Chapter 45: Complaint: She is different from Cheng Xianzhi
The matter of Chunfeng Tower soon reached the Chamber of Commerce. Tianshu told Luo Yunchu the whole story. Since they had originally agreed on a time, Luo Yunchu had to change his itinerary.
"Let's go to Changqing Street. She's going to the Ministry of Justice and probably won't be back for a while."
When the carriage arrived at the gate of the Ministry of Justice, Lu Tingwan asked Feng Xin to explain their purpose to the guards.
The guard stood solemnly, drawing his sword from his waist. "The Ministry of Justice won't accept petitions from ordinary citizens. If you want to file a complaint, go to Jingzhao Prefecture and file it."
Feng Xin was forced to take a few steps back, looking helplessly at Lu Tingwan. Lu Tingwan stepped forward and argued, "Since the Ministry of Justice has the responsibility to hear cases, then what's wrong with suing the Ziqian family in Jingdu for forcibly abducting women and forcing them into prostitution?"
"The Ministry of Justice will not accept any case that has not been reported to the court. Please stop making trouble."
The uncle was already disheartened. Seeing that Lu Tingwan and Feng Xin were still struggling with the guards, he could no longer be timid. He simply knelt on the ground and kowtowed, saying, "Please, sir, redress my grievances... I have a grievance..."
"Gao Heng, the owner of the gambling house Qian family, forced women of good character into prostitution and forcibly sent the common people's daughter to Chunfeng Tower..."
Gradually, many people gathered outside the Ministry of Justice. Seeing that the situation was out of control, the runners of the Ministry of Justice went in to report. The Vice Minister of the Ministry of Justice had just finished discussing important matters with Cheng Xianzhi, and Han Zhou was waiting on the side.
Seeing the yamen runner hesitate to speak, Han Zhou asked, "What is the matter that you two gentlemen want to discuss?"
"Yes... there are troublemakers outside the gate, saying that someone is forcing women into prostitution and insisting that the Ministry of Justice come to appeal for justice."
"Since they have a grievance, why have they gone to Jingzhao Prefecture to file a complaint? Why did they come to the Ministry of Justice?"
"The guards have already said that the two women and the old man were shouting Gao Heng..."
Cheng Xianzhi, who was inside, looked up when he heard the name. "Since there is a grievance to be filed with the Ministry of Justice, please invite the person in first..."
"Sir, this is not within the jurisdiction of the Ministry of Justice..." The Vice Minister of Justice hesitated.
"Didn't you just hear him talking about Gao Heng?" Cheng Xianzhi glanced at the Minister of Justice. "What I want is news about Gao Heng."
Cheng Xianzhi glanced at him with a frown. He had just come out of prison and still had the bloody smell from the interrogation on his body. The Minister of Justice wiped his sweat frequently. The yamen runner was quite perceptive and did not say a word. He hurriedly invited someone in.
"Sir, the person has been brought here."
Cheng Xianzhi stood under the eaves, with the Minister of Justice and Han Zhou standing on either side.
Seeing the familiar face, Lu Tingwan and Feng Xin were stunned for a moment. The person under the eaves was very imposing and swept past Lu Tingwan until he came closer.
He didn't say anything, and Lu Tingwan didn't rush to explain.
Han Zhou glanced at Cheng Xianzhi, who stood still, and asked first, "Who is coming?"
The old man knelt down and pleaded, "I, the humble Zhou, pay my respects to you, sir. I am a farmer from a village outside the capital. Last year, I borrowed twenty taels of silver from Gao Heng in the city. That Gao Heng..."
"That Gao Heng is a loan shark." Cheng Xianzhi moved his body at this time, withdrawing his gaze from Lu Tingwan and falling on the sunlight behind him.
"Lord Cheng knows this person." Lu Ting asked as he stepped forward.
Cheng Xianzhi glanced at her and turned his back: "Where is Gao Heng now?"
The old man said, "In reply to your Excellency's question, Gao Heng kidnapped my daughter from home and sent her to Chunfeng Tower half a month ago. He has not come to collect the debt since then, and I have no idea where he is..."
The Minister of Justice asked, "Why don't you file a lawsuit in Jingzhao Prefecture? Why come to the Ministry of Justice instead?"
