The Lantian County Government Office was completely quiet, with no sign of anyone being promoted to court.
The two government officials on duty at the door saw Wan Quan approaching in a hurry and were about to stop him. The two government officials walking behind Wan Quan hurriedly winked at each other, allowing Wan Quan to enter the county government lobby smoothly.
There was no one in the lobby, not even Yang Kang's shadow was seen.
"Didn't I say that the case will be heard in court today? Why haven't I seen the magistrate yet?" Wan Quan stood at the door of the lobby, turned around and asked the two government officials following closely behind him.
"Your Excellency has arranged for you to wait in the tavern. You must come to the lobby of the county government office. Just wait, I will report to the county magistrate." A government official stood beside Wan Quan, and another government official turned around and faced the person inside the county government office.
Walk to another house.
According to Ming Dynasty laws and regulations, local officials at the county magistrate level live and work in the county government compound.
Although Yang Kang has purchased real estate in the county seat, he has always kept this residence in the county government office.
Inside the house, the county magistrate Yang Kang and his son-in-law Malianshan sat opposite each other, discussing how to decide this matter.
"Sir, I didn't want to go to the tavern at all, so I went straight to the county government lobby." The government servant walked in and saluted Yang Kang.
"I expected not to go to the tavern, but what about the others?" Yang Kang smiled coldly.
This kind of scholar who fails the ranking knows how to accept death, and he is the type who will never look back until he hits the wall.
"Others? After hearing that everyone had a share in the compensation, the villagers' position immediately changed, and they all accused Zhang Xi of not giving his father timely treatment. They also said that if the lawsuit was brought to Xi'an Prefecture, the person who would be punished in the end would be
Zhang Xi." He bowed his body and said with a smile.
"So, everyone else has no problem?"
"Don't you ask me what Zhang Xi's attitude is?" The Yamen servant wanted to show his merit and asked in a low voice.
"That coward who sent him away after giving him some money, what kind of attitude would he have when he heard that he was being compensated?" Yang Kang shook his head and snorted with contempt.
"Sir, you are really good at judging people. When Zhang Xi heard that he wanted compensation, his first reaction was to ask me how much the compensation would be. Everyone had no problem with it. It was just that it was absolutely perfect and his attitude was very firm. He said that he wanted to go to Xi'an Prefecture and Beijing.
Sue all the way."
Yang Kang pondered for a moment and looked at Ma Lianshan, who had been silent across the way: "What do you think of Wanquan?"
"He is the biggest obstacle to this case. If we want everything to go according to our wishes, we may really have to keep him alive." Malianshan said with a serious look on his face, "But it is easy to deal with him, so that the villagers of Magou Town will not be suspicious.
We still have to think about this in advance.”
Yang Kang held his hand on the table and stood up slowly: "Since money can buy the attitude of those villagers, then we will increase the compensation and completely change their tone. However, before that, I want to give Na Wanquan another
One chance. If he is wise and obedient, he can go home with the money. If he is stubborn and insists on fighting to the end, then we will..."
Looking at Malianshan, Yang Kang raised his right hand and made a cutting motion with his palm on his neck.
"Okay, now that things have come to a point, there is no better way. Let's do what my father-in-law wants."
At the door of the county government hall, Wan Quan had no idea that his fate had been secretly arranged. He looked back and forth at every plant and tree in the county government office, thinking in his heart about how to refute. The magistrate felt ashamed, and finally, in accordance with the laws of the Ming Dynasty,
Punish your own daughter severely.
"Wan Xiucai is here." Yang Kang walked out from the side with a smile on his face and his hands behind his back.
Hearing someone address him like this, Wanquan couldn't help but be startled. He turned around and saw Yang Kang. He cupped his fists and saluted out of politeness: "Your Excellency, this is ridiculous. I am just a commoner who makes a living by farming."
"Whether you are a farmer or a scholar, let's go in and talk." Yang Kang stepped forward and walked into the solemn county government hall.
Sitting down on the chair reserved for his county magistrate, Yang Kang spoke up: "In which year did Wan Xiucai win the first place?"
Wan Quan was taken aback, this is great, why did he ask about this topic without asking about the case.
