Chapter 21 Following the Prince's Script?!

All the people knelt down to show their respect for the three princes.

However, among the crowd, there was only one person who did not kneel down, and he was Fan Xian.

He just bowed his head slightly and cupped his hands to show respect.

Although his behavior was unusual, the Crown Prince and the Second Prince did not take it seriously. They just glanced at him deeply.

At this time, Li Chengyun smiled and nodded to him.

After the three people took their seats.

After some reluctance, Mei Zhili finally sat in the main seat.

He tapped the gavel lightly, and with a "pop" sound, the courtroom suddenly became silent.

Even the people watching outside the door held their breath, fearing that they would be driven away by the surrounding yamen runners because of the noise.

Mei Zhili glanced at everyone and asked in a loud voice, "Who is here?"

Then he began to try the case according to the rules.

Minister of Rites Guo Youzhi was the first to bow and said respectfully:
"I am Guo Youzhi, the plaintiff in this case."

Fan Xian and Fan Sizhe also bowed and responded, "Fan Xian, Fan Sizhe."

Mei Zhili nodded slightly and asked Guo Youzhi: "What are you reporting?"

Guo Youzhi looked sad and said in a deep voice:
"My son was out for a walk yesterday when he was attacked by a thug and was severely injured!"

"I identify these two people, Fan Xian and Fan Sizhe, as the murderers! They have always had a grudge against my son, and they attacked him in anger when they saw him!"

"My son is a palace editor and a pillar of the court, but he was beaten in the street by these two people who had no respect for the law. It is really heartbreaking! I implore Lord Mei to see through this and severely punish these lunatics!"

Mei Zhili raised his eyebrows slightly when he heard this, his expression stern:

"Mr. Guo was beaten. How badly are his injuries? Where is he now? Are there any witnesses?"

Guo Youzhi quickly responded:
"Of course there is. The guards beside my son are witnesses."

Mei Zhili nodded and said in a deep voice:
"Bring Mr. Guo and the witness to court."

In a moment.

A figure wrapped in bandages like a mummy was carried up. It was Guo Baokun.

Although his eyes were covered with gauze, the exposed part flashed with hatred towards Fan Xian and Fan Sizhe.

And when he caught a glimpse of Li Chengyun sitting in the hall, his resentment burned as fiercely as a raging fire, but he was too afraid to look directly at him, so he could only direct all his anger at Fan Xian and the other two.

"Sir, it's them! It's Fan Sizhe and Fan Xian. They beat me like this!" Guo Baokun said gritting his teeth.

Mei Zhili turned his gaze towards the guards beside Guo Baokun:

"Mr. Guo, is what you said true?"

Upon hearing this, the guard burst into tears, fell to his knees with a thud, and sobbed:
"Sir, I guarantee with my life that everything I said is true! When those two saw my young master, they pounced on him like wolves, chasing and beating him desperately, and severely injured my young master!"

Mei Zhili nodded and turned his gaze to Fan Xian and Fan Sizhe again:

"Here is the witness. Do you two have any objections?"

Fan Sizhe and Fan Xian looked at each other and shook their heads, expressing their helplessness.

Then, Fan Xian saluted to Master Mei Zhili with a serious expression and said:

"Your Excellency, although my brother and I had a conflict with Guo Baokun, our counterattack was an act of self-defense!"

"In the beginning, it was Guo Baokun who started the trouble!"

Mei Zhili couldn't help but frown upon hearing this and asked:
"If that's the case, do you have any witnesses or physical evidence to prove your innocence?"

Just as Fan Xian was about to speak, Li Chengyun suddenly stood up and spoke passionately:

"I am a witness to this incident! I was also present at the time and saw it with my own eyes. Guo Baokun attacked first, and Fan Xian and Fan Sizhe had to fight back only to protect themselves!"

"Their behavior is purely passive defense!"

As soon as these words were spoken, the whole room was in an uproar!

Everyone looked at each other, confused, what did Li Chengyun mean by this?

How could you testify for the Fan brothers? !

Everyone present knows you were there, so why bother? !

Everyone was shocked. They never expected Li Chengyun to be so shameless.

It was clearly him who beat the man with his own hands. Fan Xian and Fan Sizhe were just scapegoats and at best accomplices.

However, when asked about the witnesses, Li Chengyun was so brazen as to claim that he was present at the time and to exonerate Fan Xian and Fan Sizhe. It was truly jaw-dropping!

