The mind-reading coroner drove the court crazy

Chapter 417 The So-Called Evidence from the Ministry of Justice

At the Ministry of Justice, Qin Miaoxi rushed in even more impatiently than the yamen runners, while Lu Shiya was equally worried.

For a marquis, a high-ranking official who had just made great contributions to the court, to be taken away by the Ministry of Justice, the matter must be quite complicated.

The moment their eyes met, Qin Miaoxi strode forward, firmly blocking his path, her urgent voice following: "Lord Shao, where is the young marquis?"

He solemnly questioned, "Madam, do you know anything unusual about the young marquis?"

Qin Miaoxi raised an eyebrow. This was showing no mercy whatsoever, going straight to interrogation!

"I don't know. The young marquis has always enjoyed a carefree life, spending his days either eating, drinking, and having fun, or sleeping soundly at home. Is there anything unusual about him?"

He paused for a moment, then continued, "The only unusual thing is that after we got married, he suddenly became ambitious and insisted on working at the Dali Temple, helping them solve several murder cases. Lord Shao, you don't think that doing official business is unusual, do you?"

"By the way, the young marquis has also helped your Ministry of Justice with cases. How could Lord Shao not know what kind of person he is?"

Shao Kun was speechless after being rebuked: "..."

He invited Qin Miaoxi into the inner hall, and Lu Shiya ignored his objections and stayed by his side.

Helpless, Shao Kun could only earnestly advise, "Madam, you don't need to help the young marquis hide it anymore. We now have conclusive evidence proving that Marquis Xuanping is indeed the Ghost-Faced Judge."

"evidence?"

Qin Miaoxi sneered, "Fine, since you're talking about evidence, what is it? Show it to me."

He downed his tea in one gulp and began to explain: "First of all, the Ghost-Faced Judge robs the rich to help the poor, specializing in extorting the ill-gotten gains of corrupt officials, local tyrants, and bullies. The young marquis inherited the vast fortune of the Jiang family, the richest family in the land, yet the Ghost-Faced Judge has never patronized the marquis's shops. Why is that?"

He said to himself, "That's because he is the Ghost-Faced Judge himself, so there's no need for him to rob his own shop."

Seeing Qin Miaoxi fall silent, he smiled slightly, "Madam Hou, do you agree with what I have said?"

Qin Miaoxi scoffed, then replied in the same serious voice, "Here I must correct Lord Shao on one point: those shops now belong to His Majesty and are entirely within the national treasury; they have nothing to do with the Marquis's mansion. And before the young Marquis gifted them to His Majesty, how do you know that the Ghost-Faced Judge hadn't robbed his shops of their property?"

Shao Kun's expression darkened slightly, and he suddenly had a bad feeling.

Then, he heard her give examples to support her point, even detailing the specific time and place of the incident, as well as the exact amount of money stolen, leaving him no chance to refute.

"On average, the Houfu Shop is robbed 7 to 10 times a year, making it the merchant most frequently visited by the Ghost-Faced Judge."

Qin Miaoxi suddenly looked up and stared into his eyes, making Shao Kun's heart skip a beat.

"According to Lord Shao, the young marquis is doing something pointless and unnecessary."

Shao Kun's lips twitched violently. Did he have to be so rude?

He coughed twice, feigning composure as he tried to find a way out, "But within the capital city..."

To his surprise, Qin Miaoxi immediately interrupted him, "Are you trying to say that the Marquis's shops in the city are safe and sound? Then why don't you consider whether it's because the young marquis doesn't meet the conditions for the Ghost-Faced Judge to rob the rich?"

Shao Kun's face stiffened, and a hint of guilt flashed in his eyes, disappearing in an instant.

"He was neither a corrupt official nor a local tyrant. Every year, the Marquis's mansion would distribute porridge and do good deeds. Whenever the country suffered natural disasters or man-made calamities, the Marquis's mansion would contribute money and effort."

Her indignant voice suddenly rose in pitch. Qin Miaoxi's eyes widened as she glared at him, each word dripping with accusation: "You don't care about any of this, you only care that the Marquis's shop wasn't robbed!?"

Even Lu Shiya, who was standing next to him, looked at him with disdain and mockery, as if to say: As an official of the imperial court, is this kind of awareness appropriate?

