Han official!

Chapter 131 Promotion
There are as many as twenty county officials under the Right Secretary of the Interior. Due to their different duties, they are divided into primary and secondary, and close and distant relatives. The more than twenty county officials are usually called Liecao.

The county magistrate's closest relatives were called the Five Caos of the Menxia Sect.

Gongcao is one of the five departments under the Menxia Department, responsible for selecting and appointing officials for merit, that is, the appointment, dismissal, reward and punishment of all county officials in a county.

Gongcao's position in the county government was that of the most respected official in the county, and it was common for the prefect to entrust government affairs to Gongcao.

When the position of prefect is vacant, Gongcao is in charge of everything inside and outside the county government and can decide everything, which is equivalent to temporarily taking over the position of prefect.

The Left and Right Nei Shi were counties directly under the jurisdiction of the imperial court, on the same level as counties and kingdoms. The Right Nei Shi meant directly governing a county, and also meant a prefect.

A vacancy in the position of Right Internal History caused a struggle among the Chang'an Magistrate and the five mausoleum magistrates. All affairs of the county government and temple were temporarily handled by the Gongcao.

Gongcao was puzzled when he saw Guo Jie in ochre prison clothes in the hearing hall. He looked worried and felt that the situation was difficult for him as a small official.

Firstly, Guo Jie was a guest of Chong Huangrou, and he tore off the limbs of Maoling Ling, most likely because Chong Huangrou, the eldest son of Qu Chenghou, arranged for him to do it.

The person who actually violated the Han law was Chong Huangrou.

Secondly, Princess Pingyang was very satisfied with the human pig presented by Guo Jie, and gave him a reward, and even betrothed her private servant Wei Junru to Guo Jie.

Wei Junru's beautiful appearance attracted the covetousness of the nobles and dukes, but she was married to Guo Jie by Princess Pingyang. It can be seen that Guo Jie was deeply loved by the princess.

By all means
The Magistrate of Maoling was also a guest of Prime Minister Dou Ying.

The Right Secretary could not afford to offend Princess Pingyang and Prime Minister Dou Ying, let alone the Gongcao who was temporarily acting as the Right Secretary.

"Guo Jie took off his prisoner uniform."

Gong Cao just wanted to play dumb: "The interrogation hasn't started yet, and Guo Jie hasn't been convicted yet, so we can't put a prison uniform on him yet. We can put a red prison uniform on him after the interrogation is over."

The prison clerk was overjoyed. He had never thought of putting prison clothes on Guo Jie. Before starting the interrogation, he temporarily found a clean ochre prison clothes to put on outside.

The interrogation began.

Gongcao was in trouble again, and secretly cursed Junjuecao for running away so fast. As soon as he learned the news that Maoling Ling had been turned into a human pig, he immediately took leave and went home, disappearing without a trace.

Gongcao originally wanted to find Juecao to conduct an interrogation and interrogate Guo Jie, and then pass the difficult problem to Juecao, who was in charge of criminal justice.

Although both of them were county officials, Gongcao was the highest position in the county.

The five departments under the Ministry of Personnel were called powerful officials.

Jue Cao had to obey Gong Cao's arrangements.

Unexpectedly, Jue Cao was also a cunning old official. When he heard the slightest sign of trouble, he immediately hid back in his hometown, and the reason for taking leave was to fulfill his filial piety to his parents.

The Han Dynasty attached great importance to respecting the elderly and filial piety. No matter how angry Gongcao was, he could not send anyone to bring Juecao back.

During mealtime (9:00-9:45), Guo Jie was brought from the Sihu Prison to the Chang'an Official Temple and interrogated. He was questioned about the case in which he and the Maoling Magistrate had a fight, which resulted in the Magistrate's limbs being broken.

The interrogation did not begin until noon (11:15-12:00).

Gongcao experienced what it meant to live every day like a year. He sat in the hearing hall without saying a word. He opened his mouth several times but didn't know how to start, so he closed it again.

