Ming Dynasty: Ask Zhu Yuanzhang to abdicate at the beginning

Chapter 581 Wisdom Through the Ages! Court is now in session!
The surrounding chatter rose and fell, a mixture of sighs and indignation.

In the crowd, a man in plain clothes lowered his voice and said, "Actually, if you ask me, we commoners are not entirely powerless to fight back."

He paused, looked around, and then continued, "At least, the shameless Tan family has had their reputation completely ruined after this incident. How will they ever have the face to show themselves in public again?"

Immediately, someone chimed in, their tone full of disdain, "That makes sense. Not to mention the Tan woman herself, even her parents who raised such a daughter, if they dared to walk down the street, the spittle of us common folk would drown them!"

"It's not just their family; the entire Tan clan they belong to has become a laughingstock for miles around, so much so that they can't even lift their heads in shame. I've heard that the Tan branch has already held a clan meeting and expelled their entire family from the clan!"

"I know this matter perfectly well." Another elder, who knew the inside story, stroked his beard and said in a deep voice, "The Tan clan expelled them, ostensibly because that Tan woman was pregnant out of wedlock and had disgraced the family. But what was the real reason? It was nothing more than a clever escape plan! Regarding her heinous crime of framing the Xi family's young master, the entire Tan clan has acted like cowards, turning a deaf ear and not daring to utter a single word!"

“That’s not how it works,” someone immediately retorted. “Ultimately, the law must decide this matter. No matter how vicious that woman is, there’s no reason for the clan to side with outsiders and take the blame upon themselves. At this critical juncture, it’s commendable that they were able to act decisively, expel this black sheep from the clan, and draw a clear line between themselves and the clan.”

"Hmph, premarital pregnancy?" Before the words were even finished, a dark-skinned farmer spat indignantly, "Such a scandalous thing, if it happened in our clan, he would be tied to a stone and thrown into a pond to drown!"

"The Tan clan's mere expulsion from the clan is an act of condoning evil!"

"With such a corrupt family tradition, it's no wonder they raised such a disgraceful woman!"

His words were like a stone thrown into a calm lake, creating ripples, and everyone nodded in agreement.

Another middle-aged man, wearing a square scarf and seemingly well-educated, shook his head and said, "Drowning in a pig cage or drowning in a pond are ultimately private punishments. The imperial court has repeatedly issued orders strictly prohibiting the establishment of private courts, and violators will be prosecuted."

He sighed and said, "In the past, the government might have turned a blind eye to the internal purges within clans, but this case is different."

"The case of Tan Nu has already gone through a joint trial by the county, prefecture and provincial governments. In addition, the strong-willed eldest sister of the Xi family blocked the emperor's way to appeal for justice, and even put the petition to the emperor's doorstep."

"If the Tan clan still dares to resort to private punishment at this point, then they are not only slapping Tan Nu's face, but also the face of the imperial court and the face of the law!"

"At that time, the entire clan will probably be implicated and suffer the consequences."

"So, it's not that they don't want to, but that they dare not and cannot!"

“Expelling them from the tribe is the limit of what they can do.”

Upon hearing this, everyone fell silent.

Everyone knows in their hearts that these words are all reasonable and are an undeniable reality.

Clan-based private punishments adhered to the principle that if the people did not file a complaint, the officials would not investigate.

If it's not brought to the forefront, the government will pretend they don't know anything.

But once it comes to the forefront, the government can no longer remain "blind," and clan-based private punishments will turn into major cases involving deaths!

After a long silence, someone lowered their voice and revealed new information: "I heard that the government has now sent officers to guard the Tan family's door, saying it's to protect them and prevent outsiders from disturbing them."

"Can the lackeys of the officials protect them forever?" someone immediately sneered. "This case will eventually be settled. The Tan family has no official rank or title, and those constables will eventually leave."

"I want to see if that woman from the pool dares to show her face again after the storm has passed!"

An elderly man with white hair, leaning on a cane, spoke in a booming voice: "If she dares to show her face in Shanxian County, I, this old man, will risk my life to curse her for three days and three nights!"

A burst of laughter erupted from the crowd, easing the somber mood somewhat.

Amid the laughter, some shook their heads and sighed, "How could that Tan girl not know what kind of reputation she has now?"

