The Happy Life of Small Officials in Northern Song Dynasty

Li Chong replied politely: "I'm visiting late at night, and I hope that Mr. Chen's family will not take offense. The main reason is that an adult wants to talk to Mr. Chen's family, so..."

Li Chong turned around, intending to introduce Su Jin, but suddenly realized that there was no one behind him, Su Jin did not follow, and there was nothing behind him except for a few accompanying yamen servants.welcome to read

Chen Dongjia said: "Which lord?"

Li Chong hurriedly asked the yamen servant, "Where is Mr. Su?"

A yamen servant said: "In the courtyard, we are circling around the cart."

Chen Dong's complexion changed, and he hurriedly said: "Then invite this lord to come in quickly? What's so interesting about the big cart, I will not be guilty of neglecting this lord."

As soon as the words fell, Su Jin came in from the door with a smile, holding something in his hand, clasped his fists and said loudly: "Chen Dong's family, I have been admiring you for a long time, please excuse me."

Chen Dong's family hurriedly stepped forward and clapped their hands: "What is the lord talking about, two lords can come to the humble house, but the old man can't even invite you, how can you say disturbing words."

Li Chongdao: "Chen Dong's family, this is Mr. Su, the imperial special envoy for grain affairs. I'm afraid you don't know him."

Chen Dongjia's eyes widened, and he said after a long while, "That's...the one who wiped out the bandits in Bagong Mountain, distributed food in Yangzhou City, and cracked down on profiteers?"

Su Jin smiled and said: "Chen Dong's family is well-informed. They are far away, but they know the world's affairs."

Chen Dongjia said with a smile: "The name of the special envoy has been spread all over the Huainan Road states. Who doesn't know the name of Su Qingtian? Although the old man is a grassroots, but the special envoy's name has been passed down from generation to generation, how can he not know?"

Su Jin laughed loudly and said, "Don't Mr. Chen's family plan to invite me to sit down with County Magistrate Li?"

Chen Dong's family hurriedly said: "Oh, look at my old fool, two adults, hurry up and sit down, come here, make some tea!"

Su Jin smiled and said, "There's no need for tea. County Magistrate Li and I came to visit rashly today because we need to ask Mr. Chen's family something, just a few words, and then leave."

Chen Dongjia said sincerely: "My lord, please inquire, I will know everything."

Su Jin sat down on the big carved chair and said: "Very good, as long as you are willing to cooperate, the envoy will definitely reward you. I have just arrived in Tianchang today. Does Mr. Chen know why he came here?"

Chen Dongjia bowed and said, "This... How can I know about the affairs of the official family?"

Su Jin said: "You might as well make a guess."

Chen Dongjia rolled his eyes and thought for a long time: "Forgive me for being dull, I can't guess."

Su Jin laughed loudly and said: "Mr. Chen's family is not stupid, they just don't want to talk about it. Anyway, I won't embarrass you. This afternoon, County Magistrate Li called you and several other owners of the car dealership to the county government office for questioning." , is there such a thing?"

Chen Dongjia said: "It's true, but this old man didn't help the county magistrate, I'm very ashamed."

Su Jin said: "It seems that you didn't say a word in class. I don't know if there is something that you can't say publicly, or you have other considerations."

Chen Dongjia waved his hand and said: "It's not that there is nothing hard to say, but that this old man has nothing to say at all. The county magistrate asked if he had taken over a large business order at the end of last month, and said that someone hired more than two hundred cars to drive, and I The business of Chen Ji Automobile Co., Ltd. has been sluggish recently, and this old man can't tell lies to deceive people."

Su Jin nodded and said: "Of course you can't tell lies, but it's wrong not to tell what you have done."

Chen Dong's family hurriedly said: "My lord, I can't afford to be an old man."

Su Jin smiled and said: "It's worth it, let's stop going around, I will give you a chance, you can answer my question well, as long as you tell me frankly, not only will I not embarrass you, but I will also help you Please commend me; but if you don't speak well, this envoy is not someone to provoke."

Chen Dong's family lowered his face and said coldly: "I thought this lord came to my Chen Ji to observe the people's sentiments, but it turned out to be to frighten people. My Chen Ji has always been law-abiding, and paying taxes and donations in business is the first job of the sky. Yes, although the businessman smiles at everyone, he is not a master at the mercy of others."

Su Jin nodded and said: "These few words are worthy of the four words of righteousness and awe, but these words sound familiar. By the way, there is a businessman named Feng Jingyao in Yangzhou City who once told this envoy, but do you know that he is now What does it look like?"

