Shen Rui's words not only shocked Shen Hai, but also Shen Li's expression changed drastically.
Killing the children of the Shen family in the magistrate's prison, whether it was a "suicide out of fear of crime" framed by the Shen family, or a "murder to silence" for Zhao Xianzhong, is the most disgusting thing. At that time, the lawsuit will be filed from Songjiang to the imperial court, from The Shen family and Zhao Xianzhong were upgraded to Xie Li, the two pavilion elders. Several lives were involved. If the two pavilion elders did not protect their own people, their prestige would inevitably be reduced, and it would easily make their disciples feel cold.
The Jin Yiwei who conveyed the message also knew that time was running out, so he said goodbye to Shen Li and left in a hurry.
Shen Hai looked at Shen Li with pleading eyes. If the eldest grandson was really trapped in the rebel king's lair, he would die or not. He only had three sons, and the youngest one died in infancy, so he really didn't want to give away a white-haired man to a black-haired man.
Shen Li didn't wait for Shen Hai to speak and said, "Uncle, please be patient. Once the imperial envoy has landed, I should come forward. I will change my clothes and go to see the imperial envoy."
Originally, the ceremony to welcome an imperial envoy should not be as grand as it is today, but should be even more grand. Not only the local magistrates and magistrates' subordinate officials, but also officials who are on vacation under the governor's rule, appointed to official posts, county magistrates, and local elders should be included in the reception.
After Zhao Xianzhong got the news, he was worried about welcoming the imperial envoy back to stay at the prefect's Yamen, and did not inform other people in the local area. It was already rude to say so.
Shen Li did not delay and immediately returned to the guest room to change clothes. After all, Shen Hai was an elder, not an official, and had no rank. It was not easy to follow him like this. However, Shen Rui was not in the way and followed Shen Li to the prefect's Yamen as a small follower.
In the prefect's Yamen, Wang Shouren and his entourage were welcomed in. Among them, Wang Shouren, Yang Baihu and a few guards in uniforms were welcomed into the main hall of the prefect's Yamen for entertaining guests. Zhang Yong and others looked like staff and were in charge, so they were welcomed into the side area. In the hall, Yan Juren happened to be in charge of entertaining.
This suited Zhang Yong's wishes, so he sat at the front of the guest seat, pretending to be a leader. In Yan Juren's eyes, he felt that this old gentleman matched his previous guess, and was Wang Shouren's capable aide, so he was bound to make They were polite, calling each other brothers and sisters, and making insinuations, trying to find out why Wang Shouren was ordered to be an imperial envoy at such a young age.
This small-mindedness is really ridiculous in Zhang Yong's eyes.
Zhang Yong spoke with a Beijing accent. After learning Yan Ju's hometown, he said directly: "The salt merchants of Yangzhou are famous all over the world. I have also heard about it in Beijing. I heard that there was a 'virtuous citizen' in your early years. He was honored by the imperial court for relieving floods in the south of the Yangtze River. He has the same surname as Brother Yan, but I wonder if he is from the same clan as Brother Yan?"
Yan Juren was stunned when he heard this. This "virtuous citizen" was none other than Yan Juren's grandfather. The so-called "relief from floods in the south of the Yangtze River was a sign of success" was just decent rhetoric. In fact, he flattered the eunuch who guarded the city during the Chenghua period and became the Chenghua Emperor. Collecting toys and getting a watch. The Yan family became rich precisely because they bribed the eunuchs who were guarding it at that time, and they were able to accumulate such a large business. Because the origin of the watch was not a respectable matter, the Yan family did not show it off.
Isn't Mr. Zhang a staff member of the imperial envoy? He just arrived in Songjiang from the capital today. How come he knows everything about Yangzhou?
Yan Juren looked stiff and felt a chill on his back, saying, "It's the name of our ancestor."
Zhang Yong said with a smile: "That's a coincidence. I heard that many people recited the kindness of their ancestors, and good people will be rewarded. I think the Yan family has now become a prosperous family."
Although it was a compliment, Yan Juren only felt that "Mr. Zhang" smiled meaningfully, and felt a little flustered. He could not sit still, so he got up and left on the pretext of changing his clothes.
Wu Yan stood behind Zhang Yong, and when he saw this, he whispered: "Sir, why do you praise him and he still looks scared?"
