People in the Three Kingdoms: Starting from Preaching

Chapter 303 Who is the biggest!
"I don't accept it. It's not me who is wrong, it's her!"

The court was very quiet. When Lu Ping, who was sitting in the middle of the yamen, struck the gavel and began to announce the trial, Wang's father immediately shouted. Although his voice was full of emotion, everyone's eyes were focused elsewhere at this moment.

Xu Chen, who was sitting quietly on the upper side, was the real focus of the court.

Although the crowd was concerned about the case, when they saw the Prime Minister sitting right in front of them, they still preferred the latter. After all, there were not many opportunities to see the Prime Minister in person.

They saw that after the young prime minister entered the court, he did not express any opinions and seemed to be just a bystander.

The crowd could not help but guess what was in the man's mind. Since he came in person, he must have some inclination, and his inclination would definitely play a decisive role.

Seeing that the court was silent after Wang's father's speech, Xu Chen realized that something was wrong. It seemed that everyone's attention was on him.

He cleared his throat and said, "Today I am just a spectator, no different from the people watching outside. The trial of the case just needs to proceed as usual."

When the voice fell, there was a slight movement among the crowd.

When things quieted down again, he finally started paying attention to the case again.

But Xu Chen still felt a gaze, and when he looked over, he saw a young woman in the courtroom staring at him.

Now that the identities of several people have been revealed, Xu Chen naturally knows that this is Cai Wenji.

He couldn't help but take a few more glances at her. After all, she was a famous talented woman in history.

But Cai Wenji's face still gave him a vague sense of familiarity. He thought carefully but couldn't remember where he had seen her before.

In the end, he could only nod towards Cai Wenji, stop thinking about it, and turn his attention back to the court.

Cai Wenji then withdrew her gaze and saw the familiar face again. She felt quite complicated, as the other party seemed to have forgotten the brief encounter they had several years ago.

After calming down, Lu Ping's calm voice came from the court: "Wang Zhen, your father said he was not at fault, the fault lies with you, what do you want to say?"

Wang Zhen glanced at his father, then at Lu Ping, looking a little flustered, not knowing how to answer.

It took all her courage to stand up and endure the criticism from everyone, and now she has to go to court against her biological father. The mental pressure is really unbearable.

Cai Wenji naturally understood Wang Zhen’s difficulties, which was why she appeared in court.

She just needs Wang Zhen to stand up, and she can help her deal with the rest.

After all, she was an elite woman from a noble family. In terms of knowledge and courage, Cai Wenji was much more powerful than ordinary people.

When she stood up, she exuded a natural confidence and calmness that immediately put everyone else behind.

"I am speaking on behalf of Wang Zhen. We in Xuanxia have our own laws. Everyone has the right to personal freedom. If someone forces someone to restrict their actions, they can be charged with illegal detention!"

Cai Wenji pointed to Wang's father in a stern tone and said, "He imprisoned Wang Zhen and forced her to marry. This is completely consistent with this crime. Wang Zhen is just a victim. How can she be said to be wrong?"

The courtroom was quiet for a moment; Cai Wenji's powerful aura stunned everyone present.

He is calm in the face of things, his words and actions are based on facts, he is proud but not arrogant, and his every move is naturally impressive.

Xu Chen saw it all, and couldn't help but sigh in his heart that the real elites cultivated by the gentry did have a strong enough aura, and there was a huge natural difference between them and the peasants who worked hard in the fields, and they could be distinguished at a glance.

The king's father was not convinced and immediately retorted: "Is it a crime for a father to control his daughter? This is my family affair, and even the government has no right to interfere!"

He was also very smart. He immediately called for help and shouted to the onlookers: "No matter how powerful the government is, it can't interfere in the affairs of the people. Don't you agree, folks?"

This action was very effective and immediately attracted the support of the onlookers.

Even the common people maintained a sufficient sense of boundaries with the government. They certainly did not want the government to interfere in their specific family affairs, which was actually an infringement on the rights of parents.

Many things can be managed by the clan and decided by parents, but cannot be interfered with by the government.

The people are actually very smart. They all know one thing: if the government intervenes in this matter today, it will be difficult for them to discipline their children in the future because they will still be subject to the government's iron laws.

No one likes to be controlled, and they will feel uncomfortable if the government encroaches on the absolute authority of parents.

So, with the support of the people, the voice in the court seemed to be overwhelmingly in favor of the king's father.

But Lu Ping was not overwhelmed by the momentum and continued to question calmly: "Whether it is wrong or not, this is determined by the provisions of the law. You only need to respond to whether what the plaintiff said is true and whether you have imprisoned Wang Zhen and forced her to marry!"

Upon hearing this, the king's father's face turned very ugly. Although he was very angry, he knew that he could not defeat the government.

After looking at Wang Zhen with a cold face, he could only grit his teeth and admit: "It is true, but this is a father disciplining his daughter. This is a natural thing. This is definitely not a crime!"

