: Reversal of the Case

As soon as the sky was dawn, Tang Feng took his people away from the inn and came straight to the governor's office. Among a group of Jinyi Guards, the three uninvited guests who entered their residence at night were also mixed up. However, they also changed into Jinyi Guards' clothing and were taken nearby and dared not do anything.

When Tang Feng came to the governor's yamen, Zhejiang officials from Yan Boda had already been waiting for them there. Seeing their red eyes, Tang Feng knew that it was not the only one who did not have a good rest that night. After some push, Yan Boda was the presiding judge of the case, while Tang Feng and others were sitting next to him as jury. Zhang Siyuan and others also sat by the side like Tang Feng. Their expressions were even more gloomy than Tang Feng, and they didn't know what they were thinking.

As soon as Yan Boda sat down, his original smile disappeared, and he patted the awkward and shouted: "Bring the criminal Xiong Can to me!" Amid the sound of iron chains rubbing against the ground, Xiong Can walked in with heavy steps. After being rescued from the execution ground yesterday, he, who was originally from the death of death, once again saw hope of life. Therefore, although his body was very weak because of the frequent prison, he was still energetic and did not show any sense of embarrassment.

Seeing him walking in like this, Tang Feng nodded secretly: "This man is indeed a man. Although he looks like a weak scholar, he still has this kind of demeanor after he is almost dead, which is admirable." Zhang Siyuan and others on the other side looked at him with a smile, as if they were looking at a dead person.

Just as the yamen runners stepped forward to press Xiong Can to the ground and asked him to kneel down for trial, Tang Feng suddenly spoke: "Wait a minute! Lord Yan, I remember that my Ming Dynasty law contains clear texts. Any official who has not been found guilty and has not been taken away from his official position will not be allowed to wear torture shackles when he is tried in court, and he does not have to kneel down. I wonder what I said is right?"

"Ah, it's not bad!" Yan Boda seemed to remember this statement at this time, and waved his hand and ordered: "Come on, I'll give him a seat!" Since Tang Feng said that, Yan Boda simply didn't call Xiong Can a criminal, which can be said to have given enough face to Tang Feng.

The yamen runners here just received the order to help Xiong Can remove the torture instruments. Feng Keyan, with a gloomy face, spoke: "Stop!" After asking them to stop the movements in their hands, he looked at Yan Boda and bowed: "Governor, we have determined based on the confession of Xiong Can's subordinates in the previous period that Jiande's flood was caused by his greed and negligence. Although he was rescued by Lord Tang on the execution ground, he was still guilty, so there was no need to go to his torture instruments. Treat him as a current official. I wonder if what the officials said was reasonable?" Although he was looking at Yan Boda, the question was actually Tang Feng.

Tang Feng's smile on his face did not diminish: "After that being said, I have enough evidence in my hands to prove that County Magistrate Xiong is innocent. On the contrary, some people are unforgivable. Therefore, as a court official, he must not be treated like this, otherwise how can the court's decency remain?"

"Is that true? Lord Tang said you have evidence, but the official has a confession he personally confessed. What should I say? Could it be that someone would be false if he committed the confession he asked?" Feng Keyan said without giving in.

"Of course, if you were torture or induce confessions, the suspect's confession made by him would not be accurate. As a province's criminal name, Mr. Feng, wouldn't he not even know this?" Tang Feng asked with a sarcastic smile.

Then, Tang Feng looked at Xiong Can again and said gently: "Mr. Xiong County, Tang Feng, I know that you have suffered an injustice. Today, I will help you clear your injustice. Just tell me in front of all the adults, if you have been wronged."

Xiong Can was even more excited when he heard Tang Feng's name. He knew that it was his brother who really invited someone to save him, so he immediately raised his head and shouted: "The emperor is wronged, please ask the governor to make the decision on the emperor!"

Unexpectedly, Xiong Can still not accept his fate at this time. A hint of anger flashed in Feng Keyan's eyes, but before he could speak, Tang Feng had already spoken again: "Don't worry, with Governor Yan and I here, no one can wrong you. If you have any grievances, just say them in front of everyone, and what's going on with your confession? Have you ever been tortured to confess?"

