Chapter 51 Chapter 51 Suing the Officials...
Li Cuihua could only whine and let others take charge. Xiao Wei, who had only two years of education and worked as a laborer in the county town, had seen more of the world. He knelt before Lord Li and said, "Lord, the Xiao family did everything to make money and evade taxes. They knew Xiao Xun would return early, but they concealed this from the government just to get five years of tax exemption. The tax exemption was originally granted because Xiao Xun died in battle, and now he's still alive and well. Please punish his family for deliberate deception."
Xiao Wei, still bowing, glanced at Lin Qiuran and said, "People like this have no regard for the government and act recklessly. They must be severely punished. Furthermore, if you refuse to kneel before the Lord, your crime will be even more severe."
Xiao Wei had inquired about this, and he learned that tax evasion was a serious crime punishable by fifty lashes and confiscation of goods. Hiding ten to forty acres of land would result in sixty lashes. The Xiao family only had three acres, so they would have to pay at least twenty lashes.
The Xiao family was definitely finished this time. And if they reported this, they could get tax exemptions and a reward. Assisting the government in handling the case would make them a well-known figure in the village.
Xiao Wei spoke righteously, and Li Cuihua echoed him, "That's right!"
Sun really wanted to ask Li Cuihua where she had offended her. Previously, Li Cuihua had simply looked down on her, believing she couldn't bear a son and was being mistreated by her in-laws. Sun didn't understand at the time, believing Li Cuihua was kind and close. When she complained about her family's problems, Li Cuihua would say that having a son was too tiring and unhealthy.
Sun was envious, and later moved out of the old house and picked up Xiao Xun. When Li Cuihua saw her, she said that he was not her biological son and could not be raised well. Sun was not happy to listen and gradually walked away. After that, Li Cuihua saw her nose was not a nose, and her eyes were not eyes. Thinking back to what she said before, she didn't mean well at all.
Now their relationship is so bad that they hope something bad will happen to the Xiao family.
Sun was so angry that she was shaking. She stopped looking at Li Cuihua and quickly knelt down, trying to explain. Then she heard Xiao Xun say, "My wife is pregnant. It's cold today. I'm afraid kneeling on the ground will hurt her. Please be considerate."
Xiao Xun also knelt down. Wang Zhubu saw this and said, "Sir, Madam Lin is pregnant. Although there are laws, there are also reasons outside the law. If there is a crime, then punish it. Don't hurt your body in this cold weather."
The Xu family had come to the county town to make arrangements before, and Xu Yuanheng had been quite considerate of Lin Qiuran. Lin Qiuran had even hosted a birthday banquet for Wang Zhubu's mother, so Wang Zhubu naturally offered some good words for her.
County Magistrate Li would not ignore what Master Wang said.
County Magistrate Li said, "Everyone, get up. Lin Qiuran, Xiao Wei said that you knew Xiao Xun was coming back, but you deliberately didn't pay the taxes and didn't make up the land tax. Is that true?"
Lin Qiuran immediately said, "Sir, my husband just returned today. Before that, I had no idea he was coming home, and neither did my family. How could I have known he was coming back but didn't pay the tax?"
Furthermore, matters of life and death are of paramount importance. That autumn harvest, my family collected over a thousand kilograms of grain, and the land tax was one-third of the tax. Now, our shop is supported by the elders and villagers of Yu'an. Money is only a thing of the body. If I truly knew my husband was still alive, how could I have deliberately refused to pay taxes? Can money really be worth a life?
My lord, my husband has been at the restaurant for less than half an hour when the government officials arrived. This shows that the person behind this has been targeting my family for a long time and has ulterior motives."
Lin Qiuran's words were powerful. Seeing this, Madam Sun immediately said, "Sir, this is quite reasonable. Li Cuihua has long disliked me."
Wang Zhubu coughed and nodded in agreement. "Sir, this makes sense. I heard that Madam Lin's business in Yu'an is doing well. The three-tenths tax is not much compared to the profit from the restaurant. Why would she deliberately not pay the tax and violate the law?"
County Magistrate Li nodded. Lin Qiuran had worked as a cook at the post station. Although he was unwilling to stay there, he satisfied Lord Zhao and earned face for Yu An. Of course, there was favoritism, but handling cases required evidence.
Before Magistrate Li could say anything, Xiao Wei said, "You businessmen are the most unscrupulous. If you think that just because you make a lot of money, you won't pay less tax, then there will be no unscrupulous merchants in the world, and there will be no poor people. I don't agree with this!"
