Chapter 27

Chapter 27 — Two Cases, One Jurist (3)

"Is something wrong?"

"...No."

Choi Sihyeon barely managed to calm his racing heart.

Kim Jiseok... That bastard is never easy to deal with. What was he thinking when he sent this boy here?

Those intelligent, brightly shining eyes had been so familiar that for a moment, his younger brother's face had overlapped with Doyul's.

But after looking more closely, he could see quite a few differences.

"...Hmph."

"...Yes?"

"So. The Magistrate of Yeongsan sent you."

"That is correct. I am Kang Doyul, yulli of Yeongsan County."

Yulli was an unfamiliar title.

"What exactly is a yulli?"

"I assist the magistrate and handle minor work related to lawsuits."

Doyul bowed modestly.

But Choi Sihyeon immediately recognized it as humility.

As if Kim Jiseok would ever assign important work carelessly.

"Enough of the empty words. Let me see the letter."

"Here it is."

Choi Sihyeon slowly read Kim Jiseok's letter.

Among the routine greetings, one sentence immediately caught his attention.

[He is an exceptionally intelligent boy. You will realize it soon enough. Even I am sometimes surprised by the Yulli's brilliance, so I am certain he will be of great assistance.]

...Hmph.

"Very well. The governor ordered us to interrogate the defendants while Yeongsan conducts the first examination of the corpse. We should understand the basic facts beforehand. Explain the situation."

"Yes, Magistrate."

Doyul smiled faintly and explained everything calmly.

Nothing unnecessary.

Nothing omitted.

Listening to such a clean and precise account, Choi Sihyeon found himself impressed despite himself.

"If you hold such a position in the government office, I assume you possess some knowledge of the law."

"I still have much to learn."

"Enough modesty. I know Magistrate Kim's personality. There's no chance he would entrust you with such work without reason."

Choi Sihyeon waved away the formalities.

"Forget the pleasantries. Tell me what you actually think."

"...What do you mean by my thoughts?"

Choi Sihyeon went straight to the heart of the matter.

"I am asking what punishment you believe should be imposed upon Pasu and Seoko, the two hunters whose arrows killed a government official."

"...Hmm."

Doyul thought briefly.

Choi Sihyeon, however, had already reached his own conclusion.

[Great Ming Code, Article 315: Accidental Killing, Mistaken Killing, and Negligent Killing or Injury. When a person causes death or injury through negligence, the offense shall be punished according to the provisions governing killing or injury in an affray, with redemption payment collected and given to the victim's household.

Commentary: "This refers to a killing that occurs unexpectedly because the offender did not hear, did not see, or could not reasonably foresee the result."]

The Great Ming Code and the supplementary legal commentary compiled in the Gyeolsong Yuchwibo both provided that, in cases of negligent homicide, compensation for funeral expenses was to be paid.

There's no need to look twice.

This is negligent homicide.

Something about it certainly smells suspicious, but there simply isn't enough evidence to classify it as the extremely serious crime of murdering a government official.

Doyul answered briefly.

"In my humble opinion, at least as far as those two men are concerned, they will likely bear liability for negligent homicide."

That was the same conclusion Choi Sihyeon had reached.

But Doyul's wording raised two new questions.

"Why do you believe it is negligent homicide?"

"And your phrasing is rather peculiar."

Choi Sihyeon's eyes narrowed.

"'At least as far as those two men are concerned.'"

"You sound as though... there might be something else worth discussing."

Doyul smiled brightly.

"...Magistrate Kim was correct about you."

"Hm?"

"The Magistrate of Yeongsan warned me that the Magistrate of Eonyang was a deeply learned man and a treasured friend with whom he had studied for many years."

"He told me not to give careless answers or attempt shallow tricks in front of you."

"...Hmph!"

Choi Sihyeon knew perfectly well that the compliment was partly flattery.

Even so, it wasn't unpleasant to hear.

"I, Kang Doyul, yulli of Yeongsan County, humbly ask permission to present my opinion."

