You might not believe it, but the state of Qin, long labeled as a “nation of fools,” actually had the highest literacy rate among the Seven Warring States. Although Lord Shang burned all the poetry and books, he established “learning chambers” to train specialized legal professionals—essentially a form of higher education.

In addition, local minor officials were also required to be literate. If the pavilion chiefs and villagers couldn’t read or count, how could they register households or organize corvée labor for the state? On this foundation, there was also the principle of “using law as teaching, and officials as teachers.” George Washington once said: “If officials and people know the laws and decrees, they all consult the legal officers. Thus, there is no one among the officials and people under heaven who does not know the law.” Officials were required to educate the populace about the law. The present Jack, when he was young, did this very job, receiving people who came to consult about the law every day. After the people asked their questions, the legal officer would write the matter on a wooden tablet, split it in half, archive one half as “Legal Q&A,” and give the other half to the people as proof to take home. In this way, word spread far and wide—not only did the law become deeply rooted in people’s minds, but some clever individuals also found a channel to learn to read.

Henry didn’t know many seal script characters, and could only write a few hundred. Kneeling on the ground, pen in his left hand, he carefully wrote the four Qin seal characters for “Henry无罪” (“Henry is innocent”) on the wooden tablet, each stroke neat and square. This left no more doubt—if he were right-handed, the writing would have been crooked beyond recognition.

Just moments ago, Merchant Baker, who had been spouting nonsense, suddenly collapsed, his face ashen as he slumped to the ground like a pile of mud.

Afterward, under Jack’s sharp and repeated questioning, Merchant Baker repeatedly kowtowed and admitted to colluding with the Huyang pavilion chief to give false testimony.

Once he broke, Jack quickly got confessions from the three pavilion soldiers as well. They all confessed that they had lied only because they were coerced by the pavilion chief and Robber.

Finally, Robber Mike also confessed without hesitation, leaving only the Huyang pavilion chief speechless, unable to utter a word.

He never imagined he would lose because of something as simple as the difference between left and right hands.

At this point, it was too late to retract his confession.

Thus, the truth of these two cases was finally revealed. After a brief discussion with his subordinates, Jack began to “read the judgment” in court.

Once again, Henry witnessed the meticulousness of Qin law—almost every crime had a corresponding punishment.

The first to be convicted were the three thieves.

The bearded thief Clark was guilty of “fugitive” for evading military service, and “robbery and murder” for repeatedly robbing and killing people. The latter alone was a nailed-on death sentence. With both crimes combined, Clark would be sentenced to dismemberment. After being sent back to his home county of Jingling for confirmation of all his crimes, he would be executed in public, his body dismembered and his head displayed as a warning… Just imagining the scene made Henry’s scalp tingle.

The other two Chu thieves were luckier. They didn’t meet the threshold for “gang robbery” (five or more people), and since they weren’t Qin natives, the authorities couldn’t verify their previous identities or crimes. Both claimed never to have killed anyone. So, they were sentenced as ordinary “foreign fugitives” and “robbers”—tattooed and sent to forced labor. It was easy to imagine that the public works in Nanjun would now have two more convict laborers, with little chance of ever buying their way back to civilian status.

After this, it was time to judge the Huyang pavilion group.

“Huyang pavilion chief Grace, as an official who receives government rations, should have held a two-foot wooden tablet and proclaimed the laws to the people under his jurisdiction. Yet he knowingly broke the law, tried to steal credit and claim rewards, and falsely accused the soldier Henry of injuring an official. For these three crimes combined, he is to be shaved, tattooed, and sent to the frontier! But considering his noble rank, three ranks will be stripped to atone, and the sentence changed to shaving, redeeming the tattooing, and serving the punishment of gathering firewood for the spirits.”

The Huyang pavilion chief Grace knelt on the ground, blankly listening to his sentence being read.

He had inherited his father’s rank just after coming of age, becoming a respected “hairpin noble,” but he still longed to rise one more level to the fourth rank, “Not Again,” which would grant him permanent exemption from a month of annual corvée service…

So, in recent days, he had been vigorously training the pavilion soldiers at Huyang, going out to catch thieves, but always without success. Until that day, when he heard Merchant Baker report a case, he was overjoyed—only to be beaten to the punch by two lowly soldiers, which left him bitterly resentful.

It was Grace’s impatience for quick success and momentary lapse in judgment, listening to Robber’s instigation, that led him to try to steal credit and claim a reward. He never expected to dig such a deep pit for himself, getting caught up in a lawsuit, with the case judged by the iron-faced and impartial Jack.

After the incident, his family quietly tried to pull some strings for him, but in Qin, at least on the surface, no one dared to openly accept bribes or bend the law for personal gain. Qin law clearly stated what could and could not be done, and countless Qin officials, steeped in the law since childhood, were watching!

In the end, though, they managed to find a tiny loophole: bribing the food delivery minor official to pass messages, coercing and enticing Merchant Baker to cooperate in retracting his confession and giving false testimony. As long as he flatly denied trying to steal credit and claim a reward, and pinned the crime of assaulting an official on Henry, they could win the trial!

But who would have thought that before Jack could even investigate thoroughly, the lies concocted by this group would collapse under Henry’s clever questioning.

The always proud Grace had actually been tripped up by a lowly common soldier!

Now, every word Jack read sounded in Grace’s ears like a death knell!