Chapter 16 The 16th Dali Minister's Careful Analysis of the Suspicious Case Li Shimin Regrets His Life

Li Shimin summoned Chen Junbin one day, asked him to walk around the Fortress, and told him: "The land north of the Fortress is not suitable for planting, but the Hetao area is fertile and has the benefits of irrigation, so it is very suitable for planting. The Turks have always been nomadic Lord, you have to live there for a period of time and teach them about farming and mulberry. Since we have decided to educate the Turkic people, we must make them gradually change their nomadic habits. If they can plant successfully on the Hetao, they will taste Sweetness will affect other Turkic people. Chen Qing, I know that you are a good hand in handling the matter of Nongsang, and this time you went to help the Turkic people, not just to persuade Nongsang, but have a deep meaning."

At first Chen Junbin heard that he was asked to go to the plug to plant, and he was a little confused. After Li Shimin explained in detail, he just came back and replied with a bow: "I understand." Li Shimin asked again: "Chen Qing, how do you feel about this period when I changed your title to Tai Fuqing?" "I used to be a foreign official for a long time, and I can handle all the specific matters. At first, I presided over the Taifu Temple, and the management of its treasury was fine, but I felt a little unfamiliar with the government orders in charge of wealth. Perhaps it is short-sighted and unable to grasp the overall situation. To."

"Well, after getting used to it for a while, you will gradually get used to it. You have experience in state financial management and understand by analogy, so you should be able to play a role in this position. By the way, I have been busy paying attention to the East Turkic affairs for a while. Farming matters are not considered much. From your point of view, what is the harvest of farming and mulberry this year?" "When Li Shangshu led his army to march north, I was really worried at the beginning. I was always afraid that the war would be protracted and cost too much money and food. Unexpectedly, the battle was short, the cost was not much, and it did not affect domestic agriculture and mulberry at all. So be sure. Judging from this year's situation, the autumn harvest is very sure. As for this year, as long as the weather is smooth and there are no major disasters, there will be absolutely no problem with the grain harvest. Your Majesty, after this year's rent and taxes are collected, the treasury will definitely be even better. filling."

"Yeah, I hope God can follow the public opinion and avoid disasters." "Your Majesty does not need to worry about this. Even if there is a little trouble, a considerable harvest can be guaranteed." "how to say?" "Thinking about it these days, I feel that the situation in front of me can withstand minor disasters. The so-called 'Achievement depends on the sky, planning depends on people'. Since His Majesty ascended the throne, he has ordered officials and people to devote themselves to farming with 'agriculture as the foundation of the country' and ' Fumin Yijing' formulated many measures to promote agriculture. People in the world regard the promotion of agriculture as the top priority, and they are all conscientious and do not dare to slack off. The benefit of the ditches, proper repairs, and frequent inspection of the water potential in various places have alleviated the previous situation of "little water leads to severe floods, and no water leads to severe drought" to a certain extent."

What Chen Junbin said made Li Shimin smile and exult, and said: "You have such a vision, but you are still self-effacing and short-sighted? Well, you go, if this trip can teach the Turkic people to farm, it will be a great achievement, and I will give it a lot. Reward you." After Chen Junbin withdrew, Li Shimin got up and walked out of the hall, and asked someone to carry him to Dali Temple. When Du Ruhui was seriously ill, Li Shimin went to visit him. Du Ruhui knew that his days were numbered, so he recommended Dai Zhou as the right servant of Shangshu.Li Shimin originally thought that Dai Zhou was not proficient in writing and ink, and that he was not suitable for the position. Now that Du Ruhui's feelings, he can't help but love the house and the black, so he decided to grant Dai Zhou the right servant of the minister.

Unexpectedly, Dai Zhou refused to take up the post. He said earnestly, "Your Majesty, honesty and uprightness in law enforcement are the strengths of my ministers. After Fang Jingchao today, it is time to spread the spirit of your majesty's benevolence to the people. The minister is getting better and better now." , it's best not to leave." Li Shimin saw that Dai Zhou was determined, so he changed Li Jing to be the right servant of Shangshu.Due to his excitement today, he wanted to see what Dai Zhou was up to in Dali Temple. Entering the main hall of Dali Temple, you can see Dai Zhou sitting in the middle in front of the main case, and Dali Cheng Sun Fujia and Zhang Yungu sit on both sides.There are a group of people standing and kneeling in the hall, and it's time to try the case.When Dai Zhou saw the emperor coming, he hurriedly led Sun Fujia, Zhang Yungu and others to greet him.Li Shimin waved his hand to stop them and said: "You continue to try the case, I just listen to it." Dai Zhou asked to bring a chair and put it on the upper left side of the hall. Li Shimin sat down slowly and motioned for Dai Zhou Continue the trial.

The case of Dai Zhou's trial is a major case that has caused a sensation in the capital recently.Zhang Di of the Banqiao store in Dongshi City manages it well and has made the store very prosperous. Last year, he married his wife, Mrs. Liu.This day when Mrs. Liu went back to her natal family, Zhang Di was alone in the shop. Before noon, the shop was full.Among them, Yang Zhen and the other three from Weizhou stayed in the store, and left the store at five o'clock the next day to return home.At dawn, someone found that Zhang Di had been stabbed to death with a knife, and the ground was covered with blood.The police from the capital quickly came to investigate the case, detained all the people in the store, and questioned them one by one. At this time, someone pointed out that Yang Zhen and the other three had left at five o'clock.The catcher quickly chased after him, and he caught up with Yang Zhen and the others. The catcher asked Yang Zhen's knife to come over for inspection. When he pulled Yang Zhen's knife out of the scabbard, it was covered with blood.Now, the police decided that Yang Zhen was the murderer, and brought her back to Beijing, where she was imprisoned and tortured.At first, Yang Zhen firmly refused to admit it, but later she couldn't survive the torture, so she had to admit that she was the murderer.

