Chapter 77 Choice
Ding Shichang, Fu Yuehui, Cai Wenying and others quickly fled back to Mianchi. They hurriedly drafted a document and sent a post horse to Luoyang Mansion to warn Qi Xiaoguang first. Then he packed his bags and prepared to rush back to Fucheng.
The three of them said goodbye, and Ding Shichang had mixed feelings. Important towns like Shaanzhou were taken down by thieves in one fell swoop, and the two counties of Mianchi and Xin'an, which had been demobilized for a long time, were like mantises trying to use their arms as a chariot. Due to love, Fu Yuehui and Cai Wenying had close personal relationships with themselves and even Qi Xiaoguang, the prefect of Luoyang, and they really couldn't bear to leave them to die. However, as local officials, they had the responsibility to protect the land, and the laws of the court were strict, unless there was someone from above. Under direct orders from the government, abandoning land without authorization is a serious crime for the clan. On the other hand, Luoyang, the capital city, needs them to delay the thieves' advance as much as possible in order to gain more time to prepare for war. This truth is understood by the three of them.
The official road from Shaanzhou to Mianchi is mostly a mountain road, winding for nearly 200 miles. No matter how fast the thieves come, there is still a safe period of four or five days. All three of them knew that after this separation, it could almost be said that heaven and man would forever be separated by different paths.
Long pavilion, west wind, ancient road, fluffy grass and blue sky.
Fu Yuehui bought wine and said goodbye to his two friends.
How can we say that there is a period, which is different from the son.
How can you say that you are ruthless and drunk with your son?
The trees are green and lush, and the love for my son.
Hold your son's hand and say goodbye to him forever.
Ding Shichang took away Fu Yuehui's family members. Later, when passing by Xin'an, he would also take Cai Wenying's family to Fucheng.
Theoretically, county magistrates are not allowed to bring wives during the first three-year term (up to three consecutive terms). However, today is no longer the Taizu Dynasty. Many of the completely inhumane laws set by the Taizu are only retained in form in the "Da Ming Law". No one takes them seriously, and even political opponents rarely use them. Used as an excuse to attack the opponent. For example, the chaos of "good men's style" in the official circles of the Ming Dynasty is directly related to this. Another example is the article "A citizen can only take a concubine if he has no heirs until he is forty years old." Emperor Shenzong even directly revised the judicial interpretation: the "people" here originally included officials and students-ordinary people can find a mother-in-law to reproduce children. Just recite Amitabha, how many people have the financial resources to take a concubine? Grandfather Taizu set this rule originally to allow more ordinary people to marry wives and increase the labor force of the empire - but by the middle and late Ming Dynasty, there were many people who violated this prohibition, so Emperor Wanli simply removed the officials and The living members were removed from the "people" - from now on, this law only applied to those guys who really had no money to take concubines.
Watching Ding Shichang and Cai Wenying go away together, Fu Yuehui straightened his back and returned to Mianchi County Yamen resolutely.
Mianchi County Government Office is relatively large among county offices of the same level. From south to north, they are Zhaobi, Toumen, Yimen, Government Office, Main Hall, Second Hall, and Third Hall.
The screen wall is a wall standing alone in front of the yamen. According to the saying at that time, it can prevent evildoers and unclean things from outside from rushing into the yamen.
There is a drum in front of the head door to cry out grievances. Those who have grievances and have nowhere to complain or whose cases are urgent and have no way to go to the hospital can beat the drum at any time to complain. When the magistrate hears the sound of the drum, he must immediately go to the court to deal with it. However, no matter what, the drummer had to be slapped before he could begin to state the case - this was to prevent ignorant people from knocking around for trivial matters.
On the other side of the grievance drum stand two stone tablets. One is engraved: False accusation plus three grades, and the other is engraved: Yue complains with fifty sticks.
Be concise and to the point.
