Chapter 57 Gradually Approaching... This is also since your ascension to the throne...
Zhilan looked up at the waiter, a sharp glint in her eyes: "Why have you been gone for so long?"
The waiter trembled, a hint of guilt flashing in his eyes. He explained with shaking shoulders, "Please calm down, esteemed guest. I saw that there were officials present and dared not come in to disturb them, so I waited outside for a while. That's why I'm late. Please forgive me."
Fu Jun immediately saw through the waiter's ulterior motives. He was clearly waiting outside on purpose, hoping that the Censorate would arrest him and Zhilan as murderers. This way, the trouble in the restaurant would be resolved, and the money for a doctor would be saved.
Zhilan was naturally well aware of this. She waved her hand impatiently, signaling him to go cool off somewhere else, too lazy to bother with his sophistry, and gestured for the doctor to come over.
The doctor sat down opposite Fu Yun, opened his medicine box, took out a folded cloth, and placed it on the table in front of him.
Fu Yun raised her arm and placed her wrist on the jade handkerchief.
The doctor glanced at Fu Yun's bandaged hand and casually asked, "Is your palm injured?"
Fu Yun nodded: "Yes, I was cut by a sword blade."
The doctor extended his right hand and gently pressed his fingertips on Fu Yun's wrist pulse. At the same time, he looked up to check Fu Yun's complexion. After a moment, he said solemnly, "I need to check the depth of the wound. If it has damaged the tendons and veins, my medical skills are mediocre, and I'm afraid I can't do anything about it."
Fu Yun sighed. It was so hard to get the bandage done, wouldn't it be painful to tear it off again?
Zhilan immediately explained, "His injury did not damage his tendons or veins, but the wound was quite deep, about half an inch deep, and you could see the bone upon closer inspection."
The doctor didn't press the matter, only asking, "What medications were used for bandaging?"
Zhilan said, "I just applied some hemostatic and analgesic medicine to the wound, and did not use any other medications."
The doctor said no more, took two small medicine bottles from his medicine box and placed them on the table: "These are pills to reduce swelling and pain and promote wound healing. Take one pill each morning and evening to help the wound recover."
After she finished speaking, she began writing the prescription herself.
"I'll prescribe some medicine to prevent sores. You can come with me to the pharmacy to get it and take it home. You should recover in about half a month."
Fu Yun stood up: "Okay, thank you for your trouble, doctor."
The doctor gently shook his head and put everything back into his medicine box.
Before leaving, he turned back and reminded me, "During your recovery, remember not to get your wound wet."
Fu Jun nodded, indicating that he understood.
Just then, a light footstep sounded upstairs, and the people downstairs all looked up at the same time.
Fu Yun recalled that these two were the two deputy commanders whom Ye Lan had sent to investigate when he entered the restaurant.
When the two men looked at Zhilan, their eyes were filled with respect and fear. They had obviously heard about what had happened downstairs not long ago and knew Zhilan's true identity.
The two lowered their heads, quickly descended the stairs, and bowed to Zhilan, saying, "Greetings, Master."
Zhilan was not surprised that the two knew her identity; the Imperial Guards always had the best hearing and sense of smell.
The reason Ye Lan didn't inform them before leaving was probably to deliberately keep the two of them behind to protect the Empress's safety and follow her orders.
Zhilan said calmly, "No need for formalities."
When the two men looked up, she glanced at the doctor who had come to his senses and was about to leave: "Arrange for someone to accompany the doctor to the pharmacy to get the medicine and deliver it to Young Master Su's tea shop."
The two guards exchanged a glance, and one of them respectfully replied, "Yes."
After agreeing, he strode to catch up with the doctor.
Zhilan withdrew her gaze, glanced at the medicine bottle, and reminded Fu Jun, "Take two pills first, then we'll leave."
Fu Yun naturally had no objection. He picked up the medicine bottle, poured out a pill from each of them, and swallowed it with tea.
At this moment, another imperial guard quietly left the restaurant and stood guard outside the door.
Zhilan glanced at the waiter who was standing in the corner with his shoulders hunched, and took out a silver ingot from her sleeve: "Keep the change, consider the extra as a tip for your trouble."
The waiter quickly put on a fawning smile: "Thank you for your generous tip, we look forward to your next visit."
Zhilan ignored the waiter and turned to Fu Jun, saying, "Let's go! Let's go take a look at your shop."
Fu Yun had no reason to refuse and agreed to Zhi Lan's suggestion.
The two left the restaurant and headed down the street towards a tea shop.
During the journey, Fu Jun casually inquired, "How is that Wang family patriarch doing now? Has he confessed?"
A chilling killing intent flashed in Zhilan's eyes as she coldly replied, "This person is extremely cunning. The Ministry of Justice has repeatedly questioned her, but she has refused to confess. Although everyone knows about the crimes she has committed, the Ministry of Justice has been unable to find any strong evidence to directly identify her. Furthermore, the victims and their families are unwilling to come forward and identify the crimes she has committed."
The Censorate was in a very passive situation. If it was just a rumor that she had committed heinous crimes, but no one beat the drum to appeal for justice, then the government would not be able to imprison her and prosecute her.
