The bailiff said, "Sir, we have checked and there is no report yet."
When these words were spoken, everyone in the room was shocked.
Qiu Yutai looked back in disbelief, his eyes filled with shock at what happened, his mind went blank and he couldn't think of anything.
He was at a loss, thinking it was a ray of hope for his life, but it turned out to be a poisoned rope that would take his life. Since he was a wild Taoist priest, why did Censor Qiu tell him that he wanted to kill him so much?
Qiuyutai was filled with grief.
The corners of Lian Wen and Su Bei's mouths curled up. They never thought that this Taoist was actually a wild Taoist priest, who was really randomly found by Qiuyutai. It was really funny that they wanted to sue such a Taoist priest.
Qiu Yutai was really desperate and confused, so he came up with such a stupid idea.
Lian Wen immediately bowed and said, "Sir, since this person is a wild Taoist priest, according to the law, anyone who dares to pretend to be a Taoist priest and deceive people will be sentenced to death."
The county magistrate was also shocked. He did not listen to Lian Wen's words, but stared blankly at the Taoist priest in front of him who was calm and composed, and the son of Governor Qian who had the same expression behind the Taoist priest.
Seeing that there was nothing unusual about them, the county magistrate frowned. He would not make a mistake. That face was 70% similar to the appearance of Governor Qian in his memory. It was exactly what Governor Qian looked like when he was young.
And if he remembered correctly, Governor Qian was the Governor of Yangzhou. And since this Taoist was from Yangzhou and had the guarantee of Qingyun Temple, a famous Taoist temple in Yangzhou, it was definitely not as simple as the yamen runners said that he had not reported it.
Is there some misunderstanding here? www.jiangnanxs.com Jiangnan Literature Network
The county magistrate did not dare to act rashly. If it was a fake Taoist priest, it would be fine. But if it was a real Taoist priest, he did not want to bring bad luck to the Taoist sect, nor did he want to offend a capable Taoist priest.
The county magistrate looked calm. He looked at the yamen runner who had reported back and asked again, "Is it true?"
Lian Wen was surprised by this biased attitude, which seemed to show that he did not believe what the yamen runner said. Who was this Taoist who made the county magistrate hesitate? Some yamen runners had already checked and confirmed that the Taoist had not reported it, but the county magistrate asked again without saying anything and arrested him.
Weird, could it be that the county magistrate accepted money from Qiuyutai?
Knowing that the Taoist priest had not reported it, he still wanted to conceal it so that he and Su Bei could repay Qiuyutai's payment for the goods?
The more Lian Wen thought about it, the more reasonable it seemed. He winked at Su Bei, asking him to think of a solution. If the county magistrate really accepted the bribe from Qiuyutai, then they might not be able to get out of here in one piece. They would have to spend a lot of money to satisfy the county magistrate's appetite.
Su Bei also understood what Lian Wen meant. He thought so too, believing that Qiu Yutai had bribed the county magistrate and wanted to use the county magistrate's power to offset the money owed to him.
Su Bei sneered in his heart, his eyes seemed to be filled with poison.
Fortunately, he had made preparations in advance, otherwise he would have been harmed by Qiu Yutai's scheme and suffered a setback.
The yamen runner who was questioned also began to doubt himself. He estimated the county magistrate's attitude and tried to understand what he meant.
When he went to check, the people from the Chongxuan Office told him clearly that they had not found any Miao Taoist temple, nor had they found any Taoist priest named Li Lezhi.
But the county magistrate seemed to want to protect the Taoist priest... The bailiff was in a dilemma and didn't say a word for a long time.
But he didn't say anything, so the county magistrate thought he was up to something and asked with a gloomy face, "Have you checked it out?"
"It's been checked," the yamen runner didn't dare to delay any longer. Under urging, he could only strictly follow the facts and said, "The Chongxuan Office has not found any reports."
In this matter, he was just a messenger. Whether it was true or not was the business of the Chongxuan Office. Besides, if the county magistrate really wanted to protect this Taoist priest, why would he ask him to investigate?
After comforting himself in this way, the bailiff stepped back and stood aside.
After hearing this, the county magistrate looked at Li Lezhi and asked, "Master Li, do you have anything to say?" It was no wonder that he was cautious. As an official in the capital, especially a small county magistrate, he could not be too cautious. This was a place where a brick could hit an official of the fifth or sixth rank.
Not to mention that this Taoist's apprentice is also the son of Governor Qian, so he must be treated with even more caution.
The county magistrate's attitude also gave Qiu Yutai a glimpse of a turning point. He had repeatedly refused to believe that the master was lying, so he had to be sure that what the master said was true. If even he didn't believe it, who could make the decision for him!
Qiu Yutai said anxiously: "Sir, there must be some misunderstanding here, please check it out."
After Qiu Yutai said this, the yamen runner who replied glanced at him dimly, but in his court, he could only suppress his dissatisfaction. What did this man mean? Did he think that he was replying nonsense and slandering the Taoist priest?
He had seen it with his own eyes and heard it with his own ears, so he could not have seen it wrong or heard it wrongly. The Chongxuan Office said personally that this person was not recorded in the books. He had checked carefully and did not see the Taoist's name.
It is obvious that he is a wild Taoist priest from the mountains who came out to cheat people, and now that he has been exposed, he still dares to be stubborn.
This person is even more outrageous. He wants to make him take the blame. The adults should investigate thoroughly and punish him for the crime of slander.
When Li Le heard that he had not reported it, he had another fortune told for himself, and the result was the same as before, which had already reached the capital.
Could it be that he calculated wrongly?
Li Le's heart skipped a beat. If he really had miscalculated and the report had not yet arrived, he would be in danger today.
How could the efficiency of doing things in ancient times be so inefficient? If he couldn't produce evidence, he would be badly harmed by this inefficiency.
