Chapter 741: Chapter 735, Chapter 736: Dai Tu’s Doom (Part 2)
At this moment, he finally told Zhang Zhu about the accusation against "Guo Xian".
Upon learning that her lover had a wife and children, Zhang Zhu was found and still wanted to kill his wife and child. She stood there in shock, her eyes wide open, unable to believe it.
A moment later, she thought of the previous incidents where "Guo Xian’s" relatives came to the residence looking for him.
The tears that were about to fall from her eyes started swirling.
...
Xiangyang Government Office.
In this case, Song Qing had originally intended to hold a public trial, considering that "Guo Xian" was a disciple of King Wei and also the son-in-law of General Zhang. The rumor would not bode well for them.
However, when the Champion Scholar and Third Place Scholar came, wanting to watch, Song Qing frowned slightly. It would not be appropriate to stop them, so he let the Government Officials allow them to enter and watch from the front of the hall.
"Commence the court session."
In the main hall, a governmental official spoke, reminding everyone to keep quiet as the chief examiner was about to come out.
The onlookers, including Guo Ning and Sun City, immediately shut their mouths.
As Song Qing appeared, the governmental officials on both sides of the hall said in unison, "Majestic... Prestige."
After Song Qing sat down in the hall, he slapped the gavel on the table, "Bring in the two parties."
The "two parties", also known as the "two sides", refer to the plaintiff and the defendant.
Soon, Huang Zhaodi and her son, Dai Ling, and "Guo Xian" were brought in by the constables.
Sun City and others were extremely surprised. They thought the government office brought "Guo Xian" over to ask him a few questions, but unexpectedly, he became one of the two parties.
The situation was more serious than they had imagined.
"Uncle Guo, Sister Huang?!" Liu Taoshu was slightly surprised to see Dai Ling and Huang Zhaodi.
"Brother Liu knows them?" Qin Shi asked.
Liu Taoshu nodded, "The three of them came to Xiangyang to find someone, but they ultimately realized they had mistaken their target. My father took them in for a night..."
Saying this, Liu Taoshu’s expression shifted to shock, and he belatedly realized that the person Sister Huang and others were looking for, should be "Guo Xian".
In the hall, as soon as Huang Zhaodi saw "Guo Xian", she lashed out, calling him an animal who would even harm his own child.
Dai Ling cursed him as worse than pigs and dogs.
And the moment "Guo Xian" saw Huang Zhaodi, he was struck as if by lightning, stunned, his mind buzzing, unable to hear the voices around him.
As Huang Zhaodi continued speaking, emotions surged within her, and she wanted to grab "Guo Xian’s" robe, but was quickly pulled away by the constables beside her.
The onlookers, including Sun City and Qin Shi, gasped in astonishment.
In the hall, seeing "Guo Xian’s" reaction, Song Qing already had a few ideas, and after slapping the gavel again and calling for silence, he said:
"Defendant Guo Xian, the plaintiff Huang Clan accuses you of being Dai Tu in real name, disguising your identity to participate in the imperial examination, deceiving the Holy Emperor and King Wei, killing your wife and son, hiring a hitman to kill... Do you confess to these charges?"
Song Qing’s words were like thunder striking the ground.
It caused an uproar among the observing scholars.
Previously, they thought it was just cheating in the imperial exams.
Unexpectedly, it was disguising one’s identity for the exams, killing wife and son.
In an instant, their gazes towards "Guo Xian" changed, filled with shock, disdain, and contempt.
No one would think well of such as killing one’s wife and son.
Even though Guo Ning had already guessed that Guo Xian was Dai Tu and had mentally prepared, he was still astonished to hear about the murder of wife and child.
The gavel woke up Dai Tu, and upon hearing the charges read by Song Qing, he could no longer maintain his usual calm, panic written all over his face, but he still refused verbally, saying, "I do not confess. I... I don’t even know her, she is framing me."
Song Qing knew the other would not confess and said, "Bring in the witnesses."
The first witness to come up was Peng Si’Er.
However, this person didn’t carry enough weight as a witness.
Although he had followed Dai Tu to the Zhang Residence, he hadn’t seen Dai Tu’s face.
Even though Peng Si’Er said the voice was similar.
But naturally, Dai Tu wouldn’t admit to knowing Peng Si’Er.
Huang Zhaodi could only speculate that Peng Si’er was instructed by Dai Tu, without solid evidence.
