Chapter 10 Breaking into the house, shot dead on the spot
"Dong Bai, come out here! My father sees you as pitiful, and because of your filial piety, he promised to help your family pay off foreign debts. He will take over this embroidery village when your filial piety period expires. Now my family has been helping you to block it for more than a year.
We have foreign debts, and you actually want to break the contract!"
Outside the Dongjia Embroidery Village, a group of local snakes appeared there early in the morning, blocking the door and making noise.
The leader was a feisty and fierce young man in his twenties, named Cai Shouxin, who was the son of Dong Liang, the former boss of the Dong family. After Dong Liang established his own business, he asked his sons to change their surnames back to their original names.
Cai Shouxin was surrounded by seven or eight servants, who were not professional thugs. They were just embroiderers and weavers from the Cai family who were temporarily brought in by the young master to bully people.
Cai Shouxin had been coveting Dong Bai's body and begged his father again and again to bring his father's daughter back home, but he never succeeded because Dong Bai insisted on keeping his filial piety. How could he allow others to cut him off if he was so meaty?
In particular, Dong Bai's beauty is rare in Kunshan. With such beauty, many hot-blooded men are still willing to fight for her even if there is a risk of their lives.
After the Cai family made noise for a while, the gate of Xiuzhuang slowly opened.
A middle-aged man with a gentle appearance and a goatee came out. He looked like a cashier and there were no thugs on either side.
The accountant cleared his throat, with an arrogant look on his face and a cold tone: "How dare you make noise here! This young lady from the Dong family owes my family money and won't pay it back for several years.
Yesterday, my young master came to ask for the debt in person. She has already promised to pay off the debt with her village and her body, and she also signed a contract here. If you want to make trouble again, don't blame me for reporting it to the official!"
When Cai Shouxin heard this, he was furious. For a moment, he didn't think about the Shen family, because the Shen family was in Taicang, not in Kunshan County.
In the past few years, the Dongjia Xiuzhuang owed foreign debts to more than one creditor, but to several creditors. It was just the Shen family that owed the most money. This is also human nature. Before any business goes bankrupt, it must be seriously ill and seek medical treatment.
If you have borrowed all the money you can, the creditor-rights relationship will be very complicated.
How could the Shen family and other forces come to collect debts in such a wretched manner? They don't even have a thug, and they expect to collect years of bad debts with just one accountant? They must be cheating!
Cai Shouxin's mind went crazy: "Nonsense! The Dong Family Embroidery Village owes a lot of money, how can you let you cheat and deceive the girl to take advantage of others' danger! Come on, take this house back and give it back to Madam Dong! We need to divide the house.
We have to convene a public meeting with all creditors!"
After Cai Shouxin finished speaking, he sternly ordered the helpers to rush in.
The accountant seemed to be in a panic, but while there were neighbors watching on both sides, he carefully stopped the leak and shouted:
"Yesterday when my young master signed a contract with Mrs. Dong, we already agreed that my young master will repay the money that the Dong family owes to other creditors! If you dare to rush in again, you are breaking into a private house and intending to commit murder!
"
The accountant shouted loudly, just like the lawyers of later generations, but his body refused to suffer. When he saw the gangsters rushing towards him with wooden sticks, he immediately stepped aside and allowed these gangsters to enter.
At the same time, because of the delay in rebuking each other, there were already many onlookers in the neighbors watching the fun.
Seeing Cai Shouxin and others rushing in, the neighbors shook their heads and sighed, secretly thinking that Cai was going to succeed today.
"Alas, the world is deteriorating, and the emperor and heaven will not bless the good people! Such deceiving masters and slaves will one day rob the mistress and daughter, God has no eyes!"
"Can't you stand such a small thing? The Ming Dynasty has become such a mess. This kind of thing is no longer surprising!"
However, before everyone could finish sighing, something suddenly changed in the courtyard.
Because the door was ajar, outsiders couldn't see clearly. They could only hear the sound of shouting and howling inside. Soon, seven or eight people with bloody heads fell out of the door in embarrassment.
"It's killing! It's killing! Someone robbed a house and committed murder! Report it to the police quickly!" The injured people shouted while rolling and crawling in an attempt to escape.
The servants of the Shen family who were chasing after him refused to let go: "Stop! You are breaking into a house privately and committing murder at the door, and you still hope you won't be able to escape!"
"You thief! You want to bite me back, how shameless!"