Although I was very confused in my heart, out of the innate etiquette of a scholar, I still bowed slightly and said: "Sir, the grassroots failed in the third year of Yongle."
"The third year of Yongle? Logically speaking, that would be the time for the imperial court to recruit people. If Wan Xiucai studied hard and continued to take the exam next year, he should be on the list. At that time, you did not choose to continue studying hard?" He tilted his head,
Yang Kang seemed to have forgotten what was happening today, and inquired about Wanquan's past with great interest.
"My family is living in poverty. To be able to take an exam, the whole family has to tighten their belts and scrape here and there to make ends meet. Since we didn't seize the opportunity, we can't continue to drag the family down." Wan Quan seemed to have remembered the scene back then, and his words
There are indescribable emotions in it.
"After all these years, Wan Xiucai has not regretted not choosing to continue studying?"
"Regret? Having enough to eat and survive is the first thing we ordinary people have to consider. Whether I pass the exam or not, it all depends on my fate. My fate is destined to work in the fields for a living, and I will not be able to eat the food that I write and write.
"He smiled bitterly and pretended to be relaxed.
Yang Kang straightened up, put his hands on his knees, and shook his neck: "Apart from this case, Wan Xiucai's eloquence made it impossible for me to refute for a while. In the current Lantian County Government, I am the only county magistrate.
, there is no one who wants to listen to reasonable opinions on many matters. Faced with some of the imperial decrees and the actual situation of the people below, many things are caused by no one to make suggestions, so that the imperial decrees are not implemented well, and the people's lives are not good either.
Get promoted. For the sake of Lantian County and the people of Lantian County, if I invite Wan Xiucai to come to the county government to be my master, will Wan Xiucai agree or refuse?"
At this point, Wan Quan finally understood.
Yang Kang took such a big detour because he felt that money was of no use to him and wanted to use his position as a master to change his position in disguise and block his mouth.
Wan Quan raised his fists and saluted Yang Kang very seriously: "Master Magistrate, if you had invited me to be your master in the past, I would have happily agreed to it. After all, a scholar still likes to talk to you.
We deal with pen, ink, paper and inkstone. But now, I can only tell you with regret that I will not be your master."
"What, is it because I didn't sentence my daughter?" Yang Kang also spoke directly about the key points of the case without any hesitation.
"Yes." Wanquan nodded, "Yang Yuhuan is the most critical person in this case. She never appeared from the beginning to the end. It was you who took care of the case. Your behavior is bending the law for personal gain. Give me a
If the magistrate who practices favoritism and bends the law becomes my master, I would definitely rather go back to the fields and continue working."
Facing the county magistrate, Wanquan shows no mercy at all.
Yang Kang's face suddenly turned full of fantasy, but he finally suppressed it. Although Wan Quan made him unhappy several times, he wanted to solve the matter in other ways than to take the risk of murder and silence.
Even if the price paid is higher and the money is more, it is still better than killing people.
Choosing to kill is something you do only when you have no choice but to do it. Besides, killing a person requires ten or hundreds of other things to cover it up.
If the news accidentally leaks out and you break the law knowingly, it will be an even greater crime.
"Okay, then tell me, how should this case be tried to be fair?" Yang Kang said.
"First of all, Yang Yuhuan must be present before everyone can go to court."
"Of course, everyone related to this case must go to the lobby. This officer knows. What happens next?" Yang Kang wanted to know what outcome Wanquan wanted.
"Let us thoroughly explain the cause and effect of this case in the lobby. Why Yang Yuhuan and Zhang's father fought, why it turned into a fight. How was his injury after the fight, and how related it was to Zhang's father's death. These are all
We must speak clearly and clearly before we can make a correct decision on who should be responsible for Zhang’s father’s death.”
"Oh." Yang Kang slowly closed his eyes.
The cause and effect must be explained clearly. Wouldn't the jadeite stone that caused the dispute also have to be brought to the court as physical evidence?
Wan Quan, I have promised you my money and position, and I have said all my good and bad words, but you still want to be so aggressive? Even if you bully my daughter, you still want to cut off my wealth?
This is your own fault. No wonder I am so cruel.
He opened his eyes, winked at the yamen servant who was standing behind Wan Zhen holding a water and fire stick, and nodded again.