Zhu Ping'an visited Mr. Yao's home for nearly an hour, chatting about family matters and asking about the situation in Dayao Village and several nearby villages. Mr. Yao told him everything he knew, and Zhu Ping'an obtained a lot of first-hand information.
After leaving Yao's home, Zhu Ping'an continued to visit two villages and then returned to the county government.
Through the visit, Zhu Ping'an became more determined. As soon as he returned to the county government office, he ordered the bailiff to go to court.
"It's almost afternoon and the court is about to end. Why are we suddenly in court? Did the young county magistrate take the wrong medicine?"
"If you don't know how to be a county magistrate, then you shouldn't do it. It's already this hour, and you're still going to court? It's really ridiculous."
"What is the little county lord going to do?!"
When the officials in the county government received the notice of the court session, they all complained in their hearts and slandered Zhu Ping'an in various ways.
"Let's wait and see what the young county magistrate is going to do, and then we'll respond accordingly." County Magistrate Zhang instructed everyone.
The clerks from the six departments understood what he meant, and followed County Magistrate Zhang and Chief Clerk Yao, arriving at the lobby one after another.
"Zhang Dianli, inform the prison guards to bring all the prisoners who have not paid their taxes to the lobby."
Zhu Ping'an took out a "zhi" stick from the stick tube and gave it to Liu Mu, who gave it to Zhang Danian, the clerk in the prison, and ordered him to notify the prison to bring all the prisoners who were detained for not paying taxes to the lobby.
Take all the prisoners who haven't paid taxes to the lobby?! That would be about a hundred people, right?!
What is the little magistrate trying to do? !
Zhang Dianli took the order, but did not immediately execute Zhu Ping'an's order. Instead, he subconsciously looked at Zhang Xiancheng.
County Magistrate Zhang nodded imperceptibly, and Zhang Dianli received County Magistrate Zhang's tacit approval, then he accepted the order and went to the prison.
Zhu Ping'an narrowed his eyes, took in the scene, understood it in his heart, but showed no reaction on his face.
After Zhang Dianli left, the clerks in the hall were talking to each other, and the hall was filled with their buzzing voices. They didn't understand why Zhu Ping'an wanted to bring all the prisoners who had not paid taxes to the hall for trial? ! There was no need, they were arrested because they had not paid taxes, and they had already been tried. But why did the young magistrate bring them to the hall again? To try them again? To show off? !
Or should they be tortured, severely beaten with sticks, tortured, and forced to pay taxes? !
If these prisoners who refused to pay taxes were really punished severely, it might be possible to force some of them to pay taxes.
You know what, this is actually a good method.
Wow, I really didn’t expect this!
Fortunately, he is a scholar, and looks honest, gentle and young, but I didn't expect that he is so dark and cruel!
If he really did this, he might be able to force some people to pay back taxes and grain. This would more or less be considered a small achievement after he took office. This was not okay. He couldn't let his conspiracy succeed.
When County Magistrate Zhang thought of this, he couldn't help but look up at Chief Clerk Yao who was standing beside him.
Yao Zhubu was very smart. He understood Zhang Xiancheng's look instantly. He smiled slightly, lowered his head and whispered to Zhang Xiancheng, "Don't worry, brother Zhang. The Ming Dynasty Code prohibits the investigation of common people's crimes and strictly prohibits officials from abusing punishment. Only when four conditions are met, 'committing a serious crime', 'clear evidence of corruption', 'refusing to accept the confession', and 'clearly establishing a written case', can the prisoner be punished. During the Chenghua period, there were stricter regulations on the punishment of officials: except for homicide and robbery cases, other prisoners could only be whipped. If it is necessary to use torture instruments such as sticks, clamps, brain boxes, and branding irons, it must be requested step by step. If the county magistrate violates the rules in using punishment, he will be punished for the crime of entering and leaving the country. If he wants to use punishment to force taxes, we, as officials appointed by the court, naturally cannot sit idly by and watch the county magistrate violate the law, abuse punishment, and bully the people."
After being reminded by Chief Clerk Yao, County Magistrate Zhang immediately felt relieved. The two looked at each other and smiled, and everything was said without words.
Soon, Zhang Dianli brought the prison guards and escorted more than a hundred prisoners who had not paid their taxes to the lobby.
There were too many prisoners to accommodate them in the lobby, so some of them stood outside the lobby and were guarded by jailers and bailiffs.
“Kneel down!”
The bailiffs and jailers ordered the prisoners to kneel down.
"mighty!"
Two rows of yamen runners below the court banged the killing sticks hard and shouted loudly, and the court suddenly became solemn.
