Seeing the Beihai Navy escorting a group of beggars into the city, many people in the city felt strange and wondered why the Beihai Navy had caught the beggars. When the beggars who were begging on the street saw this scene, they were so frightened that they ran away, fearing that the Beihai soldiers would arrest them too.
The brigade returned to the county government office, which had been converted into a military control committee. The deputy company commander who led the team reported the situation to Li Bi, the head of the military control committee, and praised Cao and Guo very much.
Li Bi was very pleased to be able to get both the stolen goods and the stolen goods. He first ordered the bandits to be imprisoned and prepared to be tried again after the New Year. Then he said thank you to Cao and Guo for their hard work.
Cao Guifu had been a government official for many years and spent a day running around with the Beihai Navy. He found that these short-haired soldiers were not as scary as the previous rumors. The officers and soldiers spoke very kindly and followed the rules and regulations. There was never any bullying of the people along the way. Compared with those Green Camp is more than a little bit stronger.
"It's not hard for a villain! I've only been working as a servant for many years with a little bit of skill. I usually dislike people who steal wealth and harm lives. I'm really lucky to be able to serve you."
Guo Yu also hurriedly bowed and said the same thing.
Li Bi nodded and said: "You two will be under the jurisdiction of the Military Control Commission for the time being, and will be responsible for arresting thieves and chasing fugitives. The interrogation of Yang Kui and others will be left to you. Be sure to ask where the bodies are buried." If you don’t have enough manpower, you can come to me.”
Cao and Guo were overjoyed after hearing this and were about to kneel down to express their gratitude when they heard Li Bi say again: "The rules and regulations of our Beihai Town are different from those of the Manchu Qing Dynasty. King Zhao has always loved the people like his own son. Since you are serving Beihai Town, you must not make any false accusations." To catch corrupt people, it is necessary to ask for the perpetrators and pay bribes to make money, otherwise the national law will not tolerate it!"
"I don't dare!" Cao and Guo knelt down and kowtowed hurriedly.
"Beihai Town has a vast territory. Anyone who has not committed a murder case will be sent to the far north to chop down trees and mine coal. They will not be able to come back for three to five years."
Li Bi was a county magistrate under the Manchu Qing Dynasty. Although he was a corrupt official in the past, he was well aware of the dirty deeds of the subordinate officials.
You must know that those who could be detectives in ancient times were all smart, intelligent, strong and brave people, and cowardly and incompetent people could not do it; otherwise, apart from being unable to maintain social order, people who could not complete the tasks assigned by the superiors would be punished or even imprisoned.
The problem is that since they are astute, they must be cunning on the other side, not to mention that this group has inherited it from generation to generation, corrupting the law and stealing money, and they all have the same ability to fool their bosses.
But at the moment, no one from the Public Security Police Department arrived, so these two people had to be used, so he gave them a "killing stick" and trained them before calling them up. After that, he wrote another note and asked them to go through the entry procedures on the sixth day of the Lunar New Year.
Cao Guifu and Guo Yu left the gate of the Military Control Commission with lingering fears, thinking that the "Tai Zun Master" of the Military Control Commission seemed to be a master who was not easy to fool. Compared to Cao Guifu, Guo Yu couldn't help but regret that it would be difficult to earn money on the street in the future.
In a blink of an eye, it was the sixth day of the Lunar New Year. Guo Yu arrived at the door of the Military Control Commission early in the morning and saw that Cao Guifu had arrived. Because it was too early and the door hadn't opened yet, the two started chatting under the stone steps outside the door.
Guo Yu was young, and he came to be a hunter because he could make money. Li Bi's words had frightened him so much that he was worried that if he only received six taels of labor and food silver in the future, he would not be able to survive. In these days, urban residents have families of four or five, and most of them have three generations living under one roof. Five coins a month is simply not enough to support a family.
Cao Guifu comforted him by saying that the most important thing now was to get the case done, and there was no point worrying about anything else. If you don't want to do it, you have to finish this case before resigning.
In fact, both of their families own land outside the city and hire people to farm it and collect rent. In addition, they also have shops in the city. Now that he is on the job again, those brothels and casinos will give him a sum of money every month for care, so he doesn't have to worry about food and clothing.
The two chatted for a while while burning incense, and then the door opened. Following the guard's instructions, they first went to the former office of the official to go through the entry procedures. The person who received them was a clerk who was a veteran of the Military Control Commission. After the other party filled in their personal and family information on the registration form, Guo Yu finally couldn't help but ask about their salary.
