The gate of Dengwen Drum Court was crowded with people. They were all attracted by the sound of Dengwen Drum. They stretched their necks curiously to look inside the gate, and there was a lot of noise.
"That's Miss Ni."
"She had beaten the drum once before, what is she doing this time? Does she want to die?"
"Twenty strokes of the cane... no man can bear it, right? How can she be so bold?"
“…”
The people were talking at once, Zhou stood on the steps, no guard dared to stop him outside the door, but he had no intention of going in. The air was filled with cold fog, he stared silently at the back of the woman in the main hall.
She was wrapped in a dark black cloak with a pitch-black fur collar. The crane embroidery on the sleeves shone with a cold silver light. It was a man's cloak. She wrapped it around her body, completely covering the dress she was wearing underneath. The only decoration in her jet-black hair was a gold hairpin with a pearl, flower and bird pattern.
In the main court, Judge Tan was sweating profusely, and could hardly believe what he heard. "What... did you say? Who are you going to sue?!"
Ni Su raised her voice and repeated, "I, a commoner named Ni Su, want to sue the Nankang King and his son for colluding with Wu Dai and Pan Youfang to kill General Yujie Xu Hexue and 30,000 Jing'an Army soldiers!"
Her voice was powerful and clear. Both Judge Tan, who was sitting in the hall, and the crowd gathered outside the gate could hear it clearly.
This grass-roots person,
Suing a clan relative.
Not only the clan members, but also Pan Sansi, a senior official of the imperial court who was just murdered by the deputy leader of the Lotus Sect, Zhang Xinen, and Wu Dai, the father of the imperial concubine, were implicated.
Judge Tan stood up suddenly.
He was so frightened that a cold sweat broke out on his back. "How dare you! How dare you falsely accuse a clan member?!"
Ni Su said coldly, "Your Excellency has not tried the case yet, how do you know that I am making a false accusation?"
Judge Tan felt that this was ridiculous. He slammed the table and asked in a deep voice, "With just a few words, you implicated the deceased King Nankang and the current Duke of Lu, as well as the murdered Pan Sansi and the queen's father. Who do you think you are?"
"Because I am the widow of Xu Jing'an, the Huaihua Langjiang who was posthumously conferred the title by the government."
Judge Tan raised his hands to the sky, "The emperor is kind and conferred the title of Huaihua Langjiang on Xu Jing'an who died in Yongzhou, but he did not allow you, a loyal young lady, to falsely accuse others today!"
"What if I say that he is a former member of the Jing'an Army?"
"No matter who he is, you can't..." Judge Tan stopped talking halfway, his cheek muscles twitched, and the main hall was silent.
The guards were also shocked and all their eyes were on Ni Su.
Judge Tan came to his senses and said immediately, "Nonsense! Everyone knows that the Jing'an Army was annihilated at Mushen Mountain! How could such an old friend come from here!"
"So many people died on Shepherd God Mountain. Has anyone collected their bodies? Who knows if there are any survivors among the mountains of corpses and seas of blood?"
Ni Su looked at him and said, "Have you adults who have lived a stable life in Yunjing for half your life ever cared about it?"
Such a sharp tone made Judge Tan's face darken: "Ni Su, you are disrespecting the court!"
Ni Su lowered her eyebrows, "I dare not."
Judge Tan only felt a bitter taste in his mouth. The emperor was seriously ill and was unaware of the situation. Even if the case of Dengwen Drum Court was sent to the emperor, in the end it would only be decided by him, the judge.
However, the matter involved clan relatives and the imperial concubine's father, the head of the Three Departments.
There was also the old case of General Xu Hexue, who he didn't even want to touch.
What should I do?
There was a chaotic noise in the crowd outside the gate. They all heard every word Ni Su said clearly. No one expected that the hero Xu Jing'an who defended Yongzhou and killed Danqiu General Yelu Zhen was actually an old member of the Jing'an Army!
They were arguing, and Judge Tan became more and more annoyed. He stared at the young woman in the hall and said, "Ni Su, this is not the first time you have come to Dengwen Drum Court. You have been punished here before, so you should know what is going on. But I still want to remind you that even if you have been punished, if you cannot provide evidence, you will be sentenced to death!"
This was not a friendly reminder. His words were full of threats. He was forcing the woman. If she gave up now, he could still leave her some wiggle room.
