The Ming Dynasty: The opening scene features Zhu Di angrily accusing him of illegitimate succession.

Chapter 98 Seeking Justice (Seeking Monthly Tickets in March)

In the public hall of Yingtian Prefecture, case files were piled up.

Lin Yue sat upright in the high hall, his piercing gaze sweeping over the officials below.

"The reason I have gathered you all here today is to investigate the backlog of cases from previous years."

If old cases are not clarified and grievances are not redressed, where is the authority of the law?

He pulled out a scroll and slammed it heavily on the table.

"Let's look at this case first, the murder case of a nine-year-old child."

Five years ago, this child stabbed a neighbor's throat with scissors when the neighbor's children were fighting over a toy. Four years ago, he smashed his teacher's skull with a stone during an argument with the teacher after the teacher punished him.

In both murder cases, the evidence was conclusive, yet the children were ultimately given lenient sentences due to their ignorance, receiving only caning and fines. What do you all think? Are these punishments reasonable?

As soon as he finished speaking, the head of the torture chamber bowed and replied.

"Reporting to the Prefect, according to the laws of the Great Ming Dynasty, if a child under the age of ten commits murder, a case must be drafted and reported to the emperor for a decision. Those sentenced to exile or less can be redeemed."

During the reign of Emperor Taizu, an eight-year-old boy in Haozhou accidentally pushed his playmate into the water and drowned. Emperor Taizu, mindful of the boy's ignorance, only ordered his parents to discipline him strictly and did not impose severe punishment.

In this case, the child was only nine years old, and the lenient treatment according to the law is legally justified.

Lin Yue slammed his gavel and roared, "How can you confuse accidental killing with intentional killing!"

The child whom the Taizu Emperor pardoned was someone who had accidentally injured another person. Killing him once was an accident, but killing two people in two years was also an accident?

Such a vicious criminal cannot be excused by ignorance. You are blatantly lying through your teeth. Do you think I'm a fool, or that everyone in the world is a fool?

The courtroom was completely silent; the officials all hung their heads and dared not utter a sound.

Lin Yue turned to Shi Jin and asked in a stern voice, "Judge Shi, what do you think should be done about this?"

Shi Jin quickly stepped forward and hurriedly explained, "Your Excellency, I only took office as the judge of Yingtian Prefecture at the end of the Hongwu reign. This case has nothing to do with me."

In my humble opinion, although the Ming Dynasty law contains provisions for the leniency of young children, it does not condone cruelty.

The case of the young child during the reign of Emperor Taizu was an unintentional mistake. This child had repeatedly committed murder, and his cruelty far exceeded that of ordinary people. He was completely different from those pardoned by Emperor Taizu, and therefore should not be judged lightly.

"In that case, what do you think should be the punishment?" Lin Yue pressed.

Shi Jin remained silent for a moment, beads of sweat forming on his forehead. Sentencing a child under ten to death had no clear legal basis, and it would also offend the emperor to overturn an old case, which involved taking a huge risk.

He opened his mouth, but ultimately dared not speak out.

Seeing this, Lin Yue did not press the matter further. He tossed the dossier aside and said loudly.

"I will not force you! I will make my own decision on this case. Issue my order!"

"Immediately send men to arrest this child and bring him to justice. He will be temporarily imprisoned in the death row, pending my report to His Majesty, detailing his vicious nature, and requesting that he be executed by hanging!"

He swept his gaze across the crowd, his tone resolute: "From this day forward, within the territory of Yingtian Prefecture, any child who commits a crime, if it is an accidental injury, may be pardoned according to the law; if it is premeditated murder or cruelty, regardless of age, they shall not be considered as young or weak, but shall be imprisoned first, and then executed after Your Majesty's approval!"

The law is meant to protect the people; how can it be used to encourage evildoers?

The officials looked at each other, but none dared to refute them.

Beneath the central screen, a vermilion official desk was set up neatly, with a red and black brush resting on it on a brush holder with the character "山" (mountain) on it, and the officials below the hall displaying various expressions.

Lin Yue, dressed in a scarlet official robe, sat upright on his throne, his face cold and aloof, appearing unapproachable.

He then pulled out another scroll and unfolded it.

"This case is settled. Let's discuss another one, the case of Zhang Biao, a constable who was killed in the late Hongwu period during the reign of Emperor Jianwen."

"The case file is quite comprehensive; let me read it to you all."

