Chapter 673 Rebellion Case (1)
In fact, there were many ministers in the court who secretly sent people to hire Erbi to fight Zhang Fei, but these were just to deal with Zhang Fei, nothing more, even if they lost, it would not do anything to them The damage is, at most, just a little money spent.
But this time is different. This time it is really not to deal with Zhang Fei, but to save his life. Once the crime of rebellion is convicted, the consequences will be unimaginable and many people will be implicated.
Now everyone knows that there is no way to prevent the lawsuit from going to the imperial court, so they quickly hired Erbi. Now everyone knows that if they don’t hire Erbi, it will be almost a dead end.
So, I was forced to do this.
In this regard, Li Guozhong was really helpless. He really didn’t want to fight this lawsuit. This involved the crime of treason, which was the worst of the ten evils.
This has never happened before. It is a very simple logical relationship to help a rebel. Once the crime of rebellion is convicted, the emperor will definitely think, what do you mean by Erbi? Are those who want to overthrow my rule going to court?
If I don’t kill you, who will I kill?
But there is no way. Those meritorious families and wealthy gentry in Qizhou are also very powerful in the capital, and this matter is closely related to the entire ruling class. If Li Guozhong doesn’t take over, then his bookstore may not be able to open. .
Li Guozhong had no choice, so he came to Zhang Fei to ask.
But he is also a little stupid. The procuratorate is not neutral, it is very biased. In fact, it is similar to lawyers. The difference is that there is only one boss behind the procuratorate, and that is the court. Zhang Fei’s answers are all against the rules. That can only be pushed to the imperial court.
After coming out of the procuratorate, Li Guozhong went to the imperial court to inquire. He was very humble. We just asked about it. If it doesn’t work, just pretend that I didn’t say anything.
Zhao Bian refused directly.
Very simple!
But the news spread quickly and caused a lot of discussion.
This issue is indeed worthy of exploration. In the judicial system, this is indeed a blank.
“Jun Shi, can you defend the rebels?”
Lv Gongzhu looked at Sima Guang curiously.
Sima Guang muttered: “As far as the public prosecutor system is concerned, it should be feasible, because those people are innocent before being sentenced by the imperial court, so they can naturally hire Erbi to fight for themselves. Now What everyone is arguing about is, after the verdict, is Erbi considered an accomplice?”
Lü Gongzhu frowned and said: “This Erbi makes a living by helping others litigate, so it shouldn’t be considered an accomplice, right?”
Sima Guang said: “If it is not the crime of rebellion, you can say so, but it is the crime of rebellion, so even Zhao Xianggong directly rejected Li Guozhong and the others.”
Lv Gongzhu nodded slightly and said: “But even we feel uneasy about this case. How dare Li Guozhong come to ask questions when he is just a tea-eater? It can be seen that there must be people behind him, and their power is not small. These people They are definitely not willing to let it go, and they may use this to impeach Mr. Zhao.”
Fu Bi suddenly smiled and said: “Maybe this is what Zhao Yuedao wants.”
Wen Yanbo nodded and said: “What Mr. Fu said is absolutely true. Although Zhao Yuedao is called the iron-faced censor, he is actually brave and resourceful. Otherwise, with his character, it would be impossible He refused to stay in court for so long, but he knew very well that the other party would definitely not give up.”
At this point, he paused for a moment and then said: “In my opinion, the court will eventually compromise, but this will also lead to a negative consequence. If Erbi can litigate for those who conspire against him, then that is Erbi can litigate for anyone and everyone is protected.
Regarding this point, we have to carefully consider that between the time Su Zhe left the capital and Zhang Fei came back, the Procuratorate did not do much. It may not necessarily get the upper hand in the confrontation with the civilians. If the lawsuit is fought If we don’t win, then we can only watch helplessly as those heinous people get away with it. ”
In fact, until now, these officials still don’t have a good impression of Erbi and are always on guard.
Sima Guang nodded and said: “If this happens, objecting will bring a bad reputation to the public security organs.”
Lü Gong wrote: “It is better to stipulate that when it comes to heinous crimes, Erbi can only seek a reduced sentence, but not acquittal.”
Fu Bi chuckled and said, “Uncle Hui, what if he is really innocent?”
Lv Gong wrote: “If he is really innocent, the procuratorate will not appeal, and even if he appeals, the imperial court will not approve it.”
Fu Bi said: “If this is the case, what is the difference between the public prosecutor’s office and the previous judicial system?”
Wen Yanbo asked: “In fact, the Legislative Council can legislate specifically for Erbi to restrain them. In this way, they will not dare to be unscrupulous.”