Ni Su seemed to have no idea of ​​his deep meaning, and just said calmly, "According to the law, Duke Lu should come to Dengwen Drum Court to testify with me."
Judge Tan's expression suddenly changed.
She really doesn't care about her life!
There was no other way, so Judge Tan had to summon the police officer and order him to ask the Duke of Lu to come to Dengwen Court to testify against the woman. Then he sat back in his chair and straightened his sleeves. "This is not the first time I have seen you. Your redress for your brother is well known to everyone in Yunjing. After that, you saved the soldiers and civilians in Yongzhou, and even the government praised you and rewarded you. A woman like you is indeed admirable, but the king's law is above all, and the rules of the Drum Court cannot be abolished. No one else can take these twenty strokes of the cane on your behalf. Do you understand?"
"yes."
Judge Tan said nothing more. He raised his hand, and several jailers immediately brought up a stool. They locked Ni Su's arms and pushed her onto the stool.
They were merciless and pressed down the back of Ni Su's head, forcing her cheek to rest against the cold bench. Even though she did not struggle, it was still a humiliating threat they imposed on her.
"Miss Ni!"
The voice was familiar, but Ni Su was restrained by the guards and could not turn around.
Qingqiong was stopped by the jailers outside the gate. He kept shouting, only to see the jailers standing on both sides of the spring bench in the main hall had raised their canes. He tried desperately to get in, but was kicked hard in the abdomen by the man guarding the gate.
Qing Qiong stumbled backwards, Zhou Ting immediately reached out to steady him, then looked at the guard, "Who allowed you to hurt anyone?"
Zhou Ting was wearing the robe of the Night Police, and the police dared not offend him. He did not dare to say a word and lowered his head.
Zhou Ting recognized this young man; he often followed Ni Su in Yongzhou. At this moment, his turban was loose, revealing half of his bald head. Everyone was looking at his overly pale face and his strangely dark eyes.
"You can't get in. This is her own choice."
Zhou Ting let him go and said.
Qingqiong's eyes were red, he raised his head and watched in the main hall as a jailer hit someone with a cane. The crowd fell silent for a moment, and everyone heard the muffled sound of the cane hitting the flesh and blood body.
This was not the first time that Ni Su had been tortured, but she still couldn't help but be afraid of the pain that almost crushed her flesh and bones. She was shaking all over, her knuckles were clenched, and she instinctively grabbed the edge of the bench.
Another stick fell, and she couldn't help but scream.
Extreme pain spread throughout her limbs and bones. On that cold winter day, every breath she took was squeezing her lungs hard. The more it hurt, the more afraid she became.
However, the cane fell again mercilessly. Her eyelids were filled with tears and her bloodless lips trembled. She felt like a fish out of water, in the clutches of a man, with her mouth and tongue pierced by a sharp fishhook. She could not utter a word except screaming in pain.
A dark black cloak wrapped her body, blood soaked the hem of the cloak, dripping with blood, a glaring red.
"Tan Panyuan!"
Zhou Ting realized something was wrong, and he immediately walked in, "You hit him too hard!"
There are ways to caning. Zhou Ting has been in the night police for many years. He has tortured countless people. How could he not see that the policeman's methods were different? "She came to seek justice. Your Excellency has imposed such a severe punishment. Do you want to beat her to death?"
Judge Tan knew Deputy Envoy Zhou from the Night Police Department. He was aware that his tricks had not escaped his eyesight, and his face suddenly turned a little embarrassed.
"How can you seek justice after you beat someone to death?"
"Miss Ni is a weak woman, why did Judge Tan kill her?!"
As soon as He Zhongping heard the news from Dengwen Drum Court, he hurried over without even changing his clothes, "Tan Panyuan! Who allowed you to bend the law for personal gain? What are you afraid of? Are you afraid that you can't handle this case? Are you afraid of offending someone?"
"My Lord, are you being partial?"
The young men who came with He Zhongping also spoke angrily.
Voices of dissatisfaction gradually arose among the crowd.
"She was a woman who had fought in the battlefield in Yongzhou and treated soldiers and civilians! How could you treat such a respectable person like this, sir!"
"If the Lord wants to fight, we will take her place!"
"Yes! Let's take her place!"
