Ji Tang

Chapter 696: Not to kill, but to save people
"I'm here today. Firstly, I want to thank Mr. Hou for his recommendation. Secondly, I want to ask Mr. Hou about his thoughts on revising the laws of the Tang Dynasty. I don't know where we should start?"

After drinking tea, it’s time to be polite when it’s time to be polite, and it’s time to get down to business.

Ji Song waved his hand and motioned for them to sit down.

"Originally, these things should have been discussed after you took office. Since you asked about them today, I will tell you."

He pondered for a moment and said: "You must also know that most of the laws of Qin and Han Dynasties are harsh and severe, and the people fear them more than they agree with them. Once a crime is committed, it will be irreversible and can only go to the dark side, and even be forced to take risks. Liangcheng will cause even greater trouble!"

"In addition to the Three Kingdoms and Two Jins and the Beidi Cholera in the Central Plains, cruel criminal laws were used, hoping to use harsh punishments to make the people fear and not dare to cause chaos. But as you have seen, although it can have a temporary effect, in the end it will be in vain .”

"The former Sui Dynasty inherited the Qin and Han Taoist traditions, and even the criminal law was the same. Although some cruel criminal laws were abandoned, overall they were still too harsh."

Di Zhisun and Pei Hongxian nodded, agreeing with this.They are all officials who have come from the bottom, and they are fully aware of some of the tragedies caused by harsh criminal laws.

Although I have the intention to change, the laws of the country come first, and many times I am powerless and can only turn a blind eye and not listen!
Now that this phenomenon can be fundamentally changed, of course they would be happy to see it happen.

Ji Song continued: "Therefore, this revision of the law must put an end to harsh punishments to a certain extent, and try to give them a chance to reform for minor crimes or crimes caused by involvement. Don’t let it go completely to a dead end.”

"In addition, corporal punishments such as finger amputation, nose cutting, and tattooing must be resolutely eliminated. It can be changed to imprisonment, exile, or hard labor, and there must be a certain period of time, and no harsh treatment, etc. A series of criminal laws must be understood."

"Master Hou, isn't this a bit..."

Di Zhisun said with some hesitation.

"A little loose?" Ji Song said with a smile.

Seeing Di Zhisun nod, he smiled and said, "Well, let's give an example."

"It's just like a group of human traffickers who traffic in young children. One day they are discovered by the government. However, because the criminal law is too harsh, as long as they are found to be selling young children, they will end up with no life or death, and even involve their families."

"If it were you, what would you do?"

"Of course he killed him. Of course he can't be sentenced without any evidence."

After saying that, he reacted and suddenly said: "I understand, I understand."

Ji Songxiao said with interest: "Oh? Then tell me!"

Di Zhisun was not polite and said directly: "The Marquis also said that this was a decision made when he knew he would die. But if there is still a glimmer of hope, or there is no need to die, he will just go to jail."

"Then they won't be so extreme, and the fish will die and the net will be broken, and these children will have a chance to survive?" Pei Hongxian suddenly said at this time.

'Clap clap clap! '

Ji Song slapped the palm of his hand and said with a smile: "Yes, I really did not misjudge you."

"Criminal law is the bottom line of human ethics. It puts a lock on the criminal's head and allows them to think about whether they can bear the consequences before committing a crime. It is not for the purpose of killing, but for the purpose of saving others."

"Of course, sometimes one person is killed to save ten thousand people. Although it is cruel, it is an act that must be done and it depends on the situation."

"Thank you, Lord Marquis, for your advice! It's not for the purpose of killing, but to save others; kill one person to save ten thousand people, and you can kill! In troubled times, heavy rules should be used, but in peacetime, there should be appropriate leniency."

The two people looked at Ji Song differently. No wonder he was in a high position at a young age, and His Majesty was very protective of him. The idea of ​​being in a high position was not something they could think of.With this program, the next thing will be much easier to handle. As long as we follow these guidelines, there will be no big trouble.

"Okay, these are just some of my experiences and experiences during my five years in Xuanzhou. You have been here for many years, so you must have your own ideas."

He pondered for a moment and said, "Let's do this. When you go back, you can submit your opinions into statements and write down any good ideas you have."

"The law concerns every aspect of people's lives. We cannot do it behind closed doors, let alone be arrogant."

"Then I will ask Your Majesty to summon representatives of the common people or officials from scholars, farmers, industry and commerce to come and inquire. Try to be as informed as possible and listen to their opinions."

"The Lord Marquis understands that this way the laws written will not be superficial. When completed in the future, they will be deeply rooted in the hearts of the people. It is also a way to test the water in advance and see what the people think."

The more he thought about it, the more excited he became. This was an idea that could achieve multiple things with one stone. In this way, once the Tang Code was revised, it would become the most popular code in history and would be remembered for generations to come.And as participants, they will also be known by future generations!

"You don't have to be like this. Think about everything more. Sometimes if you think about the problem from another angle, you may have a different view."

Then they talked about a lot, from the corruption and malfeasance of officials to the execution of low-level officials to enrich their own pockets.We discuss the "cunning" of the people one by one, and try our best to make the law convincing to everyone.

When the two of them walked out of the Hou Mansion, they were filled with emotion when they remembered what they had been talking about for most of the day.

"Brother Pei, if you have nothing to do, why don't you find a place to sit?" Di Zhisun invited.

"That's good, I happen to have a lot to talk to Brother Di!"

When they came out of the restaurant, the two of them got to a position near the window, called the waiter, and asked for a pot of good wine and some side dishes from the Three Kingdoms.

"Brother Di, please!"

"Brother Pei please!"

After drinking for three rounds, Pei Hongxian sighed with emotion: "I thought I would just waste my time in this life, but who would have thought that I would be recommended by the Marquis and entrusted with such a heavy responsibility."

He drank a glass of wine suddenly, maybe he drank too hard and choked.

"Cough cough!"

Di Zhisun quickly stroked his back and complained: "Why are you drinking in such a hurry?"No one will compete with you.

Pei Hongxian waved his hand and said loudly: "I'm happy, I'm really happy!"

I think he has some talent. Since Li Ke has been teaching in the academy, he has been completely idle.The only use is to send Li Ke a year's tax every year.

How does this make him reconciled?
Now that he finally has a chance, can he be unhappy?
"Okay, let's not talk about this anymore. From now on, we can be regarded as colleagues. We still need to work together in the future."

Di Zhisun quickly picked up the wine glass and said with a smile: "Yes, this opportunity is hard to come by, and the Marquis is behind me. I just have to do my own thing well and make sure not to disappoint the Marquis."

"Liu Zhan and Yao Chang from Dengzhou are now high-ranking officials in the imperial court. The next step is probably to serve in the Sixth Ministry or the Three Provinces. The opportunities in life are really wonderful."

I think of the two people who first followed Hao Jiehou. Now they are not high-spirited. Although they are in the local area, they are people who have direct access to the Holy Land. It is really enviable!

(End of this chapter)