Zhenguan: I, Dou Fengjie, will not be the first cuckold.

March 12th.

Dianke Office of Honglu Temple.

Dou Fengjie stared expressionlessly at Zhang Yung-gu, the magistrate of Dali: "So, the assassin was only tortured yesterday, and then you have to wait twenty days before using torture again?"

"Should we continue to pamper him with fine clothes and food, so he can gain some weight?"

Zhang Yung-gu wiped away a cold sweat: "It's not that the Court of Judicial Review is being biased; it's just that the rules set by the Ministry of Justice are like this."

"This is also to prevent excessive torture, which the prisoners cannot endure."

For some reason, Zhang Yung-gu, who dared to advise even Li Shimin, felt a chill run down his spine when he saw Dou Fengjie.

How so?

Dou Fengjie's gaze towards him could be described elegantly as looking at a skeleton in a tomb, or bluntly as looking at a dead man.

Even if Zhang Yung-gu pleaded for Li Xu-sheng, they didn't have that much of a grudge, right?

Dou Fengjie tapped his fingers on the table: "That's exactly what Dali means. Even if it delays things and causes the assassins' henchmen to escape, it doesn't matter, right?"

"That's not what I meant..." Zhang Yunggu tried to explain.

Dou Fengjie's words were filled with malice. Zhang Yunggu could easily fall into a trap and be unwittingly suspected of being an accomplice of the assassin.

"I think Dali should reflect on its own stance," Dou Fengjie said, emphasizing that even coldness can heal and save lives.

You can't reason with a damned devil; whether Zhang Yung-gu will listen or not, we'll just have to wait and see!

"The Dali Temple sent experienced officers to investigate several neighborhoods around Zhuque Street. The main suspect was in Kaiming Neighborhood, and they even confirmed that the assassin was a novice monk from Guangming Temple." Zhang Yunggu had no choice but to reveal the hidden information.

A novice monk is a student in Buddhism who has not yet received ordination and is not registered as a monk; it is a position that allows one to advance or retreat as needed.

What a clever scheme! Guangming Temple has a reason to shirk responsibility, and if they encounter a pushover like Zhang Yung-gu, the matter can be easily covered up.

Zhang Yung-gu secretly let the case slide again, arresting the one wearing straw sandals and letting the one wearing leather shoes escape, thus abruptly ending the case in a muddled manner.

Dou Fengjie clicked his tongue: "That's it? The competence of the Dali Temple is worrying! Did they even use the bamboo sticks to sharpen the fingers? Did they try laying the body on thorns? Did they even use broken tiles to prop up the knees?"

"Have the abbot, the chief chant leader, the senior monks, and the teachers of the novices of Guangming Temple been brought to Dali Temple for questioning?"

"How much do the wardens and their subordinates know about the novice monks?"

Zhang Yunggu broke out in a cold sweat. The infamous punishments of the Dali Temple had actually been known to an official from the Honglu Temple, who had no connection with the matter!

How embarrassing!

It's quite bizarre that an official in the judicial system would feel ashamed of legitimate methods of torture.

The methods of interrogation and sentencing are definitely different. Who stipulates that torture can only involve flogging?

Furthermore, although these methods are cruel, compared to Sun Bin's punishment of having his kneecaps removed, at least they are not impossible to restore the body.

Zhang Yung-gu simply couldn't achieve the "not indulging" principle of neither letting the guilty go unpunished nor punishing the innocent.

The Dali Temple also discovered that the novice monk's surname was Yang, which is not the same as Yang in the story. It is said that his father was beheaded by Dou Gui at Huangqin Mountain.

Having weathered many storms and been brutally murdered, Dou Fengjie scoffed at these childish words.

"Where was the bow manufactured? Which batch of arrows did it come from? Who handled it? Where did it originate?"

"How can his archery be so accurate without sufficient practice?"

"How did they manage to evade the notice of their neighbors during the training?"

Dou Fengjie should believe that the assassin acted alone; he was a complete idiot.

Zhang Yung-ku was speechless.

Even if Kaimingfang is sparsely populated, it is impossible for a novice monk to practice without disturbing anyone.

According to custom, bows and arrows would have hidden markings recording the department and name of the craftsman who made them.

