my wife is a consul

Chapter 36 Offense and Defense
The opening statement of the prosecution and defense took more than an hour, mainly by Liu Hanxuan, and his opening statement took more than 50 minutes.

Lu Ming only spent ten minutes.

After the opening statement, Cao Guan temporarily adjourned the court for 10 minutes, and then it was time for the prosecution and defense to cross-examine witnesses.

In the outer corridor, a female lawyer wearing a gray skirt uniform stood in front of Lu Ming, "Lawyer Lu, can we talk for a while?"

The female lawyer is Liu Hanxuan's assistant, and of course Lu Ming also found out clearly that Zhang Jingjing, a very outstanding young lawyer with a good family background, is Liu Hanxuan's apprentice and a trainee lawyer who just joined the job this year.

With an oval face and a little charming, she handed over a business card, "Lawyer Lu, when this case is over, you are welcome to join Liu Hanxuan Law Firm, and in the second year, you will be guaranteed to become a junior partner. For specific conditions, we will We can talk about it in detail."

Lu Ming looked at the business card and smiled: "You can make the decision?"

"If you are really interested, my master will talk to you when the case is over." Zhang Jingjing looked at Lu Ming, wondering why her master valued him so much. A rookie lawyer, he will become a junior partner in his second year , which is unique in the history of his firm.

"Okay, I'll think about it!" Lu Ming nodded.

……

The prosecution first called witnesses. The first one was the witness who discovered the body, Du Laifu, the manager of the Jincheng Hotel, and the cousin of the deceased's Second Aunt Li.

It was he who led Li Mingxuan into Second Aunt Li's room, and found Li Mingxuan leaving in a hurry.

It was also the body he found at five in the morning and called the police.

When Liu Hanxuan questioned and guided him to tell the story of the incident, Lu Ming just listened quietly.

When it was his turn to cross-examine the witnesses, he only asked two questions. One was that Du Laifu was sure that he was the first to find the body at 5 a.m.; the second question was whether anyone else found the body with him at that time.

The second witness for the prosecution was Liu Kuang, a forensic doctor. Under the guidance of Liu Hanxuan, he explained the cause of death of the deceased. The skull was severely fractured by a blunt instrument, and the hard brain trauma hematoma caused severe pressure on the brain tissue and caused cerebral herniation. According to the shape of the wound and the The detection of multiple blunt objects at the scene confirmed that the iron flying eagle sculpture found at the scene was the murder weapon.

Lu Ming only asked one question, whether anyone's fingerprints were found on the murder weapon.

Liu Kuang replied, no.

The third witness was the representative of the police who arrested Li Mingxuan. He described the process of arresting Li Mingxuan and the several precious items found from Li Mingxuan. Two of them were treasured by the deceased Mrs. Li for many years.

Lu Ming asked three questions. The first question, did Mr. Li Haoran resist?The second question, does Mr. Li Haoran look like he is about to run away?The third question is where those precious items are placed.

The detectives answered no to the first two questions.

The third question, the police detective recorded very clearly, some of these precious items were in the bed cabinet, some were in the safe, and he answered the exact location of each of them.

After the three witnesses testified, it was past five o'clock. Cao Guan was about to adjourn the court tomorrow, when Lu Ming stood up and said, "Your Honor, I request to summon witnesses. The waiter Wang Xiaocui who works in Jincheng Hotel should use It won't be long, and I hope to finish this case as soon as possible, saving taxpayers' money."

Cao Guan glanced at him, "Is the witness here?"

"It's in the gallery."

Cao Guan nodded: "Witness Wang Xiaocui, enter the witness stand."

After being reminded by Chen Qinghua who was sitting next to her, Xiao Cui suddenly came back to her senses, stood up, and saw that everyone in the court was looking at her, her face turned pale immediately, she lowered her head, and walked onto the witness stand.

Lu Ming looked at her quietly, with an encouraging tone, "Miss Wang Xiaocui, you have already sworn an oath, so you understand the consequences of perjury in court, right?"

Xiaocui didn't dare to look up, but just gave a soft "hmm".

"Tell me about your job first."

Xiao Cui said timidly: "I, I am a waiter at Jincheng Hotel, and I have worked there for more than a year."

"What is your relationship with the victim, Ms. Li Xiaoyan?"

"I, because Mrs. Li often goes to the hotel and likes the coffee I make, so Manager Du usually asks me to serve the second wife."

"Ms. Li Xiaoyan, do you often go to your hotel?"

"Yes, it is."

"Golden City Hotel, the conditions are very simple, Ms. Li Xiaoyan, who goes out of high society, why do you like to go there?"

"I, I don't know."

"Is it because Manager Du Laifu is Ms. Li Xiaoyan's cousin, and Jincheng Hotel is very remote, so Ms. Li Xiaoyan can do some things in Jincheng Hotel that she doesn't want to be known by others?"

"No, speculative inducement questions!" Liu Hanxuan raised his hand casually, dealing with these tricks, he was familiar with it, and the basic conditioned reflex was normal.

"The objection is valid, and witnesses do not need to answer!" Cao Guan nodded.

"April 25 after eight o'clock in the evening, which is the day when this case happened, what happened?"

Xiaocui's face turned even paler, and she looked down at the witness table, "That day, that day, the second wife came to the Jincheng Hotel again, and it was brought by Brother Li and the others. Then, then, the second wife gave me something , let me go to Fourth Brother Li, tell Fourth Brother Li to go to her room..."

"Brother Li, what's your full name?"

"Yes, it's Li Haoran..."

"It's Li Haoran in the dock, right?"

