Ming Dynasty: Ask Zhu Yuanzhang to abdicate at the beginning

Chapter 589 The Solution: Undercurrents!
With the truth of the case finally revealed, Zhu Yunwen felt no relief, but rather a growing sense of unease.

In his view, from the perspective of his soul from the future, the seemingly strict legal system of the Ming Dynasty actually concealed countless absurd and bloody unspoken rules.

Take interrogation as an example; the term "torture" itself is a highly ironic paradox.

The laws of the Ming Dynasty did not provide a clear definition of it, leaving it to always operate in a gray area between what was permitted and what was not.

It's like a Damocles' sword hanging over the heads of all investigators.

If torture is used to extract confessions and the case is eventually proven true, then torture becomes a "necessary means of handling cases" that no one will hold accountable.

However, if the case is reversed, the person who initially imposed the punishment will be convicted of a heinous crime for "miscarriage of justice".

This mechanism is tantamount to encouraging investigators to spare no effort to make a case "ironclad" once criminal charges are taken.

Even more deadly than this are those death knells that demand a "case be solved within a time limit".

Once a serious case involving murder occurs, superiors often order the constables and police to solve it within three to five days, or seven to eight days.

If the case is not solved within the specified time, the constables in charge will be punished with beatings, with the penalties increasing daily until the case is solved.

So, what if it really can't be broken?

The answer is: There is no case that cannot be solved.

At least, that's how it appears in the case files.

Thus, a bizarre phenomenon arose.
No matter how perplexing the unsolved case is, as long as there is an order from above, it can always be "solved within a specified time limit".

Ultimately, this resulted in a perfect "100% case-solving rate".

Unless it's a case that the higher-ups don't want to investigate, every case will undoubtedly be solved.

Behind this perfection lies a set of "crime-solving" methods privately known as "slacking off".

In short, it's about randomly finding a scapegoat for cases that can't be solved.

To avoid further complications, these "scapegoats" are usually "old scoundrels" with a bad reputation in the local area who are hated by everyone.

Write these people's names on slips of paper, crumple them up, and randomly pick one out. Whoever you pick out is the "real culprit" in that unsolved case.

The slips of paper with names written on them were a simple "Book of Life and Death".

That casual touch became an absurd trial.

In this way, they could report back to their superiors, and since the "murderer" was already notorious, the people would not only not doubt him when they heard that he had been brought to justice, but would also applaud and even praise the government for "solving the case quickly and eliminating a scourge for the people".

Because of his long history of misdeeds, no one would dare to utter a single word of injustice on his behalf.

As for how to get the "real culprit" to confess, that's even simpler.

If you use the "Great Memory Restoration Technique" passed down through generations in the government offices, not only will you not admit to murder, but you will also have to confess to stealing the moon from the sky and raping the tiger in the forest last night.

It is through these various means that we have ensured that major cases are "cracked".

Otherwise, given the current forensic technology and crime-solving methods of the Ming Dynasty, countless cases would inevitably become unsolved mysteries.

Are the officials in high positions really unaware of this?

Naturally not.

However, in the eyes of this massive state apparatus, the "fairness" of individual cases has never been the core purpose of its operation.

"Order" is the key.

"Fairness and justice" are just a banner that is hung high.

"Maintaining social stability and order" is the most fundamental and core demand of the ruling class.

As long as the lives of the vast majority of people are stable and social order is maintained, then the life, death, injustice, and grievances of a few individuals become less important.

The perspective of the imperial court and government officials is always based on the "big picture".

From this perspective, it's even a "good deal".

Sacrificing a "scumbag" who is already despised by society can both satisfy superiors, deter petty criminals, and appease public sentiment.

Compared to the ongoing panic and loss of order caused by an unsolved case, its "overall social benefits" are undoubtedly greater.

This is the cold, hard logic by which the empire operates.

In the face of a grand order, the grievances of individuals are as insignificant as a feather.

"Sacrifice one person to save a hundred officials..."

Zhu Yunwen pondered Shen Mo's words repeatedly in his mind, finding them utterly absurd and chilling.

Isn't an empire made up of these individual, vibrant "people"?

Are the lives of ordinary people really less important than the career prospects of officials?
Normally, the constables would frame a few "old rascals" to quell the situation and deliver a report that would "satisfy" both their superiors and the people, but in reality, this would lead to endless troubles.

It not only allows the real culprit to go unpunished, secretly mocking the empire's incompetence, but also erodes the empire's foundation.