Li Le was speechless, but there was nothing he could do.
Who can blame these people for being the big shots? Fortunately, he had a trick up his sleeve and carried the booklet with him, so that he wouldn't leave it in Miaodao Temple. If it was robbed one day, it would be difficult for him to get a new one.
Li Le only said: "Sir, the book issued by the Chongxuan Office after the report is in my home. Can I ask my apprentice to go back and get it? You will know the truth when you see it."
When Qiu Yutai heard this, his eyes lit up and he looked at Li Lezhi in surprise. He never expected that the master would carry it with him. It was truly a ray of hope in the dark. God is here to save him.
Could it be that the master had anticipated the current situation and made preparations early on?
Only a master like the Taoist priest could have such a divine ability. He had doubted the Taoist priest before, suspecting that he was a fake Taoist priest. This was wrong.
I was actually bewitched by a few words and almost misunderstood the master.
The shame that rose in Qiu Yutai's heart overwhelmed him. He knelt there with his head lowered, not daring to look in the direction of Li Lezhi.
After this happens, he must repay the master's kindness.
The bailiff looked in Li Lezhi's direction in surprise. Could it be that he had misunderstood? Was this man a real Taoist priest and not a fake?
Since he dared to say in front of the county magistrate that he had the document, it must be true.
It's over.
If this Taoist is a real Taoist.
The yamen runner thought about what he had just said and wanted to slap himself. He was furious. What was wrong with the official in Chongxuan Office? He was a complete swindler. Such an important matter was not recorded in the book. Now, he had to bear the dissatisfaction of the county magistrate.
When he thought of this, the bailiff felt that his life was hopeless.
I prayed in my heart that this was not true and that this Taoist priest was not a real Taoist priest.
After getting the county magistrate's nod, Gao Mingli immediately turned around and ran towards Xuanping Lane. He ran so fast that he disappeared from everyone's sight like a puff of smoke.
The remaining Lian Wen and Su Bei looked at each other and could see the caution in each other's eyes. They originally thought that this Taoist priest was a wild Taoist priest who had not reported. They were secretly happy that Qiu Yutai had lost his mind and would have sought his own death without them having to do anything.
But now, looking at the situation, it seems that it is not what they thought.
Is this Taoist priest a real one and not a fake?
He didn't just make it up, he really knew where the goods were hidden.
No, they can't just sit there and wait for death.
If this Taoist really speaks, they will have no chance to turn the situation around.
Lian Wen lowered his voice and asked in front of Su Bei: "Is anyone here?"
Su Bei's warm face was a little bit embarrassed, but he still said calmly: "What are you afraid of?"
But it was just a young Taoist priest, who didn't know where he learned some skills, but he dared to speak wildly in front of everyone. He had seen many Taoist priests in the world. Even if they were not wild Taoist priests, they were not like the Taoist priests in Xuanyang Palace, who were both respected and feared by everyone. Most of them were just some low-class Taoist priests. Although they could calculate a little, they didn't have the ability to calculate everything if they really wanted to.
It's not like he hasn't dealt with Taoists over the years, and there were some powerful Taoists, but those Taoists were all over fifty years old. Looking at the man in front of him, saying that he was in his early twenties would be an overestimation of his age.
At such a young age, what great abilities can one have?
Once his backup plan arrives, the case will be closed. Since this Taoist priest dared to offend him, he will not let him off easily. For such a Taoist priest, he should be sent to prison.
Seeing him like this, Lian Wen had no choice but to put his worries aside. However, his heart was still full of ants, making him feel uneasy. He always felt that this Taoist would make them lose everything.
Originally, he thought that Qiu Yutai had bribed the county magistrate, but it seemed that the county magistrate asked three questions out of caution?
I don't know why I feel that the county magistrate is being cautious. Maybe it's just his illusion? It can't be that there is something about this Taoist that the county magistrate is afraid of.
But he looked again and again, and found that the Taoist was dressed in a simple manner. Apart from the Taoist robe, he did not wear any valuable items. He did not look like a person with any background.
He probably overthought it.
At this moment, a man walked in from outside. This man was wearing the official uniform of the Dali Temple. Li Le was very familiar with the appearance of the uniform, as if he had seen it somewhere, but he couldn't remember where for a moment.
When this person came in, Su Bei's mouth curled slightly, his face showing joy. The back-up plan he had prepared was already in place. With this person here, it would be difficult for Qiuyu to turn things around.
When the county magistrate saw that the visitor was actually from the Dali Temple, he asked, "Why are you here, Shangguan?"
The man said, "I happened to be passing by and saw you were trying a case and there was another person there, so I walked in to take a look."
The county magistrate did not believe this at all. The Dali Temple was an hour away from his office. If the man came to take a look, he might be afraid that he came specially to support certain people. However, he was only a small county magistrate and the man was a sixth-rank official. He could not afford to offend him, so he pretended not to know his intention.
The county magistrate said, "I am involved in a dispute between three families. I just found out about this Taoist priest. I didn't expect that the Chongxuan Office has not yet recorded this Taoist priest in the register. They are waiting for the Taoist priest's apprentice to bring his record so that we can argue whether it is true or false."
The man sat on the chair and looked in Li Lezhi's direction with contempt in his eyes. He said bluntly: "Since the Chongxuan Office has not yet recorded him in the register, he must be a wild Taoist priest. Why don't we arrest him quickly?"
"This... this Taoist priest said he has documents as evidence. I'm afraid this is not a good idea," the county magistrate said weakly.
"How can you tell whether his documents are real or fake? If he is a wild Taoist priest, he should be prepared to deceive others in order to avoid being punished..." The man said this, but did not continue. Instead, he said, "Everything should be based on the files of Chongxuan Office."
