The next day, Li Yan was taken by Li Bantou to see Liu Xun.

When he entered the lobby of the Yamen, he saw a person who looked like a homeless person and a descendant of a wealthy family standing next to him, and Li Yan knew that this might be the witness that the palace was looking for. He didn't know if the witness was true or not, so he raised his spirits and prepared to deal with it.

After waiting for a while, a shout of "ascending to the hall" sounded, and the officials on both sides of the court suddenly and neatly poked on the floor with a "bang" of water and fire sticks, and then shouted "might~wu~" in a long voice.

First, the scribe came out of the back hall, and then Liu Xun stepped on the official steps and came out unhurriedly, and the two ear wings on the black gauze hat only shook slightly, showing a calm demeanor and steady steps.

After Liu Xun sat down firmly in the hall, he slapped it with a startled wood, and a loud "pop" echoed in the hall.

"Kneel!" The official poked the floor with a water and fire stick again, shouting loudly.

The subordinates of the palace and Li Yan hugged their fists and bowed, while the homeless man knelt on his knees with a bang, touched the ground with his forehead, and did not dare to move. For the people of the palace and Li Yan did not kneel, Liu Xun did not force it.

"The plaintiff in the court, can you have a pleading?" Liu Xun asked steadily.

The steward of the palace hurriedly took the case and handed it to the officials, and said: "Lord Patrol, we told the township soldiers of Qi County to kill the general manager and kill Gu Tongcheng, the expatriate steward of the palace. The paper is hereby submitted, and the witnesses are brought to the hall, and the inspector is requested to judge impartially. ”

The steward of the palace has seen the world in the end, and in the face of Liu Xun, a seven-grade petty official in a green robe, he was not stunned at all, and finished his words steadily.

Liu Xun looked at Li Yan again and asked, "You are Li Yan?" ”

"It's a lowly position." Li Yan replied. Su Jing's letter to Liu Xun, he asked Li Bantou to bring it yesterday. Although he didn't know what the letter said, it was better to give it early than later.

"What do you have to say about the accusator's allegations?" Liu Xunpress still asked seriously.

Li Yan replied: "The lowly position does not agree with the accusation, and the lowly position did not seek money and kill people. ”

"Does the defendant have witnesses?" Liu Xun asked like a procedural step.

"Yes." The steward of the palace replied. But when he saw that the homeless man was still kneeling on the ground and did not dare to raise his head, he gently kicked the homeless man.

"The villain's name is Chen Miaosheng, and he lives in Taikang County. When fleeing from the famine, he passed through Qi County, and saw with his own eyes that 'Li Gongzi' of Qi County killed the Gu Steward of the Wangfu. The outcast, kicked, immediately fell to his knees, and recited the words that had been taught to him long ago.

"Look at the defendants in the hall, but it's the same person?" Liu Xun asked solemnly.

Chen Miaosheng tilted his head and glanced at Li Yan, then kowtowed and replied: "The villain recognizes it, it's this person." ”

There was a "pop", and there was a loud startling sound, and Liu Xun asked in a loud voice: "Li Yan!" What else do you have to say?! ”

Li Yan clenched his fists and said, "I ask to confront the witnesses in court." ”

"Accurate!"

Li Yan arched his hand and said, "Thank you!" After that, he asked Chen Miaosheng: "Chen Miaosheng, you said that you saw the head of the palace Gu who I killed with your own eyes." So, where did I kill Mr. Gu? ”

"In Qi County." Chen Miaosheng replied without raising his head.

"Where's Qi County?"

"Near Zhaohugang."

Li Yan was stunned for an instant, there was nothing wrong with this location. But since this man said that he was the one who killed the murderer, it seems that most of them are hearsay. So he immediately asked again: "Then how many people did I kill Mr. Gu?" How many people do I have with me? ”

"Mr. Gu took charge of them, including the guards, followers, and cooks, a total of eighteen people were killed, and you brought a lot of people, I didn't count." Chen Miaosheng still lowered his head and replied quickly.

