Chapter 5371
Chapter 5371
Yuwen Jie's mind raced, and he guessed at the details of the matter, so he was unwilling to take the risk of getting involved.
After a moment's hesitation, he said with difficulty, "It is not that I am trying to evade or shirk responsibility, but this case involves members of the imperial family, is related to the academy, and is even more so to soldiers of the 'Shenji Battalion' that guards the Eastern Palace... Chang'an County is not qualified to handle this case. However, I can report this case to the Court of Judicial Review. What does Censor Wei think?"
Although Wei Renyue was upright, honest, and incorruptible, he was not a stubborn fool. He understood some social etiquette and, seeing Yuwen Jie's troubled expression and his intention to refuse, immediately nodded: "Then let's go to the Dali Temple! The sky is bright and the law is clear; there's always a place to reason with them!"
Yuwen Jie, fearing that Wei Renyue would continue to cause trouble, breathed a sigh of relief upon hearing this and said with a smile, "Very well, I will immediately issue the documents to transfer this case to the Court of Judicial Review!"
The magistrate in the court was relieved. What he feared most was that Chang'an County would make a hasty decision under pressure from the censor. After all, how could a county magistrate stand up to the censor? A single impeachment document would be enough to dismiss him from office and exile him to another place!
On the contrary, the higher the level of government office he goes to, the greater his chances of success.
Dai Zhou, the Minister of the Court of Judicial Review, had a close relationship with Fang Jun and had taken good care of the academy. In addition, there was the influence of his parents at home, so even if he was convicted, it would be under control...
Holding the case transfer document issued by Chang'an County, Wei Renyue asked Yuwen Jie for several people to carry the corpse into the imperial city and head to the Dali Temple.
Such a ostentatious display in the city, attracting large crowds, had already caused a sensation throughout the city.
After Wei Renyue escorted Zhi Shi Shaode and carried the old woman's body away, Yuwen Jie quickly sent his servants to the Liang State Duke's Mansion to inform Fang Jun.
Whether it was the students of the academy, the rotation of the "Divine Machine Battalion," or even the old woman whose cause of death was unclear... Yuwen Jie vaguely felt that the ultimate finger was pointed at the Eastern Palace.
……
As Wei Renyue and his entourage emerged from the county government office, more and more onlookers gathered after hearing the news, in addition to their entourage. Chinese people have always loved to join in the fun, and by the time they reached Shunyi Gate, there were already hundreds of people in a grand procession, attracting everyone's attention wherever they went.
Since commoners were not allowed to enter the imperial city without cause, these people lingered outside Shunyi Gate and made a fuss.
"We stand in solidarity with Censor Wei, and we earnestly hope that he will uphold justice and enforce the law impartially!"
"If the Court of Judicial Review favors the powerful and wealthy, we will storm Shunyi Gate and go to Chengtian Gate to plead our case and appeal to the Emperor!"
Wei Renyue stood at the door, bowing deeply to express his gratitude.
They then ordered the city gates to be opened, and the group filed into Shunyi Gate. After entering, they turned right and arrived at Dali Temple.
The officials of the Court of Judicial Review had already heard the commotion when Wei Renyue came out of the Chang'an County government office. They hurriedly reported back that Dai Zhou was now old and rarely came to the government office unless there was something important to do. The one who usually managed affairs was Dong Xiong, the Minister of the Court of Judicial Review. Upon hearing the matter, they felt quite troubled, so they called Di Renjie, the Vice Minister of the Court of Judicial Review, to them: "You shall take charge of this matter. Young people will grow faster if they experience more things."
After saying that, he felt that he had been too "bullying" by throwing a hot potato to a child, so he added: "This matter seems simple, but it is actually very complicated. We must carefully examine it and handle it with caution. We do not seek merit, but only to avoid mistakes."
Di Renjie asked in surprise, "It's just a case of an old woman's death, and there are many witnesses. We can find out the truth with a little investigation. Why be so cautious?"
