It was a sunny day in October of the seventh year of Zhenguan in Tang Dynasty. Li Shimin, Emperor Taizong, led his ministers to observe people's feelings. When resting in a place called Xujiazhuang, he vaguely heard a cry, lifted the curtain of the car and saw an old woman holding two children in a field not far away, one of whom was sitting on the ground crying loudly. Looking at all ages, Li Shimin is a little angry. Where did this come from? How to let old people and children come out to farm? He sent for the old woman at once. When the other party heard that the current emperor was sitting in a sedan chair, he fell to his knees with fear.
"Grandpa, that your son and daughter-in-law? Why don't they farm? " Ask old lady Li Shimin.
The old woman cried and replied, "Your Majesty, these are all my past sins. My son was sentenced to death for robbery and murder and is awaiting trial and beheading. His wife ran away in a rage, leaving only the three of us. "
"What's your son's name? Why grab it? " Li Shimin asked. "My son's name is Xu Fulin, but because the family is too poor, it is very confusing to go out to do business with others. He shouldn't be like this! " After that, the old woman kowtowed and went back to work in the fields.
Seeing the old woman and two children working in the field, Li Shimin felt very unhappy and immediately sent someone to send money to the old woman.
On this day, Li Shimin observed people's feelings and reviewed the throne of ministers in the palace. Dali Temple and the throne of ministers in Qing Dynasty and Zhou Dynasty attracted his attention. The newspaper said that there were 390 death row inmates in the Imperial Prison, and asked the emperor to send them a letter as soon as possible.
With the throne, Li Shimin lost in thought. Since he became emperor, he has seen more of you in the long years of the North-South struggle. Where are you going? He has always opposed the cruelty of severe punishment and harsh laws, and his examination of prisoners on death row is also extremely meticulous. He has repeatedly stressed to ministers that this is a matter of human life and must not be killed by mistake.
Li Shimin will never forget the mistake of killing Zhang Yungu in Dali more than three years ago. At that time, officials from Zhongshu, Menmen and Shangshu were called to discuss the death penalty. There is a man named Li Haode. Li Shimin ordered him to be imprisoned and was punished for his nonsense in public. Dali Guo Cheng Zhang Yungu said, "Your Majesty, Li Haode is insane and should not be punished according to the laws of the Tang Dynasty." In order to please Li Shimin, several ministers impeached him, thinking that Zhang Yungu deliberately protected Li Haode. In a fit of pique, Li Shimin ordered Zhang Yungu to be killed in Dongshi.
After killing Zhang Yungu, Li Shimin felt very sorry afterwards. According to the regulations of the Tang Dynasty, anyone who speaks ill of the country and the monarch will be hanged. However, it was also stipulated in the Tang Dynasty that people over 80 years old but under 10 were seriously ill, and ministers had to write to the emperor to ask for relief or punishment. Madness belongs to Benedict's disease, so it is reasonable for Zhang Yungu to ask Li Shimin for extra-legal mercy. Because of this wrongful killing, Li Shimin told ministers in court: "From now on, when you are sentenced to death, you must read it five times in two days and three times in local cases. When reviewing, if the death penalty should be executed according to law, it should be recorded and played. " The so-called "five chanting" means playing it twice two days before the judgment and the day before, and playing it three times on the day of execution.
two
Li Shimin carefully examined the list of 390 condemned prisoners, and a name named "Xu Fulin" jumped into his eyes. Isn't this the son of the old woman I met on the way to observe the people's feelings? Li Shimin immediately called the Qing Dynasty Zhou in Dali Temple and took the file to check, confirming that this Xu Fulin is the old woman's son, and his home is more than 50 miles away from Chang 'an. Because his family was poor, he robbed a caravan, killed several people in a fight and was seriously injured himself.
Li Shimin asked Daizhou, "How much did he rob? Did you give the stolen money to your family? " Dai Zhou said: "After investigation, Xu Fulin distributed all the money he robbed to the villagers and also occupied the official position.
When Li Shimin came to the prison where the condemned prisoners were held, he personally asked everyone's name, home address and what crimes they had committed. The convicted prisoners admitted their crimes, and they had no objection to the punishment they were about to receive. When asked about the last prisoner, he knelt down and said, "Thank you, Emperor, for coming to see us dying people. My name is Xu Fulin and I live in Xujiazhuang. "
"Are you the Xu Fulin?" Li Shimin shouted, "Do you know who else is at home?"
"My family has a 70-year-old mother and two dolls under 10. It is difficult for my wife to take care of them. I was confused for a while, and it was too late to regret it. " Xu Fulin said tearfully.
