I served as an admonisher in the Song Dynasty

Chapter 379: The state magistrate is corrupt and commits murder, so should the county magistrate be promoted? Could be all wrong

April 28, morning.

While Su Liang was still studying some details of the case.

Sun Sheng walked over quickly.

"An official, Meizhou wine merchant Ma Yongde, submitted a petition accusing Meizhou Zhiliang, the magistrate of Meizhou, for using his power to exploit the stolen goods and distribute the profits, and squeezed him to the tune of more than 10,000 yuan!"

"Ok?"

Su Liang took the petition, looked it over carefully, and murmured: "Zu Liang, the magistrate of Meizhou, has been in office for less than a year, and he is already a big corrupt person?"

If Zuliang is greedy for ink.

It must not have been done by one person. There must be some private officials among the subordinate officials. The case may also be caused by money.

"Ask to the court for questioning!" Su Liang said in a deep voice.

Su Liang said in a deep voice: "Xu Daguang, do you know that the wine merchant Ma Yongde sued Zu Liang for the right to know the state, giving him 30% of the wine koji, and then dividing the profits?"

Nowadays, it is not difficult to age an account book that is less than a year old, and it is extremely difficult to distinguish.

"Pass the news to Xu Daguang, the governor of Meizhou Prefecture!" Su Liang said.

Su Liang was wearing official uniform and sitting upright.

The time, place, and amount of the accounts Ma Yongde gave to Zu Liang are all very clear. The ink marks are clearly layered from old to new.

Ma Yongde did not dare to offend the Meizhou official, so he reached a deal with him.

……

The fat middle-aged man in the hall, wearing a dark blue gown and with slightly bulging cheeks, is Meizhou wine merchant Ma Yongde.

With the reform of the tea and salt system in the Song Dynasty's political reform.

"He... he holds the power of a state. Before he dies, the common people really don't dare to sue!"

He said that in July last year, Zuliang, the magistrate of Meizhou, came to him and said that he would give him 30% of Meizhou's distiller's yeast for sale, but the former would take 70% of the profit.

immediately.

For nine months.

That is, they monopolize the production and sales of distiller's yeast, and sell the distiller's yeast to wine merchants and wine merchants.

Su Liang thought for a moment and then asked: "Who is the Qu Wu officer who handled this matter?"

They have a huge say in which merchants sell it to.

Ma Yongde repeated the contents of the petition again.

A moment later, the government office lobby.

"You have been exploited by Zuliang for nine months, why are you suing now?"

"Zu Liang was appointed magistrate of Meizhou in May last year. Just two months after taking office, he started looking for you to seek personal gain?"

but.

"Are you greedy for ink?" Su Liang asked again.

After reading the account book, Su Liang frowned slightly.

But local officials still control the rights to koji.

The Song Dynasty has always adopted the Qingqu system in wine classes.

"No, Zu Zhizhou contacted me directly." Ma Yongde shook his head.

When Xu Daguang heard this, his legs trembled slightly.

Ma Yongde took out an account book and handed it to Su Liang.

"Can Tongjian Lu Qing participate in this matter?"

It is still difficult to confirm the authenticity.

Xu Daguang, the official of Meizhou Prefecture, a thin middle-aged man with a goatee, walked over quickly.

Huge profits from distiller’s yeast.

Xu Daguang kept shaking his head.

When Ma Yongde saw Su Liang doubting the authenticity of the account book, he quickly handed over his hand and said: "Special Envoy Su, everything I said is true. If there is a false statement, I am willing to receive the death penalty!"

Those on both sides wearing military armor and holding swords across their waists were all imperial guards.

"Su... Special Envoy Su, I... I only know that Ma Deyong, the ancestral state of Zhizhi, granted 30% of the liquor, but the two of them would split the profit. How much, I... I have no idea at all. I am just an errand boy."

on the ledger.

"Xu...Xu Daguang."

He handed over a total of 13,200 gold bars to Zuliang, the magistrate of Meizhou.

The staff in the wine department was reduced, and the court also made a lot of profits from the wine tax.

soon.

"How can I be qualified to share profits with Zhizhou at my level? I really don't know anything!"

Su Liang looked at the two of them and asked, "Can Meizhou General Judge Lu Qing participate in this matter?"

