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The Three Supervisors arrived at the Wannian County Office and took their seats in the court. The numerous officials displayed their authority, and thus began the formal review of the case against Caesar for murder.
Although Xu Zhen had obtained an official title, she would not act impulsively to interfere with the judiciary. In Chang'an, aside from Li Mingda, she was essentially without support. Li Jing had already shut himself away, and Qibi Helix faced exclusion everywhere due to being a foreigner, making the situation quite unfavorable.
Wei Chi Jing De favored Xu Zhen, but after receiving a lesson from the Sovereign, he had reformed his impulsive and irritable nature, becoming more restrained and no longer flaunting his achievements or competing with others. Furthermore, with Xu Zhen lacking merit or assistance, how could she expect General Weichi to help her?
At this moment, she could only anxiously wait outside the Yamen with Zhang Jiunian, unable even to gain entry to listen in on the proceedings.
Inside the Yamen, sitting high on the dais was Deputy Minister of Justice Helan Baishi. He was the younger brother of Helan Chushi from the Eastern Palace's Inner Court and was highly regarded by Crown Prince Li Chengqian as he was married to Duke Chen Guo's daughter, Hou Junji.
Among the Three Supervisors, the Censoring Imperial Historian was Zhao Yong, a former student of Du Chuke. He was known for his integrity and inflexibility, often regarded as a die-hard loyalist.
These three were acquaintances of Xu Zhen. Liu Shuyi, who had accompanied Li Jing during the Tuguhun and was later promoted to Vice Minister of Justice after returning from campaign, was also present; he was Liu Wenjing's son.
Setting aside this murder case for a moment, Helan Baishi could be considered part of the Eastern Palace's faction, while Zhao Yong belonged to King Wei Li Tai's side. Liu Shuyi likely supported Prince Li Zhi.
From this perspective, the competition behind this case intensified significantly.
Given that the facts were quite clear, Caesar did not attempt to argue her innocence. The three main judges quickly understood what had transpired.
Caesar was a foreign woman who did not possess the delicate demeanor typical of Tang women; she did not cover her striking features when she went out. This attracted Du Huan's attention, who sought to force himself upon her. However, Caesar turned out to be a remarkable woman skilled in martial arts. Unable to have her as he wished, Du Huan resorted to sending numerous Evil Servants to seize her.
It was known that among these Evil Servants were some particularly bold individuals who, after suffering setbacks, became emboldened and resorted to violence. They threatened Caesar's life. Unable to sit idly by, Caesar drew a short blade for self-defense, resulting in a major incident with four dead and three injured.
Of course, this account might be one-sided; however, Caesar did not dispute it. This left Liu Shuyi in a difficult position as he had privately inquired about Caesar from the county magistrate. It was mentioned that among those Evil Servants were not just ordinary bodyguards but rather desperate individuals with murderous intent. Eventually, even Du Huan lost control over them; they resembled headhunters more than mere thugs.
Liu Shuyi was astute enough to deduce from this information that these people might not be motivated solely by lust but rather aimed to kill Caesar to sever Xu Zhen's support—possibly intending to intimidate others through this act!
Although it is a matter of course that murder must be paid with life and debts must be repaid, the Tang Dynasty was known for its leniency, rarely imposing extreme punishments. If a death sentence was to be issued, it had to be reported to the emperor for a final decision. Both parties involved wished to resolve the matter quickly, and no one dared to let the emperor know, lest the private conflicts come to light.
Zhao Yong was a loyal follower of Du Chuke. As a Censoring Imperial Historian, although his rank was low, his authority was vast. When the Sovereign made an exception to allow Xu Zhen into the palace, he felt indignant and considered rushing to the court to die in protest, but he was stopped by Du Chuke.
He had long harbored jealousy towards Xu Zhen, and now that her female slave had killed his own son, he intended to use this opportunity to humiliate Xu Zhen severely. However, this newly appointed Deputy General of the Imperial Guard had lost all face.
