latelenovela Chapter 632: The Jiang Family's process of overturning the case took a full year
Chapter 632: The Jiang Family's process of overturning the case took a full year
No one in the court dared to speak, except the Prime Minister, who stepped forward and said, "Your Majesty, please calm down. This matter does need to be investigated thoroughly. However, the position of Zhenbei General is so important. It has been delayed for so long, and finally there is a clue, but something like this happened before our eyes. I just don't know who should take the place?"
The emperor rubbed his brows and thought, Lin Cheng just encountered an accident, and you are forcing me to choose someone, right?
But the one who made the suggestion was the Prime Minister, a veteran of three dynasties, so he could not get angry. He just said, "Let me think about it carefully. Let's not mention this matter again today. If there is nothing else, you dear ministers can leave the court!"
Unexpectedly, another person stepped forward and said, "Your Majesty, I, the Junior Minister of the Dali Temple, Lin Zi, have a petition to submit. I want to seek justice for the former Governor of Qijiang, Jiang Wuya! The entire Jiang family was wiped out overnight, and it has become an unsolved case. I think the Jiang family has been wronged, and I hope Your Majesty will investigate it!"
The emperor frowned upon hearing this, and looked sharply at Lin Zi, the Junior Official of the Dali Temple, and asked in a deep voice, "Lord Lin, why did you suddenly bring up Jiang Wuya's case? It's been more than half a year since this happened, and I remember that a conclusion had been reached at the time."
Lin Zi bowed and said firmly, "Your Majesty, I have obtained some new clues recently. I found that there are many suspicious points in the case of the Jiang family's extermination. I am afraid that there is injustice. I implore Your Majesty to re-investigate the case and give justice to the Jiang family!"
Upon hearing this, the Fourth Prince's face changed slightly, and he immediately stepped forward, speaking with a bit of urgency in his tone: "Father, this matter has long been concluded. Jiang Wuya is corrupt and the evidence is irrefutable. How can we overturn the case based on some unfounded speculation? If so, where is the law of the court?"
The emperor hesitated for a moment, his eyes wandering between the Fourth Prince and Lin Zi, obviously weighing the pros and cons. He slowly said, "Lord Lin, since you have a clue, why not present it to me, and I will make the decision."
Lin Zi took out a memorial from his sleeve and presented it with both hands: "Your Majesty, this is the evidence I have collected. It contains eyewitness testimonies and some details that have not been disclosed. Please take a look at it."
The emperor took the memorial and read it carefully, his face gradually becoming solemn. Seeing this, the fourth prince thought to himself that something was wrong and said hurriedly: "Father, these confessions may not be credible. I'm afraid they were deliberately forged by someone with ulterior motives, intending to disrupt the government!"
At this moment, there was a sudden commotion outside the palace. The palace door was pushed open, and Jiang Luo and Lin Cheng walked in side by side, with a ragged man behind them. All the civil and military officials in the court were shocked and whispered.
The emperor looked up at the newcomer, with a hint of surprise in his eyes: "Lin Cheng? Ci Jinglin? Aren't you...?"
Lin Cheng bowed and said in a calm tone: "Your Majesty, Lord Ci and I escaped from danger by chance, and we are here today to testify in Jiang's case!"
Jiang Luo took a step forward, his eyes tired but full of determination: "Your Majesty, I am Jiang Luo, the son of Jiang Wuya. Back then, the Jiang family exterminated my entire family, and I was lucky enough to escape. Today, I have come to seek justice for my family!"
The Fourth Prince's face suddenly changed, and he shouted sternly: "How dare you! Jiang Wuya's son has already died. Who are you to pretend to be the son of an imperial official!"
Jiang Luo sneered, took out a jade pendant from his bosom, and held it high above his head: "Your Majesty, this is a jade pendant handed down from the Jiang family, which is enough to prove my identity! Concubine Jiang also has one on her hand. If Your Majesty doesn't believe it, you can take it from Concubine Jiang and you will know."
Now Imperial Concubine Jiang was implicated in the Jiang family's affairs. The Third Prince was exiled to the border for garrison, and Imperial Concubine Jiang was banished to the cold palace.
The emperor and Concubine Jiang were a loving couple, and the emperor did not blame her too harshly. Of course, he had seen the jade pendant.
He immediately ordered the eunuch to present the jade pendant. The emperor looked at it carefully, and a flash of understanding flashed in his eyes. He nodded and asked in a deep voice: "Jiang Luo, what evidence do you have to prove that Jiang's case was unjust?"
