What's wrong with me, a powerful minister, supporting a few female officials?

Chapter 274 Is this all the tricks you use to falsely accuse me?
Rumors of a Jinyiwei commander seizing another man's wife by abusing his power had long since spread throughout the streets and alleys of the capital.

Regardless of the considerations—whether it's to tarnish Su Mo's reputation or to save face for the imperial court—this case must be tried publicly.

Outside the Dali Temple courtroom, a large crowd had already gathered.

It's impossible to tell how many onlookers were densely packed together.

When the courtroom doors opened, everyone gasped in shock at what they saw inside, their faces filled with terror!

Is this really an interrogation of an adultery case, or is His Majesty holding a small court assembly in the Dali Temple?
Although neither the six ministers nor the six cabinet ministers appeared, Zhong Yin, the Minister of War, one of the six ministries, only sent someone back to give a brief greeting and did not actually come to the Dali Temple.

But the bigwig in the hall was already enough to shock everyone.

Leaving aside the Dali Temple, the third-rank official, the Vice Minister, and the left and right Vice Ministers, all of whom were third-rank officials, presided over the court to hear cases.

Even Lu Su, the commander of the Embroidered Uniform Guard, was dumbfounded.

The three highest-ranking officials of the Court of Judicial Review, plus his position as Commander of the Embroidered Uniform Guard and Left Commander of the Phoenix Cry Division, were of such high caliber that it wouldn't be excessive to interrogate even a first-rank official of the imperial court!

Lu Su and Nangong Sheyue, having been ordered to attend the hearing, naturally arrived at the Dali Temple immediately.

They were initially puzzled as the time was almost up and Zhang Yu still hadn't brought Su Mo and the others in for questioning. However, there were still several empty seats on both sides of the courtroom, indicating that there were still people who had come to listen to the trial.

Turning around, he saw Princess Baicheng and Zhang Zong, the former military commander, arriving together.

These two represent the royal family and noble class!
Has Su Mo's network of connections become this powerful?

Even members of the imperial family and nobles openly supported him?

What's the point of even having a trial?!

Just as Lu Su was in shock, Zhang Shouning, the Empress Dowager's elder brother and Duke of An, also entered the courtroom with a dark face.

It is obvious that Zhang Shouning, the Duke of Anguo, and Zhang Zong, the eldest son of Zhang Lie, the Duke of Ningguo, are at odds.

Seeing Zhang Zong present, he snorted coldly and then sat down on the left side of the courtroom, in the seat below Lu Su, who was ordered to observe the proceedings.

After taking his seat, Zhang Shouning, with an arrogant and unceremonious manner, said to Zhang Yu, "Does Lord Zhang have any objections to my presence here to observe this case?"

Zhang Yu said in a deep voice, "The Duke of Anguo holds a prestigious position, so it is perfectly acceptable for him to come and supervise the trials at the Dali Temple."

Zhang Shouning snorted again, brazenly scanning the crowd. He spotted the exceptionally tall Princess Baicheng, clad in armor, and a hint of apprehension crossed his old face.

"I have long heard of Lord Zhang's incorruptibility and impartiality. I have come here today simply to see if the rumors are true!"

He paused, then said coldly, "It's already Chen Shi (7-9 AM), the court is open, why haven't you brought the prisoner in for questioning yet?"

Before Zhang Yu could speak, Zhang Zong suddenly said calmly, "The Dali Temple has its own rules for handling cases!"

"If Duke Anguo and the others are not in a hurry, they can simply leave. Why bother pointing fingers?"

Zhang Shouning's face twitched suddenly, and he looked at Zhang Zong with a sinister gaze: "Zhang family brat, you have no respect for elders and are extremely arrogant!"

"Let alone a mere Vice Commander-in-Chief, even if Zhang Lie were here, I doubt he would dare speak to the Duke of this country like that!"

Zhang Zong nodded seriously: "That's right. My father has always been polite when speaking to people and wins them over with virtue."

Zhang Shouning snorted and was about to speak.

Unexpectedly, Zhang Zong suddenly added, "If they encounter someone who can't be reasoned with, my father will take direct action!"

Zhang Shouning, you son of a bitch!

Lu Su and the others also looked at Zhang Zong in astonishment.

Unexpectedly, he showed no respect for Zhang Shouning, the Duke of An, and directly confronted him head-on!

Su Mo's relationship with the Ningguo Duke's Mansion was so close that it caused the Ningguo Duke's Mansion and the Anguo Duke's Mansion to completely break off relations.
Something is wrong!
Isn't it just a soap sale and a bicycle sale? If Su Mo gets into trouble, won't the soap and bicycle both fall into the hands of the Ning Duke's Mansion?

