There are many prisons in Chang'an, each managed by different government offices, which are used to hold prisoners of different statuses.

Yongxiang, Baogong and Tyranny Room are specially used to imprison the guilty female palace people in the palace; The silkworm chamber was used to hold people who had been tortured by the palace; The Northern Army's residence room is dedicated to delinquish military generals.

In addition, the Sanfu Mansion also has its own tiger's den dungeon for criminals and a county prison for ordinary criminals......

Being held in different prisons also reflects the identities of different prisoners.

In addition to these "state" prisons managed by the government offices, in the invisible dark corners of Chang'an City, there are many "prisons" of rich families and huge families, which are used to imprison those who offend themselves.

It is not an exaggeration to say that Chang'an is a big prison.

With so many prisons, how many prisoners are held in them, I am afraid that even Huo Guang, who knows the most about the Han Empire, can't say clearly.

Among these many prisons, the most famous is the Imperial Prison, which is under the direct jurisdiction of the Imperial Commander.

The people imprisoned in the edict were either directly arrested by the edict of the world, or they were arrested by the court lieutenant for the crime of defrauding the king, or they were the most heinous criminals and murderers.

After entering the edict and prison, being sentenced to five sentences is a trivial matter, and maybe the whole clan will be implicated and a dead clan will be wiped out.

However, being in prison does not mean that there is no life.

Sometimes the Son of Heaven issued an edict in the court to put the courtiers in prison, and it is very likely that it is only a momentary anger.

When the Son of Heaven's anger disappears, it is likely that he will release people for another reason, and he can even still have a place in the court.

If you are sent to prison, you will be sent to prison; If you go back to the court, you will go back to the court.

This edict is also the embodiment of the power of the Son of Heaven.

Therefore, the worst people are not those who were caught in the edict by the Son of Heaven, but those who were implicated in the edict.

Maybe the main culprit has been released and reinstated, but the accomplice still has to wait for death in the edict.

And Huang Ba, who Liu He came to the prison today, is a person who was implicated.

It was none other than Xiahou Sheng, who was involved in the edict and prison, who studied behind closed doors.

Huang Ba studied the "Book of Shang" with Xiahou Sheng, and at the same time studied the law, insisting that the law should be handled by the laws of the Han Dynasty.

A few years ago, Huang Ba was promoted to the rank of Tingwei Cheng of Qianshi, and when handling cases, he enforced the law impartially, never showed favoritism, and handled many unjust, false and wrongful cases.

Although he must be called the law of the Han Dynasty, he is not a cool official, but is called a follower by the people.

The reason is that when he tries cases, he always deliberately favors the people on the weaker side.

Favoring the powerless and powerless people will inevitably offend some powerful people who oppress the people.

Many colleagues advised him to be more restrained and stay away from the people who could be seen everywhere, but Huang Ba was unmoved, and still went his own way, and naturally there were more and more people who hated him.

A month ago, Xiahou Sheng was imprisoned for losing his honor in the palace and disrespecting Emperor Xiaowu. Out of public interest, Huang Ba wrote a letter to intercede for Xiahou Sheng.

Unexpectedly, his performance was left in the Shangshu Office and presented to Liu He.

What's even more important is that those officials who have been offended by Huang Ba jointly played a joint performance, slandering Huang Ba and Xiahou Sheng as the same party, and also disrespecting Emperor Xiaowu.

In the end, Huang Ba was sent to prison.

I don't know if it was negligence or ignorance, Xiahou Sheng ransomed the rest of the people who were imprisoned for the matter of going to the temple, but he slightly missed Huang Ba.

So a few days ago, when Liu He heard that Huang Ba was still in prison, he was still taken aback.

Being able to enforce the law impartially, being able to be appropriately biased towards the people, and being reasonable and reasonable is the person Liu He needs at this time.

……

The Son of Heaven came all the way to the outside of the edict, and the edict that hurriedly got the news hurriedly greeted him with a group of subordinate officials.

The name of the edict was Zhang Zhen, a fifty-year-old official.

Liu He had asked people to check him in advance, he was a hardcore Huo Dang, so it was annoying.

This person only became a prisoner in the county prison under Jing Zhaoyin at the age of forty, and his career is not dim, but it must not be bright.

Later, this person didn't know how to climb into the relationship with the Huo family, and by doing things for Huo Xian, he helped Huo Xian's mother and son clean up a lot of unloved people, so he became the edict of this rank Qianshi.

