During the reign of Renzong of the Northern Song Dynasty, the capital Bianliang was an international metropolis with a population of more than one million. With developed transportation and prosperous trade, it is the political, economic and cultural center of the country. As a result, the permanent population has increased rapidly, the urban area has been expanding, and social security has become increasingly severe. For a long period of time, Kaifeng Mansion and its subordinate Xiangfu County Yamen were almost every day.
On this day, the Xiangfu County Ya, located in the prosperous area of Bianliang, had just opened the door to announce it, and there was a lot of people outside the door, and people who asked to deliver the paper came one after another. After some private dealings, the official led the first group of litigants into the lobby.
The plaintiff was a middle-aged man, richly dressed, bloated, and pampered. He came to the front of the church, knelt down on his knees, and cried out in a loud voice. The magistrate immediately ordered him to submit a petition and asked him who he was accusing. The man pointed to the group kneeling beside him and said, "Lord Qingtian, you want to be the master of the small people!" This is my sister-in-law Chen, she took an adulterer behind her back, killed my brother, forced my nephew to death, and wanted to monopolize my Li family's property. This is my wife Wang, and this is my old family member Li Fu, and the two of them know everything about it. ”
"You fool, you've been talking for a long time, and you haven't reported your name yet. This county is as clear as water, white as a face, and has never been confused. Hearing this, Xiang Fu Zhixian shouted at a sharp voice.
"Yes, yes, Xiaomin's name is Li Deyi, and he lives in the front street of the county government. Xiaomin's elder brother is called Li Deren, married this unvirtuous woman Chen, and gave birth to a nephew named Shennuer, who just turned ten years old this year. Because it was born on the day of the god of sai, it was given such a name. Our Li family has been given a seal, the famous 'Li family of Yimen', and they have never been separated in three lifetimes, and their furniture is big. The man said in detail with a boastful look, "My brother and sister-in-law are in charge of such a big piece of furniture, and our husband and wife just eat ready-made meals, and they never ask about the family's income and expenditure." It's really a lack of people's hearts, but this woman is not in harmony, angry with my brother, and now she is forcing my nephew to death, wanting to cut off my Li family's incense and move my Li family's property to her adulterer. Lord Qingtian, look how cruel this woman's heart is! I did not have a boy and a girl, and our brothers were two brothers with a son. If my nephew dies, my son dies. Oh my God, how cruel a woman's heart is!"
After hearing this, the magistrate hurriedly asked the officials around him: "What kind of lawsuit is this master here for?"
The official told him that he had come to fight for his life. As soon as he heard that it was a murder case, he hurriedly shook his hand, saying that this kind of lawsuit was too troublesome and he couldn't stop it, so he still asked the master to judge it according to the old rules.
The master is here. He didn't ask him what he was asked about, nor did he be polite, he gave in, sat next to the magistrate, and immediately asked the cause of the case. After asking who the plaintiff was, the master immediately turned his face and asked someone to arrest the plaintiff.
Li Deyi was confused by the second monk, but the official who grabbed him stabbed him in the waist. He looked down and saw that the official was shaking two fingers at him. He understood, and immediately stuffed a silver ticket of two hundred taels of silver. The official took the silver ticket, looked at the numbers, and secretly stuffed the silver ticket to the master. The master also looked at the amount of the silver ticket, turned to the magistrate and raised two fingers, the magistrate nodded with a smile on his face, signaling that the court could be held, and then the trial officially began.
After asking the names of the two and listening to the plaintiff's statement of the case, the master said with certainty: "As the saying goes: the most poisonous woman's heart." Once a woman steals a man, she can't do any bad things! Are there still fewer cases of murdering her husband? A husband can kill, let alone a son. The facts of this case are clear: Chen committed adultery with someone, and her husband happened to bump into her, and her husband died of anger on the spot; in order to have a long-term affair with the adulterer, he suspected that the 10-year-old child was in the way, and murdered his son, in an attempt to seize the huge property of the Li family together with the adulterer. Li Chen, I think you still invite you honestly, so as not to suffer from the flesh and skin!"
