Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation
“Did you see him? Did you see him? That young man who just got down from the carriage is Yan Liqiang…”
“He looks so young. I heard he is merely a Supreme Martial Warrior. How is it possible for him to kill a few Martial Grandmasters at once?! He must be innocent…”
“That’s right! He must have been wronged!”
“That Yan Liqiang is really something! He was already famous in Gan Province. I heard that the world’s best engineer, Zhang Yourong, came here all the way from Gan Province just to meet him!”
“He must be talented!”
“Woah!”
As soon as the crowd outside the Supreme Court saw Yan Liqiang come out of Eunuch Liu’s carriage, they stirred in excitement. Yan Liqiang could hear the crowd talking about him. This scene in front of him reminded him of celebrities glamorously walking down the red carpet. This was the first time he felt like he was at the center of attention.
Yan Liqiang quickly recognized a few familiar faces among the crowd. Fang Beidou, Hu Haihe, and Xu Enda and a few others were in the middle of the crowd. However, it was so packed that there was no way they could get close enough to Yan Liqiang for a conversation. Only Hu Haihe managed to wink at Yan Liqiang, and judging from what the crowd was talking about, Yan Liqiang immediately understood where all these biased rumors had come from.
Yan Liqiang nodded lightly back at Hu Haihe, implying his gratitude.
“Move! Make way! Coming through! Coming through!” The few soldiers who escorted Yan Liqiang to the Supreme Court were now acting like his bodyguards, ushering him along the way while forming a circle to send Yan Liqiang and Eunuch Liu into the court.
Eunuch Liu swept his glance across the massive crowd in front of the Supreme Court. He was a little shocked by the turnout as well. However, he was quick to adjust to it and smiled at Yan Liqiang instead, “From now onward, you are a famous person in the city. Even I was not this famous at your age!”
“Fame is not really what I care about. I care about the outcome of the hearing today.” Yan Liqiang shook his head as he smiled wryly.
“Liqiang, do not worry. We will clear your name today. Let’s go. Follow me. The judges must have arrived!”
“After you, Eunuch Liu!” Yan Liqiang suddenly sensed something odd in Eunuch Liu’s mind, so he politely let Eunuch Liu walk at the front while he followed closely behind through the entrance of the Supreme Court.
Seeing that Yan Liqiang ‘knew his manners’ and treated with Eunuch Liu so much respect in front of the crowd, that odd feeling in Eunuch Liu’s mind instantly vanished without a trace. He was even more impressed with Yan Liqiang now.
The words ‘Supreme Court’ was carved on the main door of the building. This building was a sacred place, and it was not open to the public. It was a place where highly important cases would be heard by top-ranking officials, and the Emperor himself would refer the cases. In other words, this place represented the highest power of the judiciary system throughout the whole empire. The entire building was surrounded by an extremely solemn atmosphere. Upon entering the building, a large screen wall greeted the duo. Guards in official apparel lined both sides of the entrance.
From there, they made a turn. A man in his fifties with a neatly groomed face walked up to the two. It was apparent that they had been waiting for Eunuch Liu and Yan Liqiang to show up, “Eunuch Liu and Commandant Yan, I assume?”
Eunuch Liu nodded.
“I am Gu Tianzheng, secretary of the Supreme Court. I’ve been ordered by Lord Xu to greet you. Please, follow me.”
Eunuch Liu glanced at Yan Liqiang, then they followed as Secretary Gu led them into the hall.
“Have the judges arrived yet?” Eunuch Liu asked as he walked.
“Yes, they are all here. We are ready to start with the hearing anytime now!”
“Great!”
“Eunuch Liu, you will be allowed to sit in for the hearing as an observer. However, please keep in mind to stay silent, and do not interrupt the hearing without the Lords’ approval. Otherwise, it would make my life difficult as I would have to press charges against you for obstructing justice!”
“You have nothing to worry about. I know the rules around here!” Eunuch Liu said, “I believe nobody will dare to play favoritism here today!”
“With the judges in the hall today, no one will be able to play tricks!” Secretary Gu said.
They soon arrived at the hall. It was a spacious hall, filled with an air of prestige and divinity. Supreme Court officers lined up at both ends of the hall. Half of them were wielding sabers, while the other half were holding black color poles that were red-colored at both ends. They stood upright in their positions without even flinching a muscle, as though they were statues. Three tables were arranged side by side at the host’s spot, but there no one was seated behind them at this moment.
