I am Emperor Wanli

Chapter 77 Let’s Close the Case Quickly

Duke Chengguo Zhu Xizhong, Duke Yingguo Zhang Rong, Left Censor-in-Chief of the Censorate Wang Ting, Minister of Justice Huang Guangsheng, and Chief Justice of the Supreme Court Qian Wenzhen sat together, looking exhausted.

Zhu Xizhong looked at the pile of files on the desk and said with great effort: "Ladies and gentlemen, we have been trying 375 prisoners for 20 consecutive days, and the facts of the case are clear.

When it comes time to close the case, tell us how to close it."

Zhang Rong yawned and said with red eyes, "The evidence is irrefutable, the case is clear, and we should close the case as it should be."

Wang Ting turned his head to look at Huang Guangsheng and Qian Wenzhen, and argued: "This case involves 91 officials, 75 border generals, and 475 local scholars, students, and merchants. Once convicted, most of these people will be sentenced to death.

The destruction of a family and the death of a person involve human lives, so we have to be careful. "

After waiting for a while, seeing that no one said anything, Wang Ting had no choice but to call out their names: "Huang Shangshu, Qian Zhengqing, you two are in charge of the Ministry of Justice and the Dali Temple respectively, and you are in charge of investigating all the criminal cases in the country. For such a shocking case, don't you have anything to say?"

Huang Guangsheng glanced at Wang Ting.

Can I say something?

Am I speaking up for those people?
joke.

Huang Guangsheng is an old criminal lawyer. Just by looking at the case files, he knew that there must be innocent people implicated in this major case.

But is this important?

unimportant!
First of all, the root of this major case is that since the 27th year of Jiajing, local business officials in Shanxi have colluded and have been promoting the opening of border areas and setting up horse markets in order to make huge profits.

Without obtaining the court's consent, he privately bribed Altan Khan with a large sum of money, provided him with real intelligence on the border, and threatened to invade the border to get the court's consent.

The evidence of treason is irrefutable.

However, the prince has painstakingly woven such a big basket, and he must hope to put more people in it, clean up the three towns of Shanxi, Xuanfu and Datong, as well as the Shanxi officialdom and local families behind them, so as to place and support his own people.

In this situation, why don't you go and clear the names of those who were put in there? Old Wang, why don't you go there yourself?

Besides, which one of those people who were put in there is innocent?
For example, Chen Xixue, the assistant minister of the Ministry of Justice, was the behind-the-scenes boss of Hengyuantai in Qi County, and was also the behind-the-scenes supporter of the rampant illegal smuggling in Datong border town.

Now that he has been stripped of his position and charged with treason, his family is doomed to be destroyed.

Zhang Siwei, a new generation of noble and literati leader, is the behind-the-scenes boss of Pingyao Fengshanhao. He not only has his hands in Jiezhou pond salt, but is also one of the behind-the-scenes supporters of illegal smuggling in Datong border town.

But he was smart. He found Xu Wei without saying a word and donated all the shares of Fengshanhao and the salt pond in Jiezhou to the Coordination Bureau.

Rumor has it that Zhang Siwei also sold out the core members of the Jin Party, including Left Vice-Chief Censor Bian Shiqi, Shanxi Governor Wang Lin, Taiyuan Prefect Cen Yong, and former Jin Party leaders, including retired officials such as former Minister of War Wang Deyun, former Vice Minister of Personnel You Zhigui, former Vice Minister of Rites Li Fuyong, and former Right Censor-in-Chief Xiang Lin.

Chen Xixue and the above-mentioned officials and gentry were imprisoned in the imperial prison, awaiting trial.

Among them, Wang Deyun, the former Minister of War, was one of the masterminds behind the Gengxu Incident because he was the governor of Shanxi. He was nearly eighty years old and had four generations living under the same roof. The Jinyiwei arrested all of his family members and took them to Beijing.

The crying along the way was deafening and horrible.

Zhang Siwei, however, wrote a letter asking for leave and returned to his hometown in Puzhou.

Huang Guangsheng said: "The head of our department is the Ministry of Justice, which is in charge of the punishment of the whole country, to support the emperor and correct the people. We use evidence as the criterion, and we are impartial and selfless, and we dare not slack off. Moreover, the Ministry of Justice receives criminal cases from all over the country, the Censorate investigates, and the Dali Temple refutes. If you feel that my Ministry of Justice is unfair in the trial, the Censorate can investigate and the Dali Temple can refute it."