The Shen family's servants all held long sticks, and no sharp blades were used. However, these sticks were generally more powerful than those used by troublemakers. Not only were they longer, but they were also made of iron. In a short time, they could subdue the slow runners on the other side and send them away.
Already.
The onlookers were stunned, and it took them a long time to come to their senses: The creditor who bought Lady Dong's embroidery shop last night had some background! This arrangement was loose on the outside and tight on the inside, and they had already taken precautions.
After a while, someone in the crowd exclaimed: "I'm afraid Cai Shouxin may not be alive! His head is crooked!"
…
In the afternoon of the next day, about a day and a half after the incident.
Suzhou Prefecture, Wuxian County.
In the main hall of the Suzhou magistrate's office, Zhang Xuezeng finished taking care of the official duties at hand, and planned to finish work early as usual, leaving the remaining secular duties to his masters, and then go back to his room to paint and cultivate his sentiments.
Zhang Xuecheng was born into a wealthy family and was good at calligraphy and painting. His reputation as a painter ranked with Wu Weiye, Dong Qichang and others in history, and he was especially good at landscapes and trees. He was not too concerned about government affairs. Now that the Ming Dynasty is in turmoil, he only thinks about his tenure.
Don't get into trouble.
However, as soon as he stood up, Mr. Xu Youliang, the famous criminal master, suddenly rushed in with a file in his hand. It seemed that a major case had occurred.
"Master Fu, there is a case here, which may involve several lives. It is also urgent down there. Do you think a court hearing will be arranged soon?"
Zhang Xuezeng's interest in painting was interrupted, and he felt very unhappy. These beatings and killings were really unpleasant to the scenery.
He frowned: "Although homicide cases can also be brought to the state government for trial, if they are not too serious, the county can decide them first and just bring them for review. Why do they go to the government office as soon as they are raised?"
Xu Youliang explained with a smile: "This case crosses counties. The murderer is from Taicang, the victim is from Kunshan, and the murder place is also in Kunshan. Kunshan County originally wanted to take it, but the defendant in Taicang filed a complaint according to the law.
They also counter-sued the deceased in Taicang for breaking into private houses and robbing slaves, fearing that Kunshan County would protect him.
Just because the two parties are dissatisfied with each other, and the person making the complaint is a big household in Taicang, Chief Shen of the Household Transportation Department, the subordinates do not dare to be experts. Mr. Fu, if you don’t listen to me, Chief Shen is also a sixth grader after all.
Beijing officials, Kunshan County really can't control matters involving their family."
Zhang Xuezeng recalled it and immediately knew that this matter was not trivial. Although Shen Tingyang was only a sixth-rank official and his official rank was far lower than his position as the prefect of Suzhou, the Shen family was also a wealthy man in Suzhou and had great influence.
(Note: In the Ming Dynasty, there were both fourth- and fifth-grade magistrates. It depends on the level of the prefecture. The standard is tax and grain. Those with more than 200,000 shi are superior prefectures. Suzhou Prefecture’s grain allocation is 590,000.
Shi, this alone is three times that of a superior mansion, so Zhang Xuezeng is a fourth-grade official.)
After thinking about it, Zhang Xuezeng could only sigh: "That's all, you go make arrangements and bring the relevant people to the case as soon as possible. When everyone is gathered, we can arrange a trial tomorrow or the day after tomorrow. Alas, the Suzhou Prefecture will be interrogating us right away, so we probably won't be able to escape. I went to the Nanjing Criminal Department for re-examination, and the people below are really causing trouble."
"Student, go and make arrangements now." Master immediately took the order and left.
Although the Ming Dynasty did not clearly stipulate the "two-instance and final-instance system", the level of the initial trial will obviously affect the level of final review and verification of the case.
…
Everything in Suzhou Government operates in accordance with judicial procedures.
Two days later, Shen Shuren and Dong Liang, as well as the servants of both parties who had taken action that day, and other servants present, were all taken to the prefect's Yamen.
Dong Liang is not a party involved, but only the victim, that is, the "victim's family".
In the conflict at the Dongjia Xiuzhuang, two people accidentally died. One was Cai Shouxin, Dong Liang's son, and the other was the Cai family's gangster who beat him the hardest that day and was also the leader of the thugs.
In addition, a total of seven or eight people on both sides were injured, three or four of them to the extent of severed limbs and limbs, and the rest had flesh injuries. Naturally, all the injured were taken outside the lobby to wait.
