Rugao impostor.

"I've seen the county honor, my father is weak today, and he hasn't seen the guest for a long time, so please forgive the county honor." A handsome young man in his early twenties is about to bow down as soon as he grows up.

"You are also a person of merit and fame, and you are the seed of reading in my county, so you don't need to be polite." Zhou Xiangchun stretched out his hand to help the young man up, and he tried his best to make a smile. But when he smiled, the corners of his mouth touched the bruises on his lips, and he suddenly felt pain.

The hatred for Sun Yuan in his heart is even worse.

"I have thanked the county honor." The young man straightened up, revealing a smooth forehead and a face like a crown of jade.

That's right, this person is the eldest son of the Rugao Mao family, Mao Xiang, the leader of the younger generation of Jiangnan Shilin.

"Aren't you going to participate in this year's autumn festival in Nanjing, it's almost June, and I don't know when to leave, can you be sure? If you can go to Nanjing a few months in advance to exchange knowledge with your colleagues, it will be very beneficial to your hometown test. ”

After being driven away by Sun Yuan earlier, Zhou Zhixian immediately sent an official letter to Nanjing's Sentencing and Procuratorial Envoys, explaining the shocking case that happened in Rugao last night, and saying that the case was already a bit eyebrow-raising and could be decided in a few days. However, the suspect has already absconded.

No, it's not appropriate to say that you are absconding. It should be said that the suspect Sun Yuan has swaggered to take office as an official.

This person is also a military attache appointed by the imperial court, because it involves officials, Rugao County feels a little troublesome when handling this case, and he can't be cautious. Therefore, it is hoped that the Procuratorial Department will contact the Ministry of Military Affairs after the verdict in Rugao County, and arrest Sun Yuan, an officer of a thousand households in Ningxiang Township.

According to Zhou Zhixian's estimates, it will only take about three to five days to record all the physical evidence. It would take one to two months to send the file to Nanzhili for punishment and prosecution, and then get the approval from above.

As a person in the system, Zhou Zhixian naturally knows the style of the major yamen, and the procedures are complicated and strict, and if you want to do something, it is normal to stamp more than a dozen official seals and drag it out for thirty or fifty days.

Moreover, this matter was also shot at the military headquarters. After the approval is issued, it has to be transferred to the military department, which will take at least a month. By the time everything was in order, three or four months had passed, and it was winter.

Moreover, Sun Yuan, a thief, is also an officer, even if the case of Lei Tai's extermination is determined to be an iron case according to the Prosecutor's Department in the future, it is not so simple to arrest Sun Yuan. First of all, Sun Yuan had to be dismissed from the post of a thousand households by the Nanjing Military Department, and then they would send someone to arrest him.

With such a delay, it would be good to be able to bring Sun Yuan back to Rugao for the New Year.

It is said that what Zhou Zhixian needs to do now is to interrogate the relevant witnesses as soon as possible, and then complete the various files and documents.

However, when arresting Sun Yuan this morning, Zhou Zhixian was greatly insulted, but he refused to let this thief go away for another half a year.

After thinking about it, he is just a small Qipinzhi County, and he has no weight in Nanjing officialdom. If he wanted to vent his anger as soon as possible, Zhou Zhixian thought of the former Hu Guangzuo Missionary Sect who lived in seclusion at home.

This person has been in the eunuch for more than 20 years, and his protégés and former officials are all over the world, and the six departments of Nanjing will give him some face. As long as he says a word, he can immediately deal with Sun Yuan.

Therefore, Zhou Zhixian did not return to the Yamen, and went straight to the Mao family with the Mao housekeeper, and asked Mao Tinggui to go to Mao Qizong to clarify the matter.

After waiting in the hall for a long time, the pretending family came out.

He also said that Mao Qizong did not want to see him, and Zhou Zhixian was disappointed.

Mao Bijiang said respectfully: "If you go back to the county, Rugao is only three or five days away from Nanjing. Although it is said that going to Nanjing earlier can broaden your horizons. However, what my father meant was that such a thing as learning should be meditated first. And Nanjing is the land of gold powder of the Six Dynasties, the most prosperous and complex, the so-called chaotic flowers, young people live in Jinling for a long time, but it is easy to lose their nature. It's better to read at home for a few months first, and it's not too late to rush over when the time comes. The so-called precepts are determined, and tranquility gives birth to tranquility, and tranquility produces wisdom. ”

Zhou Zhixian nodded: "Dazai Siyan." ”

Mao Bijiang said: "As for the grasp of the township examination, there is no certain thing on the imperial examination. I think three years ago, I was also full of confidence in my later life, thinking that this fame should be in control. But he didn't want it to backfire, but in the end, he fell into Sun Shan's name. As for this autumn season, my father said that with his late-born academic articles, he will still fall off the list, and it should be an experience. ”

"Ah, this year is still hopeless?" Zhou Zhixian didn't care about Sun Yuan's matter, and his eyes widened in surprise.

