Although Zhang Fei is not the kind of person who gets carried away easily, he is not the kind of person who is cautious and low-key. When encountering happy events, he should celebrate and there is nothing to worry about.
They will take revenge on the opposition, whether you celebrate or not.
Today he finally succeeded in his revenge, got justice for the spies of the Bian Jing Law Firm, and vented his anger.
This of course had to be celebrated with great fanfare, and he was indeed very happy. That night he and Cao Dongdong, Ma Xiaoyi, Feng Nanxi and others drank until almost dawn.
He was very tired these days and needed to indulge himself, but it was a pity that it was Li Si who rushed to show his courtesy and helped him into the room, not Gao Wenyin, who didn't even give him a chance to have sex.
The next day, he criticized Li Si severely.
You are in charge of everything, but when it comes to sleeping, you should stay as far away from it as possible.
For Wang Hong, this was almost the most unforgettable night in his life.
He had always dreamed of moving from Kaifeng County Government to Kaifeng Prefecture.
Now he finally got what he wanted, but there was a slight deviation in the middle. Although he did not move directly into the cell, there was an extra lock on the door of his room.
...
...
As to whether he will go to jail, it depends on the final sentencing of the Court of Criminal Trial.
After all, he is the magistrate of Chi County, so he must report it.
The crime of intentionally killing someone must be severely punished in the Song Dynasty, but that is because this crime is usually accompanied by corruption and bribery, and the punishment for corruption in the Song Dynasty was very severe. Officials guilty of corruption would not be pardoned in the Northern Song Dynasty, and these corrupt criminals were not included in the ordinary amnesty.
Moreover, this crime involved judges, and the Song Dynasty attached great importance to the judiciary.
Taking these two factors into consideration, can this crime be given a light sentence?
However, Wang Hong was not guilty of traditional corruption, but rather of disguised corruption, and it was Zhang Fei who exposed him. If there had not been this lawsuit, even if you knew about it, you could not say that he was guilty.
There is room for operation here.
There are still many officials in the court who hope to help Wang Hong reduce his sentence to the lowest level. He certainly cannot stay in Kaifeng County, which is the capital. It would be best to send him to be an official outside.
They are also doing this to leave a way out for themselves.
However, while they were still thinking about what to do, the emperor directly issued an edict, dismissing Wang Hong from his post and exiling him to Qiongzhou on the grounds of appeasing public grievances.
Qiongzhou is Hainan Island in later generations.
Once you go there, the chances of coming back are very slim.
Speaking objectively, this punishment has already exceeded the maximum penalty for this crime.
This is a bit too cruel.
The ministers were very dissatisfied with this.
But several prime ministers remained silent.
Only then did they come to their senses.
The emperor is killing the chicken to scare the monkeys!
At that time, Wang Hong used the issue of tax calculation to write a letter to the court, demanding severe punishment for the Bian Jing law firm, which made Zhao Xu very embarrassed. This was equivalent to using tax revenue to threaten the emperor.
It was only because Zhao Xu had such superb acting skills that he basically passed without any hesitation.
….However, Zhao Xu has been secretly supporting Zhang Fei.
He also wants to vent his anger.
After Zhao Pin presented the verdict, Zhao Xu's true colors were immediately revealed and he immediately ordered severe punishment.
The speed was so fast that the ministers couldn't react.
Didn’t you expect the emperor to make such a judgment?
This means to warn those officials that I will humbly accept their theories, but do not use official duties to threaten me. I will write you down in my little notebook, and once you fall into my hands, I will never let you off easily.
It must be torture to death.
This deterrent is very effective.
Many ministers realized that this little emperor was not so innocent and cute, but was very cunning, flexible and shrewd.
All of these ministers were experienced, but no one noticed that Zhao Xu was very angry at that time.
This tactic should still be used with caution.
Wang Hong really fell directly from heaven to hell.
At this moment, he really regretted it, and he also realized why Kaifeng Prefecture did not beat Zhang Fei.
It still makes sense.
In comparison, Wei Yushan was given more attention.
To be honest, this case was actually caused by Wei Yushan, and Wang Hong was the one who rejected it. But now the results of the two are completely different.
Wang Hong was directly exiled without any discussion and was not even given a chance to appeal. It was not because he offended Zhang Fei, but because he offended the emperor. How could he end up well for himself?
On the contrary, in Wei Yushan's case, Zhao Xu was ordered to come forward in person to discuss how to convict him with a group of vice-chancellors.
Chuigong Hall.
"What do you think about the verdict on the Geng Ming case submitted by the Kaifeng County Court?" Zhao Xu asked.
Zhao Pin was the first to speak: "Wei Yushan has a close relationship with Prince Chang. If he is sentenced lightly, it will only cause resentment among the people. I do not agree with this."
Like Bao Zheng, he was extremely wary of these royal relatives.
Don't let him grab you, or he won't let go.