There is no need to carry the two dead bodies to the court. Because the trial was in a different place, the time was delayed for several days. It was hot in the summer. The widows from Suzhou Prefecture went on a business trip to conduct autopsies, examine them, and close relevant documents. The cause of death in this case was originally There is no disagreement, none of this matters.
After the yamen servants and masters took their respective positions, Zhang Xuezeng walked up to the official steps and sat in the middle.
Shen Shuren had the reputation of being a scholar, so he did not kneel down. He just bowed his hands before replying.
After Zhang Xuezeng asked him a few basic information, and then confirmed the identities of the other people involved in the crime, seeing that there was a scholar beside Shen Shuren who did not kneel to support him, Zhang Xuezeng asked:
"Shen Lin, who is the person next to you? Why are you in court?"
The scholar politely handed over his hand and said: "Back at Zhangfutai, the student was Gu Jiang, a student from Kunshan County, who was friends with Shen Lin. A few days before and after the incident, the student also happened to travel with Shen Lin, and he knew a little about the cause and effect. Because Shen Lin was not kind. Please ask the students to appeal on their behalf."
In the late Ming Dynasty, the profession of lawyer had already appeared, but there was no strict "lawyer qualification". Basically, a scholar who was good at eloquence and quoted from other sources could become a lawyer. No one would care about temporary guest appearances.
Shen Shuren didn't invite Gu Yanwu at first, after all, the matter was very secret. But after the incident, his friends were also very concerned about him, and came to ask questions about whether he was guilty or not.
In order to put his friends at ease, Shen Shuren pretended at this time, "I also read "The Law of the Ming Dynasty" after the incident, and found that it was really not my fault, it was the other party who committed the crime first," and then explained his idea of complaining. one time.
Among Shen Shuren's friends, the one who read the most was Gu Yanwu. He also had knowledge of laws, scriptures of past dynasties, and the Spring and Autumn Period.
When Gu Yanwu saw that Shen Shuren's reason for appeal was convoluted and righteous, he immediately felt a sense of historical heroism to rectify his name. Feeling anxious, he proposed that he help his friend appeal.
After a brief investigation, Shen Shuren found that he was only good at legal theory, but not good at quoting scriptures. He used Confucian principles to justify the legal principles. If he combined his legal ideas with Gu Yanwu's extensive quotations, the effect might be better, so he agreed. Got this.
After Zhang Xuezeng confirmed his identity, he did not embarrass Gu Yanwu because he had heard of Gu Yanwu's reputation as a scholar and knew that he was not a professional litigator who took money to litigate, but was really doing a favor for his friends.
Zhang Xuezeng was shocked and first asked Shen Shuren: "Shen Lin, Dong Liang of Kunshan accused you of robbing his family's manor and population before they signed a contract. His son Cai Shouxin came to the door to argue, and you connived at the powerful slaves and beat him to death." , is this possible?"
Chen Shuren defended without being humble or arrogant: "When I return to Futai, there is no such thing as this. The Dongjia Embroidery Village involved in the case obviously owes the student's family more than 2,800 taels of raw silk money, and it has been overdue for nearly two years.
Recently, a student came to ask for a debt and found that the former owner and mistress of the Dong family were dead, leaving only an orphan. Out of pity and respect for his filial piety, the student was willing to use the remaining houses and looms of the Dong family embroidery village, plus Dong The young lady's future labor is pledged, and the Dong family's debts are forgiven.
Mrs. Dong was also willing to make such a deal, and she signed a deed that day. Not only did she transfer the ownership of the manor, but she also paid the deed tax, which was witnessed by the neighbors in the village.
The next day, Cai Shouxin came to provoke him. Unless he said that they had a secret agreement with Mrs. Dong, the students would naturally not believe him. The students had never ordered servants to beat anyone to death. In fact, early that morning, the students were still sleeping in the village. do not know anything.
But before going to bed the night before, out of caution, the student asked the steward who came with him, saying that from today on, the Dong Family Embroidery Manor will be the property of the Shen family, and it must be guarded as rigorously as his own manor. Others who cause trouble and trespass must be strictly evicted.
Later, because the deceased was too arrogant and led his men to rush into the courtyard in an attempt to search for Miss Dong, I, the Shen family servant, out of the desire to protect the master, killed the leading thief during the fight."