Chapter 9, the Legalists are all Virgo perfectionists

Ji Ying has now become honest, recounting word for word what the thief Pan said that day

The individual merely has a case to present

The punishment of flogging is the lightest form of corporal punishment; apart from the pain inflicted on the skin and flesh, it does not cause significant injury. Once the beating was over, Yi asked Ji Ying what case he had to present to the authorities.

The duties of the officer in charge of anger were not only to maintain order in the court but also included the examination of corpses and the investigation of crime scenes, akin to the role of a forensic expert in later times. The Qin dynasty governed the state with Legalist philosophy, striving for precision in all matters. The day before, when he was dispatched to interrogate three thieves, the officer had already meticulously recorded the condition of the thieves' wounds and submitted an examination report titled "Yuan Shu".

Before Hei Fu could respond, the fierce gaze of the officer turned 'angry' as he glared at Ji Ying, and immediately, two armed officers on standby in the hall approached and pinned Ji Ying to the ground

According to the law, since there are fewer than five individuals, it does not constitute the crime of gang theft

Heihei was still astonished by the advanced inspection system of the Qin state, which could rival that of future forensic experts, when Xi suddenly asked him: "Who did you learn your martial arts from?"

He secretly felt that something was amiss; his grappling technique was not of this era. Seeing that Xi was as meticulous as a Virgo, nitpicking every flaw, he naturally did not dare to speak carelessly and could only find a dead person to serve as a scapegoat

He turned to Hei Fu and secretly sneered: "You little brat, when it comes time for questioning, I will ensure you are left speechless and unable to clear your name!"

On the west side of the corpse, there is a pair of Qin-style hemp shoes, one located slightly more than 6 paces from the corpse and the other 10 paces away. When the shoes are put on the corpse, they fit perfectly. The ground is hard, and no traces of the assailant are found. The deceased is a middle-aged male, with fair skin, measuring 7 feet 1 inch in height, and his head and hair are 2 feet long. ... There are two old burn scars on the abdomen ...

"Do you still dare to say that there are no other offenses?" The tone of Xi became severe, and Pan, seeing that all his secrets had been exposed, lowered his head in despair and admitted to these offenses

It turns out that he was indeed responsible for two lives and had participated in five or six robberies, although the amount of money stolen was not substantial

Xie unfolded a bamboo slip before him and read: "On the 9th of September in the 20th year of the Jia Yin era, the county magistrate of Jingling dares to report to the county magistrate of Anlu..."

Indeed, Xi frowned slightly. Although his intuition told him that Heifu had not been entirely truthful, he did not find anything suspicious and thus chose not to pursue the matter further. He simply addressed the clerks in the hall:

Attached is the translation of the text "The Death of the Thief" from the Yunmeng Qin Bamboo Slips.

Ji Ying shouted injustice, but one thing is one thing, in anger, he personally took a bamboo board and struck it against his back and buttocks

Xi still did not interrupt Ji Ying; after he finished speaking, dry-mouthed and tongue-tied, she then tilted her head and asked Hei Fu: "Is that so?"

This is the letter of response from Jingling County. Following this, there is a lengthy account of Pan's crimes, including his multiple enlistments in his youth, participation in wars, yet being reprimanded for his lack of enthusiasm in combat. After returning home, he spread negative remarks, which led to a report by his neighbors. Consequently, he was punished to serve as a garrison soldier and was sent to the north for duty. However, on the way north, he injured the escort personnel, seized armor and weapons, and fled into Yunmengze.

At this point, there is no turning back. The black servant raised his head and said, "The petty person knows, but the petty person merely states the injustice and does not dare to conceal it"

Unlike the ten infamous tortures of the Qin Dynasty imagined by later generations, the interrogation methods of the Qin state prioritized the collection of evidence and rigorous questioning as the most superior techniques. Only when the accused proved to be utterly obstinate would torture be employed against them. However, in the eyes of the officials, this was already considered a lower form of practice

Pan was just feeling dejected, but now he is utterly astonished. He repeatedly bows his head, like falling beans, and confesses all the sins he has ever committed.

He looked at Heifu and said, "Heifu, you previously volunteered to be the chief of Yangting and sought to rob and deceive for rewards. Do you still hold to that now?"

Xi nodded slightly, not rashly believing, and asked the three thieves once again. Seeing that they had no objections, he then directed his inquiring gaze towards Ling Shi "Nu".

The laws of the Qin state apply only to its counties and cannot extend to the state of Chu. As a result, the origins and crimes of these two thieves from Chu cannot be verified, and they can only be judged according to customary practices

The government encourages reporting treachery, and even the petty individuals insist on self-reporting

Well, since you do not admit to any other crimes, then listen to what this is

The voice of joy softened again, as if it had a complete understanding of everything about Pan: "Your crimes, I am fully aware of, and I know them all. The reason I have not exposed you is to see whether you have a heart for confession... For instance, regarding the home invasion murder and robbery case that occurred six months ago in the small river of Jingling County, were you also involved? The description of the perpetrator's appearance and build provided by the survivor in Jingling County matches you perfectly!"

Note: The interrogation process, the questions and answers, and the judge's final remarks in this chapter refer to the regulations outlined in the "Feng Zhen Shi" interrogation rules.

The face of joy changed in an instant, threateningly saying: "If you do not confess the truth, I shall resort to punishment!"

However, murder is not the most extreme crime; in the legal code of the Qin state, the most serious offenses, aside from treason, are those related to banditry.

... ...

At this point, it was the turn of He Fu and Ji Ying to make their appearance. As before, they first stated their names, identities, and places of origin.

