On the third day of September, all the "Tianjin Public Courts" in all prefectures, prefectures, and counties in Shandong began to operate.
At the end of August, with the continuous attacks of "Shandong Daily", Qidong County Magistrate Wang Siyong was attacked from both sides. Not only was his reputation ruined, he was scolded by people everywhere in Shandong and became a joke after dinner, and the administration of Qidong County was also in trouble.
It could no longer be carried out. Tens of thousands of people along the Daqing River surrounded the Qidong County government office and demanded that Wang Siyong repair the river embankment, which was a matter of life and death. However, Wang Siyong simply could not afford the money to do this. In the end, Wang Siyong was blocked in the county government office for five days.
, escaped from the county government office in the middle of the night and resigned from office.
As soon as Wang Siyong escaped, the morale of the gentry in Shandong plummeted. Officials from various places were afraid of Li Zhi's newspapers and troops and did not dare to come forward. The gentry was even more afraid of Li Zhi's bloody methods. In the end, thousands of horses and horses were in hiding, and no one dared to stand up.
Against Li Zhi.
Li Zhi sent court personnel to various places, put up signs in the houses he had bought a long time ago, and opened the court.
These courts used as courts must be in prominent locations in the county, and the land must be of a certain size to accommodate court staff. Including various equipment and decorations, these office spaces cost Li Zhi more than 100,000 taels of silver.
.
In each county's local court, Li Zhi is equipped with five judges, thirty clerks, and fifty bailiffs. These personnel were hired by Li Zhi from Tianjin. Especially the judges, all of whom Li Zhi hired from among industrial workers and soldiers
The selected outstanding talents have undergone more than a year of legal training before taking up their posts.
There are not many judicial police, but fifty people are enough to deal with ordinary families or forces. If there is a larger force armed to resist the law, Li Zhi's soldiers from the Huben Division stationed in Shandong will be dispatched to suppress the resisters.
Although the emperor repeatedly ordered Li Zhi to withdraw his troops from Shandong to Tianjin, Li Zhi never listened. Now Li Zhi has stationed 9,000 troops in Shandong, which is enough to intimidate the entire province.
The laws of the Ming Dynasty include the "Da Ming Code", whose full name is "The Code of the Ming Dynasty", which is a code formulated by Emperor Taizu Gao. This code established various orders in the Ming Dynasty and is a highly regarded law in the history of law.
Li Zhi is now a minister of the Ming Dynasty. Implementing laws that are different from the Ming Law will not only make the emperor suspicious, but also make the people confused. Therefore, the law used in Li Zhi's court is still the "Ming Law" for the time being.
With the development of Li Zhi's power in the future, if the people's lifestyle and culture have changed under Li Zhi's management in the future, Li Zhi will naturally modify the Ming laws and develop his own set of new laws.
Throughout Shandong, Li Zhi's court system employs nearly 10,000 people. The bailiffs and clerks earn two to five yuan a month, including three meals a day, and the judges' salary is higher. These personnel consume a lot of Li Zhi's money every month.
Money is also a big expense.
Li Zhi planned to make up for this expense from future commercial taxes and land taxes in Shandong.
Of course, one has to eat one bite at a time, and matters such as commercial taxation and land taxation directly affect the interests of various groups in Shandong and face greater resistance. Only after the courts have taken control of judicial power can they be advanced step by step.
On the third day of September, newly decorated courts everywhere put up huge signs and began accepting lawsuits.
After experiencing so many difficulties, the courts in Shandong were finally opened. From then on, the administration of justice in Shandong province was in the hands of Li Zhi, which was considered a big event. On this day, Li Zhi rushed to Shandong specifically to inspect the courts in various places.
operation situation. The first stop is, of course, the Jinan District Court.
In Tieren Alley in the east of Jinan City, a several-story-high flag stands outside a large courtyard with four entrances. The big flag has the words "Jinan City District Court" written on it, fluttering in the wind.
Li Zhi and his bodyguards traveled lightly and rode to the front of the court. When they arrived at the entrance of the alley, Li Zhi found that people who came to file lawsuits were already lining up in a long queue outside the court. There were at least hundreds of people waiting in the queue.
, waiting to enter the court compound to register and accept.
Obviously, after several months of publicity by Shandong Daily, the people of Jinan are looking forward to the Jinan Public Court. People who are usually bullied by powerful people in the city and treated unfairly by local officials all come to the court to litigate.
Li Zhi was riding towards the gate of the court when he saw a short, middle-aged man dressed as a farmer walking out of the court happily with a few relatives, friends and village elders. It is a bit inaccurate to say that he walked out. In fact, he
He jumped out excitedly.
Behind him, a fat middle-aged man wearing a cocoon round collar with a pale face walked out with two servants. The middle-aged man glared at the farmer in front of him, and then walked quickly out of the alley.
go.
Seeing this posture, Li Zhi knew that the plaintiff and defendant had finished the lawsuit. Li Zhi smiled, rode up to the farmer, and said to him: "Farmer man, what kind of lawsuit are you here to fight?"
Li Zhi didn't wear an official robe today, and it was impossible to tell what kind of official he was from his appearance. The farmer looked at Li Zhi's horse in surprise. He didn't know who Li Zhi was. He thought for a while and said: "This official, my family
The thirteen acres of dry farmland I own are beside the Zhaojia River outside the city. Last year, the Zhaojia River flooded and flooded my farmland. After the flood receded, the powerful Lu family in the village occupied my farmland in the name of terra nullius."
"The Lu family has some friendship with the officials in the government office. Those officials helped him out of conscience and insisted that my family's farmland was ownerless land. I had no way to complain and could only watch the fertile land being occupied by others."
"Fortunately, the court of Jin Guogong made the decision for me and other common people. The gentleman in the court, no, the judge only took a few glances at my house's land deed, and listened to a few fair words from the three old men in the village, and then dismissed me.
The land was returned to me. The judge also said that the Lu family had occupied 13 acres of land for a year and would have to pay me thirty-two taels of silver for the loss and an additional sixty-four taels of fine. The Lu family paid the money and the judge let me go.
They go."
Li Zhi nodded, said no more, and was about to ride forward. But Li Laosi next to Li Zhi said: "That man, the Duke of Jin is in front of you, why don't you thank the Duke of Jin for hosting the meeting for you?"
justice?"
The farmer was stunned for a moment, his face became panicked, and with a bang he knelt down in front of Li Zhima and shouted loudly: "I don't know that you are the Duke of Jin! The kindness of Duke Jin will help you do your best in the future."
The horse repays the favor!”
The relatives, friends and village elders behind the farmers also quickly knelt on the ground one by one.
Li Zhi smiled and said: "Get up, everyone. Since I have opened a court in Shandong, I will naturally make decisions for the people. What do you mean by being a cow or a horse?"
The farmer and his relatives, friends and village elders got up from the ground.
Li Laosi said loudly: "That man, remember clearly, if the Lu family comes to trouble you in the future, you will go to court to sue him. Don't let these little bastards think you are weak and can be bullied."
The farmer nodded and replied: "Xiaomin knows that from now on, Xiaomin's life will depend entirely on the protection of the court."
