Seeing the two people facing each other tit for tat, Wang Xun couldn't help but laugh.
The personalities of these two people have nothing in common. I really don’t understand how they got together.
Zhang Xunai was a prostitute in the last years of Kaiyuan. He was full of knowledge, and his character and talents were impeccable. But there was only one thing that was too unacceptable. That is, this man always spoke and acted seriously, and he abided by the teachings of ancient sages and sages in dealing with others and self-discipline.
Never be accommodating unless absolutely necessary. Although I have encountered many obstacles in the world, I still do not repent.
Lei Wanchun, on the other hand, went to the other extreme. He believed in his martial arts skills, acted completely as he pleased, and regarded all the rules and etiquette in the world as nothing. If he hadn't met Zhang Xun later, he would have washed his hands in a golden basin. It is estimated that in the Tang Dynasty,
Sooner or later, there must be a number like Lei Wanchun on the Ministry of Punishment's sea arrest documents.
But soon, Wang Xun understood the reason why these two people became sworn friends.
Although Lei Wanchun made him unable to step down in front of outsiders, Zhang Xun did not show the slightest anger on his face. He just bowed his hand to Lei Wanchun and gave up in anger.
"What Lao Lei said today really came to light." Seeing the interesting fight between the two, Wang Xun deliberately cheered loudly.
"It's just full of fallacies!" Zhang Xun shrugged his shoulders, pretending that I won't argue with you.
"Brother Zhang, why are you letting Lao Lei talk all over his mouth?" Wang Xun asked knowingly just to see Zhang Xun's embarrassment.
"The fallacies are also valid!" Zhang Xun glanced at him and said sternly. "Zhang is a disciple of a saint. Debating is just a debate. In the future, when you understand the key, you can argue again. If you can't explain it, you will force others to shut up.
, this is the behavior of unfilial followers of Legalism, and it is not the behavior of true Confucianism!"
After saying that, he also found it interesting and started laughing first. Wang Xun and Lei Wanchun also laughed. After laughing, the slight discomfort caused by people's different ideas of how to deal with things was swept away, and they felt that the other person was more and more real.
respectable.
Wannian County Government Office is not far from Pingkangli. After exiting the main entrance of Fangkou and turning a few corners, we are there. It was just after midnight, and the local officials had not officially started to handle official business. The huge county government office gate was deserted.
No common people were seen, only a servant who had just changed his shift was leaning against the big drum at the door, with his hands in his sleeves and his upper and lower eyelids constantly fighting.
He got off his mount early and threw the horse's reins to the young man who was catching up from behind. Wang Xun straightened his clothes, walked quickly to the officer, clasped his fists and saluted, "This is the eldest brother of the yamen officer. I dare to ask, please hurry up."
Is your grandson on duty today?"
"Who are you looking for?" The yamen servant who was taking a nap was startled. He picked up the water and fire stick lying beside him and asked loudly.
Wang Xun smiled, took the officer's hand, and dropped a bunch of copper coins into the officer's raised sleeve. "I want to find Boss Sun from the fast class. He is the newly transferred one. I am his cousin.
Kong Youfang, could you please help me go inside and see if he is there?"
"Look for Sun Tou. Wait, I'll go in and show you!" Without having to lower his head, the officer could estimate the approximate number of copper coins based on the weight in his sleeves. He nodded to Wang Xun, who was generous, and turned around.
Quickly walk into the county government office.
Wang Xun shook his head slightly, stepped aside, and waited with a smile. After about half a cup of tea, Sun Renyu, the detective who had received a large bribe from the Wang family yesterday, followed the officer on duty and arrived with a confused look on his face. He saw
Wang Xun came forward with a smile. He was startled. He quickly pulled him a few steps away and asked in a low voice: "My little ancestor! Why did you come to the Yamen Gate! It took a lot of effort for my family to forget you.
, you still hang out at the yamen gate, aren’t you throwing yourself into a trap?”
"Hehe!" Wang Xun grinned sillyly, "As long as you don't say anything, who else in the yamen will recognize me? Just now, I told them that I was your cousin. Cousin, look
Do we look alike?"
"It's so weird!" Sun Renyu was so angry that he jumped up and down. "I'm just an errand boy in a government office. How dare I be related to you, Mr. Marquis? Tell me what you want to do with me today!"
"My cousin is such a happy person!" Wang Xun smiled again, took out a pair of jade bracelets used to make women happy from his pocket, and handed them to Sun Renyu casually, "Look at these bracelets, do they look good in quality? Take them.
If you give it to your cousin or niece, it can be considered as a token of appreciation from me as an uncle!"
"I've let the little Marquis spend money again. How can I be so embarrassed, Old Sun!" Sun Renyu quickly looked to both sides and said politely, but his hand movements were not slow at all. He grabbed the bracelet and hid it neatly in his clothes.
