In detail, there are rich people in the world, and no one is innocent!

Almost none of the people in the world who have gathered a large amount of money are clean, and they have more or less violated the law.

If you are really an honest person, at most you can only mix with food and clothing, and if you want too much money, it is almost impossible.

Especially in the social environment of the Great Yin Dynasty, the landlords and old fortunes rarely abide by the law, and they will do a little illegal and taboo things in private, which is due to the environment and is commonplace.

For example, abusing subordinates, deducting wages, forcibly occupying land, bullying men and women, killing cattle and eating meat without authorization, lynching, disharmony with parents, disrespect for elders, etc., these are all common behaviors, and they belong to the matter of the people not holding officials accountable, and the government will not interfere too much.

But there are many servants in rich families, and there are many things to do, and it is not uncommon for some human lives to happen occasionally, and there is also the matter of the rich man fornicating with the maid, and the maid being beaten to death by his wife is not uncommon.

Let's not talk about others, just Li Mu, if he really investigates, he is also a bloody person with his hands, killing officials and people, beheading the city emperor, if it is according to the law, it is not enough to cut off ten heads.

Other squires and wealthy families may not be as big as Li Mu's eucalyptus, but they may not be enough to be sentenced to death.

Especially recently, Baoming County was affected by the disaster, and Qinghe County was also implicated, among which there were countless victims, and deaths and injuries were common.

It is also common for almost everyone to circle a few women to be maids and servants in their homes, forcing good people to become prostitutes, and forcing people to die.

After Zhou Daoquan came to Qinghe County, he ordered people to carefully inspect the place, Shen Chong had a group of subordinates, with high skills and powerful means.

The squires at the scene were strong and strong, and all of them were lawbreakers, even Li Mu, because he hanged the robbers and castrated the monks of the rivers and lakes, was also registered.

"After investigation, Gui Youhu of Qinghe County, bullying men and women, forcing good people to become prostitutes, harming the people, seizing women, using lynching, resisting taxes, is a heinous crime, and should be punished according to the law!"

Shen Chong held a book in his hand, stood in the granary compound, and recited loudly to everyone: "Come on, lock Gui Youhu!" ”

"My lord, you have been wronged!"

A middle-aged man was so frightened that he knelt on the ground and kowtowed: "I am willing to donate half of my family property to support the victims!" Please spare my life! ”

Zhou Daoquan shouted angrily: "What a bold man! Is this official a corrupt and perverted law? You have sinned so greatly, how can I keep you? Hold it down and be at your command! ”

"Yes!"

A servant walked over, picked up the iron shackles and locked Gui Youhu up, and said in a low voice: "Master Gui, why are you doing this? The governor and the elder have personally come forward to invite him, and you don't give him such face, can you still be left behind? Look at the Li Daguan, 100,000 catties of wheat seeds were taken out at once, and a cart of them was pulled over and placed in the yard, how bright it was! It's a big sin, and when the boss is happy, he doesn't care about it! ”

Gui Youhu beat his chest and felt remorseful: "If I knew that there was today, I would have donated all my family property, and I wouldn't dare to disobey the boss!" ”

As he was locked, several other wealthy gentry next to him were also locked up and put in prison.

The remaining gentry at the scene were all in danger, sweating like pulp, and in an instant, sweating through their heavy clothes.

Gui Youhu and others were arrested, and a discerning person can understand at a glance that these are extremely heinous people, so they were arrested.

Since the sin is unforgivable, sooner or later it will be killed, and it is just at this time that it is locked up and used to kill chickens and monkeys.

After a few people were arrested, Zhou Dao's overall face was gloomy, and he glanced at everyone: "Since this official arrived in Qinghe, except for a few wealthy families to help the victims, the rest of the people have been indifferent to the victims, not only do not save people, but take advantage of the fire to rob, take the opportunity to make money, and exchange the land of the victims for a small amount of food, sell people, pile up one by one, violate the law, and destroy their conscience!" ”

There was silence.

After a while, Zhang Shihong stood up and saluted: "Boss, it was the students who neglected to observe, and please blame the adults!" ”

Zhou Daquan waved his hand and said: "You are the temporary acting county commander, you didn't take human responsibility before, and recently you have been busy giving relief to the victims and maintaining law and order, so you have no time to pay attention to this matter, and it is reasonable, this matter, no wonder you." ”

When he said this, he looked at Li Mu: "Muzhi, what do you have to say?" ”

Li Mudao: "According to the student's opinion, Gui Youhu and others can be dealt with according to law, and as for the rest of the less serious cases, if they sincerely repent, the adults should also give them a chance to mend their ways." ”

Zhou Daoquan nodded slightly: "This official is not a murderous person, if these people sincerely repent, atone for their sins, and let them live, it is not impossible." ”

When everyone in the courtyard heard this, they all breathed a sigh of relief.