"Xiaguan has not been punished, but the people in Xiaguan County have been tortured a lot. In this case, they have to put all the blame on Xiaguan as Lord Feng wants."

"You..." Feng Keyan was anxious and pointed at Xiong Can and couldn't speak. Tang Feng glanced at him lightly: "Mr. Feng is serious about this? Did you really get the confession for this?"

"I... those people are not officials, nor are they famous. It is not a big deal for me to punish me when torture, right? These people have committed serious mistakes. How could they honestly explain everything if they don't use the torture? As the commander of the Jinyiwei, Lord Tang wouldn't even know this, right?" Feng Keyan sneered.

"Yes, I have also tortured people many times, but forcing them to tell the truth is different from asking them to bite them randomly. I wonder which one Lord Feng did?" Tang Feng said and looked at Yan Bonian again: "Mr. Yan, even those confessions are not accurate now. Can it be said that County Magistrate Xiong was not a real person to commit it? Please order his torture instruments to be removed and then interrogated."

Feng Keyan really couldn't come up with more powerful evidence, so he had to snort and stop talking. Seeing Xiong Can's torture instruments removed, the officials' expressions were all dark, and they thought something was not good, while Zhang Siyuan looked at the sky outside and calculated the time, as if he didn't care about the current situation.

Next is the real interrogation. As some time ago, Yan Boda asked about the details of the collapse of Jiande dam that day. Xiong Can once again told the story of the day. When he mentioned that there were about 500 soldiers, an official sneered: "Xiong Can, you are really a good story. In order to get rid of yourself, you actually made up some 500 officers and soldiers. But we have already investigated that day. There is no general named Wang Wanchun among the various garrisons in Zhejiang, and we have never sent anyone to Jiande to help you!"

Xiong Can insisted that such a team of officers and soldiers appeared, but the people on the other side said that this was not the case, and the scene suddenly froze. At this time, Tang Feng spoke: "Five hundred officers and soldiers are not a small number. Although there were few pedestrians on the road due to heavy rain that day, it was impossible for passers-by to see them, but the people in Jiande County could still see them. Lord Yan, one of the evidences mentioned before was proved that these five hundred officers and soldiers existed. Please allow my witnesses to come into the hall and speak back and forth."

"Okay, then it's as Lord Tang invited. Bring that witness to the court!" Yan Boda smiled secretly. Now that Tang Feng can gain the upper hand, the greater the possibility that the officials will use extraordinary means. He is naturally happy that the situation will develop in this direction. However, Zhang Siyuan and others' expressions tightened again. In their original calculations, even if the people in those small places really knew that their county magistrates were wronged, and if someone could testify for this, they would not be able to go to the provincial capital to testify. You must know that they were facing high-ranking officials. They would not dare to be in trouble with these adults with ten courage. But Tang Feng's situation was completely different when he joined forces.

Several strong men walked up strode. Although they seemed a little uneasy because of the atmosphere here as soon as they arrived in the hall and even kowtowed was very chaotic, when Yan Boda asked them, the men still told the truth: "Yes, we did see a group of officials coming to our county on the night when the embankment collapsed. We left the embankment because of their orders. Who would have thought that in the second half of the night..." When the few people said this, their faces were full of sadness.

Before the others could speak, Feng Keyan said again: "Hmph, can it be said that Xiong Can is innocent by just a few grass-roots people? In the eyes of Xiaguan, these people must be accomplices with Xiong Can, so they will speak out here. Lord Tang should not be blinded by their sweet words!"

Although his words are a bit unreasonable, they also have a two-part truth. In this era, the status of the people is generally low, and when facing officials, their credibility is also very low.

Tang Feng's eyes flashed with a bright light, and then he smiled and said, "Mr. Feng is such a great official power. In your opinion, how can we determine that what they are saying is the truth?"

"It is unreasonable to say something, but there must be conclusive physical evidence!" Feng Keyan replied in response to Tang Feng's gaze. He knew very well that it was impossible for these officers and soldiers to leave any evidence when they went there. Even if they were really left, they were washed away completely after the flood, so they said this.

"Okay, that official will show you the same evidence!" Tang Feng nodded, and then he looked at one of the big men and said, "Heizi, let them see the wound on your body!"
Chapter completed!