From Chang'an City to Luoyang, then to Bianzhou, and then to the southeast straight down to Yangzhou, this is a mature route belonging to the Grand Canal.

Li Kuan and his entourage went down the river, so naturally there would be no accidents.

"The city bridge is lit up with sky, and the water Guo Fan is nearly half a cow. This Yangzhou city is worthy of being the economic center of the south. ”

Li Kuan got off the ship, and before he entered Yangzhou City, he felt the scene of trade and merchants gathering in Yangzhou.

To put it mildly, Yangzhou is now the most important economic center in the south of the Tang Dynasty, even if it is Hangzhou, Mingzhou, Quanzhou and Guangzhou, which are maritime trade cities, they are not as good as it.

Because Yangzhou, as the most important city at the mouth of the Yangtze River, is itself a very important maritime trade city, Yangzhou Boshi was also established last year.

"Yangzhou is the intersection of the canal and the Yangtze River, coupled with the rebellion of the Eight Kings of the Western Jin Dynasty, many Central Plains scholars have migrated to the south of the Yangtze River, and now the most prosperous area of the Tang Dynasty has slowly changed from the Guanzhong region to the Jiangnan region."

Wang Xuance is well-informed, and his analysis of this is very good.

In fact, his analysis is also very consistent with the statements of many experts and scholars in later generations.

Yangzhou is the starting point of the ditch section of the Grand Canal, which was originally dug by Wu in the Spring and Autumn Period, after dredging and remediation in the Yang Guang period, to the Zhenguan period, it has become the link between the Yangtze River and the Huai River Basin, and it is also the most important waterway to Chang'an and Luoyang.

In Chang'an, at least 30% of foreign goods come from this canal.

Of course, there is another very important factor that Wang Xuance does not know.

That is, Yangzhou was so prosperous in the Tang Dynasty, because Yangzhou at this time was the apex of the Yangtze River estuary, and there were no other cities behind it to compete with it, because below it was an estuarine bay like a horn with an open water surface, and the water surface was open to facilitate the movement of ships.

However, with the siltation of sediment in the Yangtze River, the merger of sandbanks and the gradual eastward migration of the Yangtze River estuary, the river channel in Yangzhou is not so suitable for the docking of large ships.

This is why when it came to the Braided Dynasty, why Yangzhou was still the junction of the Yangtze River and the Grand Canal, but its status was far inferior to that of the Tang Dynasty, but it was the rise of Shanghai, a seaside city.

"Yes, whether it is the fleet from Lingnan or the fleet of the Nanyang countries, if you want to go to Chang'an, you basically either dock from Hangzhou or Yangzhou. Even if it is on the shore in Hangzhou, it will eventually pass through Yangzhou, in my opinion, the status of Yangzhou, in a short period of time, I am afraid that it will rise. ”

Although Li Kuan does not know much about the situation in Yangzhou, it can be seen from the situation in Tang poems how important Yangzhou's status is.

In fact, the most glorious time of Yangzhou was actually the Anshi Rebellion, when the strength of the Guanzhong region fell sharply and the status of Jiangnan rose rapidly.

"Lord, speaking of which, this Yangzhou is still the place where I was born, but I was too young at that time to leave a particularly deep impression."

Wu Meiniang's words surprised Li Kuanda.

"Mei Niang, weren't you born in Lizhou?"

In later generations, there has always been controversy about where Wu Meiniang was born.

Some say it is from Lizhou, some say it is from Chang'an, and some say it is from Luoyang, and there are all kinds of theories.

Li Kuan really didn't expect that she was actually born in Yangzhou.

"Lord, my father Zhenguan came to Lizhou in the second year of his life, and I was already older than a little corn at that time, how could I be born in Lizhou. But I grew up in Lizhou, and I'm right. ”

"Ying Guogong is still an official in Yangzhou, but this king really doesn't know."

"When my father was in Yangzhou, it was just a long history, and it was normal for the prince not to remember."

Wu Meiniang herself is not very clear about the experience in Yangzhou, so naturally she will not mind that Li Kuan is not clear.

"I didn't expect you to have such a relationship with Yangzhou, so we would have to stay here for a few more days."

……

Jiangdu County, Yangzhou.

Gu Lian, the county magistrate, was having lunch in the backyard of the county government, but he looked absent-minded.

Although the table was my favorite stewed mutton, I stopped when the chopsticks were brought to my mouth several times, and I didn't notice that the mutton on the chopsticks had fallen.

Gu Panpan, the daughter sitting next to him, couldn't help but ask: "Aya, is it difficult for the deposed envoy from Chang'an?" I've heard that he's been staying in Jiangdu County for several days. ”

His Royal Highness the King of Chu came to Yangzhou as an envoy, so it was naturally impossible to be low-key, and everyone in Yangzhou knew that there were big figures in the court during this time.

