Ming Dynasty: At the beginning, the house was ransacked and the ancestral temple was burned down.

Chapter 90 is full of mistakes! The ministers and officials were sweating profusely!
  For a time, the officials who were investigating the case all suspected that the 'insider' behind the 'Demon Book Case' was actually Emperor Zhu Yijun!

It's not that they are too sensitive and suspicious, it's because the dossier produced by Dongchang's interrogation has too many 'loopholes'! They couldn't believe it, and they wouldn't believe that His Majesty the Emperor was completely unaware of this matter!
  Brainstorming is very scary, especially for people who like to 'think too much'.

As for these 'old foxes' present, what they are best at is 'thinking too much'.

Now, the nature of this 'demon book case' is no longer as simple as involving three pavilion elders and a dispute with the country.

Everyone is speculating, what is the 'real intention' of His Majesty the Emperor in doing this?
  Could it be that His Majesty the Emperor did this just to bring down Shen Shixing?
  No! Definitely more than that! And it’s really not necessary!
  Doesn't His Majesty the Emperor still want to let Zhang Juzheng go? So you want to involve Zhang Juzheng’s grandson?
  No! Definitely not just that! Moreover, so many years have passed since Zhang Juzheng's incident, so there is really no need to bring up the old case again!

So, what is the real purpose of His Majesty the Emperor? !

Probably because the 'magnetic fields' are too similar, most of the ministers present, except for a few young men, almost all came up with the same guess!

This guess made everyone's backs sweat even more!

Everyone was thinking to themselves: Could it be that His Majesty the Emperor was digging a 'hole' for them and waiting for them to jump into it? !
  Once this idea comes up, and I reorganize this weird 'demon book case', the whole thing suddenly becomes weird and reasonable!
  "Zhang Chonghui, I want to ask you, when did you enter Beijing? Where did you go after entering Beijing? Who did you meet? You must go through this! Tell me carefully and carefully! Quick! "

Sun Piyang seemed to be eager to verify something. After asking anxiously, he directly picked up the brush beside him and prepared to take notes himself!

"My lord, I arrived in the capital on August 20th." Zhang Chonghui glanced towards the upper left corner as he answered. This is a subconscious move that people make when recalling old events.

On the contrary, if you glance towards the upper right corner, then nine times out of ten, this person is imagining the picture, rather than 'remembering' the picture, that is - ed.

Zhang Chonghui's move fell into the eyes of Sun Piyang and all the officials present. Only Shen Shixing closed his eyes again to rest and did not even look at Zhang Chonghui.

Zhang Chonghui was still 'reminiscing', while 'remembering' seriously, he 'narrated':

"After I entered Beijing, I first went to my future father-in-law's house. After packing up my business, my fifth uncle said he would take me to visit the home of my grandfather's friend, the first minister Shen Shixing, and I agreed.

Finally, on the way, I saw a vendor selling makeup and hair oil on the roadside, so I wanted to buy some to give to my future wife.

But my fifth uncle was following me around, and I was embarrassed to buy it in front of him, an elder, so I made an excuse to visit the capital by myself instead of going to Shen Mansion.

Then I went shopping in the capital by myself, first buying makeup and hair oil, and then a vendor stopped me and recommended a new fire book on the market, called "Jin Ping... Mei"?
  I just wanted to buy it and give it a try, when another vendor told me that if I bought his copy of "The Romance of the Three Kingdoms", I could get it as a gift..."

"Stop, stop, stop!" Sun Piyang hurriedly interrupted Zhang Chonghui's confession, and said: "Let's get down to business! Don't talk nonsense!"

"Didn't you ask me to tell you in detail?" Zhang Chonghui asked directly.

Sun Piyang was speechless for a moment, but he soon cooled down and said seriously: "Don't talk nonsense! Talk about the important things! Where did you go after shopping that day, and what did you see? people?"

Zhang Chonghui continued to recall and said: "After I finished shopping that day, I went back to the Zhao Mansion directly, and I didn't see anyone again."

Sun Piyang asked again: "What about the next few days?"

