Whoever can strike me hard will be rewarded handsomely.

The hall was completely silent, with only the lingering sound of broken porcelain trembling on the floor tiles.

The young emperor on the throne exuded an almost tangible chill, which made the few people who were trying to justify their actions shiver.

Qin Ji's cold, sharp gaze fell on the face of Chen Changyuan, the Assistant Minister of the Ministry of Justice, his gaze scraping across his face like a knife.

"Minister Chen." His voice was not loud, but it carried the unquestionable pressure of a superior. "You said that the case file was not thorough enough, which was due to the large number of people involved in Ning'an and the hasty reporting by the local authorities."

Since the case file was not comprehensive enough, why not report it truthfully and return it to the local authorities for retrial?

Chen Changyuan's face turned pale. "Your Majesty, I did not..."

Qin Ji raised his hand to stop him, "Whether you have altered the case file is a matter for the officials being reviewed, and there is no need for you to make excuses in front of me."

As if remembering something, Qin Ji suddenly chuckled, his fingertips lightly tapping the armrest of the dragon throne. The smile didn't reach his eyes; instead, it revealed a cold sarcasm. "You'd better hope that the officials in the second trial aren't like you, only thinking about my thoughts and acting without considering the facts, and giving you a harsher sentence."

This is almost tantamount to telling everyone openly that His Majesty intends to deal with the matter severely and strictly.

If the judges act based on the superior's wishes, they are likely to...

As expected, His Majesty's cold command rang out in the hall: "Chen Changyuan, Lu Rong, and Cao Leshan are to be immediately dismissed from their posts, arrested, and imprisoned pending trial."

Chen Changyuan slumped to the ground, his face ashen.

Censor Lu Rong and Cao Leshan also looked dejected, their legs trembling.

Qin Ji stopped looking at them and turned his gaze to the Minister of Justice and the Vice Minister of Justice. "As officials of the Ministry of Justice, you two have failed in your duties. You will be punished together after the case is concluded. Until then, you will be confined to your residence and not allowed to leave."

Minister of Justice Sun Yu and Vice Minister of Justice Tao Bosong bowed their heads and replied, "Yes."

"As for Liang Zhongming, the Provincial Surveillance Commissioner of Ning'an Province, the Magistrate of Hegu County, and the Prefect of Anping, since they are not in the capital..." Qin Ji paused slightly, his tone resolute: "Immediately draft an edict and send it to the local authorities. Liang Zhongming has been unjust in his judgment and has treated human life with contempt; the Magistrate of Hegu County and the Prefect of Anping have been whitewashing the truth and preventing the people from seeking justice."

He is hereby immediately dismissed from his post, escorted back to the capital, and handed over to the Court of Judicial Review for imprisonment and interrogation.

Qin Ji turned his gaze to the Minister of the Court of Judicial Review: "Since the Ministry of Justice and the Censorate are involved in this case, it will be handed over to the Court of Judicial Review for presiding over the trial. Some capable and efficient officials from the Hanlin Academy will be selected to assist in the retrial of Li Xiang's case."

The Minister of the Court of Judicial Review stepped forward and said, "Your subject will respectfully obey the imperial decree."

"Ministry of Justice." Qin Ji glanced at Sun Yu and Tao Bosong again, "Transfer all original case files and archives related to this case to the Court of Judicial Review. They must not be damaged or altered in the slightest. If there is any further attempt to deceive or mislead, I will hold you two accountable."

The two men stood up and said, "Yes!"

Qin Ji rose, descended the steps, and looked down at Chen Changyuan and the others: "You all claim to be loyal and diligent in your work, but in reality, you are only trying to curry favor with me for advancement. You treat human life as worthless and disregard the law. Instead of clearing the names of the wronged, you have altered documents to deceive and mislead me, causing me to turn a blind eye and a deaf ear, and to execute innocent people, thus creating this injustice of Feishuang."

Qin Ji closed his eyes briefly, then opened them again with a sorrowful expression: "I too have made mistakes in Li Xiang's case."

Upon hearing this, all the ministers in the hall knelt down in unison.

"His Majesty!"

"His Majesty!"

Qin Ji raised his hand, stopping the mournful cries of the officials.

...

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