Jurong, prison cell.
Liu Boqin opened his sleepy eyes, listened to the sound of the cell opening, and sat up.
Zhao Doubei woke up with a start and watched uneasily as a crack appeared in the door, and the light coming through was like the light of a murderous knife.
The lantern came in.
Liu Boqin leaned against the cold wall and squinted to see the person clearly. He couldn't help but be stunned for a moment: "It must be the fourth day of the morning. Why would the county magistrate come here?"
Gu Zhengchen took the lantern from Gu Cheng's hand and motioned for Gu Cheng to go out. He glanced at the silent Zhao Doubei and turned his attention to Liu Boqin: "Ms. Liu committed suicide."
Liu Boqin's hands trembled slightly, and the chains rattled: "I know she will not live alone. We have been married for twenty years, and I know her well. I wonder what words she left behind before she left."
Gu Zhengchen nodded slightly.
Liu Boqin looked at Gu Zhengchen, his eyes full of pleading: "You can keep Qian'er, right?"
Gu Zhengchen did not speak directly, but looked at Zhao Doubei: "Everyone in Dingkou will be assigned. As for the other family members, I will protect them if I can. You can live your last days with peace of mind. Comrades, I can only do this." step."
Zhao Doubei stood up and suddenly knelt down: "Thank you so much, Lord County. I, Zhao Doubei, will definitely repay your kindness by being a cow or a horse in my next life."
Liu Boqin followed, kowtowed, and said solemnly: "Thank you very much!"
Family members are on everyone's mind.
Even if they are the culprits, they still have relatives they cherish.
Gu Zhengchen exited the cell and looked at the hands stretched out from the window. They were like the last hope of a drowning person, accompanied by pleadings of regret.
There is no regret medicine in the world. We are all men, and we have to shoulder the responsibilities carried on our shoulders, no matter what the consequences are.
Daybreak.
After the county government office finished calling the clock, the government officials beat the gong and shouted, "The county government's verdict will be known to the people." They walked through the main streets. People who heard the news came in droves, and even some vendors closed their doors and stopped doing business. Buying and selling, beckoning family members to go to the county government office.
The mighty sound and the sound of water and fire sticks hitting the ground spread.
Gu Zhengchen arranged his official robe and hat, sat down in the lobby, picked up the gavel tree, patted it gently, and shouted majestically: "Take the Guo family with you!"
The officials escorted more than ten people including Guo Dian, Guo Shan, and Guo Qu to the hall.
Gu Zhengchen looked at Guo Dian, Guo Shan and others who had become old and decadent, and said coldly: "There are many cases in Jurong, which can be called the Guo family's big case! The culprits Guo Dian, Guo Shan, and Guo Qu are the main conspirators. Together with the Guo family, Guo Yue, Guo Yuan, Guo Cha, and Guo Liu, they manipulated the Wuchengshan lime mine case and the private coin coining case!"
"Now the case has been clearly ascertained, the physical evidence and witness evidence are conclusive, and the person has confessed. Now, in accordance with the Ming Dynasty's "Laws and Orders", I will sentence you!"
"Guo Dian, he has no family property!"
"Guo Shan, he has no family property!"
"Guo Qu, he has no family property!"
"The above three people have committed heinous crimes, cruel methods, and harmed countless people. Please be punished by execution in Lingchi to serve as a warning to those who will come after you!"
Guo Dian, Guo Shan and Guo Qu collapsed on the ground, crying.
Gu Zhengchen glanced at the three of them, and there was no mercy in his eyes. Considering their crimes, death would not be enough to make the people angry, and death would not be enough to correct the path!
"Guo Yue, Guo Yuan, Guo Cha, and Guo Liu are members of the evil party and have no family property. They must be killed! There are also Guo Jie, Guo Baobao, Guo Liang, Guo Jun and others who are their accomplices. They have no family property and must be beheaded!"
Each verdict is frightening.
Gu Zhengchen showed no mercy to any of the Guo family's chief culprits, villains, and accomplices. He sentenced them all to confiscation of their homes and death, and then added: "The above crimes imprisoned the family members, and all the men were sent to the border guards to be permanently sent to the army. The old, weak, women and children were resettled. Outside the city, we cultivate wasteland and work to make a living."