The clerk said with a smile: "Our Beihai Town is different from the Qing Dynasty. In the past, you would not be able to support your family with the money you earned. In addition, we pay monthly salaries. Capt. Cao has been on duty for many years and has rich experience. His salary is the same as that of a second-level police sergeant." , the basic salary is 25 silver dollars per month, and there are also allowances, bonuses, holiday expenses, etc. I can’t say the exact amount. But if you get them all, it will not be less than 40 yuan per month.”
"ah?!"
Cao Guifu and Guo Yu were immediately shocked. The fact that five Beihai dollars are combined into one tael of silver is now well known in Jiaodong. After a little calculation, I can actually get one hundred taels a year, which is more than ten times more than under the Qing Dynasty.
Guo Yu quickly said: "Sir, how much can a villain take?"
The document pointed to an item on the registration form and said: "You have been working as a police officer for only three years and five months, so you are tentatively classified as a second-level police officer. The monthly basic salary is 12 yuan, and there are allowances, bonuses and holiday expenses." Calculate separately.”
Guo Yu didn't know what a "holiday subsidy" was, but he calculated quietly and found that he could get at least two taels a month, which would be more than twenty taels a year, which was several times more than before. Thinking of this, he looked at Cao Guifu with envy.
After the clerk explained, he asked the two of them to go next door to take pictures for use in making certificates. Cao and Guo followed a clerk to the next door in confusion, and made a lot of jokes because of the fill light and visor in the room.
After taking the photo, the two returned to the room where they had registered before. After waiting for about an incense stick, they finally received a work permit with a sling and a hard leather case.
Cao Guifu and Guo Yu didn't understand what a work permit was. In the past, the county government issued fire-seal waist badges, and they could only be issued to officials with formal establishment. The two curiously picked it up and took a look. They saw that the front was completely dark blue with a white gear ring five-star badge embossed on it. However, when they turned it over and looked at it again, they were immediately frightened and turned pale and screamed in surprise.
Guo Yu stammered: "Uncle Cao, this, the person up here is, is it me?"
Cao Guifu was also frightened. Nothing else. His mugshot was so detailed that even the few exposed nose hairs and the fire boils on the corners of his mouth were clearly visible. To say that this was a painting, who could draw it so clearly with so much effort? Both of them couldn't help but think of the scene when they were next door, when the clerk held a strange black box and asked them to stand in front of a curtain.
The clerk and several clerks were happy to see this. They had also experienced this before. So several people raised their work badges hanging around their necks and said, "Did you see it? Everyone in Beihai Town has one. From now on, everyone in the city and every township must take photos and archive them."
"Take a photo?"
The clerk then briefly explained to the two of them what a "photo" was, and told them that it had nothing to do with magic, immortality, magic, or hair. He also said that the Public Security Police Department also had a lot of magical equipment used to solve crimes and catch thieves, and they would be able to see it when the people sent there arrived.
Cao Guifu nodded blankly, then raised his hands and said, "May I ask, sir, what is the Public Security Police Department?"
The document said: "We in Beihai Town have a dedicated department that is responsible for solving crimes and catching thieves, and arresting smugglers and thieves. It is called the Public Security Police Department. From now on, you two will be assigned to the Public Security Police Department of Ninghai Prefecture, and all personnel and salaries will go from there. "
"Is that the Ministry of Justice or the Yamen?"
"That's about it. We don't know what the Ministry of Justice and the Division of Justice do. I've finished all the work here, you can go and do your work."
After hearing this, Cao Guifu hurriedly reached into his arms, took out a broken piece of silver weighing five cents, and put it into the clerk's hand. Guo Yu followed suit and took it out. When the clerk saw this, his expression immediately changed and he said, "What are you doing? We don't have such rules in Beihai Town. Put it away quickly!"
The two were startled by each other's attitude. The clerk knew that they did not understand the system of Beihai Town, and it was the first day of reporting, so he said in a gentle tone: "I'm not being pretentious, our Beihai Town is different from previous dynasties. . My family has fifty acres of land, and the annual income from the land alone is enough for food and clothing. You will all understand gradually in the future. I have also heard about that group of old melon thieves. You go and get to work as soon as possible. The family members who reported the crime will be given an explanation."
After hearing this, Cao Guifu and Guo Yu's faces felt a little hot, so they bowed to the clerk and said, "Yes, the adults are dedicated to serving the public, and the villains are ashamed. We will definitely do our errands attentively in the future."
