Chapter 137
Opera, song and dance, and acrobatics took turns on stage, and one exquisite dish after another was served, making it a very lively event.
Yingxiang sat upright, occasionally exchanging a few words with the people beside her. The entire banquet was filled with laughter and a harmonious atmosphere.
Compared to the practice of dining separately at separate tables in Beijing, this family separates men and women. Yingxiang perked up, and Chunyu stood at attention, her posture upright.
From a distance, she did resemble a wife of an official.
There were plenty of drinks, desserts, and pastries available, but Yingxiang didn't drink much; she just had a few drinks as a token gesture.
As evening approached, she sat in the carriage on her way back to the county government office. A gentle breeze blew as she leaned against the cushions, her body carrying a slight smell of alcohol.
She closed her eyes to rest, recalling the banquet she had attended that day, and didn't feel tired at all.
County Government Office
Front office
Wen Shi sat upright in his chair, his desk piled high with official documents and files, all of which were for his processing.
Ping County has a population of over 60,000, including men, women, and children, and there are quite a lot of things to do every day.
After reading a new complaint, Wen Shi carefully reviewed it, then put it aside and began to process his reply.
During this period, in addition to reading the county annals, he also reviewed the laws and regulations of the Daqi era. As the local official, he had to ensure that his judgments were fair and convincing.
This complaint was written by the youngest daughter-in-law of a family. Her husband was having an affair with her sister-in-law, and she caught them in the act. Even though they were to divorce, she couldn't swallow her anger and eventually filed this complaint.
This is not a big deal, much less a murder case. She submitted the complaint, and Wen Shi will definitely approve and handle it.
It's not difficult. According to the law, each of the two people committing adultery should be given ten strokes of the cane. In addition, they should also pay her compensation. As for how much to pay, the law does not specify, but she also wrote in her complaint that she was demanding compensation.
When Wen Shi approved the case, he tentatively set the amount at three taels of silver. This case involved caning, and it also required witnesses and a court hearing. If the evidence was conclusive, the caning could be carried out in court, and the matter could be resolved quickly.
The county government doesn't hold court every day. There are fewer cases, so it's usually once every five days, or three days at most. On that day, they'll handle several cases that need to be heard in court at the same time. Otherwise, there would be no need to do this every day.
In the county government office, besides him, the only other person qualified to hear and judge cases was Magistrate Cui, who was much older than Wen Shi and more tactful in his dealings.
Without a magistrate, he could have sat at the head of the table, but now that a magistrate was present, he immediately stepped down.
Compared to Wen Shi's background as a second-class Jinshi (a successful candidate in the highest imperial examinations), his status as a Juren (a successful candidate in the provincial imperial examinations) was indeed not that impressive.
For Wen Shi, this place was more challenging than the Hanlin Academy; it had all sorts of people, and he didn't have to bury himself in compiling books anymore.
At night, Wen Shi lay in bed, thinking about something, and told his wife about several cases that were about to be brought to court.
"The court session will be held the day after tomorrow, and there are six cases this time."
Yingxiang found it strange, as she herself knew nothing about laws and regulations.
"If the adultery between the two is confirmed, should they really be punished and compensate the victim?"
“If there are witness testimonies, everything will be confirmed, and it should be handled in accordance with the law. As for compensation, I tentatively set it at three taels of silver, which is based on the conditions of an average family.”
“Wealthy families will definitely add more, and the victims will also make compensation claims during the trial, so there will be some fluctuations.”
They're really poor, so even if they were to pay compensation, it wouldn't be much. At most, they'd just give you a fair settlement.
But if a wealthy family has the money to pay, and you break the law and don't compensate them, then the crime is compounded.
Three taels of silver is not a small amount for ordinary people, and it will certainly teach them a lesson.
“The law has been amended. In previous years, such matters would generally not be taken to the county government. The clan would handle it. Women would be drowned in pig cages or thrown into ponds, and men would be beaten half to death at the very least.”
This is a dynasty that has not been recorded before. Yingxiang has been here for so long and has also judged that it is definitely not the period of Qin Shi Huang and Emperor Wu of Han. At that time, it was the recommendation system, and people relied on their families. She is more inclined to believe that it was the Tang and Song Dynasties.
However, judging from the current situation, the court does not value civil affairs over military affairs, so we can exclude the Song Dynasty. It is similar to the Sui and Tang Dynasties, where women's status was not as high as men's, but they were not so inhuman that they could be killed at will.
If you are bullied, you can even take it to the authorities.
There was an imperial examination system, which was part of a feudal society. The Tang Dynasty also had laws and regulations. She didn't understand. Unless you're a professional scholar, who in modern times would bother with this?
"I see. What about the case regarding the division of the family property?"
“It all comes down to evidence. If the old man did leave a will, then we’ll judge according to his will. If he didn’t, then the brothers will split the inheritance equally. The eldest brother said that the old man held his hand before he died and said that all the family property would be given to him.”
"But his two brothers were not convinced. They thought he was talking nonsense and trying to seize the family property. They had dealings with the old man before his death. The old man was not a heartless person and the property should be divided equally."
"When the case is heard, just let them produce the evidence. If the big one can produce evidence, then it's all his. He also said that his aunt can testify for him. He can't believe his lies. If he can't produce any, then it's divided equally according to the law."
Yingxiang nodded. She was a bit gossipy, but wherever there are people, arguments are inevitable.
She couldn't see it from the backyard, but she would find out once Wen Shi had dealt with it.
Yingxiang yawned and slowly fell asleep. She had been here for a while and was gradually getting used to it.
On the day of the court hearing, the parties involved in several cases arrived in the county early.
