books44 Chapter 197: Transgression
Chapter 197: Transgression
Chapter 197: Transgression
Shangguan Yuzhe's expression also turned ugly. "This prefect really doesn't want to live!"
He slammed his hand on the table, then strode towards the door, with Ji Meiqing following behind. The two took a shortcut to the government office.
The vermilion bronze gate was tightly closed, with two yamen runners guarding it as usual. The carriage stopped at the gate. The two men alighted one after the other, and Ji Meiqing went straight over and said, "Your Highness wishes to enter."
"There's a criminal trial going on inside, it's not convenient..."
"You dare to openly defy the Prince's orders?" she rebuked sharply. "This empire still belongs to the royal family. The Prince can go wherever he wants..."
"Yes...yes..." they responded in trembling voices, and opened the other door. Shangguan Yuzhe followed them in, and the two went inside together.
The people inside seemed to have known they were coming in advance, and they hurriedly got down from their seats to greet them.
"Your Highness, we respectfully welcome..."
Where is Lu Yu?
He stared at the blood-soaked hall, while Ji Meiqing, already pale, seemed unable to believe it. Forcing himself to calm down, he stood behind Shangguan Yuzhe, but his mind couldn't help but wander to those thoughts.
The prefect, without daring to raise his head, replied, "The prisoner Lu Yu has been sentenced and has now been sent to prison."
"Didn't I say that this case has many suspicious points and we should be cautious? Tell me how he was convicted?"
He walked straight to the chair above, where the chopping board was still there. He glanced at the bookkeeper beside him and slightly beckoned with his finger.
"Your Highness?" He didn't quite understand what he was going to do, so he looked at him blankly.
"The legal document!" he exclaimed, his face full of disappointment. "Where is the legal document for the suppression?"
"No pressure was applied. The prisoner did not apply pressure; this is the statement." He respectfully handed it over and put it in his hands.
Shangguan Yuzhe snatched it away, examined it carefully, and then placed it back on the table. "There's no signature or fingerprint, yet you say he's already convicted. Do you think I'm stupid and don't understand the law, or do you think I... don't understand the facts?"
"This……"
"Arresting and convicting people requires evidence, and you've convicted them without even any evidence. Have you been living a comfortable life for too long, causing you to forget what real law is?"
He asked several questions in a row, which stumped the two people, and Ji Meiqing waited quietly.
“If he didn’t do it, he certainly wouldn’t confess. Besides, this matter has nothing to do with him in the first place…” She stepped forward and stood in front of the prefect, looking at him coldly and said, “Moreover, you are abusing your power to punish an innocent person. If he dies, won’t I have no choice but to swallow this pain?”
“But there is indeed a problem with your wine, and I am just handling the problem according to procedure.”
"That was a setup... Does that mean we're always the ones who are at fault?" she demanded loudly. "If I die here, wouldn't that mean you were the ones who did it?"
"You...you're just making excuses." He was afraid of the prince, but not of Ji Meiqing standing in front of him. As far as he was concerned, as long as the prince left, he would still be the overlord of this small town.
Shangguan Yuzhe looked at Ji Meiqing thoughtfully, then slammed the complaint in his hand down. "This case... doesn't count. Let's start over."
"This...this is already a sin, as long as..."
"As long as the signatures and seals haven't been completed, this case can be reopened. Do you expect me to personally invite the people from the Ministry of Justice here?"
"No... I wouldn't dare..." He lowered his head, his demeanor slightly weaker than before.
"It just so happens that the Minister of Justice is a good friend of mine. I think he would be happy to help me overturn the case," he said casually, wiping his fingernails with a leisurely air, as if he wanted to play with them a little longer.
"This case has already been closed."
"Oh, so because of your misjudgment, an innocent life was lost, and the real murderer went unpunished. Do you think you can still keep your official hat?" He had lost interest in talking to them anymore. He sat up straight and looked at the situation below. The north wind howled inexplicably. The sky was still gloomy. He glanced at it and said only, "This case will remain. If you take any further action without authorization, I will immediately send you and him before the Emperor. Even if he has committed any crimes, I can easily acquit him. As for you... I don't need to say anything more."
"Yes...yes." He hurriedly agreed, feeling quite intimidated, and decided to be more restrained lately. He glanced at him cautiously, then looked down at the floor tiles again.
Shangguan Yuzhe then looked at Ji Meiqing, raised an eyebrow, and asked, "Are you satisfied now?"
"This humble woman thanks Your Highness." Although she was unwilling, this was all she could do at the moment.
The two left the government office together, where the rumors were growing stronger.
"This matter needs to be resolved as soon as possible, otherwise if it drags on, even I won't be able to do anything about it..." He sighed, and then walked away from her.
Ji Meiqing stood like a wooden stake at the street fork, the cold wind blowing her skirt, rustling and chilling.
The next day, Shangguan Yuzhe sent his men again, and Ji Meiqing naturally welcomed them in. He patted the dust off his clothes and said as he walked forward, "The prince has sent me to ask you whether you want him to come out under a different identity."
"What's his/her identity?" she asked, somewhat curious.
“This identity can help him return quickly, and besides, my lord doesn’t have much time left…” He explained first, then added, “This matter is just a small one. If he confesses, it might be simpler.”
"No way." She slammed her hand on the table and rejected the suggestion.
The man also seemed a bit embarrassed, "This is already the simplest method."
“Even the simplest approach won’t work. We’ve gathered almost all the evidence. We can’t just give up halfway. Besides, this matter has nothing to do with you or me, so why should we plead guilty?”
Because of her anger, she exuded a fierce aura. "I don't want Lu Yu to bear this undeserved blame. More importantly, this is the Ji family's fault, why should we bear it!"
"Yes... I'll go back and report right away." He lowered his head cautiously, probably afraid of accidentally angering her.
He looked at Ji Meiqing, still unwilling to give up, and asked, "What if Young Master Lu agrees? That might be a good solution too."