They both shook their heads at the same time.

"Snapped!"

Su Liang patted the gavel hard.

"When it comes to local money, food, troops, household registration and taxes, if you don't know how to use the seal of the state and general magistrates at the same time, how can it be effective? How could Lu Qing not know?"

"At this moment, if you tell the truth, you can be punished lightly. If you conceal and cover up, I will punish you severely!" Su Liang said coldly.

"Su... Special Envoy Su, your official position is low. I really... I don't know." Xu Daguang said.

aside.

Ma Deyong also explained: "I have interacted with Lu Tongpan, but...but it was all business matters, and there was no private dealings."

"It is said that Lu Qing, the general judge of Meizhou!"

……

After a while.

Meizhou general magistrate Lu Qing came to the lobby.

"Special Envoy Su, I wonder why you summoned me?"

Su Liang asked: "Do you know these two people?"

"We know each other. One is Xu Daguang, Meizhou's distillery officer, and the other is Ma Deyong, a famous wine merchant in Meizhou." Lu Qing said with a smile.

"Ma Deyong sued Zu Liang for giving him 30% of the distilled koji, and then shared 70% of the profit. Do you know about this?"

Su Liang said.

Du Lei on the side handed the account book into Lu Qing's hands.

Lu Qing took a closer look and then said in surprise: "Zuzhizhou is actually corrupt? Special Envoy Su, this... this matter, I really don't know anything about it!"

"I don't know? Without your general judge's seal, how could Ma Deyong get 30% of Meizhou's liquor?" Su Liang asked with a gloomy face.

Hear this.

Lu Qing lowered his head and cupped his hands and said: "Special Envoy Su, I am guilty, but...but there is something unspeakable."

"Speak!" Su Liang said expressionlessly.

"Zhi Zhizhou seemed to be a kind person, but that was to the people. In fact, he was very domineering in the state's political affairs and was unwilling to discuss with his subordinates. For this reason, we also quarreled. Later, we divided the work. Business, taxation, etc. are all under my control, while matters such as official sales, anti-theft, and state education are under his control. They are responsible for each other. When the seals are used, they exchange seals with each other and will not participate in each other's decisions at all. "

"I know this is a crime of dereliction of duty, but many local officials are doing this now." Lu Qing handed over again.

Su Liang could not offer any objection to this explanation.

The relationship between magistrates and general magistrates in various places in the Song Dynasty was very complicated.

on the surface.

The official position of magistrate is half a level higher than that of general magistrate.

However, Tongpan was a supervisory official sent by the imperial court. It was easier for him to be promoted, and it was easier for the road officials and the imperial court to follow their suggestions.

In some state capitals, there may even be cases where the general magistrate is the first-in-command and the magistrate is the second-in-command.

Who has the final say in a state?

Sometimes it depends on which one, the magistrate or the tongpan, has a stronger background, or has a stronger skill and personality.

This is the division of labor between the governor and general magistrate that Lu Qing talked about.

This is not an isolated case in the officialdom of the Song Dynasty.

Su Liang looked at Lu Qing with a gloomy face and said, "Penal Lu Tong, please write a confession for yourself!"

"I know I'm guilty, so I'll write it tonight!" Lu Qing said.

Su Liang thought for a while and said: "Du Lei and Sun Sheng, immediately lead people to surround Zuliang's house and ask his family where the stolen money is!"

"Yes!" Du Lei and Sun Sheng immediately strode outside.

"I will come in person as well!" Su Liang stood up, looked at Lu Qing and the others, and said, "Lu Tongxian, you can continue to handle your official duties. As for the two of you, go and record your testimony. You are not allowed to leave Meizhou for the time being, and you will be heard at any time. "

The three of them cupped their hands at the same time.

……

Currently, Zu Liang has been dead for more than a month.

After the government official recorded his physical characteristics, he was allowed to be cremated in the first seven days.

this moment.

The coffin is placed in the hall of the ancestral home.

Zuliang's wife Bai, Zuliang's two married daughters, two sons-in-law, a grandson, and two granddaughters are keeping vigil for him.

His nephew from Mingzhou, Liangzhe Road, his hometown, is on his way here.

The ancestors had no children.

