Chapter 55 Establishing the Charges

After seeing Lu Bing off, Bai Yu waited another hour before saying to Thousand-Householder Qian, "I suddenly feel like something is missing."

Thousand-Householder Qian asked in confusion, "What do you mean?"

Bai Yu sighed, "Previously, whenever I got into any trouble, that White-Clad Lu would always pop out and jump around excitedly. This time, I haven't even caught a glimpse of her. It suddenly feels quite strange."

Thousand-Householder Qian gave a blunt evaluation, "Are you a masochist?"

After waiting another half hour, the sound of carriages and horses bustling outside could be heard, prompting Thousand-Householder Qian to announce immediately, "The judicial officials have arrived!"

A temporary court had already been set up in the duty room, and Bai Yu was escorted in to stand trial.

Upon entering and raising his eyes, he saw that they were all old acquaintances. Sitting right in the middle was none other than Censor Wei, the official responsible for patrolling the West City.

The last time Sai Yu had falsely accused him, this very Censor Wei had stepped forward to assist her, though fortunately, it was neutralized by Bai Yu's more advanced version of accumulated experience.

Bai Yu asked curiously, "My case occurred in the North City. Shouldn't it be the North City censor presiding over the trial? Why is it Your Excellency, the West City censor, sitting here? Doesn't this constitute judicial injustice, or is someone interfering with the judiciary?"

Right off the bat, he threw out accusations of judicial injustice and judicial interference. One could tell at a glance that he was a veteran petitioner.

With a dark expression on his face, Censor Wei replied, "This inspection office was just transferred to the North City the day before yesterday!"

Originally, he and Sub-Centurion Bai used to roam the streets of the West City and bumped into each other constantly. To avoid awkwardness, he had requested a transfer to the North City.

Never had he expected that after only a day or two on the job, he would f***ing have to try Sub-Centurion Bai once again!

Bai Yu was amused as well and responded, "Well, that truly is a coincidence. It is genuinely a great honor in this humble one's three lifetimes."

Censor Wei cursed inwardly. It must be three lifetimes of accumulated wickedness that caused him to run into Sub-Centurion Bai once more while trying a case!

From their previous encounter, it was clear that this fellow was extremely adept at sophistry and controlling the narrative, making him terribly difficult to deal with!

Take last time, for instance: by the end of the trial, the pre-set charge of "attempted rape" somehow turned into "mutual brawl," and he himself became the laughingstock of the legal profession!

It wasn't that Censor Wei hadn't thought about taking the opportunity to exact revenge and redeem himself, but Bai Yu had a very strong case this time, making him undoubtedly hard to handle!

At worst, it would end up as fifty beatings for each side, after which everyone could just go home to their respective mothers.

Aside from Censor Wei, there were also representatives from the Eastern Depot sitting in to observe.

Because the case involved guards and officers of the Brocade Guard, the Eastern Depot, which was tasked with supervising the Brocade Guard, had to send someone to attend the hearing.

After exchanging pleasantries with Censor Wei, Bai Yu turned to the observer sent by the Eastern Depot and said:

"Ah, Young Master Lu, you really did come after all. Can you even be considered a member of the Eastern Depot?"

Lu Bai衣 rebuked with a stern expression, "In a court of law, no reminiscing about old times! I am not familiar with you at all!"

Then, urging Censor Wei, she said, "Get on with it already! I want to see if he can escape the net of the law this time!"

Censor Wei had no desire to drag things out either. He opened the case files and began verifying the sequence of events with Bai Yu.

Yesterday afternoon, he had already gone to the prefectural yamen to conduct an on-site inspection, so today's session would primarily focus on cross-checking with Bai Yu's confession.

Naturally, in certain details, conflicting accounts were inevitable, so they could only be recorded for the time being.

Feeling that the events had been reconstructed to a satisfactory degree, Censor Wei brought the gavel down heavily and demanded preemptively with a stern shout, "Bai Yu! Do you know your crimes?"

With clear and innocent eyes, Bai Yu asked, "I dare to ask for enlightenment, but I wonder what crime Your Honor the Censor has decided this humble one has committed?"

Censor Wei immediately launched into his accusations: "Armed assault resulting in disability, disrupting a vital government office, coercing and threatening officials... A total of three major charges!"