The county magistrate had a displeased look on his face and cursed in his heart, "He's just a sixth-rank official, yet he dares to be so presumptuous in front of the Taoist priest. I don't know how much money he has received to throw away his caution. He'd better be careful that he might capsize and end up in trouble."
In the end, he still had to maintain a harmonious appearance, so the county magistrate said, "I dare not disclose anything about the Taoist priest."
"Since the superiors are afraid that this Taoist priest is forging something, why not ask the Lingcheng of the Chongxuan Office to come and let them take a look so that they can verify the authenticity of the document."
"No need," the man said, "it's just a small matter. Tell me the details and I'll help you take a look."
The county magistrate showed displeasure, as this was going to take away his power, but in the capital, there were people who were higher in rank than him, and the Dali Temple could also try and investigate cases. Although it was somewhat humiliating to him and he couldn't afford to lose face, it couldn't be said to be his fault.
The county magistrate said nothing, and Su Bei immediately told the truth.
After he finished speaking, the man said, "It is only natural to pay back debts. Since you owe someone goods, you should compensate them three times the amount according to the contract. What's wrong with that? Why bring this to court?"
Qiu Yutai immediately said, "Sir, it is clear that the two of them teamed up to steal my goods. Please explain clearly."
"Distinguish clearly? Do you have evidence to prove that the two of them teamed up to steal your goods? Do you have physical evidence or witnesses?"
Qiu Yutai didn't have one, so naturally he had no way to retort. His eyes were full of unwillingness, and his lips trembled twice, but he still couldn't utter a word.
As for the physical evidence, by the time he knew about it, the ship had already sunk. As for the witnesses, no one was alive.
Knowing that the ship had sunk and the other party had not received the goods, the Su family still came to their door and said that the goods had not arrived, the contract had not been fulfilled, and they demanded compensation.
The people who delivered the goods this time were his confidants. If the Taoist priest had not pointed it out, he really would never have suspected the two of them.
Now, where would he get the evidence?
Seeing that he couldn't say anything, the man said, "Since there is no witness or evidence, you are slandering others. Take him away and give him 30 strokes of the cane to serve as a warning to others."
The yamen runners looked at each other, not daring to take action. After all, they were the county magistrate's subordinates. Although this official was the county magistrate's superior, he was not their superior. They could not drag him down without the county magistrate's permission.
The person who had originally reported to the county magistrate was conflicted and was about to walk out and pull the man away so that the official would notice him, strike up a conversation with him, and possibly get promoted.
Before he took that step forward, he heard the man say, "Wait."
The county magistrate glanced at the yamen runner coldly, then looked in the direction of Li Lezhi and said gently, "Master Li, have you found any witnesses or physical evidence?"
It would be best if I could find evidence of corruption among the judges in the Dali Temple. Damn it, you dare to interfere with my trial. When I get on the big boat of Governor Qian and get promoted, I will make you suffer.
Li Le only said, "The goods are in the warehouse of Liujiazhuang in Anhuai County. Your Excellency can arrange for the yamen runners to check and find out whose goods they are. There is a secret in the warehouse. On the surface, there are grains, but under the warehouse, there is another cellar, and Mr. Qiu's silk is hidden under the cellar."
He had not expected this at first. To be on the safe side, he calculated carefully and found out that the goods were indeed in the warehouse in Anhuai County. However, the two men were afraid that they would be discovered, so they found another place to hide the goods.
However, Anhuai County is quite far from the capital, and the trip back and forth would take quite some time. By the time the evidence was obtained, it would be dark, and people could not leave the government office. Otherwise, as soon as the yamen runners left, the two would definitely send people to burn everything in the warehouse to prevent the matter from being exposed.
Without physical evidence and human witnesses, there is no way to prove that they were the ones who burned the warehouse, so Qiu Yutai cannot escape the crime of slander.
The county magistrate could think of all this.
The county magistrate felt that the situation was difficult. If he wanted to break the impasse and arrest the two men, he could only prove that Taoist Li had reported to the Chongxuan Office, or that the magistrate of the Chongxuan Office would admit that the document was true.
Otherwise this matter will be difficult to handle.
Compared to them, Lian Wen and Su Bei were the most shocked. This Taoist priest could actually calculate to such an extent that he even knew that there was a cellar under their warehouse. Others did not know, but they did not know either. After Qiu Yutai's confidant transported the goods to the warehouse, they sent people to move the goods to the cellar.
The person who did this is their trusted confidant and is very tight-lipped, so no one will know about it.
How did this Taoist know this? Did he really calculate it?
The two men couldn't believe it from the bottom of their hearts. If it was really this Taoist who calculated it, and it was so accurate, then what they had done could not be concealed.
Su Bei was even more frightened. He looked in the direction of that person with a worried look, but he didn't dare to expose it. He could only be frightened in secret and regretted it in his heart.
If he was implicated because of this matter, he couldn't imagine what would be waiting for him.
The judge of the Dali Temple sneered and said, "It's just nonsense from you, a wild Taoist priest. Whatever you say is true. Anhuai County is far away from the capital. It will take a long time to go back and forth. Are you planning to wait until I leave so that you can trick the county magistrate into making the decision for you?"
"Then why don't you tell me why you are here, Mr. Su? Is it because you and Boss Su are related? Do you want to bend the law for personal gain?"
Li Le just said coldly that he was calculating the goods of Qiuyutai just now and had no time to pay attention to him. He didn't expect that the Dali Temple judge would not give in, so he had to calculate for him.
"You, you dare to slander me," Su Pingshi stood up angrily. He glanced at Li Lezhi with a suspicious look, looking him up and down, and then said, "I heard from Shi Pingshi that the Taoist priest who came from Yangzhou recently was you? You really have some skills."
Commentator Su sneered.
