Today's Shuihan County is about to usher in the most special ruling in the history of the Sheng Kingdom. There may not be those who come after, but there must be no ancients before.
The county government office could not accommodate so many "jurors", and even if it could accommodate them, it would not be convenient for so many people to come in, so the location of the sentencing was changed to Caishikou on Dongsitiao Street - this has always been the execution ground. It's spacious enough to have a seat underneath.
In the past, there were three long tables in the middle of the high platform that was used as the place of execution. They were set up for the county warden, county magistrate, and county lieutenant respectively. There were also more than ten seats set up half way around the platform. According to previous cases, they must have been used. It's not that troublesome, but all the officials in Shuihan County wanted to see what He Nan's unconventional proposal was all about.
Some people look at it as a joke, while others find it novel.
Today's protagonist, Feng Baisui, that is, Ge Xin, was escorted to the execution ground with five flowers tied up. The verdict will not officially begin until all the "jurors" from the countryside are seated.
He Nan prepared for this for seven days, and the most important thing was to select the jurors. This part of the jury includes both respected old people and young people who are still studying in schools, from old to young, from men to women, from craftsmen to farmers, from monks to Taoist priests - various status differences, class differences, and age differences. , people with different positions have almost picked it all.
Why work hard in this area? He Nan's answer is "seeking common ground while reserving differences."
He did not use a long nonsense to explain, but just used these four words to summarize his thoughts - he would give everyone enough time to express their opinions, and in these various and varied opinions to get the answer.
Get an answer that belongs to the human heart.
Ge Xin could be considered someone who had seen some big scenes. Facing the huge crowd in the audience, he was not timid at all. He just knelt down with empty eyes and didn't know what he was thinking. In fact, even the person involved, Ge Xin himself, didn't know what the young man was going to do. However, during the days of being imprisoned, he finally figured out one thing - although he was not afraid of death, he would always come out alive. good.
In the past seven days, he had witnessed with his own eyes the inmates in the same cell being taken out and never brought back again. Only then did he understand why the old saying goes, "It is better to die than live" and why his sister-in-law told him to give up revenge and live a good life.
Unfortunately, it's too late now, maybe not too late.
He Nan followed the path Ge Xin had taken and climbed to the high platform of the execution ground. The noisy crowd fell silent instantly.
Everyone here recognized this delicate young man. He personally visited every house and told them his thoughts and invited them as witnesses. At first, many people were unwilling to participate in this inexplicable activity. They either felt bored, felt it was a waste of time, or were afraid that the yamen would hold them accountable afterwards, but He Nan's persistence convinced them.
In the ninth year of Wangping's reign in the Sheng Kingdom, on the 23rd of the winter lunar month, at the right hour, the judgment began.
He Nan cleared his throat and told the people in the audience who were invited by him to serve as jurors about today's process - he would first describe the entire case that the Yamen had about Ge Xin's murder of Yin Shijie, and then Ge Xin would tell the story. In the end of his defense statement, the one hundred jurors in the audience expressed their opinions.
Everyone attending the meeting has the right to vote. They can cast their vote into the wooden boxes on the left and right of the execution ground. These two wooden boxes each represent a new ending - life and death. die. Of course, even if Ge Xin survived, he would only have escaped the death penalty. As for what punishment he would receive in the future, that was another matter.
After He Nan read out Ge Xin's charges, he pointed his gaze at the prisoner lying on the ground: "Ge Xin, do you want to dispute the fact that you killed Yin Shijie?"
Ge Xin shook his head, he had nothing to deny.
"Do you know that you have to pay with your life for killing people, and that you publicly throwing Yin Shijie's head at the yamen gate is a provocation and contempt for the yamen, and it is a disturbance and destruction of public order?"
"I didn't know before, but I know now." Ge Xin answered honestly.
He Nan nodded: "Okay, since you have no objection to this, let's start by stating your reasons."
Not only did Ge Xin have a reason, he even had witnesses who could prove that Yin Shijie had robbed his sister-in-law as a concubine. What the Yin Shijie family's lawyers could not have expected was that the person who testified for Ge Xin was a member of the Yin family. housekeeper. The words of others may not be trustworthy, but the words of the housekeeper of the Yin Mansion are very weighty.
The housekeeper of the Yin Mansion bowed his hands to all the parents present and came to He Nan: "Back to congratulations to the warden, this is Wen San'er, the housekeeper of Yin Shijie's family. Regarding Ge Xin's statement that Yin Shijie used force to forcefully marry his sister-in-law Ge, I am I can testify that everything Ge Xin said is true."
As soon as these words came out, not only the Yin family became furious, but also the presiding officer and the jurors all took a breath. As the housekeeper of the Yin family, Wen San'er was also notorious in the county. Yin Shijie had done many evil things. He had a part in everything, so how could he testify for Ge Xin?