An obese old man wiped his sweat and stood up; "Boss, the grass people are willing to donate 10,000 catties of grain and 100 taels of silver to help the victims!"

Another middle-aged man stood up and said, "The villain is willing to donate 30,000 catties of food, and there is no need for the victims to return it." ”

Then everyone at the scene enthusiastically signed up, and the amount of donations was more than ten times higher than before, and after a short time, they donated 3,000 taels of silver, plus more than 70,000 catties of food.

But all these things add up to a gap between the rations and seeds needed by the victims.

Zhou Daoquan's face became more and more ugly, he stood up and nodded slowly to everyone: "Okay!" Very good! ”

At that moment, he said to Shen Chong: "According to the law, capture them one by one, and don't let go of a criminal!" ”

Shen Chong clasped his fists and saluted: "Don't worry, my lord, my subordinates will definitely take a good look at them, and no one can run away!" ”

Zhou Daoquan didn't say much more, and instructed left and right: "Prepare a sedan chair and go home!" ”

After a while, he took a red-clothed sedan chair and returned to the county office.

The rest of the people, except for a limited number of people such as Li Mu, Zhang Shihong and Sun Honglie, the rest of the squires were locked up and put in prison.

"The so-called county order of the loser, the prefect of the extermination, hehe, Lord Zhou's posture is so sufficient, these people are still reluctant to give up this little thing at home, they really want money and don't want to die!"

Li Mu looked at the people who were locked away, and couldn't help but shake his head and laugh: "The county official might as well be in charge now, not to mention the governor, sitting in a state, can be called a prince, and has the power of life and death." These guys, when they are dying, don't even know it. ”

Sun Honglie said: "They are used to thinking that they are used to it, and in the past, the county lord just persecuted a little family wealth, and never bleed them, so much so that they thought that Lord Zhou was the same." ”

In today's world, the imperial power does not go to the countryside, and the magistrates and gentry govern the country, so naturally they will not exploit the gentry too much, at most they will only extort some money.

After all, most of the county magistrates are not locals, and if they really offend all the local gentry, I am afraid that it will be difficult for any order to get out of the county government, even if they act normally, there will be all kinds of obstacles, so there are few officials who offend the entire gentry group.

But this is only limited to petty officials who do not have a strong personality, if they go to a feudal official like Zhou Daoquan, who wants money and money, and wants people, what squires and rich households, what land-sitting households, they are all given for nothing, and their hearts are moving, and they can be destroyed.

These wealthy gentry in Qinghe County, who are accustomed to being proud and arrogant in Qinghe County, completely forgot the difference between the governor and the magistrate, and did not repent until the end of their death, so that they were punished by Zhou Daoquan according to law and transferred to prison.

The so-called greed for small things and big losses, picking up sesame seeds, losing watermelons, nothing more than that.

Zhang Shihong wiped the sweat from his forehead and bowed to Li Mu: "Brother Li, you saved your life again!" ”

If Li Mu had not consulted with him and lent grain together, Zhang Shihong would never have taken the initiative to lend grain to the people, after all, during the famine, his own food was still not enough, so how could he lend it to others?

Zhang Shihong was a county magistrate at the beginning, and he had some tricks to deal with, but he was still a little bit behind, and he couldn't reach the level of foresight and early action.

If he doesn't donate money and food with Li Mu today, it is very likely that he will anger Zhou Daoquan, not only will the newly arrived magistrate not be able to do it for long, but I am afraid that he will be imprisoned.

After all, their old Zhang family has been a squire in Qinghe County for several generations, and they have a thin family fortune, and their actions are a bit flamboyant, and there are many things that have violated the law over the years.

If you really want to investigate it, let alone Zhang Shihong, even Zhang Shihong's parents will have to suffer a lawsuit, and they will inevitably be imprisoned.

A good home will be ruined and vanished in an instant.

"This is Brother Zhang's luck, Brother is just a proposal, and it is Brother Zhang who is in charge."

