Chapter 217 [VIP]
Xie Yingchen also wanted to come and pick her up, but unfortunately, he was caught in a joint trial by the three judicial authorities and couldn't get away.
So, Gu Yican came alone.
"When does it begin?"
It was very cold in the north in November, so Gu Yican specially brought a cloak and personally wrapped it around her, saying, "It's three-quarters past noon."
Gu Zhizhuo looked at the sky; it was only 9 AM, so there was still time.
"Let's go see Father first. Look what I brought back!"
Gu Zhizhuo took out her spoils of war—the wolf fang amulet. She held the rope and happily shook it in front of Gu Yican.
"Take it to show your father."
The coming-of-age ceremony for Liang people men involves hunting a prey themselves and then making amulets from the prey's teeth to wear on their bodies.
During the coming-of-age ceremony, a wolf king was hunted, and this wolf tooth came from that wolf king.
"Didn't you say you were going to give it to me?" Gu Yican asked.
"I won't give it to you, I'll give it to my father. I'll give you the flower headscarf."
Gu Yican didn't mind anything her sister gave her, repeatedly saying "good, good, good."
The brother and sister mounted their horses and went together to the Gu family cemetery, located in the imperial mausoleum's side mausoleum. They offered incense and kowtowed to their elders, and Gu Zhizhuo placed the wolf tooth amulet in front of Gu Taotao's grave.
"Daddy, I'm really good."
Gu Zhizhu recounted all his achievements on his trip to the Western Frontier, exaggerating them by at least 30%.
As she spoke, her voice choked up, and tears welled up without her realizing it.
Gu Zhizhu buried her head in Gu Yican's shoulder and sobbed.
Gu Yican gently stroked his sister's long hair, quietly waiting for her to finish venting her emotions.
After a while, he said, "It won't look good if you keep crying."
"No. My cousin Danling said that even when I cry, it's like a beautiful woman with tears in her eyes." She sniffed and asked threateningly, "Isn't that right?"
Yes, yes, yes!
Gu Yican raised both hands in agreement: "My sister is the prettiest, just as pretty as me."
Gu Zhizhuo smiled through her tears. Having experienced the life-and-death separation in her previous life, she cherished everything in this life and wouldn't let her bad mood linger for too long. She happily said goodbye to her parents, leaving each of them a flowered headscarf.
With the most important thing on his mind settled, Gu Zhizhuo's steps became much lighter.
The brother and sister chatted and joked, and arrived in the capital just after noon.
The streets and alleys were bustling with activity, and almost every teahouse and restaurant along the street was packed with people, all waiting for the results of the joint trial by the three judicial authorities.
"I remember last time the Duke of Wei proposed allowing the common people to observe and listen to the proceedings?"
right.
Gu Yican said to her, "However, in case there are too many people and they get bumped and squeezed, the qualification to listen in is determined by lottery. About a hundred people were selected from the interested people, with students accounting for 30%, merchants accounting for 20%, and actors and entertainers and other people of low social status accounting for 10%."
The common people treated it as a lottery, but in reality, the imperial court was selecting suitable people.
"Interesting." Gu Zhizhuo raised an eyebrow, asking with great interest, "Who suggested it?"
"Duke of Wei".
"The Duke of Wei is truly a remarkable man."
"Right, right, I say the same thing."
Jade Lion followed beside Yan Yunzhao, the two horses very close together, their steps in sync. Gu Yican's long arm was draped over her shoulder, his smile as radiant as a flower: "The people were all chosen by the Duke of Wei, and of all of them, only 20% are from the capital."
The selection process was certainly not for the purpose of cheating.
The students were selected because they were good at writing.
We choose merchants because they travel to farther places.
Actors and entertainers were chosen because they had a lot of contact with people.
...
The Duke of Wei was afraid that the news of the deposed emperor's crimes would not reach the ears of the people.
"That old fox, Duke Wei, usually seems quite cunning. But when the Crown Prince praised him for doing a good job, he immediately got incredibly excited. He stayed up for three days and nights to prepare for the lottery, and almost every one of the 110 people drawn is useful."
"The Crown Prince has given him full authority to oversee this joint trial by the three judicial departments."
