Chapter 49
Chapter 49
Although Lord Lin didn't say much, his meaning was very clear.
The story naturally began six years ago, when the Mengfu was built and the river was renovated to the neighboring Lianshao County.
Lian Shao County forced local river workers and colluded with the former local county magistrate, offering a price of fifty coins a day to attract people from Zhengrong County to repair the river.
The hardships of river workers are beyond words.
Every time a canal is built, people die.
But the amount of silver and money given was indeed not small. At that time, it was said to be fifty cents a day, which also included food and drink.
In fact, at this price, the common people who know how hard it is to work on the river don’t want to go.
But there are still people who want to earn this money.
That’s what Ji Yuan’s father is like.
Ji Yuan's mother was ill, and all that could be pawned at home had been pawned. The remaining few acres of land were ancestral property and could not be sold.
It just so happened that the people under the former county magistrate of Zhengrong County praised the river workers to the skies.
Ji Yuan's father didn't believe it, but he thought that he would just work for a few months and come back with enough money to see a doctor.
He could even work a few more months and buy a cow.
With this idea in mind, more than one hundred people from Zhengrong County went there.
Who would have thought that he would never come back after this trip.
Not only were their wages delayed, but their daily meals were also mixed with sand.
In less than a month, the people of Zhengrong County felt they had been cheated and wanted to return home from Lianshao County.
The overseer with a whip refused to let him leave, and he was detained for thirteen months.
During these thirteen months, people died frequently, especially the river workers from Lianshao County. They arrived very early, and each of them was extremely thin.
Nearly a thousand river workers also resisted, but they did not have enough to eat while working every day, and the supervisors around them also had whips, and there were horses ready to chase the escaping river workers at any time.
Until the number of deaths was too high, more than 200 people died in Shao County, and more than a dozen river workers from Zhengrong County who arrived later also died.
This incident angered the imperial court, which sent an inspector.
Only then did I learn about the shocking corruption in the Jianmeng Mansion.
Most of the money allocated by the court for canal construction went into the pockets of officials in Jianmeng Prefecture, and a small portion went into the pockets of county officials along the canal, such as Lianshao County.
As for the rest, there were still various things to be taken care of. The county magistrate of Zhengrong County at that time was in cahoots with them and had long known that these river workers would never return.
What does this have to do with him? Anyway, several thousand taels of silver have gone into his pocket, and his superiors in Jianmeng Mansion think that he is sensible and will help him make more money in the future.
The corruption case that shocked the court was quickly cleared up.
But the dead can never come back.
Ji Yuan's father was on the river. By the time the government officials arrived, his body was already cold.
It was midsummer and the corpse was mixed with mud and smelled a bit.
Lord Lin looked at the 19 corpses in Zhengrong County with an expression of pity. He bought coffins from the locals and took the 19 people back with him.
The situation of each family was different. At that time, Lord Lin and the county magistrate spent a lot of effort to appease them, and gave them all the money they owed and the pensions issued by the court.
This matter was also kept secret, not even to the village chief.
The reason is simple. They are afraid that these people have already lost their family members, and after suddenly showing off their wealth, they will be targeted by evil people.
So few people knew about this.
Among these people, Lord Lin was most impressed by the Jiyuan family.
There was no way. Ji Yuan's family was small and his mother was still sick. When she heard the news of her husband's death, she couldn't get up.
Fortunately, Ji Yuan’s uncle was still there, and he bowed and nodded when he came over.
Lord Lin didn't think too much about it. These were Ji Yuan's closest relatives. They were blood relatives, so there shouldn't be anything wrong.
Who would have thought what happened next would happen.
It was also after taking over the chaotic Zhengrong County that too many things happened.
He actually forgot about this matter and did not investigate it further, which gave Ji Changlin an opportunity to take advantage of it.
Three years ago, the county school was recruiting people, and Ji Yuan wore fitting clothes to take the exam, so Lord Lin didn't think much of it.
Little did he know that the clothes were made for him by Master Ji Yuan.
The more Lord Lin thought about it, the more frightened he became. Due to his momentary negligence, he had allowed the little child to be handed over to such a person.
He had deliberately hidden behind the screen just now because he wanted to hear what this black-hearted couple had to say about Ji Yuan.
The more he listened, the angrier he got.
What a jinx, what an orphan.
Ungrateful person.
They were the ones shouting.
No wonder the little Ji Yuan was so calm in the face of adversity.
Judging from his calm expression, he might have said these words many times before.
It was because Lord Lin deliberately hid that Uncle Ji dared to say those words unscrupulously.
If Lord Lin really leaves Zhengrong County today, these lies will be buried forever.
Even if it were to be dug up again, it would be impossible to restore Ji Yuan's reputation to its normal state.
It’s so vicious. These words are really so vicious.
Just now, Ji Yuan asked why they said these words.
Is it to destroy the imperial examination path of Jiyuan?
Or, he is using this as a threat to make Prodigy Era a cash cow for his family.
All of these are possible.
At this time, the situation in the yamen was out of control.
Everyone present was shocked by the black-hearted couple before them.
Three hundred taels of silver. They took away the three hundred taels of silver that their brother exchanged for his life, and then treated Ji Yuan like this?