“This is feasible.” Fu Bi nodded slightly and said: “But this is not an easy task, because first of all, we have to ensure that the Erbi can help the government avoid unjust cases. Basically, it is difficult to impose too many restrictions.”
As he said that, he looked at Sima Guang again and said, “Jun Shi, haven’t you talked to Zhang San about this?”
Sima Guang shook his head and said: “You can’t ask Zhang San about this, especially now.”
Fu Bi nodded and said, “That’s true.”
Fu Bi and Wen Yanbo are absolutely right. On this issue, Zhao Pian and Zhang Fei actually have similar positions. As far as this case is concerned, they can accept it without asking Erbi. But on this issue It’s a bit sensitive, so they don’t have to mix it up. Someone will naturally speak up, and it’s not them who are in a hurry now.
As expected, after the Imperial Court refused, the DPRK and the Central Government immediately started to riot and began to put pressure on the Public Security Bureau. You, the Public Security Bureau, open your mouth about your system and your silence about fairness. Why did the Imperial Court refuse their request for Erbi’s defense? Can your Imperial Court Are you sure that none of these defendants are innocent?
He also took Zhang Fei as an example. The initial case of Fang Yun was also a heinous crime. In addition, Zhang Fei later sued the court using ancestral methods. Zhang Fei was also an Erbi at that time. Now you are the prosecutor. Officer, this rule needs to be changed?
That’s not fair.
This matter is actually for the emperor to see. If the emperor doesn’t nod his head, no one dares to make the decision.
In the end, Zhao Xu secretly gave the Zhengshitang permission to ask Erbi to defend them in the name of the Zhengshitang.
But Zhao Xu himself did not say this, which meant that he was leaving a way out for himself. I may not allow him next time.
After struggling for a long time, we finally returned to the fairest way, which was to litigate in court.
As long as you go to court, you have to fight hard.
The case also attracted national attention.
This is the first time that the Public Security Bureau has faced a case of rebellion.
This is also the first time such a case has been heard publicly.
It was Zhang Fei who faced Erbi in the capital for the first time as a prosecutor. In the last adultery case, Zhang Fei was a one-man show.
It is precisely because of so many firsts that both parties are very uneasy. Li Guozhong and the others have never fought this kind of lawsuit. Fortunately, the forces behind it are very powerful. Not only have the famous Erbi and Chashiren in the capital been Please, and also provide them with many relevant cases.
The Procuratorate is also actively exploring countermeasures.
“I heard that the other party invited the most famous tea-eaters and Erbi in the capital, and there were also many judicial officials from the DPRK and China to give them advice. This should not be underestimated!”
Wang Gong was worried.
Qi Ji said: “If we really let them get away with it, then our procuratorate will really become a joke.”
Zhang Fei shook his head and said: “Don’t worry, they will not plead not guilty, because they know that the Taxation Department has some evidence. I guess they will defend against the crime of rebellion. As long as it is not a crime of rebellion, then they will.” Acceptable.”
Xu Zunfu said: “But this is not easy. According to the laws of our dynasty, the crime of rebellion is also included in the law of thieves and thieves. There is no clear boundary between the two. If we want to accuse Wu Tian of treason, the other party is Impossible to escape.”
Qi Jidao: “And the punishment for rebellion is very severe. Basically, everyone including the collaborators may be sentenced to death.”
Zhang Fei couldn’t help but ask: “In that case, why are there so many bandits in Qizhou?”
Qi Ji and Wang Gong were silent.
Xu Zun said: “Since ancient times, thieves and robbers have been rampant due to people’s difficulty in making a living. However, the court tried to use heavy punishment to alleviate this phenomenon. This in turn led to more thieves. However, in recent years , with the promotion of Wang Jiefu and the Legislative Council, the court’s strategy gradually changed from heavy punishment to cautious punishment.”
Qi Ji hurriedly said: “The chief prosecutor also contributed to this.”
Xu Zun just waved his hand modestly.
Wang Anshi, Xu Zun, Lu Gongzhu and others are all cautious in punishment, and Sima Guang, who is on the opposite side, cannot be completely classified as severe punishment. He belongs more to the traditional school, which is very typical of Confucianism and is relatively conservative. The rules set by our ancestors cannot be broken easily.
However, with the arrival of Zhang Fei, Sima Guang accidentally took up the banner of judicial reform. He also made certain compromises, but he was still cautious. It took so long for Kaifeng Mansion to hand over power, so he could not Not a word was said.
