Chapter 373 The Sky Collapses
Qinzhou.
Government office.
The drum for complaining at the gate of the yamen was struck, making a series of dull sounds, which alarmed all the officials in the yamen and caused a commotion in every yamen.
"What's going on?"
“Who’s drumming outside?”
"Zhou Fa Cao, why don't you go and check it out and stop him from knocking!"
"Damn it, is the guard at the door lazy again? Why didn't they stop him?"
…
Although the grievance drum was used to redress the grievances of the people, its greater function was to make the people and the court believe that the grievance drum was used to redress the grievances of the people. Who would be so bold as to beat that thing?
How many times is the drum of injustice beaten every year? It is counted in the performance evaluation of local officials. The more times it is beaten, the more unjust cases there are in their jurisdiction, which will affect their evaluation. If people come to seek justice every day, that would be unbearable.
One of the important duties of the yamen runners standing guard at the gate of the government office was to stop the people from beating the drums to protest their grievances. But for some reason today, when a young man beat the drum, two yamen runners just stood there blankly and watched without making any move.
When Lawyer Zhou Ming heard the drum, he immediately ran outside the yamen, grabbed the young man's hand, and said quickly, "Stop knocking, stop knocking!"
The young man put down the drumstick, and Zhou Ming immediately reached out to grab it, frowned at him, and asked, "Who are you and why are you beating the drum?"
The young man looked Zhou Ming up and down and asked, "Who is this gentleman..."
Zhou Ming said: "I am the Qinzhou Law Officer. If you have anything to say, you can tell me."
"It's you, Lord Fa Cao." The young man bowed to him and asked, "I heard that the government arrested several street performers and banned them from performing on the streets in the future. I would like to ask, which law did the government base its actions on?"
The duties of a state's law officer are to try cases in the state, arrest thieves, etc., which is similar to that of a county lieutenant, but the powers are broader than those of a county lieutenant. A state generally includes several to dozens of counties, and all judicial duties of these counties are under the jurisdiction of the law officer.
For such a high-ranking judicial official, it should be very convenient and simple to amend the law, but there is not even a trace of legalism in this lawyer.
At this moment, many people had gathered outside the government office.
Hearing what the young man said, everyone looked at him with admiration.
This young man really dares to ask!
Does the government need to explain its actions to the people?
Lawyer Zhou Ming did not expect that the young man was beating the drum just to inquire about this matter.
There is no need to follow any laws in this matter.
It's just a casual order from Lord Beijia.
But of course he couldn't say that in front of so many people, so he cleared his throat and said, "The country has its own laws, and the family has its own rules. Those women were naked on the street, which was immoral. The government detained them for three days as a punishment according to the relevant laws. It was reasonable and in compliance with the law..."
The young man said, "But I heard from many people that they were not naked, and the government arrested them without any basis."
Zhou Ming immediately looked at the people behind him and asked with a serious face: "Who said that? Stand up!"
Upon hearing this, the people on the street took two steps back.
Zhou Ming smiled at the young man and said, "Look, no one said anything... Our government office must be fair and just in everything we do. You can't just question the fairness of the government office just because someone said a few words."
Unexpectedly, after hearing this, the young man did not continue to ask about the women performing arts, but changed the subject and said, "I just passed by a brothel. Those women in the brothel were exposing their breasts in the street and forcibly soliciting customers. This is even more immoral. Why doesn't the government do anything about it?"
Zhou Ming moved his lips, but even though he was good at speaking in official language, he didn't know how to answer.
That brothel was opened by the brother-in-law of Lord Beijia. They exposed their breasts to attract more customers. They often went there to have free fun after work. Why should we care about them?
His face darkened, and his patience was exhausted. He looked the young man up and down and asked, "Who are you? Where are you from? Show me your pass!"
For ordinary people, a road permit is equivalent to an identity card, which states their place of origin and address.
An official's identity certificate is different from a pass. As long as Li Nuo takes it out, his identity will be revealed.