At this time, the county school instructor stood up and said, "If I remember correctly, Jiyuan earned all the money for schooling by himself, and he copied the Five Classics by himself."
"So where did you spend Ji Yuan's father's money?"
"What kind of life have you been living in these years, Ji Yuan?!"
The constables came hurriedly from behind, and Village Chief An and Master Zhao also came.
Master Zhao still has clothes from before the Little Era in his hands.
At that time, in order to look decent when attending the county school, the master's wife made a set of clothes for Jiyuan, and the clothes she exchanged were kept with her.
Now when they brought it over, everyone looked at the clothes full of patches and knew what kind of life Ji Yuan had been living.
"No, I don't, I have one too!"
"Support?" Village Chief An said, "It is Jiyuan who works for your family. He earns the money for his schooling by himself."
Village Chief An told what he knew.
Almost everyone on Lord Lin's side knew about these things, but hearing about them again now made them feel even more uncomfortable.
If in previous eras people worked hard to do odd jobs to earn money, it meant they were poor but studious.
Now what?
Now let me tell you, he doesn’t have to suffer so much.
His father worked hard to earn enough money for him to live a good life for a country man for half his life.
The road of the era should have been smooth.
Even if not all of the money was spent on him, even if his relatives were a little greedy, they would not have to live like this.
In order to completely cover up the matter, Ji Yuan's uncle and aunt actually treated Ji Yuan like this.
But Ji Yuan's next words made Magistrate Nie lose his balance.
"Uncle San, you wanted to completely cover up the existence of this money, so you deliberately didn't give him food, deliberately beat and scolded him, and deliberately made Dong Ri Ji Yuan live in a leaky woodshed?"
"So hungry that you eat straw, and so cold that you curl up?"
Ji Yuan never said these words.
First, it's useless to say it, it's all nonsense.
Second, there is no evidence, and I don’t understand why the other party would torture Xiao Jiyuan to death.
Now that he knew that little Jiyuan's father had left him three hundred taels, Jiyuan's doubts were completely resolved.
"Aunt San, you did your best to prevent me from going to school. Were you afraid that I would find out the truth of this matter when I went to school?"
"The more Master Zhao said I had talent, the more you stopped me from learning, and even got the whole village to come to you."
All the strangeness that remained in my heart was solved.
After all, as long as Ji Yuan is dead.
No one will investigate this matter and no one will ask about it.
The three hundred taels that Ji Yuan's father exchanged his life for, will never be known to anyone again.
These two people have done such a thing before?!
No wonder after Ji Yuan became capable, he never went to his uncle’s house to celebrate the New Year again, and no wonder he basically didn’t talk to this family.
It turns out that this is how he used to live.
Village Chief An also said: "You two should give up. Many villagers in Anji Village can prove this. They are on their way here."
"We can all testify to Ji Yuan that he didn't eat or drink anything from your house. He even did more work than the three of you combined."
Village Chief An, Master Zhao came here in a ox cart.
The other villagers did not have as many ox carts to ride on, and they were still on their way.
Ji Yuan’s eyes moved slightly.
Village Chief An said: "Ji Yuan has done a lot to change the lives of our villagers, but he never takes credit for it."
"We all know it in our hearts."
The method of making silage has always been the same as that of the past.
But whether he was working with Uncle An or teaching the whole village to do it, he never considered himself as a beneficiary.
Instead, he carefully considered the whole village.
In fact, today is the sixth day of the first lunar month. The village chief was spreading the news that a road was going to be built in the village when he heard that Ji Yuan had an accident.
Master Zhao came over in a hurry, and the two of them left the road construction and went straight to the yamen.
Naturally, they also heard about the three hundred taels.
Aunt Ji San, Uncle Ji San.
It's really unscrupulous!
In order to embezzle the money, he tortured Ji Yuan so much.
Not only that.
After thinking that Lord Lin and other insiders had left, he immediately turned around and bit back.
If Lord Lin and the others really left.
There is still room for this lawsuit to be argued.
What about Ji Yuan?
If Ji Yuan really takes the imperial examination this year, then it will be all over.
This incident was very infuriating to everyone present.
Ordinary clerks and common people only think about the relationship between relatives, but they actually treat their own nephew like this.
Officials like Magistrate Nie were thinking that the other party was actually going to cut off his path to the imperial examination in order to get hold of Ji Yuan.
After following Magistrate Lin for two months, Magistrate Nie could almost imagine what would happen next.
If Ji Yuan wants to reconcile with this difficult family, he must pay something, either money or a promise after passing the imperial examination.
In short, this family will be vampires forever and only suck the blood of the Jiyuan family.
This kind of scoundrel would definitely do that.
When County Magistrate Nie thought of his misunderstanding of Ji Yuan, he almost felt overwhelmed by guilt.
Just when County Magistrate Nie was about to try the case, he subconsciously glanced at Lord Lin.
Lord Lin said, "During the funeral, Ji Yuan had an aunt who came over. Maybe that aunt knows something."
"County Magistrate Nie, please arrest these people and interrogate them together tomorrow when Aunt Ji Yuan arrives."
In fact, things are now very clear.
Uncle Ji's family wanted to swallow up the Ji Yuan family's pension. To put it bluntly, they wanted to wipe out the entire family.
Not only was his family destitute of food, they even enslaved and abused his young nephew.
