In the early morning of October 19th, the fifth year of Chongzhen year, Huazhou Prefectural Government Hall.
"Boom...boom...boom!"
Amidst the loud sound of drums, Qin Feng, wearing a black gauze hat and a brand new crimson official uniform, stepped into the lobby and sat behind the public case, with two rows of fully armed soldiers standing on the left and right.
Ding Buqun committed corruption and violated the law, and was beheaded in public. Huazhou temporarily had no magistrate, and government affairs could not be neglected. Therefore, Qin Feng overcame his servants and went to court to try the case, while his soldiers acted as yamen servants.
It is common for civilian officials to try cases, but it is extremely rare for military generals to try cases. Therefore, many people came to watch. The entrance to the lobby was dark and crowded, all wanting to see how good General Qin was in trying cases.
The trial begins with the first case: burglary.
"Bring the plaintiff and defendant here!"
"As you command!"
Following the order, the soldiers brought two people over.
The plaintiff is a middle-aged man with a head as big as a bucket and a fat body. He is wearing brand new green silk clothes, with a ring on his hand and a jade pendant hanging around his waist. He looks like a wealthy man at first glance.
The defendant was a young man with a sallow complexion and a thin body. He was wearing shabby linen clothes with patches piled on top of each other. He was barefoot and without shoes. At first glance, he looked like a poor man who did not have enough to eat.
The interrogation revealed that the plaintiff, named Huang Youren, was a medicinal materials merchant who monopolized the medicinal materials business in Huazhou City and made huge profits. He was a well-known wealthy family.
The defendant's name is Yang Xiaoer, a local surname, his father died early, he has an old mother, one brother and two sisters, and his family is very poor.
Some time ago, Yang's mother became ill due to overwork and suffered from deficiency of qi and blood. She fell ill all of a sudden, and the condition was very severe. The doctor prescribed a medicine, which required several precious medicinal materials such as ginseng and Ganoderma lucidum to nourish her to survive.
And these medicinal herbs together cost at least fifty taels of silver.
The Yang family was so poor that they couldn't even afford half a tael of silver, let alone fifty taels of silver.
In desperation, Yang Xiaoer had to go to a pharmacy run by the Huang family to beg, hoping that the medicinal materials would be given to him on credit. Even if he acted like a cow, he would definitely repay the debt in the future.
But Huang Youren only valued money and had no kindness at all. Even though Yang Xiaoer begged for a whole day and broke his head after running out of good words, he still refused to lend the medicinal materials on credit and even ordered his assistant to beat Yang Xiaoer. Get out of the medicine shop!
Yang Xiaoer had no choice but to take a desperate risk to save his mother's life. He sneaked into the Huang family's medicine shop at night and stole a ginseng and a Ganoderma lucidum... Because he was inexperienced, the theft failed and he was caught by Huang Youren and sent to the hospital. The state government came to punish him and demanded triple compensation, which was one hundred and fifty taels of silver.
If there is no money to compensate, Yang Xiaoer's younger brothers and sisters will be used to pay off the debt and become the Huang family's slaves!
In the entire case, the facts are clear, the witnesses and material evidence are complete, and Yang Xiaoer also confessed. How should the sentence be sentenced?
Qin Feng thought for a while and quickly made a decision. Then he was stunned and asked, "Yang Xiaoer, how old are you this year?"
"Sir, I am fifteen years old this year!"
"That's nonsense. You are thin and withered, less than five feet tall. How could you be fifteen years old? Quickly find out how old you are, or else you will be punished!"
"Sir, I'm ten...ten...fourteen years old this year!"
"Well, that's right. According to the law of the Ming Dynasty: Anyone who steals property worth fifty taels of silver will be punished by wearing a sixty-piece sword, doing hard labor for one year, and having the word 'steal' tattooed on his forearm!"
However, the law of the Ming Dynasty also stipulates that for those who are over seventy years old and under fifteen years old, except for the serious crimes of treason and murder, all other crimes can be given lighter punishments.
Well, I think you stole to save your mother, you are a filial piety, and you are still fifteen years old. You should be given a lighter sentence. You will be exempted from any responsibility or tattoos. I will sentence you to one year of hard labor. There is a shortage of food in the porridge shed. Manpower, you go and help make porridge. The wages are the same as other handymen, and you will be given fifty taels of silver to treat your mother. Do you accept this judge's decision? "
"I'm convinced, I'm convinced... I thank you, Master Qingtian. The master is my reborn parent, woo hoo!"
