Did the eldest daughter ascend the throne today?

Familiar scenes, familiar plots, familiar lines, only the object of the lawsuit has changed.

The person being sued this time is Rong Jing, the Minister of the Dali Temple, the emperor's confidant and a judge who is considered incorruptible and upright by the people.

He is a lone minister, does not accept bribes, does not form cliques for personal gain, and does not care about women. What could go wrong?

"I am suing the Dali Temple Minister Rong Jing for murdering my mother."

Everyone gasped, thinking there was something wrong with their ears.

"This is impossible. Lord Rong is such a splendid person with noble character. How could he kill his mother? This is a heinous crime that cannot be forgiven by heaven."

"It must be a false accusation. Lord Rong has been ruthless in handling cases over the years and has offended too many people."

"Yes, many of the perpetrators and their families hate him so much that he would come up with such a trick. It's despicable and shameless."

"I absolutely don't believe it. Lord Rong is a good person."

All the civil and military officials came, each with a different look on their face. Strange things happen every year, but this year there are especially many.

The Minister of Justice frowned and shouted, "Who are you? Tell me your name."

"I am Liu San, a commoner. I am a cousin of Rong Jing's mother Liu. Since I learned the secret of Rong Jing's mother's murder, I have been both scared and angry."

"Liu has been very kind to me. Without her, there would be no me. So, no matter what, I will avenge her."

The Minister of Justice looked at him coldly, "What are you afraid of?"

Liu San's face turned pale. "I'm afraid of being wiped out. Rong Jing is in a high position now. How can a commoner like me be his opponent? I can only take the risk and beat the drum to report it."

The Minister of Justice looked at the man's face that was trying to be calm and sighed silently. He was far inferior to the Princess Jingning and his acting skills were not good either.

"You know that before you can strike the drum, you have to beat it with thirty sticks."

Liu San said righteously, "I am not afraid of death. I just want to expose the true face of Rong Jing, the hypocrite, and seek justice for the innocent people."

The Minister of Justice waved his hand and said, "Execute."

Liu San was dragged onto a stool, his hands and feet were held down, and a board was hit hard at him, splashing blood all over his body. Liu San let out a shrill scream that cut through the sky.

Amidst the screams, the people gradually fell silent and began to waver.

Who is willing to risk his life to file a complaint to the emperor?

Is it true?

In the carriage not far away, Ning Zhiwei lifted the curtain and took in everything.

"What's going on? Do you know this person?"

I don’t know who ordered this, but this move is quite vicious and will destroy Rong Jing from the root.

Moreover, there are even more brutal killer moves to come.

Since you have chosen to take action, you will naturally use all your strength to kill the other party, leaving him no chance of turning the tables.

It’s not easy for Rong Jing to pass this level.

Rong Jing, who was sitting opposite, shook his head slightly, frowned, and looked very unhappy.

Ning Zhiwei was in a complicated mood. Did this happen in her previous life? She was not in the capital at the time and had no memory of it at all.

Could this be the reason why Rong Jing turned evil in his previous life?

"It seems you have offended a lot of people."

Rong Jing's eyebrows moved, "Do you believe me?"

"Of course, I have eyes." Ning Zhi smiled slightly, "What I see is a Dali Temple official who is cold on the outside but warm on the inside, has feelings, perseverance, and righteousness."

He is an extremely restrained and introverted person, but through many details, you can see the real him.

Rong Jing was deeply shocked, and a faint sweetness rose in his heart. Her words were enough. "Actually, I have many secrets that cannot be exposed."

Who doesn’t have secrets? Since they are secrets, they must not be made public. Ning Zhiwei has even more secrets. She even knows the emperor’s death date.

"Have you ever committed a heinous crime?"

"No." Rong Jing's tone was extremely firm.

"That's enough. People should not be too kind. Cut off when necessary and kill when necessary." Ning Zhiwei pushed a snack box in front of him. "Hurry up and eat. We don't know when we will have the next meal."

Rong Jing: ...It’s really a special comfort.

He picked up a piece of candy cake and started eating it. He felt better for some reason. Suddenly, he asked, "Have you ever killed anyone?"

Ning Zhiwei also picked up a piece of red bean cake and nibbled it slowly, "I've killed a lot of them."

Rong Jing suddenly raised his head and looked at her deeply. Ning Zhiwei looked calm and did not avoid the question.

The two looked at each other for a long time.

A cry of surprise came from outside, "Sir, Liu San has fainted, are you still going to fight him?"

The Minister of Justice looked at the bloodstained Liu San and asked, "How many more strokes do you want?"

"Ten more boards."

The Minister of Justice looked stern and said, "Keep beating."

"Sir, if you continue to fight, someone will die."

The Minister of Justice was unmoved and said, "Let the imperial physician stay by the side and treat him at any time."

No matter what, the thirty lashes must be given. Otherwise, everyone will follow suit and come to beat the drum to report the incident, ignoring the laws of the court.

Killing the chicken to scare the monkeys will make everyone afraid to report the incident again.

Well, after all, it was Princess Jingning who set a bad example.

The emperor came with the princes, looking very bad, "Where's Rong Jing? Hasn't he come yet?"

Prime Minister Duan looked around and said, "Lord Rong lives in Furong Garden outside the city. Logically, he should be here soon."

The fourth prince laughed maliciously and said, "Could it be that he ran away because of a crime?"

He made no secret of his hostility towards Rong Jing; the last incident had caused him to lose several generals.

"Master Rong is here."

Everyone looked over and the person involved finally arrived.

Under the gazes of countless people, Rong Jing, dressed in blue, appeared solemnly, walked over step by step, and saluted the emperor, "Your Majesty."

The emperor frowned and looked Rong Jing up and down, "Do you have anything to say?"

Rong Jing had an angry look on his face, but he tried his best to control himself. "I did not kill my mother. I think I am smarter than ordinary people. I have read the Four Books and Five Classics by heart, and I have memorized the Book of Filial Piety by heart."

"One's body and hair are given by one's parents, and one should not damage them. This is the beginning of filial piety. One should establish oneself and behave in a righteous manner, and make a name for oneself in the future generations to honor one's parents. This is the end of filial piety. Filial piety begins with serving one's parents, ends with serving one's ruler, and finally establishes oneself." Note (1)

"Filial piety is the most important virtue. I am a man who wants to pass the imperial examinations. How dare I kill my mother and ruin my future? Please investigate clearly, Your Majesty."

The emperor nodded slightly; he still believed in Rong Jing's character.

The prince rolled his eyes slightly, "Your Majesty, Lord Rong Jing is extremely smart, there is no reason for him to do this."

A weak voice said, "He has."

It was Liu San. He was beaten with thirty sticks but he didn't die. It seemed that the bailiffs who were carrying out the execution were too lenient.

The prince asked anxiously, "What is it?"

A trace of resentment flashed in Liu San's eyes, "Because he is the son of a prostitute with an ominous father."

The whole place was in an uproar.

Liu San gritted his teeth and continued to expose the truth, "Those who take the imperial examination must have a clean family background. A prostitute's son is not eligible to take the imperial examination. He concealed his background and took the imperial examination. He must first remove all stumbling blocks."

The fourth prince's eyes were filled with satisfaction, "So, he killed his own mother?"

Liu San said meaningfully, "Only the dead can keep secrets."

He asked loudly, "Master Rong, do you dare to tell everyone how your mother died?"