Chapter 46 Questioning Cheng Xianzhi, Come Out
After nightfall, it was already midnight. The gambling house was filled with all kinds of people. The dim lights barely illuminated the messy walls. When the autumn wind blew in, the oil lamps hit the walls, and a few cracks revealed the years and atmosphere of the gambling house.
The shouts of the gamblers drowned out the sounds of shaking sieves and various gambling tools, and the air was filled with strong liquor and sweat.
At this hour, most people have just entered the gambling house. By midnight, the scene inside is unprecedentedly grand. Some are carried out, some are driven out, and some have made a lot of money. The faces of those gamblers are filled with greed and desire.
Han Zhou leaned against an ancient tree branch outside the gambling house, holding his sword, waiting patiently for his prey to appear.
At midnight, Shopkeeper Yu appeared at the door of the gambling house. After walking around for a while, a middle-aged man in gray passed by him. Shopkeeper Yu glanced around and followed him in.
The prey is coming!
Han Zhou leaped forward, and in the dark night the crows spread their wings and flew away in all directions.
The next day, the trial was held in court. Uncle Zhou explained the reasons for borrowing money from Gao Heng, and also recounted how Gao Heng broke into the house, abducted the girl, and sent her to Chunfeng Tower to pay off the debt.
In the end, the Vice Minister of the Ministry of Justice determined that Gao Heng had used usury to make a large sum of money from the people's hard-earned money, which led to the murder. According to the Dalan law, Gao Heng was sentenced to three years in prison and thirty strokes of the cane.
That night, Lu Tingwan returned to the Cheng residence and went to the study to wait for Cheng Xianzhi, but Cang Shu told her that Cheng Xianzhi had gone to Yingyue Pavilion. Lu Tingwan followed him, and this was the first time she had been to Yingyue Pavilion since entering the residence.
Gongsun Xue prepared some chrysanthemum drink. Since Cheng Xianzhi was always busy with official duties, she could not see him very often. She stayed alone in her empty room every night, feeling sad in front of the mirror.
"My lord, you have been working hard on the case these days. Xue'er cannot share your worries, but Xue'er has learned some massage techniques to relieve your fatigue." Gongsun Xue said as she put her hand on Cheng Xianzhi's shoulder.
Carefully observing his emotions, Cheng Xianzhi remembered something and turned sideways to ask, while Gongsun Xue was frozen in mid-air.
"Do you like the Jade Dew Cream?"
"Xue'er likes it."
"Then have someone send some more to the mansion."
"My Lord forgot that you ordered a hundred jars from Zhichun, and they are delivered on time every seven days. Xue'er hasn't used up all of them yet."
"Hmm." Cheng Xianzhi pondered.
"I heard from people in the mansion that Shopkeeper Jiang of Zhichunli filed a lawsuit on behalf of someone in the Ministry of Justice. This matter has spread all over Kyoto. In just two days, it has had a profound impact. Is this matter worrying to my husband?"
Cheng Xianzhi recalled the look Lu Tingwan had given him after the Assistant Minister of Justice announced the verdict today.
There seems to be both questioning and complaining.
I don't know why my mind is so confused.
"Xue'er has heard about it too," Cheng Xianzhi frowned. "The case has been decided, but I'm afraid the result will be unpopular."
"Isn't this case being heard by the Lord? If there are any problems, will it be disadvantageous to you?"
"Master, Madam, the Second Madam is outside asking to see the Master." The maid's message interrupted the two of them, and Gongsun Xue turned sideways to look outside.
"Second Madam?" She looked at Cheng Xianzhi. Seeing that Cheng Xianzhi didn't speak, she ordered the maid, "Please ask her to come in."
The maid looked embarrassed and hesitated, "The Second Madam asked the Master to come to the study for a chat. She also said that the Master must know why she came."
Cheng Xianzhi said with a straight face and a straight face, "Tell her that I want to stay in Yingyue Pavilion tonight and don't want to see anyone."
"The Second Madam also said that if, if the Lord does not come, your alliance will be up for discussion."
Cheng Xianzhi's eyes darkened, casting a chilling shadow over the candlelight. "I hate being threatened."
The maid's back shuddered, she was in a dilemma. Seeing Lu Tingwan's attitude, she was afraid that if she made a scene, it would ruin the relationship.
Gongsun Xue saw that she was confused and realized that Cheng Xianzhi still had the final say in the family.
Ling Se said, "Don't go down yet."
