Volume 3: Dragon and Snake Movement Chapter 367 Shadowless Kick
In recent days, the Eight-Character Wall in front of the Changlu County Government Office has been the favorite gathering place for the people of Cangzhou. Compared with the various notices in the past that were often not updated for dozens of days until they faded and fell off due to wind, rain and sun, the Eight-Character Wall is now updated at least once a day, and there are even government officials or clerks reading aloud next to it. Everyone is happy to come and take a look or listen to the latest news.
So, early in the morning, more than a dozen people gathered in front of the Changlu County government office. Some were shop owners who wanted to join in the fun as the business had just opened but no customers had yet arrived. Some were local residents who got up early to hear the news before going to work. When the two officers finally took out a few rolls of notices to post, some people who were impatient and literate immediately came forward.
Seeing that the first notice was posted, he squinted his eyes and read it without waiting for the officer who was reading it to speak: "Today's headline, General Mingwei will interrogate Changlu County Magistrate Xu Cheng and several officials, clerks and officers of the county government at Yuchenzheng..."
He was stunned for a moment, and felt a surge of excitement. Previously, there were rumors that Xu Cheng and other officials would be taken back to the capital for trial. Most of them would be demoted and dismissed, but he didn't expect that they would be tried in Cangzhou! After he reacted, he hurriedly said to the people around him: "Great, General Zhu wants to try that dog official Xu Cheng!"
The news spread so quickly from inside to outside that when the officers lazily skipped the first notice that had already been heard by everyone and began to read the second notice, many people didn't pay any attention at all.
"Doctor Zhang of the Imperial College will interrogate eight textile workers including Xian Yunhe."
It was not until someone realized that this news was also very serious and started to spread the news that people looked at each other in surprise. Before, it was the wealthy families, idlers and bullies, but now it was the officials and the rioters? It really was like a sword cutting through the Gordian knot, so fast!
So, the cold and ruthless General Mingwei came to interrogate Xu Cheng and others, while the warm and amiable Dr. Zhang came to interrogate Xian Yunhe and others. Does this foreshadow the final result?
Word spread quickly, and since not all workshops had resumed work, most spinners and cotton farmers had gathered in front of the county government office, hoping to be the first to witness Xu Cheng's final fate. Not only them, but also the big families that had suffered heavy losses before had sent people to the county government office. Some were managers and errand boys, while others came in person.
For example, Mr. Jiang came in person in the carriage, despite his injured buttocks . However, his carriage had just stopped along the wall for a short while, and he closed his eyes to rest when he suddenly heard a sound like a tsunami coming from outside.
"Beat that bastard official Xu Cheng to death!"
"Officer Xu, you instigated those officers to beat us, the people who filed complaints, away with sticks. Now you have come to this day!"
"General Mingwei is fair and strict, and he will definitely give justice to the people of Cangzhou!"
Young Master Jiang jumped up with a start, not caring about his still burning butt, and hurriedly opened the curtain to look inside. He saw Xu Cheng being sent to the county government office in a prison cart. There were a lot of rotten vegetable peels and fruits on the cart, and he could even smell the smell of rotten eggs from a distance, which clearly showed that he had been hit by people along the way.
Although he also hated this irresponsible guy - because if the Changlu County Magistrate was a strong magistrate, then the eldest prince might have been exiled long ago, and his father and the three brothers would not have been so unlucky - however, Young Master Jiang knew that as grasshoppers once tied to the same rope, the Jiang family and other families were more miserable than each other, and Xu Cheng certainly could not be exempted.
He rubbed his buttocks unconsciously, feeling terrified when thinking of the beating he received that day. He couldn't help but curse in a low voice: "You have beaten so many people in the past, and you deserve to be beaten back today!"
However, just as he finished speaking, he heard the coachman outside whispering, "Master, you think it's too easy. Punishments are not imposed on doctors, and courtesy is not extended to common people. After all, Xu Cheng is a successful candidate in the imperial examination. No matter what the crime is, he should not be beaten."
Young Master Jiang was immediately unhappy. What did they mean by "doctors should not be punished"? The three brothers had been beaten forty times in total, and his father alone had been beaten forty times. Why could Xu Cheng escape just because he passed the imperial examination? Based on the perverse actions that this Changlu County Magistrate had committed in Cangzhou over the years, he should have been beaten with a hundred or eighty sticks at least!
