This is a cell.
Ji Wen huddled feebly in the corner and licked his chapped lips. The smell in his mouth made him unbearable.
He committed all the perjury that Luo Xishi asked him to give, and he said everything he could directly during Yang Shenjin's interrogation. It's just that the case of Longyou's dead man has not been closed before, so he has not been convicted and is being held in Dali Temple.
Suddenly, the cell door was opened, and amidst the jingling of iron chains, a tall, scarred prisoner was dragged up and sent to the next door to be held alone.
Ji Wen crawled over a few steps on all fours, brushed away the greasy hair that was scattered in front of his eyes, took a closer look, and recognized the other person in the dim firelight.
"Yang Zhongcheng?"
"Jiwen?"
"Really Yang Zhongcheng?" Ji Wen was shocked, "How did you end up like this?"
"I was wronged, Dong Palace framed me..."
The shackles on Yang Shenjin were much heavier than Ji Wen's. He crawled a few steps with difficulty before he got close to Ji Wen and talked to him across the fence.
"Those Longyou soldiers you mentioned last time died in my house."
"What?" Ji Wen was shocked, "Yang Zhongcheng, you are the only one who believes in my testimony!"
Yang Shenjin smelled a stench. He had always been elegant, but at this time he didn't dislike Ji Wen, but he burst into tears.
The two cried together for a long time, analyzed the entire case, and sorted out a lot of clues.
Although this friendship of sharing weal and woe was short-lived, it was much more solid than the false love of Luo Xiangji.
The jailers came with lanterns.
"This is Ji Wen."
"Do not kill me!"
Ji Wen was so frightened that he shrank back to the corner. But the jailers couldn't help but come forward, picked him up and dragged him out.
He desperately tried to pin his feet to the ground, but he was still dragged out of the cell.
Suddenly there was a bright light in front of him, which made him unable to open his eyes. He closed his eyes desperately, and tears kept flowing down.
"Don't kill me! I was wronged!"
"Jifacao, you're fine."
Ji Wen turned around and saw Luo Xishi. He immediately shuddered and lost his mind.
"Luo Qian, stop pinching me...please!"
"Jifacao is serious. You have made great achievements this time, and you have also received the Sage Yukou Award. Congratulations!"
Ji Wen was stunned, his eyes widened, and asked: "What did you say?"
"Isn't it Cao Jifa who discovered signs of Yang Shenjin's rebellion and decided to search the Yang family's residence?"
Seeing Luo Xishi's mouth opening and closing, Ji Wen fell into a dream, pinched himself hard, and shouted: "Yes!"
He knelt down in the direction of Xingqing Palace and cried loudly: "Saint! Eternal Mingjun, Eternal Mingjun!"
He cried so hard because he was really wronged and he didn't want to experience Luo Xishi's torture again in his life.
Luo Xishi helped him up and said: "You were the first to investigate this case, and you also participated in the trial. The sooner the case is finalized, the better. There can be no more mistakes."
"I want to see the right minister."
"After the case is settled, the right prime minister will meet with you, otherwise you will have to get the right prime minister involved in this case."
"Don't worry, you know my methods."
In an instant, Ji Wen completely forgot about his friendship with Yang Shenjin not long ago.
On this day, after putting on his official robe again, the first thing he did was to interrogate Yang Shenjin.
Use the "donkey's colt to pull out its pout" method to judge.
The jailers fastened Yang Shenjin's upper body to the shackles and stuck his feet on the wooden donkey.
Hit the wooden donkey with a hammer. The wooden donkey moved forward and stuck with a "click", stretching Yang Shenjin a little longer.
Then came the second beating, and Yang Shenjin gradually began to scream. With the sound of beating, the wooden donkey got further and further away. His body of more than six feet was stretched even longer, and his waist was so thin that it seemed like it might break at any time.
"Hit...I've done it..."
He knew that this was a serious crime of treason, but he really couldn't bear it anymore.
A major case is being finalized as quickly as possible.
…
On this day, Ji Wen also met Yang Zhao.