The maid obeyed the order and delivered the message. Seeing that Lu Tingwan still did not leave, she could only persuade her: "Second Madam, the master is in a bad mood and is talking to the first lady. Otherwise, if you have anything to do, please come back tomorrow."
Lu Tingwan didn't care about that. After a pause, he shouted at the top of his voice, "Cheng Xianzhi, come out."
The maidservants in the courtyard hid behind the beams and pillars and whispered in a low voice, saying that the second wife had such a strong temper. Since ancient times, there has never been a concubine who questioned her master in the main courtyard.
"Hiding behind a woman is nothing compared to your skill. Is this how you, a dignified Minister of State, behave?"
Luzhu stepped forward to stop him: "Second Madam, please stop talking."
"Why are you stopping me? I'll just meet you once and leave after I've finished asking you questions. Cheng Xianzhi, why don't you dare to see me?"
A solemn figure appeared in the cold light. Under the moonlight, the person was as bright as silver, but with a cold look. He said, "Lu Tingwan, am I giving you too much face? How dare you say that..."
"What are you talking about?" Lu Tingwan's anger grew as he saw the man. "Why didn't you dare to see me? You left in a hurry after the trial and hid yourself after returning home. Are you feeling guilty? Or did you already know the outcome?"
Gongsun Xue followed them out and watched the two arguing. She scolded Lu Tingwan, "Second Madam, you are a concubine in the mansion. Why do you insult your master in public? Didn't the Lu family teach you the Three Bonds and Five Constant Virtues when you got married?"
Lu Tingwan didn't want to have anything to do with Gongsun Xue, and even when faced with questioning, she endured it. Her target was not Gongsun Xue.
It wasn't his intention to cause trouble in Yingyue Pavilion, he just wanted to get things clear, but Cheng Xianzhi's avoidance angered those thoughts in his heart.
"Madam, you can blame me however you want. It's my fault for disturbing your peace."
Cheng Xianzhi tilted his head and said, "You go in first."
"Will my lord come back?" Gongsun Xue grabbed his sleeve and was reluctant to let go.
Cheng Xianzhi responded, walked down the stairs, passed by Lu Tingwan, and said, "Come out."
Lu Tingwan followed him. She almost wanted to speak along the way, but Cheng Xianzhi walked so fast that she almost jogged.
Until he entered the study courtyard, he ordered people to close the gate. In the moonlight and cold night, a thin layer of dew and mist clung to his clothes.
"I know what you want to ask, Lu Tingwan. I have already reminded you that you felt the court verdict was unfair and that Gao Heng deserved to die, but the Ministry of Justice only sentenced him to three years in prison. That's not enough to appease your anger, right?" Cheng Xianzhi stood with his hands behind his back, looking down at him and taking the initiative.
"Isn't it?" Lu Tingwan's voice trembled, his delicate features wrinkled, and every word revealed disappointment.
"The Ministry of Justice will judge based on the severity and details of the case. The final decision will be based on compliance with Dalan law, not personal grudges or hatred," Cheng Xianzhi said earnestly, knowing she wouldn't understand. "Gao Heng is lending money at high interest rates, forcibly squeezing the people's hard-earned money, which is against the law. This is simply a common loan dispute under merchant law. Gao Heng has an IOU, and the interest calculation is clearly stated in black and white."
"But the interest calculation method has loopholes. Ordinary people have never learned accounting and have no idea about the weirdness. Gao Heng did it on purpose. His purpose is to continuously roll the loaned principal into huge debts, thereby emptying the borrowers. The people don't know, and don't you, the adults, who have been handling cases for years, know the reason?" Lu Tingwan spoke fiercely, his eyes red.
The sound of quarreling in the courtyard was faintly heard around the eaves. Cheng Xianzhi remained calm and said, "Yes, this is the fundamental reason why the Ziqian family lent money at high interest, but it is not clearly stated in the Dalan law. That's why I said that the Ministry of Justice can only judge cases based on the law."
"Even if Gao Heng forced someone to death during a loan sharking incident due to debt repayment, he cannot be convicted of direct murder. He can only be found guilty of debt collection, not murder. If you don't understand, I can ask the elders who draft laws in the court to explain it to you, Lu Tingwan. Even if the case wasn't heard by the Ministry of Justice today, if you sued Jinhua Palace or Hanzhang Palace, Gao Heng's crimes wouldn't warrant the death penalty."
