Wei Peng looked at Li Mu in confusion, not knowing what was going on.
The director of the Ministry of Justice came back to his senses and looked at Wei Bin again. He asked, "Are you saying that other than you, there was someone else who raped the girl that night? Did you gang rape her?"
The sentence had been reduced from seven years to five years. Wei Bin nodded repeatedly and said, "There was also Jiang Zhe, Ji Yun, Song Zhou, and Ye Cong. There were five of us …"
The director of the Ministry of Justice rubbed his forehead and began to realize the seriousness of the matter.
Gang rape with more than two people had already exceeded the limit of a ten-year sentence. Gang rape with five people was the worst type of crime. It was unpardonable, and there was no doubt that the main culprit would be sentenced to death. Even the important accomplices would not be able to escape death.
It was nothing more than sentencing Wei Bin to death. Among all the death sentences, death by beheading was undoubtedly the lightest. Worse than death by beheading, there were also dismemberment by five horses, death by a thousand cuts, and even torture against the soul. Just thinking about it made one shudder …
Wei Bin was a member of the Academy after all. He did not know what to do. He looked at the assistant director of the Ministry of Justice and gave him a questioning look.
Zhou Zhong stood up and said, "Just sentence it as it should be."
The director of the Ministry of Justice took a deep breath and looked at Wei Bin again. He asked, "Who came up with the idea of gang raping the girl?"
Wei Bin said, "It was Jiang Zhe."
The director of the Ministry of Justice continued to ask, "Who tricked the girl into going to the inn?"
Wei Bin said, "It was me. It was Ji Yun who drugged her. Sir, I've already confessed. Can I not go to jail …"
The director of the Ministry of Justice sighed and said, "You don't have to go to jail."
Wei Bin's face lit up with ecstasy. "Really?"
Wei Bin's father also looked happy. As an official, the director of the Ministry of Revenue instinctively felt that something was wrong. Wei Peng's face was full of disbelief. Once a woman was raped, there was no way to escape punishment. How could Wei Bin not have to go to jail?
At this moment, the director of the Ministry of Justice continued, "According to the thirty-sixth article of the second volume of the 'Law of Great Zhou', Wei Bin, Jiang Zhe, and Ji Yun, as the main culprits of the gang rape case, are sentenced to death. The others are to be sent back to the yamen for trial …"
Wei Bin was stunned for a moment, and the smile on his face froze. He suspected that he had heard wrongly.
His sentence had clearly been reduced from seven years to five years. How did it suddenly become a death sentence?
Wei Bin's father rushed to the court and said in shock, "Lord, how could this be? You can't judge him like this. You can't judge him like this …"
Wei Peng cried out loudly, "My lord, this is against the law!"
The director of the Ministry of Justice ordered one of the bailiffs, "Show him the law of Great Zhou from our yamen."
The bailiff left the court and soon came back with a thick book and handed it to Wei Peng.
As soon as he held the book, Wei Peng felt that it was completely different from the Law of Great Zhou that he had been reading these days. This book was slightly heavier and thicker than the ones he had been reading. The pages also looked like they needed to be updated. The pages of his Law of Great Zhou were already yellowed.
He skillfully flipped to the second volume, and sure enough, he found an additional explanation after that law.
Under the crime of rape, if there were two or more people taking turns, the punishment would be severe. If there were five or more people taking turns, the main offender and important accomplices would be executed at the very least …
Wei Peng's body trembled, and the Law of Great Zhou in his hand fell to the ground.
All this time, he had been studying the outdated law, forgetting to eat and sleep. His face was filled with grief and indignation as he lamented, "Yang Xiu has wronged me!"
Li Mu returned to his position. At this point in the investigation, Wei Bin, Jiang Zhe, and the other two could not escape death.
Even if Wei Bin was willing to plead guilty, it could not change this fact. Whether he was willing to plead guilty or not, the Ministry of Justice could easily obtain the complete truth from him.
Apart from Wei Bin and Jiang Zhe, there were three more people from the Hundred Rivers Academy that needed to be arrested.
Li Mu walked to the director of the Ministry of Justice and said, "There are three more criminals from the Hundred Rivers Academy. I know that Lord Yang is afraid of the academy. My Divine Capital yamen will help you capture this person. What do you think, Lord Yang?"
The director of the Ministry of Justice was worried about this matter. When he heard this, he said happily, "That's naturally the best …"
Li Mu walked past Wei Bin and the others and strode out of the Ministry of Justice. He said to Wang Wu and the others who were waiting outside, "Let's go back to the Hundred Rivers Academy."
