These refugees followed King Wen back to the village. These houses were vaguely located among pines, cypresses and green bamboos. What a wonderful thing it is for a family to be reunited, surrounded by green mountains and green waters. However, these people have experienced wars and natural disasters, and were forced to leave their homes and starve to death everywhere. The homes of these people are even more devastated. Looking at these ruins, this is the trauma caused by war and natural disasters. King Wen stood in front of Chaimen and sighed: "I will be satisfied if I can have a few thatched cottages for shelter." Then he faced the refugees standing behind him and said, "Go home, you guys are going home! "
A villager stepped forward and opened the firewood door and said, "Old Chong, come in." King Wen led the villagers in, called Shang Fu and said, "Shang Fu! Go to the nearby town to buy some rice and noodles." He turned and looked at These villagers smiled very kindly and said: "Today I treat you to white flour steamed buns, what do you think?" Seeing that this old Chong family was so generous, the villagers were a little curious about it, and asked: "Old Chong Family, what do you do?" The smile on King Wen's face naturally did not change, and he said, "Didn't I tell you? I am an imperial envoy sent by your Majesty." Several children ran over and shouted: "Grandpa, Grandpa. "King Wen picked up the youngest girl among them and said with a smile: "Grandpa will treat you to some white flour buns later, but I like them." The little girl grinned with an innocent smile and said, "I like it." King Wen put the little girl down and said: " Go play and remember not to fall." The little girl turned around and smiled and said, "Okay." Among the gathered villagers, you were chasing each other, and King Wen was so happy that he couldn't open his mouth from ear to ear.
King Wen sat in front of the thatched cottage and played the harp to them. The villagers all sat down to listen to King Wen's playing. The little girl ran up to him, and King Wen immediately lifted him up and held him in his arms, asking: "Does Grandpa play well?" The little girl replied: "It sounds good." King Wen stroked the little girl's head with his hand and said softly: "Grandpa will teach you, okay?" the little girl clapped her hands and said, "Okay." Shang Fu rushed back from the town carrying a bag of rice noodles and heard the sound of a piano. The sound was melodious and it had not been heard for a long time. It's time for sir to play the piano. After walking in, King Wen was teaching a little girl to play the piano and listened quietly. King Wen looked up and saw Shang Fu standing beside Chaimen and said: "Shang Fu, you are back!" Shang Fu replied: "Yes, sir." He walked up and handed the rice noodles into the hands of the aunt, who carried the rice noodles on her shoulders. Enter. Shang Fu sat among these villagers and continued to listen to King Wen playing the harp, reminding them of the hunger and hardship they faced when they were trapped in Langya of Qi State. Mr. Shang also played the harp to them, and he burst into tears.
The aunt brought out the white flour buns, and the villagers all praised King Wen as a good official who served the people. King Wen sat aside and asked, "With such a severe drought, don't you have an official here to take care of it?" An elder looked at King Wen and said, "We have a county magistrate in Shexian County, and he is a good official! There is a severe drought in the country, and it is facing famine. The people have no food, and many people die of starvation. It kills its children and parents, and cooks and distributes the food to us people. God has not rained for three years, and it has no choice. Encourage us These people are fleeing famine." King Wen's face suddenly became gloomy, and he could not speak for a long time. Confucianism emphasizes filial piety, and filial piety comes first among all good deeds. The county magistrate does not hesitate to kill his own houseworms in order to please the people. This is unfilial and should not last long.
The next day, King Wen rushed to the county government office. The county magistrate came out of the mansion to greet him. He immediately knelt down and said, "Your Majesty." King Wen immediately helped the magistrate up and said, "Cao Da Chong, please get up." Then he entered the county government hall. King Wen was sitting in the lobby of the county government office. Xingmu patted the desk and said, "County Magistrate Cao Bin, do you know the crime?" The magistrate walked up and knelt down and said, "I know the crime." King Wen said: "You have a heart that loves the people, and I am very pleased. Your parents and children are all your family insects, how can you bear it? Your parents, they gave you life and worked hard to raise you. Grow up. Your children are your hope for the future. If you kill them, you are unfilial! This trend cannot last forever. It is a capital crime for you!" The county magistrate looked at King Wen and said: "Your Majesty, I know what I am doing. The crime committed is heinous. When I die, please bury me and my family together. I have nothing else to ask for in this life." King Wen said, "Okay, I promise you." He closed his eyes again and said: "Take the county magistrate Cao Bin down." The county magistrate Cao Bin was taken down by the government officials standing on both sides.