"I, a commoner, pay my respects to the Magistrate."
The prisoners' legs were trembling and they fell to their knees, feeling uneasy. They didn't know why the magistrate had brought them to court again. However, they were enveloped by a strong sense of foreboding, as if they were going to be guillotined.
"Get up."
Zhu Ping'an sat on the high platform, raised his right hand and ordered the prisoners to stand up.
The prisoners stood up in panic, their legs trembling, and waited anxiously for their ominous fate to come.
"You are all prisoners who are imprisoned for not paying taxes." Zhu Ping'an looked at the prisoners and said slowly.
Straight to the point, the real intention is clear, are they going to use torture to force the tax? !
County Magistrate Zhang and others turned their eyes to Zhu Ping'an, ready to decisively dissuade him according to the "Great Ming Law" and other laws when Zhu Ping'an resorted to torture, so as to prevent Zhu Ping'an's conspiracy of forcing tax collection by torture from succeeding.
"Master Magistrate, we didn't mean to not pay the taxes. We just couldn't raise the taxes..."
"Last year's harvest was bad..."
"We really didn't mean to resist the tax. My wife is sick and we sold all the food to buy medicine. Mr. Magistrate..."
A prisoner couldn't help but explain anxiously.
"quiet!"
The yamen runners struck the ground with their clubs, ordering the prisoners to keep quiet. The prisoners were so frightened that they dared not utter a word.
Everyone looked at Zhu Ping'an, waiting for his next move.
The clerks in the Rites Department and the Criminal Department had received instructions from County Magistrate Zhang and Chief Clerk Yao, and had already taken a firm stance, just waiting for Zhu Ping'an to order the use of torture to collect taxes. Then they would be the first to speak out, citing the provisions of the Ming Dynasty Code and Chenghua Regulations to stop and oppose Zhu Ping'an.
Under the watchful eyes of the crowd, Zhu Ping'an stood up from the lobby and looked at the prisoners in the court.
The prisoners were terrified, their legs trembling, and they felt as if a disaster was about to happen.
The pupils of County Magistrate Zhang and Chief Clerk Yao shrank slightly, their eyes fixed on Zhu Ping'an. The clerks from the Rites Room and the Criminal Department raised their buttocks by one third, with only a small part of their buttocks touching the chairs.
"You are all prisoners who have not paid your taxes."
Under the watchful eyes of the crowd, Zhu Pingan continued with his previous words, "You are also sons, husbands, and fathers of your families. You also have families with parents, wives, and children, and you have to make a living. It is almost September now, and it will be time to harvest the early rice soon. In order not to delay the farming season, and for the sake of your parents, wives, and children, I will allow you to go home for the autumn harvest. However, after the autumn harvest is over, you must return to the prison to report as soon as possible. Now, you can all go home."
ha
What?!
As soon as Zhu Ping'an finished speaking, County Magistrate Zhang, Chief Clerk Yao, and the six clerks all looked at him in shock.
I can't believe it!
Can't believe it!
Zhu Pingan… he, he… he is really going against the will of the world! Is he really that bold? ! Does Zhu Pingan know what he is doing, releasing more than a hundred prisoners to go home for the autumn harvest? ! In the whole world, in history, no county magistrate has ever dared to do such a crazy thing! ! ! Does he, Zhu Pingan, not want to do this job anymore? !
County Magistrate Zhang sucked in a breath of cold air, pointed his finger at Zhu Ping'an with trembling hands, his eyes widened so wide that they almost popped out of their sockets, and his mouth opened so wide, but he was too shocked to make a sound.
In fact, they were not the most shocked.
Instead, it was the prisoners in the hall who were trembling with fear, uneasiness, and anxiety, waiting for the disaster to come.
The prisoners who thought they were in danger of being killed unexpectedly heard Zhu Ping'an's decree that they would be released to go home for the autumn harvest. They couldn't believe their ears. They couldn't believe that the county magistrate actually wanted to release them to go home for the autumn harvest? !
Is this true
This is such a great surprise!
The prisoners pinched their arms and felt the pain drilling into their bones. Only then did they believe that this was the truth. The magistrate was really going to let them go home for the autumn harvest. They were so unbelievably happy that many of them even cried with excitement.
"Thank you, Lord Qingtian, thank you very much."
"Master, rest assured. We will return to the prison on time after the autumn harvest. If anyone dares not to return to the prison, I, Daniu, will be the first one to not forgive him!"
"We must report back to the prison after the autumn harvest. Anyone who doesn't come back will die without any descendants."
A group of prisoners knelt on the ground, thanking Zhu Ping'an incoherently, and swore to return to prison after the autumn harvest.