Touring the Ming Dynasty

Brothers Zhou Deng and Zhou An are from Suzhou. One day in early autumn three years ago, the Zhou family suddenly screamed. His body was covered in blood, and he held a sharp dagger in his hand. At that time, Zhou Deng hadn't died yet. He pointed at Zhou An and said, "Zhou An kill me..." Then he died.

The case is as simple as that. I am completely sorry for the pile of files that are one foot high, and even more sorry for the judicial resources that have been spent on this case in the past three years. However, it is such a case with conclusive evidence and flawless witnesses and physical evidence that has dragged on. In three years, the sentence for the murderer has also been upgraded from hanging to beheading. If there is no accident in the final interrogation this time, Zhou An will be cut into pieces. According to normal calculations, the real murderer would not be so stupid .

Searching through a stack of files, Duan Fei couldn't find any clues that would be beneficial to Zhou An. It seems that this murderer is really different, and he has to ask for trouble.

Duan Fei made preparations early in the morning of the next day, and brought his master Su Rong and his followers Shi Bin, Hong Bang, Guo Wei, and Jiang Jun to Yingtian's Ministry of Officials under the escort of the officials from the Metropolitan Procuratorate. yamen.

Nowadays, there are very few officials in Yingtian who don't know Duan Fei's name. The yamen servants of the official department heard that it was Mr. Duan Fei, the imperial envoy of the Metropolitan Procuratorate, who arrived, and hurriedly led them in, and arranged tea and rest in the flower hall. , and then fly a report inside.

Qian Rujing, the new Minister of Criminal Justice in Nanjing, soon came out to accompany him, and Lin Xiyuan, the judge of Dali Temple in Nanjing, also came soon—this is just an irrelevant iron case, and a judge from the eighth grade is enough. It is said that the Metropolitan Procuratorate sent Duan Fei, a sudden celebrity, to try the case. He was worried that he would be ignorant of bad things, so he went to the court himself.

The three of them walked into the courtroom one by one. Qian Rujing, Minister of the Ministry of Criminal Justice, was the leader. Duan Fei's official position was far higher than Lin Xiyuan's, so he was on the left side. The yamen servants lined up in two rows, and few people who came to watch the trial stood at the bottom of the hall.

Qian Rujing patted the gavel, and everyone in the hall fell silent immediately. Qian Rujing shouted: "Ascension to the hall, the successor offends Zhou An!"

Two yamen servants dragged Zhou An with disheveled hair to the court. He was imprisoned for more than two years.

"My lord, bring the criminal Zhou An here." After the yamen servant reported, he threw Zhou An to the ground and knelt, and then stepped aside.

Qian Rujing shouted: "Zhou An, today's joint trial between the three divisions is your last chance. What else do you have to say?"

Zhou An's expression changed, as if he had been awakened suddenly, he took two steps forward and shouted: "My lord, the villain is wronged, the villain didn't kill anyone, I didn't kill my brother, I didn't kill my brother... ..."

After Zhou An yelled a few words, he burst into tears, and Qian Rujing said patiently: "You said you didn't kill anyone, then you will tell the details of what happened one by one, and the officer and the two adults will make a judgment."

Zhou An seemed to have some mental problems. Qian Rujing said it twice before he said in horror: "That day... I was playing with Xiao Lang in the front yard, and suddenly I heard my brother screaming twice in the back yard. I hurried in to look, and saw my brother lying on the ground with his arms around his chest. The ground was covered with blood, and the blood kept coming out of his chest. I rushed over to hug him, and my brother handed me a blood-stained knife. I took it and reported it to the police, saying it was a murder weapon. I yelled anxiously, and then my sister-in-law and neighbors rushed over, but my brother grabbed my skirt and said that I was the murderer. I was arrested and put in prison, my lord, I really didn't kill anyone, my lord..."