According to the system of the Tang Dynasty, all prisoners who have been exiled or sentenced to death in various places must be sent to Dali Temple for re-inspection. After verification, the case file will be handed over to the Ministry of Punishment for the emperor to collude.Now that Yang Zhen confessed, and there was evidence of a murder weapon, the Jingzhao Mansion condemned her to death, and then sent the criminal and the case file to Dali Temple for re-examination. Since this case happened in the capital, there were many rumors, so Dai Zhou personally led Sun Fujia and Zhang Yungu to review the case.As soon as Yang Zhen entered Dali Temple, she was very upset.Dai Zhou inquired carefully and felt that there were many doubts.First of all, Yang Zhen had no grievances with Zhang Di, and had no motive to kill Zhang Di; second, the murderous knife stained with Zhang Di's blood was the biggest flaw. Wipe off the blood on the knife, so as not to leave evidence of murder in a big way.

Dai Zhou discussed with Sun Fujia and Zhang Yungu many times, and felt that this matter had passed for a long time, and there must be no traces of the original crime, so it is difficult to re-examine.They thought and meditated day and night, and finally came up with a good plan. Sun Fujia came to the Banqiao store, and brought all the people who lived in the store that day and those who had contacts with the store owner, as long as they were fifteen years old, into Dali Temple for questioning.At noon, all the people were released, leaving only the old woman in her 180s, who was not released until late at night.On the second day, Sun Fujia replayed yesterday's story again.

Zhang Yungu led the two quietly around the Banqiao store. They were dressed in casual clothes, looking for someone to strike up a conversation with.One of them was lurking in the old woman's house at dusk, observing the people who entered the house.In two days, a man named Xia Mengxuan came into the house one after another to ask the old woman for questioning. Dai Zhou collected information from all parties and felt that he had a spectrum, so he asked Yang Zhen, Xia Mengxuan, Liu Shi and related neighbors to be brought into the hall for interrogation.When Li Shimin entered the hall, he was interrogating Mrs. Liu.

Mrs. Liu was dressed in plain clothes, with a sad face and a few tears in the corners of her eyes, making her look more and more pitiful.Dai Zhou asked: "Mr. Liu, why did you leave suddenly on the day Zhang Di was killed?" "The concubine got the news that day, saying that my mother suddenly felt unwell, so she hurried back to her mother's house." "Nonsense, I have sent someone to verify that your father and mother have been in good health recently, and have never had a slight illness. I have the testimony of your neighbor here, do you want to take a look?" Liu rolled her eyes and said, "The little girl misses her parents, so there must be a reason when she returns to her mother's house?" Seeing Liu's eyes turning, Dai Zhou responded wittily, without panic, he is a man of his own opinion, changed the subject, and asked again: "There is a person named Xia Mengxuan standing over there, do you know him?" An imperceptible panic flashed in Liu's eyes, and he said frankly: "I know him. He was a good friend of my poor husband. He opened a calligraphy and painting shop on the left side of the shop, and I usually have more contacts with my poor husband." Dai Zhou snorted and told Liu Shi to get up and step aside.He suddenly lifted the gavel, slapped it, and shouted: "Xia Mengxuan, kneel down! Are you guilty?" That Xia Mengxuan was dressed as a scholar, with a graceful figure, he looked like Pan An.He was brought to Dali Temple today, thinking that he might be interrogated as a witness, his expression was quite calm, now he heard Dai Zhou's shout, like five thunderbolts, he knelt down unconsciously.After a while, he regained his composure, and said in a trembling voice: "The villain doesn't know what the adults mean? The villain has always operated in accordance with the law, and he gets along with his neighbors in harmony, so he doesn't know any crime." "You rely on your beauty, and you have a lot of bad money in your hands. How many women have you collude with and ruined over the years?" "The villain has not yet married, and quite a few people have come to propose marriage. As for the villain hooking up with women, there is no way to talk about it." "If you want people not to know, you have to do nothing. In a certain year and a certain month, you cheated and raped the daughter of the royal family, resulting in one dead body and two lives, but there are?" The neighbors know about this, the daughter of the Wang family loves calligraphy and painting, and often comes to Xia Mengxuan's shop to buy.After going back and forth like this, she couldn't stand Xia Mengxuan's sweet talk, so she sacrificed herself and became pregnant soon.To cover up their ugliness, the Wang family sent someone to propose marriage, but Xia Mengxuan had tasted something new and refused to agree.The daughter of the Wang family felt ashamed to see others, so she hanged herself, resulting in one dead body and two lives. Xia Mengxuan plausibly said: "She committed suicide, what has she to do with the villain?" Dai Zhou continued: "As for you hooking up with married women, it's not just a few people? Do you know what the neighbors in the neighborhood say about you? They say you are a prostitute who hurts the neighbors!" Upon hearing the words, Mrs. Liu over there glanced at Xia Mengxuan lightly with her