Zhe Yanzhi was a bloody man. He immediately pulled out a dagger and lifted Ji Minren with one hand. Just as he was about to strike, Li Qi suddenly shouted: "Stop!"
Ji Minren chuckled: "You know you can't kill me yet, so why do you do it like this?"
Li Qi said in a deep voice: "General Zhe, do you still want to disobey military orders?"
Orihiko's fists were clenched so hard that his thick eyebrows were almost twisted into knots. He suddenly closed his eyes. In the end, reason defeated his sensibility. He let go of his hand and stepped aside.
Li Qi smiled at Ji Minren and said: "Prefect Ji, you said you underestimated me. How could I have underestimated you? Until just now, I felt that I still underestimated you. As a civil servant, but in face
Despite the heavy siege, he was still able to remain calm in the face of danger. He knew that he could only save his life by taking advantage of the chaos and walking out of the river. Even I may not be able to do so calmly. I really admire him. "
Ji Minren smiled and said: "Bu Shuai deserves the praise. Once people are in desperate situations, they will calm down. It's a pity that I fell short in the end."
"What you said makes sense." Li Qi nodded and said, "But I have never been teased like this since I was a child. You really deceived me. I grew white because of you."
hair."
Ji Minren smiled and said: "Each other, each other."
Li Qi chuckled and said: "I have to say, your pretense is so similar. From the beginning, I really thought you were a good official who served the country and the people. At that time, I almost doubted the Fengxiang Mansion.
Everyone, except you, I didn't think of you at all. Even though I began to doubt you later, I still didn't dare to make a conclusion for fear of harming a good official by mistake."
Ji Minren suddenly laughed.
Li Qi asked curiously: "Why are you laughing?"
Ji Minren said loudly: "I'm not pretending at all. What you see is the real Ji Minren."
"Oh? This is interesting." Li Qi pointed his hand and said, "Then who are you now?"
"Now Ji Minren is just a desperado who was forced into a desperate situation." Ji Minren said with a sad smile.
"Forced? Who forced you? I believe you are not someone who likes to shirk responsibility." Li Qi smiled.
"Thank you Bu Shuai for the compliment." Ji Minren sighed and said, "I came from a poor family. When I was a child, I was often so poor that I didn't even have food to eat. I have also seen many people who are more miserable than me. Who caused this?
These were all done by corrupt officials. At that time, I really couldn’t figure out why the imperial court would allow such people to become the parents and officials of the people. Officials are the parents of the people, even more important than their parents. Sometimes, as a child, you
Small mistakes will cause great harm to the people, let alone intentional ones. Therefore, at that time, I determined to become a good official who prays for the people in the future, so I studied hard, and fortunately the emperor paid off his hard work.
At a young age, I finally passed the Jinshi examination. Later, I was assigned to be the magistrate of Mianyang County, becoming the youngest magistrate in the history of Fengxiang Prefecture.
Actually speaking, there were many people at that time who did not have as good grades as me, but their official positions were higher than mine. But I knew that was because my family background was not as good as theirs, and I did not envy them for being able to benefit the people.
I am already very satisfied. After I took office, I began to rectify Liyang County and improve people's lives. I asked myself whether I was doing any worse than others. I have never taken a penny from the people. It is precisely because of this.
The magistrates in other counties were unwilling to associate with me. Later, because of my outstanding political achievements, I became the magistrate of Fengxiang Prefecture. I was really happy at that time because my responsibilities were getting bigger and bigger, which meant that I could help more people.
people. However, I never expected that the officialdom would become bigger and bigger and face more and more problems."
Li Qidao: "This seems normal. Dazai must deal with more things than you every day, right?"
Ji Minren shook his head and said: "This is too abnormal, because bribery is not an official's job. Every year, people from the court come to the local area for assessment, and they never come back empty-handed. To be honest, the court sent officials to Fengxiang in the first year
During the government inspection, I didn’t entertain them with lavish meals, but do you know what they said? They said that you had just taken office, you were young, and it was understandable that you didn’t know. They also asked me to treat those who were originally hosting the banquet.
Give them the money directly. Is this normal? They came to the capital and asked for money. How is this different from bandits?"
Li Qi said calmly: "Did you give it to them?"
"No." Ji Minren shook his head and said, "Because I simply can't come up with that much money. But they didn't believe it, how could the magistrate of Fengxiang Prefecture not be able to come up with such a small amount of money. As a result, the assessment that year was my best.
Worse, the court even criticized me specifically for this."
Li Qi nodded in understanding and said, "I think you will definitely try your best to raise money to deal with the officials from the capital in the future, right?"
Ji Minren said in surprise: "Why do you know?"
Li Qi shrugged and said, "Just because you are still sitting in this seat."
Ji Minren was stunned for a moment, then smiled bitterly and said: "Shuai Bu is really smart. You are right. I know that if I continue like this, I will probably lose my official title. This is what I have pursued all my life.
I don't want to give up until I'm in a desperate situation, and it's still under this background. However, I have never taken a penny from the people from the beginning to the end. It is still the case to this day. The money is saved from my own salary.
Although my life is a bit harder due to my frugality, as long as the people can praise me, I will be satisfied."
Li Qi nodded and said: "In that case, why are you still going on this road of no return?"
Ji Minren laughed a few times and said: "Because I have been disappointed with this court, and I finally understand that no matter how hard I work, just a few words from the people above can make my efforts in vain. Just when I am complacent.