When his nephew became successful, he used the so-called favor to repay his kindness.
But in fact, Ji Yuan doesn't have to suffer these hardships at all.
Three hundred taels of silver, if given to a normal family, would definitely be enough to provide Ji Yuan with good food and drink.
But why wait for Ji Yuan’s aunt?
Lord Lin looked at Ji Yuan.
Ji Yuan looked heavy-hearted. He took two steps forward and questioned Uncle Ji: "When the pension was received, my mother was still alive, right?"
Wait?!
What is going on? !
The old official beside Magistrate Nie looked at Ji Yuan with a very soft gaze. Just now he was the most opposed to Lord Lin staying, but now he no longer said anything.
The old official whispered, "Master Lin just said that Jiyuan's mother couldn't come to collect the money because she was sick."
In other words, when the three hundred taels were delivered, she was still alive and she could still hire a doctor.
Some of the poor people’s diseases are not incurable, but they just don’t have the money to treat them.
Ji Yuan's father went to Lianshao County to work as a river engineer. He must have known that the disease could be cured, but it would cost a huge amount of money.
Therefore, the money he earned was not just for his youngest son.
And the life-saving money for my wife.
Although he got the money, his wife still died of illness.
Did you see a doctor, take medicine, or receive timely treatment?
The old official was an old official after all, and continued in a low voice: "The era at that time was only four or five years old. This mother would not give up her life. If she could survive, she would definitely seek survival."
My husband is already dead, what will happen to my children if I die again?
The only possibility is.
After Uncle Ji got the money, he never thought about paying for Sister-in-law T's medical treatment, let alone giving the money to Ji Yuan's mother.
There is something strange about Ji Yuan’s mother’s death.
If this family can treat Ji Yuan like this, they will naturally treat a sick woman like this as well.
Seeing that Uncle Ji San did not answer, Ji Yuan pressed forward again: "When she was alive, she tried her best to make clothes for me. One of the sleeves was missing a few stitches."
"She wanted to live. She had no desire to die."
"But you hid the money and didn't treat her. Is that right?"
Yes, definitely.
Uncle Ji was asked so many questions that he didn't even dare to look Ji Yuan in the eye.
This happened five or six years ago.
No one knows at all.
Why, why it's all revealed today.
Uncle Ji still remembers the day his sister-in-law died. She looked at him with eyes full of hatred.
Five-year-old Ji Yuan was still boiling water for his mother so that she could drink some water to at least feel less uncomfortable.
The three hundred taels of silver notes at that time were in his cuffs.
At this point, it has become a murder case.
If Uncle Ji really took the money from Ji Yuan’s family and didn’t use it to treat Ji Yuan’s mother.
This is no different from murder.
No wonder Lord Lin was willing to stay despite the risk of offending the Nie family.
No wonder Ji Yuan was filled with hatred when he heard the three hundred taels.
If this money really fell into his mother's hands, his mother would not die, and he and his mother would depend on each other. Their life could not be said to be good, but it would not be too hard.
With his ability to learn, both mother and son will surely live a good life.
They are all gone now.
Even he himself was almost framed and unable to take the imperial examination.
What a vicious family.
What a vicious mind.
If this happened to me, I would probably want to chop the other person to pieces.
Ji Li, who had been silent the whole time, couldn't believe it at all. He had never known these things.
No wonder his father tied him up and told him not to report to the police.
It turned out that he was afraid of meeting County Magistrate Lin.
They thought that Magistrate Lin had left, so they joined him in beating drums to protest their grievances.
Although he didn't know these things, he actually believed it when Lord Lin mentioned it.
The year when the Ji Yuan family encountered trouble, he was eleven years old and understood a lot of things.
I also knew that my family suddenly had money.
Of course, although they appear to be low-key on the surface, their lives have improved a lot in secret.
It was also there that he was sent to school. At that time, he asked where the money came from at home, but his mother told him not to ask.
Not only that, repairing the house and buying cattle were all done after this.
When Ji Li thought of these things, Village Chief An naturally remembered them too. After talking about this, he felt even more uncomfortable.
Such a thing happened right under his nose.
Ji Li went to school at the age of eleven. Ji Li's family renovated the house and bought a cow.
All should be from the era.
All of them were taken away by his family.
He also wanted to sue Ji Yuan for being disrespectful to his elders and not repaying his family for raising him.
This is just that someone stole your family’s money and killed your mother.
After a few years when you have become successful, the other party still says, you owe me, you have to pay me back.
While you are struggling to make ends meet, his family is still eating your blood and drinking your flesh.
"Shameless." Magistrate Nie gritted his teeth, "It's really shameless."
The new and old teams, which had originally been in dispute, stood together in an instant.
Even they had never seen such a shameless thing.
But the matter will be re-examined tomorrow.
After all, the matter of Ji Yuan's mother is just speculation, and we have to find Ji Yuan's second aunt before we can talk about it.
But that's tomorrow's matter.
The truth of this case will soon be revealed.
What awaits Uncle Ji's family is bound to be a severe judgment.
At the old official's reminder, Magistrate Nie shifted his attention to Li Yaozhong, who was shaking like a sieve.
As the "lawyer" of the Ji Li family, this Mr. Li was eloquent just now.
He has seen more and understands better what this incident represents.