resentful eyes. Dai Zhou patted the gavel again, and shouted: "I will ask you again, when did you hook up Mrs. Liu?" This sentence was like a thunderbolt from the blue sky, shocking both Xia Mengxuan and Liu Shi dumbfounded.Fortunately, Xia Mengxuan experienced a lot of embarrassing things, and quickly returned to normal. He argued: "The villain and Liu's husband were friendly during their lifetime, and they have a close relationship. As for the villain colluding with Liu, it must be framed by someone with malicious intentions." villain." "You don't cry when you see the coffin! Every time Mrs. Liu comes to your shop, you close the shop door. What do you, a man and a woman, do inside? You think you are doing everything perfectly, but the neighbors in the neighborhood are not. Blind man, they all know about your good deeds, but it's a pity that Zhang Di is the only one. Witnesses, you can tell Xia Mengxuan's bad deeds one by one according to the facts, and you can't spare the bad guys." Sure enough, Zhang Yungu called several witnesses, and they told the whole process of Xia Mengxuan and Liu's collusion.The details are so detailed that someone even eavesdropped on the process of the first adultery between the two through the wooden wall, and repeated their nasty words in class.From the dialogue, it can be felt that the adultery between two people is not the wish of one person, but the intention of both parties, and it will happen naturally. Li Shimin heard this and found it very interesting.as big as World, nothing is nonexistent.I think that those who listened to the wall at the beginning were also good people, but I don't think that it has become evidence in the hall today. Dai Zhou shouted again: "Mr. Liu, you and your adulterer kneel together, and quickly bring about the fact that you murdered your husband." The face of Mrs. Liu turned pale, and she followed Dai Zhou's order and knelt down. She regained her composure and said calmly, "That's right, a concubine shouldn't do anything to offend her husband. However, my lord said that a concubine murdered my husband." , It is indeed a great injustice. Even if I lend the concubine a few more guts, I will not dare to do such an outrageous thing. Besides, the concubine and Xia Mengxuan are both powerless people, and my husband is strong, so how can we be opponents? " Dai Zhou praised this woman in his heart for not being a scumbag, because he turned to Xia Mengxuan, and said coldly: "You really don't cry when you see the coffin, and you have to let me bring all kinds of evidence in front of you before you are convinced." ? Pass it to Mrs. Xue." The eighty-year-old old woman came to the hall tremblingly with the support of others. Someone had already brought a chair for her to sit down.Dai Zhou asked loudly: "Old lady Xue, did anyone come to your house in the past two nights? What did he do in your house?" The old lady turned her eyes around the hall, then she shot her gaze at Xia Mengxuan, and said loudly: "Return to the adults, the old lady has been warmly received by the adults here. After returning to the house, he..." She pointed at Xia Mengxuan, "He Just enter the house to inquire. The old woman is usually alone, and it is rare for someone to come to the house. After Xia Mengxuan entered the house, he gave gifts and asked kind questions, asking what the adults said to the old woman." The old woman is over eighty years old. But his eyes are not dazzled, his ears are not deaf, and he speaks fluently. Dai Zhou asked sharply: "Xia Mengxuan, it's rare for you to get a visit from old lady Xue's house, why are you so considerate this time? What does this mean? It's nothing more than you killing Zhang Di, feeling guilty, and wanting to inquire about my attitude. " Xia Mengxuan became a little flustered, but his tone was still tough: "The villain and Zhang Di have a good relationship, and I really want to know who killed my friend. It is also reasonable for me to ask Mrs. Xue." "Okay, I'm not afraid of your stubbornness." Dai Zhou said loudly again, "Send a group of witnesses to come up." There was a sound of footsteps outside the door, and a dozen people came to the hall.Dai Zhou didn't want to give Xia Mengxuan another chance to breathe, so he asked Xia Mengxuan questions like a cannonball. "You said that you are not Zhang Di's opponent, but if you put anesthetics in the wine, wouldn't Zhang Di be as limp as mud and let you slaughter him? Xia Mengxuan, you bought a pack of anesthetics at Sansongtang that day. Side testimony. I ask you, what do you use this pack of anesthetic for? "You adulterers and prostitutes mixed together, and you wanted to plot Zhang Di's property, so you conspired a good plan. In order to avoid suspicion, Liu hurried back to her mother's house to achieve the purpose of not being present. But you forgot, Zhang Di The dinner and wine that Xia Mengxuan had at night was ordered by you at Qingyun Tower. There is a guy who took over from Qingyun Tower here, so I'm sorry you can't deny it. "It was night, Xia Mengxuan and Zhang Di were having a drink together. During this time, Li, the neighbor next door, asked Zhang Di to book a room because his relatives would come to Beijing tomorrow. He saw the two of you drinking together there. Zhang Di even invited Li over for a drink. Count the cups. Li, was that the case at that time? "When the time was just over, Xia Mengxuan went into the Banqiao store to find the clerk on duty and asked to borrow a quilt. The clerk felt that you were familiar with the owner and had borrowed quilts before, so he handed you a bunch of