"I will stay in Zhao Mansion for the next few days, and I won't go out until the afternoon of August 24th." Zhang Chonghui continued to answer:
  "Not long after I left home, I met 'Shen Shixing'. He said that he recognized me as Zhang Juzheng's grandson at a glance and said that we were such a coincidence.

He seemed very excited to see me. He pulled me and said that he wanted to invite me to the most expensive restaurant in the capital for dinner. I didn't think much about it at the time and went with him. "

"Wait!" Li Shida interrupted Zhang Chonghui and asked sternly: "A person who you have never met in person told you that he was Shen Shixing, and you believed it? He said he would invite you to dinner, so you just followed him Has he gone?"

Faced with Li Shida's question, Zhang Chonghui said with a puzzled look on his face: "Why don't you believe it? Why don't you go? The chief minister invited me to eat at the most expensive place for nothing, why don't I go?"

Li Shida was about to say something, but Yu Shenxing beat him to it. He only heard Yu Shenxing hurriedly say:

"I'm afraid you have forgotten that Zhang Chonghui is only thirteen years old, and he is still a child, right? A thirteen-year-old child, who grew up in his hometown in Jiangling as a criminal since he was a child. After finally making a trip to Beijing, he still came Come to the house to marry.

A child who left his hometown to marry into his family at the age of thirteen met his grandfather's old friend and invited him to dinner when he came to Beijing for the first time. He went to the most expensive place to eat. Please put yourself in my shoes, if it were you, wouldn’t you go? "

It can be said that Yu Shenxing's words made everyone present stunned for a moment, and everyone finally realized that Zhang Chonghui was only 'thirteen years old' this year.

"But..." One person raised doubts: "Isn't thirteen-year-old a child? I won the exam when I was thirteen."

Yu Shenxing looked at the man and asked: "Is there any conflict between you winning the lottery and someone inviting you to eat at an expensive and high-end place? If you have been poor since you were a child, are you really Can you resist your nobleman’s invitation?”

The man was silent...

Li Shida said displeasedly: "Come on, Master Yu, don't talk about the Zhang family in such a miserable way! Back then, the Holy Spirit rewarded the Zhang family with three thousand acres of land! And you should know from the physique of this boy Zhang Chonghui. To be so tall, he must have good food and housing! How can he be as poor, poor and hard-working as you said? In my opinion, this kid Zhang Chonghui is just spreading..."

"Haha!" Yu Shenxing laughed suddenly, interrupted Li Shida's words forcibly, and said:
  "Although the land that the Holy One awarded to Zhang Taiyue's mother was 3,000 acres, the amount of land that could be cultivated may have been blocked by 'some people', so how much is left? 'Some people' even orphaned and widowed mothers It’s really shameful to have to tamper with all the pension fields!”

"Okay!" Seeing that Yu Shenxing and Li Shida were about to quarrel over some trivial matters, Sun Piyang interrupted again and continued to ask about Zhang Chonghui: "Just keep talking, and then what!"

"Then, then I got on the sedan chair of Shen Shixing." Zhang Chonghui continued to 'remember', and then said:
  "In the end, I was deceived by 'Shen Shixing'. Not only did he not take me to dinner, he also took me to the ruined temple on the outskirts of the city.

After arriving at the ruined temple, 'Shen Shixing' no longer pretended to be nice. He simply changed his face and threatened me with the lives of my family members to help him publish those demonic books and spread them.

In fact, I wanted to reject "Shen Shixing" at that time, but there were dozens of strong men guarding him, and the people who were printing those demonic books in the ruined temple were also very tall men.

I had no choice but to pretend to agree, accepted a large stack of demon books he gave me, and promised him that I would go to the ruined temple to get them again the next day.

By the way, 'Shen Shixing' also inexplicably asked me to steal some of my future father-in-law's calligraphy works for him when I went to the ruined temple the next day. I didn't know what he wanted to do with such things. "

Zhang Chonghui was talking, while Sun Piyang was writing in rapid succession.

The expressions of the other officials who were hearing the trial became more and more complicated as they listened. They felt that this matter was simply ridiculous and nonsense to the extreme.