The flesh on Chen Dongjia's cheek twitched, and then he said, "What Feng Jingyao, sorry for my ignorance, but I don't know him."

Su Jin sneered and said: "It doesn't matter if you don't know him. I might as well tell you about the tragedy of this man. This man used to be the richest man in Yangzhou City. He was so beautiful that even the state capital couldn't do anything to him. But now he is the envoy. Locked in a cell, his whole body was beaten to pieces, and one of his fingers was cut off. His beloved woman committed suicide in front of him. Now she is insane, like a beggar on the side of the road, don't you think? Miserable?"

Chen Dong's expression was very unnatural, and he said in a trembling voice: "It's very miserable, but there are many tragedies in the world. An old man, a grass-roots man, doesn't care about getting others, he only cares about living in peace."

Su Jin said: "Just sweep the snow in front of your own house, and don't care about the frost on others' roofs. It's good to be wise and protect yourself, but if it really has nothing to do with you, I won't come to see you in the cold wind. Back to the topic, I will I still ask you this question, how to answer is up to you, I will never kill you with a stick, always leave some opportunities for others, I hope you can seize this opportunity."

Chen Dongjia remained silent, with a flat expression on his face.

"At the end of last month, did your car dealership take over a business? That business was to send someone to Yangzhou City to smuggle a batch of grain out, and tell you that this batch of grain was the one who was going crazy. The food that Feng Jingyao hoarded privately is also the life-saving food for hundreds of thousands of people in Yangzhou. As long as you tell where the food was taken and hidden, it will be considered a great achievement for you. The purpose of this envoy is to find food, not I want to trouble you."

Chen Dongjia opened his mouth to answer, but Su Jin stretched out his hand to stop him: "Don't rush to answer, you have to think clearly."

Chen Dongjia stroked his beard, and said slowly: "I said it a long time ago, there is no such thing at all. I don't even know what Feng Jingyao you are talking about, let alone have business contacts."

Su Jin said coldly: "Are you sure?"

Chen Dongjia paused and said, "I'm sure..."

Su Jin sighed and said: "If you are obsessed with obsession, stubborn, or shameless, then don't blame me."

Chen Dong's family proudly said: "I've lived a long time, what happened? I've heard a lot about wronged prisons in the world, but I didn't expect that I would encounter them. Let's see how the government framed good people."

Li Chong saw that Su Jin was about to go berserk, and he was afraid that he would do something out of the ordinary. If this kid had a bad temper and tortured him to extract a confession without any evidence, that was not what a court official should do. It's a big trouble, and if no one dies, they won't let it go.

So he hurriedly said: "Brother Su, it's better to find out about this matter."

Su Jin smiled and said, "Brother Li, do you think I wronged him? Didn't you always want to know how we can find this grain transporter? Just stand aside and watch this man reveal his true form."

Li Zhongxin said: "If you extract a confession by torture, maybe I will stop you, no matter whether it is public or private, I will not sit by and watch." So he sat on the side with his mouth puffed up and remained silent.

Su Jin turned to Chen Dong's family and said, "Chen Dong's family, are you really not telling the truth?"

Chen Dongjia said: "This old man is telling the truth."

Su Jin said: "Okay, I don't understand why you people don't cry when you don't see the coffin." After saying that, he stretched out the fist that had been clenched since he entered the door, spread it out in front of Chen Dong's family, and asked, "Look at the coffin." What's this?"

Chen Dong's family glanced at it, and suddenly said in shock: "This is... this is..."

Su Jin flipped his hands over, and the things in his hands fell to the ground one by one, and said with a smile: "Chen Dong's family doesn't even know rice? People say that officials don't know how to do business. Also like this?"

Chen Dongjia said coldly: "Of course the old man recognizes rice, but I don't know how many rice grains have anything to do with this matter?"

Su Jin said: "Of course it has something to do with it, because the envoy found these rice grains on the cart parked in your yard just before entering the door. Obviously, they pulled the grain. May I ask when Mr. Chen's family delivered the grain?" ?”

Chen Dong's eyes rolled wildly, and he suddenly shouted: "Framing, it's completely framing, where is the food on my cart? You must have sprinkled it when you entered the door."

Su Jin spat on his face and scolded: "Young master will come to frame you? You think you are perfect, and the remaining grains on the cart are cleaned, but you forget that although the cart can't speak, But it can also be interrogated; you concealed it well, but it’s not enough. Come, light a torch, and bring this person to the courtyard. The envoy wants to show him in person, and the cart can also talk.”