keys and let you do it yourself. Take it. Half an hour later, you rushed back again, saying that you didn’t need the quilt, so you returned it, and the clerk gave you the key again, allowing you to enter the room and return it. Xia Mengxuan, it’s not true that you came to pick up the quilt, Stealing Yang Zhen's saber, went to kill Zhang Di who was in a coma, and then inserted the bloody knife into the scabbard and put it back to frame Yang Zhen, but it was real. "Catcher Yang, the person who took the initiative to tell you about Yang Zhen's departure at the fifth watch that day, is this guy in front of you?" Catcher Yang quickly cupped his hands and replied, "That's right, it was Xia Mengxuan who reminded the villain that we should go after Yang Zhen and the others immediately." Dai Zhou sneered and said: "Xia Mengxuan, Mrs. Liu, even if you have all your wits and tricks, you will eventually show your fox's tail." He slapped the gavel violently again, and shouted: "I have all the witnesses here, even if you are in every way If you deny it, you can't escape death." Xia Mengxuan had already been defeated in Dai Zhou's continuous questioning, he collapsed on the ground, and said weakly: "It's a secret that I raised this matter, why do you seem to see it with your own eyes?" Seeing that Xia Mengxuan really recruited her, her heart felt ashamed, she was begging for her life, she burst into tears like rain: "My lord, it is true that this concubine committed adultery with this villain, but he murdered my husband, but this concubine didn't know anything about it. The concubine went back to her mother's house and ordered meals for him, all of which he ordered the concubine to do, and the concubine didn't even know that he wanted to kill her husband." Seeing Liu, Xia Mengxuan bit back and said fiercely: "You wicked woman, didn't you do all the things? It's true that I love sex and steal pleasure. I never thought of killing people for money. If you didn't let me do it many times I killed Zhang Ditu and got such a large sum of money to live a life like a fairy. How can I have today? Huh, don’t dream, let’s stay together on the road to Huangquan.” Liu rushed over like crazy, stretched out his hand to grab Xia Mengxuan, and cursed: "What a traitor, you are spitting blood." Before reaching Xia Mengxuan's side, a yamen servant had already pushed him down. The truth of an unjust case came to light. It turned out to be a case of an adulterer and an adulteress who committed suicide for money.Those who are close to Zhang Di know that Zhang Di is extremely responsible, and his expression is dull. He only knows how to work and does not please Liu Shi.Although Xia Mengxuan has a bad reputation, he is beautiful and sweet-talking, and has the ability to serve women, which made Liu Shi throw all his heart on him.Since they wanted to be a long-term couple, they decided to get rid of Zhang Di.On this day, Mrs. Liu saw Yang Zhen and others entering the store with knives, and knew that they were leaving at five o'clock, so she decided to do it that day, and the twists and turns of the case began. Yang Zhen kowtowed to Dai Zhou in the hall, weeping and said: "This villain knows that he will surely die this time. Unexpectedly, there is a master Qingtian who cleared up his grievances for the villain. After the villain returns home, he will create the longevity of the adult Tablet, pray for your health every day." Dai Zhou ordered the Yamen servants to put Xia Mengxuan and Liu's family in death row, then smiled and said to Yang Zhen: "The case is clear today, you can go home immediately, as for the longevity tablet, you don't have to do it. I am the official of the Tang Dynasty. It is the emperor's will to obey. Yang Zhen, it is even more fortunate that you have cleared your grievances today, and the emperor has been listening by the side, why don't you hurry up and bow down?" Li Shimin came to Dali Temple today in casual clothes, he did not reveal his identity when he entered the hall, others only knew that he was of high status, but they didn't know that he was the emperor himself. When Yang Zhen heard that the emperor had been sitting in front of him, he was stunned. He knelt and crawled in front of Li Shimin, kowtowing endlessly, saying incoherently: "The grass people have been wronged, it is the emperor's kindness, the grass people..." Li Shimin stood up and said: "Forget it, let's get back together. Dai Qing's case is the most fair. If there is a grievance, you must appeal, and if you are guilty, you must be punished. You just said that you want to set up a longevity tablet for Dai Qing. You can pray every day after you go home. The reason why this case can catch you is that you also have shortcomings. You think that the saber is used to protect yourself, but you are ignorant, it was stolen and brought back again, and you didn't realize it at all. Because of this, you can't complain other people." Yang Zhen had nothing to say when she heard the words, so she kowtowed. Dai Zhou asked the yamen servants to take Yang Zhen and others out, and only a few of them were left in the hall. Li Shimin smiled and said: "I came to Dali Temple today because I was very excited. I don't want to see a good show. My family, if you guard me in Dali Temple, the world will end the grievances, and it will be the common people." Blessing." Dai Zhou said: "The impact of this case is too great. At the foot of the emperor, someone used a knife to commit murder, which caused a shock in the capital. The ministers and others wanted to make it an iron case, so they made a lot of