Chapter 1234: Complaining, Endless Complaints

"May I ask Prison Warden Chen, if we don't tell the truth, then how should we speak?"

Bai Yushu was unconvinced.

In his entire life, he had never felt so stifled; having to be lectured, despised, and shunned while sitting in prison.

He had already inquired clearly: the one surnamed Chen was only half-knowledgeable in study, while he was a proper, legitimate Juren. It was only because he and Wu She were like-minded that he had followed the army to become a military advisor.

He considered himself well-learned, erudite, and could be considered broad-minded and experienced. Why was he being negated all day long, with everything being wrong?

Chen Guanlou didn't even need a full glance; with half an eye, he saw through the thoughts of the one surnamed Bai.

He sneered and said with a serious expression, "The day after tomorrow is the Joint Trial of the Three Judicial Offices. May I ask, Military Advisor Bai, do you understand what a Joint Trial of the Three Judicial Offices is? With you four chickens, once you reach the main hall, three or five questions will be enough to turn you into capons.

What's the point of competing with me on knowledge? Can you compete with that group of elites from the Three Judicial Offices? When it comes to citing classics, can you compare to that group of proper Jinshi? Those people are the top few in the imperial examinations; may I ask what rank you placed in the imperial examinations? You are using your own shortcomings to fight against others' strengths; if that's not seeking death, what is?"

Bai Yushu was so angry he felt like he was ascending to heaven; he pinched his philtrum hard to keep from fainting.

Yes, he certainly couldn't compare to the elites of the Three Judicial Offices in ranking. But just because of this, should he admit defeat?

Just as he was about to retort, Chen Guanlou spoke first. "As for telling the truth, there is a technique to it. But looking at you all, one by one, you are either dense or stupid; there is simply no technique to speak of. If telling the truth were useful, there wouldn't be so many unjust, false, and wrong cases in the world.

First, you robbed the government of grain and fodder—that is a death sentence nailed to the board. The Three Judicial Offices must first maintain the face of the imperial court and the face of the government. You robbed the government, which is slapping the imperial court in the face. Therefore, the Three Judicial Offices must surely hate you like enemies!

If you want to reverse their impression, first, your attitude must be respectful. Don't put on an unruly and rebellious look in the hall—who are you showing that to? Who cares? Don't think that doing so makes you lose face. Remember, you are being respectful to the imperial court, not to any specific official.

Second, when you go to court, don't rush to tell the truth. Instead, you must complain—complain about the bitterness of being oppressed by the government, complain about the bitterness of worrying about soldiers mutinying and blowing up the camp, complain about the bitterness of fighting on an empty stomach... There is so much bitterness, why don't you know how to talk about it?

What you think of as going to court is recounting the robbery of grain and fodder; in reality, going to court is giving you a chance to save yourselves. Unless it's a last resort, don't mention the word 'robbery', and definitely don't mention the matter of robbing grain and fodder. Omit it entirely, do you understand?"

Chen Guanlou was worrying like an old mother.

If he weren't worried about implicating the Hou Fu, he wouldn't be so painstakingly teaching these few blockheads.

Wu She was lost in thought.

Bai Yushu opened his mouth, unable to refute.

Wu She asked, "Can complaining save our lives? If so, I have too many grievances to complain about."

"Complaining won't necessarily save your lives, but if you don't complain, you will 100% go to the execution ground to be beheaded!" Chen Guanlou said.

Wu She nodded, looking as if he understood.

Bai Yushu raised a question, "What if, during the joint trial, they don't give us a chance to complain? What then?"

"As long as they haven't blocked your mouths, how could there be no chance? If they really block your mouths, that is injustice! Not letting a prisoner cry out grievances and speak—that is a great injustice. When that time comes, you don't need to worry; there will naturally be someone to stand up for you."

