Being an emperor is not something he can do, so he can only rely on his connections.

Seeing Zhang Jingwei's frown, a mixture of lingering rage and newly surging confusion, Huang Liang quickly took a half-step closer and whispered in a voice only the two of them could hear: "Sir, this man... Yuan Tangjing! He's the renowned 'Iron Teeth and Copper Tongue' of Hedong Province! He passed the imperial examination at a young age and was a natural for studying, but unfortunately... his heart seems to have wandered away from the imperial examinations. He's incredibly intelligent, especially skilled at manipulating legal provisions. He's represented others in lawsuits throughout the prefectures and counties of Hedong Province, and he's never lost! He's known as the 'Ghost of Lawsuits'!"

After hearing Huang Liang's whisper, Zhang Jingwei's eyes suddenly became as sharp as ice spikes. He turned his head abruptly, his gaze fixed on Shi Chongshan, who was resting his eyes on his heels. The corners of his mouth pulled up into an icy arc filled with sarcasm: "Oh! Old Shi is really amazing! He actually invited a 'famous lawyer'. It seems that he has been prepared for this and calculated that there will be a big show in the court today!" His voice suddenly rose, with thunderous anger, and his eyes swept like lightning to the heads of various classes standing solemnly in the hall, and he scolded loudly:

"I've repeatedly ordered you to surround the Shi family tightly! Not even a fly is allowed to fly out! How did the news leak out?! Huh?! Who is so bold as to tip off the Shi family?! It seems that there are still dogs of the Shi family in this yamen that haven't been cleaned out!" This angry shout was not only a rebuke to the squad leaders, but also a wake-up call that struck the hearts of every yamen runner. The atmosphere in the hall instantly dropped to freezing point.

Tang Jing seemed oblivious to Zhang Jingwei's wrath, completely ignoring the solemn atmosphere permeating the hall. His demeanor was composed, and his clear voice rang out again, carrying an unquestionable certainty: "Sir! I am not aimless! Our dynasty's "Law of Rites" clearly states that all royal relatives present in court for trial are exempt from the ritual of kneeling! This is a rule of the court to show its compassion for the royal family and to demonstrate the emperor's grace! Mr. Shi is of noble status; how can he endure such torture for so long? Please, sir, have someone help Mr. Shi up immediately, and do not betray the dignity of the court!"

Zhang Jingwei looked like he had just heard a ridiculous joke. His eyebrows shot up high, and an exaggerated expression of surprise appeared on his face. He glanced back and forth between Yuan Tangjing and Shi Chongshan. "Royal relative? Old Shi? Ha! When did Old Shi become a royal relative of our Celestial Empire?"

Yuan Tangjing was calm and composed, as if stating a common sense known to everyone: "Your Excellency is busy with many affairs every day, and you may not be aware of anything. The current Empress Dowager, the Empress Dowager Shi, who is the mother of the country, is the sister of the current Prime Minister Shi Guoxiang! And Mr. Shi-" He turned slightly and nodded slightly in the direction of Shi Chongshan, "He is a relative of Mr. Shi Guoxiang! According to the laws and etiquette of our dynasty, Mr. Shi naturally enjoys the treatment of an imperial relative! He deserves the proper courtesy and respect in the court!"

The sarcasm on Zhang Jingwei's face became even stronger. He slowly leaned back in his chair, tapping the gavel lightly with his fingers, making a dull knocking sound, but his eyes were sharply locked on Yuan Tangjing: "Oh? I see! Yuan Xiucai is indeed knowledgeable, and knows the laws of our dynasty and the clan system like the back of his hand! This official is really... deeply relieved!" He changed the subject, and his tone suddenly became heavy and oppressive, "If all the scholars in the world can know, understand and respect the law like Yuan Xiucai... then it will be a blessing for the court and the country!" He bit the word "respect the law" very hard, like an ice spike piercing Yuan Tangjing.

Yuan Tang Jing seemed oblivious to the irony and accepted the compliment calmly, bowing slightly. "Your Excellency, I am deeply ashamed to accept it. I am simply fulfilling my duty as a scholar, understanding legal principles and distinguishing right from wrong."

Zhang Jingwei leaned forward, his gaze fixed on Yuan Tangjing like a hawk. A dangerous sneer curled his lips. "What a 'know the law, know right from wrong'! So, this famous detective... no, this famous lawyer! Since you're so well-versed in law, you must be well-versed in the eternal principle of 'a life for a life, a debt for a life', right?"

