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Chapter 1213: Kyoto Prefecture Governor

After Fan Xian followed the Red Armor Cavalry into Kyoto, various forces in Kyoto Prefecture began to strategize over the financial power of the Daqing Imperial Treasury.

Of course, the Crown Prince and the Second Prince were both trying their best to win over Fan Xian on the surface, but secretly they were trying to kill Fan Xian, because they didn't want Fan Xian, the troublemaker, to appear.

In order to find out who sent Teng Zijing to Danzhou to kill him, Fan Xian openly entered the Inspection Institute to check the files. After a series of analyses, he soon set his sights on Guo Baokun, who had a grudge against Teng Zijing.

Then Fan Xian took advantage of the darkness of the night and, together with Teng Zijing, beat Guo Baokun severely. However, the result was that Guo Baokun himself was also confused.

However, at this time, Su Ning accepted the appointment of Emperor Qing and came to the Jingdu Prefecture government office to take up the post of Jingdu Prefecture Governor. "Master Mei, I am the new Jingdu Prefecture Governor Li Chengning."

"Your Highness the Sixth Prince, all the officials in Kyoto Prefecture are already waiting. Should we proceed with the handover now?" Mei Zhili was naturally aware of the upcoming storm in Kyoto Prefecture, and naturally wanted to throw the hot potato of the Kyoto Prefecture Governor away.

"Good! Next up is Master Lao Mei."

"Your Highness is too polite! I dare not claim to be indebted to you."

Then Suning followed the former Kyoto Prefecture Governor Mei Zhili into Kyoto Prefecture. After getting to know officials at all levels of the Kyoto Prefecture government, he began to go through the formal handover procedures with Mei Zhili.

That's right! Emperor Qing had actually arranged for Su Ning to be the prefect of Jingdu Prefecture. It was obvious that he was going to use this position to cause trouble, and he would definitely have to deal with the dispute between Guo Baokun and Fan Xian next.

In fact, Suning once suspected that this fictional world was very similar to the real Northern Song Dynasty and Ming Dynasty, because the relationship between officials and the emperor was not the master-servant relationship of the Qing Dynasty.

In addition, the setting of the Kyoto Prefecture government office is almost the same as that of the Kaifeng Prefecture in the Northern Song Dynasty, and is generally controlled by important royal family members.

Mei Zhili was also the first prefect of Kyoto Prefecture who was not a member of the royal family. That is why Emperor Qing in the original drama was extremely angry at Mei Zhili's stupidity, and also regarded Mei Zhili's act of joining the prince as a betrayal of him.

Suning had just taken the position of governor of Kyoto Prefecture when the first trouble came his way, and the chain reaction that followed was inevitable.

A government servant ran in quickly to report, "Your Excellency, outside the government office, the steward of Minister of Rites Guo Youzhi is suing Fan Xian. They've also brought in Guo Baokun, the son of the Minister of Rites, who was severely injured by Fan Xian. This is the complaint they submitted."

"Oh? Who is Fan Xian?" Su Ning, who took the complaint, asked casually, knowing the answer.

"Your Excellency, Fan Xian is the illegitimate son of Fan Jian, the Minister of Revenue. He has been raised in the remote Danzhou for many years and has only recently arrived in Jingdu Prefecture."

"Well, first bring the plaintiff to the government hall. I need to ask him about the details."

"Yes! Sir."

Soon, the Guo family's steward arrived at the Jingdu government office and knelt down. Guo Baokun, wrapped like a mummy, was also carried up. "Sir, I am Qi Quan, the steward of the Guo family, the Minister of Rites. Our young master Guo Baokun was severely beaten by Fan Xian last night. He is now unable to walk or speak."

"Well, are there any witnesses or physical evidence?" Suning asked the key question without commenting.

"This……"

"What? No evidence?"

"Your Excellency, my young master was beaten by Fan Xian while covered with a sack. However, Fan Xian directly admitted it to my young master and even recited a poem he wrote on the spot."

"Strange! If Fan Xian admitted his identity after beating someone, why did he go to such great lengths to put him in a sack? Also, could it be that someone was trying to frame him by reciting poetry while beating someone?"

"Sir, Fan Xian is a crude man from Danzhou. His actions are naturally beyond the comprehension of ordinary people like us. Please send the yamen runners to capture this culprit Fan Xian as soon as possible."

Su Ning was naturally furious at this moment and scoffed. "Ridiculous! You want the Kyoto Prefecture to send people to arrest someone based on nothing more than a baseless suspicion? Do you really think the Kyoto Prefecture government office is run by your Guo family?"

"Ah? My lord..." The housekeeper of the Guo Mansion, who had been used to running rampant in Kyoto Prefecture, was very uncomfortable.

