Chapter 627
The Devers waited for a moment, but there was no response.
He raised his head and stared at the motionless Cunogorata, whose eyes were tightly shut. His heart was filled with a sense of loss.
He knew that the old man who had worked so hard for the establishment and expansion of Diónia was gone …
… …
"… Teacher Lysias defended himself, saying, 'The Sikaels are allies of Diónia, and it is not prohibited for the elders of the kingdom to have private dealings with the emissaries of the alliance. On the contrary, the emissaries of the alliance and other nations that come to Turií, before meeting the King of Devers and the Senate, will usually contact the elders they are familiar with to understand the situation of the kingdom and ask them to speak on their behalf. This has become a tradition. Why is it that these are normal dealings with the other elders, but when it comes to Laodisian, it becomes a sinner who betrays the interests of the kingdom?! "
The public prosecutor, Fraukelon, immediately retorted, saying, 'Laodisian privately received emissaries from other tribes, accepted a large sum of money, spoke in the Senate, and did not prioritize the interests of the kingdom, but instead spoke for the interests of the Tanibian tribe. This caused the Tanibian tribe's banditry of annexing neighboring tribes to go unnoticed by the Senate. Now, their power has grown to the point where they can threaten the safety of our fertile Catania Plains! If this is not treason, then what is treason! ' After that, he also produced a lot of evidence of Laodisian accepting bribes, as well as excerpts from the records of Laodisian speaking for the Tanibian tribe in the Senate … "
"Now that the evidence is irrefutable, how does your teacher defend himself?" Cynthia asked curiously.
"Teacher Lysias said calmly, 'The laws of the kingdom do not prohibit the elders from accepting gifts from visitors. Although this situation is no longer as obvious after the Polyxis case, it is still not uncommon, especially for the elders who are appointed as the chief executive of a city. Which one of them did not go to work alone when they took office, and when they left office, they returned with two or three carriages full of gifts? It is not uncommon for senators to have a good opinion of the giver, and to speak well of him in the Senate. If the Senate were to open the minutes of its proceedings, I believe the people would find that there were many such cases, and that Laodisian's conduct was therefore not a violation of the rules. As for causing the Tanik tribe to threaten the safety of their territory, Laodisian probably shouldn't be blamed for this. It was one thing to make a suggestion, but the final approval of the proposal required all the elders of the Senate to come to a unanimous decision. Why didn't any of the elders notice Tanique's plot? … '
"What a powerful defense!" She asked curiously, "How did Lysias explain that Laodisian owned land in Sikaer?"
"He said that there is no conclusive evidence for this matter. It's also possible that the slaves saw their master fall and exaggerated the truth in order to gain merit. It can't be used as evidence for the verdict," Crotocatax replied.
"That's a little quibbling." Cristoya frowned slightly and said, "The land is in the hands of the Sikaer people. It's impossible to go in and collect evidence."
"Teacher had no other choice. Faced with so much evidence, and with the entire court audience cursing Laodisian as a traitor, he could only try his best to turn the situation around."
Just as Cloto Catax was defending Lysias, the door to the backyard was pushed open. The Devers, who had been listening at the door for a while, walked into the garden.
"Father!" Cloto Catax and Cynthia shouted in unison.
"How is Lord Cunogorata?" Cristoya asked with concern. She remembered that the Devers had rushed out after hearing that Cunogorata's condition had worsened and he had fallen into a coma.
"He went to the Elysee …" the Devers said plainly.
The three of them who had been chatting fell silent.
After a while, Cristoya asked, "When is the funeral?"
"A few days later. His family needs to make preparations. After all, it's going to be a grand funeral. When the time comes, we'll be there, and so will the elders. Cunogorata has made great contributions to Diónia. He'll be stationed in the Pantheon! "The Devers said in a low voice. His words could be considered as the final verdict for Cunogorata.
Cristoya immediately understood her husband's intentions, "Sister Aegnis and I will bring the children to make preparations."
The Devers nodded and looked at his son, who was standing at the side, and asked, "Did you go to the court today?"
"Yes, father."
"What was the result?"
"The jury found that Laodisian, Lessiperatus, and the other elders were not guilty of treason, but were guilty of malfeasance. Judge Tritodemus sentenced Laodisian and Lessiperatus to three years in prison, and the others to one or two years respectively. He also confiscated the proceeds of their bribery and imposed a considerable fine. However, in the end, you still need to make the final decision, father (this is a power given to the king after the Union of Diónia became a kingdom). "
"Do you think I should reverse the verdict and ask for a retrial? Or agree with the verdict? "The Devers looked at his son and asked.