The Chen family shouted that he was wronged, and insisted that he was an adulterer who did not go out of the gate on weekdays, and that his son was his own son, so how could he bear to commit such a poisonous act. The old family member Li Fu did not testify for Li Deyi, but repeatedly told how the eldest mother Chen was loyal, virtuous, and would never do anything ugly. However, all the arguments were to no avail, and the master turned a deaf ear to this, insisted on Chen, and used torture to extract a confession. Unable to afford the punishment, Chen had to confess indiscriminately. On the spot, he was ordered to draw a penny, nail him to a flail, and put him on death row. Although Li Fu was unhappy and had nothing to do for the time being, he could only endure it and look for an opportunity to make another calculation.
Time flies quickly, and in the blink of an eye, it has been half a month since Chen was detained. During this time, Li Fu visited the prison twice. Every time they met, the master and servant were devastated.
That morning, Li Fu went to visit his mother again. As soon as I walked near the county office, I heard people on the street running to tell each other, saying that Lord Yin Bao Zhengbao of Kaifeng Prefecture had gone to the northwest border to express his condolences to the soldiers on the border and had returned, and that he would arrive in Bianjing this morning.
He had long heard that Master Bao had decided the case like a god, and how could Li Fu not be overjoyed when he heard the news? He decided not to go anywhere and waited for the arrival of Lord Bao's official sedan chair. He waited and waited and waited from morning until noon, and was still nowhere to be seen. The crowds on both sides of the street were dwindling, and he began to wonder if the rumors were wrong, and wanted to find a place to inquire.
At this moment, cheering voices came from the other end of the street: "Master Bao is here!" "Lord Bao is here!" Li Fu couldn't help but cheer with everyone. Not long after, the official sedan chair of the adults has been visible, the team is strictly organized, the pace is vigorous, and there are several warriors carrying the dragon head, the tiger head, the dog head three royal guillotines, the outside is covered with yellow satin jackets, majestically walking in the middle of the guard of honor, it is indeed majestic and majestic, with a kind of deterrent power that people dare not look up to.
People also pointed and said that it was a tiger's head and that it was designed to deal with the emperor's relatives and relatives who broke the law; this was a dog's head, and ordinary officials and ordinary people would be killed with this guillotine when they broke the law. What particularly notices the eye is the dragon head and the dragon head, and everyone says that this is a special punishment for the dragon sons and grandsons, and that the prince violates the law, and the common people are guilty of the same crime, and only Bao Da dares to do this! The various discussions he heard have increased Li Fu's confidence in filing a lawsuit.
When the adult's official sedan chair came to him, he jumped forward, knelt down in front of the sedan chair, and shouted loudly: "Wronged, Lord Bao!
As soon as he saw someone stopping the sedan chair to complain, Bao Gong immediately ordered to stop the march. Although Li Fu did not have a petition at that time, and could refuse to accept it according to the judicial procedures of the Song Dynasty, Bao Gong still patiently listened to the statement of the cause of the case, remembering his old age and decliningness. Then instructed Li Fu to ask someone to make up the pleadings as soon as possible and submit it to the Yamen of Kaifeng Mansion as soon as possible.
A written complaint written by Li Fu against Xiangfu County for extorting confessions by torture and disregarding people's lives has been received, and the entire case file of Li Chen's case of Li Chen's angry death of her husband and the death of her parents and son has also been read from Xiangfu County. The facts presented by the parties are diametrically opposed and have no similarities.
Who's telling the truth, or is it all half-truths, half-truths, truths, and falsehoods?
As usual, Bao Gong reminded himself: to deal with such a complex case where the two statements are diametrically opposed,
First, we must not listen to biased beliefs; Second, don't make inferences.
He pondered and compared repeatedly, and found that there were two points of the two sides that were basically the same:
1. The husband is indeed dead, and it needs to be verified whether he is angry or not.
2. The son is also missing, but there is no basis for saying that he was forced to die, because the body has not yet been found.
He decided to start by examining these two points.
He sent a message to the Li family's neighbors and the local local security guard, and inquired in detail about the situation before and after Li Deren's death.
The Li family is a local rich family, the family is solid, the life is frugal, three generations have never been divided, the family business is in charge of the eldest son Li Deren, the second Li Deyi and his wife want to divide the family, so sometimes they are noisy. Recently, there was a particularly fierce quarrel, the second child forced the family, the boss insisted on refusing, and after the quarrel, I only heard the boss scream "I'm angry with me", and fainted, and the boss died that night.
