Although Meng Huaining did not understand Tang Mingrui's character as well as Mo Jiuye did, he also felt that Tang Mingrui would not take such a big risk to hire someone to commit murder over such a trivial matter.
Meng Huaining knew that Elder Brother Ba had just caught the man, so he might as well interrogate him first while they had the chance.
"Ninth Brother, if you're free, you can come listen to the trial."
Mo Jiuye had come to the city to look for Tang Mingrui. Thinking that he was in some kind of trouble, Mo Jiuye would definitely want to find out more about it.
"If it's convenient, I do want to listen in on it."
With that said, the two men arrived at the courtroom.
For a case that had not yet been investigated clearly, the initial interrogation of the suspect would not be conducted publicly.
Therefore, the doors of the courtroom remained tightly shut.
Meng Huaining sat upright and dignified in the chief magistrate's seat.
"Bring the prisoner in."
At his command, the officers soon brought in the burly man.
As soon as he entered the courtroom, the burly man knelt in the center.
"Your Honor, I've confessed everything I should, it's true that Master Tang gave us the silver to kill Boss Jin."
Meng Huaining slammed the gavel furiously: "I did not ask you any questions, who allowed you to speak?"
By doing so, he did seem to be protecting Tang Mingrui.
Because he knew that Tang Mingrui was a business partner of the Mo Family. Although this guy had once liked his young fiancée as well, Meng Huaining had won her over in the end.
For the sake of the Yue Family's business in the future, he had to do his best to find out the truth and help absolve Tang Mingrui.
As he spoke, Meng Huaining's gaze had already fallen upon Chen Wu, who had just been caught and brought back by Mo Chuhany and the others.
"Are you Chen Wu?"
Chen Wu knew everything was over since he had failed to escape.
He was also a man who could grasp the situation. When questioned by Meng Huaining, he kowtowed respectfully.
"This peasant is indeed Chen Wu."
Meng Huaining banged the gavel again.
"Wang Lin confessed that Master Tang hired you to kill Boss Jin and handed you the silver personally, is this true?"
When asked about this, Chen Wu's eyes became somewhat evasive.
Meng Huaining noticed that he inadvertently glanced at Wang Lin next to him before replying vaguely:
"This peasant does not know what Your Honor is talking about."
Meng Huaining had been a county magistrate for a long time and had seen many stubborn criminals. He did not need to waste words with Chen Wu.
"Men, Chen Wu is not being honest. Give this official twenty heavy strokes of the rod."
The officers who had been with Meng Huaining for a long time also understood his temper. They did not wait for Chen Wu to beg for mercy and immediately blocked his mouth and dragged him out of the courtroom.
The twenty heavy strokes were administered quickly, and Chen Wu was dragged back in.
Meng Huaining did not interrogate him immediately, but instead ordered the officers to fetch a basin of salt water and place it next to Chen Wu.
"Chen Wu, salt water on open wounds hurts dozens of times more than twenty strokes of the rod. I hope you think carefully before answering the questions I ask you next."
Chen Wu took a hard look at the salt water beside him, then gasped heavily a few times.
"Your Honor, it's true someone gave this peasant silver, but they did not say to kill Boss Jin, only to teach him a lesson."
"Who gave you the silver?" Meng Huaining pressed.
"It was Master Tang who gave it to me."
"Well then, tell us, where and when exactly did Master Tang give you the silver?"
"It was three days ago. Master Tang came to this peasant's home in Yun City alone and personally gave me five hundred taels of silver, telling me to teach Boss Jin a lesson."
Just then, Tang Mingrui's voice rang out from behind the courtroom.
"Nonsense. I was still at the provincial capital three days ago. I only returned to Yun City yesterday, how could I have given you silver?"
Tang Mingrui had been arranged by Meng Huaining to listen to the trial from the back of the courtroom. In principle, he should not have spoken, but Chen Wu's lies provoked him to blurt out a retort.
He was fully aware that it was disrespectful to the county magistrate to suddenly speak up from the back. He had just been unable to restrain himself for a moment.
Therefore, although Tang Mingrui had retorted indignantly, he did not show his face.
Meng Huaining did not blame Tang Mingrui for the sudden interruption. After all, he was trying to establish Tang Mingrui's innocence.
He banged the gavel again.
"Chen Wu, it seems you really won't shed tears until you see the coffin. Since you refuse to tell the truth..."
As he spoke, his gaze fell upon the basin of salt water.
Before Meng Huaining could give the order, Chen Wu was already begging for mercy loudly.
"Your Honor, I did not lie! It really was Master Tang who personally brought this peasant five hundred taels of silver three days ago and told me to do this. If you don't believe me, please summon Master Tang to come confront me face to face."
Meng Huaining frowned. "Who was the person speaking from the back just now? Do you recognize that voice?"
Chen Wu shook his head vigorously. "He was supposed to be speaking in Master Tang's voice to me, but I'm not familiar with that voice."
Hearing this, Meng Huaining looked to Wang Lin, who was scared stiff beside them.
"Tell me, who ordered you to kill Boss Jin?"
"Your Honor, it was Chen Wu who told me to kill Boss Jin."
"Nonsense, I only told you to teach Boss Jin a lesson. When did I ever tell you to kill him?" Chen Wu was anxious. A matter as grave as taking a life, he could not afford to be wrongly accused.
Wang Lin refused to back down either: "It was you who told me to kill Boss Jin. You also said you'd give me two hundred taels to escape after the deed was done. I didn't expect you'd keep the entire three hundred taels for yourself."
Wang Lin felt more aggrieved the more he spoke. He kowtowed to Meng Huaining several times.
"Your Honor is wise. This peasant had no enmity with Boss Jin. If Chen Wu had not said he would give me two hundred taels after the deed was done, I would never have dared to do something so wicked."
The more aggrieved Wang Lin felt, the more he cried in front of all those people.
In contrast, Chen Wu was extremely indignant.
"Wang Lin, don't spit blood from your mouth. I promised to give you two hundred taels afterward, but I never said to kill Boss Jin."
"It was you who said to kill Boss Jin..."
For a time, the only sounds in the silent courtroom were the two men's arguments.
Meng Huaining did not stop them, but observed their expressions as they spoke.
From his observations, he noticed Wang Lin's eyes occasionally dodging, but only when they met Chen Wu's gaze.
With this, Meng Huaining already had a rough guess in mind.
"Silence. Do you want me to charge you with contempt of court?"
At his words, the courtroom instantly quieted down.
"Summon Master Tang."
At Meng Huaining's order, Tang Mingrui in the back swiftly came to the front of the courtroom.
Before he could bow, Meng Huaining asked Chen Wu, "Do you recognize this man before you?"
Chen Wu looked Tang Mingrui up and down, then shook his head.
"Replying to Your Honor, this peasant does not recognize him."
"Slap!"
Meng Huaining slammed the gavel heavily.
"You don't recognize him, yet you dare to say it was Master Tang who personally gave you five hundred taels?"
Tang Mingrui was also furious. He walked up to Chen Wu and demanded, "Take a good look, I am Tang Mingrui. When did I ever give you five hundred taels?"
