Guangzong Yaoming

Chapter 197 Die together
"Bring it up to the hall!"

The gavel was banged like this. Well, we won't praise anything else but our Magistrate Shu. He is in great spirits now.

The yamen runners of Changxing County had never seen the county magistrate be so upright and dignified.

Shu Baiqing no longer wore his official hat, but his official robe was still on.

He hung his hat beneath a plaque in the lobby of the county government, along with his official seal.

The person who was brought to the court was Zang Maoxun's cousin Zang Yeru, who was a well-known scholar.

When he arrived at the court, he looked with disdain at the victim who was kneeling there suing him, and then glanced at Shu Baiqing who was not wearing his official hat.

Although he was a little frightened by Shu Baiqing's madness, he still posed and bowed: "The county lord has summoned me to the hall. I am here."

Then he stood there proudly: I have achieved great success, so I don't have to kneel when I go through the court.

Shu Baiqing slammed the gavel again: "I know the cause of this case very well, and I can be a witness! Listen to me, write it down and present it to me, and I will sign my name!"

Zang Yeru couldn't hold it in any longer and just listened to Shu Baiqing's incessant testimony.

"How can the county lord slander students like this..."

"I am also an accomplice! I will confess first!" Shu Boqing looked at him with gritted teeth, "I will interrogate you first, and then the inspector or the governor will interrogate me! Now that there is a witness, if the criminal still refuses to confess, he will be severely punished!"

"Are you determined to commit the crime you have falsely accused me of? My Zang family..."

"No matter if it's the Zang family, the Ding family, or the Xu family, this county is just judging the case impartially! Come on, let this county sign it!"

Zang Yeru was panicked. After this guy went crazy, he was interrogated together with himself, and even said in front of everyone in the lobby of the county government that he was also an accomplice.

However, Shu Baiqing knew too many inside stories during his years as magistrate of Changxing.

If he interrogates like this, who can withstand it?
Zang Maoxun already knew about it not long after Zang Yeru was summoned to court.

At this moment, the county government opened its doors to try the case, and the news kept spreading.

"Master, there are already seventeen disobedient bailiffs in the county jail... The county magistrate must have gone crazy..."

"...We can't let him continue the trial like this!"

In front of Zang Maoxun, there were several other gentry from Changxing.

Right now they are all in the Zang family's mansion in the county town, and people are constantly coming in and out of the gate of the mansion to report news.

The people who said that Shu Baiqing could not continue the interrogation were the Ding family members mentioned by Shu Baiqing.

At present, there are four branches of the Ding family in Changxing. They all migrated here during the Yuan Dynasty and gradually expanded.

Among the Changxing families, the Zang family is actually the most prosperous at present.

After all, since the migration here in the Song Dynasty, it has been passed down to the 19th generation.

As the 17th generation, Zang Maoxun is the fifth Jinshi born in the Changxing Zang family, and four Jinshi have been born in just three generations from the Zhengde period to the Wanli period. There are many students and candidates in the family, so it is possible to add more Jinshi memorial archways.

At this time, among the aristocratic families in Changxing, the Zang family was the first.

What about Zang Maoxun himself? He was a student of Shen Shixing and the father-in-law of Xu Jie's grandson.

"How can I stop him from continuing the trial?" Zang Maoxun didn't expect Shu Baiqing to go crazy after meeting him that day. Now his face was extremely ugly. "He is an official! He can do this before the government, the province, and the court know about it!"

Of course, they have begun to take action to put pressure on the higher-ups, but at least for now, no one in Changxing County can hold this mad dog back.

If they don't go through the normal channels, then will they "kill officials" or go against the tide to create some kind of civil unrest?
"...We have to find a way!" Another Xu family scholar angrily smashed a bowl, "Old Eleven was on the second list of the provincial examination two years ago, and had a great chance of passing the examination next year, but now he has been locked up in jail!"

"This damn thing..." The Ding family also felt the same way.

Zang Maoxun's face turned pale: "Xie Xuejian is returning to the Mao family..."

Several people were silent for a while, and then Zang Maoxun spoke up: "He is willing to sacrifice his official hat in exchange for us giving in. If he can be exempted from punishment and surrender himself, perhaps the emperor will be very pleased and Your Majesty will let him turn a disaster into a blessing."