Guo Dian, Guo Shan and others were speechless.
Gu Zhengchen looked at Guo Ning, Guo Bang and others, and said coldly: "Guo Ning, Guo Bang, Guo Ma... Guo Xun, as a subordinate, was ordered to serve as a staff for eighty years and traveled two thousand miles. However, because If you do evil, your crime will be increased one level, and you will be sent to the border guards to serve in the army forever, so that your family will not be burdened."
Guo Ning and others cried loudly. They must be responsible for their mistakes after all. Fortunately, these people's family members were not affected.
"Lead the bandits of Wucheng Mountain Mine."
After Gu Zhengchen made the verdict, he waved his hand and ordered people to carry out all the Guo family members. After changing a group of people, he continued the verdict: "Guo Baijin, who has no family property, behead him! Guo Huaer, who raises tigers and uses people as meat, means Yin can, behead! Wang Hu, Zhou Ba...Xu Qi, Zhao Hu, sent the border guards to the army forever! Because Wang Hu, Zhou Ba...the four assisted the county government to kill all the evil bandits in Wucheng Mountain, and for their merits, they will be exempted from punishment. Go to the army and be sentenced to three years in prison."
Wang Hu and Zhou Ba expressed their gratitude.
Regarding the black-clothed guards in the Dazhuoshan copper mine, these people were all desperadoes or ruffians recruited by the Guo family. Gu Zhengchen was not polite and directly sentenced them all to the army. The frontline sergeants would teach them how to How to farm as a human being.
Gu Zhengchen sentenced the Geshan people from the mosque to death and lost their property in the Taoist temple. In addition, three Taoist priests, Ge Yu, Sun Zheng and Guo Jiu, were sentenced to be sent to the army for adultery with women and imprisoning people. Other Taoist priests who knew about it but did not report it will be punished. The rod is sixty, and there will be no punishment for those who do not know.
As for Yang Canggu, Gu Zhengchen didn't do anything about it, so his merits and demerits were equal.
As the verdicts of each case were settled, the county officials became nervous.
Sure enough, after dealing with the Guo family's major case, Gu Zhengchen finally ordered: "Report Liu Boqin, Zhao Doubei, Xu Lin, Chen Zhi, Liang Bin, Li He..."
These people are all people who have worked in the county government.
"Lin Shan, Zhou Mao, Xu Wen, Han Qiang..."
Following Gu Zhengchen's voice, a feeling of uneasiness spread in the lobby.
Lin Shanshou, the scribe who was originally recording the text, suddenly started to tremble. He looked at Gu Zhengchen uneasily, but what he saw was a face as cold as ice. He had to stand up and kneel down in the hall.
Li Fang, Zhou Mao, government servant Han Qiang and others also knelt down.
Gu Zhengchen looked at Liu Boqin and Zhao Doubei coldly: "You and others manipulated the Yin Yang Files case, harming more than 400 people, and dozens of people were maimed and killed because of you! I now make the verdict, Liu Boqin, Zhao Doubei, All of them have lost their homes and will be beheaded in public display!"
Among the people watching, Liu Qianer burst into tears when she heard the verdict.
"Chen Zhong, the classics official, is dead. However, he is the chief culprit, and his family should be deprived of his family name! Of the three of your families, the men will be sent to the border guards forever. The other family members - the old, weak, women and children, will be resettled outside the city to cultivate wasteland and work to make a living."
Gu Zhengchen made the verdict.
Compared to the others who looked ashen and desperate, Zhao Doubei and Liu Boqin were calm and knew how to salute and thank them.
Gu Zhengchen looked at Xu Lin, Chen Zhi, Liang Bin, Li He and others: "In the Yin Yang case, you and others were more or less involved. This is the first crime. Second, you resisted the county government and did not listen to orders. He disobeyed his orders for the first time, and even after leaving the county government, he did not repent and cursed the court officials! Now, both crimes will be punished with an eighty-point rod!"
