I play the role of Jiajing in Zongwu: What crime have I committed?

"Only then can the injustice done to the 70,000 loyal souls of my Chiyan Army be redressed!"

"Therefore, I will spare no expense to put Jingyan on the throne."

Meng Zhi loudly questioned, "But you've resorted to such unscrupulous means; where does that leave the greater good of the nation?"

"National righteousness?"

Mei Changsu suddenly let out a chilling laugh.

"Twelve years ago, did that scoundrel emperor ever consider the greater good of the nation?"

"I have already died once. My only purpose in living now is to see that tyrant kneel before me and repent!"

The candlelight flickered violently, casting Mei Changsu's distorted shadow on the wall.

Looking at his former friend, who seemed somewhat delirious, Meng Zhi felt even more heartbroken.

"Xiao Shu, have you forgotten the vow you made when you were young?"

"Have you forgotten your duty to serve your country and uphold justice?"

"Xiao Shu is dead!"

Upon hearing this, Mei Changsu's expression became even more ferocious. He shouted sharply, his voice like that of a demon crawling out of hell.

"He died at Meiling twelve years ago. Now standing before you is Mei Changsu, Mei Changsu who has crawled out of hell to seek revenge."

Meng Zhi staggered back a step, and tears welled up in the eyes of this tough man.

Looking at Mei Changsu's tense profile, I felt a mix of emotions.

He knew better than anyone the heavy burden Mei Changsu carried on his shoulders.

At the marriage selection ceremony, he watched helplessly as Princess Nihuang was betrothed to Prince Jing.

Xiao Tingsheng, whom they are trying to rescue, is still trapped in Yeting.

The case of Lou Zhijing also ended in failure.

A series of setbacks were like heavy shackles, making it almost impossible for Mei Changsu to breathe.

Meng Zhi even noticed that Mei Changsu had developed a few strands of white hair at his temples these days.

"Xiao Shu, I understand your predicament."

Mei Changsu clenched his fingers, his voice hoarse, and said, "This time, I can't afford to fail again."

If the credit for the case of the Duke of Qing cannot be attributed to Prince Jing, then all his painstakingly planned schemes will be in vain.

Seeing Mei Changsu's slightly trembling shoulders, Meng Zhi finally couldn't help but step forward and press down hard on his shoulders.

He said in a deep voice, "No matter what, I will always stand by your side."

These words caused Mei Changsu's tense body to tremble slightly.

"Also, Xiao Shu, don't forget, you are Lin Xie's son."

Meng Zhi left only one sentence before secretly departing from Xue Lu.

Upon hearing this, Mei Changsu twitched his nose and gripped his sleeves tightly with both hands, but ultimately did not shed a single tear.

Xiao Jingting and Zhu Qi talked all night, and only then did Zhu Houcong realize that his rebellious son had such great ambitions.

The following day, following Zhu Qi's instructions, Prince Yu, Xiao Jingting, selected three people from the Ministry of Justice, the Censorate, and the Court of Judicial Review to form a joint trial team.

The three people were Zhao Mengjing, Vice Minister of the Ministry of Justice; Hu Ruzhen, Censor; and Zheng Bichang, Vice Minister of the Court of Judicial Review.

When Zhu Houcong saw this person's name through Zhu Qi, his pupils suddenly contracted.

Zheng Bichang?

This name... it sounds so auspicious.

He was startled, suddenly remembered something, and immediately ordered someone to bring the stack of memorials and petitions.

His slender fingers quickly flipped through the pages, and sure enough, he saw the words "Respectfully presented by Zheng Bichang, Vice Minister of the Court of Judicial Review" in the thirty-seventh chapter.

A glint flashed in Zhu Houcong's eyes, and the corners of his mouth unconsciously turned up.

Zheng Bichang... Zheng Bichang...

In the Ming Dynasty, Zheng Bichang was the Provincial Treasurer of Zhejiang. His ability to survive between the Yan faction and the Qingliu faction through shrewd calculation of interests is enough to show his shrewdness.

Although he ultimately failed, it was because converting rice paddies to mulberry fields was a dead end; he simply died because he was in a situation where he was doomed.

Moreover, Zheng Bichang possessed considerable administrative ability and was able to balance the interests of all parties.

He was ruthless in his dealings with people and things. He would do things like destroying dikes and flooding fields, which would incur the wrath of both heaven and man, without hesitation.

Could this person also be a similar talent?

During Zhu Houcong's test, a previously unknown sixth-rank official was promoted to an important member of the joint trial by the three judicial departments because of his seemingly familiar name.

When Zheng Bi knelt before Prince Yu with trepidation, even Xiao Jingting couldn't help but glance at him a few more times.

What is so special about this seemingly ordinary official that makes the Taoist priest value him so highly?

When Zheng Bichang received the letter of appointment, she was completely unaware that her fate had already changed.

The sunlight shines through the window lattice, casting mottled shadows on the ground.

The panel of judges for the joint trial was thus finalized, and a major case that would affect the court was about to unfold.

Chapter 41 is just about implicating innocent people!

Inside the Dali Temple government office, everyone held their breath as they carefully examined the evidence submitted by Xia Dong.

Hu Ruzhen suddenly narrowed her eyes and was the first to spot the flaw.

He tapped his fingers lightly on the case file and said in a deep voice, "The outline of this case is clear, but it seems that the most crucial link is missing from this chain of evidence."

Everyone was startled when they heard this.

Where is Master Chang, the clerk who wrote the order to massacre Zhu Family Village on behalf of the Duke of Qing?

Xia Dong frowned upon hearing this.

“Our Suspended Mirror Bureau has searched the entire capital, but we haven’t found even a trace of Master Chang.”

