Time flies, and it is March of the fourth year of Daye. The monarchs and ministers of the Sui Dynasty could not wait for Pu's envoy, but they waited for the results of Su Wei as the presiding judge and Dugu Shun as the jury.
In fact, the criminal gang headed by the Li family in Longxi has already had conclusive evidence. In the face of sufficient accounts, witnesses, and physical evidence, they can be found guilty according to law with almost no trial. However, this case was not an isolated case; in addition to smuggling prohibited items to the Turks, the Li family in Longxi also sold military information to Murong Fuyun, resulting in the tragic death of more than 3,000 soldiers in an ambush... and there were even more minor criminal cases. What this brings is an appalling number of criminals and suspects.
Before Yang Ji returned to Luoyang, nearly 10,000 people had been arrested in the east and west capitals. In addition, there were also some generals who served Li and opened the door to the law. Therefore, the imperial court faced a huge number of criminals. , suspects require a lot of time and a large number of personnel to screen, interrogate, and arrest. In order to make amends for his mistakes, the suspect confessed more officials and children of aristocratic families.
As the emperor, Yang Guang tasted the sweetness of the people's support and support. He always regarded himself as a wise and benevolent king who loved his people like his son. When he passed the moment when he was the most angry and wanted to kill, he calmed down. In order to preserve his good image, he must not only catch all the criminals in one fell swoop and not let anyone go, but he also requires that no good person be wrongly accused and innocent people not be disturbed.
Accumulated one by one, this case is no less than a tragic battle; and the manpower and time required by the court will naturally be more.
The first day of March is also the Shuo Dynasty of every month. All civil and military officials of the ninth rank and above, civil and military officials, noble officers, honorary officers, and civil and military officials in Beijing must participate; the venue of the court meeting is no longer a daily matter. The Xuanzheng Hall where proposals and major events were held was moved to the Qianyang Hall, the first of the three main halls.
Incense burners and incense tables were placed on the eaves outside the Qianyang Hall and inside the hall. Under the guidance of provincial officials inside the hall, thousands of civil and military officials lined up in the square in front of the hall according to their rank. When the melodious bells and drums sounded, civil and military officials entered the Qianyang Hall one after another.
Yang Guang, dressed in fine attire, sat behind the royal desk. After receiving the congratulations, his clear and gentle voice spread through the whole hall through a special design: "Your Majesty, please take your seats."
"Thank you, saint!" The ministers below thanked Pingshen and sat down on their seats in an orderly manner.
Generally speaking, the Shuo Chao on the first day of each month and the Wang Chao on the fifteenth day of each month are ceremonial court meetings; unless there is an unexpected major event, the court will not discuss official affairs or government affairs. However, Yang Guang decided to break the routine today and prepare to discuss Li's serious crimes in Longxi and determine the punishment in front of thousands of officials. At the same time, he also resolved the objections and doubts in the minds of the courtiers; so that everyone could be convinced and put them into practice. The image of the court impartially enforcing the law spread.
When everyone was seated in the queue, Yang Guang did not go around in circles and said straight to the point: "The major case committed by the Li family in Longxi had a huge impact. The high level of the officials involved and the number of officials involved can be said to be the highest in the Sui Dynasty. Since the first month of the year, Since the middle of the year, officials from all over the country have submitted memorials with their colleagues, saying that the case is pending and has disrupted the normal order of the government and local governments, which will inevitably affect daily office work and spring farming. It is hoped that the court will close the case as soon as possible to calm the hearts of the people."
"I can understand the uneasiness and worry in the hearts of the government and the people." Yang Guang paused and then said: "Xiang Su and Minister Dugu detained a group of key criminals in Xijing a few days ago; but here in Dongjing , Yushitai, Dali Temple, and the Ministry of Punishment also sorted out the case. By combining the two sides, the case has come to a conclusion. The ministers also listened to and discussed these results. "
"Today, regardless of rank, if you have any questions or dissatisfaction; if you don't understand something, you can raise it in public."
Yang Guang's voice was very gentle and had nothing to do with the word "stern", but the ministers in the palace felt awe-inspiring and trembling in their hearts. What they understood was that Yang Guang's unspoken message was that everything in this case would end today; afterwards, if anyone dared to talk nonsense, spread rumors, and instigate people, then don't blame me for being rude.
