The Three Departments held a trial, which was not many in the century during the founding of the Great Yue Kingdom. Only when the case was serious and the suspect involved in the case was extremely important would it be treated like this. After all, the Ministry of Justice, Dali Temple and the Censorate were all able to hear serious cases alone. The Three Departments held a trial, which naturally had a certain role in hindering the production.

But this is not special. With this case and Li Ling's identity, we can barely have a three-department trial. The key is that the emperor actually asked several other yamen to send people to the trial, which made this case more important and put the pressure on the three-department courts in an invisible way, which could invisibly convey some of the emperor's thoughts.

However, what is this thought? At least for a short time, everyone can't guess it thoroughly. Since the emperor issued an order and set a time limit, the people from the three judicial offices dare not be disrespectful. They immediately arranged personnel and prepared to start the trial the next day. The place for the trial was directly set at the main hall of the Ministry of Justice, because the prisoners were in custody in the Ministry of Justice.

Just after the Chen Dynasty, the yamen of the Ministry of Justice was already in a murderous atmosphere. In the yamen that was originally quite empty, people kept coming today. The open space in front of the gate was full of cars and sedans. However, the officials who rushed in had no communication, only looked at the main hall with deep eyes, because there would be a case of serious concern to be tried there.

Halfway through Chen hour, everything was ready. Three officials in a row were already lined up and sat at the top of the lobby. Several chairs were placed on both sides. There were about a dozen people sitting, all six officials who came to the trial.

As the Minister of Justice slapped the auspicious tree and shouted: "Take the criminal Li Ling to the court!" The officers on both sides immediately shouted the power of the court, and Li Ling, who had been taken to the outside room to wait, was also taken to the court step by step. He had no torture instruments on his body, and his whole spirit was quite good. He was holding his head up and his chest held high, and he had Yu Yu to scan the officials casually and recognized the officials here.

After all, he was an official in the court, so he had some contact with these people. The three current presiding judges are Meng Zhongqiu, the minister of the Ministry of Justice, Sun Daming, the young minister of Dali Temple, and Jian Chong, the assistant chief of the Censorate of the Censorate, who are both second-in-commands in their respective yamen. This shows how much they attach to this case.

As for the officials on the left and right, in addition to the Ministry of Revenue and the Ministry of War and other yamen officials who had a deep relationship with the case, even Lu Zhen was among them. Seeing Li Ling looking over, his eyes flashed slightly, as if he had said hello.

Li Ling quickly calmed down again and faced the three judges who were also examining him, saying, "The lower-ranking official Li Ling has met you all."

"Li Ling, do you admit your guilt?" Meng Zhongqiu said, obviously he is the main one here.

"The subordinates are wronged. The fact that someone in the Northern Army secretly sells weapons has nothing to do with me." Li Ling immediately denied.

"Then how do you explain that all this happened after you made various transportation arrangements for the border army to transport food, fodder and supplies?" Meng Zhongqiu continued to ask.

"The arrangements were made before the officials were made so that the border troops would no longer be cut off due to the long journey. They were dedicated to the public and dared not have any selfish intentions."

"Haha, I dare not have selfishness. You Li Ling's selfishness is still less?" This time, the Censor Jian Chong, who spoke coldly, saw him laughing coldly, "I want to ask you, Zongheng Bookstores and Zongheng Trading Company, which are now in the capital and other places, are the industries under your name?"

This abrupt question made many people present stunned, but Li Ling answered happily: "I dare not hide it from you. Those commercial bookshops are indeed shops run by officials and friends."

"Hmph, just admit it. A guy who competes for profit with the people has long been obsessed with profit. He dares to say here that he has no selfish intentions? It's really a big deal!" Jian Chong seized the opportunity and said sarcastically.

Li Ling immediately understood that this person had already received orders to target him. He looked back at him without hesitation and said, "Mr. Jian is such a bad word. I am honest in business. Why is it so vicious when I make money in your mouth? Also, my court has never banned officials from doing business. As long as it does not delay the main business, there will be no inquiries. Do you have to even care about this? I opened a store and asked my friends and I to help sell books and resell various goods. This will only benefit the country and the people. Why is it considered competing for profit with the people?

"Also, it is even more sensible to make money through business. This has nothing to do with me. But you have to use this to assert that I have selfish intentions and even dare to do a big mistake that harms the border army. Isn't this a crime called a crime?"