Lu Ping nodded, no emotion or inclination visible on his face. He was like a cold judge, only looking for the truth.

He turned around and asked Wang Zhen again, "Are you really not willing to get married?" Upon hearing this, Wang Zhen nodded without hesitation.

Lu Ping asked Wang's father again: "You knew Wang Zhen didn't want to get married, but you still forced her, is that right?"

Although the king's father wanted to say something, he had no way of covering up the matter, so he could only nod with a dark face.

In this way, the facts are clear enough, and at this point the case is clearly presented to everyone. What Wang Zhen reported is completely consistent with the facts.

However, the next moment is the most critical.

The facts of this kind of case are clear at a glance and there is no difficulty at all. The real difficulty is how to judge it.

If it happened in the Han Dynasty, the government would not handle such a matter and might even punish the daughter.

Now that the Xuanxia government has accepted the case, there must be a clear explanation.

Should the government extend its hand into the family? If so, the consciousness of individuals in society will gradually strengthen, and the control of the court will be specific to every citizen. From now on, there will be no such thing as family affairs or not, only legality or not.

How will the penalty be?
Everyone's heart was clenched.

The silent atmosphere made Wang's father anxious: "I have something to say!"

Lu Ping glanced at him and said in a deep voice, "Sure."

The king's father immediately began to speak: "Marriage is a matter of parents' decision. This is a rule that has not changed for thousands of years. It has been passed down from generation to generation. Why is it wrong for me? The Han people know that filial piety comes first. Are we in Xuanxia not even as good as the Han people?"

When these words were spoken, the people around were all shocked, thinking that the king's father's words were very bold.

After all, the man was sitting next to him, and he actually dared to raise the topic to the level of the Xuanxia court. He was really not afraid of embarrassing the man.

However, when everyone looked over, they saw that the man looked normal and was not affected by these words at all.

Without waiting for Lu Ping to speak, Cai Wenji took a step forward and said, "I also have something to say!"

Lu Ping also nodded: "Okay."

Cai Wenji looked at her father and said, "They have been doing this for thousands of years, which only means that they have been doing it wrong for thousands of years!"

As soon as the words fell, the crowd was in an uproar. In their view, Cai Wenji's words were shocking. How could the rules passed down from generation to generation be wrong!
The father glared at him and said, "What's wrong with that? It's filial piety and obeying your parents. What's wrong with that?"

Cai Wenji shook her head and asked, "It is natural for children to follow filial piety, but this does not mean obeying parents without distinguishing right from wrong. If parents are wrong, then they are wrong, and children should not make the mistake even worse."

The father burst into laughter, and finally snorted coldly: "Parents are the greatest in the world, and if children don't listen, they are unfilial. This is the truth no matter who you ask."

"Really?" Cai Wenji also smiled, her smile was much calmer: "Then if the father wants his children to hurt the mother, should the children obey?"

Wang's father was speechless. A simple assumption immediately refuted his statement.

Hurting one's mother is of course unfilial, and children should never do that. However, if one disobeys one's father, that is also unfilial. In this case, the idea that children must unconditionally obey their parents does not hold true.

Even the people outside were looking at each other in bewilderment.

But soon, Wang's father came to his senses and shook his head again and again: "No, it's only natural that parents and matchmakers agree to the marriage. How can I do anything wrong in planning a marriage for my daughter? If she doesn't want to, then it's her fault. If my daughter is wrong, of course I have to correct her. Imprisonment is just a helpless move. This is by no means a crime!"

Cai Wenji disagreed and said, "Wang Zhen also has the right to personal freedom. You are imprisoning and forcing her, which is wrong."

The king's father snorted coldly: "Don't fathers have the right to discipline their children? Parents gave birth to her, so even if they tie her up for a few days and let her marry, it's not a sin!"

"As the saints have said, all men are created equal, and all people's basic rights are granted by God, which are sacred and inviolable."

Cai Wenji did not back down at all. After saying this, she turned around and bowed to Xu Chen who was watching from above. After standing up, she pointed at Wang Zhen and spoke in a decisive tone.

"Therefore, her personal freedom is also sacred and inviolable. This right is granted by God and appointed by the saints. No one can override it."

At this point, Cai Wenji's voice was extremely stern: "Even if it's my parents, it's not allowed!"

The courtroom was silent, and everyone opened their mouths slightly. At this moment, no matter whether they agreed or not in their hearts, they had no words to refute.

Xu Chen was also slightly stunned, and for a moment he didn't know whether to laugh or cry. Cai Yan was really bold to use him as an excuse to take advantage of someone else's mistake.

Cai Wenji quickly glanced at Xu Chen above, and her eyes flashed with guilt, but she soon looked at her father: "Can the authority of your so-called parents be greater than the heavens and the earth, or greater than that of a saint?"

Father Wang opened his mouth and wanted to say something, but when he saw Xu Chen's expressionless face, he was unable to utter a word.

(End of this chapter)