Chapter 318 319. In broad daylight
The evidence brought up by the offending officials themselves, combined with the evidence found by Lei Li's men, was enough to convict them one by one, and the worst sentence would be more than ten years in prison.
"Quiet."
Lei Li suddenly slapped the wake-up stick, and the noisy crowd suddenly quieted down, all looking at him. His eyes swept over everyone one by one, and he said slowly,
"Rewards for reporting. Anyone who can provide evidence of the prefect's crimes, whether they be major crimes like the Ten Evils or minor offenses like dereliction of duty or favoring a concubine over his wife, can report them."
"You must speak the truth and your words will hit the mark. If you tell this governor a bunch of nonsense, not only will you not be able to reduce your sentence, but I will slap you in the face."
Before he finished speaking, a burly subordinate on his right raised a palm as thick as a brick, his eyes as big as copper bells, staring ferociously at the criminal officials in the hall.
The criminal officials: "..."
If you were to be slapped like this with a brick, not only your mouth but also your brain would be torn out.
They looked at each other in bewilderment, unable to fathom Lei Li's temperament. For a moment, none dared to act rashly. It was Xu Tongzhi, the most courageous, who asked first:
"Are you really going to commute our sentences?"
"certainly."
Lei Li smiled gently and said, "This governor always keeps his word. If you can help me overthrow the prefect, especially find the person behind the prefect's actions in Peking, I will consider commuting his sentence."
"Like Xu Tongzhi, you have committed such a heinous crime. Your head will definitely fall off, but your parents may still be able to enjoy their old age in peace, and your wife and children will not have to live in fear every day."
"But if you persist in your wrongdoing, then I'm sorry. According to Dayou law, you will be punished severely for multiple crimes. Not only will you be beheaded in public and your body will be hung and exposed to the sun for three days, but your parents, wife, children, and all your relatives will be exiled to the frontier."
Hearing Lei Li say this, the other officials who were in trouble all showed expressions of fear, but Xu Tongzhi felt relieved. If the governor promised him that he would protect his entire family, it would definitely be a lie and not be credible.
Being lenient in admission but strict in exiting is a scam.
Xu Tongzhi was well aware of this matter.
As the deputy of Baihui prefect, Xu Tongzhi had to deal with many things. Although the prefect was very secretive and some of the things he was told to do were confusing to him, he was also an old fox with profound experience and he would definitely be able to dig out something if he wanted to.
He told Lei Li and others the hiding places of the evidence of the prefect's crimes that he had collected, as well as his speculations about the person behind the prefect.
Lei Li sent someone to the place he mentioned, and indeed found a thin account book. The amount in the account was not huge, and according to the crime of corruption, the prefect could only be demoted and transferred to a distant place, but it was not useless.
Lei Li sent back to Beijing the gold, silver, jade, calligraphy, and other luxury goods found during the house search, as well as a list of the guilty officials. He also wrote a memorial to inform the emperor of Xu Tongzhi's speculation and asked the emperor in Beijing to investigate.
——He has come all the way to Baihui on a business trip, so the emperor can’t just sit back and reap the benefits.
At the end of the memorial, Lei Li urged that someone be sent to Bai Hui as soon as possible to fill the vacant official position, as he was almost short of manpower!
This time when he came to Baihui, Lei Li brought a lot of people with him just in case.
The elite backbones of the Beijing Metropolitan Transportation Department also poached some people from other departments and brought with them two hundred elites from the Kyoto Guards, a total of a mighty three hundred people.
I thought it was enough, but now it’s all filled up in Baihui Prefecture, Sihai Division and Baihui Transport Department.
Because the silver needed to be transported back to the capital, the government office did not have enough people to escort it, so the two hundred Kyoto guards also dispatched one hundred and fifty people to escort it. Only fifty people were available to Lei Li, including Zhou Yi.
Lei Li: “…”
It is true that one only regrets not having enough knowledge when one needs it.
But it is enough to put the prefect in jail.
While Lei Li was digging up dirt on the prefect in Baihui, he was also trying to find a way to form the Maritime Merchant Alliance. The local officials that the Maritime Merchant Alliance relied on were wiped out, but they still had a firm cooperative relationship with officials from other prefectures, especially the nobles and relatives in Beijing.
Maritime merchants need power for protection, and officials need money to pave the way. The cooperation between the two has become so complex that it is almost a symbiotic relationship where they prosper together and suffer together.
Completely dismantling the maritime merchant alliance is more difficult than replacing a group of officials.
Fortunately, the emperor is capable.
After receiving Lei Li's memorial, the emperor issued a secret decree, giving him the power to mobilize the troops of Baihui and the surrounding prefectures. At the same time, he sent a group of officials from Beijing to take up Baihui's vacant positions to ensure a smooth transition of power in Baihui.
——Transitioned from maritime merchants to the hands of the imperial court.
In just a few months, Baihui City was turned upside down and became completely different.
From the provincial capital to the county, every level of officialdom has undergone a major change, from corrupt old bureaucrats to young and energetic new officials.
Almost all of them are young people under the age of 30, and all of them are Jinshi who have passed the imperial examinations in recent years. They come from poor families and should be more familiar with the hardships of the grassroots people and become good and honest officials who truly serve the people.
Some also come from aristocratic families.
