19 Chapter 019

◎One Hundred People Submit Petition (Part 1)◎

At the beginning of the Chen period, the sky was bright.

Xie Mingzhuo was doing morning prayers in Wenhua Hall. The window was half open and the cool wind blew in without mercy, making him feel bone-chilled.

"Your Highness, the Emperor has requested that you visit the Palace of Heavenly Purity." Feng Caiyu entered, holding a fiery red cloak. "Eunuch Wu is waiting outside."

Xie Mingzhuo stood up and asked, "Wu Shanqing came in person?"

"Eunuch Wu said that things cannot be delayed." Feng Caiyu tied the cloak on her and followed her.

Outside the hall, Wu Shanqing held his whisk and bowed respectfully, speaking a little faster than usual: "Your Highness, please."

"What happened?" Xie Mingzhuo strode forward.

Wu Shanqing sighed softly, "A captain from the Imperial Guards has come to report that someone died in the Zhang residence last night. It was Zhang Gao's personal servant. Zhang Gao seems upset and insists on seeing the emperor."

"How did he die?"

"The initial conclusion is that he ate something unclean."

Xie Mingzhuo quickened his pace: "What is it?"

"It should be meat pancakes."

"Where did it come from?"

"I don't know."

"Where's my second brother?"

"His Royal Highness Prince Jin left the palace before dawn."

Today is the third day of April. The government office opens the court for lawsuits on the third, sixth, and ninth days of the lunar calendar. The days of opening the court for lawsuits are the days when people's lawsuits are accepted. Xie Mingshuo left the palace early in the morning probably because of the joint lawsuit filed by the victims against the Zhang family.

Xie Mingzhuo sorted out the thoughts in his mind and had some guesses about the cause of death of the servant in Zhang's mansion. When he arrived at the Palace of Heavenly Purity, the Captain of the Imperial Guards was still waiting inside the palace.

"Rong An is here." Xie Changfeng waved his hand, "Sit next to me."

Xie Mingzhuo sat down and asked, "Where are my mother and my eldest brother?"

"I went to the Armory."

The two men were already interested in research, and now they were concentrating on improving weapons and equipment. Whenever they had time, they would go to the Armament Bureau. The Armament Bureau had also changed its former decadent style and had become their personal laboratory.

Xie Mingzhuo nodded in understanding and his gaze fell on the captain of the Yulin Guard.

The Yulin Guard is the imperial guard, and the selection standards are the highest among all officers. Each of them is highly skilled in martial arts and possesses unique skills.

With just one look, she knew that the opponent's lower body was extremely stable and his boxing and kicking skills were impressive, worthy of being a thousand households.

"Why does Zhang Gao want to see the emperor?"

"Princess, I have asked him many times but he has not spoken, only saying that he needs to see His Majesty. I dare not make a decision on my own, so I have come to ask for His Majesty's instructions."

"Have you found out the origin of the meat pancakes?"

"I am incompetent and have not yet investigated the matter."

The servant of Zhang Mansion secretly went to Prince An's Mansion last night. Only the Jinyiwei knew about this. The Yulinwei has been kept in the dark until now and I don't know if the situation is excusable.

If the meat pancakes really came from Prince An's Mansion, then Prince An's Mansion's intention was nothing more than to silence the witnesses.

They would not take a servant seriously. In fact, they wanted to kill Zhang Gao, but the meat pancake was accidentally eaten by the servant.

Zhang Gao must have known this too, which was why he was anxious to see the emperor and fight for his last chance of survival.

If we infer this, Zhang Gao must have some leverage over Prince An's Mansion. He sent the servant to Prince An's Mansion in order to use this leverage to threaten him to rescue him.

But it is really risky for Prince An's Mansion to take this move. The probability of Zhang Gao eating the meat pancake or not is 50-50. Aren't they afraid that Zhang Gao will be desperate and angry and commit suicide?

Xie Mingzhuo thought for a moment and said, "Wait until nightfall and bring him before the emperor. Make sure his safety is guaranteed."

There were so many people here and so many eyes, she didn't give any detailed explanation.

The captain of the Imperial Guards withdrew respectfully.

"Father, I still have homework to do, so I'll take my leave now."

Xie Mingzhuo left the Qianqing Palace and returned to the Wenhua Palace. Soon after, he called Jiang Qing to give her secret instructions.

Jiang Qing received the order and left quietly.

At the same time, outside the Daxing County government office in the capital, nearly a hundred people blocked the door with petitions held high. The huge movement attracted many curious onlookers.

County Magistrate Song Li never imagined that the fire of the Zhang family would burn him.

