Lei Yue Longmen

Two sons were lost consecutively within half a year, and the Tu family suffered heavy losses, and the situation was gloomy.Officials from various departments came to mourn in person.

However, Cen Zhu was too lazy to attend to other matters, and did not go there on the grounds that he was not familiar with him.Hurry up to avenge the elder brother.

With her huge reward, a mother and son finally came to claim it.The mother and son are a pair of orphans and widows living in Changcong Lane, Dongcheng. The mother, Widow Feng, has been a widow for many years.

Widow Feng heard that there was a high-ranking official who had been looking for leaves of skulls on this street, rewarding them with thousands of dollars.She didn't believe it at first, but she couldn't help being jealous when neighbors successively received the rewards.Stopped him that day? Cen Zhu, who explained his identity, said, "On the day of the incident, her tiger head went to the grove and broke it. When I came back with a bunch of sweet-scented osmanthus leaves, my mother became ill and coughed continuously that day.She thought it was the bad luck brought by those evil leaves, so she beat her son for an afternoon.

Cen Zhu asked her, "Where are those osmanthus leaves?"

Widow Feng replied, "I set it on fire?"

Cen Zhu didn't? Feeling sorry, Widow Feng went on to say, "No, but before I burned it, my tiger secretly hid a small bag. I found it under his bed the next day. I still have to give it to him. Burned?, who knew that the child hugged my thigh and said? Someone told him that the osmanthus tree is actually an auspicious tree. left behind?!"

After talking, he drank Huzi again, "Not yet? Take out the leaves for the adults."

As soon as she yelled, a boy with a bald head and a small braid came out from behind her, his face was flushed with cold, and he came out with a bunch of leaves in his hands.Widow Feng is obese, and her son is as thin as a cicada? Monkey, or? He heard a man standing behind him, but Cen Zhu really didn't notice it.

Widow Feng is probably used to it? Seeing that Cen Zhu was still kind, she shyly said, "Our family is all fat, but this child is born thin, as if he didn't have enough to eat. He came out. To save others from saying that my mother is mean to him. In fact, this child is naturally active, and he is used to playing wild. He has eaten all his food!"

Cen Zhu nodded to express his understanding, and took the leaves held by the child. Seeing that they were really leaves from the osmanthus tree, it should have been broken off for a long time. The little skulls were rolled up into small hollow buns.

"So? Eldest sister, when you chased and beat the child, some of these leaves fell outside?!"

"This should be there! This kid runs really fast. I beat him out of the house. He ran around with leaves in his jacket. It's hard not to fall off. Those little skulls in my impression did fall off? How many?" , and I stepped on it? How many of them."

"This is enough?!"

Qin Liang walked that night? It was this long Cong Lane.With the testimony of Ms. Pei Er and the boatman, the confrontation between the waiter in the restaurant and the servant of Xiong's family, plus this leaf, it is likely that the suspicion can be cleared?

"Elder sister, what do you think? Can you get these? Can someone testify for you?"

"Yes! When I was chasing and beating the child, the Zhang family and the Li family's grandson family all saw it and persuaded me."

"That's good? Please come with me to the Ministry of Punishment? If you go there, there will be a big reward."

Just when Cen Zhu excitedly brought some people to the Ministry of Criminal Justice to testify, another group of people also came aggressively to the prison of the Ministry of Criminal Justice, specifying that Qin Liang would be interrogated.

As soon as Cen Zhu arrived at the yamen of the Ministry of Criminal Justice, he saw a lot of officers and soldiers with knives in their hands, and many ordinary people watching the excitement outside the door.She expected something to happen, so she mixed with Feng's mother and son in the crowd.

Squeezing to the door, evading to find Mr. Fu for something, revealing his identity, but was stopped by the officers and soldiers.

"His Highness is in trial, no one else is allowed to come near!"

"Your Highness? Which Highness?"

She looked inside the door, and saw that the soldiers in the hall were getting stricter, and there was indeed a noble person sitting on the public table in the hall, wasn't it Li Jingchen? Who was it?

Two steps next to her, the position is still standing? A guard with a mustache and a knife is probably the new chief guard of the Eastern Palace, Fei Congyi, who is widely rumored in the capital.