This is also a warning. If it is a false accusation made out of nothing, after it is found out, the penalty will be increased by three levels; if you go beyond the level to appeal, even if the case is true, you will be slapped with fifty pills. This is also an effective way to screen out the importance of the case by increasing the cost you pay - those who would rather file a lawsuit at all costs are often the ones with real grievances. Of course, if the case has been reported to the county magistrate but the latter refuses to accept it, the magistrate will be punished accordingly according to the seriousness of the case - even for the slightest delay and shirk, the magistrate will be fined for one year! Relatively speaking, this kind of supervision and balance is two-way after all, and it was relatively reasonable and scientific under the general environment at that time.
Beyond the gate is "Yimen". The Yimen is actually a row of three doors. The middle one is called the "Middle Gate", which is only for the magistrate and the magistrate's superiors. Others are not allowed to go, and will be slapped if they do - ordinary people have to go through the east gate. The east gate is also called the Shengmen or Renmen, and is used for general passage. There is also a west door, called the Gate of Death or the Gate of Ghosts, which is an exclusive VIP passage for prisoners.
Behind the Yimen is the government office, with three wing rooms on each side, which are the "six rooms" of the county government office - corresponding to the six departments in the imperial court. They are also the names of the officials, rituals, soldiers and punishment workers, but they are called "fang". Wendong and Wuxi, the three rooms to the east are official rooms, household rooms and gift rooms, which are in charge of the county magistrate. The county magistrate is the eighth rank, and his duty is to assist the county magistrate and be in charge of grain and horse management, tax collection, household registration, and patrol matters in a county. The three rooms to the west are the military room, execution room and workshop, which are in charge of Dian Shi. In terms of official position, Dian Shi was not a high-ranking official, not even a ninth-rank official. His main job was to arrest prisoners.
Further back is the county government main hall, also called the lobby. Only important ceremonies, ruling on major cases, welcoming imperial edicts and other major activities are eligible to be held here. We watched it in the movie and TV series, where someone A complained that someone B's dog killed his chicken, and the county magistrate made a majestic slap in the lobby: Du, you are bold...this is nonsense.
These matters will be handled in the second hall.
General civil cases, reception of superiors or visiting officials from other places, and discussion of political affairs with colleagues such as the county chief registrar and other officials... are all in the second hall. The east and west wing rooms on both sides of the main hall are the study or tea room of the magistrate. Private friends, who are not familiar enough to walk through the hall and his wife does not avoid it, chat in the study and tea room.
The third hall is considered a private space. Daily office processing of official documents, family gatherings of colleagues, and matters involving confidentiality that cannot be disclosed to outsiders are all handled in the third hall. The east wing is where the magistrate and his family live, and the west wing is where the masters live. A county magistrate would often hire three masters out of his own pocket to assist in handling government affairs: a master Qian Gu was responsible for settling accounts and managing money and food, a master Xing Ming who was familiar with Ming law to assist in solving cases, and a master Shuqi who was responsible for polishing official documents. Master Qian Gu has two accounts, public and private. The big public account must be balanced, and the small private account must be profitable. This is common sense. The master in the film and television drama said: "Come on, I will reward you with fifty taels of silver." The one who came over to agree was Master Qian Gu. As for which account the money goes to, how to balance it, and how much to record... the master knows better than any of us. My grandfather has read the Four Books and Five Classics since he was a child, and has never read the various "Da Ming Laws" at all. After leaving the Hanlin Academy and being sent to the county magistrate, how can he distinguish such minutiae as how much silver he stole and how many years he was sentenced to hard labor and how many miles he was sentenced to exile in the army? Therefore, it is necessary to have a master who is familiar with the law to help as a consultant. In the play, the person standing next to the grand master who occasionally interrupts is Mr. Xing Ming. As for Master Shuqi, it's even more remarkable. Often, just one word can determine his employer's career and even his fortune and life. There are two famous examples. First, Zeng Guofan of later generations