The Joint Trial of the Three Judicial Offices, while seemingly high-profile, was not a one-man show. There were plenty of people watching this lawsuit. Some wanted to drag the Marquis of Pingjiang down, so naturally, there were those who wanted to help the Marquis of Pingjiang and drag the Emperor down a notch.

Not all officials opposed fighting, and even fewer opposed the Marquis of Pingjiang holding military power.

Worried that the Marquis of Pingjiang would grow too powerful?

Heh!

Some officials were afraid the Marquis of Pingjiang wouldn't grow powerful enough! They feared nothing but chaos in the world!

Of course, on the surface, everyone had to maintain the imperial court and maintain the Emperor.

If nothing unexpected happened, on the day of the joint trial, there would surely be certain people running over to 'observe'!

For instance, the Empress's maiden family; as in-laws, they were counting on the Hou Fu to help the Third Prince seize the throne. At this critical moment, they would certainly have to show something.

"Besides complaining, is there anything else?" Wu She asked.

Chen Guanlou smiled. "Go to the temple and burn a stick of incense, pray to the Bodhisattva for protection—that trick is the most effective!"

He knew how to be sarcastic.

Wu She looked indignant yet felt ashamed.

The two deputy generals next door, however, had eyes that lit up, wishing they could run to the temple right now to burn a stick of incense, praying that everything would go smoothly when they went to court.

"General Wu, have you forgotten? The government has witnesses and caught you red-handed. You cannot deny the charge of robbing grain and fodder. What you can do is play the sympathy card, making the Three Judicial Offices consider carefully when sentencing, changing the death penalty to exile or hard labor. Don't tell me you're still hoping for acquittal and want to return to the military camp?"

"Is that not possible?" Wu She actually thought so.

Chen Guanlou was stunned. "May I ask, General Wu, do you know what it means for a charge to be nailed to the board? It means both human and material evidence are present, the chain of evidence is complete, and no matter how you try to overturn the case, you won't be able to stir up any waves. At most, they will sympathize with your situation of being forced into a corner and handle the sentencing with discretion."

"We were forced to seize grain; isn't that the government's fault?" Wu She was unconvinced.

Chen Guanlou was so amused he was left speechless.

He still patiently explained: "It is the government's fault. The government's mistakes will be dealt with by the Imperial Court itself. But that doesn't mean they will let you off the hook. You cannot excuse your own crimes just because the other side is in the wrong! The law isn't judged that way; don't be fooled by storybooks and novels.

The people who write those storybooks are all frustrated scholars and budding talents who haven't even passed the provincial examination; they don't understand Imperial law at all, and I suspect they haven't even flipped through a single page of the 'Great Gan Code'. As the saying goes, 'To believe everything in books is worse than having no books at all.' Strategist Bai, I'm not wrong, am I?"

Bai Yushu wiped his face, gave a grunt, and said, "You're right! The local government will be dealt with by the Imperial Court for withholding grain and forcing the military camp to mutiny and seize it. And we, because we seized the grain, will be dealt with just the same! No one can stay out of this! The local government is being watched by the Marquis, so they can't escape. Likewise, we can't escape either!"

He smiled bitterly again and again. With things having developed to this point, and being constantly looked down upon and negated by Chen Guanlou every few days, he had thought a lot during these days. Having reviewed the whole matter several times, he realized he had ultimately misplaced his kindness.

If you're going to do bad things, don't have a conscience—that saying is correct.

Wu She looked dejected. "Is there really no possibility of being found innocent?"

Chen Guanlou was one hundred percent certain. "No possibility! The Marquis has a lot of face, but he still can't guarantee your innocence. Unless the Emperor issues an imperial decree for a special pardon."

"Is that possible?"

"You guess!" Chen Guanlou couldn't help but complain. This man is supposed to be a general, so what exactly is in his head? Is the Imperial army really that lacking in talent? To be able to lead a force of three thousand men based solely on bravery? Even with a strategist, they shouldn't be this reckless.

He silently shed a tear of sympathy for the Great Gan empire!