Pingyang Fu of the Red Chamber

Chapter 1133 The Ministry of Justice Prepares for Joint Trial
The next morning,

The rooster crows at dawn, heralding another sunny day.

Zhang Jinyu was woken up early in the morning by Baozhu.

"My lord, my lord, please get up quickly. I've made you some meat soup today."

A clear voice rang out, and Zhang Jinyu lazily got up and, with the help of several maids, put on her martial arts attire.

After washing up, breakfast was already laid out on the pearwood table: four delicate side dishes and two bowls of bird's nest porridge, steaming hot. Zhang Jinyu casually picked up a bowl and drank it down in a few gulps. While she was eating, her personal guards rushed in from outside.

"My lord,"

Zhao Wu knelt on one knee, his voice panting.

"My lord, the Imperial City Guard has come to inform you that Grand Secretary Gu and Eunuch Chen Hui will be jointly presiding over the trial of Xu Changwen today. They request that all officials be on time at the Ministry of Justice."

Zhang Jinyu's hand holding the chopsticks paused for a moment, she sneered, picked up another bun, put it in her mouth, and slowly chewed.
"Yesterday he was giving a passionate speech, but today he seems impatient. No, it should be that Eunuch Chen from the Directorate of Ceremonial who's a bit too eager. Where is Xu Changwen now?"

But he didn't know how to interrogate her or what the procedures were. Zhao Wu raised his head and replied.
"Reporting to Your Excellency, Lord Xu is currently still in the Imperial Prison, being watched by the Northern Garrison Commanders. I've heard that he has now been moved to a house opposite the Ministry of Justice, just like last time."

Last time, they first escorted the person to the location and waited for the Ministry of Justice to summon them. Zhang Jinyu put down his chopsticks, finished the remaining bowl of porridge, and then got up.
"Get up. Since everyone's gone, we can't miss out on this fun."

"Yes, my lord. The carriage is ready outside the manor gate. General Ning is waiting at the gate. May I ask, my lord, General Duan has already set up camp by Qiushui Lake. Should the five thousand soldiers of the manor be moved there as well?"

Lieutenant Zhao Wu stood up, hesitated, and asked another question. Zhang Jinyu stroked his chin, thought for a moment, and said, "Autumn Water Lake is located in the southwest of the capital, too far from the Marquis's residence. Many things are still undecided; there's no rush."
"Let's leave it at that for now. You take charge of the troops in the manor."

"Yes, my lord, I obey."

Subsequently,

Zhang Jinyu, accompanied by his personal guards, left the mansion, boarded the carriage, and then the guards escorted the carriage as it slowly moved forward.

When the carriage arrived in front of the Ministry of Justice, the driver reined in the carriage, and everyone got off. Looking up, they saw that a number of officials had already gathered at the gate.

A clerk from the Ministry of Personnel and a man from the Ministry of War were talking in hushed tones when they saw Marquis Luoyun arrive. They all stopped talking and bowed with clasped hands in greeting.
"Greetings, Your Excellency."

Zhang Jinyu waved his hand, about to reply, when he heard footsteps coming from the direction of the main hall. Turning his head, he saw Chen Hui from the Directorate of Ceremonial, dressed in a scarlet python robe, being surrounded by a group of eunuchs as he walked over.

The old eunuch's face was full of smiles, but his eyes were narrowed into slits as he stared at the officials present. He scanned the room, his gaze lingering on Marquis Luo Yun for a moment, when his expression suddenly changed.

Zhang Jinyu witnessed this scene. Judging from the expression on the face of Eunuch Chen from the Directorate of Ceremonial, he was not sure if he had been reprimanded yesterday or if he was unsure how to conduct the interrogation today. Seeing that the presiding judges had entered the room, Zhang Jinyu was not in a hurry. He wanted to wait for the eldest son to arrive before making any decisions, as there might be something else going on.

