Chapter 406: Suing the Beijing Army

Chapter 406: Suing the Beijing Army

Chapter 406: Suing the Beijing Army
The Left Assistant Minister's Office of the Provincial Government,
An official in his thirties, of medium build and with a straight back,

He was hurriedly crossing the bluestone path in the government office and heading towards the office of Minister Zuo.

Although his steps were fast, he remained steady. The fatigue in the corners of his eyes and the dust that was inadvertently stained on his clothes still revealed that he was a little embarrassed along the way.

As he walked, he gently brushed off the dust on his body with his sleeves, trying his best to keep his official uniform clean.

He brushed his fingers lightly over the brim of his official hat to make sure it sat properly on his head.

The sunlight shines through the gaps in the leaves, casting patches of light on his body.
Finally, Zhang Xingzhi arrived in front of the yamen.

He stopped, took a deep breath, and rubbed his eyes hard.

Trying to dispel the redness from staying up late and not letting my tiredness show.

Finally, he knocked on the door and reported:
"Sir Zhou, your subordinate Zhang Xingzhi is here."

"come in."

A faint voice was heard, and Zhang Xingzhi straightened his official uniform and walked in quickly.

In the government office of Zuo Canzheng, a military atmosphere filled the air.

Simple and capable, without any redundancy.

The room is plain and simple, with only the most ordinary tables, chairs and benches.

They stand quietly in their respective positions, with no famous calligraphy or paintings hanging on the walls, nor complicated decorations.

There is only a piece of white, which looks particularly empty and solemn.

On the ground, a thin carpet was spread out to cover the dust.

As soon as Zhang Xingzhi stepped into the yamen, he immediately felt this unique atmosphere and his heart became solemn.

His eyes quickly swept across the room, finally settling on Lord Zhou Haozhou, who was sitting at the head of the table.

Mr. Zhou is a man of great stature and dignified countenance.

He was neatly dressed in his official uniform, revealing an aura of majesty without even being angry.

Zhang Xingzhi immediately showed respect on his face and his pace involuntarily quickened.

He walked quickly forward, walked in front of Lord Zhou, clasped his hands together, and bowed slightly:
"Sir Zhou, your humble servant Zhang Xingzhi has come to pay his respects to you."

His voice was low and powerful, revealing awe and respect.

Zhou Hao's eyes remained on the document in his hand.
Hearing this, he raised his eyes slightly, looked up and down, put the document down, and spoke in a deep voice:
"Do you know why I asked you to come here today?"

Zhang Xingzhi naturally didn’t know, but that didn’t stop him from answering.

So he spoke out the words he had prepared long ago:
"Reporting to the Lord, I have already found all the cases related to Qingyuan Pavilion and summarized them.

The earliest case dates back four years, and the most recent was three months ago.

I have made a detailed distinction based on importance and urgency.

There are also some cases related to it that are also recorded.
If Lord Zhou wants to see it, I will bring it to you right away."

Zhou Hao at the top had his eyes darkened, as if he was a little surprised by his irrelevant answer, but it didn't matter.

Zhou Hao smiled:
"He is indeed a capable person. Send all these documents to me when you return.

Make three copies and send one copy each to the Dusi and the Censorate.
This is also your last thing in the inquiry office."

Zhang Xingzhi raised his head in astonishment.

I just felt my body suddenly tense up, and a panic spread uncontrollably.
He thought about it over and over again, but couldn't figure out what he had done wrong.

Seeing him like this, Zhou Hao waved his hand:
"Okay, don't guess blindly, I have good news for you.

Hua Hongchang has been involved in an incident, and the position of Experience Officer in the Experience Department is vacant. Are you qualified for the position?"

The fear on Zhang Xingzhi's face quickly disappeared.
Instead, there was a strong sense of absurdity. He raised his hand in surprise.

He stretched out his index finger and pointed at himself.

"I?"

"Please forgive me, sir. I am so overwhelmed with emotion that I cannot express it in words. I have lost my composure."

"Hahaha." Zhou Hao laughed heartily:
"Yes, it's you. I have already discussed this with Lord Zhang.