It was obvious that everyone present was defending Ji Yuan, so even if he spoke eloquently, it wouldn't change anything.
Besides, he didn't want to change and just wanted to get out of this quickly.
God knows he just didn't want to let Jiyuan take the imperial examination, but who knew there were so many things involved.
The Gilleys are really stupid.
He embezzled so much money secretly, yet he still dared to file a complaint.
Yes, this matter is all Lord Lin’s fault. If he had just left, nothing would have happened.
That's right.
Lord Lin.
Lord Lin has conflicts with the Nie family.
Li Yaozhong looked at Magistrate Nie and whispered, "This matter still needs Magistrate Nie to make the decision. We don't need to listen to what others say."
"The Ji Li family is completely devoid of conscience and should be dealt with as soon as possible."
"What era are you waiting for, Second Aunt? County Magistrate Nie can just order the trial."
"You are the one who makes the decisions in Zhengrong County now!"
What this means is, why should we listen to Lord Lin.
You are the county magistrate of Zhengrong County.
Lord Lin took over the task and asked the constable to look for Ji Yuan, then for Village Chief An, and then for Ji Yuan's second aunt who had married far away.
He shouldn't do these things.
He must be trying to take credit!
This is how Li Yaozhong escaped.
When the two sides start arguing, he will be able to take sides.
Ji Li exclaimed, "What are you talking about! It was you who asked me to report to the authorities, and you said that this would prevent Ji Yuan from taking the county exam this year."
"If he wants to take the test, he can ask us. That's what you said!"
Li Yaozhong wanted to explain himself, but was frightened by Magistrate Nie's eyes.
But his words of sowing discord just now did work.
The officials and clerks who had just shared a common hatred for the Ji Yuan incident now became antagonistic to each other again.
Apart from anything else, Lord Lin has already completed his term of office, and it is indeed wrong for him to command the local detectives.
The two were about to quarrel again. Ji Yuan chuckled and pointed out directly: "Li Yaozhong, you let Magistrate Nie make the case without collecting complete evidence. Do you want to harm Magistrate Nie and get something against him?"
Of course not.
A complete chain of evidence is indeed necessary.
But at this time, it would be fine even if County Magistrate Nie directly announced the verdict.
No one will overturn the verdict for Uncle Ji's family.
Just like no one would overturn the verdict on Little Epoch Times in the first place.
"This is your family's business! Why don't you rush to make a judgment?! He killed your mother!" A minor official from the Nie family spoke up.
Ji Yuan hid the sadness on his face.
Is he sad?
Of course I'm sad.
Xiao Jiyuan, Xiao Jiyuan’s mother.
And there is Xiao Jiyuan’s father.
These three hardworking and kind people should have lived a good life.
But because of these changes, no one is left in the world.
If possible, he would naturally want to cut Uncle Ji's family into pieces.
But not yet.
People need to be patient and also wait.
And also curse people.
Swear harshly.
Ji Yuan looked at the clerks of the Nie family. At a time like this, these people were still competing for political achievements, which made people laugh.
Ji Yuan said: "This is a fine verdict, and it is in line with the justice in the hearts of everyone present, giving the world a satisfactory and just trial."
"What about similar things in the future?"
"Do we also have to decide based on feelings and results?"
Ji Yuan's words seemed to be a curse to many people present, but he still kept talking.
With his intelligence, he shouldn't have said the following words, but he said them anyway.
"Let me guess how you guys were doing this before."
"I just heard that Ji Li and Li Yaozhong came to the government office yesterday to file a petition. Logically, it should be handed over to County Magistrate Lin, who was the county magistrate of Zhengrong County yesterday."
"But you deliberately didn't mention it in order to suppress this matter and to smoothly replace the person who stamped my certificate with your master."
"According to your assumption, it's just a matter of certification documents. What's the big deal? County Magistrate Lin is gone, so County Magistrate Nie can handle it."
"But if it wasn't for the sudden report from Constable Lei before County Magistrate Lin left."
"Then the case in which Ji Li sued me for disrespecting my uncle and aunt will be treated as a real ordinary case."
"The secrets behind the case will be completely covered up by Uncle Ji's family. After all, they also know that they have to wait until County Magistrate Lin leaves before filing a complaint."
"Then, whether I win or lose the lawsuit, I will be entangled."
"Of course, you don't care. You even think you're doing me a favor and you're biased towards me during the investigation."
"Even if Ji Yuan really disrespects his elders, so what? With you here, Ji Yuan will definitely be safe and sound, and will definitely pass the imperial examination normally, and then it will become a part of your master's achievements."
Ji Yuan clearly explains what some people are thinking.
He was angry at the moment.
Needless to say, the Ji Li family is already a scumbag and will definitely be sentenced.
But the group of people from the Nie family in front of him almost caused him to miss the truth about the cause of death of Xiao Jiyuan's parents.
If County Magistrate Lin really left, he would have to stay and tell him the truth of what happened back then, even at the risk of offending the Nie family.
The injustice suffered by Xiao Jiyuan and the sacrifice of Xiao Jiyuan’s father.
The truth about Xiao Jiyuan's mother's death will be completely buried.
Ji Li's family can continue to drink Ji Yuan's blood openly, sparing no one, from the living to the dead.
