Tang Dynasty: The Holy Prince, the Dragon that Reigns Over the World

In February of the 9th year of Zhenguan, Li Chengqian was free, so he took the Deng brothers, Li Tai and Li Ke, and a group of wives to stroll on the street. The people along the street smiled and bowed to greet Li Chengqian when they saw him shopping. Li Chengqian smiled and nodded in return.

Seeing the happy faces of the people in Chang'an and the beauties around him, Li Chengqian was in a good mood. Li Chengqian then shouted in the street.

"Hey, fellow villagers, I am taking the ladies out shopping today. Anyone who doesn't charge money or charges too little today is not giving me face." "Ladies, go shopping. Buy whatever you want. Don't save money for your husbands. Your husbands have plenty of money." Li Chengqian said with a nouveau riche face and laughed. The ladies cheered and went shopping.

When the people of Chang'an heard this, they all laughed and said, "Sir, you want to bleed to please the ladies today, and we will certainly fulfill your wish."

Li Tai and Li Ke were originally going to return to the frontier after Li Chengqian got married, but Li Chengqian saw that Zhangsun Wugou and Concubine Yang were reluctant to leave, and there was peace and nothing important outside the frontier, so Li Chengqian was reluctant to leave. So he asked the two to stay for two months after the Chinese New Year.

Li Tai and Li Ke took a step back when they saw Li Chengqian's expression, with an expression that said, "I'm not familiar with him." Li Tai spoke.

"He is not even a prince of a country, he is just an upstart."

Li Ke looked at the happy faces of the people around him and the vibrant Chang'an City, and sighed, "Since my elder brother took over the state, the Tang Dynasty has conquered the four barbarians, expanded the territory by thousands of miles, the people live and work in peace and contentment, and the national strength is at its peak. The Tang Dynasty is fortunate to have my elder brother. I am not as good as him."

"Stop flattering me. Come on, let's have a drink with me." Li Chengqian hugged the two of them and walked towards the barbecue stall.

"Uncle Alifa, a roasted lamb leg and a bunch of kebabs, and you can take care of the rest." Li Chengqian said as he sat down. Alifa rubbed his hands and agreed with a smile.

The owner of the restaurant next door smiled and sent over three jugs of top-quality wine. The three brothers ate and drank, and Li Tai gnawed on the lamb leg like a hungry wolf. Li Chengqian held his head and scolded with a smile.

"Qingque, life outside the Great Wall is hard, I know that. But are you really that hungry? You are a prince, a high-ranking official, after all, you should pay attention to your image."

Although Li Chengqian said Li Tai, he still asked for another leg of lamb for Li Tai.

"Brother, you don't know, the food cooked by that crappy chef we found outside the Great Wall is so terrible. Otherwise, I wouldn't have lost weight." Li Tai said vaguely with his mouth full of meat.

"Okay, when you go back, I'll arrange for a few good cooks to take with you." The three were drinking and laughing when they saw the girls and Changle coming over. Behind them, the Deng brothers and Chang Sunchong were covered with things.

"Changle? Come over here quickly." Li Chengqian said with a smile. Li Tai and Li Ke hurriedly stood up and saluted when they saw Changle, calling her "eldest sister".

"Brother, you are so rude. You didn't even bring Changle with you when you went shopping." Changle said with a wrinkled nose. At this moment, a young man ran by on Chang'an Street, followed closely by five strong men holding big sticks. The young man tripped and fell to the ground, and the strong men caught up with him and beat him with sticks.

Li Chengqian frowned and signaled to the Deng brothers with his eyes. The Deng brothers and Chang Sun Chong put down their things, rushed into the crowd, punched and kicked, and knocked down five strong men with a few moves.

Seeing that the man was skilled in martial arts, the strong man turned and ran. Li Tai and Li Ke blocked their way, and together they knocked down the five strong men. Everyone surrounded the five strong men, and Li Chengqian walked towards them, looking at them on the ground and smiled.

"Brother Ke, Qingque is good at martial arts."

