Chapter 10: She was also the builder of the bloody road.
The bailiff approached to check Wang Mang's breath and saw that the dagger had penetrated his neck. Through the bloody wound, the cervical vertebrae could be vaguely seen. He had died instantly.
I wish you good luck. Your mind is full of worries and even your breathing is sluggish.
If this lawsuit does not result in bloodshed, his son's plan will be difficult.
In order to ensure his master's victory, Wang Mang went against You Heng's will and hid in Xigao without permission, intending to put her and Fang Xuyin to death.
Wang Mang wanted to kill two people. He deserved to die, but not in this way.
According to Zhu Hao's idea, Wang Mang should surrender himself to the law and be punished according to the Dacheng Code.
This scene was something she had not foreseen when Ying Youheng gave her speech in class.
Zhang Qian sat leaning against the high hall and waved his sleeves at the yamen runners, "This man is really a shady guy. Take him out of the hall."
Following the order, Wang Mang was dragged down the hall by the servants. Blood was flowing from his neck, and the inner hall and the long steps were paved with his blood.
I wish you all the best in participating in this and becoming builders of this road.
Judging from what Wang Mang said before his death, he seemed to have sacrificed his life to clear You Yan's name, and had no choice but to entrust his younger sister to his master, but in fact it was not the case.
How could everyone fail to see that You Yan was using his sister's life to coerce Wang Mang into committing an illegal act? In the end, Wang Mang had no choice but to sacrifice his own life in exchange for his sister's.
This action backfired and further confirmed You Yan's evil deeds.
You Yan saw the situation was not good and knelt down. "I am innocent! It's true that Wang Mang was my personal guard, but I never knew he had a younger sister! How can I use this as a threat? The relatives who accompanied me to Qizhou for the business talks can all testify! When I returned to the city, I did leave Wang Mang in Qizhou! I really don't know when he returned to Huaicheng! Next month... when my personal guards temporarily stationed in Qizhou return to the city, everything will be clear! Besides, Fang died by hitting her coffin! Could I have forced her to do that?! Everyone in the You family can testify to this!"
"What a 'You family,'" Zhu Hao clapped his hands. "Since we're all members of the You family, our testimony needs to be carefully considered."
Zhang Qian was suspicious: "Why wait until next month? Why not have Youshi order her relatives to return to the city immediately? That would also clear up all the doubts."
You Yan was speechless. Just then, a yamen runner brought Zhu Lanxiang into the hall. "Your Excellency, we haven't found any trace of Cao, Song, and Fang yet."
Zhu Hao was filled with doubts after hearing this. If according to You Heng's plan, Cao Zi, as a hunter, should have brought physical evidence to court to sue You Yan with her. You Heng must have sent his subordinates to prevent You Yan from attacking Cao Zi. If that was the case, how could Cao Zi disappear for no reason?
Seeing Zhu Hao kneeling down to accuse Shi, Zhu Lanxiang took three steps at a time and went straight to Zhu Hao, "You ungrateful little bastard! I raised you to this age, and this is how you repay me?! You...how dare you frame me!" After saying that, Zhu Lanxiang suddenly raised her right hand to slap Zhu Hao.
Zhu Hao remained calm and said, "Aunt, this is the government office, not the Zhu residence."
Upon hearing this, Zhu Lanxiang barely stopped her right hand and sank to her knees. "Master Zhang! Everyone in this city knows that your daughter is unlucky for her parents and husband! With such a reputation, why would anyone marry her? If it weren't for Master You finding me and offering twenty taels of silver as a betrothal gift to take Zhu Hao into the You Mansion as a concubine, I really don't know how I would comfort the spirits of my sister and brother-in-law! My sister treated me so well, but she passed away after giving birth to this girl. No matter how naughty Zhu Hao was, how could I bear to put my own sister's daughter in danger?"
"Comfort my parents' spirits in heaven?" Zhu Hao scoffed. "By promising me to this old man who is about to die, is that how Aunt repays my mother's kindness?"