, when trying to revitalize Fengxiang Mansion, the imperial court suddenly decided to send troops to Hehuang. I remember that when Tong Guan led the army passing by Fengxiang Mansion, he actually asked me to supplement the army rations. I couldn't believe my ears at the time. Later I heard that along the way,
Tong Guan always did this, and other prefects also made up for him. But where could I find so much food for him, and the harvest that year was also very average. I knelt down and suffered.
I begged, but Tong Guan was not moved at all. He also scolded me for colluding with Tibet and intending to delay the war. In desperation, I had no choice but to ask the people for food. The local people understood my difficulties, and many people voluntarily gave up the only food they had in their homes.
The food they had saved was delivered to my home. I am very grateful to them, but I have broken trust to myself, and I have also broken trust to the people. How can a person who has broken trust to the people sit on that chair with dignity?
Leng. I wanted to resign and go back to my hometown several times, but after the people's pleading, I finally stayed.
After regaining Hehuang, the Zhejia Army was stationed in Weizhou again. They were worried that their relatives would be harmed, so they placed all their relatives in Fengxiang Mansion. I know that the Zhejia Army has been loyal to generations, so I welcome them.
But I didn't expect that my enthusiasm would not be rewarded with gratitude, but with insults from the Zhe family army again and again."
Zheyan shouted: "Don't talk nonsense. When did our Zhe family army ever insult you?"
Ji Minren smiled helplessly and said: "Yes, this may be a habit for you. But since the family members of your Zhe Family Army came, your Zhe Family Army has continued to interfere in the internal affairs of Fengxiang Mansion, making demands all day long.
This and the request are not satisfactory at all. You Zheyanzhi came to inquire, saying it was an inquiry, but in fact I gave myself face. You are here to issue orders. As the defense envoy of Weizhou, what qualifications do you have to come to my Fengxiang Mansion to yell at me?
I have endured it again and again, but you have intensified it. Take this incident as an example. Your Zhe Family Army has almost controlled the entire Fengxiang Mansion. I, Ji Minren, am basically useless. Everything is done according to your wishes.
If you say you want to rob the army, you will rob the army. If you say you want to arrest people, you will arrest them. When did you ask me for my opinion?"
"You're talking nonsense, I---."
In the middle of Zheyan's questioning, Li Qi suddenly raised his hand, interrupted him, and said to Ji Minren: "General Zheyan is young after all. Some things he did inappropriately are understandable. You won't do it just because
This is treason."
"Of course not. How can I, Ji Minren, be that narrow-minded person?" Ji Minren shook his head and said: "In fact, since Tong Guan came last time, I can't help but feel discouraged about myself, and also feel discouraged about the Song Dynasty.
I felt cold, and the imperial court was rebellious. It was obvious to all that just one trip to Huashi Gang caused many people to lose their lives. Later, the Fangla Uprising made the Song Dynasty even worse. At that time, I knew that the Song Dynasty was not far from being destroyed. I
It is also clear that only by overthrowing the Song Dynasty can the people regain their new life."
"So that's it." Li Qi said: "So you colluded with Xixia and planned to rebel?"
Ji Minren suddenly laughed and said: "Bu Shuai, it seems that you are the one asking me from the beginning to the end. I have a few questions to ask you. I wonder if Bu Shuai can give me some advice?"
"go ahead."
"I want to know how Bu Shuai knew that I was the mastermind, and how did you learn that I was colluding with Xixia?"
Li Qi smiled and said: "I just found out not long ago. When I learned the truth, I immediately wrote a letter and sent it to the capital. However, there was no news from the capital for a long time. At that time, I thought it was something from the capital.
It was not until Gao Yanei and others came later that I was sure that the letter had been robbed. Because when Gao Yanei came here, Gao Taiwei would definitely send people to look for it, but I did not see anyone from the Taiwei.
, so something must have happened on the road."
"That doesn't mean it was me who did it?"
"Of course not, and I didn't doubt you. Even later I suspected that the food had been robbed, but I never thought it was you. It wasn't until I got a letter from the Huainan Granary that I suspected you.
"
Ji Minren was shocked and said: "It turns out that the letter came from the Huainan Granary. Alas, at that time I didn't expect that you would send the letter so soon. I never thought that the letter was not going to the capital, but to Huainan."
, so that I was not prepared enough.”
"Fortunately!" Li Qi sighed with emotion and said: "I learned from the letter that the 80,000 shi of grain was taken away only after it arrived at Jingzhao Mansion. From this point of view, this matter may not be something special.
Then I was thinking, why am I so nervous when I send a letter to the capital? Is it just that I am afraid that the disaster food relief incident will be exposed? I don’t think so, because the emperor originally sent me here to investigate the matter, even if the emperor knew
, I must continue to check, there is no difference at all. In this case, what other content in the letter makes the enemy so nervous? I thought about it carefully, and finally found out that there is another key content in the letter,
That's the three memorials you mentioned. If this matter has nothing to do with the capital, then how could your three memorials never come back? However, if my letter reaches the capital, then the emperor will definitely
I will investigate this matter thoroughly, and you will naturally find out then that, in fact, you did not submit the memorial at all. You cleverly took advantage of my habitual thinking. Knowing that I heard that your memorial has gone away, I will definitely think that you are being raped.
When I was taken into custody, I would never have thought that you were writing, directing, and acting all of this. Your trick of concealing the truth really made me suffer. Not only me, but also the entire Fengxiang people and the Zhe Family Army.
I was deceived by you, and you played so cleverly!" (To be continued...)