This was the most tangled case handled by King Wen. King Wen entered the residence of the county magistrate Cao Bin, retrieved the county magistrate's official files, and looked through the resume of the county magistrate Cao Bin. It turned out that the county magistrate Cao Bin was a good official who was diligent in government and loved the people. Among the cases it handles, there are very few unjust, false or wrongful convictions. How could such a good official endure it? King Wen called Shang Fu and asked: "Shang Fu, you said that such a good official who works hard and loves the people would do such extreme things?" Shang Fu said with some doubts: "Sir, some officials just want to be in front of the people. He would do extreme things in his mind to enhance his reputation, kill his parents and children and share the food with the people, so that the people would remember his good deeds, and even if he makes any big mistakes, he could just deal with it." King Wen also did the same. After pondering for a long time, he said: "I don't think it is that simple. Widow Chong wants you to visit the people. It is a major case involving the lives of insects. You must not make such a hasty decision." Shang Fu bowed and said: "I will go down now. Check." King Wen sat in front of several cases and said, "Okay, Shang Fu!" Shang Fu looked at King Wen and said, "Sir, do you have any other instructions?" King Wen hesitated and said, "I have nothing to do. Come on, go ahead." Shang Fu left the county magistrate's residence and visited the people.
Tonight, King Wen didn't sleep all night. He kept reading the files about the county magistrate Cao Bin, fearing that there was something overlooked. He thought that he would find some clues in the files. Then he went through the files about the drought in Zhangshui and related them. The county magistrate kills household insects.
On this day, Shangfu stayed at a common people's house on the road and asked about the situation of the county magistrate Cao Bin. These common people were interceding for the county magistrate. It is said that the county magistrate Cao Bin is an upright official who does practical things for the people, and he has a clean mind. There was a severe drought and food shortage, and many people starved to death. In addition, their parents, wives and children were bedridden for a long time and could not take care of themselves. There are so many people under its rule, and many people starve to death every day. There are so many insects in its wife, children, and parents’ homes that it needs to support, so it has no choice but to kill its own wife, children, parents, and destroy the family. The worms were boiled into a pot of broth and distributed to the people. Shang Fu remained silent, thinking that these people had benefited from the county magistrate, so they all came forward to intercede for the county magistrate Cao Bin. At this time, a man walked out of the inner room and sat on the threshold with dull eyes. He did not talk to them, but sat quietly in front of them, looking at the night sky. Shang Fu also looked at the man quietly, and seeing his dumbfounded look, he didn't notice him.
This case was the most difficult case in King Wen's hands. After reading the files, he stood up and walked around, falling into deep thought again.
King Wen had not slept all night and was going to visit the prison. He walked out of the county magistrate's house and went to the prison to visit the county magistrate Cao Bin. The cell leader walked out and knelt to greet him, saying, "Your Majesty." King Wen helped the cell leader and said, "You don't have to pay such a big courtesy. Get up." Then King Wen asked again, "Has Cao Bin fallen asleep?" The cell leader followed. Behind King Wen, he said: "It's already late at night, and your Majesty is still coming to interrogate the guilty insect!" King Wen walked in front and said: "The life of an insect is at stake. We cannot easily convict an insect of death. We need to be very careful and make no mistakes. "The prison leader saw that King Wen was so dedicated, and he sincerely admired him.