Helan Baishi had previously received instructions from the Crown Prince not to take any action against Xu Zhen and to keep his distance from her. Upon encountering the case involving Caesar, he understood his master's intentions and felt compelled to assist Caesar. Yet, Zhao Yong was a staunch supporter of Du Chuke, making it difficult for him to maneuver.
As the Deputy Minister of Justice, Helan Chushi was the final arbiter of the case. After weighing his options, he made his own decision.
Since a death sentence required reporting to the heavens and none of the three parties wished for that, Helan Chushi found himself in a relatively clean position. However, although Caesar was a close attendant of Xu Zhen, he had not shed his lowly status and was still nominally her maid. Having killed Du Chuke's noble son Du Huan as a servant, while he might escape death, he could not evade punishment.
The Zhenguan Code outlined various penalties: flogging, beating, forced labor, exile, and death. Flogging ranged from ten to fifty strokes; beating from sixty to one hundred; forced labor typically accompanied exile; and exile could be for distances of two thousand li, two thousand five hundred li, or three thousand li.
As for death sentences, they were limited to hanging or beheading. Even for unforgivable sins, one might not necessarily receive a death sentence due to existing policies for reduction or exemption.
These reductions included eight categories: petitioning for leniency, requesting reduction or commutation of punishment, and other privileges held by bureaucrats at various levels. Positions like Xu Zhen's were neither too high nor too low; thus reductions needed careful consideration.
Helan Baishi hesitated before finally stating: "The facts are clear and evidence is conclusive. Although Rouran woman Caesar has harmed others, those harmed acted with ulterior motives first; thus it falls under self-defense. Therefore, I propose reducing the death penalty; however, she cannot escape punishment entirely. I decide on an exile of two thousand li and one year of forced labor. Do any of you have objections?"
Liu Shuyi frowned at this; the Eastern Palace could not afford to be too ostentatious. It was clear that these villains acted first while Caesar merely defended herself out of necessity. The proposed punishment seemed excessively harsh for someone close to Xu Zhen. Surely she would seek help elsewhere, potentially involving higher authorities like the Dali Temple Chancellor.
"Helan Yuanwai's ruling seems unjust; the case is evident that Caesar acted out of necessity for self-preservation rather than intent to harm. I believe she should receive a lighter sentence—forty strokes would suffice."
Helan Baishi had anticipated Liu Shuyi's opposition. Hearing this response made him uneasy; he had put forth this sentence precisely to represent Liu Shuyi from Jin Wangfu against Zhao Yong representing King Wei Li Tai in a battle between two tigers. Liu Shuyi had indeed fallen into his trap; now they awaited Zhao Yong's reaction.
As expected, before Helan Baishi could retort, Zhao Yong could no longer sit still. However, when he spoke up, both Helan Baishi and Liu Shuyi were taken aback.
"Zhao Yong also felt that the sentencing of He Lan Yuan Wai Lang was too harsh, yet it is an undeniable fact that this foreigner has harmed many. If we do not use strict laws to deter others, we cannot prevent similar incidents. My suggestion is a hundred strokes of the rod!"
As soon as Zhao Yong spoke, Liu Shuyi's heart sank. This person wanted to publicly beat Caesar to death, bringing shame to Xu Zhen!
Helan Baishi was also shocked. He was still astonished at how Zhao Yong had become so reasonable, even considering a peaceful resolution. Little did he know that this person was actually very ruthless!
If Caesar were exiled to another place, Xu Zhen could use her connections to find him a good place and have friends and family look after him, so he wouldn't suffer too much.
But Zhao Yong proposed a hundred strokes of the rod. Not to mention that Caesar was a woman and could not withstand such punishment; even the strong Guards would suffer severe injuries after such beating!
Moreover, this punishment required exposing the chest and legs for execution. Caesar was close to Xu Zhen; how could one maintain their dignity under such circumstances?
Naturally, Liu Shuyi had to protect her interests. Just as Helan Baishi expected, she began to argue with Zhao Yong, citing laws and details from the Tang Code Commentary, each refusing to back down.
