Chapter 36 Lawsuit

Listening to the lord open his mouth, the plaintiff and defendant under the hall each responded, Song Shiren handed over the pleading paper again, Mei Zhili pretended to have read it, and then handed it over to Zheng Tuo, who read it over by Fan Xian. Fan Xian took a close look and found that there wasn’t too much difference with his own expectation, nodded and handed it back.

Song Shiren arched his fist and coldly said, “The student just doesn’t understand why this Fan Xian Fan Xian is still standing tall above the public hall, not saluting or not paying his respects, with such a character, no wonder he did that murderous thing last night!”

Fan Xian glanced at the scholar and asked curiously, “You have to kneel in the public hall?” He had studied every day in Tanyu and was familiar with the laws of Qing, so of course he understood the joints, but this question was intentional.

“Naturally, could it be that you dare to disrespect the majesty of the court?” Song Shiren frowned at the other party, in fact, today this lawsuit he was extremely reluctant to fight, after all, standing on the opposite side was the Fan family, the Fan family that did not show its face, but in reality, many people feared the other party’s power. But there was no way, he had already traveled too far on the road of Shangshu, and had been unable to turn back, so it was simply impossible to refuse.

Fan Xian smiled and said, “Then why doesn’t Mr. Song kneel?”

Song Shiren narrowed his eyes at the teenager, guessing whether the other party was really a straw man or if he was just pretending to be a pig in a poke, and said in a stereotypical manner, “A certain person has a meritorious title, and it’s a court rule that he doesn’t kneel when he meets a hall official.”

Fan Xian made a bow to Prefect Mei Zhi Li and said, “The student has met the teacher, I wonder if the student should kneel?”

As soon as Song Shiren heard this address, he knew that the other party must have a merit in the body, just earlier Shangshu House checked, this called Fan Xian, obviously did not participate in the court examination, how could it be a Xiucai? He slapped the folding fan in his hand and asked, “Dare I ask Mr. Fan, what year were you admitted to the Academy Examination?”

Fan Xian politely replied, “The Tanyu Prefecture government exams the year before last.” These were actually things that Fan Jian had sent someone to arrange before he entered the capital, but he himself actually didn’t know about it until he had to fight the lawsuit today and realized that he had already had the status of a Xiucai without realizing it.

The matter of kneeling or not kneeling was put to rest, and the lawsuit in the hall officially began. Both sides on the subject of a few rounds, recounting their respective views, Guo Baokun bites yesterday to injure himself is Fan Xian and a few guards of the Fan House, while Zheng Tuo insisted that Mr. Fan yesterday night stayed in the Fan House, there are many underlings to testify. The exchange of words began to rise, the people watching outside the Kyoto mansion also gradually voice of discussion, but it is to believe Fan Xian more people, always feel that such a beautiful weak boy, how can not be the poisoner, and that sitting in a wheelchair, Guo Gongzi, was beaten like that, look is not a good person.

Mei Zhili looked at the following quarrel non-stop, his heart was disgusted, waved his hand for the crowd to stop.

“Dare to ask your honor, the murderer is standing above the public hall at this time, why doesn’t your honor take it down quickly?” Song Shiren preempted, he thought to himself that this pleading paper is clearly written on the ruthless, the government Yin adults but half a day does not say anything, perhaps has long decided to favor the Fan House, so hurriedly forced up.

Zheng Tuo smiled slightly: “Mr. Song this mouth is also fast. Guo Gongzi was attacked last night, according to the case written on the pleadings, was used to sack the head, and then suffered such a tragic event, since before being beaten has been set on the head, and how to see the face of the perpetrator, and how to conclude that it is Fan Gongzi did?”

“Naturally, I heard Mr. Fan’s voice, and Mr. Fan himself admitted it at that time, could it be that he is ready to deny it at this time?” Song Shiren looked at Fan Xian with mockery, “Don’t you have any sense of responsibility as a man?”

Fan Xian naturally knew that the other party was provoking him, but his face was calm and a bit stunned, as if he didn’t quite understand why the other party was trying to falsely implicate himself. Zheng Tuo’s voice rang out again in time, full of shame and laughter: “Voice? I have studied the laws and regulations of the Qing Dynasty, and I have never heard of a case in which a pile was convicted by the sound of a voice.”

Song Shiren wasn’t in a hurry and said slowly, “If the voice isn’t enough to prove Mr. Fan’s identity, then I’ll ask you all to read a poem.” After saying this, he took out a piece of paper from his sleeve, then slowly read it out.

Mei Zhili, who was sitting behind the hall case, was a bit lost in thought, but suddenly, when he heard the poem, he was energized and said, “Good poem, good poem, I wonder who made it?” After saying this, he just remembered that this time is in the public hall, not in the study, in front of him is not a poetry meeting, but the trial, coughed twice, let Song Shiren handed the poem up.

He looked carefully once, more and more feel that the author of this poem talent first not to talk about, alone refining the word kung fu, has been the world rare beautiful, curious to ask Song Shiren: “This poem is made by who, and what is the relevance of this case?”

Song Shiren respectfully answered: “This poem was made by Mr. Fan Xian yesterday at the King of Jing County’s Poetry Festival, and last night when Mr. Fan stopped the street to poison Mr. Guo, he also read these lines of poetry, and said that he wanted to make Mr. Guo how to how.”