As for killing Xu Cheng, he had no extravagant hope. He was at least a seventh-rank county magistrate, and it was not so easy to kill him. In the opera, the inspectors of the eight prefectures carried the imperial sword and marched all the way to kill corrupt officials, corrupt officials, bullies and evil gentry. That was just an act and should not be taken seriously.
Xu Cheng never dreamed that he would be sent to Changlu County Government Office instead of going to the capital. He did have the idea of committing suicide yesterday, but Du Heng came over in person, explained the facts and reasoned with him, and made him realize the consequences of rashly seeking death, and he gave up the idea.
Not to mention that officials committing suicide cannot solve all problems, and if they succeed, their families will be implicated, and if they fail, they will be extremely unlucky. It is not that he does not have connections with fellow townsmen and peers in the capital. These people may not be able to help him get rid of the crime, but it should not be difficult to save his life, right? He did not kill anyone or set fire to anything, he just took a little money, why should he die?
In this case, what does a temporary humiliation matter? Just endure it!
Thinking of this, when Xu Cheng was held by his arms and stepped into the county government hall, he was naturally prepared to endure humiliation. However, when he saw the familiar environment, he still felt extremely depressed and almost cried.
Once here, he sat high in the hall, and when he banged the gavel, those who came to complain or those who were accused had to kneel down and wait for his punishment. He could beat anyone he wanted and punish them however he wanted.
The pleasure of controlling the power of life and death is something that people who have spent their entire lives wandering around the capital, serving their superiors and making friends with their colleagues, but have never had the opportunity to govern a region, cannot understand.
But at this moment, although he had not been tortured, he was still a prisoner in the waiting hall. Even if he did not have to kneel...
Xu Cheng just thought that fortunately he didn't have to kneel down, but he was suddenly kicked hard on the knee, and then he couldn't help but kneel on the ground with a thud. He came to his senses in a moment, and immediately shouted in shock and anger: "I am a county magistrate who was a Jinshi, Zhu Tingfang, what rights do you have to judge me, why do you make me kneel down!"
Zhang Shou, who was listening, couldn't help but laugh, thinking that he was putting on airs even when he was about to die. It was indeed the superiority of scholars that was at work. He looked at Ge Yong again and saw that the old master was also frowning and looked displeased. Compared with their reactions that were merely sarcastic, Zhu Tingfang's response was much more straightforward.
"You are no longer the magistrate of Changlu County who was a Jinshi, because you have been dismissed from your post by the court and your status has been revoked. In other words, all the honors you have obtained in the imperial examinations, whether you were a scholar, a juren, or a Jinshi, have been completely stripped away, not a single one left! As a commoner meeting an official, how dare you not kneel?"
As the gavel slammed with the sound of the words, Xu Cheng felt a huge shock in his heart, and he collapsed to the ground. So many officials have been dismissed from their posts because of temporary failures in political struggles, or because of corruption and other crimes. However, the revocation of one's birth is the most serious one. It can be said that since the beginning of the country, there have been only a handful of people who have been punished so severely!
Why was he treated like this? It's not like there were no pastoral officials who turned good people into bad people...
Zhu Tingfang ignored Xu Cheng who was complaining about himself, and said in a cold voice: "As a governor, you have accepted bribes, embezzled and perverted the law during your many years in office, embezzled grain depots, and seized people's property..."
After listing more than ten charges against Xu Cheng in one breath, he signaled to Sun Zhubu beside him and said, "Read out Xu Cheng's detailed charges, as well as the witness testimonies and physical evidence, one by one, so that Grand Tutor Ge and Doctor Zhang can listen carefully."
Seeing Sun Zhubu glance at him arrogantly and then read out his crimes loudly, Xu Cheng realized something was wrong and suddenly woke up. The guy who usually had to be careful in front of him was now looking at him kneeling at his feet. Although he was angry and resentful, he could still bear it, but what the other party read was not trivial.
Because it did not involve many details of his collusion with the eldest prince, but only compiled many of his misdeeds in Cangzhou over the years. It seemed to be a lot of crimes, but in fact it was evasive. However, he suddenly heard that not only in this hall, but also in front of the county government office in the distance, there seemed to be a loud voice reading his crimes to the people.
Although he didn't know that Zhu Tingfang had not emphasized the collusion with the eldest prince when dealing with the Jiang family, the Qi family and other wealthy families, he was still terrified when he saw such a sign at this moment. Was this an attempt to weaken the civil uprising, but to label him as a corrupt official and punish him severely, so as to appease the people?