While they were arguing in court, Xu Zhen was anxious and at a loss when Zhou Cang arrived with the remaining twelve Red Armor Brothers. Each of them wore Imperial Guard armor, seemingly having heard about their mistress's troubles and rushed out to help!
The Yamen servants turned pale when they saw more than ten imperial attendants arrive. Zhou Cang shouted while drawing his knife, "Damn blind thieves! You dare to offend my aunt? If you kill her, so be it! But you dare to bind her? Do you want to see your brother's skills?"
He was reckless and was about to draw his sword when Zhang Jiunian, being a seasoned strategist, quickly stopped him before another bloodbath could occur.
Seeing Xu Zhen frowning with worry, Zhou Cang shook off Zhang Jiunian and ran over to urge her, "My Lord, your concern is causing chaos! When have we ever suffered such humiliation? Have you forgotten the kindness of Caesar? If that's the case, I, Zhou Cang, would lose respect for you!"
Zhou Cang had always been outspoken; who would dare speak like this to their master? However, Xu Zhen regarded these individuals as brothers and had no barriers with them. She understood Zhou Cang's straightforwardness; his words held truth. If she couldn't even protect her own woman, how could she expect these brothers who risk their lives for her to respect her? She would lose respect for herself!
Zhang Jiunian noticed the fierce look in Xu Zhen's eyes that he had only seen on the battlefield and felt something was wrong. He scolded Zhou Cang for being unaware of the situation and provoking the Lord's anger at such a critical moment. If Xu Zhen acted rashly and clashed with Yamen justice, things would spiral out of control!
"My Lord, you must not act recklessly! Please think carefully; such behavior is not what great leaders do!"
Xu Zhen had already gripped the long knife, determined to break through the Yamen, refusing to listen to Zhang Jiunian's words!
Just as a disaster was about to unfold, a figure rushed over surrounded by servants. Before the carriage had even come to a stop, he jumped down and called out, "Xu Lang, please remain calm! Please remain calm!"
Hearing the shout, Xu Zhen turned to see an elderly man with a short beard hurrying towards her. His right sleeve fluttered; he was a one-armed man. She quickly searched her mind but could not find any relevant records in the Historical Records, likely just an unknown individual.
However, since he could call out Xu Zhenzhi's name, he might be a rescue sent by Li Jing, Qibi Helix, or Wei Chi Jing De. Hope surged in Xu Zhen's heart as she sheathed her knife.
Although Xu Zhen did not recognize this man, Zhang Jiunian's eyes lit up. He leaned in to explain to her, "This person is Zhao Gongcun, the Chief Scribe of the Jin Prince's Office. In the past, he was the Sui Prefecture Chief Military Officer. When faced with a raid by the Turkic barbarians, he held the treasury alone and lost an arm to the Turkic People. Even though there were only ten coins in the treasury, his loyalty was unwavering. Later, he was valued by the Sage and entered the Jin Wangfu."
After Zhang Jiunian explained, Xu Zhen looked at this one-armed servant of the Imperial Historian with a new perspective. Since he was one of Li Zhi's people, it was clear he had come to assist her. She immediately approached him; their ranks were similar, though there was an age difference. It felt natural for her to address him as "Sir," and Zhao Gongcun accepted it without hesitation.
Zhao Gongcun was someone capable of handling matters. He addressed various issues within the Commander Jin Wangfu with reason and order. As a sign of respect, Li Zhi treated him with courtesy. At this critical moment, he did not engage in small talk with Xu Zhen, instead getting straight to the point: "Xu Xiaoge, please wait a moment while I go inside to investigate. I will explain everything to you shortly!"
Xu Zhenxin was overjoyed and watched as Zhao Gongcun entered the Yamen.
(Note: The ten evils are Rebellion, conspiracy against the state, treason, evil rebellion, immorality, great disrespect, unfilial behavior, discord among family members, injustice, and internal strife.)
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