Translator – Xiao He Lian
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Chapter 78.1
Zheng Zhonglian took a leave of absence after suffering a sudden heart attack and Sun Xu refused to hear the case of the Baixiang Pavilion incident on the grounds of “avoiding suspicion”, so the case fell into Lu Yan’s hands.
The trial date is set for the seventh day of June.
The news that the case would be tried publicly on the seventh day of the first lunar month alarmed many people in Chang’an. In order to attend the trial, the crowd had already flocked to the yamen before dawn.
After all, the daughter of the current Minister of Works sued the daughter of the former Minister of Works. Such a case is much more interesting than the picture books sold on the street.
Lu Yan picked up the cup in the office, took a sip of water and said calmly, “Has everyone arrived?”
Yang Zong whispered, “The lawyer, Miss Shen, Lord Chu and the witnesses have arrived, but the second young lady from the Sun family is still on her way.”
“Have Wen Zhilu, Wang Shuli, and the judicial officers all arrived?”
“Yes, they are waiting.”
Lu Yan hummed softly, then picked up the black gauze hat on the table and went into the hall.
——
Sun Mi had already set off and the carriage was heading towards Guangde street.
Following the rumbling sound of the carriage, her heart sank for no reason. She reached out to lift the curtain, looked out at the glaring sunlight and murmured, “Rui Rui, Shen Zhen won’t be able to turn the tables in this case today right?”
Wang Rui said, “A’mii, you worry too much. Mister Song deals with the government every day and is very slippery. Since he is representing you, what are you afraid of? Besides, don’t you have me to testify for you?”
Sun Mi took Wang Rui’s hand and said, “Don’t worry, I will ask my father to find a chance to promote your third brother.”
Wang Rui smiled awkwardly, “A’Mi, there is no need to be so distant between you and me. I am helping you and it has nothing to do with my third brother.”
After a while, Sun Mi’s gaze moved to a place not far away with the signboard of two words “Jingzhao Prefecture” clearly visible.
“Miss, we’re here.”
After the carriage stopped, the maid helped Sun Mi down.
Seeing her pale face, Song Jingwen could not help but whisper to comfort her: “I have been defending people for many years and have never lost. Besides, we have both witnesses and evidence, so you don’t have to worry at all, Miss.”
Sun Mi took a deep breath and said, “If you can convict her today, I will double your reward.”
Song Jingwen said, “Then I would like to thank the second young lady in advance.”
They walked past the people blocking the gate and entered Jingzhao Prefecture.
The solemn and majestic voices came from both sides. Sun Mi and Shen Zhen stood on the left and right respectively, with their respective lawyers standing beside them.
Sun Mi looked at the lawyer beside Shen Zhen, who had an imposing manner and extraordinary appearance, and couldn’t help but frown for a moment.
Song Jingwen whispered, “Don’t worry, Second Miss. I have never met the lawyer hired by the Shen family. He must be an unknown person.”
Sun Mi nodded thoughtfully.
According to the laws of the Jin Dynasty, everyone had to declare their identity before the court session.
Song Jingwen stepped forward and said, “I am Song Jingwen.” After that, he glanced to the right.
The man next to Shen Zhen stepped forward and said, “My name is Chu Xun.”
As soon as the words fell, many people began to whisper to each other.
“Chu Xun? Never heard of it.”
“Chu Xun, Chu Xun, this name is really familiar. Look at my memory. The words are on the tip of my tongue, but I just can’t say them!”
“Could it be the Chu family of Yangzhou?”
Hearing this, Song Jingwen couldn’t help but frown. Yangzhou Chu family? Impossible…
However, when he thought of Shen Zhen’s identity as a criminal’s relative, he finally felt relieved. How could a wealthy man in Yangzhou defend the daughter of a criminal?
Probably they are not the same person.
Lu Yan said, “Present the evidence!” and the officers brought up the bottles and jars.
Sun Mi said with red eyes: “My Lord, I used to be very close to Miss Shen. I never thought that she would hate me so much because of that old incident!”
After she finished speaking, Sun Mi’s tears suddenly started flowing down.
Lu Yan inquired as usual, ‘What old matter?’
Sun Mi bit her lip and said deliberately, “Last October, the Shen family was convicted and their property was confiscated. Later, they owed a huge debt. The Shen family’s sister came to me and hoped that I could lend a hand. However, as an unmarried woman, how could I come up with 8,000 strings of copper coins? Besides, I caught a cold at the time, so I didn’t meet her. Who would have thought that she would say that our Sun family stepped on the shoulders of the Shen family to rise to power.”
