Chapter 85: The Terrifying Power of Gossip

The sudden appearance of a mocking laugh immediately drew everyone's attention. Not only the crowd of onlookers and court officials, but even the three magistrates seated in judgment cast their gaze upon the source. Lu Xin turned around, his face contorted with rage. The speaker was none other than Wei Tunyun, the chief administrator of the Temple of Divine Authority—and with his words, he had forcibly branded Lu Xin as a rebel. To refuse to kneel before the emperor was already a crime punishable by death.

What does it mean to say that words can be more terrifying than swords? This was precisely that. Often, it is not only the blade that can kill; the tongue, too, can claim lives.

"Wei Tunyun! Ha ha ha ha... What utter nonsense. If the emperor himself were seated on this dais, then all under heaven would kneel. Come, if you kneel first, I have nothing more to say—please, go ahead!"

Though his hands were bound, Lu Xin stood tall, laughing skyward, his spirit soaring. Wei Tunyun's eyes flashed coldly, and he abruptly halted on the steps.

At that moment, a sly, vulgar chuckle rose from the crowd.

"Heh heh heh heh, this young man's words ring true. The magistrate is a magistrate—when did he become the emperor? Does the Great Tang now have four emperors? Who was that just now, shouting in court when he clearly has no stake in the case?"

No sooner had the laughter faded than another cold snort sounded elsewhere.

"I know that man—he is a court-appointed sorcerer, the chief of the Temple of Divine Authority, Wei Tunyun. Since when does this temple, which isn't even counted among the six ministries or nine ministers, dare to overstep a magistrate? Ha ha ha ha, it seems in the Tang court, even a mere sorcerer outranks all civil and military officials!"

Their back-and-forth sparked raucous laughter. The crowd cheered, and whereas they had once looked upon Lu Xin—the "prisoner"—with disdain and contempt, now they began to see him as a man of integrity.

He was a commoner like themselves, yet he stood unbowed before authority, refusing to kneel to officials. With the crowd egging him on, the people felt a sense of kinship and admiration. In every age, people may struggle to distinguish right from wrong, but they always admire those who possess backbone and courage.

Looking down from the dais, the scholar and Yue Buhei were hidden among the crowd, stirring up the commotion—their handiwork was clear. The Yang sisters, too, watched from the fringes, their eyes sharp.

Wei Tunyun had come to trouble Lu Xin, but his single remark had earned him the wrath of the masses, leaving his face dark with fury. Yet, however angry he might be, he was powerless. This was Chang'an, under the emperor's gaze. However skilled, he dared not vent his anger on innocent citizens.

The three magistrates, seeing the public outrage flare so quickly, exchanged troubled glances. The chief justice of the Court of Judicial Review hastily struck the gavel three times.

Bang! Bang! Bang!

"Silence! This is a court of law—no unruly clamor. Good citizens, please remain calm. This case concerns the great fire in the western market and the murder in the eastern city a few days ago. The court has called you to witness the proceedings. All suspects are in custody and will be questioned in turn. No good person will be wronged, and no villain will go unpunished. Though His Majesty resides in the palace, his heart is with Chang'an and the safety of its hundreds of thousands of families. By imperial command, the chief justice, the minister of justice, and the grand censor preside over these proceedings. Rest assured—no false or unjust verdict will be rendered."

He paused to strike the gavel once more, then turned his gaze to the youth standing at the center of the court.

"Who stands before the court? State your name."

"My surname is Lu, given name Xin, a native of Yuezhou in Jiangnan. Sirs, I came to Chang'an to visit an old friend on behalf of my elders. I have no connection to the fires or murders that occurred. I ask you to judge wisely."

"Hmph, you speak well enough. Whether you are guilty, the court will decide. Bring in the witnesses!"

At his command, a large group entered from the side door, all dressed as commoners. Yet Lu Xin immediately recognized the leader—it was Liu Zhi, a master of the sixth realm of the Void. On the day Wang Quan died, it was this group who chased Lu Xin from the eastern market to the residence of Changsun Wuji. Indeed, Lu Xin owed his imprisonment to Liu Zhi.

"Witnesses, what were you doing in the east city on the day of the incident?"

"Your honor!" Liu Zhi cast a cold glance at Lu Xin before replying loudly, "On the day in question, we were unloading goods at Chongyi Ward. We saw him kill with a dagger. He fled into the eastern market, and we pursued him. In an alley, we found seven or eight corpses, all freshly slain, and his hands were drenched in blood."

"Is this true? Did all of you see it with your own eyes?"

