If a month ago, someone said that the new county magistrate would take He Xianwei away, someone would definitely laugh at this as nonsense. But no one thought that He Xianwei, who had been domineering in Mei County for a long time, would fall down as soon as he said it, and was uprooted by the new county magistrate without even getting a word of it!
At first when the news came out, everyone thought it was a joke. The reason why He Xianwei was rampant was not only because of the people above him, but also because of his collusion with the nearby bandits. If there is an uncooperative county magistrate, just letting those bandits make trouble is enough to make those county magistrates drink a pot. If it weren't for the rules, County Captain He couldn't become a county magistrate because he was a local, otherwise he wouldn't be subdued to the position of county captain according to his ability. Besides, to him, being a county magistrate is just a matter of name, and it can't change the fact that he is a tyrant in Meixian County, and it can be easier to have someone who stands up to it.
But I didn't expect that it was just the new county magistrate of the young man, who was said to be the master of fine skin and tender meat, and he would be able to take over the hard stubble of County Captain He as soon as he came. But when they heard the name of King Sizhao later, everyone immediately understood and spat one after another, yes!
It stands to reason that the military and government do not interfere with each other, and the frontier army has always existed, no matter how powerful it is, it will not interfere with local affairs, otherwise it will be suspected of treason. But now that the frontier army is under the command of King Sizhao, it is very different. No one knows that the most unscrupulous person in Dayou is King Sizhao. Besides, he is a prince, and he is not comparable to ordinary soldiers. His Majesty has given him enough power to directly punish corrupt officials below the fifth rank.
There has never been a shortage of people in this world who have made trouble, and when everyone heard that Captain He was about to die, they all stood up to testify how he usually bullied themselves. Lieutenant He Xian had already killed many people because of his powerful power, but because of his strength, everyone could only swallow their anger. Now seeing someone who can hold them back, they naturally don't want to let them go. If you don't get down completely this time, if you stand up again in the future, you will be even crazier. Whether it is King Si Zhao or the new county magistrate, they will only stay in Mei County for a few years, and it is impossible to guard this land forever.
He Xianwei has done countless evil deeds over the years, each of which is a major crime of beheading, even if the gods come this time, they will not be able to save his life!
With Feng Huan around, He Xianwei was highly valued by his superiors, and he was sentenced quickly because of the solid evidence. What shocked Zhuang Zhong was that he wanted to kill everyone. For a time, there was a bloody storm in Mei County, and everyone really felt that He Xianwei had really fallen, and he was uprooted to the point that there was not a single root left.
On the day when the He family was wiped out, the entire Meixian County was decorated with lanterns and festoons, and fireworks were set off. Everyone had bright smiles on their faces, looking like they were watching the moonlight as the clouds opened. Someone even sent a plaque to Zhuang Zhong, calling him Zhuang Qingtian. The heavy dark clouds over Meixian gradually dissipated, giving the local people more hope.
"Why are you frowning? Could it be that this plaque is not to your liking?" Feng Huan saw Zhuang Zhong frowning looking at the plaque under the eaves, and went forward to smooth it with his fingertips. This plaque was given by the local people, and the above book is "clean and honest".
Only then did Zhuang Zhong look away, shook his head and said, "It's just that I feel a little emotional. This plaque is also reminding me that if I can't do the four big characters on it, I will end up like He Xing, and I won't even be able to keep a child."
After all, he comes from modern society, and he has never seen such severe punishment. It is true that one person commits a crime and the whole family suffers. He Xianwei's family even had a child who was still walking crookedly, but he was not let go. Although he used to see some extremely cruel murderers and cursed his ancestors for eighteen generations in his heart, it was unavoidable that he could not bear to see such a scene. After all, He Xing deserved what he deserved, but those ignorant children were really innocent.
Feng Huan naturally knew what was going on in his heart, he just thought it was because he had been a monk for a long time and it was inevitable that he would be kind, but to him, although such a method was a bit harsh, it could kill the weeds and root them out. He had seen dozens of monks. Years later the comeback never came with a vengeance. What's more, blood debt is paid with blood, these children are innocent and those victims are not. Since they were born in such a family and have benefited from it, they naturally have to bear corresponding responsibilities. The blame is only bad luck, winners and losers.
Zhuang Zhong didn't know what Feng Huan was thinking, otherwise he would be speechless, these three views are really wrong.
"Don't worry, you won't be like him."
Zhuang Zhong thought that what Feng Huan was saying was that he would not become a moth and scum like He Xing, and said with a smile: "I am also a human being, so there is no guarantee that I will not be corrupted in the future."
Feng Huan glanced at him, "What I'm saying is that you and I are destined to have no offspring, so you won't lose your own child, unless you can have one."
…
"What did you say?"
Feng Huan frowned with displeasure, "Could it be that you still want to be a concubine when you marry me?"
In Dayou, men get married. Although it is said that the "married" person is not allowed to take concubines in name, it is not necessarily the case. It depends on a person's status in the family. Although men's marriage is not mainstream, the form and content are relatively free. Everything depends on one's social status. and family background.
