xymnovel Chapter 80 Showing leniency to the culprit
Chapter 80 Showing leniency to the culprit
Gao Huaide was in a good mood after finishing the birthday gift for Yang Chonggui.
He suddenly became curious: what kind of gift would his sister prepare for Gui-ge'er? Thinking of this, Gao Huaide couldn't suppress his curiosity and immediately went to find Gao Huaixuan.
As you walk through the courtyard, before even entering the house, you can hear the sound of a zither.
His sister was playing the zither. Gao Huaide tiptoed to the door, stopped, and stood listening quietly.
The spring breeze was warm and gentle, and the sound of the zither was like a clear spring flowing. Gao Huaide was familiar with the music and recognized it as "Yangchun".
This piece evolved from the Spring and Autumn and Warring States period piece "Yangchun Baixue" (White Snow in the Sunny Spring). It was once lost, but Emperor Gaozong of Tang ordered the Imperial Music Bureau to revise the old piece, re-establish the musical scale, and divide it into fifteen sections, showcasing the return of spring and the gentle breeze. (Note 1)
The warm sun shines brightly on the beautiful landscape, and a gentle breeze makes the flowers and willows sway gracefully.
Many emotions, red follows the distant waves, peach blossoms gently ripple, especially fearing that spring comes and goes.
As Gao Huaixuan played the final section of "Warm Sun and Gentle Breeze," the sound of the five-stringed zither evoked the image of flowers withering and petals falling.
Spring is fading, summer is approaching. Cherish the last flowers, do not waste the time, and fully reveal the meaning in the melody.
When the music stopped, Gao Huaide knocked twice on the door and called out, "I'm here!" Without waiting for a reply, he barged into his sister's room.
Gao Huaixuan was discussing her experience playing the zither with Xiaoling when she saw Gao Huaide walking briskly towards her. She quickly asked Xiaoling to bring him an embroidered stool to sit on.
Gao Huaide, however, plopped down on his sister's bed, leaned back and swung his legs, and told her about celebrating Yang Chonggui's birthday.
He used a clever trick, feigning a troubled expression: "They're almost here, and I still haven't decided what to give Brother Gui. It's driving me crazy."
He had crumpled the neatly laid-out brocade quilt into a mess. Gao Huaixuan helped her younger brother up and, while tidying up, said, "The value of friendship lies in sincerity, not in how rare or expensive the gift is. As long as you put your heart into it, that's enough."
No, no.
Gao Huaide shook his head vigorously: "Sister, what gift have you prepared? Tell me, give me some inspiration!"
Unable to resist his nagging, Gao Huaixuan took out a piece of red silk cloth, about two feet long and only a few fingers wide.
"What can you do with such a narrow and short strip of cloth? It's not even enough to knit a scarf."
"You call yourself a martial artist? Don't you know the saying, 'A sword without a robe, a spear without a tassel, is a disgrace'?"
I've never heard of Gao Huaide before.
"Golden swords are heavy. When wielding them in battle, the clash of weapons can reduce fatigue by wrapping them in a sword robe, making them less likely to slip from the hand."
Gao Huaixuan explained, "The sword robe is also called the blood-bound robe. It should be made of white silk, and when you return from killing the enemy, it should be dyed red to show your outstanding achievements. You're still a long way from going into battle, so just use red cloth."
Gao Huaixuan's gift wasn't particularly expensive, but as she said, it clearly showed thoughtfulness. Gao Huaide suddenly felt that his whole ordeal seemed rather childish and immature.
He gave an "oh" and left his sister's room dejectedly, leaving Gao Huaixuan shaking her head and sighing.
The fact that the thief broke into the eagle's house was truly kept from Father. However, out of consideration for his son's friendship, he did not expose or reprimand him.
My younger brother is only one year younger than me, and I wonder when his frivolous and mischievous nature will fade away.
Suddenly, a head popped out from the doorway. Gao Huaide, who had been looking disappointed just moments before, poked his head out and teased, "I think this red silk looks like the red thread of fate from the God of Marriage. It's a pity that Gui-ge'er is a bit too young."
In the early Tang Dynasty, Emperor Taizong decreed that men could marry at the age of twenty and women at the age of fifteen. During the Kaiyuan era, Emperor Xuanzong issued an edict changing this to allow men to marry at the age of fifteen and women to marry at the age of thirteen or older.
Gao Huaixuan spat at him, and Gao Huaide chuckled and strode away.
Logically, in another two or three years, Gao Huaixuan would be of marriageable age. However, Gao Huaide was still clueless and had no idea what marriage meant.
After the first month of the lunar calendar, Li Yichao stopped arguing with Gao Xingzhou and Fu Yanqing. His old wounds from the Battle of Sanchuankou were slow to heal, so he had to submit a memorial claiming illness and recommending his younger brother, Li Yiyin, the military commander, to temporarily govern the military and state affairs.
Li Yichao died in February. (Note 2)
……
Yang Chonggui's birthday was still a few days away, and Gao Huaide was itching to give him a surprise. He thought that simply giving him a gift was not enough, and he also needed to give him a surprise.
Just as I was racking my brains, I suddenly heard the sound of drums coming from afar.
According to the Tang Code, a petition drum was set up outside the imperial court. If someone invited a carriage and a drum to submit a petition, the presiding official was required to accept it.
Those who do not immediately accept the punishment will be punished one degree more severely; those who do not accept the punishment will receive sixty strokes of the cane for one stroke, seventy strokes for four strokes, and one hundred strokes for ten strokes. Of course, those who complain by intruding on the imperial procession will also be punished with sixty strokes of the cane.
