The people were also confused, not knowing what the situation was now.
After Li Chengqian glanced at Xia Zhixing, he said to the people: "The king is setting up a hall here today, there is nothing else to do."
"I just want to ask you how your life has been in the past few years. Have you been exploited and abused by our officials?"
Hearing this, the people looked around and whispered.
For a long time no one dared to speak.
Li Chengqian chuckled and said, "Don't be afraid. Today, our king is here, and no one dares to do anything to you."
"But at the same time, I need you to tell me the truth and tell me how your life has been over the past few years, or simply tell me directly what the character of Mr. Xia is."
After hearing these words, everyone whispered again.
One of the women pushed the middle-aged man next to her and said in a low voice: "Come on, tell me..."
The middle-aged man looked around and saw no one came forward.
Finally, he secretly said: "Just die..."
The next moment, he stood up, faced Li Chengqian and knelt down on the ground: "Your Highness, help me, we common people really can't afford to live anymore."
"The villages outside our Jingyang County are now under Mr. Xia's name, and the rents are more than 20 to 30% higher than those in Linxian County."
"And this Master Xia also enslaves us, asking us to do private work for him, and asking for money during holidays."
"I don't know what reason to find, but we will be exploited. If we don't give, we will be taken to jail and tortured."
"If you are lucky, you can still be alive. If you are lucky, you may be beaten to death in prison..."
Once the first person spoke, the rest of the people seemed to have found a backbone.
One after another they spoke out about Xia Zhixing's faults.
Li Chengqian came from later generations.
It’s not like he doesn’t know that corrupt officials, no matter how prosperous they are, The world is still in troubled times, no matter who is in power, it will exist.
But he never expected that a county magistrate could do so many dirty things.
If he were a local citizen, he would probably have rebelled long ago.
Li Chengqian said nothing and only glanced at Xia Zhixing.
Immediately, he faced the people and asked: "Then let me ask again, does anyone remember the Yang family and the Chai family in Jingyang County?"
The common people looked at each other.
It was the middle-aged man who spoke first who said, "Your Highness, are you talking about the fourth year of Zhenguan?"
"Exactly."
Li Chengqian nodded and said: "If you know, tell me in detail, I guarantee that no one will dare to lay a finger on you."
"Okay, common people understand, His Highness is here to make decisions for us."
The middle-aged man said directly: "In this case, the common people will talk to His Highness."
"I don't know much about the Chai family, but the owner of the Yang family is a really kind person and takes good care of us ordinary people."
"Not only do they give some rice, grain and meat during festivals, but if someone in the family is sick, they will also help buy medicine and call a doctor."
"But since this dog magistrate came, the life of the Yang family and the Chai family has become worse day by day."
"This dog official is so lustful that he insists on marrying the daughter of the Yang family as his concubine."
"But the Yang family is a scholarly family. Even if the legitimate daughter marries a farmer, she will never allow him to be a concubine."
"Furthermore, the daughter of the Yang family has long been promised to the eldest son of the Chai family, and Master Yang rejected him on this reason."
"Unexpectedly, this guy became so angry that he took all the men of the Yang family into prison and tortured them, forcing Miss Yang to enter the house to serve him."
"But in the end, Miss Yang entered the house, but Master Yang and the gang of men from the Yang family did not.
Come out of jail alive."
"Your Highness, the Yang family was driven to extinction by this dog official..."
After hearing what he said, Li Chengqian nodded.
Then, he continued to ask: "What about the Chai family? Who knows what is going on with the Chai family?"
Everyone looked at me and I looked at you, but no one spoke for a long time.
In the end, the middle-aged man was forced to have no choice but to say: "We don't know much about the Chai family. We only know that the Chai family was wiped out by bandits in the end."
"But in recent years, there have been rumors among the public that some people saw that the gang of bandits were wearing the official boots of the yamen."
As he spoke, he couldn't help but glance at Xia Zhixing.
Unexpectedly, Xia Zhixing suddenly burst out in anger: "You are so bold and unruly, how dare you speak arrogant words and seriously injure me!"
Then, he suddenly turned around and said: "Your Highness, these people are all slandering the official. I have never done any of these things."
"I didn't do anything!"
The middle-aged man also broke the jar and said straightly: "The Chai family and the Yang family are both big families in Jingyang."
"Almost all of us here have worked in the homes of these two families."
"Either I rented fields from two families, or I ran errands for them."
"It's enough for you to deceive His Highness here, but can you deceive us?"
After finishing speaking, he knelt down towards Li Chengqian and said: "Your Highness, this dog official is in our county and will never do good things or bad things. You must make the decision for us..."
"Don't worry, I will make the decision for you."
After saying this, Li Chengqian raised his head and said: "Ge Zhe, how should such evil behavior be punished according to the laws of the Tang Dynasty?"
"As an official of the imperial court, if you take bribes, bend the law, and oppress the people, you will definitely be dismissed from the position and killed with a crowd."
Gai Zhe said with a cold expression: "If you still force good girls into prostitution and massacre people, the crime will be increased and you will be punished." r> Hearing this, Xia Zhixing's eyes suddenly widened: "Your Highness, I was wronged, Your Highness, Your Highness was wronged, Your Highness..."
"It's okay if someone says nothing about you. I take it as a slander against you."
"But now, two people, three people, and even a group of people are talking about your evil deeds."
Li Chengqian looked at Xia Zhixing and said, "Do you think I can still believe you?"
Seeing this scene, Xia Zhixing also knew that it would be useless to talk more.
He gritted his teeth tightly, looked at Li Chengqian and said, "Your Highness, please don't forget that I am not just an official of the imperial court, I am also a member of the Zheng family!"
"Hmm? The Zheng family?"
Li Chengqian raised his eyebrows and looked at Xia Zhixing and said, "You mean, the Zheng family was also involved in this matter?"
Hearing this, Xia Zhixing was stunned for a moment, and then hurriedly retorted: "No, no..."
"Yes, I heard it."
Li Chengqian raised his lips and said to everyone: "You all heard it, right?"
Everyone agreed.
At this time, Xia Zhixing broke out in a cold sweat.
If he confessed his crime directly, he would be the only one who would die.
But if he gets the Zheng family out, it will really destroy the family.
However, even if he didn't say anything, would Li Chengqian let his family go?
He indirectly or directly destroyed two good schools.
If his entire family is still there, can he be worthy of the people of Jingyang?
Li Chengqian stood up slowly and said: "Xia Zhixing, Xia Zhixing, don't think that because the Zheng family is protecting you, you can be lawless."
"I am afraid of everything in my life, the only thing I am not afraid of is these powerful and aristocratic families."
"Pass my order to destroy the Xia Zhixing clan, dig up their ancestral graves, and whip their ancestral corpses..."
Just when Li Chengqian said these words.
When Gai Zhe was about to get someone, he suddenly heard a voice coming out of the door: "Wait a minute!"