Ugh.

Turned into a deep sigh.

"Does the wound on the Maoling Magistrate show any signs of being cut by iron?"

Unable to drag it on any longer, Gongcao had no choice but to start the interrogation. He turned his head to look at the subordinates beside him and asked about the wound of Maoling Ling.

Can a fight break an arm?

I don’t believe any ghosts.

However, as long as there are no wounds on Maoling Ling's limbs caused by sharp weapons.

It was indeed a tear.

Only one conviction can be made for mutual assault.

Guo Jie was no longer beheaded or thrown into the streets, but was instead tortured to the point of having his beard shaved off.

Gongcao looked at Guo Jie standing in the hearing hall and couldn't help but sigh, even though he had climbed step by step from a county official to the position of county Gongcao, and was respected as a noble official.

This was also the first time I saw someone evading punishment in this way.

Use minor punishments instead of major ones.

Guo Jie manipulated the Han laws in many different ways.

“I have never seen any wounds caused by copper or iron.”

The clerk produced a scroll of farewell documents, or notes, which clearly recorded the process of examining the wounds of the Maoling Magistrate. He shook his head and said, "According to the records of the farewell documents, the wounds of the Maoling Magistrate were lacerations, which look very much like those caused by a fight."

The clerk was just a minor historian, equivalent to a secretary beside Gongcao, and should not have said the misleading words "mutual fight".

Once he says the wound is a laceration, he can shut up and not continue to say anything that contains subjective judgment.

The reason why the subordinate official said this was that he, a low-level official, was also a good friend of Wei Guang's who entertained guests and made friends with the lower classes.

Of course, I prefer Wei Guang's brother-in-law.

In official circles, sometimes some insignificant little people can have a great impact.

It is a typical case of sugar not being sweet and vinegar being very sour.

Secretaries, clerks, drivers, and nannies are all typical people who are neither sweet as sugar nor sour as vinegar.

On the eve of a person's promotion, such people around the big leader deliberately spread some groundless rumors, which may very likely ruin the future of the person being promoted.

Small people can also be of great use.

"call--"

The chief officer breathed a sigh of relief. After hearing his subordinate say that there were lacerations caused by a fight, he could finally conduct the interrogation with peace of mind.

Today's sentencing is as long as everything complies with Han law.

Afterwards, no one could find any trouble with Gongcao.

"Be patient."

Gongcao made up his mind and did not delay any longer. He went straight to the interrogation and began to pronounce the verdict.

"Guo Jie did not use any iron or copper tools, but simply fought, causing the Maoling Magistrate's limbs to be broken. Guo Jie was sentenced to a life sentence."

Gongcao finished reading the interrogation and announced Guo Jie's final punishment.

Even though Gongcao had been an official for twenty or thirty years, he could not help but find it absurd, and in the end he only sentenced him to a long life imprisonment.

How could a fight result in the breaking of hands, feet and other limbs?

Although it is absurd and ridiculous, according to the Han law, he must be sentenced to death.

Gongcao shook his head. As a high-ranking official in the county, he had gained some knowledge today.

"Mr. Guo, please."

The prison clerk made a gesture of invitation, and several other prison clerks behind him brought a couch and placed it in the hearing hall, letting Guo Jie lie directly on the couch instead of lying on the cold rammed earth floor.

Gongcao's face twitched.

Is this an execution, or is he going to the Right Secretary's hearing hall to have fun?

The prison clerk who brought the couch was a jailer from Sihu Prison, not a jailer from the county prison under the Right Secretary of the Interior.

Sihuyu was also a military prison of the Northern Army.

Gongcao had no right to interfere, nor did he dare to interfere in the affairs of the Northern Army, unless he despised his own life.

Many officials including Gongcao of the Right Internal History looked at a prisoner named Guo Jie lying in the hearing hall, suffering the torture of shaving off his beard and sideburns, with a strange look on their faces.