effort to investigate. The emperor saw today's scene It's here. Xia Mengxuan couldn't resist the ironclad evidence, so he was the first to spit it out, but Mrs. Liu is a powerful character. If Xia Mengxuan is like Mrs. Liu and refuses to admit it, it will take a lot of trouble. I want to take the next step, so I have to punish them severely. In this way, the case will not be very beautiful, and it will be greatly compromised." "Convincing people with reasoning and using evidence to make them irrefutable is Dai Qing's brilliance in handling the case. Well, by doing this, you have avoided the disadvantages of torture. If Yang Zhen is identified as the murderer, and then tortured and waited on, Liu's plot will not succeed, and there will be no subsequent twists and turns. Dai Qing, you can ask someone to memorize the process of this case in detail, and I will forward it in the form of a clear edict Everywhere, let all states and counties use this case as an example to distinguish right from wrong, avoid unjust imprisonment, and make bad people punished according to law." "The minister obeys the order." "I watched your trial process just now. Since I'm here, I should just take a closer look. Dai Qing, please lead me to the death row to have a look." "Your Majesty, the light in the prison is very dark and the smell is bad. It's best not to go there." Li Shimin insisted on going, so Dai Zhou and the other three had no choice but to guide him to visit him in the death row. The death row is located outside the imperial city. This is a dead corner, and there are no residents living around it. There is only a lonely prison. The prisoners had been notified in advance that Qing Dali would accompany the emperor to make an inspection tour, and they were all standing next to each prison door with torches in their hands.As soon as Li Shimin entered the prison gate, he saw that the prisoners were lined up neatly, not looking sideways, and the ground was very clean, so he praised: "Well, they manage the prison well. I have visited people in prison before, and I can see the sewage flowing everywhere. , That smell is very unpleasant. Dai Qing, you are right, people who commit crimes are punished by the law, and they cannot be treated as pigs and dogs and abused." They walked a few steps in the corridor, and Li Shimin saw five or six people poking their heads in a cell, so he directed, "Open this cell, I want to go in." The jailer in front of the door unlocked the huge lock, pushed the door open, and said loudly: "The emperor is coming, hurry up and kneel down to meet him." The six prisoners inside heard that the emperor was here, and they were at a loss for a moment, and they knelt down in panic, but they didn't know what to say. Li Shimin entered, looked back at Dai Zhou and said, "Dai Qing, have these people committed capital crimes?" "Yes, their case files have been transferred to the Ministry of Punishment, waiting for His Majesty to decide." Li Shimin looked at the six prisoners and said, "All raise your heads. Since you have committed a capital crime, you must die. However, the case is tortuous. If there are any wrongdoers among them, you can also speak out." The six people originally raised their heads, but after hearing this, they lowered their heads again. "Don't worry about it. Don't you dare to speak when you see someone in Dali Temple? You just say it's okay, I will make the decision for you." Dai Zhou said: "The emperor attaches great importance to leniency and prudent punishment. If you have grievances, you can speak out. In front of the emperor, I will correct it immediately." At this time, one of the old men slowly raised his head and said: "Lord Dai pays most attention to evidence when deciding a case, and does not make wild speculations. The crimes committed by the criminals are not exaggerated, so I will stop appealing." The six of us all have the same thoughts, we only hope that the emperor will go to court later, so that we can live a few more days, and if we catch up with the amnesty, we still have a chance to survive." The remaining five nodded quickly. Li Shimin sighed and said: "Using the law to enforce the law and paying attention to evidence, this should be the case for a prison! Dai Qing, I am very relieved to say such words from the criminals you have convicted, and you can also be satisfied." Li Shimin hadn't finished speaking when he heard someone outside shouting loudly: "I'm wronged, I'm wronged." Li Shimin smiled and said: "Dai Qing, I praised you just now, and someone over there shouted that you were wronged. It seems that not all the people in this prison confessed their crimes. Let's go and have a look." A door away from this cell, I saw a person stretching out his hands outside the fence, shouting grievances. Li Shimin walked to the door and asked the man, "What wrong have you done? You can tell me one by one." The man burst into tears and shouted: "Master Qingtian, the villain is at home well, but they caught him here out of thin air, you have to avenge the villain." Dai Zhou shouted: "Li Haode, what nonsense are you talking about? The one in front of you is His Majesty the Emperor, why don't you bow down?" When Li Haode heard that the person in front of him was the emperor, he knelt down with a "plop", kowtowed and said, "Your Majesty, the villain is innocent. Someone framed the villain. Please let the emperor let the villain go." Li Shimin turned his head and asked Dai Zhou, "What crime did this man commit?" "Li Haode is a native of Xiangzhou. He often scolds the sky and the earth. This year, he