Chapter 156: Amnesty for the World, Prisoners of Handan
When the Emperor's Ceremony was held in the Xianyang Palace, various changes were also taking place in various places in the world due to the previous decrees.
In Zhao Di, the largest prison in Handan, it was dawn, but many prisoners in the prison had already woken up, and they really couldn't sleep.
Today is the first day of December. According to what the jailers said a few days ago, today is the day when the King of Qin proclaimed himself emperor. Today, the world will be amnesty and their crimes will be re-judged according to the revised Qin laws. According to the newly revised Qin law, they will be forgiven without guilt.
In order to let them understand the newly revised Qin laws, the jailer would come and preach to them every day, telling them the differences between the current Qin laws and the past Qin laws.
Although they didn't know why the jailers told them so clearly that it would be better to just let them go, they still listened honestly in order to be pardoned smoothly.
This is unacceptable. The new Qin Code not only abolished many tortures, but also reduced excessive penalties. Some of the crimes that should have been punished in the Qin Code are no longer crimes. Need to be punished.
What was the original Qin law like?
Even if you just stay at home and farm, you will still be accused of various crimes, and you will encounter various punishments, ranging from fines to corvee service and torture.
Because the purpose of the Qin laws was to intimidate and intimidate the people, and make them commit crimes, so that they could be fined, served in corvee, and enslaved to the government.
It can be said that under the original Qin laws, it was difficult not to commit a crime. Crime was the norm, and not committing a crime was a problem. Do you really think that the people of Qin like to use military merit and nobility on the battlefield?
Many Qin soldiers were forced to do so. They violated Qin laws and could not afford the high fines, so they had no choice but to go to the battlefield and work hard to reduce their sentences.
The Qin Law and the military merit and title system are complementary, and everything is for the Qin military campaign. Therefore, after Qin destroyed the six kingdoms and unified the world, the military merit and title system became invalid, and the Qin Law naturally quickly became popular among the people of the world. The people of Qin hated him.
The six kingdoms were all destroyed. After they violated the laws of Qin, they could no longer reduce their punishment through military merit. They had to either pay a high fine, be tortured, or serve in corvee for a long time.
But I can’t afford the fine, I don’t want to endure the torture, and the hard labor is too long, how can I not be resentful?
But in the revised Qin Code, the things that many prisoners once committed are no longer crimes, and naturally there is no need for punishment. I just wonder whether what the jailers said is true or false?
With the sound of "dang", many prisoners immediately perked up and looked in one direction. That was the only exit of the prison. Whenever the "dang" sound was heard, the jailers would come down.
The prison door opened with a bang, and light came in from the outside. Three wardens, escorted by more than 20 guards, entered the prison.
Glancing at the prisoners whose faces were full of nervousness and anxiety, one of the jailers took out a scroll of bamboo slips and read aloud: "The Holy One has decreed that those who commit the following crimes will be pardoned today:"
The jailer once again read the laws and crimes that they had heard so well these days. After he finished reading, he got to the point and began to read about the prisoners who would be pardoned.
"After inspection, the following people can be pardoned in this prison. Qinghe Township Wang was imprisoned on the seventh day of October because his neighbor's theft was not reported..."
The jailer recited the names of prisoners one after another. The prisoners who heard their names all showed expressions of joy, they will be pardoned!
After reading, the jailer closed the bamboo slips and said to the prisoners with a smile: "It is the virtue of the Holy One that you can be forgiven. I hope you will live a good life after you go out. Don't see you here again. Dear family members We're waiting outside, let's go!" After hearing the jailer's words, these Zhao prisoners had complicated expressions. The King of Qin also had a more complicated perception...
Qin had a big enemy with their Zhao people. In the battle of Changping, Bai Qi killed 400,000 Zhao soldiers in a trap. Although it has already passed In the past forty years, no one has heard their ancestors talk about the brutality of that battle. Almost every family had their relatives sacrificed.
Seven years ago, Qin completely destroyed their country, and they were even imprisoned into doing corvee service under the harsh Qin laws.
At that time, they wished that the King of Qin had been beaten to death in Handan in his early years, but today it was the King of Qin who pardoned them and released them from prison.
The jailer opened the cells where the prisoners were to be released, and one by one the prisoners walked out silently, really not knowing whether to hate or thank the King of Qin.
It should be hated, after all, it was Qin general Bai Qi who killed their elders, it was Qin who conquered their country, and it was Qin's law that put them in prison.
After putting fingerprints on the bamboo slips, each prisoner received a pardon bamboo slip. When they walked out of the prison, many prisoners saw their families waiting outside. These men from Zhao couldn't help but She burst into tears on the spot.
At this time, the old woman with white beard and hair knelt down and kowtowed towards the southwest, "Thank you for your grace, thank you for your grace!"
"I!"
A man had just been released. The Zhao prisoner quickly supported the old woman. What did King Qin do to thank him?
It was he who caused them to become like this!
But before the Zhao prisoner could help his mother up, another Zhao prisoner knelt down and bowed to the southwest, thanking the King of Qin for his grace. Like dominoes, more Zhao people bowed down.
Seeing this scene, even if some Zhao people were unwilling to kowtow, they could only kneel down and kowtow helplessly under the guidance of their family members.
The jailer who led the prisoners out of prison saw this situation and reminded: "The king is called emperor today, and you should call him 'Your Majesty' and 'Holy One'!"
In prison The Zhao people outside changed their title, "Thank you for your grace! Thank you for your grace!" Although Qin and Zhao had a lot of hatred, the King of Qin's willingness to pardon their relatives still made some Zhao people feel grateful.
While the Zhao prisoners and their families were rushing home, they talked to their families about why they were pardoned. Naturally, they mentioned the changes in Qin’s laws. Some smart Zhao prisoners realized that it turned out that the jailers gave them daily They talk about the differences between the current Qin laws and the past Qin laws, and this is the reason.
I have to say that this method is quite clever. It not only showed the benevolence of the King of Qin by pardoning them, let them remember the kindness of the King of Qin, but also allowed them to spread the revised Qin laws, and Speaking from their own deeds will make other people's memories more profound: It turns out that Qin's laws have been changed in these places, and it will no longer be illegal in the future!
Handan, as the former capital of the Zhao Kingdom, was more prosperous than other cities, but even so, something was wrong. It was still early, and there shouldn't be so many people in the city, and these people seemed to be heading to the same place, as if there was something there. Attract them.
Could it be related to the fact that King Qin proclaimed himself emperor today?
I don’t know what happened to some Zhao prisoners who were imprisoned too early and were only pardoned today.
Seeing his confusion, the relatives who took him out of prison whispered: "The King of Qin today called the Nashizi Emperor, and said that he would celebrate with me and give us gifts. Now he is showing those things." Li'! ”
(End of this chapter)