Outside the Jiedushi's office, there was also a large drum, guarded by officials, but no one ever bothered to beat it. Gao Huaide had been in Yanzhou for a whole year and had never seen it once.
"What happened?"
He immediately became interested and sneaked into the front hall to peek.
The father sat in court, his back to the father, with two rows of guards standing in a triangular formation. A young man knelt below, his clothes bearing clear black welts from being struck with sticks, with traces of blood visible through them.
The young man, who had been given a beating as a warning, shouted hoarsely, "General Bai Wenshen of Bao'an Town has arbitrarily killed more than ten people in the county, including my brother and his entire family, yet he was pardoned and released. I, Zhao Siwan, am not satisfied and beg Your Excellency to seek justice for the people!"
Upon hearing this, the officials in the hall immediately changed color.
Bai Wenshen was arrested by Gao Xingzhou himself. All the documents, evidence and testimonies were complete, making it an ironclad case. Yet, he was still able to be released without any damage, which undoubtedly slapped the face of the officials in charge.
"The White Plague God, wasn't he escorted to the capital for questioning? Shouldn't he have been beheaded long ago?"
Gao Huaide, who was eavesdropping from behind the hall, was also extremely surprised. How could someone who had killed so many people be released without charge?
Those officials in the capital must have lost their minds, right?
In the capital of this dynasty, the judicial system was jointly managed by the Court of Judicial Review, the Ministry of Justice, and the Censorate. Local authorities did not have their own judicial offices; instead, they were managed by military and political officials such as military governors and prefects, with subordinate officials such as military governor's assistants and legal advisors responsible for handling legal cases.
The judge immediately became restless and asked him how he knew.
Zhao Siwan said that she saw Bai Wenshen with her own eyes in Yanzhou City.
Are you sure you haven't mistaken me for someone else?
Zhao Siwan's eyes blazed with fury as she hissed, "Even if he were reduced to ashes, I would still recognize him. How could I be mistaken!"
Seeing that the situation was indeed true, the judge looked at Gao Xingzhou and sought his superior's opinion.
If a general amnesty were to actually be granted, it would only mean that Bai Wenshen was extremely lucky. In that case, his past crimes would be wiped clean, and there would be no way to prosecute him through normal channels.
"There's no need to rush to arrest them."
Gao Xingzhou spoke to Zhao Siwan in a flat tone, "Don't be impatient, and don't go looking for Bai Wenshen to cause trouble. Let me find out the truth before we make any plans."
Zhao Siwan couldn't understand why there was anything else to investigate when the case was so clear. However, she couldn't overcome the official's imposing presence and had no choice but to follow the yamen runners away.
"Contact the Imperial Secretariat to inquire about any recent personnel changes in the various departments of the Ministry of Justice, and report back immediately."
The Imperial Secretariat was the liaison office of various towns stationed in Beijing, responsible for relaying messages. Gao Xingzhou knew that things were not a matter of chance, and Bai Wenshen's release was by no means a coincidence; it was most likely manipulated behind the scenes. If he wanted to overturn the case again, he would need to put in even more effort.
Just like in military campaigns, knowing yourself and your enemy is the key to victory in every battle.
"They rushed to the capital, captured him, and imprisoned him, only to release him the moment he was handed over. What kind of logic is that?"
That evening, Gao Huaide couldn't help but ask about it.
Gao Xingzhou wasn't surprised. During the trial, several subordinates glanced behind him, clearly knowing that this kid was eavesdropping.
It was a good thing that his son was willing to listen to some government affairs; it didn't violate any rules, so Gao Xingzhou didn't expose him.
"It's nothing more than someone bending the law for personal gain and letting criminals go free."
"What should we do then? Should we arrest him again?"
Gao Xingzhou shook his head and rejected his son's suggestion. The court had its own rules, and prisoners released under amnesty were not escapees. How could they be arrested arbitrarily without an imperial decree?
Gao Huaide thought to himself, "So that's how it is. No wonder this fellow dared to swagger around the city like that." He couldn't help but wonder, "Why isn't he going back to Bao'an Town, but instead wandering around the prefectural city?"
Gao Xingzhou smiled calmly: "Bai Wenshen is just showing off to his father. So what if he arrested me? He'll be released anyway."
"Keep an eye on this person's movements, but don't alert him and let him escape elsewhere."
After all, he was just a town general stripped of his official rank. Even if he had someone supporting him, he was not someone Gao Xingzhou took seriously.
"Once we find out what happened, we will submit a memorial to the emperor and demand an explanation."
Gao Huaide felt that such a criminal should be killed by a few men with swift strokes of the knife; why bother asking for instructions back and forth?
Gao Xingzhou glared at him: "The imperial court has its own laws. If I were to disregard human life, how would I be any different from Bai Wenshen?"
Gao Huaide's idea was not wrong.
The Rites of Zhou states: "Thieves, bandits, and their families shall be killed without punishment. Those who seek revenge shall have their names recorded by the officials, and they shall be killed without punishment."
It is this ancient tradition, based on simple emotions and deeply rooted in the heart, that has enabled the Chinese people to rise up and fight back when invaded, even after being tormented by the art of controlling the people for more than two thousand years.
When this tradition is suppressed or even destroyed, and the people become obedient lambs, allowing officials and superiors to bully them without daring to fight back, the ruler's rule is certainly secure. But ask yourself honestly, when it truly comes to decisive action, will you still have the courage and spirit to resist?
The next day, Gao Huaide ordered Fu'an to find out where Bai Wenshen had gone. His father had only mentioned it briefly, but he took it upon himself to do so.
Not only that, he also invited Yang Chonggui: "There's a fun spies job I've got, wanna come along?"