He straightened up by supporting himself with his hands, and saw that Grand Tutor Ge was listening attentively on the chair to the left of the main seat in the hall. Thinking of what the man said when he came to see him yesterday, he knew that he could not expect this highly respected imperial tutor to let him go, so he immediately shifted his gaze to Zhang Shou on the other side.
He did not recognize the young man who had helped Ge Yong to see him yesterday, but Zhu Tingfang had just called him Dr. Zhang, and seeing his handsome appearance, he remembered the rumors about the new spinning machine of the eldest prince. How could he not know who that was? Although he was not sure whether the other party would stand on this side, he could no longer care and could only grasp the possible life-saving straw.
Because the eldest prince once mentioned inadvertently when he was drunk that although Zhang Shou was loved by the Lady Dowager and the Madam of Zhao State, and was especially favored by the eldest lady, he did not seem to get along well with Zhu Tingfang, his future brother-in-law!
"Doctor Zhang, yesterday Grand Tutor Ge also said that I would be sent to the capital in a prison cart to await the court's decision. But why are they trying me here in the Changlu County Court today? You are a doctor of the Imperial College, you are well-educated and well-versed in law. You should know that even though I have been dismissed from my post and my birthright has been revoked, I was once an official appointed by the court after all. It is the Three Judicial Departments who should be trying me. General Mingwei is overstepping his authority!"
How tactless do you have to beg me for help? Do you think I have to compete with my future brother-in-law? Also, what does being proficient in law mean? My knowledge of Ming Dynasty law is far inferior to Zhu Tingfang's, and I just read the book for the last minute these days!
Zhang Shou sneered in his heart, and then said calmly: "Grand Tutor Ge said yesterday that he would send you to the capital in a prison cart, but this time he also brought the imperial decree that authorized General Mingwei to handle the prison in Cangzhou. Since you are already a prisoner awaiting punishment, you are naturally included in the prison."
Zhang Shou and Zhu Tingfang had discussed today's events in advance and specially borrowed four students with the best memory and fastest reaction from Mr. Xu to promptly convey everything that happened in the court and announce it one by one. In short, they built an information broadcasting channel. Therefore, every word in the court was clearly transmitted to the onlookers outside the county government office.
When hearing Zhang Shou's response to Xu Cheng, someone in the crowd shouted, "That's right, Xu Cheng has been exploiting the land in Cangzhou for so many years, so he should be tried in Cangzhou. Otherwise, wouldn't the people of Cangzhou have been exploited and suffered for so many years in vain?"
Xu Cheng couldn't hear the noise outside clearly, but he could still catch a few words. He immediately felt the public outcry, and regardless of Zhang Shou's statement that he was almost on the same boat with Zhu Tingfang, he said with all his might: "How can the criminal justice of civilians be the same as that of scholars and officials? I don't accept it!"
"Even if you are relatives of the emperor, you can't cover up everything with one hand!"
"When you were in power in Cangzhou City, how did you respond when someone complained to you? If I remember your crimes correctly, there was someone who had his property taken away by you. He cried out that he was innocent in front of the county government, and finally you sent people to beat him out with sticks. He then died at home, right?" Zhu Tingfang stood up, straightened his robe, walked straight to Xu Cheng, and grabbed the man by the collar.
Seeing this scene, even though he had murmured about his future brother-in-law in the past, Zhang Shou couldn't help but praise him in his heart - although this style was really too chaotic, to be fair, for a shameless corrupt official, he actually wanted to roll up his sleeves and beat him up. So, without thinking, he hurriedly stood up and rushed over.
"General Zhu, don't be impulsive..." Zhang Shou said, pretending to stop Zhu Tingfang, but he kicked Xu Cheng in the stomach with a shadowless kick. Seeing Xu Cheng gasping for help, but unable to shout because his collar was held by Zhu Tingfang, he said calmly, "This kind of person who harms the people is indeed a heinous crime. If General Zhu is angered by him, wouldn't he be fooled?"
This scene just now naturally could not be hidden from Zhu Tingfang's eyes. He looked at Zhang Shou's foot in surprise, thinking that although his future brother-in-law looked weak and timid, the kick just now was quite fierce. It turned out that he was a man of temperament. No wonder Yingying liked him. Of course, with just this kick, if they really fought, he would probably not be able to beat his sister...
After such an irrelevant and ridiculous thought flashed through his mind, he said calmly: "Who said I was irritated by him? Since he claims that the punishment of scholars and officials has nothing to do with the punishment of civilians, then I will take him out and let him see what the attitude of the people of Cangzhou, who have been harmed by him for many years, is!"
