This rape case was tried several times by the county court over the past six months. The first verdict was made at the end of last year. However, before the case file was transferred to the government office, a general amnesty was suddenly declared, necessitating a retrial.
The case will be re-tried today.
The gates of the county government office were open. Outside, many common people, having heard the news and rushed to watch the excitement, stood, talking and chatting. A group of yamen runners, armed with water and fire sticks, stood in two rows, responsible for blocking any outsiders from approaching.
Under the plaque "A Clear Mirror Hangs High," Jiang Yushu, in her neatly dressed official robes, sat at the desk, her expression solemn as she examined the plaintiff and defendant. After a moment, she slammed the gavel and shouted, "Silence!"
Li Qigong, standing nearby, shuddered and quickly straightened, feeling the agony. He wanted to withdraw, but he was afraid of appearing guilty, afraid his cousin would reveal his past abuse of power... He was overwhelmed with concerns, but he steeled himself to attend and observe the trial.
The plaintiff had a full beard and a strong physique. He was kneeling, nervous and expectant. The defendant had just been brought out of prison to stand trial. He was disheveled, trembling with fear. He knelt limply and glanced at his cousin frequently.
The yamen runners held up their water and fire sticks, pushing the crowded people out and shouting, "Quiet, silence!"
"Everyone, step back! You are not allowed to take a single step until the master has summoned you."
"Shut up, shut up, or I'll kick you out."
…
The noisy crowd retreated and gradually stopped talking, but they still stood on tiptoe to look around curiously.
In the entire venue, only the county magistrate and the county magistrate had seats. Huang Yichun sat next to Jiang Yushu, and the two of them whispered to each other across the desk.
After a moment, Jiang Yushu gathered herself together and raised her voice slightly, her clear voice echoing throughout the spacious courtroom. She spoke slowly and calmly, "The plaintiff, Li Chang, is suing Li Qifan for raping his sister, Li Xiaoyuan. The case was reported to the authorities in the 63rd year of the Chengguang reign. Due to the sudden outbreak of war that year, the government was preoccupied with fighting foreign enemies and had no time to investigate. The defendant took advantage of the chaos to escape from prison and remained on the run until October of last year, when he was captured by the plaintiff and brought to the yamen for a second trial."
"At the end of last year, the government thoroughly investigated the case, and the evidence was irrefutable. According to the Dagan Code, I sentenced Li Qifan to death. However, unexpectedly, a general amnesty occurred, so a retrial was necessary."
She picked up two family tree volumes and asked seriously, "Patriarch of the Li family, several elders, you must tell the truth. Is Li Qifan Li Xiaoyuan's cousin?"
Several elderly men with gray hair and beards could not deny it and were forced to testify. They stepped forward and replied, "To answer your question, sir: Li Qifan and Li Xiaoyuan are indeed cousins."
"Although we rarely visit each other, we are indeed relatives."
"Alas, the family is so large, and the younger generations are becoming more and more distant from each other. In the past, the ancestors were very close."
…
Jiang Yushu nodded, put down the family tree, picked up the official document with the government seal, and shook it slightly. "With all the evidence, we have witnesses and evidence. We are from the same village, and the relationship is undeniable. Therefore, the county government, the government office, and the Ministry of Justice have all ruled that Li Qifan has committed adultery with a relative, violating the "Ten Evils" crime of 'civil sedition'. According to the law, he cannot enjoy the grace of the imperial court's general amnesty."
She added: "Moreover, Li Qifan dared to escape from prison, which is an even more serious crime and cannot be pardoned."
"Sir! Please spare my life, please have mercy." The defendant trembled, his face ashen, and kowtowed desperately, "Please spare my life, please spare my life, sir, I know I was wrong, please forgive me, I, I am willing to marry Xiaoyuan as my wife -"
"Bah!" The plaintiff spat fiercely, disgusted. "Even if my sister can't get married for the rest of her life, she won't marry a conscienceless beast like you!"
The defendant, wearing shackles, suddenly threw himself forward, speaking incoherently and pleading in fear: "Li Chang, cousin! Cousin, please forgive me just this once. I, I really like Xiaoyuan. I am willing to marry her and love only her for the rest of my life."
"Who are you—humph!"
The plaintiff had been severely tortured and nearly died at the hands of Li Qigong's cousins. He hated them so much that he nearly blurted out, "Who's your cousin?" But after coming to his senses, he held back and said through gritted teeth, "Sir, please listen! This beast just called me 'cousin', and he admitted it himself. Our two families are indeed, indeed, relatives."
