The longer Li Mu knew Zhang Chun, the more he realized that Zhang Chun had many tricks up his sleeve despite his thick eyebrows and big eyes.
If he insisted on not letting Jiang Zhe go, the Academy's instructor would not dare to snatch Jiang Zhe from the yamen.
The Academy's status was superior, but it did not mean that its students were above the law. The instructor would only dare to take Jiang Zhe away if he pretended to be afraid of the Academy.
When he took Jiang Zhe away, he gave the yamen enough reason to do so.
But by doing so, he would offend the Baichuan Academy.
Li Mu reminded him, "Sir, aren't you afraid of the Academy?"
Zhang Chun spat and said, "What's there to be afraid of? This is the government office. If I let him take him away so easily, I will lose face. Where will the law and His Majesty's face be?"
Li Mu felt that Zhang Chun was going to throw caution to the wind.
Lord Zhang, who used to be as timid as a mouse, had now become as hotheaded as Li Mu. What had he experienced?
Outside the Luoyang yamen, the people who were attracted saw the people from the Academy barge into the yamen and walk out after a while. Jiang Zhe, who was handcuffed by Li Mu, was also in the crowd and could not help but be shocked.
"He's out just like that?"
"Raping a woman is such a serious crime … He's out just like that?"
"What else can he do? You know what kind of place the Academy is and how many connections they have in the imperial court. Not to mention rape, even murder and arson, as long as the Academy protects them, nothing will happen …"
The people could not understand what they saw with their own eyes.
The Academy had a high status in the hearts of the people. For a hundred years, the Academy had been sending talents to the imperial court. Most of the 36 counties in the Great Zhou, including the Luoyang, were governed by the Academy's students. The Academy had contributed greatly.
The four major Academies in the Luoyang were respected by the people, be it the instructors or the students.
They only saw the Academy's glory, but rarely saw this side of the Academy.
The Baichuan Academy.
The old man in fine clothes who had returned to the Academy looked at Jiang Zhe and snorted. He said angrily, "Bastard!"
Jiang Zhe hurriedly knelt down and said, "Teacher, this student was wrong. This student will never dare to do it again!"
The old man said, "This old man has saved you this time. If there's a next time, you'll have to fend for yourself."
Jiang Zhe repeatedly promised, "I won't dare to do it again. I won't dare to do it again."
The old man coldly looked at him and said, "If you were a bit more diligent in your cultivation, you wouldn't have been so easily taken down by a Ju Shen officer. Don't go out to drink and have fun. Spend your time on cultivation. If you still can't reach the Ju Shen level in a year, then get the hell out of the academy …"
After the old man finished speaking, he flicked his sleeves and left. Jiang Zhe heaved a sigh of relief and whispered, "That was close …"
A student beside him smiled at him and said, "Didn't you do this kind of thing smoothly before? How come you almost fell into the gutter this time?"
Jiang Zhe said hatefully, "It was fine this time. I even went to the Ministry of Justice and still came back. It's all that damned constable's fault. He almost ruined my future. This debt, I'll settle it sooner or later …"
The student said, "It's just a constable. When you leave the Academy next year and get a good position in the Divine Capital, there will be plenty of ways to kill him …"
…
Crape Myrtle Hall.
There wasn't anything important to discuss in today's morning court. After the six assistant ministers reported their work, the young female official walked out from behind the curtain and said, "If there is nothing else, then today's morning court will end here."
The officials put away their tablets and were about to leave when a voice suddenly came from the back of the hall.
"Your Majesty, this official has a memorial."
Everyone couldn't help but look at the back. During the morning court, the officials stood according to their ranks. Those standing at the back were usually the lowest ranking officials. When they came to the court, they were just going through the motions. Very few of them would take the initiative to speak.
At the end of everyone's line of sight, at the entrance of Crape Myrtle Hall, an official in the second last row stood up.
It was the first time for most of the officials in the hall to see him.
The official took a few steps forward and came to the center of the hall. He bowed and said, "I'm Zhang Chun of the Divine Capital. I have something important to report."
When he reported his official position, many people in the hall realized that he was Zhang Chun.
The abolition of the silver in lieu of crime was due to the letter he had sent. The children of several officials in the hall had all suffered under his hands.
He had only been in the Divine Capital for a few months, but he had been promoted twice. He even had the right to discuss matters in the court. He had stepped on these officials.
The young female official stood at the top and said calmly, "Report."
Zhang Chun raised his head and said, "Instructor Fang of the Baichuan Academy forced his way into the yamen three days ago and took away a criminal from the Divine Capital yamen. This case involves the Academy, so I dare not make a judgment. Your Majesty, please make a decision."
As soon as he finished speaking, there was an uproar in the court.
No one had expected that Zhang Chun would amaze the world with a single brilliant feat.
He had just proposed to abolish the Substitute Silver last time, and now he was accusing the Academy. No wonder Li Mu of the Divine Capital yamen was so arrogant. He had a superior who was even more arrogant than him …
It had been so many years since someone accused the Academy in the court. This was the first time.
"Nonsense!"