The situation of fainting in anger has often been heard by Bao Gong before, and it is not the first time. This shows that there is nothing abnormal about Li Deren's death.
After the interrogation of Li Chen and Li Fu, the reasons for Li Deren's death confessed by the two also proved that there were no doubtful factors here.
As for who Li Deren was angry with, it doesn't matter; because it only has the meaning of the moral category, and has no legal role, and no one needs to bear legal responsibility for being angry to death.
Therefore, the first problem has been solved, and now it is the second issue that needs to be investigated - the life and death of the divine slave. The key to whether the case can be solved lies in whether this issue is clearly investigated.
Bao Gong has always been cautious in handling cases. Every step you take, you have to think about it again and again, and plan to start when you start to move. He always tries to avoid things that are rash and reckless, and he will not do anything that startles the snake.
That afternoon, Bao Cheng sat alone in the study, secretly pondering, thinking hard about how to find out the true whereabouts of the divine slave. The personal boys Bao Xing and Li Cai stood aside and waited. Suddenly, he heard the sound of footsteps outside, Bao Xing hurriedly greeted him, and saw that it was a messenger from the outside class, holding a letter, saying that it was sent by Master Zhiran. Bao Xing took the letter and went inside to return to Ming.
Knowing that the monk was a friend of Bao Gong who was extremely respected, Bao Gong naturally hurriedly opened the letter. It turned out to be a letter of recommendation, saying that the person was well-educated and of good conduct, and hoped to be hired as appropriate. Bao Gong looked at it, pondered for a while, and immediately ordered Bao Xing to invite someone to the study.
After a few simple greetings, Bao Gong asked your surname. The man bowed his hand and said, "The surname Gongsun is born later, and there is a single name." Just because of the decline in livelihood, he lived in Daxiangguo Temple, and took writing letters and dismantling words as a business. I am grateful to the Zen master for taking care of him on weekdays, and he has prepared a letter to recommend, and he also asks the master to include it as appropriate, and I am grateful!"
Bao Gong saw that he behaved elegantly and spoke clearly, and secretly admired him in his heart. When asked about some book allusions, he can answer them fluently, and he is a down-and-out genius who has learned a lot. Bao Gong couldn't help but add a little respect, and hurriedly ordered his subordinates to make tea again, expressing his thirst for talents.
The adult also informed Gongsun Ce in detail of the Shennu'er case that was being contemplated, hoping that he could provide some clues. Gongsun Ce listened carefully and pondered for a long time before he said: "Shennu'er suddenly disappeared, whether it is dead or alive, we must first determine it, this is the first task. If he is dead, how he died, and where the body is, he must find out. If he is alive, where he is now, and whether he has been kidnapped, it must also be ascertained. I think that these three points must be clarified one by one, so that the truth of the matter of the slave can be revealed. At present, we have too few clues, and it is impossible to determine these three points; if we do not do it well, we will be caught by surprise and the few clues we have will be lost. So we have to be cautious.
In view of this, I suggest that the investigation of this case must be conducted in secrecy and should never be carried out in such a way as not to attract attention. The above is my humble opinion for the reference of adults. ”
Bao Gong nodded and agreed: "Mr. is reasonable, this government will go to disguise a private visit early tomorrow morning." ”
Unexpectedly, Gongsun Ce waved his hand again and again, saying that Master Bao was dignified and had obvious characteristics, and most of the people recognized him when they saw it, so it was better for him to disguise himself as a businessman, visit secretly, and report if there was news. When Bao Gong heard this, he thought it was very good, so he asked Bao Xing to prepare all the application objects for Gongsun Ce.
Bao Xing agreed and went to handle it immediately. After a while, everything was ready. I saw a small medicine box, a white cloth signboard, and Taoist robes, Taoist crowns, shoes and socks. Gongsun Ce changed into a costume, and quietly walked out of the corner gate to visit the area around Fuqian Street.
Who would have thought that the world is unpredictable, the area around Fuqian Street is mostly rich merchants' mansions, Gaomen compounds, it is rare to see people in and out during the day, and it is very difficult to even find people to interrogate. Seeing that it was getting late, Gongsun Ceton felt hungry and had to return to Kaifeng Mansion to make another plan.
Easy to pass overnight. In the early morning of the next day, Gongsun Ce left the yamen and went back to the front street of the house. I thought in my heart: I was unlucky, and I failed many times, but fortunately, thanks to the recommendation of the monk Ran, I won the trust of Master Bao. I don't know how it is today?
