My Sims of the Eastern Jin Dynasty

Three days later, at the Court of Justice.

When the clerks of the Court of Justice opened the door, they noticed something unusual: a line of oxcarts had already formed outside. Only then did the clerks call for their supervisor, Wang Ya.

At the head of the procession was Wang Xun of Langya. He was not dressed in his imposing official robes, but in a simple sky-blue casual robe with wide sleeves and a broad belt. When he alighted from the carriage, he appeared indifferent, only giving a slight nod to Wang Ya, the Minister of Justice who came to greet him. Behind him followed several young and handsome members of the Wang clan, all of them elegant and refined. They silently followed him into the hall. Wang Ya dared not be negligent and personally led them to the front row, and then hurriedly ordered his subordinates to add more seats.

Almost simultaneously, Yuan Zhi of the Yuan family of Chen Commandery and Xun Yi of the Xun family of Yingchuan arrived together. Without waiting for Wang Ya to greet them, the two went directly into the courtyard. Both were dressed in the everyday clothes of scholars, as if they were just there to attend a refined gathering. They exchanged simple greetings with Wang Xun, found seats at random, and calmly scanned the still empty hall without saying much to each other.

However, this is just the beginning.

Wang Yu, Wang Chen, Wang Gong, and others from the Wang clan of Taiyuan, Xi Hui from the Xi clan of Gaoping, the maternal relatives of the Mao clan, and Yu Kai from the Yu clan of Yingchuan all arrived in turn.

Then, as if by prior arrangement, dozens of young men from the Gu, Lu, Zhu, and Zhang families of Wu County suddenly appeared.

They may not all hold prominent official positions, but their surnames themselves are the heavy foundation of Jiangdong. The young men followed quietly behind their elders, their eyes filled with curiosity, crowding the corridor outside the hall.

Wang Ya's head was spinning; no matter how big the main hall was, it couldn't accommodate so many people watching the proceedings.

He had no choice but to bite the bullet and whisper to several respected elders who were already present.

It was finally agreed that only those who held positions in the capital city could sit in the main hall.

The other young men and those of lower rank could only sit on mats in the corridor outside the hall to listen to the proceedings. Even so, the mats added to the main hall were so numerous that there was almost no place to step, and the once quiet courtroom had become somewhat noisy like a court assembly.

Just then, a noise came from outside the hall that made everyone hold their breath.

Xie An has arrived.

Contrary to expectations, he was not surrounded by a large entourage. Instead, he approached slowly and leisurely with only a few core members of the Xie family, including Xie Xuan, Xie Shi, and Xie Yan.

Wherever he went, whether inside or outside the hall, almost everyone stood up to greet him.

Xie An remained calm, nodding in return to each greeting. His gaze swept across the packed main hall, and a hint of satisfaction flashed in his eyes, especially when he saw Wang Xun, Yuan Zhi, and others.

Wang Ya hurriedly stepped forward, intending to lead Xie An to the chief seat specially reserved next to the presiding judge in the center.

Xie An waved his hand slightly and walked straight to the front of the row of seats on the left, where he sat down calmly.

This move sparked a murmur of discussion in the hall. What was the deeper meaning behind Xie Gong's actions?

Wang Ya was filled with anxiety and at a loss, wondering how to adjust the seating arrangement.

Langya Prince Sima Daozi arrived late, surrounded by Wang Guobao, Zhao Ya, and a host of officials from his palace.

As soon as he entered, he was startled by the crowd filling the hall and corridors, and his noble expression almost disappeared. Then, his gaze swept over Xie An, who sat calmly on the left, and noticed that Xie An did not occupy the main seat. Sima Daozi's eyes flickered, and he abandoned the central seat, raised his head and walked to the head seat on the right, and sat down with a flick of his robe.

As a result, the central seat and the seats beside it were left empty, leaving only the Court of Justice Wang Ya sitting alone behind the central desk, looking abrupt and awkward. Xie An and Sima Daozi, on the left and right respectively, stood in opposition, an invisible pressure permeating the hall.