“Yes… yes…”
The old man wanted to say that Lu Tingwan brought him here, but Lu Tingwan saw that he was embarrassed, so he said: "I brought Uncle Zhou here."
Cheng Xianzhi stood with his hands behind his back. In the invisible darkness, his eyes were gloomy, with an ambiguous smile.
"The Jingzhao Prefecture's Criminal Division previously detained the flower farmer," she said, her eyes fixed on the straight figure. She had never thought she would run into him in the Ministry of Justice today. "I don't trust anyone in the Criminal Division."
The man only heard a harsh sneer, interrupting Lu Tingwan's statement.
He slowly turned around, his long arms tucked behind his back into his wide sleeves, and he looked down at Lu Tingwan: "The Criminal Justice Department is under the jurisdiction of Jingzhao Prefecture. You dare to question the imperial institution? Do you know that this is a serious crime?"
Lu Tingwan knew that he was trying to make things difficult for her, so she said, "If speaking frankly in front of adults becomes a serious crime, then I have nothing to say."
"I originally thought that with Cheng Pushe supervising the Ministry of Justice, things would be different, but now they don't even dare to accept the people's complaints. This is really disheartening to the people of Kyoto."
Han Zhou said, "It's not impossible to file a complaint in Jingzhao Prefecture and then submit it to the Ministry of Justice. If you want to..."
Han Zhou then realized the title and changed his words, "If you want the Ministry of Justice to directly try this case, it is not impossible."
Cheng Xianzhi remained silent. The Minister of Justice also knew what Han Zhou wanted to say and his face looked grim.
"Please speak, sir."
"Our dynasty has always had a drum for reporting grievances. People beat the drum to appeal and file a complaint. According to the law, those who file a complaint before the court will be punished first."
Lu Tingwan asked, "How is the punishment?"
"Twenty strokes of the cane."
"What?" Lu Tingwan looked at the wounds on the uncle's body and felt sorry for him. "He was beaten like this by the people from Chunfeng Tower just to see his daughter. How could he withstand twenty beatings?"
"Forget petitioning for justice. How can I redress my grievances if I'm dead? May I ask, Cheng Pushe, if I don't face the punishment in court, then this grievance is not worthy of redress, right?"
Han Zhou sighed inwardly and answered for him: "According to the law, it should be so."
Lu Tingwan bit her lip and said nothing, suppressing a myriad of complicated emotions.
"The person Gao Heng sent to Chunfeng Tower, can he..."
"That depends on what kind of injustice the lawsuit seeks. It's only natural to pay back debts. If a murder is caused by debt, then the government has a responsibility to investigate and restore the truth and justice." Cheng Xianzhi said.
The old man made up his mind after hearing this. "I am willing to be punished. Thank you, Manager Jiang, for giving me a ride. For my daughter, I have to fight for it."
"We can go to Jingzhao Prefecture. We won't be punished if we file a lawsuit in Jingzhao Prefecture..." Lu Tingwan's eyes were filled with tears and his voice was choked with sobs.
"I've heard that the Ministry of Justice is supervised by Cheng Pushe. I've also heard that Cheng Pushe is swift and decisive. Although he uses drastic measures, he has never committed a wrongful conviction. Today, I will strike the drum to seek justice for my daughter."
"Please ask Manager Jiang to write the petition for me." Uncle Zhou kowtowed three times.
Lu Tingwan helped him up, let Feng Xin support him, and took a few steps forward by himself.
"Sir Cheng, may I have a moment with you?"
The assistant minister of the Ministry of Justice didn't know why, but seeing that Han Zhou spoke to this person with respect, he was quite sensible and didn't ask too much.
Cheng Xianzhi walked towards the main courtyard of the Ministry of Justice, and Lu Tingwan followed closely behind.
When they were the only two left, Cheng Xianzhi asked, "You have a lot on your plate. How did you get involved with Gao Heng?"
Lu Tingwan had no intention of dealing with him, nor did she care about Gao Heng's status.
"Uncle Zhou was seriously injured when he came out of Chunfeng Tower. Has anyone ever been unable to withstand the imperial battle since ancient times?" This was her only thought.