However, upon closer reflection, although the Grand Secretary participated in important cabinet matters after returning to the cabinet, he mostly delegated court affairs to other cabinet members for deliberation, which seemed to be an attempt to avoid suspicion. Yet, in the end, he allowed his own son to join the cabinet. This sleight of hand was truly admirable. Therefore, who can believe that the Li family does not concern themselves with court affairs?

Before long,
However, Feng Yongwen of the Dali Temple entered the front yard looking exhausted. He saw Luo Yunhou standing in the yard and, looking excited, quickly walked in.

"My lord, what should we do? Yesterday, my daughter received the news and wept bitterly. My son-in-law, though not yet married, still retains his integrity as a scholar. Is there any way for him to survive this time?"

Hearing this, Zhang Jinyu was a little stunned. She thought that meeting with the Feng family would be to discuss the annulment of the engagement. She did not expect that this Lord Feng had no intention of annuling the engagement. It was unexpected.

"Lord Feng, Changwen has already been imprisoned in the imperial prison. His future is ruined. Lord Feng, you're not here to annul the engagement?"

He asked in confusion, but Feng Yongwen gave a bitter laugh, his heart filled with sorrow and resentment.
"My lord, I do not know what sins I have committed, but because of this woman, my two marriages have been filled with so much suffering. As the saying goes, things should not happen more than three times. Furthermore, I have heard the long memorial presented by you. The congratulatory letter is truly the best in the world. With such a talented person, how could I, Feng, be a villain?"

With a soft sigh, he thought of his daughter crying her heart out last night, and his heart ached. He wondered if the Marquis had any way to help her.

"Rest assured, Lord Feng, since this is a trial, there must be justice. The laws of Dawu are all there; it's up to people to make things happen."

Zhang Jinyu smiled and, after a moment's thought, understood the power of that memorial. Although it contained treasonous words, for a civil official, nothing was more powerful than the work of a sage. Perhaps, he could find another way to interpret it.

"Then we'll have to rely on you, Lord Marquis. I wonder if there are any arrangements made for Xu Changwen's mother-in-law?"

Out of consideration for Xu's elderly mother, there were some things he couldn't say. He had already found out what the Xu family's situation was. They had even sent a young maid to help with chores. The maid who had secretly sent the last message was also that one. Now that they were in such a predicament, the Feng family couldn't rush to leave. What face would they have if word got out?

Zhang Jinyu reached out and patted Lord Feng's arm to comfort him;

"Lord Feng, rest assured, I have made arrangements for the Xu family. There is no need to worry. However, during today's court hearing, Lord Feng, please be careful to interrupt and see how the Directorate of Ceremonial Affairs conducts the interrogation."

"Yes, Your Excellency, I will obey your orders."

This statement reassured Lord Feng. Fortunately, among the judges—Lord Meng and the person before him—there were three who supported him. If the eldest son cooperated, the trial would become quite interesting.

As they were talking,
Figures flickered at the entrance. The eldest son, Li Chaosheng, was the last to enter the Ministry of Justice. Seeing Marquis Luo Yun and Lord Feng both there, a thought flashed through his mind. He knew of Lord Feng's daughter's marriage to Magistrate Xu; he wondered if this meeting would lead to the annulment of the engagement. The thought raced through his mind.

"My lord, Lord Feng,"

He clasped his hands in a respectful greeting and strode over.
Zhang Jinyu also cupped her hands in greeting, impressed by the young master's carefree demeanor; he truly possessed remarkable charm.
"It's no wonder the sun is shining so brightly today; it turns out the young Grand Secretary has also come to participate in the review. I'm afraid I'll have to rely on the young Grand Secretary!"

Whether it was on a whim or not, when the term "Young Grand Secretary" was uttered, Feng Yongwen was stunned for a moment, but then he understood the meaning of "Lord Marquis," and quickly stood by his side, bowing deeply as the words were spoken.
"This humble official, Feng Yongwen of the Court of Judicial Review, greets the young Grand Secretary."