Lin Yue opened his mouth and said, "The constable Zhang Biao, aged thirty-two, was murdered in the grass south of Shangyuan County. He was stabbed seven times, each time in a vital spot. His throat, heart, and abdomen were all pierced. His blood soaked through three feet of grass. His death was gruesome. The victim in the same place was Wang, the wife of Li Long, a tofu merchant. She was twenty-two years old. Her clothes were disheveled. She was stabbed three times and was raped before she died."

Lin Yue paused, then glanced at everyone: "You examined the scene and found that Wang Shi and Zhang Biao's bodies were close together. You also learned from the neighbors that the two had a history of adultery." Therefore, he concluded that Wang Shi's husband, Li Long, committed the murder out of jealousy.

Logically speaking, this is indeed the case. The case file clearly states that Li Long confessed without hesitation, saying that he caught his wife having an affair with Zhang Biao, and in a fit of rage, he went home, grabbed a knife, and killed the two of them in the bushes.

Therefore, you convicted Li Long of "adultery and murder" and sentenced him to immediate execution by beheading. He was executed last autumn, and his head was severed from his body.

"The evidence is conclusive, the perpetrator has been caught red-handed, and the suspect has confessed and signed the confession." Lin Yue slammed the case file onto the desk and said in a deep voice.

"At first glance, this ruling seems perfectly reasonable, without a single flaw, right?"

He raised his eyes and stared intently at everyone. The head of the torture chamber had beads of sweat on his forehead, which he subconsciously wiped away before bowing and answering.

"Reporting to the Prefect, this case is handled according to the law on killing adulterers. If a husband catches his adulterers in the act of adultery and kills them on the spot, no further action will be taken."

After Li Long was apprehended, he confessed to his crimes without hesitation, personally signing a confession. There were also testimonies from neighbors who stated they had witnessed him having a history of discord with Wang and Zhang Biao. The testimonies were consistent with the evidence, the case file was complete, and the immediate execution was entirely legally justified and appropriate.

Lin Yue retorted angrily, "You're good at citing legal provisions, but you close your eyes to the numerous doubts in the case file!"

His eyes were sharp, piercing the man: "Who is Li Long? How did an honest merchant who carries a tofu pole through the streets and alleys every day acquire such ruthless skills?"

Zhang Biao was stabbed seven times, each stab aimed precisely at vital points, even the throat and heart. Wang's three stabs all hit vital points, and her attack was swift and ruthless. How could an ordinary person have such a way of killing?

Li Long confessed after being arrested for three days. If this is an ironclad case, why are there so many discrepancies between the confession in the case file and the on-site investigation?

"Sir Sun, you are not from the Yingtian Prefecture government, but an official of the Ministry of Justice. You should be very familiar with the laws and regulations of the Ming Dynasty. Tell me, how should those who have been wrongly convicted due to conflicting and contradictory evidence be punished?"

The official in charge of the Ministry of Justice turned pale and stammered, "This...this case file records confessions that correspond perfectly with the events at the scene, with no errors or omissions."

Lin Yue sneered, stood up and stepped down from his seat, slamming the dossier in his hand heavily in front of Chief Clerk Sun.

"Take a look! According to the coroner's records, the strangulation mark on Wang's neck was 'loose on the left and tight on the right,' but the confession said that the murderer Zhang Biao was right-handed and used his right hand to strangle people, so the mark should be loose on the right and tight on the left, right or not?"

The body had wet mud on the soles of its feet, and the case file clearly stated that it was made from pottery clay from the official kiln west of the city. The forensic examination stated that it had "walked in the countryside," but wasn't Li Long going home to retrieve something when the incident occurred? When did he go to the west of the city?

The courtroom was completely silent; the officials looked at each other, none daring to speak.

Although they were not directly involved in the matter, they knew more or less that when Li Long was arrested, he initially denied it to the death. It was the judge who was handling the case who ordered the torture, using clamps and branding irons. Li Long could not withstand the torture and was forced to confess.

But this matter concerns the official positions of many officials, so who would be willing to bring it up voluntarily?

"Nobody's saying anything?" Lin Yue turned around abruptly and shouted angrily.

"Alright! Then let me tell you the whole story."

When I interrogated the death row inmates in the prison, I learned that someone had voluntarily confessed to the case. Li Longzhi's execution was a complete miscarriage of justice!

The real culprit is a local thug from the Green Gang!

Lin Yue said loudly, "At the end of the Hongwu reign, the Green Gang was rampant, and gang fights often broke out outside the city."