Yang Zhao's official robe has been changed from light green to light green, and it is embroidered with small flowers one inch in diameter, which are very bright.
"Hahaha, Chicken Tongue, you have finally been cleared of your grievances." Yang Zhao was quite enthusiastic, stepped forward and whispered: "Do you remember what I said to you before? Yang Shenjin offended the Right Prime Minister and Wang Zhongcheng, and he is seeking death. You It must be right to choose him as the scapegoat. Look, what I said is wrong?"
Ji Wen had to admit that Yang Zhao saw things thoroughly.
The two exchanged a few words and learned that Yang Zhao had been promoted to the position of Shi Yushi, so they hurriedly invited Yang Zhao to drink.
He thought again that he hadn't even had time to restrain his son's body, and he was filled with grief, but his face remained calm and he asked in a low voice: "Xue Bai..."
"He has now turned to Mrs. Guo Guo. Although the Right Prime Minister is angry, he is not something you can touch."
Yang Zhao only knew the inside story, but he snorted unhappily.
"That kid came to me to borrow money to save his father this morning. It's ridiculous. Do you think I am someone who can lend him money?"
~~
Xuanyangfang, Mrs. Guo's Mansion.
The sound of drums at dusk woke Yang Yuyao from her deep sleep.
She was very tired after attending banquets one after another during the Lantern Festival, and now she was full of sleep.
She turned over and saw Mingzhu sitting on the edge of the couch in a daze. He hugged her and rested his head on her lap.
"What are you thinking about?"
Mingzhu whispered: "I was thinking that Yang Shenjin and Shi Jingzhong should be dying soon."
"There is no reason to mention these unlucky things." Yang Yuyao asked, "Is Xue Bai here?"
“Mr.
"Then he didn't come?"
Yang Yuyao was immediately unhappy. She called over the maid and was about to scold him when she saw the maid took a greeting card.
After taking it, I saw that it was indeed from Xue Baida.
Although she was unhappy, she thought his handwriting was neat and beautiful.
"There has been a change in the family, and I hate to miss the best time. Yao Niang sent a letter saying that she will go to apologize in the near future."
With a curl of her lips, she threw the greeting card aside and snorted coldly: "Is it possible that I think the family I found for him is not good and that I missed his marriage to the prime minister's daughter. I don't want to come."
"No, I have asked about it. Mr. Xue Langjun's grandfather owed gambling debts, his person was detained, and his ancestral home was occupied. Mr. Xue Langjun is working on this matter."
"Ah."
Yang Yuyao thought to herself that Xue Bai was not his biological father, so why did Xue Bai have to run around.
But then I thought again, I had really lost face by finding him such a home.
"Where is he now? Why didn't he come to beg me after something like this happened?"
"I heard that I have been at the Chang'an County government office today."
~~
At sunset, Xue Baizheng and Yan Zhenqing arrived at a village outside Chang'an City.
There were two officials accompanying him. The four of them got off their horses at the edge of the field and led their horses across the path.
The reason why I came here is because the Chang'an County Government summoned Xue Ling's creditors today to prepare to deal with this dispute. Xue Bai also prepared money and planned to repay the debt in court.
The creditor, however, claimed that he was not in Chang'an and no longer occupied the house in Changshoufang. In this way, Yan Zhenqing had no right to investigate again when he was in Wannian County, so Xue Bai took the initiative to complain to Jingzhao Mansion.
This matter was aroused in Changshoufang, but there was no progress.
Yan Zhenqing then gave Xue Bai a copybook and wanted to send him away. He didn't want the boy to get any further and wanted to become his teacher.
He refused straight away, not wanting Xue Baipo to know how to pester, and asked him if he could give him a chance to test.
Yan Zhenqing thought that it would be a good thing if he could pull a young man who clung to power and went astray back to the right path, so he allowed Xue Bai to test him by his side.
Fortunately, he has some hard work to do today.
And Xue Bai even postponed meeting Yang Yuyao because of this...
"Is there anyone named Qu Ada in your village?!"