Even though the upright official You Nei Shi could not bear to watch this, he did not dare to open his mouth to scold him and could only watch Guo Jie lying on the couch.

The jailer who carried out the execution was the prison official of Sihu Prison.

"Guo Jie is fine."

According to the torture, the prison clerk shaved off Guo Jie's beard and sideburns, and asked two other prison clerks to bring him a basin of clean water.

Guo Jie stood beside the large cauldron of clear water, stroked his chin, and smiled. "I look a dozen years younger. I look more like a young man, not a bearded man." He nodded gently, took out a three-zhu banknote from his black robe and tossed it to the prison official. "Take your brothers to the East Market for a few drinks. Consider this money a reward for your hard work."

The prison clerk took the three-zhu coin in a hurry, as if he had been pardoned. He stretched out the sleeve of his black clothes to wipe the sweat from his forehead.

Several prison guards were filled with joy.

When I counted the money, it was one hundred and twenty coins.

The amount of three-zhu coins is quite large.

Yu Xiaoshi didn't care.

What really mattered was that Guo Jie gave them a reward for drinking, which meant that they did not blame them for shaving Guo Jie's beard.

Amidst the even more strange looks from the Right Internal History official, Guo Jie walked out of the hearing hall with a look of joy on his face, showing no trace of the pain of torture and humiliation he was suffering.

It seems that shaving off the beard is a happy thing.

Gong Cao couldn't help but sigh: "Guo Jie can endure what ordinary people can't endure. He is a man who can accomplish great things."

All the officials under the Right Internal History Department nodded, agreeing with what Gongcao said.

"Sister-in-law!"

"Sister-in-law!"

"Mr. Guo!"

Wei Guang, Yi Zong, Mang Tong, Chong Huangrou, An Guo Shao Ji and others were waiting anxiously for Guo Jie at the gate of the county official temple of You Nei Shi. When they saw him coming out of the temple, they immediately surrounded him.

Wei Guang smiled and said, "My brother-in-law has been tortured and looks much younger. He looks more handsome than before."

"good."

Chong Huangrou was stunned at first, then sighed, "So Guo Jun is a young man. At such a young age, he can beat a tiger to death with his bare hands. It seems that Guo Jun is even more brave than I expected."

"Let's go."

Guo Jie smiled and got on a carriage. "I am now a convicted official and cannot continue to serve as the head of the county residence. I heard that An Guo Shaoji bought a square-foot house in the neighborhood and will stay at your house for a few days. It won't disturb you and Du Congmu for long."

Criminal officials are one of the seven categories of exile.

Unable to hold official position.

Only with special grace can one continue to serve as an official in the official temple.

Guo Jie was not in a hurry.

The one who was anxious was Zhao Yu, who was about to fall into the trap.

There was also Sang Hongyang, who was almost going crazy due to lack of money.

As for Zhang Tang.

Also very urgent.

There is a lack of an official who dares to confiscate the property of the powerful.

"do not bother."

Anguo Shaoji was in a low mood: "Ever since the petty official helped Du Congmu redeem her tattoo, Du Congmu didn't live with the petty official in Chang'an. She went straight back to her mother's hometown and never saw the petty official again."

Guo Jie glanced at An Guo Shao Ji, whose face was full of sadness, and found it interesting. Although it seemed sad, in fact, Du Congmu would be forgotten in a few days.

An Guo Shao Ji is not a bootlicker.

On the contrary, An Guo Shao Ji can always turn women into his licking dogs.

I don’t know how An Guo Shao Ji did it.

His ability in coaxing women is no less impressive than Chong Huangrou's swordsmanship.

The carriage drove along the side road and stopped at the gate of a neighborhood near the official temple in Chang'an. Several people got off the car and walked towards the Quzhi-shaped house.

"Why is your house in this neighborhood?"