Gu Zhizhuo exclaimed, "Amazing!"
Gu Yican turned to look at her: "Who's better?"
Two pairs of identical phoenix eyes met.
Gu Zhizhuo said matter-of-factly, "Young master, you know how to use people well."
His sister didn't praise him! Gu Yican stared straight at her; he and his sister were no longer the best of friends in the world.
He pretended to wipe away tears.
Gu Zhizhuo beckoned to him with her finger, and the two of them stood shoulder to shoulder. She took out two floral headscarves from her bundle.
"I searched for a very long time, and only these two are exactly the same."
The tie-dyeing technique in Xinjiang is very special; each piece of fabric is different, and there are very few similar ones.
“We each have one. It’s just the two of us.”
Gu Yican was satisfied. He took the floral headscarf and tied it around his arm, then casually tied another one around his sister's arm as well.
They look like siblings at first glance!
"Let's go!"
The horse trotted forward and soon arrived at the Dali Temple.
The people who were "selected" to attend the hearing arrived early, whispering among themselves at the entrance, their faces flushed with excitement.
The court session hadn't started yet, but Xie Yingchen had already arrived. When the brother and sister went in, Xie Yingchen was talking to the Duke of Wei.
The moment Xie Yingchen saw Gu Zhizhuo, he immediately stood up, walked over quickly, and made no attempt to hide the joy in his eyes.
"Miss Gu."
Duke Wei also quickly stood up and greeted him.
Gu Zhizhuo, dressed in military uniform, changed his curtsy to a fist salute: "Lord Duke".
"I dare not accept such a courtesy!" Duke Wei dared not accept her courtesy and quickly returned the greeting.
Xie Yingchen took off her cloak and pulled her to sit down with him: "Was everything alright?"
"smoothly!"
"Where did Miss Gu go?" Duke Wei asked curiously, noticing her attire.
"Western Xinjiang".
Western Xinjiang? Dressed like that, going to Western Xinjiang... you must be off fighting, right? Oh well, as long as the two of them don't say anything, he won't know anything!
Gu Zhizhuo turned her head and smiled at him, her eyes sparkling: "Young master, I bought a lot of floral headscarves, let me pick one out for you."
Gu Yican deliberately turned to the side to show Xie Yingchen the floral headscarf he had tied to his arm, looking smug and proud.
“My sister gave it to me,” he emphasized. “We’re the same.”
Hehe, no matter how you pick, you won't find the same one.
Xie Yingchen: "..."
"They were all bought from Aur City... Would the Duke like them?"
The Duke of Wei was flattered and repeatedly said, "Yes!"
This is a great opportunity to get closer to Miss Gu.
Gu Zhizhuo picked one out for him first, and the Duke of Wei happily tied it to his arm in front of her as well.
Before Xie Yingchen could choose a match, the Minister of the Court of Judicial Review entered and announced, "Your Highness, the court session is about to begin."
Xie Yingchen tucked her ponytail behind her ear: "Let's go."
Xie Yingchen guessed that Gu Zhizhuo would definitely come to observe the trial, and even set out chairs for the two of them.
Gu Yican took her sister's hand first, and Xie Yingchen walked to her left, whispering to her, "Xie Rong has lost her sense of taste and smell."
ah?
So, does that mean all he can do is hear and speak?
It seems that the backlash from Heaven on Xie Rong is the loss of his five senses... If even his hearing is gone, such torment would be enough to drive someone mad. Even if he can still hear now, he's probably already half-mad, his will fragile.
As soon as Xie Yingchen arrived, everyone in the courtroom greeted him.
Not long after they sat down, the court session began.
The first to appear in court was Duke Cheng'en, who had been imprisoned for several days and was still in a daze.
Snap!
The moment the gavel struck, he trembled in fright and fell to his knees.
"I was wrong! "
"Don't kill me."
"I'll tell you everything."
During the trial, he recounted the entire incident in one go, causing an uproar among the people in attendance.
Following closely behind were the captured Liang Ren.
At that time, more than a thousand Liang people were captured alive, and those who refused to confess even at the cost of their lives have died as they wished.
The rest...