It rained yesterday, and a farmer was digging ditches for drainage. County official Gu Wende strode forward and asked aloud.
The farmer was stunned and couldn't answer anything.
Xue Bai then went over and asked again with a smile, "Old man, is there anyone named Qu Ada in your village?"
The farmer looked at them fearfully, shook his head, and finally spoke.
"No...no..."
"How dare you say no!" Gu Wende has been an old official for many years. One look at his face showed that he was lying. He shouted: "You owe Datang Qiangu and you dare to run away. Aren't you afraid of being taken away?"
"I...I...we are slaves of the Pei family, we don't pay rent..."
"As expected, you are also one of the fugitives."
The old farmer turned around and ran away.
Even if Gu Wende wanted to chase him, he couldn't outrun him in the mud. After only running a few steps, his boots got stuck in the mud and he couldn't pull them out.
In the distant fields, more farmers were fleeing.
Yan Zhenqing was still very calm, standing there, stroking his long beard without moving for a long time.
"Look, County Lieutenant." Gu Wende finally pulled out his foot, raised his hand and said, "They dare to lie to the County Lieutenant, saying that they don't even have one acre of farmland. There are at least a thousand acres here."
"Don't be impatient." Yan Zhenqing said with a slightly sad look in his eyes, "Go over and have a look."
He walked slowly and waited for the carriage. As he walked, he asked Xue Bai, "Do you know why I am here?"
"Chasing fugitives and collecting rent are mediocre?"
"Yes, Jingyin has changed people, and the county magistrate is pressing hard."
Only then did Xue Bai find out that Han Chaozong had indeed been demoted and released as he had said.
"Teacher, students can only understand it a little bit, but they still don't quite understand what Zuyong is?"
"Don't call 'teacher'." Yan Zhenqing said: "The so-called 'renting of Yongtiao' means rent is land rent, Yong means labor, and the transfer is household transfer. Ding men over twenty years old are granted a hundred acres of land, and twenty acres are In Yongye field, eighty acres are divided into fields, and the fields are returned after death. Every year, the rent of the field is two stones of millet, and the labor is twenty days. The household transfer is paid according to the produce of the land, mostly silk cotton, such as two feet of silk and three pounds of flax. .”
"No matter how much land there is, whether rich or poor, every male must pay the same rent?"
"As I said, each person will be granted a hundred acres of land." Yan Zhenqing said, "This was the system established during the reign of Emperor Wude."
Xue Bai understood as soon as he thought about it. It was almost 130 years since the founding of the Tang Dynasty, and it had long been impossible to grant 100 acres of land per capita.
He pondered deeply and asked, "If we don't get the land, do we still have to pay rent?"
Yan Zhenqing looked bitter and did not answer immediately.
Liu Jing, a county official on one side, said: "As long as it is recorded in the household registration that a hundred acres of land was granted, it must be paid. Some people sold their land and fled because they couldn't pay the rent. Jingyin kept coming to urge them. This Chang'an county captain Is it a good thing?"
Before I speak, there is a small village ahead.
A middle-aged man with a good temperament came up to him, crossed his arms and saluted Yan Zhenqing, and asked with a smile: "May I ask why you are here?"
"The captain of Chang'an County, Yan Zhenqing, is chasing the fugitives here."
"Young Master Yan is courteous, and the little man Cheng Wu is the steward of this Qingxu farewell business."
"Celebrating farewell?"
"Yes, the head of the family is the imperial censor of the current dynasty. His surname is Pei, and he has a broad taboo. He was once praised by the saint himself as saying, 'Debi Dai is covered with clouds, and the heart is as clear as the water in Jin'. How can there be any reason to harbor a runaway?"
Xue Bai raised his eyes and saw that the countryside in front of him seemed like a paradise, and further away was a suburban mansion surrounded by trees.
The so-called special industry means that there are fields, scenery, mountains, water and homes, and there is no end as far as the eye can see.
"Master Yan, come in and talk. Let's taste some country side dishes. It's getting dark. How about staying overnight?"
