[Red Mansions] Guide to "The Empress of the Wise"

In the official office hall of Dali Temple, the case of Cai Duoxing was being tried. A murder case occurred at the foot of the emperor, and it also involved exciting elements such as new scholars, old honors, and remarriage of the original spouse. There are still a few restaurant storytellers in a favorable position, just waiting to witness the scene with their own eyes, so that they can put on a fresh show tomorrow.

Shan Zhang of Dali Temple sat in front of the hall, slapped the gavel, and asked: "Cai Fan, you are the plaintiff, please state the case first."

Cai Fan straightened her disheveled hair, and said with a very non-standard accent: "Cai Fan, a civilian woman, is from Gaozhou, Guangdong. She married into the Cai family at the age of 15. The Cai family has long been destitute for Cai Duo's education. After marrying into Cai's family, the women's family is rich and well-off, and their father and brother love each other. After they marry into Cai's family, they will use the dowry for Cai Duoxing to study..."

"Nonsense, how can I rely on a woman..."

"Silence! Cai Duoxing, just stand aside, don't make a sound, and let Cai Fan speak slowly." Shan Zhang stopped Cai Duoxing, his face ugly.Cai Duoxing Nuonuo retreated to the side, he has not been confiscated yet, even in the trial of a case related to him, the plaintiff Cai Fanshi knelt in front of the hall, but he stood beside him.

"Master Qingtian, woman... I... have come to this point, there is no way out. Please save my life before I dare to say it!" Cai Fan kowtowed.

"In broad daylight, the sky is bright, and you are at the feet of the emperor. Who can hurt your life, but it's okay!" Shan Zhang, who has always been jealous of evil, assured him.

"My lord, my old parents of my natal family have passed away, and my elder brother also passed away in a big sea a year ago. There is no one in my natal family. No matter whether the lawsuit is successful today, the only relatives are my mother-in-law and youngest son. If... Cai Duoxing... has no way out, no way out." Cai Fan cried bitterly, saying that he had no way out.

The onlookers booed for a while, calling for Shan Zhang to guarantee.Shan Zhang was impatient, and was annoyed to death by the onlookers who stood and talked without back pain.

"Cai Fan, don't worry, since you have already boarded the gate of Dali Temple, the court will not allow you to be harmed in the slightest. It is also a crime of contempt for the government." Fan spat.

"The women married into Cai's family and gave birth to a son. In those few years, they were considered loving couples. My parents-in-law treated me very well and treated me like their own daughter. In fact, Cai Duoxing spent most of his time studying in the county academy. I come back for a few days during the Chinese New Year, and come back for a few days when I am short of money. It is not an exaggeration to say that my in-laws and I depend on each other. The Cai family only has one son, Cai Duoxing, and all his thoughts are spent on his studies. Studying costs money The thing, later on my dowry became less and less enough, and Cai Duoxing forced me to ask for money from my natal family. I am a married woman, how could... Cai Duoxing beat me to death if I had no money, completely disregarding the old relationship between husband and wife All these parents-in-law, fellow villagers and neighbors can testify. Later, it was my parents-in-law who couldn’t stand it anymore and tried to stop me, so I was not beaten to death. The dowry was gradually used up, and I was about to sit and eat. My mother-in-law and I took over some embroidery work in the I do it at home, and my father-in-law also does some carpentry for a few copper coins. Two years ago, when the spring was approaching, Cai Duoxing said that he would go to the exam in advance and took away all the money from the family. Floods flooded our house, and our father-in-law was also sick. We thought that Cai Duoxing would have a place to stay in Beijing, and if he was a scholar, copying and writing could support his wife, children and parents. The family came to the capital with their mouths. Who knows, when they arrived, they found out that he had already won the Jinshi and wanted to marry someone else!" Fan sobbed loudly, and then said: "If he really wants to marry a noble girl Well, a peasant woman like me is naturally unworthy of it, and it’s enough to give way to a newcomer. But he doesn’t even recognize his old parents and son. He was born by his mother-in-law in October, and his son is also his blood relative. How can you deny it!"

As soon as Cai Fan's words fell, the onlookers made buzzing discussions, which suppressed Cai Fan's crying, and Shan Zhang patted the gavel tree several times to control the scene.

"Cai Duoxing, is what Cai Fan said true?" Shan Zhang asked.

"My lord, this is pure nonsense!" After listening for a long time, Cai Duoxing gradually calmed down, and said, "The student and Cai Fan are indeed married, but the student received a letter from a fellow villager, saying that she Only when she passed away during the flood, did she marry a wife. Unexpectedly, she came to the capital suddenly, and never visited the student. The student also received a summons from the Dali Temple, and only then did he know that his wife was still alive. .”

"You said you received a letter from your fellow countrymen, but who gave you the letter?"

"A traveling businessman from Guangdong, who ran a boat, was entrusted to deliver a letter, and the students didn't know his name." Cai Duoxing said.

"Since there is a flood in your hometown, why do you still participate in Enke, your parents passed away, and you have to keep mourning for three years."

"The letter didn't say that the parents died!" Cai Duoxing hurriedly interrupted: "This letter was dictated by the old parents of the student and written by someone else. The mourning has changed. The students originally came to wait for the first emperor's spring, if the spring is held as scheduled, the students are still in the filial piety of their wives, and they will never participate."