Jiang Luo turned around and pointed at the man in custody, saying loudly: "This man is Feng Song, the captain of the Night Court Guard. He confessed today that the mastermind behind the murder was none other than the Fourth Prince!"
The whole court was in uproar, and everyone looked at the Fourth Prince. The Fourth Prince's face turned pale, and he angrily shouted: "Absurd! This person must have been instructed by someone to frame me! Father, please don't listen to the slander of this villain!"
The emperor looked at the fourth prince coldly, with a bit of majesty in his tone: "Fourth Prince, this matter is of no small importance. I will find out the truth. If you are innocent, I will give you justice; if you are indeed guilty, I will never tolerate it!"
He turned to Jiang Luo and Lin Cheng and said in a deep voice: "Jiang Luo, Lin Cheng, you hand over the evidence and witnesses to the Dali Temple. I order you to assist in the thorough investigation of this case and make sure it gets to the bottom of it!"
Jiang Luo and Lin Cheng responded in unison: "I obey your order!"
The fourth prince's face turned pale, and a trace of panic flashed in his eyes, but he didn't dare to say anything more. The atmosphere in the court was solemn, and everyone had their own thoughts in their hearts, but no one dared to say much.
After adjourning the court, the Fourth Prince hurriedly left the hall, hating himself in his heart: "Jiang Luo, Lin Cheng, how dare you ruin my plan! I will never let you go!" However, he knew that the current situation was unfavorable and he had to come up with a countermeasure as soon as possible, otherwise he would be doomed once the truth came out.
At the same time, Jiang Luo and Lin Cheng walked out of the hall side by side, their hearts full of determination. Jiang Luo whispered: "Why not give the secret letter to the emperor? In this way, wouldn't the fourth prince be convicted?"
Lin Cheng gently held his hand, and helped him walk out while saying, "Presenting the letter to the emperor will indeed convict the Fourth Prince, but... the letter contains a diagram of the deployment of troops in the Northern Territory. If the letter is handed over to the emperor, it would be equivalent to telling the Northern Territory that we already know their city defenses. If we don't seize such a good opportunity, we will be making wedding clothes for others. Don't worry, with Feng Song, Jiang's unjust case will definitely be overturned."
Jiang Luo hummed, "Feng Song's testimony also mentioned that the Fourth Prince ordered the Night Court Guards to massacre the entire Jiang family. No matter how much the Fourth Prince defends himself, he probably can't escape responsibility."
Lin Cheng nodded gently, a hint of coldness flashing in his eyes: "Yes, Feng Song's testimony is the key. He is not only the captain of the Night Court Guard, but also one of the participants in the operation that year. With his testimony, plus Jiang's jade pendant, it will be difficult for the Fourth Prince to deny it."
Jiang Luo sighed slightly, a trace of fatigue flashed in his eyes: "It's just... In this way, although Jiang's case can be overturned, the Fourth Prince still has the case in the North Territory on his hands. I'm afraid the forces behind him will not let us go easily."
Lin Cheng held Jiang Luo's hand tightly, and said firmly: "Xiao Luo, don't worry. Now that we have come this far, we will never back down. Although the Fourth Prince is extremely powerful, the Emperor is not a foolish man. As long as we have solid evidence, he will naturally handle it impartially."
Jiang Luo nodded, with a hint of relief in his eyes: "Well, Xiao Linzi, you are right. This time, you saved my life again."
If Lin Cheng hadn't rushed over and carried him out before the carriage fell off the cliff, they would probably have died in the sea.
Lin Cheng smiled slightly, his tone gentle: "What's the point of saving or not saving? I can only live if you are alive. If even you are gone, what is the meaning of my living."
The two walked out of the palace gate side by side, the sun shining on them, as if illuminating a ray of light for their future. Outside the palace gate, several carriages had been waiting for a long time. Lin Cheng helped Jiang Luo get on the carriage and whispered to the driver: "Go to the Dali Temple."
The carriage started slowly, and the wheels rolled over the cobblestone road, making a slight sound. Inside the car, Jiang Luo leaned on Lin Cheng's shoulder, closed his eyes and rested. Although his face was tired, his expression was extremely calm. Lin Cheng gently put his arm around his shoulders, looked into the distance through the window, and his mind was full of thoughts.
Arriving at the Dali Temple, Lin Cheng and Jiang Luo handed Feng Song's testimony and Jiang's jade pendant to the Dali Temple Minister. The Dali Temple Minister took the evidence and said solemnly: "Don't worry, my lords, this case is of great importance. I will handle it impartially and will never disappoint the emperor and you two."