After receiving the report from the yamen runner, he hurriedly put on his official uniform and hat and rushed to the second hall.

The county magistrate, the chief clerk and the registrar were all waiting here.

When handling lawsuits from the people on weekdays, there is no need to alarm the chief official, assistant officials and head officials of the entire county government. For cases such as fights, thefts, and robberies, it is enough for the prefect to step in.

But today, nearly a hundred people jointly filed a lawsuit against the Zhang family, so the county government had to be cautious.

Most of the Zhang clan members did not enter officialdom and were commoners, so the county government could still handle their cases. However, the ranks of some clan members were beyond the jurisdiction of the small county government.

"What's going on?" Song Li was sweating profusely. "Didn't His Majesty order the three judicial departments and the Imperial Guard to jointly investigate the case tomorrow? Why are these people bringing their case here?"

The county magistrate and his men all shook their heads; they were still confused.

The Dianshi said cautiously, "This case involves the Zhang family. After all, it belongs to the Duke's Mansion. Why not report it to Shuntian Prefecture for transfer and trial?"

As for how Shuntian Prefecture deals with this hot potato, they have no control and don't want to care.

Song Li punched his palm: "Quickly call someone!"

The teahouse closest to the county government office is tall and imposing, and is crowded with guests.

Xie Mingshuo sat by the window in a private room on the second floor. From his angle, he could see the gate of the county government office.

A group of yamen runners were guarding the gate tightly, fearing that the angry and excited victims would break through the threshold of the county government office and rush into the court.

"Your Highness, County Magistrate Song has sent people to the Shuntian government office." Jinyiwei commander Yang Yunkai reported the news in a timely manner.

Xie Mingshuo nodded: "Have you arranged all the actors?"

Yang Yunkai: "...It's settled."

He was truly amazed today. His Royal Highness the Prince of Jin actually used the actors in his palace to mingle among the victims and the crowd, gave them specific scripts, asked them to perform according to the choreography, and called them actors with a strange but appropriate word.

Outside the county government gate, the bailiffs were holding batons and trying their best to stop the crowd.

Suddenly, someone among the victims shouted at the top of his lungs, "Why hasn't the Magistrate come to court yet? Are you afraid of Zhang? You officials only protect yourselves and don't leave us ordinary people a way out!"

This statement resonated with many victims, who questioned and condemned him one after another, wishing they could rush to the court and grab Song Li by the collar to get to the bottom of things.

Seeing how hard he was working, another "actor" feared he would steal the show, so he threw himself on the stick and cried bitterly: "My poor child, you died tragically! That beast surnamed Zhang is not a human being. He killed my son. I beg the magistrate to help me!"

His shout was particularly desolate, his voice was so high and clear that it could be heard in the teahouse. Even Xie Mingshuo, who knew the inside story, couldn't help but nod in appreciation.

"As expected of an opera singer."

The atmosphere was stirred up, and the onlookers felt sympathy and indignation when they heard about their experiences from them.

There were also actors among the onlookers. They also wanted to show their faces in front of His Royal Highness the Prince of Jin, and they immediately became very alert.

A man, quick-witted and swift-handed, grabbed the yamen runner who was trying to squeeze out of the crowd and shouted, "Where are you sneaking off to?! Are you going to report something?"

Without thinking, everyone was misled by his words and attacked him together.

"He must be going to the Zhang family to report the news!"

"Oh my God, he's using the power of the Duke's Mansion to bully others again!"

"Master Magistrate, stop being a coward and come to court!"

Apart from a few actors, no one really dared to stop the yamen runners, but the presence of the actors was enough.

The other victims are the real victims. They have finally got a chance to seek justice. How could they let it go easily?

Except for the couple that Xie Mingshuo had met, the others did not know that Prince Jin and the Embroidered Uniform Guards were behind this matter, but they understood one thing: taking advantage of someone's illness to kill them.

The Duke has been imprisoned, and the emperor has ordered the Embroidered Uniform Guard and the Censorate to thoroughly investigate Zhang Xiaofu. The couple, who were both victims last night, decided to seize this opportunity and ask them if they are willing to make a big deal out of the matter.

Of course!

And the bigger the fuss, the better. It would be best if it were brought before the emperor, so that he could see the true face of the Zhang family and make sure that the Zhang family would never have a chance to turn things around!

At this critical juncture, any obstacle that prevents them from seeking justice will become a thorn in their eyes and a thorn in their flesh.

If looks could kill, the arrested bailiff would have been tortured to death hundreds or thousands of times.

Under the public outrage, the county government soon could not withstand the pressure.

