(I have to take a long-distance bus home in the afternoon to celebrate the New Year. The second chapter will not be written until 12 o'clock in the evening. Everyone is going home soon. Have a safe journey)
…
The Qin State has always had a tradition of being transferred to other places. The three chief officials in the county, that is, the county magistrate, the county magistrate, and the county right lieutenant, are not allowed to be people from the county.
Du Xian, the right lieutenant of Anlu County, was from the Qin Dynasty in Guanzhong. Although he came to Anlu to take up his post, his family members stayed back in their place of origin. Therefore, Du Xian did not buy a house as his residence and only lived behind the official temple in the county.
In the courtyard specially provided for officials.
The courtyard is not big, just the second level, and the furnishings are not luxurious. There are only a few slaves and concubines in the courtyard to serve daily life. There was an elegant bamboo forest planted by the scholar-bureaucrats of Chu State, but Du Xian had someone cut it down, and a corner of the courtyard was cut down.
Free it up and use it as an open space for martial arts training - a typical thinking of military officials in the Qin Dynasty.
In the evening of that day, Du Xian asked his servant to send Hei Fu, the head of the Huyang Pavilion, who came to visit, to leave. Later, he heard from a servant who had returned from buying grain in the market that it was being spread outside that Hei Fu was "generous and kind."
deeds.
"Is this happening? I didn't hear him mention it just now..."
Du Xian was sitting on his knees behind the desk, wearing regular clothes, and said in surprise. Hei Fu came to visit just now to thank Du Xian for his "favor of knowing you". The chief of the pavilion is the direct subordinate of the county captain, not to mention that Hei Fu is Du Xian's master.
Those who were recruited were considered to have joined the Youwei line.
Du Xian was very happy to see that Hei Fu had made great achievements just after he took office and was promoted to the highest rank, so he invited Hei Fu to eat with him. However, in front of him and Chen Baijiang at the banquet, Hei Fu did not mention anything at all.
and the matter of dispersing wealth.
Chen Baijiang, who was sitting with him, said with some amusement: "This black man is the same. He really doesn't regard money as money. More than four thousand is a lot of money. He doesn't do anything bad, but he uses it to repay others' debts. That person is just an anonymous person."
The criminal who submitted the letter is not related to him, so why bother..."
Chen Baijiang was a little jealous of Heifu's rapid promotion and was often praised by his right lieutenant. His luck was also a little too good, so his words were a bit strange.
Du Xian said to Chen Baijiang, "Do you think his four thousand dollars was not worth it?"
Chen Baijiang heard the dissatisfaction in Youwei's tone and was a little at a loss, but Du Xian lectured him: "You are still too short-sighted. Let me ask you, for those of us who are officials,
What do you want most?"
"Could it be a military title? And a steady stream of money and food?"
Chen Baijiang carefully answered that in the Qin State, title and wealth were linked. The higher the title, the larger the land and house, the more servants, and the richer the output.
Du Xian nodded: "Yes, I heard that Wei Ting once said something when he entered the Qin Dynasty. There is no criticism greater than being humble, and there is nothing more sad than poverty. A man born in the world, how can he stay in a humble position and suffer hardship for a long time?
Land? But what officials pursue are these two things?"
Chen Baijiang cupped his hands and said: "I am stupid and can't think of anything else. Please ask your lieutenant to clarify my doubts."
Du Xian pointed at Chen Baijiang and said: "There is still fame!"
The so-called fame refers to achievements and fame. In the eyes of the world, if one has a successful career but is unknown, it is not enough to flaunt success and wealth.
Because of this, twenty years later, the man who yelled "Wealth and honor will not return to his hometown, he will be like walking at night in brocade clothes" will miss not only the scenery of his hometown, the sound of Western Chu, but also the praise of his fellow villagers.
Therefore, in Du Xian's view, Heifu gained fame in the county for only four thousand yuan, and was praised by the county people. It was really a good deal. Fame can be encountered but cannot be obtained, and it is not an illusory thing. It can even
translated into actual benefits.
Although the Qin State promoted officials based on their political achievements, reputation was also part of their ability. The article "The Way of Being an Official" summarized the "Five Good Deeds" of an official, one of which is "happy to do good deeds." If a Qin official is If you can do more good deeds and have a good reputation in the local area, you will easily get the attention of your boss and may be promoted.
"This black man has an extraordinary future."
Du Xian stroked his beard and began to feel lucky that he had recruited this person. To Du Xian, the more capable Hei Fu was and the more he was praised by others, the more it proved that his right lieutenant knew people and was good at handling them...
…
While Du Xian was praising Hei Fu's "good deeds and righteous deeds", Zuo Wei Yunman, who lived in the south corner of the county town, was cursing Hei Fu's actions.
Yunman is a descendant of the ancient Yun State. In the Chu State, he was a senior official under Ruo'ao, the king of Yun, and was responsible for managing Cheyuan. During the reign of the Qin State, the Yun family became the largest clan in the local area due to their active cooperation.
