Chapter 110: Court Hearing Opens Today, All for the Savior's Justice...

Under Shen Yujiao's deliberate arrangement, the gate of the Jingzhao Prefecture was already crowded with people. Zhu Yu had to have the Eastern Palace guards clear a path for the two of them to get to the gate of the government office.

Most officials in the Jingzhao Prefecture government office were on holiday today. The clerk on duty was so frightened by the situation that he didn't know what to do. He paced anxiously around the gate several times until he finally saw the messenger he had sent to deliver the message return. He quickly pulled the man behind the door and whispered, "Where is the Prefect?"

"When I arrived, Lord Yang was still on the boat. I had no choice but to rent a small boat to get there, but there were just too many people on the boat. When I found Lord Yang, he was already... However, the message you asked me to deliver has already reached Lord Qian."

"You, you, you—"

The minor official was so angry that he couldn't speak. The "Young Master Qian" he mentioned was the only son of the Prefectural Magistrate, Master Qian. Thanks to his father's connections, he was now working as a jailer in the prison, just getting by.

Lord Qian was quite capable, having risen through the ranks to become the Prefect of Jingzhao Prefecture. But this young Lord Qian was different. He spent his days flattering the Prefect of Jingzhao Prefecture, offering him treasures and beautiful women from time to time. At first, Lord Yang disdained his petty tricks, but now, for some reason, he often went out with young Lord Qian. Today, the two of them went on a pleasure boat trip.

"You blockhead! Telling Master Qian is the same as not telling him at all! You can't even handle something this simple, I...I..."

The clerk was so angry that he slapped the constable a few times. Seeing that he was still standing there, he was furious: "What are you waiting for? Hurry up and go! This time you must convey to Lord Yang that something big has happened and that the Crown Prince has been alarmed today!"

The constable was still somewhat dazed after being hit, but upon hearing the words "Eastern Palace," he reflexively prepared to run out.

Seeing his simple-minded appearance, the clerk reached out and grabbed the man's collar: "Alright, alright, send a message to Lord Yang and I'll find someone more clever. You go to the Imperial Prison now. Lord Qian went to the Imperial Prison to handle a case today. Tell him to return to the Jingzhao Prefecture immediately."

"Okay, okay, okay."

The clerk was annoyed by the boy's silly appearance, but it was a day off, and if it weren't for the fact that it was lunch break and only the two of them were at the yamen, he wouldn't have sent the silly boy to deliver the message. After seeing the silly boy off, the clerk called over a reliable person and gave him some detailed instructions before returning to the door.

He had only been gone for the time it takes to drink a cup of tea when he came out again. The entrance to the Jingzhao Yamen was already packed with people. The sheer number of people startled him. The person in the lead was a young man with an extraordinary bearing. He looked closely and was shocked – wasn't that Eunuch Zhu Yu, who served the Crown Prince?

In this summer capital, perhaps few people have seen the Crown Prince, but many have seen Zhu Yu. This eunuch has served two Crown Princes. Whenever the Crown Prince is unable to appear in person, he attends on his behalf. It is no exaggeration to say that this eunuch is the face of the Eastern Palace, as he personally escorts people here.

The clerk only glanced at him before quickly leaning against the door and taking a deep breath. He had just seen that one of the men was Wang Zhou, who was related to Lord Qian. No matter what the reason for escorting him here was, it must be related to Lord Qian. If he thought about it more carefully, then Lord Yang and Lord Qian could not be completely innocent either!

Realizing this, the minor official's heart pounded. He was a legitimate scholar who had passed the imperial examinations, but because he had no connections, he could only serve as a judge in the capital prefecture. His colleagues had been promoted and demoted several times, but no matter how well he performed, he couldn't get promoted. But today...

His hesitation vanished almost instantly. Fortune favors the bold, and today was the perfect time, place, and people. This was an opportunity given to him by Lord Yang and Lord Qian. After making up his mind, he quickly returned to the backyard to change into his official robes and waited quietly for the changes outside the closed gate.

Fortunately, he actually got what he was waiting for—

"Lord Zheng," Zhu Yu nodded slightly to the Vice Minister of the Court of Judicial Review who had rushed over, "Thank you for making this trip."

Zheng Jin had been an official for decades and naturally knew Zhu Yu. He dared not act arrogantly in front of Zhu Yu. After dismounting, he bowed respectfully to Zhu Yu and said, "Lord Zhu, you flatter me. I heard that this is an important criminal case in the countryside, so I dare not delay."