"This person seems to have vanished into thin air."

Hu Ruzhen scanned the chain of evidence and shook his head: "Without Master Chang's handwritten confession, relying solely on this circumstantial evidence, convicting a second-rank military marquis would be an impossible task."

Xia Dong nodded and said, "I'll immediately mobilize the entire Suspended Mirror Division. Even if we have to dig three feet into the ground, we'll find this Master Chang!"

"The Dali Temple is willing to fully cooperate," Zheng Bichang immediately stood up in response.

Zhao Mengjing gave a wry smile: "As you all know, the Ministry of Justice is currently in a difficult situation. This case will likely require the assistance of our colleagues in the Suspended Mirror Division and the Court of Judicial Review."

A brief silence fell over the room.

The group exchanged knowing glances.

Who doesn't know that Qi Min, the Minister of Justice, is a confidant of Prince Yu?

At this moment, they probably wish Master Chang would disappear forever, so how could they sincerely assist in the investigation?

Xia Dong sneered and slammed his hands heavily on the table.

"No problem! Without the Ministry of Justice, this case will be easier for us to investigate!"

Xiao Jingting, who had been silent all along, nodded and slowly rose, saying, "Then it all depends on you all. You must expand the search area; even if you have to turn the entire city upside down, you must find him!"

Upon hearing this, everyone nodded slightly.

At this moment, Xiao Jingting suddenly looked at Zhu Qi (Zhu Houcong), who had remained silent all along, and asked, "Sir, what do you think of this matter?"

Upon hearing this, Xia Dong, Hu Ruzhen, Zheng Bichang, and Zhao Mengjing were all taken aback.

All eyes turned to Zhu Qi, their hearts filled with surprise and uncertainty.

Who is this person?

How could His Highness Prince Yu address him as "Sir"?

Zhu Qi remained calm, a faint smile playing on his lips, and slowly said, "Your Highness, please calm down."

"His Majesty attaches great importance to the land encroachment case. Now that he has entrusted this case to Your Highness for trial, he must have a foolproof plan."

Before he finished speaking, a series of orderly footsteps suddenly came from outside the hall.

Immediately afterwards, Cao Zhichun, the supervisor of the Eastern Depot, led a group of guards in.

"This servant greets His Highness Prince Yu and all the esteemed officials." Cao Zhichun bowed slightly, his voice high-pitched yet dignified.

Upon seeing this, Xiao Jingting and the others all stood up to greet them.

Cao Zhichun was the head of the Eastern Depot appointed by the current emperor Zhu Houcong, and he enjoyed the emperor's favor, a fact they were naturally aware of.

However, they did not know what kind of government office this Eastern Investigation Bureau was.

What tasks are you responsible for?

Why did Cao Zhichun suddenly appear here?

However, Cao Zhichun's words the next second made them understand completely.

Cao Zhichun smiled effeminately and flicked his sleeve, saying, "I've come to deliver a generous gift to you gentlemen."

Before he finished speaking, he clapped his hands three times, the crisp sound of which was particularly jarring in the silent hall.

A group of agents from the Eastern Depot filed in, escorting dozens of prisoners.

The lead guard loudly announced the names: "Secretary of the Binzhou Prefectural Government, Steward of the Duke of Qingguo's Mansion, Cousin of the Duke of Qingguo's Fourth Branch..."

As each name was announced, the expressions on the faces of those present grew increasingly solemn.

These prisoners were in such a pitiful state that it was unbearable to look at them.

The clerk of Binzhou Prefecture was covered in blood scabs, all ten of his fingernails had been picked off, his eyes were empty, and his mouth was dripping with blood.

The most horrifying thing was that the disheveled young man was now curled up like a shrimp, muttering to himself.

Zheng Bichang exclaimed in shock, "Isn't this the young master who was sent to Binzhou by the Duke of Qing to avoid trouble three years ago for forcibly taking a woman?"

Xia Dong and the others gasped in shock.

Suddenly, the man burst into maniacal laughter, revealing a mouth full of bloody holes.

All of his teeth were forcibly pulled out.

The other prisoners were either delirious or trembling, clearly having undergone inhuman torture.

Cao Zhichun slowly and deliberately took the stack of blood-stained confessions handed to him by the guards, and said with a smile.

"We've prepared all the witnesses, physical evidence, and testimonies for you."

The warm winter sun outside the yamen slanted through the mottled vermilion porch, making the bloodstained confessions even more glaring.

Cao Zhichun stood with his back to the blinding light, as if shrouded in a shadow.

His face was indistinct at the moment, except for the smile at the corner of his lips.

However, to everyone else, that smile was tinged with an unparalleled chill, appearing particularly sinister and terrifying amidst the interplay of light and shadow.

Seeing this, Xia Dong's eyes blazed with anger. He slammed his hand on the table, making the teacups rattle.

She shouted sternly, "Eunuch Cao, who gave your Eastern Depot permission to abuse private punishments and extract confessions through torture?"

"Our Great Liang has strict laws, and I don't recall there being such a provision!"

Upon hearing this, Cao Zhichun's lips curled slightly, and he said respectfully, "Lord Xia is joking. My family has never used torture to extract confessions."

As he spoke, he slowly strolled over to the young master of the Duke of Qing, and suddenly kicked him hard, causing the man to curl up on the ground in pain.

Then, looking down at him, he said in a sinister tone.

"Come here, tell Lord Xia, did we ever force you to confess?"

The man trembled all over and shook his head desperately.

Cao Zhichun nodded in satisfaction and spread his hands, saying, "Lord Xia, you see, he himself said that we didn't force him."

Xia Dong laughed in anger, his knuckles cracking as he clenched his fists.