Everyone has this intention, which makes Qianyang Hall become silent in an instant, and a pin drop can be heard.
Until now, the case itself had not been very controversial. In the face of sufficient accounts, confessions, witnesses, and physical evidence, those courtiers who spoke for the Li family in Longxi and for their own children had long shut their mouths. Now, except for the important ministers who have not expressed their opinions clearly, the results of the trial have been passed in the court.
The current disagreements mainly focus on how to sentence and convict: If the sentence is based on major crimes such as collaborating with the enemy, betraying the country, and betraying military intelligence, then all individuals or families who are related to the Li family in Longxi and to the officials involved in the case will be sentenced to full family imprisonment. The death penalty was beheading; at least more than 200,000 people were killed once they were killed. If the court considers the facts and chooses to convict, and gives lenient sentences to those so-called accomplices, problems such as unfair sentencing will inevitably arise.
Those courtiers who are related to the Li family in Longxi and those who have children involved in the case are striving for a lighter sentence. The underlying meaning is, "On behalf of our children, we admit our mistakes, but we do not admit serious crimes, let alone those who are enough to exterminate the clan." Treason; a misdemeanor is fine, acquittal is better.”
This mentality of officials is not only reflected in this case, but also in many cases throughout the ages. Due to the extensive involvement of this case and the large number of people involved, when Su Wei, Zhang Heng, and Dugu Shun came out one by one to introduce the case, some people immediately raised the banner of "the law does not punish everyone" and advocated that the court should only ask for the principal culprit. For others, enough is enough.
The Guanlong aristocracy, the Guanzhong gentry clan, and the Li family in Longxi all have intricate relationships. Even if their descendants have nothing to do with the two major cases of reselling prohibited items and betraying military intelligence, the Li family in Longxi has many children and has committed many crimes. , now that they have been sorted out one by one, most of the officials of the Guanlong clan have their children and clansmen involved in the case.
It was not until Prime Minister Sun Chi used what Yang Jian once said, "Human life matters, everything matters with lightness" as a guide, that he put forward the concept of "killing too much is harmful to the peace of the world, so it should be done lightly and only in moderation". Yu Wenkai, Minister of the Ministry of Industry, Yuan Wendu, Shaoqing of Taifu, Dou Wei, Shaoqing of Honglu Temple, Wei Ji, Shaoqing of Taichang, Li Zhongwen, Duke of Zhenxiang County, Yu Xuanmin, Shixun Shizhong, and General Zhang Jin of Zuo Yiwei , Youyiwei General Yu Zhongwen, Youwuwei General Zhao Xiaocai and other civil and military officials from the Guanlong clan also made statements one after another, calling for "a lighter sentence".
This is also a tacit understanding they reached in advance. After all, the tolerance of emperors to the noble group has become a tradition, and there is also the custom of "the law does not blame everyone". With so many of them working together, even if the emperor is angry again, You can't deal with so many people and such a big family together, right?
Su Wei is the leader of the Guanzhong noble clan, and Dugu Shun is the leader of the Guanlong noble Dugu sect. However, both of them are the main adjudicators of the case. In order to avoid suspicion, they did not speak out.
The mighty Guanlong line-up finished their statements one after another, and the upright Xue Daoheng came out and said: "Sage, Mencius said, 'Those who convince others with force are not convinced by their hearts, nor can they be supported by their strength; those who convince others by virtue, their heart is pleased and sincerely convinced. Also. 'We should treat our own people based on benevolence and righteousness, and perform the benevolent and righteous actions of the orthodox dynasty. If we kill too much and impose harsh punishments, it will only bring great turmoil. And 'people are not saints, who can do nothing' "You can only make mistakes if you make mistakes, and there is no way to improve." It reminds us all the time: everyone will make mistakes, the important thing is to learn from their mistakes, learn to self-reflect and correct mistakes, and 'making mistakes but not changing' is the most terrible thing."
After explaining his reasoning, Xue Daoheng finally expressed his opinion: "In view of this, the veteran believes that the court should give accomplices and minor offenders a chance to reform."
"Sage, I second the proposal!" Taking this opportunity, Wei Shikang, the minister of the Ministry of Rites, struck up a conversation. He walked out of the train and saluted Yang Guangshen: "Sage, Confucius also said, 'Adhere to the rites and education, and keep away sins and diseases, and the people will live longer.' Therefore. I agree with Xue Sili and believe that the court will reduce the punishment and allow the offender to understand his fault and correct his mistakes. Not only will everyone praise the saint's reputation for benevolence and righteousness, but it will also be far more meaningful than severe punishment."
