Fight to the death

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Snapped...

The alarm bell sounded. Zhang Wenda knocked it himself. He only heard him say in a cold voice: "Chen Cao, please don't mention anything unrelated to the case. Otherwise, don't blame me for being ruthless."

Chen Cao apologized to Zhang Wenda and said loudly: "My Chen family, after my father died in the battle of Saarhu, the family fell into decline and there was no money left in the family. All the money I gained later came from writing scripts.

How much? There are accounts. If you don't believe me, you can check the accounts and you will know. Mr. Huang said in his confession that he accepted five thousand taels of cash as a bribe from me. I am not afraid of everyone's ridicule. Now that my Chen family's property has been purchased, the cash at home is only five hundred taels.

, and it’s all loose silver. You can tell by checking at which bank you exchanged such a large amount of money. If you don’t believe it, feel free to go check it out.”

Huang Chengxian's heart skipped a beat. When he questioned himself earlier, he answered casually, but it turned out that he said the wrong thing. If he said that he remembered it incorrectly, but he had already signed and pledged it, once he reversed his confession, what he said would have no basis, and the case would be over.

.

Zhang Wenda nodded and signaled to Chen Yiyuan. Chen Yiyuan immediately ordered the yamen to go to Chen's house to get the account books, and then went to the major banks in Jinling to check whether there was any record of Chen Cao exchanging cash.

At this moment, drums sounded outside the yamen, and Zhang Ke was brought into the lobby by the yamen. Chen Cao's brows jumped, feeling that something was not good.

Zhang Ke glanced at Chen Cao, then saluted Zhang Wenda and others: "Student Zhang Ke, I have met all of you."

Chen Yiyuan stared at Zhang Ke and said, "Zhang Ke, what are you doing here?"

Qin Weimin felt that something was not good, so he first raised his hands to Zhang Wenda and said, "Sir Zhang, this person is Zhang Ke, the official candidate for the county prime minister of Jiangning County in the 46th year of Wanli Dynasty. He is the eldest brother of the deceased Zhang Liang."

Zhang Wenda nodded: "Zhang Ke, what do you want?"

Zhang Ke saluted Zhang Wenda and said, "Your Majesty, the students want to sue Chen Cao for abusing his power, extracting confessions through torture, and fabricating false confessions."

Oops...

The excitement was getting louder now, and everyone in the courtroom began to whisper to each other. Zhang Wenda glanced at Chen Cao and found that Chen Cao was a little flustered, but then he calmed down again, knowing something secretly in his heart, and then said: "Tell me carefully."

After Zhang Ke explained clearly what happened that night, he pointed at Chen Cao and said: "This guy also threatened my family, saying that people who complain to officials will be punished with a higher penalty. Students are judges, and they know all about the laws of the Ming Dynasty.

, His torture to extract confessions is no different from what Ji Gang did. How can such a scum have the dignity to serve as the Emperor's own army?"

"Chen Cao, do you have Zhang Youcai's confession?" Zhang Wenda asked rhetorically.

Chen Cao had calmed down from being surprised and flustered until Zhang Wenda asked him. Then he clasped his fists towards Zhang Wenda and all the jurors and said, "My lords, I would like to ask you a question.

Can the testimony obtained by coercing a confession be used as evidence in court?”

this?

Since the founding of the Ming Dynasty, officials have used torture when trying cases. There are countless unjust cases caused by so-called beatings. Wai Lang, a member of the Ministry of Punishment, is in charge of these matters. In order to prevent unjust cases, the rationality of the files must be carefully reviewed. Zhang Liang's case was entrusted to Gu Dazhang.

Give.

However, the officials sitting here knew that most of the evidence obtained after torture could not be proved true, but officials were not allowed to do so in order to solve the case. Sometimes it was understandable to treat the real murderer, but after all, the real murderers were in the minority.

Qiao Yunsheng, the Shangshu of the Ministry of Punishment, frowned. He was the Shangshu of the Nanjing Ministry of Punishment and was in charge of all the cases in Nanzhili. He was also very familiar with the use of punishment. It was not clear whether he had any unjust cases during his many years as an official, but what he did know was that it was impossible.

Avoided, so his expression was a little embarrassed.

Seeing that they were silent, Chen Cao turned to the many officials in the gallery and said, "What do you think, sirs?"

Chen Cao didn't know Gu Dazhang, but he only knew that such a number one person was there. They all happened to look at Gu Dazhang. Gu Dazhang coughed twice, and then said loudly: "Since the founding of our country, there has been no shortage of torture, but we have done it to the point, and we have tried our best to avoid torture to extract confessions."