County Magistrate Li looked over and said, "I haven't asked you yet, don't interrupt me."
Xiao Wei was horrified by the sight of him in his official uniform. Something was amiss. Why was the chief clerk speaking in Lin Qiuran's favor, and the county magistrate seemed partial to the Xiao family? This wasn't a good sign. He was anxious; he had to hurry.
Xiao Wei shut up indignantly, and County Magistrate Li then asked him, "You said Lin Qiuran knew Xiao Xun was coming back. Do you have any evidence?"
Xiao Wei said, "Of course there was. A messenger delivered a letter to Xiaojiazhuang, saying it was from Xiao Xun. His family had moved away at the time, and my mother sent the letter to the Xiao family. The messenger said it was from Xiao Xun, and it was sent not long ago, so we naturally knew that Xiao Xun was still alive. There must have been an explanation in the letter, and the Xiao family must have known it a long time ago. The letter was written more than a month ago, and he hasn't come to the government office for all these days. Humph, you can see his intentions!"
This was something Xiao Wei and Li Cuihua had already discussed. Since they were delivering the letter with good intentions, they naturally wouldn't even glance at it.
County Magistrate Li asked Lin Qiuran again, "Is this true?"
Lin Qiuran shook her head and said, "Your Excellency, I haven't seen any letter. When my parents first learned that my husband had died in battle, they cried until they fainted several times. I was so heartbroken that I almost lost my unborn child. If I had known that Xiao Xun was alive, I would have bought two strings of firecrackers to celebrate. My husband just returned today, and we are willing to pay the tax."
Just as Xiao Xun was about to speak, Xiao Wei said, "When something goes wrong, he only tries to make amends out of fear of being punished. How can you tolerate such a person?"
Magistrate Li slammed the gavel again, "Silence!"
County Magistrate Li looked at Xiao Wei and said, "Madam Lin said she never saw any letter. Do you have any other evidence?"
Li Cuihua said, "What evidence do you need? I am the evidence. I delivered the letter myself, how could they not know? You can ask around. Everyone in the county knows about it, and everyone in Xiaojia Village knows about it. If she says she hasn't seen it, then she hasn't seen it. Who does she think she is?"
Lin Qiuran said, "Sir, I have something to say."
County Magistrate Li said, "Go ahead."
Lin Qiuran: "They keep saying they sent a letter to my house, but we don't know what letter it was, who sent it, or what the content of the letter was. If it was a letter sent to my house, and we haven't seen anything, it's too strange."
Lin Qiuran said slowly, "Sir, my family spends most of the day at the restaurant, leaving early and returning late. It takes quite some time for them to get to my house from Xiaojia Village. Our relationship isn't good to begin with, so how could they possibly deliver a letter so early in the morning when we're home? If they delivered it to the restaurant, there are waiters there, and you can ask them. If they delivered it to a neighbor when we weren't home, you can also find them to testify."
Li Cuihua jumped up and down, saying, "What kind of witness is that? I'll be on your side if I give them some benefits. As for witnesses, I have them too. I'm sure I can find the letter sent by the messenger!"
Li Cuihua was somewhat pleased with herself. Xiao Wei said, "The Xiao family has been deliberately concealing this for several months now. Regardless of how much money they earn, some people are even more stingy the more they earn. My Lord, they just want the tax money for those few months. They knew Xiao Xun would come back, so they waited until he came back to pay the tax! Others would have already made arrangements. My Lord, you could also ask around near the Xiao family to see if there's anyone near Xiao Xun who's coming back. How come others know about this and they don't?"
Sun suddenly remembered that day when someone stopped her and asked when Xiao Xun would be back. They were waiting right now. Li Cuihua was deliberately trying to harm them!
Lin Qiuran frowned and said, "Sir, you can also ask my husband whether he wrote the letter or not. I remember that my husband is illiterate, so how could he write a letter?"
Sun said, "That's right, Xiao Xun has never been to a private school and can't even read!"
Li Cuihua laughed. If she couldn't write it herself, couldn't she find someone to write it for her? What kind of evidence was this?
County Magistrate Li actually looked at Xiao Xun, "Xiao Xun."
Xiao Xun said, "Sir, I am indeed illiterate and have never sent a letter home. There were reasons for the rumors of my death in battle. Later, the higher-ups said they needed to change my household registration, so I just had to wait and see..."
Li Cuihua was anxious. This was nonsense. The county magistrate couldn't believe him. "Your Excellency, they must have colluded. What's the matter? He can't write because he can't read? Can't he ask someone to write for him? How could he not write home if he's not dead? The letter is right there. He's lying! He even wrote that he would be home soon."