Is there some connection that is unknown to outsiders?

Zhang Shouning is the emperor's brother-in-law! Even if Zhang Zong is Zhang Lie's eldest son, he would not dare to confront Zhang Shouning head-on without authorization, unless... this is at the behest of Zhang Lie of the Ning Kingdom!
Zhang Yu, Hu Ye, and Tian Guan exchanged a glance and saw the bitterness in each other's eyes.

Before Su Mo could even bring up the court proceedings, Zhang Shouning and Zhang Zong started fighting each other, showing no mercy whatsoever!
It's easy to imagine how intense the interrogation of Su Mo must have been!
Don't be fooled by the fact that Zhang Shouning came alone.

But he has the Wang family behind him, Wang Hao's assistance this time, and possibly the support of other five surnames and seven noble families!

Of course, behind Zhang Zong is also the noble class of Da Wu!
The noble and military class mostly rose to power through military achievements, and their foundation was not as deep as that of aristocratic families—but they had military power in their hands!
More importantly, the nobles only had power, not money!
Of course, noble families also want to become a family with a thousand-year history, which requires accumulation, or to put it bluntly, money.

Where did this money come from?

It can't be some poor peasant with little money! It can only be some other powerful or aristocratic family!

This is the only way to quickly accumulate initial capital!
What left Zhang Yu and his two companions speechless was...

There's also a saint hidden behind the palace!

When interrogating a low-ranking official for adultery, the emperor not only sent the commander of the Embroidered Uniform Guard and the left commander of the Phoenix Cry Division to listen in, but also personally supervised the trial.

As for?
It's not like they're trying someone for treason!

Seeing Zhang Shouning's face grow increasingly dark, Zhang Yu sighed inwardly and quickly said, "Lord An, Lord Zhang, please calm down!"

"I will now proceed with the trial!"

With Zhang Yu offering a way out, Duke An flicked his sleeve and said coldly, "What a silver-tongued fellow! This Duke is too lazy to stoop to your level; it would be beneath my dignity!"

Zhang Yu let out a breath, and Chao Tianguan and Hu Ye nodded slightly before he slammed the gavel!

"Court is now in session! Silence!"

"Summon the plaintiff, He Heng!"

With a shout from the bailiff, He Heng, a Hanlin scholar who was thin but handsome, with a face as pale as if he had indulged in excessive sexual activity and filled with grief and indignation, finally entered the courtroom!

He raised the petition with both hands and knelt down on the ground.

Zhang Yu slammed his gavel, his gaze falling on He Heng: "Who is this man, and what is your complaint?"

He Heng immediately said in a grief-stricken and stern voice, "I, He Heng, have come to the Dali Temple to accuse Su Mo, the clerk of Tianchang County, of adultery with my wife, Yin!"

"And I hereby accuse the woman Liu of committing treason, disregarding the laws of the court, and instigating thugs to beat an official of the court!"

"I beseech you gentlemen to uphold justice and administer fairness to this humble official!"

The onlookers were all taken aback when they heard this.

Besides adultery, there was also an incident of assaulting a high-ranking official of the imperial court.
Who is this Liu? How dare she assault a government official? This is utterly lawless!

The crime of a commoner assaulting an official is punishable by three degrees of severity, and this is no joke. Imprisonment and exile are the least of it; some may even face execution in the autumn!

Zhang Yu nodded slightly, signaling the bailiff to hand over the petition.

After a brief glance, he said in a deep voice, "Bring out the suspects Su Mo, Yin Shi, and Liu Shi!"

Lu Su and the others, naturally, waited expressionlessly for Su Mo to come out of the hall.

No one even glanced at He Heng.

Everyone knew perfectly well that this Hanlin scholar was nothing more than a pawn.

Zhang Yu certainly couldn't convict Su Mo based solely on He Heng's one-sided testimony.

It remains to be seen what methods the Wang family has used behind the scenes, such as preparing witnesses and physical evidence to prove that Su Mo really committed adultery with Yin Rou!

As a result, Zhang Yu ordered the constables to interrogate Su Mo.

Two or three incense sticks' worth of time had passed, and they still hadn't managed to bring Su Mo out...

Zhang Shouning finally couldn't hold back any longer. His face darkened, and he snorted heavily, "Is this Dali Temple prison located outside the city? How come it takes so long to bring a prisoner here?"

"In my opinion, Su Mo has always been arrogant and domineering, and he has no regard for the laws of the court!"

