Transmigrated into a minor official in a county government, with children at home waiting for rice t

Zhang Sanlang grinned, "Actually, I don't want to know either."

He stood up, walked to the stove, scooped up a bowl of cold tea, and handed it to Zhou Qing.

Zhou Qing took the teacup and tilted his head back to gulp it down. Tea spilled from the corner of his mouth, dripping down his chin and onto his clothes. He wiped his mouth with his sleeve and placed the bowl on the low stool.

"Zhang Qianxing, will you hand me over?"

Zhang Sanlang glanced at him. "Why should I teach you? You're my tenant, behave yourself. Your feud with Chen Youde is your business."

Zhou Qing's shoulders relaxed slightly, then tightened again. "But what about the Third Young Lady...?"

Zhang Sanlang waved his hand, "If Chen Youde comes knocking on our door, then it's really difficult for me to handle. But he hasn't come yet, so don't worry too much. Zhou Qing, tell me in detail about your sixteen mu of land."

Zhou Qing spoke frankly and the two talked for almost half an hour.

The door to the main house creaked open a crack, and Zhou Chenshi peeked out, glancing into the courtyard. Her gaze lingered on Zhang Sanlang's face for a moment before she looked away, and the door closed again.

Zhang Sanlang glanced at the door. "Okay, I've got it."

The fire in the stove was burning brightly, casting a red glow on the window paper.

Qingge squatted by the stove, holding half a pear in his hand, his mouth full of juice.

Xi Mei put the pig's trotters, pork, fish, wine and other items that Zhang Sanlang brought back into the house, set out bowls and chopsticks on the low table, served the porridge, and placed a plate of thinly sliced ​​salted meat in the middle of the table.

Zhang Sanlang sat down, picked up the bowl of porridge, and took a sip.

"Father," Ximei suddenly spoke.

"Um?"

"What happened to Uncle Zhou and Aunt Zhou? They came back in such a panic today."

"It's nothing. They ran into someone they know and don't want to see him."

happy Mei glanced at him, then lowered her head to drink her porridge.

The following day, the summons from the criminal investigation department was delivered to the household affairs department.

Yu Shoufen stood at the door with an expressionless face, holding a piece of paper in his hand.

He gestured with his chin toward Zhang Sanlang, "Zhang Qianxing, you are summoned to the interrogation room. The tenants have accused you of coercing and selling your children during tax collection. Another person has filed a complaint, saying that you extorted bribes under the guise of tax collection."

The room fell silent for a moment.

Liao Tiesi stopped using his abacus. Wang Tiesi peeked out from behind the wooden shelf. Zheng Tiesi put down his pen, his brows furrowed.

Zhang Sanlang took the document, glanced at it, folded it, and put it in his pocket. "Let's go."

Tao Cheng came out from the inner room, nodded to Yu Shoufen, and said, "Your criminal investigation department is quite interesting. You summoned Zhang Sanlang once when he was on loan, and now that he's officially transferred, you're summoning him again? This clerk wants to see what's going on!"

Yu Shoufen quickly cupped his hands in greeting, a smile spreading across his face. "What are you saying, Clerk Tao? The criminal investigation department operates according to the rules. The plaintiff has submitted a complaint, so we have to investigate. It would be wonderful if you could come and oversee things."

Tao Cheng didn't reply. He placed the teacup on the corner of the table, straightened his cuffs, and said, "Lead the way."

Yu Shou stepped aside and waited for Tao Cheng to leave before following behind. The smile on his face was still there, but the corners of his mouth were already a little stiff.

Zhang Sanlang walked behind Tao Cheng, and the three clerks from the Household Department also put down their account books and followed behind.

When the servants on duty in the corridor saw this, they stepped aside and lowered their heads, not daring to look.

The signing room in the interrogation ward was still the same one. Kong Youan sat behind his desk, case files spread out in front of him, a teacup steaming on his right.

An old man knelt before the table, his neck hunched, his hands supporting him on the ground.

He wore a patched-up brown tunic, the cuffs worn smooth and the fabric around his knees torn, revealing dark red skin underneath. His body was trembling slightly, whether from cold or fear, it was hard to tell.

