mtlumby2d Chapter 137 Lin Shiming had never seen anything like this before, and his social anxiety kicked in,
Chapter 137 Lin Shiming had never seen anything like this before, and his social anxiety kicked in,
Yue Chunliu suddenly regained some strength and, with the help of the servant and Liang Zhang, hurriedly took half a step forward.
But some officials hesitated, saying, "This..."
Lin Shiming impatiently twirled the beaded string in his hand. "With all of you as witnesses, the sooner the trial is over, the sooner Lord Yue can send his daughter off, right? Don't you all, who have served Lord Yue in the same court for several years, show him any sympathy?"
Yue Chunliu wept even more bitterly.
After a moment of silence, the officials, led by Xiao Feng, Fang Shihai and other officials from the Crown Prince's faction, agreed to Lin Shiming's request.
"We will obey your command."
Lin Shiming was somewhat satisfied. He instructed the Imperial Guards beside him to continue guarding the Prince Ping's residence and to send someone to inform the doctor to change course to the entrance of the vegetable market. Then he got into the carriage and led a group of officials to the vegetable market.
*
The so-called "market" was actually a vast, nameless gathering place along the central axis of northern Beijing. Imperial edicts and decrees, as well as executions for major cases, all took place here.
When people have free time, they often sell their goods at this convenient and spacious place, mainly vegetables and other food items, which is why it is commonly known as the "vegetable market".
Lin Shiming chose this location for the trial because of its size and high population density.
At 7:45 PM, Lin Shiming's Crown Princess's carriage arrived at the market.
As soon as he got out of the car, he saw several squads of the Crown Prince's personal guards holding torches and forming a huge circle in the previously empty space. Inside the circle, there were many people squatting with their hands behind their heads, obediently not daring to make a sound or move. Yu Sheng was sitting on a high platform watching over them.
Seeing Lin Shiming get off the vehicle, Yu Sheng's eyes lit up. He jumped down from the platform and landed in front of Lin Shiming's vehicle, causing a gasp of surprise from the crowd.
The curfew in Changping is usually from 9 PM to 3 AM, so outside the curfew area, there are still many daring onlookers.
Curiosity can overcome fear and boredom. These people had been gathering around for the past half hour, and now it seemed they had finally witnessed the grand finale. Everyone unconsciously stopped their whispers and stared intently at the richly dressed Lin Shiming.
"Your Highness, I pay my respects to you."
"Your subordinate greets Your Highness the Crown Princess."
Yu Sheng and the Imperial Guards and Personal Guards present all knelt down in unison to pay their respects. Their voices were deep and powerful, making the surrounding people suddenly feel a tremendous aura and pressure.
Such a high-ranking official has arrived!
Immediately, the people knelt down one after another, muttering incoherently, "Master" and "Honorable one," turning the entire market into a noisy marketplace.
Lin Shiming had never seen anything like this before, and his social anxiety suddenly kicked in, causing him to dig his toes into the ground.
He raised his hand, feigning composure, and said, "Get up, all of you."
"Thank you, Your Highness."
Yu Sheng and the Imperial Guards and Personal Bodyguards got up decisively, and the common people followed suit, swaying and staggering as they got up from the ground.
Lin Shiming forcefully controlled his voice, "How's the arrest going?"
"Your Highness, as you instructed, the Tingyun Army and the Imperial Guards transferred from the Crown Prince's side carried out the operation. Once they heard any rumors on the street, they were all arrested and detained here under the guard of the Crown Prince's personal guards. There are more than 120 people. I personally supervised them and did not allow them to talk to each other or pass messages."
Lin Shiming nodded, turned around and sat down in the chair prepared by the eunuchs.
"Ladies and gentlemen, I heard today that there are foreign spies who intend to spread rumors, sow discord among our princes, and murder the princess. That's why I would rather kill the innocent than let the guilty go free and brought you all here for questioning. I'm sorry to have frightened you all."
The group of people squatting on the ground were all terrified and dared not utter a single word.
"Everyone, don't worry, relax. Once I've investigated this case thoroughly, I'll release all of us innocent people."
"However, if I find out that you have indeed committed a crime, please do not blame me for being ruthless."
Some of the more timid people in the group were so frightened that they collapsed to the ground.
Lin Shiming was quite satisfied with his performance. He leisurely took a sip of the tea served by the eunuch, and only after he had felt enough psychological pressure did he slowly turn his head to look at the officials following behind him.
"I also ask that you gentlemen bear witness for me, so that we can sort out the matter together and close the case as soon as possible."
"I obey your orders."
Lin Shiming smiled slightly, then leaned back in his chair. "Let's begin, one at a time."
As soon as he finished speaking, Yuan Ye, who was standing behind Lin Shiming, took a few steps forward. Yu Sheng turned around in tacit understanding, pulled a panicked suspect out of the circle of guards, and forced him to kneel on the ground.
Yuan Ye picked up a knife and walked up to him, calmly asking questions.
"When were you arrested today, and what were you doing?"
"Around, around 5 PM, I was chatting with a friend..."
"What did you talk about?"
"He said he'd heard a rumor and came to tease me, saying...saying..."
"If you don't cooperate, my knife won't discriminate."
"I'll talk! Your Honor, I'll talk!" The man was so frightened that his pants were soaked, and he knelt on the ground trembling. "My friend said that the Crown Prince and Crown Princess forced Princess Ping to commit suicide in their struggle for the positions of the eldest grandson and the Crown Prince! Your Honor, that's what he said. I just heard it; I haven't done anything wrong..."
Yuan Ye remained calm. "Who is your friend? What's their name? Point them out."
The man trembled as he turned back, trying to make out his friend. "His name is Wang Shan, he's... he's the one from the east! The one in the gray cloth coat!"
Immediately, someone dragged out the man named "Wang Shan" and brought him to Yuan Ye's presence.
Where did you hear this rumor from?
Wang Shan's face was deathly pale, and he was drenched in cold sweat. "This humble subject...this humble subject..."
"Can't explain?" Yuan Ye drew his sword slightly from its sheath.
"No, no! Sir, please don't kill me! I only heard it from someone else!"
"Someone else? Who is it? State their name and find them."
Wang Shan stammered, unable to explain his friend's background for a long time. Some of the officials behind him also began to panic.
After waiting for a long time, Yuan Ye spoke again impatiently, "It seems you were lying to me."
Having said that, Yuan Ye drew his broadsword and prepared to make his move.
"No!" Wang Shan crawled backward on all fours. "I'll tell you! I heard it from the Prince Ping's residence!"
Yuan Ye paused in his tracks.
"The Prince Ping's residence? When did you hear about it?"
"At, at the hour of Wei... Yes, at the hour of Wei!"
"What a joke! Princess Consort Ping was still alive at noon! Where did you get this information from! Besides, the Ping Prince's residence has been surrounded by the Imperial Guards for many days, and no one is allowed to enter or leave easily day or night. How could a commoner like you possibly find out anything about the Ping Prince's residence!"