After distributing the files, go to the Experience Department."

Zhang Xingzhi still couldn't get out of this state of shock.

He knows his own limitations and knows that promotion and wealth are not his thing anyway.

There are many people who can do the work in the government office.

He is not indispensable, so how come such a good thing fell into his hands?

"Sir... allow me to ask, why this humble official?"

Zhou Hao did not keep anyone in suspense:

"It was Duke Cao who said you are smart and capable. Now that the government is in turmoil, I'm giving you a chance.
You must work hard, and don't let this official and Duke Cao down."

It was only then that Zhang Xingzhi suddenly realized what was going on. He opened his mouth wide in shock.
Then there was an unprecedented tremor!!

The Jing army left in a hurry without meeting with Cao Guogong.

He still secretly felt sorry, but now
A great joy enveloped him!!
His breathing became extremely rapid. There was only one level difference between the sixth rank and the sixth rank, and the monthly salary differed by only 20%.

But the difference in power between the Li Wen Institute and the Experience Department is not just one level, but at least three levels! !
From then on, he could no longer see officials of the fifth or sixth rank.

Instead, he is the real head of a province, a councilor, or even a governor!
The road to heaven is right under your feet.

Taking a deep breath, Zhang Xingzhi stood up straight with a solemn expression, and bowed with great respect:
"Thank you for your support, sir. If you have any instructions, I will do my best to help you."

Zhou Hao smiled and nodded slightly:

"Do good things first, then seek other things.

The clerks in the Experience Department should be carefully screened.

If it doesn't work, replace it immediately and select some capable people to replace it.

As for the follow-up

Zhou Hao's eyes flickered:

"Pay more attention to the land account books and keep them in order. The government will use them in the future, so you must be prepared."

Zhang Xing was stunned, but then he showed joy.

For the first time, he felt the feeling of having someone to back him up!
Not only do I have the power over personnel, but I also have a direction for subsequent work, which can save a lot of time.

Zhang Xingzhi was full of vigor and spirit. He pursed his lips, bowed slightly, and bowed vigorously:
"Thank you, sir. I will do my best!"

"Okay, let's go."

The atmosphere in the Provincial Administration Office was heavy, but Zhang Xingzhi walked with a light step and looked normal, but he couldn't hide the smile in his heart.

When I think of something happy, I can only lower my head as much as possible and purse my lips.

Sometimes he would look around vaguely,
Seeing that many of his colleagues were in a state of dejection,
He just felt secretly happy and in high spirits.

Soon, he returned to the Inquiry Office.

It was a large courtyard with five large houses. Officials were walking back and forth inside. The ground was paved with bluestone slabs and the walls had just been painted, making it look particularly quiet.

Before he could enter, his trusted clerk Su Yanchang rushed over:
"My lord, something terrible has happened."

Zhang Xingzhi's expression remained unchanged, his hurried steps slowed down slightly, and he shouted:

"Why are you in such a panic? What happened?"

Su Yanchang moved closer and lowered his voice:
"Sir, a complaint has just been delivered to the government office. A group of children want to sue the Beijing Army!"

Zhang Xingzhi paused, his face full of absurdity and confusion, and turned to look over:
"what?"

"A group of kids want to sue the Beijing Army!"

Zhang Xingzhi then confirmed that he had heard correctly and waved his hand:

"Come into the house and talk."

Soon, the two returned to the yamen.
Zhang Xingzhi's office was much smaller, with cabinets and bookshelves all around, except for a table in the northeast corner.
Even so, it was piled with documents and files.

Zhang Xingzhi sat down, and Su Yanchang stood across the table.
He handed over a cup of tea and then spoke in detail:
"Some children who live at No. 3 Qingyin Lane want to sue the Beijing Army.
They said that the Beijing army killed their sister.

Their elder sister is Xue Lan, also known as Ms. Xue, who is well-known in the city.

According to them, Xue Lan was away from the Beijing Army for two days.

That is, he went to the military camp to pay his salary the day before the divine punishment occurred, and he seemed unhappy when he came back.

