Chapter 28 Wisdom
"You are so brave. You really don't take my two thousand stones seriously."
At this time, Jiyin County and Dingtao County were guarding the temple.
The prefect Zhang Chong was angry with his staff.
In the morning, he was doing business as usual. Suddenly, the county governor came in and said that Li Qian of Chengshi had done his best and rushed across the county to Chengyang with unknown intentions.
At that time, Zhang Chong was so frightened that he fell down. He immediately thought whether the news had been leaked somewhere in the shogunate.
In the past two years, he has often complained that the Li family is powerful and lawless, and that he, a real man with two thousand stones, cannot be powerful enough to leave the county temple.
One day, one or two local tycoons will be killed to reduce their prestige.
But God has mercy on him, he just said it casually.
If he didn't say anything, wouldn't it mean that no one would take him seriously?
He, Zhang Chong, came from the Zhang family in Yanshi, Henan County, and was the successor of Zhang Cang, the prime minister of the Western Han Dynasty.
After Zhang Cang followed Emperor Gaozu to pacify Zang Tu, he was granted the title of Marquis of Beiping, and his family moved from Hanoi to Yanshi, where their surname became prominent.
He has always been proud of the fact that he is very similar to his ancestors, who are both tall and tall, and have a body as plump and fair as gourd seeds.
Their family has a secret recipe for keeping healthy, which is to drink human milk, and there are many wet nurses who provide it every day.
But among the many drinkers in the clan, he is the only one who has cultivated such a good official body.
After that, the journey was indeed prosperous, and now I have reached the county with two thousand stones. The next step is to be among the nine ministers.
Back then, his ancestor saved his life by relying on this body. Now, he has risen to great heights with this.
Sure enough, those with good looks generally have good luck.
Their family's law school is "The Chunqiu Zuo Family", but unlike other schools, they also study the Yin and Yang School.
Zhang Cang studied under Xunzi in his early years. Unlike his classmates Li Si and Han Fei, he was a well-read man, well versed in laws and calendars, and knowledgeable in calendar calculation. It can be said that he was a first-class calendar master.
Zhang Chong mainly studied "Zhang Cang" written by his ancestor, and he dabbled in astronomy, astrology, and horoscopes.
Originally, this kind of knowledge was not allowed to be studied privately, but because it was a knowledge of the Zhang family and had only been passed down within the family, the higher-ups just let it go.
He had long seen that Li Qian, a grass snake in the lake, was unwilling to be subordinated to others and had been a disaster for a long time. Especially his younger brother Li Jin, who is also a gangster.
What is this party trying to do by colluding with the guests to escape and colluding with the water bandits?
But he really had no intention of running the Li family's business.
After all, those who learn Yin and Yang know best how to act according to the times, act within their capabilities, and will never do anything head-on.
This is not cowardice, this is wisdom, the wisdom of overcoming strength with softness.
But he didn't expect that these reckless men would directly lift the desk and come to give him a blow.
Why did Minghuo Zhizhang go to Chengyang? Could he not know?
Isn't it just to eliminate his supporters Zhong in the county?
Really, really, what a reckless man.
It seems that I have to continue to be gentle, lie down, and endure it first.
Just when Zhang Chong was justifying his story in his mind, Yi Shuzuo came with a letter, saying that it was from Li Qian.
Zhang Chong's heart ached, knowing that the Zhong family was doomed.
Alas, what a pity for this good family. Are there several wet nurses at home or are they sent by them?
But who would have expected that when Zhang Chong opened it, it turned out to be Li Qian's confession form.
The letter stated that the Juyeze water bandits robbed the canals that set out from Qingzhou this year and took four of the Jibei King's canals.
Then he led the inspection team to arrest the water bandits who fled on the shore overnight, and finally caught up with them at the Reed Lake twenty miles outside Chengyang.
After a great battle, 300 prisoners and 120 heads were killed, and six ships of grain and tribute were captured.
But it is a pity that the guards of the King of Jibei and Qingzhou Bangfu were both killed.