Li Ling's rebuttal was really reasonable and powerful, which really made Jian Chong stunned, but then he snorted again: "No matter how beautiful you say it, it is difficult to change the fact that you are greedy. I will ask you again, then the book "The Romance of the Gods" that was circulated outside the world was written by you?"

Why did you suddenly mention this book? Li Ling looked at the other party unexpectedly, but finally nodded and recognized: "Yes, that was written by me during the imperial examination, and it was also a temporary game..."

"The game work? I don't know it!" Jian Chong sneered, "I have read that book a few times. I am really brave enough to write the king so cruelly and lewdly! In my opinion, you are clearly sarcastic about it by writing a text, and it is really a pity for his heart!"

Li Ling was shocked. This person really dared to say it and really dared to put a hat on others. Why did he write all kinds of absurd things about King Zhou? He dared to think that he was satirizing the current emperor? But he was very clear that this matter must not be held true, otherwise the consequences would be extremely serious, so he immediately refuted: "Mr. Jian, your words are really ridiculous. What I wrote is a story novel, which is mostly fictional, and some people's names come from records in ancient books. Why did it come to your mouth? This has become such a rebellious intention?

"Also, you only see how stupid and cruel King Zhou was written in my book, but don't look at how the two kings of Wen and Wu were virtuous and loving the people in the same book? Why do you think that I wrote King Zhou was ridiculing the present, but don't think that the two kings of Wen and Wu of Zhou, I wrote, looked like His Majesty in the current dynasty? Or do you actually think so in your heart, thinking that His Majesty is today..."

"Enough!" Sun Daming, the young master of Dali Temple, suddenly spoke and stopped Li Ling's words. Everyone present had a little uneasy face. Many people looked at Jian Chong with dissatisfaction. This guy was really stupid. He would use such a thing to convict Li Ling and almost surround himself in.

Sun Daming was not too concerned about this matter, and immediately looked at Li Ling and said, "We have no intention of saying anything about your clever arguments, but there is one thing you can't tell you clearly - you have a very close relationship with the Cao Gang, right? Those weapons were indeed found on the Cao Gang's ship. What do you have to say about this?" This is what it really means to the point.

Li Ling did not deny it and nodded, "Yes, the subordinates are indeed close to the Cao Gang, and they also married the sister of the Cao Gang leader as their wife... Of course, this was what I did when I first entered the officialdom. At that time, it was because I was in love with my wife and did not mix anything else. As for the Cao Gang later, I dare not say that I had no care at all, but they were all given some help within the law, but this was also a good thing for the court. After all, the Cao Gang is much more reliable than other water merchants.

However, regarding the Cao Gang smuggling military transport that you mentioned by Lord Sun, please forgive me for not admitting. This is completely a frame-up. Whether I or the Cao Gang, I will never do such a thing that will harm the border army and the court for that little money!"

"You said you didn't, but it might not be believed." Sun Daming shook his head, "The things were indeed found from their ships, and in addition, the government army has also searched for more private salt and other prohibited items from their ships. Obviously, over the years, relying on your backing, the Cao Gang has become increasingly unscrupulous, and has long regarded smuggling as an important means to make a fortune.

"So, even if you really don't know, you are still kept in the dark by them, but this does not mean that you are innocent, because the Cao Gang can get to this point because of your indulgence. The official believes that this case is actually very clear. The Cao Gang stole the materials from the Northern Army to various places for profit, and although you may not know, you have given acquiesce to all their actions. Until you step down from the position of Shaoqing of the Transportation Office, problems arise and expose them!

"So, even if you are not the mastermind, you are no different from the mastermind and you should accept the heavy sentence from the court!"

After saying these words, he turned around and looked at the two judges on the right: "My sir, do you think my official's statement is valid?"

Jian Chong nodded without any hesitation: "What Lord Sun said is reasonable, Li Ling is indeed unforgivable."

Meng Zhongqiu, after pondering, said, "This is just a conjecture after all, and it still needs conclusive evidence."

Li Ling also spoke out at this time: "Mr. Sun is just your guesses out of thin air, and it is really hard to convince people! Even if it is presented to His Majesty, I am afraid that it will not be able to get over it? And all the sirs, do you think this statement is really reasonable and legal?"

The officials around first whispered and then became silent. They didn't want to wade into muddy waters at this time, but in the end, someone was willing to help Li Ling. It was Lu Zhen: "Yes, it's really hard to convince people. I need to see conclusive evidence."
Chapter completed!