Chapter 303: You are sick
Shen Yuexi coughed and cleared her throat, then looked at Hua Duoduo, who was kneeling in the middle of the tent with a dejected look on his face.
After much effort, Hua Duoduo was finally lowered from the flagpole. At least he was no longer suffering. The next step was how to rescue him from the eyes of Emperor Ming of Qi.
She stole a glance at Emperor Qi Ming and found that he was looking at Hua Duoduo with a look of disgust. She was afraid that Emperor Qi Ming would notice, so she didn't dare to look closely and quickly looked away.
Then she glanced at Xiao Beiheng, who had a serious expression on his face, sitting upright, and it was unclear what he was thinking.
Emperor Ming of Qi hated sorcerers who practiced supernatural powers and engaged in deceitful practices. Xiao Beiheng agreed to help her rescue Hua Duoduo, no doubt intending to conceal his belief in supernatural powers from Emperor Ming. After all, this would affect Emperor Ming of Qi's choice of crown prince.
What should I do now?
She found that she seemed to have more than one solution.
First, she could get Hua Duoduo to tell the truth and prove that it was indeed Xiao Beiheng who invited him. This was the simplest method, as it was already the truth. This would make Emperor Ming of Qi believe that Xiao Zhuo was more suitable to rule the country than Xiao Beiheng, who believed in ghosts and gods.
From a selfish point of view, this option is the best.
But if she thought about it carefully, while it might seem like a good thing for her, the risks were too great. First, she would be letting down Su Mo, who had helped her so much. Second, it would deepen the resentment between her and Xiao Beiheng. Third, if Hua Duoduo's conviction as a fraud was proven, she would at least face jail time, and she would be letting down Dr. Hua, who had helped her. It would be like sacrificing everyone for her own selfish interests.
Besides, Xiao Beiheng was raised by Emperor Ming of Qi himself. Perhaps Emperor Ming of Qi would not let this little thing affect his decision. If he did, it would be even more of a loss than gain.
The second way is to work with Xiao Beiheng to exonerate Hua Duoduo.
Xiao Beiheng had already promised her, and now he must be hoping Hua Duoduo disappears immediately. She was almost the same, just wanting to rescue Hua Duoduo. But whether Hua Duoduo would cooperate with them was still unknown. Emperor Ming of Qi was sitting next to them, and he wasn't a fool like Mei Cheng, the Prince of Xiliang. In ancient times, deceiving the emperor was a crime punishable by death.
The third method is...
She was deep in thought when Emperor Ming of Qi suddenly said, "Princess An."
"Ah? Ah, Your Majesty," Shen Yuexi quickly turned her head to look at Emperor Qi Ming, "Your Majesty, I was thinking about how to interrogate this person and was a little distracted. I hope Your Majesty will forgive me..."
Apologize first no matter what.
"So Princess An has noticed it too?" Emperor Ming of Qi said, "I see his eyes wandering, as if he's hysterical. He might be talking nonsense, so don't trust what he says."
Hysteria?
Shen Yuexi searched her mind for a long time before she came up with the corresponding modern term she knew: mental illness.
Maybe it was due to telepathy, but this time she reacted very quickly and understood what Emperor Ming of Qi meant immediately.
There were some things that Emperor Ming of Qi could not say directly himself and could only express through other people's mouths.
No wonder Emperor Ming of Qi immediately agreed when she said she wanted to interrogate Hua Duoduo. She was thinking about releasing Hua Duoduo first. Meanwhile, Emperor Ming of Qi was already considering a falling out with his son.
A king's words were not to be trifled with. He had previously ordered Hua Duoduo to be hanged, so he couldn't then order her down again. That would be like the emperor going back on his word, slapping himself in the face. With so many soldiers, generals, and even his own son watching, it would undermine the emperor's authority. So Emperor Ming of Qi asked her to handle the case, and even kindly reminded her how to judge it.
Emperor Ming of Qi had already told her what to do, so she could now proceed with the trial with peace of mind.
"Who is kneeling?" she asked in a serious and mature voice.
