Chapter 145: Zhao Duan is imprisoned! Advisors join the game
In the afternoon, in the quiet courtyard behind the Baima Prison.
Zhao Duan and Supervisor Sun Lianying were sitting at a stone table playing chess. A jar of fragrant osmanthus wine was placed on the table next to them.
The old supervisor, wearing a loose robe, with gray hair and deep eye sockets, listened to Zhao Duan's story, placed a piece, and said:
"So, Zhou Cheng used Qin Qu to find Wang Shan, hoping to use that concubine to frame you and cause you to fall out of favor. And you chose to snatch Wang Shan back in public?"
Zhao Duan was only wearing casual clothes, with a normal expression. He drank half a bowl of osmanthus wine and nodded.
"Actually, we had been planning to arrest him. After all, he was the key figure in the Xue Lin case thirteen years ago. To bring down Zhou Cheng, we needed Wang Shan's confession. I simply took advantage of the situation and took action in advance."
Just now, Zhao Duan came to visit the old supervisor with wine and meat.
During the handshake, he told her everything he had done in the past two days.
Sun Lianying frowned and said:
"If we do this, won't we alert the enemy?"
Zhao Duan picked up a black piece and said:
"Originally, a rash arrest of Wang Shan would indeed alert Zhou Cheng. But after what I did today, that might not be the case."
"oh?"
Zhao Duan's eyes were shrewd:
“I went to arrest someone today and made a hint in front of Zhou Cheng.
He thought that the reason I came to arrest Wang Shan was because I was worried that Zhou Cheng would use Wang Shan to frame me due to Qin Qu's disappearance, so I had to arrest him urgently and respond passively.
I even deliberately threatened him with force. This series of actions would only deepen his judgment of me...
Once he believes that I arrested Wang Shan to protect myself, he won't think that I'm investigating Xue Lin's case...
This way, we can buy time for Haitang and Zhang Han.
Haha, I was still worrying about how to slow down Zhou Cheng's alertness as much as possible and buy more time to collect evidence.
Unexpectedly, Zhou Cheng was also secretly looking for my flaws, so I simply took advantage of the situation and set up a trap."
Sun Lianying listened carefully, and the look in her eyes when she looked at him became a little strange:
"Why didn't we see before that you were full of bad intentions?"
Zhao Duan thought he was being praised and made his move with a bright smile.
Sun Lianying thought for a moment and then said:
"So, are you really sure you can overturn the verdict?
Wang Shan will definitely not confess voluntarily. Even if you torture him, it will be meaningless to force him to confess. Once the case from that year is re-examined, as long as Zhou Cheng has room to resist, Wang Shan will change his confession at any time."
Zhao Duan said:
"So, the two key pieces of evidence Haitang and Zhang Han went out to get are important. So, it's important to buy them as much time as possible."
Sun Lianying looked at him:
"What about during this time? Zhou Cheng won't let it go. Even though you snatched Wang Shan away, since the two of you have already met, they may have reached an agreement. Even if Wang Shan is in your hands, Zhou Cheng can still make a big fuss with his methods.
As long as we can confirm that this matter can be used as a basis for framing you, we can complete the frame-up.
Wang Shan must also be counting on Zhou Cheng to rescue him. If you arrest him, it might just solidify the alliance between the two of them."
After a pause, the old supervisor said with a strange look:
"Although, Zhou Cheng's idea of using a concubine to make you fall out of favor is fundamentally wrong."
As a eunuch serving the third princess, Sun Lianying knew that Zhao Duan was just a "fake" lover.
He also knew that the reason why the empress "favored" Zhao Duan was entirely because of his ability to get things done, not his ability to get things done in bed.
"But Zhou Cheng doesn't know," Zhao Duan said with a smile:
"People all over the world don't know this either. They subconsciously think that if they can make me fall out of favor, they can easily crush me.
That's why I racked my brains to find evidence to destroy the relationship between me and Your Majesty.
The more radical I am in this regard, the more ruthless and desperate my methods of snatching people away are, the more Zhou Cheng will believe this.”
This is a very simple trap that takes advantage of information asymmetry and combines it with psychological warfare.
Zhao Duan's act of snatching people today will make Zhou Cheng firmly believe that his plan of using concubines to set up a trap is correct, and thus ignore the dangers emerging in secret.
If we talk about the "Xue Lin case", it was a fatal stab that Zhao Duan stabbed Zhou Cheng in secret.
The "concubine case" was a cover that Zhao Duan took on himself to attract the enemy's attention and thus cover up the hidden knife attack.
The counselor personally intervenes.
Repairing the plank road in public while secretly attacking Chencang.
He could guess that Zhou Cheng must have already taken action and started to arrange a violent storm against him.
What Zhao Duan needs to do is to pretend to be plotted against.
Buy time and wait for the return of two colleagues.
Sun Lianying stroked the chess piece, pondered the plan over and over again, and said:
"As you said, Zhou Cheng may have been deceived by you. But are you really not going to explain the matter of the Wang family's concubine?
Will you bear the slander yourself? Or will you rely on Wang Shan to clear it up for you?
I want to remind you that Zhou Cheng is definitely not just trying to tarnish your reputation; once he strikes, it will be a fatal blow."
Zhao Duan smiled and said:
"Although I don't mind a little slander given my reputation, what I didn't do is what I didn't do. I have always been a virgin for Your Majesty."
After a pause, he reached into his arms, took out a palm-sized scroll and a piece of paper, and gently handed it over:
“So, I came here today to say this, hoping that Your Excellency would bear witness and quietly present these two items to Your Majesty.
Oh, I'm being watched by too many people right now. For the sake of planning, it's best not to go into the palace."
