Zhu Tian: A journey of spiritual practice starting from Joy of Life

Chapter 54: Fan Xian's Confrontation with the Prince
Inside Kyoto Prefecture, Fan Xian looked around. He glanced at Guo Baokun, who had been beaten into a mummy, and then at He Zongwei, whose face looked a bit hideous. He felt a little surprised, "Is that guy so hated that he was beaten into such a horrible state!"

After saying this, Fan Xian looked away again, silently giving a bad review to the decoration of Kyoto Prefecture.

"cough cough"

Amidst a series of coughs, Mei Zhili, looking pale, walked out of the back hall, sat down at his seat, and casually slammed the gavel, saying, "Who's next?"

He Zongwei immediately said flatteringly, "Sir, I am He Zongwei, the lawyer for Mr. Guo."

"Fan Xian!"

Fan Xian yawned. After all, he had only slept for half an hour and was a little uncomfortable.

"Be bold!"

Mei Zhili slammed the gavel and said, "Fan Xian, how can you be so rude in this court?"

"Excuse me, my lord!"

Fan Xian apologized, "I prepared medicine for the princess's tuberculosis last night and stayed up all night, so..."

"quibble!"

He Zongwei immediately said with excitement, "It was clearly you who committed the crime last night, so..."

"Wait a minute!"

Fan Xian stopped He Zongwei and said, "Sir, what is going on? I don't know anything right now!"

Seeing Fan Xian's slightly aggrieved expression, Mei Zhili sighed softly and said, "The Guo family is suing you for assaulting palace editor Guo Baokun in the middle of the night. Do you admit your guilt? Someone, hand him the plaintiff's complaint!"

Fan Xian took a quick look and said, "I beat Guo Baokun, how come I didn't know? Where is he now?"

"Look here!"

He Zongwei pointed at Guo Baokun, who was being carried up on a stretcher, and said, "Brother Guo, we had a conflict a few days ago. You actually beat him up like this in the middle of the night. I beg you to impose a heavy sentence on him to uphold the laws of the Qing Kingdom!"

"Wait a minute!"

Fan Xian pointed at the mummy and feigned surprise, saying, "You said this was Guo Baokun? What a joke! I've eaten too much salt. I stayed up late at night and went out to beat him up."

After saying this, Fan Xian pointed at He Zongwei and said, "Sir, He Zongwei is talking nonsense. Last night, I was drinking with Prince Jing at Zuixianju from 1:15 to 3:15 on the evening of the twelfth hour, and then we said our goodbyes. Afterwards, I ran into Wang Qinian, a clerk at the Inspection Bureau, on the street. I chatted with him and left the city. I didn't return to the city until 1:15 on the evening of the twelfth hour. I returned to the Fan Mansion at 2:15 on the evening of the twelfth hour, and I was there preparing medicine until dawn. How can you be so sure that I beat Guo Baokun? What's more, the complaint also states that when Guo Baokun was attacked, the servants were drugged and unconscious, and he was blindfolded. How can you be so sure that I was the one who beat him?"

Mei Zhili couldn't help but feel a headache when listening to Fan Xian's defense. When he took over the case, he saw that the complaint was full of loopholes.

If Guo Baokun's father was not the Minister of Rites Guo Youzhi, he would not have planned to take this case.

Then He Zongwei continued, "That's because Brother Guo heard your voice. You claimed your identity and recited your poem "A Thousand Miles of Sad Autumn, Often a Guest." You also said that Brother Guo destroyed your book!"

"absurd!"

Fan Xian continued, "Master Mei, I'm not a fool. I can't say this while beating someone up. Besides, at the poetry gathering at Prince Jing's mansion yesterday, there were at least dozens of people who knew about my poem. As for Red Mansion, half of Kyoto now knows I wrote it. It would be easy for them to impersonate me and frame me."

Mei Zhili couldn't help but cover his head. If he couldn't see that He Zongwei and Guo Baokun were just trying to smear Fan Xian, then his job as the governor of Kyoto would be in vain.

However, the two sides involved the Ministry of Revenue and the Ministry of Rites, which he could not afford to offend.

Mei Zhili was about to say something when he heard a shout from outside, "The prince has arrived!"

As soon as he finished speaking, Mei Zhili's expression became even uglier.