suppressed the long hair. At first, the scholar led the troops in all directions and suffered repeated defeats, so he wrote a letter to Xianfeng to apologize: "I have been defeated in repeated battles..." After reading the draft, his staff shook their heads: "You are tired of living, don't take it for granted. Come on, fuck me! Who doesn’t know that our Emperor Xianfeng is one of the few in history who uses people to go forward and not people to go behind? If you see your "constant defeats", if you can't keep it all, just say "I want you" What's the use? I'll capture you on the spot as a warning to others!" Zeng Guofan was startled: "Fuck, that's right! However, I did lead the Hunan Army from one defeat to another. How can this be done? ?" The staff member smiled and changed the order casually: "I have been defeated and defeated repeatedly." The context was completely different! Sure enough, when Xianfeng saw "constant defeats and battles", Longyan was delighted: "Okay, courage is commendable. I just like fools like this. It's not a loss if you try to kill me..." Then he became Lao Zeng. Another example is Chen Xinjia, the Minister of War in the Chongzhen Dynasty. He was originally ordered by Chongzhen to negotiate peace with Huang Taiji, but the master did not pay attention to his work and sent the side report of the terms of the peace agreement to the group as "internal reference" - copied to all ministries! Now those mouthy maggots from all directions have found their way to use. Rolling up their arms and sleeves, all the veins in their heads are protruding and they are spraying with all their might! Chongzhen shrank his head: "I don't know about this!" Then Chen Xinjia was imprisoned and had his head chopped off...
If the county magistrate has an underage son or master, he will be hired by a teacher to teach him. The masters are called "friends of the curtain" and have a very high status.
Fu Yuehui has always adhered to the rule of inaction, and Mianchi has not had any major cases that require consideration of the "Da Ming Law" for many years. Not too greedy, Mr. Fu didn't have much money in his pocket, and he didn't want to join the business anymore, so he only hired Mr. Qian Gu. When I returned to the county government office, I gave the master more than ten taels of money. The master had been with Fu Yuehui for many years and had a deep relationship. At first, he said that he wanted to die with his employer. After Fu Yuehui persuaded him for a while, he wiped his tears and left.
After handling personal matters, Fu Yuehui came to the lobby and summoned everyone in the Yamen.
The teams that enjoy the official national rank in a county include: magistrate, county magistrate, chief secretary (zhengjiupin, responsible for household registration, archiving and copying of official documents, supervision of seals, etc.), teaching edict (zhengbapin, in charge of education, teaching students, and returning teachers). Responsible for ceremonial etiquette), instruction (the ninth rank, let’s count him as the assistant), and inspections (the ninth rank, responsible for arresting thieves and interrogating traitors). These people are considered "officials".
There are also some "officials" who have no rank and are called Weirui Liu, including: Yi Cheng (responsible for the postal station, and there are post soldiers below), Zha Guan (in charge of the city gate), Tax Ambassador (responsible for commercial tax), He Bo Officials (in charge of fishery administration and taxes on rivers), etc.
Then there are the third class of yamen servants. They are divided into Zaoban (the ones in charge of the prison), Zhuangban (those who stand in the hall and shout "Mighty" when the magistrate is promoted to court, and are also responsible for making boards with sticks on them), and Kuaiban (those who are responsible for arresting people).
Fu Yuehui briefly told the story that Shaanzhou had fallen and Mianchi was about to suffer disaster. In fact, the news has already spread. However, when Mr. Fu said it himself, everyone still felt like they were struck by thunder.
Afterwards, Fu Yuehui looked around at all the officials and said calmly: "Fu has been eating the emperor's salary and has been eating nothing for several years. It is really shameful. There is a saying that 'normally talks about one's feelings with one's hands, but repays the emperor's kindness with death when in danger'. Fu has made up his mind. , the situation will coexist with Mianchi. My lords, you and I are both favored by the king, and the country's laws are clear. Even if we can escape for a while, we will never escape for the rest of our lives. If we fight to the death, we can still change the future for our children and grandchildren, and avoid the suffering of ten years of poverty. . In Fu Mou’s humble opinion, you can send your elders, wives and children as soon as possible. I have made an agreement with Mr. Cai Cai of Xin’an County. You can go there first. He will take good care of you and then send someone to escort you to Fucheng. Take refuge. As for you and me, we should be loyal to our country. What do you think?"
