Uncle from a poor family

Chapter 508 I Have the Final Say (ask for monthly ticket)

Zhu Ji went out and told his subordinates to summon Li Hua to the back hall.

After Zhu Ji left, Zhang Luan looked at Qin Yun with a smile and asked, "Captain Qin, it was you who asked me to help this guy named Li Hua, right?"

"Correct."

Qin Yun was still a little embarrassed, and quickly bowed, "Everything should be judged impartially... As long as you are not partial, even if it is an explanation to the Li family... If you think this matter is too difficult, don't take it too seriously. Just judge it as it should be, and I will never disagree."

Zhang Luan looked at his youngest son and asked with a smile, "This case seems to involve a niece of Li Hua? Have you married her yet?"

Zhang Yanling also looked at Qin Yun with a smile.

Qin Yun lowered his head and said shyly, "She hasn't married yet. We have just made an engagement. He said he will marry her after his uncle's case is over."

"Why do we have to wait until Li Hua's case is over? The Li family is no longer kind-hearted... Yanling, don't you think so?" Zhang Luan turned and looked at his youngest son.

Zhang Yanling smiled and said, "That can only be said that Captain Qin has a kind heart. If it were someone more powerful, the other party should marry their daughter to him first to show their sincerity, and then help us after the matter is completed."

Tan Yun quickly said: "I can't do that kind of thing."

Zhang Luan nodded in approval: "My son is right. Sometimes you have to be ruthless when doing things. If you are too kind, you will be bullied and you won't know who is helping whom in the end."

"Um!?"

After hearing this, Qin Yun felt confused.

What has provoked you? It seems that you are gritting your teeth when you say this. Is it possible that someone asked you for help, but ended up repaying you with evil?

Zhang Yanling said, "Dad, we are talking about Li Hua's case, please don't change the subject."

"That's how it is. Don't end up not catching any fish but getting yourself into trouble..."

Zhang Luan grumbled a few words, and seeing his youngest son's unhappy expression, he quickly said, "Okay, my son, then tell me, how should Li Hua's case be tried?"

Zhang Yanling pointed to the file and said, "Take a good look at it yourself... The evidence of Li Hua's bribery is actually very clear. He did give Liang Fang gifts, and he did so many times, and the amount was not small. But as for accusing him of corruption and abuse of power, there is no actual evidence so far, because the Li family is wealthy and powerful, and it is not the case that being an official requires desperately trying to get money home... Besides, he was paid to be an official, and he was an official in a government office with low income. Even if he wanted to ask for bribes, others would not be able to ask him for help!"

"Isn't it just a small official position? Why spend money to buy an official position? Haha, there are such stupid people in the world?" Zhang Heling laughed beside him.

"What a small official! The Director of the Imperial Observatory is a fifth-rank official in Beijing, which is not a small official!"

Zhang Luan explained, then glared at his eldest son and shouted, "If you can't speak, shut up!"

Zhang Heling protested in dissatisfaction: "Dad, you are being unreasonable. I am making fun of Li Hua, why are you yelling at me?"

Zhang Yanling smiled and said, "Brother, don't you know that our father paid out of his own pocket to be an official? Our family paid a lot of silver to the court, tens of thousands of taels at a time. When you make fun of others, can you find out the situation first?"

"What? Did our family spend money? How many tens of thousands of taels? Didn't they say that our family became prosperous only after our brother-in-law became the emperor? Do we have to spend money just to rely on our brother-in-law to become an official? This is too much of a loss!"

Zhang Heling seemed to find it difficult to understand.

Although he now has a certain identity and status, his family's economic status is almost nothing.

Even the salaries paid by the Embroidered Uniform Guard went into Jin's pocket.

An underage boy does not have the qualifications to make decisions for himself.

In this regard, Zhang Yanling is much better than him.

Zhang Luan glared at his eldest son and said, "Shut up. Just stand by the side. You can make me so angry that I will live a few years less! If I die early, it will be because of you."

……

……

Li Hua was escorted to the back hall of the Northern Pacification Office.

When he saw Zhang Luan, he knelt down and kowtowed endlessly.

"OK OK……"

Zhang Luan gave him a false support with his right hand and said, "Hurry up, hurry up. You said we were ministers in the same palace before, and I feel sorry for you when I see you in such a miserable state. Why don't you do something else but do something illegal and bring yourself such bad luck? Boss, help him up."

Zhang Heling pouted: "He was dirty all over, and I could smell the foul odor from a distance. If I didn't help him...my clothes are still brand new."

Qin Yun didn't say anything, he quickly walked over and helped up his future wife's uncle.

Then someone took the shackles off Li Hua.

"The preliminary sentence for your case is hanging." Zhang Luan looked at the end of the file and shook his head.

"Please help me, Master Zhang."

When Li Hua heard this, he almost knelt down again.

Zhang Luan said quickly, "Wait a minute, I haven't finished talking yet... This file is too thick, I haven't read it in detail, and I don't know how you decided on the hanging. There were so many people who gave gifts to Liang Fang in the past, do you want to kill them all? I didn't see anyone else being killed... Is there some hidden story?"

Zhu Ji was listening and couldn't help thinking in his heart.

Why did he have to die? Don't you know it? Isn't it because Li Hua not only gave Liang Fang a gift, but also offended you and Li Zisheng with Ni Yue over the issue of the late emperor's mausoleum?

Once he becomes your political enemy, given the emperor's high regard for you, he will be killed.

He could have been given a lighter sentence, with a few years' imprisonment or exile, but... the cabinet drafted the bill, the Imperial Household Department approved it, and he was sentenced to death. But at least his body would be intact, and if he was lucky, he could stay in the cell for a few years, and maybe he would have a chance to get out if there was an amnesty, so he didn't have to die.

