Regarding Lu Gongzhu's decision, the officials who observed the trial did not show much dissatisfaction or anger.
Everyone knows that as long as there is a trial, Zhang Fei will definitely find a way to involve the tenant farmers in the trial.
Li Guozhong and others were also very aware of it and were fully prepared. However, as soon as Zhang Fei came up, they took this matter as an example. This was something they did not expect.
After Li Lei sat down, Fei Ming, who was behind him, looked over and whispered: "Strange! Why did he start talking about tenant farmers?"
Li Lei nodded, also looking confused: "Uncle Fei is right. According to our previous prediction, he should first prove tax evasion on the land other than the white deed, and then convict that part of the crime, and then use this as a reason to file the white deed."
Regarding tax evasion, this is more reasonable."
Li Guozhong frowned and thought for a while, "Could it be that he learned about the water leakage in Gouyuan, so he did the opposite."
Fei Ming nodded and said: "It makes sense, it must be so. This way, it will be very beneficial to us."
Li Guozhong smiled and nodded.
Fan Chunren frowned and said, "Is this his response?"
Qian Yi shook his head: "But this is not the best policy. It is already known to everyone that the tenant farmers have not paid taxes. The government has also checked it. They really cannot afford it. If those tenant farmers come to court to complain, I'm afraid
It will be detrimental to Zhang San and the others."
Fan Chunren nodded slightly, but looked confused.
The tenant farmers cannot pay taxes. From a judicial perspective, this is of course illegal, but the law is not about human nature. If the tenant farmers really cannot afford it, you can't kill them all.
The key land does not belong to him, and it is impossible to sell the land to pay taxes. In the end, he can only sell his sons and daughters.
Therefore, Fan Chunren and Li Guozhong had the same prediction. They believed that Zhang Fei would not mention this matter first, but would first use the tax evasion land outside the white deed as a breakthrough.
So the only reason why Zhang Fei didn't do this is that Zhang Fei might have known that there was something wrong with the evidence, and made a temporary decision to litigate the lawsuit with tenant farmers as the main ones.
As the defendant, Du Shaojing couldn't help but look at Li Guozhong and others.
Li Guozhong nodded.
Du Shaojing nodded: "You are right."
Zhang Fei asked again: "Does the official know that the white contract is not a legal contract and will not be recognized by the court? It is even more illegal to rely on a white contract to evade taxes."
Du Shaojing nodded and said, "I know."
Zhang Fei said: "That officer was doing it knowingly."
Du Shaojing showed embarrassment: "Many of the fields were signed by the sellers in white deeds, and some were instigated by dentists, not mine. Besides, everyone does this."
Of course, they are also prepared for this. If you say it is a free agreement, I will not blame everyone.
Zhang Fei asked: "As far as I know, the buyer is generally responsible for the deed tax. Why does the seller require a white deed?"
When Li Guozhong heard this, he looked happy.
Du Shaojing glanced at Zhang Fei and asked, "Have you ever sold land?"
Zhang Fei shook his head: "My parents didn't give me this opportunity."
Du Shaojing smiled disdainfully: "Although the law stipulates that the deed tax is borne by the buyer, under normal circumstances, the seller also has to pay, and the government agency also has to pay. After all, the seller can only get 60 to 70 percent at most.
Therefore, the seller is not very willing."
...After hearing this, Zhang Fei was stunned for a moment and couldn't help but look at Xu Zhiqian, who shook his head slightly, and then turned back to Qiu Zhengwen.
The latter nodded and whispered: "This is the case."
Over there, Fei Ming saw Zhang Fei's expression was different, and immediately leaned forward and whispered: "Brother Li, it seems that guy doesn't quite understand what's going on here!"
Li Guozhong said cautiously: "Don't jump to conclusions first, let's take a look before talking."
Fan Chunren, Zhang Fei's old rival, is relatively calm at this time. He knows that Zhang Fei is good at asking questions that seem to be beneficial to the opponent, and then defeats them with one blow.
"I'm done asking."
Zhang Fei sat down directly.
Mr. Lu was stunned for a moment. Is this the end?
It’s not like your style!
Zhang Fei, who sat down, first looked at Xu Zhiqian with confusion.
Xu Zhiqian said: "There is really no literature on this."
Zhang Fei turned around again, looked at Wang Anshi, spread his hands, as if to say, why didn't you provide me with this information?
Wang Anshi also looked innocent and glared at Zhang Fei. Don't you know this kind of thing?
Zhang Fei snorted angrily and turned around again.
Sima Guang saw it all and said hehe: "Stop pretending, I know you did this on purpose."
Wang Anshi ignored him, turned around and asked Lu Huiqing: "Didn't you tell him this?"