Here, Eunuch Liu and Yan Liqiang parted ways. Eunuch Liu’s seat was just beside the three tables, and he was invited to the seat. As for Yan Liqiang, Secretary Gu signaled four officers to lead him to a designated area on the left side of the hall entrance, where he was instructed to stand and wait.
Eunuch Liu glanced at Yan Liqiang, assuring him to stay calm as soon as the former was seated, and the latter returned with a light nod, implying that he was not nervous.
As soon as the two were placed in their respective positions, Secretary Gu walked through the door beside the three tables, probably to invite the judges to proceed with the hearing.
Yan Liqiang was really not nervous. As he stood in the hall waiting for the hearing to start, he took a closer look around the hall and the officers. This very moment reminded him of a television drama he used to watch in his previous life. The familiar soundtrack of the drama began involuntarily playing in his mind. “There is a Bao Qingtian in Kaifeng… Impartial and incorruptible, he differentiates between the honest and the wicked. Heroes from all corners of the country come to his aid… He has Wang Chao and Ma Han by his side…”
Too bad there were no Dragon, Tiger, or Dog-Headed Guillotines like the drama. Otherwise, it would be exactly the same as it was in the drama!
If it wasn’t for the crowd and the four of five burly bailiffs staring at Yan Liqiang, he might’ve hummed the song out loud.
Yan Liqiang did not wait for too long. Ten minutes later, when it was half past nine o’clock in the morning, the sound of a drumbeat rang out in the hall. Eunuch Liu immediately stood up.
Three high court officials appeared from the screen behind the three tables in the hall. After nodding to Eunuch Liu, they sat in their respective seats. The other Supreme Court officers, including Secretary Gu, entered from the smaller doors at the sides of the hall and settled into their seats.
The man sitting in the middle of the three tables was wearing a Second Grade official robe, embroidered with the legendary beast, Xie Zhi. The old man who was probably in his sixties with long gray eyebrows was none other than the Supreme Court’s Chief Minister, Xu Taiyi.
The high official sitting on Xu Taiyi’s left was a slightly chubby man with an aquiline nose, sporting a beautiful long beard. After he came in, he glanced at Yan Liqiang with a frown. That man was Gu Chunyi, the Minister of Justice in the Great Han Empire. The man sitting on Xu Taiyi’s right with a smile on his face was a gentleman in his fifties. This man was the Imperial Censor from the Censorate, Pei Daoyuan.
Yan Liqiang immediately knew the trio’s identity just by looking at them.
——That rubbish surnamed Chen. This is the mess he created, and I have to sit through this because of him —— Gu Chunyi, the Minister of Justice, was secretly cursing although he kept a stern poker face.
——Wow, I did not expect Yan Liqiang to be such a young man, and he was here on time! Who knows what will happen to him in the future. This young man looks sharp and smart, but perhaps a little too impatient.—— A thought ran through the mind of Chief Minister Xu Taiyi, who was seated in the middle.
——I can’t wait to watch Xiu Dajia’s musical performance tonight! I’m going to go home immediately once this hearing is over. I’ll change and go to the performance at once!—— The Imperial Censor, Pei Daoyuan, did not care about this hearing at all. All he could think of was the performance tonight by the four famous courtesans.
Yan Liqiang stayed quiet as he glanced at the three high court officials sitting in front of him. Unbeknownst to the three men, he had already read their minds and knew exactly what they were thinking. From their thoughts alone, Yan Liqiang pretty much knew which side were they on even before the hearing had started. The Minister of Justice, Gu Chunyi, was obviously a supporter of Grand Chancellor Lin Qingtian. Xu Taiyi and Pei Daoyuan were seemingly neutral, leaning towards neither the Emperor nor the Grand Chancellor. Interestingly, Pei Taoyuan looked more like a retired rich businessman. He did not possess the sharp and intimidating charisma an Imperial Censor should have. He was probably in the position where he would offend either the Emperor or the Grand Chancellor if he did his job. In order to avoid offending anyone, he’d rather be a white elephant and do nothing at all…
The three officials exchanged looks. Since Xu Taiyi was the main host, he glanced at Yan Liqiang and spoke first, “Are you Yan Liqiang, the Yingyang Commandant of the Imperial Cavalry Unit?”
“Greetings, my Lords, I am Yan Liqiang!” Yan Liqiang cupped his fists and spoke with a clear voice, showing no signs of nervousness.
“Do you understand why you are here today?”
