Chapter 509 Dragon Has Reverse Scales
Zhu Pingan’s safe return has turned the field head of Xiahe Village into a sea of joy. After everyone's excitement gradually calmed down, people remembered today's other protagonist, and then Feng Hushu, who had been stepped on countless times in the crowd, returned to the public's attention again.
"Hang Sheng pays homage to your lord."
Feng Hushu, who is kneeling on the ground at this moment, looks very embarrassed. There are many big footprints on his body, and his hands are muddy from being stepped on. Cold sweat dripped from his forehead.
"Eh? Why is this? Why does a scholar need to give such a gift?" Zhu Ping'an stood in front of Feng Hushu, raised the corner of his mouth and asked Feng Hushu who was kneeling on the ground with a smile. road.
"Your Excellency has turned disaster into good luck and returned safely. Xiang Sheng was overjoyed and couldn't help but do it." Feng Hushu knelt on the ground, his voice trembling out of fear.
With footprints, cold sweat, and a trembling voice, Feng Hushu looks pitiful, but there must be something hateful about the poor man!
If he hadn't come back, he would definitely have another condescending face at this moment. He must have made things difficult for his mother and father at this moment. Subordinate officials are the main body of the state's public power that directly affects the people. The tragedies of petty subordinate officials causing family destruction and death are not a small number in this era. When I strive for the imperial examination, my primary purpose is to improve my family and protect my family. It is acceptable to bully me, but it is absolutely unacceptable to bully my family! The dragon's reverse scale makes those who touch it angry. My family is my reverse scale.
I am a sixth-grade official, but I was misinformed about my death, so this person dares to come to my house to cause trouble. So for other powerless families, this person must be worse than others. Do you know how many people have suffered from it?
So for Feng Hushu who was kneeling at his feet, Zhu Ping'an had no intention of repaying kindness with kindness. He was not some Virgin White Lotus.
"A scholar does not kneel before an official, unless he worships Confucius. I am not your mentor. If you kneel down to me, doesn't it mean that I am arrogant enough to compare myself to Confucius? Huh?" Zhu Pingan bent down slightly and looked at the kneeling man. Feng Hushu at his feet asked with a playful smile.
"I dare not, I dare not." Hearing this, Feng Hushu looked confused. Mr. Zhu was thinking too much, but when he saw the questioning look in Zhu Ping'an's eyes, , cold sweat broke out on his forehead, and he kept kowtowing.
"Look, why are you kowtowing again? I'm not arrogant enough to dare to compare myself to Kong Sheng." Zhu Pingan said and turned sideways to avoid it.
"I dare not, I dare not..."
Feng Hushu quickly stood up and bowed to Zhu Ping'an, confessed repeatedly, and then waved his sleeves to wipe his forehead. Breaking into a cold sweat, Feng Hushu's little heart could hardly hold back at this moment.
"Well, that's right." Zhu Pingan nodded.
Hearing Zhu Pingan's words, Feng Hushu breathed a sigh of relief, and his heart, which had been holding on tightly, could finally relax.
However, the next second, he saw Zhu Ping'an nodding, and then asked again as if nothing had happened, "Where did we talk just now? Oh, by the way, I remembered. My family also has to pay taxes. Okay, when did the imperial court issue tax payment policies? Ce, how come I don’t know?”
As soon as Zhu Pingan finished speaking, there was a thud, and Feng Hushu, who had just stood up, fell to his knees again, trembling and blushing. Like a monkey butt, unable to speak a word.
Every policy issued by the imperial court was all done intentionally by himself. So under Zhu Pingan's question, Feng Hushu just trembled and could not say a word.
When everyone in Xiahe Village saw Feng Hushu like this, they all laughed at him. He looked so majestic just now, but now he is like a mouse after seeing a cat.
"What's the matter?" Zhu Ping'an bent down slightly, looked at Feng Hushu and asked with raised lips, "Can't you remember?"
