Jian Zhaoxing

Chapter 388 The verdict is final; the original sentence is upheld!

That's not a nice thing to say.

But since these words came from the Censor-in-Chief, Zhou Chongzheng and the Minister of Justice could only shut up in frustration.

You should know that the people in the Censorate are a bunch of lunatics.

They frequently resort to desperate remonstrances, making it extremely dangerous.

Not to mention court officials, even the emperor and the crown prince had to give them some face.

Seeing that the Minister of Justice and Zhou Chongzheng remained silent, Wang Yuan then turned to Lin Zhiqing.

Lin Zhiqing disliked Wang Yuan's probing gaze, but still met his eyes in the same way.

Wang Yuan stroked his beard, his displeasure evident to everyone, but he still had to speak from the perspective of investigating the case:
"The flute player's testimony just now wasn't very convincing, but it did prove that the Jiang family had some connection with the flute player."

"When the Dali Temple was investigating the case of the flute player, I also inquired about it, so I have some understanding of the flute player."

“The flute player’s actions just now were indeed beyond Lin Zhiqing’s control.”

Zhou Chong's face was tense: "Lord Wang, this doesn't prove anything."

"This certainly proves that the flute player has a connection with the Jiang family," the Minister of Justice added.
"According to the Dasheng Law, except for the elderly, the young, the seriously ill, those living together and concealing each other's secrets, and prisoners, everyone else can be a witness."

Wang Yuan nodded: "According to the laws of the Great Sheng Dynasty, the flute player can indeed serve as a witness."

Having said all that, even if Zhou Chongzheng wanted to say something, he had no reason to.

The Jiang father and son exchanged a glance, their initial relaxation and ease long gone.

They never imagined that the Lin family could cause so much trouble through a flute player.

A smile appeared on Lin Zhiqing's face:
"Your Excellencies are wise. Liu Mang has a close personal relationship with the Jiang family. His plot to harm my fourth uncle is aimed directly at the Lin family."

"I have now proven that the flute player is related to the Jiang family, and I suspect that the Jiang family colluded with Liu Mang to harm the Lin family."

"The Jiang family is equally to blame for what happened to my father!"

"Over the years, those connected to what happened back then have either died or disappeared. Is it really just a coincidence?"

These words caused a moment of silence among those in power.

This surprised Lin Zhiqing, but before she could think about it further, Jiang Liuyun spoke up:

"My lord, my father often lamented what happened back then, but the Zhenyuan Marquis's mansion was not involved in this matter from beginning to end."

"What Lin Zhiqing said is all speculation and should not be taken seriously."

"That flute player was in a daze. Even if he reacted to our Jiang family, it could be for other reasons, and it doesn't necessarily mean that he has a past relationship with our Jiang family."

"Please investigate this matter thoroughly, Your Excellency."

The two of them knelt down on the ground.

This is the first time that an engaged couple has gone to court and the situation has escalated to this point.

Even Zhou Chongzheng, who was at the head of the table, did not expect that what was originally a very simple case would become so complicated.

Having handled so many cases, this was the first time he felt something was particularly tricky.

After thinking for a while, he looked at the Minister of Justice and the Censor-in-Chief and said:

"Your Excellencies, this is a retrial of Lin Congrong's case of treason and collusion with the enemy. I believe that the Lin family has not presented any strong evidence, and the original verdict can be upheld."

In other words, Lin Congrong is still guilty.

Lin Zhiqing frowned; this was certainly not acceptable.

But before she could speak, the Minister of Justice spoke up:

"The previous testimonies and witnesses in this case were questionable. If the original verdict is upheld, the words of those witnesses would be far too frivolous."

"If word gets out, where will we, the Three Departments, put our reputation?"

In other words, the Minister of Justice held different views from Zhou Chongzheng.

Zhou Chongzheng frowned:
"Your Excellency, if we follow your logic, overturning a previous case based solely on a few flawed witnesses is far too arbitrary. Where is the authority of the Dali Temple?"

