Chapter 4: The public trial of the four corners is filled with twists and turns

At this moment, the entire venue was in an uproar. The generals, officials, and noble youths in attendance were all engaged in animated discussions. Fusu's words fell like a bucket of cold water poured over boiling water. The noise was extraordinary

The two individuals whispered among themselves, unaware that Hu Hai's expression had darkened once again. However, they were not afraid; although Hu Hai was deeply favored by the Emperor, he was still not in a position to do anything to them before he became the Emperor of the Empire.

Hmph, before the unification of the world, the various schools of thought were clamoring. You sang your part, and I took the stage, wandering through the states to showcase my own talents. Now that the world is unified, everyone has flocked to Xianyang. If one were to say that only Confucianism participated in this matter, I would be the first to disbelieve!" Feng Jie shook his head; he himself could be considered a Legalist. However, after ascending to the court, he had gradually shed this outer guise.

"Who is present in the hall? Please state your name and place of origin." Feng Jie found this statement completely nonsensical; if one does not even know the name of the criminal, then their competence is certainly questionable

Fan Cen also smiled bitterly: "After ten years of planning, haha, in the end, it all returns to dust and soil!"

Having said that, a sense of determination washed over his face

Hehe, although Your Majesty has unified the world, the hearts of the people are no longer as they once were; not everyone desires a unified realm. Those scholars whose minds have been corrupted by their studies might even feel grateful if they were sold, thinking themselves clever! Feng Jie has no fondness for scholars and is particularly disdainful of the restoration of ancient systems.

Feng Jie stared intently at Qiu Xin, remaining silent. With Feng Jie not speaking, the others dared not utter a word. In an instant, the atmosphere fell into a sudden silence. All eyes in the room were fixed on Qiu Xin

Heir Certificate

Feng Jie asked Fan Cen: "Do you recognize this young servant?"

Fusu and Huhai do not share such sentiments. The two occupy different positions, and their understanding is naturally not comparable to that of an ordinary nobleman's son.

In this light, it is evidently unreasonable. The First Emperor's exceptional talent and vision go without saying. The combination of a grand prince and a Grand Historian serving as deputy prime minister indeed forms a formidable lineup, but if it were not for a public trial, it would not have much impact.

At this moment, Fan Cen's expression finally changed: "Nonsense! This is clearly slander. Manager Qiu has never met with me, so how could he possibly defame Your Majesty!"

"Young Master is indeed wise. His Majesty has already ordered General Meng to lead the Imperial Guards to apprehend the suspect," Feng Jie said, and after that, he said no more. Lowering his head, he held a scroll, having said all that he needed to say, leaving the rest to Fu Su's understanding.

One bows respectfully

In a rush and yet taking his time, Fusu managed to arrive at the hall on time. This was the venue for the trial, which was not much different from an ordinary room, except that it was considerably more spacious. The Qin people did not favor extravagance, and the various government offices were mostly simple and elegant.

"The trial begins, bring in the defendant!" Feng Jie struck the gavel and shouted loudly

Clap! Clap!

The student does not know what crime he has committed. Fan, having traveled from Donghai Jimo, journeyed a thousand miles to the capital to pursue his studies, intending to dedicate his lifelong learning to the imperial family. The principles of justice are clear, yet he has been wrongfully imprisoned! As Fan spoke these words, he became increasingly impassioned, and even tears streamed down his face at the poignant moments. It truly moved those who heard him to tears and evoked deep feelings in the listeners

"Should I call you Qiu Xin or Lu Xin?" Fu Su did not strike the gavel, and the two words 'Lu Xin' were uttered coldly, causing a stir among the audience

As Feng Jie finished reciting these words, a chill spread among the crowd. Qiu Xin entered Feng Jie's line of sight, at most only seven days away. Yet within those seven days, local officials in Wu County, thousands of miles away, could uncover the birth dates of ordinary citizens and numerous secrets, even private matters that neighbors had not known for decades.

The emperor clearly did not place the breakthrough point on this public trial, as the information obtainable from a public trial can equally be acquired through a private and confidential hearing. Therefore, there is no need for such unnecessary actions

Student, Fan Cen. A native of Donghai, Jimo. Upon hearing this, Fu Su felt a sense of joy in his heart, thinking of the lonely person. He then realized it referred to Jimo in Shandong, and thus felt relieved

Fusu, upon seeing this, sat up straight and pondered silently

Bang, Qiuxin's face turned the color of earth. His eyes were silent as he fell to the ground

However, everyone present understood that these were necessary procedures, and there were no voices of dissent, leading to thoughts of other matters

Fusu was somewhat surprised. In his impression, merchants generally held a low status in feudal dynasties, although collusion between officials and merchants allowed some wealthy merchants to amass great fortunes. Their social status, however, never improved. Except for the Song dynasty, descendants of the Han, Tang, and Ming dynasties were not allowed to enter officialdom or hold government positions. In feudal society, it was quite common for a county magistrate to ruin a family or for a clan leader to be exterminated.