Before speaking, Cheng Wu led the four people forward, through the village, and into the mansion on the outskirts.
On the way, Xue Bai saw some farmers hiding in their houses and peeking secretly. Gu Wende raised his finger to one of them and shouted: "Qu Ada, you have been running away for five years and owe six years of rent. How dare you come back to Chang'an to bring you back?" People run away from home?!”
After Cheng Wu heard this, Yun Danfeng shook his head lightly.
After entering an elegant small hall in the front yard of the mansion, where a delicate woman was arranged to make tea, Cheng Wu went to get a stack of deeds.
"Master Yan, please see that Qu Ada was voluntarily sold as a servant of the Pei family five years ago and is no longer a good citizen..."
Gu Wende immediately became angry, but said: "It's fake. The Dongshi Office was too humble to establish the deed, but the Chang'an County Government has not canceled Qu Ada's household registration..."
"That's a problem with the Chang'an County government." Cheng Wu stroked his long beard and said loudly: "What does it have to do with my family, Alang, buying slaves?"
"The 100 acres of land in Qu'ada have not been returned, how can the county government cancel its registration?"
"This official." Cheng Wu said with a smile: "This is still a matter of the county government. I am just a servant and have no right to interfere. Come, have tea at Yan Shaofu's mansion. What is the surname of this young man?"
"Xue Bai."
"Xue Xiaolangjun has tea."
Xue Bai glanced at Yan Zhenqing and saw that he drank the tea calmly, so he took the cup and drank. His mouth was full of foam, but he still praised "good tea".
"May I ask Manager Cheng, are you sure there is nothing wrong with this deed?"
"You can check everything." Cheng Wu looked magnanimous.
Xue Bai understood at a glance that the Pei family was confident, which meant that the problem still originated from the Chang'an County government five years ago.
Dinner was an ordinary meal. After dinner, Cheng Wu thoughtfully arranged a guest room for each of the four people.
~~
"County Lieutenant, why didn't you ask him a word?"
"What's the use of asking him?" Yan Zhenqing said, "The Pei family's slave purchase contract is complete and irreproachable."
Gu Wende said anxiously: "But the county captain personally left the city for this trip..."
Halfway through his words, he realized that he was too impatient and kept silent.
After all, the four of them had no choice but to go back to the guest room to sleep.
In the night sky, the round moon has lost a piece, but it still hangs high there.
Xue Bai fell asleep quickly.
He didn't dream that night, but he felt someone getting into his bed and touching him.
In a daze, he thought it was Du Jin who was coming...
But the woman under the quilt let out a fake gasp, and her rough palm slightly touched him.
He woke up with a start, quickly grabbed his half-taken spring shirt, and pushed the woman to the bed.
"Why."
The other party shouted softly, and Xue Bai turned over and saw a white figure on the ground and a pile of clothes in the moonlight.
He picked up the woman's clothes, with a cold face, and pushed her out of the door mercilessly, regardless of whether she would be cold or not.
Then he turned around and walked to Yan Zhenqing's guest room. As soon as he turned around the corridor, he saw Yan Zhenqing standing in the courtyard with her hands behind her hands, a look of displeasure on her face.
"teacher."
Yan Zhenqing waved his hand and stopped him from going to Gu Wende and Liu Jing's guest room.
"Go back to sleep and bolt the door."
"good."
Yan Zhenqing sighed, then called him and said, "Tomorrow I will talk to Cheng Wu. Go and ask those who escaped, did they sell their fields or were they not granted land? If they were not granted land, why did they receive it in the first place? Draw a pledge?"
"Teacher, don't worry, students will definitely ask clearly."
Xue Bai agreed and withdrew as a disciple.
Yan Zhenqing sighed and had no intention of correcting Xue Bai's title. There was no one else around anyway.
He knew very well in his heart that whether he could ask questions about this matter, the result would not be much different...
I feel that the speed at which I can conceive and advance the plot will soon be unable to reach 8,000 words a day, but I still managed it today. Hurry up and ask for monthly tickets and subscriptions~~
