Chapter 279: The Day the Court Opens

"Hahahaha, have you heard? That Prefect Liu has gone to investigate the case himself!"

"It's hilarious!"

"Does he think he can overturn the verdict just by doing that?"

At this moment.

Within the Liangzhou Army, Qiao Guang and a group of men were eating meat and drinking wine from large bowls.

When the topic came up, they all laughed until they were falling over.

With Chen Mingze having struck someone first and Wang having died suddenly afterward, in any dynasty or institution, this was Chen Mingze's responsibility. In a case already set in stone like this, how could it possibly be overturned?

Qiao Guang snorted coldly: "Gentlemen, being able to see this world-renowned Prefect Liu hit a wall and become flustered is surely a joy in life!"

The crowd roared with laughter.

Indeed.

Ever since this Prefect Liu became famous throughout the world, making him hit a wall had been harder than ascending to heaven; he had practically coasted through everything, and even the Crown Prince and the Third Prince could do nothing against him. Having suffered losses at Prefect Liu's hands time and time again, could they not feel a sense of accomplishment now that they had forced Liu Zheng to become so flustered that he had to investigate the case himself?

"General Qiao, that may be so, but this matter is indeed a bit strange. You say that Wang, who usually had no illnesses or disasters, just died after being kicked once?"

Someone asked.

Qiao Guang's expression changed slightly, and he coughed: "Who can say with these kinds of things? Perhaps he was kicked in a vital spot?"

The crowd thought about it, and it seemed so.

If he had been hit in a death point, that possibility certainly existed.

Just then, a soldier entered: "General Qiao, someone is here to see you!"

Qiao Guang excused himself and went outside.

Upon seeing that sneaky fellow, his expression changed drastically: "Why did you come here? Do you think the situation isn't big enough already! I told you not to come, not to come! Do you want to get me killed!"

Jiang Xuan looked coldly at Chen Mingze opposite him, gritting his teeth: "Old Third, you still won't talk, is that it?"

"Do you really want me to use severe torture!"

Chen Mingze was truly at odds with Jiang Xuan today.

Regardless of how he was questioned or how the presumption of guilt was applied, he had only one word: silence!

Jiang Xuan was at his wit's end with him.

Use torture?

This was his own dear brother!

But if things went on like this...

How would it end?

Jiang Xuan suppressed his anger and said: "Old Third, there is absolutely no need for you to swallow your pride and try to shoulder this matter just because you are worried about a conflict between the Yinzhou Army and the Liangzhou Army. The Young Master said that those Liangzhou Army men are all cowards; if it really comes to it, we can just have a fight with them!"

Hearing this, Chen Mingze's expression shifted slightly.

It would be a lie to say he wasn't moved by Prefect Liu saying these words.

And he also understood that Prefect Liu investigating this case thoroughly was also because he didn't want him to die unjustly...

However...

He still kept his mouth tightly shut, not saying a single word.

Bang!

Bang, bang, bang, bang!

Jiang Xuan was so angry he overturned the table and chairs.

"Yo... Young Master, what did you say?"

"Young Master, this..."

Dissect?

This gave the group of Legal Scribes (the title for forensic examiners in the Longyan Dynasty) a fright. Since ancient times, no one had ever done things this way!

Since ancient times, there have indeed been many works on ancient autopsy skills in judicial cases. From the Qin and Han dynasties onward, there were customs for autopsies whenever a murder case was involved.

Works such as the *Collection of Suspicious Cases*, *Cases Resolved by Tortoise Mirror*, *Washing Away Wrongs*, and so on, all contain many records of ancient forensic autopsies. In fact, the autopsy knowledge of ancient Huaxia civilization was already very advanced. It was filled with the wisdom of traditional medicine combined with the wisdom of investigators.

For example, *Cases Resolved by Tortoise Mirror* contains a section called "Evidence of Concealment," which describes the process of handling cases and performing autopsies during the Three Kingdoms period.

