After leaving the front office of the palace, Sun Tu had already made a judgment in his mind. Even if it was not Gao Qiu's instruction that Yan Ziliang's wife and children went to Kaifeng Mansion to complain, he must have played a role in fueling the flames, and he was probably the initiator.
You must know that even in later generations, if an officer really committed a crime, it would be a military court that could try him. What's more, in the Song Dynasty, he was even more extraordinary than ordinary soldiers? But what did Gao Qiu do? He actually asked Sun Tu to go directly to Kaifeng Mansion to answer the trial. To say that there was nothing fishy involved would be a fool.
But even so, Sun Tu had no intention of avoiding it. This could even be said to be playing into his ambitions. He had been worried before that things could not get serious, but now the opportunity has come to him. So after leaving the front office of the palace, he immediately went straight to Kaifeng Mansion without much hesitation.
Many years have passed since the Kaifeng Mansion Yamen, and now I feel like revisiting my old place. Everything inside and outside the yamen looks the same. It is as solemn and solemn, and there are still yamen guarding the door. Even the two big stone lions squatting at the yamen entrance look the same as they were a few years ago.
When Sun Tu strode towards the door, and several government officials hesitated to stop him and ask, a clerk frowned slightly and was walking out. When he saw Sun Tu, he paused in his steps and his face His face was full of surprise, and he immediately bowed and saluted: "Sun... I have met the Marquis of Yue!" At the same time, he secretly breathed a sigh of relief. He was really lucky.
Sun Tu didn't have much memory of this person. It is said that when he was on duty in Kaifeng Mansion, he spent most of his days at the East City Police Station, but rarely came to the Yamen. Naturally, he did not have too deep memories of the people in the Yamen. However, based on the many things he had caused in the capital and outside over the years, his colleagues in the past were deeply impressed by him, so the scribe recognized him as soon as he saw him, and after saluting , and asked enthusiastically: "I wonder what the Marquis of Yue ordered when he came to the government office today?"
"Isn't it that your Kaifeng Mansion has a case to try on me? Of course I want to come over and have a look." Sun Tu looked at the other party with a half-smile and replied. Just this sentence made the scribe feel nervous, and he smiled awkwardly: "Yin of the Zhou Prefecture is feeling embarrassed about this matter. The Marquis came just in time, so please come in and talk." He smiled apologetically again. Waist up, let Sun Tu move in.
Seeing that he was not even in a hurry to deal with his own affairs, but instead led himself in like this, Sun Tu looked at this man thoughtfully, and then walked in. As he walked, he asked: "I don't know your surname?" What’s your name?”
"I dare not ask you, Mr. Feng Yongnian." He answered carefully, but he walked very quickly. After a while, he led Sun Tu to the magistrate's office opposite the lobby, and then asked the officer guarding there Report inside.
After a while, a slightly dissatisfied voice came from inside: "Well, Feng Yongnian, I just asked you to do something and you are so lazy. Do you want to take some trouble, or do you think you have already taken care of your grandson?" Did you get it back for me?"
"Huh?" Sun Tu glanced at the nervous Feng Yongnian again, and then realized that he had gone out just to summon him. No wonder he was so surprised after seeing him. If you think about it, you can understand that this is obviously a difficult task assigned to him by Zhou Fuyin. After all, Sun
With Tu's identity right there, how could he, a subordinate, have the guts to go to the military camp to capture a marquis? But he was really lucky today. As soon as he got out of the house, he met Sun Tu who came to his door.
In order to prevent Zhou Fuyin from saying anything else that would really offend Sun Tu, and he would only be the one to suffer, Feng Yongnian hurriedly reported loudly: "If we go back to Fuyin, Yuehou has already arrived."
"What?" When Zhou Fuyin heard this, he came out with some embarrassment. When he saw Sun Tu, his face became even more uneasy, and he quickly raised his hands and saluted: "I don't know if the Marquis is really here, and he has many subordinates. If you offend me, please forgive me." His reaction was neither humble nor arrogant. After all, as a civil servant, he naturally had superiority over military officers.
Sun Tu didn't mind the other party's not-too-respectful remarks to him just now, he just smiled and clasped his fists: "Yin Zhou's words are serious. If you don't know the truth, you are not guilty. I came here today because I heard that someone was suing Yu. I, you also sent people to the front office of the palace, so I came here to be tried."
"Don't dare, Lord Marquis, please come in quickly and sit down to talk. Let me listen to the official explain this matter first." Zhou Fuyin's attitude was not too bad. Although it was about human life, it was Sun Yat-sen who died. Tu's subordinate, so he didn't take it too seriously.
Unexpectedly, Sun Tu shook his head: "I think it is better not to meet alone, otherwise it will be difficult to explain. Since the Kaifeng Prefecture has accepted the case and I have arrived, why don't you ask the Prefect to do it right now? Let's have a trial in court. Please also call the plaintiff and others to see what should be done about this matter."