He could only ask his nephew to come and help the spirit go home.

His family also knew that Su Liang was coming for trial and were waiting for an explanation from the government.

When Zu Liang's family members saw a group of officers and soldiers surrounding their home and started searching Zu Liang on suspicion of corruption, they all cried bitterly and said it was impossible.

Mr. Bai sat paralyzed in front of the coffin.

"Special Envoy Su, it's impossible, absolutely impossible! My husband has always been an honest official. He won't even take a steamed bun from the common people. How can he be greedy? Someone must be framing him! Someone must be framing him!"

……

Bai Shi cried and fainted.

At this moment, Su Liang's face was expressionless.

Since there is a search, no place can be spared, not even the coffin.

Su Liang also went to Zu Liang's study.

I found that all the pen and ink stationery on Zu Liang’s desk were of medium quality.

In Meizhou, a place where poetry is prosperous, as the magistrate of the state, he wanted to use a good set of Four Treasures of the Study, and countless people were probably fawning over him to give it to him.

It can be seen that Zu Liang's living habits are relatively frugal, which is in line with what the people say about him.

Of course, it could also be disguised.

To decide a case, everything depends on the evidence, and what you see in front of you can sometimes be deceiving.

Half an hour later.

Du Lei found seven gold cakes in the study room, worth nearly ten thousand yuan.

In addition, there is a receipt handwritten by Lu Qing, the magistrate of Meizhou.

The above content is: In September last year, Zu Liang received three gold cakes from Meizhou wine merchant Ma Deyong, and gave one piece to Lu Qing. Lu Qing made a special receipt.

There is also Lu Qing's signature and handprint on it.

...Immediately, Su Liang returned to the state government office and summoned Meizhou General Judge Lu Qing again.

After Lu Qing read the receipt, his legs softened and he collapsed on the ground.

"Su... Special Envoy Su, this... Zu Liang forced me to write this. I received a total of two gold cakes, both of which were stuffed by him. I... I don't have any flowers, they are all kept at home. It was him Forced me to accept it..."

"Snapped!"

Su Liang took a picture of the gavel and said coldly: "Lu Qing, do you know that you are now the biggest suspect in Zu Liang's murder!"

"First of all, you identified Cao Changyun and made us mistakenly think that Cao Changyun was the murderer; secondly, the distillers purchased by Ma Deyong in the account book were all stamped with your seal; and now, I have received this receipt at my ancestor's house, how dare you Are you saying that this corruption case has nothing to do with you? Hurry and tell the truth!"

"Su Yushi, I...I don't have it!"

Just as Lu Qing was defending, Hong Zhong from the Prison Department, Cao Changyun, the magistrate of Meishan County, several imperial guards, and a group of government officials came over quickly.

Two of them were still carrying things in their hands.

Once inside.

Hong Zhong said excitedly: "Special Envoy Su, we found the murder weapon, and also found the clothes. The murderer threw them in a dry well less than a mile away from the bamboo forest and covered them with dead branches!"

Since the filing of the case.

Hong Zhong ordered people to search for the murder weapon and never stopped.

Immediately, a short knife about five inches long and a very shabby, blood-stained gown appeared in the center of the lobby.

And this time.

Hong Zhong looked at Lu Qing and said, "Special Envoy Su, this gown belongs to Lu Tongpan. It has been worn by many government officials. It is also a suitable size."

At this moment, Lu Qing buried his head deeply.

Su Liang ordered people to hand over the account books and things found from Zu Liang's house to Hong Zhong and Cao Changyun.

Su Liang stood up.

"Lu Qing, you first pointed out that Cao Zhixian returned to the Yamen at three o'clock at Xushi, and that there was a possibility of murdering Zu Liang, and then you argued that the official seal of Guan Jiuqu was used interchangeably by the magistrate and the general judge, and never interfered. Then, again, in Your receipt was found in the ancestral home, and your clothes and murder weapon were also found. What else do you have to say? "

aside.

Hong Zhong looked at Lu Qing in disbelief and said, "You? It was you who killed Zu Liang?
Cao Changyun also glared and said: "Lu Qing, why are you so cruel and why do you want to kill Zu Zhizhou? Is it because the spoils are unfairly divided?"

"Snapped!"