Dong Xiong was quite fond of this clever, quick-witted, and hardworking young man. He patiently explained, "As you said, the incident occurred outside the West Market, and there were many witnesses. It should have been a very simple case. However, the witnesses' accounts are highly inconsistent and contradictory. There must be a reason for this. Moreover, Wei Renyue is an investigating censor, whose rank in the Censorate is only below the Grand Censor and the Vice Censor-in-Chief. It is quite remarkable that such a high-ranking official happened to be passing by the scene... We criminal investigators should never believe in coincidences. Behind every coincidence, there may be a conspiracy or scheme."
Di Renjie pondered for a moment: "Then what should I do?"
Dong Xiong said, "Anything is fine, just don't jump to conclusions."
Di Renjie understood immediately and nodded emphatically: "This humble official understands!"
Dong Xiong stroked his beard and smiled: "You are a promising young man! Remember one more thing: although the Dali Temple is the place where cases are adjudicated, and every case must be decided clearly and thoroughly... the Dali Temple is also a government office, and we are all within the officialdom."
Cases can be judged as right or wrong, but in officialdom, things are never simply black and white.
Di Renjie understood immediately and bowed deeply, saying, "I humbly accept your instruction!"
Dong Xiong smiled and patted the young man on the shoulder, speaking earnestly: "Although you are young, you are thoughtful, intelligent, and naturally suited for the art of criminal law. But because of this, you are inevitably proud and have a high opinion of yourself. There is nothing wrong with that, but if you want to go far, you must remember the word 'humility.' As long as you do this, we will definitely protect you, and the Dali Temple will be waiting for you to take charge sooner or later."
No one is a saint without desires. In officialdom, no matter how powerful or influential one is, one must always cultivate a loyal successor as a legacy, not only to inherit one's political ideals but also to protect one's descendants in the future.
Not long after Di Renjie arrived at the Dali Temple, he was favored by Dai Zhou and others, who cultivated him vigorously and placed high hopes on him.
It was Dai Zhou and his chosen successor.
Di Renjie was moved, but also felt a little strange.
The lesson Dong Xiong taught him today was not about how to judge and adjudicate cases, but about how to shirk responsibility in officialdom...
……
In the main hall, Wei Renyue looked at the baby-faced Dali Temple official sitting above him, somewhat bewildered.
Zhi Shi Shaode was overjoyed, suppressing the urge to step forward and pay his respects to his "senior"...
Di Renjie sat upright, his expression solemn. He glanced around and began, "I am Di Renjie, Vice Minister of the Court of Judicial Review. Today, the Minister of Justice is ill at home, and the Vice Minister is away on official business. I will be handling this case... This censor seems to have some prejudice against me. Does he think I am young and inexperienced? Then please go back first. You can come back when the Minister and Vice Minister are both in the court. Court adjourned..."
"and many more!"
Wei Renyue quickly called out, stopping the baby-faced temple official from leaving the court without saying a word...
"As a court official appointed by the imperial court, even if he is young, he should have a profound understanding of criminal law. I am here today because a murder case has occurred outside the West Market Gate. I filed a complaint with Chang'an County, but Chang'an County said that it would not accept the case because it involved members of the imperial family. Therefore, I have come to the Dali Temple."
He then presented the transfer document issued by Chang'an County and explained the details of the case.
Unexpectedly, Di Renjie frowned as he flipped through the documents, looking them over from left to right. Finally, he said, "Oh dear, Your Excellency, you are unaware that I am also a graduate of Zhenguan Academy and have a classmate relationship with this suspect. According to the laws of the Tang Dynasty, I should recuse myself from this case! Therefore, I will accept this case, but the trial will have to wait until the Minister of the Court of Imperial Sacrifices arrives at his office. What does Your Excellency think?"
