The Great Qin Empire---Qin Li

"Let me tell you, my uncle... Chen Ping is tall. Others may ask me, why is Chen Ping so tall when your family is so poor and you and your wife are so thin..."

"At that time, I was angry that Chen Ping was idle all day, not managing the property, and not helping in the fields, so I told everyone that Chen Ping only ate bran and rice, and it would be better not to have such an uncle!"

Chen Ping's divorced sister-in-law was not beautiful. Although she was not as dark as Chen Bo who was standing behind her, her hands were rough, and she wore a thorn hairpin and a cloth skirt. Her eyes were slightly swollen and red because she had just cried, and her words were full of spiciness.

At this moment, she, Chen Bo, and Chen Ping were all standing in the "village school" which was used as the office of the village officials and tried cases. In front of the "three-court trial" of the stingy man Zhang Bo, the three elders Zhang Fu, and the Qin people's patrol Heifu, Chen Sao seemed a little trembling, but she still explained the cause and effect of the matter clearly.

The so-called bran is the bran left over from pounding rice, which can be used to feed pigs. Chen Sao was scolding Chen Ping for being a fat pig, but other people's pigs can be slaughtered and eaten in the twelfth lunar month, so what can her own pig do? This is quite unpleasant to hear.

She said aggrievedly: "As a result, Uncle Chen heard this."

Mrs. Chen turned her head to look at Uncle Chen who was still furious, and said in a crying voice: "He actually disregarded the love between husband and wife for more than ten years, drove me back to my parents' home, and said he wanted to divorce me..."

After that, she bowed to Hei Fu and others: "This is what happened. As for stealing my sister-in-law? There is no such thing! I dislike Chen Ping, how could I..."

Mrs. Chen's face turned red when she said this, and she turned back to curse at the people who were gathered at the gate of the township school to hear the lawsuit: "I don't know whose family is so chattering and spewing shit!"

"Good, just make things clear, you stand aside for now."

The stingy man Zhang Bo nodded and said to Hei Fu who was sitting next to him: "You Jiao, are you satisfied now?"

According to the system of the Qin State, the stingy man was responsible for hearing lawsuits, collecting taxes, and judging cases was Zhang Bo's job. But the previous two or three cases were just thefts and injuries that could not be ignored, so it was understandable that Heifu, who was responsible for the prevention of thieves, got involved.

Moreover, they did not judge the cases according to Qin law, because no one in the village, from Zhang Bo to the people, understood Qin laws. Killing without teaching was cruel. Before the Qin court sent law officials to enforce the law, local cases were still judged according to Wei customs. Heifu did not make excessive demands, and everyone cooperated happily.

But this case came a little inexplicably.

It was originally just an ordinary divorce, plus the rumors of Chen Ping's "stealing sister-in-law". Such things, in the villages and alleys, in the melon fields and plum trees, there are two or three cases every month?

Heifu, who should not be involved in this matter, seemed to be excited. He first found the third elder Zhang Fu and talked to him about the importance of Qin Wang's ethics for men and women. In Qin law, if a man and a woman are caught cheating on their husbands, they will be convicted. If a brother-in-law steals his sister-in-law, he will be severely punished...

This statement made Zhang Fu take this matter seriously. The Zhang family claimed to be a family of poetry, books, rituals and music. Confucianism is very sensitive to the defense between men and women in the family.

"You Jiao is right. We must not let the incidents of Qingfu and Ai Jiang spread in this village!"

So the two of them found the stingy man Zhang Bo again. One moved him with emotion and the other explained it with reason. Finally, they reached this unprecedented three-official trial in Huyou Township.

In the past half month, although Heifu still can't speak it well, he can understand 70% to 80% of the local dialect. Zhang Bo asked him if he was satisfied with Chen Sao's confession. Little did he know that Heifu had heard it for the second time...

The day before yesterday, after hearing Zhongming's gossip about "Chen Ping stealing his sister-in-law", he immediately asked Zhongming to continue to inquire.