The people in the court looked back and saw a man in a blue robe walking in, surrounded by a group of eunuchs.

"This old minister pays respect to His Royal Highness the Crown Prince!"

Mei Zhili and everyone else in the government office bowed to the young man. Li Chengqian quickly waved his hand and said, "Please excuse the formalities. Guo Baokun is the Crown Prince's study companion. Naturally, I have to come and see what's happening to him! Master Mei, how is the case going?"

"Guo Baokun has not provided any witnesses or physical evidence to prove he was the perpetrator. Moreover, Fan Xian claimed that he had been at home preparing medicine for the princess last night."

Li Chengqian nodded after hearing this and said, "Then this prince asks you, does Fan Xian have any evidence to prove that he has been in the Fan Mansion the entire time?" "Your Highness!"

Mei Zhili said stiffly, "Forgive me for being so bold, but are you coming to Kyoto Prefecture to attend a trial or to try a case?"

Li Chengqian was stunned. "How can we talk about hearing the trial and how can we talk about the trial?"

Mei Zhili smiled and said, "If you are attending the trial, I will arrange a seat for you. If you are trying the case, please return the imperial edict from His Majesty allowing me to see it."

As soon as these words came out, everyone present was stunned.

Fan Xian swallowed his saliva and thought to himself, "Good fellow, is Lord Mei really that tough?"

Li Chengqian was delighted after hearing this, "Master Mei truly commands this prince's admiration!"

"I, this old minister, am ashamed!"

Mei Zhili continued, "I am the emperor's breadwinner and I must be loyal to him. The most important thing for a minister is loyalty, so I, an old minister, would never dare to betray him."

"Okay, well said!"

Although Li Chengqian had a smile on his face, he was furious inside.

"Master Mei is right. The most important thing for a minister is loyalty!"

As the voices of praise rang out, the second prince Li Chengze and Li Hongcheng walked into the Kyoto government office together.

"I have met His Highness the Crown Prince!"

Li Chengze and Li Hongcheng saluted Li Chengqian, and the others saluted the two of them.

Li Chengqian said with a forced smile, "Second brother, what's the matter with bringing Hongcheng here?"

"I heard that Hongcheng was a witness in Fan Xian's case, so I brought Hongcheng here to help Fan Xian testify!"

Li Chengze smiled and said, "I just don't know what the Crown Prince wants to do here. Is he trying to force Fan Xian to confess his guilt by relying on his status as the Crown Prince?"

"Don't dare say that!"

Li Chengqian looked terrified. "Since Guo Baokun can't produce evidence proving Fan Xian is the culprit, I dare not act recklessly. But Fan Xian, I wonder how a commoner like you could have colluded with the clerk of the Inspection Bureau..."

Hearing the Crown Prince throw another hat at him, Fan Xian sneered inwardly and took out a badge from his bosom, saying, "I wonder if this can dispel His Royal Highness's doubts!"

"Tisi waist badge!"

Li Chengqian and Li Chengze's pupils shrank. They never imagined that Fan Xian was actually the inspector of the Inspection Institute who had never shown his face!
"This should prove that I'm not colluding with the clerk of the Inspection Institute!"

Fan Xian took back his badge and looked at the two of them calmly.

"Of course I can prove it!"

Li Chengze smiled and said, "Fan Tisi was just chatting with his subordinates in the courtyard. It's naturally not a big deal. Your Highness, it should be fine!"

"This matter is indeed alright!"

Li Chengqian said with a gloomy face, "But Fan Xian, what about your deception of the emperor? Bring him up!"

As soon as he finished speaking, several guards came forward, pushing a man forward. The man was none other than Teng Zijing, who had just reunited with his family.

Fan Xian's expression changed drastically, and he began to panic slightly.

Li Chengqian straightened his clothes and said, "According to Guo Baokun, the person who beat him last night recited Fan Xian's poems repeatedly. I sent people to investigate, and they discovered that Teng Zijing, the deceased secret agent of the Inspection Bureau, had appeared at the poetry gathering. After a thorough investigation, they unexpectedly found his whereabouts outside the city. Fan Xian, you reported that Teng Zijing was killed. I'm afraid you can't escape the crime of deceiving the emperor!"

Li Chengqian was smug. Before Fan Xian could speak, a neutral voice suddenly rang out from outside the door. "Wait a minute!"

(End of this chapter)