At the same time, with the rise of Wang Anshi and the emergence of the legal system, the entire legal thought of the Song Dynasty began to favor cautious punishment, which is now the general trend.
At this moment, a prosecutor came in and said, “General Prosecutor, the criminals from Qizhou will arrive in the capital soon and will be placed in the prison in Kaifeng Prefecture.”
Xu Zun frowned: “Who gave this order?”
The prosecutor shook his head and said: “It’s not clear yet. It is said that it was arranged by the superiors. The reason is that the public prosecutor and the law do not currently have prisons for such important criminals.”
After all, Kaifeng Mansion has just transferred its power to the Imperial Court, so the Imperial Court does not have prisons. The police station has built some prisons, but they are very ordinary, and they mainly hold those who are preparing to go to court. suspect.
Qi Ji said: “If they are imprisoned in Kaifeng Mansion, it will be easy for the other party’s people to come into contact with those suspects.”
They know who are behind those prisoners.
Xu Zun pondered for a moment, then stood up and said, “You guys discuss it first, and I’ll go find out what’s going on.”
After that, he strode out.
Qi Ji couldn’t help but say: “It’s been a long time since I’ve seen the Attorney General so high-spirited.”
A flash of guilt flashed in Zhang Fei’s eyes. He knew very well that Xu Zun suppressed his inner restlessness in order to make way for him.
Otherwise, Xu Zun may have done more tricks than Zhang Fei.
Evening.
“Huh? Why didn’t dad come back with you?”
Xu Zhiqian couldn’t help but ask when she saw Zhang Fei coming back alone.
Zhang Fei said half-jokingly: “My father-in-law had a quarrel with someone.”
“Huh?”
“What’s going on?”
Xu Lingxiao immediately stepped forward and asked worriedly.
“Oh, brother, don’t be nervous, it’s just business.”
Zhang Fei immediately informed their brothers and sisters about the prison.
“That’s it!”
Xu Lingxiao immediately breathed a sigh of relief.
Xu Zhiqian said: “But this is not a trivial matter. If they are detained in Kaifeng Mansion, then they will have the opportunity to collude in confession.”
Kaifeng Mansion is within the traditional sphere of influence after all, and they are all in it.
Zhang Fei said relaxedly: “It doesn’t matter. Nowadays, evidence is needed in lawsuits. Lies will be easily exposed in court.”
Before he finished speaking, Xu Lingxiao suddenly said: “Daddy is back.”
Zhang Fei looked back and saw Xu Zun entering the courtyard.
A few people greeted him immediately.
“Daddy, how are you?”
Xu Zhiqian asked anxiously.
Xu Zun glanced at Zhang Fei first, then shook his head and said: “It is most likely that he will still be detained in Kaifeng Fufu Prison.”
Xu Zhiqian said: “Why?”
Xu Zun sighed: “According to the news from Qizhou, Wu Tian still has his gang members outside, and the Public Security Bureau does not have a prison to detain such criminals for the time being. If it is placed in a police station prison, it will be very unsafe. According to the rules, It should be locked up in Kaifeng Mansion.”
Xu Zhiqian said: “But can we let the Royal Police take care of it?”
Before Xu Zun could speak, Zhang Fei said: “They have to make the decision on this matter. If we arrange it, if something goes wrong, it may be our responsibility.”
Xu Zun nodded and said: “Zhang San is right. Their reason also makes me dare not say more. Their power is not small, so we have to be careful.”
Zhang Fei asked: “Can we meet those suspects?”
Xu Zundao: “This is possible. The public prosecutor and the law can conduct interrogations at any time, but it certainly cannot prevent some officials from informing the suspects inside.”
Zhang Fei smiled and said: “It really doesn’t matter, and it’s more fair. After all, we can interrogate suspects at any time, so we should also allow the other party to discuss with the suspects, lest they become unconvinced after losing!”
Xu Zun glanced at him and said: “This is not a martial arts competition. As long as it is not illegal, fairness is what the imperial court considers. Our procuratorate wants to win the appeal. In this situation, the sooner we prosecute, the better for us. , after all, we have ready evidence, and they need time to think of countermeasures.”
It seems that my father-in-law suffered from cowardice in the Imperial City. Zhang Fei cupped his hands and said, “I obey your orders.”
Xu Zun glared at him, then suddenly looked at Xu Lingxiao and warned: “Xiao’er! Don’t talk about this outside. Be careful of getting into trouble. Now the other party will definitely watch our every move.”
Xu Lingxiao nodded, “I understand, kid.”
At this time, Gao Wenyin and Mu Zhen came over and said they could eat.