Bai Yu's eyes lost their innocence, turning mocking instead. "Does this judicial office even know how to try a case?"

Suppressing his emotions, Censor Wei said coldly, "The competence of this inspection office is not something you need to concern yourself with. You only need to state whether you plead guilty."

Acting as if he were giving a lecture, Bai Yu stated, "The judiciary of our Great Ming dynasty emphasizes two concepts: sentiment and reason. Trials must achieve a harmonious blend of sentiment and reason, being both sensible and logical. Special attention must be paid here to ensuring there are extenuating circumstances; one cannot merely look at surface phenomena, and must show more understanding toward a criminal's motives..."

Censor Wei interrupted Bai Yu, sneering, "These are all clichés; you don't need to lecture us! This inspection office now asks you only: do you plead guilty?"

Bai Yu sighed and replied, "Since you don't care to hear the old routines, I'll tell you a new one."

Lu Baiyi almost failed to hold back and laughed out loud on the spot.

For some reason, even though it was just a few simple sentences, she found them immensely amusing.

Raising his pitch, Censor Wei shouted almost at the top of his lungs, "Stop wasting words! Just tell me whether you plead guilty or not!"

Having been interrupted repeatedly, Bai Yu grew angry as well. "Your Honor the Censor, you haven't even gotten the charges right. How do you expect me to plead?"

Censor Wei refuted, "Absurd nonsense! How are the charges wrong? Did you not commit armed assault resulting in disability, disrupt a vital government office, and threaten and coerce officials?"

Bai Yu raised his arms and proclaimed loudly, "I have only one crime, and that is mutiny! Everything else is a trumped-up charge!"

Censor Wei: "......"

Listen to yourself! Does that sound like something a normal person would say? What the hell is a mutiny?

Lu Baiyi, who was observing on behalf of the Eastern Depot, Thousand-Householder Qian, who was guarding the prisoner, and the clerk responsible for taking notes—every single person in the courtroom had a flurry of question marks pop up in their minds.

Lu Baiyi had always felt that she was unmatched in the realm of absurdity, but she never expected the world to produce a new peak like Bai Yu.

Recovering his wits, Censor Wei chided, "You've truly lost your mind! The more you speak, the more ridiculous you become!"

Bai Yu asked directly, "For example, some years ago, soldiers in the Datong Garrison were mistreated by officials and shortchanged on their pay and provisions. Because of these injustices, the soldiers staged a collective mutiny, tied up their commanders, stormed the regional inspectorate, and besieged the regional inspector. Would that be considered a mutiny?"

Censor Wei answered, "Of course that is a mutiny!"

Bai Yu immediately followed up with a continuous string of rhetorical questions: "Then are the Brocade Guard military guards or not? Is our Bai family a military household? Am I a regular soldier serving in place of my father? So, did this soldier of mine encounter injustice at the yamen? Did I then take up weapons and rise up in resistance? Did I likewise storm the relevant government offices and besiege the official in charge?"

Finally, Bai Yu delivered a grand summary: "Then I must ask, is there any essential difference between my behavior yesterday and the Datong mutiny I just cited?"

Censor Wei's brain was completely scrambled by the rapid-fire questions, and he subconsciously retorted, "You committed a crime all by yourself—what are you dragging a mutiny into this for?"

Righteously and confidently, Bai Yu demanded, "Not a single statute or imperial edict stipulates how many people are required to constitute a mutiny. What is wrong with a single soldier of mine launching an uprising? In short, my real crime is a mutiny, and you judicial officials shouldn't even get the charge wrong!"

Censor Wei: "......"

What the f***! I knew something bizarre would happen today!

What the hell kind of ghost is this? How is one supposed to refute this?

He could already imagine that if he convicted Bai Yu of mutiny today, he would likely be nailed once again to the pillar of shame in the legal profession!

Last time's "attempted rape" turning into "mutual brawl" was already disgraceful enough, but this time was even more absurd than the last!

"Hahahaha! Hahahaha!" While the courtroom fell into a temporary silence, Lu Baiyi could no longer hold it in and, disregarding the occasion, threw her head back and burst into loud laughter.

A mutiny committed by a single person—this truly was abstraction upon abstraction!