Be a small county magistrate in ancient times

Chapter 534 Intentional Provocation

After receiving the order, the runners really found a door panel to carry Sun Xiang.

However, they searched Sun Xiang's residence everywhere inside and outside the palace, but couldn't find him, so they returned empty-handed.

"How ridiculous! How ridiculous!" Xu Xiaoyun angrily said to Liu Dexiang, "With such an official under your command, why didn't you report it earlier, Lord Liu?"

Just as he was saying this, he heard a knock on the door.

"Who's outside!" Xu Xiaoyun said in a bad tone. As the youngest of the three, his temper was the most obvious when he got angry.

"I am Sun Xiang, the magistrate of Liangzhou." The person outside the door replied.

Xu Xiaoyun's anger suddenly escalated and he quickly went to open the door.

Just as he was about to curse after the door opened, a pale face caught his eye and the hairs on his back stood up.

"Sir." Sun Xiang made sure they saw his expression clearly before he saluted the people inside.

Sun Xiang knew they were coming, so he deliberately found some irregular medicine and took it while Liu Dexiang and his men were picking up people, causing this effect.

Feng Zhongan and others had previously thought that Sun Xiang was pretending to be ill, but now that they saw his appearance with their own eyes, they realized that his illness was indeed true.

"I was in the toilet just now and couldn't get up." Sun Xiang looked miserable. "Now that I feel a little better, I hurried over here."

Xu Xiaoyun was closest to him. When he heard him say this, he seemed to smell something and immediately took two steps back.

Sun Xiang walked in, seemingly unaware of the dislike of the people in the room, and said, "I am late for a reason."

Feng Zhongan didn't wait for him to continue, and said: "President Sun is so weak, he should ask to go back to his hometown to recuperate. How can he stay on the job while he is sick and delay official business?"

Sun Xiang asked back with a puzzled look on his face, "I have always been in good health. Why do you say I am weak and sickly?"

Xu Xiaoyun held his breath and asked, "How can you still be strong even if you are like this?"

"Yes." Sun Xiang's voice was weak, and it seemed that he would soon pass away, but he would not allow others to interrupt him. "I have been working here for several years. I was in good health before. It was only after the arrival of Governor Liu that I was poisoned.

Although I hold a low-ranking official position, I am an official appointed by the imperial court after all. Like all of you gentlemen, I am here under the order of the emperor.

Instead of helping me find out the source of the poison and uphold justice, the adults asked me to return home on my own accord. How can this be justified?

I am still an official, but you are so disrespectful to me and make such a foolish judgment. Can you be responsible to the people of Liangzhou? Are you really capable of carrying out the important tasks of the court?
I have my doubts about this!"

"You!" Xu Xiaoyun was choked and speechless for a moment, but fortunately his mind was still working. He turned to Liu Dexiang and said, "Sir Liu, how come what Sun Tongpan said is completely different from what you just said?

There is also poisoning, what's going on?

You are in the same government, but instead of working together, why are you targeting each other in your words? Is this the way to be a subject?"

Liu Dexiang was very friendly. He waited until his superior finished speaking before he bowed and prepared to answer. However, Sun Xiang did not give him a chance to speak. Sun Xiang stared at Xu Xiaoyun and asked forcefully, "May I ask, what position do you hold now?"

Not to mention, Xu Xiaoyun was actually a little afraid of Sun Xiang.

It’s not that he was afraid of Sun Xiang as a human being. He had heard too many strange stories and was afraid that the Sun Xiang in front of him was not a human being.

After all, just now, so many yamen runners failed to find the person, and this guy suddenly appeared at the door, it was simply impossible to think about it.

Xu Xiaoyun was now too angry to vent his anger, and instead answered the other party's question honestly, "Doctor of the Ministry of Revenue, how is it?"

"You are so young, yet you are able to hold such a high position. You must be very capable." Sun Xiang asked him, "How come you can't even investigate a case and ask questions?"

"Investigating cases and questioning people is the business of the Ministry of Justice!" Xu Xiaoyun made an excuse for himself, "Besides, we are not here to deal with the affairs of your Liangzhou government office after all."

Sun Xiang asked again: "Why did those gentlemen come?"

Feng Zhongan and Li Daolang did not interrupt, just sat there and watched Xu Xiaoyun deal with Sun Xiang.

"To conduct a thorough tax inspection."

"Which tax department should be thoroughly investigated?" Sun Xiang asked immediately.

"Of course it's Liangzhou..."

"Since it is Liangzhou's taxation, then who is in charge of Liangzhou?" Sun Xiang spoke faster and faster. "The superiors only check the taxes and not the people. Could it be that the taxes have become spirits and can collect them by themselves? Or that the money has become spirits and can write it in the account book by itself?"

"Alright!" Feng Zhongan said, and he slammed the account book in his hand onto the table. "President Sun, if you have anything to say, you can speak up. We are ordered to investigate, not to listen to your complaints."

"Which of my words are complaints? Do you not want to hear them, or do you not want the Emperor to hear them?"

Feng Zhongan finally got off the chair, and with his hands behind his back, he walked two steps towards Sun Xiang, "Why are you being so harsh?
We have nothing to do with Liangzhou. This is the first time we meet both Lord Liu and you, and we have no idea what happened between you.

Lord Xu is a little angry with you because you were not there when you were supposed to be.

Even if you were unwell, we didn't know about it beforehand. Why should we be bullied by you?
Even if we put aside our status as envoys, our official positions are higher than yours. How can you be so disrespectful to your superiors?" He said this, toning down each word.

Sun Xiang followed the same path as the other party, not responding, and finding another way, "If I am wrong, it is because I trust the court too much."

After Xu Xiaoyun decided not to confront the enemy head-on, his mind worked much faster.

He watched Feng Zhongan and Sun Xiang fighting back and forth, but they never got to the point that interested him, so he couldn't help but interrupt, "Master Sun, why don't you talk about the poisoning first? Who poisoned you?"

When Sun Xiang heard him ask this, he immediately retracted all the spikes on his body and knelt down towards Xu Xiaoyun, "Sir, please be kind and help me. The governor of Liangzhou, Liu Dexiang, poisoned me and murdered me!"

Xu Xiaoyun tiptoed to the side. What the hell was that question?