After dinner, Zhang Fei and Xu Zhiqian returned to their small courtyard.
“If I hadn’t been pregnant, I would have been able to investigate the case with you.”
Xu Zhi said slightly frustrated.
A case of this level is so tempting. If you miss it, you may never see it again.
Zhang Fei smiled and said: “You just can’t go to court with me, but you can still try the case with me, as long as you pay attention to rest.”
Xu Zhiqian said happily: “Is it true?”
Zhang Fei nodded and said: “The forces behind the other party are bottomless. I don’t know if there are any of their people in the Procuratorate. It is impossible for me to take the evidence provided to me by the Taxation Department to the Procuratorate. This is I can discuss it with you, but you have to help me prepare. But you must also promise me that you must rest when I say to rest. Don’t be so busy that you forget to sleep and eat like before.”
Xu Zhiqian nodded excitedly and said: “I promise you, I promise you, I will definitely listen to you.”
Although Xu Zun is very confident in Zhang Fei’s performance in court, he, who has been in officialdom for a long time, naturally knows the dangers involved. What they are facing is not a group of gangsters, but most of the court, and the other party Already operating in the dark.
Xu Zun has always been kind to prisoners, but when it comes to things like this, he will never be kind to a woman.
After the criminals entered Kaifeng Mansion, he appealed to the imperial court on the same day.
Of course Zhao Bian understood the situation, so he immediately informed the other party that the court session would be held in three days.
But the Kaifeng Mansion soon informed the imperial court that due to the large number of criminals, the procedure had not been completed. After three days, the court would definitely not be held because the prisoners could not be sent to the imperial court.
Zhao Bian said that the Kaifeng Prefecture Prison is only responsible for detention, and the procedures should be left to the public prosecutor and the law.
But the Kaifeng Mansion immediately responded that the prisons were not under the control of the imperial court. The prisons had a prison system, and the procedures were reported to the Ministry of Punishment. It was impossible to break the rules for the imperial court.
The Ministry of Punishment also opposed the immediate opening of the trial.
Zhao Bian and Xu Zunyi combined, don’t talk nonsense to them. The procuratorate will directly report to Kaifeng Prefecture Prison. In this case, they will not be able to go through the procedures. Let’s go to court and talk about it together.
This is such a big deal!
The other party is also furious. Are you really bullying us so much that you don’t even give us time to prepare?
Political Hall.
Wen Yanbo said: “Xu Zhongtu, you are too impulsive. The procuratorate can appeal based on the evidence. How can you say that others have failed to do what you want, so you file an appeal. This will have a bad impact on the public prosecutor and the judiciary.”
Xu Zundao: “It’s not that I don’t have evidence. The court has handed over the case to the Public Security Bureau. In this case, the government and prison must obey the arrangements of the Public Security Bureau, not the Kaifeng Prefecture and the Ministry of Punishment. If this is the case, then it will be handled by the Public Security Bureau. The Ministry of Punishment and Kaifeng Prefecture came to trial.
I have already said that this case is not our turn to be tried by the Public Security Bureau, the Procuratorate, and the Judiciary. You just want to hand it over to us. We took the case, but we don’t even have the power to decide when the trial will be held. What else is there to try? . ”
Zhao Bian sighed: “I, the president of the court, are not interested in being in front of you. You should choose someone else to try.”
Sima Guang said: “Let’s see, the trial is scheduled to start in seven days. There are so many suspects, and they all hired Erbi. The imperial court should give them some time to prepare. This is the case in the past.”
Zhao Bian said: “If Bachelor Sima said this, then the Imperial Court will be accommodating and understanding, but the prison must also obey the Imperial Court. If the president of the court cannot even call out a prisoner, then the Imperial Court will still be in charge of justice. ”
Sima Guang nodded and said: “We will discuss it in detail after this case is over.”
After some mediation by the Political Affairs Hall, the trial was finally scheduled to open in seven days.
During this period, both sides were making intensive preparations. Zhang Fei had a meeting with Qi Ji and Wang Gong in the morning, and asked Qi Ji and the others to sort out the evidence in the afternoon. He went home to discuss the specific details with Xu Zhiqian.
Because the Taxation Department secretly prepared a piece of evidence for Zhang Fei.
The people in the capital were naturally waiting to eat the melon, which was a rare sight in a thousand years. What they were most curious about was whether Erbi would really let the person go if he won the case.
Of course, most people think it is impossible because of the prosecutor opposite, but can Zhang Fei win?
With everyone’s eager anticipation, the day of court finally arrived.
