In Nanjing, at the Supreme Military Court of the Ming Empire, a major from the Military Justice Department who served as the defense lawyer stood at the defense table, wearing gold-rimmed glasses and a straight military uniform, and was making a plea of not guilty to the judge.
As soon as he said a few words, buzzing whispers began to ring out in the spacious open court. A shrill voice howled from the bottom of the court:
"Murderer——! Murderer——! You beasts——! My son, daughter, daughter-in-law, grandson... were all picked to death by you beasts..."
The "buzzing" in the court became louder, and the reporters' spotlights went "bang bang" and a cloud of white smoke rose up.
The gray-haired judge sitting high in the court was holding his reading glasses and banging his gavel:
"Left and right, stay quiet with me!"
Two gendarmes swooped over, grabbed the old woman who was about to jump out of her seat, and pinned her firmly to her seat.
The old woman's hair was covered with silver hair, almost standing upright, her eyes were red, and her face was wrinkled and distorted by hatred, like a ghost crawling out of the grave, her arms were struggling and waving, and a terrifying roar came from her throat.
Voice:
"Ah... you beasts, you can kill a thousand people...!! If you can't die today, I will die! After I die, I will take my whole family and crawl to find you tonight..."
The judge continued banging his gavel:
"Left and right, take this old woman to court!"
It took a lot of effort for the two gendarmes to drag the old woman out of the courtroom, who was almost seeking death.
The judge banged the gavel a few more times:
"You can continue talking."
The defense lawyer owes a debt of gratitude:
"Thank you, Your Honor... Dear Judge, in view of the above summary, I believe that the nine defendants are soldiers, and soldiers have a bounden duty to obey orders. Moreover, they were in a hostile land and were in a situation where they could fight at any time.
However, the objective conditions did not allow them to question the orders of their superiors. They had no other choice but to obey immediately.
"So I ask your honor to consider that the real guilty persons in this case are not the nine defendants in the court, but the person who issued the massacre order, that is, their top officer at the time: Ha Feng'a, the commander of the Sixth Division of the Eight Banners of the Puppet Qing Dynasty. As one of the nine defendants,
The defense lawyers of the defendants request your honor to acquit them."
Although everyone in the court already knew that he was defending his innocence, there was still an uproar after hearing what he said.
Xiang Xiaoqiang was sitting in the first row of the auditorium, with his big-brimmed hat on his lap, stroking it gently with his fingers.
This was the first time he had entered a court to observe, and it was such a high-level military court, in the front row, and as a public figure who received much attention. He felt very unaccustomed to it. He knew every move and every expression of his.
You may be photographed by several cameras around you, which is quite uncomfortable.
Xiang Xiaoqiang has already read today's morning newspaper. As expected, several tabloids have reacted quickly, and the story of himself and the "Ryukyu Princess" has occupied the front page. So far, his photo has not appeared in the newspapers, but it will soon
There will be...
He forced himself not to think about the reporters and cameras, but only to think about the case.
Like most people in the court, there was a surge of blood in his chest.
The old woman who had lost her whole family in old age, hearing her miserable cries made him feel extremely uncomfortable. One of the most miserable things in the world is for a white-haired person to give away a black-haired person, let alone dying at the same time and losing her at the same time.
Son, daughter, daughter-in-law and grandson... The pain of the sky falling and the earth falling apart is definitely unbearable for anyone. Xiang Xiaoqiang tried to understand what it would be like to have this kind of thing happen to him...
...It is a feeling of being abandoned by the whole world. All justice, morality, and conscience have become hideous, all beliefs have collapsed, and only endless hatred remains...
No, she was not the only one. Those who suffered the same pain were the relatives of the more than 40 villagers. Most of the villagers had fled, and their more than 40 relatives stayed in the village for various reasons. Maybe
Out of trust in the Yangtze River defense line? Trust in one's own defenders? Or trust in one's own luck?
In short, their trust failed them. In the middle of a dark night, they were surrounded by an army wearing unfamiliar military uniforms. They were pulled out of bed in horror, shivering with cold, and gathered in the open space behind the village.
, bundled into a bunch.
Then, I watched several bayonets stabbing people one by one from left to right. Amidst the crazy wails and screams, my neighbors, relatives, and family members all vomited blood and opened their eyes.