Yuan Tangjing met Zhang Jingwei's gaze, his eyes calm and unruffled, like a deep pool. "I naturally know. The law of the land is clear: those who kill shall be put to death, those who injure or steal shall be punished. This is the law of nature." He suddenly changed the subject, his tone becoming sharp. "But, Mr. Shi, your hands have never been stained with blood! The culprit of those who died was not Mr. Shi, but the insatiable greed of the ignorant people themselves!"

Zhang Jingwei seemed to be choked by this absurd argument, his pupils suddenly shrinking, and his voice was filled with disbelief and chill: "How can you say that?! Absurd!"

Yuan Tang Jing spoke in a clear voice, his pace quickening, with a bewitching logic: "Your Excellency, be wise! What do those who voluntarily take elixirs seek? They all seek the path to immortality, the opportunity to ascend to immortality! This is human nature, and it is also the direction of the great Dao! As for those who unfortunately died, the root cause was their own excessive greed, or their impatience for success, or their unauthorized increase or decrease in the dosage, or their weak constitutions unable to withstand the opportunity of immortality! This is their own fault, and it is the will of heaven that cannot be defied! If all the blame is placed on Mr. Shi, who provided the 'immortal opportunity', this..." He swept his eyes over the people in the hall and said word by word, "It is indeed a crime he wants to accuse, and he will never lack excuses!"

Zhang Jingwei was completely infuriated by this distortion of right and wrong and the specious arguments. He gasped, leaned back slightly, and his face displayed an extremely exaggerated expression of shock and ridicule. He slammed the gavel, "Hiss! Wonderful! Wonderful! Attorney Yuan's brilliant argument actually makes me... feel quite reasonable! His eloquence is truly brilliant and truly turns the world upside down!"

Yuan Tang Jing struck while the iron was hot: "Therefore, I assert that Mr. Shi is not guilty!"

"Stop talking nonsense here!!!" Zhang Jingwei could no longer hold back and slammed the gavel with a loud bang, making the entire hall buzz! He stood up suddenly, pointed his spear at Yuan Tangjing, his hair standing on end in anger, and roared hoarsely with extreme rage:

"You claim to be well-versed in the law! Have you read the newly promulgated 'New Regulations on the Control of Stone Medicines'?! The Shi family privately set up an alchemy room, stockpiled banned drug ingredients, and colluded with a cult to refine harmful poisons. Their actions have long been illegal! The evidence is overwhelming! What's more—" He pointed suddenly at Shi Chongshan, who was resting with his eyes closed on his heels, and his voice was like thunder. "He just admitted with his own mouth that those people died in order to achieve his ridiculous 'Immortal Bridge of Ten Thousand Withered Skeletons'! This is a confession in court! Are you deaf?!"

Facing Zhang Jingwei's wrath, Yuan Tang Jing did not retreat. Instead, he took a step forward, his voice suddenly rising with a sharp accusation, and his words were as fast as a cannon:

"Sir! I am now formally accusing you of using coercion to induce a confession during the trial!"

When these words came out, everyone in the room was shocked! Even Shi Chongshan, who had kept his eyes closed, moved his eyelids slightly.

Yuan Tang Jing didn't give Zhang Jingwei time to react, his words were as sharp as a knife, slashing down continuously:

"First! Mr. Shi is over seventy years old, his mind is confused, and his body is frail! Yet, Your Excellency, you use torture instruments and verbal provocation to induce him to utter unrealistic words while he is unconscious! How can this not be an inducement to confess?!"

"Secondly! Sir, you keep saying that the Shi family violated the 'New Regulations of Shiyao'. You seem to know every single rule by heart! But which specific rule did Mr. Shi violate? What were the exact consequences? Can you clearly list them and cross-examine them in court? How can you convince the public with vague accusations?!"

"Third and most important! Your Excellency, you accuse the Shi family of refining the Five Stones Powder, which led to the tragic deaths of civilians! Where's the evidence?!" He stared at Zhang Jingwei with a sharp gaze. "How can you prove that those so-called 'living dead' were taking the Five Stones Powder refined by the Shi family? And not some inferior, banned drug they secretly prepared or purchased from other channels? This is the lack of crucial physical and witness evidence! Your Excellency is convicting them based on mere conjecture and one-sided testimony. Isn't that child's play? This case is full of doubts. With your verdict like this, I can't help but wonder if you are fabricating charges and framing innocent people!"