After the two came out of the backyard, Cao and Guo discussed it and divided their work. The experienced Cao Guifu went to the prison cell to interrogate Yang Kui and others. Guo Yu went to find the family members who had reported missing and asked them to identify the stolen goods. Guo Yu knew how many bowls of dry rice he could eat, so he dashed off and trotted away.
Cao Guifu went straight to the prison cell in the southwest. When he arrived at the door of the prison yard, the soldiers standing guard with guns carefully checked the ID hanging around his neck and compared the photo with the person before letting him in. Cao Guifu said in his heart that with this skill, it would be impossible for outsiders to sneak in.
It is said that after the Beihai Navy captured the four counties of Jiaodong and established the Military Control Commission, the first people to feel that things had changed were the prisoners in the county jails. Because they couldn't figure out the system in Beihai Town, the behavior of the jailers also restrained a lot. Those who relied on them did not dare to go too far, and the blackmail and insults they usually used were much less.
The military control commissions in various places have not taken any action to break down the prison cages and release all the prisoners. You must know that the officialdom of the Manchu Qing Dynasty has not been corrupted to a particularly serious level. Although there are people in the cells who have been wronged, most of them have committed crimes. If a murderer is released, it will only cause trouble for himself. So we need to treat them differently.
According to the records in the criminal chamber and the prison, those who were imprisoned for tax arrears, those who had no conclusive evidence and the case was not serious, those who were imprisoned for litigation, and those who were sued for loan sharking and could not repay, were all released. Those who remain in detention are either guilty of murder, grave robbing, deception, abduction and other crimes, and need to be carefully screened.
However, the system in Beihai Town is such that administrative officials generally do not interfere with the judiciary. Specifically, in Ninghai Prefecture, Li Bi will naturally not be too meddlesome. When the Public Security Police Department sends people, the screening work will begin.
The first person Cao Guifu interrogated was Yang Kui, the leader of the Laogua thieves, and the interrogation room used the former warden's office. Yang Kui was brought in and was already wearing heavy shackles and shackles, weighing fifty kilograms.
"Yang Kui, I haven't seen you for a few days. Have you made up your mind?"
"."
"What's the matter? Do you dare to do it or say it? Nen is also a man. If you tell the place where the person is buried, you will suffer less."
"."
No matter what Cao Guifu said, Yang Kui just didn't match his words and put on a posture of "If I don't speak, it's hard for the gods to strike." Cao Guifu saw this and sneered: "Do you think that the government will not use torture if there is no supporting evidence? Tell the truth to Nen, the family members of those missing people will come to guide the stolen goods in a short while. When the time comes, the witnesses and material evidence will be there, so don't blame Nen for holding a stick. !”
When Yang Kui heard this, he was so shocked that his heart became a mess, and a dense layer of oily sweat broke out on his forehead. According to the provisions of the "Qing Code", in any major case involving banditry, human life, rebellion, etc., if the principal or accomplice fails to tell the truth after repeated investigations, he or she will be punished with a stick.
A later writer wrote a book called "Sandalwood Punishment", but there is no record in official history. It is probably the author's interpretation. However, the clamping sticks of the Qing Dynasty also had another name, called "ebony boots".
When this thing was used, it was not like what was shown in later movies and TV shows. It only used three big wooden sticks threaded with ropes to clamp the ankles, and the prisoner would cry and do anything.
A real clamp stick is usually made of poplar or willow wood, three feet long, with an iron chain running through the middle. When using it, the stick should be held upright first, supported by one person, then put the prisoner's feet in the middle, then tighten three ropes, and then use a wooden stick to press behind the feet to prevent the prisoner from moving. Then, a guard will hold a three-foot-four-inch hardwood pole, stand it on the prisoner's shin, and hit it hard with a wooden hammer. In just a few strokes, the bones will be comminuted and fractured. If you want to increase the prisoner's pain, you will also put stone chips between the sticks. If you pull with a little force, the prisoner will be in extreme pain. Generally speaking, as long as this move is used, no one can survive it. Every question will be answered and every offer will be made.
However, Yang Kui also understood very well that as long as he spoke out one thing about what he had done, he could not help but reveal all of it. The long embankment of a thousand miles collapsed in an ant nest and could no longer be rectified. So he thought for a while, raised his head and glanced at Cao Guifu, then lowered his head and sighed: "The villain is wronged. Those things were originally picked up. Since someone comes to recognize them, they will naturally return them. What does it have to do with the villain?"
Cao Guifu couldn't help but get angry after hearing this, but he couldn't get angry easily. After that, he interrogated a dozen other beggars one after another, but they all couldn't answer any question. When he was forced to say something, they all said the same thing as Yang Kui.
