Chapter 175: Kill the chicken to scare the monkeys
Mu Yong has no doubt that Kaifeng Prefecture is the first prefecture in the Song Dynasty, and its jurisdiction has always been about fifteen counties.
Among them, Kaifeng, Xiangfu is Chi County.
That means Gyeonggi County.
Kaifeng County governs the southeastern area of Bianjing, while Xiangfu County governs the northwest.
It's ridiculous to say that Zhang Fei has been in Bianjing for so long, he has been to Kaifeng Prefecture countless times, but he has never been to Kaifeng County. After all, Zhang Fei's brain circuit is different from most people, and most people would rather go
Kaifeng County did not dare to go to Kaifeng Prefecture. Zhang Fei happened to be the other way around. He had been to Kaifeng Prefecture, but it was boring to go to Kaifeng County.
Zhang Fei even thought that Kaifeng County was jealous and complained that he did not go to him to complain, so he arrested his own people.
On the way, he caught up with Fan Li who had taken the first step, then got into the carriage and rushed to Kaifeng County together.
When Zhang Fei arrived at the county government office and registered his number, the government officer in front of the door said that the county magistrate was reviewing the case and asked him to wait outside.
"Sanlang, the situation is not good!"
Fan Li waited for a long time and whispered to Zhang Fei.
Zhang Fei nodded and said: "I know, I will be careful later."
No one believed that these government officials had never heard of Zhang San's name, but they acted in an arbitrary manner and were very powerful. They regarded Zhang Fei as an ordinary citizen. There was obviously an explanation from above.
I waited outside for half an hour before letting them in.
As soon as I entered the door, I heard a groan.
After bypassing the corridor and coming to the entrance of the corridor on the left side of the front yard, I saw Qiu Zhengwen, Huang Mang and other people lying on the ground one by one. The pants on their buttocks were all soaked with sweat, and they were sticking tightly together, with a faint line visible.
Some of the stick marks were even slightly red, obviously they had just been tortured with moss.
That is to say, a few thick thorn sticks are twisted into a thorn stick. This kind of moss punishment is mostly used to punish unruly people. It only causes pain to the flesh and will not cause any internal injuries.
This scene was so frightening that Fan Li's face turned pale and his back was dripping with cold sweat.
"Be calm!"
Zhang Fei looked at Fan Li expressionlessly.
This scene did not scare him. After all, he had been in Dengzhou Prison for several months, so this was already commonplace.
But his eyes were filled with anger.
He already had a premonition that this was revenge.
"Sanlang is here! Sanlang is here!"
"Ouch! Saburo, save me!"
"Sanlang, we were wronged!"
.....
When those who had tea and food saw Zhang Fei coming, they felt as if they had seen a savior and asked Zhang Fei for help with tears in their eyes.
There was a bang.
Zhang Fei turned his head and looked, and saw a long table in front of the court. Sitting behind the long table was a middle-aged man of about forty years old, with slightly dark skin, protruding cheekbones, a goatee, and a sunken face.
His eyes looked even colder.
On the way here, Fan Li told Zhang Fei that the name of the magistrate of Kaifeng County was Wang Hong. He was a ruthless man who loved to use punishment and was feared by everyone.
In ancient times, it was allowed by law to break a crime and torture the suspect. After all, there were not so many ways to break the crime in ancient times. Once a certain amount of evidence was obtained, the criminal law could be used to force the suspect to confess.
As for the frequency, it all depends on the character of the presiding judge.
For example, Lu Gongzhu and Xu Zun were not very good at it, but Wang Hong liked to use it very much.
"Call Zhang San to the court."
"Pass Zhang San."
.....
Hearing a loud shout, the officer behind Zhang Fei pushed him hard, almost missing him.
Zhang Fei turned around and stared.
The officer shouted: "What are you looking at? Let's go quickly."
Go out of the corridor and come to the middle of the courtyard.
"Zhang San, a small citizen, has met the county magistrate."
Zhang Fei bowed his hand.
Fan Li also followed suit and bowed.
Wang Hong ignored Fan Li at all, was shocked, and shouted to Zhang Fei: "Are you Erbi Zhang San?"
"yes."
Zhang Fei nodded.