The more I thought about it, the more annoyed I became, and before I knew it, I came to Fuqian Street again. Suddenly remembered, he said to himself: "Gongsun Ce, Gongsun Ce, look at how stupid you are! What are you doing here? You just walk, who knows that you are Langzhong? Since you don't know that you are Langzhong, how can you find out the news? It's so stupid!"
It turned out that Gongsun Ce was only thinking about things and forgot to ring the bell. He hurriedly shook the bell and shouted: "If there is a disease, treat it early, do not delay; All kinds of incurable diseases, medicine to get rid of diseases. ”
After shouting for a long time, the door of a large mansion in the west opened, and a person came out. Seeing that it was Gongsun Ce's dress, he said, "Please Mr. go in for treatment." ”
He followed the man into the courtyard of the house, and came to an inner room. The man went in to report it, and then a middle-aged man came out, looked Gongsun Ce up and down arrogantly, and then asked lazily: "Mr. Gao's surname, where is the person, and where has he always practiced medicine?"
Gongsun Ce endured the dissatisfaction in his heart and replied: "The poor Taoist Xuanxuan is a monk, and he does not mention the name of the common family. Practicing medicine to help the world, wandering around. May I ask who is sick in the house? Please come out for diagnosis and treatment earlier! There are other patients in the poor road to see!"
"Not busy, not busy. Listen to the gentleman's accent, not like a local, right?"
"Yes, the poor road is from Huguang Xiangyang. ”
"Oh, that's fine. What does the gentleman know is that there are many corrupt officials on the ground in Tokyo, who are rampant and domineering, extortion, and the people are miserable. Our Li family is the 'Li family of the Righteous Gate', with three generations in the same house and a rich family property, so we have to be cautious. ”
"So, you're the second member of Li?"
"Don't dare to be, under Li Deyi. Chief, please sit down for a moment, and I will go to the inner room to call the lady out. ”
With that, Li Deyi stood up and went to the east room. I only heard Li Deyi mutter, as if a middle-aged woman also muttered a few words, and Li Deyi shouted: "Women always have long hair and short knowledge! Bao Heizi, I still don't know him? How can Bao Heizi have such a decent appearance? No, no, you can rest assured." You always hide like this, you have nightmares every day, you see gods, how can you get better from your illness!"
It seemed that the woman agreed, and the voice below lowered again. Not long after, Li Deyi came out to ask for Mr. Gongsun Ce followed him to the east to check the pulse.
Traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) diagnosis and treatment is known as the four methods of "looking, hearing, asking, and cutting", that is, observing the patient's face, listening to the patient's voice, asking the patient's condition, and cutting the patient's pulse. Although Gongsun Ce saw a doctor today, although he was in disguise, he had always been familiar with medical books and was proficient in medical Taoism, so he did treat women seriously. After diagnosing the pulse, the source of the disease will be known.
stood up, returned to the west room and sat down, and said: "I see that Mrs. Zun's pulse is stagnant and short of breath, her heart is worried, her voice is weak, her soul is not guarded, she has reached the spleen and kidney deficiency, qi and blood are lost, and her symptoms are very serious. If it is not treated quickly, I am afraid of tuberculosis, and even if Bian Que is reincarnated, there is nothing that can be done. ”
When Li Deyi heard this, he was taken aback and said: "Sir is really a miracle doctor! ”
Gongsun Ce said: "You must dream of a child about ten years old every night?"
At this time, I only heard the woman in the East House interject: "Yes, this short-lived ghost always haunts me, and I see him every night, dragging his tongue, so scary." I burned a lot of money for him, he should be reincarnated, how can this happen......?
"You're talking nonsense there again!" Li Deyi hurriedly interrupted her, "She is confused, and sometimes she is delirious. Probably she's sick again at this point, don't listen to her, sir!"
However, it was too late. Gongsun Ce was confident at this moment, and immediately took a pen and wrote a prescription, and handed it to Li Deyi, which was nothing more than a few medicinal herbs to replenish blood and calm the nerves, and to calm the heart, and instructed the patient to recuperate and not to aggravate the irritation. After the explanation, Li Deyi sent the consultation fee, Gongsun Ce accepted it, said "ashamed", picked up the medicine box, took the signboard, got up and left.