And the reputation of His Royal Highness the King of Chu is both good and bad.

Yangzhou is far away from Chang'an City, and a lot of news from Chang'an is distorted as it spreads.

Many times, the common people tend to believe the negative news of these princes and nobles, and they do not necessarily believe the positive rumors.

Of course, Li Kuan's rumors are more special.

Some people like him and simply worship him as a star.

Some people don't like him, but they think that he is just a gentleman, even if there are a lot of good works circulated, they are done by the hands of others.

Gu Lian's only daughter, Gu Panpan, is the latter.

As a famous talented woman in Yangzhou City, she naturally heard of Li Kuan's name.

But when she heard that "the sea was once difficult to turn into water, except for Wushan is not a cloud" was made by Li Kuan in the Qinglou, and Li Kuan was the first of the four evils in Chang'an City, she was skeptical about the rumors that followed.

"There happened to be a more difficult case in the past few days, and if one is not handled well, His Royal Highness the King of Chu may use me to make an example of me."

Gu Lian did not deny or admit it, but Li Kuan continued to listen to his trial in Jiangdu County this afternoon, but it put a lot of pressure on him.

"Aya, I'll go to the county government with you in the afternoon, I want to see if His Royal Highness the King of Chu is really as powerful as rumored."

The Gu family is a big family in the south of the Yangtze River and is said to be a descendant of Goujian, the king of Yue.

During the Eastern Jin Dynasty, with strong economic strength, he joined forces with Sima Rui, a wealthy northern clan from the north who crossed south after the Yongjia Rebellion, to ascend the throne.

Since then, the Gu family has become the object of the Eastern Jin Dynasty's royal care, and many family members have begun to enter the core of power in the Eastern Jin Dynasty.

The Gu family of Wujun really became a famous family at that time, and until the Sui and Tang dynasties, it was still the leading family in the Jiangnan region.

Gu Lian is now the sister-in-law of the Gu family, and Gu Panpan is Gu Lian's only daughter, in Yangzhou City, even if it is the history of Yangzhou, it has to give the Gu family some face, creating a character that Gu Panpan is not afraid of the sky and the earth.

"Panpan, don't mess around, this His Royal Highness the King of Chu is not something you can afford to provoke."

Gu Lian is now too busy to take care of himself, but this deposed envoy has the right to put him as an official on the spot.

"Aye, don't worry, I'm measured."

……

Jiangdu County Ya.

"Smack!"

Gu Lian took a deep breath, looked at Li Kuan and Wang Xuance who were sitting on the side and a handsome scholar who was a little raw, patted the startled wood vigorously, and shouted, "Ascend to the hall!" ”

"Might-Force-"

Two rows of officials in the hall, holding wooden sticks that were half red and half black, kept hitting the ground, giving people a sense of urgency.

Li Kuan has been watching Jiangdu County Order Gu Lian hear the case for two days, so he is naturally very familiar with this set of processes.

This set of processes is probably to convey some pressure to the prisoners.

Under heavy pressure, it is easier for people to confess.

"Take someone to commit it!"

Gu Lian secretly glanced at Li Kuan and found that he didn't mean to speak.

"Lord Wang, this Gu county order trial case is also decent, it can't be talked about any brilliance, and there is nothing wrong with it."

Wang Xuance whispered to the side.

Li Kuan has no experience in politics, and Wang Xuance knows it.

In particular, Li Kuan knew very little about the affairs of these grassroots county officials.

"I have seen the trial scene when I was in Lizhou before, and it is much more direct than this Jiangdu County."

The scholar Gu Lian saw just now was really Wu Meiniang dressed as a man.

Although she was born in Yangzhou, she is not familiar with Yangzhou and has no relatives to visit.

Li Kuan went to the county government office to listen to the trial for two days in succession, but she stayed aside and had nothing to do, so she simply dressed up in disguise and followed Li Kuan.

"Oh? What is the direct method? ”

"Cases are tried locally, and confessions are taken very seriously. It can be said that the entire process of trial of the case revolves around the acquisition of a confession, and the final verdict is also based on the confession, so in order to obtain a confession, it is inevitable to extort a confession by execution. ”

Wu Meiniang was very happy when she saw Li Kuan listening carefully.

"Extorting a confession by torture?"

Li Kuan was stunned for a moment, but was quickly relieved.

In the era when there is no eye in the sky and no fingerprint detection, it is completely unrealistic to use any "innocence" to try cases.

On the contrary, many times executions are necessary, and many cases are solved in this way.