even opened his mouth to scold the emperor. He also said that he was ordered by heaven to raise troops to overthrow our dynasty." Li Shimin took a closer look at Li Haode again, saw that he was dirty all over, described as trivial, and didn't look like someone with great ambitions, so he asked suspiciously: "Him? Does he have this ability?" "I don't believe it either. It's just that when the case was transferred, the witness's testimony was very neat. He did say a lot of gossip." Li Shimin didn't continue this topic, turned around and walked out of the prison.When they arrived in the courtyard, Zhang Yungu bowed and reported to Li Shimin: "Your Majesty, Li Haode's words are indeed related to demons, but there are other secrets." "What's the secret?" "The minister and Li Haode are from the same township. Knowing that this person is suffering from epilepsy, he will talk nonsense when he has a seizure. Call me wrong." "Dai Qing, is that so?" Dai Zhou replied: "Yun Gu mentioned this matter to me, and I wanted to verify it at home, and then asked the Imperial Medical Office to appraise it. It's just that Li Haode was newly imprisoned, and I was busy with Zhang Di's case recently, so the matter was delayed. .” "According to the "Wu De Law", if someone suffers from epilepsy and speaks nonsense, should he be punished?" "If there is such an article in the law, if it is sick, it should not be punished." "Well, you guys should quickly verify whether Li Haode is sick or not. If he is really sick, he can be released from prison immediately." "The minister obeys the order." Zhang Yungu looked very happy, bowed and said: "The emperor has clearly observed, and Li Haode on behalf of the minister is very grateful." Chen Junbin came to the Fortress by order, bringing with him hundreds of experienced farmers and a large number of seeds.Tuli welcomed him into the account, and Chen Junbin declared Li Shimin's will. When Tu Li heard that Li Shimin taught his people to farm, he couldn't help being surprised and said: "The emperor's move is a bit difficult for others. You must know that our people are born to know how to raise horses and sheep, and live by water and grass. One place, isn’t it boring them?” Chen Junbin said: "Tuli Inspector's words are wrong. You used to be nomadic grasslands and lived in no fixed place. You depended entirely on God to give you food and clothing. In the past few years, there has been a severe drought in the northern part of the Great Wall, and the dry grass and water shortage have caused you a lot of damage. If you From then on, settling in one place and opening up wasteland for planting can avoid this danger. The emperor's intentions are really for your sake." It made sense for Tu Li to think about it, but he looked troubled and sighed: "It's hard to persuade the clansmen to give up their animal husbandry and go to the fields." "Maybe, I will see the land of Xia and Shengzhou along the way. The water and grass are fertile, so that they can graze and plant at the same time. Inspector Tuli, I am here with a helper, and the emperor has specially rewarded the seeds. Tomorrow, you Take me to the Hetao area to check it out, and decide where to plant it first." The Hetao area is located in the east of Helan Mountain, south of Langshan Mountain and Daqing Mountain. The river turns a big bend here. The water is clear and soothing. To the north of its main channel, it is parallel to the Majia River and communicates with the river. The nest-shaped area of ​​Baili has vertical and horizontal water networks and fertile land, which is very suitable for planting. Chen Junbin and Tuli rode their horses around the river, and Chen Junbin waved his whip excitedly, pointing: "What a good land! Inspector Tuli, you can see that there is no shortage of water in this place all year round, and the soil is fertile, so you can grow all kinds of crops. Well, If the date is calculated properly, it is not impossible to introduce rice from the south of the Yangtze River here." Tu Li smiled and said: "Master Chen is very interested in seeing this place, I will be the Emperor of Ming Dynasty, and I will let you set up camp here for a long time and concentrate on managing this place." "Okay, I can't ask for it. Before leaving, the emperor asked me if I was used to being in Beijing, and I replied that I was bored. If the emperor agrees, I will bring my family and cultivate wasteland here for a long time." The two of them knew that this was a joke, and they couldn't take it seriously, because Li Shimin would never agree. Chen Junbin focused on this land, and said: "Inspector Tuli, let's start tomorrow. You choose some people, let my people teach them, and strive for success in a year." Tuli nodded in agreement. On the way back to the account, the two were chatting on horseback, Tuli asked: "Master Chen, you just came from the capital, do you know how Xieli is doing?" "He, I heard that he is not used to staying in the capital. Except for going to the court, he stays at home every day without going out, and has no contact with outsiders. I heard that he is depressed, weeping relative to his family, and looks withered. exhausted." "Xie Li's personality is not like this. He used to be very active, why did he suddenly change his temper?" "Yes, the emperor thinks the same way. The emperor thought that Jieli must be depressed, so he wanted to change his environment. Do you know Guozhou? There are many elk in Guozhou, so you can go hunting. The emperor wants to grant Jieli the gu Governor of the state, let him go there to change his mood. Unexpectedly, Jieli