Unless the person she harmed comes forward to identify her crimes and clearly explain the details of the incident, a conviction can only be made if the evidence is conclusive. Otherwise, she can only be temporarily imprisoned until the authorities find evidence and proceed with the trial.
Fu Yun was somewhat surprised, not expecting that Zhi Lan would answer such a detailed question so casually.
So he also felt the urge to have a deeper conversation: "If no evidence is found, will she be kept in jail indefinitely until evidence of her crime is found?"
Zhilan shook her head: "That's not the case. To prevent wrongful convictions and the needless waste of innocent people's time, our country's laws stipulate that if no evidence is found within one month of a suspect's arrest, the person must be released without charge."
From this perspective, the laws of matriarchal societies are relatively flexible. But it's not necessarily wrong, considering that investigative methods were limited in ancient times, which made it easy for wrongful convictions to occur.
However, there are also some problems. Precisely because investigative methods are limited, the time it takes to solve a case is definitely beyond human control, and there is a possibility of letting the tiger go back to the mountain.
So, whether to continue detaining them or release them is indeed a rather troublesome issue.
"If no one identifies her within a month, won't she be released very quickly?"
Zhilan fell silent, her brows furrowed with seriousness: "In the absence of witnesses, physical evidence, and confessions, the Judicial Office cannot convict him."
Her tone was one of resentment and helplessness: "Even as the ruler of a country, I cannot arbitrarily convict her and order her to be executed."
Fu Yun asked, "Is it because she is somewhat famous in Lingzhou City and has some influence that we can't easily punish her?"
A complex emotion flashed across Zhilan's eyes: "That's only one reason. The second reason is the people's distrust of the government and the imperial court."
As you've probably heard, before the Wang family head was imprisoned, local officials turned a blind eye to all her misdeeds. This undoubtedly involved bribery and cover-ups. With the government failing to act and the people having nowhere to seek justice, they naturally assumed the government was aligned with the imperial court and disregarded the lives of ordinary people.
Fu Yun sighed inwardly, suddenly feeling a pang of sadness for Zhilan: "Is this also the reason why you have used such ruthless methods to purge the entire court since you ascended the throne?"
Zhilan smiled bitterly: "There are some things that if I don't do them, no one else can. Even so, it's impossible to avoid some slipping through the net."
If news of the Wang family head's affair were to reach the ears of those with ulterior motives, the situation would likely descend into even greater chaos. They would undoubtedly use this as a pretext to deliberately distort the truth, inciting the people to confront the government. Furthermore, they would likely shift the blame, accusing the government of arbitrary arrests and attempts to extract confessions under torture. They would then use this opportunity to slander the court for protecting corrupt officials and disregarding human life.
She paused, turned to look at Fu Jun, her gaze calm as the sea: "Do you understand the gravity of this situation?"
Perhaps she didn't realize at that moment that she had confided these thoughts, which she had never shared with anyone else, to Su Fujun without reservation.
The once aloof and lonely heart is gradually drawing closer to another person.
Fu Yun nodded: "I understand. This will only make the people question the ability of the court and the government. Instead of punishing the heinous criminals, it will put them on the moral high ground."
Zhilan stared at Fu Yun for a moment, then the gloom in her eyes gradually faded, and she smiled slightly, saying, "You are indeed smart enough, and have a high level of comprehension."
Seeing that Zhilan's mood seemed to have eased somewhat, Fu Yun felt a little lighter and joked, "Maybe it's because I like to overthink things and often get things right by accident!"
Upon hearing this, Zhilan simply shook her head and remained silent, the faint curve of her lips deepening imperceptibly.
Before she knew it, she felt a sense of regret for not having met him sooner.
For some reason, I felt that Su Fuyun was a pretty good person to talk to. Whether talking to her or spending time with her in private, it made me feel very comfortable.
It seems that as long as you tell him your troubles, you can get a moment of relief.
He seemed to always maintain a sharp mind and calm thinking, as well as a clear understanding of himself.
He was different from everyone around him; he was neither arrogant nor indulgent, nor cowardly, nor did he despise himself.
Although he doesn't know how to be humble, he's not arrogant or conceited. On the contrary, he's confident and certain of victory.
It seems there's nothing in this world that can stump him; if he sets his mind to something, there's nothing he can't do.
As the two walked in silence, Fu Yun mentally reviewed his conversation with the Empress. His thoughts gradually became clearer, and he gained some understanding and speculation.
If no one goes to beat the drum to appeal for justice, it's highly likely that the victims and their families have been threatened by the so-called head of the Wang family, and not just a simple threat, but one that could very well endanger their lives.
Thinking of this, Fu Yun suddenly had a flash of inspiration and thought of something.
Could it be that the assassin who attempted to kill the Empress today chose to pay with his life because he was threatened?
The coroner from the Censorate pointed out that she had signs of poisoning in her internal organs. Does this mean that she had no choice but to do it?
If the assassination attempt fails, and she doesn't choose to remain silent forever, then the person she cares about most will be killed.
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