The Crazy Emperor's Pampered Cousin

A large crowd gathered in the front hall.

Liang Xisheng straightened his official robes and prepared to begin the court proceedings.

He first turned to his side and bowed respectfully to the young man in dark robes with a calm demeanor.

"Your Excellency, please."

He gestured for Jing Cang to sit in the presiding judge's seat.

Jing Cang's gaze swept across the hall below, his expression calm and unwavering.

"This case is being presided over by Lord Liang; I am merely an observer. Please, Your Excellency, take the seat of honor."

Upon hearing this, Liang Xisheng no longer made empty excuses, apologized, and sat upright in the hall.

His gaze swept across the hall below: "Where are Song Huailing's family members?"

Wan Xu, Chen Yuzhi, and others stepped forward quickly, lifted their robes, and knelt down.

"Do any of you have been wronged?"

Wan Xu was taken aback and subconsciously looked up at the governor sitting in the hall.

The pace... it's as if the path had already been paved, just waiting for them to come up and give their statements.

Before he could think it through, Chen Yuzhi, standing beside him, spoke first, his voice filled with grief and indignation.

"Your Honor, please see the truth! My senior brother must have been murdered by Prefect Qu Zongshan! His son abducted a woman and wreaked havoc in the village. My senior brother, seeing this injustice, killed him in the process of saving her. Qu Zongshan held a grudge and, taking advantage of the large crowd at the sword-testing event, secretly poisoned my senior brother, killing him!"

Liang Xisheng remained unmoved upon hearing this, and only asked, "Even if Qu Zongshan's son is guilty, he should be dealt with by the government. Has the matter of Song Huailing's unauthorized use of private punishment been concluded?"

Suppressing his inner turmoil, Wan Xu quickly replied, "Your Excellency, the trial is over. According to the Great Zhao Code, the fine was one hundred taels of silver, which was paid on the spot. Your Excellency, my Wanjian Manor has absolutely no cover-up; all the actions taken are clean and in accordance with the law."

His tone was earnest, and the disciples of the manor behind him all bowed their heads.

"Alright." Liang Xisheng nodded, seemingly expecting this, and then called out, "Bring the prisoner, Qu Zongshan!"

The order was given, and within moments, two burly bailiffs brought a man into the courtroom.

The man's official hat was askew, and he was still wearing the same clothes he wore when he returned to his residence the night before. His face had several fresh abrasions and bruises, and he looked flustered and confused. Who else could it be but Qu Zongshan?

Wan Xu and the others were stunned again.

Yizhou City isn't exactly close to here, so how come this person was brought in as soon as they mentioned his name? It's as if he was waiting behind the yamen all along.

Qu Zongshan was forced to kneel down. Still shaken from the night before, he looked up and saw Liang Xisheng standing expressionlessly in the hall.

"My lord! Lord Liang! I'm innocent! I'm innocent! I've always been diligent and law-abiding, and I would never have committed murder!"

Liang Xisheng simply watched him cry out for justice in the courtroom with a cold eye, his mind completely at ease.

The truth, the key points, the witnesses and physical evidence of this case were already clearly understood by the "envoy" next to him. The case file and evidence were complete and were handed over to him last night.

Today's proceedings are merely a formality, a performance of "fairness" put on for all to see.

Sure enough, Liang Xisheng methodically summoned witnesses and presented evidence.

From the confessions of the Qu family servants who betrayed their masters, to the records of suspicious activities by undercover agents on the night of the sword-testing competition, to the secret letters and banknotes found in a hidden compartment of Qu Zongshan's study that corresponded with the assassins...

One case after another, the evidence was irrefutable, pressing relentlessly.

Qu Zongshan initially tried to argue, his forehead covered in cold sweat, but later his face turned ashen, and he collapsed to the ground, only unconsciously uttering the word "wronged," unable to muster any more strength to refute it.

With the Crown Prince's personal guards taking action, the local prefect's struggles seemed so pale and laughable.

Seeing that the time was right, Liang Xisheng grabbed the gavel and slammed it down heavily!