In order to facilitate his actions, Li Nuo reissued a travel permit for himself before leaving Chang'an.
The pass did not contain any information about his official position or family background, and his hometown, Li Nuo, was not written as Chang'an, but a remote prefecture or county.
He took out a pass from his bosom and handed it to the lawyer.
After Zhou Ming took it, he glanced at it, then looked at Li Nuo again, snorted coldly, and said, "You look familiar. I now have reasonable suspicion that you are a wanted criminal by the court. Come, arrest him and take him to jail first. I want to interrogate him thoroughly..."
Li Nuo looked at the man and said, "Sir, this won't do. According to Daxia law, your suspicion cannot be a reason to put me in jail. Besides, you haven't answered my question yet."
Even if he finds a reason or someone, he has to make laws first and then act according to the law. He is far less free and easy than Qinzhou Beijia.
Zhou Ming pulled the corner of his mouth and said sarcastically: "Daxia Law..., you mention the law, I find it funny. I am a state judge, and I know the Daxia Law by heart. Do you know the law as well as I do?"
After saying this, he glanced at the old man standing next to Li Nuo and asked, "Are you his accomplice?"
The fortune teller shook his head decisively, retreated into the crowd, and said, "No, I don't know him."
Seeing this outspoken young man being framed as a wanted criminal simply because he spoke up for those innocent girls, the onlookers were angry but dared not say anything.
The other party is a state judge who is in charge of Qinzhou's laws. If he can lock up this young man for this reason, he can also lock them up for other reasons. This is not the first time that the government office has done such a thing.
Zhou Ming glanced at Li Nuo, waved his hand and said, "Take him away!"
Several yamen runners ran over, one of them took away the sword wrapped in cloth behind him, and the other two grabbed his arms tightly.
"Be honest, or you will be punished!"
Seeing this young man with a strong sense of justice being taken away, the onlookers all sighed in their hearts.
He is still too naive.
Why should the government explain anything to them? Isn't it up to them to decide what is right and wrong?
"I'm afraid this young man is going to have a hard time."
"If you dare to talk to Fa Cao Zhou like that, you will probably be locked up for at least three days."
"He must not be seen by the young lady of the other family, otherwise, I'm afraid he will suffer both physically and mentally..."
Qinzhou Prison.
"Go in!"
A jailer opened the cell door and pushed Li Nuo in. There were several men imprisoned in the same cell, and in the cell opposite were several young women.
In Daxia, only prisoners sentenced to life imprisonment are divided into male and female prisons. If they are only detained for a few days, men and women are generally separated into different cells, and the private areas are simply separated by straw mats.
If you want to understand the local government, the prison is the most suitable place.
As soon as the jailer left, a burly man in the same cell asked Li Nuo, "Brother, why are you here?"
Li Nuo shrugged and said, "I was beating the drum outside the county government office to complain and asked the judge what law he used to arrest those girls and prohibit them from performing on the streets, and then he arrested me..."
The man was stunned for a moment, then gave Li Nuo a thumbs up and said admiringly, "I didn't expect that you look so weak but are so brave. You are really a real man."
Li Nuo asked, "What about you?"
The man sat down again, leaning against the cell wall, and said, "The police chiefs from the government office often eat for free in my shop. A few days ago, I went to collect a debt from them, but they accused me of bullying the market, fined me a sum of money, and had to spend five days in jail..."
He looked at a handsome man in the corner and said, "I'm fine, but this brother is miserable. The daughter of the deputy driver asked him to accompany her, but he refused. He was then accused of indecent assault and was beaten with a stick. If he still doesn't obey in two days, he will probably be charged with a more serious crime..."
In the cell opposite, several young women grabbed the bars of the cell, looked at Li Nuo apologetically, and said, "Sorry, sir, we have caused you trouble..."
Li Nuo smiled and said, "It's okay. I didn't do anything. I just asked two questions. They can't do anything to me. There is no law in Daxia that stipulates that asking questions is a crime..."