Zhuang Zhong was even more speechless, squinting his eyes when he thought of something, and said: "Could it be that you have such an idea? Let me tell you, it doesn't matter what kind of prince you are, if you really want to be with me, you can't have other people, neither men, women, nor animals."
Feng Huan was immediately happy, if he didn't care, why would he care
He held Zhuang Zhong in his arms, rubbed his head against Zhuang Zhong's ear, and said in an ambiguous tone, "Look at the jealousy so strong that it can make the building sour, but I like it!"
Speaking of this, Feng Huan raised his solemn chin, causing Zhuang Zhuang to shiver uncontrollably. Goosebumps crawled out, and he stretched out his hand to pat Feng Huan's fingers away. "Don't give me that I'm not in shape, this matter can't be joked."
Feng Huan laughed, and said, seemingly true or false: "You don't have to worry about this kind of thing. If you marry any man in the world, you are not as at ease as marrying me. In this way, everyone can feel at ease, and no one will feel at ease. May this balance be upset."
It is not the first time that a similar topic has been brought up, and Zhuang Zhong naturally understands the meaning of it. Feng Huan has such great power, even surpassing the prince, especially with his status, this is definitely an unstable factor for a country. But if Feng Huan really intends to marry a man and stop taking concubines, many people will be temporarily relieved. From outsiders' perspective, this is also Feng Huan's attitude, at least on the surface, he doesn't have that desire for the throne.
Zhuang Zhong snorted: "Why does it sound so unwilling?"
Feng Huan immediately expressed his determination with both hands and feet, "Absolutely not! I'm like a heron! I'm waiting for you to turn eighteen now."
Zhuang Zhong was naturally aware of the agreement between the two of them, he paused and said, "I'm not good at dealing with women and I hate trouble, and I'm not a woman so I don't follow some rules."
Feng Huan immediately understood what he was worried about, "Of course, you only need to be yourself, and don't worry about other things."
Zhuang solemnly let out a sigh of relief. Fortunately, he is a man, and Dayou doesn't have that much restriction on same-sex marriage, otherwise he would have a headache when he met Feng Huan's mother. He didn't want to have to focus on Zhaidou in the future, and he was very impatient with those people in the Marquis of Wenyuan's mansion.
There was no abnormality on Feng Huan's face, but he was thinking of other things in his heart. It seems that some things have to be prepared now, so as not to scare away the loved one in the future.
He Xianwei's family was raided, and it took three days to sort out all his finances. When Zhuang Zhong saw the account book, he couldn't help but spit. He deserved to be quartered by five horses. He is just a small county captain with such huge wealth! Meixian's annual tax revenue is only one-tenth of his property. If it weren't for the county captain He who needed to take care of the people above him, I'm afraid this number would be even more terrifying!
What is pleasing is that in the process of cleaning up the property, I found the ledger of the bribes given by He Xianwei to the officials above. All the people in this Yunzhou have been involved, and coupled with the determination of the current officials, it is thought that this Yunzhou will soon undergo a major change of blood. Zhuang Zhong fulfilled the task entrusted by the emperor very well, using Mei County as a lead, to change the entire Yunzhou into a new look.
"My lord, what should I do with the remaining belongings?" Master Tong sighed as he looked at the full warehouse. Half of it has been handed in, but there are so many more. The emperor really valued solemnity, so he left so much for him to deal with personally.
Zhuang Zhong was also blinded. He used to be just a scumbag. He was tired and disgusting, but his income was so little. He had never seen such a battle before. Since I came here, my life has changed drastically, and I often see mouth-watering good things.
Zhuang Zhong coughed and cleared his throat, "Order people to go down and investigate the land tax, commercial tax and other taxes that He Xing has collected in the past five years, and investigate them one by one, so there can be no mistakes.
"What are you going to do, my lord?"
"Since these are all He Xing's illegal gains, the excess will naturally be returned to the common people. If there is any surplus, it should be compensated to those He Xing has harmed. The people cannot be disappointed with the court because of He Xing."
This is a common thing in later generations, but in Dayou, it is very rare to return it. If it is stolen and plundered, it will be paid back. The tax collected like this will not be returned. As for the wrong case, the government will pay compensation Don't even think about it.
Master Tong was startled but not surprised, "Your Excellency loves the people like a son, which makes Tong admire."
He solemnly waved his hand, "Don't say any more compliments, this matter must be investigated carefully, and don't let some unruly people take advantage of it. I don't want me to work hard until the end, but become a fool who only knows how to loose money."
"The subordinates will definitely do it properly, and you don't need to worry about it."
"I believe in Master Tong. To be honest, I'm not good at people's livelihood. I'm only good at judging cases, such as autopsies. In the future, I will have to rely on Master Tong for matters in the county," said solemnly and sincerely.
Master Tong was found by Feng Huan, although his background is simple, but from getting along these days, it is solemnly clear that he is not an ordinary person. Such a counselor is very talented, but it is not easy to make him loyal to you and do things with all his heart. Zhuang Zhong hopes to get Master Tong's approval, so as to get his sincere assistance. Being in charge of a county is not just about investigating cases and judging cases, but also taking care of people's livelihood, etc. These are not what Zhuang Zheng is good at, and he needs someone to help him.