"Smack!" The crisp sound echoed through the courtroom, silencing all the slightest commotion.

"You, Qu Zongshan, a criminal, serving as a prefectural magistrate, instead of serving the court and caring for the people, hired someone to murder Song Huailing, the young master of Wanjian Manor, out of personal grudges. The evidence is conclusive, and the law cannot tolerate this! Today, I, your official, sentence you to death for murder, a heinous crime. According to the law, you are to be dismissed from your post, your property confiscated, and you shall be hanged! Imprisoned in the death row to await your sentence!"

"Your Excellency is wise!"

Wan Xu was the first to kowtow, his voice choked with emotion.

Chen Yuzhi and the disciples of Wanjian Manor followed closely behind, shouting in unison, "The Governor is wise!"

Amidst the clamor, there was a trembling sound as suppressed grief and indignation were finally released.

Throughout history, the common people have never fared well against officials. They had already made the worst possible plans, and even secretly considered the possibility of mutual destruction. However, they never expected that the heavens would so suddenly and unexpectedly sweep away their injustice so quickly and thoroughly.

Liang Xisheng remained expressionless, rose from his seat, turned to Jing Cang who was sitting quietly observing the proceedings, and bowed deeply with clasped hands, his posture respectful.

"Your Excellency, what do you think... is this approach appropriate?"

Jing Cang: "Agreed."

The voice wasn't loud, but it silenced everyone in the hall.

Only then did everyone look at the young man in black with surprise and uncertainty.

Even the governor has to consult him? Just who is this man?

The solemn and noisy sounds from the front hall carried to the hidden rear room connected to it.

Here, the curtains are drawn low, the light is soft, and there is a faint fragrance of pear blossoms.

Xie Yanzhao leaned back on the soft couch, dressed in a moon-white brocade robe with cloud patterns, looking relaxed and at ease.

His slender fingers picked up a plump green grape from the jade dish and naturally offered it to the lips of the woman beside him.

"Yuan Yuan is much happier now."

Shen Tinghe leaned on his shoulder, opened her lips and put a green grape in her mouth, the cool and sweet juice melting in her mouth.

She turned her head to the side, and her soft lips gently touched his cheek.

"Yes, brother is the best," she whispered, her voice soft with dependence and relief.

Xie Yanzhao had originally planned to take another green grape, but was disturbed by her fruity, somewhat perfunctory kiss. He turned his wrist and put the glistening fruit into his own mouth.

He seemed dissatisfied: "Is Yuan Yuan now treating her husband so perfunctorily?"

Shen Tinghe blinked, about to say something, when she saw him lean over.

Before she could react, his lips covered hers.

The kiss carried the lingering sweetness of green grapes, a scent far more intoxicating than the fruit itself.

Xie Yanzhao meticulously traced the shape of her lips, gently yet forcefully parting her teeth to deepen the kiss. As they sucked and intertwined, their breaths and sweetness blended completely.

Under his skillful and affectionate guidance, Shen Tinghe gradually relaxed and fell into his arms.

After a long while, a calm yet authoritative voice came from the inner room.

"Liang Xisheng".

Upon hearing the voice, Liang Xisheng trembled, and without hesitation, he knelt down, bowed his head, and replied, "Your humble servant is here."

The governor's kneeling caused everyone in the hall to tremble with awe, and a large group of people immediately followed suit, kneeling down and holding their breath.

The voice rang out again, unhurried and measured: "It is said that you have a reputation for virtue, and Yizhou has flourished under your rule. However, given the way your subordinates have acted, you cannot escape the blame for oversight. A six-month salary deduction will be imposed as a warning to others. Do you accept this?"

Liang Xisheng lowered his head even further, his voice steady and earnest: "This humble official is convinced. It is indeed due to my inadequate discipline and lax management of my subordinates that this has led to today's events. Thank you... for your admonition, superior. From now on, this humble official will do his utmost to rectify official conduct, and live up to the trust placed in him by Yizhou and the court."