Zhou Fuyin glanced at Sun Tu in surprise. He really didn't expect that the murderer and defendant would be so upright. This was something he had never seen before in countless cases he had handled. Originally, he did intend to have a private discussion with Sun Tu first, and then discuss how to investigate the case in his best interest. But now it seems that all his good intentions have been in vain, and he can only smile bitterly: "In that case, let's ask the question in the second hall."
Following the governor's order, the Kaifeng government office, which had been relatively quiet, quickly became noisy. A large number of servants and clerks came out of their respective signing rooms and gathered together in the second hall. The momentum of the court was fully brewed. At the same time, the news that Sun Tu came to stand trial spread quickly, and many officials from the yamen came to see what was going on. Therefore, although this was not a public trial, there were many onlookers outside the hall, and some of them were Sun Tu's acquaintances and even a few of his old subordinates were among them.
In the crowd, Cui Lueshang, who was looking much older, stared at Sun Tu sitting uprightly at the side of the hall with emotion. He couldn't help but think of the past and compare it with the completely different identities between the two parties now, and sighed softly. .
For Sun Tu, ten years have brought about earth-shaking changes in his identity. He was a boy from the county town and a new official in the yamen, but now he has become famous and has become someone who those people need to look up to. But for a little person like Cui Lueshang, apart from making him grow older in ten years, not much has changed. He is still working as an errand in the yamen, and he is still just a little head catcher who can only follow orders - As for this position, it was only thanks to Sun Tu's blessing that he could be promoted to it. It seemed like this would be the case for the rest of his life.
"
Lao Cui, do you regret it? I heard that some of the brothers who went to Jiangzhou with Sun... Yuehou have become officials of the fifth and sixth ranks..." A friend who knew the basics saw this and joked in a low voice.
Cui Lueshang shook his head: "I chose the road myself, so what should I regret? Although some people followed the Yue Marquis and obtained official status, how many of them buried their bones in a foreign land? I, Lao Cui, have no big ambitions in this life. , as long as it’s passable.”
At this point, his face darkened again: "I just don't know if Yuehou knows about that matter. Should I say something to him?" For a moment, he started to struggle.
Everyone outside has their own ideas, but inside things have begun to follow the process. As the alarm was taken, Zhou Fuyin gave a brief explanation of the case of Yan Ziliang's family suing Sun Tu for murder without expression, and finally asked: "Sun Tu, I am asking you, are they suing you?" Do you agree with the killing of Yan Ziliang?"
Sun Tu nodded without any hint of hesitation: "I admit that the person was indeed killed by me."
Just this sentence made everyone change their expressions. If it weren't for the majesty of the Yamen and the presence of the governor in front of them, everyone inside and outside would have screamed in surprise. This thing went too smoothly. Sun Tu actually admitted the crime without denying it. Does that mean the case will be closed
Zhou Fuyin was also stunned for a moment, but he could also see that Sun Tu must have a hidden trick, so he followed up and said, "Then do you have anything else to say?" This is where Sun Tu's identity lies. Well, if it were another prisoner, once he really confessed his crime, he would not have to say more and directly order him to be imprisoned in prison. Then he would be convicted and reported to the court, and finally he would be reported to the court and nothing would happen to Kaifeng Mansion.
Sun Tu still had a calm look, he just glanced at the hall and said with a smile: "Wait a little longer, the accusers haven't arrived yet, some things are better said in front of them."
Well, today's trial in Kaifeng Mansion can be regarded as the first of its kind. In the past, when cases were resolved, the plaintiff came first and then the defendant was arrested. But today, the defendant arrived and admitted that he had indeed killed someone, but the accuser was still missing. Seeing this, some people even suspected that Sun Tu had secretly eliminated all the family members of the deceased, so that once the victim was gone, the case would naturally go away.
But that's not right. If that were the case, he shouldn't plead guilty. That would only make the problem more serious.
Just when everyone was filled with confusion and suspicion, several officers led a group of people outside the court hall. It was Yan Ziliang's family members who arrived. Among these people, there were both women and old people. The first person was a rather pretty woman, and I felt particularly pity for her in her mourning clothes.
After they paid their respects to Zhou Fuyin and learned from him that the murderer Sun Tu was sitting next to them, the family even cried out and cried out that they had been wronged. The woman stared at Sun Tu intently. He said with resentment: "Master Sun, although my husband is only a minor official in the army, he should not be killed at will by you. You..." After saying that, he kowtowed to the Yin of Zhou Fu again: "Please also ask Mr. Qingtian to serve as my commander-in-chief." Woman, please avenge the 20 or so members of my Yan family..."
Suddenly, there was a burst of crying in the hall, which was really heartbreaking. Many people's eyes changed when they looked at Sun Tu.