At this moment, Wang Hong felt like he was having a nightmare. He couldn't believe that such an outrageous thing actually received support from some officials in the court.
And things took a sharp turn for the worse, with the voices of opposition becoming smaller and smaller.
Is it bullying honest people?
Or have I been sold?
But in fact, he was not wronged. Although it was Zhang Fei who came up with the idea, it was Wang Anshi, the most popular figure in the dynasty, who planned it. It was relatively easy to punish him as a county magistrate with such fair means.
Seeing that the wind was blowing in the wrong direction, Wang Hong quickly sent someone to contact Wei Yushan and said, "This is your fault, so you have to take responsibility for it."
"What did Wei Yushan say?"
Seeing Zheng Yun coming into the hall, Wang Hong walked straight over and asked.
Zheng Yun hurriedly said, "Wei Yushan has sent people to look for them, but Geng Ming's family is missing. I think they are hidden."
"waste!"
...
...
Wang Hong couldn't help but curse, "I was really hurt by him this time."
Zheng Yun said awkwardly, "County Magistrate, Wei Yushan also thinks so."
Wang Hong was stunned, "What do you mean?"
Zheng Yun said: "Wei Yushan seems to think that Zhang San wants to take revenge on the county magistrate, and he is innocent."
"What?" Wang Hong opened his eyes angrily, "If I had known this would happen, I would not have protected him in the first place."
Zheng Yun hurriedly said, "County Magistrate, you can't fall out with Wei Yushan now! He still has a relationship with Prince Chang!"
Wang Hong's expression changed, "Will he ask Prince Chang to come forward?"
Zheng Yun said: "It is said that they have sent people to look for him. Although Wei Yushan believes that he is innocent, he is also very angry because he thinks that Zhang San is too much of a bully."
Wei Yushan believed that every wrong has its perpetrator and every debt has its creditor, so if you want to seek revenge, just go directly to Wang Hong and involve the ***.
Also angry.
So innocent!
Wang Hong's mouth twitched continuously: "After this matter is over, I will settle the score with him."
......
Court of trial.
"It's really hard to guard against!"
Sima Guang sighed, glanced around, and said dejectedly: "How about this, I will write to the government, saying that judicial reform must be carried out step by step, the separation of politics and law cannot be made rashly, and talents must be trained for two years first, otherwise, the gains will only outweigh the losses."
“No!”
Liu Shu immediately objected, "If we do this, it will be exactly what Wang Anshi wants, and his new law will be released soon."
Everyone present nodded.
Sima Guang waved his hand and said, "If I don't do this, then I will fall into Wang Anshi's trap of alienating people. People will certainly not trust my judicial reform, which will also be bad."
Qian Yi immediately said, "Sima Xueshi is wrong. Judicial reform is for justice, not for shielding."
Sima Guang hurriedly said, "Your Excellency Qian is right. I made a mistake, but I am really... really in a dilemma!"
He and Wang Anshi do not have the same approach. He just wants to protect the rights and interests of landlords and wealthy businessmen. Everything should be discussed together. If the court is short of money, you have to contribute some money.
He did not hide anything about this and spoke frankly.
He actually put on this show for the big landlords and literati to see. My judicial reform is not aimed at you.
Wen Yanbo shared the same political philosophy as Sima Guang. Seeing that Sima Guang acted similarly, he said, "Junshi! Everyone knows what happened. You can't be blamed. If you want to blame someone, blame Wang Jiefu for being too cunning!"
Everyone present nodded.
This is the conservative base, and there is no one who does not oppose Wang Anshi.
Fan Chunren suddenly came out and said, "I have a plan that can solve this problem."
Sima Guang hurriedly said, "Please speak, Mr. Fan."
Fan Chunren said, "Wouldn't it be enough to win this lawsuit?"
“…!”
Morale was quite low.
We have never defeated Zhang Fei.
Previous
After losing the game, they really didn't want to sue Zhang Fei anymore. Why should they compete with a spies in his professional field?
Seeing that no one was talking, Fan Chunren quickly said, "I think there is a great chance that we will win this lawsuit."
Qi Hui sighed, "What a possibility. Wang Hong's judgment is wrong. If it makes sense, the Left Office would not dare to take this case."
Fan Chunren said: "Wang Hong's verdict is indeed problematic, but whether it was intentional or accidental is up for debate. As far as I know, Wang Hong did not accept bribes. Usually, the key to determining whether there is intentional or accidental conviction is whether the official has embezzled or accepted bribes."