Su Liang knocked on the gavel again and said coldly: "Lu Qing, do you have anything else to explain?"

Lu Qing slowly raised his head.

"Yes, I killed him, I killed him!"

"I, Lu Qing, came to Meizhou to revitalize Meizhou's trade. I wanted the imperial court to see my abilities and promote me continuously. But...but his ancestors dragged me into the abyss!"

"That day, I found out that he had tampered with the wine and was corrupt, so I went to argue with him. He put a knife on my neck and said that if I didn't share the stolen goods with him, I would die accidentally. He would target my family everywhere. I was so scared at the time that I could only agree to it. "

"But...but...I just collected two gold cakes and kept them at home. I always wanted to hand them over, but...I never had the courage!"

"At the beginning of this year, he intensified his efforts and went even more extreme. He wanted to make money in other business matters. I decisively refused, but he still pushed me."

"I was very angry at the time, so I chopped him to death while he was walking in the bamboo forest!"

"I don't want to be an official who is reviled by the people. He wants to earn pension money, but I want an official career and the development of Meizhou's business. I have the ability!"

……

"So, I'll kill him!"

"After killing him, I was very scared. After disposing of the knife and bloody clothes, I returned to the state government office."

"I know that Cao Zhixian had a quarrel with Zuliang, so I wanted to blame Cao Zhixian for this matter. His policy of cultural prosperity is not good for Meizhou, and it is also a stumbling block that hinders me from developing Meizhou's business, so I just wanted to frame him..."

At this time.

Hong Zhong clenched his fists and said: "You...are being threatened like this, why don't you tell me, can he, as a governor, be able to change the world? You are so confused! You are so confused!"

Cao Changyun also stood up.

He cupped his hands towards Su Liang and said: "Special Envoy Su, although Lu Tongpan framed the official, the official felt that he finally found his way back and killed Zu Liang for the sake of Meizhou trade. He did not lose the face of a scholar-bureaucrat. He should use his discretion. Reduce guilt!”

"I have my own plan in mind!" Su Liang said expressionlessly.

Before Su Liang left, Bao Zheng gave him four words: The law will not tolerate mercy.

Sometimes, poor people have to be pitiful.

settle a lawsuit.

You can't act emotionally, let alone solve problems arbitrarily.

immediately.

Su Liang looked at Lu Qing again and asked, "Why do you need to chop thirteen times?"

"I...I...I didn't think too much, I just...just wanted to kill him!" Lu Qing hesitated and said stumblingly.

Su Liang looked at Du Lei and said, "Du Lei, put Lu Qing in jail and recheck the testimony. Don't let go of any details."

Du Lei handed over his hand and took Lu Qing down.

At this time.

Cao Changyun said again: "Special Envoy Su, today we first searched Zuliang's house, and then found the murder weapon and bloody clothes. The people in the city have already guessed some clues. Now, the evidence is conclusive and the murderer has confessed. The lower official suggested that a public trial be held as soon as possible and a public trial be set up." How about tomorrow?"

Su Liang thought for a while and said, "In three days!"

After that, Su Liang left the lobby.

……

into the night.

Su Liang sorted out the case files and testimonies again, and felt that the case went too smoothly.

And there are many things that he hasn't figured out yet.

For example: Why did Lu Qing stab Zuliang thirteen times when he was obviously timid?

For example: Lu Qing, as the general judge, could not have known that the murder weapon had to be destroyed. Throwing the knife in the river and burning the bloody clothes was the best way, but he chose to throw it into a dry well covered with branches.

……

"Am I thinking too much?" Su Liang said to himself.

After a while.

Su Liang said to Sun Sheng, "Sun Sheng, let's go to Sun's library and take a look. We are plainclothes people. It's best not to let others discover us."

Sun's Library is the landmark of Meizhou City.

The collection of books is rich, and even at night there are readers gathering to discuss books.

……

About a quarter of an hour later.

Su Liang came to Sun's library from the back gate of the state government office. The distance between the two was not far.

Sun's library has five floors. In the hall on the first floor, there are many scholars, in small groups, gathered at a table. Some talked about Confucius, some talked about Xunzi, some talked about Zhuangzi...

Su Liang, wearing a washed blue gown that turned white, was inconspicuous in the crowd.