On the day of the incident, two gangs of Green Gang members were fighting for territory outside the city over dock profits when they happened to witness Zhang Biao and Wang's secret meeting.

Zhang Biao, a constable, was having an affair with a woman. Feeling guilty, he dared not reveal his identity. The woman, surnamed Wang, was fair-skinned and beautiful. That day, she was dressed lightly, her skirt thin and revealing. The Green Gang bandits, seeing her beauty, were aroused and approached to harass her.

"Zhang Biao was eager to protect Wang Shi, but dared not reveal his identity as a constable, so he could only stop her with his bare hands."

During the ensuing struggle, Zhang Biao was stabbed and killed. Wang was terrified and knelt down begging for mercy. But the bandits, seeing that a life had been taken, decided to go all the way, raping and murdering Wang before dumping her body in the bushes and then fleeing the scene!

At this point, Lin Yue shouted, "Bring those two Green Gang criminals up here!"

A moment later, two men, shackled and covered in tattoos, were brought into the courtroom.

Both men had fierce expressions, and their prison uniforms were covered in grime.

"The one on the left is Zhou Wen, who was sentenced to death for fighting, murder and robbery. The one on the right is Wu Yong, his deputy, who is also responsible for multiple murders."

"These two are here. If you don't believe me, you can ask them," Lin Yue said coldly.

The officials remained silent, and no one stepped forward for a moment.

Seeing this, Shi Jin quickly stepped forward and asked in a deep voice.

"Zhou Wen and Wu Yong, you two must tell the truth: were you responsible for the deaths of Zhang Biao and Wang Shi? You must not utter a single falsehood!"

Knowing they were doomed, the two men were happy to boast about their achievements as death approached, hoping to save face on their journey to the underworld.

Zhou Wen grinned, revealing his yellowed teeth, and laughed.

"Of course! That skinny guy was courting death. He dared to fight back and make wild gestures when he saw me. I just stabbed him through the heart and killed him."

"That woman was really delicate, with skin as white as tofu. When she begged for mercy, her voice was soft. She would do anything to save her life, hahaha!"

"What a pity. You can't leave someone alive after killing them. I slit her throat with my last stroke and threw her in the grass. What a waste."

Wu Yong chimed in, "We brothers were about to do something big when we bumped into this pair of lovebirds."

After we brothers beat that skinny guy, we saw that the woman was somewhat attractive, so we took turns having our way with her. She was quite pretty, but she was just boring. No matter how much we beat her, she would only beg for mercy; she had no backbone.

The two of them talked back and forth, explaining the crime in detail. Their vulgar and offensive language revealed their arrogance and unbridled behavior.

When they described Wang begging for mercy, they would even proudly recount how they drew their knives to kill her, how Wang reacted, how desperate she was, and how she finally gave up the struggle.

In the courtroom, the officials had different expressions, and many of them looked angry.

Lin Yue's face turned ashen, and he coldly snorted, "Shut up!"

Zhou Wen and Wu Yong ignored the angry shouts, their faces full of arrogance as they grinned at Lin Yue, even about to continue speaking.

Lin Yue was furious upon seeing this: "Guards, these two criminals are in contempt of court! Open your mouths! Beat them hard!"

The constables acted very quickly this time, and their blows were extremely powerful, even nine-tenths of the way forceful. With one strike, Zhou Wen's teeth flew out of his mouth.

"They've committed numerous evils and are utterly clueless." Lin Yue waved his hand. "Drag these two away, interrogate them severely, and ask them if they have any other cases."

After dealing with the two men, Lin Yue turned to the officials in the hall and said in a loud voice.

"Everyone, have you heard the whole story?"

The facts are clear: an honest and law-abiding tofu seller, whose wife was murdered after an affair, was identified as the killer, tortured into confessing, and ultimately executed.

Lin Yue's voice suddenly rose: "You take the government's salary and eat the people's millet, yet you disregard human life and fabricate injustices!"

In order to close the case as soon as possible, you tortured Li Long severely, breaking his leg bones with a clamp and burning his flesh with a branding iron, forcing him to confess to fabricated crimes!

With a stroke of the cinnabar brush, killing a person is so easy, but Li Long has an elderly mother and a five-year-old son at home.

Li Long was beheaded, Wang was killed, his elderly mother died of grief, and his young son was left to wander the streets, his whereabouts unknown!

The real culprit, however, has been at large for nearly a year, continuing to commit evil deeds and harm living beings!

Do you have any respect for your official positions? Do you have any respect for the people of the world?

