Ren Venerate Emperor Ji Long, sitting high on the throne, slowly swept his gaze across the Universe Hall.
Among the dark mass of kneeling officials, a portion were close relatives and friends of State Duke Shi Mingpo, with quite close ties at that.
In the court, such matters of allegiance are not swayed by ordinary relationships.
However, the majority of the officials kneeling to request a sacred judgment belonged to the faction of the Qintian Temple.
Led by Prince Zhen, they knelt in a large group, requesting a sacred judgment!
What is a sacred judgment!
On the surface, it means the will of the sacred heart!
But in reality, it’s a request for him as the Emperor to issue the final disposition according to political procedures.
The so-called sacred judgment is just a way to save face for the Emperor.
If he truly wanted to act on a whim, the officials led by Prince Zhen of the Qintian Temple faction would absolutely rise and slap his face.
The problem, however, is that the result just discussed is not one that the Ancestor God Temple or he, as the Emperor, would like to see.
They even understood that this was a method used by the Heavenly Temple to investigate the Blood River Fortress affair.
Yet, political procedures are political procedures.
Even as the Emperor, in the court, he must follow the rules.
Ren Venerate Emperor Ji Long’s gaze swept over Chief Sun Priest Bai Xiang of the Ancestor God Temple, Minister of the Ministry of Justice Feng Tingji, Military Department Minister Ban Di, and Grand Celestial Official Wu Yu, hoping they would speak up.
However, these individuals all appeared helpless.
Even the Emperor must adhere to political rules, so how could they dare not follow?
Sighing inwardly, Ren Venerate Emperor Ji Long turned his gaze to Ye Zhen, having no choice, this time he could only let the young man suffer.
As for the selection of the Blood River Fortress personnel, they would have to find another way to intervene.
"Ye Zhen, you beat Marquis Chii Quan Shi Ting to death. According to the law, it should be a life for a life. What do you have to say for yourself?" Ren Venerate Emperor Ji Long spoke as per usual protocol.
Hearing this, Prince Zhen Ji Jie and Vice Minister Zhu Suo narrowed their eyes. What followed was for Ye Zhen to confess and submit to the law. Even if his rank and crime were reduced by three levels, he would still face sixty years of hard labor.
As long as the sentence of sixty years of hard labor was passed, their goal would be achieved.
This is the standard script because the evidence was all there.
The issue is, Ye Zhen usually does not like to follow the script.
"Your Majesty, indeed I did beat Marquis Chii Quan, but I have never admitted to killing him, please, Your Majesty, be discerning!" Ye Zhen spoke up.
Ren Venerate Emperor Ji Long’s eyes first brightened, then dimmed.
If Ye Zhen’s denial was made at a normal time, the Emperor could delay and have the trial again, but today, this kind of rogue-style denial left no room for maneuver.
"Ye Zhen, you are a Duke, and yet you are such a shameless coward!" Duke Songhe directly lambasted Ye Zhen.
"Lord Ye, the evidence is clear; the forensic doctor performed the autopsy; all civil and military officials and His Majesty witnessed it! Your denial is not only useless, but it will also only cause you to lose face." Vice Minister of the Ministry of Justice Zhu Suo also spoke up.
Ye Zhen slowly wiped Duke Songhe’s spit off his face and said, "Duke Songhe is heartbroken over his son-in-law, so I won’t hold it against him.
But Vice Minister Zhu, you keep saying I killed Marquis Chii Quan Shi Ting, is there irrefutable evidence?" Ye Zhen asked Zhu Suo.
"Irrefutable evidence?"
Vice Minister of the Ministry of Justice Zhu Suo was taken aback, "The forensic doctor and numerous courtiers, along with the Minister verified the body and spiritual power aura, does that not count as irrefutable evidence?"
"Irrefutable evidence?"
Ye Zhen sneered, asking Vice Minister of the Ministry of Justice Zhu Suo, "May I ask, Lord Zhu, what are the cultivation levels of those five forensic doctors?"
"Those forensic doctors range from the Dark Palace Realm to the Divine Communication Realm, all being seasoned veteran officials with immense experience." Vice Minister of the Ministry of Justice Zhu Suo replied.
"Then may I ask the Minister, what is my cultivation level?"
Zhu Suo was stunned for a moment, "Peak of Ninth Stage Realm King Realm?"
A faint aura of Dao Seed suddenly spread from Ye Zhen’s body, causing a startle among numerous courtiers, "Half-step Dao Realm!"
"I am of the Half-step Dao Realm cultivation level!"
Speaking, Ye Zhen then bowed to Ren Venerate Emperor Ji again, "Your Majesty, I have a matter to ask, I wish Your Majesty, Chief Priest Bai, Minister Feng, and Prince Zhen to respond, please grant your permission."
"I grant it!" At this moment, unclear about Ye Zhen’s tricks, Ren Venerate Emperor Ji Long had to agree to all of Ye Zhen’s requests.