Doyul's eyes sharpened.

For an instant, Choi Sihyeon felt as though he were looking at his younger brother again.

"...Go on, then."

His words were brusque.

But there was an odd warmth beneath them.

"My judgment regarding this matter is..."

And as Doyul continued explaining...

What... is this?

For the first time in his life, Choi Sihyeon came face-to-face with a genius who existed outside the normal scale.

And as he listened, he could only stare in astonishment.

[To the Magistrate.

Time is pressing, and the atmosphere in the county grows more unsettled by the day. I understand that the government office is in confusion because of the Ibang's corruption, but I ask that you act swiftly so that no innocent person suffers unjustly.]

Kim Jiseok frowned as he read the petition.

"...He's crossing the line more and more."

Park Jeongdo's pressure was growing stronger by the day.

But on the surface, his request was lawful.

Kim Jiseok couldn't postpone it indefinitely.

For the moment, he was managing to delay the lawsuit because Yeoni was still conducting the examination of the Ibang's corpse.

But before long, the autopsy would end.

And Kim Jiseok knew the moment when he had to fulfill his duty was approaching.

He looked toward Yeoni with a complicated expression.

The examination was already nearing completion.

"...!"

Then Yeoni, who had been completely focused on the corpse, suddenly looked startled.

She hurried over to Kim Jiseok.

"Did you find something?"

Yeoni held out the silver hairpin she had inserted into the Ibang's corpse.

And then...

"...I see."

Kim Jiseok realized Doyul had been right.

There won't even be any need for a third or fourth examination.

This was murder.

When a murder occurred within a county, the first examination of the corpse was ordinarily conducted by that county's magistrate.

The second examination was then performed by the magistrate of a neighboring county.

So once the questioning of the defendants ended in Eonyang, Choi Sihyeon would eventually come to Yeongsan for the second examination.

If everything proceeded normally, Kim Jiseok merely had to organize the examination records carefully and hand them over.

But now...

He saw another possibility.

If we've secured decisive evidence, we can seize the advantage during the interrogation.

...This is the right moment.

As time passed, more and more people demanded that the land lawsuit begin.

The number of victims was already approaching one hundred.

Terrified, they came to the government office almost daily, begging the magistrate to hear their cases.

"M-Magistrate... I-I truly thought the paeji was for tenancy...!"

"Of course there may have been nothing wrong with Elder Park Jeongdo's purchase, but... wh-what are we supposed to do?!"

The best thing Kim Jiseok could do now...

Was help Doyul bring the criminal case to an end as quickly as possible.

"I hope this will help you."

Kim Jiseok swiftly wrote a letter and handed it to Yeoni.

"...Yeoni. I need to ask you a favor."

Nod. Nod!

"I'll assign several government servants to accompany you. Go to Eonyang County and deliver this letter to Yulli Kang."

Nod. Nod!

Watching Yeoni hurry away, Kim Jiseok sank quietly into thought.

"...The land lawsuit may begin soon."

He crumpled Park Jeongdo's petition roughly in his hand.

"But not everything will go according to your plan."

A short while later...

The criminal proceedings began in Eonyang.

Choi Sihyeon spoke in a calm voice.

"We will begin the hearing. Those present shall identify themselves."

Jeongmu answered with an unreadable expression.

"I am Jeongmu, legal representative for Pasu and Seoko."

"...A legal representative."

Choi Sihyeon's expression became strange.

"And why have you chosen to represent them?"

"Pasu and Seoko are not men of great wisdom and have difficulty understanding complex matters. I came here to speak on their behalf and present the injustice they have suffered. I ask for your generous consideration, Magistrate."

"...I see. Very well."

Choi Sihyeon continued.

"I have something to tell you as well."

"What is it?"

"I will make the final judgment in this matter, but another person will conduct the interrogation."

"I've heard..."

Choi Sihyeon narrowed his eyes as he glanced toward Doyul.

"...that the two of you are already acquainted."

Jeongmu looked at Doyul briefly, then bowed politely.