"Do you know that your wife ran away from home, leaving only three grandparents and grandchildren at home?" Li Shimin said. "What? Is it true?/You don't say. /You don't say. How do you know the emperor? " Xu Fulin opened his eyes wide. Dai Zhou, who stood by, immediately told Li Shimin Lu Yu to observe people's feelings and his kindness. Xu Fulin kowtowed repeatedly, and blood oozed from his forehead.
"You people are going to be beheaded. What do you want before you die? " Li Shimin asked.
"Thank you for condescending to visit us. If the emperor can be merciful and let me go home to visit my old mother and two dolls before I die, I will die without regret. " Xu Fulin said loudly that all the other condemned prisoners knelt down and begged for mercy: "Please show mercy to the emperor again, and then we will go home to visit our relatives."
"How dare you prisoners push your luck! Seeing you in person is a great boon to you and your family. " Dai reprimanded the prisoner, then looked at him and said, "Your Majesty, these prisoners on death row have all passed strict trials. They are all people who have no excuse for feelings, no excuse for sin, and no reason for death. "
Li Shimin was lost in thought, and it was a bit risky to let the dead prisoner go home. Since ancient times, no emperor has released prisoners sentenced to death. If they never go back, the consequences will be unimaginable, but if they don't agree, the relatives of these condemned prisoners will never see them again.
After thinking for a moment, Li Shimin suddenly looked up and announced a decision that surprised everyone: "Well, I can promise you to go home and reunite with your relatives without any restrictions, but you must abide by an agreement and return to court at 4: 30 in early September next year!"
Thirty death row inmates could hardly believe their ears and could not help cheering loudly.
Dai Zhou, who was on the side, couldn't help but remind him: "Your Majesty, they are all heinous people and have no credit at all. What will you do if you don't come back then? Let them go home to visit their relatives. They must be escorted by the court. " Li Shimin firmly waved to Dai Zhou and said, "Sincerity can buy loyalty!" Then he turned to the prisoner and said loudly, "I believe you will not betray my trust." Later, Li Shimin asked Dai Zhou to re-register 390 death row inmates, recheck their home addresses, sign their names and then release them.
three
In a flash, it was the fourth day of September of the following year. Early in the morning, accompanied by all the ministers, Li Shimin came to the gate of Dali Temple and saw Chang 'an Avenue crowded with people coming from all directions. It turns out that the news that Li Shimin released 390 death row prisoners to visit their families has already spread among the people. While appreciating the emperor's generosity and openness, ordinary people are more worried about whether these 390 condemned prisoners can come back on time. In Li Shimin, when 390 condemned prisoners agreed to return, everyone naturally came to watch the fun, and they all gathered in front of the yamen of Dali Temple. They don't believe that those condemned prisoners who escaped from prison will voluntarily come back to die.
At this point, Dai Zhou has arranged the execution ground, and the ghost knife in the executioner's hand makes everyone feel afraid. While everyone was waiting anxiously, the first condemned man came back, and then the second and third agreed noon arrived. Dali temple officials immediately counted the number of people, 389, one less.
"Who hasn't come back yet?" Li Shimin asked. The jailer didn't dare to neglect, so he quickly checked the roster. It turns out that Xu Fulin hasn't come back yet.
"Damn Xu Fulin! Ungrateful thing! " Dai Zhou aside resentment way. 39 death row inmates were also angry: "Xu Fulin's conscience was eaten by the dog. If I still have a chance
"Yes, kill this dishonest little man and skin him!" The condemned man seems to have been humiliated. At this point, they are not worried about the upcoming implementation, but the commitment of the partners. All eyes on the scene turned to Li Shimin, but he was as cool as a cucumber, waved and ordered, "wait another hour. If you don't come again, kill these 389 death row prisoners first, and then arrest Xu Fulin. "
It was almost an hour before Xu Fulin came. Dai Zhou was anxious: "Your Majesty, it's time. Please order the death row prisoner to be killed first, then send someone to catch the treacherous Xu Fulin, cut him to pieces, and then destroy his nine families. "
As soon as Dai Zhou spoke, an ox cart passed through the crowd and quickly entered people's field of vision. At this time, a head was sticking out of the hood of the ox cart. That's sallow and emaciated Xu Fulin. "Why are you late?" The jailer shouted at him.
Xu Fulin knelt down in fear: "Please observe clearly, I am ill." He fell ill on his way back to Chang 'an and had to hire an ox cart to go on the road. As a result, he was still an hour later than the appointed time. Li Shimin came to Xu Fulin and asked him how his family was and whether his wife could come back. Xu Fulin kowtowed and thanked her, saying that mom is good, baby is good, and wife is back. He can leave safely, coughing while talking. Standing on a high ground, Li Shimin cleared his throat and said loudly to the 390 condemned prisoners kneeling on the ground, "It is your contribution that has won my respect for you. I came to pass the will, and each of the 390 death row prisoners played 20 boards, and then they were all pardoned. "