Xiao Feng was stunned for a moment, and then he realized that the starting point of Hai Rui's career was indeed here, as an edict in Nanping County, Fujian Province.
Thinking about what happened to the magistrate's tactful meeting two days ago, he was indeed an official man. When he met such a tough subordinate like Hai Rui, he felt quite suffocated.
The magistrate pointed at Qin Xiucai with an excited expression: "Hai Rui, what kind of rules do you think this is? This young couple lives a good life and has a deep love for each other!"
But you insist on forcing someone to divorce his wife! When someone refuses to divorce, you still force her to divorce her. What kind of rules are you doing!!!"
Hai Rui pointed at Qin Xiucai's parents and said: "Filial filial piety comes first! He is a son of man, he cannot be filial to his parents, let his parents show up and kneel in court!"
I should have deprived him of his status as a scholar! I prayed to his parents repeatedly before allowing him to have a future, but he must divorce his wife!"
Only then did Xiao Feng understand that Qin Xiucai, as a scholar, knelt before the court because his parents were kneeling, so he had to kneel. Scholars have privileges, but their parents do not.
Qin Xiucai raised his head and protested: "Teacher, the student is unknown until his death. The student's wife, Qin Chen, is gentle, virtuous, hardworking and filial. She has never violated the seven-out rule. Why must we force the student to divorce his wife?"
Jiaoyu was the common teacher of the scholars in the same county, so Qin Xiucai was called teacher. What Qin Xiucai said was reasonable and well-founded. Since a woman has not violated the seven-out rule, a man has no right to divorce his wife at will.
Qin Xiucai's mother shouted: "You little beast, how dare you protect her! She has been married to my Qin family for three years and has nothing to do with it. Why is it not a rule of seven?"
Qin Xiucai was scolded by his mother and wanted to defend himself, but when he saw Hai Rui staring at him eagerly, as long as he spoke, it didn't matter whether he was right or wrong.
, Hai Rui would definitely be furious and could only look at the magistrate with pleading eyes.
The magistrate slapped the table: "Ignorant fool! Is this how the Seven-Way Rule is stipulated? In the Tang Dynasty, the Seven-Way Rule said that a woman could divorce her wife only after she was forty-nine and had nothing to do!
In the Ming Dynasty, although there were no such detailed regulations, it was impossible to limit it to three years! Hai Rui, you are familiar with etiquette, right?"
Hai Rui nodded slightly. He attached great importance to rules. Although he and the magistrate had opposite opinions at this time, he would never cheat on the rules.
Qin Xiucai's mother suddenly became speechless and looked at her husband for help. Qin Xiucai's father coughed and spoke slowly.
"My lords, let me tell you the truth. Although my daughter-in-law has made some small mistakes, she does not have to be divorced. My lords, please don't hurt the harmony because of my family's affairs. The common people will be guilty of a big sin."
The onlookers nodded one after another, and Xiao Feng also smiled. It seems that the old saying is indeed true, the mother-in-law and daughter-in-law are the natural enemies, and the father-in-law is always more tolerant.
Qin Xiucai's mother was furious, reached out and grabbed her husband's arm, and looked at her husband with threatening eyes. Qin Xiucai's father had no choice but to speak reluctantly.
"The common people are from the countryside and don't know much about the etiquette and laws. However, I have heard that the Master is a filial son and is familiar with the etiquette. I sincerely ask the Master to make decisions for us!"
Xiao Feng raised his eyebrows slightly. This old man looked tired. In fact, he was very organized when he really got things done. He was much better than his wife who only knew how to shout. At least he knew how to use Hai Rui's principles.
Hai Rui nodded and said proudly: "There are seven ways a woman can be born: firstly, she disobeys her parents, which is an act of rebellion; secondly, she has no heirs, which is an incompetence;
The three kinds of sexual misconduct are also incest.
The fourth is jealousy, which leads to chaos in the family; the fifth is serious illness, which is why we cannot share the prosperity of the family;
Six talkative words are a sign of separation from relatives; seven thefts are a sign of rebellion."
This was something that everyone could recite at that time. Even if Deaf Zhang came, he couldn't translate anything messy.
A brief translation: Disobedience to parents means that a wife is not filial to her husband's parents. The etiquette and law consider it "against virtue" and is the first of the seven causes.
The second is no heir: that is, he cannot have a son, and the reason is "peerless". Needless to say, there are three types of unfilial piety, and having no heirs is the worst. But the proof is as the magistrate said, you can't just marry someone into the family for two or three years and then judge someone else's family.