"I heard that they had already planned it all out. Once the lawsuit was over, they would move their whole family to another place and find a quiet corner where no one knew them to live under an assumed name."

"Now that the imperial court has relaxed the household registration transfer policy, she can go wherever she wants, no matter how vast the country is."

"To quell the matter, the government might even secretly send someone to escort her for a while. Once she gets to another place, who will know about her past?"

"She might be able to change herself again and marry into a good family, and continue to live a peaceful life."

"Sigh, I wonder which unlucky guy had the worst luck to marry such a vicious woman!"

Everyone chimed in with their own words, expressing their sympathy for Xi Yunlang's unjust death and their deep hatred for the woman surnamed Tan.

Listening to the heated discussions around him, Zhu Yunwen was initially surprised, not expecting that the case would cause such a stir in the small county of Shanxian, but he quickly understood.

Do not underestimate the astonishing power of public opinion dissemination beneath the surface of information scarcity in this era.

The desire for novelty and gossip is an innate human trait deeply rooted in human nature.

Because of the lack of entertainment, even the trivial matters of daily life among villagers can be spread hundreds or even thousands of miles away by word of mouth, let alone a bizarre case like this that can arouse widespread resonance.

He vividly remembered a ridiculous children's song he used to sing in his youth: "The sun shines brightly, the flowers smile at me, the little birds say good morning, why are you carrying a bomb? I'm going to bomb the school, the teacher doesn't know, I pull the cord and run, boom, the school is gone..."

This song, due to its outrageous content, has never appeared in any newspapers or on the radio, let alone been considered highbrow.

Yet, it became popular in many provinces across the country simply through word of mouth among children.

The power of public opinion is thus evident.

The case of Xi Yunlang was already considered a great injustice by the villagers because of its complicated details.

In addition, her sister Xi Zhaoxue was not afraid of powerful people and ran around seeking justice. She even risked her life to block the emperor and presented the petition directly to him. This had already caused a great uproar in the city and was known to everyone.

The old monkey trainer precisely grasped the public's simple sense of justice and curiosity, turning the case into a catchy story to make a living.

Zhu Yunwen turned to a lean, worldly-wise-looking middle-aged man beside him and asked, feigning ignorance, "Brother, hasn't Sister Xi already filed a complaint with the Emperor?"

"Now that His Majesty has intervened, would the local officials dare to continue to wrongly accuse her brother?"

The man glanced at Zhu Yunwen, a mocking sneer curling at the corner of his lips: "Young man, you're asking a very naive question."

"What good would it do to appeal to the Emperor?"

"His Majesty is extremely busy with state affairs; would he really have the time to personally handle this trivial murder case for you?"

His voice was calm, but his words were as sharp as ice picks: "His Majesty's decree is nothing more than ordering the case to be sent back for retrial."

"But think about it, if those officials who handled this case overturn Xi Yunlang's verdict, wouldn't that be tantamount to admitting they were blind and that the previous trials by the three levels of government were all wrong?" "Who will bear the responsibility for this enormous debt?"

"And who can bear the responsibility?"

"Rather than risk losing our official positions, we might as well make the mistake again, solidify Xi Yunlang's crimes, make it an ironclad case, and then report it to the Emperor to settle the matter."

"In this way, everyone saves face. As for the life of that Xi family brat... Hmph, it's just sacrificing an insignificant little person."

He glanced at Zhu Yunwen one last time, as if looking at an innocent child, and added quietly, "Such a simple principle, do you think those officials don't understand it?"

"Xi Yunlang's injustice... can never be cleared, it can never be cleared in this lifetime."

Upon hearing this analysis, a hint of shock appeared on Xu Miaojin's beautiful face, and she couldn't help but turn her head to look at Zhu Yunwen.

Zhu Yunwen had already pointed out to her the intricacies of mutual protection among officials, but she never expected that an ordinary citizen could see through such a complex web of interests so clearly.

Zhu Yunwen was not surprised at all by this.

Ordinary people often have insightful and incisive observations about the deep-seated problems in officialdom.

It is a kind of survival "wisdom" that is rooted in one's bones and blood and has been condensed through thousands of years of oppression and despair.

Although Xu Miaojin was exceptionally intelligent, she was ultimately born into a noble family and viewed the world from a distance. Her perspective on problems was naturally very different from that of ordinary people struggling in the mortal world.

