Jiangning County, Liuye Street, Wuming Garden, Pavilion.
A pair of old acquaintances, Cheng Taigong, the general manager of the Xin'an Guild Hall, and Hu Shilang, the Nanjing household minister, were sitting across from each other drinking tea. Today was a critical day. They were sitting here waiting for good news to come from the Jiangning County Government.
As a result, before the good news came, news came from the north that Shangyuan County suddenly took action unexpectedly.
There is also news that people from the government office went to Qin Dewei's house to evacuate him, and now they have gone to the county government to arrest him.
He quickly sent people to Jiangning County Government Office, but the result was that the inside and outside of the County Government Office had been sealed off.
So far, Hu Shilang and Manager Cheng still don't think there is any problem. After all, Zhang Yushi is sitting in the county government office now, so why should they be worried?
"Don't panic!" Hu Shilang analyzed: "Qi Zhi of Shangyuan County is either seeking fame or greed for profit! He is just a county magistrate. After dealing with Jiangning County, he can take care of it."
Then there was no news for a long time, and when people from the government office entered the county government office, they were like a mud cow entering the sea.
By this time, at sunset and dusk, after the gate of Jiangning County Government opened, many messages suddenly exploded and scattered all over the place without warning.
First of all, I heard that Qin Dewei actually had the status of a clerk in the Ministry of War, so the government failed to recruit people.
Hu Shilang made a rational judgment: "Don't panic! If the Nanjing Ministry of War really intervenes, it will not just give Qin Dewei the status of a writer! To say the least, the Ministry of War has nothing to do with the affairs of the Department of Justice!
So it must be that Da Sima couldn't stop some feelings and gave him some personal protection, but that's all!
Just think about it and you will understand. What benefits can Qin Dewei and Feng En give Da Sima in exchange for Da Sima's full help?
So I can conclude that Qin Dewei just deliberately used the fire seal wooden sign to confuse people's minds!"
Immediately afterwards, I heard the news that Zhang Yushi's trial was fruitless because he could no longer continue the trial, and he left the Jiangning County Government and returned to the Metropolitan Procuratorate.
Except for scolding "trash" a few times, Mr. Hu remained calm and analyzed to Manager Cheng: "Don't panic! As long as we still have the initiative, we can start again at any time!"
After that, the latest news came, saying that several money dealers actually defected and confessed to Shangyuan County that they were deceived and instigated by Manager Cheng, and then participated in the prosecution of Magistrate Feng!
News after news made the two elderly people dizzy, but the key was that there was no good news.
Especially the last one made Mr. Cheng worried. If it was found out that he had falsely accused an official, Mr. Cheng might lose his head. He quickly asked Mr. Hu: "What should I do? I all obeyed the old man...
.”
Hu Shilang was still calm and shouted: "Don't panic! This matter has not been finalized! The Jiangning County government received four thousand taels of silver. Is this an ironclad fact?
As long as this fact exists, as to whether it is blackmail or voluntary, it does not depend on the words of various parties!
If they dare to instigate a few people to rebel and claim that they were deceived and instigated by you, Manager Cheng, we dare to insist that it was those money merchants who were forced by the government and gave in!
The dispute will definitely continue in the Nanjing Metropolitan Procuratorate. They are just a small county government. In terms of the weight of their words, can they be compared to the people here?"
After what Mr. Hu said, Mr. Cheng felt a little relieved. This was indeed the truth.
If the only evidence is oral testimony, everyone can only argue with each other and end up with no results, so there is no need to judge the guilt.
"Then what should we do now?" Manager Cheng asked again.
It's not that Mr. Cheng is not smart enough and has to ask others for everything, but because when it comes to officialdom issues, Mr. Hu is more professional. Leave professional matters to professional people, which is an excellent rule of Mr. Cheng.
Hu Shilang thought for a while and made arrangements calmly: "First of all, our people, whether they are from the government office or the Metropolitan Procuratorate, must work together and report them one by one!
