After the formal sentencing, Empress Dowager Zhang finally left with anger. Several important officials in the court looked at each other and all breathed a sigh of relief.

"Shangshu Chen, you are really capable. You can close the case in front of the Empress Dowager. I admire you." Zhang Lun complimented Chen Xi.

Lu Wan and Zhang Zilin were worried, fearing that things would not be settled so easily. It was very likely that this was just the beginning, and the rest were the three parties of the Empress Dowager, the Emperor and Shen Xi.

Chen Xi was a little regretful and shook his head and said, "The criminal Zhang Yanling was extremely guilty and should have been sentenced to death, but he voluntarily pleaded guilty and had a good attitude. He could only give him a lighter punishment... It depends on how His Majesty decides."

“Yes, yes.”

Zhang Zilin said, "Your Majesty will hand over this case to Secretary Chen for handling, and we will all follow the emperor."

Quan Yunxu said: "I wonder what Secretary Chen has to say? Is it up to you to report this time?"

Chen Xi shook his head: "The case settled by the Ministry of Justice will be submitted by the Ministry of Justice... Zong Xian, you are here to draft the memorial, do you have no objection?"

Zhang Zilin smiled and said, "Zong Xianzhong and Yongzheng were responsible for his duties. He was young and sharp. It would be appropriate for him to report the report. What do Eunuch Zhang and Eunuch Li think?"

For fear of neglecting Zhang Yong and Li Xing, Zhang Zilin, as a "landlord", needed to do his best to do his best, so he asked symbolically. Zhang Yong and Li Xing had no objection at all, and everyone focused on Shen Xi.

"Then we will draft the memorial as soon as possible. We will take care of it on our behalf... Zong Xian, let's leave the matter to you. I might as well go in and have a cup of tea first?" Zhang Zilin said.

Chen Xidao: "No need, I have something else to do, so I will say goodbye first."

Zhang Zilin was a little surprised: "The Ministry of Justice reported..."

Chen Xidao: "I have confidence in Zong Xian, and he should be able to grasp the wording as appropriate. After all, this is just an ordinary case, and everything can be handled according to the rules."

After saying that, Chen Xi left directly. Li Xing was not going to go when he saw this, nor was he stayed.

Empress Dowager Zhang asked him to stay for supervision. Now he couldn't figure out whether he should go to supervise Chen Xi or continue to supervise the situation of the report here.

"Zhihou does things differently." Lu Wan looked at Chen Xi's back and sighed.

Zhang Zilin winked, meaning that Li Xing and Zhang Yong were present, so it would be best to say such words in private.

Then Zhang Zilin called everyone to the backyard to have tea and wait, but Zhang Yong and Li Xing were not interested at all.

Li Xing said: "Please hurry up and write the memorial. Our family is in a hurry to go back and report to the Empress Dowager! By the way, the facts today are too strange. Do you know what happened?"

Lu Wan asked curiously: "Eunuch Li doesn't know either?"

Li Xing smiled bitterly: "Our family knows and asks you what you are doing? The Empress Dowager came today and never thought that Marquis Jianchang... Marquis Jianchang would plead guilty. Is someone secretly making trouble?"

Quan Yunxu, who had already sat back to the table in the main hall, buried his head in writing, retorted after hearing this: "Eunuch Li's words are just questioning the unfairness of our case trial? The criminal was escorted to the court, and we had never even met anyone, so why did we make a fuss?"

After hearing Quan Yunxu's words, Li Xing immediately realized that this matter could only be related to Chen Xi, and thought to himself: "Some things are still too anxious, and everything is under the control of Lord Shen, so he is not afraid of the Empress Dowager coming in person."

...

...

Soon, Quan Yunxu was about to finish drafting the memorial. After several people circulated it, they felt that there was no problem and repeatedly praised Quan Yunxu for his safe work.

Quan Yunxu said: "You have seen that this is the result of the trial of the court. Some links have deviations, which is also caused by the Empress Dowager's personal intervention in the trial. However, the criminal has confessed and the evidence is present. How will Your Majesty decide if he submits this memorial? You must be mentally prepared."

Zhang Yong, who had been silent, muttered: "Hey, what a big tone."

Obviously, the people present also felt that Quan Yunxu was "fake and tiger power". He was obviously the lowest-level official among the officials present, but his words meant that he was above everyone else.

Li Xing said: "If it were the case before, it would be fine if the court agreed to take it. Now the governor, Lord Shen, personally ruling and then handing it over to His Majesty for review, there is absolutely no problem."

