Noble Lady

Chapter 251 Total Denial

Three days passed in a flash.

The Jingzhao Prefecture opened a trial on the case of He Minzhi who murdered his siblings, causing his sister Cui He Ruyi to have a miscarriage and be in critical condition.

Because the case had a wide impact and the circumstances were serious, Jingzhao Prefecture decided to hold a public trial.

On the day of the trial, as the time for the interrogation approached, the Jingzhao Prefecture was packed with people inside and outside.

Everyone wants to see what kind of person He Minzhi, the editor of the Hanlin Academy who is rumored to have a bad reputation and a hateful face, is like?

Why could he do so many cruel things?

"Didn't they say the trial would begin at noon? Why hasn't it started yet?"

"Yeah, what tricks is Jingzhao Prefecture playing? Are they trying to fool us?"

"We all want to see with our own eyes what kind of magical power He Minzhi possesses."

But no matter how they shouted, Lord Mei from Jingzhao Prefecture did not come to the court.

Of course, they didn't know that at this moment, Lord Mei was also running around anxiously in the back hall.

"Master Chen, didn't you say you had already made an appointment with Aunt Xue? Why hasn't she shown up yet at this hour?"

"Sir, when have I ever neglected your instructions? I told Aunt Xue in person that day, and she also promised to be in class on time today."

"This matter involves his huge sum of thirty thousand taels. How could she not take it seriously? Could something have happened?"

Master Chen said seriously.

"What could possibly happen under the feet of the emperor? It's impossible that the He family knew that this matter was related to her and had someone kidnap her in advance." Lord Mei said casually.

After saying this, he was stunned for a moment and looked at Master Chen in surprise, "Could it be true..."

"Sir, of course we can't stop them!" The squad leader rushed in. "Those people outside said you haven't opened the court yet. You're just kidding them. So many men, women, young and old are rushing in, there's no way to stop them."

"Sir, why don't you open the court first? You can move Aunt Xue's case to the back."

Master Mei thought about it and could only do this. "Then send a few people to the He family and the Wu'an Marquis Mansion to ask what's going on."

Master Chen nodded in agreement.

Only then did Lord Mei put on his hat, touched his frightened round belly, and walked out with his head held high.

Master Chen followed him out, calling the servants to give him instructions as he walked.

This person was one of those who had previously visited the He family and enjoyed the iced sour plum soup at Furongju, so he was naturally happy to make such a trip.

When Lord Mei arrived in the hall, it was already bustling with people outside.

The huge front yamen of Jingzhao Prefecture was almost packed with people.

There were men, women, young and old, everyone was there, it was even more lively than watching the beheading at Caishikou.

As soon as they saw Lord Mei coming out, men, women, young and old all rushed in excitedly.

"Boom!"

Lord Mei knocked the gavel three times. "Today, this case will be heard in public. All citizens of Dasheng may come and observe the trial. However, no one is allowed to disrupt the courtroom. Otherwise, they will be beaten out with sticks."

After these bangs of the gavel, the court finally became much quieter.

"Bring someone to commit the crime."

At a command from Lord Mei, the bailiffs brought up He Minzhi, who had been properly dressed.

Before going to class today, he took a bath, changed his clothes, and combed his hair neatly. He still looked like the He Hanlin who came from a family of three generations of Hanlin scholars.

If you can ignore the dark circles under his eyes and the fact that his face is much thinner than before.

"Da Lang, why have you lost so much weight?" Liu, who was squeezed in the crowd and protected by Chahua and Zhang, was very excited.

He Minzhi smiled slightly, "Thank you for your concern, mother. I'm fine."

One moment he was smug, the next, he couldn't laugh anymore.

Because, Cui Hua, as the plaintiff, also went to the lobby, accompanied by the Cui family's East Palace's second steward Hu, and his lawyer Shen Yuheng.

He Minzhi's face was a little stiff, and he withdrew his gaze uncomfortably.

Then the court session began.

The series of procedures at the opening of the court session is to ask the names of the plaintiff and the defendant, where they are from, and what the complaint is, so that the people who come to observe the trial can know this.

Cui Hua had made great contributions and was also the plaintiff.

Although He Minzhi was an official, he was a definite defendant. When Lord Mei began to interrogate the case, the bailiffs came to "invite" He Minzhi to kneel down and listen to the trial.

