Minister Yun Hanchi of the Ministry of Justice frowned as he looked at the man below the dais. Nie Shilei seemed to have pointed randomly, picking someone from the crowd, but this person stood still, head bowed and silent, which only raised Yun Hanchi’s suspicions.
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At a glance from the Minister, government officials on either side moved to restrain the man.
"Minister, your judgment is clear!"
The man hurriedly spoke, "I am but a servant from Prince Changxiang Mansion, here by chance, wrongfully accused and implicated by the suspect."
Yun Hanchi’s confusion remained. "The Prince has recently been bedridden. How do you, a mere servant, have the leisure to wander about?"
The fact that Prince Changxiang, Li Chenghe, was critically ill was no secret, and the news that Academic Palace Top Scholar Li Ang had diagnosed him as having little time left had also spread. Since his condition was incurable, the priority was naturally handling his affairs. Therefore, during this time, Prince Changxiang Mansion was busy tallying possessions, settling accounts, and calculating dividends from various businesses to ensure the Prince’s only son could smoothly inherit the wealth. They also had to consult with Zongzheng Temple, which managed the affairs of the royal family, to prepare for the mourning and other matters. The entire Prince Manor was busy. For a servant to inexplicably come to the Ministry of Justice to watch the trial of an unrelated case was therefore very strange.
The robust man was rendered speechless. A constable with a goatee whispered to Yun Hanchi, "Yun Siqing, during the previous investigation, more than one witness stated that the last time they saw Meng Ying, she willingly boarded a very luxurious carriage. The time was approximately two quarter-hours past Haichu."
Yun Hanchi glanced at the constable, apparently named Zou Han. Yu Country was wealthy and splendid, and its carriage types were exceedingly luxurious. Just the horse tack and ornaments—the headstall, browband, noseband, bit, cheekpieces, throatlatch, and neck strap—were elaborate. Almond-leaf ornaments were mounted on the horse’s forehead, nose, and upper cheeks. The leather straps of the headstall were also decorated with tiny gold flowers. Coupled with other valuable adornments, this entire set was known as the "Intricate Harness," as Bai Juyi described in his ’One Hundred Rhymes Sent to Assistant Minister Cui of the Ministry of Rites and Qian Sheren of the Hanlin Academy, While Retired in Weicun’: "The noble lord’s headdress sways, the prince’s reins are an intricate display."
According to regulations, only officials of fourth rank and above were entitled to use such.
Considering other parts like the belly strap, breastcollar, decorative ribbons, and bells on the carriage shaft and yoke, the price of a high-end carriage could range from thousands to tens of thousands of strings of coins, much like the supercars in Li Ang’s memories from the Otherworld—truly impressive.
Yun Hanchi also had testimonies from East Market witnesses, which indicated that finding a particular high-end carriage in Chang’an City was undoubtedly like finding a needle in a haystack. However, if focused clues emerged and the actual item could be presented for witnesses to identify, recognition was highly probable.
Zou Han continued, "Moreover, I have heard that on the evening of the Dragon Boat Festival, someone saw Prince Changxiang’s legitimate son, Li Shenbin, at a tavern in East Market. The time was Haichu. Around that time, Prince Changxiang Mansion, citing the Dragon Boat Festival as a reason to clear out old items, burned a carriage..."
Minister Yun Hanchi’s eyes narrowed involuntarily as he assessed Zou Han. These were sharply provocative statements, directly accusing a member of the Li Family from the royal lineage, the son of a Commandery Prince, of being involved in the case.
Feeling the Minister’s piercing gaze, Zou Han instinctively tensed but managed to maintain eye contact.
Yun Hanchi pondered for a moment, then said, "...Fine. Send word to Prince Changxiang Mansion. Do not disturb the Prince himself. Just bring his legitimate son, house steward, servants, and coachman here, saying we need to ask them some questions."
The faces of the Ministry of Justice officials on either side changed slightly. Being sent to summon members from a Prince Manor in Yu Country was not a pleasant duty, but with the Minister’s decision made, they had to comply.
The Ministry of Justice was located within the Inner Imperial City, not far from the Prince Manor, which was in the northeast of Chang’an. Before long, the people and items from the Prince Mansion had been brought over.
This is Prince Changxiang’s legitimate son, Li Shenbin?
Li Ang looked into the Ministry of Justice hall, only to see a dignified young nobleman in white robes standing confidently. "Yun Siqing, my father is bedridden and still needs my care. May I ask what Yun Siqing wishes to inquire about?"
"It won’t take much time."
Yun Hanchi glanced at the case files on the table. "Where were you around 7 p.m. on the Dragon Boat Festival in the fourth year of Zaiqian?"
"I was in Zuifeng Building on the south side of East Market, drinking with some friends. Present were the Third Son from the Minister of the Ministry of Finance’s residence, the son of the Assistant Director of Imperial Sacrificial Worship..."
Li Shenbin recited a series of names and, preempting Yun Hanchi’s questioning, continued detailing his movements, "We began drinking at Xu Zheng and only dispersed at Haichu. Since I had been drinking, I instructed my coachman to drive more slowly on the way back."
"Is this the carriage?"
Yun Hanchi had the carriage brought forward, and the witnesses all nodded, confirming it was.
Outside the temple, Meng Chengye could no longer hold back and attempted to rush inside but was stopped by Jin Wusuan at his side.
Minister Yun Hanchi asked without expression, "These witnesses claim that the deceased, Meng Ying, boarded this carriage approximately two quarter-hours past Haichu."
"Hmm... Yun Siqing refers to the incident on the Dragon Boat Festival in East Market, correct? I’ve heard of it too."
Li Shenbin replied, his expression unchanged, "My family possesses fifteen carriages, three of which are of this model. One of them was recently dismantled and burned due to a termite infestation."