In the short term, the harm seems minimal.

However, over time, the government's bottom line was repeatedly tested, the dignity of the law was lost, and it only fueled the arrogance of evil.

What's even more frightening is that when officials within the system, from top to bottom, turn a blind eye to wrongful convictions, a "habit of doing evil" will form.

Today, they are willing to sacrifice an "old scoundrel" for the so-called "big picture".

Tomorrow, they will be willing to sacrifice any innocent civilian who gets in their way for the same greater good.

When "the greater good" becomes an excuse to sacrifice individuals at will, then for the sake of "the greater good," there is no one in the world who cannot be wronged!

The reason Shen Mo was so indifferent to a human life was because, as a provincial governor, he had seen too many innocent souls sacrificed for the "greater good," and had long since become accustomed to it.

Therefore, in his view, Xi Yunlang's life was not important.

He felt no remorse whatsoever for Xi Yunlang's unjust death.

Zhu Yunwen thought to himself.

"The law should serve to punish past mistakes to prevent future ones, and to cure the disease and save the patient."

"We need both swift and decisive measures to punish evil, and gentle and persuasive rules to guide and restrain it."

"This current system is tantamount to forcing Ming Dynasty officials to gamble with the lives of the people and their own futures!"

Winning brings a promising career; losing means utter ruin.

In such a system, everyone is insecure and everyone will prioritize "self-preservation".

The best way to "protect oneself" is to "cover up one's mistakes and add layers of accusations."

A sound system should be like a stable riverbed. It should both restrain the river (power) from overflowing and protect the riverbed itself (officials) from being washed away by the flood.

It should provide a clear, safe, and followable path, not a precipice where one wrong step will lead to certain destruction.

The intention behind "solving all major murder cases" is good. However, it must be acknowledged that human resources are sometimes limited.

Forcibly requiring all cases to be solved violates the objective principle that "things have varying degrees of difficulty, and people have their limits."

Under such unrealistic demands, local officials had no choice but to fabricate false cases to avoid punishment.

The correct approach would be to establish a tiered response mechanism.

Cases that local authorities cannot solve are then addressed by higher-level government agencies with more resources, rather than resorting to coercion and punishment.

For local government offices, a crime-solving rate can be used as an assessment criterion to measure their performance.

However, it is also required that the investigation must be conducted within the bounds of legality and compliance.

Otherwise, the consequences would be worse than not solving the case at all.

In fact, a place may maintain a very high crime-solving rate, for example, more than 90%, or even higher.

However, it is impossible to solve 100% of all cases.

Being able to detect the vast majority of these cases is enough to deter criminals.

Furthermore, the Ming Dynasty's laws were extremely strict, reaching the pinnacle in terms of punishment.

However, "prevention" is always more important than "punishment".

It is far better to repair the dam as soon as the first crack appears than to spend a tremendous amount of effort trying to plug it after it has breached.

The same principle applies to the punishment of officials.

If minor mistakes and major crimes are treated the same and both are severely punished, then officials will desperately try to cover up minor mistakes out of fear.

The consequence is that, like a snowball rolling downhill, small mistakes are covered up into major cases, ultimately leading to irreparable damage.

This is like sentencing someone to death for stealing even a tael of silver. In order to avoid being discovered, the thief would inevitably choose to kill to cover it up, because the crime of "stealing" and "killing" would be indistinguishable.

The Ming Dynasty's laws severely punished officials who made mistakes, and these officials were also making the same errors.

Thinking of this, Zhu Yunwen gave a deep order:

"Issue my decree:"

"First, the Administrative Office shall convene officials from the Court of Judicial Review and the Censorate to immediately review and revise the provisions in the law concerning official negligence and dereliction of duty. It is imperative to ensure that responsibilities are clearly defined, punishments are appropriate, minor offenses serve as a warning, and major crimes are severely punished, and to prevent generalizations from being made!"

"Secondly, the Ministry of Justice is to immediately draft the 'Regulations for Arrestors' and the 'Criminal Trial Rules,' ensuring that every step, from arrest and interrogation to evidence collection and sentencing, has clear and specific regulations and standards, so that arrestors at all levels have laws to follow and rules to abide by, and to prevent torture and forced confessions and subjective assumptions!"

"Thirdly, the Ministry of Justice should formulate the 'Regulations on Case Adjudication' so that the judicial departments of each province, the judicial departments of each prefecture, and the judicial offices of each county should strictly adjudicate cases in accordance with the regulations, rather than making hasty and arbitrary judgments."

