Chapter 054: Qingtian Difficulty
The naked death case of the brothel lady and her servant has temporarily come to a stalemate.
Therefore, the two suspects are currently being temporarily detained in the Kaifeng Prefecture Prison.
On the one hand, the coroner continued to look for clues on the body, while on the other hand, Zhan Zhao took people to the scene and began searching near the deceased's residence.
Hope to find new clues.
Lu Sen returned to the foot of the mountain and told Master Chang what had happened.
When Master Chang heard that his only son was sent to prison, he was almost angry to death.
Lu Sen comforted him, "Master Chang, don't worry. He has only been detained, not convicted. I think the Prince of Runan is also willing to take charge. Although Bao Fuyin cannot try the case openly, I think he will still care about this case secretly and will not let Brother Chang Wei be wronged."
Old Master Chang sighed depressedly, "I just don't want Bao Fuyin to get involved in this matter. Rong Bao is his nephew. What if... Although Bao Fuyin has always been known for his integrity, it's hard to say that he won't be biased when it comes to relatives."
Lu Sen thought about it and really couldn't guarantee that Bao Zheng would be completely neutral and fair.
According to later rumors, Bao Zheng was fair and strict, but the problem is that historical materials are always a bit untrue.
After all, it happened so long ago, who can say that the recorded text did not deliberately conceal something?
After leaving Chang's house, Lu Sen returned to the low mountain to rest.
The affairs of the Chang family had nothing to do with him from then on. He lived his life leisurely as usual, occasionally sitting in the pavilion with friends who came to visit him to brag and chat about romantic matters.
Sixteen days passed in the blink of an eye. Lai Fu, a servant of the Chang family, came to visit. When he saw Lu Sen, he hurriedly said, "Lu Xiaolang, Master Chang Wei's case is about to be heard in the final instance. Kaifeng Prefecture invites you to watch the trial. I would like to invite you to come with me to help support the situation."
Mr. Chang was a wealthy landlord, but he had no power. He had only passed the county examination, but had failed to become a Jinshi in more than ten provincial examinations. As he grew old, he lost his ambition and thought about becoming a teacher.
Now, among all his relatives and friends, only Lu Sen seems to be capable. In this situation, worried that his son will be treated unfairly, he naturally wants to bring along all the people who may be able to help him.
After listening to this, Lu Sen immediately went to the Chang family at the foot of the mountain, and then rushed to Kaifeng Prefecture with Master Chang.
He is personally very interested in this case.
Who is the murderer?
Chang Wei or Tolerance, or someone else.
As a result, when Master Chang and Lu Sen arrived at Kaifufeng, the case had already been solved.
Chang Wei's leg had not healed yet, and he sat on the mat crying and laughing.
Bao Rong sat there in a daze, his face looking haggard.
Next to Rong Bao, there was a middle-aged couple glaring at Bao Zheng.
When Master Chang and Lu Sen entered the hall, the Prince of Runan, who was sitting in the main seat, immediately said, "Close the door."
Mr. Chang didn't pay any attention to it. He ran to his son and asked anxiously, "Wei'er, what's the situation? What on earth are you..."
Chang Wei's face was covered with tears. He turned his head and looked at Rong Bao next to him. He said viciously: "The Prince of Runan has already found the murderer. It's Rong Bao next to him, a beast in human form!"
Old Master Chang breathed a sigh of relief. He didn't care who the murderer was. He only cared that his son didn't do such a cruel thing .
"As long as everyone is safe, there is no need to worry too much. The murderer will naturally be dealt with by the law." Master Chang comforted.
In fact, it is just consolation, because Rong Bao is Bao Zheng's nephew, and it is hard to say whether he will be given a light sentence.
Chang Wei suddenly grabbed the old man's hand and cried out in grief: "The coroner said during the trial that Huanhuan is about three months pregnant. That's my child."
Mr. Chang was stunned for a moment, then he forced a smile on his old face: "That may not be our Chang family's child, after all, she is a young lady!"
"Huanhuan hasn't received any patrons for half a year." Chang Wei grabbed the straw mat with both hands, his eyes red as he stared at Rongbao beside him: "She has saved enough money and is preparing to redeem herself!"
After hearing this, Master Chang felt as if his whole body had been hit hard and he fell back to the ground.
With tears in his old eyes, he turned his head woodenly, pointed his trembling finger at Rongrong beside him, and muttered to himself: "Beast, beast!"
When he was young, Mr. Chang devoted himself to the goal of passing the imperial examinations. It was not until he failed in the imperial examinations in his middle age that he got married and had children.
He can be considered as having a son in middle age. Even though he scolds Chang Wei as a beast every day, it is a reflection of his deep love and harsh criticism.