"How could Mr. You, with his immense wealth, treat you so harshly? You've made such a good marriage sound so unbearable?! If it weren't for Mr. You and Mr. You's kindness in accepting you into the You family, with your reputation, you'd never have the chance to marry anyone in your lifetime!"
"A favor?" Zhu Hao asked, "If this favor were given to you, would you accept it?"
Zhu Lanxiang wanted to argue again, but was frightened by Zhang Qian's gavel. Zhang Qian asked Zhu Lanxiang about the details of the wedding day. He saw that this woman was really incompetent and her words became more and more fierce, as if she was not in the government office but in a busy market. Zhang Qian felt dizzy and hurriedly ordered the bailiff to take her out of the inner hall.
Zhu Hao fell to the ground and bowed profusely, "Master Zhang, I almost forgot. Mr. You's coffin fell off the cliff along with me and Madam Fang. If what the You family said is true, Mr. You went to pick me up that night and buried me the next day. It's early spring now, how could the body have been putrefied after just one night? It's only been two weeks since Mr. You was buried. If we ask the coroner to examine the body's date of death, we can determine who is lying, Madam You or me."
Zhang Qian thought for a moment before answering, "It's been half a month since you and Fang fell off the cliff. The water in the pond has already accelerated the decay of the bodies, so this method won't work."
Zhu Hao said: "Don't worry about this matter, Master Zhang. Mr. You's body was fished out by Cao Zi as soon as he fell off the cliff. Madam Fang entrusted the body to Cao Zi for temporary storage. As long as Cao is found, this case will be cleared up."
You Yan's face was pale, sweat was pouring down his forehead. His lips moved as if he wanted to speak, but he could not utter a word.
Zhang Qian took in the whole scene. Although he was a corrupt official, he had been involved in officialdom for decades. How could he not know that Zhu Hao had the upper hand in terms of witnesses, material evidence, and defense?
With You Lang gone, You Yan, as the eldest son, was bound to inherit his father's vast fortune. The You family had been thriving in commerce for centuries, his grandfather had served as the founding emperor's left prime minister, and You Yan had even bribed him with immense wealth. The victims were merely two young, inexperienced girls. Besides, they hadn't lost their lives. Zhu Hao and Fang Sanniang were mere nobodys, so what if he was biased towards You Yan? Who in Huaicheng dared to rebuke him?
Zhang Qian pondered this and said, "Mr. Zhu, Mrs. Fang was supposed to appear in court today, but she failed to come. Mrs. Wang risked her own life to prove Youshi's innocence. Mrs. Cao, who was preparing the autopsy evidence, suddenly disappeared on the day of the trial. Even the man you mentioned, Song Lang, has not been found. Mr. Zhu has not presented any valid physical or witness evidence in today's case. The ribbons, nails, and scars you presented could all be fabrications. In my opinion, this case needs to be reexamined by Mr. Fang and Mr. Cao. If they can't find any, please ask Mr. Zhu to gather irrefutable evidence and present it to the court."
"Ironclad evidence?" Zhu Hao's words were full of sarcasm. "May I ask, Master Zhang—what is ironclad evidence? Why don't Wang's words and actions count as solid evidence? Even the common people outside the hall can clearly see that Wang was coerced by You! If we ignore this matter, then what about Wang pushing me and Madam Fang off the cliff at Xigao?! Since he was You's personal guard, how could Master Zhang not question You? How could I know what he looked like if I hadn't met Wang beforehand?"
"If Lord Zhang were to rely on what he calls irrefutable evidence, even if I were to bring You Lang's body to court, Lord Zhang would likely charge me with fabricating the corpse. Or, would it be irrefutable evidence that I and Madam Fang were murdered by You Yan in connection with this case? Does it mean that just because I and Madam Fang escaped death, the charge of 'murder' is no longer viable?"
Although Bu Tao and Wang Mang were set up by You Heng, he was so biased towards You Yan, how could he be the chief official of a place?
