Han official!

Chapter 111 Meng

The three elders of the county were familiar with the thief law of the Han Dynasty.

Han Dynasty law: If thieves burn a city, officials and county officials will be executed and thrown into the open air. If thieves burn temples, houses, and other dwellings, they will be executed and tattooed and forced to work as rice grinders in the city.

The meaning is that if a thief deliberately burns a city, government offices, or official accumulated materials or money, he will be punished by being thrown into the market. If a thief deliberately burns official residences, houses of ordinary people, farmhouses, accumulated money or materials, he will be punished by tattooing and being forced to pound rice in the city for a day.

Guo Jie was the head of the county residence, and Wei Guang was a Ti cavalryman, so it was no longer a simple matter of burning down the houses of common people.

Zhang Tang would only punish the arson of official temples and official temple storehouses by beheading and publicly abandoning them, and send their heads to the East Market of the Nine Markets of Chang'an to be chopped off.

The villagers who were surrounding the Quzhi house were afraid to take action and huddled themselves in their jackets and trousers, not daring to move forward. Several villagers who were holding bean-shaped lanterns and had set fire to the house quickly extinguished the lanterns and looked at the Quzhi house anxiously.

Plunder and selling is also a serious crime. If Guo Jie in the Quchi mansion is released, all the residents of Shuqili will be tattooed on their faces and forced to work as a pounding farmer in the city.

He died of exhaustion while building the city walls, or froze to death one winter day.

"father."

Tian Dian approached the three elders of the county who were guarding the inner wall and said worriedly, "We can't burn them, and we can't let them go. What should we do now? I heard that Guo Jie's brother-in-law, Yi Zong, is an official under Zhang Tang. He went to Baling to hunt down the escaped official. If he doesn't return in a few days, Yi Zong will definitely report him to Zhang Tang, the head official of the imperial temple."

Mentioning the cruel official Zhang Tang.

Tian Dian's face was filled with hatred. "How hateful! Guo Jie's superior is Zhang Tang. If it were any other official, let alone the Chang'an Wei, even the Right Internal History would have dared to set fire to the city. The Du clans of the Western Road were guests of Prime Minister Dou Ying."

The three elders of the county were also dissatisfied with Zhang Tang.

A smelly, hard, dirty stone.

Don't eat soft or hard food.

They even dared to arrest the eldest sons of dukes and marquises.

What’s more, they are guests.

The three elders of the county made up their minds: "Go and call the old man and woman who abducted Xijun, and give the bean-shaped lantern to these elderly people. Let them burn the city, and the punishment from the government and the temple will be lighter."

Tian Dian's face lit up with joy, and he immediately went to find the old man and old woman in Shuqili.

"Military official."

Guo Jie was looking at the scene at the rammed earth inner wall. He was quite far away and could not hear clearly what Tian Dian and the three elders of the county were saying on the inner wall.

However, he could tell from Tian Dian's expression that he walked up to the rammed earth wall with a look of resentment, and left with a look of great joy, as if he had found a way to burn down the Quchi house.

"We can't stay trapped any longer."

Guo Jie stared at the three county elders on the inner wall and said in a deep voice, "The Western Du people in Shuqi are a threat, whether they stick their heads out or hide their heads. Sooner or later, they will take the risk and set fire to the city and ignite the firewood and oil piled at the base of the rammed earth wall. We need to rush out as soon as possible."

The inner gate of Shuqi Village was tightly closed, and many villagers outside were holding plows and hoes, blocking the wooden door.

Without siege weapons, it is difficult to break open the inner gate.

Several people near the chicken coop followed Guo Jie's gaze and saw the three elders of the county holding poison sticks.

Suddenly I understood.

They all understood Guo Jie's meaning.

"Capture the three elders of the county alive."

Wei Guang said murderously, "As long as we capture the three elders of the county and force them to return to the Sun Mansion, delaying them for a day and a night won't be a problem. The people in Shuqi Village don't know that Yi Zong is on his way. In a day, Yi Zong and the others can reach Shuqi Village even if they walk."

