Chapter 161 Report
"Please follow me, my lords. These prisoners will be identified once before leaving the prison, once again after arriving at the execution ground, and once again after being tied to the gallows for execution. The purpose is to prevent someone from taking someone else's place."
"As long as no one hijacks the execution ground, the Ministry of Justice can ensure that the person beheaded is the real criminal, and no one else will be beheaded by mistake..."
"My Lords, please look, this is the prisoner who was slashed by the skilled swordsman.
Although a lot of blood was shed, the bones were neatly cut and the skin on the neck was still connected to the head, so the criminals could leave their bodies intact, giving them a chance to be reborn..."
"This prisoner was unlucky. The executioner might have been a novice. He died easily with one cut, but his head rolled far away. I'm afraid it will be difficult for him to be reborn..."
"And this prisoner, his luck isn't very good either.
Maybe the executioner forgot to sharpen his knife today. The bone was obviously not cut with one cut. It seemed like he took one... two... oh, four cuts in total.
Tsk tsk tsk, I wonder if this person felt any pain at the time of the crime...”
......
The official from the Ministry of Justice who led a group of ministers to the beheading platform to watch the execution: blah blah blah blah...
Minister Watching the Execution: Ugh, I feel like vomiting.
The second minister watching the execution: My legs are weak and I can’t walk a step. Someone come and support me.
The third minister watching the execution: He felt chest tightness and shortness of breath, and he couldn't breathe. He wanted to faint but didn't dare to, for fear that if he fainted, the people who collected the bodies would pick them up by mistake and carry them back for burial.
......
Minister of Execution 20: I want to go to the concubine's room...
Zhou Hongjing: Who am I? Where am I? What am I doing?
Matthew Li: Don't try to scare me. I'm not afraid. And no one can stop me from becoming the father-in-law of the emperor. Sob... It's too damn scary.
......
At the next morning court session, more than half of the court officials who were going to Caishikou to watch the execution had asked for leave due to illness.
I don’t know if it’s a real illness or a fake one, but the possibility that he’s scared to death is quite high.
Zhou Hongjing was still recuperating from his injuries, and a stroll to Caishikou would cost him half his life.
As soon as he got home, he started to have a fever and he hasn't woken up yet.
He kept talking nonsense, and when I listened carefully, I found that he was describing everything that Matthew Li had done in Yuzhou in detail.
Of course, he was talking in a jumbled manner and no one could hear what he was saying.
But this is not important. What is important is that he was burned for two days and two nights, and on the third day, after the fever finally subsided, the Ministry of Justice came to question him.
He was actually...reported.
"Sir Zhou, someone reported that when you went to Yuzhou, you found out that the kidnapping of Prince Zhao was related to Minister Ma of the Ministry of Rites. You concealed it and did not report it. But do you want to mediate for him?"
The visitor was Fang Jiading, the Right Vice Minister of the Ministry of Personnel. He came from a poor family but was considered a disciple of the emperor.
His position was higher than that of Jingzhao Yin, and he came to ask about Zhou Hongjing being reported, which was a respect for Zhou Hongjing's status.
"Sir Fang, when was I reported? By whom? Could you please tell me?"
Zhou Hongjing had just recovered from a fever and his mind was still a mess. He couldn't even remember what day it was.
When he heard that he had been reported, he was even more confused.
"The Ministry of Justice needs to protect the informant. His identity cannot be revealed. Lord Zhou, please understand."
Fang Jiading was wearing an official uniform and his official manner frightened Zhou Hongjing.
"Ah? ...I, I don't know about this matter.
Although I found the person who kidnapped Prince Zhao when I went to Yuzhou, I was hunted down before I could catch him. Look at my wounds, they haven’t healed yet.”
As Zhou Hongjing spoke, he showed Fang Jiading the injuries on his body, and in his mind he was trying hard to recall his trip to Yuzhou.
The journey was smooth and I didn't encounter any difficulties in investigating the case. The only thing was that when I arrested someone, I didn't beat him, but was chased and hacked instead.
But what does this have to do with Matthew?
He was just going to catch a kidnapper, or someone sent him a secret letter telling him the kidnapper's whereabouts, so he...
Could that secret letter be from Ma...
No, Matthew Lee would not do such a thoughtless thing.
Isn't this nonsense?
If he really did something, what's the point of dragging him, a Jingzhao Yin, into it?
Is it because they are afraid that Prince Ning will not fall fast enough, so they let him, the father of the concubine, and Matthew Li, the father of the principal wife, work together?
Isn't this a trap for the son-in-law?
If it were any normal father-in-law, who could do such a thing?
Yu Jinming, who delivered the secret letter to Zhou’s house: You are right. The key point is that neither you nor Matthew Li are normal fathers-in-law.
"The report said that the kidnapper was Minister Ma's man."
Fang Jiading looked at Zhou Hongjing's changing expressions and concluded that there was something he had not reported during his trip to Yuzhou.
"Ah? How is that possible? I went to Yuzhou and found out the identity of that kidnapper. He has no connection with the capital."
Zhou Hongjing didn't know whether Fang Jiading's words were true or not, but if he left Matthew aside, he was sure it couldn't be wrong.
"Master Zhou, you are lying."
Fang Jiading was not polite at all and responded directly.
"No, what the humble servant said is absolutely true."
Zhou Hongjing swore solemnly that he would never admit it.
In fact, the man didn't even do any investigation before he was chased back.
To escape means traveling thousands of miles a day, otherwise, how could he return to Beijing so quickly?
"No, you're lying."
Fang Jiading looked serious, and the shock in his eyes would surely scare ordinary people if they saw it.
Zhou Hongjing: “…”
How could this person be so stubborn?
He said the absolute truth, why do you still accuse him of lying?
He has been the Jingzhao Yin for more than ten years and has handled countless cases. How could he be frightened by a young man?
"No, I did not lie."
Zhou Hongjing also got into trouble.
The stubborn duck just refuses to admit it.
"Commander Jiang of the Northern City Military Command just sent a letter back to Beijing today, saying..."
Fang Jiading only said half of his words before staring into Zhou Hongjing's eyes.
Zhou Hongjing: How come the message came back so quickly?
Why don't you finish what you are saying? What did he say in the letter?
"Sir Zhou, today is the last day of the deadline given to you by the Emperor. Commander Jiang sent a message back to the capital today. I think he was keeping track of the date for you."
The Fang family must have something in mind, but as for what it specifically is, let Zhou Hongjing guess it himself.
The moment Zhou Hongjing heard Jiang Baiqing's message back to Beijing, his heart almost jumped out of his chest.
A report letter? A letter sent back by Commander Jiang? Is this a letter?
His mind was in a mess at the moment, and he didn't dare to ask out loud about the doubts in his heart.
If it was Jiang Baiqing, maybe he could really find out the kidnapper's true identity.
What if that kidnapper is really related to Matthew Li? Wouldn't he be unable to explain himself even if he was speechless?
Matthew's ancestral home is in Yuzhou......
"Master, something bad has happened to the Third Miss."
The housekeeper didn't care that Fang Jiading was still in the room, so he rushed in hurriedly.
"Master, I'm fine. Miss San is a girl from a noble family. She never leaves the house. What could possibly happen to her?"
Zhou Hongjing roared, and the butler immediately dared not say another word.
After watching the execution, Zhou Hongjing fell ill as soon as he returned home. Today, Fang Jiading came to his house as soon as he woke up, and he had no time to stop the matter.
Since the housekeeper said something happened, then it must have really happened.
But the officials from the Ministry of Justice are still in the palace, and they dare not say a word at this time even if the sky falls.
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