There is a god in the sky

Chapter 409 Trial of Case

"Look what stupid things you've done!" Zhao Kaizhi struck his son with a stick.

"Father, is our Zhao family really just going to stand by and watch our enemies get better and better without doing anything?"

"Xiao Ji is one thing, he has many skilled men around him, and they are even favorites of the Emperor. What is Shen Lan compared to you? Just an orphan."

"Just an orphan? If you underestimate her, you'll end up like your sister, not even knowing how you died."

Although Zhao Kaizhi did not find evidence to prove that Shen Lan killed his daughter, Shen Lan did have sufficient motive at that time.

If she were just an ordinary coroner, she certainly wouldn't have the power to kill, but she clearly wasn't. She was also a woman with considerable martial arts skills and was proficient in medicine, and since ancient times, medicine and poison have been inseparable.

"Alright, don't act rashly. It's better to lie low when necessary. Sometimes you have to bow your head to achieve future success. Trying to fight a losing battle is the most foolish thing you can do."

Zhao Huan was unwilling to accept this.

He is now ridiculed whenever he goes out, and some people even use the Zhao family's broken engagement to mock their poor judgment.

Some even said that the Zhao family's carefully cultivated young lady was inferior to a country girl, which was intolerable.

"Father, go ahead and hit me. After this beating, I'm going to leave home to study. I'll definitely come back as the top scholar in the next imperial examination!"

Zhao Huan was also a famous scholar in the capital.

However, the political situation was unstable that year, and he dared not pledge allegiance to anyone casually, so he simply waited for the situation to stabilize before taking the imperial examination.

I heard that Fu Qingyan also participated in this imperial examination, thanks to his father's influence. If he can pass with flying colors, then this imperial court is truly disappointing.

"Father, is it true that the Tong family was buying and selling exam questions before?"

Why are you asking this?

"I'm a bit shocked. If that's the case, why didn't you buy a spot for your son back then?"

Since there is such a useful method, why didn't his father, as a former princeling, secure a good future for his family?

"Hmph, you think buying a spot is easy? Haven't you noticed that the Tong family only accepts spoiled brats who don't like to study, and they only give them the lowest rankings? With your talent, you can pass the exam yourself. Why take such a crooked path?"

Even though Zhao Kaizhi had once stood with the Tong family, he did not approve of their actions.

However, the Tong family is also very sensible, and such incidents are actually quite rare.

After all, there aren't many things that can truly excite the Tong family.

"Lie down properly and don't go out for a while. Xiao Ji is narrow-minded and won't let you off the hook."

Although Zhao Kaizhi had more than one son, he was, after all, the eldest son of the legitimate wife, and he had to protect him.

He went out to visit some friends, hoping they could mediate between the Zhao and Xiao families.

Those families that have survived to this day are either adept at navigating both sides or simply don't like to meddle in other people's business.

The conflict between the Zhao families was so ugly back then, how could it be reconciled with just a few words?

Xiao Ji and Shen Lan went directly to the yamen (government office).

The two carried breakfast into the Criminal Investigation Department, which was as busy as ever.

Because of the turbulent situation during this period, the number of murders has increased several times compared to last year.

There was even a case of an entire family being wiped out not long ago.

The investigation eventually revealed that the case stemmed from one person's jealousy.

The family that was murdered had a bright child who, at a young age, was known as a prodigy by the neighbors.

He made several friends and classmates at the private school, all of whom were older than him.

In the private school, there was an old scholar over thirty years old who had come from out of town to study and was living a very frugal life.

Just then, his rent was due and the landlord wanted to raise the rent. The boy took pity on him and let him move into his house.

Little did they know that this act of kindness would lead to the destruction of their entire family.

On the day the magistrate held a trial, all the neighbors came. When they learned that he was the murderer, they beat him half to death on the spot.

If it weren't for the officials stopping him, that man probably wouldn't have lived to see his execution.

The case that Shen Lan investigated a few days ago was a case of hiding a corpse.

A woman killed her father-in-law, dismembered his body, and hid it in her vegetable garden, burying it in several different places.

Shen Lan deduced from the severed wound on the body that the murderer was not very strong and was likely a child or a woman.

Based on the location where the body was hidden, it can be basically concluded that the murder was committed by a family member.

The woman gave birth to three daughters in a row, which displeased her in-laws and husband, and she was subjected to domestic violence by her husband for many years.

That was bad enough. But starting from the beginning of this year, her father-in-law thought that his son might be impotent, so one night when his son was not home, he sneaked into his daughter-in-law's room and raped her.

Once something like this happens, it's bound to happen again.

The daughter-in-law had no choice but to suffer in silence, and she dared not leave because of her three daughters.

On another occasion, after abusing her, her father-in-law threatened her, saying he would marry his eldest granddaughter to the village's old landlord as a concubine, which led to her death.

The murderer has been brought back, and the trial will begin today.

Shen Lan was the coroner in this case, so she attended the court hearing and presented the case in a clear and organized manner.

There was nothing complicated or unclear about the matter. The woman confessed to her crime and kept pleading for leniency, hoping that the official would show her mercy.

In modern times, a lawyer might argue for her on the grounds of "self-defense," which could potentially reduce her sentence.

But in this era where "filial piety" is paramount, let alone the fact that she cruelly murdered her father, even if she had only fought back, she would still be condemned by others.

"He's not human, his whole family are devils! I don't care if I die, but my three daughters will be tortured to death by them!" The woman cried uncontrollably, a heart-wrenching sight.

But the presiding judge was an elderly officer who only hated her for murdering and dismembering the body with extremely cruel methods, and didn't care about her feelings at all.

"Even tigers don't eat their cubs. They took their father's surname and are family members too. How could they possibly be killed? You have evil in your heart, so you see evil in everyone else."

"No! I heard it. They have already taken the money from that old landlord. If my father-in-law hadn't died, my daughter would have been given to that old man to be abused long ago."

The child is flesh of my flesh, and his family's blood is on his body. How could they be so heartless?

I don't regret killing them. They are all inhuman. My daughter will never have a good ending if she stays in their house.

"My lord, I beg you to have mercy and let me settle my three children before I die, please?"

Shen Lan asked bluntly, "How are you going to settle them? As long as they still bear the surname Sun, you can't take them away."

Here, even if there is a divorce, there is no reason for the mother to take the child away.

"I...I don't know..." the woman said, flustered.

She was a good mother, but she was also just an ordinary person with no extraordinary abilities.

The presiding judge slammed his gavel down. "No need for further words. A life for a life is a matter of course. Lü Cuihua, you committed murder. Your methods were cruel, and you were unfilial and unjust. You are sentenced to..."

"Wait a moment." Shen Lan stepped forward and pleaded with the presiding judge, "Your Honor, she is guilty of heinous crimes and deserves to die, but there is still a suspect in this case who has not been apprehended."

"What do you mean?"

“Lu Cuihua is in poor health and has difficulty even carrying water at home, let alone committing murder and burying a body. Therefore, I suspect that there must be accomplices in this case.”