Proud Feather

Chapter 24 Forced
The imperial carriage stopped at the gate of the Dali Temple.

Gao Mian led the crowd out to greet them.

He breathed a sigh of relief when he saw Chu Ling, dressed normally, getting out of the car.

He was really not able to cope with the princess's style. If she really came in full dress, his small Dali Temple would not be able to accommodate her.

Looking at the people who came to watch the fun, he could imagine how the neighboring government office would make fun of him tomorrow.

"Your Highness, the Princess, is here to welcome you."

"Welcome Her Royal Highness the Princess." A group of people bowed down in a huge crowd.

Chu Ling glanced at him calmly and said, "Stand up."

After saying that, he walked in accompanied by Gao Mian and others.

The Dali Temple is a powerful department among the nine temples. Its buildings are neat and tidy, and there are many officials. In order to welcome the princess, it was cleaned yesterday, and it looks quite bright.

Chu Ling took a casual look around and followed Gao Mian into the public housing.

"Princess," Gao Mian took the file handed to him by the clerk, "This is the current progress of the Dahuai Temple case. I am here to explain..."

"Master Gao." Chu Ling interrupted him and asked, "Do you have the answers to those three questions?"

Gao Mian paused for a moment: "Uh, Princess..."

The last time he went to Huaide Hall to perform an autopsy, Chu Ling asked him three questions.

"Do you think the real murderer would do it himself?"

"Would you be able to find out who in this world could secretly poison the Crown Prince?"

"Even if you figured it out, can you testify against me in court?"

Seeing his reaction, Chu Ling smiled and said, "It seems that Master Gao doesn't want to answer."

Gao Mian thought to himself, would he dare to answer? If he did, wouldn't that be like taking sides? He was just a small-time Dali Temple official, who felt that his head was too stubborn, so he intervened in the struggle for imperial power.

"It's okay. If you don't want to answer, I won't force you." Chu Ling took a sip of tea and said, "Continue."

Gao Mian breathed a sigh of relief: "Yes."

He continued to pick up the file: "Regarding the Dahuai Temple case, we have obtained the confessions of all the monks in the temple. Excluding irrelevant people, the main ones are the following. One is Jinghui, two is the abbot, three is the head monk, four is the receptionist, and five is the young monk..."

Chu Ling drank tea and listened slowly.

Gao Mian quickly repeated himself, "...This is roughly the situation. Princess, do you have any instructions?"

If there are instructions, hurry up; if not, go to the Ministry of Justice.

He spoke so quickly and vaguely that Chu Ling couldn't hear clearly. She turned around and asked, "Mr. Jiang, do you understand?"

Gao Mian had long noticed that there was a strange, wealthy man beside Chu Ling. He smiled like a businessman, but dressed like a scholar, and he became alert immediately.

I heard the princess asked for someone from the Eastern Palace. I guess this person is one of the Eastern Palace's staff? Don't cause any trouble!

Jiang Shijun obviously didn't hear his inner prayer and said respectfully, "Princess, I understand."

"Well, then, discuss the case with Mr. Gao!"

"Yes." Jiang Shijun turned around and said, "Master Gao, I am Jiang Shijun, a scholar of the seventh year of Jianning. I have worked as a criminal lawyer for several years. I am not as good as you in the art of criminal justice, but because of the princess's kindness, I dare to discuss a few things with you."

Gao Mian, nervous and wary, politely replied, "Mr. Jiang, please." Jiang Shijun continued, "As Lord Gao said, there are many monks in Dahuai Temple, but only a few are involved in this case. First, let's not talk about Jinghui for now; he's in the Imperial City Office and his confession hasn't been obtained yet. Second, the abbot doesn't know much about this matter and hasn't actually appeared, so he can be suppressed for the time being. Finally, the little monk is just a child, only there to serve as a servant and is not involved in the main case."

"So, the focus is on two people," he said, "the chief monk and the receptionist."

Gao Mian responded, "Mr. Jiang is right. The communication between the Dahuai Temple and the outside world is all managed by the receptionist. And when the princess first went there, the head monk was in charge of the lecture."

"Okay," Jiang Shijun continued, "The princess went to the Dahuai Temple for the first time at the invitation of Miss Tian, right?"

"Correct."

"The one who made an appointment with the receptionist to listen to the sutras at the Dahuai Temple was another widowed young lady from the Tian family, right?"

"Correct."

"Then who spread the rumor that the princess has a crush on a monk?"

Gao Mian paused. The Imperial City Bureau had already discovered this matter that day, so the Dali Temple could certainly have found out as well.

He glanced at Chu Ling, who was leisurely sipping tea, and reluctantly replied, "She's the wife of a deputy minister in the Ministry of Works." He knew he couldn't escape it, so he simply blurted out, "That day, I accompanied Madam Tian to the Dahuai Temple to burn incense, and I happened to see the princess. Gossip started to spread, and after that, the rumors spread even more and more."

"Thank you for your guidance, Master Gao." Jiang Shijun asked with a smile, "Then the key point is very clear."

He stretched out three fingers and put them down one by one: "Tian family, Tian family, and Tian family again."

The people invited by the Tian family, the guests invited by the Tian family, and the incense offered by the Tian family and others.

"..." Gao Mian's heart sank. He'd said it briefly, just to get rid of the princess quickly, but... he should have expected those three questions. How could this princess be so easily dismissed? By getting straight to the point, wasn't that just putting him on the spot?

Chu Ling ignored the despair on his face, propped up his chin and asked, "Master Gao, have you questioned all the people involved in the case?"

Gao Mian replied woodenly, "I have sent people to inquire. The eldest daughter of the Tian family said that she often went to the Dahuai Temple to listen to sutras, just as usual. The second daughter of the Tian family said that because the crown prince had passed away not long ago, she did not dare to ask the princess to go anywhere else, so she went to the temple. As for the old lady, she was just there to burn incense, and she did not expect others to say that. The Tian family's response is reasonable and well-founded, and I have no reason to pursue it further."

"Ha!" Chu Ling laughed and put down his teacup. "I didn't know the Dali Temple was so polite when handling cases. Lord Gao really impressed me."

Gao Mian: "..." He was not a fool and could not tell that the princess was being sarcastic.

Chu Ling turned around and asked, "Mr. Jiang, when you were a criminal lawyer, what would you do if you encountered this situation?"

Jiang Shijun replied respectfully, "Princess, everyone involved has their own reasons, many of which sound flawless. At this point, you have to ask them repeatedly. If they're making things up, the more they make them up, the more holes they'll create."

"Did you hear that, Mr. Gao?" Chu Ling looked at him with a smile. "Mr. Jiang knows what to do. You, a Dali Temple official, are worse than a criminal lawyer? How about you step down and let Mr. Jiang take over?"

Gao Mian's heart sank. He finally understood that the princess wanted him to be the knife, and if he didn't want to be the knife, then he would break it.

Of course he didn't want to be this knife, but compared to breaking it...

"I will send someone to the Tian family to interrogate them."

"Wait." Chu Ling didn't let him go and turned around to ask, "Mr. Jiang, is it useful to ask like this?"

Jiang Shijun replied with a smile: "On the Tian family's territory, no matter how many times you ask, the result will be the same."

"What would you do if it were you?"

"Of course, they summoned the people. When they arrived at the yamen, the shouts of authority and the flashing of the killing sticks intimidated the people involved, and the more they spoke the truth."

Chu Ling turned back: "Master Gao?"

Gao Mian's heart was completely dead, and he felt cold all over. He could only give up on himself and said, "I will send someone to summon him right away!"

(End of this chapter)