…
Qinzhou government office, inside a government office somewhere.
When Zhou Ming walked into the government office, an official asked, "Master Zhou, what happened?"
Zhou Ming waved his hand and said, "He is just a troublemaker. He has been dealt with."
In his hand, he held something wrapped in cloth, which looked like a sword.
He returned to his position and lifted the cloth strip on the hilt of the sword. Suddenly, a golden light appeared in his eyes.
After completely untying the cloth strips, Zhou Ming was stunned.
The scabbard and hilt of the sword were golden in color, and it was obvious that they were made of gold. The man’s pass said that his family was in business, so could it be that he had caught a fat sheep?
It was common for them to collect some benefits from passing merchants.
But this was the first time he had encountered someone so extravagant as to use so much gold to make a scabbard.
Soon he narrowed his eyes.
The scabbard of this sword is not only made of gold, but also has a five-clawed golden dragon carved on it. This is something that only the royal family can use. To be precise, only Your Majesty can use the five-clawed golden dragon.
No wonder he wanted to wrap up the sword.
To put it mildly, this is an overstep.
To put it in a bigger way, this is treason!
How dare he show up in the government office with this sword on his back?
He looked around and saw that no one cared, so he immediately wrapped the sword again, held it in his arms, and went to another government office.
Inside the government office, a short and plump woman hugged Qinzhou Beijia's arm, shook it vigorously, and said, "Dad, those women are too abominable. Can you sentence them to ten years in prison? I don't want to see them in the future..."
Qinzhou Beijia asked: "What did they do to you?"
The woman stamped her feet and said, "I just don't want to see them!"
Although they did not offend her, she felt annoyed every time she went out and saw them posing coquettishly and attracting praise and rewards from countless men.
Qinzhou Beijia shook his head and said, "They haven't done anything wrong. It's enough to stop them from performing on the streets. Even though Dad is Beijia of a state, he can't do whatever he wants..."
The government had no power to require others not to perform on the streets.
Helping my daughter this time was just a small act of power.
If you do more, it won't be as simple as being willful. A ten-year prison sentence is not something that can be decided by the government office. It must be reported to the Ministry of Justice. It is not easy to fool the Ministry of Justice. If you are not careful, you may get into trouble.
The family has just sent a message that Li Nuo, the Vice Minister of the Ministry of Justice, has left Chang'an as a Censor-in-Chief to inspect various states. He is armed with the Imperial Sword and has the power to execute first and report later. Even the Governor of a state can be dealt with on the spot. There must be no mistakes at this critical juncture.
At this time, he saw Law Officer Zhou Ming walk in.
Zhou Ming was one of his confidants in the government office. Qinzhou Beijia pushed his daughter's hand away, looked at Zhou Ming, and asked, "What's the matter?"
Zhou Ming walked forward flatteringly, presented the sword like a treasure, and said: "This humble official just got a good thing, Lord Wang, take a look..."
He untied the cloth strips on the golden sword. The short, plump woman was stunned for a moment when she saw the sword. Then she immediately said, "This sword is so beautiful. Dad, I want it!"
When the cloth strip of the sword was lifted, Qinzhou Beijia's eyelids twitched wildly.
When he saw the five-clawed golden dragon on the scabbard, sweat began to seep out of his forehead. He held on to the table to stand firmly. Holding on to the last glimmer of hope, he asked in a trembling voice: "Where did you get this sword?"
Zhou Ming smiled and explained, "Just now, a man was beating a drum outside to complain about his grievances. He even dared to ask me what law was used to arrest those women. I found a random excuse and put him in jail. This sword was found on him. This man is so bold that he dared to forge a five-clawed golden dragon sword... Sir, sir, what's wrong with you? Someone, Lord Wang has fainted. Go get a doctor!"
…
Inside the prison.
Li Nuo was chatting with his cellmates.
