Great Song Super Scholar

Chapter 189

Pang Ji cheered up and said quickly, "Can you be more specific?"

Fan Ning recounted what happened yesterday morning, only concealing the fact that Su Liang was arrested, and said that he got separated.

Fan Ning finally said: "You can look at the list. Cheng Ze on the list is my friend. This matter is very simple. You can find him to verify and you will know the cause and effect."

Zhang Yaozuo sneered, "Of course your friends will cover for you. Do you think everyone is a fool, and after hearing a few words from you, you believe your words?"

Song Ting also said: "Generally speaking, relatives and friends are not suitable to be witnesses. This is a common practice. Fan Ning, if you want to prove your innocence, you'd better find a third-party witness."

"Since that's the case, then go to the young man in blue from the brothel. He is the one who asked me to redeem me. He can fully prove what I did in the brothel?"

Zhang Yaozuo quickly gave Liu Jin a wink, Liu Jin understood, stepped forward and said: "I'm a low-ranking official, so go and find him."

Pang Ji nodded, "Go! Go and come back quickly."

Liu Jin hurried there with a few yamen servants, Zhang Yaozuo and Song You were a little tired, so they went to the inner hall to rest for a while, and Pang Ji asked someone to bring a chair for Fan Ning to sit on.

Fan Ning couldn't help asking Pang Ji, "Just because of such a trivial matter, the grand master and Xiangguo were alarmed. The students really can't understand."

Pang Ji said lightly: "Because this incident alarmed the emperor, you'd better not be involved in prostitution, otherwise no one can protect you."

Fan Ning has already realized that Zhang Yaozuo is determined to take advantage of this incident to bring him down. This Liu Jin is the young governor of Kaifeng Mansion, and he is probably Zhang Yaozuo's confidant.

After pondering for a while, Fan Ning felt that it was better to be more cautious, so he said to Pang Ji: "I still have a witness, please ask Grand Master Pang to send his own people to invite it, and don't let people from Kaifeng Mansion and the Ministry of Rites go, I can't trust these people. "

Pang Ji said happily: "Yes, I can send my confidants to invite you."

Fan Ning took out a note from his pocket and handed it to Pang Ji, "This is the address, please ask the grand master to arrange for someone to come over."

"I'll arrange someone right now!"

Pang Ji hurried down with the note.

About half an hour later, with the beating of a drum, Liu Jin had already brought the people there.

The three important ministers returned to the hall again, and Liu Jin stepped forward to salute, "I have reported to Grand Master Pang, to Xiangguo, and to the head of the country. The witnesses mentioned by Fan Ning have been brought to the humble position."

A yamen servant yelled, "Bring your certificate!"

After a while, a [-]-year-old boy in Tsing Yi was brought up. Although he was very handsome, his expression and behavior were very wretched.

Fan Ning recognized at a glance that this boy was the brothel boy who went to redeem himself and Su Liang yesterday.

The young boy in Tsing Yi fell to his knees as soon as he entered the hall, lowered his head and dared not speak.

Pang Ji pointed at the young man and asked Fan Ning, "Is it this boy?"

Fanning nodded, "It's this person!"

Pang Ji then asked, "What's your name and what do you do for a living?"

The young man in Tsing Yi tremblingly said: "The villain's name is Zhang Xiu, and he is the young man in charge of running errands in the Baifeng Pavilion."

"Then let me ask you, did you come to ask this petty official to redeem him from a brothel yesterday morning?"

The young man in Tsing Yi glanced at Fan Ning, and said timidly: "The villain didn't go anywhere yesterday, he was in the White Phoenix Hall all the time."

"Bang!" Zhang Yaozuo slapped the table and said sharply, "Fan Ning, you lied to your face, what else do you have to say?"

Song You also sighed, "It's normal for young people to be romantic, but being dishonest is a moral issue, Fan Ning, you shouldn't lie to your face."

Fan Ning shook his head and said, "I'm not going to excuse myself for something that doesn't exist at all! I don't know what happened halfway, let alone why this boy dared not admit it. Did he receive any threats?"

Liu Jin was suddenly unhappy and said, "Fan Ning, what do you mean by that? Could it be that I threatened him halfway?"

"Liu Shaoyin should know it in his own mind."

Zhang Yaozuo said angrily: "No one can prove your innocence, but someone accuses you of whoring in a brothel, we gave you a chance, but you can't explain yourself, and now you still attack court officials, do you think you can be unscrupulous just because you are a judge?
Let me tell you, this time you are not only disqualified from the imperial examination, but also banned from participating in the imperial examination for life. "

At this time, an attendant whispered something in Pang Ji's ear, and Pang Ji waved his hand and said, "Don't get excited, the king, Fan Ning still has a witness, let's hear what he has to say?"

Zhang Yaozuo was stunned, "Is there any witnesses, why don't I know?"

Pang Ji said coldly: "Because the emperor entrusted me to preside over this matter, it has nothing to do with the head of the country, so the head of the country doesn't need to know."

Zhang Yaozuo was speechless for a moment, he glanced at Song Tiao again, Song Tick hurriedly said: "I just found out, since Fan Ning still has witnesses, I think it's okay to hear about it."

Song Xi is old and cunning. Although he is partial to Zhang Yaozuo, he will never involve himself in it.

He had already discovered that Pang Ji's initiative to ask for the trial of the case may have other meanings. Before he understands Pang Ji's real purpose, it is better for him to leave room.

Soon, an old man was brought in. He bowed and saluted, "Little brother Wei Qing, see you high officials!"

