The murmurs and curses were like countless needles piercing Zhao Laoshi, who was kneeling below the hall.
Deng Hongyi raised his hand and slammed the gavel down. "Silence!"
Inside and outside the hall, it was so quiet you could hear a pin drop; only Wang's suppressed sobs could be heard intermittently.
Deng Hongyi turned his gaze to the still-shaken child and spoke softly:
"Wang Bao'er, don't be afraid. I am here, and no one can harm you in the slightest."
"Raise your head and look at the people below. Tell me, was it this person who took you away from your parents that day? Did he harm you?"
All eyes were focused on that small figure.
Wang Bao'er's little face was buried in her mother's neck, with only her big, frightened eyes showing.
He hesitated, then timidly raised his eyelids and quickly glanced at Zhao Laoshi kneeling below the hall.
At this moment, Zhao Laoshi suddenly raised his head, stared intently at the child, and looked bewildered and helpless.
The child trembled violently, as if bitten by a venomous snake, and let out a short, sharp scream.
She snuggled even tighter into her mother's arms, shaking her little head like a rattle-drum, and making indistinct whimpers in her throat.
"Bao'er, don't look! Don't look at that wicked person!" Wang's heart was breaking, and she sobbed uncontrollably, desperately protecting her child's face.
The temperature in Deng Hongyi's eyes instantly froze, turning into deep, frigid ice.
He stopped looking at the child and fixed his cold gaze directly on Zhao Laoshi's face.
The deliberately softened tone vanished completely, leaving only a forceful, chilling pronouncement:
"The criminal Zhao Laoshi!"
They abducted and sold the innocent child Wang Bao'er, hiding her in a desolate cemetery, intending to resell her as a slave.
The evidence is irrefutable, yet you still dare to fabricate excuses and roar in court.
Their intentions are despicable, their actions deserve to be punished by death!
With each sentence he spoke, his speaking speed increased and his tone became more forceful.
It struck Zhao Laoshi's heart like a heavy hammer, and also resonated with the hearts of every bystander.
As the last sentence fell, Deng Hongyi raised the dark, heavy gavel high in his right hand and slammed it down.
A loud "bang!" shattered the deathly silence of the hall.
"According to the 'Commentary on the Laws of Gan and Jie,' anyone who abducts or sells a person into slavery (Note: abduction is defined as abduction; even if the person is under ten years old, the law applies the same as abduction) shall be hanged!"
“The criminal Zhao Laoshi has aggravated his crimes by selling innocent people. The evidence against him is clear. He is sentenced to death by hanging in accordance with the law.”
After autumn, the report will be submitted to the Ministry of Justice for review, and then presented to His Majesty for final decision!
The words "hanging" were like two invisible shackles, which were suddenly placed around Zhao Laoshi's neck.
The color drained from his face instantly, leaving it as pale as paper.
His feigned honesty and last shred of hope were utterly crushed, and overwhelming fear engulfed him like a tidal wave.
He sprang up from the ground like a cornered beast, veins bulging on his neck.
His eyes flashed with a crazed light, and he screamed hoarsely, his voice distorted with extreme fear:
"No... Your Excellency, have mercy! Your Excellency, have mercy!"
I know I was wrong, and I will never dare to do it again!
The scoundrel is willing to pay compensation, even going bankrupt to give to the Wang family!
"Please, Your Honor, spare my life! Spare my life!"
When the people outside the hall heard that he still dared to beg for mercy, they immediately erupted in uproar.
"Shut up! You thief who deserves to be boiled in oil!"
"Pay back? You couldn't compensate for the suffering this child endured even with ten of your dog lives!"
"The righteous judge has made a good ruling!"
"Hang him! Hang him!"
The angry shouts, curses, and the increasingly unified and loud cries of "Hang him!" surged like a raging tide.
Several burly men were so excited that their faces turned red, and they waved their fists.
Judging from his appearance, if it weren't for the clerks holding him back, he would have almost rushed into the hall.
"Silence! No noise is allowed in the courtroom!" the head constable shouted sternly, slamming his fire-and-water stick heavily on the ground.
The two constables who had just detained the prisoner rushed forward, their movements swift as lightning, and clamped down hard on Zhao Laoshi's frantically struggling arms, their iron-like fingers almost digging into his flesh.
Zhao Laoshi kicked his legs wildly, letting out a desperate howl like a wild beast.
The bailiffs showed no mercy, roughly dragging him off the cold floor tiles like a dead dog and forcibly pulling him towards the back passageway.
Before his execution in the autumn, he will probably never see the light of day again.
Zhao Laoshi quickly disappeared into the deep shadows behind the hall, leaving only his frantic roars and the ear-piercing noise of chains dragging on the ground, which lingered for a long time.
As the dust settled in the hall, the clamor outside gradually subsided, turning into a buzzing discussion.
Many people still had the flush of anger on their faces, and their eyes revealed a sense of satisfaction.
Deng Hongyi sat upright behind the desk, his face calm and composed, and quickly wrote the judgment with his brush dipped in ink.
He carefully wrote down the last stroke, then looked down at the hall below:
"The victims, Wang Shouren and his wife, have been brought to justice, as the perpetrators have been brought to justice, as clearly stated in the law."
Your son suffered a shock and misfortune, which is pitiful. I have already had his injuries examined and a guarantee document issued.
All of Zhao Laoshi's property shall be confiscated. Apart from the fines imposed by the government, the remainder shall be used to compensate your family for medical expenses and compensation.
You may now take your young child home and raise him well.
Wang Shouren and his wife were already exhausted from crying, and upon hearing this, they were even more grateful and kowtowed repeatedly.
His forehead struck the cold, blue bricks with a dull thud.
"Thank you, Your Honor! Thank you, Your Honor, for saving my life!"
"This humble subject...this humble subject and his family will never forget!"
Deng Hongyi nodded slightly, his gaze sweeping over them and turning towards the outside of the hall.
The autumn wind blew through the gaps in the crowd, swirling up a few withered leaves that drifted down.
This is the first case of the day. The case is simple, with eyewitnesses, confessions from accomplices, and identification by the victim. Everything is impeccable.
Not every case is so clear-cut and the evidence is irrefutable. Deng Hongyi chose to start with the simple and gradually work his way down to the difficult cases, breaking down the psychological defenses of the prisoners awaiting trial bit by bit.
"Bring in the criminals!"
Before long, the bailiffs brought in another prisoner and began the trial again.
Time passed slowly, and from Chenzheng to Wushi, more than ten cases had passed.
The number of people outside the hall did not decrease; on the contrary, it increased, completely blocking the alleyway.
A large number of clerks were mobilized, armed with water and fire sticks, to maintain order outside, fearing a stampede.
As the case progressed, people gradually began to understand what was going on.
There are so many human traffickers hidden in Fengjing City and its surrounding areas. The fact that the Jingzhao Prefecture can conduct trials all day without stopping at noon suggests that there must be an even larger network behind it!
The word spread quickly, and eventually more and more people gathered around.
Having completed another judgment, Deng Hongyi mustered his spirits.
"Bring Wang Chong and his men to commit the crime!"
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