Spread down on the ground.
Finally, I felt a sharp pain from my lower abdomen to my chest, and then numbness. I felt a cold and hard thing stirring in my chest, and then the coldness spread throughout my body, and my lungs could no longer take in air...
With stars dancing in his eyes, he fell to the ground, and his ears gradually lost hearing. The only thought left in his mind was: Why should I die?
…
Xiang Xiaoqiang grabbed the hat on his leg hard, his chest trembling, and he took a deep breath, trying to get out of this painful "sense of substitution". He couldn't stand this feeling. Not even a little bit.
When he first heard about the tragedy in Zhangjiacun, he was still commanding the People's Guards in the battle on Yuhuatai. At that time, he was just surprised and did not feel any pain in his heart. Now that he recalls the numbness at that time, he feels that he should repent.
Maybe I come from a later generation and have heard and seen too many things about our nation being massacred in modern times, modern times, and contemporary times, and my "immunity" has become stronger? The massacre of a mere forty people can no longer attract me.
Interested?
Yes, before there was the massacre of tens of millions of Qing troops entering the country, and later there was the Nanjing Massacre of hundreds of thousands of Japanese troops. Now the Qing army comes over with a force and kills dozens of civilians. Can it still be called a "massacre"?
...Xiang Xiaoqiang closed his eyes and deeply regretted the numb thoughts in his subconscious.
I come from later generations. Although they are the same nation, that nation has been repeatedly slaughtered in modern times, modern times, and contemporary times, and has become as numb as a flock of sheep. Judging from the standards of a flock of sheep, during the war, only a few
Dozens of civilians were stabbed to death by enemy bayonets, which was certainly not a big deal.
Xiang Xiaoqiang once envied the citizens of those contemporary powerful countries. Their citizens were killed or kidnapped overseas. Even if there were only a few people, the country would use all means to protect and rescue them. For the lives of a few ordinary citizens, the country would not hesitate to do so.
They dispatch helicopters and special forces, and they do not hesitate to violate other countries' territorial waters and airspace, and even start wars. The United States, Israel... they are not countries of sheep, they are countries of tigers and wolves.
Xiang Xiaoqiang knew that his face must be ugly now, so he subconsciously glanced at the reporter next to him.
"Bang!" There was a burst of white smoke, and the reporter accurately captured this "Angry General Xiang".
...I have already killed the number one culprit, Hafuna, without giving him a chance to appear in court. Now standing in the dock are the seven gendarmes who personally committed the murder, and the two who directed the killing on the spot.
Division staff. The nine of them were reported by many soldiers, and the evidence is conclusive.
Fortunately, it seems that the Ming Dynasty has not turned into a country of sheep. These nine murderers must die.
The main purpose of this public trial was a political offensive against the Manchus by the Ming government, which was to make this matter more influential internationally. The military court invited itself to observe, and some used their special status to attract attention.
mean.
He is the youngest general of the Ming Dynasty and the battlefield opponent of the murderous culprit Ha Feng'a. The old men in the headquarters have instructed him to look for opportunities. It is best to make an impassioned speech in court and rebuke him with the image of an indignant young general.
Qinglu, in this way, many things that are inconvenient for judges and prosecutors to say can be said by myself as a bystander, which greatly enhances the propaganda effect.
Now in Ming Dynasty, like all civilized countries, the law must ensure that every defendant has a defense lawyer, even if the defendant is heinous and the evidence is conclusive.
The defense lawyer in court was provided by Ming Dynasty for them, but he still appeared to be very conscientious and neither humble nor overbearing in his defense. He firmly grasped the starting point of "must obey orders" and tried his best to shift all the responsibility for the massacre to the dead Ha
Feng'a advocated that all nine defendants were innocent.
Although every time he said something, there was a burst of boos in the auditorium, but Xiang Xiaoqiang still saw some clues.
It seems... even this defense lawyer hopes to avenge those villagers.
First of all, he was conducting a not guilty plea, not a mitigation plea. In other words, he was not asking for a lighter punishment, but asking for release in court. At first glance, he seemed to be thinking about them, but this was tantamount to asking the court on behalf of the defendant.
An impossible request was made.