Also killed in the battle was his younger brother Li Jin. He hoped that the eunuch would pity him for his death in battle and give him an official tomb as a tribute to his merits.
Okay, really good.
Li Jin actually died, which was really surprising. Now, wouldn't Li Qian feel heartbroken?
Haha, cool.
The joy came so quickly. Just when Zhang Chong was feeling the most sad, this military report was like a dose of coldness in June, so refreshing that it took off.
Then, Zhang Chong was unwilling to sit in the official office and hurried back to the back office to discuss with his staff.
He told his staff about the situation, and then pretended to scold them a few times, but his joy was evident on his face.
One of the staff members stepped forward smartly and congratulated:
"Congratulations to Mr. Fu, the so-called benevolent people, God will help them. Those who abuse others, God will hate them.
Li Jin only knew how to be cruel and did not practice benevolence. His servants had already expected that he would die violently. No, God would kill him with false hands. ”
Just as congratulations came over here, someone over there was sarcastic:
"What a mad man, why do you know the way of heaven and man better than my lord?
The Lord comes from a famous family and has early wisdom in his hands. He will sit in the Yazhai at banquets, throw teapots slowly, wander around the reading room, and die of stubbornness. Is this something you can take credit for?
You had expected this, isn't this all under the master's control? ”
I thought it was a straight person, but I didn't expect that it was another flatterer.
The man who was robbed before did not dare to argue, but his face turned red.
Zhang Chong was very happy when he was photographed, but his face was calm and leisurely:
"My family's method is exquisite. I have only learned one or two of them. I can't claim to be proficient in it. But I can still deal with this little country boy with ease."
As he spoke, he pinched his three-inch beard and spoke with a stern expression.
Then, like a sudden thought:
"Is it illegal for Li Qian to enforce the law across counties?"
An official who knew the names of punishments came forward and said:
"According to the "Han Code", among all the officials in the group, if anyone goes out of bounds without permission, he will be flogged a hundred times."
"Then do you think that Li Qian should be brought to the Yamen to be tortured?"
The staff below looked at each other with embarrassment. It was the staff member who was outspoken but flattering at the same time who came to persuade:
"My lord, after all, this Li Qian has merit in killing the thief, but the reward is not enough, so how can he be used for torture again?
Moreover, these soldiers have always been fierce and stubborn. This was the time when Li Gang was grieving and angry after his younger brother died. We went to arrest him. Although he was in compliance with the court's laws and his name was correct, we were afraid that this person would be rebellious and cause chaos.
It has been four years since my lord came to Jiyin, and the seas and rivers have been clear. Who doesn't miss my lord's kindness, and why should I ruin your reputation for the sake of a rich man like Li Qian? ”
Zhang Chong nodded, noncommittal, and then asked:
"What about the Qingzhou canal case? There is also the robbery of the King of Jibei's tribute. These are all troublesome things."
The staff member wanted to say more, how could the "Feng Chu" on the side make this "Wolong" so beautiful? He stepped forward and interjected:
"Lord, this is easy to hear.
The first is the tribute case of the King of Jibei. Li Qian said on the outside that there were many tributes, but some guards and husbands died.
I think the King of Jibei doesn't care about this at all. As long as the tribute can go to Beijing smoothly, what does it matter if some people die?
Therefore, after we have counted the tribute of King Jibei, we can send it to Kyoto by ship. This will make no difference to King Jibei.
If he doesn't take action and we don't correct him, then one more thing would be better than one less thing, and it will be treated as if it didn't happen.
The other is the Qingzhou canal boat case, which is important.
If the grain is lost, the fault lies with the grain officials and the servants who delivered it. Now these people are dead, but their families are still there.
The master can go to the table to check his family property, and his family members can be offset as slaves.
Then there was the chaos caused by water bandits. This giant swamp is located between the four counties of Yanzhou. How can it be unique to Jiyin?
The lord can go up to the table and report the crime of negligence by the chiefs of Dongjun, Dongpingguo, and Shanyang counties. Anyway, this matter is not our Jiyin County's business.