Qian Laohei, whom we haven't seen in a long time, stood in the corner. When he saw Zhang Sanlang come in, he lowered his head, and the mole on the corner of his mouth twitched.

Yu Shou stood beside Kong You'an, holding case files in his hands.

Kong Youan raised his head, his gaze first falling on Tao Cheng. His brows furrowed slightly, then relaxed, and his usual smile returned. "Clerk Tao, the autumn tax has just been finished. Why aren't you resting in the Revenue Department? Why are you here in the Criminal Investigation Department again?"

Tao Cheng raised his eyelids slightly. "This clerk doesn't like to wander around aimlessly, but unfortunately, someone from my household registration office has been summoned again. Is it presumptuous of me to come and testify as a witness?"

Kong Youan's smile remained unchanged. He pointed to the chair beside him and said, "Commander Tao, you flatter me. Please sit down."

He then turned to Zhang Sanlang, "Zhang Qianxing, sit down."

Zhang Sanlang sat down on the bench in front of the desk.

Kong Youan picked up his teacup, took a sip, and opened the case file. "Ma Dashou, a tenant farmer in Chenjiazhuang, filed a lawsuit against Zhang Shouli, the head of the household, for pressuring and coercing him to pay taxes. Zhang Shouli doubled the amount of taxes owed by his household, forcing him to sell his children in order to raise enough grain."

"Another person filed a complaint, saying that during the period when Zhang Shouli was collecting taxes in Chenjiazhuang, he demanded bribes and accepted money, cloth, rice and flour from Chen Youde."

He closed the case file, looked at Zhang Sanlang, and asked, "Does Zhang Qianxing acknowledge these two matters?"

"I don't acknowledge it." Zhang Sanlang looked at Kong Youan. "The sixty-three shi of grain owed by Chen Family Village is the amount due from the land under Chen Youde's name. The household register and the county granary's approval documents are all there, one by one."

"Tenant Ma Dashou has no land under his name. The land tax is registered under the Chen family's name, and the collection has never reached him. This is clearly written in the household register. If Clerk Kong does not believe it, he can check the records."

Kong Youan didn't reply, but turned to the old man, "Ma Dashou, is what Zhang Qianxing said true?"

Ma Dashou knelt on the ground, not daring to raise his head.

His shoulders were trembling, his hands were clenched into fists, and his nails dug into his palms. "Sir...this humble servant...this humble servant..."

Zhang Sanlang looked at him. "Uncle Ma, do you recognize me?"

Ma Dashou raised his head, glanced at Zhang Sanlang, and then quickly lowered his head again. "I recognize you. You are Zhang Qianxing from the household registration office, and you have been to Chenjiazhuang."

"I saw you when I went to Chenjiazhuang to urge the collection of taxes. I squatted down and spoke to you at your doorstep," Zhang Sanlang said in a calm voice. "I told you I wasn't there to arrest you."

"Your family owes taxes on your land, which should be paid by the landlord; it has nothing to do with you. Do you remember that?"

Ma Dashou's lips trembled a few times, "I...I remember."

"That day I left a wad of money on the threshold, and you didn't take it. You said that taking it meant you accepted it." Zhang Sanlang paused. "Since you remember these things, you should know that I, Zhang Shouli, never forced you."

Sweat dripped down Ma Dashou's forehead. He wiped it with his sleeve, then wiped it again.

Zhang Sanlang looked at him and said, "You filed a lawsuit accusing me of forcing you to sell your daughter. I'm asking you what's written in that lawsuit. Read it to me."

Ma Dashou was stunned, opened his mouth but didn't say anything.

"You can't read. You didn't write the complaint; someone else wrote it and made you put your fingerprint on it. Who was that person?"

Ma Dashou's Adam's apple bobbed a few times, his gaze drifted briefly in the direction where Qian Laohei was standing, then looked away.

Zhang Sanlang took a step forward. "Uncle Ma, look up. This is the interrogation room. The one presiding over the case is Clerk Kong, and the one observing is Clerk Tao from the Revenue Department. You're an honest and law-abiding villager; how many times have you been to a government office in your life?"