With the Grand Secretary still alive, and two Grand Secretaries from one family, if the eldest son enters the Grand Secretariat, wouldn't he be considered the junior Grand Secretary as well? He'd be called that too.
This exclamation was quite something. Even the most thick-skinned person couldn't withstand such flattery, especially since his father was the Grand Secretary, which undoubtedly aroused jealousy in many. Li Chaosheng blushed and waved his hand.

"Lord Marquis, Lord Feng, please don't call me that. What do you mean by 'Little Grand Secretary'? We are all ministers in the same court. Please don't be impolite."

He quickly returned their greetings, but before he could ask about the day's events, a young eunuch shouted from the entrance of the Ministry of Justice's main hall.
"Prepare for court to begin."

With a loud shout, Zhang Jinyu and the others lost their mood for joking and entered the hall together.

Enter the main hall of the Ministry of Justice.

Above the main hall hung a plaque inscribed with "A Clear Mirror Hangs High," and below it were three small tables. Song Zhen sat on the left, his face ashen, while Chen Hui sat on the right, his eyes closed in meditation. The middle seat was reserved for Grand Secretary Gu Yichen. The two sides of the hall were filled with officials, each with a solemn expression, even their breathing was slightly shallow.

The main hall was empty, just waiting for the court to begin. As Zhang Jinyu and his party entered the hall, a eunuch came and led them to the presiding judge's seat, which was on a high platform behind them. Several other tables were set up there, apparently for them.

Zhang Jinyu and the other two exchanged glances, then decided not to say anything more and walked over to sit down. Officials from the Six Ministries and many other officials from the capital were present, indicating that they had come prepared. However, after scanning the room, they did not see any princes present. Could they have fallen asleep at the Court of State Ceremonial? They were puzzled.

Once everyone had arrived, Chen Hui, the Director of Ceremonial Affairs, couldn't wait any longer and coughed.
"Ahem, Elder Gu, everyone's almost here, let's begin."

The male voice was neither male nor female, making one feel disgusted. Gu Yichen nodded, straightened his official robe, and tapped the table.

"Gentlemen, now that everyone is present, we cannot delay the trial of Xu Changwen's congratulatory memorial. Let's begin the trial."

"I will heed your words, Your Excellency."

The court hearing proceeded with increasing pressure. Many officials, without even glancing at the officials from the Directorate of Ceremonial, all clasped their hands in a salute to Grand Secretary Gu, much to the disgust of the officials from the Directorate of Ceremonial.

Si Shi San Ke

Suppressing his anger, Chen Huinuo slowly walked to the table in the middle, sat down, cleared his throat, and called out:

"Court is in session! Bring in the prisoners!"

The bailiffs on both sides shouted "Majestic!" in unison, the sound so loud that dust fell from the beams.

Subsequently,

An official from the Ministry of Justice went to announce the arrival, but after waiting and waiting, no one came in. The officials whispered among themselves, mostly speculating.

Outside the main hall of the Ministry of Justice and the government office,
Upon receiving the news, the Imperial City Guard immediately escorted Xu Changwen to the outside of the Ministry of Justice. However, just as the carriage carrying Xu Changwen arrived in front of the government office, a captain from the Imperial City Guard walked up to the carriage, lifted the curtain, and called out.
"Lord Xu, please." Just as he was about to reach out and lift the curtain, a hand with distinct knuckles pressed his hand down. Xu Changwen lifted a corner of the curtain, his gaze falling on the gate tower of the Ministry of Justice with the plaque "Enlightening the Law and Enabling the Teachings" hanging above it, his eyes sweeping over the group of guards and officials standing in front of the steps.

"We're here now?"

"Reporting to Steward Xu, the Ministry of Justice has arrived."

Two captains of the Imperial Guard strode out from the side door, the iron chains in their hands dragging on the ground with a grating sound.

"Master Xu, please."