"Do you think that being serious and passionate will get you what you want? Lu Tingwan, you're not a child anymore, why are you so stubborn about some things?"
"I'm stubborn? I'm stubborn?" Lu Tingwan smiled bitterly, feeling helpless. "Then why can't Uncle Zhou's daughter be brought back from Chunfeng Tower?"
"That is the contract between Gao Heng and Chunfeng Tower. Chunfeng Tower paid the money, and the person belongs to Chunfeng Tower. The court has no right to interfere." If the transaction had not been completed, the person could naturally be taken back. But now it is not possible. If Uncle Zhou wants to take his daughter back, he can only redeem her according to the rules of Chunfeng Tower.
"The law should put people first. The law is dead, but people are alive." The clear eyes were filled with tears, wetting the sight.
In the dimly lit courtyard, she couldn't even see Cheng Xianzhi's face clearly, only a vague white outline.
"There is no such thing as fairness in the world. If you want to live a more comfortable life, then you should face the reality, learn to accept injustice, and look down on it." Cheng Xianzhi's voice softened and he looked at her for a long time.
But Lu Tingwan couldn't listen to his reasoning. He believed that the law should not override human feelings and morality.
"You speak of the law as merciless because the judges themselves are cold-blooded and heartless. If such principles were ever applied to themselves, I doubt they would say the same thing. You powerful people think you are so high and mighty, holding the power of life and death. With a single word, you can decide the fate of others. But you don't realize that because of that single word, we have to work hard, even risking our lives, to find a ray of hope through this crack."
"Lu Tingwan, even those in high positions don't get to do as they please as you think. No matter where you are, as mortals, you face insurmountable hardships," Cheng Xianzhi said patiently today. "If you want to trap yourself in this insurmountable cognition, there's nothing for us to talk about tonight."
"As for the covenant you mentioned, if you are determined to go with the Queen Mother and be a pawn in her power, then I will tell you frankly that I will not give you the divorce papers. Everything Zhichunli has gained now will be the day you lose the one you love as you continue to pass on information to the Queen Mother."
Lu Tingwan listened in a daze to every cold threat.
"This is what you said. Powerful people can wield the power of life and death at will. I, Cheng Xianzhi, never claim to be a kind person, but Queen Mother Jiang's methods are no less ruthless than mine. As a daughter of the Lu family, now that you have entered this game, don't even think about getting out unscathed."
"Do you recognize me now?" Those starry eyes were originally strange, and now they were even more distant and unfathomable. She didn't understand him at all. She just thought that by helping him to investigate the property tax case, she would be a good official who could speak up for the people. It seems that she was wrong.
Beneath her stunning expression, there was now only dejection. She stepped back step by step until her back was pressed against the door. A strong wind blew in the night, and the chill swept through her body, but it was nothing compared to the heart that had sunk into the icy cave.
Under the moonlight, the noble young man looked at her like a dead leaf in the cold night.
Lu Tingwan saw through him. He had no compassion for the world. He was just as ruthless and ruthless as the rumors said, just like his face that was carved into nature and showed a sense of alienation.
He is right.
She was too cunning in gaining people's trust, but forgot that there was injustice in this world. She shouldn't have come to look for him tonight.
Lu Tingwan turned around, pushed open the gate, and left resolutely without saying a word.
And that figure lingered in Cheng Xianzhi's eyes for a long time.
The person flipping through the documents in the study had his mind wandering. The huge study was filled with loneliness and silence after the confrontation between the two. Occasionally, there were the restless sounds of cold wind knocking on the window lattice, just like his restless heart, which was about to flare up.
Cheng Xianzhi was confused.
The document was finally thrown aside. He calmed down for a long time and picked up the files taken back by the Ministry of Justice. The files of the closed cases should have been placed and archived by the Ministry of Justice.
But somehow, Han Zhou brought it back. Perhaps for a moment, he also disagreed with the ruthlessness of the law.
The laws of each dynasty are evolving and being optimized, which is why there are constantly revised versions.
Gao Heng admitted that the evil he had done by lending money at high interest was not only to rob women but also to force people to commit suicide.
It is unavoidable that human lives are treated as worthless under the feet of the emperor in Kyoto, so how much injustice and grievance must be contained in places where officials and the court cannot do anything.
Lu Tingwan was not wrong, and Uncle Zhou was not wrong either. It was just the world that was wrong.
Cheng Xianzhi called Cang Zhu in, and at Chou time Han Zhou entered the Cheng Mansion.
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