Poor information.

This is currently Guo Jie’s biggest advantage.

Guo Jie delayed for a day to wait for Yi Zong's arrival.

The Du clans of the Western Road had no idea that Yi Zong was already on his way.

"I'll go remove the door panel."

Mang Tong suddenly spoke up, saying in a deep voice, "The Du men of the Western Road are armed with short bows, hunting bows that the government has allowed the villagers to keep in their neighborhoods. However, their arrows are coated with violet poison, and if they grazed Lord Guo, he would faint and be at the mercy of others."

He usually doesn't talk.

The first thing he said was to exchange his own life for Guo Jie's survival.

Mang Tong stood beside the chicken coop, looking at the military officer and the materials officer at the door. He said solemnly, "Tear down the door panels and use them as large shields to block weak arrows. Then, Lord Guo and Lord Wei will seize the opportunity to attack the inner wall and capture the three elders of the county."

Guo Jie glanced at Mang Tong, who was ready to die, and clapped his hands and laughed, "No need. Tian Dian will replace the tribesmen and make way for us to leave the Quchi Mansion."

Mang Tong, Wei Guang and others looked confused.

The Shu at the gate of the Quchi courtyard, "Juyan New Bamboo Slips" describes the fields, Shu, alleys, gates, courtyards, halls, and rammed earth streets inside. A group of old men and women wearing linen robes walked all the way to the gate of the courtyard.

The Zhudu people who were blocking the door had no choice but to clear the way in front of the door.

A gap appeared at the heavily guarded doorway.

Tian Dian waited for the old man and the old woman to pick up the bean-shaped lamp and light the firewood at the foot of the wall, but he was afraid that Guo Jie would take the opportunity to run away.

"Guo Jie."

Tian Dian took out a letter, on which was written in official script his wife's age, appearance, and where she was registered.

He raised the letter and shouted, "If you escape, without the Zhu Du clan blocking the door, they will not be able to stop you, a man who fights tigers with his bare hands, a true hero who values trust and loyalty. But my wife in the mansion will not be able to escape and will be burned to death."

Tian Dian said this with certainty.

Guo Jie would not run away again.

It was a well-known fact among the knights-errant in Chang'an that Guo Jie, a hero from Chen County, valued loyalty and trustworthiness.

Tian Dian smiled confidently and said, "As a loyal and righteous hero from Chen County, you should stay in the mansion to protect the fragile Xijun. You would not abandon Xijun and run away alone."

Moral kidnapping?

Women are a vulnerable group.

She was born to be protected by men.

Guo Jie had a cold smile on his face.

Ah!
Tian Dian, this idiot, chose the wrong person.

Guo Jie of Chen County would definitely protect the concubine in his mansion.

What does this have to do with Guo Jie in Chang'an?

Guo Jie took a look at Xijun, who was standing beside the big cauldron. If it were someone else, he would have felt soft-hearted and would have only cared for the pitiful Xijun.

Consider yourself a gentleman.

That's not a gentleman.

It's a dog licker!
Before Guo Jie could even open his mouth to speak, someone became furious.

"Shut up!"

Wei Junru's oval face was filled with anger. He snatched the two-foot-long sword from Wei Guang's waist and pointed it at Tian Dian: "Little brat! Why do women need men's protection? In your eyes, Empress Lü and Empress Dowager Dou are just men's playthings and pleasure-takers!"

In a word, Empress Lü and Empress Dowager Dou were lucky people.

Tian Pian was sweating profusely on the spot.

Even the old man and the old woman were stunned and stood there, temporarily forgetting to light the firewood and oil.

When some wives heard that they were burned to death by the fire, they couldn't help sobbing. They had no intention of resisting and just waited to be burned to death by the fire.

"Shut up!"

Wei Junru was furious again. Her oval face eyebrows raised. She pointed at the wooden sticks that fenced off the chicken coop and said, "Pull out the sticks, sharpen them into spears, and rush out with me."