The county magistrate suggested, "Why not try the case of the Zhang family's commoner first, appease the victim, and then find an opportunity to report it?"

The Zhang family is very prosperous, and there are countless members who have not entered the officialdom. However, even if they are commoners, they feel superior to others just because they have the surname Zhang. They feel no guilt after causing bad consequences, and instead use their power to oppress others.

Song Li could only nod: "Okay."

The county government accepts complaints on the 3rd, 6th and 9th of each month, but it is generally impossible for cases to be accepted and tried on the same day.

For example, a lawsuit accepted on the third day of the Lunar New Year will not be tried until the thirteenth or twenty-third day.

Moreover, most cases would not be brought to court with much fanfare. At most, the Dianshi or the head of the third shift would come forward to make judgments and mediate.

Today, special matters were handled specially. The yamen received more than a hundred complaints at once. The clerks quickly classified them and selected the cases that fell within the jurisdiction of the Daxing County Yamen and submitted them to Song Li.

More and more people got the news and flocked to the Daxing County government office to watch the excitement, and the entrance of the county office was packed with people.

The North City Military Department had to dispatch personnel to maintain order.

The first victim who came to court called himself Huang Eryi. He was originally a local rich man in Daxing County. He owned hundreds of acres of fertile land and dozens of shops. He lived a very comfortable life.

Unexpectedly, misfortune struck. A member of the Zhang clan took advantage of his power and seized his land, houses and shops, so that he is now poor and destitute. His old father fell ill and passed away a few years ago because he had no money to treat him. His old mother cried so much that she went blind and is bedridden.

The old man in his fifties burst into tears in the court. When he spoke of the emotional parts, he choked up several times, and the eyes of the onlookers were red.

"It's so pitiful."

"The Zhang guy is really despicable!"

Xie Mingshuo stood outside the crowd and asked a few literate actors around him, "Did you write everything down?"

The actors nodded.

The prince told them to learn to be a reporter. They didn't know what a "reporter" was, but they just had to obey orders.

But isn’t recording cases the job of clerks?

Song Li sighed inwardly and asked solemnly, "Who is the person you want to sue? What's his name and where does he live now?"

"Your Excellency, his name is Zhang Biao and he lives in Baofang Hutong, Mingzhaofang."

Song Li ordered the yamen runner, "Go and summon the person."

It takes time to pass on the throne, so the first victim temporarily stepped aside to rest, and Song Lixuan took over as the second victim.

This person also had his land and house forcibly occupied. The circumstances of the case were different, but the outcome was similar.

Song Li is also a smart person. The cases he chooses are all related to property and do not involve human life.

There were dozens of cases of illegal occupation of land and houses alone, and he couldn't even finish trying them in half a month, which was enough time to delay.

The news that a hundred people jointly filed a lawsuit against the Zhang family was so explosive that it spread rapidly among the various markets. In just half a day, it spread throughout the capital, and government offices were no exception.

After lunch in the Hanlin Academy, Song You was stopped by his colleagues.

"Editor Song, when you left the mansion this morning, did you see a hundred people filing a complaint outside the county government office?"

Because of the abduction of Princess Rong'an, Song You now lives alone in the Hanlin Academy, and rarely interacts with others except for necessary exchanges on official business.

The news spread throughout the Hanlin Academy, but no one informed him and he was unaware of it.

"What does 'one hundred people file a petition'?"

"You don't know?" the colleague exclaimed in surprise. "Hundreds of victims have come to the Daxing County government office to complain about their grievances, jointly suing the Zhang family. Your father has already been in court for quite some time."

Song You: “…”

After Zhang Xiaofu was imprisoned, his father reminded him at home not to get involved in this matter. Unexpectedly, the matter came to his father first. I wonder how his father feels now.

If the Zhang family really did so many evil things, then the Duke's Mansion deserves the fate it has today.

The colleague continued, "The news has reached Shuntian Prefecture, but Shuntian Prefecture has remained silent. Your father is the only one who has to handle this."

Song You said indifferently, "The country has its own laws. Cases that the county government cannot handle will always be transferred to higher levels."

"You don't understand the current situation. The streets, teahouses, and shops surrounding the county government office are packed with people, all watching the excitement. Your father is being roasted on the fire. We have to do something about it, even if we can't."

He was right. In order to avoid being criticized, County Magistrate Song sat from morning to night without eating a single bite of food. He only drank a few sips of water and went to the toilet.

Looking at the huge crowds outside the yamen, he thought to himself that he hoped the court would give him an excellent grade in the annual evaluation because of his diligence.