This series of incisive, pointed questions bombarded Zhang Jingwei like a torrential downpour! Each one precisely targeted the weak links in the chain of evidence, even accusing him of "inducing a confession" and "fabricating charges," charges that could undermine his official reputation.

"You...you...damn you!!!" Zhang Jingwei felt his blood rush to his head, his vision darkening! He prided himself on being eloquent, but Yuan Tang Jing's sophistry left him speechless. He had nowhere to vent the pent-up rage in his chest, and after holding it in for a long time, he finally unleashed the most vulgar vulgar language in the courtroom, in front of countless people! This was more embarrassing than a slap in the face!

Yuan Tangjing had been waiting for this moment! An expression of deep sorrow and righteousness instantly appeared on his face. His voice suddenly rose an octave, full of condemnation for "losing civility", and his finger almost pointed at Zhang Jingwei's nose:

"Sir! The court is a place where the laws of the country are enforced! You are an official appointed by the imperial court and the father of a county! How can you utter such filthy and vulgar words like those of a street scoundrel?! It is a disgrace to official ethics! It damages the dignity of the imperial court! May I ask Sir Zhang, the prefect of Yunzhou--" He deliberately prolonged his tone, and every word was piercing, "Could it be that this is how he taught you to be an official, to judge cases, and to treat the people?! Such family education and official style are really regrettable!" This was not just a questioning of Zhang Jingwei personally, but also a subtle pointing of the spearhead at his mentor.

"Wood!!!" Zhang Jingwei completely lost his temper! His rationality was completely broken! He felt a surge of evil fire burning from the soles of his feet to the top of his head, burning him to the point of fuming! Laws, official rituals, and consequences were all thrown out of his mind! He pointed at Yuan Tang Jing, his voice completely ripped and distorted by extreme rage, like the roar of a wounded beast:

"Kick him out! Now! Immediately! Beat him with sticks!!" He just wanted the bastard in front of him to disappear immediately!

Yuan Tang Jing, facing the wolves and tigers that pounced on him, wasn't alarmed. Instead, he uttered a short, sharp, and clear sneer. He straightened his back, his gaze like a cold star sweeping across the furious Zhang Jingwei, then glanced around at the shuddering crowd in the hall. His voice was low, yet it carried a piercing coldness and an undisguised threat:

"Sir Zhang! You have to think it over carefully!" He paused deliberately and emphasized his tone, "If you really beat me out of the Gaoyang County Court with sticks today... Do you know how many eyes are watching me outside the court, in Gaoyang City, and on the post road leading to Kyoto? How many ears are listening? Do you want to act like a naughty child who has had his candied haws stolen and is throwing a tantrum in the street, showing off your official power and temper in this court of national law?!" Every word was like an icicle, piercing Zhang Jingwei's last line of defense of reason.

"Retreat... Retreat... Retreat!!!" Zhang Jingwei's whole body was shaking violently, his face turned from red to ashen blue, and then from ashen blue to pale! He suddenly grabbed the gavel and tried to knock it down again with all his strength, but his arm froze in mid-air, shaking violently. Yuan Tangjing's last sentence, "a naughty boy rolling around in the street", was like the most vicious curse, which completely defeated him. He felt dizzy and humiliated like never before! Continue the trial? He was afraid that he would really draw his sword and chop people! He slammed the gavel down on the case with a dull thud, almost roaring, and squeezed out two words full of frustration and rage from between his teeth:

"Back—off—hall—!!!"

This roar, like the final wail of a wounded beast, was filled with resentment, fury, and a sense of powerlessness driven to the brink of despair. Without even glancing at the others in the hall, he suddenly swung his robe sleeves, turned, and stumbled toward the back hall, his back filled with embarrassment and panic. The gavel, cracked by his blow, lay silently on the table.

Mu Tou and the yamen runners looked at each other, unsure what to do. Shi Chongshan, standing on his heels, finally curled his lips into a cold, profound smile. Yuan Tangjing straightened his washed-out blue shirt and, facing Zhang Jingwei's departing direction and the astonished crowd in the hall, gave a meaningful, masterful smile.

Inside and outside the courtroom, a dead silence reigned. Only the sound of Zhang Jingwei's stumbling footsteps echoed through the empty hall, hammering at everyone's heart. The outcome of this confrontation was already decided, at least in terms of momentum and spectacle. Yuan Tangjing's voice was low, but it reached the ears of the remaining crowd: "Old Master Shi, the wind is strong. It's time to return home."