The reason for everything.
That is, Ji Yuan is a little prodigy.
He will definitely achieve great results in the imperial examinations in the future.
For the sake of treating him as your master, what's wrong with letting him suffer a little grievance?
When Ji Yuan thought about how this matter almost fell into oblivion, he felt indescribable anger.
In fact, he had always had doubts in his heart.
Especially why did they abuse Xiao Jiyuan like that, why did they abuse a child.
"This is not what we thought! Who knew there was such a big thing going on!" A clerk from the Nie family shouted.
This person knows Li Yaozhong and is the one who is most responsible for instigating this incident.
Ji Yuan looked straight at him, not being intimidated by the fact that the other person was taller and older.
"I asked you to follow the normal procedures, and I think you are wronged?"
"You don't know the truth, but your selfishness is blocking the truth from being revealed."
"Stupid and dumb are more disgusting."
Ji Yuan said venomously: "If it is to win credit for yourself, I can understand it."
"To earn merit for one's master like this doesn't make him look like a court official, but more like a well-kept slave."
When Ji Yuan said this, Dr. Yin and the others looked over in surprise.
Ji Yuan is usually very gentle and always smiling.
He is really cruel when he scolds people.
But it's so refreshing to say this!
They've been wanting to say this for a long time!
The people brought by County Magistrate Nie were all family servants, not court officials at all.
All they think about is to gain merit for their masters.
As for Ji Yuan’s subtext, it’s just a direct curse: You are such a good dog.
"You almost let this unjust case go unpunished for the sake of political achievements, so you blurred the procedures and handled the case in a sloppy manner."
"Now, for the sake of political achievements, they don't even wait for important witnesses in this case. It's really the same thing."
"If there is something hidden inside, who among you will be responsible? Who will take the responsibility?"
"What will happen if you wait a little longer? Are you in a hurry to be reborn?"
The eleven-year-old Ji Yuan said these words calmly, making many officials in their thirties and forties present feel embarrassed.
Ji Yuan wanted to take advantage of Li Yaozhong's attempt to instigate the Nie family to quickly close the case and scold them, but he also really wanted to know the details.
Knowing the details will help you take revenge.
Only in this way can this case be completely nailed down.
No one can overturn the verdict.
He wants Uncle Ji's family to pay for their blood debt with blood.
Ji Yuan looked over coldly, then looked at Magistrate Nie who was sitting on the high platform.
Magistrate Nie blushed.
Naturally, he was among those whom Ji Yuan scolded.
He must have known that people under him were competing for his political achievements, but he didn't point it out. He also didn't expect that it was because of the competition that he almost missed such a big case.
If County Magistrate Lin really left.
If those things were not said.
I guess he would think that Ji Yuan is indeed a bit ungrateful.
Magistrate Nie was at a loss as to what to do. He trembled and said, "There are still doubts in this case. All suspects will be detained until the witnesses arrive tomorrow to re-examine the case."
Then he added, "Detective Lei, you are familiar with the local area. Follow the clues you just mentioned and take people to collect physical evidence."
"We need to investigate whether we consulted a doctor or received medical treatment."
After hearing this, Ji Yuan nodded in satisfaction.
Magistrate Nie looked at Ji Yuan and nodded, and he breathed a sigh of relief. He stood up and saluted Lord Lin: "Lord Lin, please stay for a few more days. This matter is of great importance, and I need to review the previous files. I would like to ask for your help."
Although Lord Lin has not yet taken up his post, the transfer order has already been issued, and it is an official position of the sixth rank.
Although Magistrate Nie has a good family background, he still calls himself a humble official.
But this is the first time I've seen someone so polite.
Seeing that Magistrate Nie was so polite, the people around Lord Lin calmed down.
Lord Lin nodded: "I will definitely stay."
Lord Lin looked at Ji Yuan and felt indescribably uncomfortable.
After some trouble, Lord Lin and his party, who were originally about to leave, stayed, definitely to wait until the matter was settled.
In fact, it is only the sixth day of the first lunar month and the roads are cold, so it is normal to set off later.
Mrs. Lin said: "If it wasn't for making room, why would we go on this cold road? We are fine, but what about the children?"
It’s because if I stay any longer, I’ll really have a fight with the petty officials of the Nie family.
I don’t know if it was because Ji Yuan mocked them in public, but these people really quieted down.
Ji Yuan cursed swiftly, and the person he cursed was ashamed.
With the help of the veteran officials around Magistrate Nie, the situation was finally better after he began to discipline his subordinates.
Everything will be settled once all the witnesses and evidence are collected before the trial will resume.
It is expected to be in three days.
Magistrate Nie gave the detectives time to investigate the case, and also again requested Lord Lin to stay for a while longer.
Lord Lin, who returned to his residence, could not sleep the whole night. He tossed and turned several times and sighed deeply.
Mrs. Lin knew her husband's temper best, so she tried to comfort him, "What was the situation like when we first came to Zhengrong County? At that time, it was already very good to be able to hand over the compensation money to every household."
"It's not your fault about the Ji Yuan family. I was too busy at the time and didn't have many people available, so there was nothing I could do."
Mrs. Lin followed Lord Lin to understand the situation at that time.
The imperial court sent people to investigate the corruption case. Although the inspection team took away most of the corrupt officials, there were still many hidden dangers in the area.