Zhang Yong chuckled and said: "It's just a guilty conscience, but if you think you are a scornful scholar, we want to scare him!"
Scholars, peasants, merchants, and merchants were not of high status. After Yan Juren gained fame, he did not want to change his family and serve the court, but he joined the rebels. If he wanted to speculate on the new emperor, he had to see whether he had the courage and qualifications.
At this time, the Jin Yiwei who had gone to the Shen family to deliver a message also arrived and told Shen Rui about his guess. Zhang Yong's face suddenly dropped, and the lively Wu Yan next to him was so frightened that he held his breath.
Zhang Yongyin measured and said: "The layout of these prefects' yamen is similar. You should be able to find the location of the prison. Go and keep an eye on our family. We want to see how bold this little judge is!"
The imperial envoy has arrived, and the words of warning have been warned. If the other party still takes action, he is seeking death.
Half of the dozen or so guards in regular uniforms stayed behind to protect Zhang Yong's safety, while the other half took orders to go out.
In the tea room not far from the side hall, Yan Juren's face was uncertain. He felt that the words of "Mr. Zhang" were a warning to him, but he also felt that he had thought too much. Yangzhou people have many in-laws, and what he had done would be exposed, so he was afraid that
He wants to bring trouble to his relatives; but he has done so much, is there still a chance to stop? Now that the late emperor has passed away, the teenage new emperor has ascended the throne, and several ministers are in charge of the government, it is extremely difficult for him to become a Jinshi.
Difficult. Just accept your fate like this?
Yan Juren was just thinking wildly when he heard movement at the door of the courtyard. He looked up and saw that it was Shen Li coming in official uniform, and Zhao Xianzhong came to greet him in person. Looking at the scarlet robes on the two people, Yan Juren only had jealousy in his eyes, and the uneasiness he had felt before
All without a trace.
Shen Li was not only born in the Shen family, he also became a teacher of Mr. Xie Ge, and later became the number one scholar. Who would believe that there was nothing fishy about it? Zhao Xianzhong was a mediocre scholar, mediocre and greedy for money, but just because he had Mr. Ge as his teacher, every time
The evaluations are all excellent, and he has been promoted from a small county magistrate to a prefect. He is full of talents, but he is stuck in the spring palace and cannot even serve as an official. How unfair is God?
Yan Juren sneered, left the tea room, and turned to the southwest. That place was nowhere else but the magistrate's prison.
*
In the main hall of the magistrate's yamen, when he saw Shen Li coming, Wang Shouren did not ask for help, so he stood up and met each other.
Because Wang Shouren was an imperial envoy, even though he was of lower rank than Shen Li, he still sat at the head of the guest chair. According to etiquette, since Shen Li was a guest, he naturally sat at the head of Wang Shouren, and then the guests and hosts exchanged greetings. However, after meeting Wang Shouren,
, but Shen Li had no intention of taking a seat, but said sternly: "Your Majesty the Imperial Envoy, Shen Li, a bachelor of the Hanlin Academy, has informed Songjiang Magistrate Zhao Xianzhong of exceeding his authority and detaining two sons and one supervisor of the Shen family without reason."
Wang Shouren frowned slightly. We haven't yet reached the stage of investigating the case. Shen Li will seriously raise the matter. Is there any change? He looked at Shen Rui standing behind Shen Rui and saw that Shen Rui, who had always been steady, also had a look on his face.
He looked anxious, knowing that the Shen family was worried about changes in the prefect's Yamen.
Zhao Xianzhong was shocked and said in a loud voice: "Does Master Shen want to do something for personal gain? Why should he be imprisoned innocently? Someone came forward to sue the Shen family, Shen Jun, Shen Qi, and Shen Ling, for colluding with the Japanese and causing trouble to the place. This government is responsible for it."
Do it according to law!"
p>Shen Li turned to Zhao Xianzhong and said: "According to the law? Can you inform the academic and political yamen to deprive several people of their honors? Or is there a Ming law that mentions that the local yamen can detain people at will? If someone comes out?
Where is the leader?"
Zhao Xianzhong was speechless, and for a while he avoided the important and ignored the important. He said, "That man fell into the water last month and died. Who knows if he was 'silenced' by someone. After all, the Shen family is very powerful in Songjiang."
