Chapter 317 - 200: The Dragon’s Wrath
Everyone in the imperial court, both civil and military, knew Wei Zheng’s temperament well; he was certainly not one to fabricate things out of thin air. As for Zhang Liang, he was known for his keen perception, a man who suppressed the powerful and showed compassion for the poor and weak, and possessed a considerable reputation in governance.
Two men of integrity clashed...
On the right, the military officers were like statues, eyes downcast and spirits concentrated, indifferent to the argument between the civil servants, which seemed as though it was not their concern.
Xiao Song was much more imposing than both Zhang Liang and Wei Zheng, standing one step behind them with his eyes downcast, minimizing his presence. That was the privilege of his deputy position—for the most part, he did the hard work and, in the hall, whatever happened, it was his superiors who had to take responsibility.
Wei Zheng faced him with a cold frown, "Do you dare claim there is no truth to this matter?" He didn’t wish to argue with Zhang Liang and turned to Li Shimin, "Emperor, the victims’ families have already sought me out at my residence to plead for justice."
Zhang Liang, full of grievances, bowed deeply to Liu Shimin and said, "Emperor, as everyone knows, major cases in the Capital are always the responsibility of the Ministry of Justice, whereas the Ministry of Criminal Justice generally only deals with cases of exile and lighter sentences. Since this case happened in the Capital and was a murder case, it naturally falls under the jurisdiction of the Ministry of Justice. Wei, the Assistant Imperial Censor, is accusing me of dereliction of duty and seeking punishment; I am not convinced!"
Wei Zheng couldn’t possibly have come to impeach him without even understanding which department was handling the case! Upon hearing Zhang Liang’s words, he immediately took out a scroll from his sleeve, presented it with both hands, "This case file in my hand originated from the Ministry of Criminal Justice, then was transferred to the Ministry of Justice for review. Since no one died in the incident, the Ministry of Justice sent the case back to the Ministry of Criminal Justice."
The court officials quickly took the case file from Wei Zheng’s hands and presented it to Li Shimin.
Immediately after, Wei Zheng continued, "I believe that not only the Ministry of Criminal Justice but also the Ministry of Justice are accountable, and the Imperial Censorate’s lack of supervision is also dereliction of duty."
Things became even more serious as all three departments got involved. Li Shimin’s aura became heavier, and he reached to take the case file, glancing through it roughly.
This case involved the death of a lowly maid, a critically injured person, and four missing individuals; the perpetrator was not yet identified, with only suspicions of bandit raids, and the chase was ongoing. While the case itself might not seem very serious—it was merely an assault—the responsibility game between the Ministry of Criminal Justice and the Ministry of Justice, and the Imperial Censorate’s blind eye, was indeed worthy of investigation.