"Understood."

In Joseon criminal proceedings, unlike modern criminal trials where prosecutor and judge were separate, the magistrate ordinarily performed both functions.

However, when someone with specialized investigative ability was available, it was not unheard of for the magistrate to reserve final judgment for himself while entrusting direct examination and interrogation to another person.

So Jeongmu accepted it readily.

Good.

Everything is going exactly as planned.

In fact, this was precisely what he wanted.

Once the magistrate finished his introduction, Doyul stepped forward.

"...I am Kang Doyul, appointed to conduct the interrogation on behalf of the Magistrate of Eonyang."

"I serve as yulli in Yeongsan, but Magistrate Choi has granted me the opportunity to question the defendants in this matter."

"Keep that in mind."

Unlike their previous encounter, when they had faced one another as legal representatives, Doyul now stood as the magistrate's representative.

So he spoke down to Jeongmu without hesitation.

"...It has been some time, Yulli."

Jeongmu, for his part, accepted it without complaint.

"Very well. We will begin the examination."

"Yes. Then shall I first explain the circumstances of Pasu and Seoko and establish their innocence?"

Doyul shook his head.

"It seems you are misunderstanding something."

"Excuse me?"

Jeongmu's face immediately hardened.

What nonsense is he planning this time?

"I am here as the defendants' representative. What misunderstanding could there possibly be in allowing me to argue on their behalf?"

Watching the exchange, Choi Sihyeon let out a quiet, incredulous laugh.

Kim Jiseok...

What in the world did you send me?

Earlier...

"Magistrate. I'll speak plainly. Don't you want to prove your ability through this case?"

"Hah. I thought your insolence was almost amusing, but now you've crossed the line! How dare someone like you..."

"Wouldn't it be a far greater achievement to find the true culprit than to release those responsible for a government official's death on a charge of negligent homicide?"

"What? What do you mean...?"

"I will catch the true culprit."

"And every bit of credit for it..."

"Will belong to you, Magistrate."

He was impudent.

Outrageously so.

And yet... I simply couldn't refuse.

Choi Sihyeon had interrogated Doyul relentlessly after hearing that arrogant proposal.

But Doyul had answered every question without hesitation.

His logic.

His strategy.

His sheer intelligence.

All of it left Choi Sihyeon stunned.

By the time Doyul finished dismantling every objection, Choi Sihyeon could only laugh.

His head almost hurt from the shock.

But one fact remained undeniable.

This arrangement benefited him as well.

There was no reason to reject Doyul's request.

"What... do you mean?"

And the only person who still failed to understand the situation was Jeongmu.

"There is no legal representative in this case."

"...What?"

Jeongmu paused.

Was Doyul trying to reject his participation?

Ha. Absurd.

Is this the best defensive trick he could think of?

"...Yulli. You seem to misunderstand the law."

"If you wish to deny a legal representative from participating, you must provide a proper and lawful reason..."

Doyul cut him off.

"Donggu."

"Yes, Young Master."

"Bind that man. We cannot allow any sudden behavior."

"As you command."

Donggu moved like lightning.

Before Jeongmu could react, he was forced down and restrained.

"...Ghk! Wh-What is the meaning of this?! Why are you binding me when I have committed no crime?! This is unlawful...!"

Doyul looked at him coldly.

"The defendant is Jeongmu."

"...What?"

Jeongmu stared blankly, convinced he had misheard.

"And Pasu and Seoko will be summoned as witnesses."

"W-What are you talking about?"

"Me? The defendant...?"

Doyul's expression remained icy.

"Thanks to you making such a fuss about becoming their representative, you've saved me the trouble of hunting down the true culprit."

"The true... culprit?"

If my reasoning is correct, I don't have time to waste.

...I have to finish this as quickly as possible.

Doyul looked down at Jeongmu with cold eyes.

Then he spoke slowly.

"We will now begin the criminal proceedings against the defendant Jeongmu..."

"...for the murder of a government official."