Judging from this situation, it seems that a case is being tried, but there are no prisoners waiting for trial in the hall.Fu Minzheng sat on the first seat on the right of Li Jingchen, and looked out anxiously from time to time, as if he was waiting for something.Although Cen Zhu was not allowed to enter the door, the door was not too far from the main hall of the Ministry of Punishment, so he could vaguely discern what was going on inside.Seeing this, my heart couldn't help but sink, and I suddenly had a premonition that it was not good.

About a quarter of an hour later, a team of officials dragged a heavily wounded prisoner out of a room in the southwest.Cen Zhu knew that it was a torture room, which was specially used to extract confessions from some stubborn prisoners.

The leading official was wearing silver soft armor, which was obviously different from the others, with a higher rank and more dignified demeanor.Lead the crowd to the lobby? Go.

Cen Zhu saw that the prisoner was dragging his legs on the ground, blood was seeping from his ankles, staining his ragged prison clothes.There were marks of whipping on his hands and back, and the whip tore apart his clothes, revealing wounds with rolled edges.There is no good place on the whole body.Cen Zhu could see clearly through his disheveled hair? His face, all the muscles and bones of his body were tense, making a sound like wringing clothes.

The man in the silver armor was sitting on the left hand side of Li Jingchen. Everyone in the Zhou Dynasty respectfully called him, "Second Master Tu!" It was Tu Yuanshan's son, Tu Yunlei.

The prisoner was lying on the floor dying.Li Jingchen's eyes didn't move, he just watched them without expressing anything.

Fu Minzheng first asked Tu Yunlei who was on the opposite side, "No? Do you know the second son? Did you get any results from the trial?"

Tu Yunlei got something out of his nose? He breathed a sigh of relief, and said contemptuously: "This guy has hard bones. After twenty punishments, he didn't even open his mouth. It seems that the punishment is too light? It must be eight or eight 64 punishments." He is willing to recruit." After speaking, he looked at Li Jingchen, as if he was about to ask for instructions to continue the torture.

Fu Minzheng stopped him and said, "Don't? Sure, since the establishment of the Ministry of Criminal Justice's 64 punishments, no one has been able to withstand all the tortures. If the torture continues, I'm afraid it will not be about interrogating prisoners, but about making prisoners. Life!"

After speaking, he faced Li Jingchen and cupped his hands, "I request Your Highness to stop the torture of the criminals, so as not to kill innocent people by mistake."

"Innocent? When will Mr. Fu use this word? I remember Mr. Fu said a few days ago that once you enter the gate of the Ministry of Criminal Justice, there will be no innocent people!"

Fu Minzheng ignored his cynicism, and said to the dying prisoner lying on the ground: "Qin Liang, now I'm asking you something, you have to answer honestly! Can you admit that the person who assassinated the fifth son is your accomplice?"

"No?...Yes!" Although the voice on the ground was weak, the word "No" came out with firm will and gnashing of teeth.

From the bottom of Fu Minzheng's heart, he couldn't help admiring him. He had never been subjected to [-] rounds of torture by the Ministry of Punishment and could be so tough as a prisoner. This Qin Liang could be considered a man.Fu Minzheng was determined to save his life.

But? Tu Yunlei directly acquiesced? He and the murderer were in the same group, and shouted: "If you are sensible, quickly recruit your accomplices, otherwise you won't be able to run away with the remaining 44 punishments? Can you beg for mercy then? Is it too late?!"

Fu Minzheng frowned upon hearing this? Frown.

Qin Liang was exhausted, the pain in his whole body was biting him like a snake and a scorpion, how could he say more? One word.

At this time, a clear and loud voice suddenly came from outside the hall: "Thinking without evidence? If you beat him up, what is the justice! What is the law of heaven!"

All the people in the hall looked out together, Fu Minzheng said: "Who is making noise outside the hall!"

"It's me!" Cen Zhu uttered again, and the widow Feng next to her was frightened, and quickly pulled the tiger head into her arms.

"Bring people up!"

Cen Zhu walked in civilian clothes? He went to the lobby, and first saluted Li Jingzhu who was sitting upright.Fei Congyi, who was standing next to him, raised his catfish's whiskers interestingly, and secretly observed Li Jingchen's face, but he didn't find any fluctuations or abnormalities.