"I want all cases in the land to be handled clearly and transparently!"

Soon, a series of imperial edicts were sent from Shandong to Nanjing via a dedicated telegraph line, and then disseminated to the world through the government affairs office.

Following the major overhaul of officialdom in Henan, a large number of officials in Shandong's judicial system have been brought down.

Such swift and decisive measures shook the entire officialdom.

Everyone could see that a storm, personally initiated by His Majesty and aimed at clarifying official conduct and rectifying the court, was brewing.

After spending several days in Shanxian County and settling all the loose ends, Zhu Yunwen's imperial carriage continued eastward to Qufu, the hometown of Confucius.

The sage's banner is extremely useful for the current rule of the Ming Dynasty, both in terms of internal moral education and external public opinion and propaganda, and he wants to continue to carry it on.

……

Just as the emperor's carriage was heading east towards the birthplace of the sage, another equally weary procession was coming from the west. After months of trekking, they had finally entered Shandong.

This caravan had come all the way from the Western Regions, carrying the two beauties, Gulizaba and Dinaruoya.

Throughout the journey, the escorting generals constantly inquired about the emperor's whereabouts via telegram, and adjusted the route several times before barely managing to catch up with the imperial procession.

Once they entered Shandong territory, the leading general finally breathed a sigh of relief.

It's not that I'm worried about safety.

In the heart of the Ming Dynasty, it is likely that no one would dare to disturb this convoy of "tribute" presented to the emperor.

However, ensuring the safe arrival of these two pearls of the Western Regions before the emperor's return to the capital remained a weighty and challenging mission.

Moreover, Gulizaba and Dinaruoya are, after all, of noble birth, and it is their first time away from their homeland. Facing the vastly different climate and soil of the Central Plains, they are somewhat uncomfortable.

The long journey took its toll, causing both young women to fall ill at the same time, forcing them to rest for several days before continuing their journey.

Fortunately, the emperor slowed down his journey after entering Henan, which gave them a chance to catch up.

Entering the North China Plain, the scenery along the way is completely different from that of the Ming Dynasty in the northwest.

This is the heart of the Central Plains, a land of fertile plains, with magnificent cities, wide roads, and a prosperity that surpasses many of the places we have passed through before.

After recovering from their illness, the two girls' moods brightened.

They sat side by side in the spacious carriage, admiring the pastoral scenery rushing past the window while speaking privately in their native language.

"Sister, what kind of person is that Ming emperor?" The younger Dina Ruoya leaned against the soft pillow, her eyes filled with curiosity and a hint of fear.

She had asked this question countless times along the way.

Gulizaba smoothed her wind-blown hair and chuckled, "No matter what he looks like, now you and I are both his women."

"I only hope that the Emperor of the Ming Dynasty is a hero worthy of my trust."

Even so, her tightly clenched fingers betrayed her inner nervousness.

Among this team, there was one figure that stood out particularly.

That was Zhu Su.

Now, he is traveling around as a specially appointed "divine physician" of the Western Regions royal court.

As the saying goes, "a monk from afar chants scriptures better," and the officials at all levels who received the motorcade were all filled with awe and respect upon hearing the background of this "Miracle Doctor Cao."

Many people come seeking medical treatment, either for themselves or for their family members.

Zhu Su's medical skills were already superb. He could analyze the root cause of the disease in detail just by observing, listening, questioning and feeling the pulse. His prescriptions were also very effective, often producing miraculous results with just one dose. He truly deserved the name of "divine doctor".

What impressed those officials even more was his profound knowledge.

He could discuss with officials everything from the Analects to the Records of the Grand Historian, from poetry and songs to chess, calligraphy and painting. His breadth of knowledge and elegance of speech often made those officials who prided themselves on being well-read feel inferior and secretly marvel at him.

It is truly remarkable that someone who has lived in the Western Regions for so long has such a profound understanding of Central Plains culture!

As a result, the name "Dr. Cao" spread like wildfire, and by the time the convoy arrived in Shandong, he was already a guest of honor sought after by countless officials.

Who would have thought that this renowned Western Region physician, skilled in healing the sick and embassy, ​​and a foreign envoy well-versed in Chinese culture, was actually the most wanted criminal on the Ming Dynasty's wanted list, the deposed Prince Zhu Su, who had once raised an army in rebellion and later disappeared without a trace.

……

(End of this chapter)