Xin Shige wanted to say that he had never drank alcohol, but this was obviously impossible. Whether it was for socializing or to relax, alcohol was always a necessity.
He not only drank wine, but he also drank good wine and strong liquor.
Under the gaze of eleven pairs of eyes, he nodded awkwardly.
"There's nothing to be embarrassed about, Mr. Xin Shige." Du Lin took the initiative to help him out. "As we all know, wine and water are indispensable things in people's daily lives, so there is no need for us to be embarrassed or embarrassed about these things. I One thing to note is that the Prohibition Act originally came from the church.”
"I checked some information. It is said that the church banned alcohol because alcohol can make people lose emotional control and self-control. Therefore, the pope at that time believed that alcohol was a drink from the devil. After drinking too much of this drink, the body's The demonic power will accumulate, and eventually it will explode, and the demon will come, attach itself to these people who have drunk too much, and manipulate their bodies to do things that are not their intention. "
"Look, gentlemen, I don't want to question whether some things in theocratic law are correct and have evidence. But is it a little too natural to completely transfer some laws and regulations from theocratic law?", Dulin smiled and said: "After all, we don't have Peter III!"
When he mentioned Peter III, four residents of the imperial capital laughed. This is a very famous story, a story used to mock the church. During the early struggle between imperial power and theocracy, the imperial power faction found it from nowhere, and then spread it as a weapon to attack the authority of theocracy. Some things can be immortalized from generation to generation even if they do not need to be deliberately spread or passed down. This kind of thing is called "classic".
Peter III was a young pope during the eunuch period. He only reigned for seven short years before he was kicked out of office. It is said that nine comets streaked across the sky when he was born. He did not speak before he was six years old, but on the first day after he was six years old, he said an earth-shattering sentence. He shouted out the words of the holy great pope in ancient times. Name taboo - Rossi.
From then on, he was trained as the next generation of popes until he ascended the throne and became the supreme ruler of the entire Western world. If the mischievous Lady Fate hadn't played a trick on him, his statue might still be standing in the cathedral of Sunrise City. Unfortunately, Lady Destiny doesn't like him.
After a grand ceremony, people need to ask Peter III, who has met Rossi, to say a few words for everyone. Yes, it is such a legend. Many people firmly believe that Peter III has met the Holy Pope himself. People were looking for Peter III everywhere, and finally found this guy in the temple. At that time, he was only wearing a cassock, with his bare buttocks pressed against a maid.
This thing is a shame for the entire church. Doing that kind of thing in front of the statues of all the popes and gods, and being discovered. If Peter III is not burned to death, the majesty of the church will drop to freezing point.
At this very critical moment, a cardinal stood up and "saved" Peter III. He said that Peter III was possessed by the devil, so he did such an animal thing. He was not blaspheming the saint, but He was seduced by the devil and led to corruption.
Knowing that he had escaped death, Peter III immediately pretended to be crazy and acted stupidly, and even peed in public. People subdued and tied him up, and he woke up after a day. People asked him why he did such a thing, and he told everyone that he just drank a lot of wine, and in the end he inexplicably lost control of himself. There was another will controlling his body, and he did what he did. Sacrilegious things.
Then the cardinal who saved him had people put him on a fire to "roast" him, not to burn, but to grill him, saying that the devil's breath still remained in his body, and the devil would still follow this breath to find him again next time. him, and control him. Only the sacred flame could clear away this aura, so he was placed a little higher above the fire, at the same height as when people make bacon, and roasted for more than ten minutes.
His body hair and skin were all cracked by smoke, and black smoke rose from his body. He didn't even have the strength to shout, and he was dying.
At this time, the cardinal, the next Pope Lion I, told everyone that the black smoke was the breath of the devil, and Peter III had been saved. People put Peter III down, and every part of his skin shrank and cracked. The pinkish white and slightly cooked muscles inside were exposed.
In this way, Peter III actually survived and became the first "faceless man" in the church. As for what happened to him later, that is another story.