After a pause, she continued, “I never thought she would hate me so much!”
Sun Mi’s purpose of saying this was to use the switch of identities to highlight the contradiction between the two of them, so that everyone would decide at the first instance that Shen Zhen was harboring grudges, hatred, and jealousy towards her.
And this was Shen Zhen’s motive for trying to poison her.
Shen Zhen couldn’t help but widen her eyes after hearing this. She had now experienced the highest level of shamelessness. Last October, not to mention going to the Sun Mansion, she had not spoken a single word to Sun Mi after the incident at the Marquis Mansion!
At this moment, the people around seemed to have recovered their memories in an instant, and they started to curse the Shen family one after another. The rough words spoken by the common people were unpleasant to hear. Shen Zhen endured it again and again, but in the end her eyes turned red.
Her father was clearly imprisoned unjustly, but she couldn’t make a single statement in his defense.
Lu Yan’s heart suddenly tightened and he couldn’t help but frown and look at Shen Zhen.
Seeing that her eyes were red, he slammed the gavel and the noise stopped abruptly before the call for silence.
The man’s serious and cold eyes fell on Sun Mi, “Last October? Which day in October? Do you have any evidence that Shen Zhen had come to find you?”
Sun Mi paused and whispered, “It’s been a long time…”
Lu Yan interrupted directly, “How dare you bring this matter up in court without any evidence?”
Song Jingwen shook his head at Sun Mi.
So Sun Mi fell silent.
“Doctor Yang, check the evidence.” Lu Yan said.
After Doctor Yang examined the evidence, he explained the toxicity on the spot. Song Jingwen shouted, “Using rouge and powder to destroy someone’s appearance, what a vicious mind! Her motive is execrable, her motive is execrable!”
Lu Yan sneered, “Mister Song, will you judge this case today, or should I?”
Song Jingwen blushed and bowed quickly, saying, “I dare not.”
Seeing this Sun Xu, Lieutenant Lu outside the door whispered, “Lord Lu is just trying a case, why is he so angry?”
Lieutenant Lu shook his head and said, “Lord Lu never shows his emotions. Could it be that he has a grudge against Mister Song?”
Sun Xu raised his chin and shook his head, saying, “Alright, I’d better go. If the punishment is really carried out now, do you think I should stop it or not?”
Lieutenant Lu looked at him and asked, “Lord Sun, are you really going to stay out of this?”
“There will be a second chance to ask for mercy. You can tell Lord Lu later that I also have a heart condition and need to go home to recuperate, so I’ll leave first.”
Sun Xu couldn’t tell the outcome of this case, but with his many years of experience in solving cases, he could guess a general idea.
He sighed helplessly and thought: If this incident can teach the Sun family a lesson, it would be good.
After a while, they started to call for witnesses.
Wang Rui walked up slowly and explained everything. Lu Yan then said, “Perjury is a crime. According to Jin law, the punishment is fifty strokes of the cane at the lightest and one year in prison at the worst. Are you aware of that?”
Wang Rui was prepared for these and nodded without hesitation.
Lu Yan ordered someone to interrogate Wang Rui on the spot.
The government usually uses the five listening methods to distinguish the truth of confessions. The so-called five listening methods are words, color, breath, ears, and eyes. Judicial soldiers will observe their speech, color, and breath. Observe their listening and gaze to determine whether this testimony is valid.
However, Song Jingwen knew all these routines very well, so Wang Rui passed the interrogation very smoothly.
The judicial officer turned around and said, “There is no suspicion of perjury for now.”
Sun Mi secretly breathed a sigh of relief.
Although this case was a false accusation, there were witnesses and evidence, and it had passed the investigation. Coupled with Song Jingwen’s ability to confuse right and wrong, she was on the verge of victory.
At the same time, Song Jingwen couldn’t help but feel a little disdainful when he looked at Chu Xun’s expression.
Lu Yan tapped the table with his index finger and asked Shen Zhen, “Do you plead guilty?”
Shen Zhen raised his eyes and said, “Your Excellency, I have never done these things. What Miss Sun just said is not true.”
Many people behind her chuckled and some even called Shen Zhen an evil woman.
At this time, Chu Xun said to Song Jingwen: “I have a few questions to ask, please explain in detail, Mister Song.”