"Don't worry! Since Guo Baokun was indeed severely injured by someone else, our Jingdu Prefecture Office will naturally accept this case. Next, the Jingdu Prefecture Office will have the office coroner examine Guo Baokun's injuries, and will definitely conduct a detailed investigation into the case."

"..."

"Pah, pah, pah..." Suddenly, a series of loud noises rang out, and the Second Prince Li Chengze, pretending to be cool, walked over with a smile. "Sixth Brother, your ability to solve cases is indeed amazing. It seems that it was a wise decision for the Emperor to appoint you as the Governor of Kyoto Prefecture."

"What? Second brother, you want to intervene in this case?" At this time, Su Ning did not have a good face when facing the second prince.

"I dare not! I'm just curious about how you solve cases, Lao Liu. I just want to come to the Kyoto government office to observe."

"The Jingdu Prefecture government office is an important place for the Daqing imperial court, not a place for some frivolous opera or acrobatics. If you want to see a play, please go to the Jingdu Theater."

The Second Prince was so enraged that he could no longer pretend. Instead, he glared at the people in the hall and asked, "Why? Is it not possible for me, the Second Prince, to sit in as an observer?"

"Of course not! If you have any objections, go to the Emperor and raise them. In the Kyoto Prefecture, my words are the rules."

"you……"

At this moment, the ridiculous Crown Prince Li Chengqian also came running over. Sometimes Su Ning wondered how Emperor Qing educated his son. "Sixth brother, why are you so angry all of a sudden?"

Su Ning simply stood up and bowed to the incoming Crown Prince, "Crown Prince? You're not in your East Palace, so why are you here in my Jingdu Prefecture?"

"Sixth brother, I heard that Guo Baokun, the son of Minister of Rites Guo Youzhi, was beaten and seriously injured by Fan Xian, so I came to the Jingdu government office to express my concern. After all, Guo Baokun is also an editor in our palace. Beating Guo Baokun is an insult to our royal family."

"Prince, I've already said the same thing to the Second Brother. If you want to see a play, go to the theater troupe in Kyoto. This is not the place for you to make irresponsible comments."

As expected, Su Ning's attitude finally angered the Crown Prince. He sneered and asked Su Ning, "Sixth brother, do you think that just because we are favored by our father, you can be disrespectful to me, the Crown Prince?"

"I dare not! Do your job! Since you two have nothing to do with this case, please leave the Kyoto Prefecture Office as soon as possible. If you have any objections, please feel free to impeach your father."

"Good! Good! Good! You are indeed worthy of being my good sixth brother. I hope you won't regret it tomorrow."

Then Crown Prince Li Chengqian and Second Prince Li Chengze left in disgrace, and Suning sent two yamen runners to summon Fan Xian to inquire about the case, but did not make a big fuss to arrest people like in the original drama of "Joy of Life".

Soon Fan Xian arrived at the Kyoto government office. This was the first time Su Ning and Fan Xian met, but there was no excitement or gay passion like that of brothers meeting each other.

With a "bang", Su Ning slammed the gavel beside him, "Who is here?"

"I am Fan Xian, a humble person." Fan Xian in the hall simply bowed to Su Ning.

"Why don't you kneel before the official?"

"Your Excellency, I'm unlucky lately. My waist and knees are injured, so I can't bend down and kneel down to pay my respects. I hope you can understand."

"Hmph! A smooth talker."

"Sir..." "Come here!" At this moment, Su Ning was ready to teach Fan Xian a lesson, and make him understand the importance of identity and status in feudal society. "Commoner Fan Xian, refusing to kneel before an official, is ordered to be severely beaten with ten boards."

"Yes! Your Excellency the Prefect." Two burly yamen runners stepped forward and pulled Fan Xian.

"What? Whoa, you lousy prefect are you? Why do you want to hit people right away?" As expected, the unscrupulous Fan Xian cursed excitedly, and he didn't seem like a "normal person" who grew up in a feudal society.

"Humph! Insulting an imperial official! Ten more lashes!"

"..."

Seeing that Fan Xian was still full of rebelliousness, Su Ning reminded him not to escalate the situation. "Fan Xian, you must think carefully. Defying the authority of the Jingdu Prefecture is useless, even if you are the son of the Minister of Revenue. If you continue to act recklessly, it will only bring disaster upon your family."

"..."

Then several yamen runners dragged Fan Xian, who had stopped resisting, down and beat him with a stick. Guo Baokun and the housekeeper of the Guo family were extremely excited, feeling that the person in the court was indeed a great judge who could solve cases like a god.

As expected, Fan Xian, who was beaten with twenty boards first, became much more honest and no longer had the arrogance and rudeness he had just had. However, he hated his cheap brother-in-law Su Ning who was sitting in the lobby.