Of course, there will be some unjust, false and wrongly decided cases that cannot be avoided.

"Yes, the Datang Law also specifically stipulates the tools used during torture. Well, the special interrogation cane with a length of 3 feet and 5 inches, a large head of 3 cents and a small head of 2 cents, is a standard execution tool. ”

Wu Meiniang pointed to a few prison sticks in the hall, showing her talent very much.

The boring thing like the Tang Law can't be watched by ordinary people.

But Wu Meiniang has read it from beginning to end, and has written down the main content.

I didn't expect it to be useful today.

Just as Li Kuan and Wu Meiniang were talking, the prisoner was quickly brought up.

Gu Lian glanced at Li Kuan again, and found that he didn't look at him, and breathed a sigh of relief.

"Zhang Xiang, are you guilty?"

"County order, the grass people are wronged!"

Zhang Xiang has been arraigned several times, and whether he is guilty or not, he will not admit his guilt so easily.

"Humph! Zhang Xiang, this official asked you, you said that you drank at Lin Sen's house that night, but there were other witnesses? ”

Zhang Xiang knelt in the hall, trembling and said: "Lin Sen's family has no old and young, just himself, that night, no one else saw the two of us drinking together. ”

Gu Lian shifted his gaze to Lin Sen again, and said, "Lin Sen, is it true that Zhang Xiang said that he drank at your house on the first day of this month and didn't go home until three o'clock in the morning?" ”

Without waiting for Lin Sen to answer, Gu Lian slammed again, "You can answer again after you think clearly, if you lie, you are an accomplice." An accomplice to a murderer is also punished by at least three thousand miles of exile. ”

Hearing Gu Lian say this, Lin Sen couldn't help but tremble a little, and after secretly glancing at Zhang Xiang, he raised his head and said: "The county order, what the grass people say, every word is the truth, don't dare to have any lies, please let the county order know everything and let the grass people go." ”

Hearing Lin Sen's words, Gu Lian continued to ask with a pale face: "Then you say, how much wine did you drink that day, what kind of wine did you drink, and where did you buy the wine from?" ”

"I drank Shaoxing Huadiao wine, and the two of them drank a jar, and the wine was bought from a shop in the township."

Li Kuan, who was sitting next to him, couldn't help but shake his head.

I've listened to this set of conversations several times in the past two days, and I'm almost able to memorize them.

He has also read the file of this case, in fact, it is not complicated at all, and there are no twists and turns written in various suspense in later generations.

The deceased was a small landowner in a township below Jiangdu County, with thousands of acres of fertile land at home, and a few shops in Jiangdu County.

However, the mother-in-law of this small landlord just died this year, and he has only one daughter, and now she is also terminally ill.

And this daughter's son-in-law is Zhang Xiang.

On the first day of this month, the small landlord was found dead in his home.

No matter what age it is, who is the biggest beneficiary of the case, then he is the biggest suspect.

Gu Lian can do the county order of Jiangdu County, which is a county order in the upper county, and naturally it is not a wine bag and rice bag.

After arranging for the bad people of the county government to check many times, he really locked up Zhang Xiang.

The mother-in-law of the small landlord died, and the only daughter, after hearing the bad news, became ill and died!

Then his family fortune naturally fell to Zhang Xiang.

To put it mildly, no one has a more motive to kill than Zhang Xiang.

However, in the era of paying attention to confessions, Zhang Xiang has seamless alibi evidence.

That afternoon, he went to the house of his fox friend Lin Sen to drink, and did not return home until three o'clock in the morning.

Originally, after the execution to extract a confession, nine times out of ten, this Zhang Xiang confessed, and Gu Lian could be the master of the blue sky again, maybe he could get some benefits from the ownerless wealth of the small landlord, which can be described as fame and fortune.

However, Li Kuan, the deposed envoy, came to Yangzhou.

Come on, come on, it stands to reason that the most worrying thing is the history of Yangzhou Thorn, how do you know that His Royal Highness the King of Chu is relying on the Jiangdu County Ya.

At this time, where did Gu Lian dare to torture to extract a confession?

Isn't this a credit to Li Kuan, the deposed envoy?

In this way, it is embarrassing.

Major human life cases, no matter in that era, were cases that needed to be solved.

If this delay is long, it may cause concern among the people in the jurisdiction.

Li Kuan felt a little tired, this kind of trial is not interesting.

"His Royal Highness the King of Chu, if you don't want to move to the backyard, the lower official has something to say to the prince."

Gu Lian saw that today seemed to be about to enter a dead cycle again, and couldn't help but feel a chord in his heart, and was about to invite Li Kuan to the backyard to explain to him the necessity of torture to extract confessions.