The victims came prepared, with witnesses and evidence in hand. No matter how the defendant argued, the case was clear and undisputed.

Song Li had been pushed to this point and could not ignore the national laws and public opinion. He had to sentence Zhang Biao and others in court according to the law.

Since no human life is involved, those with serious circumstances may be sentenced to exile at most, while those with less serious circumstances may be sentenced to a few years in prison to atone for their sins.

It seems ordinary, but these people all have the surname Zhang!

They were used to showing off their power in daily life, and when they were accused of a crime, they did not react at all. Some of them were even still immersed in the former glory of the Zhang family, shouting "How dare we" in the court.

After a few beatings, he immediately became obedient.

The onlookers cheered loudly.

As night fell, the gate of the county government office was finally closed and the people left reluctantly.

Song Li returned to the inner house and slumped down on a wide chair, gasping for breath from exhaustion.

A pair of small hands held a teacup and passed it to her. The little girl's pigtails swayed in front of her eyes. She opened her bright eyes and said childishly, "Daddy, have some tea."

The old father's tired heart instantly perked up, and he took it with a smile: "My darling, you are so considerate, unlike that bastard who has a sour face all day long..."

Before he could finish his words, a certain bastard walked into the house, glanced at him, said nothing, and went straight to the study.

"Stop!" County Magistrate Song had been interrogating the Zhang family for a whole day and his voice was sore.

He tried to act like a father but failed and ended up making a fool of himself.

Song Ying laughed out loud without any hesitation.

Song Li: “…”

Forget it, as long as my daughter is happy.

Song You stopped and looked back at him.

"Don't you know how to say hello when you come back?"

Song You saluted expressionlessly: "Greetings, father."

"What are you in such a hurry to do?" Song Li took a sip of warm tea and calmed down a little. "You are on duty in the Hanlin Academy and are the emperor's close attendant. You should be careful about what you say and do, and change your bad temper..."

Song You interrupted him: "I see, my son is going to the study first."

"Come back here!" Song Li slammed the armrest in anger. "What important things could a freelance editor have? Come and sit down. I have something to ask you. Yingniang, go play by yourself first."

Song Ying responded and left the room. Before leaving, she winked at Song You mischievously. Song You smiled at her, then restrained his expression and sat down below Song Li.

"Come here." Song Li waved his hand.

Song You moved reluctantly.

"I ask you, have you heard anything?"

"No."

"You know what I'm asking?"

"have no idea."

"Then you said no?" Song Li's eyes widened. "Are you deliberately trying to piss me off?"

Song You sighed silently and said, "If you have any instructions, please tell me directly. I really have something important to tell you."

"What's the matter with you?"

“…” Song You got up and left.

Song Li was anxious and asked directly, "What exactly is the emperor thinking about the chapter?"

He showed no mercy when interrogating the Zhang family members today, fearing that he would be in trouble if the Zhang family gained power again.

Song You was surprised: "I'm just an editor."

"Is there nothing coming out of the palace?"

"No."

"Alas, I'm so upset and panicked." Song Li couldn't help but mutter, "If only you were still in the princess's mansion."

Song You: “…”

He took a deep breath and said, "No matter what the emperor's intentions are, as long as you handle the case according to the law, even if the emperor lets it go, it will not bring disaster to you."

If Duke Jingguo had any common sense, he would not suppress a diligent county magistrate. He would even praise him in the court to show his broad mind.

Song Li understood this principle very well, but the means of secretly creating obstacles in the officialdom were endless, and examples of open praise and concealed criticism were common.

Even if Duke Jingguo does not take action, there are still many people willing to serve him. If the higher-ups just hold back on his ratings, he will have no hope of promotion.

"Brother You, I'm not willing to accept this."

Song You stood with his hands behind his back, looking down at him: "There is another way."

"Hurry up and tell me."

Song You leaned forward slightly, staring closely at the other person's expression, and said, "I bet the emperor wants to uproot it, but the fire is not burning hard enough now. He can't take the initiative to say it, nor can he take the initiative to do it, for fear of chilling the hearts of meritorious officials. You can be the one who adds fuel to the fire. The bigger the fire burns, the more likely you are to win the emperor's attention."

"You..." County Magistrate Song suddenly realized and said in shock, "Is this the important matter you mentioned? No! We can't be the first to speak out!"

Song You slowly shook his head: "If you don't stand out, you will never stand out."

Although he was the new third place in the imperial examination, he had neither a strong family background nor any talent that could absolutely crush others. He was also ridiculed for being forcibly taken into the palace by the princess. It could be said that his official career was doomed.

If he doesn't find another way, he will be mediocre all his life.