With a bang, Su Ning slammed the gavel again, then looked at Fan Xian, who had already knelt on the ground. "Fan Xian, Guo Baokun is suing you for assaulting him last night, causing him serious injuries. Do you plead guilty?"

"Your Excellency, I was not the one who beat Guo Baokun." Fan Xian, kneeling on the ground, quickly denied it and said to Su Ning.

"So where were you last night during the hour of Hai (9 to 11 p.m.)?"

"Last night, I drank at Zuixianju's flower boat, and stayed there all night. At midnight, I should be fast asleep with the courtesan in my arms."

"Is there any witness?"

"Prince Jing's son, Li Hongcheng, and the courtesan Du Shiniang at Zuixianju can testify for me."

"The message was sent to Prince Jing and Du Shiniang, the most popular courtesan at Zuixianju."

"Yes! Sir."

Soon, the new courtesan of Kyoto Prefecture, Du Shiniang, arrived at the government office and knelt there obediently, "Your servant Du Shiniang greets the prefect."

"Well, do you know this person in the hall?" Su Ning pointed directly at Fan Xian who was kneeling beside him and asked Du Shiniang.

"I know him! He's Master Fan Xian, Du Shiniang's guest."

"Did you meet him last night?"

"Exactly! Last night, Master Fan Xian stayed overnight on the flower boat at Zuixianju, and I was waiting by his side the entire time."

At this time, Su Ning warned Du Shiniang meaningfully, "Du Shiniang, do you know that giving false testimony for others is also a crime?"

"No need to worry! I am willing to testify for Mr. Fan Xian." However, Du Shiniang lied with extraordinary determination, which made Su Ning certain that she might also be a spy for Northern Qi.

Then Prince Jing Li Hongcheng also came to the Kyoto government office, and naturally his words were the same as those of the courtesan Du Shiniang, so Su Ning also had his own judgment in his heart.

With a bang, Su Ning slammed the gavel for the third time. "Guo Baokun has filed a lawsuit against Fan Xian for assault. The evidence is insufficient. Defendant Fan Xian is released on the spot."

At this moment, the Guo residence's housekeeper and Guo Baokun, who was lying on the ground, were both agitated. "Sir, this cannot be allowed! It was clearly Fan Xian who beat up our young master. How could you just let him go like this?"

"Evidence! This official will only judge based on the evidence and Daqing laws. Without evidence, I naturally cannot arbitrarily convict someone."

"Sir, is this the end of the case?"

"Of course not! The Kyoto Prefecture Office will continue to investigate and search for evidence. Of course, if you have new evidence, you can submit it to the Kyoto Prefecture Office."

"This……"

With a "bang", Su Ning put down the gavel in his hand and said, "Adjourn the court."

Today, Fan Xian came to the Kyoto Prefecture government office for the first time. Although he was directly beaten with twenty lashes by Suning, he was still quite satisfied with Suning's penalty result. Guo Baokun did not have any solid evidence in the first place.

Then Fan Xian returned to the Fan Mansion with his hands on his buttocks, feeling very satisfied. For the first time, he was determined to make a name for himself in Daqing. You know, the opportunity to have a second life is naturally very rare and precious. Fan Xian also realized that he could not waste his time like this.

Fan Ruoruo, whose face was filled with anxiety, was naturally surprised when she saw Fan Xian coming back. "Brother, why do you look like this?"

"It's all your fault! Your fiancé gave me twenty lashes of the board." However, at this time, Fan Xian blamed his sister and brother-in-law.

"What? Why did the Sixth Prince want to spank you?"

"He's now the prefect of Kyoto Prefecture. He started by saying I was eloquent and refused to kneel before an official. He then had the Kyoto Prefecture officials beat me with twenty lashes of the cane."

"Brother, you too! If you go to the government office and show some respect, this won't happen."

"Okay! I, Fan Xian, will finally remember this brother-in-law."

"Humph! What about that matter of Guo Baokun suing you?"

"Your fiancé isn't ridiculous, since he didn't have any solid evidence and then sentenced me to go free in court."

"so far so good."

"But I heard that the Crown Prince and the Second Prince also went to the Kyoto Prefecture government office, but were directly driven away by the Sixth Prince."

"Why?"

"I guess it's because the Sixth Prince doesn't like others interfering."

"Hmph! Brother, Guo Baokun is the Crown Prince's man. The Sixth Prince asked the Crown Prince to leave in advance, wasn't it to protect you?"

"That's enough! Stop saying nice things about your fiancé. My butt is hurting so much right now. Please help me find some good medicine for the wound."

"..."

……

(End of this chapter)