Chapter 555: Sentencing [Seeking Monthly Tickets]
The room fell silent as soon as he spoke.
The old woman first stared in astonishment with her cloudy eyes, then realized what was happening, her expression freezing. Finally, she resorted to a loud, dry wail to cover her guilty conscience. A classic case of—I'm old, I'm loud, I'm right, I can argue irrationally.
The onlookers were also bewildered by Shen Tang's logic, exchanging bewildered glances. They felt there was some truth to what he said, but couldn't quite put their finger on it. If Shen Tang hadn't silenced them, they probably would have been chattering away for a while.
Which household's daughter-in-law is not allowed to do chores?
What happened if I touched the sharp edge of a knife or a needle and thread?
but--
If a pregnant woman touches these things, the fetus may be deformed.
So, should we touch it or not?
If pregnant women don't do these things, who will?
Should I expect my mother-in-law and husband to serve me tea and water? Then I think about it again: I've never heard of any of their wives/mothers/other women in their families receiving this treatment when they're pregnant. And their babies turned out perfectly fine, didn't they? So, the work can be done.
Shen Tang ignored the old woman's sincere and heartfelt performance.
"What, can't you give an explanation? Didn't you swear that Widow Zhuo was responsible for the child's condition? Do you have any evidence that the child was injured in that one incident? Or that you and your son coerced a pregnant woman into injuring the child? If a pregnant woman really can't touch these things, then you and your son are malicious and are trying to harm your daughter-in-law and grandchild! If she can touch them, then you are falsely accusing Widow Zhuo!"
He then asked Gu Chi, "Wang Chao, what crime is it to make a false accusation?"
Although Gu Chi's understanding in this area was not as thorough as Kang Shi's, he still had a foundation and could talk about some basic common sense.
He bowed and spoke slowly.
"If the old law is followed, false accusations will be punished."
What do you mean?
Because a group of onlookers were straining their ears to listen, Gu Chi could only explain things in a way that was easy to understand.
"If it is verified that the old woman's family fabricated the facts and falsely accused Widow Zhuo, then they will be sentenced according to the crime of the false accuser. That is, the old woman's family falsely accused Widow Zhuo of plotting to harm her only grandson, and according to the law, the old woman's family should be punished for the crime of 'plotting to harm'."
What are the consequences of murdering others...?
Even an illiterate person who can't read a single word knows that a life for a life!
The old woman's face turned deathly pale.
Widow Zhuo was still reeling from the unexpected turn of events, but she knew that she and her daughter were safe, and she couldn't help but cry tears of joy.
Shen Tang then asked, "This is the old law, what about the new law?"
Gu Chi said, "Depending on the severity of the offense, a minor offense will result in thirty strokes of the cane, being paraded through the streets for seven days, and then serving a year of forced labor in the fields; a serious offense will result in one hundred strokes of the cane and five or seven years of forced labor in the fields."
The onlookers gasped in astonishment.
Upon seeing this, Shen Tang snorted coldly.
To deal with feudal superstition, earnest explanations are useless; they don't understand science anyway. Only magic can defeat magic. By using their own logic to defeat them, you can truly teach them a lesson!
The old woman was so frightened by the conversation between Shen Tang and Gu Chi that she turned pale and trembled like a leaf, no longer daring to wail.
He glared fiercely at his daughter-in-law out of the corner of his eye.
The young woman trembled under her glare and stammered, "But...but I did feel pain at that time..."
Shen Tang was speechless: "You were about to give birth at that time, and the baby's movements were very abnormal? This explanation doesn't hold water!"
The young woman was so anxious that sweat beaded on her forehead.
As soon as the baby was born, she was terrified when she saw his horrifying appearance. Her first thought was that her mother-in-law and husband would blame her.
She was terrified.
If something happens to the child that crawled out of her womb, how could she escape? This child is the lifeblood of her mother-in-law and husband!
If she confessed to this crime, her worthless life would be over. In her fear and anxiety, her mother-in-law's ferocious expression spoke of that taboo, and she felt like a drowning person grabbing a stake. She didn't want to harm anyone, but she didn't want to die either. Half-heartedly, she confessed to the accusation against Widow Zhuo.
Her mother-in-law kept telling her, and she started to believe it.