Of course, we are not here to offend the three counties and cause public outrage. This is to advance while retreating, so as to promote the Dharma without blaming others. ”
With just a few words from an old official, this heinous case was pushed aside.
Zhang Chong looked at this man with admiration on his face.
"Okay, let's do it like this. As the saying goes, one thing doesn't bother two masters. You have this plan. You have to use your pen to write a magnificent official document. It must be well-reasoned and well-founded."
The old official was overjoyed, bowed, and accepted the job.
Seeing that Zhang Chong was still deep in thought, another staff member came over to relieve his troubles.
"My lord, you frown deeply, are you still thinking about Li Jin?"
Zhang Chong spread his hands and said to the staff present:
"You are all my confidants. To be honest, I have been troubled by something these days.
Recently, a friend of mine who is the same age in Beijing wrote me a letter telling me about some of the current conflicts between the DPRK and China.
The letter stated that this month, the original Dahonglu Liu He succeeded Situ, and since then the relationship with the eunuch party has become tense.
Now in the capital, there are constant rumors that Liu He wants to kill all the eunuchs.
I don't like Liu He, especially his protégé Yang Qiu, a cruel official and a vicious dog. No one knows what will happen if this man goes crazy.
Therefore, even Li Shi, I looked disgusted.
But after all, Lao Situ wanted to eradicate the eunuchs, so I should support him.
But I still have resentment in my heart. Can you please enlighten me? ”
The staff are all smart people. In fact, from their lord's words, they know that this lord has no intention of sparing the Cheng family and the Li family. He is just hindering the Qing Dynasty and is afraid of being said to be flattering eunuchs and eradicating people with lofty ideals.
After all, Liu He and the eunuchs are now very powerful, and the Li family is Liu He's party member.
Eradicating the Li family would inevitably be regarded as showing favor to the eunuchs.
But Zhang Chong definitely could not take refuge with the eunuchs, because his teacher was a famous local in Dingtao.
Since Huan Ling, Yanyu has been the stronghold of the Party members.
If he was mistakenly thought to have taken refuge with the eunuchs, he would not be able to sit in Dingtao, let alone be ranked among the ninth ministers.
When the master is in trouble, so are they.
Just when everyone was at a loss what to do, a burst of noise suddenly came from the office, followed immediately by people shouting and crying everywhere.
Just when everyone was confused, the originally clear sky suddenly darkened.
A strong wind blew up the big trees in the pavilion and made a roaring sound.
Then the sun suddenly disappeared, stars appeared on the sky, and the whole earth was dark.
Just now outside the Yamen Temple, the official was in panic, prostrate on the ground, begging for mercy, shouting:
"I won't dare to do it again, I won't dare to do it again." This is a sign of doing too much harm.
There was also the brave traitor who took advantage of the darkness and confusion to run into the shops and loot and burn them.
The temple guards couldn't even see what was going on, so they quickly closed the gate, set up torches, and illuminated the front of the Yamen Temple.
The rest of the people drew their bows and strings, and anyone who dared to charge the Yamen would be shot without mercy.
But it gets dark as fast as it gets bright.
Just as gongs were ringing all around, warning of thieves and bandits, the sun came out.
The thief who used to hide in the darkness no longer dared to cause trouble without the protection of the night, and fled away with a roar.
At this time, except for the crying in the shop and the mess on the ground, nothing seemed to have happened.
Zhang Chong also came to his senses, and just as he was about to speak, he saw the old official coming up to congratulate him again:
"My lord is so wise that he can see thousands of miles away and calculate all yin and yang. He can even calculate today's solar eclipse.
As the saying goes, the day changes to cultivate virtue, and the month changes to save punishment.
Now there is a Li family in the county who is unruly and disrespectful and offends the peace of heaven. Heaven warns him.
Please also ask your lord to obey Heaven's orders, bring him to justice, and cultivate the virtues of the county. ”
ah? Is this okay? Zhang Chong opened his mouth wide.
(End of chapter)