The group of people returned to the Hundred Rivers Academy from the Ministry of Justice. Along the way, they were surrounded by people.
"Bastards! The academy has taught a bunch of bastards!"
"Calling them bastards is an insult to bastards. They are worse than bastards!"
"What's the point of an academy like this existing? It's better to disband it!"
…
After learning about the atrocities of the academy's students from Wang Wu and the others, the crowd was immediately enraged. They rushed toward the Hundred Rivers Academy in a mighty manner.
The higher the academy's status in the hearts of the people, the worse the fall would be when they fell from the altar.
In the past, no one in the Divine Capital dared to reprimand the academy. During this period of time, Li Mu had undoubtedly become the spiritual leader of the people.
Li Mu could also clearly feel the people's love and faith in him.
This kind of love and faith was difficult to form but easy to collapse. From beginning to end, he had to stand on the side of justice.
At the entrance of the Hundred Rivers Academy, the old man appeared and said angrily, "Wei Bin has already been given to you. What are you doing here?"
Li Mu said indifferently, "Wei Bin has already confessed a few of his accomplices. They are called Ji Yun, Song Zhou, and Ye Cong. Come out and go to the Ministry of Justice for trial."
The old man's expression froze. He keenly sensed the danger.
In just half a month, the academy had already had five students tied up in court. Although this was nothing to the hundreds of students in the Hundred Rivers Academy, it was a bad start.
He quickly returned to the academy and reported this matter to the vice president.
Vice President Chen's entire face was dark. He said gloomily, "Three more. Get those three bastards to come see me …"
Not long after, Ji Yun, Song Zhou, and Ye Cong were summoned. The three of them seemed to have known what would happen. They lowered their heads and said nothing with pale faces.
Vice President Chen said angrily, "What did the three of you do? Tell me honestly!"
The three of them shuddered for a moment before they told him everything that had happened.
"Gang rape?"
Vice President Chen looked at them in a daze. A moment later, he laughed loudly. "Good, good. These are the good students that my Hundred Rivers Academy has taught …"
Jiang Zhe's case did not cause any serious consequences, but it was different this time.
The academy was established because the quality of Great Zhou's officials was uneven at that time. Emperor Wen ordered people to establish the academy and recruit students with clean backgrounds. He had them study the books of the sages in the academy and cultivate their virtue. At the same time, he had them learn how to rule a country, divine abilities, and spells to protect a region.
Unexpectedly, a hundred years later, the students of the academy, the future officials of Great Zhou, became criminals of gang rape.
Vice President Chen waved his hand and said, "Send them out and expel them from the academy. The Ministry of Justice can deal with them however they want."
When the three of them heard this, their expressions changed drastically.
"No, Vice President!"
"Vice President, save us!"
"Vice President, we know our mistakes. We won't dare to do it again …"
…
Vice President Chen shook his head and said, "If admitting your mistakes can atone for your crimes, then what's the use of the law? The academy did not teach you how to be a good person. It's the Vice President and the instructor's fault. Today, I'll teach you one last principle. You have to bear the consequences of your own mistakes …"
Ji Yun, Song Zhou, and Ye Cong were sent out with their hands tied behind their backs. This time, the people of the Hundred Rivers Academy did not say anything.
Not long after, in the Ministry of Justice's court.
Apart from Jiang Zhe, who was already in the Ministry of Justice's prison, Ji Yun, Song Zhou, Ye Cong, and Wei Bin were all kneeling in front of the court.
"Damn you, Wei Bin. Didn't you say you wouldn't rat us out?"
"If I knew this day would come, I wouldn't have believed you!"
"You can't escape, so you want to drag us down with you …"
Ji Yun, Song Zhou, and Ye Cong looked at Wei Bin, who was kneeling in a daze in the court. It was as if his soul had left his body.
Wei Bin's eyes were lifeless. He knelt there in a daze, as if his soul had been taken away.
Wei Peng's reaction was not any better. He stood outside the court with a blank expression.
Initially, the Minister of Justice had already sentenced Wei Bin to seven years of imprisonment. Wei Bin only needed to lose seven years of freedom, and after he was released, he would still be able to enjoy a luxurious life.
However, after his defense, Wei Bin's seven years of imprisonment was turned into a death sentence. He had no idea how to face his uncle's family.
Wei Bin's father was on the verge of collapsing. He shook Wei Peng's shoulder and said, "Give me back my son, give me back my son …"
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