Zhang Luan pondered for a moment and said, "This crime is a bit too severe. Commander Zhu, what do you think?"

Zhu Ji quickly said: "I have no opinion, you have the final say."

"I really have the final say? You're not lying to me. I can only provide some reference opinions. The final decision still lies with the Three Law Courts, right?"

Zhang Luan asked.

Zhu Ji did not say anything roundabout to Zhang Luan, the emperor's favorite, but gave a direct suggestion: "If you feel that the crime is too serious, you can re-examine it and report it to the emperor. His Majesty is still willing to listen to your opinion..."

Li Hua, who was listening carefully, felt excited.

It turns out that my death sentence can be negotiated?
Just a few words here can you decide my life or death?
Alas, if it were really that simple, then all my previous sins would have been in vain!

Who am I provoking?

Zhang Luan looked through the case file, and finally said, "It's true that there is no serious crime. The death penalty has been imposed. So, for the bribery, a fine of silver should be imposed... But the fine cannot be too small, at least it should be a token of appreciation. Li Jianzheng, what do you think?"

It turns out that hanging can be solved by paying a fine?

Li Hua thought, this is great, my family has plenty of money anyway, I’m willing to pay any amount as long as it can save my life.

He was just feeling extremely lucky for having escaped death, when he suddenly thought, did the father-in-law Zhang in front of him really have such great power that he could decide his life or death with just a word?
Originally, he didn't believe it no matter what, but when he thought about how he had insisted on standing on Ni Yue's side and opposing Zhang Luan, which led to his tragic end today... Li Hua thought to himself, if I don't listen to Zhang Guozhang now, who should I listen to?
Is there anyone else who can save me besides Zhang Guozhang?
Just as Li Hua was thinking over and over again, Zhang Luan looked at Zhu Ji and said, "In that case, let him go."

"what!?"

Zhu Ji was stunned for a moment, then he quickly stepped forward and reminded in a low voice: "Mr. Zhang, you can report the case, but if you just release the person, I'm afraid..."

Zhang Luan slammed his right hand on the table and said loudly: "I have seen it. He just gave a slightly larger amount of bribes, but none of the bribe-takers have been sentenced to death. It is impossible that the briber will be hanged first, right?
"Since there is no need to hang or exile him, why not go home and wait for news? It is unlikely that he will run away after returning home, right?"

Zhu Ji looked at Li Hua, as if to say, this is really possible.

"Li Jianzheng, can you run?"

Zhang Luan asked seriously.

Li Hua was already filled with tears of gratitude and was very excited. With red eyes, he said, "Of course not."

Zhang Luan smiled and said, "I didn't expect you to... Where can you run away? Before, when you were faced with a life-or-death decision, it was understandable that you ran away. Now that you don't have to die, why would you run away?
"Commander Zhu, we should be more considerate. I have looked at the list of criminals and found that many of the officials involved in the crime were involved in giving gifts to Liang Fang. Only a few of them were actually arrested and convicted. There is really no need to embarrass Li Jianzheng because of this."

Zhu Ji still looked a little embarrassed and did not agree immediately.

"If something happens, I'll take the responsibility."

Zhang Luan patted his chest and promised, looking at Zhu Ji with a somewhat unfriendly look, and asked, "Is this going to work?"

Zhu Ji didn't dare to offend Zhang Luan, so he quickly explained: "Mr. Zhang, you misunderstood. That's not what I meant. Since His Majesty sent you to preside over this case, your opinion is actually the final decision, and we should naturally follow it. But... he was released like this without notifying the public in advance, and all the procedures have not been handled. I'm afraid..."

"That's it..."

Zhang Luan seemed very easygoing. He waved his hand and said, "Commander Zhu, please write my opinion on the case into an official document and send it to the Ministry of Public Administration to wait for the final approval of His Majesty. Then notify all government offices to make it clear that Li Jianzheng did not escape from prison, but went home to wait for the result."

Then he turned to Qin Yun and ordered, "Captain Qin, ask someone to go to Li Jianzheng's house to inform them and ask them to pick him up. Li Jianzheng, please wait here first. When I leave, you can go with me and leave the Northern Pacification Office together... Ask someone to bring him a chair."

When Li Hua heard this, he thought, is there such a good thing?
One moment I was a criminal, and now I am your old advisor?
Direct criminals become judges?
Zhu Ji obviously didn't want to bother with Li Hua, and immediately sent someone to bring a chair over so that Li Hua could sit down.

Li Hua was so restless that he said hurriedly, "It's fine if I just stand."

Zhu Ji glared at him and shouted, "Mr. Zhang asked you to sit down, so just sit down. Don't be so tense here... If I have anything to ask you, just answer it truthfully."

"Yes Yes."

Li Hua quickly responded.

Zhang Luan said with a smile: "Li Jianzheng, how come after visiting the Northern Pacification Office, I found that you are different from before?"

Li Hua felt very bitter.

Isn't it?

I used to be able to have my own opinions, but when I was in prison, especially a place like the Imperial Prison that was hated by all gods and ghosts, facing a group of unreasonable jailers and imperial guards who only knew how to exploit and oppress me, what else could I do except follow their orders?

It has become a conditioned reflex now. Whenever someone in official uniform speaks to me, I have to bow and smile and receive orders.

Perhaps only in this way can I avoid suffering any loss.

…………

Yesterday, I watched "Nezha" and "Detective Chinatown" with my daughter. They are both very good movies. I recommend them! In addition, on the first day of February, please give me a guaranteed monthly ticket! Thank you!

(End of this chapter)