Nine Chapters of Strange Cases

Chapter 377 Two Backers
Everyone in the prison was momentarily embarrassed.

They hadn't forgotten that the Marquis of Huaiyang was the new Minister of Justice, and this place was the Court of Justice.

Before the new official could even make his first move, his subordinates were already eager to set things ablaze.

That's really a bit too aggressive.

"Have you checked?"

Fan Yin nodded. "Yes, Jiang Yan was indeed a dancer in the Chu family. She was indeed chosen by Chu Gongzi Chu Ling because of her beauty and became his concubine."

Since Prince Consort Fan was often away exploring for treasures, he was in charge of most of the affairs of the Treasure Pavilion.

He was not a naive person, so how could he possibly believe Jiang Yan's one-sided story?
"There are quite a few marquises in Chang'an, but is the Marquis of Huaiyang a reliable backer? And what about Chen Shanhai?" Zhou Zhao continued to ask.

Fan Yin had given up on struggling at this point, so she simply told everything she knew.

"The Marquis of Huaiyang is one of the Three Dukes and Nine Ministers, and now he is also the Minister of Justice. His son, Zhao Yizhou, is the Prime Minister's most favored disciple, and everyone knows that he is the future important minister that His Majesty has left for the next emperor; this is not just one backer, but two. And one that will not collapse for two generations."

Chen Shanhai was a member of the Prime Minister's family; the implications of his appearance were self-evident.

Upon hearing this, a hint of mockery flashed in Zhou Zhao's eyes.

There are indeed many noble families, but there are many cases where the father is a hero and the son is a coward. Take the Zhou family, for example. They were so dazzling because of Zhou Yan. It is true that Zhou Buhai was a former official of the previous dynasty, but Zhou Yan is a promising key minister of the new dynasty.

The current residence of the Marquis of Huaiyang is the same as that of the Zhou family, the former Minister of Justice.

Zhou Zhao's mind was in turmoil. Fan Yin was good at making money and managed Duobaoge very well, but she didn't understand the intricacies of aristocratic families.

Although they all share the surname Chen, in a large clan, not everyone shares the same stance.

Chen Shanhai does not represent Prime Minister Chen. He is clearly a lackey of the Third Prince. This was evident when Chen Shanhai's father, Chen Ao, sent Yan Junyu to seize the treasure and ruthlessly killed Ah Huang.

So, were both Chen Cheng and the Marquis of Huaiyang part of the Third Prince's faction?

Or is Chen Shanhai just using someone else's name to make a big deal out of nothing?

Chang Zuoping stood with his hands behind his back, watching Zhou Zhao's gaze, and thoughtfully turned his eyes.

The case has now not only implicated Zhao Tingwei, but also the Prime Minister; the scene is so quiet you could hear a pin drop.

Chang Zuoping broke the silence and directly brought the questioning back to the case itself, "So, Fan Yin framed Fan Lishen, and Chang Rong murdered those three innocent women. Do you plead guilty?"

Fan Yin nodded dejectedly in agreement.

Changrong, who was on the other side, came to his senses from the shock. He recalled the words he had said when he was trampled at the Court of Justice, which were no different from admitting it.

He snorted coldly, "I went to kill them according to Fan Yin's instructions. They were just a few brainless stupid women who were so easily deceived. They would have suffered to death sooner or later if they lived in this world. I just wanted them to die sooner so they could be reborn."

"Did you also arrange for the Red Jade and the Sparrow?"

Changrong sat sprawled on the ground, looking at Fan Lishen with a mocking expression.

"That's right. Young Master Fan's waistbands could fill a room. He loves wearing red, especially that one with countless red jade pendants. I saw him wearing it just a few days ago. If I pry one off, he probably wouldn't notice for half a year."

I thought you were someone who had taken over someone else's place, but I never imagined you were born with a life of wealth and privilege!

However, there are probably more than one or two people who want to kill you. Even if they die before me, wait a moment. I'll take you, young master, to conquer the underworld.