Upon careful recollection, it's clear that Widow Zhuo was indeed a harlot. Her own husband was strong, honest, hardworking, and rarely complained; many young wives openly or secretly admired him. Wouldn't it be unreasonable for Widow Zhuo, who had been destitute for years, to harm her son by seducing her husband?
Even though he had wronged Widow Zhuo...
But flies don't land on eggs without cracks. Widow Zhuo is usually very careful, so how could she have caused these misunderstandings?
Who knew things would turn out this way.
According to Shen Jun, he would also be punished with caning and forced to pound rice.
With a sobbing voice, she said, "If my child wasn't harmed by Widow Zhuo... then why was he born with such a strange appearance?"
She struggled unwillingly, out of cowardice.
Shen Tang said, "This is related to many factors. It's possible that someone in your family did this, or it could be that you overworked yourself when you first became pregnant and didn't get enough nutrition. Simply put, you ate poorly. Think about it, a child needs to absorb nutrients from the mother to grow properly. If you're not doing well, how can the child be doing well? In short, this matter has nothing to do with Widow Zhuo..."
Widow Zhuo is no longer involved.
But the problem was much bigger for the old woman and her family of three.
If we don't teach them a lesson, how can we stop this evil trend of fabricating and slandering? If it weren't Shen Tang sitting here today, but anyone else who believed this taboo, would the widow Zhuo and her daughter have fared well? They would have been driven to their deaths, if not dead!
We must resolutely establish a role model!
"Considering this is your first offense, I originally intended to give you a lenient punishment, but—if you succeed in your false accusation, Widow Zhuo will have no choice but to die to prove her innocence! This is a living, breathing human life! Without severe punishment, it will not be enough to deter others!"
Shen Tang emphasized.
“Old woman, considering your advanced age, I will spare you twenty strokes of the cane. You will only need ten strokes, three years of rice pounding, and seven days of public humiliation!”
As for you—
Shen Tang looked at the young woman.
"Considering that you have given birth less than a month ago and are still weak, I will spare you the thirty strokes of the cane, but you will still have to pound rice for three years and be displayed in public for seven days!"
Finally, she looked at the man who had remained silent.
“As the only adult male in the family, you lack the ability to distinguish right from wrong, allowing your elderly mother to maliciously accuse an innocent person without intervening, nearly causing the death of an innocent person. Your crimes are heinous! The fifty strokes of the cane that your mother and wife were spared will now be yours. You are sentenced to fifty strokes of the cane, three years of imprisonment, and seven days of public humiliation!”
The old woman's son and the young woman's husband vaguely knew the seriousness of the matter before Shen Tang spoke up to sentence them, but dared not utter a word. However, they couldn't help but feel some hatred towards their old mother, daughter-in-law, and even their innocent son.
I hate my mother's domineering and unreasonable behavior.
He hated his wife's incompetence and cowardice.
She hated that her son was a deformed monster who brought shame upon her.
But upon hearing Shen Tang's ruling, he was instantly dumbfounded.
Finally, he broke his silence and cried out that he was innocent—fifty strokes of the cane and three years of imprisonment, wouldn't that kill him?
The old woman and the young woman were also terrified.
They reacted more strongly than when they heard their own rulings.
They cried out as if the sky had fallen and the earth had collapsed.
Seeing the speechless expressions on Gu Chi's face, Shen Tang silenced the family of three, instantly bringing peace to the world. Shen Tang turned to Gu Chi and asked, "Was the sentence too harsh?"
She couldn't make the decision alone, lest the sentence be too lenient or too harsh. Gu Chi noted down the final verdict.
He smiled and said, "It's just right."
It was a good choice, showing a good balance of lightness and heaviness and demonstrating consideration for the elderly woman's age and the young woman's health.
Even if Kang Shi had come, the sentencing would have been much the same.
Shen Tang then looked at the common people below and said earnestly, "A kind word warms the heart for three winter months, while a harsh word chills the heart for six summer months. I hope you will all remember this saying, for words can kill without a trace!"
The moment she finished speaking, the young scholar and Qi Shan looked up at the sky in unison, and auspicious clouds and rosy light were gathering!
ヾ(ω`)o
The last checkup didn't go through because they said I needed to make an appointment, so I have to go to Wenzhou First Affiliated Hospital again tomorrow, the 17th. Sigh, I hope it goes smoothly that way too. I'll be able to meet my daughter in eight or nine weeks, hahaha!
(End of this chapter)
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