Crotocatax knew that his father was testing him. He immediately gathered his thoughts and thought for a while before answering seriously, "I think we should agree with the verdict!"
"Oh?"
"Because in this trial, no one committed perjury, and no one was biased. The trial was carried out in a fair and just environment. Even before the trial began, the audience was clamoring for the traitors to be severely punished. This had already affected the jury's judgment, but in the end, even the audience stopped clamoring and agreed with the court's verdict. Father, I don't know if this verdict is in line with your expectations, but it was made in accordance with the laws of Diónia. According to the laws of Diónia, the jury made the final verdict. Accepting this verdict is to respect the sacred laws of Diónia that you have presided over for the past ten years — "
"Croto, how can you speak to your father in such a tone!" Cristoya immediately reprimanded him softly.
The Devers, on the other hand, showed a gratified smile. "I am very happy that you have such insight! As a king, he cannot act recklessly. He must also abide by the law and know how to respect the law. Only when the king sets an example will the citizens not act recklessly, and the country's order will be guaranteed! "
"Yes, father," Crotocatax replied respectfully.
Cristoya looked at her husband and then at her son with a smile. How could she not know that her husband was educating his son as a future king?
Cynthia was also happy for her brother. Although her brother was the eldest son of the Devers, she never thought that the Devers would pass the throne to Adoris. After all, he was only an adopted son, and Croto was the true descendant of the Hades.
"Do you know why I have the final verdict?" The Devers asked again.
This question stumped Crotocatax. He thought for a moment and hesitated to speak.
The Devers understood what he was thinking and asked, "Son, do you think that I am greedy for this verdict?"
Crotocatax's expression changed, and he hurriedly shook his head.
The Devers smiled slightly. "The law is dead, but the human heart is alive, and the criminal is judged by humans. How can it be completely fair?! Moreover, although the law is sacred, it does not completely conform to the morals in the hearts of the people. "
"Completely conform to the morals in the hearts of the people?"
Seeing that his son seemed to understand, the Devers explained, "For example, this time, the sentence of these Sicilian senators is in accordance with the law of Diónia, but the harm and loss they caused to the kingdom is far more than a few years of imprisonment. A war is about to break out in Sicily, and if the measures are not taken properly, there will be endless wars. Don't you think that only two or three years of imprisonment is too easy for them? Another example is Paphogris, the son of Laodisian, who will be interrogated tomorrow. He is the devil who killed five or six girls in a row! "
When the Devers said this, Cristoya and Cynthia, who were at the side, looked angry.
"If we let Lysias defend him, with his ability, it is very likely that this murderer will not be sentenced to death, because the law of Diónia does not explicitly state that killing slaves and free people must be sentenced to death. But does this conform to the conscience in our hearts? Does it conform to the prophecy of the Hades?! "
"Father, this person is guilty of the most heinous crimes. The people hope that he will be sent to Hades and be judged by the three judges!" Cynthia, who had always been gentle, interrupted at this time.
"It seems that Teacher Lysias did not accept the request to defend that person," Cloto Catax said hurriedly.
"If that is the case, Lysias is still wise and calm. Otherwise, even if his defense is successful, his reputation will be ruined." The Devers said to his son with a serious expression, "Look, there are still flaws in the law of Diónia. On one hand, we need to improve the law, and on the other hand, we need to hold the final judgment. When we find that there is an obvious error in the judgment, we can ask for a new trial, so that the final result will conform to the morals agreed by the majority of the people …"
After listening, Crotocatax seriously thought for a while, and hesitantly asked again, "Father … just now, you said that 'the human heart is alive', but you have the final judgment … How can you guarantee that you … have no selfishness?"
The Devers was stunned.
Cristoya shouted again, "Crotot!"
The Devers waved his hand to stop his wife's scolding, and said patiently and proudly, "Child, you have the courage to think, the courage to question, and not blindly follow, I am very happy. This means that your studies in the school did not go to waste! Let me tell you, compared to the people of the kingdom, I am the most selfless. Because I am the king, the whole kingdom is my home. How can I allow those lawbreakers to destroy my home and steal my wealth! If I have selfishness, that selfishness is to protect the prosperity and stability of the kingdom, and … "
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