Sima Guang frowned when he heard this: "Yes! We only considered that the judgment of the Court of Justice was reasonable, but we did not consider whether Lu Jiawen's petition was really reasonable."
"I also think what Fan Sijian said makes sense."
Wen Yanbo nodded and said, "But if we really want to fight, it's better not to have this case in the Zuoting. It would be more appropriate to have it in the Dali Temple or the Criminal Court."
Sima Guang, Liu Shu and others all nodded slightly.
The Dali Temple and the Court of Criminal Justice are the highest courts in the Song Dynasty. It is natural for trials to be held here, and this can also calm everyone's emotions.
Because many officials are worried that a small judicial officer can bring a fifth or sixth rank official like me to court.
If they can only file a lawsuit in the Dali Temple, then of course they have no objection. In the past, officials often went to the Dali Temple for trial. The threshold is very high.
Sima Guang had not yet completed his layout, and he did not dare to use this case to immediately separate politics and law, as that would cause problems. He was willing to take a small step back.
If an appeal is successful, it is actually a victory for the judiciary.
......
Baifan Building.
"Hey, you're here, Third Brother. Please come in quickly."
Fan Zheng met Zhang Fei at the door and whispered, "Your Majesty has been waiting upstairs for a long time."
Zhang Fei nodded and asked in a low voice, "Will no one hear us talking later?"
Fan Zheng immediately said, "Please rest assured, Third Brother. Even if you shout loudly, no one will hear you. I haven't opened the West Building for business today."
"Are you so sensible?" Zhang Fei said with a smile.
Fan Zheng smiled bitterly and said, "This is a life-threatening matter. How can I not be cautious?"
Zhang Fei chuckled and said, "It's not that serious, just chatting."
"Yes, yes, yes."
Fan Zheng nodded repeatedly and did not dare to say much. He quickly took Zhang Fei to the third floor of the west building and came to the largest private room in the middle, where he was stopped by two guards standing at the door.
Only after the notification was Zhang Fei allowed to enter the private room.
There sat a handsome young man who was not even twenty years old.
This person was none other than Prince Chang Zhao Hao.
He asked Zhang Fei to come today to discuss the matter of Wei Yushan, because he felt that it was not a big deal and there was no need to ask the Queen Mother to intervene.
The key point is that Wei Yushan is only the father of his favorite concubine, not the father of the princess. If he really goes to find Empress Dowager Gao, he himself is not sure how much help she is willing to give. After all, Empress Dowager Gao also hates this kind of thing.
After much thought, it would be best to go directly to Zhang Fei. After all, he is just an informant, while he is a prince.
"I pay my respects to the prince."
“No need to be polite!”
Zhao Hao naturally would not let Zhang Fei sit with him. He tilted his head slightly and glanced at Zhang Fei. "You are really capable of doing this, and you are still alive today. I admire you a little bit."
Zhang Fei smiled awkwardly and said nothing.
Zhao Hao was too lazy to chat with him. "I know you did this to avenge Wang Hong of Kaifeng County, but why did you involve Wei Yushan?"
Zhang Fei looked around.
Zhao Hao said, "Don't worry, I am the only one here, so you don't have to hide anything."
"Yes!" Zhang Fei nodded and said, "In reply to your Highness, Wei Yushan is already guilty of heinous crimes, and using him as a medicine guide can also give justice to the people, which is killing two birds with one stone."
Zhao Haona
He wondered, "Why is Wei Yushan so evil?"
Zhang Fei said, "The yamen runners only went to his house to collect taxes. He can refuse to pay, but there is no need to force him to sell his land, divorce his wife and children, and become a monk. Such behavior is infuriating to both humans and gods."
Zhao Hao said with a lack of confidence: "This is not a crime among the ten evils."
Zhang Fei whispered, "As we fight, it may become possible!"
Zhao Hao was shocked and asked, "What? Are you really going to punish Wei Yushan for the ten evil crimes?"
Zhang Fei said hurriedly, "No, I am planning to sue Wei Yushan for murder and robbery."
What difference does it make? Fortunately, I am here! This kid is really vicious. Zhao Hao was frightened and broke into a cold sweat. He hurriedly said, "You must not do this."
Zhang Fei was surprised and asked, "Why?"
Zhao Hao said, "Don't you know that his daughter is my concubine?"
Zhang Fei opened his eyes wide, "This... This is impossible?"
Zhao Hao said, "If not, why would I have asked you to come here?"
Zhang Fei immediately had a sad face, "Prince, why...why didn't you tell me earlier that the petition had already been submitted?"
