Chapter 416 Asking the Court to Distinguish Loyalty and Treachery

At Yiliang County Government Office, lanterns were hung high around the office, and the orange light shone through the paper covers.

Sprinkled on the bluestone slabs, it casts out warm halos of light.

The originally tense and quiet atmosphere disappeared, replaced by a cheerful atmosphere.

A huge map was hung in the main hall of the Yiliang County government office.
Groups of people were standing or sitting around the map, pointing and talking in low voices, with occasional hearty laughs.

Among them, the young Mr. Liu was the most excited.
At this moment, he was wearing a white robe, holding a pen and paper, writing and drawing non-stop.
This time when he re-registered, he planned to buy more land from the people.
He replaced all the bad fields with good ones and gathered them together to avoid constant complaints from his tenants.

At this moment, Mr. Liu felt that he was extremely kind.

Mr. Chen, who was dressed in purple, was also happy.
He did not manage the specific farm affairs.

What he did was to lend money to some officials who had no spare money and earn some interest from it.

Of course, some big investors have extra money.

But I didn't want to use my savings to do the work, so I just lent it out.
It's just some interest, they don't care.

At this moment, the Yiling County Government Office looked like a feast, with everyone having a smile on their face.

Amidst the laughter and joy, they vaguely saw the miserable end of Luo Yuan after his fall.
One can also see the helplessness of the newly appointed county magistrate when he arrives here.

They have seen this scene countless times.

Every time the county magistrate or even officials within the provincial administration were transferred, it was a good opportunity for them to make a fortune.

Everyone is familiar with how to seize such opportunities.

On one side, Xiang Boxi, the former superintendent of education, sat quietly on a broad armchair, looking contented, sipping his tea.

Xiang Danqing served him attentively by the side.

Crash—clash.

The long and thin stream of tea falls into the cup.
Xiang Boxi turned his head, looked at Xiang Danqing, and said with a smile:

"You are so attentive, do you want me to have some advice on your promotion?

Or do you want to be the magistrate of Yiliang County?"

A trace of surprise flashed across Xiang Danqing's eyes, followed by a flash of heat, and his breathing became slightly rapid:

"I can't hide anything from my uncle. The post of Magistrate of Yiliang County is vacant. Nephew, nephew wants to."

Xiang Boxi smiled, raised his hand to stop him, and said earnestly:
"Danqing, you are still young, and you don't understand the principles of being an official.
If I push you to be the county magistrate, that would not be promoting you, but harming you."

There was a flash of surprise in Xiang Danqing's eyes, his lips were tightly pursed, and a trace of unwillingness arose in his heart.

"Can you please enlighten me, uncle? I don't know."

Xiang Boxi smiled and stroked his gray beard:
"The best job in the government is to have power without being responsible.
Just like you are the county magistrate now, in the county, only the county magistrate can suppress you.

And you have me backing you up.
The county magistrate can't do anything to you. If you do something wrong, the provincial government will investigate and the first person they will look for is the county magistrate, not you.

But if there is any benefit, you can also take a share of it calmly.

Does it make any difference whether you do this as the county magistrate or not?

It's nothing more than an official rank, there's no need to rush."

Xiang Danqing pursed her lips, with a bit of unwillingness in her eyes, and said softly:
"Uncle, I heard that the newly appointed Mr. Zhang is only in his thirties, about the same age as me.

My nephew wants to make a difference in the government, so he wants to be promoted."

Xiang Boxi glanced at him and said lightly:
"Danqing, your skills are not good enough yet, you need to hone them more."

At this point, Xiang Boxi probably felt that his tone was a bit harsh, so he said earnestly:
"Danqing, your father died early, and I have treated you like my own son all these years.
I want to tell you that now is not a good time to get promoted or make money.

I have some good friends in Beijing.
They are all planning to retire and go home in the next two years, waiting to be reinstated in the future. Do you know why?"

Xiang Danqing was confused and shook his head slowly.

If I remember correctly, my uncle also retired and returned home in a hurry last year.

He waved to Xiang Boxi and leaned his head closer to Xiang Danqing.

Xiang Boxi said calmly in a voice that only the two of them could hear:

"Your Majesty is old, and it is hard to understand what a person thinks when he is about to die.
Rather than trembling with fear in the court, it is better to wait for the new emperor to ascend the throne.