Li Qifan was terrified and cried, "Since we are relatives, why are you so cruel? Why do you have to kill me? If Xiaoyuan refuses to marry, compensation is fine. Money is not a problem. How much do you want? Just name the amount and I'll sell everything I have to give it to you!"
"Oh, what's the big deal about having a few bucks? Even if you give me one million taels, I won't forgive you!" The plaintiff survived the ordeal and was determined to seek justice for his sister and himself.
Li Qifan wanted to continue begging, but he heard the sharp sound of the gavel "bang"!
"quiet!"
Jiang Yushu pressed the gavel, "No more noise in the court!"
Many people gathered around excitedly to watch, pushing forward and pushing forward. Even after being driven away by the yamen runners several times, they still did not calm down.
Li Qigong was in great torment. He had not slept well for several days and had dark bags under his eyes. He was worried about his future and felt pity for his cousin. He was anxious and helpless.
Jiang Yushu and Huang Yichun whispered a few more words, then made their decision. Then, they solemnly pronounced the verdict: "In Li Qifan's rape case, the evidence is irrefutable. This county upholds the verdict from the end of last year. No pardon will be granted, and the death penalty remains. Furthermore, this case has already been submitted to the Ministry of Justice for review and approval, so there's no need to wait until autumn to execute him. He must be executed immediately."
"The execution will be carried out tomorrow at 3:30 PM to uphold the law and serve as a warning to others!"
After the verdict was announced, she slammed the gavel for the last time and said, "Court is adjourned." Then she stood up and left the courtroom.
Instantly, the defendant's relatives and friends rushed into the courtroom, hugged Li Qifan, and burst into tears, wailing in despair: "Son, my poor son!"
"You're not even thirty yet. You could have been sentenced to lifelong exile. Why, why was you executed immediately?"
"A while ago, they clearly said they would pardon him, but now they've changed the sentence to immediate execution?"
"Sir, Lord Jiang, please have mercy and spare my son's life!"
…
At the same time, relatives and friends of the plaintiff rushed into the courtroom, surrounded Li Chang, and shouted excitedly, "Eight years, eight years!"
"It wasn't until today that justice was finally served on what happened eight years ago."
"Dad, Mom, can your spirits in heaven see this? I finally brought down that beast Li Qifan and got justice for my sister."
A man doesn't shed tears easily. Li Chang cried with joy, looked up at the plaque "A Bright Mirror Hanging High", tears of gratitude welled up in his eyes, and kowtowed respectfully to express his gratitude. "Thank you very much, Lord Jiang, for upholding justice. Your great kindness will be remembered by my family forever!"
The yamen runners were busy running around, holding water and fire sticks, pushing and scolding, and quickly drove the outsiders out of the court. They forcibly picked up the limp Li Qifan and took him back to the prison to be taken to the execution ground tomorrow.
Outside the hall, the crowd who came to watch the excitement were still not satisfied. Some looked down on the crowd, some sighed, and some talked to each other, and they did not disperse for a long time.
Noon - Back Court
Jiang Yushu took off her official robe, and the maid bent down to take off her black gauze hat and carefully placed it on the rack.
She faced the bronze mirror, stared at herself, and said softly, "I sentence Li Qifan to death. Behead him immediately."
Cuimei, with two maids in tow, busily packed the luggage and commented, "He deserves it!"
"In fact, he lived seven or eight more years, which was a great advantage."
"If the case had been judged that year, he wouldn't have been able to escape until now."
"I heard that during the war, everything was in chaos and countless prisoners escaped from Yongzhou. The imperial court later investigated and probably couldn't catch them all."
"Catch one and sentence one, so as to avoid harming the innocent!"
…
Jiang Yushu sat in front of the mirror, examining herself, remaining silent.
The next moment, the maid took out a gift box and asked, "Madam, are you going to wear the jade bracelet that Madam Pei gave you back home?"
Jiang Yushu came back to her senses and shook her head. "No, put it away. I'm not usually suitable for dressing up. I haven't worn the few pairs of bracelets I have."
"Yes." The maid stuffed the gift box into the bottom of the cabinet.
Cuimei folded clothes quickly. "Mrs. Pei is very thoughtful. She gives you a birthday gift every year. Her birthday is in July. We must not forget it, or it will be disrespectful."