He didn't know that although Shi Pingshi was a chatterbox and would reveal a lot of things, he would also hide some things. After all, Shi Pingshi just wanted to get away from his quick words and didn't want others to remember him and report him, which would make Minister Zhou unhappy.
Therefore, when his fans talked about this matter, it was seven parts true and three parts false. Coupled with his prejudice against Li Lezhi, the seven parts were only three parts true.
Therefore, according to Su Pingshi, this Taoist priest surnamed Li did not have the slightest ability to tell fortunes. He relied entirely on his good looks to deceive others. He even used some unknown means to make the county magistrate of Da'an County believe that he was a fortune teller and issued a document to prove that he was not a wild Taoist priest.
Su Pingshi said, "Why, after defrauding people in Da'an County, you came to the capital to continue defrauding people. Judging from the appearance of this person, you have deceived him a lot, and you also tricked him into thinking that the two of them had teamed up to frame him. Taoist Li, you can get away with it because of the document issued by the Da'an County Magistrate on your behalf, but have you ever thought about the people you deceived, how they can get away with falsely accusing others at will?"
Li Le was just stunned by what the other party said.
The one who almost didn't react was the original owner.
I was still wondering if the original owner had done something that Su Pingshi knew about. After hearing the rest, I realized that he was talking about him, not the original owner.
When Li Le heard the name Shi Pingshi mentioned by the other party, he only remembered that he was the gossipy one. No wonder he felt familiar with the official uniform on Su Pingshi, because he had seen him before.
However, he knew that Shi Pingshi was a chatterbox, but he never expected that Shi Pingshi would be so chatty. He also didn't know what Shi Pingshi said to cause the other party to misunderstand him to such an extent.
Never mind. Whether the other party misunderstood him or not has nothing to do with him.
Li Lezhi was about to retort when Qiu Yutai said loudly, "I believe that Taoist Li would not deceive me. Taoist Li is not who you say he is. Sir, you may have recognized the wrong person. There are so many Taoists with the surname Li in the world. Even if they are from Da'an County, how can you be sure that Taoist Li is the Taoist Li you are talking about?"
"..." Su Pingshi looked at Qiu Yutai coldly. Qiu Yutai dared to contradict him like this. In his eyes, he was like a dead person.
"There are many Taoist priests with the surname Li in the world, but there are not many like this Taoist priest Li who cheats everywhere."
"Su Pingshi, are you being too arbitrary? You have concluded that my master is a liar based solely on Shi Pingshi's words, that the magistrate of Da'an County is confused, and that the Yangzhou Chongxuan Office is not good at judging people. Su Pingshi, are you trying to accuse me of the bad atmosphere in Yangzhou and the poor performance of the Yangzhou governor?"
Qian Xi couldn't bear it anymore. This case was just a dispute between merchants. His master proved that he was not a wild Taoist priest. He slowly figured out the answer and the case was settled.
On the contrary, everyone knows that Su Pingshi, who suddenly appeared out of nowhere, came for the merchant surnamed Su. He wanted to protect him openly or secretly, and also wanted to use his sixth-rank official position to force the county magistrate to step down so as to punish Qiuyutai. He characterized this matter as a slander by Qiuyutai.
Qian Xi could turn a deaf ear to these things and just wait for his master to calculate them one by one. But who would have thought that Su Ping would dare to doubt his master and suspect that his master's documents were fake. Isn't this blaming Yangzhou for his faults?
I was already furious and couldn't bear it any longer.
"Who are you?" Su Pingshi was a young official and had never seen what Qian Xi looked like when he was young, nor had he ever seen Qian Xi himself. Naturally, he could not recognize Qian Xi's appearance and only thought he was a Taoist priest.
"You are so contradictory to me. Could this man be your accomplice? How come you are so angry after being exposed by me that you dare to use Yangzhou and the governor's money to pressure me? Who do you think you are?"
The county magistrate couldn't bear to watch this scene, so he turned his back silently and replied on behalf of Qian Xi in his heart: My surname is Qian, and I am the son of the governor of Yangzhou.
"I..." Qian Xi started to speak angrily, but before he could finish, he was interrupted by a hand on his shoulder. He turned around and saw that it was his master, so he suppressed his angry expression and silently retreated behind Li Lezhi.
Li Le just said, "No matter who we are, Su Pingshi should take care of himself. Su Pingshi has taken advantage of his position and embezzled a lot. This time, will Boss Su promise to give you 10%?"
Su Pingshi's face turned pale. "You know that the crime of slandering an official of the imperial court is punishable by 100 strokes of the cane and exile 3,000 miles away."
Li Lezhi's words made him feel uneasy. How could this Taoist have predicted this? No, how could he have seen that he had accepted a lot of bribes? It was just as Shi Pingshi said, he had a great ability to read people's expressions.
Not easy to deal with.
We have to think of a way to detain this Taoist priest in the Dali Temple.
"I don't know. I'm just telling the truth," Li Le said with a cold expression as he continued to talk about the commentator Su.
He wanted to see how many treasures this person had that he hadn't discovered yet.
At this moment, Gao Mingli also came in with the document. He trotted over, holding the document tightly in his hands. Seeing the tense atmosphere in the court, he slowed down his pace and whispered, "Master, I brought the document."
Behind Gao Mingli, outside the government office, a man rushed in hastily: "This is a mistake, this is a mistake."
The author has something to say
Thanks to the little angels who cast mines: Li Yu 1;
Thanks to the little angels who irrigated the nutrient solution: Buguiren 24 bottles; Lili, Yazhu, Duduhaha Stimulate You, Years Never Stay, Seasons Flow 10 bottles; Aisle 5 bottles; Qingyuni, Mowei 2 bottles; Wu, thedevil&deicide, yourpa, Summer Night Never Leave, Aichel Raya, Xiaojing 1 bottle;
Thank you very much for your support, I will continue to work hard!