"That year my younger brother fell ill, and my parents sold the land and house, and also sold me to a family of officials as a maid. However, on the first day I went to the master's house, the master was confiscated by the court for corruption, and we maids and servants were also dismissed and had to find a way to make a living..."
"I didn't dare go back, fearing that my parents would sell me out for the second time. At first I begged outside, and later I joined a circus troupe and learned some skills like sword swallowing and somersaults. After the troupe disbanded, I started performing on the streets with a few sisters..."
"We don't know how we offended the lady of the Lord. We were arrested just after we set up our stall this morning. The Lord also said that we will not be allowed to perform on the street anymore..."
The man continued, "Compared to the past, things are much better now. At least seeing a doctor is not that expensive. I heard that after next year, Qinzhou will be like Chang'an, and ordinary people won't even have to pay land taxes..."
"You are young. If it were in the past, there would be several bodies carried out of this prison every month. Now that the court is investigating strictly, they dare not do this."
"Generally speaking, there is still hope for the future..."
Just as everyone was discussing, a chaotic sound of footsteps suddenly came from the cell.
Soon, figures appeared in front of the prison door. As everyone was shocked and at a loss, the jailer trembled and opened the prison door. A middle-aged man in official uniform, holding a golden sword in both hands, walked into the cell, came to the young man, bowed, and said respectfully: "Qinzhou Beijia, meet Lord Li!"
Li Nuo took back the Imperial Sword and did not respond to Qinzhou Beijia. Instead, he looked at the lawyer behind him and asked, "Sir, you haven't answered my question just now. Which law did you base your decision on to arrest these girls and prevent them from performing to make a living?"
Zhou Ming stood behind Qinzhou Beijia, his body shaking uncontrollably.
The same question, asked by an unknown person and by an inspector holding the imperial sword, has completely different meanings.
He opened his mouth but didn't know how to answer. Sweat poured down his forehead. Finally, he gritted his teeth, pointed at Qinzhou Beijia, and said, "It was the Beijia who asked me to do this. I am innocent!"
Qinzhou Beijia was furious and said sternly: "What nonsense! How dare you wrongly accuse me!"
Li Nuo looked at Qinzhou Beijia and said, "Don't be angry, Beijia. I have another question for you. I heard that you opened a brothel in Qinzhou City. Is that true?"
Now it was Qinzhou Beijia's turn to have sweat on his forehead.
The imperial court had issued a clear order prohibiting officials from visiting prostitutes, but even if they were caught, they would only be fined and asked to reflect on themselves. However, officials who operated brothels would be severely punished. Even if the brothel was not under his name, if they were investigated further, it would be difficult for him to deny his connection...
…
At the gate of Qinzhou government office, more and more people gathered here, looking inside curiously.
Just now, something big happened in the government office.
This morning, the government arrested several girls who were performing on the streets and banned them from performing in the future.
A young man was also thrown into jail along with Zhou Facao just because he spoke up for them.
But according to two prisoners released from the prison, this time Zhou Facao and Biejia had caused a huge mess.
The young man who was thrown into jail was actually an imperial inspector of the imperial court.
Qinzhou Beijia, the second most powerful official in the entire Qinzhou, had to kowtow and bow when he saw him.
Just now, Zhou Facao was arrested on the spot for abuse of power.
Even the Lord Beijia is under investigation.
When the governor of Qinzhou, who was resting at home today, heard about this, he did not even take a rest and hurried back to the government office to receive the guests.
The people were full of expectations for the further development of the incident. Although this was not the first time that the Inspector General came to Qinzhou, he was the first Inspector General to investigate an official of the rank of Beijia.
They are all looking forward to the further development of this matter.
Contrary to the expectations of the people, local officials in Qinzhou were filled with fear after learning the news.
Inspecting Censors and Imperial Swords.
Just hearing these words is enough to make people terrified.
For those officials who already have something to hide, there is only one thought in their minds at this moment.
The sky is falling.
(End of this chapter)
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