Hearing the pleasantries outside the door, the clerk inside, whose heart had been pounding wildly, calmed down. He had been afraid that if it had been Lord Yang or Lord Qian who arrived first, he would have been out of luck. But the person who came was actually the Vice Minister of the Court of Judicial Review...

After a moment's thought, he gestured to the bailiffs on both sides to open the door.

The tightly closed gates of the yamen were opened from the inside. Zhu Yu glanced at them coldly. Why did the gate have to be opened at the exact moment Zheng Jin arrived? His gaze fell on the person who came out to greet him.

"I am Qiao Shida, the Prefectural Judge of Jingzhao Prefecture. I pay my respects to Lord Zhu and Vice Minister Zheng."

Zhu Yu looked him up and down: "Lord Qiao, you've been in the yamen just now?"

"Reporting to Your Excellency, the Jingzhao Prefecture government office is closed today, during the lunch break. The yamen runner on duty sent me a message, and that's when I rushed here."

Qiao Shida replied calmly, and Zhu Yu was too lazy to argue with him. The Crown Princess was indeed trying to make a big fuss, so there was nothing wrong with him opening the door at this time. He waved his hand at the two of them: "These two have violated the laws of the country. They are not only unfilial and disrespectful to their elders, but they also tried to forcibly buy and sell military dependents. Her Highness the Crown Princess has learned of this matter and wants to personally handle the case. Since the officials from the Dali Temple and the Jingzhao Prefecture are here, let's prepare to receive her."

"yes!"

Zheng Jin and Qiao Shida bowed in response. Zhu Yu watched as yamen runners from the Jingzhao Prefecture came out and led the people inside. He then changed his expression and turned to the onlookers, saying, "Fellow villagers, as everyone knows, this campaign in the Northern Frontier is led personally by our Crown Prince. When His Highness was in the capital, he took great care of the Xia army soldiers. Now, the army has only been at war for half a month, and the families of the soldiers left in the capital have already been humiliated..."

"Today, the Crown Princess wishes to personally preside over this case and uphold justice for all military families. Later, the Jingzhao Prefecture government office will open its gates wide, and all citizens are welcome to come in and observe the trial."

His words sparked a lively discussion among the people. Seeing the indignation on their faces, Zhu Yu understood. He bowed to the onlookers and then followed Qiao Shida into the Jingzhao Prefecture government office.

The main hall of the Jingzhao Prefecture was silent. Qiao Shida had prepared chairs for Zheng Jin and Zhu Yu, but Zhu Yu refused to sit down, so the two of them had no choice but to stand behind him to respectfully welcome the imperial carriage.

Qiao Shida stood on the right, his eyes fixed on the ground. He wouldn't speak unless a yamen runner came to ask him about business. Zheng Jin, on the other hand, had been standing for a while and was getting restless. He whispered to Zhu Yu from behind, "Lord Zhu, how should we cooperate with His Highness today?"

Zhu Yu glanced at him out of the corner of his eye, and Zheng Jin immediately lowered his head. Zhu Yu said coldly, "Lord Zheng, what do you want to hear me say? Since you are the Vice Minister of the Court of Judicial Review, you should naturally handle cases impartially. You should not ask me what to do, but rather consult the Great Xia Law."

"Yes, it was my recklessness."

Zheng Jin was startled by Zhu Yu's words and broke out in a cold sweat. He had dealt with many eunuchs in the palace, but none of them were as ruthless as Zhu Yu. He looked up, wanting to say something more, but then he saw Qiao Shida standing there respectfully, nodding and not moving. He was stunned for a moment, then realized what was happening and said no more.

Shen Yujiao did not keep everyone waiting. She arrived in the most ordinary carriage of the Eastern Palace. After getting off the carriage, she went straight into the main hall of the Jingzhao Prefecture. Most of the onlookers were seeing the Crown Princess for the first time. Their eyes were filled with amazement. Without the Eastern Palace guards clearing the way, they spontaneously made way for her.

Upon seeing that the Crown Princess had indeed arrived in person, everyone in the hall hurriedly knelt down to greet her: "Your subject/commoner greets Your Highness the Crown Princess. May Your Highness be well."