In this way, the course of the case and the nature of the crime have become clear, but it is not yet over. The gaze of joy turned towards the two men, Heifu, inquiring about the process of capturing the thief.

The prison is in uproar, when the punishment is administered!

Next, Xi ordered Pan's two accomplices to state their names, places of origin, and crimes one by one. The result was astonishing; they were actually people from the state of Chu who had fled from the southern region of Chu (Hunan) into Yunmengze. There were a total of three of them, and they had only joined forces with Pan this summer

He stroked his beard and said to the officials: "Make a note of this, Pan and the others are not considered a band of thieves; they can only be charged with ordinary theft and murder."

Heihe closed his eyes helplessly, listening to the bamboo board sound ten times, while Ji Ying shouted ten times, marking the end of this impromptu punishment

After listening, Xi nodded and looked at the thief: "Pan, is it really so?"

This has become somewhat troublesome, although Xi had known about this matter early on, he still furrowed his brows

After reading the injury report, Xi Bian was able to ascertain that Hei Fu had not lied; the locations of the wounds inflicted on the thief matched perfectly in terms of depth and severity. He then expressed his astonishment, saying: "Considering your young age, you possess such courage and skill."

They repeatedly confirmed with them, at that time, there were only four thieves seen

The Hu Yang Pavilion Chief, who had a horse-like face, walked at the very end. As soon as he entered the hall, he first looked around and spotted the merchant Bao, who was standing aside as a witness. He fixed his gaze on him, and after Bao, feeling intimidated, nodded slightly, the Hu Yang Pavilion Chief finally breathed a sigh of relief

After this, Pan attempted to sneak back to his place of origin, taking his wife and children with him to escape, but he was stopped by his neighbors, and Pan once again fled after injuring someone

Ji Ying seemed to have forgotten about the beating he just received, and he spoke animatedly, especially boasting about how Hei Fu single-handedly defeated three bandits and disarmed them with his bare hands. Ever since he acknowledged Hei Fu as his brother, Hei Fu's skills seemed to have become his own, bringing him a sense of pride.

He had no choice but to brace himself and say: "Although the words may be somewhat exaggerated, they are generally accurate. The villain indeed fought against three opponents, but Ji Ying also battled with another thief for quite some time. If it were not for his assistance, I would likely have already become a corpse by the roadside."

What a joke! If I remember correctly, the one whom the cheap old man loved the most was clearly his youngest son, Jing, who was historically the brother that went to the military camp with Heifu. However, Heifu has now mastered the art of lying without revealing any flaws. In any case, the cheap old man has been dead for several years, and no matter how capable Jing is, can he still inquire from a ghost?

It should be noted that the three thieves were undoubtedly captured by Heifu and Ji Ying. Next, the case of the head of Huyang Pavilion will follow

Well, the defendant was not beaten, but the plaintiff took the hit first; this can only be blamed on Ji Ying for being too talkative

The Black Husband's Path: "It was taught to me by my late father, who once served in the military, achieving merit through beheading and was granted the title of Duke. He also once gathered firewood in the mountains and fought with wild boars, from which he comprehended a set of martial arts. Because he favored me the most among his three sons, he passed it down only to me..."

Ji Ying may not excel in other areas, but he possesses a remarkable talent for gossip and boasting. When he reaches the most captivating parts of his narrative, the clerks who have been diligently recording the interrogation proceedings all pause their writing, captivated and listening intently.

Wearing one short cloth shirt and one skirt, the back of the short shirt corresponds to the wound area, with two cuts made by a blade. Both the back and the front of the shirt are stained with blood

A male corpse was found lying on his back in the southern area. There is a knife wound on the left temple of the man's head, and two knife wounds on his back, both of which are vertical, measuring 4 inches in length and 1 inch in width. The wounds are indented in the middle, resembling marks made by an axe. Blood is present around the wounds, contaminating the head, back, and the ground. No other injuries are present on the body.

The left ankle on the outer side of Thief A from Chu has a laceration, horizontal, measuring 9 inches in length, which is a mark from a short sword. There are bruises on the abdomen, indicating the impact of a heavy punch; Thief B from Chu has a laceration on the outer side of the right leg, vertical, measuring 4 inches in length and 1 inch in width, with a smooth wound, which is a mark from a short sword stab. There are no injuries on the remaining areas...

Indeed, there are only four people. Heifei is now greatly impressed by Xi, as the main hall of the county jail has seemingly become the stage for his performance. His sharpness and competence are certainly not inferior to any professionally trained judge in later generations

It is unfortunate that the Qin state adjudicates cases in such a manner; regardless of how much you have stolen, what matters is the criminal intent in your heart! Even if it is merely a single coin, even if it is a worthless rope or mulberry leaves, it is still considered theft! Let alone murder.

"That was just a moment of reckless talk." Pan, however, still harbored a glimmer of hope and resolutely denied it! Because he understood the consequences of murder

After watching, I feel that I need to take a moment to calm down

"Good." Xidian nodded and signaled to Nu and Le, "Bring the head of Huyang Pavilion and the others up! Today, we must conclude the trial of both cases together!"

Accompanied by a flurry of footsteps, the crowd at Huyang Pavilion was brought up from below the hall, including a frail thief and three pavilion guards. Once they arrived on the platform, they all stared fiercely at the black-clad man, their anger evident in their expressions

Xiban raised his face and said: "The head of Huyang Pavilion is an official in charge of food distribution. Do you know that falsely accusing an official, if proven true, can lead to being counter-accused of slander and receiving severe punishment"