These young men, who had just been released from the Night Police because of Ding Jin's crime book, were now standing outside the gate of Dengwen Drum Court, determined to take the punishment for Ni Su.
This is so much like that day,
Ni Su was tortured here for her brother, and a group of people like them had also been tortured here for her and their brother. More than a few dozen people were tortured together in the Drum Courtyard.
At that time, she still had him by her side.
Ni Su was in so much pain that she was in a trance, but her pale lips were twitching.
"presumptuous!"
Judge Tan stood up and said solemnly, "She keeps saying that her late husband Xu Jing'an was an old member of the Jing'an Army. Who are you? What is your relationship with the Jing'an Army? You are not qualified to be punished for someone else!"
Last time, He Zhongping was still able to be sentenced in the Drum Court as a close friend of Ni Qinglan, but this time, the old case of Mushen Mountain involved a huge amount of information, and no one could be sentenced on behalf of Ni Su.
But seeing Zhou Ting outside the main hall, Judge Tan could not resort to any more tricks. He just winked at the jailer holding the cane and said, "Continue."
Another stick hit him. Standing under the sunlight, Zhou Ting saw that Ni Su's neck was covered with blue veins, sweat, and a tense spine. She was screaming in pain with a hoarse tone.
His hand was tightly clenched around the hilt of the knife.
"Miss Ni..."
Qingqiong grabbed Zaoli's arm and cried, "Sir, please, let me take her place, let me take her place..."
One stick after another, everyone was staring at the woman. Her cloak was so dark that no blood could be seen, but beads of blood dripped down the hem of her clothes.
How could someone not be afraid of punishment? If the woman wasn’t afraid, she wouldn’t have cried, and she wouldn’t have trembled all over, but no one heard her begging for mercy.
People could hardly bear to watch any longer.
They realized that this was not some random fun; this woman was using her life to uncover an old case that had been dormant for sixteen years.
For a general,
Also 30,000 soldiers.
The weather was cold and windy, stinging the cheeks of men, women, young and old who were secretly wiping their tears. The Duke of Lu's carriage stopped outside the crowd. He was helped down from the carriage by his servants, and with a sullen face, he was pushed through the crowd by the servants.
In the drum court, the woman was pressed on a spring stool, and the raised cane was stained with blood. The jailers guarding the door stepped aside and welcomed the Duke of Lu in.
"My Lord."
When Judge Tan saw Duke Lu coming in, he immediately ordered, "Quick, bring up the chairs and serve the tea!"
Duke Lu said nothing, walked into the main hall, lifted his skirt and sat down on the folding chair, took a bowl of hot tea in his hand, raised his chin, and glanced at the woman, "How many strokes of the cane?"
"There are already ten sticks."
Judge Tan said hurriedly.
Duke Lu took a sip of tea slowly and raised his hand. Judge Tan immediately ordered the police officer to stop. Although Ni Su had a chance to catch her breath, the severe pain in her body still made her tremble uncontrollably.
She was breathing hard, her eyes barely half open.
"Do you know what a serious crime it is to falsely accuse a relative of your clan? It's ridiculous that I had to come to this drum academy today. Tell me, who instructed you to slander me and my father like this without risking your life?"
Duke Lu stared at her face which was covered with cold sweat and as pale as paper.
Ni Su's lips moved, and her voice couldn't stop shaking. "Who ordered me to do this? I am ordered by 30,000 heroic souls to ask you, the most damnable people, to go to the underworld to atone for your sins."
Duke Lu's expression was stern. "How dare you! You want to convict me and my father with just a few words? Ridiculous! Extremely ridiculous!"
"Tan Guangwen's crime was written before him. The military supervisors in Yongzhou, Lord Han Qinghan, General Qin Jixun, and Commander Wei Dechang all heard Tan Guangwen confess with their own ears. Wu Dai trusted Prince Danqiu Rili and thought that Danqiu was going to attack Jianchi Prefecture. Yang Ming, the then governor of Yongzhou, was attached to King Nankang, and Wu Dai secretly colluded with King Nankang, causing Yang Ming to seize the token of Miao Tianning, the military commander of Yongzhou, and secretly dispatched troops to reinforce Jianchi Prefecture."
Ni Su felt that every breath she took was painful, but she still forced herself to stay awake. "But this news is false. Danqiu did not attack Jianchi Prefecture, but instead attacked Yongzhou, which was short of troops..."
