Since it was Zheng Xin who spoke, Cai Min had nothing to say and said with a gloomy face: "Li Shenshi, if you have any questions, feel free to ask."
Li Shenshi had already made up his mind. He wiped the sweat and blood from his forehead with his sleeve and said slowly, "Master Cai, I just want to ask, who is the biological mother of the young master who was born in your mansion a few years ago?"
When Cai Min heard this, she broke out in a cold sweat and stammered, "What...what do you mean by that? What does my little son...have to do with this case?"
Li Shenshi repeated, "Whether there is a relationship or not is not up to Lord Cai. Just tell me, Your Highness, and all the officials in this room, who is the biological mother of the young master in your house?"
Seeing that Li Shenshi was so persistent, Cai Min still refused to give in and scolded, "Li Shenshi, this is the lobby of the Jiangnan Prefecture government office. Behind me is the eldest prince in front of the current emperor. How can you be so careless here?"
Li Shenshi still insisted and asked, "Master Cai is right. But I'm afraid that not everything discussed in this hall or in the government office is fair and aboveboard. Why don't you tell me who is the biological mother of Master Cai's young master?"
Cai Min had been cornered by Li Shenshi's questioning, and almost pleaded with Zheng Xin behind him, "Your Highness, the offender Li Shenshi's questioning is clearly a way to procrastinate and a disgrace to the society. Your Highness, please punish him severely."
After hearing this, Zheng Xin couldn't guess what the relationship was between Cai Min's youngest son and this case, but he knew that Li Shenshi's question really touched Cai Min's sore spot.
So he smiled and said, "Master Cai is right. It is indeed inappropriate to discuss these private matters in a government office." However, he changed the subject and said, "But, which of the things we are discussing today is inappropriate? Master Cai, please answer the question truthfully. If it is really Li Shenshi who is slandering you, I will make the decision for you."
After hearing this, Cai Min still hesitated and was unwilling to answer.
Today's court session had dragged on from the morning till the evening. Zheng Xin was already starving. Hearing that Cai Min was still stalling, he could not help but get angry and said, "Master Cai, if you really don't want to talk, I have my own way to make you talk!"
Cai Min was shocked when he heard this, but he still didn't want to speak. He said to Yin Chengliang, who had been silent for a long time, "Master Yin... this... this..."
Although Yin Chengliang and Cai Min usually have a harmonious relationship, they are actually at odds with each other behind the scenes; however, they are now grasshoppers tied to the same rope, and Yin Chengliang really wants to help Cai Min out.
But the one who was interrogating Cai Min now was not the former magistrate of Shanyin County, Li Shenshi, but the Grand Prince Zheng Xin who sat high in the hall. Yin Chengliang was not a stupid man, and certainly would not offend this powerful Grand Prince for Cai Min, not to mention that his own ass might not be clean either.
So after thinking it over, Yin Chengliang could only turn his head away and pretend that he didn't hear what Cai Min said.
Zheng Xin sat high in the hall, watching all the little movements of Cai Min and Yin Chengliang. Seeing their awkward and ugly appearance, he barely suppressed his laughter and said, "Okay, since Master Cai can't think of anything, why don't you try these torture instruments? It is said that each one has the magical effect of refreshing the mind!"
Cai Min then realized that although he was still wearing an official robe, in Zheng Xin's eyes, he was no more than a prisoner. However, it was really hard to talk about the origins of his most beloved youngest son. After thinking it over, he was still unwilling to answer.
At this moment, he heard the kneeling Miaozhen layman say: "I also know something about Master Cai's affairs. Can I remind you?"
After hearing this, Zheng Xin laughed grimly and said to Cai Min, "Master Cai, you heard everything. This evil Taoist priest knows the answer to Li Shenshi's question. Since Master Cai won't tell me, it will be the same if I ask this evil Taoist priest to tell me. But by that time, Master Cai will be in a passive position!"
Having said this, Cai Min realized that he had been pushed into a corner step by step. He could now empathize with Li Shenshi's desperate mood.
Then he looked up to the sky and sighed, saying: "The biological mother of my youngest son... is a Taoist nun in Ciyun Temple outside Yuezhou City..."
Before he finished speaking, the lobby of the Jiangnan Prefecture Yamen fell silent. The twenty or thirty officials, both great and small, sitting in the hall were all speechless. Even the "gurgling" sound made by Cai Min's Adam's apple moving up and down could be heard clearly.
However, this silence did not last long. The hall immediately erupted into a bustling and noisy sound. In an instant, the originally solemn hall became crowded and noisy.
Zheng Xin saw that the court was too noisy to continue the trial, so he slammed the cases in front of him and shouted, "Silence...Silence!"
The noisy chatter among the officials finally subsided.
But Zheng Xin sneered and said, "Master Cai, look at the good things you have done!"
Cai Min quickly defended himself, "There are three kinds of unfilial behavior, and the worst is to have no offspring. I am already at the age of 50, and I still have no offspring. That is why I want to borrow the womb of a Taoist nun to leave an offspring for my Cai family. I hope Your Highness will forgive me."
"Hahaha!" Zheng Xin laughed after hearing Cai Min's explanation, "So, you are a filial son? Since ancient times, filial sons are loyal ministers. I didn't expect that there is a loyal minister like you hidden in the Yuezhou government office. Do you want me to report it to the emperor and have him commend you, publish it throughout the country, and bring honor to your Cai family?"