At this moment, he heard some scholars discussing today's events.

"Everyone, it is said that our Zhizhou was killed because of corruption, and the murderer was Tongjian Lu Qing. There is a high probability that the spoils were unevenly divided. The public trial in three days will definitely be a good show!"

"Su Yushi is so powerful, he solved the case in just a few days!"

"Everyone, the magistrate of the state is corrupt and commits murders. Shouldn't it be time for our county magistrate to be promoted!"

"Yes, this is not a bad thing. Cao Zhixian advocates promoting Meizhou with culture. If he takes charge of the overall situation, Meizhou will definitely prosper and become the first humanistic state in the Song Dynasty. It will be just around the corner!"

……

At this time.

Su Liang noticed a plaque hanging in front of the hall, with a line of large characters written on it: The first state of humanities in the Song Dynasty.

The person who inscribed the inscription was Cao Changyun, the magistrate of Meizhou.

"Cao Zhixian County is really popular among the people!" Su Liang murmured, and after walking around Sun's library, he returned to the state government office.

……

The next morning, it rained lightly.

Su Liang still felt that something was wrong with the case, but he couldn't figure out what was wrong.

Disturbed, he was going to sit at Su Xun's house.

Near noon.

Su Liang came to Su Zhai.

Yin Su Liang said hello an hour in advance.

Therefore, the moment he stepped off the carriage, Sansu was already waiting at the door.

"Mr. Su!"

Little Su Shi and little Su Zhe bowed and saluted like doormen.

Although they didn't like the two boxes of gifts Su Liang gave them very much, they knew that Su Liang was doing it for their own good.

Su Xun smiled and said: "Su Yushi, please come inside! Please come inside, Zhuo Jing will be cooking today!"

"Then I'm in for a treat!" Su Liang said with a smile, and then asked Sun Sheng to bring in the drinks and snacks he had brought.

As a Taiwan admonishment officer, he would never eat and drink for free no matter where he went.

Less than a moment.

A rich array of dishes was placed on the table.

Su Liang also said hello to Su Xun's wife Cheng, and then sat down with Su Xun.

The two chatted happily.

Su Xun also wanted Su Liang to take a test on little Su Shi and little Su Che.

If your child is capable, a father always likes to show off.

Su Laoquan is no exception.

But those two bamboo basket documents were actually some academic articles compiled by Ding Du, Sima Guang and others, which were useful for imperial examination policy. Su Liang didn't pay much attention to them at all.

After Su Liang asked a few small questions, he stopped asking them. This made Su Shi and Su Che so excited that they wanted to jump up.

Dinner is over.

Su Liang and Su Xun were sitting in the tea room.

The two began to chat about Meizhou, and while chatting, they talked about the murder case.

Su Liang asked curiously: "Brother Su, Zuliang and Lu Qing advocated revitalizing Meizhou with commerce, while Cao Zhixian has always advocated revitalizing Meizhou with literature, and proposed the title of the No. 1 Humanities State in the Song Dynasty, which made countless scholars excited. , what do you think?”

Su Xun thought for a while and said: "Of course I prefer to use literature to prosper Meizhou, but I'm afraid it's difficult to implement it. If commerce is not prosperous, the people will not be rich. It is too difficult to rely on scholars and booksellers to support Meizhou. If Meizhou is close to Bianjing City, so it’s probably okay!”

"By the way, at the end of March, I met Cao Zhixian once, and he excitedly took out a document for me called "Thirteen Strategies for Wenxing Meizhou". It was very well written, you can take a look! "

"The Thirteen Strategies of Wenxing Meizhou?"

"What is the specific content?" Su Liang asked, he was now very sensitive to the number "thirteen".

Immediately.

Su Xun then told the contents of the Thirteen Strategies of Wenxing Meizhou.

When Su Liang heard this, he found that it was exactly the same as the "Meizhou Wenxing Cao Ce" that Cao Changyun and Zu Liang had argued about.

"Why did he change his name?" Su Liang murmured.

"What?" Su Xun didn't know what Su Liang was talking about.

At this time, Su Liang suddenly had a bold idea and said: "Brother Su, let's meet up another day, I have something important to do!"

After that, Su Liang quickly left Su's house.

(End of this chapter)