Sleeve. "As long as I can do it, I will definitely do it. But don't make it too difficult for me, little Marquis. After all, this is the yamen in the capital..."
"I know, I know, it's definitely a trivial matter!" Wang Xun confirmed with a smile, "I have a friend named Yuwen who was arrested by the Yamen yesterday morning for some unknown reason. We wanted to go in and see him.
Cousin, can you make it easier for me!"
"What?" Sun Renyu grinned, and the leek leaves on his teeth were clearly visible. "He is the key criminal ordered by Jing Zhaoyin. Are you...?"
He reached into his sleeves and wanted to take out the jade bracelet and throw it back to Wang Xun, but he couldn't make up his mind. He hesitated again and again, stamped his feet, and whispered, "Wait for me at the corner gate behind the Yamen, which is near the prison.
That one. I'll go in and make arrangements, and I'll find you there in about a quarter of an hour."
Wang Xun nodded tacitly, took Zhang Xun and Lei Wanchun with him, and turned to leave. After dozens of steps away from the yamen entrance, he slowly walked around the wall to the back corner door. After waiting there for a short time, the door opened from the inside.
A gap was gently opened, and Sun Renyu poked his head out and shouted in a low voice: "Cousin, come here quickly. Follow me, don't look too much, and don't say too much!"
The three of them were overjoyed and immediately rushed into the yamen. Following Sun Renyu, they first passed through a small garden, then walked three times and two times behind two high blue-gray walls, and passed under a barbed wire fence covered with copper bells.
The prison door.
"This is my cousin!" Sun Renyu greeted the cell leader and ducked aside. Wang Xun immediately understood, stepped forward, and quickly stuffed a pair of small silver ingots into the cell leader's sleeves. The look in the cell leader's eyes
It suddenly lit up, like a wild wolf seeing prey in the middle of the night, and shot out two cold lights. Then he patted Wang Xun on the shoulder like an old acquaintance he hadn't seen for many years, smiled and said politely, "Since he is Sun Tou's cousin,
, that is one of our own. Follow Sun Tou in, and be careful not to delay for too long, the brothers are all taking the risk of being the boss!"
Wang Xun nodded in agreement, followed Sun Renyu, and quickly entered the prison gate. Once separated by the door, the gap between the inside and outside was like two worlds. I saw a stone path along the door that had existed for an unknown number of years leading directly to the depths of the prison. Above,
Sewage flowed across the floor and filth was everywhere. Two rows of thick wooden fences stood opposite each other. Behind the fences, countless unkempt prisoners stretched out their hands and shouted their grievances at the guards at the door.
Wang Xun, who had been well-dressed and well-fed since he was a child, had never seen such a battle before. He was immediately overwhelmed by the smell in the prison and almost vomited out the naan bread soaked in mutton soup he had eaten last night. He finally suppressed the disgust in his heart and went to both sides.
Look, you can see that the prison behind the fence is divided into small cells by earthen walls. Each cell contains either four or five prisoners, or only one person. They are both in prison, but their treatment is very different.
The cages holding four or five prisoners only had a pile of straw inside to make bedding for the prisoners. Most of them were far away from the ventilation openings of the prison, and the sky was dark. The cage containing only one prisoner had bedding, tables and chairs.
Everything is complete. Even books, paper and pens are neatly placed in individual cells.
The restraints on the prisoners also varied greatly. Some had no torture devices at all, some only had a symbolic iron chain around their necks, and some had their hands and feet shackled. The most miserable person was
His head, hands, and feet were tightly shackled together by the five holes in the same wooden board. He lay down in the mud pit, raising his neck and slowly breathing out. When he heard someone passing by, his eyes widened.
A look of nostalgia, if this continues, I am afraid that within two hours, the whole person will become disabled even if he is not dead.
Seeing this scene, Zhang Xun could no longer hold back the anger in his heart. He raised his eyebrows and said loudly: "I didn't expect that the capital prison would be so filthy!"
"Hey, a group of prisoners, it would be nice to have a roof over their heads to protect them from the rain. Can we also let them live in an inn?" Sun Renyu did not want to go with Zhang Xun and Wang Xun because they were most likely to be rich or noble.
He hesitated and lowered his voice to explain.
Zhang Xun refused to accept the favor, pointed to the prisoner who was being shackled like an animal for slaughter, and asked in a low voice: "What crime has he committed? Are you going to torture him like this? What if you kill someone?"
?Isn’t there no royal law under the emperor’s feet?”
"That's not a rule I made?" Sun Renyu didn't expect that the gentle-looking Zhang Xun was so ignorant. He frowned and responded in a low voice, "Don't worry, you won't die even if you stay in the shackles for three days and three nights. This is famous
He has no choice but to die. For hundreds of years, the yamen have dealt with people without eyes like this. Who told him to have a low life, but he violated the king's law again? If those who are willing to give money and those who are not willing to give money are treated the same, the capital
The price of rice here is so high, why don’t all the brothers have to drink the northwest wind!"