"May I ask Your Majesty and all officials, regarding the examination papers of top scholars and presented scholars in our Great Zhou’s civil service examination, are they evaluated by ordinary scholars?" Ye Zhen posed the first question.
"Absolutely not, how could ordinary scholars be qualified to grade the papers of top-ranking scholars." Ren Venerate Emperor Ji Long directly answered Ye Zhen’s question.
"Then I don’t understand, how could mere five forensic doctors from Divine Communication to Dark Palace Realm be qualified to determine that the spiritual power aura of a Half-step Dao Realm like me is exactly the same as the lethal spiritual power aura within Marquis Chii Quan Shi Ting’s body?" Ye Zhen countered.
"This..." Ren Venerate Emperor Ji Long’s eyes suddenly brightened, and he was silent for a moment, but his gaze was directed towards Prince Zhen Ji Jie, Vice Minister Zhu Suo.
Among the wailing State Duke, Duke Songhe, and others, their expressions were suddenly startled.
"Prince Zhen, Lord Zhu, what do you say?" Ye Zhen’s pressing gaze directly focused on these two individuals.
For a moment, Prince Zhen Ji Jie was stumped by Ye Zhen, but the veteran of criminal law, Vice Minister Zhu Suo, was enraged and said, "County Prince Ye, you’re just being sophistic! Those five forensic doctors are seasoned, experienced in this field, and their judgment naturally counts."
"So, for the future civil service examinations in our Great Zhou, can we just use ordinary scholars as examiners then?"
Ye Zhen teased Vice Minister Zhu Suo, which immediately agitated Zhu Suo into a rage, scolding Ye Zhen as being rogue, and sophistic.
"Ye Zhen, criminal law is evidence-based! In the matter of you beating Marquis Chii Quan Shi Ting to death, all evidence is available, and resorting to roguish sophistry is of no use at all."
Prince Zhen Ji Jie pointed directly at Ye Zhen’s weak point, "If you truly want to clear your name, then present the evidence proving you did not murder! If you have no such evidence, my advice is you remain sensible and submit to avoid further disgrace."
"Prince Zhen, indeed I have evidence to prove my innocence!" Ye Zhen declared.
These words caused the entire hall to be amazed, and Ren Venerate Emperor Ji Long’s eyes showed some pleasure, "Minister Ye, if there’s exculpatory evidence, present it swiftly, and I will deliver a just verdict, if not, it’s better to confess and submit right away."
"Your Majesty, I request another autopsy, and the evidence will emerge during the examination." Ye Zhen reiterated.
Ren Venerate Emperor Ji Long was a bit confused, "Wasn’t the autopsy just performed?"
"Your Majesty, this time, I request Your Majesty invite Dao Realm experts to supervise and verify, to see if my spiritual power aura matches the lethal aura in Marquis Chii Quan’s body."
"Of course, Prince Zhen and State Duke, you can also invite trusted Dao Realm experts for verification!"
After speaking, Ye Zhen added, "Your Majesty, I, as the Duke of North Sea County, have the right to request a re-examination to prove my innocence, correct?"
"Indeed, you do, I grant it!" Ren Venerate Emperor Ji Long responded, then looked at Prince Zhen again, "Brother, would you like to invite Dao Realm experts for verification."
When Prince Zhen nodded, Vice Minister of the Ministry of Justice Zhu Suo sneered, "A re-examination is a re-examination! Irrefutable evidence stands firm, I don’t believe the County Prince of North Sea can overturn this?
Just as well, I have two Dao Realm tributors in the Ministry of Justice that can be invited for verification."
"My faction also has two Dao Realm tributors available for verification!" Prince Zhen Ji Jie spoke.
"From the Ancestor God Temple, I shall step forward." Bai Xiang came forward to say.
"Your Majesty, my family has two Dao Realm tributors available for verification." As the party involved, State Duke also spoke, and Ren Venerate Emperor Ji Long naturally approved.
A quarter-hour later, surrounded by the divine sense of thirteen Dao Realm experts, Ye Zhen once again emitted his Black Water Spirit Power, allowing them to compare and verify.
Half a quarter-hour later, the first to speak was Chief Sun Priest Bai Xiang, "Your Majesty, I dare to assert that the lethal spiritual power aura within Marquis Chii Quan’s body is definitely not the same as Ye Zhen’s spiritual power aura."
"This cannot be!" Vice Minister Zhu Suo was the first to oppose, then looked at the two Dao Realm tributors of the Ministry of Justice.
Under Zhu Suo’s hopeful gaze, the two Ministry of Justice Dao Realm tributors slowly shook their heads, "Reporting to Your Majesty, the lethal spiritual power aura in Marquis Chii Quan’s body did not come from Lord Ye."
These words left Zhu Suo and Prince Zhen dumbfounded on the spot.

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