In the Northern Song Dynasty, he started by marrying the eighth daughter of the Su family.

Su Zhen was resting in her room, while Han Zhi was outside checking the luggage they had brought. At this moment, Tian Kuang also came over, and seeing this scene, asked:

"But is there anything missing?"

Han Zhi shook his head and said, "There are no omissions."

Tian Kuang nodded and said, "Stay here for the time being. I've already informed my servants. If you need anything, just have your maid come."

"Thank you, Prefect Tian."

Tian Kuang waved his hand and laughed, "Why are you being so formal? Your father and I are close friends, just call me Uncle."

"Yes." Han Zhi suddenly remembered something and asked, "By the way, Uncle, when my wife and I disembarked just now, we saw several prisoners who had been sentenced to exile. What happened?"

Upon hearing this, Tian Kuang's face darkened, and he said, "This has been the case in Chengdu Prefecture for the past few decades; even the most trivial matters are severely punished."

"These next two days, you and your wife should try not to go out. The punishment is severe, so don't get involved."

However, Han insisted on not being there, as he hadn't asked the question for the sake of asking. He said, "I know what's going on, but this has caused widespread panic among the people of Chengdu. Isn't such a severe punishment excessive?"

“It is indeed a bit excessive,” Tian Kuang said at this moment, and then sighed: “But these are the Emperor’s decisions, and the special power of allowing the Prefect of Yizhou to adapt to changing circumstances.”

"From that time on, the prefect of Yizhou could handle all unexpected events without consulting the court, which led some prefects to act arbitrarily and recklessly using cruel ruling methods."

"As soon as I took office, I wanted to get rid of this bad habit. Otherwise, if this continues, there will still be people who rebel."

Han Zhi frowned and said, "If that's the case, why are there still prisoners being exiled or beheaded today?"

“Those are judgments from the former prefect. Generally speaking, I don’t have the authority to overturn them,” Tian Kuang said, shaking his head.

“But didn’t Uncle say that the Emperor allows the Prefect of Yizhou to have special powers? If that’s the case, shouldn’t that include the right to overturn previous judgments?” Han Zhi added.

Tian Kuang was taken aback, his eyes fixed on Han Zhi. Han Zhi continued, "Uncle should begin to govern the territory; we can no longer continue to abuse cruel methods."

“I know that too, but how should we change those things from before?” Tian Kuang asked. “Besides, in the previous judgment, the deceased was already dead, and the exiled person’s whereabouts were unknown.”

Han Zhi continued, "That's true, but there's still a chance to salvage the situation at this point."

Upon hearing this, Tian Kuang's eyes lit up, and he quickly asked, "Nephew, please tell me, what is your plan?"

"The method is actually very simple: compensate the deceased and recover the money from the living," Han Zhi said.

After listening, Tian Kuang immediately lost interest and said, "This method is only a compensation and cannot make up for what will happen later."

Han Zhi shook his head, denying Tian Kuang's statement: "Uncle, you are mistaken. You have come here to take up your post, but you do not know what the people want?"

"What the people want is their own interests, an explanation, and your attitude, Uncle."

“Nephew, please speak.” Tian Kuang frowned, then gestured for him to continue.

"When someone dies in a family, what is lost is income and population. So here we only need to compensate with silver and exempt that generation from corvée labor. And all those who were exiled will be brought back, released back to their homes, and have their status restored. Those sentenced to exile for a certain number of years will be exempt from corvée labor for that number of years, and will also be compensated with silver."

"The most crucial point is that you, Uncle, need to personally step forward and reassure the people."

Tian Kuang stroked his chin, then pulled Han Zhi to sit down beside him and asked:

"This is a temporary measure, but what about the future? We can probably only use the old methods, which are not as serious as they are today, but they are not insignificant either."

That's true, because even if we abolish the current system of exile and execution, the worst punishments of the past were still caning.

Han Zhi smiled and said, "Uncle should know how the ministers in the court evaluate the common people."

"They say they are uncivilized, uneducated, and unruly."

“Then let’s do as they say and develop the land accordingly. Since they say the people are uncivilized and uneducated, then we will enlighten and educate them,” Han Zhi said.

"How do we enlighten and educate people? You know, ordinary people don't necessarily have the money to go to school." Tian Kuang didn't understand Han Zhi's meaning, nor did he understand Han Zhi's thought process.

"That's true, but why do people commit crimes?" Han Zhi said again, "They are forced by life and circumstances, and they don't know the cost and consequences of committing crimes."

"As for life, with a little effort, one can still ensure survival. And now that the Song Dynasty is relatively peaceful, part of the reason is that we don't know."

"Therefore, after catching a criminal, we can first check what crime they committed. If it is relatively minor, then a simple education and a slight punishment will suffice. Education should be the primary approach, and punishment should be secondary."

Tian Kuang pondered for a moment and said, "So, does that mean we should reduce the severity of the punishment?"

“That’s right.” Han Zhi nodded. “For example, if someone steals a fruit or a needle, they can be locked up for a few days, receive education in prison, and then return the stolen items.”

“For serious crimes like murder, the punishment should be as appropriate.”

After all, in ancient times, the principle of "a life for a life" was almost universally accepted; any serious crime like murder was punishable by death. This aspect, at least, is difficult to change here, as doing so might give the impression that the cost of committing a crime is too low.

Tian Kuang fell silent. This method of "benevolent governance" resonated deeply with him. However, his only concern was that the people might not accept such good intentions, and that it might lead to an increase in crime.

“Good nephew, don’t forget that not all people are kind. If we handle it this way, they will not only refuse our compensation, but the number of criminals will also increase,” Tian Kuang added.

Han Zhi shook his head and said, "Uncle, as I just said, most crimes are no worse than this. If people could eat and dress well, and the Song Dynasty was peaceful and stable, then most people would not want to commit crimes."

"Moreover, crimes happen all the time. Uncle, didn't you want to change the previous abuse of punishment? Why are you worried about what will happen next? Those who truly want to serve the people shouldn't only think about the bad things that might happen later, but also the good things."

Tian Kuang pondered for a moment, tapping his fingers repeatedly on the table before finally deciding, "Good nephew, this method is worth a try."

"If it succeeds, I will report this to His Majesty, and it will make your future imperial examinations a little easier."

Han Zhi quickly stood up and said, "Uncle, this is unacceptable. I am only dissatisfied with this abuse of power, not for any other reason."

Tian Kuang laughed and pointed at Han Zhi, saying, "I hope what you're saying is true."