"How much is a lot?"

This time, Chen Miaosheng did not answer immediately, but turned his head to look at the steward of the palace, they were not prepared for this, he didn't know how to answer. But the steward of the palace didn't see it, so he had to think about it for a while and said, "I'm afraid there are more than 100 people." He just knew that the guards of the palace were standing tall one by one, and they must be able to use one as ten, so he replied.

Li Yan has a score now, this person is not an eyewitness. The situation on the Wangfu's side is very accurate, it must have been told to him by the Wangfu, and everything else should be hearsay.

"You say I'm seeking money, so how much money did I rob?" Li Yan asked again.

This time, Chen Miaosheng immediately replied: "Two thousand taels of silver, one hundred and fifty taels of gold, sixty horses of silk, forty dolphins, sixty sheep, eighty chickens and ducks, and two carts of other local products." ”

"Did I tell you all this? How did you know in such detail? Li Yan asked with a smile.

Chen Miaosheng replied: "These are the New Year's gifts that should be given to the palace, and this is the usual practice in previous years. These are what the steward of the palace told me, I only saw you rob a lot of things. ”

"In other words, Chief Manager Gu was robbed on the way to Kaifeng to untie the New Year's gift to the palace?" Li Yan asked.

Mr. Cui replied: "Exactly. ”

"The Zhuang Tian of the palace is north of Zhaohugang, so why did Chief Gu go south with these New Year's gifts to the palace?" Li Yan smiled and asked, "Could it be that Kaifeng is south of Qi County?" ”

"Manager Gu wants to go and see the land there, and is going to buy some for the palace." Steward Cui thought for a moment and said. They didn't go to investigate the specific location of Zhao Hugang, which was really a big negligence.

"Looking at the fields, you have to bring so many money and items, do you mean that Manager Gu has a problem with his brain?" Li Yan began to laugh after asking. And the officials on both sides also held back their laughter one by one, and let out "sneering" laughter from time to time.

"Bang", "Bang" two times in a row, Liu Xun patted the startled wood. Solemn and loud commanded: "Silence! Above the court, how can you laugh?! ”

After all the officials stopped laughing, Liu Xun ordered and said, "Chen Miaosheng, do you know the responsibility for false accusations?" But the sin is one more degree! Robbing and killing the property of the prince's family is tantamount to rebellion and razing the three clans! If the sin is added to the first degree, it will be connected to the nine clans! ”

"The villain really saw it, he really saw 'Li Gongzi' kill someone." Chen Miaosheng immediately knocked his head to Liu Xun like pounding garlic.

Li Yan pressed his hand to Liu Xun and said, "After asking the lowly question, please judge the patrol." ”

Liu Xun shouted to Chen Miaosheng: "Chen Miaosheng, you still haven't recruited from the truth?!" Why make false accusations?! Don't force Ben to press the torture device. If you are stubborn, under Miki, there is nothing that you can't do! ”

Chen Miaosheng trembled and said: "No, villain, the villain did not make false accusations, please enlighten the adult." ”

Liu Xunpress directly grabbed a token and threw it on the ground in the lobby, shouting: "Come on, hit the twenty boards first, and see if he moves!" ”

The four officials stepped forward, two of them passed under Chen Miaosheng's armpit with water and fire sticks, and the other end was lifted upward, pressing Chen Miaosheng to the ground. The other two passed through one ankle with a water fire stick and pressed the other ankle, and the two pressed down the water and fire stick at the same time, and Chen Miaosheng's legs and feet couldn't move.

At this time, two more officials came up and began to play the board one by one. The water and fire stick hit Chen Miaosheng's ass "bang" and "bang", and after only three or five strokes, the pants on Chen Miaosheng's buttocks were printed with blood stains.

"Ah~, spare your life, spare your life. The villain recruited, recruited. Chen Miaosheng cried and shouted to confess as soon as he was beaten twice, but without Liu Xun's instructions, the officials continued to play the board, but their strength was slightly lighter.