Chapter 121 Stayed at Wannian County

In the afternoon of the following day, there were many people in the court of the county government of Wannian County.

Wannian County, which was close to Dijing City, was densely populated and totally different from the remote ones. Wannian County magistrate took the respectable elders in this county and the family of the victim to bring an accusation against Zheng Fengqing before the Emperor, which had already drawn the attention of all parties. Even from the beginning of the accusation to the public trial, it just took only a day and night. Many unoccupied people came here overnight to look on it.

There were too many people, so it took a lot of time to search them. The original starting time of the public trial was scheduled for the afternoon, but it was delayed for over one hour.

According to her previous promise, Yun Fenghuang took off the Buyao Hairpin and beaded hairpin, only used a red gold lantern-style hairpin to hold her hair, and took off the alluring clothes for a consort. She wore an aqua-colored dress similar to what a maid wore. After she was confirmed that she did not wear something which would disturb the public trial, she was guided by a eunuch and went out.

The place prepared for her was only one screen away from where Emperor Chunjia sat in the court. The embroidering stool had been placed, and the fruit and tea cakes were also placed on the table. These were prepared for her, a consort who seemed to be deeply favored by the Emperor, so that she could eavesdrop on this case comfortably.

Since the Emperor did not allow her to go out with him, she came a little late. At that moment, the opening had already been finished, and both the family of the victim and the accused were brought to the court. According to the statement of Wannian County magistrate, the three generations of the family of the victim were dead, including the young granddaughter who was carried off and two young grandsons less than ten years old. The one who complained at the moment was the clansman of the family of the victim, and the closest relative was the brother of the victim named Chen Jinde, who represented his brother to prosecute.

In addition to Zheng Fengqing, the accused, there were several other defendants detained together. Perhaps they were his accomplices.

Yun Fenghuang sat down behind the screen and heard Chen Jinde’s closing statement in tears, “…Your Majesty, how miserable my brother and his families were! Your Majesty, please vindicate my brother and his families! Please be perceptive of the slightest and give them justice.”

Then he was crying and weeping.

Emperor Chunjia seemed to be a little moved. Through the screen, Yun Fenghuang saw his figure moving slightly, and he seemed to lean down from the throne. He said a few warm words to the people of Chen’s Family. Perhaps he said that he would give justice to them. After Chen Jinde whimpered and thanked the Emperor’s compassion, Emperor Chunjia turned to Zheng Fengqing and asked him to say honestly!

“Your Majesty, how terrible this unruly person is!” Zheng Fengqing was one of Zheng Ju’s adopted sons, and his brother Zheng Fengchen was a reading partner of the Emperor. Naturally, he had met the Emperor. He was self-important. Obviously, he did not regard Emperor Chunjia who just took over the reins of government with reverence. There was casualness and anger in his tone. Yun Fenghuang saw from the gap of the screen that although he was kneeling on the ground, he looked dissatisfied and defiant.

Hearing the words at the moment, he could not wait to say, “I did take the granddaughter of Chen Jinxing as my concubine, but she was sold by Chen’s Family to me. As for trampling their green shoots of grains, that is even more nonsense. I went out to relax that day. When seeing the sturdy and lovely grains in the farmland of Chen’s Family, I took my horse and looked at the edge of the farmland, but I didn’t trample on it! However, when Chen Jinxing saw that I dressed up gorgeously, he took the initiative to make a conversation. After learning the identity of my father and my brother, he offered to sell his granddaughter…”

“What nonsense!!!” Chen Jinde heard this and shouted excitedly, “Although my family has been declined in recent years, we have also read books in earlier years. How could my brother do this to soil my family name? You’re slinging mud at us!”

Zheng Fengqing snorted, ignored him, and only said to the Emperor, “Your Majesty, words alone are no proof. There is Chen Jinxing’s contract for selling his granddaughter. With his fingerprint, it can prove what I said!”

He drew a contract from his arms and raised it high over his head.

Emperor Chunjia said, “Well.” Yan Yin, who was standing on the side, flicked the horsetail whisk, and went down to take the contract. He carefully checked it, and then handed it to the Emperor.

The Emperor watched it for a moment and signaled to give it to the ministers and people and let them have a look.

This was indeed a contract to sell a girl voluntarily, saying that because of the family poverty, he voluntarily sold his granddaughter Chen Xiaoya at the price of 10 liang gold to Zheng Fengqing.

When people there passed and read the contract, Zheng Fengqing had spoken of the content. The people at the gate of the court immediately discussed, “10 liang gold to buy a little girl? Is the girl as beautiful as a fairy?!”

“Of course not! We are all neighbors in the village. If she were really a beauty, she would be selected to the palace to be a concubine of His Majesty. In that case, she would not stay at home. She was rather good-looking at most.”

“I’m afraid that they deliberately put a high price when they saw that the little general Zheng was born rich and young.”

“You have a point there. Although he has a good background, he is young. How can he know the concept of money well?”

“The price of 10 liang gold is enough to show that Chen’s Family is not so kind.”

“You are right! How can a little girl worth 10 liang gold? It won’t take so much money to buy back the freedom of the most popular courtesan of Chun Feng Brothel.”

Of course, some people occasionally asked, “My parents know Chen Jinxing. They said that he was decent. How could he sell his granddaughter to the influential official?”

“Yeah. It is said that Chen Jinxing’s granddaughter have been betrothed to someone. Even if they wanted to curry favor with the influential official, they could not ignore their relatives by marriage.”

“All people of Chen Jinxing’s Family have dead. Who knows whether this contract is true or false…”

However, the following remarks were quickly refuted by many people, “You may know a person’s face but not his mind. Some people are kind, but actually they are dirty. We do not know if Chen Jinxing is duplicitous.”