Not to mention others, most of the clerks in the third shift and sixth department of the yamen are useless.
The third squad is naturally the detectives.
The six departments are Li, Hu, Li, Bing, Xing, and Gong.
Since they can work under extremely corrupt officials, they can't be very clean.
I spent a year or two dealing with these things.
Lord Lin has indeed done a lot. Thinking that they are brothers, he would not go too far.
I also asked the local village chief to take good care of it.
And at that time, I also felt that since Ji Yuan's mother was still alive, there would probably be no problem.
Who could have thought that Ji Yuan's third uncle was so bold, taking the silver without telling anyone, deceiving his superiors and subordinates, and still managed to accomplish this.
Lord Lin sighed and stood up: "I'll take a walk in the yard."
Lord Lin thought of the first time he saw Ji Yuan.
During the county school entrance examination, he stood at the door with the teacher. When he heard Ji Yuan's name, he looked at him a few more times.
Seeing that Ji Yuan's clothes were clean, his eyes were bright, and he was even able to take the county school entrance examination, he thought he was doing well.
Unexpectedly, such a thing happened right under his nose.
When he came back just now, Lord Lin heard a lot more and finally understood how Ji Yuan had been living over the years.
How could he sleep?
I thought that during the four or five years in Zhengrong County, he had lived up to the court and the people.
But what was happening right now still made him depressed.
At this time, Ji Yuan lived in Dr. Yin's house.
The county school hasn't started yet and it's still very cold, so we naturally can't stay there.
The case from that year still needs to be investigated in the next few days, and Ji Yuan has to wait to be summoned at any time, so it is most convenient for him to live in the county town.
Master Zhao lived in Master Guo's house. Master Guo's house was small, so Dr. Yin brought Ji Yuan back.
Anyway, I've stayed here once before, so this time is no big deal.
Dr. Yin was worried that Ji Yuan hadn't fallen asleep, so he asked the servants to look after him more at night. In fact, Ji Yuan did think about it for a while, but still went to sleep to rest enough.
There is still a lot to deal with next.
At noon the next day, Ji Yuan's second aunt came over. When she saw the constable from Zhengrong County Government, she was so scared that her legs went limp.
When he heard the purpose of the visit, he fell silent.
The detective who came to pick her up was experienced in handling cases and could see the problem at a glance.
Lord Lin and Ji Yuan’s guess was correct.
On the other hand, many detectives went to Anji Village to investigate and also asked all the doctors in the county.
Asked whether he had been to Anji Village six years ago to treat Jiyuan's mother.
One of the old doctors said that he had seen the doctor, but Ji Yuan’s father was there at that time, and it was his father who paid the money.
The old doctor also said: "It's not that I don't want to treat that woman, it's just that she needs some herbs, which are really expensive. There is no other way except to buy the herbs."
Apart from this doctor, no other doctor ever came.
This testimony is the same as that of the neighbors around Anji Village.
Of course, when Ji Yuan's parents passed away, Uncle Ji's family renovated their house, and life was indeed better than before.
Not only that, when his family was renovating their house, they also dismantled all of Ji Yuan's belongings.
It's really unacceptable to eat so much that the whole family has been wiped out.
The purchase of the cow also took place after this incident.
There were both witnesses and evidence, and Uncle Ji's home was also searched, and the pension documents signed by him were found.
It was clearly written above that the total amount of government wages plus pensions was two hundred and twenty-five taels. Magistrate Lin, considering that his children were young and there were patients at home, privately paid an additional seventy-five taels.
A total of three hundred taels.
This document is exactly the same as the one kept in the official archives, and it has Uncle Ji's signature on it, which cannot be denied.
Ji Yuan's second aunt cried and said, "I was married far away, and when I heard that my eldest brother's body was brought back, it had already been several days."
"I rushed here as fast as I could and arrived just in time for my sister-in-law's last two days. She told me that she had caused trouble for my eldest brother and that her child was still young, so she asked me to take care of him."
"I said I would go get a doctor, but my sister-in-law said the family really had no money. I also had no money myself."
Ji Yuan's second aunt took care of her sister-in-law for two or three days and almost watched her die, but there was nothing she could do as they had no money and were very poor.
The sister-in-law looked at the coffin in the yard and felt extremely remorseful. She thought that she was sick and that was why she killed her husband.
Because of guilt and not seeing a doctor, and not being able to take medicine, Jiyuan's mother passed away. Before she died, she tried her best to make some clothes for little Jiyuan.
Constable Lei asked, "Don't you know about the pension?"
Ji Yuan's second aunt opened her mouth, and heard the constable sternly say, "Tell the truth! Someone has already gone to your neighborhood to investigate!"
"I know, I know." Ji Yuan's second aunt trembled, "I found out after my sister-in-law left. Ji Yuan's third uncle is very lazy and has almost no money."
"People in the village said he made a coffin for my eldest brother. I thought it was strange, but I didn't think much about it at the time."
"I didn't expect that after my sister-in-law passed away, my third brother would help with her funeral. This is not his usual style."
Because of the strange behavior, Second Aunt Ji Yuan overheard the conversation between Aunt Ji and Uncle Ji.