Most of the common people in Huaicheng have been bullied and humiliated by the You family. They have not filed a lawsuit for many years because they were afraid of the You family's power. However, judging from today's trial, isn't it because the officials are ignorant?
Up to this moment, Cao Zi has not yet entered the court. If it is difficult to convict You Yan today, she may not live to see the retrial.
Zhu Hao was just thinking about how to argue to delay the case for a while when she heard Zhang Qian shout, "Adjourn the court!"
Zhu Hao was filled with rage. She was going to die anyway if she left this yamen, so she might as well curse her heart out first, "Zhang..."
Her throat suddenly felt choked and she could hardly speak. Zhu Hao covered her neck and made a mumbling sound, but she was unable to utter complete sentences.
A clerk came trotting in from outside the yamen, entered the upper hall, and whispered in Zhang Qian's ear. Zhu Hao was quite far from Zhang Qian, and the clerk's voice was deliberately low, yet she could still hear clearly: "A letter came from Qizhou Prefecture. The prefect's son is suing You Yanwei for owing him a thousand taels. As a result, You Yan's close associates have been detained by the son and cannot return to the city. The case brought by Zhu and Fang has spread throughout the counties of Linzhou. Lord Pei passed through Qizhou Prefecture on official business. He and the son are acquainted, and he heard from him about several of You Yan's evil deeds..."
"Master Pei?" Zhang Qian asked, "Which Master Pei?"
"Master Pei Yingchen, Junior Minister of the Dali Temple, Master Pei." The clerk's voice trembled as he spoke. "Master Pei said that if Master Zhang finds this case difficult to judge, he can present it to him in three days. Master Pei and the young master are already on their way to Huaicheng."
Zhu Hao saw that although Zhang Qian had tried his best to conceal his emotion, his expression had already leaked out from under the black gauze hat on his head. Zhu Hao turned to look at You Yan and saw that he was calm and composed, and obviously did not hear the private conversation between the two people in the hall.
Zhang Qian wiped the sweat from his forehead, deliberately avoiding You Yan's gaze. "This case will be handed over to the Dali Temple's Junior Justice Pei for a review in three days. During this time, both Zhu and You can gather concrete evidence to support their defense."
You Yan's smile froze. He wanted to ask Zhang Qian how he could become the Junior Official of the Dali Temple! But then he heard the corrupt official in the court hurriedly order, "Adjourn!"
Everyone was dismissed by the yamen officials, and the crowd disappeared into the branch streets. Zhu Hao found the right moment to intercept You Yan outside the yamen.
The strange feeling in Zhu Hao's throat had faded. She looked around and saw only her and You Yan. Finally, she spoke, "Master You, do you know... the one who saved Madam Fang and me wasn't the hunter Cao Zi?"
After hearing this, You Yan looked like a smug villain, "Alright! You're willing to admit your mistake! Come with me to see Lord Zhang! No need to bother with the Dali Temple Junior Official! Today, I'll ask Lord Zhang to judge the case!"
He pulled Zhu Hao hard, and she was unable to break free. She could only continue, "Excuse me, Master You, what do I admit? I only said that I was not rescued by the hunter Cao Zi, but I never said that this case had nothing to do with Master You."
You Yan paused and looked back at Zhu Hao with a fierce look in his eyes.
Zhu Hao took the opportunity to pull his wrist away, "Master You shouldn't ask... who saved me and Madam Fang?"
You Yan gritted his teeth and chiseled them. He shouted, "Who!?"
"You Heng."
"Bullshit!" You Yan raised his finger and pressed closer, "At this point, you still want to sow discord between me and Ah Heng?"
Before Zhu Hao could answer, a servant came running over from a distance. He muttered something in You Yan's ear for a long time, but Zhu Hao could not hear what he said clearly this time.
You Yan stopped arguing with her and left the place in a hurry with the servant.
Just as You Yan's figure disappeared into the long street, another person immediately walked out of the corner gate and headed straight for Zhu Hao.