“Furthermore, if he could use his granddaughter to flatter the little general Zheng, dare his relatives by marriage to ask General-in-chief of the Cavalry to give Chen Jinxing’s granddaughter back to them?”

“Someone says that he does not know whether the contract is true and false. His Majesty personally hears the dispute. How can the little general Zheng lie?!”

Behind the screen, Yun Fenghuang shook the fan, listened to these words, smiled, and thought that Zheng Ju was efficient.

She was not qualified to see the contract. Whether it was true or false was unknown. But as for those who excused Zheng Fengqing, she believed that they were paid by Zheng Ju.

The most important thing was that although Wannian County and Dijing City were adjacent to each other, the accents of the two places were somewhat different.

Although those people all looked ordinary, the accent of someone who took the lead to defend Zheng Fengqing was… Although they tried to hide their accent, their Dijing City accent was exposed perhaps because they did not have enough time to prepare.

Even if among those lookers-on who were attracted by the Emperor’s hearing a case, there were some people rushing over from Dijing City overnight, it was impossible that people coming from Dijing City all favored Zheng Fengqing and were willing to support him.

Moreover, Zheng Fengqing was one of the “three evils” in Dijing City. What would ordinary people in Dijing think about him?

She didn’t know who started this incident. Was this for Zheng Ju?

Yun Fenghuang was still in thinking. People in the court had all read the contract. The fingerprint on it was compared with the contract when Chen Jinxing purchased an estate during his lifetime. It proved that it was indeed from the same person.

“It’s impossible!” Hearing this conclusion, Chen Jinde was stunned and said angrily, “I dare to swear to you on my life that my elder brother is absolutely…”

“How terrible and unruly you are!” Zheng Fengqing’s eyes rolled as he saw it, and he suddenly shouted at Chen Jinde, “How dare you confuse right and wrong and frame me? What’s worse, you rant in the court and defy His Majesty. What you did is unforgivable! How dare you take such liberties!”

Immediately, he made a bow with hands folded in front towards the Emperor, “Your Majesty, I think that this unruly person should be…”

“A contract can be written at any time, and the fingerprint can be printed no matter one is alive or not!” When Zheng Fengqing was trying to take advantage of the victory to urge the Emperor to determine the issue, Wannian County magistrate who stood by came out suddenly, drew aside his robe, knelt down, and said loudly, “Your Majesty, this evidence is unconvincing! Please thoroughly investigate it! I am willing to jointly guarantee the character of Chen Jinxing’s Family with my official post and my life. Chen Jinxing is not as despicable as what little general Zheng said!”

At the same time, among the ministers who were sitting on the side, Cui Wan was blue in the face. If the Emperor and the other important ministers were not here, he would grab the tea bowl on hand and smash it down!

“Young men are vigorous.” When Cui Wan was taking a deep breath to hide his anger, Prince Regent applauded with a smile while smoothing his beard, “No matter what the truth of this matter is, Du Qinghui is not afraid of the powerful officials to plead for the people, which shows his good intentions.”

Du Langu, Wannian County magistrate, who styled himself Qinghui, was a disciple of Cui Wan.

At this moment, hearing the words of Prince Regent, although Cui Wan was angry, he still grinned reluctantly, made a bow with hands folded in front towards Prince Regent, and said, “Thanks for your compliment. My disciple is a little impulsive.”

While they were chatting in a low voice, the Emperor had promised to investigate thoroughly. He questioned when and where Zheng Fengqing went out of town and met the people of Chen’s Family, and asked Imperial City Division to check all the witnesses and the situation of Chen’s Family on that day, so as to take all evidences into consideration to find the truth.

Of course, the truth could not be found out in a short time, so the Emperor promised that he would not close the case just because of the contract, and he also announced that he would temporarily call a short recess and wait until the result came out.

“Mother, I have promised to give justice to them, so I will not depart for the Temporary Imperial Palace until it is figured out.” After adjourning a court session, the Emperor immediately went to see Queen Mother Ji and said, “However, the weather is hot. Everything in Wannian County is worse than that in the palace. How can you, even my grandmother, and the concubines be waiting here because of this? It’s better for you and grandmother to be companied by Empress Ji and other concubines to go to the Temporary Imperial Palace first. I will follow you after I deal with this matter.”

The conditions in the county were of course far worse than that in the palace, especially when the Emperor did not intend to stay in the county government before. People here did not make any preparation to welcome the royal family.

Although they arrived here last night, it had only been one night since Queen Mother Ji arrived here. She got frustrated. Even if the Emperor did not mention letting them leave early, she did not want to stay longer.

However, as Ji’s Family did not trust the Emperor, she pondered but did not immediately agree. She only said that she would ask Empress Dowager and discuss with the Empress.

After a few hours later, Queen Mother Ji asked the Emperor to come and said that his considerations were right. Empress Dowager would feel overwhelming, so they had to go to the Temporary Imperial Palace earlier.

“But it is unsuitable that you stay here alone.” Queen Mother Ji said immediately, “You are an emperor and it is necessary for you to have some people serving you.”

The Emperor was not surprised by what Queen Mother Ji said. He smiled and said something to thank her consideration. At the end, he hinted that this was a trivial matter, so she could directly say her arrangement.

Queen Mother Ji nodded, “I am afraid that if there are too many people left, it will interrupt your itinerary. Therefore, let Jie Yu Mao, Pin Ji and Feng Yi Yi stay here to serve you. What do you think?”

“I will listen to you.” Emperor Chunjia replied. Yun Fenghuang was his new favorite recently. Pin Ji was from Ji’s Family. Yi Xing’en was very beautiful… He speculated about the arrangement of Queen Mother Ji and Empress Ji, smiled, and said gently, “Thank you for your consideration!”