Mei Zhili's face darkened and he felt mixed emotions.

He knew Li Chengyun's identity very well, so he naturally didn't dare to question it easily.

However, the scene before him really made him feel embarrassed. Guo Youzhi was furious when he saw this.

He didn't want to involve Li Chengyun, but unexpectedly Li Chengyun openly testified for the Fan brothers.

Lord Mei Zhili was speechless for a moment, with mixed feelings in his heart. How could he dare to point out Li Chengyun's fallacy?
This man was a prince, and even the Minister of Rites did not dare to sue him easily.

Guo Youzhi was furious when he heard what Li Chengyun said.
"I'm already magnanimous by not holding you accountable, but you still have the audacity to come out and testify for Fan Xian and Fan Sizhe?!" Guo Baokun was lying on the ground.

Wrapped tightly in bandages, his facial muscles twitched and his breathing was rapid.

I was even more angry:
"You were the first person to take action yesterday, but now you are pretending that it has nothing to do with you!"

Although he wanted to curse, he had to suppress his anger because of the previous instructions.

The second prince, who was sitting next to Li Chengyun, couldn't help but smile when he saw this, and secretly praised in his heart:

"This Sixth Brother is really thick-skinned, but quite interesting!"

He was curious and wondered how Minister Guo and others would respond to such a scoundrel, and how the prince would handle it.

The prince seemed unusually calm at this moment.

He had already anticipated the scene before him, so he was not in a hurry.

Li Chengyun's arrogance and domineering behavior was exactly what he expected.

Because in his view, if you want to destroy a person, you must first make him crazy.

He thought to himself that Li Chengyun had now fallen into a whirlpool of madness.

Next, it will be difficult to escape the catastrophic disaster.

Mei Zhili was so anxious that he couldn't help but look to the prince for help.

Faced with the Sixth Prince's sharp words, he felt pressured and didn't know how to respond.

The prince glanced at Mei Zhili's request for help and said with a smile:

"Master Mei, you are the governor of Kyoto. Today's matter will be decided by you!"

"I am only here to listen to the case. I will not interfere with your handling of the case. All you need to do is be impartial and act in accordance with the law!"

Mei Zhili quickly responded and said yes.

Li Chengyun understood what was going on when he saw the attitude of his third brother, the Crown Prince.

The prince is deliberately praising him to death to make him even more arrogant and unruly.

However, he didn't care and was happy instead.

Li Chengyun was hoping that the other party would give him this opportunity to make a big scene so as to increase the progress of his role.

As a prince, he knew very well that as long as he did not touch the bottom line of those taboos, even if his behavior was out of line, his life would never be in danger.

So, he simply went with the flow and had some fun with the third prince.

……

And deep in the palace.

Emperor Qing was also keeping a close eye on the affairs of Kyoto Prefecture.

Glimpse of the latest news handed over by the guard.

Emperor Qing narrowed his eyes slightly and immediately understood the prince's thoughts.

He frowned, revealing a bit of displeasure, but this dissatisfaction was not directed at the prince's plan, but at his disappointment in Li Chengyun.

Li Chengyun's previous performance once made Emperor Qing think that he was biding his time and waiting for the opportunity.

Therefore, he deliberately arranged for Fan Ruoruo to marry Li Chengyun, intending to let him gain a foothold in the court with the help of the Fan family's power.

In the eyes of Emperor Qing, Li Chengyun should be a smart and intelligent person who can judge the situation.

However, judging from the trial in Kyoto Prefecture, Li Chengyun seemed too impulsive.

He seemed completely unaware of the trap set by the prince.

He hurried to Kyoto Prefecture, obviously wanting to rescue Fan Sizhe and Fan Xian.

He was so easily hooked, as if he had lost his mind.

Emperor Qing sighed in his heart. If Li Chengyun only had this kind of judgment and decision-making ability, even with the support of the Fan family, it would be difficult for him to become the whetstone in Emperor Qing's heart.

How can such a person, who can't even cause trouble for the prince, play a role in the court?
Emperor Qing sighed softly, feeling a hint of disappointment in his heart.

Li Chengyun seemed like a bright pearl that had lost its luster.

However, he did not exaggerate this disappointment.

In the eyes of Emperor Qing, except for one or two particularly outstanding sons, the rest are nothing but clouds.

If something unexpected happens, just give birth to another one.

(End of this chapter)