Facing this person who has taken the lead from him, Tu Yunlei was annoyed for no reason: "Where did this bold lunatic come from, dare to disturb the court, isn't it? It's fatal?"

"This is Mr. Cen, the right servant of the household department." Fu Minzheng helped introduce.

Tu Yunlei narrowed his eyes, "Who do I think is so frivolous? It turns out to be Mr. Cen, who is famous in the capital! Did Mr. Cen go to the wrong place? This is the Ministry of Punishment, isn't it? The Ministry of Household Affairs!"

Cen Zhuo stood squinting, didn't look at him coldly, and said sonorously: "I just have a question that I really don't understand. The law of the country stipulates that four conditions must be met at the same time for the prisoner to be tortured: [-]. The prisoner has committed crimes. Serious crimes, second, the evidence of stolen wares is clear and correct, third, the prisoner did not submit to the recruitment, and fourth, the government clearly established a document. Dare I ask everyone here, which one of the conditions for the use of the Qin Liang case meets?! "

"Bold Cen Zhuo, how dare you question the Empress Dowager? Is this your attitude as a minister?"

Cen Zhu completely ignored him, and bowed slightly to the people in the hall, "I don't dare to do so, I just violate the national law. At the same time, it is also stipulated that if officials torture innocent people without authorization, they will be punished with a cane. If it is serious, you will be sentenced to exile. I am deeply worried about the situation of Tu Ergong!"

"Okay? You have a sharp tooth! With your mouth alone, you can say that he is innocent?"

"No? Is this what the minister said? He is not guilty. The facts are what they are. The relevant witnesses have been sent to the Ministry of Criminal Justice. Even if Qin Liang's suspicion cannot be completely cleared, at least it is doubtful. Doubt means that there is no evidence. Safe, no one has the right to impose heavy codes!"

"Just relying on the words of a few unscrupulous people, how can you believe it? Just say that Second Miss Pei, who was just kicked out by the Pei family, is such a disobedient and disobedient person who killed her grandparents and sister-in-law? How can people believe it!"

"Second Miss Pei is originally from the Ye family, so why is she kicked out by the Pei family? Don't Mr. Tu? Believe the testimony of witnesses, but believe in the story of killing people and returning to life? What if I say? The victim in this case was also killed and returned to life , do you also say it? It makes sense!"

"You!" Tu Yunlei gritted his teeth and said, "I'm interrogating the prisoner according to the orders of the Holy Lord! Qin Liang not only conspired to kill Mr. Xiong, but also colluded with his accomplices to kill my fifth brother. His heart is extremely vicious. Is it so unreasonable? People, if you don’t punish them severely, how can you plead guilty and lay down your sentence!”

"Please show the evidence first, and then slander others to hurt the world!"

"Do you still need evidence? The osmanthus leaves under his feet are enough proof!"

Suddenly, Qin Liang moved? The chains on his body slammed, as if he had accumulated enough strength, he slowly raised his head.

Cen Zhu looked at his pale and bleeding lips, and the muscles on his face that were trembling slightly due to the severe pain, his eyes were watery, and his hands were clenched tightly.

Qin Liang slowly raised his head to meet Tu Yunlei's eyes, and smiled at him as if laughing at himself, "Come on, brother Yunlei, I'll fall into your hands today. The envoy comes up, if I, Qin, make a sound, I will be a coward!"

Then he looked at Cen Zhu weakly, "Stop running around for me? I'm not the only one who died wronged. You still have important things to do, so there's no need to waste your time here!"

His words "Brother Yunlei" evoked everyone's embarrassment about his identity.Everyone remembers that Qin Liang used to be a rebel in the East Palace, an old member of the Tu family, and had a good friendship with Tu Yunlei before.Now one has become the eldest son, while the other is in jail.Don't you know if today's confrontation is suspected of personal revenge?

Tu Yunlei was really enraged, two balls of fire gathered in his eyes.Others don't know what's inside, they only think that the two of them had a good friendship, but Qin Liang knows best that Tu Yunlei only hates him.