"It is precisely for the sake of the Three Judicial Offices that any doubts should be overturned. As officials, we must always proceed based on the facts," the Minister of Justice replied.
"If we convict someone based on those nonsensical testimonies, we would be betraying the Emperor's trust in us!" He was adamant and refused to back down.

Seeing the Minister of Justice vehemently oppose Zhou Chongzheng's decision, Lin Zhiqing narrowed his eyes.

Li Jinzhi made the right move earlier!
Unlike Lin Zhiqing, the Jiang father and son felt extremely distressed when they thought about Li Jinzhi.

If this hadn't happened, the Minister of Justice would certainly have reluctantly followed Zhou Chongzheng's ideas.

Therefore, Lin Congrong's case can be definitively classified, and the charge of treason will certainly be upheld once again.

But now, everything has become uncertain.

However, Jiang Liuyun and Jiang Yunhe did not show the same level of worry as the Lin family.

It is common knowledge that nine out of ten people in the Censorate dislike the Lin family.

Wang Yuan, the Imperial Censor, particularly disliked the Lin family.

He often spoke out against the Lin family in the imperial court.

Even when there were conflicts between the sisters, the Imperial Censor would send his men to the Lin family to investigate, all in order to find something to use against the Lin family.

Not to mention that the Imperial Censor's teacher was a key figure who directly exposed Lin Congrong's treason and collusion with the enemy.

Logically and emotionally, Wang Yuan maintained a neutral stance on the surface, but in his heart he must have been biased.

Thinking about all this made the Jiang family father and son feel much more at ease.

The Lin family, on the other hand, did the opposite.

The Jiang family knew it, and the Lin family knew it too.

It is common knowledge that the Censor-in-Chief dislikes the Lin family.

Moreover, Lin Congrong's matter was inextricably linked to the former Censor-in-Chief.

Such a complex matter cannot be judged by a few words spoken in court.

Both the Lin and Jiang families focused their attention on Wang Yuan, the Imperial Censor.

The Minister of Justice and the Chief Justice of the Court of Judicial Review disagreed, and Wang Yuan was undoubtedly the one who could make the final decision.

Lin Zhiqing felt a little nervous. Although Wang Yuan had maintained a neutral attitude until now, his dislike for the Lin family was ingrained in his bones.

If he supports Zhou Chongzheng's idea at a crucial moment, then it will be difficult to reopen Lin Congrong's case.

She secretly pondered how to deal with Wang Yuan's bias towards the Jiang family.

In any case, the original verdict cannot be upheld today!
As everyone watched, Wang Yuan stroked his beard, seemingly deep in thought.

Zhou Chongzheng, who had been at odds with the Minister of Justice, fell silent and watched Wang Yuan quietly.

After an unknown amount of time, Wang Yuan finally spoke, his brows furrowed:

"Neither the Lin nor Jiang families could produce any significant evidence that the other party was related to or unrelated to Lin Congrong's case."

"Whether it's the previous case files or today's witnesses, all this evidence is questionable, in my opinion..."

He glanced at Lin Zhiqing, then looked away: "The Lin family wants to overturn the case, but the evidence is simply insufficient."

"Even if the flute player is related to the Jiang family, this does not prove that Lin Congrong's treasonous act many years ago was related to the Jiang family."

"With such crucial evidence missing, the Jiang family cannot be found guilty of persecuting Lin Congrong. The original verdict regarding Lin Congrong's treason should be upheld!"

Upon hearing this, both the Jiang father and son felt relieved.

Lin Congli swayed and almost fell to the ground.

Lin Zhiqing clenched her fists tightly, her eyes filled with resentment as she looked at Wang Yuan.

The Lin family has been defeated!
Since that's the case, then she must...

"Wait!"

A familiar voice rang out, interrupting Lin Zhiqing's thoughts.

She turned around and saw Lu Huai, dressed in official robes, walking step by step into the main hall.