The next morning, Xue Lan went out to buy some breakfast and disappeared.

The children also said that when they went to the military camp to play music a few days ago,

There was once a drunk soldier who wanted to do something bad to him, but fortunately he was stopped in the end.

So they suspected that it was someone from the Beijing army who abducted Xue Lan."

Then, Su Yanchang handed over the document placed aside and said, "Sir, this is the report document, which was just delivered by the government office.
They don’t know what to do and want to ask us what we think.”

Zhang Xingzhi frowned and opened the document to examine it carefully. After a while, his expression became even more strange:
"Is this Xue Lan related to Qingyuan Pavilion?"

"Reporting to the Lord, it is related.

However, the last time Xue Lan made a living in Qingyuan Pavilion was three years ago.

As for the past few years, I heard from them that he was traveling abroad and studying rituals and music.

After returning to Kunming, he settled down in Qingyin Lane and adopted those children. "

At this point, Su Yanchang hesitated and moved closer again:
"The government sent the documents to us.

A charred female corpse was found in the river in the city. Large stones were tied to her body and it was already mostly submerged in mud.

According to the autopsy, the female corpse was found to have been severely tortured.

Judging from her age, time of death and body shape, it is most likely the missing Xue Lan.

That’s why the government office couldn’t make up its mind.”

Zhang Xingzhi's expression became more and more absurd, and he looked at Su Yanchang strangely:
"Did you hear it right? In the river, in the mud? How did you find it?"

Su Yanchang also had a strange look on his face and scratched his head gently:

"There was a divine punishment in the city, and the merchants near the river felt it was unlucky.
So they invited a great monk to perform a ritual.

Finally, the monk said that there was too much silt in the river, which blocked his fortune.

The nearby merchants then gathered together 100 taels of silver and hired someone to clear the silt and sand.
I fished out the debris inside, but who would have thought that I would find a dead body."

The atmosphere in the small room suddenly froze.

Zhang Xingzhi understood and looked ridiculous.

"Which Beijing army are you suing?"

"General Lu's front-line scout unit."

Zhang Xingzhi's expression froze, and he clenched his hands under the table.
I cursed in my heart, coming at a really bad time.

Whether it was yesterday or tomorrow, he would not be so embarrassed, but it happened today.

Now that the Beijing army has left, and he has been promoted thanks to the Beijing army, this case is a bit hot.

But soon, Zhang Xingzhi reacted and asked:
“Who is behind those kids?

"Is there anyone behind this who can sue the Beijing army and submit the complaint?"

Su Yanchang explained:

"It was the owner of the Red Maple Company in the city who was backing them up.
I heard that the shopkeeper Shui Xiaochuan was extremely fond of Xue Lan.
After hearing about this, he personally brought people to deliver the complaint.

I also found two very famous lawyers in the city."

hiss--

Zhang Xingzhi took a breath, opened his mouth, gritted his teeth, and felt a little troubled.
The Red Maple Company was one of the few grain merchants in the city, and its background was unknown.
But he has been delivering food to the army for the past few months, so his background cannot be bad.

He now suspected that someone wanted to use Xue Lan's incident to cause trouble for the Beijing Army.

He had also heard some rumors about General Lu in the city.

He had heard about the killing of prisoners but didn't take it seriously.

They killed all foreigners, and I don't know why the people in the city were so excited.

If you have the ability, just shout at those Luchuan people. What's the point of shouting at your own people?

Moreover, Zhang Xingzhi had met General Lu,
Although he is very imposing, he is more like a gentleman and treats people kindly.
The more he thought about it, the more he felt that someone was behind this.

After taking a deep breath, Zhang Xingzhi's eyes flashed with determination, and he asked in a deep voice:
"Has the woman's body been abused? What did the coroner say?"

Su Yanchang thought about it carefully and said affirmatively:

"Your Excellency, there is no record of this in the case file. I think there are only traces of torture."

Zhang Xingzhi nodded, looking angry:
"Then what does this matter have to do with the Beijing Army?
Not for beauty or money? Could it be that he just wanted to vent his anger by torturing others?
What absurdity!

