In fact, there were many ministers in the court who secretly sent people to hire Erbi in order to fight against Zhang Fei, but these were just to deal with Zhang Fei, nothing more, even if they lost, it would not hurt them at all. That means spending some money.
But this time is different. This time it is really not to deal with Zhang Fei, but to save his life. Once he is convicted of treason, the consequences will be unimaginable and many people will be implicated.
Now everyone knows that there is no way to prevent the lawsuit from going to the imperial court, so they quickly hired Erbi. Now everyone knows that if they don't hire Erbi, it is almost a dead end.
Therefore, I was forced to do this.
In this regard, Li Guozhong was really helpless. He really didn't want to fight this lawsuit. This involved the crime of treason, which was the worst of the ten evils.
This has never happened before. It is a very simple logical relationship to help a rebel. Once the crime of rebellion is convicted, the emperor will definitely think, what do you think, go and help those who want to overthrow? Are my rulers going to court?
If I don’t kill you, who will I kill?
But there is no way. Those meritorious families and gentry in Qizhou are also very powerful in the capital, and this matter is closely related to the entire ruling class. If Li Guozhong doesn't take over, then his bookstore may not be able to open.
Li Guozhong had no choice, so he came to Zhang Fei to ask.
But he is also a little stupid. The procuratorate is not neutral, it is very biased. In fact, it is similar to lawyers. The difference is that there is only one boss behind the procuratorate, and that is the court. Zhang Fei’s answers are all against the rules, so he can only Recommended to the imperial court.
After coming out of the procuratorate, Li Guozhong went to the imperial court to inquire. He was very humble. We just asked about it. If it doesn't work, just pretend that I didn't say anything.
Zhao Bian refused directly.
Very straightforward!
But the news spread quickly and caused a lot of discussion.
This issue is indeed worthy of exploration. In the judicial system, this is indeed a blank.
"Jun Shi, can you defend someone who is plotting rebellion?"
Lu Gongzhu looked at Sima Guang curiously.
Sima Guang pondered: "As far as the public prosecutor system is concerned, it should be feasible, because before the imperial court has sentenced those people, they are innocent, so they can naturally hire Erbi to fight for themselves. Now everyone is arguing Yes, it was actually after the verdict, so is Erbi considered an accomplice?"
Lu Gongzhu frowned and said, "This Erbi makes a living by helping others fight lawsuits. He shouldn't be considered an accomplice, right?"
Sima Guang said: "If it is not the crime of treason, then you can say that, but it is the crime of treason, so even Zhao Xianggong directly rejected Li Guozhong and the others."
Lu Gongzhu nodded slightly and said: "But even we feel uneasy about this case. How dare Li Guozhong come to ask if he is just a tea-eater? It shows that there must be people behind him who are supportive and powerful. These people must not be willing." If we let it go, they may use this to impeach Mr. Zhao."
Fu Bi suddenly laughed and said, "Maybe this is what Zhao Yuedao wants."
Wen Yanbo nodded and said: "The rich man is absolutely right. Although Zhao Yuedao is called the iron-faced censor, he is actually brave and resourceful. Otherwise, with his character, he would not be able to succeed in the court." Staying for so long. He refused, but he knew very well that the other party would definitely not give up. "
Having said this, he paused for a moment and then said: "In my opinion, the court will eventually compromise, but this will also lead to a negative consequence. If Erbi can litigate for those who conspire against him, then Erbi will Can litigate for anyone and everyone is protected.
Regarding this point, we have to think carefully. Between the time Su Zhe left the capital and Zhang Fei came back, the Procuratorate did not do much. It might not be able to gain the upper hand in a confrontation with the private sector. If the lawsuit cannot be won, Then we can only watch helplessly as those heinous people get away with it. "
In fact, until now, these officials still don't have a good impression of Erbi and are always on guard.
Sima Guang nodded and said: "If this happens, objecting will bring a bad reputation to the public prosecutor and law."
Lu Gong wrote: "It is better to stipulate that whenever it involves the heinous crimes, Erbi can only seek a reduced sentence, but not acquittal."
Fu Bi chuckled and said, "Uncle Hui, what if he is really innocent?"
Lu Gong wrote: "If he is really innocent, the procuratorate will not appeal, and even if he appeals, the imperial court will not approve it."
Fu Bi said: "If this is the case, what is the difference between the public prosecutor's office and the previous judicial system?"
Wen Yanbo asked: "In fact, the Legislative Council can legislate specifically for Erbi to restrain them. In this way, they will not dare to be unscrupulous."