Duke Lu was shocked. He stood up and said, "Shut up!"
How did this woman know these things? !
"What do you think this place is? How can you speak nonsense here?"
"She's not talking nonsense."
Zhou Ting walked into the main hall. "I was by Tan Guangwen's side when he confessed his guilt. He said in person that apart from the half of the Yongzhou army, he was also one of the people who supported Jianchi Prefecture at that time."
"At that time, Mengtuo threatened the lives of the entire Xu family in Qingya Prefecture and asked General Yujie to surrender to the enemy. General Yujie took advantage of the situation and ordered his troops to besiege Mengtuo in three groups at Mushen Mountain. At that time, Wu Dai urged Tan Guangwen to send more troops to Jianchi Prefecture, and Du Cong even falsely passed on the military order, asking him to go to Jianchi Prefecture first and then rush to Longyan."
"But Tan Guangwen was not familiar with the terrain of Longyan. He lost his way, causing 30,000 Jing'an troops to perish together with 50,000 Hu people at Mushen Mountain."
"Lord Ge Rangge, who was in Nianchi at the time, did not receive any military orders from beginning to end, and the person who intercepted the general's military order was Pan Youfang, the Third Secretary."
"Zhou Ting!"
Duke Lu said coldly, "What are you doing! How dare you slander my father here with this woman of unknown origin?!"
"Isn't her origin clear enough? Her name is Ni Su, and she is from Que County."
Zhou Ting lowered his eyes and saw her sweat-soaked hair and trembling body. "Didn't you hear people say on your way here, Duke? Her late husband, Xu Jing'an, was the last man in the Jing'an Army."
"That man had died fighting for the Great Qi in Yongzhou, and she is now crying out for justice for her late husband."
"If she says yes, then it's true. How can we prove it?"
Ni Su spoke with difficulty, "Then how can you prove it, Lord?"
Duke Lu was almost stabbed by her voice: "President Tan! Has she finished her punishment?"
Judge Tan answered truthfully, "There are still ten more strokes of the cane."
"So what are you waiting for? Keep going!"
The Duke of Lu gave him a sidelong glance.
Zhou stood aside, he couldn't say another word for Ni Su. He saw the jailer raised the cane again, one cane after another. Ni Su's shoulders were tense, she lost her mind in pain, her body shaking constantly. The jailer reached out and pressed down the back of her head, forcing her face to hit the bench heavily.
"Don't treat her like this!"
Seeing this, He Zhongping shouted outside the door.
"She is willing to be tortured and won't struggle at all! You are not allowed to treat her like this!"
"My Lord! Please!"
More and more voices were heard, one after another, and some women were even crying, begging outside the door.
"Tan Panyuan! "
Zhou Ting suppressed his anger.
Judge Tan turned a deaf ear to him. He and Deputy Envoy Zhou were not of the same kind at all. Now many officials in the Censorate were pointing their fingers at the Duke of Lu. If Prince Jia succeeded to the throne, those who opposed the new policy would not only lose their official positions, but also their lives.
"Tan Zhao!"
Suddenly, a voice tinged with anger came from the gate. Judge Tan raised his head abruptly and saw Gentlemen Meng and Huang pushing through the crowd.
“Stop it!”
Meng Yunxian saw that the cane was about to fall again, "Tan Zhao, did you hear that?"
Judge Tan was terrified. He quickly walked out from behind the long desk, told the men to stop, and then stepped forward, "Mr. Meng, Mr. Huang..."
Huang Zongyu had a sullen face and walked slowly with a cane. Meng Yunxian passed by him quickly like a gust of wind and soon arrived at the main hall.
The woman on the spring stool had a pale face, her hands gripping the edge of the stool had bulging veins, and her mouth was filled with blood. Meng Yunxian only took one look at her, he clenched his teeth, and felt unbearable.
"My Lord, this woman had made great contributions in Yongzhou. Besides, her late husband Xu Jing'an was a hero who killed Yelu Zhen with his own hands. Xu Jing'an died for the country, but we treat his wife like this. Isn't it too heartbreaking?" Huang Zongyu walked up slowly and saw the bloodstains on the ground. He looked at the woman again, and complicated emotions arose in his heart.
