Chapter 75: Court Trial

Zhu Xu arrived at the Ministry of Justice main hall right on time, with his left and right protectors standing behind him.

Feng Zhu held the Emperor's edict in his hands, while Cao Wenzhao carried a lunchbox.

"This official pays respects to His Highness Prince Hui."

The hall was packed with people, heads everywhere; the voices were not loud, but there was still some echo.

Zhu Xu clasped his hands behind his back, with an air of looking down on everyone present, chin raised, saying nothing at all—he walked straight up behind the case table and sat down in the chair.

Under the gaze of the assembled crowd, he placed the lunchbox from Cao Wenzhao's hands onto the table, first taking out a plate of roasted chicken, then the sauce, then chopsticks, a knife, a small bowl, side dishes, and so on.

Only after everything was arranged did Zhu Xu seem to notice the crowd below for the first time. He stood up, swept his gaze across them, and waved his hand: "All of you, dispense with the formalities. Someone, bring the Duke a seat."

Zhang Guoji below watched Zhu Xu's display, thinking of Empress Zhang's message, and felt somewhat reassured. He raised his hand slightly and said: "Thank you, Your Highness."

Zhu Xu looked at the people below, smiled with satisfaction, and said: "Alright, let's begin then." With that, he sat back down.

As Zhu Xu's words fell, a middle-aged man with a dark complexion and a seemingly honest face stepped forward, bowing with clasped hands toward Zhu Xu: "Reporting to Your Highness, my lord the Minister has recently caught a chill, is unwell, and lies sick at home. He specially sent me to request leave."

As soon as he finished speaking, a thin man with shifty eyes standing opposite him also stepped forward, saying the same: "Reporting to Your Highness, my lord is extremely busy with official duties today—he left the capital yesterday. Knowing of Your Majesty's judgment, he specially sent me to request leave."

Zhu Xu looked at these two men, the corners of his mouth twitching slightly; he understood perfectly well. Clearly, both the Ministry of Justice and the Court of Judicial Review were unwilling to get dragged in, but with the edict in hand they couldn't refuse, so they could only send two sacrificial lambs.

Looking at the two men's official robes, one should be a Vice Bureau Director of the Ministry of Justice, the other a Registrar of the Court of Judicial Review.

He waved his hand and said: "Fine, this Prince understands. Let's begin then."

With that, he picked up a white cloth like a scarf from the case table, tied it around his front, picked up the knife, and set about dealing with the roasted chicken before him.

The crowd below exchanged bewildered glances, whispered among themselves, then their gazes fell upon the face of His Highness Prince Hui, who had already begun dining in the Ministry of Justice main hall.

But Zhu Xu seemed not to notice, eating the roasted chicken with the condiments and side dishes, enjoying himself thoroughly.

Zhang Guoji sat below, nodding secretly.

After all, His Highness Prince Hui was only seven years old—he naturally couldn't actually adjudicate any case. A little mischief was only normal. In his view, regardless of the outcome, this case no longer mattered to himself, to Zhu Xu, or to Her Highness the Empress—what mattered was the process.

They already had victory in their grasp; as long as His Highness Prince Hui didn't cause trouble, that was enough.

For a high-ranking official of the second rank like Zhang Heming, not to mention a Registrar or a Vice Bureau Director—even their superiors, the Chief Justice of the Court of Judicial Review or the Minister of Justice, had no authority to try him. Since the presiding judge wasn't speaking, those who didn't want to wade into troubled waters naturally wouldn't open their mouths either.

An eerie silence fell over the Ministry of Justice main hall, broken only by the smacking sounds of His Highness Prince Hui eating his roasted chicken.

Zhang Guoji closed his eyes and rested, as if he had seen nothing at all.

The Vice Bureau Director of the Ministry of Justice and the Registrar of the Court of Judicial Review exchanged glances, their expressions strange. This was the Ministry of Justice main hall—a most sacred place—how could such an absurd thing be allowed to happen here?

The two exchanged glances and raised their eyebrows. The Vice Bureau Director of the Ministry of Justice, with perfect understanding, stepped forward and bowed slightly: "Your Highness, the trial may begin."

