Transmigrated into a female county magistrate during a famine, leading her country to prosperity

The people in the court were silent for a long time before they came to their senses from Wang Wanying's story.

In order to verify the truth of what she said, Wang Wanying actually pulled the collar of her dress down an inch.

It was covered with bruises.

The men in the hall turned their heads away silently.

After seeing this, Shen Zheng felt as if a heavy stone was pressing on her chest and she was having difficulty breathing.

Landlord Wang is simply unworthy of being a human being!

The two constables who were originally escorting Wang Guangjin silently let go of his hands.

The constable who had hit Wang Guangjin's knee with a stick looked ashamed.

"Brother, I used too much strength just now, I'm really sorry."

Wang Guangjin rubbed his numb knee and smiled bitterly: "It's okay, I'm used to it."

......

Shen Zheng couldn't stand such a heavy atmosphere and gave orders to the young constable.

"Go to the Wang family and bring the servant of Landlord Wang here."

Although everyone believed 90% of what Wang Wanying said, we cannot just listen to one side of the story when handling a case.

"Yes!"

The constable trotted out of the county government office, opened the door and left.

Shen Zheng recalled Wang Guangjin's frantic attempt to stop Wang Wanying from speaking, and now she understood.

He wanted to preserve his sister's reputation and his mother's dignity.

She was raped by her own father and beaten and humiliated by her husband day after day.

If this gets out, it will be too fatal for women of this era.

Shen Zheng sighed, it seemed that it was not just this era.

Even in her previous era, gossip was inevitable.

Rumors can also be a sharp weapon that can hurt people.

In just a moment, the constable brought the landlord Wang's servant over.

The servant was quite frightened. As soon as he entered the hall, he knelt down tremblingly in a place farthest away from Wang Guangjin.

Naturally, Shen Zheng didn't have a good face towards this boy.

"Bang!" She slammed the gavel!

The boy trembled even more violently, and before Shen Zheng could ask any questions, he kowtowed three times.

"My lord! When the master did that to the young lady, I dared not stop him, my lord!"

"The young master killed the old master! I was so scared standing by that I didn't dare to step forward. I am guilty, sir!"

"Bang!" Shen Zheng slammed the gavel again.

"I ask, you answer."

"Yes, yes, sir, you say."

"When the murder happened today, were you there to witness the whole process?"

"Yes, I was at the door at that time."

"Did Wang Guang carry any sharp weapon when he entered the yard?"

"This... No, the young master came into the yard empty-handed and punched me!"

As he said this, the servant showed Shen Zheng his leaky front tooth.

"When Wang Guangjin was fighting with Landlord Wang, who picked up the murder weapon first?"

Shen Zheng stared at the servant in the hall with a sharp gaze, not missing any subtle expression on his face.

"Master! Yes, you were the first one to pick up the scissors! At that time, the young lady even told you to be careful!"

"The person holding the murder weapon was Landlord Wang, so how could he be the one who died?"

Shen Zheng asked this deliberately in order to get the servant to speak and confirm the fact that Wang Guangjin had no intention of killing anyone during the fight between the two.

By the way, it can also confirm what Wang Wanying said.

"The master was holding a pair of scissors and almost stabbed the young master in the chest!"

The servant frowned as he spoke, lost in memories.

"It was too late for the young master to dodge, so he had to grab the old master's wrist. Somehow, the scissors pierced the old master's neck!"

After hearing the servant's words, Shen Zheng smiled with satisfaction.

Xu Zhubu on the side also raised his eyebrows and looked at Shen Zheng.

With just a few questions, she sorted out the facts of the case.

"Okay, you can leave now." Shen Zheng said to the servant.

After the servant left, Shen Zheng turned to look at Xu Zhubu.

"Master Xu, how do you think this file should be recorded?"

"Manslaughter?"

"No, self-defense."

"Self-defense? This is not recorded in the laws of this dynasty."

"Wang Guangjin's original purpose was to protect his sister Wang Wanying. It was the landlord Wang who first picked up the murder weapon and had the intention to kill with the murder weapon. Wang Guangjin's potential was stimulated when his own safety was extremely threatened, which enabled him to avoid the scissors."

