NABC Chapter 2358 Li Shen's Judgment
Chapter 2358 Li Shen's Judgment
The girl's action completely broke the heart of Li Shen, the unscrupulous businessman.
Li Shen smiled, a very sunny smile, reached out and touched the girl's head and comforted her:
"Don't worry, your brother will be fine."
After saying that, Li Shen turned around and walked back to his seat, but his face, which had been smiling just now, turned cold.
"Is this the Xizhou Prefecture under your rule? How many children like this are there in the entire Anxi Protectorate?"
Sitting down in his seat, Li Shen looked at Pei Ziyu with a cold face.
"Your Highness Prince Ji, please calm down. I also want the people to live and work in peace, but there will always be some poor people.
These two children are like this only because their father died young and their mother contracted an illness."
Pei Ziyu hurriedly explained. Pei Ziyu was also very aggrieved. There are many poor people in the world, but you, King Ji, just don't see them.
"Humph, I know there are many poor people in the world, but as officials appointed by the court, don't you think of ways to help the people escape poverty?
All you do all day is think about how to embezzle money and treat being an official as a business.
Go back and tell the officials of Xizhou Prefecture that I have left spies here. If I find out that you are corrupt again,
This prince will not only kill people, but also confiscate their property."
Li Shen snorted coldly and vented all his resentment on Pei Ziyu.
Pei Ziyu could only nod in agreement, not daring to refute at all, because the man in front of him was the ruthless King Ji.
They are not afraid of other officials because they are reasonable and considerate.
But King Ji is not like that. He does whatever he wants and kills people without any reason. This is what scares them.
Just like Cheng Yaojin, no one wants to bother with him, not because of his fighting ability, but because of his character.
There is a difference between a tiger general and a tiger coercion.
After venting his anger, Li Shen turned to look at Wang Xuance:
"Xuan Ce, think of a way."
His understanding of the law was almost at the moral level, and he knew nothing else.
"Your Highness, this matter is actually very simple. The eldest son of the Zhang family is thirteen years old, not yet fifteen.
Theft is redeemable.
But the problem is that he is poor and cannot afford the ransom, so he can only be sentenced."
Wang Xuance whispered.
"You mean you want me to pay you? Xuan Ce, you are the chief officer of Prince Ji's palace, earning tens of thousands of guan a year. Are you still worried about a few guan of ransom?
For a few coins, you actually let me judge the case. Aren't you too stingy? Who did you learn this from?
Li Shen rolled his eyes and couldn't help but complain. Isn't it just a ransom? As for keeping it for yourself?
Wang Xuance quickly shook his head after hearing this:
"Your Highness, if it's just the ransom, I won't bother you. Even Your Highness can't pay this."
"Why?" Li Shen asked in surprise.
“Your Highness, we represent the government and the imperial court, and we stand on the side of national law.
If the prince paid the ransom, people would accuse us of being partial and perverting the law."
Wang Xuance explained.
"Am I afraid of this?" Li Shen laughed. He had no crime at all, so why should he care about a accusation of favoritism and abuse of power?
“Your Highness, we cannot set this precedent. If it gets out, it will have an impact on other officials in the court.
If other officials follow suit, there will be a lot to do.
The law is the law, and there should be no room for other officials to interfere." Wang Xuance advised.
Li Shen nodded after thinking about it. It was indeed the truth.
We must follow the process, and the simpler the handling method, the better. We must not give those below us any opportunity to find loopholes, nor should we give them any room to operate.
Otherwise, who knows what these people will do.
Again, filial piety cannot be used as an excuse to break the law. What if all thefts are said to be for the purpose of honoring parents?
Local officials have room to maneuver.
"But isn't one year in prison too much? You've seen his situation. If the older one is imprisoned, who will take care of the younger one and his sick mother? They'll probably starve to death.
No, you must find a way for me, or I will deduct your salary."
I....%￥#￥Wang Xuance was speechless. It turned out that father and son were connected in heart and used the same tactics.
"Your Highness, the younger one, who is seven years old, can be exempted from punishment, but the older one, who is thirteen, will definitely be punished if he has no money to redeem himself.
"But considering his young age and the fact that he acted out of filial piety, a lighter sentence can be given," Wang Xuance suggested.
"So simple? Then why don't you judge?" Li Shen thought it was feasible after hearing it, but he was curious why Wang Xuance didn't do it.
Little did he know that Wang Xuance asked him to come and take the blame.
Wang Xuance didn't say that one hundred strings of cash would not be earned in just one year, but would take at least three years.
This was also the reason why he asked Li Shen to come. As a chief secretary, Wang Xuance had no say in how lenient the sentence should be, and he could not bear the consequences.
"Okay, let's do it." Without waiting for Wang Xuance to argue, Li Shen nodded and made the decision. He had guessed something.
He has too many enemies, so it’s better for him to handle such things that people criticize him himself.
"Bang!" The gavel slammed down.
"Zhang Jia Dalang, you are guilty of theft, but you are only thirteen years old. According to Tang Dynasty law, you can be redeemed. Do you have the ransom?"
Li Shen asked loudly, actually for the people outside watching the fun to hear, this was just the procedure.
"I have no money." Zhang Jiadalang shook his head.
"In that case, we will act according to the law. However, I, the king, will do this for your mother, considering your filial piety.
Therefore, I have decided to give you a chance to reform and sentence you to seventy strokes of the cane. If you commit the same offense again, I will punish you more severely. Do you agree?"
After careful consideration, Li Shen decided that seventy was more appropriate, with flogging ranging from ten to fifty and caning ranging from sixty to one hundred.
With Zhang Jia Dalang's physique, let alone seventy years old, he could be beaten to death in two or three hits.
Li Shen was considering the external impact.
"I accept the punishment. Please show mercy and let me go."
Zhang Jiadalang bowed and said.
Li Shen nodded. He was indeed a kind and righteous man. He did not forget to protect his sister at this time.
The quality of one's moral character has nothing to do with studying.
"Don't worry, your sister just turned seven. According to Tang law, she can be exempted from punishment."
"Thank you very much." Hearing that his sister would not be punished, Zhang Jia Dalang finally breathed a sigh of relief.
He was really afraid that his sister would also be punished, and his weak sister would not be able to bear it.
"No need to thank me, I will enforce the law impartially and do everything according to the law.
I am a vegetarian today and cannot stand the sight of blood. Come, drag Zhang Jia Dalang into the side hall to be caned.
"Zhang Jia Dalang, whether you can withstand these seventy strokes of the cane depends on your own luck."
Go ahead, Li Shen waved to the yamen runners on both sides.
The bailiff immediately stepped forward and dragged Zhang Jia Dalang away.
"Brother! Brother!" Seeing her brother being taken away, the ignorant girl tried desperately to go forward and hold her brother back.
A bailiff stopped her small body.
"Little sister, don't be afraid, it's okay. I'll take you home later and buy you some steamed buns. You wait here for me."