It is true that there is always someone stronger than you.
Those officials actually knew that even if they did not appear in court, the imperial court could still try the case, because Zhang Fei had told them before. But they thought, the money is in my hands, no matter how you sentence, we will not execute it, if you have the ability, you can let the royal police run into the government to rob the money!
Speaking specifically about the matter, in the current judicial reform, it simply means separating the executive and judicial branches, with each branch having its own responsibilities and not being subordinate to the other. This is the core content.
However, Sima Guang did not give a specific explanation as to how they were not subordinate to each other and how they performed their respective duties.
According to the rules of judicial reform, if you do not obey the Royal Court's decision, you can appeal, and this is the only way to solve the problem.
But Sima Guang did not enforce this requirement.
There is still room for negotiation between the two sides.
If it is corruption, bribery, murder, or rebellion, the Royal Police can certainly arrest people. In the past, the executioner could also arrest officials on this basis.
But this case obviously does not involve these. On the contrary, it is the royal court's desire to break the existing system.
This shopping tax was set by the imperial court, and the government was just following the rules. No matter how many problems there were, it has always been done this way. The benefits outweigh the disadvantages, and the imperial court acquiesced and even encouraged it.
We can’t say that we are only guilty once the imperial court comes. We collected so much money, didn’t you spend it
It's time to kill the donkey, right
The government now insists that this is an administrative issue and we are doing things according to the rules. Even if there is a real need for improvement, we will take the initiative to make the changes. You, the royal court, have no right to interfere, so we refuse to appear in court.
Your judgment is invalid.
Ultimately, this is still a dispute between laws and policies.
This time the officials also shared a common hatred for the enemy.
The aggressiveness of the imperial court really made them very unhappy.
But they never expected that the imperial court would make the decision on its own and use tax exemption as compensation from the government to the people.
This really infuriated the officials.
If the imperial court still has this power, then that would be great. The power of taxation is the financial power, and it is the power that the government values most.
"I've said it before, you are deceiving yourselves and others, covering your ears and stealing the bell. If you take a step back, the imperial court will take two steps forward. The purpose is to force you to death."
The captain Fan Meng felt sorry for him because he did not fight for the truth.
Wei Yingfang snorted, "It's the same for everyone. If it weren't for the close relationship between your Yongxing Army and the Royal Police, we wouldn't be so passive."
Fan Meng said: "That's just an illusion. In fact, many generals are very dissatisfied with the public security, procuratorate and courts. Their relatives and businesses have all been hit by the public security, procuratorate and courts. It's just that you all compromised. What can they do?"
Cao Yi asked, "I wonder if Fan Dutou has any suggestions?"
Fan Meng said, "In my opinion, it is almost impossible to decide the outcome of this matter by words. We need to use some tricks. The government should be more assertive and directly order the denial of the imperial court's decision and continue to buy taxes."
Wei Yingfang said: "But will anyone dare to take over?"
Fan Meng said: "Don't worry, as long as the government takes the lead, someone will definitely take over. Those wealthy people don't support the public security, procuratorial and judicial organs. As for the royal police, humph, they only have a few thousand people now. It is simply a pipe dream to manage such a large Hezhong Prefecture. In those remote areas, they are far less powerful than the wealthy people. Now it depends on whether your government can support them. As long as the government can support them, they will definitely be able to...!"
Cao Yi hurriedly said, "It's the auxiliary police."
"right!"
Fan suddenly realized what was happening and quickly changed his words, "It's easy to drive those auxiliary police officers out."
Those wealthy people are the local bosses, with power everywhere. They are not actually afraid of the Royal Police alone. At most, the Royal Police can be arrogant in the city. How many people can you transfer to the mountainous areas? If you send a lot of people, I will just run away. If you have fewer people, I will come out later.
But they did not dare to confront the imperial court, and they also needed the support of the ruling class.
This time, Wei Yingfang barely thought about it and directly said, "Let's do it. We have no choice."
The other officials also nodded.
I have been holding this resentment in for too long. If I continue to hold it in, my lungs will explode.
The key point is that they can't retreat anymore. The royal court has already intervened in the taxation power, which is the most core power.