I knew you weren't just here to drink with me... The old supervisor took it curiously, but didn't expand on it. Instead, he asked:
"What on earth do you want to do, kid?"
Zhao Duan smiled and said, "Your Majesty, please perform a play."
…
…
On that day, news about a suspected conflict between the newly-rising celebrity Zhao Duan and the Chief Justice Zhou Cheng in Hele Tower spread like wildfire.
Unfortunately, there were very few people who witnessed the incident this time, and Zhou Cheng had ordered them to keep their mouths shut, so the few versions that were circulated were vague.
This greatly disappointed many spectators.
All they knew was that the former adopted son of Eunuch Wang was arrested by Zhao Duan, and everyone speculated on the reason.
The next day.
Around noon, someone dressed in white silk and mourning clothes arrived at the gate of the Dali Temple and beat the drum to appeal for justice.
The drums sounded and He Zheng, the Dali Temple Secretary, received them in person.
The person who reported the case said that they were the uncle and aunt of Wang's concubine, and they sued Zhao Duan for defiling and killing their niece last year.
There was a lot of evidence, and because it involved murder and court officials, the Chief Justice Zhou Cheng personally came forward to try the case.
It is said that when Lord Zhou learned about Zhao Duan's evil deeds in court, he slammed the table in anger and promised that he would not let the evildoer escape the law and would give an explanation to the dead woman.
A case was filed on the spot and an investigation was launched immediately.
The Wang family and everyone involved in the banquet that day were summoned.
Qin Qu, who was imprisoned, was also taken out for a walk and then reasonably imprisoned again.
Afterwards, Zhou Cheng drafted an official document on the grounds that Wang Shan was involved in a major case and submitted it to the imperial supervisor Ma Yan, requesting that Wang Shan be transferred to the Dali Temple.
Ma Yan used delaying tactics to politely decline the offer.
The third day.
There was another breakthrough in the incident.
At the morning court, Zhou Cheng reported the case to the emperor, demanding the arrest of Zhao Duan, the chief judge, on charges of defamation and murder, and an investigation to uphold the law.
Particular emphasis was placed on the various perverted methods Zhao Duan used on the beautiful concubine. It was said that when she was sent out of the Wang family, her body was covered with scars.
Several censors from the Li Party stepped forward and made impassioned speeches, angrily cursing the Zhao thief and demanding severe punishment.
Ma Yan questioned the one-sided statement and the fact that the Dali Temple had a grudge against Zhao Duan.
The empress finally decided to temporarily detain Zhao Duan in the "Taiyu" prison of the Censorate.
The case of the death of Wang's concubine was presided over by the Dali Temple and supervised by the Ministry of Justice and the Censorate, a process referred to as the "Three-Court Trial". They ordered that the whole matter must be investigated thoroughly.
When the court was dismissed that day, Prime Minister Zhou looked delighted, while Ma Yan had a blank expression.
Yuan Li and Li Yanfu showed no emotion and just watched from the sidelines.
When the news came out, all officials were in an uproar.
…
noon.
Lihuatang.
Zhao Duan moved a chair early this morning and sat under the shade of the pear tree in the courtyard, staring at the densely packed pears on the tree in a daze.
According to his estimation, it will be fully mature in a few days.
At this moment, hurried footsteps suddenly came from outside.
The imperial guards from Lihua Hall rushed in, and Qian Kerou looked panicked:
"Sir, this is bad! The Censorate is outside the yamen and they're coming to arrest you and put you in jail!"
The lazy salted fish in the past now looks tired and anxious:
"Sir, that old thief Zhou Cheng must have deliberately framed us and wanted to take revenge on us. What should we do?"
Hou Renmeng's face was filled with anger, and his eyebrows were raised:
"Who dares to take someone away from our Lihua Hall... I..."
Old man Zheng angrily scolded:
"At this critical moment, are you going to cause trouble for my lord? This is an order from His Majesty, and the three judges are to conduct a joint trial! Disobedience is what Zhou Cheng would like to see!"
Qian Kerou said anxiously, "Sir, please say something quickly."
Under the shade of the pear tree, Zhao Duan sat in a rattan chair with a book on his knees, but at this moment he was as calm as an outsider:
"I have no regrets. Your Majesty has been deceived by a traitor for a while. He will come out after the truth is revealed."
Qian Kerou was anxious: "How could the Dali Temple preside over the trial..."
At this time, the footsteps outside finally approached.
A group of officials walked in, led by an imperial censor.
It turned out to be an acquaintance. It was the young censor who led the way when Zhao Duan went to look for Yuan Li that day.
He glanced at Zhao Duan with a complicated expression and said in a businesslike manner:
"In compliance with His Majesty's order, I am escorting Chief Justice Zhao Duan to the Taiwan Prison to await trial. Chief Justice Zhao, please."
Zhao Duan was reluctant to leave, so he withdrew his gaze, stood up, shook the copy of "Da Yu Lu", and asked:
"Can I take this?"
The censor hesitated for a moment, took it and examined it, and seeing that it was just an ordinary book, he nodded:
"Can."
"Thank you." Zhao Duan took off his sword and put it into the storage of magic tools, including the Golden Crow Flying Knife, and handed it to Qian Kerou for safekeeping.
"I'm not here for the next few days, so don't cause any trouble. Just be good and wait for me to come out. Otherwise, if something goes wrong, no one will stand up for you."
A large group of Jinyiyi gathered in the Lihua Hall at this time. They were moved by what they heard, and many of them even had slightly red eyes.
A joint trial by three judges, what a scene!
They had a premonition that the Chief Justice who had indulged them might not come back.
…
That evening, the news that Zhao Duan was imprisoned in Taiwan spread in the capital, causing an uproar in the city.
(End of this chapter)
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