The bailiff said, "Sir, we have checked and there is no report yet."
When these words were spoken, everyone in the room was shocked.
Qiu Yutai looked back in disbelief, his eyes filled with shock at what happened, his mind went blank and he couldn't think of anything.
He was at a loss, thinking it was a ray of hope for his life, but it turned out to be a poisoned rope that would take his life. Since he was a wild Taoist priest, why did Censor Qiu tell him that he wanted to kill him so much?
Qiuyutai was filled with grief.
The corners of Lian Wen and Su Bei's mouths curled up. They never thought that this Taoist was actually a wild Taoist priest, who was really randomly found by Qiuyutai. It was really funny that they wanted to sue such a Taoist priest.
Qiu Yutai was really desperate and confused, so he came up with such a stupid idea.
Lian Wen immediately bowed and said, "Sir, since this person is a wild Taoist priest, according to the law, anyone who dares to pretend to be a Taoist priest and deceive people will be sentenced to death."
The county magistrate was also shocked. He did not listen to Lian Wen's words, but stared blankly at the Taoist priest in front of him who was calm and composed, and the son of Governor Qian who had the same expression behind the Taoist priest.
Seeing that there was nothing unusual about them, the county magistrate frowned. He would not make a mistake. That face was 70% similar to the appearance of Governor Qian in his memory. It was exactly what Governor Qian looked like when he was young.
And if he remembered correctly, Governor Qian was the Governor of Yangzhou. And since this Taoist was from Yangzhou and had the guarantee of Qingyun Temple, a famous Taoist temple in Yangzhou, it was definitely not as simple as the yamen runners said that he had not reported it.
Is there some misunderstanding here?
The county magistrate did not dare to act rashly. If it was a fake Taoist priest, it would be fine. But if it was a real Taoist priest, he did not want to bring bad luck to the Taoist sect, nor did he want to offend a capable Taoist priest.
The county magistrate looked calm. He looked at the yamen runner who had reported back and asked again, "Is it true?"
Lian Wen was surprised by this biased attitude, which seemed to show that he did not believe what the yamen runner said. Who was this Taoist who made the county magistrate hesitate? Some yamen runners had already checked and confirmed that the Taoist had not reported it, but the county magistrate asked again without saying anything and arrested him.
Weird, could it be that the county magistrate accepted money from Qiuyutai?
Knowing that the Taoist priest had not reported it, he still wanted to conceal it so that he and Su Bei could repay Qiuyutai's payment for the goods?
The more Lian Wen thought about it, the more reasonable it seemed. He winked at Su Bei, asking him to think of a solution. If the county magistrate really accepted the bribe from Qiuyutai, then they might not be able to get out of here in one piece. They would have to spend a lot of money to satisfy the county magistrate's appetite.
Su Bei also understood what Lian Wen meant. He thought so too, believing that Qiu Yutai had bribed the county magistrate and wanted to use the county magistrate's power to offset the money owed to him.
Su Bei sneered in his heart, his eyes seemed to be filled with poison.
Fortunately, he had made preparations in advance, otherwise he would have been harmed by Qiu Yutai's scheme and suffered a setback.
The yamen runner who was questioned also began to doubt himself. He estimated the county magistrate's attitude and tried to understand what he meant.
When he went to check, the people from the Chongxuan Office told him clearly that they had not found any Miao Taoist temple, nor had they found any Taoist priest named Li Lezhi.
But the county magistrate seemed to want to protect the Taoist priest... The bailiff was in a dilemma and didn't say a word for a long time.
But he didn't say anything, so the county magistrate thought he was up to something and asked with a gloomy face, "Have you checked it out?"
"It's been checked," the yamen runner didn't dare to delay any longer. Under urging, he could only strictly follow the facts and said, "The Chongxuan Office has not found any reports."
In this matter, he was just a messenger. Whether it was true or not was the business of the Chongxuan Office. Besides, if the county magistrate really wanted to protect this Taoist priest, why would he ask him to investigate?
After comforting himself in this way, the bailiff stepped back and stood aside.
After hearing this, the county magistrate looked at Li Lezhi and asked, "Master Li, do you have anything to say?" It was no wonder that he was cautious. As an official in the capital, especially a small county magistrate, he could not be too cautious. This was a place where a brick could hit an official of the fifth or sixth rank.
Not to mention that this Taoist's apprentice is also the son of Governor Qian, so he must be treated with even more caution.
The county magistrate's attitude also gave Qiu Yutai a glimpse of a turning point. He had repeatedly refused to believe that the master was lying, so he had to be sure that what the master said was true. If even he didn't believe it, who could make the decision for him!
Qiu Yutai said anxiously: "Sir, there must be some misunderstanding here, please check it out."
After Qiu Yutai said this, the yamen runner who replied glanced at him dimly, but in his court, he could only suppress his dissatisfaction. What did this man mean? Did he think that he was replying nonsense and slandering the Taoist priest?
He had seen it with his own eyes and heard it with his own ears, so he could not have seen it wrong or heard it wrongly. The Chongxuan Office said personally that this person was not recorded in the books. He had checked carefully and did not see the Taoist's name.
It is obvious that he is a wild Taoist priest from the mountains who came out to cheat people, and now that he has been exposed, he still dares to be stubborn.
This person is even more outrageous. He wants to make him take the blame. The adults should investigate thoroughly and punish him for the crime of slander.
When Li Le heard that he had not reported it, he had another fortune told for himself, and the result was the same as before, which had already reached the capital.
Could it be that he calculated wrongly?
Li Le's heart skipped a beat. If he really had miscalculated and the report had not yet arrived, he would be in danger today.
How could the efficiency of doing things in ancient times be so inefficient? If he couldn't produce evidence, he would be badly harmed by this inefficiency.
