Zhang Juntou was startled and immediately blushed: "County Magistrate Zhang, you can't swallow up my achievements in life-and-death fights with bandits outside and protecting the people without a word!"
Zhang County Magistrate Sifang Guozi's face was very majestic: "Zhang Shichang, are those sixteen people really bandits? Did you stop them beforehand and comfort them afterwards?"
"You, what do you mean by this? Do you still want to unjustly accuse me of killing a good person and taking credit for it?"
Zhang Juntou's face turned even redder. This was a serious crime. Once he was confirmed, he would be beheaded regardless of his merits.
Jiang Zhi was also frightened by the sudden change, and immediately thought about how he would answer if asked.
You can't offend Zhang Juntou, let alone deceive Magistrate Zhang. These two Zhangs are not from the same family, and it's really embarrassing for you.
Magistrate Zhang saw that Zhang Juntou was stubborn and stopped going out. He returned to his desk and sat down: "Zhang Xing, do you know how many towns, how many villages and populations there are in Pingchuan County?"
Zhang Juntou looked confused. What does this have to do with his bandits?
"I'm telling you that Pingchuan County has five towns and fifty-two villages under its jurisdiction, with a population of 136,000..." Magistrate Zhang stopped and sighed: "The population is no longer counted!"
After this war, nine out of ten houses were empty. Now the villages are deserted, the fields are barren, and the population has suffered heavy losses.
Zhang Juntou's face changed slightly, and he was no longer as angry as before.
Magistrate Zhang continued: "I entered the officialdom through the imperial examination and have been involved in the officialdom for more than thirty years. I have seen too many things that are right and wrong and private.
If these sixteen people were real bandits, clues would have been revealed in advance. Zhang Shichang deserves to be rewarded for the massacre, but I don’t know where the evidence you found is?
Moreover, these homeless bandits have skinny faces, dry hair, calluses on their hands, and frostbite on their feet. They look like they are farming people. "
"If hungry people are robbing, Chief Zhang should detain and send them to prison instead of killing them in the name of bandits, so that they don't even have a chance to regret."
Zhang Juntou's face turned pale and he was speechless.
How could he, a little military man, speak to a fifth-grade official? Yet he could only watch as he turned into a criminal who killed good people and took credit for their merits in the blink of an eye.
Moreover, he knew in his heart that these people were just refugees who had gone astray, not bandits who specialized in killing people and stealing goods.
Jiang Zhi was also uneasy. Although Magistrate Zhang did not accuse herself, she still felt that she needed to explain the situation at that time.
Zhang Juntou certainly meant to be indulgent here, but those refugees did have hurtful intentions.
"Magistrate Zhang, please tell the woman Rong what happened. This incident happened because of me, and Zhang Shichang was forced to do nothing."
"Oh? Then start from the beginning!" Magistrate Zhang no longer had the pleasant expression before, and his face was serious.
Jiang Zhi told the story about the first time Luo Xihu and others broke into their own fields and wantonly destroyed fruits and vegetables, and accidentally fell into a wild boar trap, but his family let them go the next day.
However, Luo Xiu and others held a grudge and colluded with the four people to block the road and rob, deliberately killing people. Fortunately, Zhang Shichang came to the rescue when they were in danger.
On this point, Jiang Zhi is absolutely true, and he can even go to Xiao Man to verify what he said.
As for the dozen or so people who broke into the mountain, Jiang Zhi had another theory.
At that time, there were only two elderly people at home, a paralyzed patient who could not move, two women and two young children.
"County Magistrate Zhang, my son was only a young and strong man at that time. When the danger came, grandma Xiaoman sacrificed her life to protect her grandson and asked her grandson's wife to take the child and escape with the patient on her back.
Under such circumstances, the civilian woman really couldn't imagine what would have happened to my family without those soldiers. "
"Two groups of people attacked me at the same time, both on the mountain and at the bottom of the mountain. Even if Zhang Shichang wanted to be known as the bandit suppresser, how could he control them despite being separated by several miles of mountain roads.
Even if these bandits had a little bit of humanity, they would not rush into my house, beat the elderly and steal food.