The man in front stopped and turned to look down at her. "Twenty strokes of the imperial staff is not a big deal for a healthy man, and he needs to recuperate for half a month. But as you said, he is old and injured, so it's hard to say whether he can make it."
"What?" Cheng Xianzhi glared at him with his narrow eyes.
"You haven't answered my question yet."
"There's a precedent for that."
"Lu Tingwan, do you think you're a savior?" Cheng Xianzhi said, "Those who seek justice will beat drums, file petitions, and be punished. Nothing is lacking."
"How come you also feel wronged here?"
Lu Tingwan had lost her former liveliness and brightness, and was shrouded in a layer of gloom. This was the first time Cheng Xianzhi had seen her like this.
"If the Ministry of Justice accepts this case, can you preside over the trial?"
"The Ministry of Justice has its own rules for handling cases, and it's not convenient for me to interfere."
Seeing that she was in trouble again, he added: "But I can sit in on the class."
"Really?" Hearing this, she raised her eyes and finally smiled.
Cheng Xianzhi added, "Being an observer doesn't mean I can interfere."
Amidst the ups and downs, she had exhausted all her hopes.
Cheng Xianzhi will definitely intervene. The matter involves Gao Heng, and perhaps clues about Gao Heng can be found from this case. Han Zhou has already arranged for Manager Yu to meet at the gambling house on the pretext of borrowing money.
The incident involving the villagers today is just one of the cases arising from the dispute over Gao Heng's usury. A murder had already occurred a month ago, but in order not to alert the culprit, the Ministry of Justice did not handle the case in a high-profile manner. Only when Gao Heng and other evildoers are punished can the money houses and lenders be free from worry.
Lu Tingwan asked in a low voice: "Can I trust you?"
The voice lacked the usual tension and arrogance, and sounded more like a surrender.
"Don't trust anyone easily." Cheng Xianzhi regained his cold and unattainable attitude.
Lu Tingwan figured it out. She wanted to seek justice for Uncle Zhou and her daughter. This was injustice, oppression, bullying, and slavery.
Today it could be someone else, tomorrow it could be herself. She is unwilling to be a coward hiding behind the truth, sympathizing with the suffering people with guilt and pity all day long. She wants to do her best to help those in prison.
She is different from Cheng Xianzhi.
She would stand up for an insignificant person, and would also speak up for someone who was at odds with her and whom she disliked.
Because injustice should not be obscured by any personal grudges or cold eyes.
After she made her decision, she went to the Ministry of Justice to bring Uncle Zhou back to Zhichunli, and sent someone to take good care of him. She also found a doctor to treat him, even though he might have new injuries after tomorrow.
After learning more details from Uncle Zhou, she wrote quickly, with both emotion and writing, in one go.
The petition was completed. The next day, Lu Tingwan, Feng Xin, Luo Yunchu and others sent the uncle to the Ministry of Justice. When the onlookers heard someone beating the drum to report the incident, they also gathered together.
Once the drum for reporting the case is sounded, the Ministry of Justice will intervene in the case, and even the various departments in the court will pay attention to the case. If the trial is biased or unpopular, the judges and observers will be implicated.
Uncle Zhou was tortured, and the petition was finally successfully submitted to the Ministry of Justice. However, before the trial began, Uncle Zhou fainted and was unable to plead his case.
Lu Tingwan said he could defend him, but the person who filed the lawsuit was no longer conscious, so the trial was interrupted.
After leaving the court, Cheng Xianzhi asked Han Zhou to find Gao Heng as soon as possible, otherwise the person accused in the petition could not be found, and it would be useless no matter how sad the petition was.
The uncle was temporarily detained by the Ministry of Justice and was being treated by a doctor to ensure that he could consciously explain the whole story before the trial that day.
"This case has been reported to the Ministry of Justice through the sound of the drum. Tomorrow at the court meeting, someone will use this to make a fuss. I have to prepare early. Gao Heng must be arrested tonight." Cheng Xianzhi tapped the table lightly with his knuckles.
"Your Excellency wants to use this case to convict Gao Heng and expose the cannibals behind him."
"The Ministry of Justice taking over this case is a difficult matter, but it's not a bad thing. Now that half of the people in Kyoto know about it, it can't just be the Ministry of Justice's business."
"I understand."
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