If this is the case, Chen Qianhu’s evidence may not count, and it may also have the purpose of abusive lynching.”

Chen Cao nodded towards Gu Dazhang and gave him a thumbs up happily. If Chen Cao knew who the person in front of him was, he would probably feel from the bottom of his heart that these people were all Shabi.

"Master Zhang, what do you think?" Chen Cao looked at Zhang Wenda.

Zhang Wenda looked at Gu Dazhang, and then said: "I agree with what Mr. Gu said."

good...

Chen Cao nodded, and then took out Zhang Youcai's confession from his arms: "For your information, my lords, what I am holding in my hand is the testimony of Zhang Youcai, Zhang Liang's father. Please listen clearly, it is the testimony of Zhang Youcai, not the Zhang family."

other people."

"My lords, he forced the student's father to write down this testimony. He did not count what he did. Please be careful, lords." Zhang Ke shouted loudly with his hands raised.

"Why did I force you Zhang Youcai?" Chen Cao turned to stare at Zhang Ke and said with an angry smile: "I went to your Zhang family and obtained testimonies one after another. I did not torture your father Zhang Youcai. Your family has nothing to do with this matter.

My subordinates all know that your father wrote the testimony voluntarily, so what does it have to do with me? In this case, there is no such thing as torture to extract a confession, and this testimony is valid evidence."

Zhang Wenda carefully read Zhang Youcai's confession, which included his views and identification of Zhang Liang's case. Zhang Wenda finally understood at this moment that the overturn of Zhang Liang's case was really the result of someone behind the scenes, with the purpose of punishing him. Now

He also firmly believed in Chen Cao.

Chen Yiyuan said: "Zhang Ke, how did Chen Cao threaten your father?"

Zhang Ke handed over his hand and said, "I am reporting to the Lord of the Palace that one of his subordinates slapped the student, and then threatened to arrest the student and torture him when he returned. My father was afraid and agreed to write these testimonies."

Not only Chen Yiyuan, but also several of the jurors and the spectators found it ridiculous. He was slapped without even knocking out his teeth. This was not called torture at all. Seeing the reactions of these people, Zhang Ke instantly felt that he had come to the wrong place.

Chen Cao couldn't help but sneer, and then took out another letter: "My lords, this is a correspondence between Zhang Liang and someone during his lifetime. What the letter says is an appointment with Zhang Liang to have a drink at Zuixiang Tower. Zhang Liang's case

Fa, the lower official was from the Jinyi Guard Qianhu in Nanzhili, and the deceased was from the Imperial College. It was the lower official’s duty to investigate the case, so he went to Zhang’s house to seal Zhang Liang’s letters. When the lower official learned the news

, sent people to investigate, and the girl from Zuixianglou said that someone accompanied Zhang Liang to Zuixianglou for drinking and sleeping with prostitutes that day. As for who it was, they didn't know who it was. Based on Zhang Youcai's testimony, the subordinates suspected Zhang Liang's death.

It was a premeditated incident, and the purpose is still unclear."

"Since you don't know clearly, how can you overturn the fact that you didn't pay bribes? If you go by what you said, Huang Chengxian is framed by you. But after all, he is also a general judge of the same government, a sixth-grade official, and he has a great future?" Xiong Mingyu

He said with a frown.

Chen Cao smiled confidently: "Returning to Mr. Xiong, I have already made plans for you. Please listen carefully. Zhang Liang has a personal servant named Zhang Qi. He is a pariah who sold himself to the Zhang family. He has been studying with Zhang Liang in the Imperial College.

However, on the night of the incident, Zhang Qi sent the beaten Zhang Liang home and then left with his family." Chen Cao's head looked left and right from time to time, in order to let everyone in the hall hear: "I am here.

On the second day after the incident, people were sent to Zhang Qi's home to check. According to their neighbors, Zhang Qi's family left before dawn. So, why did a slave who sold himself to the Zhang family take the risk?

Run away with your family?" He then added: "Anyone with low status and sold into slavery will not be held accountable by the government even if he is beaten to death by his master. Therefore, Zhang Qi knew that he would be beaten to death by his master if he ran away privately.

Besides, where can he go?"

Chen Cao saw everyone nodding, thoughtfully, and then said: "Xiaguan's subordinates have carefully inquired about the Zhang family, and they have also filed a record with the Jiangning County Government. The Zhang family immediately called after Zhang Liang's death.

We were looking for Zhang Qi. When we arrived at Zhang Qi's house, we found that none of them were there. Why did Zhang Qi and his family leave at night, risking being beaten to death?" Chen Cao looked around at everyone in the hall.