Looking at the hall filled with dignitaries and officials, Wang Ya knew that the interrogation had already taken a turn for the worse. He took a deep breath, barely managing to calm himself, and first bowed to Xie An on his left and Sima Daozi on his right. Seeing that neither of them made any gesture, he stopped waiting.

"Silence! Today, the Court of Justice, by imperial decree, together with the Registrar of the Imperial Secretariat and the Prince of Langya, is investigating the case of Xiao Heng, the Supervisor of the Northern Army and Prefect of Donghai, who is suspected of abusing his power, colluding with the Di and Qin, and causing a disturbance on the riverbank. We are bringing in—the criminals Xiao Heng and his accomplices!"

"Bring—the criminal Xiao Heng and his gang!"

The reputation of the clerks spread far and wide.

A moment later, the side gate of the courtyard opened, and a sound mixed with light metallic clanging came out, which was out of place with the tranquility of the courtyard.

Han Yong, Chen Da, Liu Dan, Lu Da, and more than ten other soldiers were led by the clerk into this grand scene they had never seen before.

As soon as they entered, countless eyes turned to them, making these men, who could face swords and arrows on the battlefield without flinching, feel an indescribable pressure.

Han Yong subconsciously straightened his back, his eyes sweeping over the room full of tall, high-ranking officials, his cheeks clenched tightly.

Chen Da stared wide-eyed at the high-ranking officials and nobles so close at hand, his breathing becoming heavy, unsure of what to do with his hands. Liu Dan remained silent, while Lu Da was even more embarrassed, his face pale, barely daring to look up, staring intently at his worn-out shoes.

A few sneers and disdainful sounds rang out from outside the hall. Many young noblemen covered their mouths and noses with fans or the corners of their sleeves, exchanging glances as if they were facing a group of wild beasts that had broken into the hall, especially their smell, which made them feel disgusted.

However, this is not the case for everyone.

Xi Hui's gaze was fixed on Han Yong and the others, especially on their barely concealed battlefield ferocity. His expression was calm, but a complex understanding flickered deep in his eyes. The last defeat was too swift, and that humiliation made him understand better than anyone that these despised, uncouth men were the ones who had truly used their flesh and blood to stop the Hu cavalry from advancing south in Jiangbei. His hands, resting on his knees, clenched slightly.

Sima Daozi made no attempt to hide his disgust. He leaned back slightly in his chair, gently dabbed his nose with a clean white silk handkerchief, his brows furrowed, and turned to Wang Guobao beside him, whispering, "Utterly vulgar. How can such a person be allowed in such a refined place? What kind of decorum is this?"

Just then, a series of slightly hurried footsteps came from outside the hall.

"Oh dear, I rushed here, but I'm not late, am I?"

Everyone looked in the direction of the sound and saw Prince Qiao, Sima Tian, ​​walking in with great strides, accompanied only by two old servants. He no longer seemed to be on the verge of death. He was of high seniority and was one of the few members of the imperial clan who knew about military affairs.

Upon entering, his gaze naturally fell upon the conspicuous group of martial artists below the hall. His eyes were similar to Xi Hui's, and he even gave a slight nod to Han Yong and the others who were standing tensely upright. This subtle movement eased Han Yong's tense muscles and made many disdainful gazes in the hall pause for a moment.

"The Prince of Qiao has arrived!"

Wang Ya quickly stood up, and everyone in the hall, except for Sima Daozi, including Xie An, left their seats to prepare to pay their respects.

"Alright, alright, I just came to listen. Sit down, everyone, don't delay our business!"

Sima Tian waved his hand and walked straight to Xi Hui. Xi Hui had already taken a step forward and respectfully took his arm, saying in a low voice.

"If Your Highness does not mind, please take a seat here."

Sima Tian did not refuse, patted Xi Hui's hand, and sat down in Xi Hui's original seat as if it were the most natural thing in the world.

Xi Hui quietly stepped aside and stood in attendance. This made Sima Daozi, who was about to exchange pleasantries, freeze. He swallowed back the words he was about to say and looked at the old general of the imperial clan with more gloom and impatience.

After the brief incident, Wang Ya sat down again and cleared her throat.

"Bring—the criminal Xiao Heng—to the court!"