Qian Rujing glanced at Duan Fei and Lin Xiyuan. Seeing that they did not express anything, he looked at Zhou An and asked, "You mean that your brother framed you? What kind of enmity do you have with your brother that he would not hesitate to self-mutilate to frame you?" you?"

Zhou An replied: "No, the villain and my brother have never had any enmity, otherwise I would have lived in my brother's house forever? I don't know why my brother framed me, maybe he mistook me for the murderer before dying."

Qian Rujing questioned: "It's not impossible, but...he didn't say you were the murderer when he grabbed you, he said 'Zhou An kill me', it seems impossible to say wrong?"

"The villain...the villain really doesn't know." Zhou An said in panic, "My lord, the villain really didn't kill anyone."

The case has dragged on for three years, and Zhou An can't say anything new anymore, and Qian Rujing is just a routine matter. It's just time.

"Master Duan, Master Lin, do you have any questions?" Qian Rujing looked towards Duan Fei and Lin Xiyuan.

Lin Xiyuan thought for a while, then shook his head. This case has been delayed for a long time, and it was filed in Suzhou. It will not be a short while before other witnesses are summoned, and it seems completely unnecessary.

Seeing that the two adults had nothing to ask, Duan Fei suddenly asked, "Zhou An, do you have an enemy? An enemy who wants to kill you?"

Zhou An said in a daze, "Enemies? The villain has been well-educated since he was a child, and he has never had any grudges with others."

Duan Fei asked again: "Then, before the case, did you ever quarrel with people? For example, blocking other people's money, robbing other people's women, or drinking and fighting, etc. Many times you don't know that you have offended others, but in reality Others already hate you to the bone, think about it before answering me."

Zhou An frowned and thought hard, and still shook his head after a long time, Duan Fei asked persistently: "Then does your brother have any enemies? Is there harmony between your brother and his wife? Did your brother react differently before the accident? Such as anxiety, restlessness, beating and scolding servants easily?"

Zhou An's expression changed, he seemed to have thought of something, and exclaimed in surprise and joy: "Yes, a month or two before the accident, my brother changed, he often stayed out all night, his expression became more and more anxious, and he even scolded me for small things. Sister-in-law, my lord, my lord must make the decision for me, clear my grievances!"

Zhou An kowtowed to Duan Fei repeatedly, Duan Fei glanced at Qian Rujing and Lin Xiyuan, they nodded, Duan Fei turned his gaze back to Zhou An, and said: "Zhou An, your statement said that your sister-in-law was in the neighborhood when the accident happened. She heard the screams and came back at the same time as her neighbor, did she often go to the neighbor's house before?"

Zhou An recalled and said: "No, my sister-in-law is virtuous and virtuous, and she seldom takes a step out of the house. On that day... on that day, my sister-in-law was teasing Xiao Lang, and my brother asked her to borrow something from the neighbor Aunt Zhang." Things, my sister-in-law didn't want to go at first, but then my brother lost his temper, and she left Xiao Lang to me before going, and then something happened not long after."

Duan Fei asked: "Who do you and your brother associate with on a daily basis? Did anyone know his whereabouts before the accident?"

Zhou An shook his head and said: "I go to the school every day to read about the people my brother usually associates with. I think they are all businessmen. Before my father died, I was handed over to my brother. He asked us brothers to do business and study alone. I only hope that I will be successful in my studies. Becoming an official is a good thing, but I didn't expect..."

"I think you are stupid in reading..." Duan Fei cursed inwardly, he thought for a while, and continued to ask: "What happened on the day of the case? Think about it carefully, did your brother go out that day?" ? Or have any guests been to the house?"

Zhou An hadn't answered yet, and the people below were not happy about it. Since Duan Fei asked the case, their noise became louder and louder. At this time, someone finally couldn't help but shouted: "My lord, what is this questioning?" , you are obviously chatting with him about family affairs, there are all witnesses and material evidence, the murderer is Zhou An, what else is there to ask? This kind of murdering a brother and a traitor, you can't get rid of your hatred if you don't cut him to pieces!"