Chapter 287 The Crowd
The noise of discussion was mixed with curses and spitting, like countless needles piercing Zhao Laoshi who was kneeling in the hall.
Deng Hongyi raised his hand and slammed the gavel down, "Silence!"
Inside and outside the hall, you could hear a pin drop, and the only sound was Wang's intermittent sobbing.
Deng Hongyi turned his gaze towards the frightened child and spoke softly:
"Don't be afraid, Wang Bao'er. I'm here, and no one can hurt you.
"Look up at the people in the hall and tell me, was it this person who took you away from your parents that day? Did he hurt you?"
Everyone's eyes were focused on the small figure.
Wang Baoer's little face was buried in her mother's neck, with only a pair of frightened big eyes showing.
He hesitated, raised his eyelids timidly, and quickly glanced at Zhao Laoshi who was kneeling in the hall.
At this moment, Zhao Laoshi suddenly raised his head and stared at the child, his face showing confusion.
The child's whole body shook violently, as if bitten by a poisonous snake, and he let out a short scream.
He huddled tighter into his mother's arms, shaking his little head like a rattle and making indistinct sobs from his throat.
"Don't look, Bao'er! Don't look at that evil man!" Wang's heart was broken, she burst into tears, and protected the child's face tightly.
The temperature in Deng Hongyi's eyes instantly froze and turned into deep cold ice.
He no longer looked at the child, his cold gaze fixed on Zhao Laoshi's face.
The gentle tone that had been deliberately slowed down just now disappeared completely, leaving only the sonorous and powerful judgment with a chilling chill:
"The criminal Zhao Laoshi!
They kidnapped the young boy Wang Baoer from a good family and hid him in a desolate cemetery with the intention of selling him as a slave.
The evidence is overwhelming, yet you still dare to make excuses and roar in court.
His heart is worthy of death, and his actions deserve to be cut into pieces!"
With every sentence he spoke, his speaking speed became faster and his tone became heavier.
It was like a heavy hammer hitting Zhao Laoshi's heart, and also hitting the hearts of every bystander.
After the last sentence was spoken, Deng Hongyi raised the dark and heavy gavel high in his right hand and slammed it down.
"Bang!" A loud noise like thunder exploded in the silent hall.
"According to the Law on Thieves and Robbers in the Commentary on the Laws of the United Nations, anyone who abducts or sells people as slaves (note: abducting is considered abduction if there is no consent; under ten years old, even if consenting, is also subject to the same law) shall be strangled!"
"The criminal Zhao Laoshi, who robbed and sold innocent people, has clear evidence of his crimes and is sentenced to death by hanging according to the law.
After autumn, report to the Criminal Department for review and submit to the Emperor for final decision!"
The word "hanging" was like two invisible heavy shackles, slamming down on Zhao Laoshi's neck.
The blood color on his face instantly drained away, leaving him as pale as paper.
That bit of forced honesty and the last bit of luck were completely crushed, and the huge fear overwhelmed him like a tide.
He suddenly jumped up from the ground, like a trapped beast, with veins bulging on his neck.
His eyes flashed with madness, and he howled at the top of his lungs, his voice distorted by extreme fear:
"No... Your Excellency, please have mercy on me, Your Excellency, please have mercy on me!
I know I was wrong, and I will never do it again!
I am willing to pay compensation, even if it means losing everything I have, to the Wang family!
Please spare my life, sir! Please spare my life!"
When the people outside the hall heard that he dared to beg for mercy, they were immediately in an uproar.
"Shut up! You deserve to be fried in oil, you bastard!"
"Pay compensation? Even if you had ten lives, you wouldn't be able to pay for the suffering the child has endured!"
"The judge has made a good judgment!"
"Hang him! Hang him!"
The curses, insults, and the increasingly consistent and louder calls of "Hang him" were like a surging tide.
Several strong men were so excited that their faces turned red and they waved their fists.
It looked like he would have rushed into the hall if the clerk hadn't stopped him.
"Silence! No noise in the court!" The squad leader standing by shouted sternly, slamming the water and fire stick in his hand heavily to the ground.
The two yamen runners who had just detained the prisoner had already rushed forward. With lightning speed, they clamped Zhao Laoshi's frantically struggling arms tightly, their iron-like fingers almost digging into his flesh.
Zhao Laoshi kicked his legs wildly and let out a desperate howl like a wild beast.
The bailiff showed no mercy and dragged him up from the cold floor tiles like a dead dog, and dragged him straight to the corridor behind the hall.
I'm afraid I will never see the light of day again before my execution in the autumn.
Zhao Laoshi quickly disappeared into the deep shadows at the back of the hall, leaving behind only the crazy roars and the harsh noise of iron chains dragging on the ground, which lingered for a long time.
The dust settled in the hall, and the noisy voices outside gradually died down, turning into a buzz of discussion.
Many people still had a flush of anger on their faces, and their eyes were filled with pleasure.
Deng Hongyi sat upright at the desk, his face calm as water. He picked up his pen, dipped it in ink, and quickly wrote the verdict.
He wrote down the last stroke steadily and looked towards the hall below:
"The victims, Wang Shouren and the Wang family, and the perpetrators were brought to justice, as the law clearly stipulates.
Your son has been frightened and suffered misfortune, which is a pitiful situation. I have asked someone to examine his injuries and issue a bail document.
All of Zhao Laoshi's property is ordered to be confiscated. Except for the fines paid to the government, the rest will be compensated to your family as money for medicine and relief.
Now you can take your young son home and raise him well."
Wang Shouren and his wife had already cried until they were exhausted, and they were even more grateful when they heard this, and kowtowed to him.
His forehead touched the cold blue brick, making a dull sound.
"Thank you, Master Qingtian, thank you, Master Qingtian, for saving my life!
I, the common people... my family will never forget this!"
Deng Hongyi nodded slightly, his eyes passing over them and looking outside the hall.
The autumn wind blew through the gaps in the crowd, picking up a few fallen leaves and making them swirl down.
This is the first case of the day. The case is simple, with eyewitnesses, confessions from accomplices, and identification from the victim. Everything is impeccable.
Not every case is so clear and straightforward with irrefutable evidence. Deng Hongyi chose to start from the simple to the difficult, gradually breaking down the psychological defenses of the prisoners awaiting trial.
"Bring the prisoner!"
Soon, the bailiff brought in another prisoner and began the trial again.
Time passed little by little, from noon to noon, there were more than ten cases.
The number of people outside the hall did not decrease, but instead grew larger and larger, blocking the alleyway completely and making it impossible to get through.
A large number of clerks were dispatched, holding water and fire sticks to maintain order outside, for fear of a stampede.
As the case progressed, everyone gradually figured out what was going on.
There are so many human traffickers hidden in Fengjing City and its surrounding areas. Jingzhao Prefecture can hold trials in one day and not stop until noon. I'm afraid there are more traps behind them!
Word spread from one person to ten, and from ten to a hundred, and more and more people gathered.
Deng Hongyi forced himself to stay alert as he completed another verdict.
"Bring people to capture Wang Chong!"
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