Justifiable Defence Episode 8 Recap
> Justifiable Defence Recap
At the procuratorial hearing, petitioner Li Mufeng stated he also wished to know the most authentic situation regarding the incident fourteen years prior, acknowledging the new evidence and doubts that had emerged. Witness Mei Zheng confirmed that the Zhang Yuan she mentioned as the fourth person at the scene was indeed the victim in the Case 4. 17 where Jiang Ting killed her husband.
Original investigators from the case explained that their investigation at the time had exhausted all methods, including questioning the library staff and everyone present, leading to testimonies that established the legal fact that only three people were present. They based their original determination on these facts and stated that Mei Zheng's claim fourteen years later without concrete evidence could not be accepted as proof of Zhang Yuan's presence.
During questioning by the hearing officers, Li Mufeng denied seeing Zhang Yuan at the scene at the time of the incident, expressing his own confusion as to why he didn't see him if he was there. Prosecutor Fang Lingyuan then presented evidence of Li Mufeng's library card from the second half of his senior year, showing he visited the library for eighteen consecutive days, borrowing books and returning them the next day.
She pointed out the rapid return of complex books like "Five-Year Compilation of National Judicial Exam Questions" and "Quantum Mechanics," suggesting borrowing was a pretext. She proposed the library card served as a secret code between him and Mei Zheng to meet, implying a romantic relationship.
Fang Lingyuan hypothesized that on the day of the incident, Li Mufeng entered the library, saw Zhang Yuan and Zhou Lin attempting to assault Mei Zheng, rushed to fight Zhou Lin, and killed him with a knife, whether for self-preservation, righteous anger, or a pre-planned act with Mei Zheng. Li Mufeng countered that this was mere speculation and insisted he had never met Mei Zheng at the library before the day of the incident.
Stating that the case involved more than one suspicious point and more than one person pretending, Fang Lingyuan introduced a special witness, Jiang Ting. Someone, recognizing Fang Lingyuan's likely strategy given their history, correctly predicted Jiang Ting would be called to revisit the past events and speculated that if Jiang Ting stuck to her original testimony, she would be putting herself in a difficult position.
This person recalled Jiang Ting's past description of Mei Zheng as a "tart" who seduced men like Zhou Lin and Li Mufeng, making them believe they were her boyfriend, and who might have deliberately orchestrated their fight to get rid of them, especially as she was reportedly getting close to a university professor. This was dismissed as something "everyone said."
In her testimony at the hearing, Jiang Ting was asked if she personally witnessed Li Mufeng and Mei Zheng meeting secretly or kissing in the library. She stated Li Mufeng and Mei Zheng were close and that the library had lax rules, allowing couples to meet. She claimed to have seen them together in the library looking at certain books and had heard others saw them kissing in a secluded area.
When pressed on when she personally saw them kiss, she repeated, "Everyone said so." She admitted her testimony was based on hearsay and that she did not personally know Li Mufeng or Mei Zheng. A recollection then showed Jiang Ting speaking to Zhang Yuan after the incident, expressing fear about talking to the police.
Zhang Yuan reinforced the negative view of Mei Zheng, calling her a "tart" known throughout the school who seduced boys, leading to the fight and death, advising Jiang Ting to tell the police this "truth." When Fang Lingyuan indicated she wanted to discuss Jiang Ting's husband, Zhang Yuan, Jiang Ting became agitated, accusing Fang Lingyuan of intentionally trying to frame her for murder.
After being told to control herself, Jiang Ting denied knowing much about Zhang Yuan's high school days, only his name on academic rankings, and strongly denied he had violent tendencies, questioning why she would marry a violent person. She affirmed she was strongly against violent behavior.
Fang Lingyuan then produced a dress and recounted how Jiang Ting, as her class monitor in high school, led and incited other students to bully, humiliate, and beat her for three years simply because she wore a similar dress made by her tailor father. Jiang Ting denied bullying Fang Lingyuan, claiming they barely spoke after previous issues. Fang Lingyuan clarified that inciting others also constituted bullying. Jiang Ting attributed the actions to the other students.
Fang Lingyuan explained that not all bullies are outwardly menacing; some are seemingly kind, popular, and accomplished, subtly isolating victims and acting more recklessly because others find it hard to believe they could do such things. She identified Jiang Ting and Zhang Yuan as such bullies. Presenting Zhou Lin's autopsy report from fourteen years prior, Fang Lingyuan revealed extensive tattoos on his body were meant to cover up numerous cigarette burn scars underneath, evidence of past bullying.
