Zhang San, please behave yourself!
Chapter 431 - 406

Chapter 431: 406

Hearing Zhang San’s words, Shen Wei stood up again from behind the desk, glaring at Zhang San with fury.

"I, a dignified Minister of Punishment, can’t judge you!?"

Zhang San nodded seriously and said, "Yes!"

As he spoke, Zhang San looked back at the crowded crowd outside the main hall and noticed that people from both the Han and Shang families had also arrived.

Just as well, since he had to reveal his trump cards eventually, he might as well do it in front of everyone.

"The ’Kaihuang Law’ stipulates: If the interrogation officer and the accused are relatives or have enmities, they all listen to changes. Even more, ’Officers stationed abroad and envoys, if there are offenders at the envoy’s location, the subordinate officials are not allowed to push immediately, they must report and wait for a decision.’ This means..."

Shen Wei waved his hand and shouted, "I, a dignified Minister of Punishment, need you to explain! Isn’t it just that if the judge and the suspect are relatives or have a grudge, the judge needs to be replaced? Officers abroad whose subordinates commit crimes can’t judge and need a higher-up to decide, right!?"

Zhang San nodded obediently, with a look that meant exactly that.

If Shen Wei weren’t already standing up in anger, he might have really smashed the desk with a slap!

"You... I... What relation do I have with you? You, Zhang San, are the Martial Chief of the Town Martial Office, not from my Ministry of Punishment! What’s wrong with me interrogating you? Do we have a familial relationship? Do we have any grudges or connections? Moreover, even I, the Minister of Punishment, can’t judge you, what about it? Do you also want Emperor Kaihuang himself to come and judge you?"

Zhang San chuckled and said, "This family relationship should also include the teacher-student relationship. If there is a teacher-student relationship or a brotherhood between us, I fear Minister Shen’s judgment will hardly convince others completely!"

This infuriated Shen Wei!

Everyone is hoping for your death, who wouldn’t be convinced!

I see only you not convinced!

Shen Wei angrily said, "I am not your teacher! What does it have to do with me!?"

Zhang San laughed, turned around toward the people from the Zheng family and some from the Baili family in the hall outside, who were hoping to see Zhang San sentenced, and then found Han Mingshi among the crowd.

"Little Han has arrived?"

Han Mingshi initially didn’t realize he was being called until Han Baiwen nudged him with his finger, then Han Mingshi understood.

This was Zhang San giving him an opportunity to show his face in front of the other three families of Legalism!

Thereupon, Han Mingshi immediately walked out beamingly and bowed to Zhang San.

"Little Han, come, tell Shen Wei what our relationship is."

At this moment, Shen Wei looked at Han Mingshi, utterly bewildered.

Could it be that Zhang San recognizes Han Mingshi as a father? Or has sworn him as his teacher?

But even so, I am Zhang San’s peer, and moreover, I am unaware of this matter and there are no conflicts of interest; there’s absolutely no need for recusal!

Wrong!

Zhang San had just called out "Little Han."

Could it be...

Han Mingshi has acknowledged Zhang San as his father!?

Just as Shen Wei stared in astonishment at Han Mingshi’s wrinkled face, Han Mingshi first bowed to Zhang San again, even bending deeply, then straightened his back and looked at all those present, especially at the officials from the Ministry of Punishment.

"Zhang San is a direct disciple of Pharaoh. In the past, disciples of Pharaoh were considered higher than the heads of the four great families of Legalism. Therefore, when I see Zhang San, I should also address him as ’Senior Uncle’. Minister Shen, although you are the Minister of Punishment and also a person from Legalism, within our own ranks, you should call Zhang San— Senior Granduncle."

Shen Wei inhaled sharply, stumbled backward a few steps, and finally collapsed onto the ground with a thud.

People nearby were not that they didn’t want to help, it was just that they too were stunned.

At that moment, everyone in the Ministry of Punishment was dumbfounded.

After a moment, among all the people of the Ministry of Punishment, only Shang Bufa managed to mutter a single word: "What!?"

I call you Brother San, and you actually want me to call you Great Martial Uncle!?