Guo Jie looked at Wei Junru, who looked like a female military marquis, and thought to himself that she was worthy of being a woman of the Wei family. She was a strong woman who could truly hold up half the sky.

Not with cries and tears, clamoring for privileges.

Instead, she proves through her own abilities that she is no weaker than men.

The Qin and Han dynasties were open-minded, and daughters even had the right to inherit property, which was far beyond the imagination of women under the rule of Confucianism.

The Han Dynasty law stipulated: If a man dies, his son shall not take over the household, the father shall be treated as the mother, the parents shall not be widowed, and the widow shall not be treated as the daughter.

If a family's parents die and there are no sons, the daughters can inherit the family property.

This was unimaginable in the feudal society that followed.

There are no sons in the family.

Only daughter.

The family will be eaten up by relatives.

He seized the family property and sold his daughter.

"Little clerk." Tian Dian stretched out his sleeve and wiped the sweat from his forehead. "That's not what I meant. Little clerk really wants to force Guo Jie!"

A whistling sound of wind passed by.

Guo Jie had been staring at the door with a fierce look in his eyes. Taking advantage of the fact that Tian Dian was intimidated by Wei Junru and relaxed, he threw the two-foot sword in his hand with all his might.

"puff!"

The two-foot sword pierced Tian Dian's neck.

The sword was so powerful that it directly nailed Tian Dian's body to the rammed earth road.

The residents of Shuqi were waiting to burn the city and kill Guo Jie, who refused to come out of his house. When they saw the usually domineering Tian Dian suddenly die tragically in front of them, they were all shocked.

transfixed.

He stared blankly at Tian Dian's body, which was gushing blood.

"boom!"

Guo Jie led his men out of the Quzhi house and punched an old woman in the throat, breaking her throat on the spot and turning her into a corpse on the ground.

The people following closely behind were not Mang Tong and Wei Guang.

Wei Junru's legs were even faster, and she followed Guo Jie out of the blockade without any affectation like Xijun. She swung her two-foot sword and cooperated with Guo Jie who swung his knife, killing more than five old men and women.

Decapitation level five at a time.

Guo Jie and Wei Junru complement each other very well.

It actually gave Guo Jie a feeling of being treated as an equal.

"Old idiot!"

Wei Junru shouted delicately. Taking advantage of her long legs, she was taller than Guo Jie and rushed to the inner wall first. She grabbed the necks of the three county elders with her jade hands and exhaled a long orchid breath from her cherry lips: "Mr. Guo, what should we do next?"

Guo Jie looked at Wei Junru, a beautiful face that represented peace and prosperity for the country and a pair of legs that were longer than his life. The more he looked at her, the more he liked her, but he still controlled his mind.

He will not fall for any woman.

Guo Jie stood on the inner wall, looking at the densely packed crowd of residents, and shouted loudly.

"I am Guo Jie, the head of the county residence, and a highly trusted official by Zhao Yu, the prefect of Chang'an, and Zhang Tang, the lieutenant of Chang'an. This time, I went to Shuqi Village to apprehend a fugitive. Unexpectedly, I stumbled upon the three elders of the county abducting and selling a concubine, a violation of Han law! However, Zhang Tang, the superior, will not vent his anger on the villagers. He will only punish the ringleaders. You, kneel on the ground and await your punishment. You are merely accomplices, and will receive the lightest sentence of Sikou. You will be released from prison in two years!"

Under the life sentence city pounding is the ghost firewood and white candy.

Below them are servants and concubines.

Next is Sikou, who only needs to serve two years, which is the lightest prison sentence of less than three years.

The villagers, holding their plows, hoes, and short swords, were moved when they heard Guo Jie say that the Sikou would not sentence them to pound the rice in the city.

Most of the profits from the abduction and sale of Xijun were taken by the Du families in the Western Road.

The Du people from the Western Road in Shuqili only account for a small part, and most of them are outsiders who have no relatives.

The benefits the residents received were not even enough to drink soup.

Every time I had a banquet, I would have a full meal that was not just wheat rice.

I can only eat corn rice for one meal.