The two of them are the same age, but Qin Liang's martial arts and strategy are far superior to his.Since he was promoted from the East Palace, Tu Yuanshan's appreciation and kindness to him far exceeds that of his own son.Even risked? He was accepted as a foster son.Tu Yunkai is a legitimate son and his status is just above him? What makes an outsider?Just because I took it too seriously at the beginning, the subsequent betrayal and retaliation were all the more unforgivable.

Li Jing, who had been staying out of the matter, said, "Qin Liang, you don't have to give up on yourself. I won't torture you again. As long as you confess honestly, you will be spared the pain of flesh and blood."

Qin Liang said nothing.

"Your Highness! I have evidence to prove Qin Liang's innocence! Please allow me to bring witnesses to the Feng family's mother and son!" Cen Zhuo said loudly.

Everyone in the room was slightly startled, but Fei Congyi showed an unpredictable and vigilant expression.

After the Feng family's mother and son passed it on, they will report what happened that night according to the facts.

Tu Yunlei questioned: "How do you know that the leaves on the soles of Qin Liang's feet come from Changcong Lane? It's not a small forest? What evidence do you have?"

"The leaves on the soles of Mr. Qin's feet may come from Changcong Alley, or from the grove. But it doesn't necessarily come from the grove. Referring to the statements of Miss Pei Er and the boatman, Mr. Qin is very likely On the way home, did you step on the sweet-scented osmanthus leaves that Feng Hutou scatter, just in time to get home? Misunderstood by officers and soldiers?! Your Highness, please enlighten me!"

"Too far-fetched? Who can prove that the child scattered the leaves!"

"My leaves have nine forks!" The tiger's head, which had been cowering and hiding behind the mother, stretched out? A small braid said weakly.

"What nine tree forks?" Cen Zhu heard it with the tips of his ears, and knelt down to ask him.Widow Feng was terrified and pulled him, "Nonsense? What are you talking about? Go back and spank!"

Cen Zhu encouraged him to continue talking.

"It's just nine small tree forks that grew out!" He pointed to the leaves that were handed over to Li Jing's public case.

"You mean? There are nine bars on it?"

"Ok!"

"He said? These leaves have nine veins."

Li Jingxuan immediately picked up a leaf to observe, and sure enough, there are nine veins on each skull!

The rest of the people also picked it up. A leaf looked at each other and asked each other, "Sure enough, they are all Jiutiao."

Fu Minzheng immediately sent someone to get evidence for comparison. Although the leaves under Qin Liang's feet had been broken, the outline of the vertical and horizontal veins was still there. There were eight in total. Judging that there should be a leaf vein in the broken part, a total of nine.

"Are all the leaves of the osmanthus tree from Kutiao?"

Cen Zhu had an idea: "The minister specifically checked the ancient forest books. It is said in the book that most of the leaves of the osmanthus tree have five veins, and those with seven veins are all positive numbers. It is rare to have nine veins. My lord, why not send someone to the grove Fold a few branches and come back to compare them, and then you can test it."

So a pair of dexterous guards were sent to break the branches, and returned after a quarter of an hour, bringing back a large bundle of branches, all of which were randomly selected.

Everyone looked for the leaves on the top and counted them one by one. Sure enough, most of them had five veins, seven veins, and almost no nine veins.Everyone looked for it? After a long time, Fu Minzheng found a nine-pulse one, and it was quite firm when he broke it down. "Okay? It seems that the higher the pulse number, the harder it is? It's easy to tear off!"

"That's right, the more veins there are, the closer the connection is with the branches, and the less likely it is to fall off! Therefore, the leaves of the osmanthus tree with nine veins fall off the latest, and usually it will fall off automatically in December!"

"Then there are no? maybe? there are nine-veined leaves in the grove!" Fu Minzheng grasped the key point.

"Exactly!"

"Since Jiumai leaves are so rare, how did you get these leaves, Hutou?"

"It was given by an uncle. He said that the nine forked leaves can ward off evil spirits and cure diseases! I asked if there was any sickness in your family? I said, "Grandma is sick?" He grabbed two handfuls from the bag for me. "Although the tiger head is not big, the narrative idea is very clear.

"What uncle?"

"No? Yes, he jumped from a tree."

"What is this kid talking nonsense?" Tu Yunlei scolded.

