Text/Lin Yan
During the Northern and Southern Dynasties and the Northern Wei Dynasty, there was a man named Gou Tai in Shouchun County, Yangzhou (now part of Shouchun Town, Shou County, Anhui), who came from a wealthy family and had no children for many years after marriage.
When Gou Tai's son Ichiro was three years old, he walked out of the courtyard one day to play with a few children, because he ran too far and forgot the way home.
Ichiro noticed that his friends had left, and he looked around dazed, so he began to cry.
At this time, a single stick man passed by, and he found Ichiro wearing a silver bracelet, standing there crying for a long time, but no one took him home. The bachelor was sure that the child must have been lost, so he stepped forward, picked up the child, and said, "Is it okay for me to send you home?" ”
Ichiro had been crying for half a day, and at this moment someone was holding him, so naturally he stopped crying.
The bachelor then took Ichiro and walked out of a village more than ten miles outside the city, where he knew a rich man named Zhao Fengbo, who was old and had no sons.
The bachelor sold Ichiro to Zhao Fengbo, got two or two pieces of silver, and Mei Zizi left.
Zhao Fengbo and his wife Zheng Shi looked at this child handsome and cute, very happy, really holding it in their hands for fear of flying, holding it in their mouths for fear of melting, and treating this baby as their own.
At this time, Gou Tai was anxious, and his son did not see anyone in the daytime, and he did not see a corpse.
The family looked around, and there was no trace of the child, and Gou Tai posted a bounty post in the city, but there was still no news.
One day a year later, Gou Tai went outside the city to collect ground rent and passed by Zhao Fengbo's doorstep.
He found a child playing in the doorway, and when he looked closely, he found that the child was too familiar, so he looked around the child again, and he concluded that the baby was his son.
The child was none other than Ichiro, who was also staring at Gou Tai at the moment, and even recognized that it was his father.
Gou Tai called out to the child's name: "Ichiro! Ichiro answered, gradually getting closer to Gou Tai.
Gou Tai asked a villager next to him, "Whose child is this?" ”
The villager said, "This is Zhao Fengbo's son." ”
Gou Tai asked again, "Was it biological or adopted?" ”
The villagers knew that they were adopted, but they vigorously defended the Zhao family, so they said: "Nature is born, I don't believe you can ask him!" ”
Gou Tai was not dead hearted, so he walked into the Zhao family and said to Zhao Fengbo: "I have a son, named Ichiro, who was abducted when he was three years old, and now I recognize this child as my son, and you should return it to me." ”
Zhao Fengbo did not admit that he was adopted, so he said: "Brother, you said this badly, you lost your son last year, and this child was my own child, watching it grow up from infancy, why will it become your son?" There are more people who look like each other under the heavens, don't you think about it, why would your son say that yours is yours? ”
Gou Tai was a little excited: "Then tell me, why is this child so close to me?" I called his name and he said yes? ”
Zhao Fengbo was still slyly arguing: "My son does not recognize acquaintances, he has seen everyone like this, his name is DaLang, you call Yilang he will of course agree, I advise the elder brother not to be obsessed with it, why bother to be so obsessed?" ”
Gou Tai said that Zhao Fengbo could not do it, but in his heart he was attached to his son, so he left the Zhao family and went straight to the official palace to accuse Zhao Fengbo of hiding his son and not returning it.
After Zhao Fengbo learned the news, he immediately paid money to buy his neighbors and asked them to go to the official palace to give perjury to himself.
Li Chongxian, the assassin of Yangzhou, was bright and talented, and a few days later took Zhao Fengbo to the official palace for interrogation.
Gou Tai and Zhao Fengbo each insisted on each other's words, did not give in to each other, seemed to have their own reasons, and both were plausible, and for a time, the interrogation reached an impasse.
Li Chong, then, ordered some witnesses of the original defendant to testify, and the witnesses on both sides also disagreed.
At this time, Li Chong came up with a plan, so he announced in the lobby: "Er and other witnesses have all been bribed to appear in court to give perjury, all of which are not enough to win credibility, the children are temporarily raised by the Zhao family, and when the old master and I send someone to secretly investigate and find out the truth, they will severely punish the liars, and Gou Tai and Zhao Fengbo will be temporarily imprisoned and waiting." ”
Seven days later, Li Chong, to one of the prison guards, said, "Gou Tai and Zhao Fengbo are temporarily imprisoned for the sake of fighting for their son. Yesterday I heard news from Soapy that this unfortunate child had suffered from convulsive madness and had died, and that there was no need for the two of them to be detained and could be released immediately. ”
The guards went to prison and informed Gou Tai and Zhao Fengbo of Li Chong's words.
When Gou Tai heard this, he was "weeping and weeping" and was sad, while Zhao Fengbo was just "sighing" and did not look sad at all.
The guards led the two into the official hall, and Li Chong said, "This baby is dead, and there is no need for you two to fight, so let's go back!" ”
Gou Tai "cried like rain, and when he went down to the church, he let out a loud cry", while Zhao Fengbo only "sighed and counted".
At this time, Li Chong suddenly ordered The servant to recall the two to the lobby and said sharply: "Today's case has been settled, you two say, who is this baby?" ”
Zhao Fengbo was like a hot duck, his mouth was still very hard, and he said, "It's really a little man's baby, but I'm blessed and thin, and I can't keep this child!" ”
Gou Tai couldn't help but scold: "Up to now, you are still chewing your tongue in vain, are you not sorry?" The child is my family, I think you are afraid of the old man's judgment, so you deliberately sent your family to assassinate the child, isn't it? ”
Li Chong sighed, "The injustice of people's hearts has reached such a point! Is there any reason for this baby to die? He also wants to pass on the family for thousands of generations, and I deliberately said that the baby was dead, testing the reaction of the two of you. From this point of view, this baby clearly belonged to Gou Tai's family, otherwise how could he be so sad? ”
Zhao Fengbo only sighed, it can be seen that it is not a natural close relative, there is no such true affection, this baby is now awarded to Gou Tai, and Ya Gong accompanies the Zhao family to bring the baby back. Zhao Fengbo should have been severely punished, thinking that you only bought it with silver, rather than abducting yourself, and could be punished lightly. ”
Zhao Fengbo hurriedly prostrated his head and cried, admitting that he had lied, and thanked Lord Shi for his extrajudicial kindness.
The assassin Li Chongluo made a small plan, so that the case was revealed, and the local people all clapped their hands and applauded.