"But if all those cases were exposed, he should be dismissed from his official position and fame! If such a person can turn a disaster into a blessing, who in the world can accept it?"

"Isn't this turning yourself in to absolve yourself of guilt? He turned himself in first!"

Zang Maoxun was troubled by Shu Baiqing's fighting style of dying together.

"...The prefecture doesn't care?"

"Prefect?" Zang Maoxun slammed his palm on the table. "I asked the Chen family in Wuxi to intercede for me, and they blocked it with one sentence: It's hard to disobey the imperial decree."

"Your Majesty, do you really want to kill them all?!"

"Master, Master..." Someone else ran over, "Master Ye Ru has also been convicted, and the county magistrate is trying another case, and the accusation is... the accusation is against you. The express team is already going to our house to summon you..."

Zang Maoxun stood up suddenly: "He wants to interrogate even me? Where is the lawyer?"

"The county magistrate said... the lawyer can represent you in the case, but you must be summoned to appear in court..."

"Ridiculous! Where is the decency!"

Zang Maoxun was so angry that his sleeves were shaking, but Shu Baiqing was indeed a madman and didn't care about anything anymore.

At night he took off his official robes, put on prison clothes and went to sleep in the cell.

I was still thinking about countermeasures when someone came running over: "Oh no, sir, the county magistrate is here with the bailiffs..."

Several people were shocked.

This is not surprising. Shu Baiqing certainly knows this place. He even comes here to listen to opera performances with everyone else.

At that time, he was surrounded by beauties and was very unhappy here.

Now Shu Baiqing rushed in aggressively, and roared when he got to the courtyard: "Mr. Gu Zhushan, you are here, right? Don't say that I don't know, a victim has reported you to the county government, I have already taken a witness and signed a pledge, I will personally summon you to the court..."

Zang Maoxun no longer had the momentum he had that day. He walked out of the flower hall and stared at him and said sternly, "Shu Baiqing, don't go too far!"

"The emperor's will is hard to disobey, and the law is ruthless!" Shu Boqing saw him and the others, "Great, they are all here! Anyway, this official has reached the end of his career. This county has been very happy to solve cases these days! When the people call you the great judge, this county is very happy! Come on, take Master Zang to the court first!"

He shook his sleeves and made way, staring at Zang Maoxun with a look of revenge in his eyes: "Mr. Gu Zhushan, please come in!"

Seeing his posture of leading the way, Zang Maoxun's face turned pale: "Are you really going to force me to wait..."

"Rebel!" Shu Boqing roared, "If you think that this county is forcing you too much, then rebel!"

After saying this, he turned around and looked at the people of Changxing County who were timidly but excitedly following over and surrounding the gate of the Zang family's mansion.

"Your Majesty's grace is as great as the sea. You must strictly observe the exemptions and privileges of the gentry in the country! Those who should not be exempted must pay the land tax, and those who should pay the labor service must pay it! If they can pay the labor service, you can pay less, but now they are unwilling to do so! You should see clearly first, and when the academic supervisor arrives in Changxing and asks you about the reputation of these gentry in the village, you should boldly tell the truth!"

Zang Maoxun asked sternly, "Are you trying to incite a civil uprising, my Lord?"

But they were really a little scared. If the county government brought the people to attack their homes, would they really put up a desperate resistance?

These days, the county magistrate's madness has made the poor people feel very excited.

Although he himself admitted his guilt, the final verdict favored the poor people.

He really has the reputation of being an honest and upright judge.

Upon hearing the voice, Shu Baiqing turned around and pointed at Zang Maoxun and the others: "Zang Maoxun! Your cousin is the county magistrate in Yancheng. Didn't he try to persuade you? He must have gone crazy there now! I have already surrendered myself, so what if I have one more serious crime of inciting civil unrest? Will you be tried in court or not?"

Zang Maoxun's face was pale as he looked at Shu Baiqing who was already frantic. "The world is clear, the head of this county is here!" Shu Baiqing patted his neck, "The decree is clear, surrender this year to be exempted from punishment! Do you want this county to try each case one by one, or do you want those who should surrender to surrender and those who should return the stolen goods to return them? This year, this county has made this decision for the people of Changxing!"