How can we face Li Long, who died unjustly, his tragically murdered mother, and his missing young son?

"Now, do you have any objections?" Lin Yue's gaze was piercing as he looked directly at everyone. "Speak up now, or you won't have the chance later!"

The officials below shook their heads, while those unrelated to the case quickly bowed and spoke.

"No objections. The decision is entirely at the prefect's discretion!"

The officials involved in the case turned ashen-faced. Thinking of Lin Yue's infamous reputation for killing in Jiangnan, they were heartbroken and their legs trembled uncontrollably.

Lin Yue looked at Shi Jin again and asked, "Judge Shi, according to the laws of our Great Ming Dynasty, what punishment should be imposed on the officials responsible for the trial, conviction, and reporting of cases involving torture to extract confessions and the fabrication of wrongful convictions, resulting in the death sentence of an innocent person who has already been executed?"

Shi Jin, sweating profusely, quickly bowed and replied, "Prefect, according to the Ming Dynasty's legal code, in cases where officials deliberately convict someone, the guilty shall be punished for the full crime, and those who die shall be sentenced to death."

In this case, if the relevant officials deliberately used torture to extract confessions and fabricated charges to sentence the innocent Li Long to death, which has already been carried out, it falls under the provisions of the law and should be punished by hanging, with execution to be carried out in the autumn.

He paused, his voice trembling slightly, and continued, "If the investigation was negligent and the truth was not ascertained, it is considered an error in sentencing," and each person's punishment would be reduced by three degrees. The clerk would be the first to be punished, the head official would have their punishment reduced by one degree, the assistant official by another degree, and the superior official by yet another degree.

Since Li Long was already dead, even if the crime was committed unlawfully, the relevant officials would still be subject to at least one hundred strokes of the cane and three years of penal servitude, with the most serious offenders being exiled three thousand li away.

"Hmm? Just one hundred strokes of the cane and three years of penal servitude?" Lin Yue snorted coldly, clearly very dissatisfied.

Shi Jin raised his head, then quickly lowered it again. "If an official in charge of a trial illegally tortures or coerces a confession, and the person being investigated dies as a result, he shall be sentenced to death by hanging. Colleagues who knew about the investigation and participated in the investigation shall be punished with the same crime."

All officials involved in the case, whether intentionally or unintentionally imprisoned, must be dismissed from their posts, questioned, and have their property confiscated, as a warning to others!

The laws of the Ming Dynasty were very strict and detailed. The strictness mainly targeted serious crimes committed by officials, such as murder and robbery. However, judicial corruption intensified in the mid-to-late period, and the actual implementation was often compromised. But the law was indeed like this. For officials, there were no shortage of punishments such as strangulation, beheading, exile, confiscation of property, demotion, and dismissal.

Upon hearing this, Lin Yue nodded in satisfaction, then glanced at the pale-faced officials below and spoke loudly.

"Issue my order: immediately dismiss and arrest all the judges, clerks, and officials who handled this case, as well as the magistrate of Shangyuan County and other relevant personnel in Shangyuan County, and imprison them for strict interrogation!"

Find out who the mastermind is, who the accomplices are, and who is covering them up—leave no one behind!

He raised his hand, picked up a red pen, and heavily drew the character "斩" (to behead) on the file, the ink bright red.

"As for these two Green Gang thugs, their crimes are heinous. Besides this case, they are also responsible for multiple murders, killing many people and committing cruelty. I intend to petition Your Majesty to have them executed by slow slicing as a warning to others!"

In the courtroom, no one dared to refute it.

Lord Lin's imperial sword was poised to strike; he could kill hundreds of landlords and two county magistrates in Jiangnan without hesitation, and few of them would dare to intervene.

That's how civil officials are. If you have a good temper, they'll take advantage of you. If you dare to commit massacres like cannibals, they'll revise history books and pretend that the emperor still respects Confucianism.

Typical examples are Kangxi, Qianlong, and Liu Bang. The first two were illiterate and produced literary garbage every day. They would beat scholars or even execute them. Liu Bang, on the other hand, simply looked down on Confucianism. If you were useless and kept whining, Liu Bang would urinate on your hat in front of you.

However, according to historical records, all three were people who respected Confucianism, at least that's what the records say.

After swiftly dealing with some wrongful convictions, Lin Yue felt that time was almost up and planned to make arrangements for matters in Yingtian Prefecture before going to the palace to explain the seriousness of the situation to Zhu Di and to discuss the locust plague in Henan.

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