Xiao Xiu's face turned red when he boarded, and he stepped aside. The old queen mother pulled her, and the two of them retreated on one side.

Xiao Zhi stepped to the entrance of the hall in a few steps, and said sharply: "Spread the decree to the Criminal Department, and immediately escort Zhang Bonian's father to the wicker side - order Zhang Bonian to come in and listen to me!" Xiao Zhi turned his face to Qin Mengqi and said, "How kind I treat you, it's really chilling to think about!" ”

Qin Mengqi was so shocked that he was sweating all over, and he kowtowed to the ground: "The king's reproach is true, but what the slave said is true, Zhang Bonian is indeed a clean official, how dare the slave dare to lie to the master?" ”

"Shut up!" Xiao Zhi snorted, turned around and flipped through the papershelves with shaking hands, trying to find out the case file, refuting Qin Mengqi on the spot, and after looking for a long time, he thought that he had been approved to be transferred to the Criminal Department, because he said sharply: "How much silver did you receive for him to protect him?" ”

Qin Mengqi was so resolute at this point, raised his head and said loudly: "The slave never wants other people's money, and he has no idea about Zhang's life, let alone his courtesy!" The servants ask for an audience today, and they also seek to counsel the Lord. The lord has a grand plan for the southern tour, which is not known to ordinary courtiers, even if there are unpleasant words, they should laugh at it, and such a major event should be edicted. The magistrates are not allowed to take the opportunity to enjoy the palace and practice the palace without permission! ”

"So, you still have any objections to my southern tour?"

"The slave didn't say that the master should not tour the south!"

"Da Shun also patrols south!"

"Da Shun Southern Tour," Qin Mengqi simply stiffened his head and said, "I haven't heard of the Cangwu Palace!" ”

"Good...... You're so good! Xiao Zhi was so angry that he had nothing to say, he walked around the hall as if grinding, and when he saw Rong Xuan coming in, he asked, "What are you doing here?" ”

Rong Xuan bowed and replied, "Your Majesty, Zhang Bonian mentioned that he was waiting outside. Xiao Zhi waved his hand in disgust and said, "Let him kneel in the rain first-"

Before he finished speaking, Xiao Zhi suddenly paused. There was a howl of pain outside the door of the weeping flowers, and everyone trembled when they heard it. Wu Dan, the guard guarding the door, strode in, beat Qian'er and said: "Zhang Bonian asks to see his master, and he is willing to die with a word......"

Xiao Zhi was stunned for a moment, and said coldly: "Call him in!" ”

Zhang Bonian was injured by torture and walked in with his hands on his knees. The cold rain clung his black cloth robe to his body, and his long white hair on his forehead was covered with water droplets, shivering at the bottom of the stairs as if he couldn't bear the cold.

Xiao Zhi sneered and asked, "Zhang Bonian, you cry and please see, what do you have to say?" ”

"The guilty minister wants to know what kind of treatment the emperor will give." Zhang Bonian replied. His voice was loud, and there was no fear at all.

"Hang." Xiao Zhi said lightly, "You are a big man in the field, and you are familiar with the national code, of course you know what it means." ”

"Hanging is not capital punishment." Zhang Bonian kowtowed and said, "Please ask the king's ministers to take Ling Chi and swear not to frown and bow their heads!" ”

"What?"

“…… But I beg the king to do one thing--the minister's father is over eighty years old, and I ask the king to forgive the suffering of the distant soldiers-the minister's death is also blind-eyed......" Zhang Bonian's voice choked.

Xiao Zhi snorted: "He has followed you to do all his blessings, and he has enjoyed so many people's fat and people's ointment, why not walk a few steps to eliminate food?" Zhang Bonian fell to the ground and cried: "Ask for long live insight, my father has never used half a silk and half a thread of ...... from the people."

Xiao Zhentie blushed and said, "Could it be that so many people are falsely accused?" Up to Taifu, Qincha, down to Lishu Xiaomin. ”

"Under the heavy punishment, why can't the evidence be obtained, why can't the supply be sought?" Zhang Bonian said sadly, "...... Thunder, rain and dew are all Jun's grace, how to deal with it, the minister has no complaints, and there is no regret in death. Nian Chen has served for many years, and always asks for a long live network...... Pity my house was raided, only five taels of silver were found, thousands of miles away, how can my father be ......"

