Liu Qingfeng glanced at the Princess, unable to discern her expression. She neither appeared angry nor amused, but her eyes, fixed on the jailer, filled Liu Qingfeng with suspicion.
He immediately pressed the jailer for details, sternly demanding, "Has the case been thoroughly investigated? Are there witnesses and evidence? Ensure the proof is irrefutable!"
Zhao Jiaqi, after hearing his words, couldn't help but cast a look at Liu Qingfeng and asked indifferently, "Are you the Prefect, or is he? Who presides over this case? Is it a custom in Hexinzhou for the jailer to pass judgment, and if so, what is the need for a Prefect like you?"
Liu Qingfeng trembled and stammered, immediately reporting, "Your Highness, it is not so. Someone reported the crime, and the person was apprehended. Once caught red-handed, I will then pass judgment!"
Facing his reply, Zhao Jiaqi found it utterly unconvincing, disbelieving his falsehoods!
"Caught red-handed? Do you mean caught red-handed, or confession under torture? As the presiding judge, before the case even reaches the main hall, your subordinates have already resorted to torture. Will there be any need for you to investigate when it reaches you?"
Whether caught red-handed or confessed under duress, what would be presented before him would be an ironclad piece of so-called evidence.
Finally, he would merely pass a symbolic judgment, and it would be over.
Heh, this official post was truly convenient, requiring no effort on his part!
After speaking, she turned her gaze back to Fan Zehao in the cell. Seeing him shake his head at her, Zhao Jiaqi was momentarily stunned. A moment later, she understood his thoughts.
Without waiting for Liu Qingfeng to offer a defense, she raised her hand to her side, interrupting his specious arguments, and stated directly, "There is a theft case in this jail. You will begin the trial now, and I will be present to observe!"
This was precisely the outcome Fan Zehao wanted, so she would oblige him. It was better for him to endure a beating and suffer once, rather than find another way. This man was simply foolish, not thinking things through.
Upon hearing that the Princess wished to observe his trial, Liu Qingfeng felt a surge of energy. This was his forte. He wouldn't dare to deceive the Princess, but he was certainly more capable than this woman in this regard. He straightened up, feeling invigorated.
He gave the jailer a look and instructed, "Bring the accused, the witnesses, and the evidence to the prefectural yamen!"
Zhao Jiaqi countered, "The trial will be held here!"
She felt for Fan Zehao, as there wasn't a good spot on his body from the beatings. Being moved elsewhere would only cause his wounds to chafe again.
The jailer and the Prefect exchanged glances. Ultimately, they complied with the Princess's wishes. The yamen runners brought over two chairs and a table.
Liu Qingfeng sat in a chair, with a table placed in front of him, on which lay some papers and a pile of silver ingots.
Zhao Jiaqi sat to the side, observing the scene unfold, remaining impassive and patiently waiting for the Prefect to finish his pretense. Only after the so-called witnesses and the proprietor of Deshengtang arrived did the trial begin.
Liu Qingfeng reached for the gavel, only to find none on the table. This was not the prefectural yamen, so he coughed twice to mask his embarrassment.
"Bring the prisoner!" he shouted forcefully below.
Soon, Fan Zehao was brought forward. Two yamen runners held him down, forcing him to kneel, but he flung them off with brute strength.
His hair was disheveled, and his beard was so long it could be braided. Only his large eyes appeared sharp and piercing.
Seeing that he was a troublemaker, Liu Qingfeng roared, "Insolent! Kneel!"
Fan Zehao clenched his fists tightly, fearing that if he lost his temper, he might punch the man before him.
"I am innocent, why should I kneel!"
Liu Qingfeng's face changed colors. He glanced at the Princess from the corner of his eye. This wench was deliberately causing him trouble, embarrassing him in front of the Princess!
Liu Qingfeng narrowed his eyes and threw the confession, which identified him as the thief, from the table: "This is the confession of the Deshengtang's shop assistant and proprietor. The deer is from their establishment!"
Following closely, Liu Qingfeng pointed at the two people below: "These two are the proprietor and shop assistant of Deshengtang. You should recognize them, shouldn't you!"
Fan Zehao looked at the proprietor of Deshengtang. The man was in his forties, over seven feet tall, neither fat nor thin, with eyes like inverted triangles that radiated calculation!
He had never met this man before, but he had seen the shop assistant behind him, arrogant and condescending!
Fan Zehao pointed at the shop assistant: "I went to the shop, and it was this shop assistant who served me. The price offered was too low, so I didn't sell it!"
"I don't understand. How could the deer I hunted become theirs? Do you have any proof that this deer belongs to you?"
Liu Qingfeng had listened without interrupting, but when he heard the last question, he immediately slammed the table and bellowed, "Insolent!"
Dong Hao, the proprietor of Deshengtang, stood with his back straight but disdainfully swept his gaze over Fan Zehao, saying with his nostrils flared, "Our Deshengtang is a renowned medical hall throughout Qingzhou Prefecture. Our medicinal herbs are of the highest quality, and we have countless precious ingredients. This deer was caught by a local hunter and sold to our clinic!"
"Why would a clinic like ours arbitrarily claim someone else's property? Clearly, when you came to the clinic for treatment, you took the deer while the shop assistant was distracted. Now, with witnesses and evidence present, you still quibble. It seems that without torture, your mouth will not open!"
Fan Zehao countered, "If I were to seek medical treatment, I would go to the front hall. How could I have seen the deer?"
The shop assistant pointed at him and shouted to Liu Qingfeng, "He took advantage of a moment when I was attending to other guests and went to the back courtyard to steal the item!"
Dong Hao and the shop assistant's shameless actions truly incensed Fan Zehao. However, before Liu Qingfeng could even give Fan Zehao a chance to defend himself, he dragged out the buyer's young servant.
As soon as the servant saw the situation, he trembled with fear, and a pungent odor spread through the air.
The jail was already damp, with a strong smell of mildew and sourness. The addition of the foul odor made the air quite unbearable. If Zhao Jiaqi hadn't possessed remarkable endurance, she would have been on the ground, vomiting uncontrollably.
She was grateful, however, that she hadn't eaten breakfast that morning!
The servant prostrated himself on the ground, shaking and stammering, "Your humble servant...your humble servant heard...heard this person say that he stole the deer from Deshengtang and was selling it to my master!"
Fan Zehao sneered and retorted, "If I had stolen it, why would I publicize it everywhere? Your words make no sense!"
Liu Qingfeng was enraged and roared at Fan Zehao again, "Shut up! I haven't asked you anything!"
"Then ask me!"
Zhao Jiaqi rubbed her nose, showing no inclination to intervene. Observing the current state of affairs, she realized her presence wasn't needed, so she decided to simply sit and watch the show.
However, the proprietor of Deshengtang had just revealed a crucial piece of information: Deshengtang was the largest medical hall in Qingzhou Prefecture.
To achieve such a status, either the clinic had exceptionally skilled doctors, or its benevolence had deeply touched the hearts of the common people, allowing it to flourish so greatly.
Skilled doctors who could perform miracles were rare, and it was evident this was not a clinic founded on kindness. This meant the clinic must have a powerful backing.
This backing was even greater than that of the Prefect, causing him to be wary. It even made him treat her like a fool, which inevitably led Zhao Jiaqi to question who this powerful figure behind the scenes might be!