"Mr. Zheng beat his husband, Yue Ji, to death for more than three days, but there has been no tangible reward.
The people in the city are raging about things, and I am worried about people's unrest. The chief officer is responsible for patrolling and chasing the murderer. Why has the murderer not been brought to justice?"
Yang Fangqian asked Dian Shi next to him.
Yang Fangqian's expression was as usual, and it was hard to tell what was going on in her mind.
After three days of fermentation, Yue Ji's murder case spread to everyone in Tongcheng County. The Yue family directly set up a mourning hall on the street of South Street. Countless people passed by it every day, and the impact had exceeded that of an ordinary murder case.
It really posed a problem for Yang Fangqian.
The chief official he mentioned was Xu Shiliang, Dianshi of Tongcheng County. Dianshi was nominally the head of the official list, so he was commonly known as the chief official. He was also among the officials, but he was a low-ranking miscellaneous official.
The status of Dianshi dropped from being the county magistrate's assistant in the early Ming Dynasty. After the middle Ming Dynasty, his responsibilities were determined to patrol and pursue murderers. He was probably similar to the police chief. He was barely a member of the county government team. However, because he lacked a strong position in the power check and balance system of the Ming Dynasty, he was
In front of the magistrate, his status is far inferior to that of Zuo Erguan. If he encounters a strong magistrate, he may even be beaten.
Xu Shiliang took a step forward, looked at Yang Fangfian's face, and said cautiously: "To tell you what to say, a husband, Yue Ji, was indeed beaten to death by Mr. Zheng. Mr. Zheng was a servant of the eunuch in Wuxiang, and he usually worked at the Wu family's Xinhe Dian Shop.
, there are also dental veneers and some dental business.
Yue Ji worked as a porter in Qingfeng City and other places on weekdays. On that day, he bought new grains from outside the city and returned to the city. Without any permission, he sold them in Qingfeng City without permission. He happened to meet Mr. Zheng and others, and they had a verbal conflict and they were beaten to death.
.”
Yang Fangqian stared at the case on the table for a while. The case happened in broad daylight with many witnesses. There were no twists and turns in the case. The troublesome thing was Mr. Zheng's background.
When Yang Fangqian took office that day, all the officials in Tongcheng Township had met. Wu Yingqi was a Jinshi in the 32nd year of Wanli. He had successively served as the Inspector of Yunnan, the Censor of Zhejiang Road, and the Minister of South Dali Temple. His qualifications in the officialdom were very solid.
He also knew that this matter was difficult. Although the county magistrate said he was in charge of the affairs of a county, when encountering these township officials, he could not just look at the matter itself. There were many colleagues of the same age behind the township officials, and the network of relationships was intricate. Once he got into trouble with a big shot, things would be difficult to do.
If not, it's still secondary, and even the official career of the county magistrate will be affected.
But a human life case in broad daylight must have a conclusion, otherwise the county magistrate will not be able to deliver.
After thinking about this, Yang Fangfian turned to the county magistrate, "Master Zhou has been in Tongcheng for a long time. He knows the situation here better than I do. How to handle this matter is more appropriate."
Zhouxian Cheng glanced at Xu Shiliang and said: "Since Yue Ji is dead, even if the murderer absconds, there is always a conclusion.
A few days ago, a notice came from the Taifen Patrol Road in Huiningchi, saying that they would come to Anqing for patrol in August. If the murder case remains unresolved for a long time, it will be difficult to deal with it then.
The chief official is responsible for hunting down the murderer. In addition to arresting the suspect, he should also make an early conclusion on the cause of death and report the details to Anqing Mansion as soon as possible."
Xu Shiliang said in a low voice, "According to what Baojia said, Yue Ji had a chronic asthma problem. Maybe it's not surprising that he died of the disease."
Yang Fangfian showed his displeasure, and Xu Shiliang did not dare to provoke the Wu family. At this time, he wanted to convict Yue Ji of a fatal illness. It would be okay if it was an ordinary murder case, and the county magistrate was too lazy to take care of it. But Mr. Zheng killed someone in the street this time, and everyone was killed.
How to fool around when you know.
Yang Fangqian said coldly, "Although we only herd and guard one county, there are thousands of living beings here who provide us with food, clothing, and parents.
What the people want is peace, but the first priority for officials is to keep the place peaceful.
How can Tongcheng, the best place in the world, allow a murderer to go unpunished in broad daylight? If he gets violent and hurts others again, we will not be ashamed to treat Tongcheng Xiangzi."