Lu Huiqing said: "My mentor just asked me to collect the details of the tenant farmers, and he didn't ask me to tell him this. Besides, everyone knows this kind of thing!"
Wang Anshi said: "Everyone knows that if you don't sell the land, who will go out of your way to inquire about this kind of thing? It's not like you don't know that if you don't write it down on paper, the brat won't understand."
Lu Huiqing was speechless after being trained.
Sima Guang didn't look fake and thought to himself, how could they make such a simple mistake? No, that brat Zhang San shouldn't make such a mistake. He is the one who pays the most attention to details. It must be Wang Jiefu.
Big Boss missed it.
He also knew that Wang Anshi must have provided information about these people, and Zhang Fei would not be able to find much.
Li Lei, who was opposite him, didn't think so much. Zhang Fei sat down so quickly. No matter what, he was giving him a big gift. It was a dreamy start. He immediately stood up and asked Du Shaojing: "Du Yuanwai, may I ask you a question?"
Since you have already paid the deed tax, why not pay the summer tax together? If I were you, I would either pay them all or none at all. After all, not paying taxes is also illegal."
Du Shaojing replied: "Because I lease these forty hectares of land to tenant farmers, and the lease contract has stated that the taxes will be borne by the tenants."
Li Lei asked again: "According to the laws of our dynasty, if the contract stipulates that the tax shall be borne by the tenant, then the owner must first go to the tenant to demand payment. If the demand fails within half a month, then report it to the government."
The government will collect the money on your behalf. Has Mr. Du ever gone to collect the money?"
Du Shaojing nodded: "I'll tell them."
Li Lei asked again: "Have those tenants agreed to pay taxes?"
Du Shaojing shook his head, "They said there is no food left at home to bear the summer taxes."
Li Lei said: "Can we be separated by half a month during this period?"
Du Shaojing nodded.
...Li Lei continued to ask: "Did Yuan Du go and tell the government immediately?"
Du Shaojing said: "No. It was only later that the imperial court sent someone to ask, so I could tell."
Li Lei said: "Why?"
Du Shaojing sighed: "Because their life is indeed very difficult, and I don't have the heart to force them."
Xu Zhiqian curled her lips and whispered: "He can say such heartless things. If he really sympathizes with those tenants, why doesn't he pay taxes on their behalf?"
Zhang Fei said: "Okay, I'll ask him later."
Xu Zhiqian pursed her lips and smiled: "Okay!"
Qiu Zhengwen on the side was dumbfounded. Are you so casual in filing a lawsuit?
Just in time, Li Lei finished asking. Zhang Fei immediately stood up and said, "Du Yuanwai, just now you said that you didn't inform the court in time because you didn't want to force those tenants and thought their lives were very difficult. Can I understand that Yuanwai was out of trouble?"
Do you have a kind heart and sympathize with those tenant farmers?"
Du Shaojing thought about it carefully, nodded and said, "You can say that."
Zhang Fei asked again: "Can we say that the members also hope that the imperial court can exempt them from summer taxes?"
Du Shaojing wondered if there might be a trap here, and couldn't help but look at Li Guozhong and others.
Li Guozhong nodded slightly.
Du Shaojing then replied: "If the imperial court is willing to exempt them from taxes, of course I will support it."
Zhang Fei asked: "Then do you know that if you do this, the court will lose a lot of tax revenue?"
Du Shaojing said: "The tax revenue from these tenants should not affect the imperial court."
Zhang Fei nodded and said, "Have you ever thought about paying this tax for these tenant farmers?"
Du Shaojing said: "Of course I have thought about it, but I'm afraid that if I do this, my tenants will default on their taxes and ask me to help them pay."
Zhang Fei said: "Have you ever thought that if the imperial court exempts those tenant farmers from paying taxes, everyone will deliberately not pay taxes in the future?"
Du Shaojing immediately said: "The imperial court is different. The imperial court often exempts some people from taxes."
Zhang Fei asked: "So Yuanwai has never helped those tenants who are living in difficulty to bear the taxes?"
"Me." Du Shaojing hesitated.
"I'm done asking."
Zhang Fei sat down and whispered to Xu Zhiqian: "You know the answer."
Xu Zhiqian hummed and said, "Even if you don't ask, I know."
"Wow, you are so heartless."
Zhang Fei glanced at Xu Zhiqian with disdain, then turned back to Qiu Zhengwen, who was already dumbfounded, and said, "Stop being dazed and pour me a cup of tea."
"Oh well."
Qiu Zhengwen quickly poured a cup of tea for Zhang Fei and asked cautiously: "Third brother, what's the mystery in your question?"
