Nine Chapters of Strange Cases

Chapter 203 Berserker Right Courtyard
"The evidence is irrefutable, how can you recant your testimony? Lord Zhou, aren't the cases in the Left Court enough for you to investigate? Are you trying to extend your reach to the Right Court?"

Just as Zhou Zhao was about to interrogate Shao Qingqing, he heard a strange, sarcastic voice coming from behind him.

"What, are you trying to dominate the Court of Justice by yourself? Shao Qingqing was caught red-handed for murder. What makes you think you can overturn the case just because the murderer has changed his confession over and over again? The evidence in this case is conclusive. Even if Shao Qingqing doesn't plead guilty, the remaining evidence is enough to convict her."

Zhou Zhao looked behind him and saw a huge crowd of people approaching.

Who else could it be but He Tingshi, the one standing at the very front with a gloomy face speaking?
Standing beside him was Li Mu, the presiding judge in Shao Qingqing's case.

Behind them were some colleagues from the Right Wing.

“Zhou Zhao, since you come from the Zhou family of the Court of Justice, you must know that every case sentenced to death has undergone careful consideration by the Court of Justice. Do you really think that all your predecessors let a wrongful conviction go unpunished?”

"At such a young age, you've already demonstrated remarkable talent in solving cases, no less than your elder brother Zhou Yan. I, Li, greatly admire you. However, there are always people more capable than you, and you're still quite young when you first entered the Court of Judicial Review. Have you already become so arrogant that you think everyone in the Court of Judicial Review is inferior to you?"

Li Mu was clearly very angry; his chest heaved as he spoke, like he was working a bellows.

Zhou Zhao listened without the slightest anger. She calmly swept her gaze across the faces of everyone in the right courtyard, waiting for them to continue their attack.

“I know you are a young girl, and it’s understandable that you might feel sorry for someone who is seeking justice through death. But that’s not a reason for you to disregard the law and overturn a case on your own. If that’s the case, are you going to reinvestigate every case in the future where someone dies in front of the Court of Justice?”

Zhou Zhao listened quietly, and only clicked his tongue twice when he saw that He Tingshi and Li Mu were silent.

"What else? If someone crashes into and dies in front of the Court of Judicial Review, am I supposed to take a rag to wipe the blood off the stone lions and then sit and wait for the feast to begin?"

Both He Tingshi and Li Mu were momentarily stunned.

They never expected Zhou Zhao to ask such a question, and for a moment they were at a loss for how to respond.

Why has the banquet started already?

Zhou Zhao looked on and sneered, "So many people from the Right Courtyard have surrounded me and started talking aggressively. Are you trying to bully the young because you're old? Well, I'm sorry, I have that ability too. Although I'm young and have a low rank, I can't bully the older ones, but I can take on seven of them."

He Tingshi snapped out of his shock and looked at Zhou Zhao in disbelief. "What are you saying?"

"You're allowed to use your age to intimidate others, but I'm not allowed to subdue people with force? That's going too far!"

He Tingshi was so angry at this that he laughed. How could there be such a shameless junior in the world? "Sophistry!"

Zhou Zhao raised an eyebrow. "I do not believe that Shao Qingqing's case is a miscarriage of justice. Why are you all in the Right Court putting yourselves on the spot? Now there is a person who died at the gate of the Court of Justice. From now on, every day when you are on duty, you will be stepping over her blood and trampling over her ghost."

As the first official from the Court of Judicial Review to arrive at the crime scene, I have the right to find out how she died and why she died.

Shao Qingqing is the only lead in this case. What wrong did I do by reviewing the case file and interrogating Shao Qingqing? And what law did I violate?

As Zhou Zhao spoke, he walked up to He Tingshi and Li Mu.

She leaned very close, as if afraid the two men wouldn't see the sympathy in her eyes.

"The way you two are so righteous and indignant, rushing in to condemn and accuse each other like you're leading a group to catch someone in the act of adultery... Sigh..."