"I'm afraid Lord Zhang will have to personally interrogate Fang Cheng!"

Zhang Zong glanced sideways at Zhang Shouning opposite him: "This governor is puzzled, why does the Duke of An seem more anxious than Lord Zhang, who is in charge of the trial?"

"I've never heard of anyone from the Duke of Anguo's mansion being involved in this case!"

"Should we ask His Majesty to allow the Duke of An to personally interrogate this case?"

Princess Baicheng, who had been expressionless and seemingly resting with her eyes closed, suddenly opened her eyes and said calmly, "Zhang Shouning is a relative of the imperial family and holds no official position in the court. He is not qualified to preside over the case!"

Zhang Zong suddenly realized: "Princess Leng is absolutely right. I had overlooked this point."

“The Duke of An cannot interrogate Su Mo.”

Zhang Shouning's face instantly turned ashen.

Zhang Yu cursed under his breath, just as he was about to send someone to interrogate Su Mo. Just then...

Several figures suddenly appeared outside the hall.

Yang San'an strode into the courtroom: "Your Honor!"

"The suspects Su Mo, Yin Shi, and Liu Shi have been brought outside the courtroom."

Zhang Yu finally breathed a sigh of relief, slammed his gavel, and coldly ordered, "Bring the three suspects to the court!"

The onlookers looked at Su Mo, Yin Rou, and Liu Siyun with great astonishment and suspicion.

"This is Su Mo, the commander of the Embroidered Uniform Guard. He looks dignified and handsome, not like a member of the Embroidered Uniform Guard at all. He looks more like a scholar!"

"He's really handsome; no wonder he managed to seduce the wife of a Hanlin scholar!"

"So young and already a centurion in the Embroidered Uniform Guard?"

"Those two women, are they Lady Yin and Lady Liu? They're so beautiful!"

"Why weren't they in shackles, since they are suspects?"

"Shackles? Open your eyes and take a good look, what is he wearing?"

"Flying fish suit?"

"Flying fish suit? Hmph! Country bumpkin!"

"That's a tiger-patterned robe bestowed by the emperor, a rank three or higher!"

“Unless a sage issues an edict stripping him of his tiger-patterned robes, who would dare remove them? Who would dare put shackles on him?”

"Even a centurion of the Embroidered Uniform Guard can be bestowed with a tiger-patterned robe? I've learned something new!"

The onlookers stared at Su Mo in shock!

Su Mo turned to Liu Siyun and Yin Rou and said, "Remember, you don't need to say anything later, I'll handle it!"

Then, he strode into the courtroom!
Yin Rou and Liu Siyun exchanged a glance and followed Su Mo into the courtroom.

Su Mo narrowed his eyes, first glancing at He Heng kneeling on the ground, then looking around the hall.

Then they were dumbfounded.

"Princess Leng? Lord Nangong?"

"Why are you here too?"

As he spoke, his gaze turned to Lu Su and Zhang Zong, and he was even more astonished.

He had never met his superior's superior's superior's superior, Lu Su, the highest-ranking officer of the Embroidered Uniform Guard, but he knew Lu Su's identity from his attire.

Zhang Zongsu had never met him either.

Judging from his appearance, which bears a striking resemblance to Zhang Xuzu, one can guess his identity.

I never expected Zhang Xuzu to be so capable; he even managed to get his own brother, Zhang Zong, to come over!

It's probably because the benefits of the whale are too great! So great that even the Duke of Ning, Zhang Lie, can't resist!
Princess Baicheng glanced at Su Mo and said calmly, "I am only here to observe the case. If you, Su Mo, violate the laws of the court, I will not stand up for you!"

She paused, her gaze suddenly turning cold as she gave Zhang Shouning a sharp look: "If anyone tries to frame you and smear your reputation, I, this princess, will not let them off easily, no matter their status!"

Upon hearing this, Zhang Shouning immediately flew into a rage, glaring at Leng Li: "What do you mean by this?"

Leng Li remained expressionless, completely ignoring Zhang Shouning!
This made Zhang Shouning even angrier. He opened his mouth, wanting to say something polite, but in the end he held back!
Nangong Sheyue then said calmly, "I am here by imperial decree to listen to the proceedings of the case with Lord Lu!"

Lu Su glanced at Su Mo briefly.

He had long wanted to see Su Mo for a long time, but he never had the chance. He never expected that he would see Su Mo for the first time in the courtroom of the Dali Temple.

Chao Su Mo nodded slightly, but didn't say anything.

Zhang Shouning sneered!
Seeing this scene, Zhang Yu was at a loss for words.