Zhu Xu sucked his thumb in his mouth, looking at him and mumbling vaguely: "Mm, mm."

The Vice Bureau Director was taken aback, looked at Zhu Xu, furrowed his brow slightly, and muttered to himself thoughtfully: 'My lord only told me to cooperate—whatever His Highness says goes. As long as the Ministry of Justice doesn't take the blame in the end, that's fine. In that case, I won't bother with it either.'

Having made up his mind, the Vice Bureau Director clasped his hands again and retreated to one side.

The Registrar of the Court of Judicial Review was startled, then caught the Vice Bureau Director's look and immediately understood. He too shut his mouth and stood there like a wooden post, not moving an inch.

In the hall, apart from Zhu Xu's people, Duke Zhang Guoji, and the Registrar of the Court of Judicial Review, everyone else was from the Ministry of Justice. Seeing that the Vice Bureau Director wasn't speaking, they naturally remained like sculptures, controlling even their breathing perfectly, without the slightest sound.

'They really are all old foxes.'

Zhu Xu sighed inwardly. Although he was indeed very hungry and eating with great enjoyment, his gaze swept over the crowd from time to time, watching the expressions of the two from the Court of Judicial Review and the Ministry of Justice—their thoughts were easy enough to guess. He had even already anticipated that these people had probably conspired long ago: no matter how things turned out, good or bad, the blame would be pushed onto him, the presiding judge.

'If you want to play, then let's play big!'

Zhu Xu swallowed the last piece of meat, then turned to look at Feng Zhu and said: "Little Fengzi, this Prince is thirsty. Go, buy me a bowl of soup from Old Sheng's. Remember—not sweet, lightly sour, a bit salty, the color clear, not too thick, the temperature moderate, not too hot. You know all my dietary restrictions. Get to it—be back within the time it takes an incense stick to burn. It won't taste good cold."

"Yes, Your Highness."

Feng Zhu answered in his shrill, reedy voice, glanced at the crowd below, and strutted out of the Ministry of Justice main hall with his head high, off to buy His Highness Prince Hui's post-meal digestive soup.

The people in the hall all wore strange expressions, but their gazes fell upon Zhang Guoji and the lords from the Ministry of Justice and the Court of Judicial Review. After all, His Highness Prince Hui was young and had been raised in luxury—such behavior looked absurd, but it was just a young prince's willful mischief.

You lords are all present—aren't you going to say something?

Zhang Guoji sat upright, eyes closed, conserving his energy—or to put it more directly, dozing off.

The Vice Bureau Director of the Ministry of Justice and the Registrar of the Court of Judicial Review folded their arms, heads bowed and eyes lowered, with an air of complete indifference.

Zhu Xu wiped his hands, then looked at the crowd below. His big eyes blinked, and with a face full of excitement and bewilderment, he said: "Has it started?"

The Vice Bureau Director of the Ministry of Justice stepped forward and said: "We await Your Highness's instructions."

Zhu Xu nodded with great satisfaction and said: "Good, that's fine then."

The dozing Zhang Guoji immediately opened his eyes and turned to look at Zhu Xu. Everyone else in the hall also snapped to attention, knowing that His Highness Prince Hui was about to formally begin the trial.

But they stared wide-eyed at Zhu Xu for a long time, and Zhu Xu didn't say a single word—he rested his chin on both hands, looking at the crowd below with great interest, as if waiting for something.

Zhang Guoji's old face twitched, barely suppressing a smile, and he closed his eyes again to feign sleep.

The group from the Ministry of Justice and the Court of Judicial Review was deeply embarrassed and quietly turned back around.

The corners of Zhu Xu's mouth curled up slightly as he whiled away the time with these people.

"Your Highness,"

Feng Zhu trotted in, handed a lunchbox to Zhu Xu, and said with a fawning smile: "The soup is here, made exactly to your specifications."

Zhu Xu took it eagerly, opened the box, took it out, picked up the spoon, and stirred it very carefully, observing it, and only after a moment began to drink.

"Not bad, not bad." Zhu Xu nodded in praise and began to savor it seriously.