No matter how stupid and obtuse Cai Min was, he could hear the obvious sarcasm in Zheng Xin's voice. He could no longer sit in the chair of the judge, so he stood up and bowed to Zheng Xin, saying, "Although Your Highness intended to tease me, this matter is indeed a disgrace to the Confucian scholars, and I have nothing to say."
"Hmph!" Zheng Xin laughed through his nose and continued, "You still have a conscience. Although your crime is not serious, it has a bad reputation. I think you can't be the chief judge today. Take off your official hat and stand next to Li Shenshi!"
This means to seize Cai Min’s official position.
The governor of Yuezhou was a fifth-rank official of neither high nor low rank. He was inconspicuous in the capital, but he was already a high-ranking official in Yuezhou Prefecture with the final say. In order to get this black gauze hat, Cai Min took the examination three times and finally won the 254th place in the country as a Jinshi. Because of his low ranking, Cai Min struggled for many years to get such a position.
Cai Min was of course reluctant to part with this official hat, but now there was no room for him to resist or bargain. He could only carefully take off the official hat and reluctantly put it on the table in front of Zheng Xin. He walked to the side of his former subordinate Li Shenshi, lowered his head and stood silently.
When Li Shenshi saw that Cai Min was stripped of his official position because of his report and was listed side by side with him, he seemed to have forgotten that his life was still in danger and a smile appeared on the corner of his mouth.
Even such a subtle expression could not escape Zheng Xin's eyes. He heard him say to Yin Chengliang: "Sir Yin, look at these two officials of yours! They have committed such a serious crime, yet they are so shameless and have the nerve to laugh here!"
Yin Chengliang is currently struggling to take care of himself and is only hoping that the fire that Zheng Xin started himself will not burn him. How can he have room to make excuses for his two subordinates
So he quickly stood up, bowed slightly and said: "Your Highness is teaching me that I am not strict with my subordinates and have failed the grace of the emperor. Please punish me, Your Highness!"
Zheng Xin glanced at Yin Chengliang and said, "You are quite clear-headed. I will discuss your crime later!"
He then said to Miaozhen who was kneeling in the hall, "Miaozhen, you just said that you also know the details of the biological mother of Cai Min's youngest son. Now tell me, is what Cai Min said true?"
Miao Zhen seemed to be very interested and smiled as she said, "I often visit several nuns in Ciyun Temple. Master Cai is also very upright..."
When she said the word "open and aboveboard", she suddenly burst into laughter. After a lot of effort, she stopped laughing and continued, "He did give birth to a son in Ciyun Temple by borrowing the womb of a nun. As for who this nun is and whether she is still alive in this world, I don't know. If Your Highness wants to find out the truth, you have to ask the people in Ciyun Temple."
Zheng Xin heard Miao Zhen's confident words and thought that she was not intentionally framing him, so he asked Cai Min, "Cai Min, is Miao Zhen telling the truth?"
Before Cai Min could speak, Miao Zhen said, "However, some of what Lord Cai said is different from what I know."
After hearing this, Zheng Xin quickly turned his head back and asked, "What's the difference? Come and listen."
Miao Zhen smiled and said, "I have been kneeling here for a long time and have said a lot. My mouth is dry. Could you please show mercy to me, Your Highness, and give me some water to drink so that I can tell you the truth?"
"That's easy," Zheng Xin agreed, and called a military officer who was on duty in the hall to pour a bowl of cold water for him. After Miao Zhen finished drinking it, he said, "You've already drunk the water, so just say whatever you want to say!"
Miao Zhen smiled and said, "Thank you for the nectar, Your Highness. Lord Cai just said that he wanted to have a child through surrogacy because he had no children. I think what he said is a bit biased."
"Oh? Then what is the reason why Cai Min and the Taoist nuns in the Taoist temple are so dirty?" Zheng Xin asked impatiently.
Before he finished speaking, an official who was hearing the trial said, "Your Highness, I have something to say!"
Zheng Xin raised his eyes and saw a young official in seventh-rank uniform standing out calmly from the queue. He bowed deeply to Zheng Xin, then stood up with his head held high.
Zheng Xin saw that although this person was of low rank, he was quite impressive, so he did not neglect him and said, "Who is speaking? Tell me your name first."
The young official said, "I am Zheng Tinghang, one of the 69 successful candidates in this year's imperial examination. I have been appointed as a deputy minister of the Ministry of Works and assigned to Jiangnan Province to be in charge of the maintenance of the grain transport."
(Zheng Tinghang-Sun Jiagan)
Qiu Yizhi had achieved a very high ranking in this year's Jinshi examination. Whether in the parade and the Deer-Singing Banquet, he was far ahead of Zheng Tinghang, who was ranked more than 60th among the Jinshi.
Therefore, he looked carefully at Zheng Tinghang who was standing proudly in the hall. He saw that although he was quite dignified, his appearance was very ordinary, even a little ugly. He really couldn't remember that there was such a person among his peers.
But Zheng Xin said, "Zheng Tinghang... since you have the national surname, are you a royal relative?"
Zheng Tinghang bowed slightly and said, "I dare not. I am just an ordinary subject of the Han Dynasty. My surname is taken from my father and grandfather. I dare not marry into the royal family."
Zheng Xin was neither humble nor arrogant in his obedient words, and he also said seriously: "Just now you said you had something to say, but you know that we are interrogating a wanted criminal now and we cannot interrupt you at will, do you understand?" (To be continued)