Feng Hushu hesitated to answer. Come up.
"Okay, let me change the question, who asked you to come?" Zhu Pingan asked again.
"Xu Sheng, Xiang Sheng, Xiang Sheng was ordered by the county magistrate." When Feng Hushu said this, he felt very unsure.
In fact, he did not obey the magistrate's orders. It was all on his own initiative. He wanted to come here to make a fortune and fill his own pockets. He did this kind of thing without telling the magistrate, and he only came under the magistrate's banner. It's just bluffing. He has done this kind of thing not once or twice. What do the people below know? When they see someone coming from the county government, they just say whatever they want.
As the saying goes: Your official position is as clean as water, but your officials are as slippery as oil. Even upright officials can't protect their subordinates from harming the common people, let alone ordinary officials. Although the county magistrate, as the head of a county, holds the highest power in the county, the county magistrate is one person after all, and most of the county affairs are handled by others, which gives opportunities to subordinate officials. In a sense, the county magistrate only has a good appearance. In fact, the subordinate officials who are hiding "behind" him and using his name to benefit themselves are the real masters of the county. He is just a puppet of a large number of people around him, using his name to reap their own benefits. These "nobodies" hiding behind are the ones who have the most benefits.
From Feng Hushu's eyes and tone, Zhu Ping'an knew that this matter was his own initiative.
"Oh, the magistrate ordered you to come." Zhu Pingan nodded.
"Yes, yes." Feng Hushu nodded while wiping his sweat, and carefully shushed Zhu Pingan. Seeing that Zhu Pingan's expression was normal, he breathed a sigh of relief.
"Since the magistrate ordered you to come, the magistrate must know when the imperial court issued a tax payment policy, so I'll ask Feng Hushu to invite the magistrate here." Zhu Ping'an said with a playful smile.
Huh?
"The magistrate. The magistrate has many things to do every day. I'm afraid, I'm afraid he doesn't have time."
Fortunately, Feng Hushu is kneeling at the moment, otherwise Feng Hushu will definitely be killed by Zhu Zhu again. The question of safety caused me to break out in a cold sweat and fall to my knees.
"Oh, why, can't my sixth-rank official invite a seventh-rank county magistrate?" Zhu Pingan bent down and looked at Feng Hushu.
Bang
When Feng Hushu heard this, his body suddenly changed from kneeling to sitting. He could no longer kneel and the cold sweat on his forehead was pouring down.
Yes, Zhu Pingan is an official of the sixth rank, the county magistrate is only the seventh rank, the county magistrate of Shang County is only the sixth rank, Huaining County is not the upper county, the county magistrate is only the seventh rank. Zhu Ping'an said that the magistrate, who was two levels lower, had to come over no matter how busy he was. If the magistrate comes, then everything he has done will be exposed. Then he will not only have to face Zhu Pingan's wrath, but also the magistrate's wrath.
"Take my notes and ask the magistrate to come to my humble residence for a chat. I will prepare some simple food and rice in my humble abode and wait for the magistrate." Zhu Ping'an stood up and took out a small seal from his waist, and said sternly One of the guards ordered.
"Yes." The officer took the seal and did not dare to hesitate.
"Your Excellency, please forgive me. Your Excellency, please forgive me. I know I was wrong. I report back to you, Your Majesty. I am just a man who was greedy for money, ignored the law, accepted the inducement of your uncle Zhu Shouren, and committed foolish things."
Seeing this, Feng Hushu was completely frightened. He gave himself a slap in the face without saying anything, and repeatedly apologized to Zhu Ping'an. He no longer dared to hide it and told the whole story.
Hearing the words
A crowd of spectators
There was deathly silence all around, even the air seemed to have solidified, and a pindrop could be heard. At this time, the sound of a slight footsteps was unusually obvious. Everyone turned their heads
In the crowd, a discordant figure was extremely majestic. It was the figure of uncle Zhu Shouren who was tiptoeing away.
(End of this chapter)