"So Wang Guangjin's real intention was not to kill Landlord Wang, but to protect himself. This is legitimate defense."

After listening to Shen Zheng's words, Xu Zhubu thought secretly.

There is some truth in self-defense.

"Sir, I understand what you mean, but... there is no such thing as self-defense in the laws of this dynasty."

Xu Zhubu was also conflicted. He felt that what his father said was quite right, but he had studied law for many years and knew that law was the law of nature.

Although Shen Zheng understood the limitations of the times, he still felt a little helpless at this time.

Tongan County is not a place where she has the final say. As an official, she must abide by the law.

If she was convicted of self-defense, her career as a county magistrate would be over.

She had no choice but to compromise with the law: "Just convict him of manslaughter."

According to the laws of the Great Zhou Dynasty, manslaughter, that is, the murderer accidentally injures someone without intention, shall be punished with forty strokes of the cane.

Although the caning was carried out with ordinary rough wooden boards, the part that was beaten was the back rather than the buttocks.

After forty strokes of the cane, no matter how healthy the victim was, he could only barely survive. It was also common for the spine to be damaged, resulting in hemiplegia.

After saying this, Shen Zheng looked at the mother and her two children kneeling in the hall, but the gavel was unable to be brought down.

Although Wang Guangjin's life was saved, she still felt that she was unfair to the three of them. What had Wang Guangjin done wrong?

Got it! A rarely used system flashed through Shen Zheng's mind.

Discuss the silver for the crime!

"Bang!" She slammed the gavel.

"The criminal Wang Guangjin has committed manslaughter. According to the laws of this dynasty, he should be caned forty times. However, considering the close relationship between the deceased and the criminal, the punishment is to be determined by the silver system!"

Xu Zhubu, who was standing by, suddenly looked up at Shen Zheng.

The system of negotiating fines for crimes has rarely been used since its establishment, and even he has never thought of it.

Shen Zheng looked at the bewildered mother and her two children in the hall and said with a smile, "Under the system of negotiating silver for crimes, criminals can seek forgiveness from the family of the deceased. If the family of the deceased agrees, the criminal can redeem the silver to offset the punishment."

The three people in the hall still looked confused, and Shen Zheng sighed.

She asked directly: "Family members of the deceased, Wang Shi and Wang Wanying, do you agree that the murderer Wang Guangjin can be exempted from caning by paying the ransom money?"

The three people in the hall woke up as if from a dream, with the same expression, and their mouths were open so wide that they could fit the eggs from Aunt Hu's house.

Wang asked cautiously, "Sir, my son doesn't need to be beheaded?"

She still couldn't believe it.

Although the Wang family had no worries about food and clothing, in the eyes of the people, if you kill someone, you must pay with your life.

Shen Zheng nodded patiently: "As long as you and Wanying agree, you don't have to behead me."

"Agree! Agree! We agree!"

The two said in unison.

The three people in the hall cried with joy, but Wang Guangjin was still in a daze.

Does this mean you don’t have to die?

Wang and Wang Wanying prostrated themselves on the ground with their hands and kowtowed three times to Shen Zheng with sincerity.

"Thank you, sir!"

Then the mother and daughter came forward and hugged Wang Guangjin, and the three of them cried together.

Shen Zheng said jokingly, "Let me make it clear first, this ransom money is for the county government to confiscate, not for you and your daughter."

The county government is extremely poor nowadays, and this sum of money can just solve her urgent needs.

At this time, Wang Guangjin's face was covered with tears and snot bubbles. He raised his hands and leaned forward.

It looks like he’s going to kowtow again!

Shen Zheng silently moved her butt to the side.

She still couldn't change her mindset. In her opinion, only immortals and...

After three kowtows, Wang Guangjin said, "Today, you have given me a second life. I am willing to serve you like a slave in the future!"

Before Shen Zheng could refuse, he offered a benefit that Shen Zheng could not refuse.