Mei Zhili surprised, looking at the hall that full of sincerity and bright smile of the young man, never would have thought that the Fan House of this actually can write such a poem, and then listen to what Song Shiren said later, is even more puzzled headache, thought you hit people on the fight, but also have to recite a poem, this kind of place to fight the brave and ruthless, but is not to talk about elegance of the place? This is good, by the other side to seize the handle.

Mei Zhili this person, seniority is not shallow, but to be able to sit in this key position in Kyoto Prefect for so many years, the key is still relying on his hand “and mud” kung fu, Kyoto hidden dragons and crouching tigers, the rich and powerful clouds, if only a just and clear, it is absolutely not long to do, think of the beginning of his entry into the Palace, Eunuch Guo had passed him four words of truth! “Peace and quiet”, Mei Zhili since then, to abide by these four words, and indeed peacefully and steadily through a number of years.

So for today’s case, he still maintains this attitude, he will not make any decision, it depends on the two governments own private negotiations well. Really can not, the case file will be delayed for a few days, to the Ministry of Justice, a delivery of the matter. Since he was “making peace”, he couldn’t let the case become an iron case in his own house, so he looked at Fan Xian and Zheng Tuo with some concern.

Zheng Tuo once worked as a master in Mei Zhili Yamen for a period of time, and naturally knew what the old boss was worried about, and said with a laugh: “It’s really absurd and ridiculous, think about that poetry meeting, the talented people gathered, many mouths are mixed up, and this poem of Fan’s son is amazing, naturally some people copied it out, and it’s not uncommon for others to know about this poem, and even more importantly… …”

He coldly glanced at Song Shiren and sneered, “Could it be that Mr. Fan is suffering from insanity? He just composed this poem in the afternoon, and then at night he would run off to beat someone up, and recite a poem while doing so? Not to mention the fact that that kind of scene is too comical and ridiculous, but just saying that it’s obvious who he is, only a fool would be so stupid, right? This is obviously someone who has a grudge against Duke Guo and knows about the disagreement between Duke Fan and Duke Guo at the restaurant the other day, so they deliberately misled Duke Guo into thinking that it was Duke Fan who committed the murder.”

A few sentences down, but also said reasonable. It was just that Fan Xian, who stood smiling and silent on the side, couldn’t help but cough awkwardly twice when he heard him say – only a fool would be so stupid. And sitting in the wheelchair Guo Baokun has long been unable to hold back, scolded: ”Do not want to clever rhetoric sophistry! This bastard is relying on the power of the Fan family, and doesn’t even take the king’s law into consideration, which is why he is so reckless!”

Hearing the word bastard, Zheng Tuo’s face instantly grimaced, deeply feeling that the young master punching the other party to the wheelchair was a very wise move, coldly said, “Guo gongzi as a compiler in the palace, it is better to pay attention to your own words, although I know that you are angry in your heart, but this anger can’t be sent out indiscriminately, after all, you are a close person of the Crown Prince, and it is not good if you injure the decency of the palace. ”

This is a stab at Guo Baokun, the second is also secretly pointing out that, if the power to, Fan House is in any case not as close to the Prince as the Guo family, Guo Baokun in front of the words naturally untenable. As expected, the people outside the fence were talking, and more people believed that Fan Xian was innocent.

Fan Xian had no expression on his face, but inwardly he was very impressed with Zheng Tuo, some of the things he had arranged last night had been utilized by Zheng Tuo, and nothing had been left out. Strangely enough, Song Shiren, the counselor, was not as anxious as Guo Baokun, he smiled and said, “Lord Prefect, my son is injured, can he go down to rest first?”

Mei Zhili nodded, letting the magistrate bring his subordinates to lead Guo Baokun, who was still furious, to the back. Only then did Song Shiren turn around, salute Fan Xian and Zheng Tuo, and say, “In that case, Mr. Fan is refusing to admit to the beating.” For some reason, after Guo Baokun left, his face looked much more open, as if he felt that the real battlefield would be soon.

Zheng Tuo and Fan Xian at the same time a smile, did not say, joking, Oxford Street is so dark, one no evidence, two no physical evidence, what do you take to prove that it is we hit people? Moreover, it is clearly stated on the pleadings that all the guards of Guo’s house have been knocked out by drugs, so if you ask them to testify that “Fan Xian is the one who hit the man”, no one will believe it. Even Mei Zhili frowned and called Song Shiren to the front, saying in a low voice: “Let’s leave it at that for today.”

Song Shiren, however, arched his hand and frowned, “Duke Guo, a compiler, was beaten in the street, what kind of big deal is this, how can the case be hastily closed.”

Mei Zhili was furious, said: “This official has never said to close the case? Just adjourned for retrial, you Guo family only said was beaten, always take out the evidence of beating.” Since ancient times, torture could not be carried out by a doctor, even if Fan Xian was not a Xiu Cai, it was estimated that the Kyoto government office would not be able to torture him, so it was basically impossible to make the Fan family speak up on their own.

Unexpectedly, Song Shiren turned back and asked, “Mr. Fan was in the mansion all last night?”

Zheng Tuo responded, “Precisely, the entire mansion’s subordinates can testify to that.”

Song Shiren smiled coldly and said, “Pass the witnesses up.” Mei Zhili then realized that there were still variables, nodded his head, and then a person from the Guo Mansion brought a group of people up to the hall, these people were dressed in different costumes and had different occupations, there were soup dumplings sellers, night watchmen, sedan chair bearers who waited for their business on the street corner, and there was even a clandestine prostitute, just to name a few.

Zheng Tuo frowned slightly, feeling a little bad, but the crowd of bystanders was curious: “What is this doing?”