Everyone was silent.
After a while, when no one spoke, Fu Yuehui said to the "officials" again: "Everyone, although you are in the public domain, you do not have imperial status. I think the thieves will not make it too difficult for you. You can go home immediately and avoid it if you can." It's best to avoid talking about it. Today Fu Mou made it clear: By following Fu Mou, you will lose a lot of benefits, and Fu Mou knows this well. However, even a small amount of money depends on the survival of the common people, and everyone also I have accumulated some good deeds for myself and my children and grandchildren, and I will surely receive blessings in the future. Fu has been idle for many years, and thanks to everyone’s help, please accept Fu’s gift, and everyone will say goodbye.”
The officials hurriedly said: "I can't do it", "Sir, the villain can't bear it", "Sir, the villain dare not"...
Fu Yuehui left his seat, cupped his fists and gave a half salute to everyone. Everyone jumped away in a hurry, and those who didn't avoid him fell to the ground and kowtowed in return.
Finally, Fu Yuehui said sternly to the edict Bai Xiangdong: "Brother Li Guang (Bai Xiangdong's nickname), honestly speaking, all the important towns in Shaanxi Province have been attacked by thieves. How can Mianchi, a tiny town, resist thieves? This county really can't bear the misfortune of the people." The disaster of swords and soldiers, those useless efforts of gathering brave men to fight against thieves, should be avoided. Whether it is a warehouse or a storehouse, there are not many things, so don't move it, lest the thieves get angry and rob the people again. This county is determined to make its own decisions clear. , Brother should try to report it to the Holy Emperor. This matter will be borne by Fu alone and has nothing to do with others. Fu will write a letter and send you and Li Xundao to the palace of Prince Shou in Luoyang to ask for some classics for educational purposes."
When Bai Xiangdong heard this, he knelt down in the hall, and Li Bo also hurriedly knelt down. Bai Xiangdong solemnly said: "Your Excellency, Mr. Bai, who reads the books of sages and teaches the education of a county, must not run away in the face of the enemy. Bai understands that your Excellency is asking for books and so on. They are all excusing the two of us, and we are grateful to you. However, justice comes first, and Bai never dares to betray the Tao and abandon important moral principles. I forgive Bai for being unable to obey his orders!"
Fu Yuehui smiled miserably: "Brother Xiangdong, it's easy for Fu to die. It's difficult to report everything to heaven, and you may have to bear the wrath of thunder. Fu made it easy for himself, so My brother, who is in trouble, protects the names of the kings who died in the city, and pleads for the lives of thousands of common people. They all rest on the shoulders of both of you. How can we say that it is a big loss? Brother, there is no need to say more."
As soon as these words came out, Bai and Li Weiwei shed tears and kowtowed.
The officials who had just felt faintly jealous also figured it out: In order to prevent thieves from harassing the people, Fu County Zun decided not to burn the official warehouse. This was an act of kindness, in order to cleanse others, and to take all the responsibility on himself (when making this decision) Calling himself "this county" instead of "Fu" means that this is an administrative order and everyone must obey it). This is a good intention. On the one hand, it uses irrelevant excuses to get rid of two students who want to study. On the other hand, Tianwei It is unpredictable. They may be about to face the wrath of the Holy One. Life or death depends on the Holy One's thoughts. Fu Zun is doing his best...
At this moment, Guan Shengyun's vanguard had already passed Xia Shi Pass and was digging ditches and cutting firewood to prepare for camping thirty miles away from Mianchi.