Wang Hongdao: "You are the one who ordered the ear pens in your shop to hinder and interfere with my duty payment?"
Zhang Fei said: "If you don't hide it from the county magistrate, the common people still don't know what happened?"
Wang Hong frowned, "I'm asking you, but what tax-calculating business did you instruct them to come to the southern suburbs to promote to the local people?"
"No!"
Zhang Fei shook his head with a simple look on his face: "Xiao Min doesn't know about this at all."
"ah?"
The group of ear pens behind him were stunned.
That's how they sold us.
Wang Hong was also stunned, "You don't know?"
Zhang Fei shook his head and said, "I don't know."
Wang Hong asked: "They are all ear pens in your shop, how could you not know?"
Zhang Fei said: "Xiaomin just asked them to come here to hand out Xiaomin's business cards, uh... County magistrate, you should collect some small pieces of paper from them!"
Wang Hong nodded.
Zhang Fei said: "This is a means of promoting business, so it shouldn't be illegal."
Wang Hongdao: "But they all said it was you who instigated it."
"Xiaomin is very busy every day and has no time for this." After saying that, Zhang Fei turned to Fan Li and asked: "Executive officer, isn't it your order?"
Do you want me to take the blame? Fan Li felt a little in his heart, but then he thought about it. In the current situation, he could only save the boss first, otherwise, who would save them then? But just when he was about to plead guilty, he suddenly saw Zhang Fei again After winking at him, he finally realized what he was doing. He quickly shook his head and said, "I...I don't know either."
At present, they don't know anything. The best way is to keep themselves out of the matter and then argue with the officials. If they become criminals, they will be very passive.
Nowadays, it is difficult to just hire an awesome lawyer to litigate your case.
Zhang Fei opened his mouth and said to Wang Hong: "Reporting to the county magistrate, in fact, our store has always done tax calculation business, and we also cooperate with the municipal tax department. But it mainly serves businessmen, and the purpose is to prevent them from accidentally evading taxes.
Tax evasion, but I never thought about letting them come here to promote tax calculation business. What kind of money do those farmers have? Helping them calculate taxes will not make much money, and they may even lose money. The main business of our store is to help people litigate.
, this is the purpose of me asking them to come here to hand out business cards, maybe they are promoting this business by the way, but I have no idea about this."
When Wang Hong saw him talking nonsense in a serious manner, he couldn't help but get angry and said, "Since you didn't instruct them, why do they all say you did?"
Zhang Fei said: "The common people asked them to promote this business, but it was mainly aimed at businessmen in the city. However, the common people did not say that they were not allowed to promote this business with farmers."
"Yeah?"
Wang Hong suddenly shouted loudly: "Huang Mang."
"The villain is here."
Huang Mang lay on the ground, shivering.
Wang Hongdao: "You just said that this was all instigated by Zhang San. Are you trying to deceive me?"
Huang Mang was not stupid either. Only Zhang Fei could save them at this time. He immediately said: "How dare you deceive the county magistrate? It was indeed Zhang Sanlang who instigated it. He asked us to promote this tax calculation business before, but...
But this time he asked us to go to the southern suburbs and just asked us to hand out business cards, and we just casually promoted the tax-calculated business to the farmers."
"Yes, yes, we just said it casually."
...
Qiu Zhengwen and others also reacted and said that Zhang Fei did not explicitly instruct them to go to the southern suburbs to promote tax calculation business.
Wang Hong was shocked, "You unscrupulous people, how dare you blatantly make false confessions to deceive me, come here! Give me ten more serious consequences."
"etc!"
Zhang Fei said: "They did not make false confessions. This was indeed instigated by Xiaomin."
Wang Hong frowned and said, "Then you made a false confession."
Zhang Fei said: "Xiaomin falsely confessed without providing anything. This is just a misunderstanding. Just as Xiaomin said just now, although Xiaomin did not instruct them to come to the southern suburbs to promote the tax plan, Xiaomin did ask them to promote the tax plan before.
It didn’t stop them from promoting it to farmers. They said it was instigated by the common people, which is actually not wrong, but the common people really didn’t know anything about it.”
Wang Hong was stunned for a moment and sneered: "You are such a sharp-tongued person, but your tactics are not applicable to me."