He said loudly: "The reason is that Zhang Qi knew that Zhang Liang would definitely die. As a personal servant, he would definitely not survive if his master died. Therefore, Zhang Qi, who was afraid of death, took his family members to escape at night."

Oops...

The hall was completely boiling, and Zhang Wenda was lost in thought. However, Cao Yubian, Gu Dazhang, and Gu Linsheng and Zhao Cheng from the people's group who were hearing the trial looked embarrassed. There is no doubt that this time Zhang Liang was tried, they were the ones who

Even if he is not the mastermind behind the scenes, he is also involved a lot.

"Chen Cao, is there any whereabouts of Zhang Qi's family?" Chen Cao had always been confident. Only then did Zhang Wenda realize why Chen Cao had said that night that he wanted to make things worse. So that was it.

Chen Cao nodded and said: "Before the official was suspended, he had already found the long-missing Zhang Qi family in Chunhua Town, Jiangning County."

Gu Linsheng couldn't stand, Zhao Cheng looked pale, and Zhang Qi's family was a burden. They knew it, but they didn't dare to kill people blatantly. They could only frame the blame, otherwise they wouldn't have gone through so many twists and turns.

Gu Dazhang's face was livid, and when he looked at Gu Linsheng, he felt that iron could not turn into steel.

"The lower official had previously arrested the household secretary and a group of subordinate officials in Jiangning County. They admitted that they had forged a road guide for Zhang Qi, with the purpose of going to Shangyuan County. The lower official then detained these people and notified Jiangning.

After that, he rushed to Shangyuan County non-stop. When he arrived, he found out that Zhang Qi's family had arrived and then left." Chen Cao took a deep breath and said, "I finally got the news not long ago that Zhang Qi's family has arrived.

"My son gambled heavily in Chunhua Town and lost thirty taels of silver in a long time. Sirs," Chen Cao finally couldn't help but smile: "Zhang Qi's family is a prostitute of the Zhang family. Every month

The family only gave them fifteen taels of living money, and his son Zhang Shisi was an idler. A local green man in Jiangning once reported that Zhang Shisi owed them more than ten taels of silver. However, on the night of the incident, Zhang Shishi had a one-time

He paid off the debt and then disappeared. Judging from these news, do you think, where did Zhang Qi's family get so much money?"

Those who are not involved will naturally feel that they are righteous, while those who are involved will understand that they will be exposed soon.

Chen Cao said jokingly: "Oh, by the way, I want to make a digression. When Zhang Shisi asked the banker to lend him money after losing money in a gambling house in Chunhua Town, he said in a conversation with the banker that the young master of Nanjing Taipu Temple

Qing Gu Yuncheng, Master Gu is his master, and he has plenty of money for him to spend. Then the banker lent him another thirty taels of silver for gambling. If the official had not been suspended, he might really have to go to Master Gu's house to ask for advice.

Ask if there is a slave named Zhang Shishi."

"That's nonsense," Gu Dazhang finally couldn't bear it anymore: "Chen Cao, don't try to include my father in this nonsense."

Only then did Chen Cao notice that the person scolding him was the person who had explained before, and now he guessed that this person was probably Gu Dazhang: "Dare you ask this sir?"

"I am Gu Dazhang, a member of the Criminal Department of the capital." Gu Dazhang said proudly, holding out his chest.

"Oh... I'm embarrassed to see Mr. Gu in person." Chen Cao saluted Gu Dazhang with a hint of mockery. They were both of the same rank, so there was no one who was overpowering the other, but Chen Cao still said without changing his expression: "

If Mr. Gu doesn’t believe it, you can ask for the testimony of my Qianhu Office. Everyone in the gambling house has testified. There is no need for dozens of people to wrongly accuse a person from a lowly family. Even if they are wronged, what benefits will they get? "

One sentence made Gu Dazhang choked and speechless. Gu Linsheng outside the hall trembled from the bottom of his heart. Thinking of Zhao Cheng's previous words, he couldn't help but shudder again.

Snapped...

Zhang Wenda personally knocked on the gavel and said, "Someone, bring Zhang Qi's family to the court."

The person escorting Zhang Qi's family is Zhao Xin, and they are always under his care. This is his trump card and there must be no problems.

When Zhang Qi and Zhang Shisi entered the hall and saw this grand scene, their legs couldn't help but soften, and they knelt down with a plop. When Zhang Ke saw Zhang Qi, he quickly asked: "Zhang Qi, are they right?"

You have to torture yourself into submission, so you don’t have to be afraid. With me here, as long as you tell the truth, all the adults will make the decision for you."

Snapped...
To be continued...