Although Master Tong was invited by Feng Huan, Feng Huan's reputation is shocking enough, but these talented literati don't like this. Only when you agree with your heart will you do your best.
Master Tong cupped his hands, "Tong must do his best."
Not one of the following subordinates claimed, solemnly understood that this was the meaning of Master Tong's approval, and was very ironic in his heart.
Returning the money seized by He Xianwei to the common people, this news immediately caused an uproar. Although it was impossible to hide it from the previous investigation with great fanfare, such news is not unheard of in the market, but no one dared to believe it. It is not easy for an official to not be corrupt, and there is no way to return the money. It's fine in other places, especially the people in Yunzhou can't imagine it at all.
Yunzhou has always been a troubled place. Although the land is fertile, the people are living in dire straits due to man-made disasters. I have always only been oppressed and exploited, and I have never enjoyed benefits. But when everyone was summoned by the sound of the gong, and then looked at the piles of rice grains, silver and copper coins, and went forward to claim the pledges one by one, everyone realized that they had a good official from Mei County!
What Zhuang Zhong didn't expect was that this move not only won the appreciation and support of the local people, but also attracted many refugees hidden in the deep mountains.
Because Yunzhou has experienced wars in the past, coupled with the complicated local political situation, and the tortuous terrain and environment, many refugees are hidden in the deep mountains. These refugees were also ordinary people in the past, but because they lost their fuel for some reason, they became refugees. In order to facilitate management and construction, Dayou has always had a policy of returning refugees to their native places. In addition to the mandatory discriminatory policies such as refugees who are captured and used as slaves, and civilians are not allowed to trade with refugees, there is also a policy of recruiting. As long as you take the initiative to register and assume the corresponding responsibilities, you can become a commoner, and even use land as an attraction, such as owning the land obtained from land reclamation, and exempting it from tax for three years, etc.
But these measures have had little effect in Yunzhou, and there are still many refugees hiding in the forest. This makes Yunzhou sparsely populated, which is not conducive to local development. After all, no one is willing to farm or do something else, so the natural economy cannot develop.
This is all because the local officials made these refugees lose confidence. There were also people who went down the mountain to restore their status as civilians, but they were arrested and turned into slaves. In this way, who would dare to take risks? Even if life is poor in the mountains, it is difficult to buy necessities such as salt in hiding, and there is no cure for illness, they grit their teeth and refuse to return to the secular world. Life.
But that doesn't mean they don't have this desire, and no one wants to live like a street mouse. And every time you trade, you have to risk your life, and you are often framed by those unscrupulous businessmen, either selling at a low price and buying at a high price, or being tricked and arrested.
Therefore, hearing that such an official returned to the local people what the government had looted gave them new hope. So there is a bold attempt to go down the mountain to find out.
And the reason why this person went down the mountain was because his child was sick and would surely die if there was no doctor to treat him.
The man was targeted as soon as he got off the mountain, and the yamen escorted him back to the yamen. He knelt on the ground with a thud, and kowtowed to Zhuang Zhong, "I beg you, please save my child. If you are willing to help me, I will serve you." , Persuading all the refugees on the mountain to come down!"
Zhuang Zhong only asked, "Where is your child?"
The man's eyes lit up, "He's in the mountains..."
"Nonsense! Since you are sick, you have to go to the doctor immediately. If you delay, the gods will not be able to save you!" Zhuang Zhong said angrily, and then hurriedly arranged, "You go and call the best doctor in the county, bring the first aid medicine, Take the carriage and let this man take you to find the child. Human life is at stake, so there is no delay!"
Before the man could respond, he drove to the place where the child was hiding in a carriage that he had never even touched before. At first, I was still a little apprehensive, but when I saw my child was rescued, I put all my guesses behind me. When the child's condition is stable, someone will come to register in person, and before the child recovers, his own farm residence has been confirmed. Although the field is wasteland and needs to be reclaimed by himself, if it is not reclaimed within a year, it will be taken back; although the residence is just a thatched hut that barely shelters from the wind and rain, but he is a person with status, and he no longer has to worry about being caught as a slave!
"My lord, my lord, the Yamen is surrounded by refugees!"
Zhuang Zhong got up early in the morning, and before he could wash his face, a yamen servant rushed in and yelled, which immediately woke Zhuang Zhong up.
"What? What's going on here? How is the city gate guarded?!"
It is a very troublesome thing if the refugees make trouble, especially in the territory of Yunzhou, where the folk customs are strong and the number of refugees is large. If there is no black cavalry, it is good to say that both sides will suffer. It is very likely that the county government will be flattened .
Zhuang Zhong said as he walked out, hoping that nothing would go wrong because of the conflict.
But as soon as he went out, he was overwhelmed by the dark crowd in front of him. A group of refugees knelt on the ground, begging to take them in solemnly and let them become the real people of Dayou.
Zhuang Zhong had a feeling at the time, how long has it been since these people took a bath! He had never been so smelly in the face of a rotting corpse, and the stench almost knocked him out!