It is worth mentioning that not many people paid attention to Zhang Chonghui’s casual mention of “calligraphy works”.

"After I returned to the Zhao family with the stack of demon books, I immediately burned the stack of demon books. From that day until I was captured by the Jin Yiwei, I never left the Zhao mansion again."

After Zhang Chonghui finished speaking, Sun Piyang also stopped writing.

Immediately afterwards, Sun Piyang summoned an official and asked him to find out whether Zhang Chonghui had really not left the Zhao mansion since August 24th.

After giving instructions, Sun Piyang looked through the file again and proofread it with his own notes.

This proofreading made Sun Piyang feel even colder, because what Zhang Chonghui just said was indeed the same as the interrogation content in the file.

But the actual situation in reality is completely different from what is described in the dossier!
  At this moment, not only Sun Piyang, but also all the interrogators present could not help but wipe the sweat from their foreheads, and they all speculated on what the emperor was going to do with this incident! ?

Just when everyone was panicking and suspicious, Shen Li suddenly asked: "Zhang Chonghui, if you don't go out, aren't you afraid that 'Shen Shixing' will attack your family in your hometown in Jiangling?"

As soon as he finished speaking, Zhang Chonghui immediately turned to look at the old man with white beard and hair, and asked:

"I'm afraid, but what can I do? Should I go to the government to report to the government? Or should I go to the imperial city to beat the drum and ask the emperor to make the decision?"

As soon as these words came out, Shen Li, who wanted to 'test' Zhang Chonghui, was speechless.

After all, considering Zhang Chonghui's status as a 'descendant of Zhang Juzheng' and a 'descendant of criminal officials', no one would pay attention to the report.

There is no need to think about going to the imperial city to beat the news drum. Let’s not talk about how much His Majesty the Emperor hates the Zhang family. It is just that the current Emperor does not go to court or show up at all.

Even the important ministers in the court could not see His Majesty the Emperor, let alone a guilty minister?

He is still the descendant of Zhang Juzheng, the criminal official who disgusted the emperor!

Even if Zhang Chonghui beat the Dengwen drum to pieces, he might not be able to see a single hair of His Majesty the Emperor!

"This... Sirs, the current situation seems to be inconsistent with the file records produced by the Beizhen Fusi interrogation. Why don't we stop for a while and ask Eunuch Zhang and Mr. Luo for some specific details, or... … Let’s discuss ‘certain’ situations among ourselves first, and then do the interrogation?”

Zhao Zhigao proposed cautiously again. He had tried his best to express his opinions from a position that was not so biased towards Shen Shixing.

After hearing Zhao Zhigao's suggestion to 'suspend the trial', everyone did not immediately object, but fell into deep thought.

After all, everyone knows that at this point, if the investigation continues, it will only be like a headless fly, and nothing useful will be found at all.

At first, everyone thought that by relying on the files provided by Dongchang, going through a process, and then convicting Shen Shixing, the case would be settled.

Unexpectedly, after all the interrogations, such a big accident would come out!
  The only 'dossier' that could provide clues to everyone present, besides not playing any useful role, could easily mislead everyone!

This is good news. Not only has the case become more complicated, but even the minds of the officials investigating the case are also confused!

The final thing is that the person behind this case is most likely His Majesty the Emperor! If this case was really directed by His Majesty the Emperor behind the scenes, what was the Emperor's ultimate goal?
  Li Shida, the censor of Zuodu, who is one of the presiding judges, also believes that this case cannot continue to be tried!
  We have to have a private meeting to discuss it first!
  However, Li Shida, who has always been 'quick-tongued', did not directly take the lead to stop the trial. Instead, he asked Sun Piyang: "Master Sun, what do you think of Mr. Zhao's opinion?"

Sun Piyang pondered for a moment, and finally expressed his voice: "Then let's suspend the trial first."

……

This interrogation had to be stopped as a 'last resort'.

At the same time, something happened that surprised everyone!

Now that the trial has been suspended, it means that the charges of Shen Shixing and Zhang Chonghui have not yet been determined, so these two people are still innocent for now.