"you……"

"Bring the criminal to court!" Shu Boqing ordered the yamen runners sternly, "Everyone in the county yamen, I will bear all the blame! Will you obey my orders, or just join them in the rebellion?"

He mentioned rebellion from time to time. Zang Maoxun had never seen a local official so crazy.

But it was really the case of "strength comes from lack of desire", the master couldn't handle the random punches.

"...If we have something to say, let's talk it over..."

"The county has been talking for months!" Shu Boqing only realized the benefits of being strong today, "Should I go to court or turn myself in?"

He didn't know what the future would be like, nor did he know whether the emperor would support him after he took such a risk.

But when the emperor pointed here, the county magistrates and prefects had to charge in. What if they didn't do it and were chopped off as deserters?
This time he has cut himself off from Changxing County, and he won't be able to have any trace of him in the future. But what can he do?

Shu Baiqing looked at Zang Maoxun with even some hatred in his eyes: Why are you so greedy, why can't you cooperate, why does he have to push himself to this point?
The political situation may change, and the policies may be amended, but why should Changxing County be pushed to the forefront?
Is it amazing that the Changxing Zang family has four Jinshi in three generations? Last year, both Shangshu families in Nanjing were abolished!

"I..."

"You old bastard! Should you go to court or turn yourself in?" Shu Baiqing really gritted his teeth.

Zang Maoxun had lost all his dignity and his expression was no better than his.

But Shu Baiqing was both the county magistrate and the current governor.

"Your Excellency..." The county magistrate came hurriedly, "Three centurions from the Guarding Thousand Households have come, saying that they were invited by the prefect..."

After hearing this, Shu Baiqing became even more arrogant: "Okay! The prefect also knows that there may be a civil uprising in Changxing County! Zang Maoxun, will you surrender yourself or not!"

"...Brother Jin, it is better to...spend money to avoid disaster..."

The Ding family and the Xu family all looked pale and spoke in a hesitant voice.

Even the Huzhou Garrison sent troops.

Chang Xingxue, who had just been promoted to an official position, looked at the mad county magistrate with fear, and stepped forward to say earnestly: "Mr. Gu Zhushan, this case is not a big deal..."

"This is too much... This is too much..." Zang Maoxun's beard was shaking and he felt dizzy.

Although turning yourself in will exempt you from punishment, won’t that still leave a criminal record and ruin your reputation?

What will happen next when the student status inspector comes? Can turning oneself in really absolve oneself of guilt? How much money will be lost?

He now really wanted to rebel, but he had never been mentally prepared for this.

If you rebel, you either succeed or your entire clan will be killed.

There is no news of anyone taking the lead in the world. Why don’t officials and gentry in the world take the lead in the face of such harsh policies?

Even the Duke of Yansheng...

"Your Excellency, we would like to first examine our own people..."

Zang Maoxun looked at the two "old friends" who knelt down first, and his heart sank again.

"Okay! You are allowed to check on yourselves first." Shu Boqing turned around domineeringly, "Where are the officers and soldiers guarding the Thousand Households? I will go to welcome them first. How are the food arrangements? Lord Gu Zhushan, I respect you as a senior. When I return to the government office, you'd better be in the lobby. Otherwise, I may have to ask the military commander to invite you to your Zang family!"

After saying this, he walked out of the door and strode away amid the awe and excitement of the people.

The Zang family's servants finally closed the door again, and they were all terrified.

Zang Maoxun was about to fall, and the Ding family and the Xu family quickly supported him: "Brother Jin..."

"This is too much... this is too much..."

He was at a loss for a moment.

The whole Zhejiang province has been thrown into chaos by "crazy officials" like Shu Baiqing and righteous iron-headed people like Xie Tingzan. Therefore, the current governor, provincial governor and provincial judge of Zhejiang are also in chaos.

The situation is so chaotic that perhaps some gentry might suddenly get excited and gather the young and strong men in the clan and the servants to form a stronghold to fight against the government.

"What a mess! What a mess! Governor, how can you mobilize the soldiers?"