"Your honor, every word is true. We all witnessed it and can testify. It was he who cruelly murdered those innocent citizens. Please, deliver justice!"

The Temple of Divine Authority had disguised their own as commoners, their testimonies unified and clearly prepared. Lu Xin, hearing this, flushed with anger, his eyes ablaze.

"Ha ha ha ha... Liu Zhi, so it is true that the Temple of Divine Authority breeds corruption top to bottom. You were unloading goods at Chongyi Ward? What goods, exactly? Sirs, these men are all court officials—you surely know them. I have never been to Chongyi Ward, nor have I ever met these men."

"Is that so?" The chief justice slammed the gavel and narrowed his eyes. "The court recognizes them as witnesses in this case. Whether they are officials or commoners—is that important? In the Great Tang, the law applies equally to all, from the emperor to the peasant. Before the law, rank and title mean nothing. Bring forth Shopkeeper He!"

From the crowd emerged a rotund middle-aged man, dressed as a merchant. Led to the dais by bailiffs, he immediately knelt.

"Witness, state your name and residence."

"Your honor, my... my name is He Yuan. I am a resident of Chang'an, living in Bailu Alley, Chongyi Ward. I run a rice shop, and had hired laborers to move goods. When we returned, we saw this... this murderer killing people."

"The laborers you mentioned—are they these men?"

The minister of justice, Li Jing, pointed to those from the Temple of Divine Authority. Shopkeeper He, not daring to look, hastily nodded in agreement. Lu Xin had never met this rice merchant, and his face darkened as he stepped toward the magistrates.

"Lies! Sirs, if you wish to condemn someone, there is never a shortage of excuses. I have never met this Shopkeeper He. I, Lu Xin, have killed no one! What witnesses do you call? They say I killed with a dagger—where is the dagger? Where is the evidence? If this is how the joint court renders judgment, do not blame me for acting without mercy!"

Wronged by so many, Lu Xin's frustration exploded. His voice thundered through the hall, shaking it to its foundations. The ropes binding his hands snapped instantly. The magistrates' faces all changed; the chief justice's gaze grew cold as he struck the gavel five times.

"You dare, criminal! Shouting in court, threatening officials—your crime is compounded. Guards, seize him and give him thirty strokes!"

"Hmm? What is this? I clearly sealed this boy's power with a talisman—how does he still possess such strength?"

Not only the magistrates, but even Liu Zhi, the sorcerer, was stunned. But before so many witnesses, he could only watch helplessly as Lu Xin broke free. The bailiffs hesitated, halted by Lu Xin's explosive shout.

"Who dares approach? Rest assured, sirs—I will not flee. But if you intend to judge based on these witnesses alone, is that not too frivolous?"

After his outburst, Lu Xin gradually regained his composure. But his words were now icy cold, each syllable forced through clenched teeth. The chief justice shot a glance at the minister of justice, his face dark, but said nothing.

As magistrates, they had means to subdue the youth before them. Yet this hearing was public. The court could not allow the Temple of Divine Authority's sorcerers to use magic in front of so many citizens. Ordinary bailiffs were no match for him. And as Lu Xin stirred trouble, the scholar and others outside the hall began inciting the crowd anew.

"Well said! Witnesses can be imposters. What laborers? Look at these men—their hands are soft and clean, hardly the mark of hard work!"

"That's right. As for Shopkeeper He, yes, he runs a rice shop in Chongyi Ward—but four days ago, his shop wasn't even open. Sirs, you must not collude with criminals to wrong the innocent!"

"Yes, do not condemn the innocent. Without evidence, you must release him!"

...

The courtroom was in uproar; the crowd seethed with indignation. Li Jing, the minister of justice, frowned and suddenly stood.

"Good citizens, please calm yourselves. The court will not wrong the innocent. Lu Xin, on the day of the incident, by imperial decree, Chang'an was under martial law. The Flying Cavalry, the Court of Judicial Review, and the Yongzhou prefecture all saw you fleeing through the alleys of the east city. If you were innocent, why run? Your disregard for imperial orders is itself a grave offense. Do you resent your imprisonment?"

"I bear no resentment, but—"

"Hmph, I am not finished! At the time, the Court of Judicial Review and Flying Cavalry suspected you of murder and pursued you to Jinggong Ward. In the end, you even entered the residence of a first-rank official, the minister of personnel, Lord Changsun Wuji—is that correct?"

"Changsun Wuji? Hmph. I did enter a residence, but did not know whose it was."

"Very well, then I shall make you submit. Bring forth the next witness: Master Lu Tingfang of the Changsun Wuji residence!"