Everyone knew that Minister Han's wife had arrived.
So, the next morning, when Minister Han sat in the main hall, his eyes adorned with large dark circles and him constantly yawning, it was no longer strange.
"Minister Pang, although you are my superior, do you have nothing else to do? This humble magistrate's Inner Yellow County yamen is practically becoming the main hall of your Transport Bureau!"
Han Mo spoke while continuously yawning.
"Minister Han, this official doesn't wish to linger in your office every day, but this lawsuit is against you. I can only act conveniently by coming to your yamen!"
After two failures, Pang Yue's spirit was too weak to be as forceful.
"Sued me? This is truly strange. I've only been in Inner Yellow County for just over a month, and I don't know who is making such a great effort to sue me!"
It was an old trick, and Han Mo was almost losing even the interest to feign a response.
"Guards, bring forth the plaintiff, Zhou Zhenhao!"
Pang Yue sneered and directly ordered a man in his twenties to be brought forward.
"Your humble servant greets Your Excellency!"
As soon as Zhou Zhenhao entered the court, he immediately knelt before Pang Yue.
"You are Zhou Zhenhao?"
Pang Yue asked without even lifting his eyelids.
"Your humble servant is indeed!"
"Where do you live, and whom are you accusing this time?"
Han Mo found this staged performance hard to watch and was even getting drowsy.
"Your humble servant lives in Tangyin County, Guanren Village. I am here to plead for justice for my ill-fated uncle, and I accuse the magistrate of Inner Yellow County, Han Mo!"
Zhou Zhenhao cleared his throat, as if to encourage himself, and said loudly.
"Since you are from Tangyin County, do you know who your uncle is? And why is he able to sue me?"
Han Mo asked with a ferocious look, while still yawning.
"You dog official, my uncle is Zhou Ding, the one you framed and had arrested!"
Zhou Zhenhao became agitated.
"Zhou Ding?"
Han Mo couldn't help but sneer. It truly was a case of "what you wish for, you get"!
These people were truly at their wit's end and couldn't come up with any new tricks other than this.
"That's right! I am here to plead for justice for my poor uncle. Firstly, I accuse you of framing a loyal subject and eliminating dissent. Secondly, I accuse you of disregard for human life, arbitrary seizure, and extortion. Thirdly, I accuse you of killing the innocent and claiming merit, and of falsifying military achievements!"
These lines must have been rehearsed many times beforehand, otherwise, they wouldn't be spoken so smoothly.
"Minister Han, what are your thoughts on this?"
Pang Yue asked Han Mo with a smile.
"I don't have many thoughts. I just want to ask, this Zhou, Zhou what's-his-name?"
Han Mo leaned back in his chair, completely indifferent, even reaching out to scratch his ear.
"Zhou Zhenhao!"
"Zhou what's-his-name, I ask you, when did you file the complaint in Tangyin?"
Han Mo asked again in a dismissive tone.
"Five days ago!"
Zhou Zhenhao blurted out without hesitation.
"Very good. I ask you, are you an official?"
Han Mo stood up as he spoke.
"N-no!"
"Then do you possess any scholarly title?"
The smile on Han Mo's face deepened.
"No..."
Although he didn't know what Han Mo was doing, he was already starting to feel guilty, after all, Han Mo was too composed.
"Since that is the case, guards, drag him out and give him thirty planks!"
Han Mo sneered and directly took the gavel from the table in front of Pang Yue, striking it down heavily.
"Stop! Minister Han, aren't you the defendant today!"
Naturally, Pang Yue was displeased with Han Mo's preemptive action.
"Your Excellency, then you announce it. Otherwise, how can this case proceed? Suing an official by a commoner, those thirty planks are a rule set by the founding emperor!"
Seeing the smile on Han Mo's face, Zhou Zhenhao was truly starting to panic.
This was not the script he had received before!
"Y-Your Excellency, he, he before..."
Seeing that he was in trouble, Liao Wenxing couldn't help but try to salvage the situation.
"Minister Liao, you are not going to tell me that he was already beaten thirty planks in the Tangyin county yamen, are you? If that's the case, then guess if he has any injuries? Is it that his physique is too good, or that someone is engaging in favoritism and corruption? Five days! Hmph!"
Before he could finish, Han Mo directly blocked his path.
This left Liao Wenxing a bit stunned, as it was indeed hard to respond.
If he continued to speak, this matter would become interesting. If no injuries were found, then things would be quite different.
"Beat him!"
Pang Yue said with a blank expression.
Liao Wenxing also felt a sense of helplessness. This was truly not his fault, after all, time was too tight. Even drafting documents would have a time limit!
"Yes!"
Jiang Yan, dressed in official attire, stepped forward with a cold smile and, along with a companion, dragged Zhou Zhenhao out.
The matter of flogging was extremely open to manipulation.
If someone intended to be corrupt, a hundred planks could be recovered from in about ten days, but if they wanted to deliver a fatal blow, ten planks could be enough to kill someone.
Since this fellow dared to come and frame him, how could Han Mo let him off easily?
Jiang Yan and the others were, after all, trained as death warriors, and extracting confessions was their specialty.
It was too easy to deal with such a ruffian!
"Spare me, Your Excellency, spare me!"
After just five planks, he began to beg for mercy.
However, it wasn't that he was useless, but rather that Jiang Yan was too ruthless.
Listening to his heart-wrenching screams, even Liao Wenxing's expression turned grim.
He was truly worried that if this fellow couldn't endure it and casually shouted that he wouldn't press charges anymore, then his troubles would be even greater.
Fortunately, Jiang Yan had no intention of taking his life, and only aimed to torment him, thus allowing him to narrowly escape death.
However, even so, those thirty planks were enough to beat Zhou Zhenhao to near death.
"Minister Han, can we proceed now?"
Looking at Zhou Zhenhao, who was no longer recognizable, Pang Yue asked with a forced smile.
"What do you mean, Your Excellency? You are the presiding judge. Is it not a bit inappropriate to ask me about such matters?"
Han Mo feigned ignorance to his barbed accusations.
"Zhou Zhenhao, I ask you, do you have any concrete evidence to support your accusation against Minister Han? Zhou Ding has already confessed and is serving his sentence, yet you claim he is innocent. Do you know that if you have no concrete evidence, then you are falsely accusing someone!"
Seeing that Han Mo was not falling into his trap, Pang Yue could only strike the gavel again and ask with a sneer.
"Your Excellency, this humble subject has a confession statement. It is a handwritten note left by Zhang Huailin, the constable of Inner Yellow County, before his death!"