As soon as this big hat was pulled off, Xu Dianshi was not allowed to refute even a single sentence. Xu Shiliang had to bow and said, "My lord, I am saying that I have learned a lesson."
The county magistrate paused for a moment and said, "Then let the people do an examination. Whether they were killed by illness or death, write it down first. It is said that the Yue family will have a funeral today and the coffin will be carried through the city. People will be upset by then, so we don't want to cause unnecessary trouble."
.”
Yang Fangqian felt that the conversation was a little off-topic. Xu Shiliang had obviously wanted to delay and evade it. The core issue in this matter was to capture Mr. Zheng, not to determine the cause of Yue Ji's death. Taking advantage of the high pressure created by being slapped with a hat just now, he took over the conversation with a cough.
, "It has been three days since the murder. Have you found any traces of Mr. Zheng?"
Xu Shiliang said with a guilty conscience, "On the same day I was sent to the official position, I had dispatched the torture chamber and the quick team was waiting for arrest. Mr. Zheng had an outhouse in Oujia Street, but there was no trace of Mr. Zheng.
The lower official sent people to post arrest notices at the six gates. In the past two days, the express team also searched for his relatives and friends everywhere..." Yang Fangqian interrupted, "If it is the outer house, where is the main house?"
Xu Shiliang was a little impatient when he heard Yang Fangqian's tone, and quickly lowered his head and said, "It is said that he is in the eunuch's mansion in Wuxiang."
"Then we can search the Wu Mansion?"
"The main gate of the eunuch's residence in Wuxiang was closed tightly. I went to the lower eunuch twice but was not allowed to enter."
After Xu Shiliang finished speaking, he lowered his head and looked at the ground. Yang Fangqian was silent for a moment. Since the Wu family did not open the door, Kuaiban would never dare to use force when facing the township officials.
If this matter is delayed for a long time, the people's emotions may get out of control, and the Anqing government may also apply pressure. At present, no one from Tongcheng's Jin gentleman has come to ask for help. If it is delayed for a long time, the pressure will be exerted by our own side at the same time, and Yang Fangqian will be very passive.
.
But after all, Yang Fangqian was only the acting magistrate, and would only be here for two or three months at most. Xu Dianshi could not let the Wu family open the door. Yang Fangqian was the highest official in Tongcheng, so he was the only one to step forward.
But there was no reason for Yang Fangqian to offend Wu Yingqi, who had such profound qualifications, for a servant.
The best way is to deal with Anqing Prefecture and Fenxundao, and then drag him to Xinzhi County to take office, leaving the Xinzhi County with a headache.
So there are two evils, and Yang Fangqian felt that procrastination was a better option.
Thinking of this, Yang Fangqian said to Xu Dianshi, "Post more arrest notices at Liumen and in the market, and send more catchers at Liumen to check people passing by."
"Sir, some of the people from the fast class have gone to the countryside to compare money and food, and the rest are hunting for murders in the city. I'm afraid there won't be any extra manpower..." Yang Fangfian interrupted impatiently, "Everyone from the third class can be deployed. You are the leader.
Officer, do you want me to teach you how to deploy manpower?
The momentum must be louder. In short, anyone with a green uniform can be sent out. We must let the people know that the county government is looking for the murderer!"
...In the Dianshi Yamen Office on County Qian Street, Xu Shiliang sat in high office.
As a miscellaneous official, Dianshi had a lower status than the county magistrate and the second assistant official, but he was far superior to the subordinate official and had his own separate government office.
There were a total of about twenty officials, Zaoli, gatekeepers, sweepers, and grooms attached to the office, and the inside of the government office was a little deserted.
However, the lobby was crowded with people. Xu Dianshi pulled Yang Fangqian's skin and transferred all the free people from each room to his hands. He even removed people from the busiest household. Pang Yu was a newcomer to the household.
There were also Zaobong in uniform, so he was naturally pushed out.
Pang Yu stood next to He Xianya, while Jiao Guozhao stood on the other side of He Xianya.
He Xianya has been working with Jiao Guozhao these days, and he has a relatively clear understanding of Yue Ji's case.
Pang Yu looked at the postures around him and asked He Xianya, "Can Mr. Zheng be caught? Is it useful to mobilize so many people?"
He Xianya shook his head and turned his head to look at Jiao Guozhao. Seeing that Jiao Guozhao was chatting with another Kuaishou, he replied in a low voice, "Mr. Zheng beat someone to death that day. Someone saw him entering the Wu Mansion. Brother
They went there three times, and at first a steward came to answer the question, but later they didn't even open the side door."