Hua Duoduo answered honestly, "Princess An, I am from Tongliao County, Liangzhou, and my surname is Hua..."
"You're wrong," Shen Yuexi interrupted him, "You're not. I know you. You're a native of Shengjing, and your name is Zhang San."
Hua Duoduo looked at her in disbelief and said, "I don't..."
"Don't tell me, I'll tell you," Shen Yuexi interrupted him again. "You have no parents, no wife or children, and you have severe hysteria. The locals in Shengjing know about it and usually help you out. When your hysteria strikes, you'll dress in your robes and carry a wooden sword, deceiving people everywhere. I've heard about this before."
After speaking rapidly, Shen Yuexi turned to Xiao Beiheng and said, "And when he has an attack, he chases whoever he sees. I suspect you must have seen Prince Ping on an incognito tour, observing the people's sentiments. You had a hysterical attack at that time, followed him all the way, and falsely claimed that there was an evil spirit in Prince Ping's body..."
Xiao Beiheng nodded repeatedly at these words and gave her a thumbs up: "Princess An is indeed a master at solving cases. That's right. He followed me secretly all the way, and I didn't pay attention, which led to my father's misunderstanding."
Hua Duoduo shook his hands in panic and said, "No...it was Prince Ping who invited me."
"Look, your hysteria is acting up again," Shen Yuexi said. "Why would Prince Ping invite a commoner like you? This is purely a fabrication of yours. Since you have hysteria, I will..."
"I'm not hysterical!" Hua Duoduo said with his neck stiff, "I..."
Seeing that he still couldn't turn the corner, Shen Yuexi anxiously lowered her head to search on the table. She found that the table was full of cakes, except for an empty box of osmanthus cake. She quickly picked it up and used it as a gavel, slammed it on the table, and said:
"You are sick. According to Dayan law, you are hysterical... you are hysterical..."
After stuttering a few words, she couldn't continue.
Officials who tried cases were either well-versed in the law themselves or had a lawyer who was. Forget about her, a complete novice.
Xiao Beiheng added, "According to Article 70 of the Great Yan Code, those who commit hysteria will not be punished unless they commit murder or arson. They will be beaten and expelled."
Shen Yuexi breathed a sigh of relief and said, "Come here, beat this guy out with a club. No need to hit him hard, just drive him away."
As soon as he finished speaking, the soldiers behind Hua Duoduo rushed forward like wolves and tigers, raising more than ten sticks and hitting Hua Duoduo.
Since Shen Yuexi had said so, the soldiers didn't hit him too hard. Hua Duoduo cried out repeatedly, and when the back of his hand was hit, he quickly pulled it back. Before he could even stand up, he was hit several more times on his buttocks, making a crackling sound.
He ran out of the tent with his hands protecting his buttocks, shouting as he ran: "I won't dare to do that anymore, stop hitting me."
The soldiers didn't listen at all. They strictly followed Shen Yuexi's orders, chasing him all the way out of the tent and out of the camp gate. They continued to chase him for two miles before letting him go.
Hua Duoduo was hit so hard that his whole body was in pain. When he saw the soldiers go back, he sat on a stone by the roadside, rubbing the painful area and crying out in pain.
When a stick hits your body, no matter how light the impact is, it will still hurt.
It wasn't until then that he realized Shen Yuexi was saving him. It was ridiculous that he couldn't wrap his head around it at the time and refused to admit it. If he had cooperated with Shen Yuexi earlier and played mad and stupid, he might not have had to endure this beating.
Just as I was feeling lucky to have saved my life, I heard the noisy sound of horse hooves in the distance.
Hua Duoduo turned around and saw dozens of riders coming from west to east, led by none other than Xiao Zhuo. Next to Xiao Zhuo, a woman in a sleek and heroic outfit rode behind him.
"Is it Prince An?"
Hua Duoduo stood up, holding his butt, and stood to the side of the road, watching a group of people running past him.
"Prince An has come to pick up the princess, right? But who is that woman next to him?"
Hua Duoduo looked at the backs of Xiao Zhuo and his group in confusion and muttered to himself.
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