"Your humble servant Fu Guozhong greets the two adults."
"Because I am injured, I am unable to meet you. I hope you two can forgive me."
Fu Guozhong, who was invited out by the officials, still maintained the mummy-wrapped appearance he had when he was rescued by Si Muqiao.
That look made him look dull and funny.
But no one present laughed at him.
"It's okay. I heard that you have evidence of the Xue family and Wang Desheng secretly colluding. Present it to me."
"Your Excellency, I am a witness."
"On June 18, I was going to talk to Wang Desheng about lifting the blockade of the city, but when I walked to the gate, I overheard the conversation between you and the second young master of the Xue family."
"Because they mentioned food, I stood at the door and eavesdropped for a while."
"I heard with my own ears that Wang Desheng and the second young master of the Xue family colluded secretly and moved the grain in the granary and sold it at the Xue family grain shop at a high price."
"Lord Wang received 70% of the income from the high-priced grain, and the Xue family received 30%."
"I was so shocked that I wanted to rush in, but I knew that I was powerless, so I retreated secretly and began to collect evidence in secret."
"Later, I really got the account book of Xue's grain store, and I was tempted after seeing the grain in the store."
"After ordering people to secretly transport the food out, they took the opportunity to distribute it to the starving people."
"As a result, the truth was revealed, and Lord Wang and the Xue family wanted to arrest the official and bring him to justice."
"Lord Wang in Guozhou City has absolute power. I thought I was doomed."
"Who would have thought that at this moment, the Imperial Envoy would arrive..."
"Lord Wang was afraid that his collusion with the Xue family would be known by the imperial envoy, so he secretly threatened me and my family and took away the evidence account book from me."
"They also accused me of colluding with the rebels and burning the granary."
"Sir, Lord Wang abused his power, disregarded human lives, took bribes and perverted the law, and disregarded the laws of the Great Zhou and the people."
"Because of his mistake, more than 4,000 people starved to death and tens of thousands of people were displaced."
"He deserves to be cut into pieces!"
"Your Excellency has enforced the law impartially and without bias. You have immediately punished Lord Wang, redressed the injustice of tens of thousands of people in Guozhou, and saved my life. I am deeply grateful and am willing to follow your lead."
Having said that, Fu Guozhong bent down hard and saluted to Murong Qingli and others.
If he hadn't been in poor health, he would have already kowtowed three times with his forehead touching the ground.
After finishing, he continued to speak.
"The Xue family abused their power to commit crimes, bullied men and women, colluded with court officials, acted arrogantly, disregarded the law, disregarded human lives, and trampled on the laws of the Great Zhou."
"I hope you will handle this impartially!"
As soon as Fu Guozhong said this, some of the onlookers came out and knelt on the ground crying.
"Master Qingtian, please make the decision. My daughter-in-law is already three months pregnant. She is beautiful and gentle, so she is favored by the second young master of the Xue family."
"The second young master of the Xue family forcibly snatched her away and raped her. The daughter-in-law of the commoner family was killed and her body was thrown into the wilderness."
"I went to Lord Wang to file a complaint, but Lord Wang just evaded the question."
"That afternoon, the second young master of the Xue family broke into the woman's house with fifty taels of silver and several hundred thugs."
"He threatened me that if I didn't withdraw the lawsuit, he would have the people he brought with him come to our house and smash things up every day."
"He also threatened to grind my daughter-in-law to dust and broke my son's legs on the spot."
"Then, he left fifty taels of silver and walked away."
"This woman and her family have no way to file a complaint with the authorities, and they are threatened every day. They are really angry and scared."
"Later, in order to treat my son's leg, I had to withdraw the lawsuit and live with humiliation."
"God of justice, please have mercy on me and redress my grievances!"
"Who the hell are you? How dare you make up stories about me?"
Xue Gang, the second young master of the Xue family, glared at the woman and cursed at her.
However, as soon as he finished cursing, his head was attacked by several stones.
The blow made his head buzz with pain, and something sticky slid down his head.
The head of the Xue family, Xue Hongyuan, also spoke in a deep voice.
"Master Fu, you have to provide evidence when speaking. You said that my Fu family was colluding with Master Wang, and you are a witness. Who knows if you deliberately gave false testimony in order to frame me?"
"If you have the ability, show me the evidence!"
"And this woman, she started making up stories about my son. It's really outrageous."
"Sir, you are a high-ranking official in the capital after all. Are you going to convict my Xue family just because these people say a few random words?"
"It's hard to convince people if you do things this way, and it will make me think that you are coveting my family property and want to take advantage of the opportunity to make money!"
"Shut up! How can you talk nonsense while the master is investigating a case?" Feng Liuyu was so angry at his words.
With such a small fortune in the Xue family, is it worthy of Your Majesty's concern?
Who are you disgusted by saying this?
"Liu Yu." Murong Qingli said calmly.
Then he continued, "Do you have anything else to say, my people?"
"Sir, I am willing to testify for Master Fu and prove that Master Fu did not lie."
"Sir, I am also willing to be a witness for Sir Fu. At that time, my family almost starved to death, and it was Sir Fu who sent us food."
"Sir, I am willing to..."
People in the crowd knelt down one by one.
"Your Excellency, I am Liu Fangde, an official from the Guozhou government office, and I am willing to testify for Master Fu."
"In order to persuade Lord Wang to open the granary and release the grain, Lord Fu knelt in Lord Wang's yard for a whole day and night."
"Then, seeing that Lord Wang was indifferent, he went back and tried every possible way to raise food."
"Even if he is suppressed, bullied, and humiliated by Lord Wang, he is willing to grit his teeth and sell his ancestral property for the people."
"Later, in order to steal the grain from the granary and distribute it to the people, Lord Wang blamed me, wrongly accused me, and subjected me to various punishments. I was also accused of colluding with thieves."
"Such a good official who was devoted to the people has now ended up in such an embarrassing situation, seriously injured and nearly died."
"How can I bear this?"
"Sir, I am willing to use my life as a guarantee for Master Fu."
"Your Excellency, I am Zhao Yan, a clerk in the Guozhou government office, and I am willing to testify for Master Fu."
“…”
After a large number of civilians knelt down, many officials knelt down again.
When seeing this scene, Feng Liuyu's face became serious, and an inexplicable surge of emotion rose in his heart. There was respect in his eyes when he looked at Fu Guozhong.
He finally understood why His Majesty did not just deal with the small Xue family directly, but insisted on bringing them out in public to deal with them.
Fu Guozhong is a loyal and courageous man, but he was treated like this. Your Majesty wants to give an explanation to him and to the whole world.
As a result, no matter whether there is any evidence or not, Xue Jia and Wang Desheng will have to die, and their death will be what they wish for.
This will also make other gentry in Guozhou City, other county magistrates in subordinate counties, and other officials in surrounding towns watch and be afraid of the police.
Not only will the imperial envoy from the capital be a sword hanging over the heads of officials and gentry, but also the common people.
Those who harbor evil intentions, bully others by taking advantage of their power, and abuse their power for personal gain will all ultimately be punished by the laws of the Great Zhou.
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