So they decided to teach the police, procuratorate and courts a lesson; these local tyrants are not so easy to mess with.
They first found Cai Yanqing and stated their position.
Since the government did not participate in the trial of this case, they naturally would not agree with the imperial court's decision. Moreover, the government was just abiding by the system. The purchase tax was legal and the imperial court had no right to interfere.
They demanded that Cai Yanqing directly deny the imperial court's decision.
We will continue singing and dancing, and see what you can do to me.
Cai Yanqing certainly did not want to see this situation happen. If this happened, the entire Hezhong Prefecture would be polarized. If one obeyed the government orders, then he would not have to obey the laws. If one obeyed the laws, then he would not have to obey the government orders. Then the whole prefecture would be in chaos.
But almost all officials supported Wei Yingfang and his suggestions.
On the one hand, Cai Yanqing could only coax them. I have no objection to continuing to buy taxes, but whether to issue a notice to deny the imperial court's judgment must be carefully considered, because once this is done, there will be no turning back.
Either you die or I die.
But the officials believed that it was the royal court that provoked first, and more than once. They did not care about our thoughts, so why should we care about them
This is a game of power. Let’s put principles and laws aside for now.
Let’s just talk about who has the final say in Hezhong Prefecture.
But Cai Yanqing still said, "I need to think about it," and at the same time he hurried to find Yuan Jiang.
"What should we do now?"
Cai Yanqing spread his hands and looked at Yuan Jiang with a hint of annoyance.
Even this clay Buddha has a temper. You are being too radical. You are totally disrespecting the government. The officials can no longer tolerate this.
Yuan Jiang comforted him, "Don't worry, Zhongyuan, just hold them back first, and soon, this matter will be resolved."
Cai Yanqing asked curiously: "How to solve it?"
Yuan Jiang stroked his beard and smiled, "Because this matter will soon no longer be our responsibility. Since it is no longer our responsibility, we naturally have no right to fight back."
"It's not our responsibility?"
Cai Yanqing was stunned for a moment, then suddenly exclaimed, "Tax Commissioner?"
Yuan Jiang nodded and said, "The tax commissioner should arrive in Hezhong Prefecture soon. They will then take over all matters related to tax collection. Whether or not to accept the imperial court's ruling will all be decided by the tax commissioner."
"I see." Cai Yanqing breathed a sigh of relief and asked, "Will taxation have nothing to do with us in the future?"
Yuan Jiang said, "That's not true. The tax commissioner is only responsible for collecting taxes according to the law. It's hard work. How much tax to collect and how much tax to exempt are still managed by the government, but the way and means of collecting taxes are decided by the tax commissioner. The purchase tax is a way of collecting taxes, which must be dominated by the tax commissioner. Anyway, as long as the tax revenue does not decrease, it's fine."
Cai Yanqing asked curiously, "Is the tax commissioner Ren Di very capable? Can he even collect taxes from those remote areas?"
Yuan Jiang smiled and said, "My advice to Governor Cai is that when the tax commissioner arrives, it is best to find out whether you have any taxes to pay. Otherwise, the consequences will be very serious."
Cai Yanqing looked at Yuan Jiang in shock.
Yuan Jiang said: "Although the Taxation Bureau is under the Ministry of Revenue, it is actually directly under the government. They will collect taxes according to the tax law. Anyway, they are in the capital and have siege weapons. No gate of the dignitaries can stop them."
"???"
Isn't this a bit outrageous
Cai Yanqing had no choice but to trust Yuan Jiang, so after he returned, he held a meeting with Wei Yingfang and others to discuss a compromise. For the time being, they should not use government decrees to deny the imperial court's decision, but they must respond and not be too timid. We should post notices to bring Jin Dabao, Gao Qiang and others back to the market to buy.
We all have our own opinions, and you can judge however you want, but we will still continue to buy.
In the end, Cai Yanqing persuaded them all to accept this plan.
The government immediately posted a notice that a grand shopping spree would be held, which would be larger than that of previous years.
As soon as this notice was posted, the people were immediately confused.