"This is feasible." Fu Bi nodded slightly and said: "But this is not an easy task, because first of all, we have to ensure that the Erbi can help the government avoid unjust cases. Basically, it is difficult to impose too many restrictions."
With that said, he looked at Sima Guang again and said, "Jun Shi, haven't you talked to Zhang San about this?"
Sima Guang shook his head and said, "You can't ask Zhang San about this, especially now."
Fu Bi nodded and said, "That's true."
Fu Bi and Wen Yanbo are absolutely right. On this issue, Zhao Pian and Zhang Fei actually have similar positions. As far as this case is concerned, they can accept it without asking Erbi, but this issue is a bit sensitive. They don't have to interfere, someone will naturally speak up, and it's not them who are in a hurry now.
As expected, after the Imperial Court refused, the court and the Central Government immediately started to riot and began to put pressure on the Public Security Bureau. You, the Public Security Bureau, talk about the system and keep silent about fairness. Why did the Imperial Court refuse them to ask Erbi to defend themselves? The Imperial Court can guarantee that these Are there no innocent among the defendants?
He also took Zhang Fei as an example. The initial case of Fang Yun was also a heinous crime. In addition, Zhang Fei later prosecuted the court using ancestral methods. Zhang Fei was also an Erbi at that time. Now that you are a prosecutor, this Do the rules have to be changed?
This isn't fair.
This matter was actually brought to the emperor's attention. If the emperor didn't nod his head, no one would dare to make the decision.
In the end, Zhao Xu secretly gave the Zhengshitang permission to ask Erbi to defend them in the name of the Zhengshitang.
But Zhao Xu himself did not say this, which meant that he was leaving a way out, and I might not allow him next time.
After struggling for a long time, we finally returned to the fairest way, which was to litigate in court.
As long as you go to court, it takes hard work.
The case also attracted national attention.
This is the first time the Public Security Bureau has faced a case of rebellion.
It is also the first time such a case has been heard publicly.
It was Zhang Fei who faced Erbi in the capital for the first time as a prosecutor. The last time he dealt with the adultery case, Zhang Fei was a one-man show.
It was precisely because there were so many firsts that both parties were very nervous. Li Guozhong and the others had never fought this kind of lawsuit. Fortunately, the forces behind it were very powerful. Not only did they invite the famous Erbi and Cha Shiren in the capital, At the same time, many relevant cases are provided to them.
The Procuratorate is also actively exploring countermeasures.
"I heard that the other party invited the most famous tea eater Ren Erbi in the capital, and there were also many judicial officials from the DPRK and China to give them advice. This should not be underestimated!"
Wang Gong said worriedly.
Qi Ji said: "If we really let them get away with it, then our procuratorate will really become a joke."
Zhang Fei shook his head and said: "Don't worry, they will not plead not guilty because they know that the Tax Department has some evidence. I guess they will defend against the crime of rebellion. As long as it is not a crime of rebellion, then they can accept it." .”
Xu Zunfu said: "But this is not easy. According to the laws of our court, the crime of rebellion is also included in the law of thieves and thieves. There is no clear boundary between the two. If we want to accuse Wu Tian of treason, it is impossible for the other party to escape." .”
Qi Ji said: "And the punishment for rebellion is very severe. Basically, everyone including the collaborators may be sentenced to death."
Zhang Fei couldn't help asking: "If this is the case, why are there so many bandits in Qizhou?"
Qi Ji and Wang Gong were silent.
Xu Zun said: "Since ancient times, thieves and robbers have been rampant due to people's difficulty in making a living. However, the court tried to use severe punishment to alleviate this phenomenon. This in turn led to more thieves and robbers. However, in recent years, under Wang Jiefu With the promotion of the government and the Legislative Council, the court’s strategy gradually changed from severe punishment to cautious punishment.”
Qi Ji hurriedly said: "The chief prosecutor also contributed to this."
Xu Zun just waved his hand modestly.
Wang Anshi, Xu Zun, Lu Gongzhu and others are all cautious in punishment, and Sima Guang, who is on the opposite side, cannot be completely classified as severe punishment. He belongs more to the traditional school, which is very typical of Confucianism and is relatively conservative. This ancestral establishment The rules laid down cannot be broken easily.
However, with the arrival of Zhang Fei, Sima Guang accidentally took up the banner of judicial reform. He also made certain compromises, but he was still cautious. It took so long for Kaifeng Mansion to hand over power, but he did not say half a word. sentence.