Mao Xiang: "Yes, my father said that although the pride of a young man can move the world, it will not be beneficial to the future of his later life. This person, after all, has to be thirty years old, has a fixed temperament, behaves and does things safely, and then enters the official career, so that he can go smoothly. If I don't win this time, I want to be good, and I am not in a hurry. ”

Zhou Zhixian bowed slightly, but he still couldn't hold his breath, and asked: "Lei Tai's big case, I don't know what Mao Gong said?" ”

Mao Xiang: "What my father means is that the evidence is ironclad. Such a great thief must be punished in a canonical manner. ”

Zhou Zhixian immediately lifted his spirits, and his eyes fell on Mao Xiang.

Mao Xiang: "However, my father said that the country has its own laws and disciplines, everything is done according to the procedures, and the county does not need to be in a hurry for three or five days, the most important thing at the moment is to record the confession and collect evidence." ”

This is already an obvious refusal, Zhou Zhixian was disappointed for a while, and he had to get up: "In this case, the county will go to record the confession first and say goodbye!" ”

"Late birth to the county."

After sending Zhou Zhixian away, Mao Xiang returned to the backyard and walked into a secluded bookstore.

The light in the study room was a little dim, and there was a violent coughing sound from inside. A withered, thin old man was lying on the bed, but his forehead was hot and sweaty.

Mao Xiang was taken aback and hurriedly shouted: "Father, I feel better." ”

He stepped forward, picked up the old man, and reached out and patted him lightly on his vest.

He was still coughing violently, coughing until his face was bloody.

This old man is the patriarch of the Rugao Mao family, the former Hu Guangbu political envoy Si Zuo Zhengqi Zong.

After a long time, the old man took a breath and calmed down: "Sent Zhou Zhixian away, what do you think about this?" ”

"Yes, my son has already sent Zhou Zhixian away." Hearing his father's question, Mao Xiang thought for a while and replied: "Father, Sun Yuan's thief, Mao Cheng has died in his hands, and now, Lei Tai has been destroyed by him again, and the people who are bad at his hands are all people from my impostor family." If I don't do him, what prestige will I have in the future? The child believes that the court handling cases, especially handling such shocking cases, is very complicated, especially when it comes to a military attache of the fifth grade, and it is even more prudent. It is also possible to delay the arrest of criminals in the first half of the year. The son thinks that his father can first go and talk to his colleagues in the Nanjing officialdom, arrest the thief and put him in prison first, and then slowly interrogate him before it is too late. ”

"Say it, just a thousand officers?" Mao Qizong suddenly smiled, shook his head and sighed, but there was a hint of disappointment in his sigh.

"Father's meaning...... "Mao Xiang is also stunned."

Mao Qizong put away the expression on his face: "The so-called prestige of our Mao family is obtained by studying for generations and being officials for three generations." That's right, Mao Cheng and Lei Tai are both from our impostor family, and this time they will die at the hands of thieves. But what so what, the country has its own laws, as long as the evidence is conclusive, when the time comes, only one jailer will be able to arrest that Sun Yuan, and do you need the old man to greet people, that is too much to exalt the Sun thief. Zhou Zhixian handled this case in accordance with the procedures, and it took only half a year. If I had written to Nanjing, it would have been three or five months in advance. In the end, isn't it also to let Sun Yuan return to the case, what difference does it make? ”

Mao Xiang seemed to understand something, and looked thoughtful.

Mao Qizong: "Although you have a talented name, but you have not been going well in the field, and you may not be able to win this autumn, this is the foundation of our Mao family, don't ask about other things." As a colleague and classmate in the officialdom of my father, it is reserved for you to enter the office in the future. Favors that others owe you are like to use will be paid off. It's not worth it for a little thief. ”

Mao Xiang nodded again and again: "Father is right." ”

"Also, some of the things you do are still a little naïve, and you are not too cautious." Mao Qizong said: "In the world, many things have happened, you have to think about it before dealing with it. Some things look small, but if you are not careful, they will become different. ”

Mao Xiang heard what his father said, and was stunned: "Please also ask my father to teach." ”

Mao Qizong said lightly: "Last time Fengyang changed greatly, only Sun Yuan returned to Rugao alone, but reported that three people died in the war, and the old man felt wrong, so someone went to check." This check, I really found something. Didn't Sun Yuan bring back a woman from Fengyang? ”

Mao Xiang: "I vaguely heard about it. ”

"That woman's surname is Shao, and she is the wife of Yang Ze, a eunuch who stayed behind in the capital and committed suicide in fear of crime."