Everyone couldn't help but secretly speculate - how did He Nan get Wen San'er to speak?
In fact, the cause of this incident did not come from He Nan. Wen Saner came to the door by himself. Ever since He Nan went to the Yin family to investigate what happened between Yin Shijie and Granting, Wen San'er noticed something was wrong. After learning about He Nan's recent movements, he realized one thing - the Yin family was going to fall. .
If all the things Yin Shijie did were found out, he would not be better off if he pulled out the carrot and brought out the mud. It would be better to take the initiative to be a tainted witness in order to get a lighter sentence. It was with this idea that Wen Saner took the initiative to find He Nan He made his request, and He Nan readily agreed.
Of course, this is far from the level of an uproar, because the people in Shuihan County know very well what kind of virtue Yin Shijie is. He died at his own fault. Without Ge Xin, Zhang Xin and Wang Xin would have come out.
So, the question arises - since Yin Shijie deserves to die, how should Ge Xin deal with it? This is the purpose of today's motion.
"Let me tell you...this little brother does things without thinking a little bit, but who wouldn't be impatient when encountering this kind of thing? Anyway, Yin Shijie is not a good person, why would you want to join in with another one if you kill him? ? I think this young man doesn’t deserve to die.” After no one said a word for a long time, a thick voice spread through the crowd in all directions. The speaker was the owner of a butcher shop, Ma Butcher.
"I also agree with what this elder brother said." The person who spoke next was Widow Hu from Yulan County. She had an encounter with He Nan because of the case of the former county magistrate Wang Wei, and she was also invited by He Nan as a member of the jury today. : "The bad reputation of Yin Shijie has spread from the county town to our county town. He is domineering and does all kinds of evil. He deserves to die. I heard from this young man that his brother died of illness, and his sister-in-law is still running the family - who said that widows must Do you have to remarry? This Yin Shijie bullies an orphan and a widower. I think he deserves it." Widow Hu has also taken care of her two elders alone since the death of her husband. She has not remarried yet, not even a son and a half. At this time, she cannot help but feel that Granting is Encountered with indignation.
"That's not okay. It is natural to kill people to pay for their lives. Ge Xin's experience is pitiful, but does it mean that the law is perverted just because it is pitiful? Yin Shijie has done many evil things, but in this matter, I think Ge Xin is still responsible. He should never do it himself!" This is Boss Chen of the restaurant. He also added: "Private vendetta is private vendetta. If you have a grudge against someone, you will kill someone with a knife. Isn't this a mess? You kill me today, my son will kill you tomorrow, and your son will kill my son the day after tomorrow. When will the injustice be repaid?"
"Boss Chen, it's okay for others to say this, but it's debatable for you to say this? Who doesn't know that the big sponsor of your Guangjin Restaurant is Yin Shijie? I think you and Yin Shijie are the same thing, and you often follow them People make enemies, right? How can we assholes just casually retaliate against others?" As soon as Boss Chen finished speaking, there was a tease from the other side. Boss Zhao from Zhulou Restaurant and Boss Chen from Guangjin Restaurant have never been very friendly. To deal with it, seizing the opportunity at this moment is a burst of criticism.
"Boss Liu, don't worry about blaming others. I don't think you're any better. Your tea is said to be authentic Nan'an black tea, but it's actually just ordinary black tea mixed with water, right? Even if you're cheating money, you have to Send him to jail!" This is a stone vendor selling fruit.
"Hey, brothers, all eyes are on me, look at me, look at me, I'm going to announce something, I..." There are some who are trying to shout twice and don't know what they want to do.
"This Yin Shijie has been involved in life-threatening lawsuits, hasn't he? I think he should have been killed a long time ago! The Yamen turned a blind eye to him, maybe there is something going on inside! Maybe today is all a cover, I just thought Maybe we can use our hands to torture Ge Xin to death!" I don't know who said this, but no one could find anyone in the noise.
Seeing that the situation was about to go to the other extreme, all the officials on the stage frowned, and He Nan also shouted in silence before the crowd calmed down again.
"Speak one by one, Master Siyuan, as you are an eminent monk, you should say something first." He Nan walked to an old monk with a kind-hearted look.
Master Siyuan put his hands together and recited: "Amitabha, it is natural for Donor Ge to avenge his sister-in-law, and Donor Yin's death is also the retribution of cause and effect. I am a monk who pays attention to compassion, and I only hope that if Donor Ge can survive the disaster, he can Change your past and forget your hatred.”
Taoist Priest Jiming of Lingbao Sect is also here today. He is a temperamental person, but after all, he is a good friend with Zhou Xunai. He can be said to have some pertinent words: "In my opinion, there is nothing wrong with revenge, little friend Ge Xin." , Yin Shijie's death was really self-destruction, but later throwing Yin Shijie's head at the yamen gate was too contemptuous of the court. In my opinion, death penalty can be avoided, but living crime is unpardonable. I hope the prison officer congratulates little friend Ge Xin, too Give the people a fair explanation."