didn't know what to think, so he thanked the emperor and refused to go, but still stayed in Beijing." Tuli heaved a long sigh, and sighed: "If you are too strong, you will be easily broken. If Jieli can't make a turn, you will destroy his own strength. When the Khanate was strong in the past, he didn't cherish it, and finally made him Decline. Now that he is in the present situation, he still thinks about the glory of the past. Alas, this time is also the other time. Now that the Tang Dynasty is strong and does not use authority to bully the barbarians, it is really the heart of the four parties. Every month, several groups of people pass by here, Go to the capital to pay tribute. These people are all from the tribes that were under the jurisdiction of the Khanate before. Look at their excited appearance, and they are proud of paying tribute. The Great Tang conquered the world with virtue. I just realized this feeling. I think Jieli must still Can't think of that." Chen Junbin smiled and said: "It's not easy for Governor Tuli to appreciate the emperor's intentions. Next time you go to Beijing, you might as well talk to Jieli, so that he can come to his senses and feel better." Tuli shook his head and stopped talking. Li Shimin taught others to remonstrate, and his ministers enthusiastically went up and down, which has become a common practice.There are two people in Yushitai, named Quan Wanji and Li Renfa.They talked about encyclopedias and put forward some relatively good suggestions, which won Li Shimin's trust and were awarded the title of censor.This position is responsible for the picketing of hundreds of officials, who can be impeached at any time and put forward punishment opinions.The two discussed to control every move of the officials, so they secretly set up eyeliners in each government office.For a period of time, they were able to report the mistakes of the officials to Li Shimin in time, so they gained Li Shimin's trust more and more.However, their methods are too dark, and the officials often exaggerate their mistakes several times, which gradually arouses the resentment of the officials.It's just that because of the emperor's favor and trust in them, he dared not speak out for a while.At that time, Ma Zhou also entered the Yushitai to serve as the censor, and he understood their methods a little bit, thinking that their methods were not upright.Quan Wanji didn't dare to offend Ma Zhou because he was an official appointed by the emperor, but he still couldn't help but sneered: "The duty of serving the censor is to impeach all officials. If we only use some tangible examples to say Aren’t some big principles all nonsense? If you want to be competent, you have to figure out some things that the emperor doesn’t know, so you can find a way.” Quan Wanji and Li Renfa got information from the insider of Dali Temple that day, and as if they had found a treasure, they hurriedly wrote a memorial and sent it to the palace. After Li Shimin's lunch break, he saw the memorial issued by Quan Wanji and Li Renfa. After reading it, he was furious, and immediately wrote an edict to send to the Ministry of Punishment. The Ministry of Punishment saw that there was only one line written on the edict: "Quickly pull Dali Cheng Zhang Yungu to Dongshi, and report it after beheading, hereby." They dared not neglect, and hurriedly took people to Dali Temple to catch Zhang Yungu. Li Shimin wandered back and forth in the hall, furious in his heart, and cursed bitterly: "This damned Zhang Yungu, who is doing the same things in the open and in the dark, dares to fool me, he should be killed, he should be killed." He anxiously waited in the hall for the Ministry of Punishments to play again, but because he couldn't wait, he sent another eunuch to urge him. At this time, an eunuch came to report: "Your Majesty, Dali Qing Dai Zhou is asking to see you outside the palace." Li Shimin knew that Dai Zhou came here to intercede for Zhang Yungu, so he was even more annoyed, and said, "No, let him wait outside the hall." After a while, the eunuch came to report again: "Your Majesty, Shang Shu Zuo Servant Fang Xuanling, Minister's Minister Wang Gui, and Secretary Supervisor Wei Zheng came to ask for an audience." "Hmph, I'm here to intercede for Zhang Yungu again. Tell them to wait outside the hall, and let them in after Zhang Yungu's head falls to the ground." After about an hour like this, the minister of the Ministry of punishment entered the palace and repeated: "according to the emperor's order, Zhang Yungu's head has been beheaded." Li Shimin reprimanded: "You guys procrastinate on doing small things like this, and it took more than an hour. Is it so difficult to cut off your head?" The Secretary of the Ministry of Punishment couldn't figure out why Li Shimin was so angry today, and argued: "Your Majesty once said at the beginning of Zhenguan: the dead cannot be regenerated. From now on, every execution of a death row prisoner must be jointly decided by the Zhongshu, the fourth grade under the sect, and the Shangshu Jiuqing. Killing Zhang Yungu today, because it is the emperor's special order, saves these procedures, I think the speed of the work is not slow." Li Shimin waved impatiently: "Okay, you can step back." The minister of the Ministry of Punishments continued to say: "Your Majesty, what crime did Zhang Yungu die for? According to the imperial court system, every time someone is killed, the reason for his death crime must be published on the list to warn future generations." "I have another edict later, and you will know the reason