Today’s imperial court was renovated from a school ground, and it is very open on all sides. Generally speaking, ordinary people have the opportunity to watch, but it is different today. There are only a few ordinary people, and most of the people standing outside are officials. , Yanei, etc.
This is the capital, not Hezhong Mansion. There are so many officials, almost all of them are here. Now the imperial city is filled with petty officials and petty officials to handle daily affairs.
Everyone was full inside, and the scale was even larger than a court meeting.
There is no way. The outcome of this case is crucial to any official. It involves many, many issues.
Of course Zhao Xu also came, but he did not show up. Instead, he sat on the corridor where the chief court chief entered the court. He could see the situation outside, but they could not be seen outside.
“They’re all here!”
Zhao Xu took a peek and saw that there was a lot of discussion outside, and couldn’t help but ask: “What issues are they discussing?”
Liu Zhaodao: “Everyone is very curious about how the public prosecutor’s office will try the rebellion case.”
“I am also very curious.”
Zhao Xu nodded.
After a while, the prosecutors headed by Zhang Fei and Erbi headed by Li Lei entered the court at the same time.
When the two parties came to the middle of the venue, Li Guozhong and Li Lei immediately stepped forward, saluted Zhang Fei, and said: “Prosecutor Zhang, please show mercy later.”
Zhang Fei smiled and said: “I am a prosecutor now, so I will show mercy, but I will bend the law for personal gain!”
Li Lei suddenly said: “Prosecutor Zhang, your procuratorate is in a hurry to open the trial and doesn’t give us much time to prepare. Aren’t you afraid that we will win without force?”
Zhang Fei smiled and said: “Why don’t you think about it, this is out of respect for you.”
After that, he leaned forward slightly and whispered to Li Guozhong: “Actually, I don’t mind waiting for a few more days, because I know that you are almost ready. If you delay it any longer, I’m afraid that things won’t be on your side. Under its control, all of you will be involved.”
Li Guozhong nodded repeatedly and replied in a low voice: “I understand this, and I also know in my heart that the person in the court who takes the best care of our Erbi is none other than Zhang Prosecutor.”
In fact, when the prisoners entered the Gyeonggi area, they had already been in contact with them, but they were obviously very passive. Of course, they delayed as long as they could. On the one hand, Li Guozhong was more fully prepared, and on the other hand, he hoped to wait for a turnaround.
Zhang Fei straightened up and said, “We’ll see how much you have grown later.”
Li Guozhong said: “I hope I won’t disappoint Prosecutor Zhang.”
After some pleasantries, both parties returned to their seats.
After a while, Zhao Pian finally appeared in the president’s seat, looking extremely excited. He was also looking forward to the lawsuit. After a little preparation, he banged the gavel and announced that the court was officially open.
Zhang Fei stood up first, “Our procuratorate has accused Wu Tian and other thirty-five people of committing treason.”
These thirty-five people are all respectable people. As long as they are convicted, the remaining hundreds of people can be directly convicted, and no one will worry about those little minions.
After he sat down, Li Lei stood up again and said, “I represent Wu Tian.”
At this point, he looked down at the copy, read the names one by one, and then said: “Refuse to admit to the crime of treason.”
After he finished speaking, he was sweating profusely. You must know that Li Lei has experienced many battles, but he has never stuttered when speaking in court.
This shows how deadly this lawsuit is.
After he sat down, Li Guozhong comforted him in a low voice: “Don’t be nervous. Since the court allows us to go to court, let’s do our best.”
There was a lot of discussion around it.
Lu Huiqing couldn’t help but be surprised: “Are they still thinking of helping Wu Tian get out of crime? How is this possible? Do they have such means?”
Wang Anshi said with a smile: “Perhaps they are demanding high prices and paying them back on the spot. The procuratorate will not let anyone go.”
“Are they asking for an exorbitant price and paying them back on the spot?”
Wen Yanbo also asked.
Fu Bi said: “That’s not necessarily true. If Wu Tian is convicted of rebellion, based on the evidence available to the Department of Taxation, it will be difficult for the rest of the people to escape guilt.”
Wen Yanbo asked: “Does Fu Gong think they have a chance to win the case?”
Fu Bi said: “It is difficult to escape this living crime. It depends on whether the death penalty can be avoided. After all, the crime of rebellion is also included in the crime of thief and theft. The two are very vague. If it is counted as a robber, although it is It is also a capital crime, but the sentence may be commuted. The other key persons are guilty of even smaller crimes, but if it is considered a crime of rebellion, they will definitely die.”