Later, it was discovered that most of these rumors were groundless, and the rumors became more and more outrageous. All kinds of nonsense were said. On the contrary, Chen Ping's real neighbors all denied the matter.

"Mrs. Chen and Chen Ping have always been at odds. She always dislikes him for not managing the property. She frowns every time she sees him. When Uncle Chen is not around, she will scold Chen Ping in public. How could she have an affair with him?"

After learning about this inside story, Hei Fu quickly took people to Chen's mother's house in the name of routine patrol.

Faced with the uninvited Qin Li, the brothers of Mrs. Chen's mother's family were frightened, and Mrs. Chen also trembled to tell the cause and effect of the matter again.

After careful investigation and confirming that Chen Ping really did not steal his sister-in-law, Hei Fu decided to go to Chen Ping's house again, and then he saw the poor courtyard, which was even poorer than when Hei Fu first came to this era. It turned out that the future prime minister of the Han Dynasty, Chen Ping, really started from humble beginnings.

After meeting Chen Ping and being amazed by his handsome appearance and decent manners, Heifu made up his mind.

"Chen Ping is an important figure in the Chu-Han and early Han dynasties, and the first historical celebrity I have met. Although his intelligence and temperament are not fully mature, I owe him a favor early on, which may come in handy in the future..."

Besides, since Chen Ping's theft of his sister-in-law is indeed a false rumor, it would be fun to help Chen Ping remove the hat of "ancient injustice".

But this matter cannot be cleared by Chen's sister-in-law's confession alone. Heifu asked Zhongming to help him tell the seigneur and the three elders, saying that Chen Bo and Chen Ping should also explain separately.

"These Qin people have so many rules."

Zhang Bo was a little impatient. In the past, when they tried a case, they didn't need to use any Wei laws, but just used local customs and etiquette to judge. But Zhang Fu secretly pulled his sleeve, and Zhang Bo let Chen Bo and Chen Ping speak.

Chen Bo was a hot-tempered farmer who spoke vulgarly. His confession was completely biased towards Chen Ping. He didn't even want to mention the so-called "stealing sister-in-law" rumor. At the same time, he insisted that Chen Sao was unvirtuous and unfraternal, so he divorced her.

"It's better to have no wife than to have such a wife!"

After ending her confession with this sentence, Chen Sao was furious and began to curse Chen Bo, saying that he had no conscience. It seemed that the two enemies were about to fight in the court.

Zhang Bo was furious and was about to ask someone to pull the rude couple apart. At this time, Chen Ping, who had been silent and looked back and forth between the two Zhangs and Hei Fu, suddenly stood up.

He knelt down in front of his brother and sister-in-law with a thud, and bowed his head heavily, saying, "Brother and sister-in-law, stop arguing. All this is Chen Ping's fault."

Uncle Chen and Sister Chen stopped cursing at each other and looked at Chen Ping.

Chen Ping raised his head, and his eyes, which were originally shrewd and wise, were already full of tears.

"Ping lost his parents when he was young, and it was my uncle and his wife who raised me. My brother doted on me and didn't let me work in the fields. When I wanted to study, he saved money and bought books for me. When I wanted to study abroad, he borrowed money from everywhere to help me travel. For more than ten years, he worked hard and never said a harsh word. In Ping's eyes, my brother is like a kind father!"

Uncle Chen was a little embarrassed and rubbed his hands and said, "Brother, why do you say these things?"

Chen Ping shook his head and said, "I kept these words in my heart in the past. Now, it's too late if I don't say them."

He looked at his sister-in-law and bowed his head again, saying, "It's the same with my uncle and his wife. In my uncle's opinion, my uncle and his wife always scold me for not doing my job properly. It sounds bad, but no matter how much they scold, the clothes and shoes on Ping's body are all made by my uncle and his wife day and night. Whenever there is damage, my uncle and his wife will first scold me for not cherishing it, and then immediately help me mend it..."