It is astonishing that an ordinary gentleman's son could employ such deceptive means to conceal a thirteen-year-old child. After lurking in the imperial capital of Xianyang, he struggled for twenty years and suddenly became the largest innkeeper in the Qin state, with hundreds of servants under his command

Although the crowd did not think much of this young servant, they nonetheless felt a slight sense of goodwill towards him

Qiu Xinyuan, whose surname is Lu, is naturally a disciple of Lu Sheng and may even have a blood relationship with him

Fusu sat down alone, and the quiet discussions from all sides began to start again.

"Young Master, today the two of us are not the main characters." In the place where Feng Jie and Fu Su were, apart from the guards, there was no one else, so they were not worried about others overhearing any secrets

"You said, is there any mistake or omission in what I said?" Feng Jie’s expression darkened as he exclaimed

He appears to be a young servant in a tavern, most skilled at reading people's expressions and moods. The high-ranking officials in the hall kneel one after another, without missing a single one. Clearly, he is an extremely slick character

Feng Jie waved his hand, and the young servant Qi Er respectfully withdrew, the look of slyness disappearing. Upon witnessing this, Fu Su felt somewhat enlightened. He said nothing, but glanced at Hu Hai again, only to find that Hu Hai had reverted to his original demeanor as a second-generation aristocrat, chatting with this scion about the top courtesan and exchanging mixed banter with that official's son.

Oh? Why does Minister Feng say this? Fu Su was puzzled; could it be that the crown prince of an empire and a vice prime minister are not considered main characters?

Qiu Xin, although the manager of the largest inn in Xianyang and a well-connected figure in the city, soon found himself at a disadvantage under the scrutiny of two of the world's top figures, Feng Jie and Fu Su. Coupled with the numerous gazes filled with suspicion, indifference, or greed, he quickly succumbed, cold sweat pouring down and instantly soaking his back

Heir to the crime

And the * picture * book `` Little People in ! '' Qiu Xin quickly responded

At the very least, Qiu Xin's father may have entered the sights of the Qin state and Legalism early on.

As he spoke in one breath, Fan Cen's face suddenly turned pale

Do you know your crime

Qi Er: "Because the ancestors of the petty person were also from Qi, he pays considerable attention to this gentleman from Qi."

Meng Yi! Finally, Fu Su uttered two words. Both Meng Yi and Meng Tian were renowned generals of the late Qin dynasty. The former was well-known in the court, providing strategies for Emperor Shi Huang, and was one of his most trusted confidants. The latter commanded troops in the Henan region and gained fame for resisting the Xiongnu at the borders. The Meng family had been a prominent military lineage in the Qin state for generations, making them quite distinguished. More importantly, they were also supporters of military strategists

When Fusu sat down, he discovered that Hu Hai was unexpectedly among the observers across from him. At this moment, Hu Hai had lost his usual arrogance, quietly standing to the side and whispering something to a few others. Upon seeing Fusu approach, he was the first to step forward to greet him. Although the others were puzzled as to why the previously arrogant Hu Hai was behaving so docilely today, they remained silent and followed suit in greeting.

Subsequently, a disheveled man dressed in prison garb was brought over by two constables

However, Fusu was left with one final question. In history, how many secrets lie within this seemingly simple incident of burying scholars? It actually required the leadership of Emperor Qin Shi Huang, along with one prince, two chancellors, and one high minister to take action

Qi Erhui said: "He is the head manager of the Yue Bin Inn, Qiu Xin! The two often slander our Emperor"

Suddenly, a drumbeat sounded. The surroundings quickly fell silent, with Feng Jie serving as the presiding judge and Fu Su seated beside him

Then, a young servant dressed in blue entered. He had an ordinary appearance, yet was somewhat handsome. Upon entering the hall, he bowed and said: "I am Qi Er, and I pay my respects to the esteemed official."

A command token struck Fan Cen on the neck, and another struck Lu Xin on the head. Only then did the officers on either side react. They pried open the mouths of Lu Xin and Fan Cen, carefully extracting two poisonous fangs.

Fu Su was still unaware that since the Spring and Autumn and Warring States periods, the status of merchants has been quite high. Due to the turmoil of war, merchants were given opportunities for development. For various reasons, the states treated merchants favorably, as they were significant contributors to taxation. Lü Buwei, a representative figure of the Zajia school and the chancellor of the Qin state, was a very successful merchant. However, with Lü Buwei's death, the Zajia school gradually declined, and few outstanding figures emerged.