Zhao Xu immediately nodded, indicating that he had no intention of shielding the royal family.
Sima Guang said: "I support the decision of the Court of Justice. Although it is only a fine, it is indeed a very light sentence, but the judgment also explains why it was sentenced.
This case is not an isolated incident, but a widespread phenomenon. If the court imposes a heavy sentence, it may force the landlords to take desperate measures, thus causing even greater problems. "
Wang Anshi immediately said: "If the court wants to give a light sentence, then it must conduct a comprehensive investigation of the land tax in Chi County, compile a new land register, and make them pay the tax. Otherwise, there is no point in giving a light sentence."
Although he also hated people like Wei Yushan very much, he had great ambitions. He thought that Wei Yushan could increase the national finances and reduce the burden on civilians at the same time, so it was certainly worth it.
Since the lenient sentence is for the sake of the overall situation, we should start with the overall situation immediately.
But we cannot say that a light sentence is given here while no action is taken there. What is the point of a light sentence?
Wen Yanbo said very cautiously: "It's not just the landlords who evade taxes, the common people also have this situation. Common people also buy land, such as white deeds and red deeds. According to the law, if the deed tax is not paid within two months, they will face a heavier fine. The landlords can afford the fine, but the common people cannot. If we cut it off, it may cause new problems. It is better to give the white deed legal effect."
….Wang Anshi immediately retorted: "If so, it would be equivalent to abolishing the red deed, which would only encourage land annexation. The court could order that the deed tax be paid within this year, without pursuing any responsibility, and complete the tax transfer at the same time."
Zhao Xu certainly supported Wang Anshi. The national finances were running at a deficit, and you were still talking about reducing taxes. Why didn't you talk about reducing salaries? He nodded and said, "I think what Grand Secretary Wang said is more favorable. If the deed tax is exempted, it will only encourage land annexation. This matter will be handed over to Kaifeng Prefecture."
Wang Anshi added: "Your Majesty, I think we can restore the tax calculation rights of Bianjing law firms. This will not only reduce some of the burden on the court, but also play a certain supervisory role."
The lawsuit was fought so well, so he had to return the favor and say a few words for Zhang Fei.
Zhao Xu nodded: "Approved."
Even without Wang Anshi's advice, he would have issued an edict to liberalize taxation. This was a slap in his face, and he would definitely seek revenge.
Wen Yanbo immediately said, "Your Majesty, judging from this case, the separation of politics and law proposed by the Sima scholar can also play a role in mutual supervision, and the court should pay attention to it."
Zhao Xu asked, "What do you think?"
Wen Yanbo said: "I think we can try it out in Kaifeng County first, which will also help restore the prestige of Kaifeng County."
Zhao Xu nodded and said, "Let Sima Xueshi handle this matter."
Sima Guang immediately said, "I obey your command."
Wang Hong will die anyway, so he must die a worthy death!
After all, behind this lawsuit there is a dispute between the judiciary and the administration. Now that the lawsuit has been won, why not use it to promote judicial reform.
Take Kaifeng County first.
Zhao Xu had the same intention.
After the meeting, Wang Anshi grabbed Sima Guang and sang in his ear as he left the hall.
"Hide the wealth among the people, hide the wealth among the people, hide the wealth among the people..."
"Wang Jiefu, that's enough!"
Sima Guang was so angry that his hair stood up.
You can avoid the first day, but you can't avoid the fifteenth.
Wang Anshi was very happy to see him anxious, and said, "Junshi! I suggest that the first step of your judicial reform is to define what is meant by 'people'. I've been saying this, what you said before actually made sense, but why did I always have to argue with you? It turns out that the problem lies here. The people we are talking about are not the same people. From now on, just define them, and I will never argue with you again."
"You are taking this out of context."
Sima Guang retorted: "When I said light taxes and levies, was it just referring to the landlords? Is that wrong? What I meant was that if the government plundered the wealth of the landlords, the landlords would inevitably plunder the wealth of the common people, and in the end, the retribution would fall on the common people."
Wang Anshi looked disdainful. "The fact is right in front of us. After Wei Yushan got close to Prince Chang, he gained more power, but he kept pushing it too far instead of knowing when to stop. Whether the country does anything or not, they will exploit the people. This wealth should be controlled by the country."
Sima Guang sneered: "Then we'll see."
After saying that, he would wave his sleeves and walk forward.
Wang Anshi looked at Sima Guang's angry back and couldn't help but burst into laughter.
The reason why he liked to argue with Sima Guang was because both of them were perfect in their personal morals. They were neither greedy for money nor lustful. It was purely a difference in their ideas. If it were another corrupt official, Wang Anshi would not even bother to speak.
….It is a great sense of accomplishment to beat Sima Guang.
Of course, this is also true for Sima Guang.
......
