Zheng Youhe scolded: "Zhou Dafu, don't recruit from the truth!" ”

Zhou Dafu kowtowed three times to the Zheng prefect's mansion, and said in a trembling voice: "If you go back to the prefect, my lord has indeed coveted the Xu family's manuscript for a long time. He first ordered the villain to find a way to steal the manuscript, but when he couldn't get his hands on it, he started to find someone to catch a knife and write a fake manuscript. Of course, this was all after he ordered the villain to burn the Xu family bookstore. As for threatening and intimidating Xu Wei, the shopkeeper of the Xu family, there are indeed things. ”

Before Zheng Youhe could ask in detail, Zhou Dafu poured beans into a bamboo tube and said it all.

This frightened Zhou Youde.

He didn't care much, pointed at Zhou Dafu's nose and scolded: "What an ungrateful slave who conspired with outsiders to frame the head of the family, it is really shameless!" ”

He turned to Zheng Youhe and sobbed: "Please also ask the prefect to make the decision for the grass people." ”

Zheng Youhe only felt a headache, and said sharply: "Quiet! ”

Zhou Youde was stunned for a moment, and he didn't dare to make noise anymore.

"Xu Wei, this official is here to ask you, do you have any evidence that Zhou Dafu was instructed by Zhou Youde? This official can't convict Zhou Youde based on his words, right? ”

Zheng Youhe asked this in the hope that Xu Wei would accept it when he saw it, and take Zhou Dafu to bear the blame, so that it would end well.

But Xu Wei had already agreed with Xu Yan before he came to report to the official that he must find out who was behind the scenes, and he would not compromise no matter what.

The Zhou family has a big business, and it is normal to have some background in Hangzhou officialdom. Xu Yan had already expected this, so he instructed Xu Wei to have a strong attitude and not show the slightest sign of loosening. Only in this way can the government be oppressive, showing that the Xu family is not a soft persimmon to be manipulated.

"Lord Qiyu, Xu still has circumstantial evidence."

Xu Wei came prepared and replied very confidently.

Well? Circumstantial evidence?

Governor Zheng was suspicious of this, cleared his throat and said, "Bring circumstantial evidence to court!" ”

As soon as the words fell, two officials came up to the hall with a young woman.

"The little girl Dehui Ban Xuelimei meets the eldest master."

The moment Zhou Youde saw Xue Limei, he was shocked.

How did she end up here?

It turns out that the Dehui class is a troupe that Zhou Youde has often invited to sing in Xiaopenglai recently. Xue Limei is a servant in the troupe.

Because of her excellent voice and tactful singing, Xue Limei is deeply loved by Zhou Youde.

Several times Zhou Dafu came to Xiao Penglai to report to him, Zhou Youde was fascinated by it, and did not quit the troupe in time.

If this Xue Limei has a heart, she can hear the conversation between him and Zhou Dafu clearly.

Sure enough, after Governor Zheng ordered Xue Limei to truthfully state her feelings, she did not hesitate to repeat what Zhou Youde said to Zhou Dafu at the beginning.

"Slander, it's all slander!"

Zhou Youde was in a hurry, and scolded angrily: "How much silver did you take from the Xu family, you bitch, you are so disgusting!" ”

"Presumptuous!"

Zhou Youde roared in court several times, causing the official authority of the Zheng Governor's Mansion to disappear.

How can Governor Zheng endure?

I saw him throw down a stick and said coldly: "Zhou Youde roared in court, and the heavy twenty boards set an example!" ”

The prefect has an order, and the officials naturally follow it.

I saw two officials dragging Zhou Youde to the ground, picking up his pants and beating him.

Zhou Youde pampered and pampered the tender meat all day long, how could he have suffered so much.

After a few boards, he wailed all the time, crying for his father and mother.

Governor Zheng felt even more disgusted when he heard it.

At first, he did have a mind about peace and mud, thinking about calming things down.

But the Xu family is so well prepared, and there are both main evidence and circumstantial evidence, teach him how to protect him?

You can't open your eyes and tell nonsense, can you?

If you want to blame Zhou Youde himself, he is just greedy, he is so unfavorable to do things, leaving so many handles.

After the twenty boards were finished, Zhou Youde was already weak, and Governor Zheng snorted coldly: "If you dare to roar in the court, you will be punished more severely!" ”

Governor Zheng paused, patted the wood, and continued to ask Xue Limei: "This mansion will ask you, is what you just said true?" ”

Xue Limei bit her lip and said, "Everything is true." ”

"Someone, tell her to sign and draw!"

Zhou Youde saw that the situation was becoming more and more unfavorable to him, so he couldn't care about it, and shouted: "Lord Prefect is slow, don't you take care of Lord Yao's face?" ”

His shout was terrible, Governor Zheng's face changed greatly, and he sneered in his heart.

Originally, he also took care of Yao Bu's political envoy's face, and thought of imposing a light punishment on Zhou Youde.

I never thought that Youde was so stupid this week that he would directly involve Lord Yao.

If Zhou Youde doesn't say anything and admits it, Yao Bu's political envoy may also hint to Zheng Youhe for the sake of the concubine.

But now that he came, Yao Bu's political envoy was afraid that he would kill Zhou Youde.

"Zhou Youde indiscriminately bites the officials of the imperial court, it is extremely hateful, and he will give this official another twenty boards!"

When Zhou Youde heard that he was going to hit the board again, he cried: "Lord Prefect, you can't beat me, Lord Yao save me, Lord Yao save me!" ”

Zheng Youhe said in his heart, where can you be allowed to scream here, so he ordered: "Plug his mouth for this official!" ”

Zhou Dafu on the side saw that Zhou Youde was gagged and scolded, and he only felt happy.

When he threw him to the Xu family like a dead dog, he couldn't imagine that there would be today, right?

Twenty boards say too much, and say less and no less.

Zhou Youde was beaten with twenty boards before, and he passed out after these twenty boards.

Zheng Youhe ordered someone to fetch water to wake him up.

A basin of cold water was splashed, and Zhou Youde woke up with a spirit.

Zheng Zhifu said coldly: "Zhou Youde, a merchant in Qiantang, was jealous of his fellow Xu family and ordered someone to burn the Xu family's bookstore. How should the punishment be judged according to the Da Ming Law? ”

These words are addressed to the criminal master on the side.

"Qi Yu Dong Weng, the Great Ming Law records: If you set fire to the houses of the government and the people, the warehouses of the public offices, and the things accumulated by the officials, they will be beheaded. For this reason, those who burn people's idle houses and things accumulated in the fields shall be reduced by one class each. And count the things burned, reduce the price, and exhaust the property of the prisoner, and make restitution for the severe, and return it to the lord. ”

"What is the punishment for stealing property?"

"Whoever steals and has no wealth shall be punished with fifty lashes, and shall not be pierced. But those who have gained wealth shall regard one lord as the most important and shall be guilty of sin. For the servants, each minus one. and consistently below, sixty rods. Consistently above ten through the rod seventy... One hundred and twenty runs, a hundred rods of sin, three thousand miles. ”

"The two crimes will be punished concurrently, and Zhou Youde will be sentenced to death, and the burned objects of the Xu family bookstore will be compensated and returned to the Xu family!"

Stealing property is punishable by the cane, but anyone who intentionally sets fire to a house and causes great damage shall be punished according to the law.

Zhou Youde completely collapsed when he heard the word "slash", and cried loudly.

"Take it down and take it to prison!"

Governor Zheng only felt unlucky, and waved his hand.

...

...