"As for Lin Shan, Zhou Mao... Han Qiang and others, they were once accomplices of the Yin Yang Files. However, for the sake of you recognizing your mistakes, repenting, and working hard, I will reduce your sentence by one degree, and receive fifty canings. Execution!"
Lin Shan, Zhou Mao, Han Qiang and others were overjoyed.
Fifty lashes are not fifty sticks. After being beaten, you can still walk a few steps with your pants lifted up. What's more, if you don't receive the punishment and the result is not decided, this matter will never go away. After being punished, the matter was over, and there were no further worries.
Gu Zhengchen watched those beaten with small bamboo boards and those beaten with big sticks, then arranged for the government officials to search the houses one by one, and then registered the men.
According to the laws of the Ming Dynasty, a person becomes a male at the age of sixteen, which means he has reached adulthood and needs to perform corvee service. The existence of this standard allowed some people who seemed to be children to be included in the army.
Gu Zhengchen called Luo Shao from the household and Yang Liang, the team leader, and told him: "If you have no income, make a register one by one and make a clear accounting. No one is allowed to raise their hands, and they must be searched when they come in and out. In addition, there are no restrictions on the elderly, weak, women and children for the time being." You can go wherever you want, you can choose a side yard to place them in, and they will be sent out of the yard after the autumn harvest. Do not beat them brutally!"
Luo Shao and Yang Liang agreed.
On this day, Jurong firecrackers are blasting, gongs and drums are noisy, and the lively scene is like New Year's Day (in ancient times, New Year's Day refers to the Spring Festival).
It can be said that Jurong has been suffering from the Guo family for a long time.
Guo Xu walked out of the county academy and looked at the people running around telling each other, his heart heavy.
Guo Yanqiong came closer, looked at her father with a sad face, and whispered: "The county government has made a verdict. Guo Dian, Guo Shan, Guo Qu and other old men were beheaded, their entire families were expropriated, the men were sent to the army, and the old, weak, women and children were left behind. They only asked for resettlement." Go outside the city and let him find a way to survive."
Guo Xu stopped and looked at someone lighting firecrackers not far away. Hearing the sound of thunder, he sighed: "The Guo family finally became a big family, but it collapsed in an instant. Who among the Guo family now? Are you in charge?"
Guo Yanqiong shook her head bitterly: "Guo Dian and his brothers were arrested and awaiting execution. The only remaining elders in the clan are the other two, the third master Guo Zhi and the fifth master Guo Xiu. But these two are afraid of being killed." He was implicated in the case and did not dare to stand up and preside over matters within the clan. Now more than ten families in the clan have lost their backbone and are each worried."
Guo Xu was worried: "Without the male, a family will collapse. How will the old, weak, women and children find a way to survive?"
Guo Yanqiong nodded.
Guo Xu pondered for a long time, then turned his head and asked, "How much food does our family have?"
Guo Yanqiong looked at her father in confusion and replied: "I still have about fifty guan of money. I have six dan of food stored at home. This is because the grocery store has some income, so I barely have a little surplus."
Guo Xu frowned and said: "Put out all the food and money to help the old, weak, women and children who have lost their families. After all, this is the Guo family, the ancestral family, we can't sit idly by."
Guo Yanqiong's eyes widened and she became anxious: "Father, how can this happen? They are the family members of criminal prisoners. Helping them like this is not equivalent to provoking the authority of the county government and the court? What the county leader wants is for everyone to see that they were once The wealthy family has now been reduced to a level worse than a beggar due to crime. This is a warning to other wealthy families that if we help at this time, we will definitely be respected by the county..."
"I'm the head of the family!"
Guo Xu looked at Guo Yanqiong and said coldly: "Penalty is to punish the guilty. Since the county government did not convict the old, weak, women and children, then they are innocent! As a member of the same race, if you do not save someone, you are in vain! Go! Do it, even if you sell the grocery store, you must help them, and no one can starve to death!"
Guo Yanqiong shouted unwillingly: "But the little money we have can only support us for a few days, so selling the grocery store will only bring a drop in the bucket!"
Guo Xu stood at the street corner, looked towards the street to the east, and sighed: "I'm going to ask the Luo family for help. I hope Luo Jixiu, for the sake of your aunt, can lend a hand to help..."