This time, all eyes, including those of Sima Tian who had just settled down, were drawn to the side door.

A moment later, Xiao Heng slowly walked in.

He wasn't wearing prison clothes, but rather a set of Northern Army standard leather armor, belted at the waist, his hair neatly tied back. Although his hands and feet were lightly shackled, he could move freely. The jailers followed behind him, showing no intention of roughly driving him away.

Upon entering the hall, his gaze first met that of Han Yong, Chen Da, and the others. Seeing that his subordinates, though nervous, were all standing there unharmed, he felt a sense of satisfaction and nodded slightly to them. Han Yong and the others, seeing this, finally felt much relieved, and Chen Da even couldn't help but grin.

Immediately, Xiao Heng's gaze swept quickly across the hall, as if searching for something.

Soon, he saw Xu Xianzhi and Zhou Laosi in the seats to the side behind Zhang Xuanzhi. The two were also looking at him. Their eyes met. Xu Xianzhi's eyes were filled with excitement and concern, while Zhou Laosi gave a calm nod.

Seeing that they were all seated safely, Xiao Heng seemed completely relieved. He withdrew his gaze, his face returned to calm, and he walked forward unhurriedly until he stopped in the center of the hall, slightly ahead of Han Yong and the others.

At this moment, all eyes in the room were finally able to carefully examine this young general who had become famous in the Jianghuai region over the past few months, and who had also stirred up the political winds in Jiankang.

Many people were seeing Master Xiao Heng for the first time; he was so young.

This was the first thought for most people. Although his face showed signs of hardship, the clear outline of a young man could still be seen. His eyes even had a hint of clarity. If it weren't for his military uniform and leather armor and the light shackles on his wrists, people might believe that he was a scholar from a noble family.

This image is quite different from the legendary general in popular folklore who broke through the Xianbei navy amidst the raging waves of the East China Sea, led his elite troops to seize the city of Huaiyin in the dead of night, and thundered the drums on the banks of the Guabu River.

A soft murmur spread among the young students below.

"Is this the person?"

"Judging by his frail appearance, how could he be the kind of person who could slay generals and seize flags?"

"It's probably just a rumor..."

Even Wang Ya, who was in charge of the case, unconsciously softened her stern tone when she looked at the excessively young criminal below.

He subconsciously glanced again at the descriptions of the battle achievements in the case file, and then compared them with the calm and scholarly face in front of him, feeling somewhat dazed.

Sima Daozi frowned even more. He had expected to see an unruly, bearded warrior, but instead, he was like this. This only made him more displeased, feeling that the stark contrast between this man's appearance and behavior suggested a deep and cunning mind, making him more dangerous than a simple brute.

Xie An, seated at the head of the left, still kept his eyes slightly lowered, seemingly lost in thought, completely ignoring the central figure who was the focus of attention below.

Many astute individuals in the hall, such as Wang Xun and Yuan Zhi, couldn't help but subtly shift their gazes between Xiao Heng and Xie Xuan, sensing the subtle similarities between them.

A knowing glint flashed in Wang Xun's eyes as he thought to himself.

"No wonder Xie Youdu favors this boy and goes to great lengths to protect him; he clearly sees a second version of himself in him!"

Sima Tian narrowed his eyes as well; he judged people more by intuition. Xiao Heng didn't possess the outward aura of menace that Han Yong had, but the calm and composure that emanated from him made him seem more reliable.

"That's interesting!"

The old prince stroked his beard and muttered to himself.

"The Xie family lad has a good eye."

Han Yong, Chen Da, and the others below the hall were even more smug. They straightened their backs, trying their best not to embarrass Xiao Heng with their nervousness. Looking at the various expressions on everyone's faces, Han Yong sneered inwardly. You didn't expect this, did you? A bunch of country bumpkins.

Xiao Heng seemed oblivious to the gazes coming from all directions. He was quite satisfied with his performance on the simulator. He slowly raised his eyes and calmly met Wang Ya's gaze behind the main desk, waiting for the questioning to begin.

His composure and confidence beyond his years formed a strange contrast with the undercurrents in the room, causing many to abandon their initial contempt and begin to re-evaluate this young criminal.