Lu Chu, the prime minister of Kuaiji County, only got the news after he had captured the thieves and led the horses and the foot archers out of the west gate. He was shocked and angry. He did not expect that Chen Caozhi would dare to search the He family manor.
I didn't expect that Dai Shu would support him so strongly. The He family is the largest family in Shanyin. If Dai Shu offended the He family, it wouldn't be long before the internal history of Kuaiji!
Lu Chu went to see Dai Shu angrily and asked Dai Shu why he acted arbitrarily on such a big matter without consulting him. Dai Shu replied that it was Chen Caozhi's request and that he was just following the edict of Shangshutai to assist Tujuan.
Lu Chu knew that it would be useless to argue with Dai Shu now, and said coldly: "If this triggers a civil uprising, Dai Shu will not shirk responsibility!" After that, he walked away and drove to He's Manor, six or seven miles out of the city.
, met Chen Caozhi, Xie Daoyun, Ran Sheng and others lined up and returned.
Lu Chu stopped the car and watched, and saw Ran Sheng's sergeants pushing several guests of He's Manor, and thought to himself: "Chen Caozhi went to He's Manor to check the hidden houses in such a strong manner, why did he come back in a hurry and only arrested these few people?
, this is to demonstrate to the He family, I wonder if Chen Caozhi has the ability to conduct a comprehensive inspection of the He family manor!"
Lu Chu lowered the car curtain and waited for Chen Cao and his entourage to pass by before continuing towards He's Manor. When he arrived at the manor, he asked about what happened. Unexpectedly, he met He Sui, He Zhu's uncle and nephew before he had gone half a mile.
Both of them looked pale and angry. After asking, they found out that Chen Caozhi had arrested the three stewards of the He family's manor, Dianji, who were responsible for managing the household registration books.
He Sui said anxiously: "Lu Juncheng will definitely try to save the He family on my behalf. Then maybe Chen Caozhi got Huan Wen's secret order and wants to use the He family to establish his authority!"
Lu Chu was secretly annoyed that the He family's uncle and nephew were useless, and Chen Caozhi had captured the key stewards and planners. He said bitterly: "This is all because we, the Jiangdong nobles, cannot work together. Yu family,
The Wei family surrendered to Chen Caozhi, so Chen Caozhi dared to deal with the He family so harshly."
At this time, he suddenly saw a steward of the He family rushing in with two old bankers. He Zhu saw that these two bankers were sent by him to Qiantang to inquire about the Chen family's land occupation case. He hurriedly
What's the news? A banker said: "Wen Ji, who is in charge of Zhongzhong, has set off from Yangzhou. He will come to Qiantang with Wu County Chief Registrar and Fa Cao to hear the Chen family's land occupation case. It is estimated that they will arrive in Qiantang at the end of this month or early next month."
He Zhu waved the three men to leave, and said to Lu Chu: "Brother Zishan, the trial of the Chen family's land occupation has not yet begun, but the He family's hiding case is about to be prosecuted first. What should we do? Chen Caozhi wants to
Drag me, the He family, to suffer together."
Lu Chu was pacing under the willows beside the road, thinking about countermeasures. This matter was too hasty. He couldn't wait to inform his father Lu Shi before making a decision. He had to make an immediate decision. Lu Chu could not watch the He family make a decision this time.
He was convicted because everything he did in Tu Duan was related to the Lu family and was instigated by the Lu family and his son. We must try our best to ensure that the He family is not convicted, otherwise the Lu family will not be able to escape the blame.
Lu Chu walked back and forth for a long time, and discussed secretly with He Sui, He Zhu's uncle and nephew for a while. The three of them went to the county together and learned that the three He family stewards and Dianji were not imprisoned in the prison.
Instead, he was taken to Junyi. Now Kuaiji Junyi has become the official office of Chen Caozhi and Zhu Yingtai.
He Zhu frowned and said, "Then Chen Caozhi has put me, He's Dianji, on trial and wants a confession."
Lu Chu said: "It doesn't matter whether we take a confession or not. We were careless this time. I didn't expect that Chen Caozhi would dare to be so cruel. He thought that the He family was isolated and helpless in Kuaiji. Dao Fang, you go ahead."
