Nine Chapters of Strange Cases

Chapter 217 Taking Down He Tingshi

Zhou Zhao picked up the warm wine from the side, filled He Tingshi's cup, and then gave a look to the maid who was serving the dishes.

The maid instinctively took a wine cup and placed it in front of Zhou Zhao. Then she picked up the wine pot, filled Zhou Zhao's cup with wine, and added a set of bowls and chopsticks for her.

After obediently completing these tasks, the maid realized she had made a mistake. She quickly knelt down in front of He Tingshi and pressed her head against the back of her hand.

He Tingshi gave Zhou Zhao a deep look, then waved to the maids, "You may all leave."

The sound of the flute stopped abruptly, and the maid and the flute player quietly withdrew and stood guard on either side of the courtyard gate.

"Uncle, there's no need to be so sure. If I become a court official, how about we abolish corporal punishment together?"

He Tingshi paused as he reached for some food with his chopsticks. After a moment's hesitation, he reached out again, picked up a leaf of vegetable, and put it in his mouth.

"Everyone in the Court of Justice knows that I have always been strict in judging cases. If the law is not strict, what is there to fear? If there is no fear, then people will not listen to discipline or instruction, and the world will be in chaos. If we talk about being strict in governing the country, who can compare to your father, Zhou Buhai?"
For a woman of the Zhou family to have such thoughts is simply womanly compassion. It's a waste that I thought highly of you and even considered letting you enter the Right Courtyard.

Looking back now, it seems I was the one who was blind and deaf.

Upon hearing this, Zhou Zhao shook her head. She picked up her wine cup and gently clinked it against He Tingshi's.

"During my time as the Chief Justice, I have read through almost every case file I could find. When judging cases, Your Excellency has never used any form of corporal punishment. For serious crimes, the death penalty is not met with castration. For minor offenses, both hard labor and fines are imposed. Your Excellency has almost no one who is acquitted, yet you have also never used corporal punishment."

Zhao wholeheartedly agreed with this.

As Zhou Zhao spoke, he downed the wine in front of him in one gulp. "This wine isn't from Furonglou. If I'm not mistaken, it's from Xu's Winery in Yonghefang. This wine isn't very famous, but it's excellent because of its mellow taste. The old man Xu who brews it has an osmanthus tree and a plum tree in his courtyard."

Therefore, his family's wine is best enjoyed in autumn; the spring wine lacks a certain elegance.

He Tingshi looked at Zhou Zhao and pursed his lips. "Why don't you break off your engagement with Su Changying? You can choose any of my children or grandchildren you want. Choose one or two, it's up to you. From now on, you will be in charge of the He family. What do you say?"

Now it was Zhou Zhao's turn to be dumbfounded.

She looked at He Tingshi in disbelief. This old man usually looked like a sage and very serious, but she never expected him to be so unserious!
"Forget it, your son is too delicate and can't withstand a kick from me."

He Tingshi recalled the strange things about Zhou Zhao's Cuju (ancient Chinese football) and immediately stopped thinking about it. He stroked his beard and said, "That makes sense. If the three of you sleep in the same bed, and you kick someone in your dream, the person sleeping on the other side might be bleeding on the spot."

Zhou Zhao dared not even think about it.

He Tingshi was too serious, making her feel like she was the old-fashioned person who had just been thrown out of the ground.

"You really read through all the files? In such a short time?"

Fortunately, He Tingshi did not continue down the wrong path and turned back on his own.

Zhou Zhao nodded, "Except for some files that I'm not allowed to see, such as the Blood Mist Disappearance Case in the Lost City."

He Tingshi's pupils contracted sharply, and his gaze towards Zhou Zhao changed instantly. He sighed deeply, "Li Youdao is truly not someone to be trifled with. He even told you this, because he knows I feel guilty about what happened to Youzhi."

He asked you to use this as a starting point, and on the condition of solving the case of the missing persons in the Lost City, to get me to write a recommendation letter for you.

"That old scoundrel! He's completely despondent, utterly repulsive; and now he's trying to scheme against me!" Zhou Zhao shook his head. "I think He Tingshi couldn't refuse my first reason; there was no need for the Lost City disappearance case at all."

He Tingshi remained silent for a moment.

He turned his head and looked into the courtyard. The courtyard was not large, and the inner courtyard was even smaller.

The reason he lived here was because he secretly kept a raccoon cat. The cat had a limp, and if he hadn't kept it, it would have been torn apart by other wild raccoons long ago.

At that moment, the raccoon found a sunny spot and sprawled there like a pancake, enjoying the sunshine.

No one knew that he disapproved of corporal punishment. His colleague Yan Tingshi, who worked with him every day, was unaware, and his children and grandchildren were even less aware. In fact, it could be said that only he himself knew, just as he was not here to find a quiet place for himself.

It was more like raising a lame raccoon dog.

But the newcomer Zhou Zhao found out; she saw through him.

"Just because I haven't sentenced anyone to corporal punishment, does that mean I want to abolish it?" He Tingshi asked softly.

Zhou Zhao shook his head. "I wasn't sure before, but after learning about the grudges and entanglements between you and Li Tingshi, I understand why you dislike corporal punishment."

If you desire a rice bowl, then it is a rice bowl; if you desire a teacup, then it is a teacup. If you commit a capital crime, then you should atone with death; what reason is there for castration as a substitute?
If the crime doesn't warrant death, then the rice bowl should be used as a rice bowl. The Great Qi Dynasty is in dire need of reconstruction and recuperation. Rather than cutting off a person's nose and gouging out their knees, it would be better to send them on forced labor, exiling them thousands of miles away to reclaim wasteland and build city walls. In this way, innocent commoners can reduce their service and cultivate the land more.

Furthermore, corporal punishment is too cruel and not the best choice for a peaceful and prosperous era.

He Tingshi remained silent; every word Zhou Zhao uttered resonated deeply with him.

Zhou Zhao thought for a moment, then said, “Your Excellency’s confrontation with Li Tingshi must be because you are angry that he is not ambitious enough and has wasted his skills. Now that you have a spear in hand, you should be able to drive away wolves and tigers and be a national hero. Law is not a matter of personal affairs, but the way to govern a country.”

He Tingshi's imposing aura instantly softened. He picked up the wine pot on the table, filled Zhou Zhao's cup with wine, and then filled his own cup as well.

He picked up his wine cup and clinked it with Zhou Zhao's, saying, "My dear nephew, you and I are kindred spirits."

After saying this, He Tingshi drank it all in one gulp.

Zhou Zhao listened and drank it all in one gulp.

Although she said these words to please He Tingshi, it was also a great deed she would do after entering the Court of Justice.

Corporal punishment is far too cruel for humans. People should not be treated like livestock, pinned to a chopping board and have their flesh cut off.

The reason she sought out He Tingshi first was because she had already discerned that although He Tingshi was aloof and disliked those who broke the rules, as well as unorthodox individuals like Li Mu, he was a rare and impartial person. Such a person was principled and had his own set of standards.

He disliked that she was a woman and that she had entered the Left Court, but he greatly admired her ability to solve cases.

Otherwise, He Tingshi wouldn't have been so certain that she could close the case and gather Li Huaishan and the others together before she even returned from arresting Li Mu last night.

He was someone who could have been won over from the very beginning.