"Hmph, you are so bold to commit murder in the street at the foot of the imperial city. Do you think the laws of the Tang Dynasty are nothing?" Li Chengqian said angrily.

"I advise you to stay out of other people's business. My master is not someone you can afford to mess with." said one of the five attackers.

"Oh? You're such a powerful figure. Here, open your eyes and take a good look. I can't afford to offend you." Chang Sun Chong threw the Jinyiwei badge to the person who spoke.

The person who spoke took the waist badge. The front of the pure gold waist badge was engraved with "Jinyi Qinjun Duzhishisi" and a special mark below. The back was engraved with "Commander Changsun Chong" and "Number: 1" below.

"Jinyiwei Commander!" The person who spoke was shocked. At this time, the patrol detective heard the news and rushed over. Seeing Li Chengqian and others, he knelt down and saluted, saying, "Chang'an Prefecture Patrol Detective, meet the Crown Prince, the Crown Princesses, the King of Wei, the King of Shu, and the Commander."

"Prince?" The person who spoke cried out in fear, and then begged for mercy.

"Take the man to the Jinyiwei Criminal Court Prison and let the Jinyiwei interrogate him. Where is the person who was beaten?" Li Chengqian said.

"They ran away during the chaos." Chang Sun Chong said. The five people were escorted to the Jinyiwei Criminal Court. Li Chengqian's mood was completely ruined, and he immediately returned home.

The next day, Li Chengqian was chatting with Li Shimin in Ganlu Hall after the court session. Suddenly, they heard the sound of drums outside the palace gate. The two of them stood up in surprise.

In the fifth year of Zhenguan, when Li Chengqian began to govern the country, he followed the example of Emperor Hongwu Zhu Yuanzhang and ordered the establishment of a drum for reporting outside the imperial city. He also stipulated that all civil lawsuits should be reported from the bottom up, and if the county officials, the Dali Temple, the Censorate, and the Ministry of Justice did not uphold justice, or if there were serious injustices that could not be reported by themselves, the drum could be beaten.

The wronged people appealed to the emperor, who personally heard the case. If an official tried to interfere, he would be severely punished. The drum for reporting the wrongs was beaten, and if the wrong was proven to be true, the official would not be punished.

Of course, not just any dispute can be reported by beating the Dengwen drum. Li Chengqian stipulated that "all matters concerning marriage, land and other matters of the household shall be under the jurisdiction of the relevant department and no drum may be beaten", which means that the Dengwen drum will not be used to handle civil lawsuits or economic disputes.

An official in the court pointed out that "it is unprecedented for citizens to sue officials. What should we do if unruly citizens falsely accuse officials?" Li Chengqian replied.

"If every official is honest and fair, and abides by the law, why would the people sue the officials? The people are weak, while the officials have great power. If officials protect each other and do not stand up for the people, how can the people seek justice, and where is the justice of the Tang Dynasty's laws? Moreover, if the people sue the officials and it is a false accusation, the crime will be reversed. Who dares to risk his life to test the strict laws of the Tang Dynasty?" Li Shimin issued an edict to pass it.

When they heard the drum, Li Shimin and Li Chengqian changed into court robes, opened the palace gate, and rode the imperial sedan to the palace gate. When all the officials heard the drum, they all came to the palace gate.

A man knelt at the palace gate, holding up a petition. When he saw Li Shimin approaching, he shouted, "I have been wronged. Please, sage, help me."

"Who is the one seeking justice, and what is your grievance? I am here, please tell me quickly. If the case is true, I will take charge of it for you. If it is a false accusation, be careful of the severe law." Li Shimin said solemnly.

"I am Wu Bing, a native of Wu County, Suzhou. My parents are still alive, I have a lovely wife and a young son, and my life was originally happy. There was a wealthy family named Qian in the local area. One day, their son Qian Huaide saw my wife in the market and had evil intentions. He flirted with her in the street. My wife reprimanded him, but Qian Huaide was still determined and followed my wife home, trying to rape her. My parents stepped forward to stop him, but were beaten to death by his servants. My son was afraid and cried, so he threw him into a well. Qian Huaide then took turns raping my wife with the servants. My wife couldn't bear the humiliation and committed suicide by jumping into the well.