When Xue Daoheng heard this, he was immediately confused and anxious. This was not what he meant at all. Wei Shikang's words were clearly a change of concept, and his meaning was abruptly misinterpreted and distorted.
"It's boring for Wei Shilang to say such sophistry!" Yang Wei, who was also a doctor of Sili, knew that Xue Daoheng was slow with words and not good at expressing himself, so he simply came out and said: "Xue Sili's intention is clearly that the imperial court will give those who passively fall into the big troubles The accomplices and misdemeanors in the case have the opportunity to repent, not Shilang Wei."
"What Yang Sili said is exactly what the old minister meant." Xue Daoheng finally breathed a sigh of relief. He bowed deeply to Yang Guang and said, "Sage, those who the old minister thinks should be killed must be killed, those who deserve to be expelled must be expelled, and those who deserve to be served must be killed." Those who work must perform hard labor. As for insignificant criminals and accomplices, they should be convicted as appropriate and not killed."
"Wouldn't it be better if you said this earlier? You have to show off. Even I think you don't distinguish between right and wrong, importance and importance. Who can blame you?" Yang Guang couldn't help complaining, then waved his hand and said sullenly Said: "Back off!"
"Thank you saint for not committing sin!" Xue Daoheng finally realized that he was afraid. After hearing the words, he bowed and retreated obediently.
Next, some courtiers supported the arguments of "treating people lightly" and "treating people with benevolence", and they all cited scriptures and made extravagant claims. However, Yang Guang remained noncommittal and allowed the "opposites" to argue. On the other hand, the opposite side took possession of the law and legal principles, and quickly refuted the ministers who insisted on "the sages have said it" and "the saints have said it".
When no one came out, Yang Guang looked at Su Wei below and asked: "Su Qing, you are not only the presiding judge of this case, but also the prime minister of the deliberative party. Please tell me your opinion."
Facing Yang Guang's scrutinizing gaze, Su Wei felt a sense of sadness and solemnity in his heart. He understood that the emperor wanted him to make a very clear statement, instead of being ambiguous and vacillating. If he continued to follow the path of having both sides, he would One unlucky person is Su Wei.
Thinking of this, Su Wei took a deep breath, stepped forward, bowed deeply to Yang Guang, and said solemnly: "Sages, since ancient times, there have been unforgivable crimes, such as treason, treason, treason, Ten types of crimes such as rebelliousness, immorality, disrespect, unfilial piety, disharmony, unrighteousness, and civil strife are not exempted from the amnesty. In addition to these unforgivable crimes, murder, arson, prisoner robbery, and official crimes are also not exempted from the amnesty. When all dynasties offered amnesty to the world, they only pardoned those criminals whose circumstances were merciful, whose actions were excusable, and who were harmless to the world and the people."
"The case before us seems to be an independent case, but the people all over the world are only paying attention to the Li family in Longxi, and they are only paying attention to the two major cases of reselling prohibited items and betraying military intelligence. However, after careful investigation by the old minister and others, they found that this case involves Extremely broad. All kinds of unpardonable sins can be found from the mountains of evidence, and most of the crimes committed by many people are within the scope of the unpardonable."
After finishing the statement, Su Wei's face showed a sad look at the right time, and he smiled sadly and said: "Sage, although I don't like killing, and I don't agree with killing to stop killing, in my opinion, the court should punish all the people involved in the case. The most stringent criminal law; only in this way can the crimes committed by people be severely punished. Only in this way can the world be warned so that others will not dare to imitate it."
Su Wei is "dead", so he is no longer afraid of whipping the corpse. When Su Wei and the Soviet Party were brutally suppressed and purged, bastards like the Guanlong nobles and Guanzhong gentry not only did not help, but instead added insult to injury and seized the positions vacated by the Soviet Party. Therefore, these ungrateful guys had nothing to do with Su Wei's official career, Compared with the interests of the descendants of the Su family, they are nothing.
Besides, he has neither wronged anyone nor created an unjust or false case. Now he is convicting people according to their crimes and acting in accordance with the law. He, Su Wei, is worthy of his heart and worthy of the great families in Guanlong.
