Nine Chapters of Strange Cases

Chapter 3 Three Steps to Prison Release
Zhou Zhao's thoughts returned instantly. She rolled the bamboo slip into a ball and hugged it to her chest, standing up with a pale face.

"This is a blank bamboo slip. It was kept in the Court of Justice before. Chang Zuoping should have seen it."

She was so shocked by the bamboo slips that she didn't realize that three people were already standing in front of the prison cell.

The white-bearded old man who spoke was surnamed Chang. He was the Left Judge of the Court of Justice at the time, and his main job was to interrogate prisoners. Many people in Chang'an secretly called him "the cruel official with bloody hands".

Four years ago, his elder brother suddenly passed away. His father, Zhou Buhai, who was serving as the Minister of Justice at the time, was heartbroken and resigned from court due to the loss of his son. He was also unable to find the murderer for a long time.

Now, four years later, the Court of Justice has changed beyond recognition, with a new generation replacing the old.

On either side of Chang Zuoping were the bearded Northern Army leader whom Zhou Zhao had met before, and his lackey, Zhu Li, who was holding a sword to her side.

The door opened, and Chang Zuoping walked in slowly. He was rather thin, and his face looked like that of a white-haired goat.

Chang Zuoping didn't speak, but took out the bamboo slip and spread it out in his hand.

Zhou Zhao's breath hitched, her heart leaped into her throat. She looked up and saw that the bamboo slip was completely blank; there wasn't a single word of the "Letter to My Deceased Wife"! Everything that had just happened seemed like a hallucination.

Chang Zuoping glanced at him once before fixing his gaze on Zhou Zhao's face.

Zhou Zhao felt a slight sense of relief and touched his neck. The blood that had flowed from the cut caused by the coffin nails had now soaked through his handkerchief.

She bent down and picked up the blue bundle from the ground. As she stood up, she gasped as if her back was throbbing. When she stood up, her face paled even more. She then glared fiercely at the burly man in the cell to her right.

Chang Zuoping followed her gaze and immediately noticed the burly man's pierced hand.

He didn't say much, but simply returned the bamboo slip to Zhou Zhao and then turned to leave.

Zhou Zhao knew he had passed the test and immediately followed.

The interrogation room of the Court of Justice was located on the other side of the dungeon. As soon as you stepped into that area, a strong smell of blood hit you, making you want to vomit.

Rows of torture instruments, still covered in grime, were neatly arranged on both sides. If a timid person saw them, they would immediately tremble with fear.

Zhou Zhao kept his eyes straight ahead and followed Chang Zuoping past them, stopping in front of a room inside.

The door was open, and inside sat a young man dressed in a pink floral shirt. He was extremely handsome, with a natural air of elegance. He had a flower in his hair and a faint smell of alcohol and perfume on his body. It was clear at a glance that he had been wandering among the flowers before being summoned.

Chang Zuoping glared at him with disdain and couldn't help but curse, "Min Zangzhi, you've completely disgraced the Court of Justice."

The man named Min Zangzhi picked up his pen, casually dipped it in ink, and said, "The Court of Justice isn't human, what face do they have? Chang Zuoping, should I record what you just said?"

Chang Zuoping choked, too lazy to pay him any attention, and sat down in the main seat.

The bearded man from the Northern Army, also named Zhu Li, seemed to be interested in watching the spectacle. He sat down to the side and showed no intention of leaving.

Zhou Zhao said nothing, went straight to the empty prayer mat, and knelt down.

Chang Zuoping narrowed his eyes, making them appear even longer and narrower. He looked directly into Zhou Zhao's eyes and began to ask questions.

"You seem very calm. Are you so confident that you can get out of the Court of Judicial Review?" Zhou Zhao smiled. "Since I did not kill anyone, the magistrate will let me out."

Chang Zuoping snorted coldly, "Do you know who died?"

“I didn’t know at first,” Zhou Zhao paused, “but the maid said that her young lady saw me today, and considering her figure, if I’m not mistaken, the deceased should be Zhang Ruoqing, who is known as the most beautiful woman in Chang’an.”

Chang Zuoping seemed unsurprised that Zhou Zhao could guess it. His eyes widened slightly, and then he chuckled.

"Zhang Ruoqing's father is His Majesty's sworn brother. It won't be easy for you to leave unscathed. Poor Lord Zhou, are you going to have to bury your son again?"

As he spoke, he carefully observed Zhou Zhao's expression, but seeing that she remained calm and composed, he immediately felt displeased.

"Rumor has it that the Empress intends to choose between you and Zhang Ruoqing as the Crown Princess. You have a reason to kill her."

“You were at the scene of your death, with maids and brothers from the Northern Army as witnesses; we also found your footprints in the courtyard, with red mud on your feet, which is physical evidence.”

"And in the hands of the deceased Zhang Ruoqing, there was a wooden plaque with your name on it. This is irrefutable evidence. So, what defense do you have?"

Zhou Zhao was preoccupied with the rest of the "Letter to My Deceased Wife" and did not want to dwell on it for too long. With a flick of her eye, she raised her hand and pointed towards the door.

"From where I am, it's only three steps to that door. For each piece of evidence I prove, and if you approve, I'll take one step forward. If I reach the door, will you clear my name and let me leave prison on my own?"

Chang Zuoping clearly hadn't expected Zhou Zhao to do this, and immediately looked hesitant.

Min Cangzhi, the clerk who was writing furiously to the side, laughed out loud, not wanting to miss the fun. "Chang Zuoping, are you afraid of a little girl? What, are you afraid that if she gets out of prison in three steps, you will be the one who embarrasses the Court of Justice?"

Chang Zuoping snorted coldly, nearly tearing off his own goatee.

"You're young, but you've got quite the nerve. I'd like to see how you try to explain yourself!"

Zhou Zhao raised an eyebrow, stood up, and nodded to Min Zangzhi beside him. "It is said that the Great Chu rose to power under Chen Sheng. Is the world now ruled by Chu and Chen?"

Chang Zuoping's expression changed, and the word "bold" was already on his lips.

Min Zangzhi, who was standing to the side, had already laughed out loud. He gave Zhou Zhao a thumbs up and decisively wrote down what he said.

“This shows that rumors are unreliable and cannot be used as evidence for conviction,” Zhou Zhao said, taking a step toward the door.

"June 15th is the anniversary of my elder brother's death. Every year on this day, I go to Shanming Villa in Wujin Lane to pay my respects. Aunt Chen, who sells candles at the entrance of Wujin Lane, can testify that I entered the lane before it rained. Uncle Fu from Princess Changyang's mansion can testify that I was always burning gold leaf with him."

"When I said goodbye to him, I happened to hear someone singing Nuo opera, and they sang the part about inviting Boqi. Uncle Fu also said that recently there have been many children crying at night near Wujin Lane."

Zhou Zhao was interrupted by Chang Zuoping when he finished speaking.

He shook his head. "The old steward of Princess Changyang's residence is no good. Everyone in Chang'an knows that. He has a very close relationship with you."

"You may not have gone to Shanming Villa at all, but instead hid in Zhang Ruoqing's house to commit murder, and then just happened to appear as the discoverer to clear yourself of suspicion. But you didn't expect that Zhang Ruoqing secretly held ironclad evidence with your name on it before she died."

Zhou Zhao laughed upon hearing this. She raised her hand and pointed to Min Cangzhi, who was sitting to the side shaking his head, "If the old steward is not suitable, how about Lord Min?"