Zhi Shi Shaode's eyes lit up. As expected of the outstanding student who was famous in the academy and favored by the Grand Commandant!
This case, at its core, is just the death of an old woman; the monetary compensation should suffice. The biggest fear is that the censor will seize on it and portray the manslaughter as a deliberate act of arbitrarily setting the horse on the run. However, if the case is shelved, the family will have ample time to maneuver and a great deal of room for maneuver.
Anyone would be afraid that Di Renjie would protect his junior, right?
Unexpectedly, upon hearing this background, Wei Renyue shook his head, his expression resolute: "The number of students graduating from Zhenguan Academy each year exceeds one hundred, filling various government offices. If we avoid them simply because they are 'classmates,' in ten or twenty years, I fear that everyone in the court will avoid them and avoid suspicion in everything they do, and the court will stagnate. Although my Minister of the Temple is not yet twenty, he has a clear and upright appearance and a dignified demeanor. He is not a corrupt and lawless person. As long as he is fair, what is there to fear from others?"
Di Renjie resisted the urge to scratch his head, unsure whether to feel annoyed or pleased. He was annoyed that it wasn't so easy to shirk responsibility, but pleased that this censor, known for his integrity, had such a high opinion of him...
But he knew this was a lesson Dong Xiong was teaching him, and he had to get rid of the case.
He then said in a deep voice, "I am unworthy of Imperial Censor Wei's evaluation."
He looked at Zhishi Shaode and asked, "Does the document state that you are entering the city to relieve the Eastern Palace?"
Zhi Shi Shaode respectfully replied, "That's right! The 'Shenji Battalion' guards the Eastern Palace, and its members are students from the academy who take turns serving, rotating every two months."
Di Renjie nodded, looked at Wei Renyue, and said with difficulty, "This case not only involves members of the imperial family, but also the Crown Prince's Palace. The Court of Judicial Review has no right or responsibility to handle it privately. I will accept this case, but it needs to be tried together with the Court of Imperial Clan Affairs."
Wei Renyue was dissatisfied: "It's just a case of an old woman dying from being galloped away by a horse. It's simple to find out whether the old woman was run into by the horse and died, or whether Zhishi Shaode trampled her to death with his horse. What does this have to do with Zhishi Shaode's background?"
Di Renjie smiled sincerely and spoke gently: "Imperial Censor Wei is mistaken. Both are violations of the law, but the punishment for commoners is different from that for the powerful and noble, and the punishment for the powerful and noble is different from that for members of the imperial family. However, if we cannot determine the identity of Zhi Shi Shaode, how can we make an accurate judgment?"
Wei Renyue angrily said, "The old woman who was trampled to death was a widow. Now that she is dead, does she have to wait until the case is concluded and a verdict is reached before she can be buried?"
Di Renjie's expression turned serious, and he said solemnly, "Beyond the law, there is also human compassion!"
He looked at Zhi Shi Shaode: "Although this case cannot be determined for the time being, it is certain that the old woman died because of you. I now order you to take out money and silk to compensate her and to bury her properly. Do you have any objections?"
Zhi Shi Shaode quickly said, "My dissatisfaction lies in the fact that I did not intentionally trample the old woman to death with my horse, and it is by no means an attempt to deny or refuse compensation. Please rest assured, Minister of the Temple, I will immediately order my family to prepare a fine coffin for her and select a burial site for her. No matter how this case is judged, I will not care about compensation."
"Excellent! As expected of a student of the academy, you are deeply righteous and benevolent!"
Di Renjie gave a thumbs-up and looked at Wei Renyue: "What does the Imperial Censor think?"
Wei Renyue nodded, having no choice but to give up: "Please transfer this case to the Court of Imperial Clan Affairs as soon as possible. This censor will supervise the entire process!"
After saying that, he turned around and left.
Di Renjie, with a solemn expression, asked Zhi Shi Shaode, who remained in the hall, "Tell me the detailed process of this matter."