“Yes!”
“Do you have anything to say before we start this hearing?”
“I am here today because I believe that my three lords will clear my name with a fair and just hearing, and end this farce once and for all!”
Xu Taiyi paused to have a closer look at Yan Liqiang before he spoke again calmly, “Your innocence will be determined after the hearing. We shall not make any judgment by only hearing your side of the story!”
“Yes, I will be cooperative and answer any questions without hiding anything!”
“Have the two lords any questions to ask?” Xu Taiyi looked toward his counterparts on his left and right.
“Lord Gu, you may start first. I shall listen and ask if I have any questions!” Pei Daoyuan smiled.
“Ahem… Ahem…” Gu Chunyi cleared his throat before he squinted his eyes as he stared at Yan Liqiang coldly, “Did you and Xu Lang know each other prior to this?”
“Yes!” Yan Liqiang nodded.
“Is it true that you had a conflict with Xu Lang on the street a few days before the incident?”
Yan Liqiang smiled, “If Lord Gu wishes to define the incident as a conflict where I was bullied and forced to defend myself from Xu Lang and his gang, then so be it. However, I believe that the truth will prevail. Two patrolling officers and many civilians saw what happened on the street that day. They can all testify that Xu Lang bumped into me upon exiting a restaurant. I did not respond in any particular way, so Xu Lang and the rest were the first to start the fight on the street. Therefore, the person who started the physical fight should be charged for provoking a dispute. I was merely the victim. Lord Gu, as the Minister of Justice, your previous question has already proven the fact that you have failed to keep your inquisition neutral during a hearing. As the Minister of Justice, it can’t be that you are unaware of the basic fundamentals of interrogation?”
Yan Liqiang’s answer silenced everyone in the hall. The Minister of Justice Gu Chunyi’s face instantly turned as black as charcoal. Yan Liqiang had caught the thread of his argument and returned him an answer that choked him into complete silence.
Eunuch Liu smiled at Yan Liqiang, barely able to contain his laughter. Xu Taiyi and Pei Daoyuan looked at each other as they both felt a burst of energy from the turn of events.
“Lord Gu meant to inquire whether you had a conflict with Xu Lang. It doesn’t matter who started the fight, as the fight happened anyway. What Lord Gu asked was within justifications, we would also like to know more about the matter. There is no need to get too worked up.” Xu Taiyi spoke in a diplomatic manner, trying to ease the tension as well as the embarrassment inflicted upon Gu Chunyi.
“I do not mean to be rude, but the Minister just personally demonstrated to me that he was consciously violating the rules in the judiciary system. I was merely trying to be prudent because I do not wish to mired by another baseless accusation!”
“Ahem! My two lords, since Yan Liqiang is here, why don’t we summon the witness who pressed the charges against Yan Liqiang? Let them confront each other here, and we can judge! This will be easier for us to find out the truth!” Pei Daoyuan, who had been silent all this while, suddenly made a suggestion.
The other two officials exchanged looks before they nodded in agreement.
“We hereby summon the plaintiff’s presence in the hall!” Xu Taiyi picked up a summoning token and gave the order to the officers.
An officer in the hall took the summoning token and bowed respectfully before he walked out…
Yan Liqiang stood quietly as he waited. Actually, it didn’t matter to him if the plaintiff showed up. He knew exactly what the latter would say. It wouldn’t be new to him. The only thing that would be new to Yan Liqiang was what the plaintiff looked like.
However, just a few minutes later, the officer who took the summoning token rushed back into the hall with sweat all over his face, “My lords! Something has happened! The plaintiff died in the prison!”
Xu Taiyi was immediately angered by the news, as he jerked up from his seat and bellowed, “How could this happen? Wasn’t the man well and alive just a few hours ago? How could he be dead now?”
“Your Honor, I was just about to pick up the plaintiff from the prison! However, upon hearing that he was summoned, he yelled in his cell, claiming that Yan Liqiang is the murderer, and he collapsed right there with blood oozing out of his seven orifices! He died on the spot, and everyone was caught off guard!”
“My lords, the plaintiff who was pressing charges against Commandant Yan just died under your custody! Are you trying to get rid of witnesses?” Eunuch Liu said sarcastically.
“We shall summon the plaintiff, dead or alive. Now, carry the plaintiff’s body into the hall. Then summon the prison keeper and the coroner…” Xu Taiyi slammed his palm heavily against the table with his face as black as coal.
