Chapter Fifteen: Ransoming Punishment—Buying One’s Way Out of Guilt
Who is it?
Wang Fugui suddenly turned around and saw Liang Fengyang leading a group of people inside.
Liang Fengyang glanced briefly at Wang Fugui without acknowledgment and quickly walked toward Gu Zhengchen, clasping his hands and smiling, “Scholar Gu, the old master has invited you several times without success. Today, he specially sent me personally to invite you.”
Gu Zhengchen returned the salute.
“This must be Scholar Gu’s venerable mother. Liang, having no invitation, comes unannounced, and thus I must apologize for the rudeness.” Liang Fengyang approached the grieving Mrs. Gu, exchanged a few polite words, then turned to the servants following him, instructing, “Haven’t you brought out the gift yet?”
The servants hurriedly presented a wooden box.
Liang Fengyang raised his hand and opened the box, revealing ten strings of copper coins lying silently inside; one string had slightly fewer coins than the others.
Gu Zhengchen narrowed his eyes slightly, a sense of shock stirring in his heart.
If he wasn’t mistaken, the number of coins in this box amounted exactly to nine guan, seven qian, and eighty wen!
Liang Fengyang looked at Gu Zhengchen with a hint of pride in his gaze.
Ah, Gu Zhengchen, you thought you only owed the Wang family six guan, but you overlooked the principle of borrowing to profit.
Thinking yourself clever and confident, underestimating your opponent’s tactics, you ended up being turned over, condemned to ruin beyond redemption!
You are still too young to understand the harshness of the world and the darkness of human hearts!
Gu Zhengchen bitterly shook his head, his lips twitching as he sighed, “It seems Liang saw through everything from the start.”
Liang Fengyang laughed heartily, cheerfully saying, “Not entirely. At least my father did not see through the methods you used to take money from Master Sun.”
Gu Zhengchen smiled helplessly. The ruse that had fooled Master Sun and gotten him kicked out then could not deceive now.
“Why would the Liang family help Gu Zhengchen?” Zhao Yaowen found it hard to believe.
Gu Zhengchen was of little value and unlikely to bring any benefit to the Liang family. Why would someone like Liang Fengyang personally come to support him?
Zhao Ya’er was also somewhat unable to accept it, murmuring to herself, “How could this be?”
He was just a poor scholar who had lost his official prospects—why would anyone spend so much money to help him?
Could it be that Father was wrong?
Could it be that I should not have forced him to break the marriage contract?
A pang of bitterness rose to her nose.
County Magistrate Li Yi was also surprised to see Liang Fengyang come in person. The relationship between Gu Zhengchen and the Liang family was far closer than he had imagined, but when had Gu Zhengchen become affiliated with the Liang family?
Wang Fugui’s face twisted fiercely. He had thought six guan would trouble Gu Zhengchen, but he produced enough money. He had expected the Gu family to fall into despair after the profit, but then the Liang family appeared!
---
“Master Liang, is this aimed at the Wang family?”
Wang Fugui stared at Liang Fengyang and asked coldly.
Liang Fengyang lightly spat and looked at Wang Fugui unconcernedly, “Master Wang, you jest. Bringing a gift when visiting is customary. The Liang family follows custom; how could this be aimed at the Wang family?”
Wang Fugui clenched his teeth in silence. Who gives copper coins as a gift!
Gu Zhengchen took the wooden box and cast a grateful glance at Liang Fengyang, speaking calmly, “Consider this a loan; I will repay it soon.”
Liang Fengyang only smiled without saying anything.
Gu Zhengchen handed the wooden box to Wang Fugui. “So, are the debts settled?”
Wang Fugui’s eyelids twitched. Begrudgingly, he took the box without having the accounts checked and gritted his teeth, “Good, very good! From today forward, the debts between the Gu family and the Wang family are settled! But, Gu Zhengchen, our business may be finished, but yours is far from over!”
Gu Zhengchen frowned. “What do you mean?”
Wang Fugui snorted coldly and turned to the crowd, shouting, “Deputy County Magistrate Jin!”
The crowd at the door immediately parted.