Pang Yu stretched out his head to look at Jiao Guozha. On that day, Mr. Zheng and others humiliated Jiao Guozha. This time, Jiao Guozha was very excited when he heard that Mr. Zheng was being arrested. In the past few days, he had been in trouble in the Wu Mansion and his momentum was weak.
Went down.
Mr. Zheng also wanted to beat Pang Yu and He Xianya that day. If there was a chance to capture this person, Pang Yu would not let him go.
But there is no blood feud between Pang Yu and Mr. Zheng. If arresting someone would delay his job as a cabinet manager, Pang Yu would never be willing to do so.
It became noisy when there were many people below. Xu Dianshi patted the wooden door and waited until it calmed down. He said, "In the execution room, the three shift managers are all here. This time, your Majesty has allowed me to mobilize manpower, so that Mr. Zheng must be transferred to the prison."
Let’s discuss the arrests and bring them to justice, and formulate rules on how to distribute them.”
Zhang, the prison officer in the execution room, was severely suppressed by the county magistrate last time. He has been keeping a low profile recently. Seeing that the leader of the third class was silent, he spoke first: "The execution room owner filed a lawsuit against the jailer and has taken the witness of the day.
According to the testimony, I did not even confiscate the banknotes this time, so I conducted an autopsy. Yue Ji's family is still looking for someone to write a lawsuit, and other matters can only wait for Mr. Zheng to return to the case."
After hearing this, Wang Dazhuang said: "Patrols and arrests of criminals are always a matter of quick work. This August, the spring tax must be paid, and the harvest of autumn grain will begin at the end of the month. There are still daily tasks to be done in various places in the Yamen. The soap team will not
He knows how to use a knife but doesn't know how to use an iron ruler, so he can't take down the evil suspect.
Can you guys do your own thing well without causing trouble to others?"
The leader of the strong squad also supported, "Mr. Xu, the strong squad has always only had twenty or thirty people. The six city gates have to be guarded all day long. The strong squad is also responsible for cleaning the streets at night. We really can't afford to send more people to arrest the murderers.
"
The two shifts of government officials waiting below were making noises, all aimed at the fast shift.
Recently it is the time to go to the countryside to compare money and food. Whether you will be well in the second half of the year, you are counting on the income of these two months. Many people have even pooled their money to buy tickets and are waiting to go to the countryside. Unexpectedly, Dian Shi has been mobilized to arrest the murderer.
commit.
In addition, everyone knows Mr. Zheng's background. He is usually fierce and no one dares to provoke him. He is not a person who wants to kill people, so naturally no one is willing to do it.
The head of the fast shift glanced at the government officials and said dissatisfiedly: "Why are you shouting? There are certainly gangsters who clean the street. We are not outsiders here, so why do we speak so decently?"
Could it be that my fast class doesn’t have people guarding the city gates? There are also people from the fast class at North Arch Gate and Xiangyang Gate. If you put it this way, guarding the city gates has always been the job of the strong class, so why should I, the fast class, take care of this nonsense?"
"Captain Li, you don't care what you say. It was Mr. Gu who decided to guard the two north gates of Kuaiban. You agreed in the hall that day. That was your duty, Mr. Gu. Isn't it inappropriate to complain to me now, Mr. Zhuangban?"
.”
Captain Li of the fast class immediately replied, "That's it. Everything in the third class is decided by the adults. There is no such thing as a consistent rule. If you say it's always been the case, we'll tell Taizu that it doesn't matter what happened in the fast class."
Quick steps and quick horses are all for delivering messages and orders, so it’s determined when it’s time to patrol and hunt down the murderer.”
Leader Zhuang was speechless for a moment, and Leader Li stared at Wang Dazhuang again, "There are so many gambling stalls, door stalls, traveling doctors, monks, and inns in Dongshi. Is it that Zaoban just wants to go there? Is it possible?"
It's not a matter of patrolling. If you have a lot of money, you won't say that you will join the fast class. When it comes to arresting a murderer, you will say that you will join the fast class. What do I owe you from the fast class?"
Wang Dazhuang tilted his head to one side and said, "It's inappropriate for you to say that. It's always been a matter of recent past. You are talking about Taizu. You are not alive at the same time as Taizu."
Of the six counties in Anqing Prefecture, five of them are in charge of fast patrols to hunt down criminals. Why is your Tongcheng fast class so different?
Zaoli has six taels of silver for work and food, and Ma Kuai has more than sixteen taels of silver for work and food. The amount of money you get should be the same as your ability. Why didn't you say anything when you got the money? In the end, you couldn't even catch the murderer, knowing that everyone was waiting for this.