I can’t give birth, are you an experienced Chinese medicine doctor?
Three kinds of adultery: The wife is having an affair with Mr. Wang next door, and the reason is "incest". This angle is quite strange. It is actually thought that the origin or generation of the children will be unclear, and the family blood will be confused! The feeling of being cuckolded by the husband
On the contrary, I feel disdainful!
Four jealousies: The wife is said to be very jealous, and the reason is to "disrupt the family". It is believed that the wife's jealousy will cause family discord. What's funny is that this crime is usually used when the husband wants to take a concubine and the wife is unhappy.
Five evil diseases: The wife is suffering from a serious disease. The reason is that "we cannot share the prosperity of rice", which means that we cannot participate in sacrifices together. In fact, the real reason is usually that the wife is unable to work. It has to be said in the name of the ancestors.
Face.
Talkative: The wife likes to gossip, talk about right and wrong, and affect the family harmony. The reason is "divorce". According to this standard, 90% of the current female Bagua sects are not qualified.
7. Theft: The wife steals things. The reason is "anti-righteous" and does not conform to the rules that should be observed.
This is the most puzzling rule. In your own home, do you steal a yarn? Steal someone?
Hai Rui said word by word: "Among the seven rules, even if you have no heirs, one will not be counted for the time being, but if you disobey your parents, you will never be able to escape! I will sentence you to divorce your wife based on this. What's wrong with that?"
OK?"
Qin Xiucai resisted and said: "The students are not convinced by the teacher's words! The student's wife is gentle and virtuous, and she is very respectful to her parents-in-law. Everyone in the neighborhood knows it. How can she force herself to say that she disobeys her parents?"
Hai Rui said coldly: "The human heart is made of flesh, how can there be a daughter-in-law who is always obedient and yet be rejected? There is no jail for father and son, how can there be parents who are not?"
You read poetry and books in vain, and disobey your parents for the sake of a woman. If this woman is truly filial, she should take the initiative to ask for divorce to preserve the filial piety of her husband and the reputation of her parents-in-law.
You can't do this at all. Not only is it unsatisfactory, but it's also suspected of estrangement! If you violate two of the seven rules, I will sentence you to divorce your wife. What's wrong with her?"
The magistrate glanced guiltily at the back hall. In the back hall, a woman with a bracelet extended her index finger and pointed at the magistrate forcefully, as if she had given the magistrate endless courage.
"Hai Rui! You are using strong words! You are a filial piety and divorced your wife for no reason just to please my mother. Do you still want everyone in the world to be like you?"
Hai Rui sneered and said, "Sir, why do you protect the Qin Chen family? Isn't it because you are henpecked? Your wife and your father have a bad relationship. You are afraid that this case will start and affect your wife!"
The two officials were quarreling in the hall and refused to give in to each other; the young couple looked at each other with tears in their eyes and wept silently; the old couple exchanged glances with ambiguous attitudes.
On the contrary, everyone ignored Qin Xiucai’s father-in-law, Qin Chen’s father, Honest Ba
He knelt on the ground furthest away, bowing his head and saying nothing.
Xiao Feng took advantage of the lively fight in the hall and no one paid attention to the old man. He squeezed to the side and asked in a low voice: "Do you want your daughter to be divorced and go home?"
The old man looked up and saw Xiao Feng wearing a green robe and a white robe, a Confucian crown on his head, and dressed like a scholar. He did not dare to neglect and answered in a low voice with a grimace.
"My wife has been dead for many years. I and my son are both farmers and do not understand the etiquette. Since the master has said so, there is nothing we can do.
If the in-laws are not willing to tolerate each other, I will let you go home and take care of your daughter. I have always been in harmony with my uncle, alas..."
Xiao Feng whispered: "How about I be your lawyer and help you reason?"
The old man hesitated and said: "I don't have much money, how about a few hundred dollars? I know a lawyer needs at least one tael of silver..."
Xiao Feng smiled and said loudly to the two officials who were arguing in the hall: "I am the lawyer hired by Old Man Chen. Can I speak to you?"
The magistrate was arguing with Hai Rui and his face was red. Hearing this, he looked up and recognized Xiao Feng at a glance. He was so frightened that he almost fell off the back of the case and reflexively opened his mouth: "Big..."
Xiao Feng glared at him and shook his head slightly. The magistrate was indeed a slippery guy. It was difficult for him to react quickly and change his words immediately.
