Chapter 565: Representing the Interests of the Entire Dalu

"I am, after all, a prince," Xue Beng said, his face expressionless.

Qin Jian smiled casually: "Not making you kneel is already a sign of respect for your status as a prince. Given the things you've done, having you lie down for trial would be more appropriate."

Xue Beng: "..."

"If you want something, just say it directly. There's no need for all this flashy nonsense..."

He stood with his hands behind his back, his expression indifferent: "If you want to judge me, bring out the evidence."

"No wonder you could pretend for so long, even I didn't notice. You truly are deep and unreadable..."

Seeing his unruffled expression, Xue Qinghe's face showed a hint of surprise, but more of it was a sense of being in complete control: "Fortunately, I have always been prepared for any eventuality. Did you really think everything you've done was untraceable?"

She clapped her hands, and someone walked onto the Shenpantai holding a dossier.

"Come, since Fourth Brother wants evidence, read it to him," Xue Qinghe said calmly.

"Yes!"

The guard opened the dossier and said in a loud voice: "The evidence for the trial of the Fourth Prince of the Heaven Dou Imperial Family, Xue Beng, is as follows, totaling 748 counts. The four most heinous crimes are as follows..."

"Douluo Calendar year 2036, October 5th: Beat a commoner child to death in the street, then forced the father into slavery and sold the mother into a brothel."

"Douluo Calendar year 2038, February 8th: Acted on lust in the street, abducted a commoner girl back to the palace, ravaged her for three days before releasing her; afterward, the girl committed suicide."

"Douluo Calendar year 2039, May 6th: Abducted a beautiful mother and daughter in the street; since then, the two have vanished without a trace. At the same time, their family fell into ruin and never recovered; their husband and father died of illness at home."

"Douluo Calendar year 2043, January 17th: Abducted 6 handsome young boys in the street, who suffered 10 full days of abuse before being able to return home, resulting in psychological trauma; when the families protested, they were suppressed instead."

As these four incidents were recounted, the crowd beneath the Shenpantai surged with emotion; if not for the pressure of the Judgment Army, they would have rushed up to tear Xue Beng apart.

Facing this situation, Xue Beng remained calm: "Mere one-sided words, what kind of evidence is that?"

"I could have found those victims, but to prevent them from being retaliated against later, I didn't have them come to testify..."

Qin Jian's expression turned cold: "Xue Beng, actually, I don't need the victims to testify, because almost every act you committed while deliberately playing the playboy was done in public. Before, you had the protection of the Imperial Family and no one dared to speak, but now that I am leading the Judgment Hall, and the law does not punish the masses, guess how the public will react?"

Xue Beng's expression shifted slightly.

He had originally thought that this so-called trial wouldn't be able to produce any real evidence, so he just had to deny everything to the death. He really hadn't considered this key factor.

It turned out Qin Jian never intended to find real evidence, because there were simply too many witnesses present. As long as they were given an occasion where they dared to speak, it could no longer be suppressed.

"Citizens of Heaven Dou, the law applies equally to princes and commoners. Are you still willing to see this prince, who has oppressed you for over a decade, continue to act arrogantly and recklessly in Heaven Dou City?"

Qin Jian stood up abruptly, his voice booming across the square and spreading into the streets and alleys, attracting more and more people.

"The Spirit Judgment Hall judges all injustices in the world. Whether it is a prince or a crown prince, even your Emperor, if they act against the will of the people, they will receive our judgment and trial!"

He stood with his hands behind his back, stepping on his flying sword, and drifted into mid-air: "Because the Spirit Hall represents the interests of everyone on the entire Dalu! We take protecting your rights as our duty! We are determined to let the people of the entire Dalu possess the power to live equally in this world!"

These words seemed to shine a ray of sunlight into the hearts of the commoners.

On this Dalu where nobles and slaves still existed, no force had ever truly spoken for the commoners, so the impact on them was imaginable.

"Now, tell me—"

Qin Jian stood with his hands behind his back, looking down at the dense crowd: "Are these charges against Prince Xue Beng true?"

"True! ——"

"Completely true! Not only that! He has done even more evil things!"

"Yes! A few days ago he beat someone in the street, leaving them severely injured, and the Imperial Family only paid a small amount of gold coins, not even enough to cover the medical expenses!"

"..."

The so-called 'law does not punish the masses,' especially at a moment when they were stirred to a fever pitch by Qin Jian, turned the entire square into a roaring sea of voices in an instant, with many people clamoring to reveal even more evil deeds.

"To avoid being suspected of your playboy persona, the things you've done over these years really are... bottomless!"

Qin Jian pressed his hand down, and after the crowd quieted, he said to the grim-faced Xue Beng: "Your accumulated crimes are so great that you don't even have the chance to be sent to Death Canyon for reform. We will throw you directly into Slaughter City."

"Slau... Slau... Slaughter City?!"

Xue Beng's face turned pale; it seemed he knew what kind of place Slaughter City was.

"I am a member of the Heaven Dou Imperial Family, you have no right to exile me!"

He waved his hand angrily and said: "Besides, the Xue Qinghe beside you poisoned the princes and poisoned his own father, why don't you judge him?!"

Qin Jian looked at him indifferently: "Where is the evidence?"

Xue Beng said coldly: "You want evidence? Then, do you dare to go and see it with me?"

Qin Jian frowned: "How will you prove it?"

"Naturally, there will be someone to prove it."

Xue Beng looked confident.

Qin Jian and Xue Qinghe exchanged surprised glances.

"This trial is only concerned with Prince Xue Beng. As for the matter of the Crown Prince, the Spirit Judgment Hall will investigate it after this trial," Qin Jian stated.

"Afraid?"

Xue Beng gave a cold laugh: "But if you want to judge me, help Xue Qinghe, and interfere in the affairs of the Heaven Dou Imperial Family, you should at least respect the opinion of the Imperial Family, right?"

Before his voice faded, a group of people in imperial attire walked through the crowd; they were elders of the Heaven Dou Imperial Family, similar to Xuexing.

"Lord Chief Judge, the only successors to our Heaven Dou Imperial Family are currently Xue Beng and Xue Qinghe. Emperor Xueye is critically ill, and we must consider the future of the Empire..."

The leading old Prince said: "Therefore, if Xue Qinghe truly poisoned his own father, then he cannot succeed to the throne."

"So, you are collectively requesting to see the evidence Xue Beng mentioned first, is that right?" Qin Jian said.

"That is correct."

The group responded.

The entire crowd became slightly restless, unsure of how things would develop. They certainly didn't want to let Xue Beng go, but if Xue Qinghe also had problems, they didn't know what to do...

Was the future of the Heaven Dou Empire really to be handed over to these two?

"Then, bring out your evidence, and we shall judge it all together today," Qin Jian could only say.

Xue Beng's face brightened slightly, and he turned to bow to Dugu Bo: "I'll have to trouble you, Senior Dugu."

"It's this guy again..."

Qin Jian was speechless.

But when he saw another person suddenly emerge from under the stage, he couldn't help but be slightly stunned.

Because that was... Tang San.

(End of chapter)