Although Su Mo showed no awareness of being a suspect, he still had to strike the gavel: "Are the people before you the suspects Su Mo, Madam Yin, and Madam Liu?"

The plaintiff, Yin Rou, and Liu Siyun were all kneeling on the ground, while Su Mo stood tall and proud in the hall, looking as if he were the plaintiff.

But how could Zhang Yu dare to make Su Mo kneel down!

Su Mo then turned his gaze to Zhang Yu and the other two chief officials of the Dali Temple, and said calmly, "This humble official, Su Mo, has been framed by villains. To prove my innocence, I have come to the Dali Temple court."

"I hope that you gentlemen will be discerning and not let the villains' schemes succeed."

Zhang Yu snorted: "Whether you have been falsely accused or not is for me, Lord Hu, and Lord Tian to decide. It is not up to you to decide!"

"I ask you now, He Heng accused you of adultery with his wife, do you plead guilty?"

Su Mo's expression darkened slightly: "My relationship with Lady Yin is completely innocent. How can you say it's adultery?"

Zhang Yu's gaze fell on Yin Rou: "Yin, do you plead guilty?"

Yin Rou hesitated for a moment... and didn't say anything.

Zhang Yu coughed and asked, "I ask you! Has the suspect, Lady Yin, confessed to the crime?"

Yin Rou's eyes were slightly red... but she still didn't speak.

Zhang Yu......

The suspect's actions constitute contempt of court and contempt of the presiding judge.

Next comes the torture.

First, give the suspect thirty strokes of the cane to let him know the laws of the court and the authority of the government. After that, the suspect will usually confess.

therefore……

Zhang Yu turned his gaze to He Heng: "He Heng, since you are accusing Su Mo and Yin Shi of having an affair, do you have any witnesses or physical evidence?"

He wouldn't dare to beat the Yin family, but questioning a Hanlin scholar was no problem.

His voice suddenly became serious: "If you have any evidence, present it immediately, otherwise I will sentence you to a crime of defamation!"

He Heng's body suddenly trembled, then he gritted his teeth and stared intently at Su Mo and Yin Rou, saying with immense grief and indignation, "Reporting to my lord!"

"I have made a vow to dedicate myself to passing the imperial examinations and to remain steadfast in my commitment to this cause, without being swayed by external affairs."

"Now I have finally passed the imperial examination and gained the favor of His Majesty, and entered the Hanlin Academy as an official."

Zhang Yu and the others were completely baffled and couldn't help but interrupt He Heng: "I'm asking you, what evidence do you have to prove that Su Mo and the Yin family committed adultery? Don't try to change the subject!"

He Heng took a deep breath: "Your Excellency is wise!"

"Now that things have come to this, I'm not afraid of losing face!"

He pointed at Yin Rou through gritted teeth and said bitterly, "Although I have been married to this lowly woman for three years, I have always treated her with courtesy because I am focused on my career and have never consummated our marriage."

"My lord, you only need to have the midwife examine her to know that this slut has been having an affair with Su Mo!"

Upon hearing this, Su Mo was immediately dumbfounded.

Zhang Yu's expression changed slightly, and he couldn't help but look at Hu Ye and Tian Guan!
Hu Yetian Guan also immediately realized that something was wrong!
Even Nangong Sheyue, Lu Su, Princess Baicheng, and Zhang Zong had grim expressions.

Seeing Su Mo's dumbfounded expression, staring at He Heng in shock as if he couldn't utter a single word, Zhang Shouning immediately became smug and said in a sinister tone, "Since that's the case, a single test will tell!"

“He Heng has never shared a room with Lady Yin. If Lady Yin is not a virgin, she must be unfaithful and have had an affair!”

Not to mention the people in the hall.

The empress, who was secretly listening from the rear, suddenly turned gloomy.

Unexpectedly, He Heng, who had been married to the beautiful Yin Rou for three years, was able to refrain from sleeping with her!
This is going to be difficult!
The Empress's expression shifted for a long time before she finally cursed under her breath and looked at An Wu with a dark face: "Go find someone right now... to take the blame for Su Mo... for this guy!"

Before An Wu could respond, the Empress heard Su Mo's astonished voice.

"That's it?"

"The Wang family went to great lengths to have you falsely accuse me, is this all the trick you've got?"

Upon hearing this, the Empress was immediately dumbfounded.

Could it be that this bastard was prepared in advance, had already discussed it with Yin Rou, and had also found someone to take the blame for him?
　It's the last day! Your monthly tickets will expire if you don't vote now, Godfathers!

　　
　
(End of this chapter)