After all, this lawsuit has attracted great attention from the people. The court should either make a big deal out of a small matter and not sentence Wang Hong heavily. Or, since the heavy sentence on Wang Hong means that the court is also aware of this problem, it must take action, otherwise it will not be enough to appease the people's resentment.
In ancient times, people also attached great importance to public opinion.
The imperial court immediately announced a land tax audit and updated the land registry, and at the same time required that all white deeds pay the stamp tax and complete the tax payment within this year. Otherwise, they will be deemed invalid and the land will be nationalized.
If you say that the land should be returned to the people, the landlords may ignore it and say it is nonsense, but if you say that the land should be nationalized, the big landlords will know that this is serious.
If the tax is not paid, the land will be lost. The imperial court is like a hungry wolf!
Of course, the people cheered for this and their resentment was greatly reduced. The only drawback was that the problem of the yamen servants was still not solved.
But there is no way, the new laws and regulations are still being formulated.
Wang Anshi also needs to think carefully.
......
Baima Township.
"Brother Geng is back!"
"Da Lang is back!"
"Fellow villagers, come quickly, Geng Dalang is back."
......
When Geng Ming returned to his hometown, fellow villagers immediately rushed over from all directions and surrounded him. Many people who had received kindness from Geng Ming held Geng Ming's hands with tears streaming down their faces.
Geng Ming was also crying loudly, unable to control himself.
He actually did not leave Kaifeng County, but his hometown seemed like a million miles away from him.
In front of a farmhouse not far away, stood a perfect couple, Xu Zhiqian and Zhang Fei.
“I hope good people will be rewarded in this world.”
When Xu Zhiqian saw this scene, tears welled up in her eyes.
Zhang Fei glanced at her and said, "I hope so!"
It took Geng Ming a whole meal's time to walk these short 200 steps.
When he saw Zhang Fei and Xu Zhiqian, he immediately ran over and clasped his fists to bow.
"I will never forget the kindness you two have shown me. Please accept my greetings."
“No, no, no!”
Zhang Fei quickly supported Geng Ming and said with a smile: "Actually, I have to thank you. If you hadn't stood up bravely, it would have been difficult for me to get revenge."
Xu Zhiqian beside him choked up and said, "Brother Geng, you don't need to thank anyone. It's others who should thank you."
The reason why Geng Ming went to investigate Wei Yushan was that he could not stand Wei Yushan's oppression of the villagers and wanted to seek justice. As Wei Yushan said, he did not target the Geng family, because in Wei Yushan's view, he and the Geng family were of the same class.
Therefore, Geng Ming owes nothing to anyone.
Zhang Fei handed a few contracts to Geng Ming, "These are the house deeds and land deeds that Wei Yushan returned to you. Nothing is missing."
When the lawsuit was filed that day, Wei Yushan actually did not realize how serious the problem was. It was not until he saw Wang Hong's end that he knew he had escaped from the gates of hell.
Now he just wants to save his life. Money is a small matter. Geng Ming's land is in Wei Yushan's hands and he will return it in full. However, this farmyard was sold by Geng Ming to someone else, but Wei Yushan immediately bought it back at a high price.
Geng Ming looked at the land deeds and house deeds in Zhang Fei's hands and stretched out his trembling hands. But when he was halfway there, he suddenly covered his face with his hands and burst into tears.
….For these villagers, ancestral land and ancestral houses are second only to their own lives.
Now that he has found it again, he can't believe it.
The villagers who were watching also covered their faces and cried.
After a long while, Geng Ming stood up and excitedly took the land deed and house deed from Zhang Fei, thanking him repeatedly.
Zhang Fei said sternly: "Geng Ming, remember, if you encounter any difficulties in the future, you must come to me first. Don't be afraid of trouble. If you are afraid of trouble, it may cause more trouble."
Geng Ming looked at Zhang Fei and nodded: "Thank you very much, benefactor."
Just then, a voice was heard from afar, "Alang!"
Geng Ming turned his head suddenly and saw a woman leading a pair of children down from an ox cart.
"My wife."
Geng Ming immediately ran over regardless of everything.
"Alang!"
“Daddy!”
The family hugged each other tightly and burst into tears.
Zhang Fei sighed: "I really envy Geng Ming."
Xu Zhiqian asked in surprise: "What do you envy them for?"
Zhang Fei sighed, "I have a wife to hug."
Xu Zhiqian was stunned for a moment, then glared: "What a shame. Let's go, you pervert."
As she spoke, she took his hand and walked towards the carriage.
Zhang Fei chuckled, "I'm not envious anymore. Perfect!"
Xu Zhiqian rolled her eyes at him shyly, and then asked, "Why did you say those words to Geng Ming just now? Are you afraid that someone will harm him?"
Zhang Fei nodded: "Although it is impossible for the time being, we cannot help but defend. I don't want my victory to be flawed."
Chief Justice of the Northern Song Dynasty.
Nancy Beiqing reminds you: Remember to collect it after reading it
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