Of these two people, one had been locked up at home, and the other was detained in Beizhen Fusi.

Now Shen Shixing can continue to stay at his home, but on Zhang Chonghui's side, there is no Jin Yiwei to 'pick' him back to the imperial prison.

In addition, the Ministry of Punishment has not received any order regarding the arrest or imprisonment of Zhang Chonghui, so this also leads to the fact that Zhang Chonghui is now 'free'!

Everyone just watched Zhang Chonghui swaggering out of the lobby of the Ministry of Justice. During this period, he even greeted and struck up a conversation with several people from the Hanlin Academy.

"No, just let him leave like this?" Li Shida stared at this scene with wide eyes, quite unbelievable but helpless.

"The Ministry of Punishment has not received any order regarding the detention of Zhang Chonghui." Sun Piyang, who is the Minister of the Ministry of Punishment, had no choice but to answer this way.

After all, in the Ming Dynasty, the only ones who could detain people at will without obeying the king's laws were actually the Jinyi Guards.

……

After the trial was suspended, several officials responsible for presiding over the trial and jurors gathered together.

Now that the situation is urgent, it doesn't matter what the opinions are. Even if they don't like each other, they can only pinch their noses and get together to discuss this 'weird' demon book case.

"My lords." Sun Piyang, as the Minister of Punishment, was the first to speak out:

"I believe everyone has discovered that not only are there many doubts about this 'demon book case', but the files reviewed by Dongchang are also full of errors.

At this point, if we still conduct interrogations based on the information in the files, it will only become more and more chaotic.

So, what do you think about this? If you have any opinions, feel free to raise them, after all, this is something we all share! "

Although Sun Piyang is upright and upright, he is not a fool. His last sentence, "After all, this is something we all have in common" is very meaningful.

This is clearly telling everyone: everyone has responsibility, and no one can escape responsibility!

As soon as these words came out, the officials who originally just wanted to "paddle the water" were forced to stand up and express a few indifferent opinions, willingly or unwillingly.

"Well, it's true what Mr. Sun said. The dossier given by Dongchang this time does have a lot of mistakes. I don't know why it is like this. It's really strange."

"Why don't you let Mr. Luo come and check the specific situation with us? Or ask Eunuch Zhang?"

"But the Emperor has ordered that this case be handed over to us. There is not a single word in the imperial edict that mentions the involvement of the Director of Ceremonies, Dongchang, and Jinyiwei..."

"Then what should we do otherwise? Let's just start the investigation from scratch and continue the investigation? Or should we start the investigation from the beginning? Start the investigation from the beginning again?"

"This……"

Everyone expressed their opinions, but they always stopped at the most 'critical' moment.

Obviously, everyone is suspecting that His Majesty the Emperor is the mastermind behind the 'Demon Book Case'. Everyone knows that 'everyone' knows, but no one dares to tell this 'fact' outright.

For a while, everyone was doing Tai Chi and talking 'nonsense'.

Even Yu Shenxing, the only one who 'really' knew who the mastermind behind the scenes was, was involved in this 'Tai Chi' process without a word.

Everyone is pretending, but it won't be a problem if they keep pretending like this.

Finally, someone couldn't help it anymore!
  This person is still Shen Li!

Shen Li said directly: "Masters, please stop talking nonsense. This demon book case involves a lot, not only the country, the concubine, and the cabinet are involved! Now it seems that all of us here are involved. Among them!"

……

Beizhen Fusi.

At this time, the office lobby was filled with papers and documents everywhere, and twenty or thirty guards in uniform were eagerly searching for something.

Luo Sigong, the commander of the Jinyiwei, seemed a little anxious. He was pacing back and forth and would glance outside the lobby door from time to time, as if he was waiting for something.

Finally, Luo Sigong waited for someone to come!
  "Boss!" Chen Yin ran into the lobby.

"How is the trial going with the three judges?" Luo Sigong asked hurriedly.

"Boss, you are really good at predicting things!" Chen Yin gasped and replied: "As you guessed, the Tribunal of Justice has suspended the trial! Those old guys are gathering together for a meeting now!"

