Jin Feng almost laughed out of anger: "The bandits you trained are coming to kill me with hundreds of people. If I kill them, will I have to pay you for it?
Master Zhou, before you went out today, was your head caught in the door?
It's reasonable, but what kind of logic are you relying on?"
"Mr. Jin, we are all scholars. If you scold me once or twice, forget it. If you scold me again, you will fall out!"
Master Zhou finally couldn't pretend anymore.
"Oh, I wonder how Master Zhou plans to fall out?"
Jin Feng asked with a smile: "As a court official, you secretly cultivate bandits in Yurouxiang. They must be executed according to the law. You can't even protect yourself. What can you use to fall out with me?"
This is also the reason why Jin Feng has a bad expression when he sees Master Zhou and speaks so harshly.
In his eyes, Master Zhou was already finished. The reason why he kept talking to him so much was just to see what Master Zhou was planning.
"Mr. Jin, you said I cultivated bandits, did I cultivate bandits?"
Master Zhou bent down and stared at Jin Feng quietly: "Whether Liu Jiang is a bandit or not is not your decision, but mine!"
"So Master Zhou, that's what you planned."
Jin Feng suddenly realized.
"Aren't you too arrogant? Tens of thousands of people in Jinchuan County know that Liu Jiang is a bandit. How can you confuse right and wrong with just one sentence?"
Qing Mulan couldn't stand listening anymore, and patted the table and said: "And we arrested more than a hundred people alive, and they are all irrefutable evidence!"
"Hahaha, Mr. Jin, your friend is so naive."
Master Zhou seemed to have heard a joke, he laughed for a while, and then said coldly: "I dare not say it in other places, but in Jinchuan, I am the law!
If I say Liu Jiang is a bandit, he is a bandit; if I say he is not, he is not!"
"Then we'll see you in court!"
Qing Mulan was so angry that she clenched her silver teeth.
"Go to court? You can try."
Master Zhou laughed disdainfully and said, "Let me see if the county magistrate believes in you and a few bandits, or in me!
However, I would like to remind you that according to the laws of Dakang, the people sue the officials, and no matter whether it is right or wrong, you will be slapped with twenty slaps first. If you really want to go to court, you must first take care of your butt and be prepared to be slapped."
“Has Dakang’s officialdom become so corrupt?”
When Jin Feng heard this, he couldn't help but sigh.
Laws are enacted by officials, and naturally they must safeguard the interests of the family and aristocracy.
The rule that the people sue the officials first and make a decision has been seen in the history books of previous lives.
With Jin Feng's body, he would basically be unable to get out of bed for half a year after being hit by twenty big boards. If he was unlucky, he might even be disabled.
What's more, even if he gets slapped, Jin Feng can't win the lawsuit.
The county magistrate is Master Zhou's puppet. It is Master Zhou who has the final say as to whether Liu Jiang and others are bandits.
Moreover, according to the laws of Dakang, civilians are not allowed to file lawsuits beyond the level of their superiors. Even if Jin Feng takes the complaint to a higher-level county or the prefectural city of Xichuan, no one will pay attention to him.
In other words, Master Zhou is sure to defeat Jin Feng!
That's why he is so confident.
"What about Mr. Jin? It's time to figure it out now, right?"
Master Zhou looked like he was sure of victory: "I don't know how you defeated Liu Jiang, but no matter how good you are, you can't beat me, unless you want to rebel!
By the way, having said that, I would also like to remind you, sir, that it is illegal for civilians to recruit young men privately."
"indeed."
Jin Feng nodded in agreement.
Since ancient times, it has been one of the common people's creeds that people should not fight with officials.
It's not unreasonable.
At that time, Master Zhou only needs to give Liu Jiang and the others the identity of a random refugee. Not only will Jin Feng not be able to receive the reward for killing the bandits, but he will also have to bear the responsibility of massacring the refugees for no reason.
At worst, he was sentenced to exile, and at worst, he was killed on the spot.
"For the sake of the Marquis, I won't embarrass you sir. I just need to hand over the trophies looted from Iron Can Mountain according to my request just now and pay me another five thousand taels of silver..."
Speaking of this, Master Zhou suddenly patted his head: "Look at my brain, how could I have forgotten the spinning wheel and Tin Can Mountain?
But it’s not too late to think about it now, it’ll be nice to add more.”
"Mr. Jin, please listen carefully. Hand over the loot and compensation, then withdraw your people from Iron Can Mountain, release Liu Jiang, and hand over the spinning wheel. I will let you go for Qinghou's sake."
Ma, I won’t hold you accountable for your crime of privately recruiting young men, sir. What do you think, sir?”
Master Zhou said in a cold tone: "I'll give you face and call you sir, but if I don't give you face, you're just an ant and I can crush you to death!"
This is your last chance, otherwise don’t blame me for sending government troops to suppress Xihewan. Even if I arrive in person, I won’t be able to save you!"
Bang bang bang!
Jin Feng grabbed Qing Mulan, who was about to have a fit, and applauded Master Zhou with a smile: "Master Zhou's strategy is indeed powerful, but Master, you may have overlooked one thing!"
"What's up?"
Master Zhou frowned instinctively.
"I am not a commoner, but a baron conferred by His Majesty the Emperor himself!"
Jin Feng took out a token from his arms and threw it on the table: "Master, you can check it."
"What?!"
Master Zhou grabbed the token and his expression changed wildly.
Pretending to be a noble is a serious crime that can lead to beheading. Jin Feng would only impersonate a noble if he was insane.
So since Jin Feng dares to take out the token, it must be true.
"Damn it, isn't it said that His Majesty the Emperor takes titles very seriously? Why would he give a title to a mountain man like Jin Feng?"
Master Zhou's heart suddenly became confused.
He knew he had made a mistake.
It wasn't that he wasn't smart enough, but that he really didn't expect that Jin Feng would be a noble.
Due to the emperor's intention to weaken the nobility, there were very few new nobles in these years.
When most people are given a title, they want to beat the gongs and drums to make it known to everyone, but Jin Feng is too low-key. Except for Qing Mulan and Amei, who have read Jin Feng's information, no one in Jinchuan County knows Jin Feng's noble status.
Including Guan Xiaorou.
Not to mention Master Zhou.
Dakang has a strict hierarchy, and nobles and commoners are completely different concepts.
Even though Jin Feng is only the lowest-ranking baron, he still has many privileges.
For example, even if a crime is committed, the county government does not have the right to arrest and try the person. The most it can do is report the person to the Ministry of Personnel and the Ministry of Rites for approval before arresting him or her.
For example, nobles also have the right to recruit guards and go to Beijing to file imperial petitions.
Although it is impossible to meet the emperor, given the relationship between Jin Feng and Qing Huai, the possibility of meeting Duke Qing is still very high.
When the time comes, Qing Guo Gong's random words will be a disaster for him.
"Master Zhou, are you going to crush me to death now?"
Jin Feng asked with a sneer.
"Sir, you are serious. I was just joking with you just now."
Master Zhou carefully put the token back on the table: "In Liujiang Fish and Meat Township, the people have long complained. Your husband's feat is really to eliminate harm for the people, which is very satisfying. When I go back, I will definitely ask the county magistrate to report to the court and report your husband's merits."
!”
"You don't want my spinning wheel anymore?"
Jin Feng sneered and asked, "Don't you want me to compensate you for your losses?"