The complaint will be sent back and the case will not be accepted by the inquiry office."

At this point, Zhang Xingzhi opened his complaint.

He took the seal of the legal affairs office from the side, pressed it firmly on, and wrote something.

[Not to be tried]
After doing all this, he handed over the complaint with an impatient look on his face:

"Tell the criminal department of the government office that the provincial government is very busy right now.
Don't send all cases here. I don't have time to deal with them.

There is no evidence, no motive, no process, and even the identity has not been confirmed.

Are you going to falsely accuse the Beijing army based on the suspicions of just a few children?

absurd! !
Our office doesn’t have such great ability yet! ”

"Yes Yes Yes"

Seeing that the adults were angry, he quickly picked up the complaint.

He also felt that the government office had gone too far this time, throwing all the difficult cases to the inquiries office.

Su Yanchang hurriedly stepped forward, wanting to leave as soon as possible.

When adults are angry, the best thing to do is to run away.

"stop!"

Just as he stepped one foot over the door frame, a voice from behind made him stop.

He looked back and saw the master sitting back in his chair, saying:
"Tell my colleagues at the Inquiry Office that I will be transferred to the Experience Department tomorrow."

Su Yanchang was stunned on the spot, with a look of shock on his face.

The foot that had just stepped out retracted, and he quickly rushed to the long table, bowing and kowtowing repeatedly:

"Congratulations, sir! Congratulations, sir!!!"

Su Yanchang had an expression of joy that was hard to conceal.
He is a trusted official, and if the master gets promoted, he will definitely take me with him.

The Experience Department is much better than other troublesome offices like the Litigation Office.

Zhang Xingzhi stretched out his hand to stop him from continuing, and said:
"Tell the colleagues in the Inquiry Office that we are responsible for the trial and review of criminal cases.
Although I am a lowly person with little influence, I am not a government official that anyone can bully.
When I am here, I can still block some troublesome lawsuits from the government office.
If I am no longer here, you must continue to persevere.

Remember, we should not do anything that we shouldn't do.
Once you have it in your hands, it will be hard to get rid of it!"

"Go ahead and send the complaint back to the government office." Zhang Xingzhi waved his hand.

"Yes, yes, your Excellency is absolutely right. I will convey it right away."

"Well, you should clean up a few things when you come back. You will be in the Ministry of Experience when you go to the yamen tomorrow."

"Yes!!!"

As night falls, the city of Kunming is gently shrouded in a layer of deep darkness.

The wind, cool and eager,

It shuttles between narrow alleys and wide streets, making bursts of low hums.

The street lights were dim and sparse, stretching the shadows of pedestrians long.
Projected onto the mottled stone road, it interweaves with the occasional sound of drums.

The curtains of the shops fell one by one, and the sound of wooden boards hitting the ground was crisp and powerful.

It announces the end of a day's work and reminds pedestrians that curfew is approaching.

Pawnshop No. 18 Dingxi Street,

Three large door panels have been installed, with only the last one left standing aside.
The dim candlelight shone through, illuminating a small area in front of the door.

Shui Xiaochuan, the owner of the Red Maple Company, who was dressed in disguise and a hundred households of the Imperial Guard, hurried here.

He was dressed as a laborer, wearing dirty clothes soaked with sweat, and looked pitiful.
But he looked around and was full of shrewdness.

He stopped in front of the pawnshop, looked left and right,

After making sure that no one was watching, he slipped into the pawnshop.

After he entered, the last door of the pawnshop closed gently.

In the backyard, Shui Xiaochuan probably came early.

The backyard wing was still being set up, and the huge long table had not yet been put together.
Du Pingping, however, was the same as before.

He sat there quietly, looking at the document in his hand, his expression as solemn as ever.

On the square table beside him,

There was also a stack of exquisite osmanthus cakes and a cup of steaming tea.

After Shui Xiaochuan arrived here, he stepped forward quickly with a respectful look on his face:

"Sir, the inquiries were returned to us today."

(End of this chapter)