After a group of people came in, they proceeded smoothly in order of priority. Wen Shi interrogated the adulterer first, and then dealt with the rest slowly. They could finish the case in one day.
Generally, the day before the court hearing, the officers and soldiers would go to the homes of the parties involved to inform them to prepare witness testimonies and to go to the government office as soon as possible the next day.
"My lord, I am innocent! My lord, this wicked woman is deliberately framing me. I have always been upright and honest since I was a child."
A slender man entered the hall and immediately knelt down to protest his innocence. He was followed by three women, two of whom were presumably the parties involved, and the third was a witness.
“My elder brother has taken good care of me since I was a child. To me, my elder sister-in-law is like a mother. How could I be with her? I beg you, sir, to help me and punish this wicked woman who falsely accused me. She is talking nonsense and ruining my and my sister-in-law's reputation. She deserves to be beaten.”
“I have been married to her for several years and have taken good care of her, but she is greedy and wants to divorce me. Now she is even making false accusations. I beg you, sir, to do me justice.”
"You're talking nonsense. I clearly saw with my own eyes that the two of you were lying on the bed with your clothes disheveled. How could that be fake?"
“Aunt Wang, can you help me verify if what I said is true? We went in together that day, and he put his hand into his sister-in-law’s bodice. Don’t tell me you’re still a baby who hasn’t been weaned and wants to drink milk.”
"Well, my sister-in-law said she felt a little uncomfortable somewhere, so I examined her."
The man offered a rash explanation.
"Hey, when did you become a doctor?"
"You're talking nonsense. I already know medicine."
Upon hearing this, the man kneeling below immediately retorted. His face flushed red, whether from anger or shame, it was unclear. He pointed at his former wife, his whole body trembling.
Wen Shi sat at the head of the table, looking at the people kneeling below, his expression unchanged.
“My lord, these two are indeed committing adultery. I am willing to testify. I went into the house with her that day. We originally intended to have tea and talk, but I never expected to see this sordid scene.”
"These two shameless people aren't afraid of being struck by lightning."
"You, you're talking nonsense! You two have framed us, causing us to lose face now. You, you're not human."
The man's sister-in-law burst into tears immediately after speaking, looking quite pitiful.
The men below started arguing amongst themselves, none of them willing to back down. Wen Shi picked up the gavel and slammed it down, instantly silencing the room. Everyone knew that this magistrate was new.
"Please, sir, do me justice."
The woman who filed the complaint looked resolute. Although she was divorced, she couldn't swallow her anger. She hadn't thought it was anything to be proud of, and her in-laws hadn't made things difficult for her afterward. The divorce was relatively peaceful, so she decided to let it go.
Later, when her family asked someone to arrange a marriage for her, this family actually went around spreading rumors behind her back, saying that she was a materialistic woman who looked down on the poor.
How could she tolerate this? In a fit of anger, she immediately filed a lawsuit. Now, kneeling in the courtroom, she has no regrets. If she had known this would happen, she should have filed a lawsuit in the first place.
"Get up, everyone."
Wen Shi glanced at the group; their clothes weren't exactly luxurious, but they weren't bad either. So, the three taels of silver had now become five taels.
After they got up, the look in their eyes was one of undisguised disgust.
Do you have any witnesses?
After hearing this, she looked at the man.
The man was taken aback, gritted his teeth, and then said, "No, sir, don't listen to this wicked woman's nonsense. She must have been paid to testify, and it's all a frame-up."
"Perjury is punishable by imprisonment for at least three years."
The voice was neither too loud nor too soft, and everyone present heard it clearly.
"You said you know medicine, but she said you don't. To verify this, there are several seriously ill people in the prison. Go and take a look at them."
Upon hearing this, the man's face immediately turned pale. He was obviously lying, and it was just an attempt to explain himself.
Upon hearing this, he immediately stopped looking at him.
“My lord, I did not give false testimony. I saw with my own eyes that he not only put his hand inside her sister-in-law’s bodice, but he wasn’t even wearing pants.”
"You're talking nonsense."
Are there any other witnesses?
When asked this, the man shook his head, saying that a verdict had already been reached.
The woman's side was the same, but she explained, "Sir, I did not speak recklessly, much less make false accusations. I swear to God that there were only four of us that day, and at the time of the incident, everyone in the village was busy with spring planting."
Wen Shi glanced at another woman with sharp eyes. When she saw him, she immediately began to look away, clearly very uneasy. She was the man's sister-in-law.
Besides Wen Shi, who sat at the head of the table, there was also an official next to him who was responsible for taking notes and was constantly writing furiously.
"Sign and put your fingerprint on it."
Without hesitation, the witness stepped forward to sign the document. Upon hearing this, Wen Shi said, "You two have disregarded human ethics and committed adultery. You shall be punished with ten strokes of the cane and paid Qi five taels of silver in compensation. Execute the punishment."
"Qi, do you have any objections?"
"Thank you for your judgment, Your Honor. I have no objection."
As soon as the victim said this, soldiers immediately rushed forward and dragged the man away. The woman next to her almost fainted and was also dragged away.
"Thank you, sir, for upholding justice for me. Thank you, sir."
After watching the two leave, a few moments later, screams rang out from outside. Ten strokes of the cane, no more, no less, and they would have to pay compensation afterwards.
He had a clear understanding of this case. The two perpetrators could not produce any evidence and kept making excuses. The victim's side had evidence and described the details very clearly. After sealing the case file, he moved on to the next case.
This case stemmed from a dispute between the future in-laws who didn't want to return the betrothal gifts after breaking off their engagement, which led to a lawsuit.
Of course, they're definitely not in-laws right now.
Wen Shi picked up the teacup beside him, drank half a bowl, slammed the gavel, and began the trial.
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