After that, Guo Yu came to him with a depressed look on his face and said that he had found several victims in the city and had them identify the stolen goods, but none of them belonged to them.
Cao Guifu knew that this matter was difficult to handle. So, he took Guo Yu to the custody room and asked to see Li Bi. He explained the situation and let the chief officer make the decision whether he could be used to clamp the stick.
Li Bi also had a headache after hearing this. He must know that according to the customary law of the Ming and Qing Dynasties, punishment should not be used without supporting evidence. Yang Kuifei said that the things were picked up, so it cannot be considered as evidence. Even the Manchu Qing Dynasty had a spirit of caution in punishment, so Beihai Town naturally couldn't use torture as soon as they came up.
"Alas! I don't know how those ruthless people in the Public Security Police Department try cases. I heard that all those who fall into their hands are punished. But after their torture, they are all physically intact, but their spirits look tortured."
Li Bi walked back and forth in the room several times, thinking hard for a long time, and suddenly remembered a case he heard about when he was in Gansu Province, so he excitedly clenched his fists and said to Cao Guifu and Guo Yu: "I am the official I have an idea, here’s what you guys do”
As night fell, a group of beggars imprisoned in the cell were farting triumphantly. Suddenly, someone came from outside the door and took Yang Kui out. When he arrived at the warden's office, Yang Kui couldn't help but be stunned. The room was brightly lit with candles. Cao Guifu was sitting behind the desk with a playful smile on his face. There was another person sitting next to him with a stack of white paper in front of him. There is also a pair of door panels placed on the two long benches in front of the desk. There were several buckets of water placed against the wall. There were also three burly soldiers.
"Yang Kui, I will give you another chance to tell the truth. I will make sure that you will suffer less when you go to the execution ground."
"."
Seeing that the other party still didn't speak, Cao Guifu nodded. Guo Yu stepped forward with a smile and removed Yang Kui's shackles. Several Beihai soldiers rushed forward and pressed Yang Kui to the door panel, and then tied his hands, feet and head tightly with ropes and cloth straps. Yeah, it's hard to move at all.
Yang Kui was shocked, knowing that this was going to be torture. Before he could think about it, a soldier from the Northern Navy reached out and pinched his chin, then stuffed an oil funnel made of iron into his mouth, and then used it like iron pliers. He held it firmly with his big hands. At this time, Guo Yu came over with a bucket of water, scooped up a full bucket with a gourd ladle, and poured it in along the funnel.
Yang Kui's nose flapped uncontrollably, and the veins on his forehead were exposed. He was ready to resist, but who knew that Guo Yu controlled the flow of water very slowly, so he didn't choke much, and a ladle of water went into his stomach in the blink of an eye. . Is this all he thinks? What a fart!
However, Guo Yu took another scoop at this time, and after he drank it, he continued to take another scoop. After going back and forth like this, after only one meal, a bucket of water went into Yang Kui's stomach.
When Yang Kui drank the third bucket of water, he couldn't drink any more. His belly was bulging, as if he was pregnant with Liujia. He struggled desperately not to drink, but the three Northern Navy soldiers were extremely strong, and Guo Yu poured water faster and faster.
Finally, when the third bucket of water was poured in, Yang Kui couldn't hold it in any longer. He shouted, "I'll move! I'll move all!"
In the following time, Yang Kui hesitantly explained all the cases he had committed before, including the time of each case, the name of the victim, the place where the body was buried, and who his accomplices were at that time, until the fourth watch. The person in charge of recording wrote one after another, and finally wrote a full pile.
On the morning of the next day, the Beihai Navy from Ninghai Prefecture and Haiyang County quickly dispatched. According to Yang Kui's instructions, 31 corpses were recovered from 26 locations. Everyone who saw the scene was shocked.
As soon as the news came out, it immediately caused a sensation in the entire Dengzhou Prefecture. Li Bi wanted to spread the word, so Cao Guifu and Guo Yu became known as the "Magic Catchers", and the families of the victims came to thank them with gifts. However, because of the warning given when they joined the company, the two of them did not dare to accept any property. They only said that they worked for Beihai Town and it was their duty to handle cases and catch thieves, so they should not be thanked. So these sufferers found someone to make a plaque, beat gongs and drums, and came to the door of the Military Control Commission, calling them Lord Qingtian.
More than ten days later, even the Dengzhou Prefecture under the Manchu Qing Dynasty heard about this matter.
(End of chapter)