Only then did she know about the government's compensation. She cursed the two people for being so heartless. Her eldest brother and sister-in-law are such nice people, how could they do such a thing?
Since you have money, why don’t you take your sister-in-law to the hospital for treatment?
No matter how much she scolded him, my sister-in-law had already left, leaving behind a five-year-old child.
"My third brother told me that because my eldest brother died, the government gave him thirty taels of silver. He will definitely use this money to raise Ji Yuan well."
Thirty taels?
Constable Lei and others questioned him repeatedly and confirmed that what Uncle Ji told them was thirty taels.
He didn't even mention Ji Yuan's father's salary or the subsidy given by Lord Lin.
Moreover, for Ji Yuan's second aunt, everything had already happened. Both her eldest brother and sister-in-law were gone, and her sister-in-law's illness might not be cured even if she took medicine.
She couldn't report her third brother to the government because of this matter.
And if the news gets out, she won't be able to live like a normal person in her husband's family.
Finally, after Aunt Ji San and the others swore and swore, Second Aunt Ji Yuan nodded and stopped mentioning the matter.
But the scale of the funeral was also increased, in order to bid farewell to my eldest brother and sister-in-law.
However, because of this incident, Ji Yuan's second aunt did not return to her parents' home for several years, for fear of seeing Ji Yuan.
I thought it would remain a secret forever, but I didn't expect it to alarm the authorities.
"It's a family matter. Why does Yuan'er have to make such a fuss? It's not that he deliberately didn't want to treat his mother. It's just that his mother's illness is really incurable." Ji Yuan's second aunt said subconsciously.
Family matters should be handled by the family. Why report to the police?
Constable Lei looked at her strangely and said directly, "The people who filed the complaint are your third brother, his wife, and his son."
"They said Ji Yuan was disrespectful to his elders and that he ate and drank for free at his house."
"How is that possible! There are thirty taels of silver. Yuan'er is only eleven years old this year. He must not have spent all the money. Why is he eating and drinking at his house?" Ji Yuan's second aunt said again, this time speaking for Ji Yuan.
In her heart, it was indeed Uncle Ji's fault, but Yuan Ge'er should consider family ties.
But when he heard that it was Uncle Ji and the others who were causing trouble, he began to sympathize with Ji Yuan.
I think if Lord Lin leaves, the hidden story behind it will not be revealed.
Most people have the same mentality as Ji Yuan’s Second Aunt.
Blood ties are so important.
After all, blood is thicker than water.
Constable Lei looked at the confused woman in front of him and knew that she had the same idea as most people, so he said again, "It's not thirty taels."
"It's three hundred taels."
"This amount of silver is more than enough to treat Ji Yuan's mother's illness."
How many? !
Three hundred taels?!
Then why don’t you take your sister-in-law to see a doctor!
In the era of Second Aunt, I have never heard of such a large number.
In her opinion, with so much money, any disease can be cured.
"Then, then they deliberately didn't treat my sister-in-law?!"
Constable Lei sighed and said, "Have someone read it to you again. If your testimony is correct, then please put your fingerprints on it."
how so.
How could this happen?
"Where's Yuan'er? Is Yuan'er okay?" Ji Yuan's second aunt asked immediately, tears falling like a string, "It's all my fault, it's all my fault."
It is meaningless to blame anyone now.
Most importantly, some people should be punished.
The files were sorted out and placed in front of Ji Yuan. Ji Yuan thanked Constable Lei, took a deep breath, and read through the course of events.
From the time when Xiao Jiyuan's father worked as a river worker to the time he passed away.
The authorities finally put things right, but it was too late.
Then Uncle Ji appeared, took the pension, deceived his superiors and subordinates, and deliberately refused to treat Ji Yuan's mother.
If you say he was killed, then he wasn't.
But the death of Ji Yuan's mother must have been caused by Uncle Ji.
After Ji Yuan's second aunt knew the truth, she said a lot more. It is estimated that Uncle Ji and Aunt Ji mocked Ji Yuan's mother a lot.
They must have been the ones who said that Ji Yuan's father died because of her illness.
The detectives visited many households and confirmed this fact.
At this point, it was a foregone conclusion that Uncle Ji had forced his widowed sister-in-law to death and seized the property of his brother and nephew.
It was also thanks to Ji Yuan's persistence in arguing for the case to be investigated in detail, otherwise we would not have known about such a shocking scene.
"Ji Changlin and his wife were sentenced to multiple punishments. Two hundred strokes of the cane, exile three thousand miles, fifteen years in prison."
The punishment of beating with sticks is to beat the person with forty sticks every day for five consecutive days.
Then he was exiled three thousand miles away.
Imprisonment means doing hard labor for fifteen years in a place of exile, such as working in salt fields, mines, and building city walls.
This punishment is already extremely severe.
After all, this is really scary.
Uncle Ji even dared to withhold the silver and money issued by the imperial court.
When the Meng Mansion was built, many officials were thrown into jail for corruption. Unexpectedly, the harm has lasted for thousands of years and there are still victims.
He watched his widowed sister-in-law die of illness and falsely accused the students of the county school.
As the charges came up one after another, County Magistrate Nie became more and more angry when sentencing.
But the death penalty cannot be imposed directly. Not to mention that after the death penalty is reported to the Jianmeng Mansion, the review will be more stringent and the sentence may even be changed.
