The daily life of a peasant girl taking the imperial examination

"Hmph!" Dr. Qin snorted coldly.

Instructor Song touched his nose and continued posing questions:

"E was hired by J to transport a shipment of valuable goods. En route, E, driven by greed, sold part of the goods without authorization. J discovered this and demanded compensation from E. E claimed that the goods were robbed during transport and that he had done his best to protect them, therefore he should not bear full responsibility. Question: According to the laws of the summer, how should E be held liable?"

This question involves employment relationships and disputes over the transportation of goods, further increasing the difficulty.

The training ground fell silent instantly, and everyone fell into deep thought.

Zhang Hao's forehead was also covered in fine beads of sweat due to nervousness.

At this moment, he repeatedly weighed the legal provisions in his mind.

Zhuge Yunshu and Wang Yi, on the other hand, stared intently at the question, like outsiders.

There was nothing they could do; the two of them had already stolen the spotlight for two days.

Today, no matter what, we must make Zhang Hao perform well.

In fact, to paraphrase Master Wang, it was time for him to learn to stand on his own two feet.

for a long time.

Zhang Hao stood up and spoke with slight nervousness:

"E was employed by Ji and was responsible for the safe transport of the goods. Although it was claimed that the goods were stolen, selling them without authorization constitutes a breach of contract. If E cannot prove that the loss of the goods was indeed caused by the robbers, E should bear the liability for compensation. However, considering the possibility of force majeure, such as..."

Therefore, the amount of compensation may be appropriately reduced, depending on the evidence presented by both parties and the court's judgment...

Zhang Hao's answer was logically rigorous, clearly explaining the complex legal relationships.

The students at Linxi County School secretly breathed a sigh of relief.

Even the people surrounding the training ground nodded in approval.

On the contrary, Dr. Qin's expression grew increasingly gloomy.

At this moment, he narrowed his eyes slightly:

"Not bad."

Dr. Qin spoke with a forced smile, "It seems that the Linxi County School is indeed full of hidden talents... Wenchang, you must perform well and not disappoint your teacher."

Upon hearing this, Zhou Wenchang took a deep breath and said, "Yes."

Next, Instructor Song asked ten questions in a row.

The correct answer rate for students from Linxi County and Xiaoshan County was 50/50.

Up until this last question.

Instructor Song glanced at it, his brows furrowing:

"Isn't this... a bit too difficult?"

he murmured.

However, there was no other way, especially after thinking it over carefully, so I had to continue speaking:

"Ren was a local official who, while in charge of disaster relief, embezzled part of the disaster relief funds, resulting in some disaster victims not receiving timely assistance..."

After the truth came out, Ren claimed that he had used some of the funds to repair the warehouse to prevent the remaining relief supplies from being damaged, and that he had not embezzled them. The question is, what crime should Ren be charged with according to the law? How should this case be tried?

This question not only involves official corruption, but also disaster relief and complex justifications, making it extremely difficult for these students.

The training ground was deathly silent, and all the students were lost in thought.

Even the common people shook their heads, feeling that the question was too difficult.

moment.

Zhou Wenchang was the first to stand up:

"Gentlemen, in my opinion, Ren's actions are undoubtedly embezzlement..."

Disaster relief funds have clearly defined uses, as stipulated by law, and must be used for their designated purpose only, not for any other purpose. Since Ren misappropriated the funds, causing suffering to the disaster victims, no matter how noble his excuse may be, it cannot conceal the fact that he violated the law.

Therefore, he should be prosecuted as a serious crime of embezzling disaster relief funds, in order to demonstrate the majesty of the law and appease the public.

As soon as he finished speaking, the people around the training ground nodded in agreement, agreeing that what he said made sense.

At this moment, Zhuge Yunshu looked at Zhang Hao and Wang Yi and saw that they both shook their heads.

It is clear that neither of them could refute Zhou Wenchang's statement.

Left with no other option, Zhuge Yunshu rose, gave a slight bow, and then retorted:

“What Brother Zhou said seems reasonable, but it is not. The fundamental purpose of the law is to achieve fairness and justice, not to rigidly apply the provisions. To hastily convict someone before the truth has been ascertained is by no means the intention of the law.”