It’s been two months since the harvest, and all the students are here to help you catch the murderer. I’m sorry, but I won’t pick you up.”
Captain Li pointed at Wang Dazhuang, "Wang Dazhuang! Mr. Xu asked me to wait for discussion, that is, everyone has a share. If you say no, if you can, we will go to Mr. Yang's hall and you can say it again."
"Just say it. If we want to say it, we will start from the beginning and say everything you just said so that Mr. Yang will know that you are like a dog in the fast class and want to blame others for your own affairs."
Bantou Li's eyes widened, and he pointed at Wang Dazhuang and walked straight over. He saw that the two were about to fight.
"alright!"
Xu Dianshi impatiently talked about the case, "This case is a matter of the county government and no one can dismiss it.
People here, the Kuaiban is hunting down murderers in the city, the Zhuangban and the Zaoban are guarding the six gates, and they can't let Mr. Zheng escape from the city. When will the case be settled, when will he return to the various squads to do errands, and if he wants to go to the countryside to compare money and food
, so we took Mr. Zheng into custody earlier!"
...There is a sea of people outside the gate of Wu’s house on South Street.
The Yue family was having a funeral today, and the coffin was dragged directly to the Wu family's gate, and relatives even threw paper money at the door.
Pang Yu was assigned to guard the south gate and had to pass by South Street. Holding an iron ruler, he and He Xianya finally passed through the crowd, stopped outside the circle of people near the south, and stood and watched the excitement for a while.
There were fireworks and cries in the crowd, and the onlookers were yelling and cursing at the gate of Wu's house. Taking advantage of the large number of people at this time, Team Leader Li from the fast team went to the door of Wu's house with a few fast guys to tell the onlookers.
The government is still arresting people.
As a result, the people pointed at Kuaishou and cursed again, and some people mixed in the crowd and threw stones at Kuaishou. Team Li and his group hurriedly hid behind the stone lions at the door, and the onlookers cheered loudly.
Tongcheng is very hot in August. There are so many people here burning paper, it’s like a steamer.
Pang Yu had already taken off the soap uniform and was holding it in his hand. Seeing Kuai Ben being beaten only found it interesting and watched happily.
He Xianya wiped the sweat from his forehead and whispered, "I just couldn't tell my second brother that Yue Ji is looking for work in Qingfeng City on weekdays, helping several grain stores deliver goods. Sometimes he collects grain outside the city and sells it to those who want to buy grain.
of ordinary people."
"Then Mr. Zheng won't allow him to sell grain?"
"Exactly, because most of the autumn grain collection is at a discount, small farmers need to go to grain dealers to sell their grains and exchange them for silver before they can go to the county government to deposit them in the counter. Mr. Zheng and the others know that small farmers need to exchange for silver at this time, so they work with that
Grain dealers have worked together to lower the price of grain. The price of one tael of grain on weekdays can be as low as five cents, and they have to use large scales to collect grain. One hundred thirty or forty kilograms is only one stone."
Pang Yu clapped his hands and said, "I see, the price difference is so big, so a porter like Yue Ji saw the profit and bought grain from outside the city and sold it to the people in the city. He might have bought it for five or six yuan and sold it to the people in the city.
The common people have nine coins, and both buyers and sellers, as well as small farmers, benefit from it.
The only one who suffers a loss is Mr. Zheng and his group. Mr. Zheng must ensure that the prices in grain stores are consistent in order to achieve a monopoly. He must not tolerate anyone making profits in the middle by taking advantage of the price difference."
"Actually, Yue Ji's business is just a small business. People only buy ten catties at a time. Yue Ji picks up more than a hundred catties and earns two or three yuan after selling them. Mr. Zheng can't bear this.
As soon as Yue Jigang sold to a few familiar neighbors along the street, he met Mr. Zheng and his gang. Mr. Zheng wanted to collect his load of grain. The two of them robbed him, which angered Mr. Zheng and his gang. They beat the Qi family who lived in Yue Ji to death.
On the street.”
Pang Yu said with a smile, "It's not that Yue Ji sells more and sells less. Mr. Zheng and others have formed a monopoly by colluding with grain merchants. Anyone who buys and sells grain privately is regarded as competing for profit with them. They are bound to do this business like Yue Ji."
No less, Mr. Zheng must fight each one he sees, otherwise his price alliance will be difficult to maintain.
People die for money. As long as there is profit, there will be natural economic motivation to drive people to use this idea. Even if a Yue Ji dies, there will still be people who will do it in the future."
He Xianya shook his head and sighed, "For two or three coins, one will die and the other will escape."
