allonlinenovel Chapter 444 Pardoning the Death Sentence
Chapter 444 Pardoning the Death Sentence
In the prison, Scarface, Big Beard, Qu Xiao, the two uncles and others were in one cell, while the rest were scattered in several other cells.
In short, the empty prison with hardly any prisoners was suddenly filled up by these bandits.
The bearded man leaned against the wall, clutching his stomach and grumbling.
"Brother, the food in this prison is terrible! Thin soup and steamed buns, not even a single vegetable leaf..."
After grumbling and complaining for a while, his stomach growled at just the right moment.
"Big...Big brother, I'm hungry again."
Scarface said speechlessly, "It's still a long way from the next mealtime. Just bear with it. This is a prison, not on a mountain."
Uncle Liang sighed and said, "Life here is really tough. I'm afraid I'll have to get used to it gradually."
"I don't know how long we'll be in jail. I'm still looking forward to growing medicinal herbs with Xiaotang and getting rich." Qu Xiao's tone was full of helplessness.
Since they have come to the government to surrender themselves, they should abide by the government's judgment. As for the severity of the sentence, it is entirely up to the government to decide. They have long been mentally prepared for this.
After a moment of silence, Uncle Liang comforted them, saying, "Most of you haven't committed murder. First, you were involved in petty theft and robbery, and later, some roadside robberies. It's not enough to warrant the death penalty. You might escape the death penalty, but you can't escape punishment. You should be given a lighter sentence, so don't worry too much."
"Once you're released from prison, you can see the light of day again, be good people, and the world will be your oyster. You can go all out with that girl Xiao Tang."
Uncle Liang's words of comfort rekindled everyone's hope and lessened their frustration.
Qu Xiao glanced at Uncle Liang and said, “Brother Liang, don’t be discouraged. Although you killed someone, that person was an utterly wicked bully who abducted a woman and caused your daughter to commit suicide by jumping into a well. Killing him was doing a service to the people. Moreover, you turned yourself in, so the government should not sentence you to death. As long as we are alive, we still have a chance.”
"So be it. I'm just a worthless life anyway. I've had enough of living. I don't want to stay on the mountain as a bandit anymore. Even for just one day, I want to be an ordinary citizen again."
Someone in the crowd suggested, "If you ask me, no matter which of us brothers gets out first, we shouldn't forget the brothers still in prison. When you have time, remember to bring some food and drinks back to visit them. What do you think?"
"Good idea. We've been brothers for so many years, our friendship..."
Once everyone got into the conversation, time seemed to fly by, and our stomachs started to feel better.
There's a reason why the food in prison is so bad.
After all, there weren't many prisoners in the jail before, but suddenly there were sixty or seventy more prisoners. The food in the kitchen was almost gone, and the funds were really insufficient!
The soldiers in charge of the kitchen reported this matter to the clerk, who immediately felt a terrible headache and went to discuss it with his superiors.
Finally, the clerk and Lord Zhao studied the memorials together and wrote several reports. They selected the most satisfactory one, and Lord Zhao took it to the palace to meet the emperor.
Upon learning of the bandits in the mountains, the Emperor, instead of waiting for the court to suppress them, voluntarily surrendered himself. Now, the entire group is imprisoned. After the initial shock, the Emperor was overjoyed.
Lord Zhao was most skilled at flattery, but in front of the Emperor, he dared not be presumptuous and could only restrain himself by praising the Emperor.
The gist of it is that the emperor worked diligently and governed the country effectively, leading to peace and prosperity for the people. Even bandits abandoned their evil ways and surrendered themselves to the law.
The emperor was even happier after hearing this, feeling that he was a wise ruler for all time. He immediately issued an edict to promote Zhao's official rank by two levels and also rewarded him with a thousand taels of silver and ten bolts of cloth.
Lord Zhao was so excited that he knelt down and kowtowed repeatedly to express his gratitude.
Then he added, “Your Majesty, how should those bandits… no, those criminals with criminal records be sentenced? The government prisons only have a few cells and sixty or seventy people. Just feeding them would take up a lot of food. It’s not good to just keep them in prison like that, is it?”
The Emperor nodded and said, "What Lord Zhao said makes sense. Their voluntary surrender not only solved the local bandit problem, but also settled some old cases, saving the court a lot of trouble."
"How about this: I will issue a general amnesty, sparing everyone from the death penalty. However, while the death penalty may be avoided, punishment will not be spared. Those with minor offenses can have their sentences shortened and be released as soon as possible. Those with serious offenses can be encouraged to join the army to atone for their crimes through meritorious service. This will not only strengthen border defenses but also reduce the burden on the government's prisons."
Upon hearing this, Lord Zhao immediately exclaimed in admiration, “Your Majesty is wise. This method is most suitable. They come from bandit backgrounds, so they are naturally strong and brave. Joining the army will allow them to quickly become familiar with the military and make them easier to train.”
Moreover, it also solved their government's food problem.
To be honest, with so many criminals in jail, he couldn't sleep soundly.
What if we keep those people locked up for too long, and they regret turning themselves in and going to jail, and then rebel?
With a single imperial edict, most of those people were sent to the border. His official rank was promoted two levels, saving on food supplies and eliminating the headache of prison overcrowding and potential rebellions.
What a feat!
When leaving the palace, Lord Zhao happily returned to his government office in a carriage, carrying the gifts bestowed upon him by the Emperor.
The emperor's edict then reached the government offices.
Lord Zhao felt extremely honored and took some of his reward money to reward his subordinates, giving his advisor a hundred taels of silver and two bolts of cloth.
The clerk beamed with joy, praising his master to the skies, creating a festive atmosphere throughout the government office.
That evening, the government kitchen prepared an extra meal, including steamed buns, thick porridge, and vegetables, and for the first time ever, a few slices of meat glistening with oil.
The scarred-faced, bearded man and his gang, who had been eating vegetarian food for several days with their necks strangled in the prison, stared wide-eyed, their mouths watering.
The bearded man sighed, "Waaah... Big brother, I miss Xiaotang so much. I miss her braised pig's trotters and braised pork. It's so rare to have meat tonight. It's really not easy."
Someone quietly reached out with their chopsticks, swiftly grabbed a piece of meat, and stuffed it into their mouth, eating with a satisfied expression.
Qu Xiao hurriedly said, "Don't fight over it, one piece for each person. If anyone dares to eat more, I'll smash their teeth!"
"Hey hey hey... Stop it, put it back right now..."
"..."
"..."
The prison was bustling with activity. The guards, knowing their masters were overjoyed because these bandits had been promoted two ranks, turned a blind eye and let them make their way in.
The desolation of Lin Xiaotang and Huo Qi at this moment was in stark contrast to the prison.
Huo Qi said, "Xiao Tang, when would be a good time for us to visit her in prison?"
"Once the authorities have finished sentencing, we can visit him in prison. We'll bring plenty of clothes and food with us; life in prison is tough, and it's hard to endure without enough food and clothing."
"That's true. Xiao Tang is so thoughtful. But I only have a little over twenty taels of silver. I'm afraid I can't buy much. I'll have to shamelessly drag you along."