Zhou Zhao didn't finish her sentence, but He Tingshi and Li Mu both saw it clearly in her eyes: she was saying, "You guys are so skilled it's heartbreaking..."

He Tingshi swayed a few times, and the mustache on his lips stood up.

The dying people imprisoned in the surrounding prisons, as if experiencing a final burst of energy, looked over one by one with shining eyes. Hearing this, it's unclear who it was, but before their execution in the autumn, still had the mood to eavesdrop and laugh out loud.

The laughter was exceptionally clear and crisp, and He Tingshi's face instantly turned bright red. He flicked his sleeve, his eyes practically spitting fire as he looked at Zhou Zhao. "How could Zhou Buhai have a daughter like you!"

He had met Zhou Yan before, and even he had to praise him, saying, "A truly virtuous and refined gentleman, a man of great learning and reason."

This is nothing like the Zhou Zhao before us; she seems to want to jump three feet high and ride on everyone's heads!

“You can go to my house and ask him. There must be many people in Chang’an who want to know how he gave birth to a daughter like me.”

As Zhou Zhao spoke, he raised his chin, his face full of pride.

He Tingshi clutched his chest, almost fainting from anger.

Seeing that he had made a fool of himself and lost face, Zhou Zhao shook his head in disappointment.

Min Zangzhi, who was standing to the side, felt a pain in her teeth as she watched.

He understood. Zhou Zhao was saying, "Is the Right Courtyard so useless? They can't even last three moves against her."

Before Li Mu could speak again, Zhou Zhao cupped his hands in greeting to the crowd, saying, "Gentlemen, there's no need to be so aggressive; it's truly ungentlemanly. Shao Qingqing is the suspect in the locked-room murder case and also a witness in the Yan family's death case. I need to take her statement now, so please make way for me."

As Zhou Zhao spoke, he looked at Li Mu in a gentle voice, "Since the evidence against Shao Qingqing is conclusive, it shouldn't hurt me to ask a few questions. Why should you be angry, sir?"

Zhou Zhao's voice seemed to soften, as if he had given in.

But Min Zangzhi felt that she was more assertive now than ever before.

Because the girl was already striding forward, while Su Changying had taken Shao Qingqing with her and headed towards the interrogation room in the prison.

She didn't reach out or roar, but her imposing aura intimidated the people in the right courtyard, who automatically parted to make way for her.

is there any method?
He couldn't win the argument.

We can't win if we fight.

Shao Qingqing, who was crying, was also stunned by Zhou Zhao's verbal battle with the group of lawyers. She even forgot to wipe away her tears and followed Zhou Zhao into the interrogation room.

Zhou Zhao sat down opposite Shao Qingqing. "Your mother didn't hang herself; she committed suicide by poisoning herself. We found a blood-written letter with your name on it in her arms."

"My lord, didn't you say before that my mother is..." Shao Qingqing was a little confused as to why Zhou Zhao would lie to her about such a thing.

Zhou Zhao glanced indifferently at the doorway. He Tingshi and Li Mu followed, standing at the doorway listening, but neither of them stepped inside.

"It's very simple. To avoid the situation that Lord Li Mu mentioned earlier, you and your mother conspired to have her threaten suicide to force the Court of Justice to reopen the old case. Suicide can be avoided and achieve the same effect. If we set a precedent, others will inevitably follow suit in the future."

Zhou Zhao looked at Shao Qingqing, who had exceptionally beautiful eyes.

“I observed your reaction, and you did not conspire with your mother.”

Shao Qingqing raised her hand and wiped away her tears. She sniffed, "My mother kept telling me not to give up. She believed I would never kill anyone. I knew she had come to Chang'an, but I didn't know she had made this plan."

If only I had been braver and listened to my mother, then she wouldn't have died!
I was framed! I didn't kill a single member of the Cao family! That day was the first time I entered the Cao residence, and I was arrested without any reason.

Zhou Zhao remained calm, neither saying that he believed Shao Qingqing nor that he didn't.

"Why did you initially claim innocence, but later change your testimony and admit to murder?"