You Heng lowered her eyebrows and her eyes were dark and unclear.
"Pah—"
Zhu Hao didn't even see You Heng raise her sleeves before a loud slap landed on her right cheek.
She was already injured and her body was broken, but You Heng did not reduce her strength. Zhu fell to the ground like a decapitated flower falling from a branch into the mud.
Zhu Hao felt a burning pain on her right cheek. She supported herself on the ground with both hands for a moment before struggling to stand up, holding onto the eaves pillar.
She raised her hand to brush away the hair in front of her forehead, and before she knew it, she suddenly raised her other hand, but You Heng restrained it effortlessly. You Heng had a look of contempt on his face, and he opened his mouth, but the words that came out of his lips turned into a heart-wrenching wail.
Zhu Hao's hands were originally used to block her eyes. Seeing that You Heng had been tricked and clamped her hands, Zhu Hao raised her right knee and hit him in the crotch.
She saw You Heng's face flushed, and she was holding her lower body with her hands in unbearable pain. Zhu Hao felt the burning pain on her right cheek moistened by a heavy rain, not only did the pain disappear by half, but she also felt relaxed both physically and mentally, and was very happy.
The slap that You Heng gave her was simply from what she and You Yan had said. It was possible that the servant who had just sent You Yan away was also his man.
Zhu Hao didn't need to beat around the bush with him. She said bluntly, "I originally thought that Second Master You and I were allies on the same boat, but you knew this case needed to be reviewed, yet you let me be the vanguard? Did you calculate the day when the imperial officials would arrive in Qizhou, and then spread the case to all the prefectures and counties to force the imperial officials to take over the case?"
"If you say you don't know, why did Cao Zi fail to present evidence without reason? You entrusted You Lang's body to Cao Zi, but didn't order him to come to court. Second Young Master, did this to protect him and the evidence from the body and allow him to go through to the second trial? If Cao Zi came to court for the first trial but didn't bring You Yan down, would you be worried that You Yan would destroy the evidence? If... I died from the flogging during the first trial, wouldn't that be exactly what Second Young Master wanted?" Zhu Hao forced a smile, "Unfortunately, I'm just tough."
Zhu Hao looked across the street, but couldn't see Fang Xuyin. She asked, "Where's she? Why isn't Fang Xuyin with you? Could it be that Second Young Master and Madam Fang have parted ways? She fed me a drug that lasted for several days, causing me to fall into a coma and only wake up the day before court. This is rather strange. Is Second Young Master You knowledgeable in medicine? Why did the drug suddenly lose its effect? Or did Second Young Master know about this? You deliberately delayed my awakening until she left, and the fact that she didn't come into court today to testify against You Yan with me must have been your fault. I'm quite surprised..."
You Heng reluctantly asked, "...What's so strange?"
He was indeed stirring up trouble in secret, but although he had spread the case and You Yan's evil deeds to Linzhou, he had never expected that it would spread to Qizhou at such a rapid speed.
According to his original plan, Zhu Hao should have died at the hands of You Yan after the first trial, so that the Beijing officials could get the news and come to Huaicheng in person. However, Zhang Qian already knew the news on the day of the first trial, and announced that the case would be tried again by the Shaoqing of the Dali Temple. In this case, if Zhu Hao died while awaiting trial, the Beijing officials would definitely investigate the cause of death in detail. Therefore, You Yan would not attack Zhu Hao again.
"I wonder what excuse you have for dragging Fang Xuyin along. She went to such great lengths to beat the drum for ten days to protest her injustice, even feeding me poison just to get herself into court and be tortured. Why would she miss her appointment over such a trivial matter?" Zhu Hao said, half-smiled. "Does she know what you've done? If she doesn't, Second Young Master You must keep it a secret."
The author has something to say:
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Lord Pei is the hero of another book "I'm Burying Corpses in Dali Temple" hahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahaha~ Xiao Song will be back in the next chapter~
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