Chapter 286: The Minister of Justice Must Also Go to Jail
Chapter 286: The Minister of Justice Must Also Go to Jail
Translator: yikaii Editor: yikaii
Daoist Non-Speaker, whose real name is Ye Wanli, is 2,230 years old and currently serves as the Sect Leader of Dao Seeking Sect. During his detention, he attempted to escape but stopped due to his own will, which constitutes an aborted crime. He voluntarily surrendered, showed remorse, and reported his accomplice. According to the criminal law, he should be given a lighter or reduced punishment and can be exempted from criminal penalties.
Xu Xin, 2,232 years old, currently serves as the Minister of Justice of the Great Xia Dynasty. While guiding work in Great Yan County, he openly discussed an escape plan with Daoist Non-Speaker, voluntarily opened the cell, and released him. His act of knowingly breaking the law, showing contempt for the law, and publicly facilitating an escape had a severely negative social impact and should be severely punished.
Mo Danxin silently evaluated both Daoist Non-Speaker and the Minister of Justice.
As expected of the Sect Leader of Dao Seeking Sect, he managed to get a Minister into jail right upon meeting, and it's the Minister of Justice, who is most knowledgeable about the law.
"Lord Xu, please enter. I will set a court date to hear this case," Mo Danxin said.
According to jurisdictional regulations, Mo Danxin could hear this case.
Lord Xu is perhaps the most knowledgeable person about the law in the dynasty, understanding both legal theory and practice much better than Mo Danxin. However, Non-Speaker's tricks were too insidious, luring him to open the cell door impulsively without realizing the trap behind it.
Ordinarily, if he let someone out, no one would say anything, but this time was different. With Mo Danxin, who takes everything seriously, he had no legal ground to stand on.
Since he had no legal ground, he decided to honestly spend some time in jail, considering it a life experience.
Lord Xu snorted coldly and voluntarily walked into the cell, glancing at the serene and dignified Daoist Non-Speaker. "Move aside. This spot is mine!"
"It's just jail time. Who's afraid?"
Everyone came to listen to stories, so the jail was overcrowded, but Daoist Non-Speaker's cell was empty.
Daoist Non-Speaker didn't mind and moved to another spot, smiling warmly, welcoming Lord Xu to share the cell.
"Lord Xu, from now on, we are cellmates. Let's get along harmoniously."
"Non-Speaker, you must be tired of living!"
Lord Xu punched Daoist Non-Speaker in the face, but Daoist Non-Speaker tilted his head to dodge it.
Daoist Non-Speaker wasn't one to be easily bullied. Letting someone attack him without retaliating would be too humiliating.
He kicked at Lord Xu's groin, but Lord Xu quickly closed his legs, trapping Daoist Non-Speaker's foot.
The two controlled their strength with perfect precision, not wasting a bit, ensuring all the force would hit their opponent without spilling over.
The two top-tier Unity Stage experts began to brawl in the cell, with neither gaining the upper hand.
The other prisoners watched in amazement, never expecting to see two Unity experts fight.
Mo Danxin observed silently. Jailhouse fighting didn't violate the criminal law, and maintaining order in the jail was the wardens' responsibility, not his.
He thought about how Daoist Non-Speaker and the Minister of Justice were top combatants among Unity experts, making the average cultivation level of the jail's prisoners at the Spirit Transformation Stage.
A new historical high.
"Lord Mo, someone outside is requesting to visit the prison," a warden reported, running up to Mo Danxin.
Mo Danxin waved his hand impatiently. "For such a small matter, you need my permission? Let them through."
Every day, countless people came to visit the prison. Though they said it was to visit, it was actually to deliver meals. Some would even sit outside the cells, listening to Daoist Non-Speaker's stories.
Mo Danxin assumed it was another such visitor.
The warden signaled his colleague at the entrance to let the visitor in.
"By the way, who are they here to visit?" Mo Danxin asked on a whim.
"They claim to be the first and fourth disciples of the Dao Seeking Sect leader, here to visit their master," the warden replied.