Lin Cheng bowed and said, "Thank you for your concern, sir. We will wait for good news."
After leaving the Dali Temple, Jiang Luo suddenly stopped and whispered, "Xiao Linzi, I want to go see the Third Prince and Concubine Jiang."
Lin Cheng was slightly stunned, then nodded: "Okay, I'll go with you."
The two took a carriage to the cold palace. The cold palace was located in the most remote corner of the palace, surrounded by weeds and looked particularly desolate. The guards saw that it was Lin Cheng and Jiang Luo, and did not dare to stop them, and respectfully let them pass.
Concubine Jiang's residence was a simple house with simple furnishings, but it was neat and clean. Jiang Luo pushed the door open and walked in. Concubine Jiang was sitting in front of the window, holding a jade pendant in her hand, looking out the window with empty eyes.
Jiang Luo called softly, "Aunt."
Imperial Concubine Jiang slowly turned around and saw Jiang Luo, with a hint of surprise in her eyes: "Luo'er? Why are you here?"
Jiang Luo stepped forward, held Concubine Jiang's hand, and said in a choked voice: "Aunt, I'm back. The Jiang family's unjust case will be overturned soon."
Tears welled up in Concubine Jiang's eyes instantly, and she asked in a trembling voice, "Really? Luo'er, are you telling the truth?"
Jiang Luo nodded vigorously: "Yes, aunt. The Fourth Prince's crime has been exposed, and the Emperor has ordered a thorough investigation of the case. The Jiang family's innocence will soon be restored."
Concubine Jiang hugged Jiang Luo tightly, tears streaming down her face: "Luo'er, you have suffered a lot in the past six months."
Jiang Luo gently patted Concubine Jiang's back and whispered to comfort her: "Aunt, everything is over. Our Jiang family will definitely stand up again."
Lin Cheng stood aside, watching the scene with gentle eyes, and silently swore in his heart: no matter how difficult the road ahead is, he will protect Jiang Luo and the Jiang family.
After leaving the cold palace, Jiang Luo was obviously much more relaxed. He looked at Lin Cheng and smiled, "I heard that the emperor ordered the third prince to return to the capital. Let's go see him together then!"
Lin Cheng nodded: "Okay."
The third prince was sent to guard the frontier. Although the journey was long, with the imperial order, he could arrive within three days with an 800-mile express horse. They knew that the third prince was the only son of Concubine Jiang, and was also an important part of the Jiang family's case.
A few days later, the Third Prince finally returned to the capital. Jiang Luo and Lin Cheng went to the city gate to pick him up. Although the Third Prince looked haggard, he was still in good spirits. He stepped forward and asked, "Xiao Luo? Xiao Lin? Why are you here?"
Jiang Luo stepped forward, saluted to the Third Prince and said, "Third Prince, the Jiang family's unjust case will soon be overturned. We are here to inform you that this time when you return to the capital, you can finally clear your name."
A trace of excitement flashed in the eyes of the Third Prince, and then he nodded firmly: "Okay, that's great! But, after all, uncle is..."
The third prince's voice choked and tears instantly fell.
Jiang Luo felt very upset, but he held it back and said, "Don't be sad, Third Prince. Now that my father's grievances have been cleared, I am already satisfied. The past cannot be brought back, and we still need to look forward."
The three of them set off to rush back to the capital. On the way, the third prince asked about the progress of the case in detail, and Jiang Luo and Lin Cheng answered one by one. Hope gradually ignited in the eyes of the third prince: "As long as the unjust case of the Jiang family can be overturned, I will be willing to die."
Lin Cheng said solemnly: "Third Prince, don't worry, we will definitely make the truth known to the world."
After returning to the capital, the Third Prince was secretly placed in Lin Cheng's mansion. The Dali Temple's investigation was also in full swing. As Feng Song's testimony was made public, the Fourth Prince's crimes gradually surfaced. There was an uproar in the court and the country.
Finally, the emperor ordered the fourth prince to be placed under house arrest pending further investigation. The Jiang family's unjust case finally had hope of being overturned, and the efforts of Jiang Luo and Lin Cheng were also recognized by the court and the public.
It took the Jiang family a full year to overturn the case until the Dali Temple closed it. It was already midsummer, and Jiang Luo finally returned to Qijiang with the emperor's edict to rebury his parents and family.