"How... courageous, we two officials are arguing, why are you interrupting so randomly?"
Hai Rui glanced sideways at the magistrate and thought to himself, "What are you guilty of? Since ancient times, you have been justified and have not been afraid of arguments!" He then said seriously: "Since you are a litigant, what's your point? Tell me!"
Xiao Feng raised his hand and said, "My lord, according to what you said, if the wife is disobedient, she is the first of the seven divorces. So if the seven divorces are violated, whose right is it to divorce the wife?"
Hai Rui said calmly
: "The husband is the guide for his wife, and it is his right to divorce his wife. But if the husband refuses, his parents can accuse him of disobedience and unfilial piety!"
Xiao Feng smiled and said, "Have you read the Three Character Classic, sir?"
The audience was in an uproar. These words were so insulting. If you ask a person who has been taught by the imperial court whether he has read the "Three Character Classic", it is equivalent to modern society. If you ask the director of the county education bureau: Have you ever learned what one plus one equals?
Hai Rui was also furious in his heart, but he didn't want to waste time with Xiao Feng on such a trivial matter. He gave him a cold look: "Of course I have read it."
"Then do you agree with the words in the Three-Character Classic? Everyone says that the Three-Character Classic is in line with etiquette, but I don't know what you think of it."
Hai Rui is the imperial edict, not only in charge of scholars, but also the enlightenment of children, and the management of private schools are also within the scope of his work. When Xiao Feng asked this question, he naturally had to answer.
"Although the Three Character Classic is simple in text, it captures the essence of etiquette. It is the best article for our generation of scholars to enlighten their childhood!"
Xiao Feng said with a smile: "Your Excellency just said that all parents in the world have bad parents, so may I ask, what does 'it is the fault of the father who raises or not educates' mean?"
The magistrate's eyes lit up. No wonder people say that Mr. Xiao's tongue is like a sharp blade and his mouth is like a steel knife. He has never won a debate with Hai Rui. Oh my god, Mr. Xiao, please help me say this!
Hai Rui was stunned for a moment, then said: "This is a word of encouragement to parents. What's more, even if parents make mistakes, others will blame them, but there is no room for their children to object! Otherwise, it is unfilial!"
Xiao Feng nodded: "You admit that your parents are also at fault, but the children have no right to blame, that's good. Your Excellency just said that Qin Xiucai has the right to divorce his wife, but his parents do not.
If Qin Xiucai dies
If he refuses to divorce his wife, his parents can accuse him of disobedience. I would like to ask, Qin Xiucai, do you want to divorce your wife?"
Seeing that he had help, Qin Xiucai was refreshed and shook his head repeatedly: "The student and his wife are deeply in love and do not want to divorce his wife!"
Xiao Feng looked at Qin Xiucai's parents again: "Your son refuses to divorce his wife, are you going to sue him for disobedience?"
Qin Xiucai's father hesitated. You should know that in this era, disobedience is not a good reputation. Although it is not as strict as in the Song Dynasty, where beheading is required, it is certain that he will be punished and his reputation will be revoked.
But Qin Xiucai's mother was very tough: "If the little beast refuses, I will accuse him of disobedience!"
Xiao Feng smiled: "Excuse me, how many sons do you have?"
Qin Xiucai's mother looked Xiao Feng up and down: "How about just this one?"
Xiao Feng said with a smile: "Your son has been convicted of disobedience, lost his fame, and lost his reputation. It is estimated that it will be difficult for him to get a wife again."
Qin Xiucai's mother was a shrew: "That's my own business! You don't have to worry about it!"
Xiao Feng nodded and turned to Hai Rui: "Sir, if Qin Xiucai is accused of disobedience, it will be extremely difficult for him to marry again, not to mention that Qin Xiucai may not be willing to marry again.
In this way, the Qin family will have no heirs. There are three kinds of unfilial piety, and having no heirs is the greatest. Qin Xiucai refused to divorce his wife, and his unfilial piety was only towards his parents.
Due to a mere personal grudge, the parents of the Qin family forced their son to divorce his wife and accused him of being disobedient, which resulted in the extinction of the Qin family. Their unfilial piety was towards the ancestors of the Qin family.
May I ask, sir, which of these two unfilial acts is more serious?"
This... no one has talked about this matter like this before! Hai Rui frowned and tried to interpret this issue based on his professionalism.
.