Shao Kun blushed deeply, his hand gripping the teacup as if it would shatter, his knuckles turning pale. But all the words he wanted to say in his defense were stuck in his throat, and he couldn't utter a single one.

"Since you say first, what about second and third? Just say it all at once! Don't waste time."

Shao Kun pressed his throbbing forehead with one hand, his fingertips unconsciously rubbing his brow, and said in a weak voice, "Where Marquis Xuanping appears, the Ghost-Faced Judge also appears..."

Qin Miaoxi's eyes widened in surprise, and she immediately asked, "Really? When? Where?"

"This……"

"Putting aside everything else, just consider the recent appearances of the Ghost-Faced Judge in the Southern Barbarian Lands. At that time, the young marquis was appointed as the frontier censor, engaging in trade with neighboring countries. This is common knowledge throughout the country and even the imperial court. How can you, Lord Shao, be so certain that the Ghost-Faced Judge appearing in the Southern Barbarian Lands is the young marquis?"

Shao Kun seemed to have been hit where it hurt, and instantly lost his composure, slamming the teacup in his hand onto the table with a loud crash.

"We found the judge's decree in the Marquis's residence. How do you explain that?"

Qin Miaoxi retorted, "What does a judge's decree need to be explained? As a commoner of the capital, I made a fake one because I worship the Ghost-Faced Judge. And yet, a high-ranking official of the court uses it as evidence. Didn't you examine the evidence carefully after you obtained it? It's utterly ridiculous."

fake?

"how is this possible?"

Shao Kun immediately had someone bring over several judge's tokens kept by the Ministry of Justice. Upon comparison, the two tokens were indeed different in both feel and craftsmanship. The one they found in the Marquis's residence was clearly a fake.

Boom boom boom!

Qin Miaoxi tapped on the table. "Lord Shao, can we release them now?"

Shao Kun met her gaze with a stern face. "Madam Hou, this is only your side of the story. We still need to investigate thoroughly. I'm afraid Marquis Xuanping will have to suffer here for a few more days."

"Don't worry! Once we find out that the Ghost-Faced Judge has nothing to do with him, we will release him immediately."

With a loud bang, Qin Miaoxi slammed her hand on the table and stood up. "You don't have any evidence, so what are you arresting? What are you investigating? How are you going to investigate?"

"Could it be that you're planning to force a confession under torture, making my husband, the current Marquis, admit to this crime?"

Shao Kun trembled uncontrollably with anger, "Madam, watch your words!"

"You're about to sentence my husband to death, and you won't even let me say a few words of justice? Is this how the Ministry of Justice handles cases?"

Qin Miaoxi was not afraid of him at all. She frowned, pointed her finger at his nose and started cursing without any politeness.

"Very well, very well. I think what Lady Hou is saying is quite reasonable, and it may be related to this case." Shao Kun shouted towards the door, "Guards! Take Lady Hou to the prison and keep her under strict guard."

"Yes."

Upon hearing this, the constables immediately stepped forward to arrest the person, but were intimidated by Lu Shiya's shout, "Let's see who dares!"

With this princess in charge, no one dared to make a move. They all obediently stopped two meters away, their feet rooted to the spot, not daring to go forward.

"Lord Shao, are the families of officials appointed by the imperial court subject to your Ministry of Justice's arbitrary arrest and imprisonment?"

Lu Shiya unleashed her full aura, and her powerful pressure fell on Shao Kun, causing him to break out in a cold sweat.

"Is it possible that the laws of the land are decided by your Ministry of Justice?"

He really wanted to sew this ancestor's mouth shut; he was going after his life! If the person above heard this, he'd probably kick the bucket tonight and wouldn't see the sun rise tomorrow.

"Princess Xinglan, this matter has nothing to do with you. Please leave!"

"Since I, the princess, have heard of this injustice, there is no reason for me to stand idly by," Lu Shiya said, her eyes wide with anger.

You'd better release them immediately, or I'll have to speak to the Emperor about this."

Shao Kun, seemingly resigned to his fate yet also appearing fearless, casually said, "Please make yourself at home, Princess."

"Guards! Please escort the princess out and take the Lady of the Marquis away."

The Ministry of Justice had a large and powerful staff, and Lu Shiya was outnumbered and unable to make a difference. She was soon asked to leave the Ministry of Justice.

Looking at the tightly closed door, she muttered resentfully, "Fine, you just wait."