Gu Zhengchen’s eyes followed. A middle-aged man in a green robe strode forward; his garment bore embroidered orioles on the badge, and two officials in blue robes followed behind.
“Eighth-rank Deputy County Magistrate!”
Gu Zhengchen immediately understood: this was about his breaking off the engagement with Zhao Ya’er.
Deputy County Magistrate Jin Dache scratched his sparse beard, appraised Gu Zhengchen, and chuckled, “Scholar Gu, according to imperial law, voluntarily breaking an engagement merits fifty lashes. I must carry out punishment according to the law. Please understand. Come, find a bench and hold him down!”
Yan Bin glanced at Li Yi, blinking in confusion, as if to say: Didn’t you already handle this? Why are there still people refusing to comply?
County Magistrate Li Yi did not expect Wang Fugui to persuade the Deputy County Magistrate to come here. With so many witnesses, he could not easily plead for leniency, for breaking an engagement violated both social custom and imperial law.
A bench was brought over. Two constables seized Gu Zhengchen and forcibly pressed him down.
One constable held a thorny cane, three feet five inches long; the thick end was about 0.9 centimeters in diameter, the thin end about 0.56 centimeters. He gripped the thick end, aiming the thin end at Gu Zhengchen’s buttocks.
Wang Fugui gave the constable a fierce look, signaling to strike hard! Wang Youcheng laughed uproariously, “Gu Zhengchen, this is your day!”
“Wait!”
Gu Zhengchen shouted.
Deputy County Magistrate Jin Dache stepped forward and said to Gu Zhengchen, who was pinned to the bench, “If you have something to say, you can say it after the punishment.”
“What if I redeem the punishment?” Gu Zhengchen stared at him.
The smile on Jin Dache’s face froze instantly. He raised his hand, signaling the constables to release Gu Zhengchen. Gu Zhengchen stood up.
“You want to redeem the punishment?”
---
“Yes!”
Gu Zhengchen did not want to endure fifty lashes. This was far harsher than a ruler’s strike, which hurt for half a day with just one blow on the palm. Fifty lashes would probably confine him to bed for a month!
There was only one way not to be beaten: redeem the punishment.
Redeeming punishment means paying money to commute the penalty.
This practice dates back to antiquity. The Book of Documents says, “Gold serves to redeem punishment.”
Throughout successive dynasties, the redemption system existed, covering penalties from death to beating and flogging.
Different dynasties required different amounts and types of payment: Western Han used gold, Eastern Han used fine silk, while Sui, Tang, Song, and Ming used copper coins.
Sima Qian once considered redeeming his punishment but was too poor to pay the bribe, resulting in the castration sentence.
Old Zhu supported the redemption system. In fact, the Ming dynasty’s redemption system was more complete than any other dynasty’s.
In the early Ming, there were two main forms of redemption:
First, serving labor instead of punishment.
Within two years, many officials would report to Fengyang to undergo labor reform...
Second, paying money to avoid punishment.
This was simple: pay with one hand, avoid punishment with the other.
Of course, redemption depended on the offender. People like Old Hu, Old Li, or those surnamed Lan were ineligible. Even if eligible, their families would be imprisoned and properties confiscated, leaving no money to redeem.
According to early Ming law, death penalty required thirty taels, exile twenty-four taels, and fifty lashes required three taels and five qian.
Since the Liang family had temporarily repaid the Gu family’s debt, Gu Zhengchen still had enough copper coins. He painfully handed over three guan and five qian. Deputy County Magistrate Jin weighed the coins, smiled, and nodded, “In that case, it’s pardoned. Scholar Gu, we act under compulsion. Apologies for the trouble. Farewell.”
Wang Fugui watched Deputy County Magistrate Jin and the constables leave, stomping angrily. That fellow took the money but didn’t do his job!
“Let’s go!”
Though unwilling, Wang Fugui had no choice but to leave.
Gu Zhengchen watched Wang Fugui turn to leave and called out gravely, “Master Wang, our business isn’t over yet. Is it right to just walk away like this?”
“Gu Zhengchen, what do you intend?”
Wang Fugui turned back furiously.
Gu Zhengchen sat on the bench and said with conviction, “I will reclaim everything the Gu family has lost!”