There are many people who say behind their backs that this edict is Huo Xian's private prison.

Although he has climbed to the position of the edict, the minister Zhang Zhen is now fifty years old, and there is no possibility of promotion.

Today, when he suddenly heard that the Son of Heaven was coming to patrol, he naturally came out immediately to greet him - what Huo Xian couldn't do, the Son of Heaven might be able to do.

Liu He entered the courtyard in silence and saw a group of subordinate officials bowing down.

casually counted, the number of people was as many as dozens, and even some fighting officials came.

Without the order of the edict, they would never dare to come to join in the fun, it seems that Zhang Zhen wants to make the pomp bigger so as to please the Son of Heaven.

There is nothing wrong with pandering to the will, but it is unforgivable to neglect political affairs.

What's more, it's still a Huo Party who only knows drill camps.

If you want to show off the flag overnight, I'm afraid it's too late.

After seeing the ceremony, Liu He was quite displeased, and wanted to give Zhang Zhen, who had a flattering face, a look.

So, Liu He didn't speak, looked at the subordinate officials coldly, and said after a while: "Zhuqing is busy with government affairs, so I won't delay Zhuqing's efforts, let's disperse." ”

Zhang Zhen didn't have the opportunity to see the Son of Heaven on weekdays, let alone these subordinate officials.

And the edict is not like other government offices, the Son of Heaven in all dynasties rarely comes once, and today everyone naturally wants to leave a good impression in front of the Son of Heaven.

But when the Son of Heaven spoke, how could he not leave?

After a moment of hesitation, he saluted the Son of Heaven again, and then dispersed in disagreement.

After a while, there were only two people left in the courtyard, one was Zhang Zhen, the edict order, and the other was Chen Xiu, the edict commander.

Zhang Zhen was eager to try, and wanted to come up and say a few words to the Son of Heaven, but Liu He didn't buy his account, and said directly: "Chen Xiu left a reply, you can also retreat." ”

Although he was unwilling, Zhang Zhen was helpless, he glanced at Chen Xiu jealously, bowed, and respectfully retreated.

If this edict is a solid person, then Liu He will have to keep him for a while, so it seems that sooner or later he will have to be replaced.

After the people were gone, Liu He motioned for Chen Xiu to come over.

In addition to the two of them, there are only Yu Wuwu and the four silent Changyi Lang.

"Chen Qing, I haven't seen you for months, have you always been okay?" Liu He asked with a smile, which was completely different from the indifferent appearance in the face of the edict just now.

"Thank you, Your Majesty, everything is fine with Weichen."

"How many officials are there in the Imperial Prison now?"

"There are fifteen subordinate officials of two hundred stone and above, thirty subordinate officials of two hundred stone and above fighting food, sixty fighting food officials, and two hundred regular soldiers."

"How many prisoners are there in the prison?"

"Four hundred and fifty men and one hundred and twenty women."

The entire Imperial Prison is not much bigger than the Lieutenant's Mansion in Changyi State.

The front yard is the torture chamber, the Zhu Cao, and a small prison temple, the middle courtyard is the main hall, and the back yard is the dense cell - unlike the situation in the front and back houses of other government offices, the back house is given to the prisoners, after all, they are the regular guests here.

Listening to Chen Xiu's words, Liu He nodded silently.

This Changyi vassal is good, and it's time to straighten him out.

"Yes, I came to the prison today, first, to see you, and second, I want to see a prisoner, this prisoner is called Huang Ba."

"Huang Ba, in cell No. 1, I've been locked in for a month."

"But anyone has come to see him?"

"The case has not yet been closed, so relatives cannot visit, so no one has ever visited."

Xiahou Sheng had been pondering the half volume of "Analects" at home for a month, and this Huang Ba was still waiting for the sentence of the court captain in prison.

It's a weird thing.

"Xiahou Sheng was released from prison, didn't he come to atone for him?"

Chen Xiu's face was embarrassed, and he seemed to have something unspeakable.

"What can't I say in front of me?" Liu He asked rhetorically with a bit of gloom.

Chen modified his face, and hurriedly confessed: "It seems that Huo Xian, the general's wife, is saying that she wants to resentence Huang Ba, but she has not been sentenced and cannot be redeemed." ”

The gloomy color on Liu He's face became darker and darker. This Huo Xian, it's too lenient, is this Son of Heaven's edict really Huo Xian's private prison.

(End of chapter)