"Please rise, everyone," Shen Yujiao said naturally as she took the seat of honor. "I have come here today to address a case that has moved all who hear it to tears. Because the victim in this case is a family member of a soldier from the Northern Frontier, I have decided to hold a public trial today."

While she was speaking, Zheng Jin and Qiao Shida walked to the side, unsure of what to do. Seeing this, Zhu Yu stepped forward and whispered a few words in Shen Yujiao's ear under the guise of bowing.

Shen Yujiao's gaze swept over the two of them before she said, "Since today's matter involves officials from the Jingzhao Prefecture, I will trouble Zheng Shaoqing to preside over the trial." She then turned to Qiao Shida and asked, "Lord Qiao, may I give the order?"

"Your humble servant obeys the decree."

Both men accepted the order. Zheng Jin sat respectfully in the presiding seat next to Shen Yujiao, while Qiao Shida sat in the first seat on the left side of the main hall, replacing the clerk who usually sat there to prepare to announce the order.

With everything prepared, Zheng Jin swallowed hard, trying to calm himself. He raised and lowered the gavel, announcing, "The aggrieved party has submitted his petition."

Qiao Shida nodded slightly, then sang loudly: "Bring the aggrieved party to the court—"

As soon as he finished speaking, sticks struck the ground, and the bailiffs shouted "Majesty!" in unison. In this solemn atmosphere, Madam Xu Zhao led her daughter Xu Wanzhen to the main hall.

"This humble woman, Xu Zhao, greets all esteemed officials."

Seeing that the Crown Princess's expression was normal, Zheng Jin nodded to Qiao Shida.

Seeing this, Qiao Shida understood and continued to cooperate with him: "Please rise, aggrieved party, and state your grievances."

Upon hearing the order to speak, Madam Xu nodded, but as soon as she tried to open her mouth, she found herself unable to utter a sound. In the Eastern Palace, she could clearly explain the ins and outs of the matter to the Crown Princess, but in this courtroom, she found it incredibly difficult to even speak.

How could she reopen her daughter's wounds in front of so many people?

Tears streamed down her face like beads from a broken string. Xu Zhao tried her best but couldn't utter a single word. Her hands, covered in needle marks, clutched her clothes tightly, and all that came out were endless sobs.

Seeing this, Zheng Jin and Qiao Shida looked at the Crown Princess. When she shook her head slightly, they gave up the idea of ​​urging her. No one in the hall spoke, and the people watching outside were also silent. Although they did not know what had happened, no one had the heart to disturb this mother.

"A woman surnamed Xu sues Xu Mingxing for being unfilial and disrespectful to his elders, trafficking people, and intentionally injuring people."

The girl's resounding words broke the silence. Everyone present listened as she suppressed her trembling voice and recounted Xu Mingxing and Wang Zhou's crimes one by one. She revealed her background to everyone, rolled up her sleeves to show everyone the bruises on her body, and looked into Shen Yujiao's eyes from beginning to end, speaking out for herself with tears in her eyes and determination.

"Therefore, I humbly beg Your Honor to punish him for all his crimes! It would be an injustice if Xu Mingxing were not imprisoned! I swear before Heaven and Earth that if even one word of my words is false, may I die a horrible death!"

Her last words were uttered in a low growl as she lay on the ground. Seeing her trembling body, Madam Xu could no longer hold back. She rushed forward, threw herself on her daughter, and embraced her tightly. Finally, she could no longer hold back and burst into tears.

However, after Xu Wanzhen finished speaking, there was a moment of silence in the room, followed by a burst of discontent from the crowd:

"That damned bastard! That young Miss Xu is Zhao's daughter! First she was the child he didn't want, and now she's pretending to be his biological father. Bah!"

"Xu Mingxing is truly a despicable person. Although it's inevitable for men to have some flaws, he's just too inhuman. If he had even a shred of conscience, he wouldn't have done such a thing!"

"What kind of father is it to give birth to a child and then not raise it? He's pushing his own daughter into a fire pit!"

"He doesn't even care about his own parents, how could he possibly care about this little Miss Xu who is neither a niece nor a daughter?"

"If you ask me, Wang Zhou is no better. Knowing the Xu family's situation, he still forced Xu Mingxing to marry his niece off. The two of them are birds of a feather!"

......

Seeing the scene descend into chaos, Zheng Jin slammed his gavel down again: "Bring in suspects Xu Mingxing and Wang Zhou."