Fan Cen turned his head to take a glance, his expression unchanged as he said: "The student is diligent in his studies and has not yet recognized it." Fan Cen's words were skillfully phrased; he did not mention whether he recognized it or not, but only stated that he had not paid attention to recognizing it, clearly leaving himself an escape route

"Could it be that these Confucian scholars have ulterior motives?" Fu Su speculated to some extent in his heart, yet he was unaware of how far he was from the truth

Feng Jie struck the wooden block, startling Fan Cen: "Since you have never met Qiu Xin, how do you know about him?"

Hu Hai occasionally responded to something, glancing towards his elder brother Fusu's position, only to find it completely empty. His heart sank for a moment, but he quickly regained his composure

Not only that. The tutor of Prince Hu Hai entered the palace and clashed with the prince. Naturally, he was killed by the prince! Another scholar retorted, feeling quite proud due to his information advantage, addressing his colleagues.

Feng Jie smiled and turned to the servant, asking, "Do you recognize the person beneath this hall?"

Fan Cen appeared pale and bloodless, yet he no longer spoke a word.

After Fan Cen finished speaking, Feng Jie did not call for anyone to be punished. On one hand, this was a public trial, emphasizing legal fairness; if severe punishment were to be applied, it might easily lead to suspicions of coercive interrogation. On the other hand, Feng Jie also had confidence in himself

Feng Jie: "Then who is he? And how do you know him?"

The Grand Historian, one of the top three ministers in the realm, is already sufficient to attract the attention of the world, especially with the Empire's foremost heir, Prince Fusu, in the mix. The implication is quite straightforward: it is to draw the attention of all. The most crucial strike, however, lies in the hands of Meng Yi, who leads the Imperial Guards to launch a surprise attack when everyone is caught off guard. No matter how formidable the hidden enemies of the Empire beneath Xianyang may be, it is already more than enough!

At this moment, Qiu Xin was as if struck by lightning, his face completely pale. Yet he still forced himself to respond: "What you say is indeed true, my lord. However, I am merely a humble merchant who occasionally engages in charitable acts. I do not know what grave sin I have committed to warrant such a great fuss from you, my lord"

As for Fusu, he was quietly discussing with Feng Jie.

I heard that this time, Young Master Fusu has slain a swordsman, who was also the chief instructor of Young Master Huhai

Feng Jie supported his chin with his long beard and then asked: "Seven days ago, do you remember with whom this person went out?"

However, the chief examiner Feng Jie did not intervene; instead, he listened with great interest

Qii Er respectfully replied: "I recognize him."

Fusu responded one by one, like a gentle and refined gentleman, making everyone feel cared for. Only in the sharpness that flashed in Hu Hai's lowered gaze could one discern the means and determination behind Fusu's gentle demeanor

If one can kill his instructor in front of his own younger brother, then such a person cannot be considered weak; it would seem that General Meng is also someone who dares not kill a chicken! Meng Tian is the foremost warrior of China, and this scholar clearly does not agree with the notion of Fusu's weakness.

Before long, a corpulent middle-aged man with a fair complexion and a beaming smile entered the hall. He faced numerous high-ranking officials without displaying any signs of fear.

What did Fusu capture? It is precisely these two public words!

Feng Jie continues the transmission: "The successor has committed an offense, Qiu Xin!"

At this moment, Feng Jie noticed that his aura had completely overshadowed that of the business elite, and he withdrew his gaze with satisfaction. He took out a bamboo scroll: "Qiu Xin, aged thirty-three years, born on August 9. Born during the Hai hour, from Baqiu Village, Danyang County, Wujun. Entered school at the age of six, dropped out at nine. Between the ages of thirteen and fifteen, you went to Shangqiu and became a disciple of a renowned sorcerer, learning the art of alchemy. However, there is another person in Wujun with the same name and surname as you, of the same age, who is farming at home and serving your parents. Between the ages of thirteen and fifteen, you went to Shangqiu and became a disciple of a renowned sorcerer, learning the art of alchemy. Yet, there is still another person in Wujun with the same name and surname as you, of the same age, who is farming at home and serving your parents. As far as I know, this person is the result of your father's brief encounter many years ago." Feng Jie said with a smile.

Qiu Xin!" Fu Su suddenly shouted. The gazes around instantly focused on this previously silent crown prince!

Oh? That is indeed a novel matter. Although Young Master Fusu is renowned for his benevolence throughout the world, it is a pity that his temperament is somewhat gentle. This scholar shook his head, appearing quite regretful.