You cannot have both law and benevolence.
No matter which aspect Fang Yun focuses on, there will always be someone attacking him and he will definitely offend one party.
Fang Yun thought to himself that they were indeed a group of experienced officials who were extremely proficient in the methods of bullying and harming people, but they were completely incompetent in governing a country. Not to mention the Jing Kingdom, all the leaders over the past thousands of years had tried, but they could never do anything with these officials.
Without them, nothing can function, whether it is a county or a country.
Fang Yun also wanted to cut the Gordian knot, but if he didn't use fair means to suppress them, once these officials caught him, they would resign together, and the whole Ning'an County would be in chaos. If any of the three subjects got the last D grade, they would not be eligible to get the top prize! At most, they would only be the runner-up.
Just like from the examination for students of Tongsheng to the examination for Jinshi, if one gets a D grade in a certain subject, he will definitely fail, even if he gets an A grade in other subjects.
"Unfortunately, you made a mistake..."
Fang Yun thought silently in his heart, then looked at Liu Quan who couldn't pay back the money, and asked: "Do you blame Zhang Youde?"
Liu Quan was stunned, and shook his head helplessly, saying: "I am grateful to him, so how can I blame him? If it weren't for him, I would have pawned my house long ago, and my family would have been ruined."
"Not bad." Fang Yun praised and looked at Zhang Youde, "Do you blame Liu Quan?"
Zhang Youde sighed and said, "I don't blame him, he just has nowhere else to go."
Fang Yun asked: "If you are not short of money, are you willing to give him some more time?"
Zhang Youde said, "If my noodle shop wasn't doing so badly, I would have certainly given him some leniency. You can ask your neighbors what kind of person I, Zhang Youde, am!"
Liu Quan lowered his head slightly, his eyes red.
Some people present sighed silently. These two people may not be great philanthropists who benefit the people, but they are both real good people.
Fang Yun suddenly smiled and said, "In a desperate situation, knowing gratitude and hatred; understanding reason, forgiving others, are all great virtues! Where are the one hundred folding fans?"
Liu Quan hurriedly said, "Your Excellency, I have handed it over to the guards outside the door for safekeeping."
"Someone, bring three!" Fang Yun said.
"Yes!" Two officers walked out quickly. Whether it was the people in the main hall or the people standing outside the door watching the trial, they were all extremely curious and didn't know what Fang Yun was going to do.
Soon, the officer brought three folding fans to Fang Yun.
Fang Yun first took out one and opened it. The fan bone was made of the finest Xiangfei bamboo. The amber fan pendant was crystal clear, the paper was tough, and the painting on the fan was also good. If nothing went wrong, it would sell for a good price.
The only drawback is that there are some stains on the fan, which greatly reduces its value.
Fang Yun opened three folding fans, then picked up a pen and wrote the word "good" on each fan.
Fang Yun's calligraphy has entered the second realm. He does not need to put it aside. After writing, the brush and ink naturally condense. The ink does not disperse.
Fang Yun folded the three fans together, motioned the officers to come forward, then looked at Zhang Youde and Liu Quan and smiled, "This is the first time this county is trying a case, and I met two kind people. I will give them to you two. These three folding fans, one for Zhang Youde and two for Liu Quan. Liu Quan!"
"Xiao... Xiaomin is here!" Liu Quan's lips trembled, and his originally slightly red eyes were already misty. At this moment, he already understood what Fang Yun was going to do.
Fang Yun's words are worth a thousand taels!
Give him two fans. Let him sell them for money!
"This county has sentenced you to pay off the debt with interest within three days, and to give you a toast. Do you accept this?"
"I submit! I submit! I... kowtow to you, sir!" After Liu Quan finished speaking, he knelt on the ground with a plop, kowtowed three times to Fang Yun, and then fell to the ground, covering his mouth and crying.
Tears wet my cuffs.