Changrong laughed out loud as he spoke.

"As for the sparrow, that was specially prepared by me. The gold ring on the bird's leg is currently hidden in your storeroom."

As he spoke, he met Fan Lishen's clear cat-like eyes.

Chang Rong suddenly lowered his head as if burned, and fell silent. Chang Zuoping didn't care. He asked Min Cangzhi, "The criminal has confessed. You are in charge of closing the case."

He glanced at Zhou Zhao as he spoke, and said, "Don't embarrass the Court of Justice."

Then, with his hands behind his back, he left with a thud.

Zhou Zhao felt a warmth in her heart. Chang Zuoping had obviously guessed that she and Su Changying were investigating something important and had other plans, which was why he had quickly and decisively removed her from the case.

He sensed that something big was about to happen in Chang'an.

She already had some suspicions about the murderer, and after hearing Fan Yin's words, she became even more certain.

Seeing Zhou Zhao about to leave, Fan Lishen also turned around and followed him out. She had just taken a step when she heard Fan Yin's voice behind her, "Young Master, you must live well."

Fan Lishen did not look back at him and quickly left the prison.

When they came out, the sunlight was so bright that it almost brought tears to Fan Lishen's eyes.

Not far away, plum blossoms had appeared on the corner of the wall, adding a touch of brightness to the withered yellow winter landscape of the north.

Just like her current mood.

Fan Lishen looked at Zhou Zhaotong and Ahuang in front of him, "I'm sorry, I've wasted your good intentions, but how did you know..."

She never told anyone that she was a woman. Even when she was close to Zhou Zhao back then, she never mentioned it. It wasn't that she wanted to deliberately hide it; it was just that she was a child at the time and didn't care about men and women at all.

Zhou Zhao turned around, smiled, and waved to Fan Lishen.

Fan Lishen jogged forward and caught up with the two.

“I am an official of the Court of Judicial Review, and Ah Huang is a coroner. If we can’t even tell whether someone is male or female, then what kind of case are we investigating?”

Fan Lishen was taken aback, "Then you..."

“Even if we’re friends, there’s no need to pry into every little detail. Since you’re going to pretend to be a young master, you must have your own reasons. The reason Ah Huang and I shook our heads earlier was because we had a way to help you prove your innocence, and you didn’t have to be forced to reveal your secrets.”

"Speak when you want to; that's our intention, and it's hardly a waste."

Fan Lishen could no longer hold back, and tears streamed down his face.

She rubbed her eyes haphazardly with her hands. "Ah Zhao, Ah Huang, I'm so useless. I'm always causing you trouble. I never even thought of going to Duobao Pavilion."

Zhou Zhao looked at Fan Lishen.

“Everyone in this world is different. You haven’t caused us any trouble. Ah Huang and I are paid to investigate cases, which is what we’re good at. Li Shen also has his own strengths and his own merits. There’s no need to belittle yourself.”

She paused for a moment, then said, "As for the Treasure Pavilion, you'd better make plans as soon as possible. If you need to, you can take advantage of Ah Huang and Chang Ying's influence."

Fan Lishen raised her eyes and looked at Zhou Zhao. She bit her lip, her gaze gradually hardening.

"I'll give you the Treasure Pavilion in exchange for my father's life, okay? I'll offer the Treasure Pavilion to His Majesty. I don't want anything else, I just want my father to live."

Zhou Zhao's eyes flickered, and he shook his head. "I don't know, but if you want, you can give it a try."

The Court of Justice investigates cases according to the Nine Chapters of Law, but for an empire, nothing can supersede the will of the emperor.

She could tell that Fan Lishen had cheered up and made up her mind that she would try whatever she was told.

As Zhou Zhao spoke, he gave Ah Huang a look. Ah Huang nodded and walked to Fan Lishen's side.

Zhou Zhao did not linger; in a flash, he left the Court of Justice.

(End of this chapter)