Yang Jisheng's two consecutive defenses were very accurate, which surprised He Ao. He originally thought that Yang Jisheng was a straightforward person who hated evil and could be used to find loopholes, but he didn't expect Yang Jisheng to not fall for it!
However, He Ao is an old fox who has been practicing in the officialdom for decades. If one and two don't work, then he will try the third.
"Yang Jisheng, think carefully... If you say that, then you are using the prince's name to frame your superior?! You are forging the prince's order! This is a capital crime! Think carefully! "
He Ao shook his head and sighed. Then he looked at Yang Jisheng with compassion and spoke slowly. His words were full of threats.
"If you want to accuse someone of a crime, you can always find a pretext for it! Minister He, are you going to follow Qin Hui's example?!" Yang Jisheng looked up and met He Ao's gaze.
"I am not Qin Hui, and you are not Yue Wumu. You have not communicated with the two kings, but you said that the two kings can testify for you. Isn't this falsely conveying the prince's order?!" He Ao shook his head disapprovingly and asked with a sneer.
"I have just said that the two princes are not afraid of Yan Song and dare to tell the truth in front of His Majesty! This is why I said 'or ask the two princes' in the memorial! I have not communicated with the two princes privately, and I have not falsely conveyed the princes' orders!"
Faced with He Ao's slander, the veins on Yang Jisheng's neck bulged. He took a deep breath and replied through gritted teeth.
"Yang Jisheng, falsely conveying the prince's order is a capital crime. Considering that you have studied hard for ten years and it is not easy to pass the imperial examination, I will give you a chance. If you can reveal the mastermind or accomplices, I can plead for you in front of the emperor."
He Ao knocked on the judge's seat, leaned forward slightly, stared at Yang Jisheng with burning eyes, and softened his tone a little, tempting Yang Jisheng to bite.
"Haha, you can always find excuses to accuse someone. Minister He, save your breath. I impeached the traitor Yan only by myself. There was no mastermind and no accomplices. Minister He, to be honest, when you were young, you were my role model in learning firefighting. You were caned for dissuading Emperor Wuzong from his southern tour and became famous. At the beginning of the Jiajing period, you discussed the "grand ceremony" and disobeyed the emperor's order, and were caned to death in the court... How come you are getting older and older, but you are getting worse and worse?! Lian Po is old, but he can still eat! Cao Cao is an old horse with a thousand miles to go! Huang Zhong was seventy years old and died at Dingjun Mountain! But you are old, no, you are old, you are not worthy of being called 'you' now. You are so old, but you have become a traitor's lackey, helping the tyrant to do evil... Haha, a tree needs bark and a person needs dignity. What is shameless?! Minister He, do you still have the face to worship your ancestors during festivals? ! ! Aren't you ashamed?!"
In response to He Ao's inducement and threats, Yang Jisheng sneered and turned his disdain on him, mocking him for becoming more and more cowardly as he grew older. When he was young, he gave direct advice to two emperors and was not afraid of death, but when he was old, he became Yan Song's lackey.
After Yang Jisheng finished speaking, there was a burst of booing in the hall, especially among the onlookers outside the government office.
Having his true colors exposed in public and hearing the buzz of criticism from below, He Ao didn't know where to put his face.
"Yang Jisheng!!! You insulted the chief judge! You showed contempt for the court! You treated the trial as a joke. If I don't punish you, where will the laws of our dynasty stand?"
Wang Xueyi, who was standing by, slammed the table hard, with a gloomy face, and spoke viciously to Yang Jisheng.
As he spoke, Wang Xueyi took out a black stick from the stick tube.
He Ao was happy to see it come to fruition.
Shi Chaobin, the doctor who had stopped him once before, looked at Wang Xueyi.
"Sir Shi, I didn't punish him before because of your face. You also said before that if he does it again, it won't be too late to beat him again. Now, you have also seen that Yang Jisheng has insulted the judge for the second time! You must know that the law is enforced without favoritism, and orders are enforced without reason..."
Wang Xueyi noticed Shi Chaobin's gaze, pulled the corner of his mouth, and spoke quietly with a gloomy face.