The handsome young man touched his patched linen clothes and said emotionally: "My family is poor, with only 30 mu of thin land. Life is not easy. I have an uncle like you who does not work in the industry. If you don't feel resentful, you are a saint! Besides, my uncle and sister-in-law scolded me because they were doing it for my own good. They were afraid that I would become a scoundrel who does nothing. So in Ping's eyes, my sister-in-law is like a strict mother!"

After hearing this, Chen's sister-in-law, who was originally full of contempt for him, couldn't hold back. She turned her face away, her eyes were red again, and Chen Bo also sighed and was not so irritable and impulsive.

Chen Ping continued, "Ping regards my brother and sister-in-law as his parents. Since my brother and sister-in-law have no children, why don't they regard me as their own son? But as the saying goes, loving fathers and loving mothers often spoil their children. My brother is kind, but if my uncle and sister-in-law are not stricter and supervise and scold me, I am afraid that Chen Ping will really become a useless person! I can't repay the kindness of raising me. Let alone one sentence, even if it is ten or a hundred sentences, Chen Ping has to listen. So brother, you don't have to be angry and divorce your wife because of that unintentional word of uncle and sister-in-law."

Chen Ping pointed to the blood spot on his shoulder caused by the hemp rope, and said with sobs: "Ping went out to carry firewood today, and then I realized how hard and heavy the work of my brother and sister-in-law is. Ping swears to the sky here that from today on, I will be self-reliant and will never be idle like before, not working on the industry, and let the burden of the whole family fall on my brother and sister-in-law!"

After that, Chen Ping bowed his head for the third time and pleaded: "The reason why a family is a family is that the husband and wife love each other deeply and the brothers are filial and respectful. If one of them is missing, how can a family be a family? Brothers and sisters-in-law have supported each other for many years, and they cannot be separated suddenly because of a few trivial matters. Ping here in front of the township officials and elders, I ask my brother to take back his words of divorce, and also ask uncle and sister-in-law to forgive Chen Ping and come home."

"My brother, what are you doing..." Uncle Chen did not expect that his brother would persuade him to get back together in public, and he was a little at a loss.

"Uncle, you... why do you have to do this?" Seeing that the uncle finally came to his senses and claimed to take responsibility for the family, Sister Chen did not have the previous grievances and resentment, but felt sorry for him.

After the two enemies looked at each other, although they immediately looked away, their attitude seemed to be slightly relaxed. As a couple, although it is inevitable to fight and kill each other on weekdays, after more than ten years, there is already family affection in it, and they fight at the head of the bed and make peace at the foot of the bed.

Seeing that the two were persuaded by him, Chen Ping smiled and said, "I hope you will consider it."

Then he stood up, dusted off the dust on his body gracefully, and bowed respectfully to the Zhang brothers and Heifu.

"Sorry for bothering you with Chen Ping's family affairs!"

"Nothing in the world is bigger than family affairs. If you can solve this matter here, it will be a good deed. As the third elder who educates, I hope so."

Zhang Fu's expression has changed from disdain for the "sister-in-law thief" at first to surprise. At this moment, he is already full of admiration.

Hei Fu also secretly praised Chen Ping, thinking: "When he was young, Chen Ping was indeed far from the image of a conspirator in my impression. Although we can't see what he will be like in the future, he is extremely sensitive to opportunities. The words of admonition to his brother and sister-in-law seemed to be spoken with emotion, but in fact, every word was carefully carved and pondered in his heart."

Hei Fu looked at the Chen couple who were no longer at odds with each other, and then looked at the gate of the township school. Those villagers opened their mouths wide, and their eyes changed from disgust to sympathy and admiration. He felt that Chen Ping was even more extraordinary.

"This public trial, which should have been led by me to clear his grievances, has now become a stage for Chen Ping to cleanse the villagers' bad impression of him?"

The dispute between the brother and sister-in-law was the root cause of Chen Ping's slander. This kid found the key point of the contradiction at the first time, untied the knot, and the slander was self-defeating.

Although he didn't get many opportunities to play, Hei Fu was not worried but happy:

"This Chen Ping is quite interesting!"

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