"Five taels!" Xiao Zhi seemed to hear thunder at first sight in the wilderness, his face turned pale, his lips trembled twice, he looked back at Qin Mengqi blankly, and asked a little stuttering, "I...... Why didn't you see it...... Manifest? Qin, Qin Mengqi, what he said is true...... It's true? ”

Qin Mengqi couldn't tell whether he was sad or happy or ashamed, a mouthful of bitter water came up and choked, he couldn't answer, he only knocked his head twice, and took out the transcribed list from his arms and held it to Xiao Zhen.

Xiao Zhi took it, his face became more and more pale and gloomy. There are only a few lines on the fluttering list of renting two houses, and the rent is paid to Xiao Zhi for twenty-five years, and it is now handed over to the original owner to receive it, and the balance is refunded one or two or five dollars; Pots and pans, spoons, cooking utensils and other sundries are discounted into three silver coins; The bed cover towel is folded into two silver coins; The bamboo sedan chair is folded into silver for one or two and a half dollars; There are also two strings of fifty texts. Such a small piece of paper, because it was sandwiched in a dossier with a thickness of more than a foot, he had never seen it! Tears blurred Kangxi's eyes, the words on the paper became flowery, he took a step forward, as if he wanted to help this criminal minister, suddenly felt that he had no strength at all, stopped again, waved his hand and commanded Rong Xuan: "Hold ...... Bring him in......"

Zhang Bonian was brought in, and he was having a fever because of his illness, his whole body was trembling, and the water on his body was dripping in the ground. Xiao Zhi sat back on the chair and asked in a slow voice, "Why are you not on the list of salt collectors and the silver from Longjiang Pass?" ”

Zhang Bonian had calmed down a lot, and hurriedly kowtowed: "Salt traders selling smuggling are originally not allowed by national law. Jiangning Yandao Xia Qitong did not investigate the bribery, and the minister Yue Yue had seized 3,000 taels. Longjiang Guan Zhou used Zhongtong Yandao to accept a bribe of 10,000 taels of silver, which was verified and intercepted by the minister. Sizhou and Zhili Prefecture were flooded, and the governor Ahsan borrowed them as a guarantee for disaster relief, and Ahsan has not returned them after being transferred. Somehow, this IOU was actually lost after the seizure of the vassal's office - the minister is really hard to argue......"

"In that case, why didn't you have the actual participation in Xia Qitong and Zhou Yongzhong in the first place?"

"Go back to the king." Zhang Bonian kowtowed and said, "The rank of the minister is in Sanpin, and he is the acting governor, and the folds are presented by the governor's palace as usual." Whether it will be presented to the royal court, the minister does not know. ”

"Gregory!" There was nothing more shocking to Xiao Zhi than this. He didn't understand, why didn't Sima Wei and Guo Zhang know anything about such a big thing? Xiao Zhi took a cup of tea and took a bite, it was cold, he splashed it with his hand, and asked, "What's going on with Nanshi Building?" ”

Zhang Bonian said: "This matter is guilty of negligence. The people of Jiangnan are not in good condition, and they must always teach the scholars with holy oracles - but instead of rebuilding the Nanshi Building, they build a new holy oracle hall on the site of the old Nanshi Building - because the ministers have just arrived in office, they only want to spend less money, and they fail to examine the situation in detail......"

Xiao Zhi listened, his face was already purple, and he pressed and asked: "I sent a messenger to the trial, since you have been wronged, they can do all these things on their behalf, why don't you explain it to them face to face?" ”

"The minister did not meet Lord Qincha." Zhang Bonian said, "The interrogation is passed on by the officials of the Governor's Palace. The father ordered his ministers to endure the torture desperately, leaving one life to enter Beijing, or let the lord know the truth. Therefore, the minister went to the criminal department to retract his confession, refused to admit a crime to death, and begged the holy cave to learn the suffering of the minister. ”