"You are a very cunning litigant! His parents accused him of being disobedient because Qin Xiucai refused to divorce his wife. Therefore, regardless of whether he is a widower or unfilial, Qin Xiucai should bear all the charges against his parents!"
Xiao Feng nodded and smiled: "However, his parents knew that what they did would lead to such consequences, but they insisted on going their own way. Are they filial to their ancestors?
They could have prevented this from happening, but they had no tolerance for others, and they just criticized and pushed hard, trying to end the incest for their ancestors.
Qin Xiucai, as a child, cannot object to this matter, but sir, you are an outsider. Just now you said that others can criticize, should you blame me?"
Hai Rui knew that this was an endless loop, and if he and Xiao Feng kept going around it like this, they might not be able to get around it until Jiajing Shengxian, so he decided to cut the mess quickly.
"Advocate, please don't forget that as an edict, I can make judgments and punishments on behalf of the imperial court. I will neither sentence Qin Xiucai for disobedience, nor strip him of his fame. I will only sentence the two of them to separate!"
"
Xiao Feng looked at Hai Rui and said calmly: "Your Excellency, you are familiar with etiquette and law. You should know that the government punishes righteousness and separation. It is one of the crimes to beat, curse, kill, injure, and rape relatives within five wards. May I ask Qin Chen
Which one did you commit?"
Hai Rui was speechless for a moment and was thinking to himself when Qin Xiucai's mother shouted: "She has scolded me and beaten me. My husband can testify!"
Old man Qin glanced at his wife in surprise, and was forced to look into her eyes, so he nodded helplessly.
Hai Rui's expression relaxed and he looked at Xiao Feng, meaning, what else do you have to say?
Xiao Feng's tone became even calmer: "Sir, don't you need evidence for this matter?"
Hai Rui shook his head and said: "Father and son are not in jail. Parents say their children's faults, but they still have to let them go."
What evidence do parents provide? Besides, there is no trace of the beating or scolding, so how can we provide evidence?"
Xiao Feng was furious and thought that you were trying to be a hooligan! I had heard in the past that although Hai Rui was an upright official, he was a foolish and filial man, divorced his wife for no reason, and even hanged his concubine. When I saw him today, it turned out to be true.
Xiao Feng smiled faintly: "Sir, whether it's the Seven Rules of Exit or the Judgment of Righteousness, I remember that you can't get past the Three Rules of Not Going, right?"
Hai Rui was stunned: "But the Qin Chen family does not comply with the rule of not leaving!"
The "three no go" clause corresponds to the "seven out" clause, and is one of the few clauses to protect women in ancient times.
Not leaving: If the wife has been mourning for her deceased parents-in-law for three years, it means that the deceased parents have recognized the daughter-in-law, and it would be unfilial for the husband to divorce his wife again.
But at this time, the two old guys were very lively, so naturally they did not meet this rule.
The second is not to go: when you married your wife, your family was poor and now you are rich: this means that your daughter-in-law is also the original shareholder of your wealth accumulation. Why do you say that you deprive your equity of equity?
However, looking at the clothes of Qin Xiucai's family, they are just a middle-class family. They were not very poor before coming here, so they should not meet this criterion.
Three not to leave: The wife, parents and family are scattered, and she may be homeless after being divorced: If a woman is homeless after being divorced, it will cause disaster. Any dynasty hopes for social stability.
However, Qin and Chen's father and brother are still alive and there is no problem of homelessness, so this article does not meet the requirements.
Hai Rui didn't know the purpose of Xiao Feng's suggestion of "not going" at this time, because it was obvious that Qin and Chen did not meet these three requirements. He thought that Xiao Feng was at his wits' end and started to make trouble unreasonably.
Xiao Feng walked up to Old Man Chen, bent down and looked at him affectionately
Looking at Old Man Chen, Old Man Chen looked confused and didn't know what this lawyer was going to do.
Do you want money? Is the lawsuit over now? It seems that I have lost, so how much should I give him, considering his level...
Old man Chen felt that his elbow was grabbed, and a strong force made him unable to control his arm, and he swung it involuntarily.
There was a "pop" sound, and a slap mark appeared on Xiao Feng's fair face. He covered his face and staggered back two steps.
Old man Chen was shocked. Although he was not satisfied with this lawyer, he really didn't want to slap him. What was going on!
Xiao Feng slowly stood up straight, pointed at Old Man Chen and said, "You dare to beat the imperial official, you are so brave!"