"The Taoist Master is right," a woman agreed, "Whether Yin Shijie dies or not is none of our business, but Ge Xin walking around on the street with a head in his hand is so scary. My son was scared when he saw it that day. Crying! I think you should be punished."
Someone else raised a very constructive question: "There were similar cases in the past, but the murderers also received the death penalty. If Ge Xin survives today, what will happen to the previous results? They also Is it a wasted death? The dead cannot be resurrected, so the verdict of this case cannot be changed, right?"
An old man took over the conversation and spoke. He was the former chief clerk of Shuihan County: "This is quite reasonable. I also want to ask, is this Ge Xin a special case, or should all future cases be decided in this way? ? He Prison Cao, please don’t open this backdoor for him just because you sympathize with Ge Xin!"
Faced with such doubts, He Nan already had an answer in his mind: "Old sir, the reason why He made such a proposal is that he doesn't want people to die in vain, and he also wants to start sentencing for this all over again, and he also wants to try a reform. If the Ge Xin case If we can get a result that satisfies everyone and is fair, then it is possible that all future cases will be decided based on this case."
This unprecedented discussion lasted from the hour of the hour to the end of the hour of the hour. It was getting late, and everyone felt a little tired. Not everyone can encounter this rare event, and not everyone has the opportunity to do it on weekdays. He spoke quickly in front of a high-ranking official, and not everyone has the power to decide the life or death of others. Seeing He Nan asking everyone to start voting, all the jurors who had been talking about it before were suddenly confused. No one came forward.
They also gradually realized that they could just say what they wanted to say, but casting this vote would truly affect the fate of Ge Xin on the stage. To put it mildly, they may send a poor man who is eager for revenge to the guillotine, or they may let go of a murderous demon who will treat human life as nothing from now on; but to put it more seriously, their decision may even affect Sheng Sheng. The legal principles of the country for hundreds of years and even the definitions of the words "law" and "law" in later generations.
Some people realize the importance of the small piece of bamboo in their hands, but they are either uneasy or hesitant; some people don't know what kind of resolution they participated in, and they just don't want to pay for it a few years later. I regret my decision.
A green young man suddenly stood up from the crowd. He clutched the piece of bamboo tightly in his right hand, almost soaked in sweat. He strode towards one of the wooden boxes.
It's the one that says life.
There were already low-pitched discussions on and off the stage.
"Why do you think Ge Xin should have a baby?" He Nan approached the young man.
"The book says that the eldest brother is like father, and the eldest sister-in-law is like mother." The boy's voice was still immature, but there was an indescribable firmness: "If someone treats my mother like this, I will definitely kill him."
"Aren't you afraid that the Yamen will punish you?" He Nan asked again.
"The guilty one is Yin Shijie. It was because no one punished Yin Shijie when he was evil, so Ge Xin killed him." The young man responded, "The reason why Ge Xin killed Yin Shijie is because you didn't kill him earlier."
Silence, a long silence, as quiet as a dead place.
Someone who knew the young man tried to pull him back from the stage, but his legs and feet refused to obey him.
This kid...many people shook their heads gently in the darkness.
"Okay! Okay! Well said!" He Nan burst out laughing and applauded desperately: "It was because of the incompetence of the former yamen that this murderous case was brewed. If Yin Shijie had been brought to justice ten years ago, if Yin Shijie had been punished for this, If someone punishes him for his first bad thing, then he doesn't have to die, and Ge Xin won't kill him!"
After laughing, He Nan patted the young man on the shoulder and watched him put the bamboo pieces into the wooden box with the word "生" written on it.
No one thought that it was a little child who broke the calm, but soon someone came up and cast their second, third, and final votes.
He Nan sang one vote after another, and someone behind him was always counting. The final result was 72 votes for life and 28 votes for death.
It was already midnight, night was falling, and countless torches were set up to illuminate the execution ground.
"Is it Ge Xin who really killed Yin Shijie? It was those people who allowed him to do countless evil things but turned a deaf ear! They thought pretending to be deaf and mute would help, but in fact they are all sinners like Yin Shijie." He Nan said His eyes looked around everyone strangely, and with the help of the firelight, he could clearly see everyone's expressions, especially those whose faces turned very ugly after hearing these words.
"Thank you to everyone here, thank you for your courage to vote, thank you for your support of this special ruling, and thank you for each of your opinions on this... Ge Xin can be exempted from the death penalty." He Nan said this as The end of today's verdict.
History books record this ruling, which shook the past and established the new. It is even regarded as one of the origins of court trials in later generations.
Although the names of each juror are not recorded in the history books, nor what opinions they expressed, He Nan clearly remembers what each of them said.
Among these hundreds of different speculations, the glory of human nature and the majesty of the law have received an alternative interpretation.
At this moment, the stars shine.
