Before the imperial envoy arrived at Ruyang City, Liu Qichang had already lost a point. On the way from Xiping to Ruyang City, Wang Xijue and Wang Jiaping stopped their sedan chairs several times, questioned dozens of farmers, and got the same news.
, that is, the local government called for a plowing strike in protest, while Kanyuying responded tit-for-tat and issued a spring plowing order strictly prohibiting the abandonment of plowing.
In the spring plowing order, Su Hao, as an ex-employee of the Metropolitan Procuratorate, required all landowners and ordinary farmers to plow their fields and prepare for planting. Violators would be punished for damaging production. There were more than 2,000 people in the survey camp, and Su Hao divided them into hundreds.
Teams were dispersed to all the prefectures and counties to supervise the implementation of spring plowing orders. There were many gentry like Jia Zhenggui who disrupted spring plowing and were beaten with boards or hung up in public.
At the beginning, the local governments planned to fight with the survey camp and send yamen servants to support the squires. But Su Hao was a bold man, and the team he led was also unruly. The yamen servants in the county government and the survey camp
The sergeants clashed several times, and each time they were met with merciless counterattacks. The combat effectiveness of the government officials could not be compared with this kind of field troops. After a few fights, they gave in and could only have bruises and bruises.
He ran back to pay the bills.
When the lawsuit came to Liu Qichang, Liu Qichang had no choice. Ever since both sides submitted letters to the court, Liu Qichang and Su Hao had entered into a state of hostility and no longer interacted with each other. Like the conflict between Kanyu Camp and various states and counties, Liu Qichang had a
He felt angry in his stomach, but he knew that even if he came forward to protest to Su Hao, the result would only be a defeat. Since the two sides were already at odds, Su Hao was not afraid of offending Liu Qichang more. Anyway, he didn't care who won in the end.
One or two more charges.
"It's really unreasonable. Why do people from the Ministry of War get involved in local government affairs?" Wu Boxing grumbled. But he didn't dare to speak too loudly. The strike on farming was simply self-defeating. Now Wang Jiaping is facing
Liu Qichang suddenly felt bad, and Wu Boxing's words had no effect.
"Shilang Wu, I think the things I saw along the way alone are not enough to explain anything. This Su Hao has military power and can bully the weak and force farmers to say good things about him. The farmers we saw along the way
.Perhaps it was all arranged by Su Hao in order to confuse the public and deceive the two elders." Cheng Dong expressed his opinion to Wu Boxing. He was originally a paranoid person, and he believed that Su Hao was not what he was.
Good people. Everything they see with their eyes has different interpretations.
Wu Boxing nodded and said: "What Bangzhi said makes sense. Officials have seen this kind of deceiving superiors and concealing subordinates a lot. However, what clever tricks does Bangzhi have that can break this situation?"
Cheng Dong said: "I think we should ask the two ministers to issue an order asking Su Hao to withdraw all his officers and soldiers. In this way, the local people can speak freely. Otherwise, who would dare to tell the truth under sword and gun?"
Woolen cloth?"
Wu Boxing said: "This is indeed the case. The official will go back to Ge Lao Chen and tell the matter."
"Also, I think that if I want to understand the true public opinion, I should send someone to conduct a private visit incognito. I asked myself to take on this task, and also asked Wu Shilang to ask the two cabinet ministers for their orders on Cheng Dong's behalf," Cheng Dong said.
Wu Boxing said: "It's very good that Bangzhi has such a wish. The official is willing to go to the elder to ask for your order. By the way, Bangzhi, I have watched you talk to the farmers in the past two days, and your answers were quite fluent. Could it be that you have been here before?"
Passing through Runing?"
Cheng Dong shook his head and said: "Xiaguan was quite surprised when he mentioned this matter. He has never been to Runing, but he felt an indescribable familiarity with Runing's hometown talk. Could it be that there was something secretly there?
What providence?”
Cheng Dong's confusion was genuine. He didn't know that when he was still ignorant, he was actually living in Runing. His father was once the general judge of Runing Mansion, because the investigation of the case touched the Runing Mansion.
He was forced to abandon his official position and go home. On the way, he was killed by a strongman hired by a powerful landlord. His sister Cheng Yi took him to escape and hid in Jiangxi to avoid trouble. At that time, Cheng Dong was only 18 years old.
, although I can remember some of the scenes at that time, I can’t remember clearly where this scene took place.
Cheng Yi was afraid that her younger brother would go back for revenge when he grew up, so she never dared to talk to him about the affairs of Runing Mansion. To this day, Cheng Dong only remembers that he had such a family feud, but he doesn't know what happened.
It happened in Runing. In the past few days, when he was talking to the farmers in Runing, he unexpectedly found that he could understand the Runing dialect and even speak some of it. He attributed this to his genius.
Smarter.
Wu Boxing naturally didn't know Cheng Dong's origins. He just regarded Cheng Dong as a gun that could be taken out and used. As long as Cheng Dong was willing to listen to his command, that was enough. As for other things, he was not interested at all.
To understand.
The journey from Xiping to Ruyang City is less than 100 miles. The imperial envoy was conducting investigations as he walked, and it took him two full days to arrive at Ruyang City. Both Liu Qichang and Su Hao had been notified of the arrival of the imperial envoy. Both sides separately
He took his team to the outside of Ruyang City to welcome the imperial envoy.
"Your Majesty, Liu Qichang, greets you, Grand Scholar Wang, Grand Scholar Wang..."