After this, the church issued a ban on alcohol, believing that alcohol was the drink of the devil, and no one was allowed to brew, transport or sell it privately. Anyone caught by the church will be labeled as a demon servant and then be purified in fire.
This is the origin of the church's prohibition on alcohol. But in fact, the reason why the empire declared prohibition was not because they had Peter III or not, but because the total war had just ended. Every place was affected by the war, and many bankers and crops were burned by fire. The entire empire was severely short of food. In such an environment, the empire promulgated the first prohibition on alcohol, which was to stop the use of food that could save people's lives to make wine for the enjoyment of a few people.
As people say, sometimes the truth is not the truth you hope for. Compared with the interesting story of Peter III, how can we believe that the great Shining Star Empire can starve people to death? How can you say that
Therefore, with the promotion of the prime minister at that time, the prohibition decree promulgated by the empire was put in the name of the church, and the empire was prosperous and lived in peace and contentment.
At this time, Du Lin mentioned Peter III. Xin Shige was finally not so embarrassed, but he still asked: "Mr. Du Lin, you haven't answered my question yet!"
Dulin smiled and continued: "If we regard a necessity in life as a contraband, then we will never be able to completely isolate this thing from people's lives. Just like we need to breathe air , does it make sense to position the air as contraband?”
"Whether the empire enacted a second prohibition, a third prohibition, or even more severe prohibitions, I dare say it could not stop the flow and sale of alcohol because people needed it."
"Excessive suppression of people's nature can only have the opposite effect. Even in the Imperial Capital, there are still many bars and sales points that illegally sell high-alcohol. This is the trend."
"The trend is unstoppable. I can stop being a protective umbrella for those smugglers, so that they don't have to pay taxes, which is a huge sum for them. Without this tax of tens of millions a year, the empire will not deteriorate. , but it won’t get much better. People will still buy when they should buy, and they will smuggle when they should. So what have we gained and what have we lost?”
"We got a fictitious law, lost a huge amount of revenue, and we allowed a group of illegal elements to operate freely around us, causing a huge safety hazard."
"Gentlemen, regarding Mr. Xin Shige's statement of calling me a protective umbrella, I prefer that I be a 'criminal manager' who can maximize public security within a limited space and accept management and control. Well, keep the crime rate to a minimum, and then allow them to make a little money, we can make a little money, and people can get the necessary living supplies they want. This is my explanation."
In the constant dialogue, Dulin used a variety of interesting views, either serious or humorous, to make the hearing less serious than imagined. He needs to thank Kevin for his efforts. Without him to help him organize the materials and write these defense contents for himself, the atmosphere may not be so harmonious.
As time passed by, the last question was handed over to four citizens of the imperial capital, and they sent a young man to make relevant inquiries.
The young man was very polite. He said hello and introduced himself, and then asked a somewhat pointed question.
"Mr. Dulin, your defense was very exciting. I found that I kind of like officials like you. You are different from those officials who only talk but don't do anything. I have a small question here. I hope you can help me." I answer.”
Du Lin nodded and said, "Please tell me."
The young man smiled again, "I noticed that you have always linked the core issue of this hearing to the economy. So, do you think that as long as it can create enough economic benefits, even if the behavior violates the law, it is acceptable?"
This question is not easy to answer, because his answer is that it will have a terrible impact on his image and evaluation, because it goes against universal values and ethics. But if he answers no, then most of his previous defenses will be rejected by him.
Du Lin looked at the young man, and the young man looked at him with a smile, as if he didn't feel at all that he had asked a very difficult question.
Fortunately, Du Lin had information about another world as his foundation. He thought for a moment, sorted out his thoughts, and asked a question, a very shameless and invincible question, "If someone attempts to create a terrorist attack and destroy Station in the Imperial Capital, but he has not yet implemented it. Killing him now, who has not committed a crime, can save thousands of lives, but he is still innocent. If it were you, you would choose to kill him now to save thousands of lives. Or should we wait until he kills those people before dealing with him? "
The smile on the young man's face suddenly solidified, and before he could answer, Du Lin gave his answer.
(End of chapter)