"You mean, you don't know that your parents have arrived in the capital, and you don't know that Cai Fan is still alive, right?" Shan Zhang asked

"Yes, yes, that's it."

"Cai Fanshi, can you admit what Cai Duoxing said?" Shan Zhang asked Cai Fanshi again.

"I don't admit it! When we went to the inn to find someone, many people saw it. If you don't believe me, ask the people who saw it at that time, many people saw it!" Cai Fan panicked. She thought that if she told the truth, she would tell the truth. Dabai, I don't know that there are shameless words that turn black and white in the world.

"Come here, go tell the person who lives in the same inn as Cai Duohang." Shan Zhang also started the trial after being prepared, and the yamen servant quickly brought the shopkeeper of the inn to the hall for questioning.

"This woman did come to the villain's inn to look for someone, but Cai Jinshi was not there at the time. Afterwards, Cai Jinshi also said that his wife had passed away, so everyone didn't take it seriously, thinking it was a mistake. "The shopkeeper's forehead and temples are full of sweat. It's the first time I go to the Yamen, and I'm too nervous.

Where did Cai Fan hear this, and hurriedly said: "Cai Duoxing was there at the time, he was there, he pretended not to know me, his parents-in-law and son, and let people drive us out, if he didn't drive us out , we will not come to the Yamen to seek justice!"

"My lord, if you sue your husband with your wife, you will be the first to stick thirty." The man dressed as a scholar who accompanied Cai Duoxing cupped his hands and stabbed his sword. This man is acquainted with Shan Zhang. He is a representative of the Chinese ruffians in Beijing. He is familiar with criminal laws and often reverses cases for rich children. .Shan Zhang already had a psychological judgment on the case, and was even more displeased to see that Cai Duoxing invited such a person to accompany him.Cai Duo did not even care about his reputation in order to get rid of the crime. A scholar with a bad reputation has no future to talk about, let alone this matter has already been heard by the heavens.

"This case is not the wife suing the husband, but the parents suing the son. Cai's father sued with his life in front of the Dali Temple, so the trial started today." Shan Zhang said calmly, ignoring Cai Duoxing's ugly face, and asked Cai Fan again. Shi said: "Cai Duoxing said he has never seen you, what do you say?"

"My lord, I have evidence. Yes, evidence. Cai Duoxing clearly recognized us, but he still asked us to go away. Later, he caught up with us and gave me 50 taels of silver. The parents-in-law and son just found a place to settle down, and threatened us not to go back to Gaozhou. 50 taels, if we don’t go back to Gaozhou, where can we go.” Cai Fan cried loudly, sobbing: “Cai Duoxing He also said that he would send someone to watch us, and if we didn't know what to do, we'd be killed talking nonsense!"

"Where's the silver?"

Cai Fan took the 50 taels of banknotes from his closet and handed them over. Shan Zhang checked them and found that they were indeed capital banknotes. However, no one would be able to confirm such small banknotes even if they went to the bank to collect evidence. Who is going to open it.

The case was at a standstill for a while, even though Shan Zhang understood what was going on, but there was no evidence, evidence!Now the eyes of the entire capital and the entire imperial court are fixed on this case. It is better to be careful and slow than to let people catch the handle.

Seeing that Shan Zhang fell silent, Cai Fanshi stood upright, thinking that he was going to lose the lawsuit, and cried out, "Master Qingtian, what the women said is true! Look, look, everyone! Look at my hands, my hands are full of calluses, and my eyes are also blurred. I do all the housework, eat and dress, and support me. I can’t see clearly, I’m only 21 years old this year, just like that old woman in her seventies and eighties! There are more and more miscellaneous things, and my hands are getting thicker and thicker. The shopkeeper of the embroidery shop refuses to make good materials for me. I’m afraid I’ll scratch the material with my rough hands! Look at Cai Duoxing again, he’s all skinned and tender, and a big man is more delicate than me, which proves that what I’m telling is the truth!”

Cai Duoxing is indeed a gentleman, with a refined and refined appearance, otherwise he would not be called a biography. You must know that only the top four can have their own titles when thousands of troops cross the single-plank bridge. Chuanlu, and others are collectively referred to as Jinshi.

The onlookers looked at Cai Duoxing and felt that what Cai Fan said was reasonable. They had respected him as a scholar before, but now they feel ironic compared to Cai Fan's disheveled hair and rough hands.

"My lord, this case is to examine Cai Fan's lawsuit against Cai Duoxing to suspend his wife from remarrying, not to discuss the family affairs of the Cai family." The person brought by Cai Duoxing cupped his hands and said.

"This statement is justified. Cai Duoxing and Cai Fan's have their own opinions. Let's take Cai's mother."

The gray-haired Mother Cai was brought up, and after a lot of talking, she saluted Shan Zhang, who asked, "Are you suing your son for denying you?"

"He's not my son!" Cai's mother spoke in a dialect, and no one could understand it. It was the little official standing next to him who translated it, and everyone understood.The words were astonishing, and when everyone heard the words, they made even louder discussions.

Just kidding!Cai Duoxing just admitted that Cai Fan is his first wife, and now Cai's mother actually said that it is not a mother-son relationship?What's going on?Who is right?Why did Cai's mother backtrack on the spot?