As soon as Zhang Chun finished speaking, an old man wearing a crown stepped forward and said coldly, "I'm an instructor of the Baichuan Academy. How could I do such a thing?"
Behind the curtain, a dignified voice said, "Vice President Chen, why do you have to jump to conclusions so early? Whether it's true or not, won't it be clear when Instructor Fang confronts the Divine Capital Yamen?"
Vice President Chen said in a low voice, "I'll go back to the Academy and bring Instructor Fang to the palace to confront him."
As soon as he finished speaking, he took a step forward and disappeared.
Zhang Chun immediately said, "Your Majesty, please summon Arrester Li Mu of the Divine Capital yamen to the palace. He's in charge of this case. He's more familiar with it than I am. He was there when Instructor Fang brought people into the yamen yesterday. He can testify for me …"
After a moment of silence, the person behind the curtain said, "Mei Wei, bring Li Mu to the palace."
As soon as Mei Wei left, Vice President Chen's figure appeared again.
At this time, there was another person beside him. It was the old man in the luxurious robe.
The old man bowed to the Empress first. "Your Majesty."
The young female official said, "Instructor Fang, the Divine Capital Yamen said that you brought people into the Divine Capital yamen three days ago and took away a prisoner. Is this true?"
The old man in the luxurious robe glanced at Zhang Chun, and his expression changed slightly. He immediately said, "I did take away a student from the Divine Capital yamen, but that student didn't break the law. The Divine Capital Yamen ordered people to trick my student out of the Academy and forcibly detain him in the yamen. I heard that I went to the yamen to rescue him. How can you say that I forced my way in?"
Zhang Chun sneered and said, "Your student raped a woman. I ordered Arrester Li to go to the Academy to arrest him, but he was stopped by the Academy. He had no choice but to use a trick to lure the criminal out. Later, you forced your way into the yamen and took him back to the Academy. Is there any falsehood in my words?"
The old man in the luxurious robe said angrily, "My student was just impulsive after drinking. His behavior was a little out of line. The Divine Capital Yamen shouldn't slander me!"
Zhang Chun asked, "Instructor Fang, do you mean that I can only convict your student if he succeeded in his rape?"
The old man in the luxurious robe did not answer directly. He said, "The students of the Academy represent the honor of the Academy and the future of the imperial court. If you arbitrarily convict them, where will the Academy's face go?"
Zhang Chun said coldly, "Is the face of the Academy more important, or the dignity of the Great Zhou's law more important?"
The old man in the luxurious robe tried to slander him, but Zhang Chun slandered him with an even bigger accusation. The two of them were at each other's throats in the palace.
At this time, footsteps came from outside the palace again.
Li Mu, accompanied by Mr. Mei, walked into the palace.
This was the first time he came to the place where all the officials were gathered. His gaze swept across everyone's faces, and then he looked up impatiently.
Li Mu had been friends with the Empress for a long time, but he had never seen her before. He did not know if she was tall or short, fat or thin, beautiful or ugly.
Suddenly being summoned, Li Mu thought that he would be able to see her face. However, he did not expect that there was a curtain between the Empress and the officials. Li Mu stood there and could not see anything.
It was not until Mr. Mei poked him that Li Mu came to his senses. He bowed and said, "Divine Capital yamen constable Li Mu pays his respects to Her Majesty."
"No need for formalities." A dignified voice came from behind the curtain. "Tell me the cause and effect of this case in detail."
This dignified voice sounded very familiar to Li Mu, as if he had heard it somewhere before.
He thought carefully but could not remember where he had heard it before.
It was not until Mr. Mei poked him again that Li Mu came to his senses.
He looked up and said, "Three days ago, Jiang Zhe, a student of the Baichuan Academy, was listening to music at the Great Music Lane. He was lustful toward a musician and wanted to rape her. The musician called for help and attracted other musicians, so Jiang Zhe did not succeed. After learning about this case, I was ordered by Lord Zhang to go to the academy to arrest Jiang Zhe. Because I could not enter the academy, I could only use a trick to lure Jiang Zhe out and detain him in the capital yamen. I did not expect that before the yamen could detain him, he would be taken away by Instructor Fang …"
The old man in luxurious clothes said angrily, "What do you mean by 'taken away'? When I took Jiang Zhe away, you did not stop me at all!"
Li Mu said, "You are a strong man in the Creation Realm, and you have helpers. All the constables in the capital yamen and Lord Zhang were no match for you. How could we dare to stop you? We could only watch you take the criminal away …"
The chest of the old man in luxurious clothes rose and fell. He said, "Didn't you say that if you did not succeed in raping a woman, it was not a crime?"
Zhang Chun shook his head and said, "That was what you said. I did not say that."
The old man in luxurious clothes said angrily, "Why didn't you say that at that time?"
Zhang Chun shrugged and said, "I told you that he had violated the law, but you did not believe me. You even destroyed the instruments of torture in the yamen and insisted on taking him away. I was afraid that if I angered you, you would attack me …"
The old man in luxurious clothes opened his mouth but did not know what to say.
He had been in the academy for decades and had never met such a person. This black-hearted official had clearly dug a hole for him to jump into …
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