There is a god in the sky

Chapter 361 Joint Trial by the Three Judicial Offices 2

Shen Lan wanted to move out, but Master Xiao disagreed.

At this point, it made no difference whether Shen Lan separated from the Xiao family or not.

Upon learning that Marquis Pingyang had led his troops to Vulture Peak Mountain, Xiao Ji immediately dispatched constables from the yamen to the Tong residence.

The masters of the Tong family had all gone to the palace and were currently in the imperial prison. The servants dared not stop the government officials.

Xiao Ji went straight to Tong Xiuqing's study, ignoring the steward who chased after him to slip him silver notes.

By the time the officials from the other two government offices arrived, Xiao Ji had already searched the Tong residence.

Minister Dong of the Court of Judicial Review felt that Xiao Ji was too ignorant.

In a joint trial by the three judicial departments, the Dali Temple should naturally take the lead, with the other two departments playing a supporting role.

Moreover, the Judicial Commissioner's Office is just a small government office; why should it be ahead of him?

"Has Lord Xiao found anything? This is a case personally supervised by the Emperor. You must not hide any important evidence."

Xiao Ji arrived at the Tong family before them, precisely because he was afraid of this.

He didn't know much about Lord Huang of the Censorate, but this Minister Dong was a man of the Crown Prince.

Unlike other officials who openly took sides, he was a hidden trump card of the Crown Prince within the court.

Xiao Ji knew about this entirely because of the information revealed by the Second Prince.

Clearly, the Second Prince has thoroughly investigated the Crown Prince's faction over the years.

Xiao Ji pointed to the several large boxes of account books and letters on the ground and said, "Lord Dong, I have collected all the account books and private letters that I could find in the various studies of the Tong residence. I haven't had time to look at them yet, so I'll hand them over to you for your arrangements."

Dong Minghua walked around the boxes, picked up a few ledgers, and flipped through them casually.

These publicly available ledgers show no signs of wrongdoing; they are simply records of normal household expenses.

"With so many ledgers, it would take forever to read them one by one."

The Emperor has ordered us to investigate the matter thoroughly within seven days; we have no time to waste here.

Xiao Ji asked modestly, "Then what does Lord Dong mean?"

"I've heard that Lord Xiao is most skilled at solving cases. Why don't we entrust the investigation of the Tong family's disregard for human life to Lord Xiao? Lord Huang and I will take a look at the Tong family's financial income and expenditure."

"Very well, then this humble official would like to take a few people back from the Tong residence for questioning. Is that feasible?"

An investigation inevitably involves interrogation, a point Dong Minghua couldn't refute. However, he did add a note: "It's fine for the servants to do whatever they want, but the masters of the Tong household should be careful. Does Lord Xiao understand?"

"Yes, I will only take away the servants with indentures."

After Xiao Ji left with his men, Lord Huang hurriedly went into his study and ransacked the place.

Dong Minghua dismissed the servants and went inside, closing the study door behind them.

"Lord Huang, what are you looking for? Your appearance will arouse Xiao Ji's suspicion." Dong Minghua plopped down in the rocking chair.

While searching, Lord Huang said, "Old Dong, let's not beat around the bush. The gifts I gave to the Tong family must not be exposed, otherwise the Huang family will also be implicated."

"You prayed for your son?"

"Yes, my son Huang Jincheng failed the provincial examination three times. He's getting old, and if he doesn't pass it soon, he'll never have a chance to pursue an official career in his life."

"It's a pity, the Tong family probably won't be able to hold out until the next provincial examination."

Lord Huang asked in surprise, "What makes you say that? Does His Majesty intend to deal with the Tong family this time?"

"Otherwise what? A high-ranking official of the second rank, from a scholarly family, and even the maternal family of the Crown Prince, being jointly tried by the three judicial departments and having his home searched by the government, isn't that a slap in the face enough?"

If the Emperor didn't want to punish the Tong family, would he have humiliated them like this?

"Wouldn't the Crown Prince's position be in grave danger in this situation?"

Dong Minghua sighed inwardly. The Crown Prince had originally been in the bag, and no one seemed to be able to threaten his position.

Who knew that the person who held the most power over his life and death was the emperor?

Xiao Ji interrogated the servants of the Tong family separately.

Even the gatekeepers of the Tong family were more imposing than ordinary minor officials, let alone the stewards that Xiao Ji brought back from various places.

"Release me now, or no matter what rank your master is, you'll lose your official position!"

The threat came from the Tong family's accountant.

This is no ordinary accountant; it is said that he is an old official who retired from the Ministry of Revenue. Instead of enjoying a leisurely life, he came to the Tong family to work as an accountant.

Of course, some people say that this official sold himself to the Tong family so that his grandson could enter officialdom.

The kind of sale where a contract of servitude is actually signed.

Sui Feng lashed the wall with his whip and sneered, "A mere servant dares to call himself 'Master'? He truly doesn't know the immensity of heaven and earth!"

"Back in my day..."

Xiao Ji interrupted him, asking, "What is the Tong family's biggest source of income? Shops? Land? Or mines?"

The old accountant was completely uncooperative and refused to answer.

Xiao Ji turned his back and said, "Go easy on me. I'm an old man, I can't take this."

Sui Feng chuckled maliciously, "Don't worry, sir, we'll definitely leave him a breath."

He lashed the old accountant with his whip, causing the man to curse loudly in pain.

"You dare to resort to vigilante justice! I will report this to the authorities and you will be punished for abusing your power."

"Lord Yu, oh no, Yu Liangcai, are you getting senile? The investigation of the Tong family was ordered by the Emperor. It's normal for one or two criminals to die during the investigation."

Xiao Ji gave Sui Feng a wink, and the latter went out for a while before returning with a four- or five-year-old boy.

Yu Liangcai was no longer calm.

He stretched out his hand and asked anxiously, "Dun'er, this is my Dun'er! Why are you grabbing him? He's just a child."

Xiao Ji ignored him and instead slipped a candy into the boy's hand.

"Young Master Yu, do you know this person?"

Yu Dundun was the apple of her family's eye, and the whole family doted on her as she grew up. She spat at Yu Liangcai, who was in a sorry state.

"I don't know any beggars!"

“He wasn’t a beggar, he was your great-grandfather.”

"I have no great-grandfather."

"How could that be? Didn't anyone in your family tell you that you had a great-grandfather who worked as an accountant in the Tong family?"

Yu Dundun shook her head, "Of course not. My Yu family is an official family, how could we possibly have a relative who works as an accountant?"

Yu Liangcai sacrificed himself entirely for the Yu family, but the Yu family did not acknowledge him, and even his great-grandson never told him of his great-grandfather's existence.

If Yu Liangcai hadn't secretly gone back to see his great-grandson, he wouldn't have recognized the child at all.

Xiao Ji corrected him: "You can wear gold and silver and eat and drink well, all thanks to your great-grandfather."

Tong Xiuqing treated Yu Liangcai's family very well in order to win him over, which is why Yu Liangcai was willing to risk his life for him.

"No, our family's benefactor is Minister Tong, who is also His Highness the Crown Prince. My father said that he will become a high-ranking official in the future!"

Xiao Ji saw the boy off and saw Yu Liangcai standing there in a daze, feeling a pang of guilt.

"There's even worse news, do you want to hear it?"

Yu Liangcai sneered: "What's the point of Lord Xiao doing all this? I'm sacrificing myself willingly, and it has nothing to do with my family."

Xiao Ji clapped his hands and laughed mockingly, "Lord Yu is truly a man of noble character. It's a pity that the grandson you sacrificed for is not of the Yu family bloodline!"

Yu Liangcai shouted, "Impossible!"