Wang Shouren thought that Zhao Xianzhong's move of detaining the Shen family children was too stupid, but he didn't expect that he was so stupid that he didn't even communicate with the academic government office, so he threw several famous people into prison, and there was insufficient evidence. Under the circumstances, he was detained for two months.
"Prefect Zhao, regarding Shen Jun, Shen Qi and their group's 'tong with the Japanese', apart from the leader, is there any other personal or material evidence?" Wang Shouren said seriously.
Zhao Xianzhong was trembling in his heart, but still insisted: "There are suspects Shen Qi and Shen Ling who have personally drawn the testimonials as evidence!"
Shen Li's face turned cold. This was not because he suspected that his clan brother was really "tong Japanese", but because he knew the darkness in the yamen. Under the three trees, what kind of testimony could he not get? It was also common for someone to force his arm to draw a seal. There were testimonies that only meant torture. In addition, these people have suffered a lot.
Shen Li, a Hanlin official, knew all this, not to mention Wang Shouren, who was promoted to a doctor in the Ministry of War and was the former head of the Criminal Department. He was sent to Anhui to judge and imprison. He knew the key and understood why the Shen family was so worried. Zhao Xianzhong even made a "false confession" It can be done, and it is not impossible to force the Shen family members to "commit suicide out of fear of crime" if forced hard enough.
"Since the testimony has been obtained, the imperial envoy will first interrogate the case of the Shen family's involvement in the Japanese today!" Wang Shouren held the imperial edict in his hand and said seriously.
Zhao Xianzhong's face was pale and his body was already unsteady.
*
In the prison of the magistrate's yamen, the prison warden holds a small wine bottle in his hand and hums a tune. Although this job is a fat one, every time he guards here day and night, the life is really boring. The young jailer can't sit still and always makes excuses. Going out for a walk, only an old man like him, who has stayed here for most of his life, does not find it difficult.
There was a knock on the door. The prison head looked through the railing and did not open the door in a hurry. When he saw the other person's face, he hurriedly opened the door and said, "Master He, why are you here?"
The two people outside the door were led by Zhao Xianzhong's nephew Zhao He. He usually ran errands with Zhao Xianzhong and was familiar with everyone in the prefecture's yamen. Zhao He said: "This is not the arrival of an imperial envoy. My second uncle is afraid of making mistakes, so he asked me to come and take a look. Those two from the Shen family, please tidy up so that you don’t have to meet the imperial envoy in an indecent manner..."
When the cell leader heard this, he became excited and whispered: "Master He, people are like this, what should the Shen family do if they don't comply?"
The cell leader is a native of Songjiang, so he naturally knows what kind of behemoth the Shen family is. Regardless of others, he is a small cell leader, but he does not dare to "add insult to the trouble" to the Shen family, and he secretly takes care of them on weekdays. Even so, Whenever he saw the tragic situation of the Shen brothers, he would tremble, fearing that the Shen family would be held accountable and angry.
Zhao Xianzhong's son was still young, and Zhao He was used to being arrogant as a yamen official. He said disapprovingly: "Isn't it okay for the legitimate son of the clan? Humph, everyone says that the Shen family is great, a bunch of petty officials, not even a royal palace, they are just in the local area. It’s just to scare the common people..." As for the Shen family, two number one scholars have been awarded in the past ten years, but they were forgotten by Zhao He, a scumbag.
The children of the Shen family were imprisoned in the death row deep in the prison. The cell leader wanted to lead the way. Zhao He grabbed the key chain from his waist and said, "Don't be too troublesome. Stay here!" After that, he took the key chain with him. The followers went inside.
The prison boss noticed something was wrong and gritted his teeth as he looked at Zhao He's back. The magistrate was not a local. Ren Man could just walk away if he offended the Shen family. He was from Songjiang. If something happened to all the Shen family members in the prison, this was not what he wanted. Die?
The cell leader was worried when he heard movement at the door and saw two jailers coming in, followed by several tall and strong men.
Those big men met the cell leader head-on. They were afraid of his shouting and were about to subdue him. The cell leader not only did not resist, but instead looked anxious and whispered: "The two young masters of the Shen family are in danger. Come with me quickly."