"Ahh Mao Xiang shouted in shock: "What my father means is that this Sun thief is Yang Ze's person." He made a thousand households this time, presumably brought by Yang Ze. ”

Mao Qizong nodded: "To do a little Sun Yuanben is just a matter of one sentence, but this matter must be guarded against someone behind him." Political matters, involving the whole body, are all careful. Since his accession to the throne, he has abolished the East Factory and suppressed the eunuchs, which has the atmosphere of a generation of saints. However, the eunuchs in the palace were unwilling to fail, and in recent years, they have been very active, so much so that they deceived Shengcong, which has brought the state into such a decadence as it is today. If we bypass the established system of the country and take down Sun Yuan directly, I am afraid that we will give the eunuch the truth. You go down and visit Zhou Zhixian again, and explain the subtleties in this, please don't worry about him, even if you wait for half a year, it's okay. The confession and evidence must be true, and the eunuch must not be given any truth to provoke the upright gentleman in the court. ”

Mao Xiang said repeatedly: "Father is right, his son has been taught, so he will go to visit the county honor." ”

After speaking, he gave another salute and gritted his teeth: "Eunuch!" ”

After coming down, after understanding the meaning of the rising sect. Zhou Zhixian's mood finally calmed down. Immediately recorded the confessions of the housekeeper and the neighbors of Leitai's old house, and collected physical evidence such as bloody clothes. Together with the autopsy report made by Chen, the file was made perfect, and then the urgent delivery worker went to Nanzhili to raise the sentence and prosecute the envoy.

I have to say that the case of Leitai's extermination is too shocking. Yangzhou Mansion is a prosperous and rich place in the south of the Yangtze River, which has been peaceful for a long time, and the folk reading style is prevalent, and the people are also weak. There has been no homicide in the entire Yangzhou Mansion for several years, and this time Rugao not only had a murder case, but also destroyed the door.

Suddenly, the entire Rugao was shaken. Every day before dark, the people went home one after another, closed the door, and did not dare to leave the house again. And Sun Yuan has also changed, from a scholar and a grain chief, to a murderous demon star.

As for Nanjing's criminal prosecution, he did not take this case seriously. It is still handled in the same way as before, and it is slowly disposed of. first issued a document to let Rugao arrest the prisoner first.

After receiving the reply, Zhou Zhixian almost rushed to his throat with a breath of blood: "If this official can arrest the criminal, what else will he report to you?" ”

So, he replied again, asking the Criminal Division to send forces to arrest the Sun thief.

The Criminal Department sent a document to the Ministry of War.

In any era, as long as a case involves an official of a certain rank, it cannot be easily apprehended, and a certain organizational procedure is required. For example, in modern society, if a people's congress deputy commits a crime, he must first be removed from the qualifications of the other people's congress deputies before he can go through the judicial process. If you take it, if you are a party member, you have to be expelled from the party first.

Like Sun Yuan's case, he is also a thousand-household officer. Although the status of officers in the Ming Dynasty was lower than that of civilian officials, they were also officials!

If you can't be punished as a doctor, you have to remove Sun Yuan from his military position before he can go to prison.

You can't let you decide if you say that my officer has committed a crime and ask me to remove him from his post. Otherwise, if you say that someone has committed something today, and tomorrow you say that such and such an officer is a criminal, I will remove them from their posts, which is too unserious. In this case, wouldn't it be that your criminal department should be in charge of our military department?

Therefore, the military department replied, after coming down, I will first send someone to interrogate Sun Yuan, and if he is really guilty, he can be removed from his military position, and then transferred to your criminal department.

As for when, I'll know the arrangement here. Fengyang's side is like that, the thief army is still in Luzhou, and it may come to Nanjing at any time. I'm too busy with business here, no matter what, let's wait until the thieves are defeated!

So, this thing was done so slowly.

……

In fact, Mao Qizong also complicated this matter, thinking that Sun Yuan was able to get the position of an officer of a thousand households because of Yang Ze's support. And Sun Yuan has already been thrown into the eunuch party, and it is not possible to say that he has an inextricable relationship with the palace attendants in Nanjing and even Beijing. If you want to deal with him, you can't be reckless. Everything must be in accordance with the procedures prescribed by the state, so that the eunuchs and thieves cannot find the slightest mistake.

In this way, Sun Yuan was also given a buffer period of half a year.

And all of this is in Sun Yuan's calculations. Since I know that since the thief army captured Fengyang and invaded Luzhou in the south, the most important thing for the military department now is to transfer troops to encircle and suppress the peasant army. Moreover, with the tortoise-like efficiency of the Ming Dynasty government, when the military department freed up its hands to handle this case, the ghost did not know when.

Half a year, that day came. These six months are enough for Sun Yuan.