flstandardbreds Chapter 152 A Minor Victory
Chapter 152 A Minor Victory
At this moment, Song Zhongwen was completely disoriented, his eyes darting nervously between Fang Mingli and Liu Shan, his legs trembling slightly, yet he still stubbornly refused to confess.
"Lord Liu, I am truly innocent!" Song Zhongwen's voice trembled, and cold sweat poured down his forehead. "Please investigate thoroughly, my lord. I have not committed the slightest illegal act."
Outside the courtroom, the rain intensified, the raindrops pattering against the roof tiles, as if adding fuel to the fire of the tense situation.
Inside the courtroom, Song Zhongwen's explanations seemed weak and ineffective. The bailiffs stood on both sides, their expressions serious, their water and fire sticks tightly gripped in their hands. The atmosphere was so heavy that it was suffocating.
Liu Shan snorted coldly and pressed on: "Song Zhongwen, the evidence is conclusive, how dare you try to deny it! Confess now or you will be spared physical punishment."
Song Zhongwen's face turned pale, and his lips twitched, but he still managed to argue, "Where is the evidence?"
Liu Shan paused, because the evidence he had was not yet complete and could not form a closed loop.
But he decided to intimidate the other party first: "You'd better confess quickly, or once all the evidence is presented in court, you will have no way to defend yourself!"
Upon hearing this, Song Zhongwen was secretly delighted, knowing that Liu Shan was most likely bluffing. He then braced himself and continued to deny it: "Sir, I certainly did not do this. Someone must be framing me!"
After saying that, he secretly glanced at Fang Mingli, hoping to get some help.
Fang Mingli was still weighing the pros and cons, but seeing that Liu Shan was reluctant to produce conclusive evidence, he had already made up his mind. So he slowly said, "Lord Liu, cases must be handled according to the law. We cannot easily believe one side's story. It would be better to bring the criminal down first and examine him carefully to avoid harming the innocent."
After speaking, he glanced across the courtroom and gestured for the servants to act according to the rules.
Just then, Han Chengjia rushed in and whispered a few words in Liu Shan's ear.
A hint of surprise flashed in Liu Shan's eyes, and he immediately said to the crowd, "Wait! I have just received news that a new witness has arrived, and this person possesses crucial evidence related to this case!"
Everyone was surprised when they heard this.
Fang Mingli's heart tightened, and a barely perceptible hint of panic flashed in his eyes.
He thought to himself: If this witness really has irrefutable evidence, Song Zhongwen will have nowhere to hide.
Shortly afterward, the new witness was brought to the courtroom.
This man was a middle-aged man dressed in coarse linen clothes. He had a kind and honest face, but his eyes revealed a firm determination.
After bowing deeply to Liu Shanxing, he slowly said, "Sir, I am a captain of the Grand Canal Gang. I have been holding back my actions because I cannot stand Song Zhongwen's evil deeds of colluding with scoundrels in the gang to sell weapons, and I am also worried about my own safety."
"I recently heard that Lord Liu is thoroughly investigating this case and is determined to step forward. I have account books as proof, which record in detail the time, place and quantity of weapons involved in the transactions between Song Zhongwen and the canal gang."
After saying that, he took out a worn-out account book from his pocket and presented it with both hands.
Liu Shan took the ledger and examined it carefully, his face growing increasingly grim. Although the handwriting was faded, every stroke was still clearly legible, every item was shocking, and every record seemed like a powerful indictment of Song Zhongwen's crimes.
"Song Zhongwen, what else do you have to say?" Liu Shan glared angrily and slammed the account book heavily on the table.
Upon seeing this, Song Zhongwen's expression changed drastically, and his body swayed as if all his strength had been drained away in an instant.
His legs went weak, and he almost collapsed to the ground.
He knew that his power was waning and that no amount of sophistry would help.
Seeing this, Fang Mingli realized that the situation was beyond repair. He was secretly furious, but he still pretended to be calm: "Even so, this case still needs further investigation and cannot be closed hastily."
Liu Shan ignored Fang Mingli's obstruction and decisively ordered: "Throw Song Zhongwen into prison and keep him under strict guard! Once I have compiled all the evidence, I will immediately report to Her Majesty the Empress and await her judgment!"
However, at the crucial moment, the constables turned their attention to Fang Mingli, seemingly waiting for his final instructions.
Fang Mingli took a deep breath and slowly nodded, signaling the constables to carry out the order.
Only then did the constables set off to escort Song Zhongwen away.
Song Zhongwen struggled all the way, constantly shouting for mercy, but all he received in response were the shouts of the yamen runners.
As Song Zhongwen was taken away, the people in the courtroom cheered, their eyes glistening with tears of emotion, shouting "Your Honor!" to express their heartfelt gratitude and respect to Liu Shan.
Looking at the people, Liu Shan was filled with emotion.
……
After successfully apprehending Song Zhongwen, Liu Shan did not relax in the slightest. On the contrary, he understood that Song Zhongwen was just the tip of the iceberg, and there were even bigger dark forces behind him that needed to be eliminated.
The Dali Temple appears solemn and dignified, but in reality, it is a place of undercurrents and complex intertwined forces.
To truly establish a foothold here, we must find a key breakthrough that can break the current deadlock.
After careful consideration, Liu Shan decided to delve deeper into the Song Zhongwen case and search for clues behind it.
Now that Song Zhongwen is imprisoned and has lost his freedom of movement and ability to contact the outside world, it is both justified and the timing is perfect to launch a comprehensive and in-depth investigation into him.
Liu Shan understood that if he could uncover strong evidence closely related to Fang Mingli from these seemingly intricate clues, and thus bring down this influential figure in the Dali Temple and even the imperial court, he would very likely gain control of the Dali Temple in one fell swoop.
Therefore, Liu Shan began to secretly investigate Song Zhongwen's background, relying on his connections and experience accumulated in the Imperial Guard and Cangzhou.
He dispatched his most trusted confidants to delve into every corner of the city streets, docks, and warehouses where clues might be hidden, leaving no detail overlooked.
After a lot of hard work and careful investigation, some seemingly insignificant but actually mysterious clues were quickly discovered.
It turns out that Song Zhongwen's practice of accepting bribes during his tenure was far more rampant than imagined.
His greedy hand reached into various fields, involving enormous sums of money and employing appalling methods.
Among them, Liu Shan was pleasantly surprised to find some irrefutable and crucial evidence that directly involved Fang Mingli.
Liu Shan dared not slacken in the slightest and quickly sorted out these clues, connecting them into a chain of irrefutable evidence.
This evidence is sufficient to prove that Fang Mingli committed crimes of favoritism, embezzlement, and bribery in multiple cases.
However, Liu Shan knew that while this evidence was enough to give Fang Mingli a certain shock, it was not enough to completely defeat him, much less to shake the deep-rooted foundation of Fang's faction in the court.
After years of planning and scheming, Fang's faction has woven a vast and complex network of relationships. Its power is so great that it cannot be easily dismantled and a suitable opportunity must be awaited.