"Yes……"

Lu Ming raised his voice slightly: "Ms. Li Xiaoyan, what is the matter that I asked you to hand over to Mr. Li Haoran?"

Xiaocui hesitated, looked down at the table, and said nothing.

Lu Ming looked at her, "Miss Wang, this is a murder case, so I hope you can tell the truth, otherwise, you will be restless for the rest of your life."

Xiao Cui gritted her teeth, "Yes, yes, the second wife gave me a pair of underwear..."

In the auditorium, people immediately whispered to each other.

Liu Hanhuang frowned, but did not respond.

"Miss Wang, please say it again, whose underwear are these?"

"Yes, it's the second wife's underwear. She, she took it off and gave it to me, asking me to hand it over to Brother Li..."

The auditorium and jury seats were all in an uproar.

Even Wang Daan was stunned, looking at Li Mingxuan to the side.

On the prosecution seat, Zhang Jingjing glanced at the master, her face was slightly hot.

"So, did you give the underwear to Mr. Li Haoran?" Lu Ming asked.

"No, no... I, I lost it..." Xiao Cui lowered her head even lower, "I, I would be fine if I gave it to Fourth Brother Li, maybe, just, this kind of thing wouldn't happen..." As she spoke, she gradually sobbed.

Lu Ming turned around, "According to the witnesses, we can clearly know that Ms. Li Xiaoyan is willing to date Mr. Li Haoran. If she wants to, Mr. Li Haoran doesn't have to rape or kill anyone at all."

When Lu Ming returned to the defense stand, Liu Hanhuang slowly stood up and walked to the witness stand.

"Miss Wang, please raise your head to answer the question." Liu Hanxuan's tone was very gentle, but his eyes were extremely sharp.

The jurors, unable to see his eyes, could only hear his gentle voice.

Xiaocui raised her head slowly, then quickly lowered her head in fright under his gaze.

"You're lying, so you don't even have the courage to look up, right?" Liu Hanxuan asked with a sigh.

"No, against the prosecution's groundless speculation!" Lu Ming raised his hand.

Cao Guan nodded: "The objection is valid."

"You really like the Fourth Brother Li you mentioned, that is, the defendant Li Haoran, don't you?" Liu Hanxuan asked suddenly.

Xiaocui froze, stammering, "I, I..."

"So, you lied and slandered the victim in order to help Li Haoran get rid of the crime, right?"

"I didn't, I didn't..." Xiao Cui shook her head, crying.

Lu Ming stood up, but Cao Guan waved his hand, indicating that there is no need to object, and the objection will be dismissed.

"Then tell us, do you like Li Haoran? I want to remind you that if you lie on the witness stand, you are guilty!"

Xiaocui just shook her head and didn't speak.

Lu Ming rubbed his nose. This Liu Hanxuan was indeed not an ordinary person. Xiaocui's tone of address to Li Mingxuan gave rise to some guesses, and now, it is even more confirmed.

"Your court, I have no problem!" Liu Hanxuan bowed slightly.

Clearly, questioning a frightened bunny witness won't earn jury impression points.

And now it's just right, it looks like this girl really lied in court for love.

Lu Ming stood up at this time and walked to the witness stand, "Miss Wang Xiaocui, why do you like Li Haoran?"

Xiao Cui was stunned, and looked up at Lu Ming.

Lu Ming continued to ask: "Before his face was injured, he was very handsome, right?"

Xiaocui hesitated for a moment, then nodded slightly.

"Please answer yes or no."

"Yes, yes..." Xiaocui quickly lowered her head when she caught a glimpse of Li Mingxuan from the defendant's seat looking over.

Lu Ming nodded, "So, when Ms. Li Xiaoyan handed over her panties to you and asked you to hand them over to Mr. Li Haoran, you were very jealous, right?"

Xiaocui lowered her head and muttered, "Yeah, no, I, I don't know what I was thinking at the time, just, I just didn't want to, I didn't want to hand over... to Fourth Brother Li..."

Biting her lip, she secretly looked at Li Mingxuan again, but immediately looked away in a panic.

Lu Ming nodded and walked back to his seat.

Zhang Jingjing looked at her master sitting still for a long time, and felt horrified. It was the first time she saw her master hesitate in court.

But that rookie lawyer is really good. Originally, Master discovered that there may be an emotional component between the witness and the defendant, so the possibility of lying is very high.

But I didn't want to be led by the rookie lawyer to become the handsome and handsome defendant before. In this way, if the second wife of the victim Li seduces him, it is not impossible. A young girl can have a handsome guy in reverie. What's impossible for a boudoir woman to be tempted?

In particular, when the rookie lawyer questioned her, the little girl's reaction was so natural, shy, embarrassed, etc., obviously not pretending.

Before each of his own witnesses goes to court, Master will rehearse countless times in the moot court with his own witnesses.

Every sentence, every answer, strives to keep every detail perfect.

Even though the master didn't pay much attention to the case at first, he just read the dossier hastily, but he still rehearsed with the witnesses for their statements.

I have always admired that under the prestige, my master is still serious about such a small case where he is fighting against a rookie lawyer.

But today, everything seems to have changed. If a witness who does not need any preparations is telling the truth, maybe it will be better if he is put directly on the witness stand?
Because her real reaction and emotional expression are more convincing.

At least, I now trust this little girl very much.

"Your Honor, I have no questions to ask." Liu Hanxuan finally stood up.

Zhang Jingjing opened her mouth wide. There is no doubt that Master has conceded defeat in this round of offense and defense.

At this time, on the judge's bench, Cao Guan picked up the gavel and slammed it, "Adjourn the court, continue at [-] o'clock tomorrow afternoon!"

(End of this chapter)