Chapter 137 Obtaining the Truth
After Xue Xuan calmly uttered these words in the back house, the three "investigators" present were stunned for a moment. They did not expect her to be so direct and without any foreshadowing.
Zhao Duan looked at her with great interest:
"You know that's what we're asking?"
Wearing a female Confucian scholar's robe, with black hair tied behind her head, Xue Xuan, who was full of bookishness, said calmly:
"After thinking about it, the daughter of the people, the only thing worthy of your coming is my father's unjust case. The case has been settled. Mr. Zhao must want to know different versions of it when he pursues it."
Her narrative was clear and organized, and even though she had been threatened to lose her temper not long ago, she had calmed down now.
"It seems that Xue Lin taught you well back then."
Zhao Duan sighed in admiration, she was indeed a woman who almost married into the Dong family.
Haitang asked curiously:
"You said that Xue Shaoqing died unjustly?"
Zhang Han's eyes lit up even though his face was paralyzed:
"Sit down and talk carefully!"
The amount of information in this answer was so huge that Zhao Duan sat up a little straighter.
There is indeed something to this clue!
Xue Xuan sat down as he was told, but did not tell the story immediately. Instead, he looked at Haitang, who was the most talkative:
"I don't know what you know, and what you want to hear."
We want to hear the missing part in the document... The three of them murmured in their hearts, but they couldn't reveal it.
Zhao Duan said first: "Just tell me the whole process of the case that you know."
"Yes." Xue Xuan did not dare to disobey. He recalled briefly, as if he was organizing his words, and then said:
"The earliest thing happened was when the government office received a document regarding the death of Yang An, a Baihu official..."
The first half of Xue Xuan's narrative is not much different from what Zhao Duan saw in the file.
The cause was Yang An's former colleagues, who claimed that the deceased was murdered to death by his wife Yue, together with his brother-in-law, neighbor Hao, and a low-ranking priest of Tianshi Mansion.
The difference is that there are some more details, such as the full name of the warlock, which is called "Shen Rong".
After the case was confirmed by the government court, it was sent to the three divisions for review. The Procuratorate and the Ministry of Punishment both approved, but when it came to Dali Temple, it was blocked.
"At that time, it was my father Xue Lin who was responsible for reviewing the case," Xue Xuan recounted:
"My father likes to do things personally when he is an official. When he looked through the government files, he found that Yue's confession was inconsistent and had discrepancies with the confessions of several other people. With his many years of experience in solving cases, he determined that there was a case of torture.
The case was dismissed and the Ministry of Justice reiterated it, but the Ministry of Justice still upheld the original verdict, so my father dismissed the case again, and the process continued several times. "
Yes, yes, this is it!
Zhao Duan was shocked, and the file was broken here.
He suddenly felt like the novel he was following had been updated:
"Then?"
Xue Xuan calmly recounted: "After several back and forths, Zhongcheng, the censor of the Ducha Yuan at that time, who is now the minister of Dali Temple, Zhou Cheng, came to see my father in person to argue with him about the case.
If my father refuses to admit the result that both the Metropolitan Procuratorate and the Ministry of Criminal Justice have recognized, isn't he saying that the other two departments are not doing their job well?
Zhou Cheng ran away several times over this, and even got angry, but my father did not compromise and still insisted on rejecting the retrial. "
So tough? Zhao Duan was surprised.
I immediately remembered that Xue Lin’s resume was indeed described in the information.
When he was young, this man once worshiped Taishi Dong as his disciple. He was quite famous among scholars and scholars. Later, he entered the official career and repeatedly solved major cases. He was known for his "integrity" and was highly regarded by people at the time.
For an official with strong backing, ability, and integrity, it makes sense not to give Zhou Cheng face.
Zhang Han asked in confusion:
"It stands to reason that the case is being dragged between Dali Temple and the Ministry of Punishment. Why did Zhou Cheng jump out first and act so urgently?"
Xue Xuan glanced at him and suddenly said:
"Since you are in Zhao Yamen, you should know who the last governor of Zhao Yamen was, right?"
Taking office as governor?
The three of them looked at each other.
Haitang nodded first and said:
"Of course we know that the last governor was Wang Zhen, the eunuch in charge of the palace. He controlled the imperial office for more than ten years. When your father was imprisoned, Wang Zhen controlled the imperial office."
Wang Zhen?
Zhao Duan squeezed his brain cells and finally remembered this character.
This man was a eunuch whom the old emperor relied heavily on in his later years. It is said that at his peak, he had more than twenty errands and was quite powerful, capable of interfering in the affairs of the court.
He also belongs to a generation of powerful officials.
However, during the Xuanmen coup, this person accompanied the old emperor and was killed in the rebellion... and died silently.
After the empress succeeded to the throne, Ma Yan was promoted and succeeded Wang Zhen as the new governor. This is probably the timeline.