Zhang Yung-ku hadn't expected that Dou Feng-jie, a middle-aged man, would be so clear about these details.

"Liu Heng, the Vice Minister of the Court of Imperial Sacrifices, was traveling with me when he was grazed by an assassin's arrow. I wonder how he'll manage to talk to the Emperor now."

It's also necessary to borrow the tiger's power; Liu Heng's reputation is now more resounding than his.

Moreover, Li Shimin was becoming increasingly impatient with Zhang Yung-gu's indiscriminate kindness.

Zhang Yungu's expression gradually became serious, and then he looked deeply at Dou Fengjie: "The Dali Temple will do its utmost to thoroughly investigate the relevant personnel."

It's not that the Court of Judicial Review lacks the ability to conduct a thorough investigation; their previous attitude was merely a smokescreen, an attempt to curry favor with other officials.

All cases where those who should have been punished were not, or where those who should have been severely punished were punished leniently, were either due to accepting bribes they shouldn't have received, or due to ulterior motives.

This is what "benevolence" is all about: a black hand reaching out to chop off a fingernail.

These days, the so-called "benevolence" only cares about criminals; who cares about the common people who are victims?

Because caring about the common people won't bring them fame or gain them favor with their superiors.

To put it bluntly: what are commoners worth?

Therefore, the punishment for criminals became lighter and lighter, officials gained a reputation for benevolence, while commoners had to endure more and more suffering.

Liu Bang once said that murderers should pay with their lives, but now murderers don't have to die. Isn't that encouraging murder?

What use are the words of a commoner when it comes to benevolence or inhumanity?

The term "scholars, farmers, artisans, and merchants" refers not to farmers who toil in the fields, but to powerful and wealthy landowners.

Craftsmen started as workshop owners, and merchants did not include peddlers or laborers.

As mentioned in "Sanmao Joins the Army": Countless famous and nameless Yue Fei...

-----------------

Sitting in the office of the Court of Judicial Review, Liu Heng, the Vice Minister of the Court of Imperial Sacrifices, launched into a tirade against Sun Fujia, the Vice Minister of the Court of Judicial Review.

"I was assassinated, and this is how the Court of Judicial Review tries to fool me? Sun Fujia, has being a top scholar made you so arrogant?"

"If you can't handle the position of Vice Minister of Dali, I'll help you find another job!"

As fellow junior officials, Liu Heng had a good personal relationship with the emperor, and this was the first time he had abused his power to bully others.

He truly had the ability to demote Sun Fujia; this was not mere empty threats.

"I have clearly told Liu Shaoqing that it is impossible to do!"

"To rely solely on torture without evidence is a betrayal of my conscience!"

"Even if it means being demoted or reduced to a commoner, Sun Fujia would accept it willingly!"

This was intolerable, and the dark-skinned and thin Sun Fujia flipped the table.

"You said it yourself!"

Liu Heng turned and left.

Why are you, a serious judicial institution, acting like a bodhisattva and chanting sutras of compassion?

Liu Heng was simply too lazy to meddle in other people's business; it wasn't that he didn't have leverage over the Dali Temple.

After Liu Heng left in anger, Sun Fujia sat behind his desk, smiling bitterly.

If there are problems with the Court of Judicial Review, how could he, a high-ranking official, not know?

If there is something good on the top, it will be great on the bottom.

The King of Chu loved slender waists, and many palace maids starved to death.

If Li Shimin hadn't feigned benevolence to mitigate the impact of the Xuanwu Gate Incident, why would he have allowed pedantic people like Zhang Yunggu to pursue such extreme "benevolence"?

The best example is that in the fourth year of the Zhenguan era, only 29 people were sentenced to death. Those who were spared were grateful, while the feelings of the victims were ignored.

Using the suffering of victims to practice "benevolence" is actually quite shameless, but that's the reality.

To change the status quo, it is not something that a mere junior official of Dali can shake; blood must be shed, and a few heads must be used to warn future generations: this road is blocked!

For someone who rose through the ranks from a minor official position in the Sui Dynasty, being demoted or exiled wasn't that terrible.

As long as he doesn't die, he'll eventually climb to the top of the judicial system.