At that time, a woman had an affair and conspired with her lover to kill her husband. To cover it up, they faked a death by fire. How could one verify if the deceased was murdered?

The County Magistrate Zhang Ju came up with a method that brought the truth to light: "Zhang Ju took two pigs: he killed one and left the other alive, then piled up firewood and burned them. The living one had ash in its mouth, while the killed one had no ash. Upon examining the corpse, there was indeed no ash in the mouth, and under interrogation, they confessed."

From the above, it is clear that Zhang Ju had rich experience in handling cases. He got two pigs, killed one, left the other alive, and threw both into a burning pile of firewood. As a result, the pig that was burned to death had ash in its mouth, while the one that was killed first did not.

Using this principle to examine the corpse, there was no dirt in the mouth of the murdered husband. At this point, the woman who killed her husband had nothing to say and confessed to the crime.

For example, regarding the examination of suspended corpses, ancient forensic experts explored a set of very accurate "theories": if it was death by hanging, the deceased's tongue would generally protrude, and there would be incontinence; if the body was hung up after death, this phenomenon would not occur.

This autopsy method was used by forensic experts as early as the pre-Qin period. For example, the "Classic of Death" in the Qin bamboo slips *Seal and Investigation* required the forensic expert going to the scene to examine the body before taking down the suspended corpse: "Observe whether the tongue is protruding or not, how far the head and feet are from the ground, and whether there is excrement or urine."

Of course, if the tongue does not protrude, it does not necessarily mean the body was hung after death; it could also be death by hanging.

*Washing Away Wrongs: General Discussion on Re-examination (Part 2)* points out: "If the rope is below the throat, the tongue protrudes; if above the throat, the tongue does not."

When performing an autopsy, one must judge based on the specific circumstances. In addition, identifying "corpse spots" was also a commonly used method by the ancients.

Corpse spot is a modern term; the ancients called it "Blood Drop" or "Blood Obstruction." For example, in cases of death by hanging, corpse spots are distributed at the distal ends of the upper and lower limbs, as described in the "Self-Strangulation" entry of *Washing Away Wrongs*: "There are blood shadows on the legs, like moxibustion burn marks, and from the belly down to the lower abdomen, they sink down, appearing blue-black."

From this, it can be seen that the wisdom of the ancient Huaxia people should not be underestimated. Relying on this wisdom and experience, their autopsy knowledge was actually comparable to that of later generations.

This had already become a relatively complete and mature system.

Therefore, these Legal Scribes.

Had never seen anyone as domineering as Liu Zheng.

Dissect it directly?

I'll say it again: the dead are to be respected! In ancient times, there was no such thing as dissecting a corpse to examine it; it was absolutely forbidden, the greatest desecration of the dead, and the greatest disrespect to the ghosts and gods.

Yet Liu Zheng insisted: "It must be dissected. I have read your case files, which state they died from shattered internal organs. But I believe it is not complete. Did they die from shattered internal organs due to external force, or internal causes?"

"This is a major breakthrough for this case!"

The clerks all looked at each other in dismay.

This...

What is to be done?

Is this Prefect Liu crazy!

He wants to dissect a corpse!

Where can we find someone to stop him!

A clerk swallowed hard and said with difficulty: "Young Master, this matter... this matter, not to mention the desecration of the dead, how are we to explain it to the family?"

Others nodded as well.

Liu Zheng chuckled: "I have always believed that whenever a murder case occurs, it concerns the family, the world, justice, and the judiciary!"

"We only want one thing, and that is the truth!"

He said sonorously: "As judicial personnel, we have only one purpose, and that is the truth!"

He looked around: "Only the truth can comfort the ghosts and gods!"

"Only the truth can comfort the dead!"

"Only the truth can comfort the family!"

"Dissect!"

The crowd was also stirred to excitement by Liu Zheng.

The truth!

Yes!

They, as judicial personnel, wanted the truth! The clerks felt the same! Then... Liu Zheng saw a clerk, extremely excited, take a pig-slaughtering knife from the back kitchen and roar: "Move aside, I'll do the dissecting!"