Shi Chaobin moved his lips slightly, but in the end he said nothing.
Wang Xueyi curled his lips in satisfaction, then threw the warrant in his hand heavily at Yang Jisheng, and fiercely ordered the criminal servants in the court, "Yang Jisheng insulted the judge, despised the court, and is stubborn and unyielding. Beat him up!"
"Yes, sir."
Four fierce-looking yamen runners rushed out with sticks in their hands and ran straight to Yang Jisheng. Without saying a word, they pressed Yang Jisheng to the ground.
Yang Jisheng was pressed to the ground, his body in a state of disgrace, but with a sarcastic smile on his face, he stared at Wang Xueyi, He Ao and others in the court with contempt, and laughed three times, "What a joke, I, Yang Jisheng, speak the truth, but it is regarded as an insult?! How can I be a lackey of others, but I don't allow others to say it!"
"Hit me hard!" Wang Xueyi became angry and embarrassed.
"If you want to fight, then fight. There is no Yang Jisheng who is afraid of fighting." Yang Jisheng was not afraid at all and talked and laughed calmly.
The fierce officer received the order and swung the stick in his hand heavily on Yang Jisheng's buttocks without saying a word.
The sound of the stick hitting the target echoed throughout the government office.
Yang Jisheng's forehead was covered with sweat. He gritted his teeth and stared at the chief judge. "You are called judges, but you are actually the henchmen of Yan. You are helping the tyrant to commit atrocities. You will be punished in the end! If you don't believe me, look up. Heaven will spare no one!"
"Hit him! Hit him hard!" Wang Xueyi became even more angry when he saw this.
The fierce officers were even more forceful.
One after another, he used all his strength to suck milk.
Yang Jisheng's forehead was covered with cold sweat. He bit his lips in pain and blood flowed from the corners of his mouth.
However, Yang Jisheng never uttered a cry of pain.
Zhu Ping'an watched Yang Jisheng being tortured in the court. He couldn't help but clench his fists tightly, his chest heaving violently, and he took dozens of deep breaths before he was able to control the raging fire of injustice in his heart.
After the beating, He Ao interrogated Yang Jisheng again, with a look of compassion, "Yang Jisheng, I watched you grow up step by step, and I can't bear to see you being tortured. I will give you one more chance, you should confess the truth. Who instructed you to impeach and frame your superior? Why did you involve the two kings?"
At this moment, Yang Jisheng had been beaten with a stick until his skin was torn and blood was dripping.
Hearing He Ao's interrogation, Yang Jisheng raised his head, shook it, and shook off the messy hair that blocked his vision. His lips moved and he spat out a mouthful of blood. "Haha, Minister He, have you been treated like a dog for so long that you don't understand human words? If so, I'll say it again, no one is instructing me! I said 'or ask the two princes' because the two princes are not afraid of the thief Yan and can tell the truth. I hope that His Majesty can learn the truth from the two princes and see through the ugly face of the thief Yan who is harming the country and the people!"
He Ao's face turned pale!
"You are sharp-tongued and stubborn!" He Ao shook his head, "Then you are spreading false information about the prince's order!"
"If you want to accuse someone of a crime, you can always find a pretext for it." Yang Jisheng sneered.
"You are stubborn and recalcitrant... Never mind. Let's put this aside for now. I am waiting for your confession." He Ao snorted and continued to interrogate, "Yang Jisheng, in addition to falsely accusing your superiors, you also said in your memorial that Your Majesty is nepotistic, blind and negligent, and is not involved in government affairs. You are a crime of deceiving the emperor. What do you have to say?"
Yang Jisheng raised his head and said, "I am not blaming Your Majesty, I am just reminding Your Majesty not to be lenient towards Yan the thief! I am doing my duty as a loyal subject and repaying the emperor's grace."
"You are talking nonsense! Your memorial is here, the evidence is solid, how can you quibble!" He Ao sneered and threw a copy of Yang Jisheng's memorial in front of Yang Jisheng. All the words that Yang Jisheng was suspected of accusing Emperor Jiajing were marked on it.