Lu Wan and others remained silent, Quan Yunxu said, "Since that's the case, please let me jointly testify."

"What?"

When Li Xing heard this, he became very angry, "Why do you still have to wait for a joint letter? What does this have to do with our family? Minister Quan, don't you think our family is here to listen, right? Our family is just watching the show..."

Quan Yunxu corrected: "Since I was in the court and saw what happened just now, I should have a joint name as a witness. Can anyone else enter and exit the court at will?"

Zhang Zilin persuaded him earnestly: "Zong Xian, don't make things difficult for Eunuch Li and Eunuch Zhang in this matter. They are not on the list of case trial personnel, and even if they come, it was a coincidence."

Zhang Yong came over and shouted: "What's wrong with joint names? Our family is here to be heard, so what? Don't you dare to let Your Majesty know that our family once appeared in court? Come and bring a pen!"

After saying that, Zhang Yong took the pen directly from Quan Yunxu and actually signed the book. This move was unexpected by Lu Wan, Zhang Zilin and Zhang Lun because they had no intention of signing.

"Please."

Quan Yunxu looked at Lu Wan and others again.

Lu Wan, Zhang Lun and Zhang Zilin couldn't help but think that Quan Yunxu was an ignorant person, so how could he force people to join forces?

However, they guessed that this might be Shen Xi’s intention, so they reluctantly picked up the pen, wrote down their names on the memorial, and finally handed over the problem to Li Xing.

Li Xing picked up the pen and wrote his name on the memorial, shouting: "I really don't understand the rules. Our family is here to be a spectator. You really... Our family won't argue with you, and go back to report to the Empress Dowager!"

...

...

Empress Dowager Zhang was forced to accept the case and quickly went to the Xuanfu to write to him, begging her son to let her two younger brothers go.

As for Shen Xi, he finally completed what he had been persisting in. He felt relieved, but he couldn't help but feel a little regretful.

That night, when he saw Hui Niang and told Hui Niang about the situation, Hui Niang looked calm, as if she didn't care about the Zhang family case.

But Li Jin asked: "The Zhang family has committed many evil deeds, why aren't they sentenced to death?"

Shen Xi shook his head and said, "How easy is it?"

Li Jin said curiously: "Isn't the emperor breaking the law and committing the same crime as the common people? The Zhang family is just a relative of the outside world. They also make rebellious acts and take human lives apart. Your Majesty must have thought of killing them, right?"

Shen Xi shook his head. Some things were difficult for him to explain to Li Jin and Hui Niang. He understood that for Hui Niang and Li Jin, perhaps only when the Zhang brothers died could he resolve the hatred in his heart and avoid any worries.

Shen Xi thought to himself: "In history, the Zhang brothers did more evil, and they were not punished until the Jiajing Dynasty. At that time, the civil and military officials in the dynasty still wanted to plead for them, which was because of the 'reason'."

Chen Xidao: "They were involved in the crime of treason, which was to sell weapons to Japanese people and train troops overseas, but in the end, these soldiers were not under the control of the Zhang family, and there was no fact that treason occurred from beginning to end!"

"They were the biggest crimes for stolen the country, but they did not cause any substantial harm. At the same time, with Empress Dowager Zhang supporting them, as the emperor's uncle, many circumstances can be reduced in the guilt."

"As for the care of human lives, they did not have a single life on their hands, they were all ordered to do it. As for the crimes that led some officials and the people to prison to persecute them to death, many officials were involved, but the charges were counted on them or those accomplices who were accomplices of tigers? If we want to convict this death penalty, will we involve the unjust cases in prison in the capital over the years?"

At the end, Chen Xi sighed deeply. The water in the Ming Dynasty officialdom was too deep and could not be solved easily.

Li Jin wanted to say something, but was interrupted by Hui Niang.

Hui Niang said, "Jin'er, don't ask too much. The master is in the officialdom and the things he encounters are not just about right or wrong. There are other considerations. Just the Empress Dowager Zhang standing behind the Zhang family, it is not so easy for the two brothers to convict him, unless someone is sent to assassinate him, but this is obviously not what the master wants to do."

Chen Xidao: "Is Hui Niang blaming me?"

Hui Niang shook her head and said, "The master has always been against the Zhang brothers. There is a big reason for me. I know that I have a serious sin... In fact, even if the Zhang family did evil, I could not survive in the capital. Over the years, I have been out of my mind. They have not killed me, nor have my family destroyed, so why bother to force each other?"