Moreover, the Chang family is considered to have few members. He is now waiting for Chang Wei to turn eighteen, and then asks someone to arrange a marriage for him so that the Chang family can quickly have children and grandchildren and he can become a grandfather.
After all, people get old and their health isn’t as good as before, and they might even die one day.
Now hearing that his grandson had died before him, he felt as if his heart was broken and in great pain.
Lu Sen was standing behind and shaking his head as he watched. It was truly a tragedy.
At the same time, he also understood the current situation. The tightly closed door behind him indicated that the two senior officials in the hall seemed to want to settle the matter privately.
However, Lu Sen did not dare to completely confirm his guess. After all, according to rumors, Bao Zheng was fair and strict, and he would not cover up for his nephew.
Seeing that everyone had arrived, the Prince of Runan smiled and nodded to Lu Sen, then slammed the black gavel on the table and said, "The outcome of the case is now known. Bao Rong, a descendant of the Bao family, and Bao Mian, a descendant of the Bao family who is on the run, sneaked into the house of the An family in Kaifeng around midnight on the eighth day of the eighth month and raped the master and servant to death. After the coroner's examination, it was found that An was three months pregnant. Two lives were lost in one corpse, so the crime was aggravated. According to the law, Bao Rong and Bao Mian should be imprisoned and executed. However, since Bao Mian is on the run, Bao Rong should be executed first to set an example. The execution will be carried out at noon three days later."
Lu Sen suddenly realized that the flesh between the dead man's fingernails belonged to another prisoner.
Hearing this, Bao Rong trembled all over. Then he suddenly looked up and looked at Bao Zheng who was standing beside him with expectant and pleading eyes.
The old couple rushed forward a few steps at the same time, but were stopped by the police.
The old man grabbed the fire and water stick in front of him and roared, "Second brother, please say something! These two are your nephews. They just made a mistake. You can beat and scold them, break their hands and feet, and punish them in any way you want, but you can't take their lives. They are your relatives."
The old woman also cried and shouted, "Second brother, please treat it as your sister-in-law begging you to plead for mercy for your two nephews. As long as they can save their lives, it doesn't matter if they lose their hands and feet, or even send them to the frontier army. I beg you."
As she said this, the old woman fell to the ground and burst into tears, looking extremely sad.
At this moment, Chang Wei, who was sitting on the mat, suddenly roared: "They are both beasts, they are not human beings, they deserve to die!"
After saying that, he suddenly exploded, exerted force with both hands, and crawled towards Bao Rong with a ferocious face, as if he wanted to strangle the other person to death. However, before he got halfway, he was caught by the two constables nearby with water and fire sticks.
He could only dig in the spot and roar madly.
Lu Sen also stared at Bao Zheng, wanting to see what the other party would do.
At this time, the Prince of Runan leaned back slightly, turned his head to look at Bao Zheng, and asked with a smile: "Xiren, what do you think? Do you need me to change the sentence?"
At this time, everyone's eyes were focused on Bao Zheng.
Bao Zheng looked around slowly, finally stopping at Lu Sen, and stared at the latter for a few breaths.
Finally, Bao Zheng said calmly: "Because Rong Bao and Bao Mian are relatives of this government, according to the law, this government should avoid it. This case will be taken over by the Prince of Runan. Therefore, this government cannot have any suggestions or opinions on this case."
The father, who was tolerant, became even more anxious when he heard this and shouted, "Second brother, are you really so cold-blooded and heartless? You won't even say a word of pleading for your two nephews?"
The old woman was crying on the ground until she had no strength left.
"Xiren, Xiren, you are so cunning that you want to push everything onto me and take the blame for you." The Prince of Runan laughed and shook his head, then said seriously, "The gate is closed, what are you talking about? I was also the prefect of Kaifeng, and I have tried as many cases as you. According to the law, this case can be executed or tattooed and sent to the frontier army. It's just a matter of your words."
"You are the presiding judge of this case, Your Majesty."
The Prince of Runan suddenly sneered: "This is your disaster, Bao Zheng, and also your family affair. Why should I take the responsibility for you? I also encountered such things in the past, and no one was willing to take the responsibility for me, so no one has ever called me fair and strict. At most, they say I am a good official. Now it's your turn, what are you going to do?"
Everyone's eyes fell on Bao Zheng again.
Especially the old couple, they were trembling and looked at Bao Zheng in fear and pleading.
Bao Zheng was silent for two breaths, then said firmly: "Behead him immediately!"
The voice was obviously not loud, but to everyone, these three words weighed as heavy as a thousand pounds.