Furthermore, Uncle Ji can die, but he cannot die because of Ji Yuan.
Otherwise, he will never be able to clear himself of the connection.
Magistrate Nie suddenly remembered what his uncle often said, that one must do things cleanly and efficiently, and must not leave any handle.
Otherwise, the political opponents in the court will not let go until one of them falls.
Ji Yuan cannot be implicated in this matter.
If Uncle Ji died because he couldn't bear this punishment, it would have nothing to do with Ji Yuan.
When Magistrate Nie thought back to the details of this case, he couldn't help but break out in a cold sweat.
No wonder Lord Lin is so cautious and careful, fearing any mistakes.
For them, it is just a matter of seeing one less case, but for the people below, it is a calamity.
County Magistrate Nie could not sit still.
Can he really be a good county magistrate? Is he really capable?
Ji Yuan had already finished reading the file, closed it silently, and thanked Magistrate Nie.
Of course, there is also the criminal law of Jili.
But he did not participate in the murder of Ji Yuan's mother, and the withholding of the pension had little to do with him.
Fortunately, the crime of falsely accusing county school students was enough to punish him with eighty lashes of the cane.
As compensation for Ji Yuan, Uncle Ji must naturally pay three hundred taels of silver and another one hundred taels of compensation.
The money will first be deducted from his family's cash, and the rest will be mortgaged with his land and houses.
If that wasn’t enough, it fell on Ji Li.
From now on, Ji Yuan will be Ji Li’s biggest creditor. Whenever you see him in this life, you have to keep your tail between your legs.
Naturally, the Ji Li family doesn't have much money.
Even though it was three hundred taels of silver, his family was lazy to begin with, so at the beginning they bought a few acres of land and built a house.
Then the gambling addiction became more and more serious, and all the money was spent on food and drink.
Last year, when I was paying Ji Li’s gambling debt, I didn’t have the money to pay.
Fortunately, Ji Yuan returned all the money he spent on Xiao Huang.
Ji Li's family embezzled Ji Yuan's money, which originally belonged to Ji Yuan.
Xiao Huang has always been Jiyuan’s bull.
When dealing with these matters, Ji Yuan did not have any other expression. He just listened by the side when the black-hearted couple was beaten with the stick every day.
Ji Yuan silently said in his heart: "Little Ji Yuan, it would be great if you could hear me."
After these five days of fighting, it is still unclear whether they can reach the place of exile.
But it has nothing to do with the era.
Anyway, they will never meet again in this life.
On the twelfth day of the first lunar month, Lord Lin really packed up and left. The weather was better, so the road would definitely be easier to travel on.
Among those who came to see him off this time was Ji Yuan.
Ji Yuan seemed to have recovered. He still had a smile on his face and said to Lord Lin, "Lord Lin, I never had the chance to thank you for my parents' matter."
Lord Lin immediately shook his head: "It's my fault."
At this point, Ji Yuan said, "Master Lin, if it's convenient, can I have a word with you?"
Lord Lin naturally agreed.
The two walked aside and talked about something.
The teacher and Dr. Yin were also curious.
After Lord Lin and his party left, Madam Lin asked, "What did Ji Yuan ask you? It's so mysterious."
Lord Lin looked back and said, "He asked me where the county magistrates of Zhengrong County and Lianshao County were now."
Mrs. Lin paused, her face full of surprise.
"The magistrate of Lian Shao County was the mastermind, and his followers have long been executed."
"The county magistrate of Zhengrong County is an accomplice. If I remember correctly, he has been transferred to another place to take up a post?"
"Yes, he is working in other places. I don't know now."
But he was not dismissed from office, that is certain.
Lord Lin looked back again.
Only then did he realize that Ji Yuan’s enemies included more than just Ji Li’s family.
Such a young child was able to accurately identify the culprit.
At that time, he was the county magistrate of Zhengrong County.
That is the direct culprit of the murder.
Ji Yuan even smiled and said, "I'm just asking. Let's talk about it when there's a chance."
He is not a bitter and vengeful person, he just wants to remember the reasons behind some things.
One day, he will be able to do it.
Ji Yuan did not hide the problem from the teacher and Dr. Yin.
I just didn't want too many people to know that my people are fine.
The teacher didn't say anything to Dr. Yin, but just patted him on the shoulder and said, "Let's go. There is another person involved in this matter."
Li Yaozhong.
Li Yaozhong stirred up trouble and even sowed discord between the two county magistrates.
But he has a reputation, he is a scholar.
It cannot be judged that way.
Only a county school instructor, instructor, or a juren or above in status could punish him.
Although Ji Li's situation is similar to his.
But for the same crime, the punishment is different because of the different identities of the two people.
This is the importance of fame and fortune.
Speaking of scholars, on the way back, Dr. Yin nodded to the teacher and said to Ji Yuan, "Ji Yuan, are you interested in taking the exam for the scholar this year?"
"This year's county exam will start in more than 20 days."
"You are already a student of the second-class hall and have completed the Five Classics. You are qualified to take the exam."
"I've discussed this with the teacher. Maybe you can try the exam this year."
Ji Yuan looked at the teacher and Dr. Yin.
he?
Take the exam to become a scholar?
Just this year?!
Are you kidding me?!
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