Duke Lu sneered, "What are you talking about, Mr. Huang? This punishment is the rule of Dengwenyuan, not my decision. If she wants to falsely accuse me and my father, she must accept it!"
"But I think you're not going to stop until you beat him to death."
Meng Yunxian raised his head. Although he was speaking to Duke Lu, his eyes were fixed on Judge Tan. "If someone is beaten to death, there is no need to try the case, right?"
"this……"
Judge Tan's back was covered in cold sweat. He said carefully, "My two lords, please understand that I did not kill anyone."
"Tan Panyuan..."
Ni Su trembled her lips, "How many more sticks are there?"
"There are six more sticks."
"Okay, I'll take it."
Hearing her words, Meng Yunxian was about to speak, but Huang Zongyu held his hand and said, "Now that the emperor is ill, Meng Xianggong and I, as prime ministers, must share the emperor's worries. Judge Tan, we are here to listen to the hearing. Do you have any objection?"
Even though he was unwilling in his heart, Judge Tan could only say: "...I dare not."
"Bring a chair for Deputy Envoy Zhou as well."
Huang Zongyu saw that the jailer only brought two chairs and said.
The jailer had no choice but to go to the back hall and get another one.
With the two gentlemen from the East and West Palaces present in the hall, Judge Tan was naturally feeling very uneasy. Duke Lu also looked very unhappy, and his palms were soaked with sweat.
The cane was raised and then dropped.
Meng Yunxian clenched his hands on his knees into fists and closed his eyes.
Ni Su couldn't bear the pain. Her breathing became more and more rapid. She spoke intermittently, "Duke, you don't admit that your father, Prince Nankang, had an affair with Wu Dai...right?"
Duke Lu glared at her and asked, "What does Wu Dai's crime have to do with my father?"
"in this way,"
Just as Ni Su spoke, another stick came down. She instinctively wanted to curl up, but found that she had no strength at all. She slowed down and said, "You don't admit that Yang Ming is the King of Nankang's man?"
"A person who has been dead for many years, why do you think he has any connection with my father?"
Another stick fell, and the woman's trembling, painful scream fell into everyone's ears. Meng Yunxian's eyelids were soaked with tears, and he tightly grasped the armrests of the chair.
"So...where is Pan Youfang? Duke,"
Ni Su tensed her back, "You and your father don't know about the relationship between Pan Youfang and Wu Dai, right?"
"What on earth do you want to say!"
Ni Su was hit by another blow. It was hard to tell whether the water on her face was tears or sweat. Her throat was choked with sobs, but she still held on and asked word by word:
"I... am asking you, is there any connection between you and Pan Youfang?"
"My Lord,"
Ni Su's lips and teeth were soaked in blood. "Yes... or no?"
Duke Lu's chest heaved, "Woman, you are going to judge me in this court!"
"Are you scared?"
Ni Su spoke with difficulty, "Are you afraid? Are you afraid of a commoner like me? Are you, who trample upon the people, afraid too?"
"What nonsense!"
"Then why don't you answer?"
The cane fell again. Qingqiong kept crying outside, but Ni Su couldn't hear clearly. She still couldn't get used to the pain. Her tendons and bones seemed to be torn apart. Tears came out of her eyes again. She trembled, "Duke, I... am asking you, why don't you answer?"
The undisguised mockery in her bloodshot eyes, and her incisive questioning even under severe punishment, actually made the Duke of Lu break out in a cold sweat.
"Is there?"
"No!"
Duke Lu said angrily, "Who cares if it's Wu Dai or Pan Youfang? What did they do? What does it have to do with me and my father?! If you have the ability, why don't you go to hell and ask them!"
As soon as the Duke of Lu finished speaking, the policeman hit him with a stick again.
Ni Su's hair bun was loose, and her golden hairpin fell to the ground, making a crisp sound.
She vomited blood.
Meng Yunxian stood up suddenly, and Zhou Ting immediately stepped forward and grabbed the cane in the guard's hand. His palm was stained with her blood. "Enough! The six strokes have been completed!"
Duke Lu looked at the woman, her mouth full of blood, but for some reason, she was still laughing.
She laughed so hard that the tears accumulated in her eyes slid down her cheeks and her shoulders trembled.
"My Lord, this is what you said."
Meng Yunxian walked up to Duke Lu and said, "You said that you and your son had no connection with Wu Dai and Pan Youfang, but I have witnesses!"
