A powerful minister of the Song Dynasty

Chapter 75 Horse Archer Song Xuan Requests Battle

Bao Zheng could not deny that the informant was someone else.

Not the murderer.

This kind of thing still requires evidence.

No one could convince the other.

Zhang Kang walked in and heard a voice:

"What will Shi Er Lang do next?"

"When the farmer arrives, send someone to cover his mouth so he can't speak, and then you can scold him loudly."

"Then they induced the informant to confess by asking him how he knew the cattle had not died of disease but had been slaughtered privately, and then they asked him to voluntarily provide testimony."

Song Xuan's words made Zhang Kang hum.

Induce this operation.

They didn't think there was anything wrong.

As long as we can get the testimony, it's fine. What rules are there to talk to a murderer about?

It would be the greatest injustice if he were allowed to go unpunished.

In the countryside, most people had no money and did not dare to disobey the government's order and eat beef privately.

Very few people come to buy beef.

Guo Yan was brought in by the brigade and his legs felt weak along the way.

Even if the magistrate told him that there was no crime in voluntarily slaughtering the oxen.

But after all, it's just empty talk. If Shangguan doesn't admit it, it would be a big sin.

The credibility of the government is already pitifully low.

When Zhang Kang saw the farmer coming, he immediately sent people to capture him and severely reprimanded him for the crime of killing the cow.

He pointed at the beef on the ground and said, "You bold and unruly person! Zhang You, your fellow villager, has come to report you with five kilograms of fresh beef!"

Just as Guo Yang was about to make some excuses, someone sent by Ding Zhe covered his mouth.

Zhang You looked very proud when he heard Guo Yan being scolded by the official.

According to the laws of the Song Dynasty, anyone who reported others for privately slaughtering cattle could receive fifty strings of copper coins.

But Zhang Kang had no intention of giving him any money. Instead, he asked:
"Zhang Sanlang, Guo Yan claimed the cow died of illness. How can you prove he killed the cow privately?"

Zhang You looked determined to win:

"To answer the magistrate, I saw him cut off the ox tongue and eat it with my own eyes. If you don't believe me, you can go to his house and search to see if you can find the ox tongue. Did anyone buy it from him?"

Zhang Kang nodded.

I've been waiting for you to say cut off the cow's tongue.

Then he motioned Ding Zhe to come forward and explain the situation.

"According to the Magistrate, I found half of an uneaten ox tongue in Zhang Sanlang's house."

Hearing Captain Ding's words, Zhang You immediately knelt on the ground:
"Sir, please allow me to report that I have wrongly accused that person. It must be that Guo Yan deliberately retaliated and hid the ox tongue in my house."

Zhang Kang snorted coldly: "Did Guo Yan also put the few pieces of cooked beef tongue left in the bowl in your family's bowl?"

Hearing this, Zhang You trembled all over, but his mouth remained firm:

"I was wronged. I was wronged."

Snapped.

The gavel was banged, and the officers on both sides shouted loudly.

Zhang You was so frightened that he collapsed to the ground.

Zhang Kang snorted coldly:
"Everything you said just now has been recorded. If you don't tell the truth, don't blame me for torturing you!"

It turned out that the two farmlands were next to each other, but Zhang Sanlang was lazy, so the crops grew thin.

Every autumn harvest, he would secretly cut away Guo Yan's rice.

Because of this, the two families had conflicts.

A few days ago, he saw Guo Yan tied a yellow cow under a willow tree on the roadside. There was no one around, so he came up with the idea of ​​cutting off the cow's tongue, waiting for an opportunity to report it, and making a profit from it.

The victim Guo Yan, who was trembling with fear just now, really didn't expect that the case had been solved quietly.

"Oh, my Lord!" Guo Yan quickly knelt on the ground and burst into tears.

Zhang Kang was very satisfied with the praise from the judge.

Zhang You was then ordered to compensate Guo Yan in full for the money he had spent on the cattle, and to send him to work a thousand miles away.

Song Xuan was secretly relieved when he heard the whistleblower admit his mistake and the evidence being found. He thought he hadn't been in trouble.

There is a high chance that the crime was committed by an acquaintance.

"Twelfth brother, this is a really good idea."

Zhang Fangping even praised directly:

"Otherwise, the villains will succeed. It's better to take the initiative to fish and lay a nest."

Bao Zheng seemed to be lost in thought. This was the first time he had dealt with such a difficult case.

In the end, it was greed that made him crash into the net.

"Shi Er Lang's idea is really brilliant."

Zhang Kang waved his hands and ran into the back hall with great agility.

The pride he showed in crushing Zhang Sanlang's IQ just now, and Guo Yan's constant words like "honest lord".

Once this matter gets out, it will definitely increase his popularity among the people.

Resign at that time.

Maybe there will be an umbrella for everyone to give away.

Plus, if his elder brother says a few good words in the court, perhaps he can get the case brought up sooner rather than later.

This is extremely beneficial to an official's career.

Who doesn’t want to climb up?
Who would want to be a small official of the sixth rank for the rest of his life!
It is difficult to become an official without someone in the court. Zhang Kang's only hope is his brother who passed the imperial examination a few years earlier than him.

Unfortunately, with his physique and appearance, when he passed the exam, no prime minister was willing to take him as a son-in-law!

Song Xuan fully understood Zhang Kang's excitement at the moment.

Who doesn’t want to be praised by the people after becoming an official?

Most people have ideals and justice in their hearts at the beginning.

But in reality, you encounter many obstacles. In order to survive or climb up, and to make life better for yourself and your loved ones, you can only follow the rules of society.

But few people can stick to their original intentions, and most people choose to blend in with the world.

There are many idealists, but only a few can stick to their ideals.

Zhang Kang seemed not to have been this happy for a long time.

"Shi Er Lang, I'll set up a table at the Qinglou tonight. Let's go and celebrate together. I'll also let you get a taste of Songcheng. What do you think?"

Song Xuan naturally did not refuse and nodded slightly:
"That's right, but I have to buy those five pounds of beef first to give to the guys as a snack. I just heard that old farmer say that the beef can't be sold, so why not let me buy it all."

"Hahaha."

Everyone laughed, and after a while Zhang Kang said:
"Ordinary people can't afford beef, but don't even dream of Twelve Lang buying it all. At most, we can just ask Twelve Lang to buy more."

"No problem, that's what I've been waiting for, Magistrate Zhang."

Song Xuan likes to use the tactic of lifting the roof when negotiating. He will first propose a difficult idea, and if you don’t agree, he will open a window.

Everyone was chatting and laughing in the inner hall, while Ding Zhe, the chief constable, returned to Guo Village with the prisoner and orders, and announced the result with the village head.

Zhang Kang is already an excellent official as he is.

Many people want to sue the authorities, but the little devil in front of their door has to be bribed first.

Now that Zhang Kang is an honest official, he does not allow his subordinates to accept money privately. This gives Guo Yan the opportunity to directly complain to Zhang Kang.

"Shi Er Lang is so creative in solving cases. Why don't you become my assistant and just hang your name on the county yamen? You won't have to do any real work. This way you can better integrate with the neighbors. It's at least much better than you being a timely rain among the people."

In order to relieve Song Xuan of his burden, Zhang Kang said, "At most, you can give me some advice. After all, one person's wisdom is limited, but two people's wisdom is greater."

Regarding the government's initiative to endorse the document, Song Xuan hummed a word to indicate that he would consider it, and then asked:

"I wonder what position Magistrate Zhang is going to put me in?"

"Horse archer."

(End of this chapter)