Zhao Hao said, "What does it matter? You are the one who filed the lawsuit, you can change it!"
Zhang Fei said in confusion: "Your Highness, you don't know that Wei Yushan's crime is the evidence against Wang Hong, and it cannot be changed!"
Zhao Hao said excitedly, "I don't care about that. If you sue him for murder, my concubines will be implicated. You'd better give up this lawsuit."
Zhang Fei said, "Your Majesty knows that I want to take revenge on Magistrate Wang. If I were afraid, I would not do this."
Zhao Hao frowned. Yes! He was just a little spies, but he dared to sue even the magistrate of Chi County. Would he be afraid of death? But he said stubbornly: "I don't care about that. You can take revenge on Wang Hong, that's your business, but you must not implicate Wei Yushan."
Zhang Fei hesitated for a while and said, "Since the prince has come to me personally, I can promise not to sue Wei Yushan for murder, but I cannot escape the charges of tax evasion and robbing people's land. Wei Yushan must pay a sum of money to forgive his crime, including compensation for Geng Ming's losses and back taxes."
Zhao Hao thought about it for a while, and suddenly felt that it would be great to be able to spend money to avoid disaster. Although before he came, he planned that Zhang Fei would completely give up suing Wei Yushan, he stood up and said, "It's settled."
After saying that, he left.
After the door was closed, Zhang Fei raised a smile.
In fact, he had no intention of suing Wei Yushan for murder and robbery. He just wanted to scare Zhao Hao because his purpose was to take revenge on Wang Hong and help Wang Anshi collect taxes.
If it is about murder and robbery, then it is definitely not for deterrence, but to force people to rebel.
Those big landowners will certainly rise up to attack, and will never pay taxes. If they pay, it will prove that they have evaded taxes in the past.
However, Zhang Fei had already thought about how he should respond if Zhao Hao came to find him.
Since Zhao Hao has come forward, it proves that this lawsuit is a done deal.
Sure enough, when Zhang Fei returned home, Lu Huiqing had been waiting for a long time.
"King Chang?"
When Lu Huiqing learned that Zhang Fei had met with Prince Chang before, he was stunned and asked immediately, "How did you deal with it?"
Zhang Fei whispered, "I said I would sue Wei Yushan for murder and robbery."
Lu Huiqing was delighted when he heard this, "Smart."
But there was a hint of disappointment in his tone. He had originally expected Prince Chang to go directly to Queen Mother Gao, but it didn't matter. His goal had been achieved. Although many ministers in the court chose to support Sima Guang, he believed that they would definitely be wary of Sima Guang's judicial reforms in the future.
"They requested that the trial be held in the Court of Criminal Justice. What do you think?" Lu Huiqing said.
Zhang Fei shook his head and said, "It must not be tried in the Court of Criminal Justice. After all, this is a lawsuit concerning the interests of the people. Only a public trial in Kaifeng Prefecture can arouse the people's expectations for the new law."
Lu Huiqing nodded and said, "I think so too, but if we request a trial in Kaifeng Prefecture, the judge may have to be
They decide.”
Zhang Fei was surprised and asked, "Is it not possible for Magistrate Lu?"
Lu Huiqing sighed and said, "Lu Jiawen is the nephew of Magistrate Lu, so he has to avoid suspicion."
"That's true." Zhang Fei nodded. "Who does Lu Xiaokan think they will choose?"
Lu Huiqing said, "Of course we can't just let them choose. We plan to let Prime Minister Zhao judge the case. On the new law, Prime Minister Zhao is against our teacher, but on this case, he supports Geng Ming. It will be more beneficial for us to let him judge the case."
Zhang Fei nodded and said, "As long as the presiding judge is fair, I don't care."
Lu Huiqing smiled and said, "Don't be careless. I heard that Fan Sijian took the initiative to request to defend Wang Hong. He and Wang Hong don't have any friendship. It's obvious that he came here for you."
Zhang Fei smiled and said, "I'm a defeated general, so why worry about me?"
......
This matter caused a lot of uproar, but Zhao Xu never paid much attention to it. However, his ignoring of it actually meant that he was favoring Zhang Fei. This matter was indeed a bit outrageous, and if the emperor just asked about it, the matter would be over.
Of course, if he ignores you, it doesn’t mean you can make the decision.
Although this matter may seem small, only the emperor can decide.
Because the emperor is the country's highest judge and highest executive officer, who can make the decision when the two powers conflict?
Wang Anshi and Sima Guang would never commit such a taboo.