Guo Jie was surprised and said, "The land in the neighborhoods near the government offices in Chang'an is very expensive. A single square-foot-long house can even sell for hundreds of thousands of coins. The money you received last time was ten gold coins. One hundred thousand coins is a lot, but it's not enough to buy a single square-foot-long house in the neighborhoods near the government offices."

House refers to the area.

A house is a piece of land that is thirty steps square, about thirty square meters.

The L-shaped courtyard has at least twenty houses, which is equivalent to a 600-square-meter villa. No, it is already a small manor.

The ten gold coins that An Guo Shao Ji received could buy him a few houses and land in Chang'an, but it was impossible for him to buy a twenty-room square house.

"this."

An Guo Shao Ji chuckled and said, "It's not a bought house. I visited the Right Secretary of the Right Internal Affairs and the wife of the county clerk to discuss Mr. Guo's affairs. When they found out that I wanted to buy the house, they sold it to me for the market price of one gold."

Being noticed by a lady over 40 again?
Guo Jie burst out laughing.

It has been said that An Guo Shao Ji will soon forget Du Congmu.

As expected, An Guo Shao Ji forgot faster than Guo Jie expected.

Wei Guang glanced at An Guo Shao Ji, then at Chong Huang Rou, and exclaimed in amazement: "It seems that Chong Huang Rou has a rival. The one whose face is truly valuable is An Guo Shao Ji, even more valuable than Chong Huang Rou."

Everyone present walked into the Quzhi mansion and saw two young slaves and one big maid in the mansion. They were all slaves and maids left behind by the wife of the city official to serve An Guo Shao Ji.

The market price of a small slave is 15,000 coins, two small slaves is 30,000 coins, and the market price of a large maid is 20,000 coins.

He gave Anguo Shaoji another 50,000 coins.

Everyone nodded heavily, agreeing with what Wei Guang said.

Guo Jie laughed. Of course, An Guo Shao Ji was a typical example of a freeloader.

Several people knelt in the guest room. The maidservant and two young servants quickly brought millet wine, shallots and cured meat, placed them on the dining table, and then bowed and left the guest room.

"The Magistrate of Maoling deserves to be turned into a human pig."

Wei Guang said angrily, "I caused my sister's husband to lose his position as the county governor and become a criminal official exiled from the Seven Departments. There is no mercy and he can no longer serve as an official."

"Ah."

Yi Zong sneered and said, "When Princess Pingyang gets tired of seeing the Maoling Lingling official's human pig appearance, I will personally take him to the Chang'an prison and let him experience the tortures of the Qin Dynasty."

The two brothers-in-law were furious.

However, there was no extra expression on Guo Jie's face. It seemed that he did not care about his identity as a criminal official and did not care about losing his position as the county head.

"Ok?"

Chong Huangrou's eyes flickered as she asked suspiciously, "Mr. Guo, don't you want to be an official and continue to be a powerful official in the government temple? This is the first time I've seen someone as open-minded and not anxious at all as you are."

He had seen many people fighting for a small official position, and distant relatives of the Chong clan often appeared in Qu Chenghou's mansion.

The distant relatives came here for only one purpose.

Seeking an official position.

I hope that Marquis Qucheng will reward me with an official position.

Guo Jie said calmly, "I'm not the one who's anxious."

"Is Mr. Guo here?"

At this time, a clerk from the Chang'an official temple hurried into the guest room and bowed to Guo Jie.

The secretary congratulated him and said, "Congratulations, Gongcao Guo. The Chang'an magistrate has sent a small official to deliver a message, recruiting Mr. Guo to serve as Gongcao of the Chang'an official temple. He will take up the post tomorrow. However, Mr. Guo needs to provide some money to redeem himself."

To redeem a person is to redeem him from punishment with money.

"Ok?"

When Guo Jie heard the secretary say the word "Gongcao", he knew that he would be valued, but he never thought that it would be the appointment of Gongcao.

He is now the head of the Organization Department of the capital?!

(End of this chapter)