Just as Dai Tu breathed a sigh of relief, the Song People immediately brought in the second and third witnesses.
They were the village head and clan elder from Dai Tu’s village.
They could testify that Huang Zhaodi was Dai Tu’s consort.
They could also verify that the present "Guo Xian" was, indeed, Dai Tu.
However, even though the evidence was conclusive, Dai Tu still went on denying.
"On the verge of death and still stubbornly refusing." Song Qing coldly rebuked, slapping the gavel, ordering the material evidence to be presented.
It was the household registry files from the government office, marriage registration, and the marriage certificate.
Song Qing asked someone to bring seal paste and had Dai Tu put his handprint on it for comparison.
At this moment, Dai Tu’s face completely changed, becoming twisted and grim. He knew now that both physical and testimonial evidence were present, and he knew denial was futile.
He went mad, throwing himself at Huang Zhaodi, spewing venomously, "You wretched woman, why couldn’t you just quietly die? What benefit is it to you to destroy me? Wretch, I will kill you..."
Seeing Dai Tu charging at her, Huang Zhaodi was somewhat frightened, but she quickly crouched down, prioritizing protecting Dai Feng, so that her son wouldn’t get hurt.
Zuo Gang had long prepared for Dai Tu’s desperate act, and the instant Dai Tu lunged, Zuo Gang subdued him firmly to the ground with a grappling move.
"Contempt of court. Guards, drag him out and administer twenty strokes of the cane." Song Qing was long angered by Dai Tu’s crimes, yet as a County Magistrate, he needed to maintain composure. Thus, upon finding an opportunity, he had Dai Tu disciplined thoroughly.
Such acts as killing wife and son are universally condemned.
Thus, the governmental officials administering the cane did not hold back in the slightest.
When the twenty strokes finished, Dai Tu was dragged back looking half-alive.
He weakly said, "I am a disciple of King Wei, you... you have no right to kill me."
"Hmph." Song Qing snorted coldly, standing up, and took the Tang Blade hanging from the wall behind him, "This blade is bestowed by King Wei. Holding this blade is as if King Wei is present. With all the testimonial and physical evidence here, do you presume this official cannot execute you?"
Song Qing unsheathed the blade, eyes sharp with intent.
"You cannot kill me. At most, I deserted my wife and child, that’s not punishable by death." After the beating, Dai Tu’s mind cleared up instantly, realizing that the current evidence pointed only to him deserting his wife and child, with no firm indication of him hiring Peng Si’Er to commit murder.
And according to the laws of the Great Song, deserting wife and child indeed does not warrant the death penalty.
"You..." With this statement, even Zuo Gang beside him was infuriated by these words.
Yet, as Dai Tu noted, by strict legal judgment, the present evidence didn’t warrant the death penalty for him.
But for this, Song Qing had his way of handling things, "Disguised identity, being a southerner yet participated in the imperial exams in the North, deceiving the Holy Emperor, let’s not even get into the crime of deceiving the sovereign. Just the imperial exam fraud is to be severely punished."
The Great Song Dynasty has three categories of punishment for exam cheating.
First, being shackled or stripped of exam qualifications, or being locked up for public disgrace.
Second, cancellation of all previously granted titles to the examinee.
Third, criminal penalties, first involving shackling for a period ranging from several weeks to months, followed by corporal punishment, and then being dispatched for military service in remote areas. Severe cases could lead to death.
Dai Tu’s conduct fully qualified for criminal penalties.
Following through with criminal penalties would make life worse than death for Dai Tu.
Indeed, hearing Song Qing’s explanation, Dai Tu’s pupils constricted sharply, his face showing panic, he shouted, "You are abusing power for personal revenge, public revenge for private grievances!"
"Abusing power for personal revenge, public revenge for private grievances? Does this official have a personal feud with you?" Song Qing retorted coldly, slamming the gavel hard again, saying, "Guards, put him in the cell, and commence a two-month shackling immediately."
"Understood."
Two constables stepped forward, dragging away Dai Tu who had welts all over his backside.
"The lord is wise."
"Justice."
"Good judgment."
Some scholars applauded.
Although the court couldn’t convict Dai Tu for killing his wife and child, the act of abandoning his wife and child was most disdainful among the literati.
And Song Qing’s judgment upheld the fairness of society, maintaining moral standards.