by then." Shangshu of the Ministry of Punishment opened his mouth, and he wanted to speak again, but he didn't dare, so he bowed and retreated. Li Shimin sat down before returning to the desk, then waved his hand and said, "Let them all come in." Dai Zhou and the other four entered the hall in a hurry, Dai Zhou walked in the front, Li Shimin saw tears in the corner of his eyes, and knew that he had learned of Zhang Yungu's death. The four saluted Li Shimin, and Li Shimin asked: "You choose this time to enter the palace, what do you want to play?" Dai Zhou said: "I hurried into the palace because I saw that the Ministry of Punishment took the emperor's edict and entered Dali Temple to arrest Zhang Yungu and send him to Dongshi to behead him. I wanted to ask the emperor for a favor. Now Zhang Yungu His head has fallen to the ground, and it is too late to save him, I want to ask clearly: What capital crime did Zhang Yungu commit?" Wei Zheng, Fang Xuanling, and Wang Gui also said: "This is exactly what I mean when I come here." Li Shimin sneered and said: "Zhang Yun is usually elegant, but now it seems that he is actually sanctimonious and harbors evil intentions. You can't imagine that he dares to fool me!" Zhang Yungu turned out to be an aide of Lujiang King Li Yuan. Li Yuan was murdered for rebellion, and Li Shimin ordered not to pursue those involved. In this way, Zhang Yungu moved into the capital.After Zhang Yungu entered the capital, he presented his self-written "Dabao Zhen" to Li Shimin. It discussed current affairs with incisive views and concise diction.After taking office, he has been diligent in administration and fair in dealing with affairs, and his reputation is quite good. 戴胄追问道：“臣愿闻其详。” “好吧，朕若不将其中详细一一说出来，谅你们也不会甘心。戴卿，记得那日朕去狱中巡察吗？其中有一名叫李好德之人大呼冤枉。张蕴古当时对朕说，这李好德犯了妖妄之罪，是因为他患有癫疯病，犯病时说话胡言乱语，自所难免。朕当时也信了这厮的言语，嘱你访查清楚，若李好德果然有病，可以立即放出。” 戴胄点头道：“不错，确有此事。臣得了皇上的旨意，立刻派人出外访查，并让狱医为其会诊，事有凑巧，那李好德昨日在狱中又犯病。臣正准备将此事向皇上奏闻。” “哼，你想不到吧。那李好德之兄为相州刺史，是张蕴古的好友。张蕴古那日得了朕的言语，晚间即带酒食入狱室与李好德同饮，他们在那里吆五喝六，好不热闹。就是在这个晚上，张蕴古将朕的言语告诉李好德。到了第二日，那李好德在狱中得意忘形，逢人就说：皇上已饶我罪。你们看，张蕴古以大理寺之官，却与囚犯混迹一起，既馈酒肉，又入狱共饮，无非因为那李好德是其好友之弟，就存心包庇。他处心积虑套了朕的话，使其谋得逞，存心想愚弄朕，你们说，他该不该杀？” 戴胄顿首道：“陛下，张蕴古与囚犯同席，又露泄陛下之语，与囚犯又有亲密关系，确实有罪，然其罪不至死。陛下，臣派人访查清楚，那李好德确实患有癫疯病，他前日在狱中又发作一次，狱医入室确诊。张蕴古所奏并非虚妄，确有其事。” “哼，焉知不是张蕴古通风报信之后，那李好德在狱中诈疯呢？” “臣之证据确凿，不敢欺瞒皇上。” 房玄龄、魏征、王珪在旁边听着他们君臣两人辩论，心里头升起一阵寒意。他们想不到李世民居于大内之中，却对外面的动静知道得一清二楚。像这狱中之事，从人之背景到诸般细节，举报得事无巨细，犹似亲眼目睹。 魏征谏道：“陛下，臣想戴大人之言，亦有道理。那张蕴古确实不该泄露皇上之语，且有瓜田李下之嫌。若李好德果然有病，则张蕴古所奏并不虚妄，其有罪当罚，然罪不至死。陛下不信戴大人之言，然臣想那向皇上奏事之人，是否也有偏颇之处，乃至断章取义，夸大其辞呢？” 王珪也奏道：“皇上原来规定有制度，凡死刑之人须由中书、门下四品以上及尚书九卿共同议定，处决之前还要由刑部履行查核之责。皇上今杀张蕴古，就免了这些程序，臣以为有些不妥。” 李世民见这三位大臣都替张蕴古说话，又见房玄龄在一旁默默，因问道：“玄龄，你以为呢？” 房玄龄缓缓说道：“陛下曾经说过：死者不可复生。张蕴古今日被杀，其即使有罪，也须慢慢审理，核查清楚，以不负天下之望。事已至此，还望陛下将各方之言验证一遍，方为不枉。” 房玄龄的言语虽然比较缓和，但李世民听得出来，他明显和其他三人一个鼻孔出气，也就不想听下去，遂挥手道：“朕今日心情有点乱，此事明日早朝时再说，朕今晚会好好想想此事。你们退下去吧。” 李世民是夜沐浴一番，不令人侍寝，独自一人倚长灯之下读汉人之赋。汉赋之中，他偏爱枚乘的《七发》，不仅因为该赋有华丽的辞藻，更喜其中那汪洋恣肆的结构及此起彼伏的警句。因读的次数不少，他对其中的一些段落能够背诵。此时他触目所及，只觉语句熟悉且字字珠玑，遂诵出声来，一气读完，待他诵到“于是太子据几而起……霍然病已”的结尾句子时，心情也因此舒畅起来，就披衣而起，绕室漫步。 想起了白日之事，他现在彻底回过了味儿。自己当时暴怒之下，认为张蕴古耍了小花招行包庇之事，难以听进戴胄等人之劝，才误伤了人命，现在追悔莫及。看来人之性格确实有缺陷，若兴之所至不加抑止，就会做出乖张之行。自己多次说过要以秦始皇、隋炀帝为鉴，日常平静之时还做得不错，一遇情绪波动时就将之抛到九霄云外。像自己多次说过“死者不可复生”，“国之大莫大于法”之语，缘何一到此关头就忘得一干二净呢？这次杀了张蕴古，上次杀了卢祖尚，两个官声不错的吏员死于自己之手，自己的这种行为又与隋炀帝之行有何不同？ 李世民懊恼地走到窗前，用力一把推开窗子，一阵风恰好透窗而入，吹得他脑子更加清醒起来。 明日如何处理这尴尬的后事呢？ 李世民躺在榻上，在上面翻来覆去思索此问题，迷迷糊糊中，也不知到什么时辰方才入睡。 第二日一大早，只听净鞭三响，百官鱼贯进入两仪殿参加朝会。李世民待群臣奏事完毕，方才说道：“朕昨日错杀了张蕴古，现在追悔莫及。可是张蕴古的脑袋已经落地，朕再后悔，他也不能复生了。朕想了一夜，此事错在朕身，因要惩罚自己。虞卿，你过来。” 虞世南出班站立在李世民的面前。 “你立刻代朕拟出《罪己诏》，将朕错杀张蕴古的过程详细写出，表达朕之追悔不及心情。诏成之后，今日要明发天下，使天下之人知道朕之失。” 李世民因为错杀一人而发《罪己诏》，实在大出群臣意外。自古以来，人们奉行“君让臣死，臣不敢不死”的信条，多少皇帝滥杀无辜，臣下以为这是皇帝的权力，不敢有言。像张蕴古之罪虽不至死，毕竟也有错的地方。因此颁发《罪己诏》，群臣中有部分人认为是小题大做，没有必要，因为这样容易降低皇上的威信。 果然，有数名大臣出班向李世民哀求，请其收回成命。 李世民坚决不同意，说道：“皇帝的威严不是靠严厉来维护，须使臣民知道，皇帝不是神灵，也有犯错的时候。如此，上下同心且互相监督，方是治国之大道。为人者皆爱顾及颜面，然因顾颜面忘了处事的规范，所失会更多。朕为皇帝，一言一行皆对天下影响甚大，若为维护暂时颜面好看，置国家法律于不顾，长此以往就会失了天下。虞卿，你速速拟诏，晚间前要明发出去。” 虞世南躬身答应后退回班中。 魏征及戴胄等一班人见李世民如此悔悟，心里顿时释然。房玄龄出班奏道：“皇上如此高风亮节，臣等心里实在明朗。臣等掌刑部，未遵守决死刑犯须三复奏的条文，也有失处，请皇上一并降罪。” 李世民挥手道：“刑部当时坚持要三复奏，朕暴怒之下不许，则此事错在朕一人，与你们无涉。玄龄，张蕴古人死不能复生，你可嘱吏部前去抚慰其家人，可以复其官荫以为补偿。” “臣遵旨。”房玄龄答应后退下。 李世民将戴胄叫出来，说道：“张蕴古此次被错杀，主要因为朕雷霆一怒，将朝廷制度都抛在一边。假若依三复奏的程序去办，将时间缓了下来，朕也许会在镇静之后，不坚持杀之。由此来看，这处决死刑的程序非坚持不可。” 戴胄奏道：“处决死囚须三复奏的条文，自《北魏律》至《隋律》皆有之。隋末大乱，炀帝敕天下窃盗以上，罪无轻重，不需奏闻，皆斩。由此将杀人权下放至州县，无异鼓励臣下滥杀，使不少无辜者冤死在刀斧之下。我朝颁布《武德律》之后，将决死权集中于中央，不至于滥杀无辜，可前有卢祖尚，现有张蕴古，皆因陛下严词之下，有司不能坚持制度。由此来看，能否坚持制度，关键在于陛下。” 李世民觉得戴胄的话很刺耳，然细想想也是这个理儿，遂转身取过两支金箭，令身边太监送下台去，说道：“此箭自今日起，一支置于大理寺，一支放于刑部，你们见此箭如见朕亲临。今后理案判断时，你们须以国家制度及程序行之，若朕再有临时之语与法相违，你们可持此箭找朕说理。你们行事但凡依国家制度，则此箭之威力大于朕本身。” 房玄龄和戴胄接箭在手，感到手中之箭沉甸甸的。此箭今后对别人不具效力，唯对皇帝本人进行制约，自古至今，这样的事儿委实不多见。 李世民又想了一下，说道：“为了避免再犯误伤人命的错误，律令的条文须修改一下。自今以后，诸州决死囚时须严格执行三复奏的程序，至于京城以内，两日内须复奏五次，这样相对慎重一些，可以避免冤错案的发生。” 李世民又想起修改《武德律》的事儿，便将长孙无忌和房玄龄叫出来询问。房玄龄现任尚书左仆射，总理全国之务，要忙碌一些。而长孙无忌以开府仪同三司参与朝政，时间上相对闲暇，其精力多放在主持修改法律之事上。 长孙无忌奏道：“臣与房仆射主持修改法律，共召集学士凡二十三人，现在已将前朝律典悉数收罗，以《武德律》为蓝本，对其中的律、令、格、式逐条对照，先汇成集注，再依现实逐条删减。争取再过五年，使新法出台。” 李世民点点头，说道：“法为国之权衡，时之准绳也，须谨慎为之，不能有漏洞。无忌，玄龄，你们制定新律时，要以错杀张蕴古为鉴，以宽仁慎刑之精神厘改之。且要法令统一，不能律文互出，造成漏洞，为人所趁。” 房玄龄、长孙无忌躬身领旨。 魏征奏道：“律令形成之后，不可数变。立法时须审慎而行，不可轻立；既立之后，必须审定，以为永式。愿新法成就之后，百年之内无须变更。” 李世民笑道：“魏卿所言保持律令之稳定，这一点很重要，为立法者提出了更高的要求。只是新法成就之后，百年不变，朕看这一点断难做到。” 戴胄又奏道：“臣判案之时，觉得以往法令太过繁琐。甚至一罪之中，竟然有数条说法。律令不简约，让我们这些执法之人不能尽记，易生繁文，导致严刑。臣以为所定新法，务使简约，便于操作。” 长孙无忌不同意戴胄的说法，驳斥道：“天下万端，若归于一条刑之，必使执法者望文生义，凭空中猜测良多，使法令失了本意。” 李世民同意戴胄的建议，说道：“朕观隋律，见其中有斩刑二百余种，流刑有一百余种，可见其律繁而苛。无忌，戴卿让新法简约，仅是说了一层意思。还有一层意思，就是要以宽平的原则厘改之。比如将斩刑改为流刑，将流刑改为徒刑。法律的作用不在罚治本人，关键在于警示他人不可再犯，就是将人都杀了，对治理国家有什么用处？朕今日在这里说一条原则，新法成后，其斩刑及流刑条目各自不得超过一百条。” 李世民又唤出戴胄和刑部尚书，谆谆告诫道：“至于新法未成之前，你们还要以《武德律》为基准判案。判案之时，要以宽平的原则慎用死刑、流刑。如此一来，你们的肩头责任很重，若执法之人心术不正，极易发生卖狱之事，这样，御史台定然会参这些不法之人，则咎由自取。” 戴胄和刑部尚书顿首道：“臣等当先正自身，再诫约属下，不敢胡作非为。”