Lu Chu and He Sui went to see Dai Shu. According to the original agreement with Chen Caozhi and Zhu Yingtai, Dai Shu pushed everything to Chen Cao. Zhu, the two local envoys, asked Lu Chu and He Sui to go to Chen Cao.
divided.
He Zhu brought several servants to the county post to see Chen Caozhi. The officer of the county post went to inform him, and soon came out and invited He She's people to meet him.
He Zhuyuan was still a little worried that Chen Caozhi would refuse to see him, but now he felt a little calmer, straightened his clothes and went in with his head held high.
Chen Caozhi and Xie Daoyun stood in the corridor and bowed their hands to He Zhu. They were polite and calm. They invited He Zhu to sit down in the hall and the waiter offered tea.
He Zhu was not in the mood to talk nonsense and said: "Chen Zuojian, I have some important matters that I want to talk to Chen Zuojian alone." As he said that, he glanced at Xie Daoyun.
Chen Cao said: "If He Sheren is talking about official matters, Deputy Zhu should listen to it. If he is talking about private matters, Brother Yingtai and you and I are both classmates, so there is no harm in talking."
He Zhu lightly "hummed" and said: "I am here to make peace with Chen Zuojian. If Chen Zuojian releases the three stewards of the He family, I, the He family, will hand over another 400 hidden households." At this point, at the moment.
Looking at Chen Caozhi, he saw that Chen Caozhi remained calm and said, "I, Mr. He, can also help Mrs. Qiantang and Chen to overcome a difficult situation."
Xie Daoyun sneered in his heart: "The He family really used the Chen family's land occupation case to blackmail Zizhong, and also said that he would help the Qiantang Chen family to tide over the difficulties. It's really funny."
Chen Caozhi raised his dark eyebrows and said "Oh": "I wonder what difficulties I, Mr. Chen, have?"
Seeing that Chen Caozhi still looked indifferent, He Zhu was really angry and thought to himself: "You, the Chen family, are in trouble but you don't know it, and you still want me to remind you. This is what you, Chen Caozhi, should have come to ask me for."
, now." He said: "As far as I know, Yangzhou Zhizhong is engaged in Wenji and Wu County, and the Facao people will come to Qiantang soon. Wen Zhizhong's coming here is related to your Chen family. Of course, it may be beneficial.
A good thing for your Chen family."
He Zhu also wanted to whet Chen Caozhi's appetite, and wanted Chen Caozhi to ask, but Chen Caozhi nodded and said: "I, the Chen family, are generous and righteous, and have done many things to benefit the country. Could it be that Wen Zhizhong brought money to Tang Dynasty?"
Are you inspecting my Chen family’s good deeds and commending me?”
He Zhu was so angry that he laughed back and sneered, and finally said: "The Chen family in Qiantang violated the law and violated the ban, and the people were extremely angry. Wen Zhizhong came to Qiantang to investigate this matter. If you don't believe it, you can send someone to Qiantang."
Ask County Magistrate Feng Mengxiong if he has received any documents?"
Chen Caozhi nodded and said: "Thank you for reminding me, I will send someone back to inquire."
He Zhu was really angry when he saw that Chen Caozhi was silent again. Chen Caozhi didn't know what to do, but he couldn't just walk away, so he had to say again: "Chen Zuojian, I, the He family, can resolve this matter for you, the Chen family. The Jiangzuo noble family
, it’s better to live in peace and harmony.”
Chen Cao's face showed a sarcastic look. He wanted to frame him, and now he used it to threaten him. It was really despicable. He said coldly: "Right and wrong will be decided by themselves. If I, Mrs. Chen, really break the law, then I will let Wen Zhizhong handle it."
."
He Zhu was stunned, and then he became extremely angry. He stood up in anger and said loudly: "Okay, I want to see what you, Chen Caozhi, can do to me. Which one will fall first, the Chen family of Qiantang or the He family of Shanyin!"
And out.
Xie Daoyun said: "Zizhong seems a little irritable today, why bother fighting with these people!"
Chen Cao smiled, nodded and said: "Brother Yingtai is right, but since the He family's plan cannot be released, the He family and I are at loggerheads, and I don't want to waste words with He Zhu."
Na He Zhu left the county post and rushed to Lu Chu's apartment by the Li River. Lu Chu and He Sui were waiting for news from him. After hearing what he said about the meeting with Chen Caozhi, Lu Chu and He Sui both looked gloomy.
stand up.
