Three days later, in the hall of Dali Temple, countless soldiers and soldiers of the Soldiers and Horses surrounded this place that had been neglected on weekdays and had no sense of existence in the court for a long time like an iron bucket, and even a fly could not fly in. The six departments and Jiuqing were already sitting on the main hall, and among them, many people were secretly exchanging looks, because this battle was really unusual.

Soon there was a dull sound of horses' hooves from Yuanmen Street, and the ministers thought that the prince's car was coming, and they all got up to greet them, but they saw two eunuchs jumping down immediately, it was Wang An and Yishaha beside the prince, and when they saw the minister, they both said: "His Royal Highness the prince ordered our family to come to hear the trial." ”

The prince did not come, but only sent two close attendants around him, which seemed to make everyone look at each other and think about it. However, the actual situation is that the prince had already dressed in the morning, but suddenly he was out of breath and couldn't move at all, and the two of them were also more clear, because last night the crown princess asked the imperial doctor Sheng Yong to add an extra medicine to the qi lowering soup that the prince often took, which caused a slight wheezing, and the poor breathing caused the prince's own chest tightness, dizziness and flank pain to be more intense, making it difficult to make the trip.

The two fathers-in-law only acted as representatives of the crown prince, observing the case and not expressing their opinions. And the prince had already set a pair of presiding judges to sit in the lobby, these two people were Dali Siqing Tang Zong and Yingtianfu Yin Xue Jun, one presiding judge and one jury, because this case involves the Criminal Department and the Metropolitan Procuratorate, and it is necessary to avoid suspicion.

"Now that everyone has arrived," although Wang An always looked like a hippie smile when he was beside Gao Chi and Zhang Zhaohua, he was still very able to hold it when he arrived at the outer court: "His Royal Highness the Crown Prince has a few words to pass on to your lords." ”

Everyone stood up again, preparing to meet the prince's edict on the incense line, but Wang An said, "It's not a verbal message, it's just a few words that were spoken in front——"

Seeing that the ministers all pricked up their ears and made a deferential appearance, Wang Ancai said: "The prince said that there are many things in the court that are bad, and the bad is bad, and everything likes to seek in the dark room, and they can't see the sun. ”

Most people were confused by these words, and some were shocked, such as Jian Yi and Zheng Ci, and some people forcibly suppressed their excitement, this person was the presiding judge Tang Zong, who had maintained this excited attitude since he received an edict from the prince three days ago ordering him to preside over the case, until today. He felt that he had figured out what the prince meant, and today's words made him even more sure.

Tang Zong collected his thoughts, patted the shocked wood and said, "Bring someone to commit a crime!"

After a while, a number of sturdy men came up and brought five people with torture instruments and a sluggish look to commit the crime, namely Li Zhen, the head of the military department involved in the case, and Ye Zhuan, Wang Wei, Wu Chengping, and Liu Wei.

"There is also one person who has committed a crime," Tang Zong said: "Where is the Wang family, the wife of Li Zhen who beat the drum?"

After a while, a woman who looked to be in her thirties, with a plain cloth skirt and a miserable complexion, was also brought in, knelt on the ground and kowtowed to the court. She soon saw her husband and couldn't help but cry.

"Don't cry," Tang Zong thought for a while, but still didn't clap the shocked wood on his hands, and said, "Who are you, say it yourself." ”

"The people's woman Wang is the wife of Li Zhen, the head of the military department," Wang said, "She is also the one who beat the Dengwen drum three days ago." ”

"Wang," Tang Zong said, "Why are you beating the drum?"

"My lord, can't that drum be beaten?" Wang asked rhetorically: "Didn't Emperor Gao set up this drum so that the military and people of the world have a way to complain about grievances?"

"So you're here to avenge your grievances. Tang Zong said: "What grievances do you have, and tell me in detail." ”

"Fourteen days ago, the Criminal Department came to take people and put my master in prison," Wang said, "The crime is to accept bribes." The woman has been married to my lord for 15 years, and she knows that he is honest and self-controlled, and she has never seen him bring anything to his home that does not belong to the Yulu, and I don't know where the crime of accepting bribes came from? Moreover, since the criminal department took the person, it was necessary to check the evidence, and the woman did not see anyone coming, but she heard that her grandson had been repeatedly tortured in the prison and was dying, and she had no choice but to beat the drum and appeal her grievances. ”

"You don't have no other way," Tang Zong said meaningfully: "You can sue Ying Tian Yamen, Ying Tianfu can accept this case, this Lord Xue next to this official is Ying Tianfu Yin, he can urge the Criminal Department to review this case, and he will also return your husband's innocence." What's more, there is the Metropolitan Procuratorate above the Criminal Department, and the Supervision Imperial History can correct the prison, and you can also appeal to the Metropolitan Procuratorate. ”

"Good to teach the lord to know," Wang's voice was not loud, but everyone could hear it clearly: "It is Chen Ying, the imperial history of the left capital of the Imperial Procuratorate, and the imperial history Yuan Gang and Qin Heng who impeached my lord for accepting bribes, how dare the women send themselves to the wolf's den!"

"Ying Tianfu can also accept it, but it has been delayed for a long time," Wang said: "My lord is in prison, and he has been punished three times in one day, how can he survive until Ying Tianfu is reviewed? The women heard that His Royal Highness the Crown Prince was merciful and wanted to settle the wrongs, so they dared to beat the drum. ”

It's an interesting question as to how she managed to avoid the guards and hit the drum, which can almost be said to be a formality, but everyone tacitly didn't ask, after all, it was something that could not be explained.

"This case has already alarmed His Royal Highness the Crown Prince," Tang Zong arched his hand and said: "Your Highness is benevolent and looks down on grievances, so I asked the six departments and Jiuqing to gather together to sentence and take the law." ”

As he spoke, he looked at Li Zhen, "Li Zhen, the head of the military department, raise your head." ”

"Can you understand your wife's grievances for you?" Tang Zong asked.

"Hear me...... Got it. Li Zhen was obviously tortured, and her voice was so choppy that she could barely be heard.

"Remove the torture instruments from him. Tang Zong waved his hand, and two soaps came up and took off the shackles of more than ten towels for Li Zhen, which made Li Zhen gradually ease up, and his voice was slightly louder.

"Your wife said you didn't take bribes," Tang Zong said, "Did you accept bribes?" or did you accept bribes but didn't bring them into the house?"

"My lord," Li Zhen said: "What the minister's wife said is that the minister has been in the military department for six years, and he has a clear conscience, if there is corruption and bribery, he will let the minister die and have no burial." ”

At this time, one of the ministers sitting next to him stood up and said, "I can prove what he said." ”

Everyone looked at it, and saw that it was the squire of the military department. He said: "I usually pride myself on being honest, and all the gifts are divided into clans, and as far as I know, Li Zhen's usual fortunes and rewards are sent to his old mother in Songjiang, so that his family is poor and unsustainable, and his wife even has to wash clothes for others to barely maintain the family." ”

If someone else says this, others will question it, but Shi Kui is different, he is a person who is incorruptible to the extreme, the emperor knows that he is incorruptible, and once said: "The ministers of the six ministries are not greedy, but Shi Kui." ”

And Shi Kui is a soldier in the military department, he naturally knows about his subordinates, since he said so, that is what Li Zhen and his wife said, it should be good, otherwise how could he be so poor that his wife can only wash clothes for others?