Prefect's Yamen
After sending the person away, Su Ziji looked at the sky. It was a bit dark. There were many interruptions just now, and now he had to visit Qi Hongxin.
This time when I went in, I saw a medical officer checking the pulse, but Su Ziji ignored it. Although the room was dark, I could still see Qi Hongxin lying on the couch with his eyes closed, his face sallow and wrinkled, motionless, and his body Getting increasingly pitifully thin.
Without saying a word, he said hello, and the medical officer followed him out and entered a pavilion. He saw Su Ziji wearing a gauze robe and looking melancholy into the distance. He quickly knelt down and saluted: "I have met Mr. Su."
Speaking of being a medical officer, in fact, the chief of the imperial medical department, the Imperial Medical Officer, was only of the seventh rank, the assistant officer, the Chief Medical Officer, and the Medical Supervisor were of the eighth rank. As for the medical officer, he was only of the ninth rank, let alone the county.
Due to the huge gap in official ranks, he had no choice but to kowtow when he saw Su Ziji. Su Ziji waved his hand: "Don't be too polite. Get up and talk. How is Master Qi's condition? Do you have all the medicinal materials? If there is any shortage, I will order someone to go there." buy."
The medical officer stood up and said respectfully: "Sir, the medicinal materials are all ready, but the situation of the prefect is not optimistic. Although he drank the medicine, he just fell asleep. This is the sign of the lamp running out. The medical skills of this humble profession are limited, so we can only Having reached this stage, there is really nothing we can do to make the prefect get better."
Su Ziji had expected it, nodded and sighed: "This is destiny, you have done your best..."
In a blink of an eye, he saw Cen Rubai coming in with three minor officials, looking frightened. Su Ziji ignored the three minor officials, frowned and waved the medical officer to go down, waited for him to leave, and then asked: "What, Mr. Cen? Is there any news soon?"
"There is news. A few days ago, the capital sent an official ship. There was an eunuch who came out of the capital to deliver the order. The Ministry of Rites and the Ministry of Personnel also sent people to follow. They are heading for Shun'an Mansion."
"It is His Majesty's decree that Master Jin Qi should become a third-grade bachelor!"
Hearing this, Su Ziji understood why Doctor Dushui suddenly changed his attitude and took the initiative to pay back the money.
However, with Qi Hongxin's current body, he might not be able to wait until the day when the eunuch who delivers the order arrives. Thinking of this, Su Ziji immediately ordered: "I can't escape. Let the Lord Bo send someone to greet the imperial envoy. When the time comes, he will receive the eunuch." , speed up and rush back."
"Yes, I will order you down later."
Su Ziji glanced at the three clerks again: "What is this?"
"There was something wrong with the dam, and someone was making trouble." Cen Rubai looked at the three clerks coldly, and immediately knelt down in fright when he saw them, and then said: "It was these three people who urged the migrant workers too much in order to keep up with the progress, which resulted in several A worker was injured due to exhaustion.”
"That's all, I still have to whip him, and then something happens."
"I have dealt with it and asked the doctor stationed at the construction site to examine the injury and apply medicine. All the workers who have been rushing to make progress recently have also paid more. The matter has been resolved."
Su Ziji nodded and looked at the three clerks.
The three junior officials had just come to plead guilty for this matter. Now they saw the cold-faced Master Fu Cheng, and their legs became weak. They kowtowed again and again: "I and the other three are guilty. The sky has been dark recently. I heard that the nearby counties have been arrested." It rained. In order to catch up with the progress and finish the water conservancy work, I used a whip. Please forgive me, please forgive me!"
Su Ziji sighed. Not long ago, Qi Hongxin, the attentive official, now had these three petty officials urging the migrant workers to rush the project, which made him powerless.
It's just that the official has crossed the red line, but these three petty officials are public-spirited. If they are punished, they will probably feel cold.
Just when I was thinking about it, I suddenly felt something. My expression was blank. I took two steps forward and stared at the three clerks carefully.
The three clerks were immediately frightened and broke into cold sweat.
"It's strange. Although he is not a monster, he has a faint aura of monsters on his body." Su Ziji couldn't help frowning, but he didn't show it. He just scolded: "I have already told you not to be quick and quick in doing things. As officials, you three are officials. You should be caring for the people, but in order to rush for the project, you have people whipped. This is really abominable! But because you also want the project to be completed as soon as possible, I will not punish you severely this time, but give you ten small slaps each to make you remember. !Do you have any opinions?”
"Young man, accept your punishment!" the three of them said immediately.
Ten small boards, this punishment is not very light at all, but it is not severe at all. It only makes the buttocks red and swollen. But it's embarrassing, it's indeed a bit embarrassing.
But who allowed their actions to lead to labor riots?
It's a shame that he didn't make a big deal and was dealt with by Mr. Cen. If he really made a big fuss, he would be punished again even if he lost his position, let alone making a fool of himself.
Su Ziji gave an order and someone immediately executed it, just banging the board.
After the beating, Su Ziji said again: "Those who have made mistakes will be punished, and those who have merit will be rewarded. But water control is important now. Go back and finish the water conservancy first. I will reward you again."
"Let's go, I will go with you to the construction site and clean up the last bit."
The three of them had no choice but to respond. When they arrived at the common land, it was almost night. At night, the two clerks who were sleeping in a nearby work shed could not sleep because of pain in their buttocks. They tossed and turned and looked up at the sky. It was so dark that they didn't know where to start. It has been cloudy since what time.
A gust of cool breeze hit them, and both of them fell asleep in a blur.
One of the petty officials, named Tan Yi, heard a voice whispering: "Hey, you are really miserable. You have worked so hard for the project and official affairs, but in the end you have failed. Why bother? Even if the supervision is stricter, it is necessary. Do you want to make a plank?"
Another petty official also heard a voice saying: "Even if you whip the laborers, you are doing it for the sake of the project. Those lazy people can't be beaten. How can you get people to work just by talking nicely? Mr. Su It really doesn’t hurt my back to stand and talk!”
"Besides, the whip was deliberately lightened and there was not even a red mark on the body. How could it be causing trouble? In my opinion, it's just someone who doesn't like you and is deliberately trying to punish you!"
"The reason for this is Mr. Su, the prime minister of this mansion. I heard that he is the new top scholar. Who wouldn't want to pursue a future with him? I will take you down so that I can place my own people!"
"You built this river dam, and all the credit goes to Mr. Su. If you suffer and get beaten, what will you get in the end?"
Strange to say, half asleep and half awake, the two clerks felt that the voice was right. Even in their dreams, they heard the sound of grinding teeth and gnashing their teeth. They wanted to get up immediately and blow up the river dam. Come on. Both jade and stone will be destroyed.
Just when he was about to get up uncontrollably, there was a sudden scream. The scream was short-lived, and the whisper disappeared immediately. A small official was so tortured by the sound that his head was swollen. At this time, he felt dizzy and unconscious. The coolness and sleepiness came over me. I turned over and continued to snore and fell asleep.
Tan Yi suddenly opened his eyes and said in shock: "That's not right!"
After being there for a while and not hearing anything, I couldn't help but sit up and think carefully.
Was he crazy just now?
Why is it that when I hear someone speaking, I don’t feel frightened at first, but I feel that what is said makes sense, and I actually think about it?
Is there any monster causing trouble?
Ke Wei sat up and looked outside the work shed. It was pitch black, it was late at night, and he couldn't see anything clearly. Tan Yi's back was wet, and he didn't dare to go out to find out.