Although they had reached a consensus privately to hold the trial in Kaifeng Prefecture, with Zhao Yan as the presiding judge, the emperor still had to make the final decision on whether to prosecute.
Zhao Xu didn't even hold a special meeting to discuss the matter, he just approved it right away.
......
As soon as the news came out, it immediately attracted great attention from the people.
They were not concerned about the feud between Zhang Fei and Wang Hong. They were more concerned about Geng Ming and Wei Yushan. It was also the tax payment season.
At this time of year, with such a lawsuit going on, it’s impossible to keep a low profile!
Today is the day of trial.
There was already a huge crowd of people in front of Kaifeng Prefecture early in the morning, and it was blocked by traffic.
"Zhang San, why are you here so early this time!"
Cao Dongdong sat in Zhang Fei's carriage, swinging his legs, and asked Zhang Fei.
Xu Zhiqian next to him also looked at Zhang Fei curiously.
In the past, Zhang Fei always made his debut last, but this time, Zhang Fei arrived earlier than Cao Dongdong, Ma Xiaoyi and others.
Xu Zhiqian used to wait at Zhang's house, but this time Zhang Fei went to Xu's house to wait.
Zhang Fei smiled and said, "I want to see someone."
"Who?" Cao Dongdong asked with a gossipy look on his face.
Zhang Fei just smiled.
Ma Xiaoyi suddenly said, "Third brother, you promised me last time that you would take me with you next time you go to court."
Zhang Fei was surprised and asked, "Aren't you drunk?"
Ma Xiaoyi said innocently, "I remember it even when I was drunk!"
Why pretend to be innocent? This kid must have pretended last time. Zhang Fei suddenly took Xu Zhiqian's hand and said, "This time I can only break my promise to you. This is not an assistant, this is a wife, you can't replace her."
Xu Zhiqian quickly retracted her hand, "What wife? Don't talk nonsense." Then she turned to Ma Xiaoyi and said, "Xiao Ma, if you really want to help, you can help get the documents next time."
Ma Xiaoyi nodded excitedly and said, "Thank you, Madam Xu, thank you, Madam Xu. I can carry any amount."
Cao Dongdong enviously asked, "Can you take me with you too?"
"As long as your father is willing, I don't care!" Zhang Fei shrugged.
Cao Dongdong was gone.
Suddenly, Zhang Fei glanced to the side and said, "I'm going to leave you now."
Just walk forward.
Xu Zhiqian turned her head and saw Fan Chunren and Wang Hong approaching. She couldn't help but smiled bitterly and shook her head.
When Wang Hong saw Zhang Fei, he was like an enemy meeting, with eyes full of jealousy, and his fists were clenched so tightly that they made chattering sounds.
"Fan Sijian, how are you?"
Zhang Fei bowed to Fan Chunren.
Fan Chunren said seriously, "I won't lose to you this time."
"It's a fair way. I am willing to accept any failure." Zhang Fei smiled and said, "Can I have a word with Magistrate Wang?"
Fan Chunren glanced at Wang Hong and then left.
Zhang Fei smiled and said, "County Magistrate Wang, you never thought that we would meet again so soon, but today County Magistrate Wang is a little less majestic, is it because he didn't bring the water and fire stick?"
Wang Hong snorted angrily, "You won't succeed."
Zhang Fei laughed and said, "Did you ever think that this matter would never be brought to court, but what would be the result?"
Wang Hong immediately glared at him and said, "I really shouldn't have let you off so easily last time."
“Tsk tsk tsk!”
Zhang Fei shook his head and said, "Don't say you are so merciful. If you could have fought back then, you would have done it long ago. In fact, I am the same as you in this respect, so this time I will make sure you can't stand up."
Wang Hong's eyes flashed with fear, and he sneered, "I am a Jinshi, and you are just a small spies. Even if I lose the lawsuit, you can't kill me. But you, don't fall into my hands."
Zhang Fei suddenly leaned forward and whispered in Wang Hong's ear: "If I want to be an official, I can do it anytime. Wait for death, you beast."
After saying that, he turned and left.
Xu Zhiqian saw Zhang Fei coming back and immediately walked over. She glanced at Wang Hong behind him and saw that his face had turned purple with anger. She knew what had happened and couldn't help but ask Zhang Fei, "Is it that serious?"
Zhang Fei said calmly: "Respect is mutual."
The scene at the county government office last time really stimulated Zhang Fei. Qiu Zhengwen and the others lying on the open ground did not look like human beings. A gentleman can be killed but not humiliated.
He must take revenge.
He came here so early, not for any other reason, just to curse a few words and vent his anger.
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