Li Le was speechless, but there was nothing he could do.
Who can blame these people for being the big shots? Fortunately, he had a trick up his sleeve and carried the booklet with him, so that he wouldn't leave it in Miaodao Temple. If it was robbed one day, it would be difficult for him to get a new one.
Li Le only said: "Sir, the book issued by the Chongxuan Office after the report is in my home. Can I ask my apprentice to go back and get it? You will know the truth when you see it."
When Qiu Yutai heard this, his eyes lit up and he looked at Li Lezhi in surprise. He never expected that the master would carry it with him. It was truly a ray of hope in the dark. God is here to save him.
Could it be that the master had anticipated the current situation and made preparations early on?
Only a master like the Taoist priest could have such a divine ability. He had doubted the Taoist priest before, suspecting that he was a fake Taoist priest. This was wrong.
I was actually bewitched by a few words and almost misunderstood the master.
The shame that rose in Qiu Yutai's heart overwhelmed him. He knelt there with his head lowered, not daring to look in the direction of Li Lezhi.
After this happens, he must repay the master's kindness.
The bailiff looked in Li Lezhi's direction in surprise. Could it be that he had misunderstood? Was this man a real Taoist priest and not a fake?
Since he dared to say in front of the county magistrate that he had the document, it must be true.
It's over.
If this Taoist is a real Taoist.
The yamen runner thought about what he had just said and wanted to slap himself. He was furious. What was wrong with the official in Chongxuan Office? He was a complete swindler. Such an important matter was not recorded in the book. Now, he had to bear the dissatisfaction of the county magistrate.
When he thought of this, the bailiff felt that his life was hopeless.
I prayed in my heart that this was not true and that this Taoist priest was not a real Taoist priest.
After getting the county magistrate's nod, Gao Mingli immediately turned around and ran towards Xuanping Lane. He ran so fast that he disappeared from everyone's sight like a puff of smoke.
The remaining Lian Wen and Su Bei looked at each other and could see the caution in each other's eyes. They originally thought that this Taoist priest was a wild Taoist priest who had not reported. They were secretly happy that Qiu Yutai had lost his mind and would have sought his own death without them having to do anything.
But now, looking at the situation, it seems that it is not what they thought.
Is this Taoist priest a real one and not a fake?
He didn't just make it up, he really knew where the goods were hidden.
No, they can't just sit there and wait for death.
If this Taoist really speaks, they will have no chance to turn the situation around.
Lian Wen lowered his voice and asked in front of Su Bei: "Is anyone here?"
Su Bei's warm face was a little bit embarrassed, but he still said calmly: "What are you afraid of?"
But it was just a young Taoist priest, who didn't know where he learned some skills, but he dared to speak wildly in front of everyone. He had seen many Taoist priests in the world. Even if they were not wild Taoist priests, they were not like the Taoist priests in Xuanyang Palace, who were both respected and feared by everyone. Most of them were just some low-class Taoist priests. Although they could calculate a little, they didn't have the ability to calculate everything if they really wanted to.
It's not like he hasn't dealt with Taoists over the years, and there were some powerful Taoists, but those Taoists were all over fifty years old. Looking at the man in front of him, saying that he was in his early twenties would be an overestimation of his age.
At such a young age, what great abilities can one have?
Once his backup plan arrives, the case will be closed. Since this Taoist priest dared to offend him, he will not let him off easily. For such a Taoist priest, he should be sent to prison.
Seeing him like this, Lian Wen had no choice but to put his worries aside. However, his heart was still full of ants, making him feel uneasy. He always felt that this Taoist would make them lose everything.
Originally, he thought that Qiu Yutai had bribed the county magistrate, but it seemed that the county magistrate asked three questions out of caution?
I don't know why I feel that the county magistrate is being cautious. Maybe it's just his illusion? It can't be that there is something about this Taoist that the county magistrate is afraid of.
But he looked again and again, and found that the Taoist was dressed in a simple manner. Apart from the Taoist robe, he did not wear any valuable items. He did not look like a person with any background.
He probably overthought it.
At this moment, a man walked in from outside. This man was wearing the official uniform of the Dali Temple. Li Le was very familiar with the appearance of the uniform, as if he had seen it somewhere, but he couldn't remember where for a moment.
When this person came in, Su Bei's mouth curled slightly, his face showing joy. The back-up plan he had prepared was already in place. With this person here, it would be difficult for Qiuyu to turn things around.
When the county magistrate saw that the visitor was actually from the Dali Temple, he asked, "Why are you here, Shangguan?"
The man said, "I happened to be passing by and saw you were trying a case and there was another person there, so I walked in to take a look."
The county magistrate did not believe this at all. The Dali Temple was an hour away from his office. If the man came to take a look, he might be afraid that he came specially to support certain people. However, he was only a small county magistrate and the man was a sixth-rank official. He could not afford to offend him, so he pretended not to know his intention.
The county magistrate said, "I am involved in a dispute between three families. I just found out about this Taoist priest. I didn't expect that the Chongxuan Office has not yet recorded this Taoist priest in the register. They are waiting for the Taoist priest's apprentice to bring his record so that we can argue whether it is true or false."
The man sat on the chair and looked in Li Lezhi's direction with contempt in his eyes. He said bluntly: "Since the Chongxuan Office has not yet recorded him in the register, he must be a wild Taoist priest. Why don't we arrest him quickly?"
"This... this Taoist priest said he has documents as evidence. I'm afraid this is not a good idea," the county magistrate said weakly.
"How can you tell whether his documents are real or fake? If he is a wild Taoist priest, he should be prepared to deceive others in order to avoid being punished..." The man said this, but did not continue. Instead, he said, "Everything should be based on the files of Chongxuan Office."