Xue Xuan nodded and said calmly: "Back then, Wang Zhen was very powerful. When my father took office as the Young Minister of Dali Temple, Wang Zhen ordered people to send gifts to win over him. My father studied under Grand Master Dong and had never been at odds with the eunuchs in the palace. Mu, so he declined.
And he said some unpleasant words, which offended Wang Zhen. "
"At that time, Zhou Cheng was in charge of the Metropolitan Procuratorate and was very close to the prince... Zhou Cheng might have done this to please the prince. At least, that's what my father thought at the time."
Factional struggle... Zhao Duan shook his head and understood the reason:
"Then what?"
Xue Xuan said:
"Seeing that my father refused to let go, Zhou Cheng went to join the Ministry of Punishment to put pressure on Dali Temple. After a long time, my father couldn't bear it anymore, so one of his judges came up with suggestions and said that it really didn't work. The case will be submitted to the late Emperor for decision."
The plot picks up!
The three of them pricked up their ears. There was a brief mention of this matter in the file, but the details were unclear.
Xue Xuan continued:
"But after the case was submitted, because the three departments had different opinions, the late emperor didn't know how to make a decision, so he went to an old censor named Pan from the Metropolitan Procuratorate alone and ordered him to re-investigate the murder case."
"Let the people from the Metropolitan Procuratorate investigate?" Zhang Han was surprised.
Zhao Duan glanced at him and said calmly: "Since the late emperor arranged it like this, it means that Pan Yushi must not be from the same family as Zhou Cheng."
Just like Lu Liang is also a censor, but he and his immediate boss Yuan Li belong to two completely different factions. This kind of thing is normal.
Hearing this, Xue Xuan nodded and said:
"It's true. Pan Yushi is not Zhou Cheng's person. After careful investigation, he found that the case was indeed wrongly judged. Yang An was ill for a long time. The Yue family did ask their neighbor Hao family and the warlock Shen Rong for treatment. But it was not poisoned.
As for the adultery, it was a complete fabrication, and Yang An just died of a normal illness. Pan Yushi reported to the late emperor. Seeing that the facts were clear, the late emperor made a judgment with a stroke of his pen and released the arrested Yue family members, while those who falsely accused him were imprisoned. "
Case cleared? The three of them were surprised at first, and then became more confused.
Haitang is curious:
"Now that the case has been investigated and settled, why is it causing trouble again?"
Xue Xuan was silent for a moment and said:
"Because Wang Zhen intervened."
The governor of the imperial edict back then?
Ended?
Zhao Duan raised his eyebrows, thinking that this case was getting more and more interesting.
Xue Xuan said:
"After Wang Zhen sent someone to intervene, the case quickly turned around. Pan Yushi, who was responsible for investigating the case, was beaten as a deceiver. The four Yue family members who had been released also changed their confessions again. Wang Zhen The theory given is that my father accepted bribes, and since he and the warlock Shen Rong were both from Wuling and were from the same hometown, he acted for personal gain and violated the law to protect him. Pan Yushi also participated in this and deceived the late emperor together with the officials of Dali Temple. "
"Wang Zhen reported to the late Emperor, who was furious and ordered my father, Pan Yushi and other officials involved in the case to be imprisoned and handed over to the Metropolitan Procuratorate for trial.
One can imagine what outcome Zhou Cheng, who is in charge of the Metropolitan Procuratorate, will come up with.
After my father and others were sent to the "Taiwan Prison" of the Metropolitan Procuratorate, they were tortured to extract confessions. Many people could not bear the punishment and bit them according to the wishes of Zhou Cheng and others, and more and more people were implicated...
As for the final result, several adults also knew it.
My father died. Pan Yushi was exiled to the army and died on the road. "
The room became slightly quiet.
Xue Xuan finished telling a more detailed version of the case, but the three of them became more and more confused.
Whether Pan Yushi inexplicably became a deceiver, or the four Yue family members who had been released from prison suddenly confessed their crimes.
It was obvious that it was all the work of that prince and his father-in-law. He was beaten into a trap and framed. The methods were not too simple.
Zhao Duan narrowed his eyes and said:
"You mean, all this is because of Wang Zhen? Because your father had offended this prince, so he used this case to join forces with Zhou Cheng to frame your father?"
Zhang Han and Haitang also frowned slightly.
Everyone thinks this statement makes sense, but it always feels a bit far-fetched.
After all, Xue Lin was not a simple person back then. Behind him was a group of literati led by Master Dong.
Even the daughter is betrothed to the Dong family. Even though the prince and the father-in-law have power over the whole government, just for this matter, they intervene in the frame-up?
Xue Xuan seemed to have noticed their thoughts. The female gentleman who was hiding in the back alleys of Dongcheng and teaching suddenly laughed at herself:
“At first, I thought that was the case, but later I found out that there was something else hidden.”
"Hidden secret?" Zhao Duan raised his eyebrows.