A man in his thirties, who obviously had a family and a business, fell into ruin due to a sudden change. In the end, not only did he fail to get rid of it, but to make matters worse, he lost the lawsuit. His children and family business were in danger. The pressure was so great that he almost went crazy, but he didn't expect that the result would be something he never dared to dream of.
Zhang Youde, who was standing by, also had red eyes. He sighed softly, and bowed to Fang Yunyi, saying, "I have heard all kinds of rumors about you, both positive and negative, but after witnessing you trying a case, I know that you are not only talented, but also wise in solving problems and have a heart to help the world! I have been doing business for many years and have seen countless officials. Only today do I know what a parent official is! Please allow me to bow three times!"
Zhang Youde bowed deeply to Fang Yun three times.
Yu Bachi looked at Fang Yun with unusually bright eyes.
Chief Clerk Shen Ming and County Magistrate Tao Dingnian looked at each other and saw fear in each other's eyes.
This case was definitely not leaked in advance. The two of them discussed it early this morning and decided to let Fang Yun try the case first.
In the relevant documents sent to Fang Yun yesterday, the case was only mentioned as a debt dispute, without any details.
However, in such a short period of time, Fang Yun not only saw through their intentions, but also resolved them with absolutely brilliant means. This is terrifying!
Not to mention last year's number one scholar Ji Zhibai, even geniuses more talented than Ji Zhibai or those old officials could not have come up with this method in such a short time.
Not only did Fang Yun not violate the law, he even went beyond the law and did things that the law could not do!
It's just a small thing, but it's true benevolence and righteousness!
Ao Huang showed admiration, smiled, and swung his tail, saying: "The officials of Ning'an County really have their hearts set on Xu Sheng, and have helped Fang Yun again. Once this case comes out, it will not only be published in the "Literary News", but will even be recommended by the Hall of Rites to be published in the "Holy Way"! Benevolence and righteousness can be seen in the details, which is what Confucianism respects the most!"
Yu Ba Chi laughed and said, "Today's event is to teach people to be good, to practice benevolence and justice, which is a good way to educate people!"
"When the people have something to gain and are at peace, their lives will be peaceful and happy!"
"To handle a case perfectly is to succeed in the penitentiary!"
Shen Ming silently lowered his head, his right hand clenched tightly and trembling slightly. Not only did this case not stump Fang Yun, it also did not give them an excuse to attack. Instead, it allowed Fang Yun to gain benefits in the three departments of education, people's livelihood, and criminal justice!
As for the additional literary names and praises from people all over the world, they are nothing.
Shen Ming silently looked at the sky outside the door, wondering if Ji Zhibai would be so angry that he would vomit blood if he told him.
The people waiting for the trial outside the door were different. Some were extremely moved, some praised it repeatedly, some were terrified, and some were hesitant.
After the guards handed the fans to the two men, Fang Yun smiled and said, "Okay, the case is closed. Jing En, did you write down the trial process of this case?"
"I have written it all down, but the handwriting is a bit sloppy, using cursive writing." Xia Jingen looked ashamed.
Fang Yun smiled and said, "The great Confucian scholar Zhao Yi of the Eastern Han Dynasty once said: At the end of the Qin Dynasty, the law was strict and the network was dense, the official documents were cumbersome, and the wars were fought simultaneously. Military documents were exchanged and feathered dispatches were flying everywhere, so the official script tended to be fast. The official script is the seal script. Since it is complicated, the simpler official script naturally replaced it as the military script. After that, the official script was further simplified, and then the cursive script came into being. Writing is the most important communication tool for human beings. It is fundamental that it is easy to learn, understand and use. If you go against the current, you will be a sour and corrupt scholar, you will make it difficult for children to learn, and you will block the progress of human beings! It is not easy to record the court trial, so it is okay to use cursive script."
Xia Jingen bowed and said, "Students are learning." (To be continued...)
ps: By the way, it was the poet Su Shi who changed "Fisherman's Song" into "Huanxisha". He liked the elegance of "Fisherman's Song" very much. In addition, there is also the story of Dongpo painting fans.