Upon hearing this, Zhou Wenchang frowned and stared intently at Zhuge Yunshu:

"The evidence is conclusive; his embezzlement is an indisputable fact. Isn't that enough? Are we going to let him get away with it using the dubious excuse of repairing a warehouse?"

Upon seeing this, Zhuge Yunshu gently shook his head, his gaze firm and calm:

“Brother Zhou, matters of law should never be taken lightly. Ren claims the funds were used to repair the warehouse, so we cannot easily ignore this claim. If we convict him without a thorough investigation, and what he says turns out to be true, wouldn't that be wronging an official and bringing shame upon the law?”

Her voice carried clearly throughout the training ground, and the students and civilians watching looked at each other, beginning to ponder the deeper meaning of her words.

Zhou Wenchang sneered and raised his voice:

"Even if the warehouse repairs are true, his misappropriation of funds has already violated the law, and there is no doubt about that."

Upon hearing this, Zhuge Yunshu couldn't help but smile.

Got hooked.

Then, she glanced at Zhou Wenchang slowly and deliberately:

"Misappropriating disaster relief funds is indeed a violation of regulations. However, we are all law-abiding citizens and know that every detail and every motive is crucial..."

For example, in the "Linxi County Disaster Relief Fund Case", there was another case where part of the disaster relief funds were misappropriated.

At first, everyone thought the county magistrate was corrupt and demanded severe punishment. However, after a thorough investigation, it was discovered that the warehouse where disaster relief supplies were stored had been in disrepair for many years and was in danger of collapsing at any time due to the severe rainstorms.

In order to protect the supplies, the county magistrate urgently diverted funds to repair the warehouse, thus avoiding even greater losses.

Ultimately, after investigating the truth, the imperial court, considering the magistrate's motives and the actual circumstances, did not punish him for embezzlement. Instead, they balanced his merits and demerits, and he was only given a warning.

This case shares many similarities with the case we are discussing today, both involving the misappropriation of funds during disaster relief efforts…

As soon as she finished speaking, the other students and civilians in the training ground began to whisper among themselves.

However, without exception, they were all amazed by Zhuge Yunshu's extensive knowledge.

Zhou Wenchang was equally shocked.

I ask you, which scholar would have nothing better to do than recite old cases from decades ago?

Even the smallest details are remembered so clearly.

Thinking of this, Zhou Wenchang's expression changed, but he still spoke defiantly:

"It's just a similar case, perhaps just a coincidence, and not enough to prove anything... So, based on this alone, we cannot conclude that Ren is innocent."

Upon hearing this, Zhuge Yunshu seemed to have anticipated Zhou Wenchang's question, so he raised an eyebrow and smiled.

"Then let's look at the 'Jingling Prefecture Disaster Grain Case.' The prefect at the time misappropriated some of the funds intended for purchasing disaster grain to dredge waterways. Because of the devastating floods, the waterways were blocked. If they weren't dredged in time, not only would the disaster grain not be able to reach its destination, but it would also cause even more people to suffer..."

It was later discovered that although the prefect had embezzled funds, he did so in order to fundamentally solve the disaster problem. It was for this reason that Jingling Prefecture did not experience floods or similar disasters for the next few decades...

Ultimately, the imperial court gave him a lenient punishment, allowing him to atone for his crimes through meritorious service...

Furthermore, thirty years ago, a shocking massacre occurred in Xiaoshan County, involving the embezzlement of disaster relief funds...

Therefore, from these three similar cases, it should be easy to see that when dealing with cases involving disaster relief funds, we cannot only look at the surface-level misappropriation, but also need to investigate the underlying motives and actual circumstances before drawing conclusions…”

Her words were reasonable and logically sound, and the students of Linxi County School all showed their admiration.

wonderful!

Absolutely brilliant!

Moreover, the crowds surrounding the training ground erupted in thunderous applause.

Especially those few die-hard fans of Zhuge Yunshu.

If it weren't for the fact that the competition wasn't over yet and it wasn't appropriate to be overly high-profile, it would be fine.

They wanted to scream again.

There was nothing they could do; their little trio was so incredibly knowledgeable at such a young age.

Even some students in Xiaoshan County couldn't help but whisper about Zhuge Yunshu's rich knowledge.

However, considering that Dr. Qin and Zhou Wenchang both had faces as black as the bottom of a pot.

They stopped discussing the topic that upset "some people".