The county magistrate had a displeased look on his face and cursed in his heart, "He's just a sixth-rank official, yet he dares to be so presumptuous in front of the Taoist priest. I don't know how much money he has received to throw away his caution. He'd better be careful that he might capsize and end up in trouble."
In the end, he still had to maintain a harmonious appearance, so the county magistrate said, "I dare not disclose anything about the Taoist priest."
"Since the superiors are afraid that this Taoist priest is forging something, why not ask the Lingcheng of the Chongxuan Office to come and let them take a look so that they can verify the authenticity of the document."
"No need," the man said, "it's just a small matter. Tell me the details and I'll help you take a look."
The county magistrate showed displeasure, as this was going to take away his power, but in the capital, there were people who were higher in rank than him, and the Dali Temple could also try and investigate cases. Although it was somewhat humiliating to him and he couldn't afford to lose face, it couldn't be said to be his fault.
The county magistrate said nothing, and Su Bei immediately told the truth.
After he finished speaking, the man said, "It is only natural to pay back debts. Since you owe someone goods, you should compensate them three times the amount according to the contract. What's wrong with that? Why bring this to court?"
Qiu Yutai immediately said, "Sir, it is clear that the two of them teamed up to steal my goods. Please explain clearly."
"Distinguish clearly? Do you have evidence to prove that the two of them teamed up to steal your goods? Do you have physical evidence or witnesses?"
Qiu Yutai didn't have one, so naturally he had no way to retort. His eyes were full of unwillingness, and his lips trembled twice, but he still couldn't utter a word.
As for the physical evidence, by the time he knew about it, the ship had already sunk. As for the witnesses, no one was alive.
Knowing that the ship had sunk and the other party had not received the goods, the Su family still came to their door and said that the goods had not arrived, the contract had not been fulfilled, and they demanded compensation.
The people who delivered the goods this time were his confidants. If the Taoist priest had not pointed it out, he really would never have suspected the two of them.
Now, where would he get the evidence?
Seeing that he couldn't say anything, the man said, "Since there is no witness or evidence, you are slandering others. Take him away and give him 30 strokes of the cane to serve as a warning to others."
The yamen runners looked at each other, not daring to take action. After all, they were the county magistrate's subordinates. Although this official was the county magistrate's superior, he was not their superior. They could not drag him down without the county magistrate's permission.
The person who had originally reported to the county magistrate was conflicted and was about to walk out and pull the man away so that the official would notice him, strike up a conversation with him, and possibly get promoted.
Before he took that step forward, he heard the man say, "Wait."
The county magistrate glanced at the yamen runner coldly, then looked in the direction of Li Lezhi and said gently, "Master Li, have you found any witnesses or physical evidence?"
It would be best if I could find evidence of corruption among the judges in the Dali Temple. Damn it, you dare to interfere with my trial. When I get on the big boat of Governor Qian and get promoted, I will make you suffer.
Li Le only said, "The goods are in the warehouse of Liujiazhuang in Anhuai County. Your Excellency can arrange for the yamen runners to check and find out whose goods they are. There is a secret in the warehouse. On the surface, there are grains, but under the warehouse, there is another cellar, and Mr. Qiu's silk is hidden under the cellar."
He had not expected this at first. To be on the safe side, he calculated carefully and found out that the goods were indeed in the warehouse in Anhuai County. However, the two men were afraid that they would be discovered, so they found another place to hide the goods.
However, Anhuai County is quite far from the capital, and the trip back and forth would take quite some time. By the time the evidence was obtained, it would be dark, and people could not leave the government office. Otherwise, as soon as the yamen runners left, the two would definitely send people to burn everything in the warehouse to prevent the matter from being exposed.
Without physical evidence and human witnesses, there is no way to prove that they were the ones who burned the warehouse, so Qiu Yutai cannot escape the crime of slander.
The county magistrate could think of all this.
The county magistrate felt that the situation was difficult. If he wanted to break the impasse and arrest the two men, he could only prove that Taoist Li had reported to the Chongxuan Office, or that the magistrate of the Chongxuan Office would admit that the document was true.
Otherwise this matter will be difficult to handle.
Compared to them, Lian Wen and Su Bei were the most shocked. This Taoist priest could actually calculate to such an extent that he even knew that there was a cellar under their warehouse. Others did not know, but they did not know either. After Qiu Yutai's confidant transported the goods to the warehouse, they sent people to move the goods to the cellar.
The person who did this is their trusted confidant and is very tight-lipped, so no one will know about it.
How did this Taoist know this? Did he really calculate it?
The two men couldn't believe it from the bottom of their hearts. If it was really this Taoist who calculated it, and it was so accurate, then what they had done could not be concealed.
Su Bei was even more frightened. He looked in the direction of that person with a worried look, but he didn't dare to expose it. He could only be frightened in secret and regretted it in his heart.
If he was implicated because of this matter, he couldn't imagine what would be waiting for him.
The judge of the Dali Temple sneered and said, "It's just nonsense from you, a wild Taoist priest. Whatever you say is true. Anhuai County is far away from the capital. It will take a long time to go back and forth. Are you planning to wait until I leave so that you can trick the county magistrate into making the decision for you?"
"Then why don't you tell me why you are here, Mr. Su? Is it because you and Boss Su are related? Do you want to bend the law for personal gain?"
Li Le just said coldly that he was calculating the goods of Qiuyutai just now and had no time to pay attention to him. He didn't expect that the Dali Temple judge would not give in, so he had to calculate for him.
"You, you dare to slander me," Su Pingshi stood up angrily. He glanced at Li Lezhi with a suspicious look, looking him up and down, and then said, "I heard from Shi Pingshi that the Taoist priest who came from Yangzhou recently was you? You really have some skills."
Commentator Su sneered.
