Teng County County Government.
The county magistrate Li Yi put down his documents, picked up the tea bowl, raised his head slightly and glanced at Huang Lin, the official in the audience, and said in a deep voice: "You were an official when you were in the Yuan Dynasty, right?"
Huang Lin looked as usual and replied calmly: "Back to the county, I only served as an official for three years in the Yuan Dynasty."
Li Yi took a sip of tea soup: "You should know that the new dynasty is very different from the old dynasty. In the Yuan Dynasty, the country was governed by officials. In the Ming Dynasty, the country was governed by Confucianism!"
Huang Lin nodded slightly.
Yes, although the Yuan Dynasty also issued several laws, clamoring to govern the country with Confucianism, in actual implementation, it was all about "ruling the country with officials." A large number of administrative, judicial, official documents, criminal laws, etc. were not handled by officials. Instead, it is run by subordinate staff.
The rulers of the Yuan Dynasty had the same idea of governing the country as herding sheep:
The sheep can't escape in the pen, so when it's time to gather the wool, just gather the wool. It doesn't matter how many sheep die, as long as the sheep don't make a fuss and collapse the sheepfold.
No matter what kind of officials or officials they are, I have enough wool and the sheepfold is still there, so I’ll let you do whatever you want.
The laws of the Yuan Dynasty were extremely complicated, and the official documents and regulations were extremely detailed. If the chief official wanted to understand them clearly, he would probably have to read them for a year or two.
But who is the chief official of the Yuan Dynasty? He is a Mongolian, the first among the four classes of people. I have privileges. Let me read the book and refuse!
Give me the wool, and you officials will take care of the rest.
Li Yi put down the tea bowl and looked at Huang Lin with sharp eyes: "Officials in the Yuan Dynasty were good at handling them. Now that you are a Dianshi and an official in the Ming Dynasty, will you still be the same old person?"
As far as the county government is concerned, Dian Shi is in charge of arrests and prisons, and is a miscellaneous official of the county magistrate. He is not in the rank, which is what the saying goes, "not in the flow", below the ninth rank.
Although not in the mainstream, the role and status of the Dianshi cannot be ignored. When there is a shortage of county magistrates and registrars, it is the Dianshi who handles the specific affairs. Therefore, the positions of classics and history were selected by the Ministry of Civil Affairs and appointed with the approval of the emperor, which fell into the category of imperial officials.
Huang Lin looked at the county magistrate who spoke directly in surprise, and said quickly: "Your Majesty, since I have submitted to the new dynasty, I have worked hard and fulfilled my responsibilities, and I never dare to forget them. The reason why Teng County has today's peace and security must be due to my humble position." , why are you raising and lowering your hands, why are old habits so hard to change?"
Li Yi acknowledged Huang Lin's contribution.
Shandong was conquered late, and there was still some chaos in the early days of the Ming Dynasty. There were many bandits and thieves, and Dian Shi and others did catch some bandits.
However, having merit does not mean having no fault.
Seeing that Huang Lin refused to admit it, Li Yi took out the roster and threw it away: "Tell me, how did Gu Yan's name be added?"
Huang Lin picked up the roster, looked at it, and shook her head: "Your Majesty, this Gu Lan died outside. It is necessary to record it in the register."
"Huang Dianshi, look carefully at the handwriting. Gu Yan's name and other names are definitely not written by one person. Besides, there is not only one such list. If you must check, you can find one in Rencheng!"
Li Yi stood up with a majestic look on his face.
Huang Lin frowned slightly and rolled her eyes: "Then this matter is beyond the knowledge of humble officials. I will not touch such literary matters."
Li Yi clapped his hands.
The county magistrate came over in a cart, escorting Cao Su, a scribe who was over fifty years old. When he got close, he pushed Cao Su away. Cao Su knelt down in fear, kowtowed and begged for mercy: "Your Majesty, please forgive me for this matter." It was Huang Dianshi who ordered me to imitate the handwriting and add the word "Gu"."