The two cabinet ministers were both surnamed Wang, and both were bachelors. Liu Qichang had to mention Wang, bachelor, twice.
"Excuse me, Prefect Liu, thank you for your hard work." The two academicians from Wang came out of the sedan and said to Liu Qichang at the same time.
After meeting the officials of Runing Mansion, Wang Xijue and Wang Jiaping turned to the other side. Su Hao and a group of officials from the survey camp were standing there, waiting to be received.
"Your Majesty, Su Hao, greetings to the two pavilion elders, Minister Wu..." Su Hao also showed sufficient etiquette.
"Thank you for your hard work." Wang Xijue returned the gift to Su Hao, and then looked at the people around Su Hao seriously, with an imperceptible look of surprise on his face. He had a doubt in his heart, but he also knew
, this was not the time to solve this mystery. He asked Su Hao: "In other words, did you receive the order we gave you in the name of the imperial envoy the day before yesterday?"
"Back to Grand Scholar Wang, the lower official has received the orders from the two elders. The lower official has already sent people on flying horses to the states and counties to recall the soldiers. They will never dare to block the voice of public opinion." Su Hao replied. What Wang Xijue said.
The decree was what Cheng Dong gave to Wu Bo Xingzhi, asking Su Hao to withdraw all the survey camps. Wang Xijue and Wang Jiaping also agreed to this.
After the brief welcome ceremony, Liu Qichang led the way, and Wang Xijue and Wang Jiaping entered Ruyang City in a grand manner. Su Hao followed with his team. In order to avoid suspicion, Wang Xijue did not say too much to Su Hao.
Most of the time, everyone just chatted about a few gossips such as the weather and health.
In order to welcome the imperial envoy, Liu Qichang arranged a banquet at the Runing Mansion Office. Although he was deeply unhappy, he still invited Su Hao to attend. When arranging the seats, Su Hao was also arranged to sit in Wang Xijue's and Wang's house.
The table where Ping was sitting was sitting face to face with Liu Qichang. Liu Qichang had a dark face and deliberately did not look at Su Hao's face. Su Hao was smiling, as if he was a normal person.
The banquet began, and there was no need to go into details about the various complicated social activities. After everyone had toasted, Wang Jiaping put down the wine glass and asked Liu Qichang: "Prefect Liu, I and Academician Wang are here. Are you here?"
I heard about a strange thing in your Runing Prefecture. Can Magistrate Liu explain it to us?"
"Mr. Wang Ge, please speak." Liu Qichang knew what Wang Jiaping wanted to ask, but he had to pretend to be stupid first.
Wang Jiaping said: "We heard that the county officials, together with the gentry, agreed to stop farming, and even harmed the cattle for this. Does Magistrate Liu know about this?"
"There is such a thing!" Liu Qichang looked surprised, "I stopped plowing and injured the cattle. How could such an outrageous thing happen in the government? Shiyuan, have you ever heard of this?"
Du Weiming, who was sitting at the bottom, shook his head and said: "I have never heard of it. These days, Xuexue Shi has sent troops to block all the passages. The officials of the government can't leave the city, and the news from the various states and counties can't reach Runing."
I'm here, I haven't heard any news from you for a few days."
"Blocking the passage? How could such a thing happen?" Wu Boxing pretended to be puzzled, turned to Su Hao and asked: "Xueshi Su, do you know what Du Tongzhi said?"
You ask me, I ask you, the three of them, how could Su Hao not see that the show was acting as if it were real? In response to Wu Boxing's question, Su Hao just smiled slightly and said: "How can a lower official have such courage?
Dare to block local traffic? Your Excellency has sent soldiers to various places. This is true, but the purpose is not to block the passage, but to encourage farmers to farm in the spring. Please be aware of this, your lords."
"Persuading farmers to plow in spring? Is it just a bluff to deceive the imperial envoy?" Du Weiming sneered, "Although there are constant natural disasters in Runing Mansion, such a strike has never happened. Su Xueshi has only been in Runing for a few years.
In the past month, there was a plowing strike in Runing, how should we explain this?"
Su Hao said: "The pure will be pure by themselves, and the turbid will be turbid by themselves. I have a clear conscience. There is no need to waste words here. The two elders are both wise people. Who is true and who is false? I believe that elders can
It’s clear.”
Wang Xijue said: "We are all ministers of the same court, why is there such a stalemate? Magistrate Liu, Xuexian Su, is there anything you can't discuss?"
Liu Qichang said: "Mr. Wangge, it's not that the lower officials are unwilling to discuss with Su Xueshi, it's actually Su Xueshi who acted arrogantly because he was a high official in the imperial court and didn't take us and other local officials seriously. A prosperous gambling house
In this case, as the magistrate, I have not seen the suspect yet. How can the two cabinet ministers comment on this theory?"
"Xueshi Su, are you serious about this?" Wang Xijue asked Su Hao with a straight face.
Su Hao was already ready to accept the question from the imperial envoy. He nodded and said: "This matter is serious. However, this is not because the official does not take Liu Zhifu seriously, but because... Liu Zhifu is involved in the case.
As a person, how can there be any reason to let the criminals try themselves?"
"You're such a mouthful!" Liu Qichang slapped the table, and the wine glasses and other objects on the table began to dance. "Su Hao, in front of the two elders, if you can't produce evidence today, you are making a false accusation!"
Even if I don’t want Wu Sha Mao, I still have to take this lawsuit to the Holy One!”