After hearing the verdict, Yang Xiaoer was stunned for a moment, and then his face showed a look of ecstasy. He knelt on the ground and kowtowed repeatedly, his forehead turning bright red.
With fifty taels of silver, his mother was saved. As for cooking porridge in the porridge shed, she was not tired at all, and she stayed by the porridge pot. She could eat well every day and still get wages. , this is hard labor, this is giving my whole family a way to survive!
Therefore, I shed tears of gratitude towards Qin Feng and kept kowtowing!
Immediately afterwards, Qin Feng said to the plaintiff: "Huang Youren, Yang Xiaoer stole the Chinese medicinal materials from your store, and it is reasonable for you to ask for triple compensation. However, the Yang family is poor and cannot afford compensation.
Let's do this. I will pay you one hundred and fifty taels of silver out of my own pocket. Are you convinced by this verdict? "
"Be convinced, the common people are convinced!"
Qin Feng gave Yang Xiaoer a lenient sentence. Huang Youren was originally dissatisfied, but the businessman valued profits. When he learned that he had one hundred and fifty taels of silver to take, he immediately nodded in agreement.
Then both parties signed and signed, and the theft was completed.
After that, Yang Xiaoer received fifty taels of silver, returned home to treat his mother, and then went to serve in the porridge shed.
Huang Youren received one hundred and fifty taels of silver and was about to leave the lobby when Qin Feng signaled his soldiers to intercept him.
"Huang Youren, do you know your guilt?"
"Sir, what are the crimes of common people?"
"I ask you, what are you wearing?"
"Green silk robe!"
"Hmph, don't you know the rules originally formulated by Emperor Taizu Wu?"
Emperor Taizu Wu was Zhu Yuanzhang. After establishing the Ming Empire, he implemented the ruling policy of "emphasis on agriculture and light on commerce" and set many restrictions on businessmen. Among them, they were not allowed to participate in the imperial examinations, make sedan chairs, and wear silk clothes. Anyone who violated the rules would be punished. It is a crime of transgression, which can range from exile to beheading.
However, as time goes by, this law gradually becomes looser, and there are many people who do not obey it.
By the Zhengde and Jiajing years, it had become commonplace for merchants to wear silk clothes and ride in carriages and horses, and the government did not stop them.
But the fact that merchants could not wear silk clothes was a rule set by Zhu Yuanzhang himself. Later generations of emperors did not dare to violate the ancestral rule, so it was never abolished.
Qin Feng's use of this law now can be said to be well-founded and fair!
"Lord Qi, there are many merchants wearing silk clothes nowadays, not just ordinary people!"
"Shut up, I'm asking about you now. As a businessman, you openly wear silk clothes, which violates the rules set by Emperor Taizu. According to the laws of the Ming Dynasty, you will be severely punished. Tell me, you accept the punishment. Or do you admit your guilt?"
"Sir, how about accepting your punishment?"
"You are a well-known local rich man. If you accept the punishment, you will donate half of your family property to help the victims!"
"What about admitting guilt?"
"Humph, if you commit arrogance, this is a serious crime. I will sentence you to a punishment of two hundred and a banishment of three thousand miles!"
…
"Lord Qi, the grass-roots people...the grass-roots people...accept the punishment, woo-hoo!"
Huang Youren has been pampered since he was a child and has never suffered at all. How can he bear two hundred boards without being beaten to death?
Even if he was not beaten to death, he would still have to die on the road to exile.
No matter how good money is, it is not as important as life, so after weighing it, I could only choose to accept the punishment with tears!
When I arrested Yang Xiaoer and brought him to the government, I wanted to extort a sum of money from him, but instead of expecting, I lost half of my family property. What kind of thing is this?
Huang Youren was full of resentment, but he didn't dare to say anything. This General Qin was not a kind person. He even dared to chop off the head of Lord Zhizhou, let alone a businessman himself?
That’s all, let’s save money and avoid disaster!
…
"Huang Youren and Huang Bapi, these guys who are rich and unkind, deserve retribution!"
Huang Youren monopolized the medicinal materials business in Huazhou City. He often made ill-gotten gains by substituting inferior quality products and deliberately raising prices. The people suffered greatly from this.
Now that Qin Feng had punished him and lost half of his family property, the people watching were relieved and stretched out their arms one after another.
Thumbs up, Mr. Qin, you are really the master of Qingtian!