When the court is in chaos, that is the best time to get promoted."

Xiang Danqing sat up straight abruptly, horror flashed in his eyes, and he held his breath involuntarily.

Xiang Boxi smiled and said, "Danqing, you can still wait, don't worry."

"Uncle, nephew knows."

It was unknown how long it took Xiang Danqing to come back to his senses. He nodded gently, his expression extremely complicated.

He looked at his uncle with some admiration, a little worship in his eyes.

Xiang Boxi noticed this gaze and nodded with a smile.

After teaching for so many years, he still likes this kind of gaze.

At this moment, the hurried sound of horse hooves rang out.

It was not noticeable at first, but it grew bigger and bigger.

A muffled groaning sound of "dong dong dong" echoed in the yamen, shaking the earth and seeming to have shaken a layer of dust off the beams.

"What happened?"

The heated discussion suddenly froze.
Everyone looked at each other, not knowing what had happened.

At this moment, an elderly clerk rushed in and shouted:
"My Lords, the Beijing Army is back again!"

At the gate of the government office, Xu Zengshou, wearing black armor and holding a long sword, sat on a warhorse.
Looking at the chaotic scene ahead,
I just feel high-spirited, confident and full of enthusiasm.

This time, he didn't even dismount.

Soon, a group of people came out of the government office, young and old alike.

Just like before, Xiang Boxi was surrounded in the center, his expression calm and composed.

Xiang Boxi saw Xu Zengshou at a glance, his eye sockets deepened a little, and thoughts jumped back and forth in his mind.

When he had ten steps left, he stopped and spoke in a deep voice:
"May I ask why the general has returned?
The food and men I promised you before are being prepared now and will be available soon."

Xu Zengshou just glanced at him calmly, snorted, and shouted without answering:

"Where is the magistrate of Yiliang County?"

wow——

There was a moment of uproar at the scene, and everyone looked at each other.

Even the officials guarding the grain not far away had strange expressions on their faces.

"General Xu, County Magistrate Lord Luo suffered a heart attack due to anger and is now undergoing treatment." Xiang Boxi spoke lightly, with the smile on his face faded.

Xu Zengshou then asked, "Where is the Yiliang County Magistrate?"

When he said this, Xu Zengshou looked at Xiang Danqing standing next to Xiang Boxi with a half-smile.
He had changed into a neat suit.
He was over 30 years old, handsome, with long hair like a waterfall.
He looks very elegant, not like an official but more like a scholar.

Xiang Danqing was a little flustered by this sudden gaze. He coughed lightly and spoke in a deep voice:
"I am the magistrate of Yiliang County. What business do you have for General Xu?"

Xu Zengshou curled up the corner of his mouth into a smile. He took out the document from his hand, held it in front of him, and let it sway in the breeze.

"The Provincial Administration Commissioner issued an order for disaster relief.

Yiliang County raised 2,000 dan of grain, 100 horses and carriages, 100 doctors and cooks, and 1,000 laborers.
There are also some supplies that need to be collected within one hour and transported to where the victims gather.

Xu Zengshou, who was in charge of the matter,

If there are those who disobey and refuse to cooperate——

Xu Zengshou's sharp eyes swept around, with a cold and intimidating look:

"He will be charged with treason! Kill him without mercy!"

The scene froze for a moment!

Everyone's expression froze, the sighs in their eyes quickly faded away, replaced by horror!
The indifference on Xiang Boxi's face also disappeared without a trace, and was replaced by ugliness.

wow——

After a brief pause, the silent yamen gate fell into an uproar.

Everyone in the group was talking about it.

Xu Zengshou looked at Xiang Danqing who was dumbfounded, chuckled, and swung the whip in his hand hard!
"Snapped--"

"Quiet!!"

The sudden explosion startled everyone.
Some of the elderly shuddered and looked dissatisfied. Xu Zengshou did not give them a chance to speak. He looked at Xiang Danqing with a smile and said in a rhythmic voice:

"Master Xiang, please act quickly."

"This, this, this."

Xiang Danqing stammered and didn't know what to say.
Xiang Boxi's eyes turned cold and he took a step forward:
"General Xu, the transfer order from the Provincial Administration Office came suddenly.