What a clumsy lie! Li Cuihua smiled smugly. Who would believe this?
Lin Qiuran breathed a sigh of relief, "Sir, I have something to say."
County Magistrate Li: "Speak."
Lin Qiuran: "Just now he said that he heard the messenger say that Xiao Xun had sent a letter, and that it was written not long ago, so he knew that Xiao Xun was still alive. But now he said that the letter said he would be home soon. I don't even know what the letter said. How did she know?"
Wang Zhubu listened attentively and said, "Yes, I did hear Li Cuihua say in the letter that she would be home soon."
County Magistrate Lu also said, "I heard it too."
Li Cuihua quickly covered her mouth. Xiao Wei looked at Li Cuihua and asked, "Why are you covering your mouth?"
Li Cuihua blurted out what she had just said, and now she had forgotten what she had just said, but soon, she said confidently: "So what? I just took a look, and it's not enough to just take a look!"
Xiao Wei said: "Yes, it doesn't say you can't watch it, sir, this doesn't prove anything..."
Xiao Xun pulled out a few sheets of paper from his bosom. "Master Li, this is the appointment document, with the official seal of the superior. I was appointed a thousand-man commander three months ago, so I shouldn't have to pay taxes. However, my family was framed, and the letter I sent home hasn't arrived yet, but they know the contents of the letter. I suspect they withheld the letter and embezzled the money I sent home. I implore you to re-examine this matter."
After Xiao Xun finished speaking, the hall fell silent. The snow fell outside in silence, making people feel cold.
County Magistrate Li stood up, and both Chief Clerk Wang and County Magistrate Lu were stunned and stood up as well. Qianzong, a sixth-rank military officer, had a higher rank than County Magistrate Li.
Lin Qiuran looked at Xiao Xun, who held her hand and said, "Don't be afraid."
On the way, Lin Qiuran whispered to him that if anyone asked, he should just say he had never written a letter.
Xiao Xun thought about it. If he directly admitted his official rank, people would think he was bullying others. If he refused to admit it, Li Cuihua would probably accuse the officials of collusion, and eventually she would be forced to confess under torture.
It's not to convince them, but Xiao Xun can't stay for too long. This matter needs to be clarified to prevent Li Cuihua from having any more bad ideas.
If he cleared his family's name, his official rank would only result in Li Cuihua being punished more severely.
Lin Qiuran breathed a sigh of relief. She had been thinking of a temporary solution. If she really wanted to sue the Xiao family for not paying taxes despite knowing Xiao Xun had returned, she would have to have evidence. The letter Xiao Xun had sent back was evidence. Even if Li Cuihua claimed to have sent the letter, the Xiao family didn't have it, and Lin Qiuran hadn't seen it either.
First reasoning, then deceiving. Li Cuihua is anxious to drag the Xiao family into this, and she might be blown out.
She just didn't expect that Xiao Xun had been promoted. It was no wonder that Xiao Xun didn't tell her earlier. He had just come back and they hadn't even spoken a few words.
It’s okay as long as someone is supporting me.
Magistrate Li's expression became much more serious. He said, "Investigate, investigate immediately. Come, search Xiaojiazhuang and see if you can find anything. These two are suspected of falsely accusing court officials and suing them. They will be punished with thirty strokes of the cane first."
County Magistrate Li smiled at Xiao Xun and said, "Master Xiao, you should have said so earlier. It's snowing now, so please come over..."
Xiao Xun said, "I just want to get to the bottom of this matter and clear my family's name. Lord Li can also ask the waiters at the restaurant and the neighbors. If someone really delivered the letter and saw it delivered to my family with their own eyes, we will accept the punishment."
Li Cuihua and Xiao Wei's faces changed drastically. Li Cuihua was anxious and afraid. She was worried that the letter might be useful and she hadn't thrown it away. Although it was hidden, what if it was found? She was also worried that Xiao Xun would become an official. Wouldn't the Xiao family end up in jail while they did?
Xiao Wei felt weak in his heart, and his hands and feet were weak, "Sir, sir, we are just talking..."
County Magistrate Li waved his hand impatiently, "Someone come here."
This is no small matter. If it is true that Li Cuihua hid the letter, and deliberately framed and sued the officials, her crime is even more serious.
Wang Zhubu was right. Restaurants made a lot of money, and why would they deliberately break the law for a mere three-tenths of profit? Furthermore, Xiao Xun held an important position and didn't need to pay taxes.