Xue Xuan said "en" and said calmly:
"At that time, Wang Zhen had an adopted son whom he loved very much, and he was also arranged to work as an errand in the imperial office.
The adopted son of the prince accidentally bumped into the Yue family, the wife of Baihu Yang An. He was attracted by her beauty and wanted to take over the Yue family, but failed, so he held a grudge.
After learning about Yang An's death, he secretly bribed Yang An's colleague and ordered him to make a false accusation in order to take revenge. "
Zhao Duan and the others were stunned for a moment. They didn't expect that the very first case contained a huge melon.
He also ate melons and ate them in his own yamen.
Xue Xuan laughed at himself and said:
"Originally, without my father's obstruction, this unjust case would have been over. Wang Zhen's adopted son did not expect that the matter would become so big that it could not be ended.
Pan Yushi reported that after the late emperor's decision, he was angry at such a trivial matter and went to the Jinluan Palace. He called Zhou Cheng and others to scold him and fined him a salary. "
"In fact, Zhou Cheng already knew that the person responsible for this case was the adopted son of Eunuch Wang, and the reason why the Metropolitan Procuratorate approved this case was to betray Eunuch Wang's face.
It was for this reason that he went to Dali Temple to put pressure on my father. "
It turned out to be like this...
Therefore, Zhou Cheng ran over and patted the table to help Wang Zhen's adopted son... Zhao Duan took a gentle breath.
Unexpectedly, this solved case is full of foreshadowing...
Zhang Han and Haitang also looked at each other: "What happens next?"
Xue Xuan said:
"After Zhou Cheng was punished, Xu Shi felt that the punishment could not be in vain, so he went to see Wang Zhen and explained the whole matter clearly, which was also a benefit. After all, in the final analysis, he went through all these things to 'honor' Wang Eunuch. ”
"Wang Zhen learned that the root cause of this incident was actually his adopted son's lust, and he was quite dissatisfied, so he called him in and gave him a scolding.
The adopted son did not dare to admit it, and refused to let go. He only insisted that it was Pan Yushi who lied and said that the case had nothing to do with him. "
"As a powerful eunuch, how could Wang Zhen know how to rub sand in his eyes? Even thinking about it, he knew that his adopted son was lying.
But at that time, there was a factional struggle in the court, and Wang Zhen and Dong Taishi and others were on the same side. As a young minister of Dali Temple, my father was also a thorn in Wang Zhen's side and a thorn in his flesh..."
Zhao Duan sighed and concluded: "So, even though Wang Zhen knew clearly that it was his adopted son's fault, he still realized that this was a good opportunity to attack the enemy, so he took action to ensure that The case has been turned over again?"
Xue Xuan nodded.
The secret story that she had been holding back for more than ten years was finally revealed in one breath today. For her, it was also a painful memory of the past.
The elegant and bookish female gentleman said:
"That's all I know."
"One more question," Haitang suddenly asked:
"What's the name of Wang Zhen's adopted son?"
The reason why she asked was not because of anything else, but mainly because the other party had also served as a Jinyi captain in Zhaoya, and he was one of the "seniors" of the three.
Really curious.
Xue Xuan was silent for a moment and spit out a name:
"Wang Shan."
…
…
At the same time, Nancheng.
In an uninhabited house, Qin Qiu, who was short in stature and liked to wear silk and satin clothes with a fan on the back of his neck, was tied to a pillar and beaten until he cried like a ghost.
After he came out of Jiaofangsi, he was beaten unconscious and kidnapped here before he had gone far.
The other party didn't say anything and just beat him severely.
There was a carriage parked at the door of the house.
He, the Prime Minister of Dali Temple, was sitting quietly in the carriage, tapping his fingers on his legs, and heard a low scream coming from the yard.
a long time.
The screams in the courtyard stopped, and after a while, the courtyard door was pushed open.
The young official from Dali Temple who was previously acting as a coachman and dressed in casual clothes walked to the carriage and whispered:
"Sir, this Qin Qiu has taken action. He said that the only time he knew of a place where Zhao Duan most likely slept with a woman was in the Wang Mansion."
He Zheng opened his eyes, the fingers on his thighs stopped tapping, and his eyes lit up first.
I thought that after struggling for so long, I finally found Zhao Duan's clue.
Then he frowned and said, "The royal residence? Which royal residence?"
There were many people named Wang in the capital, and he was not sure for a while.
The clerk whispered a name:
"Wang Shan."
…
ps: The case mentioned in this chapter was not compiled by me. It was based on a real case that occurred during the Zhengtong period of the Ming Dynasty. Some details have been modified, but the overall process remains the same.
I read the story in a book by Ma Boyong, but Prince Ma did not change it into a novel. He just wrote an article to record the incident. The article was called "Four Wrongful Souls in the Zhengtong Years". After reading it, I thought it was a The material was simply changed into a novel, haha.
(End of chapter)