When I came home from a trip, I saw my family was destroyed and my neighbors told me the truth. I immediately beat the drum to appeal to the county government, and the county government accepted the case. Unexpectedly, the county magistrate and the Qian family were in collusion. The Qian family bribed witnesses and falsely accused my wife of seducing Qian Huaide. Qian Huaide refused to comply and was caught by my parents. My wife killed my parents and my young son and fell into the well.

The county magistrate ruled that Qian Huaide was not guilty. I was dissatisfied and appealed to the governor, but the governor refused to accept the case. A kind-hearted person told me that Qian's relative was the saint Zhaorong Liu, Qian Huaide's aunt. No one dared to accept the case. I immediately went to the capital to file a complaint, but the Qian family stabbed me along the way. I have been wronged, and I hope the saint will make a decision for me. "After Wu Bing finished speaking, he kowtowed repeatedly.

"Father, I have seen this man." Li Chengqian said to Li Shimin, and then told him what happened on the street yesterday. Li Shimin pondered for a moment and then spoke.

"In this case, the case will be handed over to the crown prince for trial. The Ministry of Justice, the Dali Temple and the Censorate will work with the crown prince to handle this case. No injustice or leniency will be done. Let's go back to the palace." Li Chengqian said loudly after Li Shimin entered the palace gate.

"Where is the Jin Yiwei?"

"The commander of the Embroidered Uniform Guard is here. Please give your orders, my lord." Chang Sun Chong clasped his fists and came out.

"The Royal Guards must take care of the plaintiff immediately. No one is allowed to approach without my order. The five people who committed the crime yesterday must be interrogated as soon as possible and their confessions must be obtained. Order the Suzhou Royal Guards to collect evidence in this case. The Royal Guards must send out their cavalry and escort all the people involved in this case to Beijing." Li Chengqian ordered. Chang Sun Chong clasped his fists in response.

"Where are the three judicial officials?" Li Chengqian asked again.

"I'm here." The three chief judges clasped their fists and stepped out in unison.

"Accept the complaint immediately and wait for all the people involved in the case to come to Beijing for a public trial." Li Chengqian said. The three judicial officials clasped their fists in response.

Jinyiwei tortured the five perpetrators and obtained their confessions. Jinyiwei in Suzhou collected evidence and sent them to Chang'an along with the people involved in the case. Li Chengqian received the confessions and evidence collected by Jinyiwei, which were basically consistent with what Wu Bing said.

Li Chengqian summoned the chiefs of the three judicial departments to open a public trial, and showed them the confessions and evidence. Seeing that the evidence was sufficient, the defendants had no choice but to plead guilty. The governor of Suzhou and the county magistrate of Wu County also admitted that they had accepted bribes from the Qian family and received a secret letter from Zhaorong Liu, asking them to help exonerate themselves.

Li Chengqian then went to the palace to meet Li Shimin, and presented his confession to him. Li Shimin was furious after reading it, and immediately issued an edict: Qian Huaide had lost all conscience, and he and his servants who committed the crime were executed according to the law. The Qian family bribed officials and falsely accused the plaintiff, and their property was confiscated according to the law, and the whole family was exiled to Qiongzhou. The governor of Suzhou and officials of Wu County accepted bribes and wrongly convicted the wrongdoers, and they were beheaded and hung on the city gate to warn officials all over the world. Zhaorong Liu protected her relatives and broke the law knowingly, so she was demoted to a talented person and lashed twenty times.

The case came to an end, but Li Chengqian was still uneasy. This unjust case was caused by officials protecting each other, and also by the excessive power of a local official. A local official holds the power of prison and trial. A good official is a parent official, while a bad official becomes a living devil. It's time for reform, Li Chengqian thought.

On the second day, at the morning court, Li Chengqian stepped out and made a speech.

