flstandardbreds Chapter 168 He is the Ghost-faced Judge
Chapter 168 He is the Ghost-faced Judge
Lu Qingchen stepped forward with a respectful demeanor, bowed deeply to the Emperor, and then spoke in a steady and clear voice, "Your Majesty, if we were to discuss Lu Yuande's seed trafficking, it would be a matter of national importance and should be left to the ministers to deliberate and discuss thoroughly before a final decision is made. However, Lu Yuande poisoned my biological mother, and together with two members of the Lu family, he secretly sold my mother's dowry. These actions are beyond the reach of Heaven. I believe that blood debt must be repaid with blood, and he must pay with his own life to appease my deceased mother's spirit."
When Lu Yuande heard this, the color instantly drained from his face, his legs went limp, and he almost collapsed to the ground.
His lips trembled, and after a long time he found his voice, "You evil son, I am your biological father!"
"But you killed my mother. Life is more gracious than heaven." Lu Qingchen suddenly knelt on the ground, "Your Majesty! Please judge me."
The emperor stared straight down with a sharp gaze, and his aura was so solemn and murderous that it made people shudder.
There was a dead silence all around, not a sound was heard. Everyone stood with their heads bowed, not daring to breathe, completely unable to guess what the emperor was thinking at the moment.
Time seemed to stand still, and every second seemed as long as a century.
After a long while, as the emperor's face darkened and he was about to pronounce his final verdict, Lu Yuande suddenly shouted, "Your Majesty, I have something to say."
The emperor stared at him coldly, but for some reason, he allowed him to speak: "Speak!"
Lu Yuande was so excited that he dropped to his knees and scrambled forward a few steps. Then he pointed his finger at Lu Qingchen and shouted at the top of his lungs, "Your Majesty! This is the rebellious son who deceived you and the people of Longyuan Kingdom and concealed a matter of vital importance!"
The emperor raised an eyebrow, "Oh? Tell me about it."
Seeing the emperor's interest, Lu Yuande spoke quickly, "He's the Ghost-Faced Judge the court has been desperately searching for! He's the criminal responsible for over 500 serious crimes and hundreds of lives!"
As soon as these words were spoken, the entire venue instantly became quiet and silent.
Just as Lu Yuande was secretly proud of the shocking effect his words had caused, he clearly heard Lu Qingchen's sarcastic sneer.
Lu Yuande's eyes widened in anger as he cursed, "What are you laughing at? I just found out your true identity not long ago. You killed so many court officials and robbed a large number of wealthy businessmen of their wealth. People like you should be torn into pieces by five horses as a warning to others!"
Lu Qingchen was not in a hurry. He bowed respectfully to the emperor and said, "Your Majesty, I have something to say."
The emperor looked him up and down with a sharp gaze, and after a moment, he slowly nodded.
He also wanted to hear what the hidden story behind this was.
Lu Qingchen lowered his head slightly, his gaze fixed on Lu Yuande, who was kneeling on the ground. He asked calmly, "You said I was the Ghost-Faced Judge. Do you have any evidence?"
"Every time the Ghost-Faced Judge appeared to commit a crime, you were not in Jingzhao City. Doesn't this count as evidence?"
"Oh? You mean every time? Then why don't you specify which time? When and where did I go?"
Lu Yuande was caught off guard by this sudden question. He stood there in a daze, his lips moving and he stammered for a long time, but he couldn't say a word.
After a long while, he finally argued, "If you weren't the Ghost-Faced Judge, how could you have so much money to squander? This must be ill-gotten gains!"
Lu Qingchen's lips curled up slightly, revealing a faint smile. He said, "It's understandable that Master Lu would have such doubts. But you seem to have forgotten that my mother was once the richest woman in the Jiang family. Isn't the wealth she left me enough for a playboy like me to eat, drink and have fun?"
After hearing what Lu Qingchen said, Lu Yuande's face turned red, and the anger in his heart seemed to devour him whole.
He glared at Lu Qingchen fiercely, his eyes bloodshot, as if he wanted to eat him alive.
