golden scales

The Autumn Judgment includes two trial seasons: the Autumn Trial and the Court Trial.

For those criminals who were sentenced to beheaded or hanged by the local judiciary, the three judiciaries—the Ministry of Punishment, the Metropolitan Procuratorate, and the Dali Temple—conducted a retrial every autumn in conjunction with relevant officials from all parties, and asked the emperor to make a ruling.

After the autumn trial, the court trial will be held on the tenth day after the first frost to the winter solstice every year.It is mainly to re-examine the suspicious and sympathetic persons in the cases of beheading and hanging prisons judged by the Ministry of Punishment or near the capital.After the trial, it was still submitted to the emperor for ruling.

The trial results are divided into four categories: "facts", "suspended judgment", "reservable", and "retained for sacrifice".Only the "truth" category must be handed over to the imperial pen to remove it and execute the death penalty, and the other three categories can all save their lives.

This is the tradition of the country's "precautionary punishment". As long as the crime is not extremely heinous and sentenced to "judgment" or "stranglement", and it goes to the autumn trial and court trial, there is at least a three-quarters chance of staying alive.Although there has been such a legacy of death penalty review procedures since the Tang and Song Dynasties, the legal system was actually formed during the reign of Emperor Yingzong Tianshun.

Emperor Yingzong was an emperor with great ups and downs.As the eldest son of Emperor Xuanzong, he was only nine years old when he ascended the throne for the first time, and his reign name was orthodox.

He was the unlucky emperor who was captured by the Oirats during the Tumubao Incident.The emperor, who believed in the great eunuch Wang Zhen, was enough to be included in the ranks of faint emperors. After eight years of house arrest in Nangong, the liaison minister launched a coup to seize the door, and became the supreme emperor of Huang Ming again.

This time, his year name is Tianshun.

After Emperor Tianshun ascended the throne, he reflected on himself many times, appointed virtuous ministers, and especially showed the image of a benevolent monarch.He was worried that some people would still be wronged in the autumn trial, so he added an extra court trial.He also formally ended the system in which concubines were buried for the Daxing emperor, and issued a series of decrees to protect the personal safety of slaves.

However, the emperor's good intentions, like other policies, will eventually be exploited by the executors throughout all links.As long as the key points are understood, it is easy to divide from "truth" to "deferred decision" in the joint trial of the three judicial departments.For the person concerned, it is a matter of fate, and for the senior officials of the second and third ranks, it is a detail that will not be noticed at all.

Min Zhanlian is such a character who has wandered between "truth" and "delayed decision" every time in the past ten years.Only in this way, those prison guards in charge of him, the scribes in the punishment room, and even the officials in the judiciary can get a sum of life money every year.

Min Zhanlian's own family background is not rich, and he can't stand the blows and marrows of all levels of filthy officials.However, his great reputation was not because he killed people, but because he was very skilled and had many disciples at home.

Youdao is rich in culture and martial arts, and those disciples spent a lot of money to learn from their masters. Of course, some of them really liked this skill, but many of them used this skill to make a bigger fortune.

These people have the name of master and apprentice with Min Zhanlian, and they have the meaning of father and son. Even if they can't get the master out, they will not hesitate to pay for their lives every year.Coupled with the management of all parties, Min Zhanlian's life in the prison was very nourishing. He even took in two prison guards as disciples, offering good wine and food every day, which was even more comfortable than outside.

Dan Ning entered the prison of Shuntian Mansion with the guards of the Eastern Palace. He saw that the cell was clean and tidy, with plenty of sunlight. Except for the cage with thick wrists, there was no oppressive atmosphere at all.He looked at the murderer who had been famous for a long time, and saw that he had a gentle complexion. He was about 50 years old. His whole body was refreshed, his bones and muscles were loose and soft, but his gestures showed great power.

"Prisoner Min Zhanlian, I don't know why the official is here?" Min Zhanlian clasped his fists and saluted with a low and steady voice.

Tan Ning stared at Min Zhanlian's white and tender hands, and couldn't help asking, "Are you Min Zhanlian?"

"It's the prisoner." Min Zhanlian was as contented as he was in his own home.

"Want to go out?" When Dan Ning asked this, he was not confident.

"Hehe." Min Zhanlian smiled slightly, his body tensed up suddenly, and he twisted hard, only to hear a crackling sound in the air.He laughed again: "Kungfu is useless, it's better to be more stable here."

Tanning was dumbfounded.

This kind of force to break through the air turned out to be a waste of effort!

"I heard that you are Wang Zongyue's disciple?" Dan Ning asked again.

He had made preparations before he came, but some people said that Min Zhanlian was Wang Zongyue's direct disciple, and some said he was a second disciple.In short, his Mianquan kung fu must have something to do with the great master of internal boxing in the Wanli period.

"Hey." Min Zhanlian turned sideways, stretched out his arms, raised them, and put them down again. It looked like he was turning the air into a ball.In Tan Ning's eyes, it was as if he could see the air condensed like porridge, being played with by the old man in his palm.

Min Zhanlian obviously used this method to show his master's heritage, which can only be seen by laymen.

Dan Ning could see some tricks, but couldn't tell why, and felt a little restless.He cut to the chase and said, "I am the guard of the Eastern Palace, and the crown prince is currently hiring a coach. Mr. Min is well-known, and the crown prince wants to invite me."

"Teach what?" Min Zhanlian asked straightforwardly without putting on airs.

"Murder." Tanning said bluntly.

"This is exactly the skill of a great general in ancient times to kill the enemy!" Min Zhanlian laughed and said, "It's just that I've taken several lives on my body, so I'm afraid it's not convenient for me to go out."

Tanning didn't expect Min Zhanlian to agree so boldly, but he figured it out when he settled down.If Min Zhanlian didn't know people, he would have no chance of surviving this year.Since there is a chance to save one's life and make a fortune, why not do it?

"Someone will come to release you later." Tanning put down these words, turned around and left.The function of the Eastern Palace Order he brought to Shuntian Mansion has not yet been tested, but he would not be unaware of that mansion.

As soon as Dan Ning came out of the cell, a thin figure flashed out of the shadows, approached Min Zhanlian's cell, and called out in a low voice, "Master, are you taking this opportunity to escape?"

"Escape?" Min Zhanlian said with a smile: "Could it be that the king of the world can escape from the sky?"

"Master, you don't know, the world is already in chaos outside!" The skinny disciple said: "There is King Li Chuang in the west, who killed several vassal kings, and said he was going to Yanjing to live his addiction to being emperor. In the east The Jiannu are becoming more and more fierce, and they plundered to Shandong just last year! People in the city say: Every day is a day, and when the thieves come to the gate, they will open the city and invite them in!"

Seeing that the master was silent, the little apprentice said again: "This is no longer a private word, many people say that in public!"

"Wouldn't that be the time when we made meritorious deeds?" Min Zhanlian rolled his eyes and said, "I told you that your master has two unique skills, don't you remember?"

"I remember, of course I remember." The disciple hurriedly said, "It's the Yin Talisman Spear, Tai Chi."

"Do you think that marksmanship is for helping you practice boxing?" Min Zhanlian tensed up: "It's against you!"

"Inverted?" The disciple wondered, "Isn't it just to listen to the strength?"

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