One of them was about to step forward to remove the carriage curtain when it was too late. Xu Changwen, still in shackles, had already gotten out of the carriage. As soon as his feet touched the ground, he shivered from the heat. July was the time when queer people could hardly stand, but he still stood up straight.

His gaze passed over the captain and landed directly on the face of the official who was greeting him at the gate. Looking at the threshold in front of the mansion, he suddenly smiled and walked straight over. However, the heavy iron chain of the "golden hairpin" locked on his feet was unbearable, and he could only move forward step by step with difficulty.

Upon arriving at the government office, seeing the high threshold on the ground and wondering how he could possibly cross it, he smiled and simply sat down on it, as if he were lazing there:
"Gentlemen, I have been summoned to the Ministry of Justice today to confront you. When did I become a criminal?"

"This, this, I do not know."

This scene left the surrounding guards and the officials from the Ministry of Justice who came to greet them somewhat bewildered, and they turned their attention to the guards escorting them from behind.

Who knows,

Before he could even speak, even the Imperial Guards watching over him simultaneously took a step back, not daring to step forward to help. They weren't fools; they all knew a thing or two about this Master Xu's situation, and none of them dared to step forward.
"Haha, interesting. If you don't know, then why are you escorting me? If you can't give me a reason, I won't go in. This thing is too heavy. I wonder if you, sir, could come and help carry it?"

He shifted his position and sat down on the threshold in the middle of the gate. This scene made the official standing there break out in a sweat. How could he dare to go over? After a moment of hesitation, he immediately turned around and ran towards the ministry.

After one or two trips, the wait became quite long.

This also caused many of the officials on the jury to whisper among themselves.

"Do you think the person is missing?"

"How could that be? You can't talk nonsense. That Master Xu is already locked up in the imperial prison. Who would dare to lose him?"

"That's right, this is a matter of life and death, you can't just talk nonsense. But it's strange, so much time has passed, why haven't they come in yet?"

"That's right."

As the officials inside the hall grew louder and louder, the presiding judges sitting on the high platform all frowned. Zhang Jinyu had just poured herself a bowl of tea and finished it. Seeing this situation, she was also puzzled. Could it be that the person was still in the courtyard across the street?

exactly,

The officials who came to greet them had already run in from outside the hall and knelt down.
"Your Excellencies, the suspect, Steward Xu, has been escorted to the gate of the mansion. However, Steward Xu is sitting on the threshold and refuses to come in. I have no choice but to return and report."

Upon hearing the official's explanation, a buzz of discussion arose again in the hall.

"What? How dare you be so rude? Can't you bring the person in?"

A shrill voice rang out; without asking, one knew it was the voice of Eunuch Chen from the Directorate of Ceremonial. But the officials kneeling in the hall paid it no heed.

"In reply to Your Excellency, that Xu, the head of the household, is unruly and has a gold hairpin on his foot. He is really difficult to help. I dare not, and neither do the people from the Imperial City Guard. So, no one can get in."

Listening to what seemed like an explanation, the last words caused the faces of many officials in the hall to change slightly. What did they mean by not daring to help? Why couldn't the person get in? Zhang Jinyu was slightly displeased. The so-called "golden hairpin" was used by prisoners in the imperial prison, or rather, by officials whom the imperial family disliked. It was not only heavy, but the shackles were also very narrow, making it difficult to move.

"What?! How dare they be so arrogant! Guards!"

"slow,"

Before the show of power could finish, Grand Secretary Gu interrupted him.
"Eunuch Chen, please calm down. That gold hairpin is extremely heavy and indeed difficult to put inside. Why don't we go and take a look?"

"This, okay."

Chen Hui was initially unwilling, but after scanning the room, he saw that many officials inside were eager to find out what was going on. Thus, led by Grand Secretary Gu, the group of officials stepped out of the ministry hall and went to the front gate of the government office.