Zhang Fei immediately said: "Cleverness does not apply anywhere, including Kaifeng Mansion, but ordinary people have always relied on evidence and the law to litigate cases, not on the basis of sharpness."
Wang Hong's expression changed slightly, and he thought to himself, you really have to be careful what you say in front of this kid! He smiled disdainfully: "You should know better than anyone else whether you have instigated them or not."
"Xiaomin did not deny this." Zhang Fei asked again: "But even if they promote tax calculation to farmers, what kind of laws have they broken?"
Wang Hongdao: "They committed crimes such as spreading rumors, obstructing official duties, disrupting order, and defrauding officials and private property."
After Huang Mang and others heard this, their faces turned pale. If you add these several crimes together, you will be exiled even if you don't even mention it!
Zhang Fei was confused when he heard this, "The shop has been doing this tax-calculating business for many days, and I have never heard that this business is illegal."
Wang Hongdao: "This transaction is indeed not illegal, but its use here and now, as well as the remarks they spread, seriously hinder the government's performance of official duties, which is enough to constitute these crimes."
Zhang Fei cupped his hands and said, "The common people are stupid and don't understand the truth. I hope the magistrate will tell you clearly."
Wang Hong asked: "Tax statistics have always been determined by the government. Why do you do this tax calculation business?"
Zhang Fei avoided the serious issue and said lightly: "That's because there are often people who don't know the tax laws and pay less tax, so that they become prisoners. That's why I launched this tax calculation business."
Wang Hongdao: "But how did I hear that you promised a farmer that if he comes to you to calculate taxes, you can guarantee that he will not pay a penny more."
Zhang Fei hesitated for a moment, "Is this wrong?"
Wang Hong was immediately shocked, "What you said is nothing more than a hint to those farmers that the imperial court imposed more taxes on them, causing them to refuse to pay taxes. Do you know how much trouble this has brought to the government?"
Zhang Fei said excitedly: "This is just a one-sided statement made by Wang Zhixian. The people do not think this is illegal."
Wang Hong scolded: "You are a cunning person. Could it be that you are implying that I am slandering you?"
Zhang Fei said: "The common people have no such intention, but the common people will never accept the judgment of Wangzhi County. The common people will appeal to Kaifeng Prefecture."
Wang Hong glanced at the royal plaque held by Li Si and said with a smile: "I heard that the official gave you the imperial plaque. If you want to appeal, I can't stop you! No matter what, I have already reported to the court to severely punish you guys.
civil."
Zhang Fei frowned and thought, it's strange, for such a reason, why should he judge like this? What's so fishy about this?
...
"Have you ever found out how it is possible for Kaifeng County to arrest people at will?"
Xu Zun asked Xu Zhiqian while hurriedly walking outside the imperial city.
Xu Zhiqian said: "My daughter is also involved in this matter. It's really just to promote tax calculation. Apart from that, there is nothing else."
"There is a mixed crowd in your store. Something must have happened."
Xu Zunwu didn't believe it.
As soon as I arrived at the gate of the imperial city, I saw the old god Sima Guang standing in front of the gate.
"Bachelor Sima."
Xu Zun immediately walked over quickly and asked in a low voice: "Scholar Sima, what on earth is going on?"
Sima Guang said: "Your son-in-law should not choose to promote tax calculation at this time or place."
Xu Zundao: "Why?"
Sima Guang said: "Xu Temple should know that taxation is a major national plan, and nothing else is as important as this. And Zhang San went there to promote tax calculation at this time, which will definitely bring some trouble to the government."
Xu Zun immediately said: "That is also for injustice, not for intentional chaos. How can Kaifeng County arrest people at will?"
Sima Guang asked: "Do you think the imperial court will delay the nationwide collection of taxes because of a few injustices?"
Xu Zundao: "How can this be delayed?"
"If they just say it's an obstruction, will the officials finish the review and then go to collect the taxes?" Sima Guang asked.
Xu Zun frowned, "In other words, it's not just Wangzhi County who is involved in this matter. They want to blackmail the officials by urging them to pay taxes."
Sima Guang nodded and sighed: "This is not easy to handle!"