Their final fate was no different from that of the other Du clansmen in the Western Region.

How can the residents be willing to accept this?

"You're being used by someone else and you don't even know it!"

Guo Jie looked at the agitated residents and added fuel to the fire: "Have the Western Du brothers ever been given any money or silk for the women they plundered and sold in Chang'an? You didn't get any money, yet you're being sentenced to the same punishment as the Western Du brothers. Are you out of your mind?"

The villagers were even more agitated and talked a lot. Many of them had already distanced themselves from the Zhudu people who were holding short bows, and it was obvious that they wanted to draw a clear line between themselves and the people.

Guo Jie looked at the common people below, and gradually relaxed as they stopped resisting.

As long as the villagers retreat, it will be enough to hold out until Yi Zong brings his men over.

As for the punishment, only the Sikou will be sentenced.

fake.

These were all lies that Guo Jie told to deceive these human traffickers.

These human traffickers, together with the old man and the old woman, lured Xijun, and were finally deceived by Guo Jie.

Well deserved.

Even if Guo liberated the residents.

The cruel official Zhang Tang would not let the residents of Shuqi go.

As long as the Han laws were violated, the cruel official Zhang Tang would only have one sentence.

The sentence will be heavier if it is too light.

If the case is serious, the person may be sentenced to beheading.

There is only one fate waiting for the residents.

City day grinding.

He was exhausted to death at the hands of Sang Hongyang.

The old man and the old woman were elderly people, and they relied on their age to deceive Xijun.

If the villagers hadn't helped, how could the old man and the old woman carry my wife away?
Who believes it? !
Guo Jie gave Wei Guang a look, indicating that he should drag the three elders of the county and walk towards the Sun-shaped house together.

The dark crowd made way for a path, and Guo Jie and the others left smoothly, step by step walking into the Sun-shaped house.

The Sikou's sentence moved the residents. They no longer wanted to be accomplices of the Du clan in the Western Road. They only wanted to atone for their sins and reduce Zhang Tang's punishment.

The Du clansmen of Xidao were filled with resentment and wanted to stop him, but because the orders of the three elders of the county were in Guo Jie's hands, they could only watch him and his men leave.

The cruel official Zhang Tang's reputation intimidated everyone in Shuqi.

Even if Zhang Tang is not in Shuqi.

Guo Jie brought up Zhang Tang's reputation as a cruel official and averted a crisis that could have cost him his life and caused the city to burn.

Wait until Yi Zong brings people over.

It will become like Guo Jie besieging Shuqi, without any mercy, and dropping the ring-handled knife in his hand.

A member of the Du clan of Xidao.

No one will survive!
"We can't let Guo Jie go!"

The county elders also have a son, Tian Dian's other brother, Brother Meng, who stood up.

Tian Dian is the second brother.

Brothers, uncles, and juniors.

There will only be one uncle above.

Village official.

Bo and Meng were both eldest sons.

However, Bo is the eldest legitimate son, and Meng is the eldest illegitimate son.

Brother Meng was the son of the county elder's concubine. When he saw that the village official and Tian Dian had died tragically one after another, and the two sons born to his wife were all dead, he was ecstatic and thought that his chance to inherit the family fortune had come.

Brother Meng's eyes lit up as he stared at Guo Jie, who was standing near his hometown at the door, with only one thought in his mind.

kill.

It’s not about killing Guo Jie.

On the contrary, Brother Meng wanted to force Guo Jie to kill the three elders of the county.

As long as the three elders of the county died at the hands of Guo Jie, Brother Meng could take the opportunity to force his wife, who had no son to support her, to death and inherit Shu Qili's huge family fortune.

Later, Shuqi plundered and sold his wife, sold jute, and became Dou Ying's guest, among other things for money and status.

All of them belong to Brother Meng alone.

Brother Meng was so excited that his whole body was shaking, his head was trembling, and he wanted to laugh wildly to the sky.

I've been feeling frustrated for many years.

Finally, it is Brother Meng's turn to take control of Shuqili.

(End of this chapter)