They had been lying low in Daqi for ten years, some even marrying and having children there, becoming no different from the locals. The Duke of Wei was cunning; when he had previously observed the interrogation in the imperial prison, he used the promise of "exemption from punishment for wives and children" as a condition, and some immediately confessed.
Now, in court, these people have laid out the entire plan that Duoleng and the deposed emperor had agreed upon.
The deposed emperor colluded with barbarians?!
Did the deposed emperor allow barbarians to set fire to the capital and burn it down?
The deposed emperor murdered his father first, then plotted a rebellion, and when that failed, he wanted to drag the entire capital down with him.
Good heavens! If this fire really started, how many people in the entire capital would die? The thought of almost being burned alive fueled a boiling, relentless rage in everyone's hearts.
When Xie Rong and his son Xie Jing were brought up, the angry crowd raised the cabbages in their hands and threw them at them.
Snap!
The cabbage stalk hit Xie Jing on the back, and cabbage leaves flew everywhere.
You'll die a horrible death!
As the shouting and cursing continued, more and more people joined in this outburst of anger.
"Killing one's father and brother is an outrage against Heaven and Earth."
"If you die, you will go to the eighteenth level of hell."
"Go to hell!"
Vegetable leaves, torn shoe soles, crumpled pieces of paper, even fans and handkerchiefs—they threw whatever they had in their hands at Xie Rong, hurling it all at him.
Xie Jing's face turned deathly pale. He shielded him with his body, letting the malice and the curses filled with resentment and hatred come one after another.
Gu Zhizhuo: "..."
She remembered the Gu family members in the courtroom in her previous life.
He was in the same sorry state, and was scorned and despised by thousands. At that time, Xie Jing was the judge.
The third uncle was tortured to the point of near death in prison and did not confess, but in court, one "evidence" after another was presented, and the charges were forced upon the Gu family one by one.
The scene before me seemed to overlap with my memories...
How can it make me so happy!
Gu Zhizhuo smiled and whispered to Gu Yican, their heads close together: "The Duke of Wei must have done it on purpose!"
They deliberately allowed people to enter the government office without checking anything.
"I think so too. Wow, little sister, look! There it is..."
Just as a blacksmith angrily raised his hammer, almost throwing it, the constables simultaneously struck their fire-and-water sticks.
Knock knock knock!
The blacksmith's mind was jolted awake, and he angrily lowered his hand.
Snap—
The gavel struck.
The noise finally subsided. Xie Jing brushed off his disheveled state, shaking off the vegetable leaves and torn socks from his hair and clothes, and then went over to help Xie Rong.
"Father, be careful..."
"Get out of my way!"
The emperor shoved him away roughly.
Caught off guard, Xie Jing stumbled and nearly fell. He lowered his head, his face gloomy, and sighed inwardly. After Gu Zhizhuo took Jia Ye away, seeing that his father was blind and had difficulty eating and drinking, he asked the jailer to transfer him to his father's cell to take care of him.
Unexpectedly, this aroused the father's suspicion.
The father seemed to be recalling the curses Changfeng had made before his death, and he spoke with absolute certainty that he would kill him.
"Deposed Emperor Xie Rong, you murdered the late emperor with poison, framed the former crown prince, and usurped the throne. Do you plead guilty?"
Snap!
The gavel struck with a crisp, resounding thud, striking Xie Rong's heart as well.
Xie Rong could no longer see even a sliver of light or shadow. He tilted his head and looked around blankly, as if he had only just realized that he was in a courtroom.
"I am the emperor!" Xie Rong raised his finger and pointed around the courtroom. "You have all been misled by Xie Yingchen, deceiving the emperor and humiliating me in every way. Your crimes are unforgivable."
Having heard the Liang people confess that Xie Rong allowed them to set fire to the city, the people remained unmoved by his explanation.
The Minister of the Court of Judicial Review presented one piece of evidence after another.
From poisoned inksticks to the white silk used to strangle the former crown prince, and then to the poison that nearly killed Xie Yingchen as well...
"I have never seen it!"
"Father, just accept it."
"You really did conspire with Xie Yingchen to kill me. I should have killed you long ago..."
Xie Rong's eyes were bloodshot, like a trapped beast driven to the brink of despair. He suddenly lunged at Xie Jing and grabbed his neck with both hands.