Although the head of the Shang family also came to join in the hubbub, at this moment, he quickly pulled two younger members in front of him.

He knew that Han Mingshi was cunning, but he would never joke about such a matter.

So, am I supposed to call a man at least one Jia younger than myself ’Senior Uncle’!?

Pharaoh, are you confused?

Just then, another person made their way through the crowd.

It was Pharaoh’s old servant, and by his side was the divine beast Xiezhi that Pharaoh had been raising.

Shen Wei shook his head as he snapped out of his daze, struggled to his feet with the support of the ground, looked at the entering Xiezhi, and hurriedly asked, "Did Pharaoh send Xiezhi here to question the heart because he knew about the Ministry of Punishment’s affair?"

Everyone in Legalism knew that when Xiezhi questioned the heart, no matter how tough you were, it would reveal the truth!

With the divine beast Xiezhi here, there was no need to worry that Zhang San wouldn’t confess!

The old servant bowed to Minister Shen and then to Zhang San beside him, and then he smiled.

"Previously, Pharaoh had entrusted Xiezhi to Zhang San’s care. Lately, since Zhang San has been away frequently, Xiezhi missed him, and Pharaoh sent Xiezhi over to accompany Zhang San. After all, he is Pharaoh’s direct disciple. Although Pharaoh is fair and just, Xiezhi still has a special fondness for Pharaoh’s only current disciple."

Han Mingshi immediately passed the food that was usually sent to Zhang San’s residence for Xiezhi.

Zhang San took it and then directly fed Xiezhi on the spot.

Even while feeding, he stroked its head.

At that moment, Shen Wei felt as if his worldview had shattered.

I call you a thief, Zhang San, and you claim you are my grand-uncle!?

"Ah—"

At that moment, Shen Wei felt as though he had aged twenty years in an instant.

"In this case, I must recuse myself. Let the Ministry of Punishment... uh..."

Shen Wei looked up and saw that all the officials in the hall from the Ministry of Punishment were from Legalism.

Even if they were not from one of the four major Legalist families, they were like Yang Hongming, who, by being a disciple of Legalism, also held an allegiance there.

Shen Wei couldn’t help but give a wry smile.

It turned out that the vast Ministry of Punishment really couldn’t find anyone to judge Zhang San.

"Your Highness the Crown Prince, my Ministry of Punishment cannot judge this case. I kindly ask you to go to the Imperial Palace and please request Emperor Kaihuang to personally adjudicate."

At that moment, the Crown Prince’s eyes were still on Zhang San feeding the divine beast Xiezhi.

He never imagined that Zhang San, who was about to be imprisoned, could still turn the tables!

"But, Minister Shen, isn’t it problematic to disturb my emperor father with everything? After all, the Ministry of Punishment belongs to Great Sui. Can’t we have another solution for this recusal system?"

Shen Wei shook his head and said, "Even if this were my own son I could find... cough cough... even if this were my own father, I could find another official to judge. But with Pharaoh and Pharaoh’s direct disciple, this involves all of us in the Ministry of Punishment. We genuinely cannot judge it."

Shen Wei, halfway through his statement and afraid of offending Zhang San, even had to change his example from his son to his father, only to see Shen Erxian beside him covering his mouth and snickering.

"How about the Magistrate of Metropolitan Prefecture’s Government Office judges it?"

Shen Erxian immediately waved his hand and shook his head.

"That won’t work, that won’t work!"

At that moment, Shen Erxian couldn’t help but think about the several times Zhang San had come to his house looking for his son, thinking his son might not have any skills, but he certainly had an eye for friendships!

This friend he made outshines even his own father by two generations!

Just then, outside the Ministry of Punishment’s grand hall, a voice came through.

"Emperor Kaihuang, arrives—"

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[Note 99]Legal Trivia

The content here is not the original text from the Kaihuang Law, with the first part from "Tang Liudian" and the second part from "Tang Lü Shuyi" in "Zhizhi Forty."

It means exactly what Zhang San and Shen Wei said in that Chapter.

The Sui and Tang periods were the mature stages of ancient law in our country, and the recusal system was first recorded in texts during this feudal era. It can be said that, for that feudal era, this was a very advanced system.