"Aren't small farmers even worse off?"
Seeing that there was nothing new and lively, Pang Yu took the lead and walked to the south gate, "Small farmers have worked hard for a year to grow some grain. After harvesting, these grain merchants take half of the benefits and pay taxes in exchange for some silver."
He Xianya continued, "Who says it's not the case? There are also the township appointments, the village chief, the books, and the dental shop. They are not a fuel-efficient lamp. After the county government collects them, they have to send them to the north and south. When they arrive at the local treasury, they also need to be stabbed head-on.
.”
In fact, He Xianya didn't say that the county government's households, lockers, and moneymen were not fuel-efficient lamps, but it was just because he was in it that it was inconvenient to say.
Pang Yu muttered as he walked away, "The cost of levy in the Ming Dynasty is not low. If it looks like this, if the court gets one tael, the people will have to pay more than 3 taels. No wonder Master Tang said that the most important thing is not the "Complete Book of Taxes and Services"
Memorize it, but know how to use it.”
"I'm afraid there are more than four or two, because this is just the time of harvesting grain. When the harvest is lean, these grain merchants..." He Xianya was talking endlessly, but he saw Pang Yu calling two porters on the roadside to stop.
He Xianya was surprised and said, "Second brother, what do you want the porters to do?"
"Anyway, we're going to the south gate. I'm also buying some food outside the city and taking advantage of the bargain to save it for a few months. Of course I have to hire a porter."
He Xianya was shocked and quickly grabbed Pang Yu and said, "Second brother, please don't do this. Yue Ji has learned from the past, no one in the city has collected grain privately in the past two days..." "It's time to take action when others don't dare. At this time, there is a raging public sentiment in the city. Mr. Zheng
The group disappeared and no one dared to stop them."
Pang Yu said easily, "If I didn't have the capital, I would buy ten thousand jin now and store it, and I could make money by selling it to the neighbors over time."
He Xianya frowned and thought for a long time. What Pang Yu said seemed to make sense, but he couldn't completely rest assured. After thinking like this, he quickly arrived at the south gate.
Pang Yu greeted the several Zaoli who were already at the door, and swaggered out of the city gate with three porters. As expected, there were many farmers carrying burdens into the city at the door.
Outside the South Gate is the official road from Tongcheng to Huaibei, and the most prosperous city gate in Tongcheng, Xiangyang Gate. There are many shops and hawkers on the streets outside the South Gate. Tongcheng's human market is also here, and people selling their bodies are selling grass on the streets.
I knelt down for a long time.
Pang Yu stretched out his iron ruler to stop a few of them. The farmers were frightened when they saw it was Zaoli and he was carrying an iron ruler.
He quickly stopped and put the load of grain on the ground.
They were all full. Pang Yu wanted to try the weight, so he squatted down and put the pole on his shoulders and lifted it up.
"Ouch."
Pang Yu felt a pain in his shoulder, and his handbag actually didn't move. Pang Yu had also done some strength training recently, but his shoulder really couldn't bear the pain. I don't know how these farmers walked such a long distance carrying more than 100 kilograms.
"You are so strong. How far have you traveled?"
One of the farmers nodded and bowed and said, "It's probably seven miles away from the willow tree."
"This physical strength is amazing."
Pang Yu gave a thumbs up to several farmers.
Naturally, the farmers didn't understand what this gesture meant, but they all giggled innocently. Their smiles were all flattering, and they didn't dare to really laugh at Zaoli. Although Zaoli was like an ant in the eyes of the magistrate,
It represents power to these small farmers.
"I have collected this grain, and I will give you five cents...forget it, young master, if you are a good man, six cents of silver per stone, one hundred and twenty kilograms is enough for one stone."
Several farmers were immediately grateful after hearing this. They all knew the market price, so the conditions were naturally much better than those of grain stores.
A farmer said, "Where does the official want us to be sent?"
"He Xianya, take them to my store."
Pang Yu said to He Xianya, "Go outside the city and enter the city through Yimin Gate."
He Xianya agreed and passed outside the city along the moat. This way he would spend less time in the city and attract no attention.
Pang Yu waited until He Xianya left and was ready to go to the city gate to see if Mr. Zheng would throw himself into a trap.
Just as he was about to take steps, he heard a soft voice coming from behind him.
"uncle."
Pang Yu thought he was calling someone else, but the voice seemed to overlap with a certain impression deep in his mind.
Pang Yu frowned and turned around, only to see a small figure kneeling on the roadside with a grass sign behind him. The dark eyes on his face were filled with tears, but they were still clear and bright.