The nights in Bianliang are always so enchanting.

The stream flows slowly, the city is filled with the fragrance of osmanthus in August, and even the moon is rounder than usual.

Zhao Jun was walking on his way home at this time, looking up at the night sky.

He just went to Fan Zhongyan and asked him why he provoked Kaifeng Prefecture but the other party avoided him.

Unexpectedly, in addition to telling him the two previous guesses, Fan Zhongyan also told him another possibility.

Those were the middle and lower-level officials of Kaifeng Prefecture, who clearly intended to use Ding Du, the prefect of Kaifeng Prefecture, as a pawn.

After all, Ding Du was a confused official. He believed everything he was told and was rigid and pedantic. When he heard that the Imperial City Division was trying to seize the power of Kaifeng Prefecture, he would most likely go directly to Zhao Zhen to complain.

It is easy to deal with cunning villains, but it is difficult to deal with such upright and foolish ministers. This is because they already have their own understanding, are in high positions, and have good personal ethics.

A guy like Ding Du, who was less than fifty years old, was an official in Bianliang. He had always lived in a shabby room, had no wives or concubines, and lived a simple life. He used all his salary to help the poor. He could not be beaten, but it was too embarrassing to scold him. The only way was to show him the facts.

So Zhao Jun felt a headache. Why did Zhao Zhen always make things difficult for him? Couldn't he replace him with a corrupt official or a smart and capable official as the prefect of Kaifeng? Wouldn't it be asking for trouble if he had an upright and foolish official?

But Fan Zhongyan had to stand on their side, at least on the surface to maintain the interests of the entire bureaucratic system, so as not to be marginalized before the New Policies of Qingli were implemented and he would be unable to help him persuade Dingdu.

Therefore, if Ding Du was really used as a gun by the people of Kaifeng Prefecture, basically only Zhao Zhen and Zhao Jun could withstand the pressure.

Forget it, let’s take it one step at a time.

When Zhao Jun returned home, several inspectors were already waiting at his door.

Seeing him coming, they all bowed and said, "Greetings, Chief."

"Well, come into the yard."

Zhao Jun asked.

The people arrested during the day were brought back to the yamen, and he didn't have enough time to interrogate them personally.

There are countless cases happening in Bianliang every day. If he has to be involved in everything, he might as well just try cases every day and not be able to do anything else.

So he asked one of Cao Xiu's trusted guards to handle the matter. Fortunately, Cao Xiu was quite capable. If the Imperial City Division was full of people like Wang Shilong, his orders would be disobeyed in secret, and I'm afraid nothing would be accomplished.

The group followed Zhao Jun into the yard. Zhao Jun sat on the stone table under a big tree in the yard. The leader of the group came over and saluted him.

"Have you made your inquiries?"

"After asking, the old woman said that the woman came to Zhongmu a few months ago, saying she was alone and helpless, and married her son. Everything was peaceful for a month or two, but then her son was beaten to death. The Zhongmu County Magistrate ordered her to pay silver, but the woman absconded with the money shortly after."

The guard recounted the incident and continued, "The woman flatly denied it, saying she wasn't from Bianliang and that the two men were her brothers, who were passing through Bianliang on their way home. But when asked where she had been and where her hometown was, she was vague. We interrogated her separately, and the man said he was from Jingji Road, while the woman said she was from Caizhou."

"It seems that there is something wrong between this woman and those two men."

Zhao Jun knew with his toes that there was a big problem. That is to say, this woman was not careful. She didn't expect to be discovered by the old woman when she ran to Bianliang. She didn't collude with the two men in advance to make a confession, which led to her being exposed immediately during the separate interrogation.

"Yes."

The guard said, "And today a brother told me that he knew those two people."

"Send him over."

"Qian Li, the chief secretary wants to ask you a question."

The escort waved back.

An inspector came up from behind and bowed his head, saying, "I am Qian Li, honored to meet the Chief Inspector."

"Tell me about it."

"Those two are from the Beggars' Gang in the city."

"Beggars' Sect?"

Zhao Jun was surprised. He didn't expect that the things in Jin Yong's novels actually existed in reality.

It's also because he didn't take the course "History of Beggars" when he was in school, otherwise he wouldn't be surprised at all.

The Beggars' Gang was initially formed in the Northern Song Dynasty. The leader was called Tuantou. The beggars at the bottom were ragged, but the Tuantou was a wealthy man.

Historical records show that in the early Southern Song Dynasty, there was a beggar gang leader in Hangzhou City, "Tuantou Jin Lao Da," whose clan name was "Tuantou Jin Lao Da." He was in charge of the beggars in Jincheng, Hangzhou, collecting their dues and providing for their daily needs.

"Boss Jin" had a status like a patriarch and enjoyed considerable authority among the beggars. With the offerings of many beggars, he earned a wealthy family with "plenty of grain in the granary" and "extra money in the pocket", and even "lent money and hired maids". Although he was not the richest man in the city, he was also a wealthy man.

From this we can see how exciting the underground underworld of the Song Dynasty was. There were dozens of forces of varying sizes, including the Beggars' Gang, Wuyou Cave, Guifanlou, Ghost Market, etc., and their relationship with Kaifeng Prefecture was also complicated. Often, behind these forces there was a big man or powerful figure from Kaifeng Prefecture.

"Yes."

Qian Li said, "Those two are the blue poles of the Beggars' Sect, specializing in shady things. They would find a woman and arrange for her to marry into a family with few sons and no power, who couldn't find a wife. Then they would instigate the husband to cause trouble with the powerful. After he was beaten to death by the powerful, they would reconcile with the man, take the money, and run away."

"ah?"

Zhao Jun was shocked by this outrageous criminal method and said, "Is the husband so stupid that he dares to cause trouble with the powerful?"

Qian Li laughed and said, "So the people they pick are usually simple-minded men. They won't directly provoke the rich and powerful, but will go to the shops owned by the rich and powerful to cause trouble. Sometimes these blue poles will be hired as thugs. When the men are instigated by their wives to cause trouble, they will deliberately beat them to death and then run away, leaving the trouble to the rich and powerful to deal with. If the rich and powerful don't want to make a big fuss, they will naturally just pay compensation to settle the matter."

My dear, there is more to this chapter. Please click on the next page to continue reading. It will be even more exciting later!