Yiliang County is unable to prepare for this at this time, so please be flexible."

Xu Zengshou looked at him with disdain and moved his eyes away:
"Old man, are you the magistrate of Yiliang County?"

The scene was silent, and then the soldiers burst into laughter.

Xiang Boxi's face flushed red, a fierce look flashed across his eyes, and he managed a smile:
"I am not, but"

"If it's not your turn, then get out of here. How can an old man like you make decisions about disaster relief?"

Xu Zengshou's voice suddenly rose eight tones.
With an arrogant and contemptuous expression, he snorted and cursed:

"Immortal thing."

He no longer paid attention to Xiang Boxi, but turned to look at Xiang Danqing, frowning slightly:
"Master Xiang? Are you planning a rebellion?"

"no no no"

Xiang Danqing reacted and rushed forward, trying to take the document from Xu Zengshou's hand.

Xu Zengshou did not let him succeed, and quickly moved his hand away, with a teasing look on his face:
"Can we prepare everything in one hour?"

Although Xiang Danqing didn't see clearly what was written on it,
But looking from top to bottom, you can see the huge red official seal in the lower left corner.

The attitude of the person in front of me changed so quickly, I guess the document is true.

This made Xiang Danqing secretly regretful, and he kept saying:
"Yiling County will certainly do its best to provide disaster relief."

At this point, Xiang Danqing's eyes flickered, and he made up his mind.

Since the grain transfer is a foregone conclusion, the people here have orders and swords, and they cannot refuse.
Then let’s convict Luo Yuan!
He took a deep breath and spoke to Danqing in a deep voice:
"General Xu, you may not know that County Magistrate Luo previously opened the granary to release grain without reason, despite the objections of this humble official.
Some food had been transported out and was piled up in the square nearby.
We just need to gather some carriages and horses, and then we can set off."

Xiang Danqing even deliberately raised his voice so that everyone present could hear it.

After hearing this, Xiang Boxi, who originally had an extremely ugly expression on his face,
There was a flash of surprise in his eyes, and then satisfaction quickly emerged. He nodded gently, and his expression relaxed a little.

The grain transportation could not be stopped, it could only be delayed.
All they want is to use this time.

Gather everyone together, accuse Luo Yuan of his crime, and get him out of here.

Now, the transfer order came in a hurry,
But once the charges are determined, the Yiling County magistrate will still have to be replaced.

"Not bad. You have some quick wit." Xiang Boxi praised secretly.

At this moment, a shrill and high-pitched voice came from behind everyone:

"It's unfair! It's unfair!!!"

Everyone looked back and saw a slightly fat figure standing in the yamen.
The dim light from the lantern shone on him, revealing the greasiness and panic on his face.

He rushed out quickly, the flesh on his face swaying and his steps unsteadily.

But his eyes were full of determination, and he kept staring at Xu Zengshou on the war horse.

"It's unfair, General!"

Xu Zengshou knew the visitor; he was a legal advisor in the yamen.

He quickly passed through the crowd and came to Xu Zengshou's horse.
He pushed Xiang Danqing away with his shoulder in a somewhat rude manner, and looked at Xu Zengshou breathlessly:
"My Lord, this is unjust. My Lord Ming cares about the people. This is unjust!"

"What nonsense! Luo Yuan is a disaster to the people of the village, and the people are living in misery!
Now you have opened the warehouse and released the grain without permission. This is a serious crime and you must be exiled three thousand miles away!"

Xiang Danqing on the side reacted very quickly and started cursing!

The master gasped, turned his head and looked, his eyes flashed fiercely, and he gritted his teeth.
He stretched out his hands and pushed hard, causing Xiang Danqing to stagger back and fall to the ground with a thud!

"Fuck you! You are the ones who are causing trouble for the village!"

The master turned to look at Xu Zengshou and said quickly:

"General, may I ask whether the governor has arrived at the place where the disaster victims are gathered?"

Xu Zengshou tilted his head, still a little stunned, and nodded slightly:
"Lord Zhou Hao, the Left Counselor of the Provincial Administration, is in front, and Lord Mu Chun, the Assistant of the Rear Army Governor's Office, is also here."

"Great!"