At the same time, with the rise of Wang Anshi and the emergence of the legal system, the entire legal thought of the Song Dynasty began to favor cautious punishment, which is now the general trend.
At this moment, a prosecutor came in and said, "General Prosecutor, the criminals from Qizhou will arrive in the capital soon and will be placed in the prison in Kaifeng Prefecture."
Xu Zun frowned: "Who gave this order?"
The prosecutor shook his head and said: "It's not clear yet. It is said that it was arranged by the higher authorities. The reason is that the public prosecutor and the law do not have a prison to hold such important criminals for the time being."
After all, Kaifeng Mansion had just transferred its power to the Imperial Court, so the Imperial Court did not have prisons. The police station did build some prisons, but they were very ordinary, and they mainly detained suspects who were preparing to go to court.
Qi Ji said: "If they are detained in Kaifeng Mansion, it will be easy for the other party's people to come into contact with those suspects."
They know who are behind those prisoners.
Xu Zun pondered for a moment, then stood up and said, "You guys discuss it first, and I'll go find out what's going on."
After that, he strode out quickly.
Qi Ji couldn't help but say: "It's been a long time since I've seen the Attorney General so high-spirited."
A flash of guilt flashed in Zhang Fei's eyes. He knew very well that Xu Zun suppressed his inner restlessness in order to make way for him.
Otherwise, Xu Zun may have done more sexy tricks than Zhang Fei.
evening.
"Huh? Why hasn't dad come back with you?"
Xu Zhiqian couldn't help but ask when she saw Zhang Fei coming back alone.
Zhang Fei said half-jokingly: "My father-in-law had a quarrel with someone."
"Um?"
"what happened?"
Xu Lingxiao immediately stepped forward and asked worriedly.
"Oh, brother, don't be nervous, it's just business."
Zhang Fei immediately informed the brothers and sisters about the prison.
"I see!"
Xu Lingxiao immediately breathed a sigh of relief.
Xu Zhiqian said: "But this is not a trivial matter. If they are detained in Kaifeng Mansion, then they will have the opportunity to collude in confession."
After all, Kaifeng Mansion is within the traditional sphere of influence, and it is full of their people.
Zhang Fei said relaxedly: "It doesn't matter. Nowadays, evidence is needed in lawsuits. Lies will be easily exposed in court."
Before he finished speaking, he suddenly heard Xu Lingxiao say: "Daddy is back."
Zhang Fei looked back and saw Xu Zun entering the courtyard.
Several people immediately greeted him.
"Daddy, how are you?"
Xu Zhiqian asked anxiously.
Xu Zun glanced at Zhang Fei first, then shook his head and said: "It is most likely that he will still be detained in Kaifeng Fufu Prison."
Xu Zhiqian said: "Why?"
Xu Zun sighed: "According to the news from Qizhou, Wu Tian still has his accomplices outside, and the Public Security Bureau and the Procuratorate currently do not have prisons for detaining such criminals. It would be very unsafe if they were placed in a prison at the police station. According to the rules, they should be locked up." In Kaifeng Mansion."
Xu Zhiqian said: "But can we let the Royal Police take care of it?"
Before Xu Zun could speak, Zhang Fei said: "They have to make the decision on this matter. If it is arranged by us, if something goes wrong, it may be our responsibility."
Xu Zun nodded and said: "Zhang San is right. Their reason also makes me dare not say more. Their power is not small, so we have to be careful."
Zhang Fei asked: "Can we meet those suspects?"
Xu Zundao: "This is possible. The public prosecutor and the law can conduct interrogations at any time, but it certainly cannot prevent some officials from informing the suspects inside."
Zhang Fei smiled and said: "It really doesn't matter, and it's more fair. After all, we can interrogate the suspect at any time, so we should also allow Erbi to discuss with the suspect, lest they become unconvinced after losing!"
Xu Zun glanced at him and said: "This is not a martial arts competition, as long as it is not illegal, fairness is considered by the imperial court. Our procuratorate wants to win the appeal. In this situation, the sooner we prosecute, the better for us. After all, we There is ready evidence, and they need time to think about countermeasures."
It seems that my father-in-law suffered from cowardice in the imperial city. Zhang Fei cupped his hands and said, "I obey your orders."
Xu Zun glared at him, then suddenly looked at Xu Lingxiao and warned: "Xiao'er! Don't talk about this outside. Be careful of getting into trouble. Now the other party will definitely watch our every move."
Xu Lingxiao nodded, "I understand, kid."