He Sui said: "Chen Caozhi seems to be confident. Why?"
Lu Chu pondered for a moment and said: "Immediately send people to Qiantang and have them report to the county immediately the Chen family for illegal occupation of land. Don't let Chen Caozhi be prepared. Wen Ji is about to arrive."
That night, Ran Sheng, who was in charge of the interrogation, and the court officials of Kuaiji County learned from the three He family stewards and Dianji that there were 1,500 hidden households in the He family manor. After the signature was postponed, Chen Caozhi reported to Tuduan Si
, Situ Mansion, and the Chancellor's Desk wrote separate documents, signed by the deputy envoy Zhu Yingtai, and attached the confession of He's Dianji, stating that He's hiding in an astonishing number of hidden households, and wantonly obstructing the land, without severe punishment.
To convince the public.
Early the next morning, Dai Shu, the internal historian of Kuaiji, ordered Chen Caozhi's three memorials to be sent to Jiankang as quickly as possible. Now he was waiting for the court's reply on how to deal with the He family.
On the twenty-seventh day of the winter lunar month, Ni Taibin, a minor official in the Qiantang Dynasty, accused the Chen family of occupying official land, forcibly buying their own farmland, and forcing the farmers to become Chen's tenants and farm laborers. The county magistrate Feng Mengxiong immediately obtained evidence and temporarily detained three Chen family tenants in the county.
He did not start the trial, but waited for the arrival of Wen Ji and his party who were engaged in Yangzhou Zhongzhong.
On the 29th, Wen Ji and Wu Jun were in charge of the land production, money and grain records. More than 30 Fa Cao and his party arrived in Qiantang and immediately began to try the Chen family's land occupation case. Wen Ji was a descendant of the Wen family in Taiyuan and had a close relationship with Xi Chao.
, before coming to Qiantang, Wen Ji had obtained Xi Chao's letter. Xi Chao asked Wen Ji to make a fair decision. After Wen Ji interrogated the witnesses, he also checked the records and fields of the Chen family in Qiantang. There was no so-called violation of laws and regulations as accused by Ni Taibin and others.
, on the contrary, tenants and villagers kept coming to plead for Chen, praising Chen's benevolence and righteousness for the people; Ge Hong's disciple Li Shouyi, a Taoist at Chuyang Taoist Temple, asked to see Wen Ji and mentioned that Chen funded medicine to treat people's diseases.
, Wen Ji personally visited several tenants of the Chen family, and they all said that the Chen family was generous.
Wen Ji immediately interrogated Ni Taibin and the two other farmers who sued the Chen family. Ni Taibin did not expect that things would turn out like this and panicked. The other two former tenants of the Chu family also panicked and quickly confessed, saying that they were influenced by Ni Taibin and
It was the instigation of a steward of the Shanyin He family that framed the Chen family.
During this period, Lu Chu and He Zhu came to Qiantang to visit Wen Ji. Wen Ji knew the purpose of their visit and did not say much. He showed Lu and He the witness statements, Chen's books and the recorded praises of the villagers.
Lu Chu knew that Wen Ji's intentions were irreversible, and he could not utter a humble plea for mercy. He was even more afraid of humiliating himself, so he sadly said goodbye to He Zhu.
On the third day of the twelfth lunar month, Xie Xuan, who had completed the review of Tuduan in Wuxing County, came to Shanyin to meet Chen Caozhi and his sister Xie Daoyun. Speaking of Wuxing Tuduan, Xie Xuan said: "In this review, a total of 5,150 hidden houses were detected.
The number of households is incomparable to the more than 9,000 households in Kuaiji. Zizhong and my brother have made great contributions this time, and the imperial court will definitely reward them."
On the seventh day of the twelfth lunar month, an edict from the Shangshutai was delivered to the Kuaiji County Office, and the head of the He family, He Sui, was sent to Jiankang to be interrogated by the imperial officer. The He family was strictly ordered to hand over 1,500 hidden households within ten days, and the rest of the case was handled by Yangzhou Zhizhong
Engaged in Wen Ji Hui's trial together with Dai Shu, the internal secretary of Kuaiji.
Wen Ji finished the trial of the Chen family's land occupation case in Qiantang and imprisoned Ni Taibin and others. He even came to Kuaiji to hear the He family's hiding case.