Xie Jing didn't have time to dodge. He was pinched until his face turned pale. He instinctively raised his hands, wanting to push him away, but then slowly lowered them.
"You unfilial son! You conspired with outsiders to harm me, you unfilial son!"
Xie Rong's voice was shrill, and his strength increased.
Knock knock knock!
Even with the water and fire sticks raised, Xie Rong still wouldn't let go. The constables had no choice but to drag him away, and the courtroom descended into chaos. The common people, however, found the spectacle fascinating and took advantage of the confusion to throw a few pieces of vegetable leaves.
The Dali Temple officials couldn't help but look at Xie Yingchen, who was covered in sweat.
Xie Yingchen wore a gentle, faint smile and remained silent, as if he were merely there to observe the proceedings and had no interest in the chaos within the courtroom.
Gu Zhizhuo only glanced at it and took out the yellow paper he always carried with him.
"hand."
Gu Yican obediently stretched out his hands, and Gu Zhizhuo spread out the yellow paper and placed it flat on his palms. Using his hands as a table, he dipped them in cinnabar and began to write quickly.
"What's this?"
"It's something my master taught me."
"You unfilial son, go to hell!"
Xie Rong gripped him tightly, Xie Jing's mouth gaped open, his breath almost stopping. The constables finally managed to separate them. Xie Jing clutched his neck, collapsed to the ground, and gasped for air.
The gavel made people's eardrums hurt from the banging.
The Minister of the Court of Judicial Review's hands were red from pounding, and he said in a loud voice, "Deposed Emperor Xie Rong, the evidence against you is irrefutable, why don't you confess?!"
Xie Rong stood in the courtroom, his robes somewhat disheveled. He turned toward the direction of the Minister of the Court of Judicial Review, following the sound, and said, "I am the Emperor."
All the evidence was laid out before him, but Xie Rong pretended not to see it—he simply couldn't see it.
"Death penalty! Death penalty!"
The people were outraged and shouted, their voices echoing throughout the courtroom. Xie Jing, panting and clutching his neck, gave a bitter smile, his head bowed, offering neither argument nor rebuttal.
Only Xie Rong, with his hands behind his back, kept repeating the same sentence: "Xie Yingchen plotted treason and colluded with others. It's all a lie!"
"I am the Emperor of the Great Qi Dynasty."
Gu Zhizhuo finished drawing the talisman, carefully added some fine powder to the middle, and continued to use Gu Yican's hand as a table, slowly folding it into a triangle.
"Take him away."
Xie Rong did not plead guilty, so they had to take him away to interrogate others first, and the court would be held on another day.
In a joint trial by three judicial authorities, if the prisoner does not sign and affix his/her fingerprint, he/she must undergo three trials before a conviction can be made.
The constables were escorting the emperor away to take him away.
"etc."
Gu Zhizhuo, who had been listening attentively to the proceedings, suddenly spoke up.
She asked, "Sir, may I ask you a few questions?"
The Minister of the Court of Judicial Review readily agreed.
Gu Zhizhu walked over and gently patted Xie Rong's shoulder, as if brushing away the vegetable leaves from his shoulder. She then quietly slipped the talisman she had just folded into Xie Rong's body, and no one noticed her actions.
"Xie Rong, you poisoned the late emperor and strangled the former crown prince. If you don't confess, they will come after you."
Xie Rong: ?
"The late emperor has arrived. Look, he's right in front of you, staring at you."
Her voice was soft and melodious, and she used incantation techniques.
Xie Rong's heart skipped a beat.
"Take him away."
After Gu Zhizhuo finished speaking, he left on his own without lingering.
Xie Jing looked at her, puzzled. He struggled to his feet and tried to help Xie Rong. However, Xie Rong suddenly stopped, his face contorted with extreme fear, as if he had seen something terrifying.
He fell to the ground with a thud, supporting himself with his hands, trembling uncontrollably.
"Father."
Xie Jing hurriedly went to help him, but was pushed away by him.
Xie Rong moved his lips, staring intently ahead, as if he could see something through the layers of figures in the courtroom.
"Father?" Xie Rong cried out in near despair, "Don't come any closer! Don't come any closer!"
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