Jiang Yushu cheered up and said, "I'm afraid I can't remember it. Write it down and look through it from time to time, so you won't forget it."
"Oh! Don't worry, I have already written it." Cuimei walked to the dressing table and began to pack the jewelry box. Without thinking much, she casually mentioned: "My cousin's birthday is next month, April 9th, we--" She paused hastily, covered her mouth with regret, and carefully observed the expression of the female official.
Jiang Yushu was startled and said softly, "Please put yourself in my shoes. I can't cause trouble for my cousin's wife, and I don't want to cause any more trouble." She had already made plans. "I won't give her a birthday gift. My cousin's wife is already six months pregnant. When my nephew is born, I will give him a big gift to congratulate him!"
"Yes." Cuimei came back to her senses and clasped her hands together, saying, "I should give you a big gift. I hope my cousin will have a few sons first, and then a daughter. That would be the best."
Jiang Yushu sincerely hoped that her cousin would be happy and content. "Yes."
The next moment, a voice rang out from the door: "What is it?"
Guo Honglei, looking dusty, strode into the room with his head held high.
It's best not to talk about the past, especially old relationships. Jiang Yushu stood up and said nonchalantly, "Nothing." She smiled and asked, "How many days of leave did General Song grant you?"
"I said, 'My brother is getting married, and as the elder brother, I have to go home.' The general said, 'At most half a month, a general cannot be away from the camp for too long.' Besides, the April one was approved, so I guess the July one won't be approved. What should I do for my mother's birthday?"
Jiang Yushu comforted him, "Why are you worried? I'll try my best to find time to celebrate your birthday."
"Well...we'll see then!"
Guo Honglei glanced around and asked jokingly, "It's just a visit to relatives, is it necessary to bring so much luggage? We have plenty of clothes at home, and you don't mind the trouble."
"Most of these are gifts, not clothes for the lady," Cuimei explained.
Guo Honglei nodded in realization and asked with concern, "Doctor Guan, has he packed up yet? We'll leave the day after tomorrow. When we get back to Heqin, we'll rest up a bit and have him attend Azhe's wedding. Then I'll arrange for someone to escort him back to the capital."
"Mr. Guan is eager to go home and has packed everything long ago." Jiang Yushu poured him a cup of tea.
After a moment, Guo Honglei asked in a low voice, "Have you really thought it through? Have you decided to send Yan'er home?"
Jiang Yushu lowered her eyes, pondered for a moment, nodded solemnly, and replied helplessly: "With her here, I, I am always worried. I always feel that Tu Ning is not peaceful enough. I might as well follow the example of County Magistrate Huang and send the child back to my hometown!"
No one knows when the war will break out again.
Guo Honglei was very reluctant to let her go and sighed, "Although I really want to play with the child more often, but... never mind, I'll just do as you say. It'll give me peace of mind. Mother has asked about it several times in her letters. She misses her granddaughter, so let's take Xiaoyan home."
"Yeah." Jiang Yushu sighed reluctantly.
A few days later at night
I heard that in the small hall of the mansion, the husband and uncle were drinking together.
Wen Xi was drunk, patted his brother-in-law on the shoulder, and said: "Alright, the dead can't be resurrected, please accept my condolences, please accept my condolences!"
Li Qigong's face was gloomy. He drank one glass of wine after another without saying a word.
"We've specially invited a high monk to perform a ritual. Perhaps, by now, Xiao Fan has already been reincarnated. In his next life—" Wen Xi burped, "he will definitely be reborn into a good family, live a long and prosperous life!"
Li Qigong said slowly: "I have already found out that 'civil strife' was taught to Li Chang by Jing Yuanshan."
"I knew it!" Wen Xi slammed the table. "Li Chang is illiterate. What the hell does he know about the 'Ten Unforgivable Sins'? Someone must have pointed it out to him. Turns out it was that old bastard Jing Yuanshan again, that sour old scholar who always likes to meddle in other people's business."
Li Qigong whispered, "Jiang Yushu has returned to Xicang to visit her relatives. This is a rare opportunity... Do you dare to join us?"
Wen Xi took a sip of wine, his face flushed, "Why wouldn't I dare?"
"Alright!" Li Qigong clinked glasses with his brother-in-law, tilted his head back, and drank it all in one gulp. With a fierce look in his eyes, he gritted his teeth and said, "I've made all the arrangements. This time, the man surnamed Jing won't survive."
"I've disliked him for a long time. With him around, I can't make any money. He must die!"
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