Even with the restrictions of the separation order, their family is still extremely wealthy, with a high gate, whitewashed walls and red tiles, pavilions and pavilions in the house, a garden, a pond, and a bamboo forest that are popular among Chu people, and they also have dozens of slave children with green hats and good clothes. A maid in a beautiful Japanese dress and a thin skirt.
The hall was luxuriously decorated and filled with lacquerware, and the lamps were brightly lit. Yun Man was discussing with several of his nephews what happened in the market today.
"This black man caused trouble as soon as he took office and used it to gain credit. Now he has been promoted to a superior. He is so lucky!" One of Yun Man's nephews said angrily.
Yun Man also looked unhappy and responded: "This man looks simple, but in fact he is cunning. The so-called righteous deeds are also hypocritical. Have you ever heard of the story of Mengchang Jun of Qi State who burned bonds to market justice? In my opinion, this is Heifu is definitely a name-seeker!"
Although the Yun family hated Hei Fu with gnashing teeth because of the two previous incidents, but now that Hei Fu boarded the county right lieutenant's ship and gained fame in the county, Yun Man wanted to deal with him, but it was very difficult. point.
"Father, let that Shuzi be proud for a while longer."
Yun Man's son suggested: "After a year and a half, when Du Xian is transferred away, the father will still have the final say in the Anlu County Lieutenant's Office! It won't be too late to deal with that black man then!"
…
The prisoner Xi's family also lives in Luyou, south of the county town, but the house is not as simple as an official's house. It is a small courtyard with three entrances. There are trees and vegetable beds in the courtyard. The house is a little old, but it is very clean and tidied. There were no extra concubines, only an old servant serving in the kitchen.
I am happy to have two sons. The eldest son Huo was born in November of the 11th year of Qin Wangzheng's reign and is already 10 years old. The second son Hui was born in the 18th year of Qin Wangzheng's reign and is only 2 and a half years old now. He is still a babbling child.
After returning home from work every day, Xi would sit in front of the table with his wife, son, and family of four, and finish the meal today. The food was light and he didn't talk much. However, his wife was filial and his son was filial, and the family was considered warm and harmonious.
Xi is a not very interesting person and has no more entertainment activities. For more than ten years, he has been sitting in front of the desk after eating, copying down the case notes for his daily work.
This habit originated from when he first became an official, he witnessed an unjust, false and wrongful conviction because the jailer was not proficient in the laws and regulations and was beaten to death.
At that time, an innocent soldier was considered to be a cattle rustler and was punished as a tattooed Chengdan. Finally, after appealing to the county, the unjust case was rectified. Although the Qin government took the initiative to help the soldier buy back his The wives and daughters were punished as concubines, but they had already suffered a lot. Qin's society was not tolerant of a tattooed man, so the family could only spend the rest of their lives in hiding.
Therefore, after witnessing all this, Xi always warned himself to remember every law and order, to treat every judgment with caution, and to never allow injustice to happen in his own hands.
When he was copying the rules, his younger brother, who was a master in the school, often laughed and said, brother, what's the use of copying these? It's hard enough to be busy with the writings every day, why do you want to copy them and take them to the grave?
Not successful?
In this regard, Xi just smiled and said nothing, and the habit formed naturally. He always felt that he had an obligation to record the various cases that occurred in Nan County every day. The various aspects, good and evil of this small world were all condensed in the prison case files.
This is equivalent to the legalist's "examine myself three times a day".
That evening, in the middle of copying, his brother Dare visited Xi again and told Xi about the "righteous deed" Heifu, the head of Huyang Pavilion, had done in the market today.
"Brother, what do you think?" Gan Gan sat opposite Xi and asked with a smile.
Xi pondered for a long time, and the county right lieutenant and the left lieutenant focused on Heifu's name. The fishing name was different. Xi's concern was whether Heifu violated the law by doing this.
"Hei Fu lent money to Qu Ji to pay off the fine. The Qin State only does not allow the use of houses and other properties as collateral for debts, but simply lending money, as long as the deed complies with the regulations, is not illegal. As for Hei Fu himself, he destroyed it on the spot
The contract, not wanting the four thousand money, is something he can decide by himself, and no one can hold him accountable for his fault, but..."
Xi picked up a bamboo slip on the case table. What was recorded on it was his verdict on Gongshi Quji today. A simple and concise sentence can determine the rest of a person's life and the survival of a family. This bamboo slip is very light.
, but also heavy.
Xi understands its weight very well. He is not a heartless person. He just feels that the greatest justice in the world is to do everything according to the law. In this process, all his own likes and dislikes must be ignored.
"Shang Jun said that if his words are not in line with the law, he will not listen; if his actions are not in line with the law, he will not be a good person; if his actions are not in line with the law, he will not act."
The meaning of this sentence is that anything that is not in compliance with the law will not be obeyed, promoted, praised, or done.
In Xi's opinion, what Heifu did did not violate the law. However, Heifu used private money to favor the criminals. Although Heifu received praise from the whole county, it went beyond the spirit of Qin's laws and was a dangerous behavior.
.