"Don't try to quibble here! No matter how much wealth your mother left behind, it can't withstand your extravagant squandering! Besides, who knows if those shady people you associate with on a daily basis are colluding with you and doing those shameful things!"
Lu Qingchen remained unhurried, his eyes radiating a calmness. He bowed once more to the Emperor, his voice clear and resolute, "Your Majesty, I do enjoy making friends, but they are all men of good character. Some are learned scholars, others are righteous warriors with extraordinary skills. We simply gather to converse and exchange ideas. As for Master Lu's allusions to extravagance and wastefulness, I admit that I do lead a somewhat indulgent lifestyle, but this is simply my personal lifestyle and has nothing to do with the Ghost-Faced Judge."
The emperor frowned slightly, his eyes moving back and forth between Lu Qingchen and Lu Yuande, thinking secretly in his heart.
The case of the Ghost-Faced Judge has caused a stir in Longyuan Country, expending considerable manpower and resources on it, yet achieving nothing. Now, Lu Yuande has suddenly stepped forward to accuse Lu Qingchen. Is this true, or is there something more to the story?
"Lu Qingchen, tell me, do you really have nothing to do with the cases committed by this ghost-faced judge?" The emperor's voice was low and majestic, with an unquestionable momentum.
Lu Qingchen raised his head, his eyes firmly meeting the Emperor's, and said decisively, "Your Majesty, I guarantee on my life that I have nothing to do with those cases. The Ghost-Faced Judge robs the rich to give to the poor, punishing corrupt officials and wealthy businessmen. Although I do not agree with his actions, I could never be him, and I don't have such elusive skills."
Upon hearing this, Lu Yuande flew into a rage. He stood up abruptly, pointed at Lu Qingchen's nose and cursed, "How dare you quibble! The Ghost-Faced Judge has committed heinous crimes. Every time he kills someone, it's a blatant defiance of the imperial law! You actually dare to speak for him? You must be in cahoots!"
Lu Qingchen snorted coldly and said disdainfully, "Master Lu, you keep saying that I'm the Ghost-Faced Judge, but you can't produce any substantial evidence. You wantonly frame an official of the imperial court based on mere speculation. Aren't you afraid of violating the law?"
Lu Yuande was choked by Lu Qingchen's words and was speechless. His hands were clenched into fists and his body was trembling slightly with anger.
At this moment, Liang Hongkai, who had been standing silently to the side, stepped forward, bowed to the emperor, and said, "Your Majesty, this matter is of great importance and conclusions cannot be made lightly. I suggest that someone be sent to investigate the young marquis's whereabouts and financial situation. If conclusive evidence is found, it will not be too late to make a decision."
"Your Majesty! I have irrefutable evidence to prove my innocence!" After Lu Qingchen finished speaking, he immediately stepped forward, his posture straight, his eyes full of sincerity and earnestness, and every word he spoke was powerful.
"Say!"
"Your Majesty, my family runs many shops and manors, and we were quite wealthy. However, in recent days, we have been repeatedly robbed by that ghost-faced judge, and we have suffered heavy losses, with the cumulative amount reaching as high as 10 million taels. My family has a detailed account book recording this matter, and we can send someone to get it quickly for Your Majesty to check." Lu Qingchen looked solemn, and his words were full of resentment and helplessness.
"Ten million taels?!" Upon hearing this, the emperor couldn't help but gasp, a look of disbelief on his face. "Such a huge loss, why didn't you report it to the authorities?"
Upon hearing this, Lu Qingchen's face flushed crimson. He lowered his head in shame, his voice filled with regret and self-blame. "Your Majesty, you don't know. As a marquis, I'm supposed to protect my family's assets. But now I can't even protect my own assets. If this matter were to become public, it would be a disgrace. I was afraid of being ridiculed by my brothers and being labeled incompetent, so I was confused and didn't report it to the authorities."
emperor:"……"
This might actually be something he could do.
Lu Qingchen raised his head and excitedly said loudly: "Your Majesty, if I were the Ghost-Faced Judge, why would I plunder my own property? Isn't that like taking off your pants to fart? It's a superfluous act."
emperor:"……"
This... is a rough statement but the logic is not.