"I have a petition to make. Although the Wu Bing case has been concluded, it exposed the drawbacks of a local official having too much power. If an official is proficient in both criminal and judicial matters and is upright, it will be a blessing to the people. If he is like the county magistrate of Wu County, it will harm the people. Moreover, officials are selected through the imperial examination. As the saying goes, everyone has his own specialty. Officials may understand the way to govern the country, but they may not necessarily understand criminal justice.

Therefore, I suggest that the separation of powers be implemented in the prefectures and counties of our Tang Dynasty, that is, the three powers of law enforcement, administration, and trial are independent. In the county, a judicial department is set up, and in the prefecture, a judicial office is set up, which is responsible for arresting and investigating cases, and is under the jurisdiction of the Ministry of Justice. In the county, a legal department is set up, and in the prefecture, a legal court is set up, which is responsible for the power of trial, and is under the jurisdiction of the Dali Temple. A local chief official is only responsible for administrative and civil affairs, and no longer involves criminal justice. The officials of the three departments are of the same level and are independent of each other.

In order to supervise all officials in the country, I suggest that a supervisory department be set up in the county and a supervisory office be set up in the state to supervise local officials and be under the jurisdiction of the Censorate. "When Li Chengqian said this, there was an uproar in the court.

"May I ask your Majesty, where are the judicial officials and legal officials selected from?" Wei Zheng asked.

"The judicial officials will be selected from the Ministry of Justice, the officials in the prefectures and counties who are proficient in arresting and investigating cases. The legal officials will be selected from the Supreme Court, the people in the prefectures and counties who are proficient in law. Training classes will be set up in Beijing to recruit talents from the Tang Dynasty. Veterans of criminal justice and doctors of law will be selected to organize training. Those who pass the training will be granted official status by the Ministry of Personnel and go to various places to take up posts." Li Chengqian replied.

"Will such power division lead to discouragement among county officials throughout the country?" said the Minister of Personnel Du Ruhui.

"Uncle Du, it is better for one family to be disappointed than for the people to cry along the way. This move can also reduce the burden on officials and allow them to concentrate on handling civil affairs. I believe that most officials in my Tang Dynasty will understand. As for the others, huh, since you are so greedy for power, then go home." Li Chengqian said with a smile.

"Gentlemen, I have something to say to officials at all levels in the world. Your salaries and benefits are all the blood and sweat of the people. It is easy to bully the common people, but it is difficult to deceive God. Gentlemen, don't think that the common people are easy to bully." Li Chengqian said loudly.

"What a great sentence, 'Your salary and benefits are all the blood and sweat of the people. It is easy to abuse the people, but it is hard to deceive God.' I request that you carve this stone in front of government offices at all levels to awaken all officials in the world." The Minister of Personnel Du Ruhui bowed and said.

"That's right. Dalang, what you said is very reasonable and thought-provoking." Li Shimin stroked his beard and smiled.

"Gentlemen, is what the prince requested possible?" Li Shimin asked.

"Your Highness's request is for the sake of the country and the people. We second your proposal." All the officials bowed.

"Okay, issue an edict immediately, and start from this edict to implement the separation of powers reform according to what the prince said. The prince will be fully responsible for this matter, and all provinces and ministries must cooperate closely. Anyone who dares to speak out and obstruct will be dismissed and punished, and will not be tolerated." Li Shimin made the final decision.

The imperial edict shocked all officials at all levels. Most officials were happy, after all, the matter of the prison was too serious, and now the reform was a relief. Some officials who were too power-hungry kept complaining, and some even wrote to the emperor saying that the prince's move was a lack of trust in officials and chilled the hearts of all officials.

After receiving the memorial, Li Shimin decisively dealt with several officials who spoke harshly, dismissing them from their posts and sending them back. He consoled the rest with kind words. Seeing that Li Shimin was firm in his attitude, these officials had no choice but to carry out the memorial.

Training courses for judicial examinations and law were opened in Chang'an, attracting many scholars who were not satisfied with the imperial examinations and petty officials who were good at arresting and investigating cases to apply for the examinations. The Ministry of Justice and the Dali Temple selected doctors who were proficient in law and detectives who were good at arresting and investigating cases as teachers to teach them. After six months of training, those who passed the examinations were assigned to various places to take up posts.