The Great Qin Dynasty: The egg of the Black Bird was revered as a national guardian beast.

"I want to be interrogated! I want to be interrogated! I'm innocent!"

In the Court of Justice, the Chief Justice sat high in the hall, while below was the interrogation of the opposing sorcerer.

The sorcerer Shi Sheng repeatedly bowed his head and cried out his innocence.

But the Minister of Justice just stared at him coldly and spoke after a long while.

"Those who request interrogation shall be punished according to their crimes, and if the Court of Justice has already conducted an investigation, no further interrogation shall be requested."

If the county magistrate's judgment is unjust, the case can be appealed to the prefectural magistrate. If the prefectural magistrate's judgment is also unjust, the case can be appealed again to the Court of Justice.

This was the review system of the Qin Dynasty.

However, if you feel that the Court of Justice has been unfair in its judgment, then I'm sorry, you will not have another chance to request a second trial.

Shi Sheng kept his head down, still unwilling to give up.

He was engrossed in alchemy, but for some reason, jailers suddenly broke down the door, arrested him, and brought him here for interrogation.

Under interrogation, he gradually figured out the ins and outs and the cause of the incident.

But what does this have to do with him?

He did not privately mock His Majesty, nor did he flee like Lu Sheng and Han Zhong, knowing he was guilty.

He was just a man refining medicine in his mansion.

He doesn't agree!

"I want to personally see His Majesty and plead my case."

"I am not among those who mocked Your Majesty by sorcerers. Lu Sheng and the others fled because they knew they were guilty."

"I knew nothing about it, so how can I be guilty?!"

"You are all practitioners of sorcery, like neighbors. Conspiring together is a crime, knowing but not reporting is a crime, and not knowing is also a crime—this is enough to implicate others!"

The court official sneered and raised his hand to wave it.

He said no more and had Shi Sheng taken away to the dark and gloomy Tingwei prison.

As the successor to Li Si, the Left Chancellor,

In this case of the sorcerer criticizing the First Emperor, he had to demonstrate his abilities through harsh means.

Therefore, the Court of Justice was very efficient.

Upon learning of the public opinion in Xianyang, the Court of Justice immediately dispatched people to thoroughly investigate the matter and verify its authenticity.

Fortunately, after arresting and secretly interrogating some people,

As the investigation deepened, the individuals who had criticized His Majesty and those who had spread rumors also came to light.

"Lu Sheng, Hou Sheng!"

It was learned that during the private drinking session with the sorcerers, some people did indeed criticize the First Emperor, saying that he was arrogant and conceited.

The Court of Justice immediately made a decision and submitted a memorial to the First Emperor.

The First Emperor was furious and ordered all students in Xianyang to be arrested and brought to justice.

Having received the order from the First Emperor,

The Court of Justice immediately launched an arrest operation, regardless of their crimes, and all sorcerers were apprehended and brought to justice.

The first to be affected were naturally Lu Sheng and Hou Sheng.

However, neither of them was in their respective residences. When they finally found Hou Sheng's house, all that remained was a warm alchemy furnace.

Lu Sheng and Hou Sheng ran away.

However, the arrest operation could not be stopped for a moment. In the end, all the prison officials in Xianyang went door to door to arrest the sorcerer.

Surprisingly, the sorcerer Han Zhong also disappeared.

When Shi Sheng was captured, this guy, who was single-mindedly focused on refining the elixir of immortality, was completely unaware of these matters.

Once all the sorcerers have been arrested and brought to justice.

The Court of Justice immediately issued an arrest warrant, ordering all counties to search for the whereabouts of Lu Sheng, Hou Sheng, and Han Zhong.

But to this day, there has been no trace of it.

But it doesn't matter. Unless they escape the territory of the Great Qin, they will surely be brought to justice one day.

After arresting all the sorcerers, they were subjected to a brutal interrogation.

The court official personally conducted the trial, and after a period of severe torture, he forced the sorcerers to report each other's misdeeds.

This trial is not important.

In order to avoid punishment and to save his life, the sorcerer successively denounced his teachers and friends.

It turns out that their so-called pursuit of immortality and enlightenment was nothing but a deceptive trick.

The true nature of the sorcerers was gradually revealed.

Of course, there are also those like Shi Sheng who insist that they can refine the elixir of immortality.

In just a few dozen days,

More than 460 people who violated the law were all tried and then imprisoned in the Court of Justice prison to await the emperor's judgment.

At the same time, the Minister of Justice arrived at the Xianyang Palace.

He wanted to meet with the First Emperor, present him with the interrogation documents, and record the details of the case for the First Emperor to review.

"His Majesty."

Through a beaded curtain, the Minister of Justice respectfully presented the interrogation documents. The First Emperor, sitting behind his desk, beckoned to the emperor.

Zhao Gao took the document and presented it to the First Emperor.

After taking the document and unfolding it, the First Emperor read every word carefully.

That's how it is.

"Heh." The First Emperor laughed. He raised his head and looked at the figure behind the beaded curtain outside the palace, which was somewhat blurry.

I squinted, but I still couldn't see clearly.

He closed his eyes, rubbed his forehead, and wondered why everyone in the world had to have two faces.

One for public appearances, another for private moments.

Zhao Gao raised his head, but saw no emotion on the First Emperor's face, only a faint loneliness.

Perhaps only the First Emperor himself understood.

He lost, completely lost. This was the first and last time he had ever lost in his life.

He lost; he broke a promise.

"Minister of Justice." The First Emperor's voice was deep but flat, without any inflection.

"Thank you for your help with this arrest case, Master Fang."

"I dare not," the Minister of Justice said, bowing his head. "To receive the emperor's bounty and serve him loyally is my duty."

"Not bad," the First Emperor said with a faint smile, offering a word of praise.

Then, he raised his hand and waved it outwards, saying, "If there is nothing else, the Minister of Justice may leave now."

"His Majesty."

The Minister of Justice lowered his eyes and asked, "What should be done with those sorcerers?"

The First Emperor did not respond to the Minister of Justice's question for a long time.

He placed one hand on the table, his index finger tapping silently on the surface, as if he were pondering something.

After a long pause, he asked, "What do you think we should do?"

There was no reply. The Minister of Justice lowered his head and said, "Your Majesty may decide for yourself. I dare not offer any unsolicited advice."

The First Emperor did not want to see these people again, nor did he want to keep them in prison and listen to their cries for justice.

Their existence,

For the First Emperor, it was a disgrace!

They were nothing but a bunch of weak insects; the First Emperor could crush them as easily as crushing ants.

But now, these inconspicuous insects have fooled him.

If I had known this would happen, I should have killed them long ago! These noisy insects should have been killed long ago, all of them!

With an impatient wave of his hand, he dismissed the Minister of Justice and then ordered Zhao Gao to draft the edict.

Not long after the Minister of Justice left the Xianyang Palace, a decree that shocked the world was subsequently issued from Xianyang.

"Those below the rank of sorcerer often use heretical words to confuse the common people when discussing matters with superiors."

"Those who violated the law were all buried alive in Xianyang, so that the world would know and be a warning to future generations!"