At this time, Gao Wenyin and Mu Zhen came over and said they could eat.
After dinner, Zhang Fei and Xu Zhiqian returned to their small courtyard.
"If I hadn't been pregnant, I would have been able to investigate the case with you."
Xu Zhi said slightly frustrated.
A case of this level is really too tempting. If you miss it, you may never see it again.
Zhang Fei smiled and said: "You just can't go to court with me, but you can still try the case with me, as long as you pay attention to rest."
Xu Zhiqian said happily: "Is it true?"
Zhang Fei nodded and said: "The forces behind the other party are bottomless. I don't know if there are any of their people in the Procuratorate. It is impossible for me to take the evidence provided to me by the Taxation Department to the Procuratorate. This can only be done with you." After discussion, you can only help me prepare. But you must also promise me that you must rest when I say to rest. Don’t be so busy that you forget to sleep and eat like before. "
Xu Zhiqian nodded excitedly and said, "I promise you, I promise you, I will definitely listen to you."
Although Xu Zun was very confident in Zhang Fei's performance in court, he, who had been in officialdom for a long time, naturally knew the dangers involved. What they were facing was not a group of gangsters, but most of the court, and the other party was already in the dark. operate.
Xu Zun has always been kind to prisoners, but when it comes to things like this, he will never be kind to a woman.
After the criminals entered Kaifeng Mansion, he appealed to the imperial court on the same day.
Of course, Zhao Pian understood the situation and immediately informed the other party that the court session would be held in three days.
However, the Kaifeng Mansion soon informed the imperial court that due to the large number of criminals, the procedure had not been completed. After three days, the court would definitely not be held because the prisoners could not be sent to the imperial court.
Zhao Peng said that the Kaifeng Prefecture Prison is only responsible for detention, and the procedures should be left to the public prosecutor and the law.
But the Kaifeng Mansion immediately responded that the prisons were not under the control of the imperial court. The prisons had a prison system, and the procedures were reported to the Ministry of Punishment. It was impossible to break the rules for the imperial court.
The Ministry of Punishment also opposed the immediate opening of the trial.
Zhao Pian and Xu Zunyi decided not to talk nonsense with them. The Procuratorate would directly report the case to the Kaifeng Prefecture Prison. In this case, they would not be able to go through the formalities. Let's go to court and talk about it together.
This is such a big deal!
The other party is also furious. Are you really bullying us so much that you don't even give us time to prepare?
Political Hall.
Wen Yanbo said: "Xu Zhongtu, you are too impulsive. The procuratorate can appeal based on the evidence. How can you say that others have failed to do what you want, so you file an appeal? This will have a bad impact on the public prosecutor and the judiciary."
Xu Zundao: "It's not that I don't have evidence. The court has handed over the case to the Public Security Bureau. In this case, the government and prison must obey the arrangements of the Public Security Bureau and the Procuratorate instead of Kaifeng Mansion and the Ministry of Punishment. If this is the case, then the Ministry of Punishment and Kaifeng The government comes to review.
I have long said that this case is not our turn to be tried by the Public Security Bureau, Procuratorate, and the People's Procuratorate. You just want to hand it over to us. We have taken over the case, but we don't even have the power to decide when the trial will be held. What else is there to try? "
Zhao Bian sighed and said: "I, the president of the court, have no interest in being in front of you. You should choose someone else to judge."
Sima Guang said: "Let's see. The trial is scheduled to start in seven days. There are so many suspects, and they all hired Erbi. The imperial court should give them some time to prepare. It was the same in the past."
Zhao Pian said: "If Bachelor Sima said this, then the Imperial Court will be accommodating and understanding, but the prison must also obey the Imperial Court. If the president of the court cannot even call out a prisoner, then the Imperial Court will still be in charge of justice."
Sima Guang nodded and said, "We will discuss it in detail after this case is over."
After some mediation by the Political Affairs Hall, the court was finally scheduled to open in seven days.
During this period, both sides were making intensive preparations. Zhang Fei had a meeting with Qi Ji and Wang Gong in the morning, and asked Qi Ji and the others to sort out the evidence in the afternoon. He went home to discuss the specific details with Xu Zhiqian.
Because the Taxation Department also secretly prepared a piece of evidence for Zhang Fei.
The people in the capital were naturally waiting to eat the melon, which was a rare sight in a thousand years. What they were most curious about was whether Erbi would really let the person go if he won the case.
Of course, most people think it is impossible because of the prosecutor opposite, but can Zhang Fei win?
After everyone's eager anticipation, the day of court finally arrived.