When they carry knives and sticks, what is the difference between them and gangsters? "
After Jiang Zhi finished speaking, Zhang Juntou next to him was almost crying with gratitude.
I only thought of coming to receive merit, but I almost came to receive death. This was the rescue sent by Guanyin Bodhisattva.
Magistrate Zhang was silent. He did not expect that these hungry people wanted to rob would be in such a situation.
Bullying the weak is unacceptable!
"Zhang Shichang, is this really the case?" Magistrate Zhang asked Zhang Juntou.
Zhang Juntou was afraid of the past at this time, and what was left behind was anger: "County Magistrate Zhang can ask the family members of those bandits, what did they want to do at that time, why did they go deep into the top of the mountain just to collect some wild fruits?"
Magistrate Zhang stopped talking. He had already interrogated the family members of the "bandits" and found that they were indeed consistent with what Zhang Juntou said, that they were just going up the mountain to pick wild fruits and straying into other people's homes.
However, he is a parent official, and he must put human life first. In one sentence, it is the life and death of more than a dozen family members, and the fate of dozens or hundreds of people behind him.
At present, it is difficult for the refugees to survive the rebels and escape, and in the end they have to die under the sword of the government... We really can't afford to die anymore.
"Zhang Shichang, I think the name of the bandits is different. They have been punished for their actions, their families are intact, and they have been returned to their hometown. This matter is settled like this. Do you have any objections?"
Magistrate Zhang slowed down his tone.
They are refugees to begin with, but they can start their lives over again as long as they return to their hometown.
Once they are identified as bandits, their property will be confiscated, and all their family members will be imprisoned and punished, and all these dozens of families will be in ruins.
If you save more than a dozen families, you need to deny being a bandit.
This means that Zhang Juntou's achievements in "suppressing bandits" will soon cease to exist, and Jiang Zhi, the culprit, can no longer be held accountable.
Of course, if Zhang Juntou and Jiang Zhi refuse to accept the case, the case will be shelved again. After all, compared with the current number of refugee casualties, these matters can be postponed.
Zhang Juntou was silent for a moment and nodded: "Zhang listens to County Magistrate Zhang's decision."
He was originally a soldier and was not under the management of the county government. However, suppressing bandits was a civilian matter and required an official document from the county government to receive credit.
Magistrate Zhang looked at Jiang Zhi, and Jiang Zhi nodded: "If one person does something and the other is responsible, then the innocent will not be implicated."
Seeing that both of them were willing to let go, Zhang Zheng stood up and said, "That's very good. Let's go to the living room to taste the Qinggang powder together! If it can really be taken, I will personally inform King Zhou of this great achievement."
As soon as these words came out, the unhappiness in the hearts of Zhang Juntou and Jiang Zhi disappeared instantly. Compared with the honor of being able to inform the King of Zhou, those dozen bandits were nothing!
A bunch of people gathered in the canteen of the county government. Xiaoman and the others had all come over and were chatting with a few government officials.
"Have you really been able to survive on this for half a year?" An elderly government servant looked suspicious and pointed at the batter and soft cakes on the table.
Xu Errui nodded: "Uncle, if you don't believe it, just try it.
We were walking in a hurry and didn't have much food, so we relied on these green hills to survive. "
The others were amazed, but no one took the initiative to take a bite.
They are all old government officials who have been recruited back. They see a lot of strange things in the court and will not eat unfamiliar things.
Xiang Dejin asked about the situation during the military turmoil in the city. The magistrate of Pingchuan County abandoned the city and fled. There was chaos for the first few days, but there was no real fighting in the city.
The government officials were indignant when this matter was mentioned, and they expressed their disgust for their old boss and their love for the new county magistrate.
"As soon as Magistrate Zhang arrived in Pingchuan County, he personally observed the people's sentiments, expelled the refugees in the city, and severely punished the criminals in the city. He is really a good official..."
As soon as the man finished speaking, Magistrate Zhang came in: "I hope you will give me your strong support!"
Xu Errui looked at him and stammered: "Old man, are you the county magistrate?"
Zhang Zheng laughed.
Everyone:...?
