason for emphasizing the year of the imperial examination is that His Majesty was also a Jinshi (successful candidate in the highest imperial examination) in that year.

If there are several officials with similar qualifications, achievements, and connections, then the Jinshi (successful candidate in the highest imperial examination) of the fifth year of the Zhenghe era will inevitably be given priority for promotion.

Zhao Yuan never expressed his opinion, but the Ministry of Personnel liked to do so.

Chen Hong allowed the bailiffs to bind him, remaining silent throughout the entire process.

"You have no connection with the powerful families of Quzhou, so why did you help the Mao family escape punishment?" Chen Dong asked.

Chen Hong remained silent.

The Right Vice Minister of the Ministry of Justice was named Pan Liangui. He was also a Jinshi (successful candidate in the highest imperial examination) in the fifth year of the Zhenghe era, and he had a very good personal relationship with Zhao Yuan.

He began to earnestly persuade him: "We were both born in the same year as His Majesty. If we explain the case clearly, perhaps there will still be some leniency between us."

"Back then, we passed the imperial examination together and even shared drinks and laughter at Jinming Pond."

"You claim to be eliminating the treacherous officials in the court, but how are you any different from them today? Don't ruin your own life any further!"

Chapter 3299 You'll take this money too.

"Ugh!"

Chen Hong sighed, "I took money from the Mao family to help them suppress the case."

Pan Liangui said with a gloomy face, "Others may not know, but do you think I don't?"

"When you went to the capital to take the imperial examination, you had seven or eight servants with you."

"Given your family's wealth, how much money would Mao have to offer as a bribe?"

Chen Hong said in an almost pleading tone, "I really did accept a bribe."

Pan Liangui took a deep breath: "It seems your matter is quite serious; if you reveal it, it will definitely implicate your family."

"But can you really hide something this big?"

Chen Hong's face turned ashen, and he fell silent once again.

"Move him aside, chair and all,"

Seeing that he couldn't get anything out of them, Chen Dong decided to interrogate the others first.

"The deceased's relatives can be brought to court without being bound."

A large group of people, including men, women, and children, were brought in.