He didn't know that although Shi Pingshi was a chatterbox and would reveal a lot of things, he would also hide some things. After all, Shi Pingshi just wanted to get away from his quick words and didn't want others to remember him and report him, which would make Minister Zhou unhappy.
Therefore, when his fans talked about this matter, it was seven parts true and three parts false. Coupled with his prejudice against Li Lezhi, the seven parts were only three parts true.
Therefore, according to Su Pingshi, this Taoist priest surnamed Li did not have the slightest ability to tell fortunes. He relied entirely on his good looks to deceive others. He even used some unknown means to make the county magistrate of Da'an County believe that he was a fortune teller and issued a document to prove that he was not a wild Taoist priest.
Su Pingshi said, "Why, after defrauding people in Da'an County, you came to the capital to continue defrauding people. Judging from the appearance of this person, you have deceived him a lot, and you also tricked him into thinking that the two of them had teamed up to frame him. Taoist Li, you can get away with it because of the document issued by the Da'an County Magistrate on your behalf, but have you ever thought about the people you deceived, how they can get away with falsely accusing others at will?"
Li Le was just stunned by what the other party said.
The one who almost didn't react was the original owner.
I was still wondering if the original owner had done something that Su Pingshi knew about. After hearing the rest, I realized that he was talking about him, not the original owner.
When Li Le heard the name Shi Pingshi mentioned by the other party, he only remembered that he was the gossipy one. No wonder he felt familiar with the official uniform on Su Pingshi, because he had seen him before.
However, he knew that Shi Pingshi was a chatterbox, but he never expected that Shi Pingshi would be so chatty. He also didn't know what Shi Pingshi said to cause the other party to misunderstand him to such an extent.
Never mind. Whether the other party misunderstood him or not has nothing to do with him.
Li Lezhi was about to retort when Qiu Yutai said loudly, "I believe that Taoist Li would not deceive me. Taoist Li is not who you say he is. Sir, you may have recognized the wrong person. There are so many Taoists with the surname Li in the world. Even if they are from Da'an County, how can you be sure that Taoist Li is the Taoist Li you are talking about?"
"..." Su Pingshi looked at Qiu Yutai coldly. Qiu Yutai dared to contradict him like this. In his eyes, he was like a dead person.
"There are many Taoist priests with the surname Li in the world, but there are not many like this Taoist priest Li who cheats everywhere."
"Su Pingshi, are you being too arbitrary? You have concluded that my master is a liar based solely on Shi Pingshi's words, that the magistrate of Da'an County is confused, and that the Yangzhou Chongxuan Office is not good at judging people. Su Pingshi, are you trying to accuse me of the bad atmosphere in Yangzhou and the poor performance of the Yangzhou governor?"
Qian Xi couldn't bear it anymore. This case was just a dispute between merchants. His master proved that he was not a wild Taoist priest. He slowly figured out the answer and the case was settled.
On the contrary, everyone knows that Su Pingshi, who suddenly appeared out of nowhere, came for the merchant surnamed Su. He wanted to protect him openly or secretly, and also wanted to use his sixth-rank official position to force the county magistrate to step down so as to punish Qiuyutai. He characterized this matter as a slander by Qiuyutai.
Qian Xi could turn a deaf ear to these things and just wait for his master to calculate them one by one. But who would have thought that Su Ping would dare to doubt his master and suspect that his master's documents were fake. Isn't this blaming Yangzhou for his faults?
I was already furious and couldn't bear it any longer.
"Who are you?" Su Pingshi was a young official and had never seen what Qian Xi looked like when he was young, nor had he ever seen Qian Xi himself. Naturally, he could not recognize Qian Xi's appearance and only thought he was a Taoist priest.
"You are so contradictory to me. Could this man be your accomplice? How come you are so angry after being exposed by me that you dare to use Yangzhou and the governor's money to pressure me? Who do you think you are?"
The county magistrate couldn't bear to watch this scene, so he turned his back silently and replied on behalf of Qian Xi in his heart: My surname is Qian, and I am the son of the governor of Yangzhou.
"I..." Qian Xi started to speak angrily, but before he could finish, he was interrupted by a hand on his shoulder. He turned around and saw that it was his master, so he suppressed his angry expression and silently retreated behind Li Lezhi.
Li Le just said, "No matter who we are, Su Pingshi should take care of himself. Su Pingshi has taken advantage of his position and embezzled a lot. This time, will Boss Su promise to give you 10%?"
Su Pingshi's face turned pale. "You know that the crime of slandering an official of the imperial court is punishable by 100 strokes of the cane and exile 3,000 miles away."
Li Lezhi's words made him feel uneasy. How could this Taoist have predicted this? No, how could he have seen that he had accepted a lot of bribes? It was just as Shi Pingshi said, he had a great ability to read people's expressions.
Not easy to deal with.
We have to think of a way to detain this Taoist priest in the Dali Temple.
"I don't know. I'm just telling the truth," Li Le said with a cold expression as he continued to talk about the commentator Su.
He wanted to see how many treasures this person had that he hadn't discovered yet.
At this moment, Gao Mingli also came in with the document. He trotted over, holding the document tightly in his hands. Seeing the tense atmosphere in the court, he slowed down his pace and whispered, "Master, I brought the document."
Behind Gao Mingli, outside the government office, a man rushed in hastily: "This is a mistake, this is a mistake."
The author has something to say
Thanks to the little angels who cast mines: Li Yu 1;
Thanks to the little angels who irrigated the nutrient solution: Buguiren 24 bottles; Lili, Yazhu, Duduhaha Stimulate You, Years Never Stay, Seasons Flow 10 bottles; Aisle 5 bottles; Qingyuni, Mowei 2 bottles; Wu, thedevil&deicide, yourpa, Summer Night Never Leave, Aichel Raya, Xiaojing 1 bottle;
Thank you very much for your support, I will continue to work hard!
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