Wang Ting was speechless and could only sigh sadly: "This case involves 25 Jinshi, 75 Juren, and more than 200 students.

"It's not easy to cultivate so many talented people who have studied hard for more than ten years. It's a pity that they were all destroyed by a big case."

Zhu Xizhong and Zhang Rong glanced at him and were too lazy to say anything.

Qian Wenzhen, the chief judge of the Dali Temple, answered bluntly, "It is not easy to cultivate these talented scholars. It is a pity to destroy them. In the Gengxu Rebellion, tens of thousands of soldiers were killed or injured in Sanbian Town and Jizhou Town. Hundreds of thousands of civilians in the capital were killed, injured, or captured. They were also born by their mothers and raised by their fathers. It was not easy. Isn't it a pity to destroy them?"

Wang Ting was speechless.

Qian Wenzhen is a famous scholar in the world. He has a similar temperament to Hai Rui. He loves the poor and the weak and hates the powerful and wealthy families who bully others. "Gentlemen, do you have any other opinions?"

Wang Ting still didn't give up and was still thinking about whether he could rescue him again.

"Duke Chengguo, Duke Yingguo, this case involves many people and is complicated. If we rush to try and convict people, there may be injustices."

Huang Guangsheng was a little angry. "Wang Zhongcheng, if you think someone is wrongly accused, just point it out and we will review and try the case again. You can't just say there might be injustice. We have to re-examine the whole case."

Zhang Rong nodded and said, "What Huang Butang said makes sense. It is the duty of the Censorate to conduct inspections. If Wang Zhongcheng feels that any of the accused are wrongly accused, he should point them out and we will conduct a retrial.

I just want to remind you all. The Emperor's edict states that the case must be closed within one month."

Everyone was silent.

Anyone who is interested can see at a glance that this major case was jointly planned by the grandfather and grandson in Xiyuan.

The emperor wanted to wash away the shame and stigma brought to him by the Gengxu Incident more than ten years ago.

The Crown Prince wanted Hu Zongxian to completely control the three towns of Shanxi, Datong and Xuanfu.

The emperor needs the confiscated properties of those criminals, and the prince needs the businesses left behind by those criminals.

The grandparents and grandchildren each got what they needed.

So, who has the courage to stop it?
Seeing that no one said anything, especially Wang Ting, who had been trying to protect him just now, he remained silent.

Zhu Xizhong sneered in his heart and said, "Then please ask Huang Butang to write a closing statement and convict according to the law. After we have made our decision, we will submit it to the emperor for review."

"it is good!"

At the Xu Mansion in the capital, Zhang Juzheng sat in the study, facing his teacher Xu Jie, with a somewhat gloomy expression.

"Teacher, the emperor has issued an edict to reopen the Xi'an Gate Academy, and asked Zishi, my student, and the two teachers Dazhou and Wenchang to take turns teaching the prince.

Just a student"

Xu Jie smiled and said, "Are you a little timid, Uncle?"

Zhang Juzheng gritted his teeth and nodded silently.

The students are so talented that the teachers are under a lot of pressure.

Xu Jie sighed, "Uncle, don't talk about you, I am also terrified. The prince is as scheming as the emperor, and his methods are even more cruel than the emperor.

The key point is that he is only ten years old. When the emperor fought against Yang Ting and Yang Gong, he was also fourteen years old.

But at that time, the emperor had nothing else to do except his status and righteousness. The prince could rely on the emperor's power. But the intention of this design is still frightening."

"Teacher, I heard that Duke Cheng and his men have concluded the case and submitted it to the Western Garden for review. I'm afraid the Jin Party has been completely wiped out."

"Jin Party? Uncle, have you read a copy of the court newspaper?"

"What newspaper?"

"Fujian Governor Wang Chonggu was transferred to be the Right Vice-Censor-in-Chief, and Governor of Guangdong and Jiangxi military affairs. Shandong Governor Huo Ji was transferred to be the Right Vice Minister of the Ministry of War, and Governor of Fujian. Shuntian Prefecture Governor Wang Guoguang was transferred to be the Left Vice Minister of the Ministry of Revenue."

Zhang Juzheng turned the names over in his mind and said in surprise, "Teacher, these three are all from Jin."

Xu Jie smiled dejectedly: "Haha, that's right, after suppressing a group of Jin party members, a group of Jin people were promoted. It's interesting, isn't it? The Crown Prince, the Emperor's good grandson!"

　Fifth update! Shamelessly asking for votes!

　　
　
(End of this chapter)