The Prince of Runan laughed loudly, threw the red arrow on the table and said loudly: "The facts and evidence of this case are solid and irrefutable. Rong Bao will be sent to the execution ground and beheaded immediately. Bao Mian is on the run, so a warrant will be issued to arrest him. Once he is captured, he will be immediately brought back to Kaifeng Prefecture for execution and the case will be closed."
The command arrow fell to the ground and rolled a few times.
The old woman fainted on the spot.
Bao Rong's whole body was shaking like a dice and cold sweat was pouring down. He stared at Bao Zheng blankly, as if he wanted to say something desperately, but his lips opened and closed slightly but no sound came out.
Then he was taken away by the police.
The old man tried to rush towards his son but was stopped by two constables.
He tried to rush towards Bao Zheng again, but was still blocked and could not get close.
Finally, he helplessly picked up the old woman on the ground, crying hard. After a while, he suddenly turned his head and stared at Bao Zheng with a cold look in his eyes, which finally turned into cold hatred: "Bao Zheng! What a fair and strict Justice Bao, hahahaha! Ruthless and ungrateful, without gratitude or love, what did my family do wrong to deserve to become brothers with a person like you!"
The old man uttered the last four words one by one through gnashing teeth.
Bao Zheng stood very straight, but his eyes closed unconsciously.
The atmosphere in the hall was depressing.
But at this moment, Chang Wei dragged his broken leg to his knees, kowtowed repeatedly, and said, "Thank you, Governor Bao, for standing up for the common people, and thank you, Justice Bao, for putting down your own relatives for the sake of justice. Huanhuan, the master and servant, and my child can rest in peace in their graves."
The old man turned his head and looked at Chang Wei angrily, but Chang Wei continued to kowtow hard. After three more kowtows, he fainted.
Blood was gushing from his forehead.
The old man looked at Chang Wei, whose face was covered in blood, and then looked at Master Chang, who was disheartened because of his grandson and looked like a lifeless statue. He was suddenly at a loss.
He looked around and saw that almost everyone was looking at them coldly. He couldn't find anyone to speak for him.
Then he realized that the matter was a done deal.
Finally, he carried his old wife on his back and walked out slowly.
"Old lady, they did something wrong, there is nothing we can do about it."
"Let's go back and dig a pit for them in the back hill. We also need to hire a master who is good at sewing to make the neck skin look better."
"Let's go, let's go. The people in the capital are cold-hearted."
"Don't let Xiaoyao read books when you go back. If he reads too many books, he will either become a beast or a heartless person."
Watching the old man leave muttering to himself, everyone in the hall felt a little depressed.
Lu Sen felt that this case made him extremely uncomfortable. How many good people were implicated by these two beasts!
"Okay, the case is closed. The Kaifeng prefectural governor's chair is returned to Xiren."
The only one who could still laugh was the Prince of Runan.
He stood up, walked to Lu Sen, and asked with a smile: "Lu Xiaolang, we meet again. Do you have time to have a few drinks with me this time?"
Lu Sen was a little surprised by the other party's enthusiasm.
After all, Zhao Yunrang was a prince, and the richest man in Bianjing. I had only met him two or three times. Why was that?
Just thinking that this was Zhao Bilian's father, he agreed.
After all, Zhao Bilian is one of his target candidates.
"Okay, Lu Xiaolang, come with me."
Then the two of them arrived at the west side of the fourth floor of Fanlou.
It is generally not open here.
Because from this place, you can see the interior of the palace opposite.
Lu Sen and Zhao Yunrang were sitting by the window.
A little further down in front are red walls and golden tile eaves.
You can vaguely see the palace maids moving in the alleys inside, like cute little ants.
"Looking from a high place, isn't the imperial palace magnificent?" Zhao Yunrang asked with a smile.
Lu Sen held a cup of peach wine, the fruity aroma was refreshing and he took a sip, thinking it tasted quite good, then smiled and said, "Of course, it's the imperial palace after all."
"That's just what outsiders think. In fact, living in the palace is very tiring." Zhao Yunrang showed a somewhat nostalgic expression: "It takes half an hour to walk from the east gate to the west gate at the fastest. And there are so many rules, it's very annoying."
Zhao Yunrang was also the backup crown prince when he was young, and he did not leave the palace until Zhao Zhen was born.
Then his son, Zhao Zongshi, was brought to the palace at the age of three to be the backup crown prince and changed his name to Zhao Shu. Fortunately, when he was six years old, Zhao Zhen gave birth to a son and was sent back home.
Lu Sen was a little confused as to why Zhao Yunrang told him all this.
Logically speaking, these words are a bit too much.
Seeing Lu Sen's slightly puzzled expression, Zhao Yunrang smiled, put down his wine glass, and asked, "I heard that Lu Xiaolang and Bilian know each other and are quite familiar with each other?"