"Cao Su, you are talking nonsense!"
Huang Lin's expression changed and she scolded angrily.
Cao Su was helpless. He didn't want to betray Huang Lin, but the hush money was found by Jin Dache. How could he explain the origin of the three hundred guan money as a little scribe?
If he didn't confess, Jin Dache threatened to convict him of theft while in prison.
Once you are found guilty of this crime, you have to have the words "money, food and goods" carved on your right forearm. You can resist the pain of the tattoo, but three hundred tattoos are enough to chop your head five times!
Your life is at risk. Who cares who you are? If you bite every one, you will still have someone to keep you company when you go down...
"Your Majesty, this man is greedy and cunning, and he framed me!"
Huang Lin quickly defended.
Li Yi looked at Huang Lin and said coldly: "The matter is now here, and you still don't admit it, where is the chief clerk!"
Sun Ang, the bookkeeper, came over, with four clerks behind him, carrying two boxes, and opened them with a bang, revealing copper coins, silver, calligraphy and paintings, antiques, land deeds, land deeds...
Huang Lin collapsed on the ground, her whole life's hard work was over!
Li Yi picked up a piece of silver ingot, weighed it in his hand, and looked at Huang Lin, who had a pale face: "It seems that you should be a person seeking wealth. But Gu Yanying doesn't have much property, why did he add his name to the list? On the roster, to create the illusion that he died in another place?"
Huang Lin was dejected and hurriedly knelt down and begged for mercy: "Your Majesty, all these properties are given to your Majesty. I only ask your Majesty to spare my life. I will say anything!"
"This is something stolen and perverted. How can I accept it?"
Li Yi kicked Huang Lin away, turned around and returned to the desk, and said sternly: "I am not in court today to review the case. I am asking you questions here because I want to show you some respect for my colleagues. If you don't report what you know, you will be punished." If you hide the facts of the case until the trial, you can still be punished, so let’s face it!”
Huang Lin looked at Li Yi desperately: "Are you forcing me to die?"
"If you were poor and happy, why would you be here today?"
Li Yi shouted.
Huang Lin stood up and shouted: "I have been living my whole life, either as a dog for Yuan Ting or as a dog for Ming Dynasty! It doesn't matter who becomes the emperor. Can't we just get money? As long as we have money, how can we live our lives?" How to live!"
Li Yi slapped the case: "You are an official of the imperial court!"
Huang Lin asked back: "How many officials in all prefectures and counties in the world are not greedy? Take a look at the salary set by Emperor Zhu. If you are a seventh-grade official, you will earn eighty shi a year, and less than seven shi a month, which is equivalent to silver. It’s just three guans, but I can get a hundred guans with just a wave of my hand. Wouldn’t it be great? Let us go, how about I give you a hundred guan a year?”
"Are you crazy?"
Li Yi looked at Huang Lin, who was talking nonsense, with a gloomy expression.
Huang Lin shouted: "If Emperor Zhu can't give you, I will give it to you! Let us go, the money is all yours, there are no outsiders here, no one will know!"
Li Yi shook his head and glanced at Jin Dache: "Jin Xian Cheng, slap his mouth!"
Jin Dashu took a step forward and slapped him across the face.
Huang Lin's momentum suddenly became deflated. When the magistrate refused to let go, she knelt down with a plop and cried bitterly.
Li Yi narrowed his eyes slightly and asked sharply: "Tell me, why is Gu Yan's name on the roster?"
Huang Lin said sadly: "Yes, it was Wang Fugui who gave me two hundred dollars and asked me to add Gu Yuan's name to make the Gu family give up."
Li Yi shook his head: "You didn't tell the truth. Even if Wang Fugui committed murder and killed Gu Yan, it can be regarded as completely unknowing. If the Gu family asked again, they couldn't find him. Why would they ask you to add your name? Isn't this exposing yourself? "