If they admit guilt and only ask for a reduced crime, then, considering that they were ordered, it is very likely that the crime will be reduced by one level and their lives can be saved. Now they directly demand innocence. These people killed people with their own hands, killing an average of five civilians each.
, the evidence is conclusive, even if you obey the order, it is unlikely that you will be found not guilty in any country's court. In this case, if you are found guilty, there will be no doubt that the death penalty will be imposed.
If Xiang Xiaoqiang guessed correctly, this lawyer betrayed professional ethics but chose to obey human conscience.
The old judge adjusted his glasses, knocked his gavel, and said:
"This court has heard the submissions of both the prosecution and the defense. Before adjourning the court to pronounce the verdict, it is time for the defendants to make their final statements. Nine defendants, do you have anything to say?"
Nine defendants stood in the dock, some bowed their heads and remained silent, like old monks in meditation, some were trembling and praying desperately, and the rest were pale and looked at each other, all hesitating. They thought they would definitely not survive.
, I was all prepared to curse in court and appear more heroic. Maybe the court would recognize me as a hero or something. But now I see that there are still so many ways. I killed people from the Ming Dynasty. The Ming Dynasty
He also sent someone to defend himself, so why call him a defense lawyer? It seemed that he was standing up for himself, and his hope was rekindled, so he didn't dare to talk nonsense.
In addition, the defense lawyer said it succinctly, yes, I was obeying the order, what was wrong with me? Why did you shoot me?
One of the youngest defendants' face turned red from holding back, as if he wanted to say something. Finally, he made up his mind and shouted loudly:
"I'm not convinced! Let me say a few words!"
The courtroom buzzed with whispers, and the judge said:
"The defendant He Dongshun, you can say."
Hesheli Dongshun, he was one of the Qing military police who killed people with his own hands. He looked about eighteen or nineteen years old. He seemed to be suppressing a ball of injustice in his chest and said loudly:
"Why do you just say that we kill people? Why don't you say that you yourself kill people?... Do you have the guts to say it in front of so many people?"
The courtroom instantly became abuzz with flashes of lights. The judge banged the gavel for a long time and finally calmed down. He pushed up his glasses, poked his head forward, and asked incredulously:
"Defendant He Dongshun, please explain clearly."
He Dongshun's face turned red:
"Why did you Ming Dynasty invade our Liaodong and kill so many of us? You almost killed all the people in Liaodong, and only thirteen of us were left. Isn't that killing? Today you still have the nerve to say that we kill,
Oh, you can kill, but we can’t?"
The court was almost abuzz with boos, whistles, curses, and laughter from many foreign reporters. He Dongshun was still saying something, but he could hardly hear it.
Xiang Xiaoqiang wondered, wondering why there is such a version? Isn't this too dramatic?
He Dongshun looked at the flashing lights all around and the "exclamations" in the hall, and couldn't help but feel a little proud, and continued:
"... There are still thirteen people killed by your Ming army in Liaodong... If our Emperor Taizu hadn't led these thirteen people and raised troops with thirteen sets of armor to fight against the Ming Dynasty and save the people of the world, you... would still have...
With you...how can you sit here peacefully today, talk nonsense, and confuse right and wrong? Do you still have a conscience?...You can't forget your roots as a human being!"
The laughter became louder, and Xiang Xiaoqiang also understood, and couldn't laugh or cry: Oh, so that's how the "thirteen pairs of armors raised troops" came about!
Youdao punched the old master to death. The gray-haired old judge seemed to be at a loss for how to answer the question. He adjusted his reading glasses, coughed and said:
"Defendant, please...please don't say anything irrelevant to this case."
He Dongshun bit his lip and stared at the judge, his chest heaving violently, extremely angry, and suddenly burst out:
"Oh, we kill people and it's relevant, but you kill people and they have nothing to do with it? Don't you say your Ming Dynasty is good? Your Ming Dynasty is the best country in the world? Is it okay to be unreasonable? Aren't you Ming Dynasty able to say anything?
It’s okay to cause trouble in the streets, it’s okay to scold the emperor, but why are you allowed to kill people and not us?... You say that we were poor in the Qing Dynasty, you were rich in the Ming Dynasty, and you are rich. Why are there still beggars on the streets? You ordinary people can
Eat big meat every day?...You say you are a constitutional country and are good for the people, so why are you still building a defense line on the Yangtze River?"