His father was unwilling to accept it, and neither was he.

If you want to climb up the ladder, besides making connections, there is another shortcut, which is to catch the emperor's eye.

This is a big gamble. If you lose, your family will be destroyed; if you win, you will rise to the top.

Song You has been studying hard until now, and he doesn't want to be an ordinary person at all. This opportunity is rare, and he must take a gamble.

Anyway, in the eyes of the world, he has been labeled as the "princess's lover", and no one in the Hanlin Academy is willing to make close friends with him. It is better for him to give up and be a lone minister who does not form cliques with others for personal gain.

The Duke's Mansion is on the verge of collapse. Whether it's the army beating the drum to report the incident or a hundred people signing a joint lawsuit, there must be someone behind it.

Even if the person behind this is not the emperor, he is closely related to the royal family.

He trusts his own judgment.

County Magistrate Song was so shocked by his resolute look that he quickly grabbed his sleeve and said with difficulty, "Are you really going to do this?"

"yes."

"What if, what if..."

“No ifs.”

County Magistrate Song sighed and reluctantly let go.

The editors of the Hanlin Academy are not officials of the Ministry of Rites and do not have the power of impeachment, but the inability to impeach does not mean that they cannot express their opinions.

With just one article criticizing the Zhang family, or one memorial denouncing the Zhang family, he could completely stand against the Jingguo Mansion.

Of course, there is also a chance to capture the Sacred Heart.

There were many court officials who could think of this, but only a handful of them dared to take the risk.

At the mansion of Duke Jingguo, before Zhang Gao could recover from the death of his servant, he was secretly taken to a room by the Imperial Guards. He was dressed in heavy armor and a helmet, and his appearance was completely changed.

His mind was rarely clear, and he asked, "Are you taking me to see the emperor?"

The captain of the Imperial Guards didn't reply, but simply said, "Follow me closely and don't make a sound. I'm warning you, don't try any tricks, or you'll die without even knowing how."

"I understand." When it came to his life, Zhang Gao was still quite obedient. The death of the servant frightened him so much that he didn't dare to question it at all.

As the night fell, a group of Yulin Guards escorted a young man in gorgeous clothes out of a side door. After putting the man into a carriage, they dispersed around the carriage to provide guards.

After the curfew at night, the streets were deserted and the only sounds were the rumbling of wheels and the clatter of horses' hooves.

Just as the team drove out of Chengqingfang and turned towards Dong'anmen, a sharp arrow suddenly pierced the night sky and went straight into the curtains of the car wall, determined to kill them with one shot!

With just one scream, the Yulin Guards were in chaos. Some hurriedly got on the car to investigate, some chased after the killer in a panic, and some ran to the palace to report the news in panic.

Zhang Gao was lazy and was dragged by several Yulin guards. He pretended to be going to the palace to report the news and entered the palace smoothly.

As soon as he stepped into the palace wall, he was escorted to the Qianqing Palace by the left and right Yulin Guards.

After experiencing his father's imprisonment and the tragic death of his servant, Zhang Gao consciously restrained his former arrogance.

The closer he got to the Palace of Heavenly Purity, the heavier his legs became.

He didn't know whether this was the right path to take, but if he didn't take it, he would just wait to die.

After walking through the long and quiet Tianjie, passing the majestic Qianqing Gate, and kneeling in front of the Qianqing Palace waiting to be summoned, Zhang Gao finally understood that his family background, which he once took pride in, was not worth mentioning in the face of the supreme imperial power.

"Zhang Gao, come in."

The eunuch's shrill voice pierced his eardrums, and he shuddered suddenly. Then he bent down and lowered his head, following the eunuch into the main room.

This was not his first time here. Last time, his biological father and Prince An were standing in his way, and he still had a glimmer of hope, thinking that his biological father and Prince An could handle anything.

He knelt down and kowtowed respectfully: "Your humble servant Zhang Gao pays homage to the emperor, may he live long and long."

Xie Changfeng was dragged to work overtime after dinner. Before he had time to digest his food, his stomach was bloated and he had to keep his back straight while sitting on the chair. It was so difficult.

"What do you want to see me for?"

"Your Majesty, I would like to ask for mercy," Zhang Gao said bravely, "I beg Your Majesty to give me a chance to atone for my sins."

Xie Changfeng glanced at the person beside him and saw Xie Mingzhuo sitting calmly and nodded.

He then said, "Tell me about it."

Zhang Gao knelt on the ground, his hands clenched into fists, his voice muffled by the floor, as if he had made a certain decision at this moment.

【Author’s words】

Turn down, there is more~