Cen Zhu patted his head: "No? No matter what he said, the facts are there. The leaves on the soles of Mr. Qin's feet came from the grove. At this time, the grove didn't have leaves of the nine veins at all. Combined with the people before? Evidence of oral testimony is enough to prove Lord Qin's innocence, Your Highness, please make a clear decision!"

"Since that's the case..." Is Li Jingchen going to announce the verdict?

"Your Highness!" Tu Yunlei clasped his fists and said, "Even if the leaves are nine-veined, it doesn't mean he hasn't been to the grove! What if the leaves of nine-veined leaves fall off early! Your Highness, my fifth younger brother is wronged, Qin Liang is the most responsible Maybe it's an accomplice, please Your Highness call the shots!"

"Master Tu's words? It's unreasonable? It's reasonable?!" Cen Zhu said coldly: "Mr. Tu Wu died outside, and Lord Qin was locked up inside. Why did he become an accomplice? Feelings Did he give advice to the murderer? Or did he secretly inform the murderer?? In the eyes of Mr. Tu, the prisons of the Ministry of Criminal Justice are all useless?"

"Also, even before the cause of death has been ascertained, he dares to defile people's innocence out of thin air. He often takes a big hat off, makes excuses for himself to abuse the punishment, and treats the country's law? The law? Punishments and prisons are nothing! Isn't it? A little too casual? Too!

"What do you mean!"

"I don't mean anything. I'm just talking about a truth. No matter how precious the life of Mr. Tu Wu is, is it more precious than Yurui's king's law?!" The last few words were loud and fierce.Fu Minzheng slapped his palm on the desk, "Well said!"

Cen Zhu hadn't finished speaking yet, "Forcing Your Highness to follow his own will, to mislead you with personal feelings and to interfere with judicial decision-making if you don't agree with one word. It's crazy and perverted, and you don't know how to measure it! I think? Tu Er Young Master, you are from different backgrounds, shouldn’t you? You are such a narrow-minded person!”

"Good?! You are very? good?!"

In the end, Qin Liang was temporarily released on bail, but he was not allowed to leave the capital without permission until the case was completely resolved.Li Jingyu urged the Ministry of Criminal Justice to step up the investigation of the real murderer in the two cases and report the results of the case to the court.

After Cen Zhu helped his servants carry Qin Liang into the carriage, he thanked Widow Feng a thousand times, bowed his waist and rubbed the little tiger's face, "Thanks to your cleverness this time! Let's go?! I'll take you to eat."

However, the next day, the house of Widow Feng located in Changcong Lane was destroyed by fire.Officers and soldiers did not find any corpses inside. It is said that three generations of grandparents and grandchildren have been reduced to ashes.

Qin Liang moved to Gu Qing's hospital to recuperate, and that day Cen Zhu was there, and saw a figure outside, poking his head, hesitating whether to come in.

Cen Zhuo said: "Come in, young master, why aren't you comfortable? Gu Qing just happened to be idle!"

As he spoke, he was about to call the consultant, but Wu Jingchai hurriedly "don't" stop him, "I'm here as a messenger, here, that person gave it to you."

After saying that, he stuffed a letter into Cen Zhuo's arms. Cen Zhuo took a look at the envelope with no name or surname and knew who it was, and he knew it right away.

"Young Master, I want to ask you something!"

"what's up?"

"Is there anyone in the capital who specializes in picking leaves from osmanthus trees?"

"Yes! That's my unlucky second cousin, Princess Kant. Doesn't she have the word '樨' in her name? Every time she gets sick, the emperor's uncle sends people out to pick the leaves of the osmanthus tree and asks her to beat them with a mallet. Said Is it broken? The little skull can exorcise evil spirits and prolong life. There is no way? Who told her uncle to hurt her like a baby! She has no choice but to be beaten since she was a child." , "Why are you asking this?"

"I'm just asking casually. So, Princess Kant is sick recently?"

"how do you know."

"I guessed it." Cen Zhu understood? In the grove, Hutou must have met Ouchi guards who were picking leaves for Li Jingxuan?Nine is the largest number. Parents who love their children in the world must want their children to have an endless lifespan and stay away from evil spirits for life.