Luo Sigong, who received the expected answer, did not feel happy. Instead, he frowned even more tightly. He asked again: "How are the things I asked you to investigate?"

"Everything has been found!" Chen Yin began to talk about the latest information one by one and said:
  "On August 20th, the person the Shen family's housekeeper went to the street to find was probably not Zhang Chonghui. But the food and wine when the Shen family hosted a banquet for Zhang Yunxiu's uncle and nephew that day were ordered from the nearest 'Shiyun Building'.

Due to the sudden ordering and the fact that it was during meal time, Shiyunlou's manpower was temporarily insufficient, so the shopkeeper hired a few men on the street to help pass the dishes.

Since they were hired on a temporary basis, those men could not be found now, but if nothing else happened, Zhang Chonghui should have gotten into the men who were passing the food around, and then quietly entered the Shen Mansion! "

Luo Sigong seemed to have expected this. Without much surprise, he asked again: "What else?"

Seeing Luo Sigong being so calm, Chen Yin couldn't help but admire him from the bottom of his heart, and replied: "Zhang Chonghui did not come to Beijing until August 25th. In addition, he has indeed not been out during the day since August 25th." The door of Zhao Mansion, unless he climbed over the wall at night."

"Really entering Beijing on August 20th?" Luo Sigong finally had an unexpected reaction, but he didn't seem to believe it and said suspiciously:

"How could Zhang Chonghui only enter Beijing on August 20th? It is impossible to make arrangements in such a short time! No! He definitely did not enter Beijing on August 20th! He must have entered Beijing long ago! He has just been hiding all the time That’s all! This matter must be investigated again! It must be investigated again!”

Looking at Luo Sigong talking to himself, Chen Yin didn't know what to say, but he still raised his doubts and asked:
  "Boss, why do we have to keep an eye on Zhang Chonghui to investigate? He is only thirteen years old, how could he be planning the demon book case? Could the mastermind be someone else?"

"Impossible!" Luo Sigong directly denied it, and said very firmly: "The mastermind behind the demon book case is definitely Zhang Chonghui! And only Zhang Chonghui!"

"Okay..." Chen Yin had no choice. As a subordinate, even if he had objections in his heart, he could only do things according to Luo Sigong's wishes.

On second thought, Chen Yin was a little confused again. He took the initiative to ask again: "Boss, hasn't the emperor already handed over the case of the demon book to the Ministry of Punishment and those ministers for trial? Why do we continue? Investigate?"

"Ha, you're thinking too much." Luo Sigong sneered and said with a dazed look:
  "Those ministers can't get anything out of the trial. In the end, this case will have to be thrown back on us. So we must take advantage of this buffer time to find useful clues quickly! In order to take over the demon again After writing the case, the case can be solved directly!"

"Is that so... By the way, boss." Chen Yin seemed to remember something again. He had questions again, and even asked with some anxiety:

"The files we gave to those ministers are full of flaws...the evidence is also incomplete...will they...bring this matter to the emperor...accusing us of not doing things right?"

"Don't worry." Luo Sigong didn't panic at all, just shook his head and said: "They don't have the courage."

Chen Yin was still worried: "What if it happens? Those civil servants are not even afraid of death..."

Luo Sigong sneered and said confidently: "Even if there is, there is no need to be afraid. Eunuch Zhang Cheng is still with us above us!"

With this answer, Chen Yin felt relieved. Just as he was about to leave, Luo Sigong asked him two more questions.

"Where is Zhang Chonghui?" Luo Sigong frowned and asked, "Did anyone send someone to keep an eye on him?"

"Boss, don't worry!" Chen Yin patted his chest and replied confidently:
  "According to your instructions, we let him go free first! As for the people who are secretly watching him! They are all following him! I'm sure they can even know how many times he urinates in a day!"

After receiving this answer, Luo Sigong nodded with satisfaction. With cold eyes, he warned again and said:
  "Be sure to keep an eye on him carefully! Don't lose him! I don't believe how well this kid can hide!"

Luo Sigong firmly believed that as long as he watched closely enough, Zhang Chonghui would definitely reveal his flaws!

(End of this chapter)