The prison head stepped forward sideways to lead the way for King Wen, stood in front of the prison door, and stepped forward to open the prison door. I saw the county magistrate Cao Bin sitting on the straw mat, facing away from him. The cell leader was about to call Cao Bin, but King Wen stopped him and said: "You should step back first." King Wen walked in and said: "Cao Bin." The county magistrate Cao Bin did not even look at who was calling him. He said casually: "Who are you? Can you please leave me alone?" The cell leader stood behind King Wen and couldn't stand it anymore, so he stepped forward and lectured: "Cao Bin, why are you so disrespectful, Your Majesty?" You are already old, and it is such a great gift to you to come to see you in prison in the middle of the night." The county magistrate Cao Bin immediately turned around, got up and rushed towards him, kneeling in front of King Wen, looking at him and saying: "Your Majesty. King Wen said: "Cao Bin, please get up." The county magistrate Cao Bin said: "The guilty minister dare not." King Wen personally helped the county magistrate up and said: "Cao Bin, you get up and speak." Then he helped him sit on the straw mat. , and looked at King Wen who was very close to him, tears welling up in his eyes. King Wen and the county magistrate sat opposite each other. King Wen said: "Cao Bin! I live in your mansion. Your mansion is very simple. I also know that you are an honest official. I have read your files again and I know that you are an upright and capable minister who does practical things for the people. You are There are very few upright officials like you as role models for officials." Cao Bin saw that King Wen was very embarrassed and said: "Your Majesty, the guilty minister knows that he has committed a capital crime and has nothing to say." King Wen looked at He said to Cao Bin: "Cao Bin, you know that you are committing a capital crime, why do you still do this? They are all your house insects! Your parents gave birth to you and raised you with all kinds of hardships. Is this how you are? Repay them. Your wife and children, they are all relatives who will accompany you for the rest of your life. How can you end their lives at will? How can you take care of everyone and govern the people of one place if you can't even take care of a small family. I know You are doing this to prevent the people of the world from starving, which is the embodiment of benevolence. Cao Bin! Your such extreme behavior is not allowed by etiquette and law, do you know." Cao Bin walked up and knelt in front of King Wen, looking up at him. He said: "Your Majesty, the guilty minister only wants a quick death." King Wen stood up and walked out: "Think about it for yourself." Then he walked out of the prison and heard Cao Bin kneeling alone in the cell and starting to cry. , the cry is so miserable.
At noon the next day, Shang Fu returned to the county magistrate's residence, kowtowed to King Wen and said, "Your Majesty." King Wen stood up and walked up the road: "Shang Fu, you are back." Shang Fu looked up at King Wen, deeply He said: "Sir." King Wen said: "Come on, come on, please sit down." King Wen asked Shang Fu to sit down first, and then gave him warm water. Shang Fu is drinking like an ox. King Wen stood aside and said, "Shang Fu! You are still so hot-tempered, drink more slowly." Shang Fu faced King Wen and said, "Sir, please sit down too." King Wen and Shang Fu sat down opposite each other. Shang Fu said slowly: "Your Majesty, first I stayed at a farmer's house and asked about the situation of the county magistrate. The farmers in this family were all begging for the county magistrate. I was wondering if they had benefited from the county magistrate. , and began to plead for it. Next, I visited every household, as well as several neighboring counties. The results were the same. This county magistrate is really an upright official who does practical things for the people. . All the people in the nearby counties have benefited, right?" King Wen sighed deeply: "In order not to bear to see the people starving, it killed all the insects in its own house, cooked it into a pot of soup and distributed it to the people. We eat, how can these people not plead for such a shocking behavior?" Shang Fu asked again: "Sir, do you think it is burdened by its reputation?" King Wen said, "I don't care about this. I know, you have to let it ask your own heart. Last night I read its official archives and the files on the drought in Zhangshui and Shexian counties. It is the same as what the people said. It is indeed a real thing for the people. An upright official." Shang Fu asked again: "How can the king judge its crime?" King Wen said: "It is not allowed by etiquette and law. This sentence cannot be used as the final judgment. It needs to be discussed with the officials in charge of criminal law before it can be made. The final verdict will definitely be on the lives of the insects."
King Wen summoned some officials into the lobby of the government office. King Wen sat in front of the desk and said to them: "The county magistrate Cao Bin is an honest official and a model for all officials. However, he killed his wife, children and parents in order to prevent the people of Shexian County from starving. This shocked the insects. We need to discuss with you on how to decide. The lives of insects are at stake, so I hope you can think carefully before talking about it."