"Nonsense!" Zhang Xun was trembling with anger. He wanted to refute it again and ordered Sun Renyu to release the prisoner who was about to be shackled to death, but Lei Wanchun pulled him aside. "This friend of mine reads too much.
, it’s a bit unclear here!” While apologizing to Sun Renyu, Lei Wanchun pointed at his head. “I read too seriously and became stupid. Do you understand?”
For the sake of a pair of jade bracelets, Sun Renyu was too lazy to be serious with the other party. He smiled and speeded up his march. After a while, the group came to the deepest part of the prison and pointed to a cage that was invisible.
He whispered: "I'm locked up here. Jing Zhaoyin ordered strict supervision. Don't blame me. I'll go out and explain to the brothers first. I'll come back to you in a quarter of an hour. Everyone must leave on time.
!”
After saying that, he handed the lantern in his hand to Wang Xun, turned around and left quickly.
Wang Xun cupped his hands and thanked the other party, then slowly carried the lantern into the cage. Suddenly seeing the light, the prisoners in the cage trembled in fright and quickly ran away. The chains on their hands and feet clanked.
"It's me, Zida, Lao Lei, Lao Zhang and I are here to see you!" Wang Xun felt sour and quickly identified himself in a low voice.
"Erlang?" Yuwen Zida responded blankly, and then rushed over like a baby seeing his biological parents. Holding the prison fence with both hands, he cried loudly: "Second brother, you are here. I knew you
They will definitely find a way to save me. Hurry, get me out quickly. If it's two days later, I will be tortured to death by them!"
"Did they torture you?" Seeing Yuwen Zida's body covered in blood, Wang Xun felt a pain in his heart and asked, suppressing his overwhelming hatred.
"Well!" Yuwen Zida's tears fell in clusters. This time, he was no longer pretending. "I was asked twice and slapped twice. The county magistrate named Zhang said,
If I don’t admit it again, I’ll be on the stick next time!”
"Oh my god!" Wang Xun took a breath of air, "What did they ask you to confess to? Have you confessed?"
"Not yet!" Yuwen Zida shook his head vigorously, fearing that Wang Xun would not believe him. "I have never done any of those things, how could I dare to admit it? If I did, I would definitely be pushed out in less than half a month.
Cut off the head!"
Wang Xun, Lei Wanchun, and Zhang Xun looked at each other. Judging from the injuries, Yuwen Zida might have really survived the two tortures. With some admiration, he whispered again
Asked: "Who did you provoke, and what crime did they make you admit to?"
Yuwen Zida hesitated again, and then shouted in a low voice: "I don't know who I provoked. They, they asked me to admit, formed a gang to commit crimes, raped women in the street; were ordered by others to humiliate court officials; and
, and also bully others and seize people's property. Second brother, I have never done this, I really have never done anything!"
Any one of them is a crime of beheading, and there are four key words in it. Zhang Xun felt nervous when he heard it. He took half a step forward and lowered his voice to emphasize, "Zida, as long as you didn't do it,
No matter how painful it is, you have to endure it. I am Zhang Xun, listen to me, your case is a bit evil. If you still plan to survive, think carefully and tell Erlang the truth, the person behind you
People, who are they?"
"No, no!" Yuwen Zida looked around guiltily and denied it smoothly.
"Let's go, let's let this kid be beaten to death!" Seeing this, Yuwen Zida still refused to tell the truth. Wang Xun became furious, picked up the lantern, turned around and left.
"Second brother, second brother. I am really unjust!" Upon seeing this, Yuwen Zida quickly hugged the fence and cried, "Second brother, don't leave. If you leave, I will really die here!"
"Whether you die or not is none of my business. No one named Wang has a friend like you? Who instigated your plan to humiliate Li Bai? What kind of business did you do in partnership with Mr. Jia?"
Hearing Wang Xun tell Mr. Jia's name, Yuwen Zida trembled again. He raised his head and looked around, looking around with a dark look as to who else was locked up around him. He pointed to both sides with his hands.
Then he said loudly: "Second brother, don't force me. I, Yu Wenzhi, do things for myself. Even if I die, I will not interfere with others!"
Seeing Yu Wenzhi's appearance, Wang Xun finally understood what he was worried about. He put his ear close and whispered: "I don't care who you are involved with. But you must tell me today who you are doing things for. Otherwise, you must tell me who you are helping."
, as long as he refuses to come forward to save you, there are at least a hundred ways in the yamen to make you die inexplicably!"
"I, I..." Yu Wenzhi murmured to himself, gritted his teeth, and responded in a voice that was almost impossible to be heard, "Second brother, I didn't want to hide it from you on purpose. I really didn't want to.
I have implicated you in this. The man behind Mr. Jia is named Zhu, and he runs the South Store in Xishikou. As for the owner behind him, everyone in Chang'an knows about it!"