If so many people from the Metropolitan Procuratorate and Household Offices join forces but are overturned by a small county office, it will be a laughing stock in the officialdom!
Secondly, all money industry colleagues are temporarily closed to the outside world. Don’t let the county government take advantage of it! The Ministry of Household Warehouse will immediately release 100,000 shi of grain and let the Qian Industry Office prepare to catch it. Anyone who continues to mess with the money industry will disturb the household.
Department replacement Chen Liang!
Third, now that the Provincial Examination is about to take place, there are a lot of scholars in Nanjing, so we have to bribe the scholars to create public opinion and hold more elegant gatherings and banquets to spread the news!
Fourth, if they have a new confession, they must go to the Metropolitan Procuratorate to file a complaint and counter-complaint! I will personally go to the Metropolitan Procuratorate to suppress this matter, and at the same time look for opportunities to counterattack again, you have the money ready!"
Manager Cheng nodded in agreement. He and Shilang Hu had known each other for many years, and their interests were deeply bound. They sold old grains together and collected loan sharks together. They trusted each other unconditionally.
Afraid that Manager Cheng would be worried, Shilang Hu promised: "Don't worry, even if this attempt fails, the small county government will still not be able to overturn the city of Nanjing! Our money will not be in vain!"
Jiangning County Government Office, Public Hall.
At this time, only Feng Zhixian and Qin Dewei were left here, and everyone else stayed far away.
The young boy squatted on the threshold with a tired face and apologized without sincerity: "Master Feng, I also have a big responsibility this time."
Feng Zhixian said very sincerely: "This is strange..."
It is really strange that after living for so long, it is the first time to see this primary school student take the initiative to admit his mistakes? And he did not accuse himself of being stupid.
Qin Dewei frowned and said: "Actually, I didn't expect it at the beginning. Just to deal with the murder of several money dealers, the Nanjing Ministry of Household Affairs, the government office, and the Metropolitan Procuratorate all jumped out to deal with us.
In your officialdom during the Jiajing decade of the Ming Dynasty, there was such serious collusion between money and power, and collusion between government and businessmen?"
Feng Zhixian just felt that something was wrong with these words. What do you mean by "your officialdom during the Jiajing decade of the Ming Dynasty"? It sounds like you are a foreigner!
Qin Dewei sighed again: "Today I just saved you, Mr. Feng, from danger, so that you, Mr. Feng, could escape unharmed. But we don't have the ability to kill the Metropolitan Procuratorate, the Ministry of Revenue, and the government offices across the way.
"
Feng Zhixian asked with suspicion: "You really don't have this ability? I always feel that you can!"
Qin Dewei: "..."
He is just a humble writer in the Huitong Hall under the Ministry of War. Even the highest-ranking civil servant in Nanjing City, the Chief Sima of the Ministry of War, Wang Tingxiang, dare not say that he has this ability!
Feng Zhixian said very freely: "Forget it if you can't kill the other party. Anyway, I can get away for the time being. Now I will resign and go home to be a rich man!"
Qin Dewei said with regret: "Master Feng, your hard work these past few years has been in vain, hasn't it been in vain? It took a lot of effort to become the magistrate of Jingxian County."
Feng Zhixian also felt it was a pity: "Then what can we do? We can't just wait to die here, right? If I don't leave, they will definitely do it next time."
Qin Dewei took out a note from his arms: "Actually, Mr. Feng, if you don't want to leave, just sign here.
Of course it’s not necessarily possible, let’s give it a try and we’ll see the result within a month.”
Feng Zhixian: "..."
You still say you have nothing to do? I almost took off my pants, so you took them out?
Qin Dewei thought of something again: "By the way, there is also today's lawyer's fee. The ten taels of silver will not be owed. Please settle the account, Mr. Feng."
"So expensive?"
"Whether it's expensive or not depends on the level of the lawsuit. If you are caught before a joint trial or court trial by the Three Law Departments of the Capital, the fee will be ten times more expensive!"