"Kicking a Man When He's Down"

Several judges of the Plenary Court immediately stepped aside, and Count Vadier, the Grand Justice of the High Court, stepped forward, read the verdict aloud with trepidation, and signed and stamped it.

Because the Plenary Court had no jurisdiction to try the case, it was Count Vadier who had to go through the legal process. Only then was Weijinie truly convicted.

Immediately, voices of protest arose from the crowd:

"Judgment power! Plenary Court must have judgment power!"

"We cannot allow those shameless judges to judge themselves!"

"The guys at the High Court are just covering for each other!"

"Yes! They are not qualified! They should be tried by Plenary Court!"

After a few people took the lead, it quickly turned into a roar from thousands of people, and the word "right of judgment" resounded throughout the sky.

In fact, it was Joseph's arrangement to have the Royal Plenipotentiary Court intervene, and the people who are leading the call for the right to adjudicate today were also prepared long ago.

Joseph had gone to great lengths to finally break through the High Court, so naturally he wanted to take advantage of the situation... no, to press his advantage and completely tear apart the monster that this powerful Noble Group had been raising!

Only after Weijinie was carried away and the judge of the Plenary Court promised the crowd that he would convey the matter of the trial to His Majesty the King did the citizens gradually quiet down.

That afternoon, a somber and dejected atmosphere hung over the entire High Court, but everyone was extremely busy. Because Weijinie had presided over so many cases, the workload of retrialting them all was immense, and the entire court's energy was currently focused on this matter.

Meanwhile, in the Meeting Room on the third floor, five judges who are also high-ranking members of parliament are voting on the New Tax Law.

"I agree with the Registration," Dibore said, raising his hand first.

Count Vadier raised his hand even faster than Judge Gret of the Dibore family. "I agree too."

The shocking scars on Weijinie's body still lingered in his mind. Now he only hoped that it would all end as soon as possible, allowing him to return to his former peace.

Without any pressure from Weijinie, all four judges quickly agreed to Registration the bill.

Only Luau, a member of the Old Nobles, abstained from voting with a dark expression.

A ray of sunlight streamed in through the Meeting Hall window and fell on the bill text on the table.

Dibore glanced at the judges, then opened the document, shielded his eyes from the sunlight with his left hand, picked up a pen with his right hand and wrote "Registration approved," before forcefully stamping it with the seal of the Paris High Court.

After a year-long delay and numerous rejections, which led to the dismissal of a Minister of Finance and the use of the Noble Group as a tool to suppress the Royal House, the Tax Law was finally passed at this moment!

Through Joseph's meticulous planning, the situation of the expansion of Nobility power and the decline of Royal House power was completely reversed.

Versailles Palace.

In the comfortable and elegant concert hall, Queen Mary heard that the Tax Law that had tormented her for nearly a year had finally been passed. She was so excited that she almost danced on the spot and immediately praised Brienne lavishly with compliments.

Subsequently, the judge of the Plenary Court informed her of the protesters' request for trial authority.

Having been fed up with the High Court for too long, the Queen was not about to let go of this opportunity to vent her anger. She immediately and without hesitation signed Edict granting the Plenary Court power to hear all cases involving Weijinie.

Although the Nobility who learned of this matter very much wanted to object, none of them dared to show it.

Now, the Weijinie affair has caused quite a stir. Anyone who dares to say "no" at this time will surely be seen as an accomplice of the corrupt judge and be condemned by all of Paris.

They no longer have control over public opinion, so it's impossible for them to create confusion.

However, the Queen was also very worried about the situation where thousands of protesters had been rioting at the High Court for more than a month—no ruler could remain calm in the face of large-scale street demonstrations.

She then instructed Brienne to disperse the protesters as soon as possible and restore peace to Paris.

Upon learning of the Edict concerning Weijinie, Joseph felt a sense of relief, as it would make the subsequent procedures much easier.

He had thought that given the Queen's indecisive and hesitant nature, he and Brienne would have to persuade her properly, but he hadn't expected her to act so swiftly this time.

Perhaps the passage of the Tax Law subconsciously boosted her confidence.

Next, if the judges of the Plenary Tribunal exert a little more effort, the High Court should collapse as well.

In the Crown Prince's Reception Room, three judges from the Plenary Court sat respectfully on the sofa, all with expressions of attentive listening.

They learned from the snippets of information revealed by Archbishop Brienne that their presence at the High Court was all thanks to the opportunity given to them by His Crown Prince.

Joseph smiled at the three men and asked, "What are your thoughts on the future of the Plenary Court?"

The judges exchanged bewildered glances. What else could the Plenary Court possibly have besides acting as legal advisors to the Nobility of the Versailles Palace?

Joseph continued persuasively, "If this case involving Weijinie is handled well, it might become a precedent, and future trials involving judges and prosecutors will be handled by Plenary Court."

The three of them immediately brightened up.

The oldest judge astutely grasped the key point in the Crown Prince's words and hurriedly asked, "Your Highness, what constitutes an excellent trial?"

Joseph solemnly declared, "Severely punish Weijinie and restore justice to those who have been unjustly judged."

"You mean the retrials of the cases he handled?"

Joseph nodded. "The case should be closed as soon as possible, and the sentence should be severe."

Several judges glanced through the case files, and one of them immediately said with difficulty, "Your Highness, many of those cases are from many years ago, and a large amount of evidence is missing..."

Joseph gave a cold laugh, "When Weijinie ruled those cases back then, did he care about the evidence?"

The oldest judge immediately understood and nodded, saying, "Your Highness, we know what to do."

Joseph then reassured the group, saying, "Weijinie is now the symbol of evil; everyone wants him dead immediately. No one cares about any impropriety in the trial process."

The following day, the public hearing for Weijinie continued in the square in front of the High Court.

Victims of the wrongful convictions perpetrated by Weijinie arrived at the scene, many of whom had been brought there by Marat.

As soon as the trial began, the thousands of onlookers immediately fell silent.

To everyone's surprise, in less than half an hour, a case from three years ago was overturned. The murderer who had been acquitted at the time was to be brought back to justice. And Weijinie was charged with a host of new offenses, including accepting bribes, protecting criminals, and altering testimonies.

The crowd immediately erupted in a long and sustained cheer. The family members of the victim in that case were kneeling on the ground, weeping and making the sign of the cross on their chests.

My new book is out! I'm begging for full subscriptions, monthly votes, and comments—I'm begging for everything! The author is eternally grateful!

(End of this chapter)