"Pfft..."

Liu Zheng nearly spat out a mouthful of blood.

But there was no other way...

Who else is to blame for our current conditions!

There were certainly no scalpels.

A pig-slaughtering knife would have to do...

This was likely the first time a corpse had been dissected in the Longyan Dynasty. The clerk who had been so excited was actually just roaring loudly; when it came time to actually do it, his hands began to tremble.

He recited the Great Compassion Mantra several times, and with one stroke, he opened the corpse's chest.

"This..."

"What is going on here?"

The crowd was stunned, their faces changing drastically.

Liu Zheng narrowed his eyes slightly.

As expected.

Once the corpse was dissected, the truth was ready to emerge.

Jiang Xuan really had not expected this.

Chen Mingze was unexpectedly stubborn. Even though he was on the verge of using torture, he still gritted his teeth and did not say a single word.

But this was exactly why.

It only showed that there were hidden details to this case.

After a night of interrogation, Jiang Xuan was also tired.

He could only keep Chen Mingze locked up and ordered the jailers to provide him with good food and drink.

When he returned to the Liu residence to report his progress to Liu Zheng, he found Liu Zheng with a smile on his face and couldn't help but ask: "Young Master, has there been progress?"

Liu Zheng chuckled: "Your mission has changed, but you are still in the position of the defendant's side. Next, go investigate who at Wang's residence frequently visits the pharmacy, whether Wang has been feeling unwell lately, and if he has seen a physician. Focus on the people around Miss Liang, as well as that coachman!"

Jiang Xuan's eyes lit up: "Could it be that Miss Liang is the problem?"

Liu Zheng said indifferently: "Before there is a conclusion, any suspicion is possible, but any suspicion is just a suspicion!"

Jiang Xuan received the order and left.

In the blink of an eye, three days passed.

Everyone in Liangzhou knew that Prefect Liu was personally investigating the case and had divided the Supervision Department into three branches.

Some were watching for a joke.

Some were studying these three branches, and those who understood were amazed, instantly realizing what kind of impact this judicial reform would have on the judicial environment and social order of Liangzhou.

But in truth, most people still thought that Prefect Liu was just fooling around this time.

It was purely an attempt to retaliate without reason for the humiliation brought upon him by the Liangzhou Army.

The Supervision Department of the Longyan Dynasty has lasted for so many years, could it really be less advanced than your three branches? Can your three branches really overturn the case of Chen Mingze?

Three days.

This was the day of execution promised by Liu Zheng to the Liangzhou Army.

Early this morning.

Qiao Guang then brought a group of his own brothers and surrounded the Liangzhou Prefecture, demanding an explanation from Liu Zheng. Because this matter had been fermenting for the past few days, it also attracted countless onlookers at this moment.

Judicial reform.

Reopening a case.

These few focal points also drew the attention of many social figures.

Open court!

Today, this Prefect Liu was going to open court in public, hold a public hearing, and deliver a public verdict. Once this news broke, everyone lined up to come.

Because this signified the first major move by Prefect Liu after entering Liangzhou.

It also signified the future structure and situation of Liangzhou.

Liu Zheng.

This time, he appeared at the entrance of the Liangzhou Prefecture together with the Inspectorate and the Judiciary, and he sat together with the Counselor of the Judiciary. The people from the Inspectorate responsible for this investigation and evidence collection were divided into two sides, one for the defendant and one for the plaintiff, sitting on either side.

Qiao Guang, leading a crowd of people along with the family of the deceased, saw this formation and sneered coldly: "Prefect Liu, what is the point of playing these games?"

"Drag that Chen Mingze out and behead him sooner, and give us an explanation!"

"Exactly!"

"The corpse is almost rotting; are you still not letting us bury it?"

"He died with his eyes wide open!"

The commoners, hearing this, also joined in the clamor.

The scene was in an uproar.