未命名

In the early years of the Zhenguan era, a case occurred in Qingzhou. A man plotted a rebellion. After he was captured, the officials of the prefecture and county thought that the moment to gain merits had arrived. Under severe interrogation, they used their imaginations to make wild guesses and follow the clues. They made unfounded associations. In a short time, the prisons in the prefecture and county were filled with rebels. This major case quickly alerted Emperor Taizong Li Shimin of the Tang Dynasty, and he ordered the Imperial Censor Cui Renshi to go and review the case.

This Imperial Censor Cui was quick and efficient in his work. In just a few days, he identified more than a dozen principal criminals, and declared all the others innocent and released them on the spot. After that, he patted his buttocks and made his way back to the capital.

This was almost equivalent to completely negating the efforts of the prefectural and county officials to gain merits. As soon as Cui Renshi left, letters of complaint were sent to the central government one after another. Not to mention these people, even Li Shimin felt that something was wrong. In such a major case of rebellion involving so many people, how could there be only more than a dozen people guilty? He immediately dispatched another messenger to interrogate these prisoners, and made sure to clarify the situation, not wronging any good person, but also not letting go of any dangerous bad person.

Sun Fujia, the Vice Minister of Dali Temple, had a good relationship with Cui Renshi. After hearing about this matter, he found Cui Renshi and said, "There were a great number of criminals captured in this incident, but you almost exonerated all of them. Everyone knows that it's better to be alive. Who wants to die? Now the Emperor has sent someone else to review the case. I'm really worried about you because those more than a dozen people sentenced to death by you may retract their confessions."

Cui Renshi said, "I have heard that the right way to handle a case should be based on leniency. How can I seek my own safety and know that they are wronged but not appeal for them? If I can exchange my own life for the lives of ten innocent death row prisoners, I am willing to do so."

Sun Fujia shook his head and left helplessly.

After the special envoy dispatched by Li Shimin arrived in Qingzhou, he re-interrogated those more than a dozen people sentenced to death and asked them if they were wronged by the previous judgment. They all said in unison, "Lord Cui is very kind and lenient. His handling of this matter is very fair, and we all plead guilty." There wasn't a single person with a different opinion.

The special envoy was very curious. It's human nature to be afraid of death and eager to live. At the moment of life and death, people will firmly grasp even a straw. Why wouldn't these people defend themselves? After asking in detail, he finally understood the whole story.

It turned out that after Cui Renshi arrived in Qingzhou, he didn't look down on these prisoners who had committed the serious crime of "rebellion" with contempt. Instead, he ordered to remove all their handcuffs and fetters, let them take a good bath, get rid of the stinky smell on their bodies. After that, he also let them have a good meal and said to them amiably, "Before evidence is found, you are all innocent, so don't be afraid. The truth will soon come to light." Not to mention in prison, even on the street, no official would talk to them like this. Many people had tears in their eyes.

Facing the special envoy, a death row prisoner gave the reason for pleading guilty: "Lord Cui gave us the dignity of being human."

Cui Renshi became famous in the capital because of this incident, and even Li Shimin looked at him with new eyes.