Gongsun Ce returned to Kaifeng Mansion and still quietly entered through the corner gate. When he came to the living room, he put down the signboard of the medicine box, and immediately asked to see Bao Gong, and explained the secret visit in detail.
When the adults heard this, they were very happy, and secretly admired that this man was so talented and learned that he was able to find a conclusive clue. Immediately ordered Bao Xing to change his clothes, prepare wine and dinner, and let him rest. He also ordered Li Cai to be sent to the outside class, and immediately signed to arrest Li Deyi and his wife.
The out-of-town team agreed to receive orders. About half an hour later, he came back and forth: "Li Deyi and his wife have brought it." ”
Bao Gong ascended to the court, and immediately ordered Li Deyi's wife Wang to interrogate. Wang went to the hall and knelt down. Bao Gong broke off and shouted: "Ah, Li Wang, look up, who is this mansion?"
Wang looked up and saw that Bao Gong had a dark face, extremely majestic, his eyes were blazing, his two sword eyebrows were raised, and his three locks of long beard were fluttering.
Bao Gong said in a deep voice: "Your husband and wife are plotting to seize the family property and kill the god slaves, and you still don't recruit them from the truth!"
When Wang heard this, he was surprised in his heart, but he was wronged in his mouth.
Bao Gong slapped the shocked wood and shouted: "After the death of the god slave, the soul will not be dispersed, and he will ask you for his life day and night." You dreamed of his ghost every night, and now he has come to the house. This mansion has already ascertained the truth with the god of Chenghuang. If you confess now, the government can still be lenient as it sees fit, but if you blindly resist, you will be severely punished!"
As soon as he heard what the adults said, and thought of the legend that Bao Gong judged the sun day and came to judge the yin at night, Wang trembled all over his body, and said in a loud voice, "The adults spare their lives, and the women are willing to recruit."
Bao Gong immediately confessed truthfully. Wang confessed: "The women hated the big house and couldn't satisfy them with money, so they forced the uncle to split up." The uncle refused, and a quarrel ensued, and the uncle died of anger on the spot. Although the uncle died, the god slave was the only seedling of the Li family, and all the family property would still be his in the future, so I asked my husband to kill the god slave. Who knew that her husband was timid and didn't dare to do it, so she had to endure it.
That day was also a fitting day, the god slave was going to play on the street, and the eldest lady called Li Fu to accompany her. Later, Shennuer wanted to buy a puppet, and Li Fu went to buy it, leaving Shennuer waiting on the street. It so happened that my husband was passing by and brought the slave back home. Seeing a rare opportunity, I took advantage of my husband's nap and strangled the god slave with a ruthless heart. When my husband woke up, he was ready to work with me to try to bury the body. We buried the slave in the gutter in the courtyard, and the top was still pressed with slabs. When we brought the slave back, no one saw it, and the body of the slave was buried in the gutter in the courtyard of our house. I don't want the god slave to ask me for his life every day, and I don't want Lord Bao to know everything, this is also the injustice of the previous life, and it is destined. It's all my fault that my conscience is too bad, my conscience is too bad!"
He cried and pulled his hair desperately. Bao Gong ordered the confession to be recorded and ordered to be drawn. Immediately, the order was ordered to take down the Wang family, detain him separately, and bring Li Deyi with him. Bao Gong asked someone to read Wang's confession to Li Deyi. At this point, Li Deyi could only confess and sign the confession.
That night, the study was brilliantly lit. Bao Gong and Gongsun Ce worked together to draw up the verdict on the Shennu'er case: Li Wang's family strangled his nephew to death in disregard of human morality and should be hanged; Li Deyi was not in charge of his family and did not raise his knowledge, so he should be sentenced to 80 canes; Xiangfu Zhixian was corrupt and perverted the law and wrongly sentenced civilians, and should be reported to the Criminal Department for investigation and punishment. Li Chen was unjustly imprisoned, and should be released immediately, rehabilitated Zhaoxue, and all the Li family's property should be handed over to him. As for the corpse of the god slave, it has already decomposed, and the whole skeleton that has just been picked up from the gutter should be put into a coffin, buried in a grave, and then set up a yellow urn to surpass the undead and ascend to heaven. It was agreed at the moment that Mr. Gongsun would draft the draft and be decided by the court the next day.