Everything has nothing to do with Suwei; if they have to blame, they can only blame themselves.
As soon as Su Wei's final judgment and suggestion came out, thousands of civil and military personnel burst into an uproar. The officials from Guanlong nobles and Guanzhong gentry all looked at Su Wei's back with strange eyes, and secretly thought awe-inspiringly in their hearts: This is Once, Su Wei actually expressed his stance clearly, which was really abominable.
Although Yang Guang's expression remained unchanged, he was extremely beautiful in his heart. Over the years since he ascended the throne, he had been trying hard to convince Su Wei, hoping that this cunning old fox could make his stance clear once, but he was rejected by him every time. After breaking free from the net, this scene is really not easy. He waved his sleeves to silence the hall, then looked at Dugu Shun and asked slowly: "What about you, Mr. Dugu? What do you have in mind?"
Dugu Shun was using his brain and thinking about countermeasures quickly. When he heard the emperor's name and asked, he quickly went out to salute and said: "Sage, I have no objection! However, King Wei once said that the law is the bottom line for a person's behavior, and what does the bottom line tell people? What can be done and what cannot be done, what is right and what is wrong. Once there is a gap in this bottom line, then evil and criminals will burst the dam and destroy everything, but some people are just for their own selfishness , taking risks in desperation, so what the court and officials need to do is to hold on to this bottom line and never let it have any gaps. The veteran fully agrees with King Wei's lofty remarks."
After talking so much, Dugu Shun said to Yang Guang: "King Wei knows the law far better than the old minister, and he is in the main hall. The old minister thinks that King Wei has high opinions."
Yang Guang looked at Yang Ji, then turned his attention to Dugu Shun, and said coldly: "The King of Wei is the King of Wei, and the Dugu Minister is the Dugu Minister. They cannot be confused at all. And Aiqing is from the Sui Dynasty. The Minister of Criminal Affairs, doesn’t Aiqing have any opinions of his own when facing criminals? Does Aiqing only follow what others say?”
Yang Guang became more and more angry as he spoke, paused for a moment, and then said: "If that's the case, my dear, please turn around and tell the civil and military officials present why you can be the minister of the Ministry of Punishment. Then ask everyone, why do you want to be the Minister of Punishment? Minister, is it reasonable? Are you qualified? If everyone says it is reasonable and qualified, then I will make you prime minister and give you the title of prince."
Suddenly, there was deathly silence in the hall, and the temperature in the hall seemed to drop to a hundred degrees below zero.
"Old minister, I don't dare." As a client who faced the majesty directly, Dugu Shun was sweating like a spring, but he didn't dare to wipe it off. He fell to the ground and said in a trembling voice: "Sage, the law is like the Yellow River embankment. Once the 'levee' breaks, There will be flooding and corpses everywhere. Therefore, I believe that the court should sentence criminals according to their crimes and convict them according to the law."
Yang Guang nodded indifferently and said, "Master Dugu, please get up!"
"Thank you, saint!" Dugu Shun stood up.
Yang Guang ignored Dugu Shun and said to Su Wei: "Xiang Su!"
"I'm here, veteran!" Su Wei took a few steps forward and responded with his hands in hand.
"Li Yuan, the former Shangshu of the Ministry of Punishment, broke the law and committed an unforgivable crime. However, the Ministry of Punishment shoulders heavy responsibilities, and the Minister is indispensable. I appoint you as the Shangshu of the Ministry of Punishment." After announcing the appointment, Yang Guang said: "Tomorrow, the former principal criminal and the death row prisoner will be handed over to the Prime Minister first. I don’t want to waste any more food from the Sui Dynasty on these death row prisoners.”
Su Wei was overjoyed and paid homage with great salute: "I would like to express my gratitude to the saint. I will never let down the saint's trust and kindness."
Hearing this appointment, Dugu Shun's face was filled with despair and his heart was trembling: he never thought that he was just playing a trick and actually lost the Minister of the Ministry of Justice who almost got it and was about to get it. What's more terrible is that when he was in Guanzhong, he had offended many aristocratic families. However, in the end, not only was he unable to get the post of minister, but he also made the emperor unhappy and angry.
He regretted that a great minister flew away from his eyes!
However, no matter how much I regretted it, it was already too late.
