Chapter 661: Rashomon

Pang Qizhi said timidly: "My cousin was engaged, but the woman died of illness halfway. The girl I was engaged to is Pang Qiping's maternal cousin. I suspect Pang Qiping has an illicit affair with his maternal cousin."

Chen Guanlou frowned upon hearing this, "Do you have evidence? You are not allowed to talk nonsense about such things without evidence. You are a Juren, Pang Qiping is just a merchant, and you don't look bad either. I believe any girl with vision wouldn't give up on you to choose your cousin. You say they have an illicit affair; I think you are clearly suspecting your neighbor of stealing your axe, haunted by your own inner demons."

"Pang Qiping looks better than me and is very rich."

"Listen to yourself; does that make sense? Giving up being an official's wife to become a merchant's wife—which girl is so naive? Furthermore, even if the two of them have mutual affection, at worst they could just break off the engagement with you; is it worth offending you, a future official?"

"As long as I am stripped of my title and cannot become an official, they will get their wish." Pang Qizhi was convinced that all of this was done by his cousin Pang Qiping, to the point of guessing that his maternal cousin had an illicit affair with Pang Qiping.

Chen Guanlou waved his hand, "Alright, alright, you can't produce evidence for any of this; it's all your imagination. You suspect your neighbor of stealing your axe, looking at everyone like a bad person, imagining things that don't exist, just like telling a story."

"My lord, believe me! Everything I said is true."

"Whether it's true or not, this official will verify it himself. I cannot listen to your one-sided story. Just stay here; I will have the prison guards take care of you. Before the case is judged, you still have a chance, so don't mess around, and don't talk nonsense. Watch your mouth. Although the Heavenly Prison doesn't encourage reporting, if you shout it until the whole world knows, then no one will be able to save you."

Chen Guanlou warned Pang Qizhi specifically. Looking at the pretty boy's appearance, he clearly hadn't suffered the beatings of society and still retained a scholar's naive assumption, using books to guide real life. Thinking that shouting until the whole world knew would clear his name.

Leaving the cell, he returned to the office.

Xu Fugui smiled obsequiously, "My lord really wants to investigate this matter and clear the pretty boy's name?"

"I'm not investigating anything; in the Heavenly Prison, from top to bottom, including me, is there anyone who is an expert at investigating cases? Not one. This kind of thing still requires professional personnel to come out. Alright, you don't need to worry about this matter; I have my own plans."

"What if the Ministry of Justice issues an official document to strip the pretty boy of his title?"

"When that time comes, remember to notify this official immediately. No need to worry about the rest."

Xu Fugui wanted exactly this sentence; he was too lazy to worry about the pretty boy's affairs. Whether the pretty boy lived or died, or whether his title was stripped, had nothing to do with him.

Wronged?

There are plenty of people in the Heavenly Prison who have been wronged; in such matters, one can only accept their bad luck and acknowledge that it is a tribulation fated in their life.

The professional personnel Chen Guanlou wanted to find was naturally Meng Laoda.

He entrusted this matter to Meng Laoda.

Meng Laoda was very curious, "Brother Chen, let me ask a nosy question: is this Pang fellow a relative of yours?"

"Not a relative, has nothing to do with me. I just feel that this pretty boy's case is a bit suspicious. You also know that I'm barely half a scholar; I know how hard it is to study. After studying hard for many years and finally passing the Juren title, he encountered a legal case before the meeting exam, facing the price of having his title stripped. Watching it, I can't bear it. So I ask Brother Meng to work hard and verify this case. If he really committed a crime, then so be it; whether he lives or dies is the pretty boy's fate. If there is a misunderstanding, consider it accumulating merit for yourself."

"Understood!" Meng Laoda understood in his heart, "Brother Chen, rest assured, this case is simple; at most three days, I guarantee to investigate the matter clearly and thoroughly."

"I believe you! If you need anything, just speak up; I will definitely cooperate."

"Brother Chen is righteous!"

Meng Laoda was very serious; although it was a small case, he took the attitude of handling a major case and gathered the most capable personnel under him to investigate.

It wasn't easy to have a chance to handle a case for a Ninth-Rank big shot; it had to be handled solidly, handled like iron, so that even if the King of Heaven came, the case couldn't be overturned.

Handling a case for a Ninth-Rank big shot, what is this?

This is seniority!

Saying it out, others would look at you with higher regard.

If one day you encounter a difficult problem, or you commit a crime and can't get out of it, a Ninth-Rank big shot helping to plead or pull strings is more useful than anyone else's words. Others pleading still have to pay attention to national conditions and laws, and pay attention to official rules. A Ninth-Rank big shot pulling strings relies entirely on strength. Death row prisoners can be changed to exile, exile prisoners can be changed to imprisonment, and imprisonment might be changed to being dismissed and sent back to their hometown, never to be recorded again. Never to be recorded again might be changed to being sent to a remote area to continue being an official.

Chen Guanlou never imagined that he had already been mythologized, and his words were more useful than the law.

He didn't know!

Because he had never tried pleading for anyone.

Previous pleas were about taking money to handle affairs, belonging to official business. If it could be handled, it would be; if not, forget it.

Pleading seriously consumes private feelings, personal friendship. Although money is also taken, there is friendship in the money.

Clearly, what Meng Laoda was aiming for was friendship, aiming for personal connections.

The case of the pretty boy Pang Qizhi appeared as a Rashomon.

As soon as the Six Shanmen appeared, the book boy, the servant, and even Pang Qiping all confessed.

They said that Pang Qizhi looked down on the marriage in his hometown, and the maternal cousin's family was truly climbing the social ladder. Of course, when they were engaged, it certainly didn't count as climbing the social ladder; it was considered a well-matched marriage. But after Pang Qizhi passed the Juren title, the maternal cousin was no longer a match.

Although Pang Qizhi didn't say anything.

"Although he didn't say anything, I could see that he wanted to break off the engagement with the maternal cousin. He wanted to climb a high branch in the capital. Before coming to the capital, he was full of confidence for the meeting exam. After arriving in the capital and attending several literary gatherings, his confidence was hit, and he didn't have ten percent certainty for next year's meeting exam. I saw it; he wanted to be the son-in-law of the Libationer of the Imperial Academy, climbing a high branch. He also looked down on the maternal cousin's marriage as a drag on him, so he deliberately fabricated things that didn't exist, trying to ruin my and the maternal cousin's reputation. For a man like me, a ruined reputation doesn't matter. But if the maternal cousin bears an impure reputation, he is clearly trying to make the maternal cousin die! If the person dies, he doesn't have to bear the reputation of a heartless man."

Pang Qiping indignantly accused Pang Qizhi, his expression twisted.

The book boy's confession was different again.

"Although the maternal cousin is not a match for our young master, the young master had no intention of breaking off the engagement. It was Pang Qiping; he seduced the young master into climbing a high branch in the capital. He even said he was willing to help the young master solve the marriage in his hometown, and he could marry the maternal cousin. That way, the young master would have no worries. On the day of the banquet, naturally, Pang Qiping schemed everything, and our young master was innocent." ===== CHAPTER 662 =====