The master's eyes sparkled with a dazzling light, brighter than ever before.
The listless aura on his body also disappeared!
He quickly pulled out a thick dark blue cover booklet from his pocket.
Without further ado, he stuffed it into Xu Zengshou's hands.

Before Xu Zengshou could react, the master fell to his knees with a thud and uttered a shrill cry:

"Sir! Since my father arrived at Yiliang County,
Working hard every day for the people,
But the people in the county were controlled by the powerful and influential people.
Even if you were the county magistrate, you would still be unable to do anything!

A group of officials are causing trouble for the village. The leader of the village, Xiang Yuanwai,

They seized countless farmlands from the people and, in good years, they lowered the price of grain to buy it.

In years of disaster, they hoarded goods and sold them at high prices, forcing countless people to go without food.

His evil servants ran rampant in the streets, and if they were not satisfied,

They beat the people with their fists and feet, injuring countless people. The people were angry but dared not speak out.

Another example is the local squire surnamed Li, who controlled the river transport business in the county and set up checkpoints privately.

Regardless of the size of the merchant ships passing by, most of their profits would be taken away by them.
If the boatman refused to comply, he would order the pirates to rob.

How many families have lost everything and everything they invested because of this.

The river has been in disrepair for a long time, the embankment is damaged, and there are many hidden dangers.

However, in order to protect the safety of his own dock, he completely disregarded the lives of the people downstream and prevented the government from organizing repairs.

As a result, several surrounding villages were flooded when the flood season arrived.

The farmlands were completely destroyed, cries of grief were heard everywhere, and the people were displaced.

And Mr. Chen, who made a lot of money,
If you borrow ten taels of silver, you will have to pay back fifteen taels of silver including the principal and interest within three months.
If the payment is overdue for one day, the interest will be doubled, forcing the poor people into a desperate situation.

In order to buy seeds and farm tools for the spring ploughing season, the people borrowed money from him.

As a result, the grain harvested in autumn was not enough to fill the bottomless pit, so they had to sell the land to pay off the debt.
He devoured our good property bit by bit, and ended up being nothing more than a tenant farmer!"

The voice is tearful and powerful.
The master burst into tears, he looked back,

Looking at the group of people standing at the gate of the yamen, with deep hatred in his eyes:
"Now, the provincial government has ordered the re-measurement of the land and the registration of the land.

They tried every means to stop it, not only secretly instigating ignorant people to cause trouble and spread rumors,

They said that after the measurement, taxes would increase greatly, which was misleading.
The people are full of resistance to the government’s new policies!

He also bribed the government officials, stole the measurement drawings, and arbitrarily tampered with the accounts in an attempt to confuse the public.

Just now, my master rejected their request to continue to conceal the land.
That's why he spoke such harmful words and even went so far as to block the disaster relief!

All of this is because they concealed their countless acres of land.

It was their actions that caused Yiling County to have no taxes to collect.

All the taxes are borne by the people, and they are living in misery!"

The master's voice is like the cold wind in winter.
It blows on a spring night, blowing into the hearts of everyone present.

The faces of the officials changed drastically, and the warm and gentle feeling just now disappeared.

Instead, there was a biting cold, and the body couldn't help but tremble.

"What nonsense!"

Xiang Boxi was the first to react and let out a loud shout!
The master turned his head, stared at him intently, and cursed loudly:
"You are such a shameless old man,
How to write the word "奸" (rape)? It's a "女" (female) plus a "干" (dry).
My father-in-law has been an official for thirty years, and he still has a wife who has been with him all his life.
And you! Just last month! When the battle in Luchuan was raging!

You have married a thirteenth concubine! !

It is God's fault that people like you are allowed to teach and educate people!
It's a pity that I don't have the chance to ask for God's punishment like Xiong Chengyu did.

Otherwise, I will kill you, the traitor! ! "

"Now, the evidence of your crimes is in General Xu's hands.

You can't escape!
The court will punish you, raid your homes, and chop off your heads!
You will never be able to turn over in this life!"

At this point, the lawyer looked up at Xu Zengshou in front of him, facing the cold moonlight and the dark clouds, and burst into tears!

"Please ask the court to distinguish between loyalty and treachery!"

"Don't let the honest officials feel discouraged, and don't let the wicked run wild!!!"

(End of this chapter)

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