"He Minzhi, Master Cui is suing you for hiring thugs to break into his house, injuring his servants, and even holding and threatening his pregnant wife. This caused her to suffer a severe shock, miscarriage, and severe bleeding, nearly costing her her life. What do you have to say?"

He Minzhi knew that even if he stood up, he would be forced to his knees, so he simply stopped struggling. "Master Mei, Cui Hua is my brother-in-law, and his pregnant wife is my biological sister. He sued me for holding, threatening, and intimidating his wife, which means I was holding, threatening, and intimidating my own pregnant sister."

"Your Highness, may I ask you, Lord Mei, what brother in this world would threaten or intimidate his sister knowing she's pregnant? Would I deliberately want to kill my own nephew and sister?"

Mr. Mei: What's going on? Why has he suddenly become so sharp-tongued?

Then he glanced at Master Chen.

Mr. Chen just made a "one" gesture and Lord Mei knocked the gavel impatiently.

"He Minzhi, don't use family affection as an excuse to confuse right and wrong. Just tell us whether you hired someone to break into the Cui residence, beat up the Cui family's servants, and held hostage and threatened Mrs. He, causing her to suffer a miscarriage from excessive shock."

"No, sir." He Minzhi denied it to the end as usual. "That day, I was being harassed by the Shujishi in the Hanlin Academy. I wanted to find someone to talk to, and I thought of my brother-in-law Cui Hua. So I took people to Cui's house."

"It was the servants of the Cui family who attacked me without explanation. They also said that their son had gone to the Cui family's East Palace and that I, a seventh-rank Hanlin, had no right to enter the Cui family's house. They told me to get out. My servants were so angry that they had a conflict with them. They did not hire anyone to break into the house."

"..." Even Shi Tou, who knew the whole story of that day, almost believed what He Minzhi said.

Cui Hua was so angry that he laughed.

It turned out that when he came to Jingzhao Prefecture to file a complaint that day, He Minzhi said nothing, and that was exactly what he was planning.

He completely denied everything he had done and was certain that the only people present that day were the servants of the Cui Mansion.

Household slaves would be considered members of the Cui family, and their testimony would be invalid.

Cui Hua sneered, exchanged glances with Shen Yuheng, and then the two exchanged positions.

"Master Mei, I am the lawyer for Master Cui Hua. Please summon the witnesses to the court."

Master Mei: "Allowed. Call the plaintiff's witness to the court."

Shen Yuheng summoned the servants of the Cui family. The mother, maid and servant all accused He Minzhi of bringing thugs to the house to injure people, and also strangled their young lady's neck and said he wanted to kill her.

He Minzhi naturally would not admit it and continued to deny it completely as usual.

Then he said he would also call witnesses.

Master Mei thought to himself, "With your character, how dare you call a witness?"

But he had the right to find witnesses, so he had no choice but to agree.

"Call the defense witnesses."

Shitou went to court and used the same rhetoric as He Minzhi had used before.

But he was also a servant of the He family, and his words could only serve as supporting evidence, and could not be used as direct evidence to adjudicate the case.

Logically speaking, when the case has reached this stage, the only option left is to invite the victim to testify in court.

But He Ruyi had just experienced a miscarriage and a near-death experience, and her vitality was severely damaged, so it was impossible for her to get out of bed.

She recorded a confession and asked housekeeper Hu to bring it to court for her.

"Master Mei, this is the confession my young mistress asked me to deliver."

Mr. Chen stepped forward and handed over the signed confession.

Lord Mei looked at it carefully and found that it was a crucial piece of evidence. The more he looked at it, the more excited he became.

He Minzhi and Liu below gritted their teeth in hatred.

The case has reached a critical moment.

However, because He Ruyi only had testimony and was not present, the case had to be postponed for retrial.

But at this time.

The four thugs hired by He Minzhi came to the court together, knelt before Lord Mei, and told him everything about how he hired them and how he broke into Cui's house.

This is completely contrary to what He Minzhi said, that the conflict started with the servants in Cui's house who started to attack and verbally insult them. Moreover, these four people were hired by He Minzhi, so the testimony of the servants in Cui's house cannot be accepted.

He Minzhi was dumbfounded.

Liu, who was squeezed in at the bottom, was also dumbfounded. "What are you doing? How could you frame my Dalang?! How could he hire someone to beat up his own sister?"