Leading the group was Gu Yichen, a high-ranking official of the court. Dressed in an official robe, he carried a bamboo cane with a copper-plated end, which tapped lightly on the bluestone slabs, making a rhythmic sound as if keeping time for the somber scene.

Behind him stood Song Zhen and others, wearing a crimson official robe with a dark blue jacket over it, their hands tucked into their sleeves, and the wrinkles at the corners of their eyes concealing a hint of something indescribable.

Upon arriving at the location, they indeed saw a person sitting on the threshold of the government office.
Song Zhen took half a step forward, his hand inside his sleeve seeming to clench tighter:

“Xu Changwen, now that you’re here, are you still so stubborn? Go to court for trial.”

"May I ask, Lord Song, Minister Song, Grand Secretary Song, have you all already sentenced me?"

Xu Changwen turned around slowly and asked in a deep voice;
"Master Xu, today we are here to convict you. When you are put on trial, there are always some procedures to follow."

His voice wasn't loud, but it carried an unquestionable official tone, with the last syllable swirling in the wind.

"Charter?"

Xu Changwen gave a cold laugh, a laugh laced with icy intent.
"There was a law during the Tianbao era that stipulated that those who had not been convicted should not be put in shackles. Lord Song has been in the central government for a long time, and although he still holds the title of Minister of Justice, have you forgotten what the Great Wu Law says? Lord Song, you have not yet answered my question. Whether he has been convicted or not, according to the Great Wu Law, before a current official is convicted, during the interrogation period, all criminal detentions shall be lifted and he shall be allowed to stand trial."

Xu Changwen stood up, took a step forward, and the hem of his official robe swept across the dust on the ground.
"Or is it that the Ministry of Justice no longer takes the Great Wu Laws seriously?"

"Xu Changwen, you..."

Song Zhen's face flushed red with anger, but Feng Yongwen, standing behind him, immediately stepped forward.
“Lord Song, what Chief Xu said is correct. The Great Wu Law clearly states that all officials who are tried and convicted should have their shackles removed.”

Feng Yongwen's words from the Dali Temple also garnered the approval of many officials, and it seemed that infighting was brewing among the presiding officials.
Grand Secretary Gu, standing on the steps, coughed softly and tapped his bamboo cane on the ground twice.

"Master Xu,"

His voice was a little hoarse when he spoke, as if the dryness of autumn had damaged his throat.
"The cabinet's decision to transfer you to the Ministry of Justice is for a thorough investigation. Putting you in shackles is merely a preventative measure. Why be so serious about it?"

"Grand Secretary Gu!"

Xu Changwen suddenly turned his head, his gaze sharp.

"You were a high-ranking official in the court, and how upright you were back then! How can you say such things now? Preventing trouble before it arises? Whom are you preventing me from offending? What rules are you trying to prevent?"

He suddenly raised his voice, causing the locust tree leaves across the street to rustle and fall.

Chen Hui's expression darkened. He took a step forward, his crimson official robe fluttering in the wind like butterfly wings, yet exuding a chilling aura.

"Master Xu, do not be so presumptuous! You wrote treasonous words in the imperial court, every word of which questioned the laws of the court. Now that you have been brought into the court in shackles, it is already a lenient punishment!"

The man's hoarse voice carried an oppressive aura, but Xu Changwen hated these eunuchs the most, and he sneered.
"A lenient sentence?"

Xu Changwen raised his hand, pointed to his chest, and his voice suddenly rose, making the frost on the steps seem to tremble.
"Your Excellency, it is an ironclad rule that eunuchs must not interfere in politics. Every word of the congratulatory letter I wrote is true and verifiable. As someone on duty in the palace, you know best what happens there. Whether what I wrote is true or false is for all to see. Surely you, Eunuch Chen, cannot turn a blind eye?"

Chen Hui's face flushed red. He took half a step back, his hand clenched into a fist hidden in his sleeve, staring at the person in front of him in disbelief.

"You...are bold!"

(End of this chapter)