“Mishandling a case might at most result in dismissal, but deceiving the emperor is a heinous crime punishable by beheading and confiscation of property. Do those officials really have the guts to do that?” Zhu Yunwen continued to press on.

"Young man, you still don't understand." The man sneered, his sarcasm deepening. "Your reasoning is sound, but what if the case is innocent, and they haven't deceived the emperor? Wouldn't everything be fine, and everyone happy?"

"The key is that as long as they handle this case in a way that leaves no room for error, the Emperor will only be reading their reports and documents. How could he possibly know the hidden truth behind it?"

"They were all scholars, masters of language, and knew how to write memorials to the emperor."

"The truth of this case will ultimately be reported to the emperor by them."

"That's what gives them the confidence to take the gamble!"

He paused, then lowered his voice and said, "Besides, in officialdom, it's always the bold who get rich and the timid who starve."

"Back when the Supreme Emperor was in power, he severely punished corrupt officials, skinning them alive and stuffing them with straw. How cruel! But corrupt officials were like wildfire that could not be extinguished, and they would spring up again with the spring breeze."

"As long as we can keep it from the Emperor, this matter will remain completely unknown."

"Any official who dares to be greedy for money will dare to do this."

"But how many officials in this world are truly free from corruption?"

Zhu Yunwen nodded thoughtfully and then asked, "Has the retrial of Xi Yunlang's case reached a conclusion?"

The man shook his head: "Not yet. I've only heard that the official verdict will be announced in the next day or two."

Xu Miaojin, who had been silent all along, couldn't help but interject, her clear voice carrying a hint of confusion: "Since the verdict has not yet been announced, how can you all be so certain that the yamen will definitely break the law and continue to wrong Xi Yunlang?"

The man smiled upon hearing this and patiently explained, "Miss, you may not know this, but in the official court, on the surface, it is the magistrate who presides over the case, but in reality, the ones who run errands, grind ink, and organize the case files are all the clerks and runners below."

"They are the real frontline operators."

"How the case will be tried and how the charges will be determined have already been decided by the people below before the officials even sit down in court. The case file is written very clearly."

"The final hearing was nothing more than reading from the script, striking the gavel once, and going through the motions."

The middle-aged man's tone shifted slightly as he added, "Of course, if it were a regular case, under the new policy, it would be handled by the Department of Justice, but there might still be some changes."

"But Xi Yunlang's case has already alarmed the emperor. The officials have already secretly agreed on how to handle it and have given their subordinates strict orders to do things their way."

"What secret can stay hidden forever?"

"Aren't all the clerks and runners in the yamen locals with families from our county?"

"Those who are related by blood or marriage, after a few drinks, what can be kept quiet?"

"So, even before the case was decided, the outcome was already known throughout the city."

Zhu Yuntong nodded slightly.

Civil servants in later generations generally have a strong sense of confidentiality and will not talk about things inside their units to outsiders.

But this era is exactly the opposite.

The common people outside know exactly what's going on inside the government office.

Firstly, the clerks and runners who were in charge of handling affairs all liked to go outside and talk to others.

Secondly, due to reasons such as clan, relatives, and family, they are often "morally blackmailed" and have no choice but to speak out.

Even during court discussions, things were much better if Zhu Yunwen hadn't repeatedly issued orders prohibiting the transmission of "forbidden words" to the outside world and had specifically formulated strict rules and regulations to severely punish those who leaked secrets.

In the past, one could finish discussing matters in the Fengtian Hall and then hear a storytelling version in a restaurant in Jinling City.

Xu Miaojin was born with a chivalrous heart. Hearing these chilling inside stories, she was already filled with righteous indignation. Her clear almond eyes blazed with anger. She clenched her fists and said indignantly, "Fairness and justice, right and wrong, are those scholars who wear official hats and have studied the classics all their lives less able to distinguish right from wrong than street vendors?"

"In my opinion, reasoning with these parasites is useless; we must use swift and decisive measures to make an example of them and set an example for others in order to restore order to the world!"

Her words were powerful and resolute, carrying an air of authority that silenced the surrounding chatter.

A peddler standing nearby glanced at her a few times and couldn't help but tease her, "Oh, look at this young lady, so pretty, yet she speaks with a fierce air about her, just like Mulan who went to war in place of her father, or Mu Guiying who led the army into battle!"

……

(End of this chapter)