Didn’t the Royal Court say that it would suspend the purchase tax
Why does the government want to hold such a grand shopping spree
Who should I listen to
The news soon reached the imperial court, causing concern among everyone in the court.
"It seems that the government is determined to oppose our imperial court. What should we do now?"
Shangguan Jun asked Zhang Fei with concern.
The opponents are not ordinary people, but government officials. Their power in Hezhong Prefecture is even greater than that of the imperial court. If they don't carry out our order, what can we do
When this method is used, one will regret it less.
Ye Zuqia said: "We should immediately write to the court and ask the court to make a decision for us."
Cai Jing frowned and said, "What if the court supports the government?"
Ye Zuqia was stunned for a moment, "Why would the court support the government?"
Cai Jing said: "There has always been debate in the court about the purchase tax, but now more and more states are choosing the purchase tax, which shows that more ministers in the court support the purchase tax."
Zhang Fei suddenly said, "Okay! You don't have to worry about this. The Royal Police will handle it all. Let's take care of the law school first. Now that winter has arrived, fewer people will come to sue. This winter, we have to start teaching those students. How are the exams arranged now?"
The four little golden boys looked at each other and thought, at this time, the teacher still has the mood to worry about the court studies
"Um?"
Zhang Fei looked at them, "Are you not ready yet?"
Cai Bian said hurriedly: "Everything has been prepared properly."
Zhang Fei said: "Then do it as soon as possible. You are responsible for this matter. I will not intervene. But if there is any mistake, I will settle the account with you."
The current exams all test "Song Dynasty Criminal Code", which is traditional jurisprudence. Zhang Fei does not know how to answer traditional questions, and he does not want to come up with some novel topics. If he did, many people would not pass the exam. After all, he only recruits students with a better foundation.
"yes."
... ... .
The Imperial Court can ignore this for the time being, but the Procuratorate cannot turn a blind eye. After all, the Imperial Court has already issued a ban, so how can the government still do this
So the procuratorate intervened immediately, but the government was determined not to comply, so Su Che did not even enter the gate, and all officials refused to see Su Che.
If you don’t agree, send the Royal Police to your door!
This made Su Che angry and humiliated. He said, "You government can continue to appeal, and even ignore the imperial court's decision, but you cannot refuse us from exercising our prosecutorial power. This is a violation of the court system!"
Although Su Zhe was not as unrestrained as Su Shi, he was not a pushover either. On some issues, he was even more assertive than Su Shi. When he was in charge of the Regulations Office of the Two Ministries, he often made Wang Anshi want to kill him.
Su Che naturally would not give up, because he himself did not support the purchase tax, so he went to the imperial court again.
"The government obviously does not intend to comply with the imperial court's ban. Now they won't even let us in. There is no room for maneuver. Our procuratorate has decided to sue the entire government because if we don't respond, our prosecutorial power will be meaningless."
"This is the decision of your procuratorate. We in the royal court will only look at the evidence." Zhang Fei still said the same thing.
After all, the royal court and the procuratorate have a relationship of mutual supervision, rather than acting under the same nose.
Su Che was a little worried again and asked, "But after the imperial court's verdict, can it be enforced?"
Now the government is ignoring them, and the sentences cannot be enforced, which is even more embarrassing.
Zhang Fei smiled and said, "It won't be delayed until then."
Su Che asked, "What do you mean?"
Zhang Fei chuckled and said, "Because this matter will soon no longer be under their jurisdiction."
"Tax Commissioner?"
Su Che also reacted immediately.
Only Zhang Fei knew clearly when the Tax Commissioner would arrive in Hezhong Prefecture.
Zhang Fei smiled and nodded, "So whether or not to accept the judgment of our imperial court is ultimately up to the tax commissioner, not those people."
Su Zhe was stunned for a moment, then he realized that it was a false alarm. He immediately relaxed and laughed, "I really thought you were going to fight them head-on."
Zhang Fei smiled bitterly and said, "To be honest, for now, if they really don't comply, we really don't have much to do. After all, a strong dragon cannot suppress a local snake. Although the Royal Police has expanded rapidly, their power in Hezhong Prefecture should not be underestimated!"