It is now mid-November, and the autumn harvest was in August or September. It has been almost three months now, so there is naturally no need to pay the tax.
County Magistrate Li was very thankful. Fortunately, he had some connection with the Xiao family in the past and knew Lin Qiuran well, so he didn't make things difficult for her. Otherwise, it would really be...
Xiao Wei and Li Cuihua were dragged away, howling non-stop, claiming they were wrong, that it was all a misunderstanding, and that officials were colluding. After a while, they fell silent, presumably because they had been gagged.
Seeing the current situation, County Magistrate Li was determined to find the letter no matter how hard he tried. Even if he couldn't find it, he would ask everyone one by one and he would eventually find out something.
Xiao Xun said, "In the letter there is also a five-liang silver note that I sent home."
Stealing money is another level of crime. County Magistrate Li said, "Once the truth is revealed, there will be no leniency. The money will be returned in full and any penalties will be imposed. However, I don't think the case will be closed today."
It's quite a distance from the county seat to Xiaojia Village. It's too late today, so we'll have the details by tomorrow afternoon at the latest.
Magistrate Li said, "I will definitely investigate this case thoroughly, and will not wrongly accuse anyone, and will clear the name of your Excellency's family."
Xiao Xun glanced at Lin Qiuran, who nodded, "Thank you, Lord Li. You are truly a good official."
It was already good that I didn't listen to Li Cuihua and the others' one-sided story in the beginning. Moreover, I didn't make her kneel down. Since Li Cuihua had filed a lawsuit, the case naturally had to be tried.
County Magistrate Li smiled and glanced at the sky outside. "It's getting late. You should go back first. Don't delay the restaurant's business."
Lin Qiuran thought, it’s already too late.
After leaving the lobby, Sun was still filled with righteous indignation. "I was wondering why someone asked a few days ago if Xiao Xun was still alive. I thought they were laughing at me, and I didn't tell them for fear of upsetting Qiu Ran. Turns out it's a family tradition. She's always been jealous of our family, and now she wants to take a bite after we've moved away!"
Seeing that the Xiao family made a lot of money, he became furious. He had three sons in the family and was living a good life, so he had to make trouble for the Xiao family.
"What will happen if we find out?"
Lin Qiuran said, "According to the county magistrate, if you accuse an official, you must first be caned. Thirty lashes are enough. If the truth is revealed, you will probably be beaten again. Not only will you have to return the money, you will also have to pay compensation."
It delayed the restaurant's business, and Xiao Xun's time was valuable.
Lin Qiuran said, "Mom, they've been thrown into jail. They're not going to have a good life."
Think positively about what happened today. If you had read the letter, you might have been even more worried these days, looking forward to it day and night, afraid that something might happen to Xiao Xun again. Seeing Xiao Xun come back today is also a happy event.
The three of them walked out of the county government office and saw Xiao Dashi standing next to the stone lion waiting.
There was snow on his shoulders and head. Seeing Xiao Xun's red eyes, he patted Xiao Xun's shoulder, his voice a little choked, "Let's go home."
All the way back, Xiao Xun held Lin Qiuran's hand. When they arrived at the restaurant, Lin Qiuran pulled his hand away and went in first.
Shopkeeper Shi had been watching the entire time, and seeing them return safely was a relief. They were finally back. They looked safe and sound, thank goodness. He didn't ask what had happened, but being able to come out was a double joy.
Shopkeeper Shi: "I've told all the guests that the restaurant has something going on today, and I'll give them a pot of rice wine tomorrow. Wan Niang has also told them, and I told Lu Fan to tell Aunt Liu when he returns."
At this moment, they could only tell each other in person, which was also troublesome. Lin Qiuran said, "Thank you for your help."
Shopkeeper Shi: "It's all right. Come, let's go to the brazier first."
Actually, it is just a charcoal basin. Stepping over it will bring bad luck.
Lin Qiuran had a big belly, so Xiao Xun came over and helped her step over. Then the Xiao family members stepped over the brazier one by one. Manager Shi was also thoughtful.
Lin Qiuran glanced at Sun, then at Xiao Dashi. Xiao Dashi's eyes were still red, while Sun's face was filled with the joy of having survived a disaster. She said, "It's getting late. I'll go cook dinner first. Dad and Mom, you should talk to Xiao Xun too."
Sun said, "I'll go and burn it. Lin Dong can also help. You talk to Xiao Xun."
Lin Qiuran: Eh?
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