Zhang Fei took a sip of tea and said: "This lawsuit will last for many days, so I'm just going to ask a few questions. First, I'll clear my throat. I've been feeling angry recently, coughing up phlegm, and coughing."
"?"
Qiu Zhengwen was speechless for a while.
Are you going to sing?
Seeing Li Lei stand up again, he said to Lu Gong: "For the magistrate, I have here the lease of Du Yuanwai and one hundred and twelve households of tenants, which is enough to prove the tax on these forty hectares of land.
It’s all borne by the tenant farmers.”
... Lu Gong wrote: "Submit it."
I saw that the tenancy contract of more than one hundred points was quickly divided into the hands of more than a dozen judges and swordsmen. The contracts these days were basically just a piece of paper.
In less than one stick of incense, the entire trial was over.
Huang Gui then reported to Lu Gong that according to the tenancy contract, all the rent was borne by the tenant farmers.
Zhang Fei immediately stood up and expressed to Lu Gongzhu that he hoped to call the three tenant farmers Li Dacai, Tian Chun and Chen Fang to the court.
Lu Gongzhu immediately ordered these three people to come to court.
After a while, I saw three old men in short brown clothes coming into the hall. Seeing so many officials sitting in front of them, their legs were shaking with fear, and they didn't know how to salute.
When Li Kai shouted, they all woke up from a dream and saluted in unison.
Lu Gongzhu did not blame them and asked them to sit under the big tree. The three of them came under the big tree, but no one dared to sit down and stood still.
Lu Gongzhu did not force himself and gave Zhang Fei a look, indicating that he could ask questions.
Zhang Fei asked first: "Are all three of Du Shaojing's tenants?"
The three of them nodded dully.
Zhang Fei asked again: "I don't know how long the three of them have been tenants under Du Shaojing's household."
Li Dacai replied: "Five years."
Tian Chun replied: "Three years."
Chen Fang replied: "Six years."
Zhang Fei asked: "During this period, have you paid taxes?"
The three of them looked at each other, then shook their heads.
Zhang Fei asked: "None of them?"
Li Dacai whispered: "No."
Zhang Fei said: "Then when you signed the lease, did you know that you would bear the taxes?"
The three of them nodded again.
Zhang Fei said: "Then why don't you pay taxes?"
Li Dacai replied: "Because those fields are white deeds, there is no need to pay taxes."
Zhang Fei asked: "In other words, before you signed the contract, you knew that those fields were tax-free fields?"
The three of them nodded at the same time.
Zhang Fei asked again: "Then why does it say in the contract that you should bear the taxes?"
Li Dacai said: "Du Yuanwai said that if the government discovers it, he will have to pay taxes, so this must be written in the contract."
"Really?" Zhang Fei asked, "Did Yuanwai Du explain this to you in advance?"
The three of them nodded at the same time.
Zhang Fei asked again: "You all agreed?"
The three of them nodded at the same time.
Zhang Fei said: "I have read your lease. Although it is less than most red leases, if you include taxes, you actually paid more, especially for your Li Dacai lease. According to the market situation,
Come to think of it, you paid almost 80% of the taxes to Du Yuanwai, do you know this?"
Li Dacai nodded and said: "I know, this is of my own free will."
Zhang Fei asked curiously: "Why?"
Li Dacai said: "Because there were many people fighting for these fifty acres of land at that time, I was able to pay a high rent, and only those outside the Yuan Dynasty rented it to me."
Zhang Fei asked: "Actually, the land you rented with a red deed is less than this even if you add taxes. And now you have not only paid 80% of the taxes, but you may also face the risk of paying taxes. Do you know this?
You mentioned it."
Li Dacai replied: "My family has rented the red-deeded land before, but as a result, I sold my daughters. I vowed never to rent the red-deeded land again."
After speaking, his tone became excited and his eyes became a little red.
Zhang Fei was stunned for a moment: "Why?"
Li Dacai said: "Do you think those people will collect as much tax as the court stipulates? I have paid three times the tax before, so I have no money to pay the rent, and I dare not borrow money, so I can only
Sold my daughter to pay rent.”
At this point, he suddenly started crying, wiping his tears, and sobbing: "Do you think I'm stupid and can't do math? I just know how to do math, so I don't dare to rent that red contracted field, because you don't know anything about it.
How much tax will the government ask for this time? Even if the rent for the white land is high, we are willing to rent it, at least the officials will not ask for more of our money."
Zhang Fei frowned, first glanced at Li Guozhong and the others, and then looked around at the officials, as if asking, is this a shameless answer?
The officials all looked indifferent.
Don't you want to fight?
come!
Hurt each other!
Let's see who can afford it.
Nancy Beiqing reminds you: Remember to collect after reading this