Su Che said: "So you are planning to take advantage of the arrival of the tax commissioner to take advantage of them."
Zhang Fei nodded and said, "At least in the eyes of the people, the government will eventually obey the imperial court's ban, which will help enhance the prestige of our imperial court."
Su Zhe smiled and said, "If that's the case, then our procuratorate should appeal even more."
If you don't take advantage of this, you'd be a bastard. Anyway, there won't be a real fight, so why not be a little more assertive
Zhang Fei smiled and said, "It's up to you. There won't be a trial anyway."
As soon as Su Zhe left, Cao Dongdong and Fu Shichun arrived at the imperial court.
"We have just received news that someone is gathering some rogues to target our Royal Police."
When Fu Shichun saw Zhang Fei, he went straight to the point.
The Imperial Court only gives a judgment, but it is the Royal Police who executes the judgment. Zhang Fei directly stated this point in court, and the Royal Police will execute the judgment of the Imperial Court locally.
Since the government refuses to execute the order and wants to continue the buying spree, it must first pass the test of the Royal Police.
They must recruit troops over there to deal with the Royal Police.
Cao Dongdong bit his nails and secretly glanced at Zhang Fei.
Zhang Fei also noticed his strange look and asked, "What do you think, Yanei?"
Fu Shichun immediately said, "Don't listen to him, he will be competitive."
Cao Dongdong immediately put down his hands and said excitedly: "They took the initiative to deal with us, not us who wanted to provoke them. Now they are bullying us, of course we can't tolerate it, we have to let them see the methods of our Royal Police."
Hearing that the other side was recruiting soldiers, he and Ma Xiaoyi were very excited. They had learned a lot of skills and could finally put them to good use!
Zhang Fei smiled and nodded, "Yanei is right. There is no need to be patient."
Cao Dongdong asked happily: "Really?"
"Um."
Zhang Fei nodded, "But it can be delayed."
"drag?"
Cao Dongdong looked at Zhang Fei in confusion.
Zhang Fei said: "If they just hired some rogues, it's actually easy to deal with. As far as I know, those rogues are generally cowards who bully the weak and fear the strong. I think the police station should give a strong response to this matter.
The police station only needs to make the matter public and instruct the Royal Police to step up their guard and equip them with weapons. I think that will deter those rogues."
Fu Shichun said: "But they can also find some desperate criminals to deal with us."
Cao Dongdong said excitedly: "Then fight them, why are you afraid of them?"
Zhang Fei said: "But if they want to adjust their plans, it will take some time. Desperadoes are harder to find than scoundrels. During this time, I will solve this matter."
Fu Shichun said: "It would be best if you could solve it."
After hearing this, Cao Dongdong sighed and said, "There's no fighting anymore. How boring!"
Fu Shichun said unhappily, "I wonder if you think your life is too comfortable."
Cao Dongdong nodded repeatedly, "Why else would I come to this place called Hezhong Prefecture?"
"... ... ?"
Fu Shichun was speechless.
Everyone’s pursuits are different!
Zhang Fei said to Cao Dongdong, "Yanei, the police department must still emphasize restraint. We must not act impulsively and must strictly abide by the Royal Police Code of Conduct. If the Royal Police are used to solving problems with swords, then the entire public security, procuratorial and judicial system will be finished."
Cao Dongdong said weakly: "I know! Alas..."
... ...
After Cao Dongdong and his colleagues returned, they first ordered the Royal Police to be alert and carry weapons on the streets at all times, and at the same time published some contents of the Royal Police's law enforcement manual on the alarm.
One of the important points is that when the Royal Police are threatened with their lives, they can directly kill the other party. Therefore, they ask the people not to use weapons against the Royal Police.
This is obviously a warning to the other party that we can legally kill people and we have warned them in advance, so you should be careful.
The government has many spies in the police station. They have known the news for a long time and have been prepared for this. They will not take the initiative to provoke the Royal Police. They only send people to execute the government's orders. However, if the Royal Police take the initiative to intervene, their people are allowed to use force.
Things have come to this point, and the use of force seems inevitable.
One is to execute government decrees, the other is to execute legal decrees.
I really don't know who takes priority.
