...
Outside Luoyang, after a long journey, Li Ru finally arrived in the city once again, escorted by several Imperial Guards.
Looking at the towering Luoyang city wall before him, Li Ru was filled with emotion. He recalled how he had traveled alone through mountains and rivers to reach Luoyang and passed the emperor's test.
He was then personally received by the emperor and left with great ambition. When he was serving as the magistrate of Heyang County, he had imagined countless times the various scenes of his return to Luoyang, but he never expected that he would return in this way today.
"Magistrate Li! They're about to enter the city!"
The imperial guard officer took out a pair of shackles, came to Li Ru, and sighed softly.
"Then I'll have to trouble you, sir!"
Li Ru smiled calmly and extended his hands.
"Excuse me!"
The Imperial Guard officers stepped forward and put shackles on Li Ru's hands and feet, then escorted him toward Luoyang City.
Li Ru was soon escorted to the main hall of the Court of Justice.
Xun Shuang, as the Minister of Justice, personally presided over the court session. After reviewing the investigation results brought back by his subordinates, he looked at Li Ru below the court and sighed softly.
"Li Ru, according to the investigation results, is it true that you arbitrarily confiscated other people's property when you were the magistrate of Heyang County?"
"yes!"
"During the trade season, did you secretly withhold the quotas allocated to those powerful families by the imperial court?"
"yes!"
"Did you secretly sell salt and grain to the Xiongnu at a low price?"
"yes!"
Li Ru did not deny any of the charges brought up in the investigation.
What do you have to say?
Seeing Li Ru admit to everything, Xun Shuang's face turned extremely ugly.
"What I confiscated were the properties of powerful and wicked families. They refused to buy my share of the trade at a high price, so I had to keep it. As for the salt and grain I sold to the Xiongnu at a low price, that was limited to horses. As for cattle and sheep, I sold them at an extremely high price! Because the people of Heyang don't need horses!"
Li Ru calmly explained each of the aforementioned charges.
Xun Shuang said in a deep voice, "But according to my investigation, some of the crimes committed by those powerful figures were framed by you, and their refusal to buy was because you set the price at more than ten times the original price!"
"And what about the trade with the Xiongnu? Even if what you're saying is true, how do you explain this letter?"
"What letter?"
"Hmph! Your letter of secret communication with the Xiongnu! Why would he write you a letter of thanks for no reason? What exactly have you done behind His Majesty's and the court's back?"
Xun Shuang picked up a letter and stared intently at Li Ru below the hall, his eyes filled with anger!
Li Ru did not refute what he had said earlier, as it was the truth and he had indeed done so. However, when Xun Shuang took out the letter, Li Ru was somewhat taken aback and stared blankly at the letter in Xun Shuang's hand.
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