Facing Hui Niang, who seems reasonable but is actually full of obsession, Chen Xi cannot do anything except smile bitterly.

Li Jin asked, "Then they are so cheap? One is imprisoned for three years, and the other is sent to serve as a military officer. It will probably not take long before they can be free and comfortable in the capital again. By then, will they not cause trouble for the master?"

"Um."

Hui Niang nodded slightly, "This is what the master is most worried about, right? The master should think clearly. Since the root cause has not been eradicated, he will be destined to face their counterattack in the future. Even the empress dowager will make things difficult for the Shen family. The first person to be affected is Yi'er in the palace..."

While talking, Hui Niang looked at Chen Xi. From her eyes, Chen Xi could feel that she was truly considering him and the Shen family.

Chenxidao: "This time, the dispatch of military service will allow some people to receive the punishment they deserve in the northwest... Don't forget whose land is in the northwest."

In one sentence, Hui Niang realized that although Chen Xi could not sentence Zhang Yanling to death from the law, she could use other means to make Zhang Yanling suffer or even torture to death.

Li Jin asked in confusion: "Can the master take care of the matters in the northwest?"

Hui Niang glanced at Li Jin and explained: "The master has been in the northwest for many years, and has fought so many wars, and has many connections... Now the three-sided governor Hu is even the old subordinate of the master. If an ordinary powerful man is a member of the border, he may receive preferential treatment. But if the master intends to let someone suffer in the northwest, even if he is in the court, there will be no trouble."

Li Jin's cramped face finally relaxed and said with a smile: "That's good. Let that evil guy suffer, and it's best to be dealt with by God."

Chen Xi smiled: "If you have any guilt, you must be punished. If you are a soldier, you will be a soldier. Let him endure the same hardship as an ordinary soldier and live the same life. Even as a scout, he will go deep into the grassland to spy on military intelligence... I will let him get no help, and if he is slacking off, he will die without a place to bury him."

Hui Niang nodded, she didn't want to pursue this issue anymore.

Chen Xi understood some of Hui Niang's thoughts. Although Zhang Yanling harmed Hui Niang and the chamber of commerce hosted by Hui Niang, it actually indirectly helped her and Chen Xi, otherwise the two might have been "destined to be undestined" forever.

...

...

The closing of the Zhang case was reported and submitted to Zhu Houzhao two days later. The chief of the Sili Supervisor Xiao Jing personally delivered the case, and Xiao Guozi and Jiang Bin were also there.

Zhu Houzhao read the memorial in a hurry, and after reading it, he said disappointedly: "At most, it is just a punishment for guarding the border? Is the sentencing too light?"

Xiao Jing felt that the punishment was appropriate and hurriedly said, "Your Majesty, the Sansi Yamen has already tried the case in detail, and even Shangshu Chen has personally inquired about the case. I think this is the best punishment result."

"After doing so many evil things, you can still save your life. It's really a bargain!" Zhu Houzhao said with a frown, looking extremely angry, but sighed.

The reason why he exclaimed this was noticed by all three people present. If they really wanted to kill the Zhang brothers, Zhu Houzhao would not be able to explain to Empress Dowager Zhang. This is also the fundamental reason why Zhu Houzhao had to secretly order Chen Xi to let Chen Xi "act in secret" and promote Zhang Yanling's suicide.

Once the case is brought to the open, it is necessary to be tried fairly and justly, and it is easy to convict the death penalty in the end. With Zhu Houzhao's fearless personality, he cannot resist it.

Zhu Houzhao said: "Didn't the minister Chen report?"

Xiao Jing was stunned at first, and then realized that the emperor might be more concerned about Chen Xi’s thoughts in this case, and quickly replied: “Your Majesty, Secretary Chen has not submitted a separate memorial on this case, and there is no signature of Secretary Chen in this joint memorial.”

"oh?"

Zhu Houzhao looked at the memorial carefully. When he saw the names listed on it, he couldn't help but smile, as if he thought it was very interesting. "The names of the chief officials of the Sansi yamen are there, and the two Silijians also signed the pens. It turns out that it is a real Sansi judging."

Xiao Jing said: "Your Majesty, don't know how to approve it?"

Zhu Houzhao waved his hand: "Even if it is the result of the Third Division's Trial, I want to hear the opinions of Shangshu Chen. I will wait for Shangshu Chen's memorial first... I will reply in a few days."
To be continued...