But the direct contradiction between the two is that neither side recognizes the legitimacy of the other and neither is willing to make any compromise, so the problem can only be solved through force.
Because they all have to be executed, conflicts are bound to break out.
But this is something many people do not want to see, including officials such as Cai Yanqing, Guo Kui, and Wang Shao. However, they can only worry in their hearts. Regarding this matter, they cannot decide who to listen to.
To be honest, their relationship with the government is even closer.
But just when the two sides were on the verge of a war, as if it was about to break out, Chen Ming, the tax collector of Hezhong Prefecture, suddenly arrived in Hezhong Prefecture.
After reporting to the government office, Chen Ming directly stated that the Commissioner of Taxation had decided to cancel all purchase taxes in Hezhong Prefecture.
This sudden change left the officials dumbfounded.
This is simply cutting off the source of the trouble. The reason they opposed the imperial court was that the imperial court interfered with the government's power to collect taxes. Now, this power no longer belongs to them.
This is so embarrassing!
Brother, you can come earlier or later. I have already made my preparations. You are telling me all this. Are you here to cause trouble
"Does your tax commissioner have the authority to decide this matter?" Wei Yingfang questioned.
Chen Ming said with a serious face: "The government only decides how much tax to collect, how much tax to exempt, and how much tax to use, but as for how to collect taxes, it is up to our tax department to decide. This is an imperial decree."
As he spoke, he took out an official document and handed it to Wei Yingfang and the others.
While they were reading the imperial edict, Chen Ming said, "The purchase tax is just a way of collecting taxes, not a tax law policy. Therefore, our taxation department has the right to decide whether to cancel it or continue to implement it."
He Chunlin's tone suddenly changed. He dared to disobey the imperial court's judgment, but he did not dare to disobey the imperial court's order. He hurriedly said, "Tax Commissioner Chen, you have just arrived in Hezhong Prefecture, so you may not know something. The imperial court is really going too far..."
"I know."
Before he could finish, Chen Ming said, "But our duty as the tax commissioner is to collect every legal tax. As for the fight between you, it has nothing to do with our tax commissioner, and I don't want to get involved."
What this means is that if you want to fight, go somewhere else; taxes are now a forbidden area.
After reading it, Wei Yingfang asked again: "Since Chen, the tax commissioner, cares about collecting taxes, why does the tax commissioner want to cancel the purchase tax? The purchase tax can save a lot of manpower and material resources for the government, which is beneficial to the finances."
Chen Mingdao said: "If it is really beneficial to the finances, we will never cancel the purchase tax, but this is not the case."
As he spoke, he took out another stack of documents and said, "This is what we learned from our investigation into the purchase tax in Hezhong Prefecture. These more than ten purchase taxes are not good for the finances. The money earned from the purchases is far lower than the taxes that these areas should pay. These purchasers make several times the profit from this every year. Our tax department will never allow this to continue."
Cai Yanqing took it and looked at it, and was secretly surprised. This tax commissioner was really as powerful as the rumors said!
After taking a quick look at it, he handed it to Wei Yingfang.
After reading it, Wei Yingfang and the others all remained silent.
There are a lot of tricks in these more than ten purchase taxes. Those wealthy people all have connections in the government, and they couldn't help but look at Chen Ming with some guilt.
Chen Ming didn't seem to want to argue with them about the tricks involved, and changed the subject, "But our tax commissioner also believes that the imperial court's ruling is unfair. We will appeal to the imperial court and ask those who lost money to bear most of the compensation. The government didn't make any money from these transactions, so how can it have so much money to pay compensation?"
He Chunlin said sarcastically: "The imperial court may not pay attention to you."
Chen Ming said calmly, "We are very clear about the ways of the imperial court. Evidence is needed in court. Our tax commissioner may not have evidence to ask them to pay more, but those poor households will definitely be willing to give more compensation to reduce the burden on the government, unless they are not clear about how much tax they have underpaid this year."
Having said this, he suddenly looked at Wei Yingfang and others meaningfully.
All the officials felt a little nervous.
Is this... is this a hint to us
At this moment, they suddenly realized that the Tax Commissioner might be their number one enemy!