For example, Shu Ge'er and Shen Qiqi, who had originally entered the Hanlin Academy, were also sent to Baihui and became magistrates of two neighboring counties.
Sihaisi and one of Baihui's largest and most prosperous ports are both located in the two county towns. Shuger, Shen Qiqi and Lei Zhouzhou, the three good friends, can be together again, and Lin Zhong can once again compete openly and secretly for jealousy.
Everyone is happy.
Due to the major shake-up of the Baihui official class, the Baihui prefect was also exiled, and the low- and middle-level merchants who had previously relied on them to stir up trouble could not escape legal sanctions and were arrested and beheaded in large numbers. Only those who had behaved themselves or committed minor offenses were left, and they were frightened and behaved honestly.
The land that was seized by officials and merchants was returned to the people. There would be no monopoly or malicious price-cutting on the seashore. Patrolling police officers would not dare to accept bribes, and the gangsters would not dare to collect protection fees at this stall.
The fishermen's livelihoods are guaranteed. They no longer need to sell their boats to find other ways out, nor do they need to sell their children to make a living. The streets and beaches are full of prosperity and bustling scenes, and the people's faces are full of hope.
The big merchants in the Maritime Merchant Alliance were arrested, their properties were confiscated, and the remaining group had a solid foundation or people with power over them. They were just picked up with heavy hands and put down with light hands, but this was also relatively "light hands".
Although he couldn't do anything about it, Lei Li still exploited and extorted them severely, causing them great damage. They wouldn't be able to recover unless they managed their business well for a few years.
certainly.
Lei Li is not the kind of evil official who exploits the people. No matter how rich the big merchants are, they are still members of the people. If they are upright and have nothing to fear, Lei Li will not mess with them for no reason even if they are involved with the aristocratic families in Beijing.
"Some officials come from humble backgrounds or are pedantic, and they think all businessmen are bad, treacherous and evil, especially wealthy businessmen."
Lei Li said, "But that's not true. There are good and bad merchants. There are bad people who collude with officials to oppress the people, and there are good people who run their businesses with integrity and honesty."
"There is no business without dishonesty, and there is no business without sharpness. Although the pronunciation of this word is the same, the different characters have opposite meanings. Not judging people by appearance, family background or status is an upright person and an upright official."
"really."
Zhou Yi nodded in agreement with him.
As the sun sets, they stroll along the beach, gazing at the sparkling sea with overlapping waves. The orange-red sun is like a pickled egg yolk. It was lying in the thick white clouds and mountains just now, and in the blink of an eye, the bottom has sunk into the horizon.
The setting sun slowly sinks into the sea.
The couple took a slow walk.
There were countless people setting up stalls on the beach to sell their wares. Some had just returned from the sea, and their fish were lively and jumping around, so they sold them at a higher price. Others had been selling for a while, and most of the fish and shrimp in their baskets were already dead. The women and men who wanted to buy were bargaining with the sellers.
In addition to those selling seafood, there are also people selling other things, such as green-skinned coconuts as big as heads, homemade fisherman's cakes, sophisticated fish baskets and fishing nets, as well as people selling puppies and kittens, ready-made clothes, fabrics and hair ornaments.
A harmonious scene.
"The last time we came here, it wasn't even half as lively as it is now."
Lei Li looked at the people hawking their wares and couldn't help but smile. "We've done another great deed. It's a pity we can't let them know I'm the Governor. Otherwise, I'd hear endless praise."
"Honest advice may be unpleasant to the ear, but it is beneficial to one's conduct. Hearing too much praise can easily lead to losing one's true heart."
He sighed pretentiously, but he looked energetic and a little eager. It was obvious that he really wanted to reveal his identity here to see how these people would react.
Isn't it crazy to do good deeds without leaving your name?
He has been doing good deeds all his life. He has only eaten a few snakes and pigs, countless chickens, ducks, geese, and dumb vegetables and fruits. He has played tricks on a few people and has never done anything bad. No matter how much praise and reputation he receives, he deserves it.
Those who know the difference between thunder and lightning are like Zhou Yi.
Hearing him say this, Zhou Yi said, "It's okay, you really did a great thing. Baihui's current appearance is all due to you. Being praised is your destiny, and it cannot be stopped."
"really."
Lei Li glanced at Zhou Yi with her peach blossom eyes and chuckled, "As expected of my husband, after being trained by me for so long, he can now praise people without hesitation. He's much more likable than the wooden face he was a few years ago."
Training...
Zhou Yi paused, then nodded calmly, "It's true that my husband has trained me well."
Lei Li glanced at him meaningfully, patted his strong and broad chest, and said, "Let's go back now and buy some fresh fish and shrimp. After we're full, we can get down to business."
Business...
It doesn't feel quite right.
Zhou Yi followed silently, thinking to himself, the person who just said that he was upright now seems not so upright. Would an upright person say such pornographic content in broad daylight in public?
"master!"
A fisherman's girl cried out in surprise when she saw Lei Li and his friend. The couple also recognized her as the father and daughter they had rescued last time.
"Are you here to buy fish again today?"
The girl was particularly enthusiastic, yet also a little shy. She still remembered the last time she had acted arrogantly in front of them and thrust a fish basket at them while saying, "Fresh fish and shrimp, just for you!"
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