Mo Danxin didn't notice that when the warden mentioned "the first disciple of the Dao Seeking Sect leader," both Unity experts in the cell stopped fighting simultaneously, a look of fear flashing in their eyes.
"You called Yun Zhi here?!" Lord Xu, an old minister of the court, knew of Yun Zhi's existence. He wondered how the disciple would view him if he were seen beating up her master.
Daoist Non-Speaker was also anxious. "Nonsense! I wrote to the sect asking them to get me out, but it's usually old fourth who comes. Who knew Little Yun would show up!"
He couldn't explain why, but he felt a distinct fear of Yun Zhi coming.
"It's good to see someone from the Dao Seeking Sect finally here," Mo Danxin, who didn't recognize Yun Zhi, said out of courtesy. "I'll go out and greet them."
"No need, Lord Mo, we are already here," Yun Zhi's cold voice rang out. Before Mo Danxin could react, Yun Zhi and Lu Yang were standing before him.
Shrinking Earth into Inches.
"We're here to visit our master. Where is he?" Yun Zhi asked.
Mo Danxin pointed to the nearby cell.
Yun Zhi followed his gesture and saw Daoist Non-Speaker sitting in a corner, with the Minister of Justice sitting next to him.
She was silent for a long time, unable to understand what had happened.
Had her master and the Minister of Justice gotten into a street fight and been arrested?
Given her master's past actions and his relationship with the Minister of Justice, it didn't seem impossible.
"Eldest Senior Sister, who's the person locked up with Master?" Lu Yang asked quietly. He noticed that Xu Xin was dressed in luxurious clothes and had an imposing demeanor that subtly rivaled Daoist Non-Speaker's, suggesting he was also a significant figure.
"He's the Minister of Justice, Xu Xin."
"Hiss—"
Lu Yang thought, The Great Xia Dynasty's legal system is so strict that even the Minister of Justice gets jailed. I'd better be careful in the future to avoid ending up like Master.
Determined, Lu Yang decided he would study law diligently to avoid any future prison time.
Yun Zhi looked down at her master with a cold voice, "It's been months since we last met, and it's reassuring to see Master as lively as ever, with numerous listeners and enemies for company. It seems you're living well in prison, so I can rest easy."
Lu Yang thought, Eldest Senior Sister, you're doing this on purpose, aren't you? You were just having a meal with me, eating more than I did. Were you worried about Master at all?
Though Master doesn't really need anyone's worry. It's those who get caught up in his schemes who should be concerned.
Seeing Yun Zhi's apparent attitude of letting him fend for himself, Daoist Non-Speaker quickly said, "Good disciple, you can't just leave me here! I'm innocent!"
The Minister of Justice, experienced in determining innocence, suggested, "There's a record in the Great Yu Dynasty that if an innocent person is beheaded, it snows in June. Now it's June, so I propose we behead Non-Speaker once and see if it snows!"
(TL Note: The part about snowing in June is closely related to the story of Dou E from the Yuan Dynasty play "The Injustice to Dou E" by Guan Hanqing. The story tells of Dou E, a young woman who was wrongfully accused and executed. Upon her execution, she declared three curses to prove her innocence, one of which was that it would snow in June, an impossible phenomenon meant to signify her unjust death. Indeed, snow fell in June, highlighting the depth of her wrongful conviction and the cosmic injustice of her fate. This phrase has become a metaphor for extreme injustice, where even nature reacts to human wrongdoing. The phrase "六月飞霜" (Liù yuè fēi shuāng), meaning "snow in June," is often used in Chinese culture to describe a great injustice or a shocking event, as such an occurrence would be seen as a sign from heaven indicating something gravely wrong)
"Xu Xin, you bastard! As the Minister of Justice, can't you act fairly?" Daoist Non-Speaker roared.
"I can, but not for you. Can you count how many times you've schemed against me? And you expect me to speak well of you?"
Unity Stage-level combat resumed in the cramped cell.
Yun Zhi rubbed her temples in frustration. She had wanted to take a break and relax, but peace seemed impossible.