Mei Zheng confirmed she knew about this. A recollection showed Zhang Yuan getting Zhou Lin to burn himself with cigarettes, framing it as a "ritual" and "testament to our friendship," threatening to end their friendship if Zhou Lin refused. Mei Zheng recalled asking Zhou Lin if he needed help, but he claimed it was voluntary. Mei Zheng surmised that Zhang Yuan likely sent Zhou Lin to the library on the day of the incident.
Fang Lingyuan elaborated that Zhang Yuan used Zhou Lin's loneliness and desire for friendship as leverage, controlling him with phrases like "Aren't we friends?" , which Zhou Lin cherished even at the cost of his life. Zhang Yuan's kind facade was a mask; he controlled Zhou Lin, bullied Mei Zheng, and abused Jiang Ting.
Fang Lingyuan questioned if Mei Zheng had known all this for fourteen years but hid it to protect Li Mufeng from a heavier sentence, given that Zhou Lin was not the true instigator. Li Mufeng stated that Zhang Yuan's presence, unknown to most except Mei Zheng, was not a valid reason for classifying his actions as excessive defense. Fang Lingyuan then called upon Duan Hongshan, the original prosecutor in the case, suggesting he held the answers.
Duan Hongshan described the case, based solely on the crime scene, as a simple conflict leading to death by stabbing, but complex to reconstruct due to inconsistent accounts and lack of evidence. When asked if he knew about Zhang Yuan's presence, he stated he was unaware; evidence in the case file was the only basis for establishing legal facts.
He explained his excessive defense ruling was based on Li Mufeng being under unlawful harm (hence defensive properties) but exceeding necessary limits causing significant harm. Zhou Lin had no motive to kill and used a non-fatal stick, while Li Mufeng used a deadly knife resulting in Zhou Lin's death. Li Mufeng challenged this, asking why stopping unlawful harm was framed as a conflict and why a knife on the floor during an assault wasn't considered life-threatening.
Duan Hongshan addressed why it wasn't special defense, stating that based on Mei Zheng's testimony and scene evidence at the time, they could not confirm Zhou Lin was actively committing rape, a prerequisite for special defense. He maintained he would stand by his original determination without new evidence presented at the hearing.
Duan Hongshan commended Li Mufeng's courage but emphasized the importance of distinguishing defense from excessive defense to protect brave acts while not encouraging the casual use of deadly weapons. He felt his ruling at the time was the "most righteous choice" at that "crossroads" to prevent others from resorting to deadly force. He acknowledged the case changed Li Mufeng's life and was now changing his own, echoing Fang Lingyuan's sentiment about handling lives, not just cases.
Following this, Li Mufeng announced his withdrawal of the appeal, causing confusion among attendees. The hearing concluded. Afterward, someone asked Duan Hongshan if Li Mufeng hated him for ruining his life; Duan Hongshan interpreted Li Mufeng's withdrawal as his answer through action. Distressed, Duan Hongshan later dreamed of Li Mufeng, who was in prison like him.
In the dream, Li Mufeng confronted him with words similar to those Duan Hongshan might use, pointing out that Zhou Delong was elderly, terminally ill, and physically weaker, yet Duan Hongshan chose to stab him to death instead of escaping, which far exceeded the limits of justifiable defense. Li Mufeng repeatedly demanded to know "On what grounds" Duan Hongshan claimed his actions were justifiable defense while Li Mufeng's were not, despite Duan Hongshan being a prosecutor who knew the law.
Waking up, Duan Hongshan recounted the dream to Lei Shuang, saying he and Li Mufeng were alike in believing themselves innocent but unable to prove it. News reported the conclusion of Li Mufeng's appeal hearing, noting its high viewership. After prison, Li Mufeng faced significant obstacles; his criminal record prevented him from passing political background checks required for college entrance exams (despite a high score) and the national judicial exam.
He also faced discrimination in housing, with a landlord asking him to move out after police inquired about his past. News summaries later highlighted Duan Hongshan's explanation during the hearing that his ruling of excessive defense aimed to prevent copycat incidents in schools. Li Mufeng and Mei Zheng met again. Mei Zheng apologized for not telling him about Zhang Yuan's involvement, admitting it was unfair. Li Mufeng responded that knowing or not made little difference to him. Mei Zheng apologized again, stating it was her only remaining secret. Li Mufeng then left. Afterward, Mei Zheng was shown burning intimate photographs of herself and Jiang Ting.