Xiang Xiaoqiang:......???
He Dongshun's lips trembled with excitement as he continued:
"...Aren't you just afraid that we will liberate the people in Jiangnan? You are really good for the people, and you have the guts to open up the defense line and see who the people welcome? Who can do good things for the people?... You say you have a constitutional government, why do you still attack us?
The Qing Dynasty sent spies?... Why did you come to us and spread rumors that the Qing Dynasty was better off than us? Do you think the common people are fools like you? Why don't you listen to what the common people sing? 'Since Emperor Zhu came out, ten
"There will be nine years of drought every year," is this what you people sang by yourself, right? Why don't you mention it?... Our land in the Qing Dynasty is not as good as yours, but we still have great harvests every year, and we are prosperous every year. What about you? Ten
There will be a nine-year drought in the middle of the year!...Hmph, I usually disguise myself so well, but it was exposed by my words, right? Is there nothing to say?...Duplicity! A rogue country!"
Xiang Xiaoqiang had the desire to stand up and argue with him at first, but now he only felt depressed in his chest. Faced with the plausible nonsense, he had no place to argue.
The guard next to him saw his face turned red and his chest was shaking slightly, so he whispered:
"Sir, what's there to be angry about like this mad dog? Qinglu is full of lunatics like this... Haha, it would be interesting if you could get a copy of Qinglu's textbook and read it..."
Xiang Xiaoqiang sighed deeply, listened to the roar of laughter in the hall, and said coldly:
"Really?...I don't think there's anything interesting about it."
He let out a long breath and leaned back tiredly. He was originally going to take the opportunity to stand up and refute, but now he felt it was unnecessary. Xiang Xiaoqiang just felt a deep sadness.
…
"This hall now pronounces the verdict, everyone stands up."
There was a buzz, and everyone in the court, including the prosecution, defense, defendants, reporters, and everyone in the gallery stood up.
The judge, wearing reading glasses, pronounced the verdict:
"The Supreme Military Court of the Ming Empire has now made its verdict on the case of killing civilians on January 21, 1936. The defendants are Bayala Chonggui, Alha Ershun, Nala Ande, Erdet Xiong Bao, Wu
Sun-Fucai, Hesheli-Dongshun, Niu Hulu-Youtian, Dong E-Dacai, and Ergenjueluo-Lichang jointly killed 45 villagers in Zhangjiacun, violating Article 46 of the Fourth Hague Convention.
Article 12 of the crime of killing enemy non-combatant civilians, as well as the crime of first-degree murder in Article 12 of the Ming Dynasty's "Criminal Law". The nine defendants were found guilty and sentenced to death by hanging..."
As soon as the three words "hang liju" were uttered, the whole audience burst into cheers, with wild applause, cheers, whistles, and stamping of feet. Cameras flashed in all directions, and white smoke rose "bang bang", almost
It messed up the air in the hall.
The faces of the nine defendants were as white as paper, and three of them collapsed on the spot.
He Dongshun, who was making an impassioned speech, stood proudly and glanced contemptuously at the judge in the court, with a victorious smile on his face, as if Bruno was about to be burned to death for upholding the truth.
The old judge kept banging his gavel, but it was completely in vain. The trial had reached its climax at this moment. More than a dozen relatives of the victims cried bitterly and hugged each other, including two old people.
Ting knelt down, kowtowed to the court, and was pulled up by the military police...
After a while, cheers from outside were faintly heard, and there were many people listening to the sound.
Each of the nine defendants was held by two military policemen, shackled, and taken out.
"Exit the court!"
…
Xiang Xiaoqiang stood up amidst the commotion, put on his hat, and ordered the guard:
"let's go."
Xiang Xiaoqiang walked outside and looked at the scene in front of him in surprise. Oh, it turned out that he was not just cheering for the verdict.
On the wide Changping Road, hundreds of Qing prisoners of war were crowded in a dark crowd, three or five people in a row, marching slowly in the middle of the road. The queue was so long that it could not be seen to the end. They had empty hands and dejected faces, and on both sides were people riding on horseback.
The tall and powerful military policemen of the Ming army marched beside them with guns in hand.
Nanjing citizens on both sides burst into cheers, and the cheers came one after another, and soon they became a neat slogan: