There were a lot of things to do in the beginning of spring, and the emperor had to deal with them one by one before calling Niu Cishi and Yang Heshu who were waiting in the side hall to have an audience.
Man Bao and Magistrate Tang sat up straight at the same time, looking ahead with concern.
Yang Heshu came in behind Niu Cishi and knelt down to salute.
The emperor sat at the head, looked at the two with heavy eyes and asked, "Xiazhou is plagued by smallpox, what do you two have to say?"
Niu Shi paused for a moment. Before the Dali Temple officials came to Xiazhou in person, he wanted to take Yang Heshu's mistakes and divide the guilt with him;
But the Dali Temple officials went to Xiazhou in person, saying they were investigating, but in fact they were escorting their father and son, so he vaguely felt the attitude of the capital.
I'm afraid the Yang family is operating in the court.
In terms of connections and friendship in front of His Majesty, the Yang family is naturally more respectable, so Niu Shishi was very quiet along the way, and he would not be so stupid if he could achieve the position of governor.
It's just that he was used to the sky being high and the emperor far away, Xiazhou was desolate and not close to the capital, but he didn't expect to meet a real Yang Heshu with a background.
Kneeling here at this moment, thinking of his youngest son who was still imprisoned in Dali Temple, he knew that there was no way to avoid it, and he also had some understanding of the present, knowing that shirking responsibility would only make him angrier.
So Niu Inspector immediately kowtowed and pleaded guilty, saying that he did not manage the inner house well and educated his son well, so that smallpox raged in Xiazhou.
Old Master Tang couldn't help snorting coldly when he heard that he was avoiding the most important things, and asked on behalf of the emperor: "Niu Cishi, when did Niu Kang's concubine Hu Ji hire a doctor?"
He is a master of criminal cases, so he is too lazy to argue with him. He directly asks the key points and sorts out the matter. The officials sitting in the court meeting will think for themselves.
Niu Cishi paused and couldn't answer for a while.
Old Master Tang snorted again, got up and walked into the hall, and asked Yang Heshu, "Magistrate Yang, tell me."
Yang Heshu replied: "On September 18, the doctor was invited."
"When did Orchid die?"
"September 20th night."
Old Master Tang asked Niu Cishi, "Niu Cishi, when did your son come in for a fever and acne? Do you know that?"
Niu Shishi paused and said: "September 22 morning."
"When did the doctor suspect it was smallpox?"
Niu Shi clenched his fists in his sleeves and replied, "On that day."
"After you know what the doctor said, did you isolate your son, did you report it to the county government, did you prohibit him from contacting others, and counted and restrained those who had contact with him at home?"
Niu Cishi lowered his head and fell silent for a while, then knocked his head on the ground, "I'm guilty, I shouldn't take pity on my youngest son and take chances..."
"Niu Cishi, Niu Kang went out to Chunfenglou on the 23rd of September, but he didn't come home until noon on the 24th. He spent a whole night and half a day in Chunfenglou, why didn't your Niu family send someone there? Find someone?"
Niu Cishi's face turned pale.
The emperor was so angry that he slapped the table, Niu Cishi immediately said: "Your Majesty knows your mistake, please forgive me."
"The crime is to be punished, but the officials must know why the crime was committed," Wei Zhi interjected quietly, "Your Majesty, what Yang Heshu and the Taiyuan Hospital said is right. After the incident, we should learn the lesson. In order not to make such a mistake again, the two thousand two hundred and eighty-nine people who died have such a little value."
The emperor looked at Old Master Tang, "Tang Qing, keep asking."
Old Master Tang responded, and continued to arrest Niu Shi and Yang Heshu for questioning. From Niu Kang's illness, to the first time the doctor thought it was smallpox, and then a doctor approached the county government to inform him, and Yang Heshu's series of responses afterwards. He asked them all, no matter how big or small.
On the side, there were other officials from Yushitai to check and fill in the gaps, and the questioning lasted for more than an hour.
In the end, neither the emperor nor the officials directly convicted the two, but retreated first.
The emperor recruited Wei Zhi, Mr. Tang and other important officials to go to the study to discuss matters. The others retreated and left. Yang Heshu and Niu Cishi still stayed in the palace to listen to the announcement.
Man Bao walked up to Yang Heshu, gave him all the snacks she stuffed in her purse in the morning, and whispered, "Eat some when you're hungry."
Magistrate Tang also offered him his snacks, and said in a low voice, "Seeing that His Majesty is not very angry with you, if you are lucky, the results should come out today and tomorrow."
Yang Heshu took their things and nodded slightly, "I know, you don't have to worry."
Indeed, the results came out soon. Man Bao had lunch in the imperial hospital, and after applying for vacation with Imperial Physician Liu, he went to the harem to see Mingda and Changyu first, and then took them to see the crown princess and grandson together. Before he left the palace, a well-informed servant came to report: "Inspector Niu has been sent to the prison in Dali Temple, and Master Yang has been warned, but I heard that he may be promoted to Inspector of Xiazhou."
In fact, the emperor is hesitating, he can't find a suitable person to take over Xia Zhou.
Xiazhou's vitality is now seriously injured, and it will definitely take a long time to recover, and capable officials can only be transferred from other places, and the transfer will also have an impact on other places.
He discussed with Wei Zhi and others for a long time, but in the end he couldn't find a suitable candidate, and there were still too few talents.
In the end, Master Tang suggested Yang Heshu.
The emperor said: "I heard that many local gentry in Xiazhou were killed or injured this time. Many people resented him for closing the city and cutting off their way out. Letting him stay in Xiazhou may not be good for him."
It would be very detrimental to the construction and development of the locality for someone who was resented by Xiazhou to be the governor of Xiazhou, and the emperor was unwilling to do so.
Moreover, the emperor also heard that when the city was closed, there were people who attacked Yang Heshu and his wife and children in order to leave the city, so even in order to protect him and his family, he tended to transfer people away.
Yang Heshu was still young, and although he violated the taboo of committing the following offenses this time, what he did was righteous. The emperor still trusted his personal ability and character, and he wanted to train him.
Sensing the meaning of the emperor cherishing talents, Old Master Tang paused and said, "Your Majesty might as well ask County Magistrate Yang."
He said: "Xiazhou's resentment is actually easy to understand. The culprit is originally the Niu family. It only needs a little guidance. In this matter, public opinion is not difficult to guide. Moreover, County Magistrate Yang is familiar with Xiazhou's affairs. In the past four months, he has been acting as the governor, so I think there is no one more suitable than him."
Wei Zhi also said: "Your Majesty, why don't you ask him, if he is willing to experience this, he will earn less than going to the Jiangnan area in the future. Although Xiazhou is desolate, it is under Fengzhou, and the most important thing is east, west, north, south The levels will not subdue Yang Heshu's talent."
He knew that the emperor wanted to transfer Yang Heshu to the south of the Yangtze River, and use his hands to take care of the tails left by the various families in the south of the Yangtze River. There is also a lot of illegal salt, which is also difficult to manage.
But Wei Zhi also felt that Yang Heshu was more suitable for Xiazhou at this time.