"…What witness?"
When Duke Lu saw Meng Yunxian's fierce gaze, his heart suddenly panicked.
"I have Cao Dong from Manyu Bank in my hands. He told me personally that after the Daizhou grain tax was passed, the officials gave a total of 53.6 million strings of money to Wu Dai, Pan Youfang, and you and your son. How much is the people's hard-earned money? Duke, is this true?"
Every word of Meng Yunxian's is compelling.
Duke Lu's expression tensed up, but he pretended to be calm, "What Cao Dong? I don't know him!"
"My Lord, whether you know him or not, you need to interrogate him."
Huang Zongyu then realized what Meng Yunxian was thinking. He stood up and walked down with his crutches. "You were the first to say that there was no relationship between you and Pan Youfang and Wu Dai, but now there is evidence, and your words seem a bit contradictory."
Duke Lu felt a chill down his spine. At this moment, he suddenly realized that the woman was trying to seduce him and make him say words to distance himself from the matter, just for this moment.
"The letter of guilt against Tan Guangwen presented by Censor Jiang in the Tai'an Palace is real. Although it only mentions Wu Dai, how much can he accomplish with Wu Dai alone ? The Daizhou grain bill may also be related to General Yujie's case. The grain was originally meant to be sent to the border! Without grain, how can the soldiers at the border defend the country for our Great Qi?"
Meng Yunxian said in a deep voice, "Man Yu Bank's secret account started sixteen years ago. Over the years, the money confiscated by Wu Dai alone is not enough to cover the money. Cao Dong mentioned more than one person, and there is another person, Pan Youfang. His money was used to make up for the deficit of the Taoist Palace. Then what about you and your son? Where did you use the people's hard-earned money?"
"What a joke! Do you believe everything he says?"
Duke Lu spoke sternly.
"My Lord, the Night Police is the most respected by the Emperor. If the Emperor is in a better position now, he will definitely hand this case over to the Night Police. Since you and Cao Dong have different opinions, I have no choice but to ask you to go to the Night Police and confront Cao Dong."
Huang Zongyu spoke at the right time.
If Duke Lu had been more cautious against Ni Su from the beginning and had not been in a hurry to cut off all ties with Pan Youfang and Wu Dai, as long as he had thought more and pushed the entire matter of Manyu Money House onto the deceased King Nankang, he would have been able to avoid this situation and, as a clan member, would naturally have been immune from questioning.
But now, he was involved in two cases. Meng Yunxian linked the old case of General Yujie's treason with the case of Manyu Money House.
In this case, he would have to go to the Night Palace to confront Cao Dong.
The Duke of Lu felt cold all over and was speechless.
The case at Dengwen Drum Court could not be tried any further, but the case at Youyesi could be tried.
As long as the Duke of Lu enters the Night Palace, there is hope that the case of General Yujie's treason will be officially opened at this time.
Those old party officials who stood with the Duke of Lu would also be panicked and would have to reconsider their retreat.
As long as the Night Guards can control the Duke of Lu, the pressure faced by Prince Jia will be reduced.
Ni Su lowered her eyes, the cold wind allowing her to remain clear-headed. She reached out her hand tremblingly, wanting to pick up the golden hairpin on the ground.
The noise inside and outside Dengwenyuan hit her eardrums, and her whole body was in pain. She tried hard to straighten her fingers, but still couldn't reach the ground.
Zhou Ting leaned over and placed the blood-stained gold hairpin in her hand.
Ni Su realized it later and raised her eyelids, "...Master Xiao Zhou."
As soon as she spoke, blood flowed from her lips.
"I know what you're going to say."
Zhou Ting looked at her and said, "I won't let you down. None of us will. Don't worry, I will..."
Must pry his mouth open.
I will use my official position as guarantee and my life as guarantee.
"Thanks."
Ni Su pulled her lips and muttered.
She held the golden hairpin tightly, trying to wipe the blood off the pearls, but the more her fingertips groped, the harder it was to wipe clean. Her eyes filled with tears, her back relaxed, and the string in her mind that had been taut broke.
The moment before losing consciousness,
She thought she saw that person.
He was wearing the clothes she made for him, his sleeves were clean and tidy, and he was standing by the river Hate, among the reeds.
Xu Ziling,
Did you see it?
us,
All for you.