"It is clear that there is grace again, and it is clear that the exemption is still in place. You are so confused! Why are you still making trouble?" The Governor of Zhejiang looked at the Provincial Governor and the Provincial Surveillance Commissioner, "Didn't the governors and school officials of each prefecture give more advice? If the gentry insists on making trouble, then do it! If something goes wrong, Your Majesty will only deal with you and me first!"

They know more about what's going on in the court than the people below them.

The personal guards were sent to the hometowns of officials who were attacked by local gentry, and the emperor said clearly: Who is on my side?
I was planning to see where the rebellion would occur!
Chilled the hearts of officials and gentry all over the world?

Gu Xiancheng didn't know that Donglin Academy had been impeached by Niu Yingyuan, but this period of time was the best time for them to discuss the current government affairs.

"The officials in the court have been corrupt for many years, so how can they not be in collusion with each other? The upright gentry can only retreat and give lectures, trying their best to preserve this source of culture and education! The officials and gentry of the world have first chilled your majesty's heart, and now the public is in an uproar. It's really that selfish desires are rampant and blinding right and wrong!"

Donglin College held monthly gatherings and lectures, where Gu Xiancheng enthusiastically expressed his views.

Of course, there are many gentry in the world who have not yet held official positions and believe that they are extremely upright. Gu Xiancheng hopes that they can all agree with the purpose of Donglin Academy.

Wang Dewan knew that Donglin Academy had been impeached by Niu Yingyuan, and he didn't quite understand.

"Governor, from what I heard, what Donglin Academy said is quite helpful for the implementation of the new policy now."

Niu Yingyuan just snorted coldly: "I have stayed in Jiangnan longer, and I know what kind of people they are better! There are naturally more corrupt officials in the court, but now that His Majesty has given them a chance to reform, he has first shown mercy and then clarified the administration. How can they label most of the officials in the court as scum? What good will it do to the implementation of the new policy? It will only cause panic among the people!"

Wang Dewan seemed to be thinking about something.

"Don't listen to them. They also scold many of the gentry in opposition. But if they scold too harshly, after a batch of gentry are investigated and cleaned up this year, the rest of the gentry will surrender themselves, return the stolen goods, and be exempted. They will naturally think that they are clean. By then, they will all talk big and point fingers at the officials in office. Who dares to serve them? It is a truth that one should not interfere in other people's affairs! Since you are unwilling to serve, then just listen to the discipline!"

Only then did Wang Dewan understand Niu Yingyuan's intention.

At this time, Xiong Tingbi had just arrived in Taicang County, Suzhou Prefecture.

Starting from the hometown of the leader of the New Party to investigate the gentry, this is Xiong Tingbi's "approximate method".

All the prefectures in Southern Zhili were paying attention to the investigation results of the gentry in Taicang County.

Xiong Tingbi looked at the gentry of Taicang County who were summoned to him with a warm smile. This was only the group that was currently in Taicang County.

"I understand what you are saying." Xiong Tingbi looked at them. "This is only the first time. It will be determined by whether you are loyal to the country and obey the imperial decrees and laws. Those who have surrendered themselves and are exempted from punishment have naturally obeyed the laws of the country. Those who can be exempted through strict punishment have also obeyed the imperial decrees. As for knowledge, morality, and reputation, whether they have improved in three years is more important. What do you think?"

The gentry of Taicang looked at each other in bewilderment. Wang Dingjue bowed and said, "Xuejian Xiong is right. This kind of investigation is a great benefit."

The message that Xiong Tingbi wanted to convey to the various prefectures in Southern Zhili was very simple and clear.

If you obediently obey the policies that the court is going to implement this year, you are a good gentry and you will not be convicted and stripped of your official title.

If you still want to rely on some last-ditch resistance, don't blame him for using courtesy before force.

The gentry of Changzhou County, Suzhou Prefecture, knew that they might be the next stop, and the Shen family's house was crowded with people.

"Is there really nothing the Lord can do?"

Today I have to review a case with my lawyer and prepare to appear in court, so I am one update short of 10pm. I will make up for it after the case is settled, but I am three updates short now.

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(End of this chapter)