The princess was ordained by Heaven.

Chapter 216 Fraud

Tao Heng called out to her, "Princess...trust me."

He knew that Zheng Xun spoke up at this time to support him, but he was no longer the Tao Heng he had been a few months ago.

He is now capable of handling things on his own, and he was meant to demonstrate his abilities to the princess.

He wanted the princess to know that she could trust him more and that he could do a good job of what she asked of him.

Of course, he also had some other concerns.

Although the princess is very powerful, if she has to use her authority to intimidate people over every little thing, it will only diminish her dignity. Therefore, this matter can be left to him.

The crowd outside didn't remain quiet for long. Seeing that Tao Heng made no comment and was only focused on talking to a little girl, their anger grew even stronger.

They are like a wildfire, growing rapidly with the slightest breeze, and because they are difficult to control, they are particularly dangerous.

Tao Heng waved his hand.

Qi Wuyu nodded and turned to go to the back hall.

Soon, he dragged back a corpse covered with a white sheet.

Following behind him was a little old man carrying a box.

This time, Tao Heng did not strike the gavel again, but instead gave a wink to a yamen runner carrying a gong.

The bailiffs immediately struck the gong, and with each strike, he shouted, "Silence!"

He was yelling, and a constable next to him was scattering paper money from a basket: "Yu Xiaosheng! You died such a tragic death!"

"Yu Xiaosheng! May he rest in peace!"

……

The Yu Xiaosheng he mentioned was the victim in this case.

Q: How to appease an angry crowd?

A: Distract them with another absurd and exaggerated performance.

After a few back-and-forths, the people were really confused by Tao Heng's style of doing things. Gradually, their anger was put aside, and speechlessness filled their hearts.

Tao Heng also successfully got another chance to speak.

He stood up with his hands behind his back, his gaze sharp as he swept over everyone.

He wasn't wearing his official robes today; instead, he was dressed in a simple blue suit, his scholarly air had faded considerably, and the confident and spirited young man exuded an aura of authority that commanded respect.

"I know you believe in Zhang Zheng. However, the reason I dare to question you in court is because I have the confidence to accept your questions. Rather than causing trouble now, you should observe and wait, lest your sincere intentions become a weapon wielded by evildoers against the innocent..."

Wu Yuan's lips curled into a mocking smile: "Why waste words with them, sir? A bunch of fools who can't judge people, blind in their eyes and mind!"

The people were filled with resentment after being scolded by her.

But the impulsive mind also calmed down completely.

Qi Wuyu clenched his fist and placed it in front of his mouth to cover the corners of his mouth that were turned up.

That was actually a rather mild scolding.

Seeing that the situation was under control, Tao Heng looked at Qi Wuyu and said, "Open it up."

Qi Wuyu couldn't wait to lift the white cloth, revealing the true face of the corpse.

He didn't just lift the cloth; he also pressed Zhang Zheng down in front of the corpse: "Look, are you surprised? Unexpected?"

Zhang Zheng was neither surprised nor delighted, because he couldn't recognize the corpse.

Unexpectedly, Qi Wuyu noticed Zhang Zheng's confusion.

He gritted his teeth and asked angrily, "You don't know who he is?!"

Zhang Zheng's eyes darted around, and he was about to give a perfunctory answer when a force came from behind his head, causing his head to sag and almost touch the corpse.

The winter was bitterly cold. Although the corpse did not smell, it exuded a chill. Even though you were not in contact with it, the chill seemed to jump onto your face through the air and seep into your heart in an instant.

He screamed and began to struggle violently.

However, Qi Wuyu held him firmly in control, giving him no chance to escape.

Qi Wuyu laughed angrily: "You don't recognize him? This is Yu Xiaosheng, who just 'died unjustly'! How could you convict Miss Wu if you didn't recognize him?"

Zhang Zheng froze, his face turning deathly pale, looking even more like he had been dead for days than Yu Xiaosheng.

The onlookers were in an uproar.

Tao Heng shook his head regretfully.

He hadn't expected Zhang Zheng to be exposed so quickly; there were still many exciting moments to come.

The problem is that he was too arrogant; his repeated successes had made him lose his vigilance.

Fortunately, Zhang Zheng was more capable of struggling than he had imagined.

He gave a wry smile: "I don't know him, of course I don't know him. How could I not know someone I've handled? Lord Tao, you think you can scam me with this? Aren't you underestimating me?"

"I don't want to look down on you, but you are truly despicable."

Zhang Zheng clenched his fist, and no one knew what he was trying to tell them.

At that moment, the corpse on the wooden board suddenly moved.

The next moment, the corpse stood up abruptly.

"what!"

"It's a fake corpse!"

The screams were deafening, and the scene nearly descended into chaos.

Fortunately, the constables did not lose their minds and managed to bring the situation under control, albeit with great difficulty.

The "corpse" gave an awkward laugh, turned around and bowed: "My lord, it's so cold..."

Tao Heng: "I'll give you a raise!"

The "corpse" then changed the subject: "Actually, it's not that cold. It's just that I'm quite resistant to the cold."

"Then don't add it?"

"My lord! It's cold! It's so cold! I'm almost numb from the cold!"

Tao Heng smiled and said, "Alright, go down."

The facts are obvious: this "corpse" is not Yu Xiaosheng, who is already dead.

The facts speak for themselves, and all eyes turned to Zhang Zheng.

Zhang Zheng was usually thick-skinned, but this time his face turned red.

His mind went blank.

Tao Heng's schemes were wicked, and his heart was cruel.

He's putting him in a very difficult position!

He opened his mouth, then stammered an explanation: "I was just teasing you guys, actually I know..."

Tao Heng just looked at him quietly without saying a word.

Zhang Zheng couldn't continue speaking.

His dejected bow of his head symbolized his eventual resignation to his fate.

The people's silence finally turned into anger.

The more they had defended Zhang Zheng, the more ashamed and angry they became after learning they had been fooled.

The anger backfired exponentially, and the constables almost couldn't stop it.

A quick-witted constable shouted, "Don't offend the imperial envoy!"

"Don't worry, we won't offend the Imperial Envoy. We're dealing with Zhang Zheng!"

This looks like they're going to beat Zhang Zheng to death.

Realizing the danger, Zhang Zheng had a sudden idea and pulled Wu Yuan, who was standing next to him, to shield him.

Qi Wuyu's expression changed, and with a gentle push of his inner force, he stopped the agitated crowd.

He leaped up, snatched Wu Yuan from his hands, and gently placed her behind him.

The constables realized what was happening and quickly stopped the people again.

This time, the constables who had originally sided with Zhang Zheng also stepped forward to help, and the courtroom finally returned to order.

[Tsk tsk tsk, what a mess!]

After being rescued by Zhang Zheng, Marquis Chang Le was extremely grateful to him and almost betrothed one of his daughters to him.

However, Zhang Zheng acted tactfully, neither seeking credit nor becoming arrogant. Despite the increasingly generous rewards offered by the Marquis of Chang Le, he consistently declined them.