Who does he think he is? He is just a small pavilion chief. He has only been in office for a few days and has only handled one case. He feels that what he has done is more fair than the law. Can he issue rewards and punishments on behalf of the law?
The people of Anlu County are also confused. How can they praise such behavior blindly?
Misfortunes and blessings arise from Tao and Dharma, not from love and evil.
"Brother, do you want to investigate and reprimand the pavilion chief?" Not every Qin official follows laws and orders like a god. Xi's younger brother Gan cannot understand his brother's extreme thoughts. Like the people of Anlu County, he appreciates Hei Fu's righteous deeds.
.
Xi shook his head: "As a legal official, you should not be tolerant of things within the legal prohibitions, and there is no need to be harsh on things outside the legal prohibitions."
The yardstick is there. Law enforcers only need to see whether people have exceeded it. They must not expand the yardstick infinitely to include people who are clearly outside the line because of their own likes and dislikes.
Although he felt a little unhappy in his heart, Xi would not pursue Heifu for this. In that case, wouldn't he become the kind of person who acts based on his own likes and dislikes?
"As long as what he does is still within the law, then let him be!"
After seeing his brother off, he looked at the half-copied legal documents on the desk. He suddenly thought of what Heifu said when he asked him for advice today, and the unjust case he had experienced when he was just an official.
"Judgment should be rewarded and punished, and no guilt should be innocent. Have I really done that?"
But after a moment of wavering, he regained his former persistence.
"I have a clear conscience, at least, I have a clear conscience!"
…
At this time, Heifu did not know that the people and officials of Anlu County had all kinds of bad and bad comments about him.
He didn't care too much, because Heifu always felt that the responsibility for honor and disgrace lay with himself, not others! He dared to pat his chest and say that he was not ashamed of this matter.
After getting rid of the public servant, Heifu first walked around the cattle and horse stables in the evening market and looked at the cattle. This was the first thing Heifu wanted to buy after receiving a huge sum of more than 10,000 yuan.
"Spring plowing is coming soon. Although no local officials will make things difficult for my family this year, if we have a plowing ox at home, my uncle can plow the fields with Jingpengtian, which will make us less tired."
Heifu considered that he had few chances to go home this year, so he had no one to help him with farm work. One more cow in the family was equivalent to three more laborers.
He was shocked when he saw it. After he walked around the cattle and horse stables and asked about the price, he realized that his thinking was too simple.
It turned out that the cheapest one was seven to eight thousand yuan, and the better ones were even tens of thousands. At this time, Hei Fu felt that the 4,000 yuan bond that had just been burned in the blink of an eye was indeed a bit too much. But he did not
Regret, there are things a man does and things he doesn't do, and Hei Fu thinks that is what he should do.
Cattle are so valuable and are the most valuable property of many middle-class families. It is equivalent to buying a car in future generations. You can't just pick one...
Choosing cows and horses is a science. There are even specialized horse fortune tellers among the people. Those who tell cows also make up some mantras. For example, when looking at a cow, it means "the eyes are round and big, the whites of the eyes are connected to the pupils, the neck is long, the legs are wide, and the legs are wide."
"Shorter hair is better", but Heifu had only heard it from others, but when he saw it himself, he was still confused.
So Heifu gave up his plan to buy cows for the time being and decided to wait until Xiu Mu returned home to discuss the matter with Zhong. His eldest brother was a good farmer and he knew what he was doing.
Afterwards, Heifu bought some gifts and went to visit Du Xian, the right lieutenant of the county. You must always have a good relationship with the leaders, especially those who have helped you. Heifu also had to rely on your right lieutenant to make him
Zuo Wei didn't dare to touch himself. He knew very well that although he had become the pavilion chief, he was still a small figure in Anlu County.
When he came out of Youwei's house, it was already dark, so Heifu hurriedly walked through the streets and arrived at a courtyard next to the county carpentry workshop before the curfew.
His brother-in-law, Citron, was left in the county town by the county engineer because he offered a treadmill. He was responsible for teaching the craftsmen how to make treadmills. He also arranged a place for him to live, and the treatment was pretty good.
During these days, whenever Heifu came to the county town to participate in a trial or testify, he would come here to lay a bunk on the floor for one night since he could not return to Huyang Pavilion late at night.
He never thought that when he arrived at the door of the small courtyard today, he would see Citron rubbing his hands and pacing beside the door anxiously.
"Sister-in-law, what happened? Did you forget to take care of you again?" Hei Fu walked over and asked.
It is funny to say that his honest brother-in-law always forgot to bring the key to the place where he lived. One day, he knocked on the door in a daze and called Heifu his sister's name, saying to my wife, hurry up and open the door.
…
I guess I feel homesick after being away from home for a long time.
But today, Citron was lingering outside the door for another reason.
Seeing Hei Fu coming back, Citron was overjoyed. He took a few steps over and slapped Hei Fu on the shoulder with a pair of big hands, almost dislocating his shoulder...
"Heifu, that's a good thing!"
Citron grinned and said: "We offered the reward of Tashi, and the county finally distributed it!"