Pang Ji asked him, "Where are you from and what do you do for a living?"

Wei Qing bowed and said, "My little brother is a native of the capital. I live in Liulin Village outside the west city. My little brother chops firewood and sells salary, and sells charcoal in winter. Everyone in the west city knows me."

Song Tiao smiled at Pang Ji: "I also know this old man, I even bought his charcoal at my house a few days ago."

"Then do you know this little official?" Pang Ji pointed to Fan Ning behind him.

Wei Qing turned around and saw Fan Ning, and was startled, "Why is this little official here?"

Fan Ning smiled wryly, "I don't want to be here either, but someone forced me to accuse me, so I ask my husband to testify for me, where was I yesterday morning?"

"Wait a minute!"

Zhang Yaozuo sternly said, "How do you prove that this old man is not Fan Ning's relative?"

Wei Qing shook his head, "I have only one son, who died of illness three years ago, and now it's just me and my wife with our grandson. Everyone knows that we have no relatives, and the government has records, so you can check."

Song Tiao said to Zhang Yaozuo: "Fan Ning is from Pingjiang Prefecture, this old man is a native of the capital, the head of the state, I think the two should have nothing to do with each other."

Pang Ji ignored Zhang Yaozuo and continued to ask Wei Qing, "Master Wei, how did you know Xiaoguan Fan?"

"Reporting to you, the little old man was selling charcoal yesterday morning, but he passed out from the cold. If Xiaoguan Fan hadn't saved me, I would have died of freezing."

"When did Fanning save you yesterday morning?"

"Just after dawn, I fainted at their door."

Pang Ji slapped the table and asked Xu Ji who was sitting on the other side sharply, "You said you saw Fan Ning enter the brothel the night before yesterday, but he was clearly at your home yesterday morning. Someone gave Fan Ning proof, and who will prove what you said? it is true?"

Xu Ji was flustered, and stammered, "I...I didn't lie, I saw it with my own eyes."

"Hmph! I'll interrogate you later."

Pang Ji asked the servant again, "Just now I sent someone to inquire, and yesterday morning the procuress of the brothel did send you out to find someone to redeem the client. Why did you lie and say that you have been in the brothel and never went out?"

The boy was tongue-tied and speechless. Pang Ji shouted, "Come on! Pull him down and beat him with fifty sticks to see if he tells the truth."

The boy burst into tears in fright, "I say! I'm telling the truth!"

He pointed at Liu Jin, "It was this official who threatened me on the way, forbidding me to tell the truth, otherwise he would kill me!"

Pang Ji's face darkened, and he looked at Liu Jin coldly, "Liu Shaoyin, are you going to explain to me, or to the emperor?"

Liu Jin's face changed drastically, and he pointed at the servant and yelled, "You dare to spout blood, I will kill you!"

Pang Ji untied the Shangfang Tianzi Sword from his waist, put it on the table, and shouted: "Shangfang Tianzi Sword is here, come here, come and take Liu Jin down for me!"

Several guards rushed up and pushed Liu Jin to the ground. Liu Jin struggled desperately and shouted: "It's just a trivial matter, why are you arresting me?"

The guards ignored him and tied him up firmly.

Zhang Yaozuo stood up in shock, "Master Pang, what are you doing?"

Pang Ji looked at him with a half-smile, "Master, what do you think?"

"you--"

Zhang Yaozuo suddenly understood, he nodded, "Pang Ji, you are so smart, do you also want to take this opportunity to remove me from office?"

"You are the head of the country, of course I have to take the official's face into account, but you can explain to the official yourself!"

Zhang Yaozuo snorted heavily, "I'm just a bystander, this case has nothing to do with me!"

After speaking, he turned around and walked away.

Pang Ji ignored him, and continued to ask the boy in Tsing Yi, "I'll give you one last chance, do you know Fan Xiaoguan?"

Seeing that Liu Jin had been arrested, the young man in Tsing Yi nodded, "This friend of Xiaoguan Fan has no money to pay for whoring, and the villain was ordered by the old bustard to go to the brothel for Xiaoguan Fan yesterday morning." Redemption, the villain can testify!"

Pang Jiling said: "Give the two witnesses a warrant!"

A scribe stepped forward and asked the boy in Tsing Yi and the old man Wei Qing to press their fingerprints.

Then Pang Ji smiled and said to Fan Ning: "Facts have proved that you are innocent, you can go back!"

Fan Ning bowed and said: "Student has something else to report to Grand Master and Xiangguo!"

Pang Ji and Song Itching looked at each other, and Pang Ji asked, "What else do you need?"

Fan Ning turned his head and pointed at Xu Ji, "This little official Xu and I are classmates of Wu County Yanying School. Three years ago, he also participated in the Wu County Boys' Selection Competition, but failed. Later, he moved his household registration to Xuanzhou to participate in Xuanzhou. I heard that he failed again in the selection of boys in Xuancheng County at the beginning of the year, and only got No.17.

But I don't understand, why did he become a Chizhou Juren again? "

Xu Ji's face turned pale, and what he feared most finally came out.

His legs gave way, and he was so frightened that he sat paralyzed in the lobby. He knew very well in his heart that not only Xu Ji would be in trouble, but his second uncle, the governor of Chizhou, would also be implicated.

Pang Ji stared at Xu Ji sharply, "Xu Ji, could it be that you cheated on the test?"

Fan Ning said coldly: "As far as I know, his uncle is the governor of Chizhou. I'm afraid his uncle knows this matter best!"

(End of this chapter)