Chapter 249: Chapter 233: You’re Not Even the Prince Consort’s Child
The coal mine case is a major one, and Song Wei, who obtained the evidence, said he needed to present it to the Emperor. Emperor Guangxi, unlike other times when he would meet officials leisurely, arrived at the side hall in no time and asked Mr. Cui to bring up what Song Wei had. After reviewing it, he fell silent.
Since the Emperor did not speak, Song Wei quietly waited.
After a long time, Emperor Guangxi looked at him, "So, you’re saying Lu Yanqing was truly involved in the coal mine case?"
"Based on my investigation, all the evidence and witness testimonies are complete; indeed, it is so. I have just handed the physical evidence to Your Majesty, and as for the witness, Lu Zhao, he is already being escorted to the Capital for trial."
Emperor Guangxi pressed his somewhat aching temples, his voice unspeakably heavy, and instructed Mr. Cui, "Hand the evidence to the Three Judicial Departments; the case is to be tried by them."
Mr. Cui could discern that the Emperor did not wish to personally convict the Young Marquis Lu, and so, since he handed off the case, Mr. Cui stepped forward gingerly to receive what Emperor Guangxi handed over, promptly taking it to the Ministry of Justice.
A case like this needs to be tried by the Three Judicial Departments.
The Three Judicial Departments of the Great Chu Dynasty: Ministry of Justice, Imperial Supervision Office, and Ministry of Justice.
The Ministry of Justice establishes the case, the Imperial Supervision Office reviews the case, and the Ministry of Justice sentences.
Eighty-plus lives claimed, subject to the trial by the Three Judicial Departments, a heavy crime is inevitable.
Just thinking about it, cold sweat started to trickle down Mr. Cui’s forehead.
The Young Marquis Lu is the only child of the Princess Mansion, and if something happens to him, when the Eldest Princess makes a fuss, there might not be many peaceful days in the palace.
As soon as Mr. Cui left, silence permeated the great hall.
Emperor Guangxi was agitated and gestured for Song Wei to leave.
Song Wei, as the Imperial Envoy responsible for the case, had the right to listen to the trial.
He did not return home nor went to the Hanlin Academy; he directly went to the Ministry of Justice.
Minister Yao of the Ministry of Justice had already received what Mr. Cui had delivered and begun the procedures.
When Song Wei met Minister Yao, he consulted him about the sentencing in such cases.
Minister Yao truthfully replied, "Whenever the Petition Drum sounds, there’s no small case. Now, all the citizens in the Capital are waiting to see the final outcome of this case. If it were just a matter of privately opening a coal mine, there might be room for negotiation, but with over eighty lives involved, it’s mostly leaning toward the death penalty. Specifically, it will depend on the results given by the Ministry of Justice."
Song Wei further asked, "In such a case, would there be collateral accountability?"
Minister Yao smiled at him, "On one side is the Princess Mansion, on the other is the Imperial Uncle’s Mansion, collateral accountability, do you think it’s possible?" He changed his tone, "Just that though there might not be collateral accountability, these two mansions are likely to be scrutinized every step moving forward."
——
Upon leaving the Ministry of Justice, Song Wei privately met with Prince Consort Lu, informing him that the case had already surfaced, and Lu Yanqing indeed was involved; now it only waits for the verdict from the trial by the Three Judicial Departments.
Even if prepared earlier, hearing Song Wei say it personally at this moment, Lu Xingzhou couldn’t help but feel his heart sink.
Seeing the prince consort’s brows knitted tightly, Song Wei continued, "In this case, two people from the Su Family were involved. If back then, the young Su Yaojun didn’t understand things and made a mistake out of childish whim, then Master Su was the instigator who led these three kids down a path of no return. Logically, the Su Family’s sin is the greatest and they should be punished the most. As the case’s responsible person, I have the right to attend the trial, and I’ll do my best for Lu Yanqing to be spared from the death penalty."
"Third Son, it’s difficult for you."
Lu Xingzhou lowered his head.
There was a sentence Song Wei was not supposed to say, but thinking about those eighty-plus corpses, he ended up opening his mouth, "This time I returned, I had the government office bring out all the corpses buried in the mines. Four years have passed; some can no longer be pieced together fully. If my father and Uncle Wen didn’t escape in time back then, those eighty-plus corpses would have included two of theirs."
He took a deep breath and continued, "I don’t know if Lu Yanqing will ever get out of prison; if he does, I hope you can educate him well. For him to commit such a heinous crime, ultimately, the responsibility lies with you as parents."
"I understand." Lu Xingzhou had a few forced smiles on his face, "Regardless of how the case is judged, I have already thought about what to do."
Hearing him speak like this, Song Wei had a vague sense of foreboding.
"Third Son, you’d better go back first, I still have some matters to attend to."
After Song Wei left, Lu Xingzhou went straight to the Heavenly Prison.
Lu Yanqing had already been detained for over a month, during which they, as a couple, had come to visit him almost every day. Only the Eldest Princess was unwell today and couldn’t come, leaving Lu Xingzhou to come alone.
To prevent these three from colluding, Lu Yanqing, Cheng Fei, and Su Yaojun were held separately, in different locations.