Today's imperial court was rebuilt from a school ground, and it is very open on all sides. Generally speaking, the common people have the opportunity to watch, but it is different today. There are only a few ordinary people, and most of the people standing outside are officials. etc.
This is the capital, not Hezhong Mansion. There are so many officials, almost all of them are here. Now the imperial city is filled with petty officials and petty officials to handle daily affairs.
Everyone inside was full, and the scale was bigger than a court meeting.
There is no way. The outcome of this case is crucial to any official. It involves many, many issues.
Of course Zhao Xu also came, but he did not show up. Instead, he sat on the corridor where the chief court chief entered the court. He could see the situation outside, but they could not be seen outside.
"They're all here!"
Zhao Xu took a sneak peek and saw that there was a lot of discussion outside, and couldn't help asking: "What issues are they discussing?"
Liu Zhao said: "Everyone is very curious about how the public prosecutor's office will try the rebellion case."
"I'm also very curious."
Zhao Xu nodded.
After a while, the prosecutors headed by Zhang Fei and Erbi headed by Li Lei entered the court at the same time.
When the two parties came to the middle of the venue, Li Guozhong and Li Lei immediately stepped forward, saluted Zhang Fei, and said: "Prosecutor Zhang, please show mercy later."
Zhang Fei smiled and said: "I am a prosecutor now, so I will show mercy, but I will bend the law for personal gain!"
Li Lei suddenly said: "Prosecutor Zhang, your procuratorate is in a hurry to open the trial and doesn't give us much time to prepare. Aren't you afraid that we will win without force?"
Zhang Fei smiled and said: "Why don't you think so? This is out of respect for you."
After that, he leaned forward slightly and whispered to Li Guozhong: "Actually, I don't mind waiting for a few more days, because I know that you are almost ready. If you delay it any longer, I'm afraid things will be out of your control." , and involve all of you in it.”
Li Guozhong nodded repeatedly and replied in a low voice: "I understand this, and I also know in my heart that the person in the court who takes the best care of our Erbi is none other than Zhang Prosecutor."
In fact, when those prisoners entered the Gyeonggi area, they had already been in contact with them, but they were obviously very passive. Of course, they delayed as long as they could. On the one hand, Li Guozhong was more fully prepared, and on the other hand, he hoped to wait for a turnaround.
Zhang Fei straightened up and said, "We'll see how much you have grown later."
Li Guozhong said: "I hope I won't disappoint Prosecutor Zhang."
After some pleasantries, both parties returned to their seats.
After a while, Zhao Pian finally appeared in the president's seat, looking extremely excited. He was also looking forward to the lawsuit. After a little preparation, he banged the gavel and announced that the court was officially open.
Zhang Fei was the first to stand up and said, "Our procuratorate has accused Wu Tian and other thirty-five people of committing treason."
These thirty-five people are all respectable people. As long as they are convicted, the remaining hundreds of people can be directly convicted, and no one will worry about those little minions.
After he sat down, Li Lei stood up again and said, "I represent Wu Tian."
Having said this, he looked down at the copy and read the names one by one, and then said: "Refuse to admit to the crime of treason."
After he finished speaking, he was sweating profusely. You must know that Li Lei has experienced many battles, but he has never stuttered when speaking in court.
This shows how deadly this lawsuit is.
After he sat down, Li Guozhong comforted him in a low voice: "Don't be nervous. Since the court allows us to go to court, we can just do our best."
And there was a lot of discussion around him immediately.
Lu Huiqing couldn't help but be surprised: "Are they still trying to help Wu Tian escape? How is this possible? Do they have such means?"
Wang Anshi said with a smile: "Perhaps they are demanding high prices and paying them back on the spot. The procuratorate didn't let anyone go."
"Are they asking for an extortionate price and paying it back on the spot?"
Wen Yanbo also asked.
Fu Bi said: "Not necessarily. If Wu Tian is convicted of rebellion, based on the evidence available to the Department of Taxation, it will be difficult for the rest of the people to escape guilt."
Wen Yanbo asked: "Does Mr. Fu think they have a chance to win the case?"
Fu Bi said: "It's hard to escape this living crime. It depends on whether it can be exempted from the death penalty. After all, the crime of rebellion is also included in the crime of thief and theft. The two are very vague. If it is counted as a robber, it is also a capital crime. But it is possible that the sentences will be reduced, and the charges for the rest of the key people will be even smaller, but if it is considered a crime of rebellion, they will definitely die."
(End of chapter)