Li Mu helped Zhang Shihong up and said with a smile: "Lord Zhou, we have passed this level, and we will do things well in the future." ”

Zhang Shihong said: "What Brother Li said is that the younger brother will fulfill his duties in the future and serve the country and the people!" ”

After the two of them said a few words in the courtyard, Li Mu stepped aside, sat down under the tree against the wall in the courtyard, poured out the tea, and ate the tea slowly.

Zhang Shihong picked up the face of the magistrate, sat in the courtyard, and instructed the three classes of officials to lead the victims to come and distribute grain.

In the two county towns of Qinghe and Baoming, there were almost more than 200,000 victims, and later they died of disease and starvation, and there were tens of thousands, and some people fled to other places, and there are only more than 30,000 people left who are still wandering in Qinghe County and Baoming County.

And the grain at the grain depot site, plus Li Mu's previous 100,000 catties, is only 170,000 catties, and it is distributed to everyone, and one person has less than eight catties of grain.

These eight catties of grain are just grains, and as for food, they have to be in the form of work-for-relief, so that they can barely eat something and not starve to death.

Let these people come in turn, receive the grain, and when they receive it, sign and draw a pledge as a proof.

Zhang Shihong and Sun Honglie personally sat at the scene to supervise the collection of seeds by the victims, and it took five days in a row to distribute the seeds.

During this period, Li Mu took out another 100,000 catties of seeds, so that each person can have more than 10 catties of seeds, if they can be planted well, the weather will not change much, enough for these victims not to starve to death in the next year.

On the fifth day, there were fewer and fewer people who came to receive the grain, and Zhang Shihong called Li Mu: "Brother Li, just lend the grain today, and then you can go to see the boss and report this matter, which can be regarded as a settlement." ”

Li Mu smiled: "It's over? Lending out grain seeds is only the first step, how to cultivate in the future, how to protect seedlings, how to water, how much harvest can be in the coming year, piles and piles, which is not your business? Do you want to wrap it up? I'm afraid it's three years and five years, and it won't be over! ”

Zhang Shihong sighed: "I used to only see the majesty of being an official, but now I am an official, but I find that it is really hard to be an official."

There was water in the east, and there was fire in the west, and I was asked to come forward. Farming and harvesting, drought and flood epidemics, but we have to find a way to deal with it, and we are tired all day long. No wonder so many corrupt officials and corrupt officials turn a blind eye when they are in office, but it turns out that it is so difficult to be a good official! ”

Li Mu said: "In such a troubled world, it is difficult to be a good official!" ”

Zhang Shihong said: "Since the little brother is in charge, then work hard for it, how can I read this sage book in vain?" Do your best, do your best. ”

Li Mu nodded: "Brother Zhang can have such an idea, and it is not in vain." ”

While the two were talking, Li Mu suddenly looked up at the door.

The two of them were sitting in the granary compound at this time, there was a jujube tree in the compound, and the officials placed a large table under the tree, and the two of them sat at both ends of the table, supervising the people to come to collect grain seeds and deal with emergencies at any time.

At this time, the victims in the courtyard were in twos and threes, and there were not many kinds of food, and almost all the grain seeds that had been piled up were taken away, and the whole courtyard was much empty.

When Li Mu looked out of the door, he saw an old man on crutches walking at the gate of the courtyard.

The old man was bare-headed, without half a hair on his head, but he was not a monk, he was dressed in a blue cloth shirt, his face was full of wrinkles, even his bare scalp was wrinkled, and the two whiskers at the corners of his mouth had become pure white.

Old teeth, old teeth, this old man is not only toothless, but also hunched over and coughing.

The old man was on crutches, one step at a time, one step at a time, one step at a time, one step at a time, a step away, a step, a break, a step, a break, a step, a break, a step, a break, from the gate outside the courtyard, to Li Mu, it took a few minutes, even the turtle ran faster than him.

"Two little brothers, can I get grain here?"

The bald old man, shrugging his shoulders, poked his head forward, and the two mung beans looked at Li Mu and Zhang Shihong with small eyes: "We have always had no food at home, and we have been hungry for several years. Little brother, can I get some seeds here, so that when I go back, I can plant some food quickly, so that my family and friends will not starve to death. ”

"You've been hungry for years?"

Zhang Shihong smiled dumbly: "Old man, have you been hungry for several days?" Don't worry, we still have a lot of dry food here, you eat a little first, and when you have the strength, as long as you are from Baoming County and Qinghe County, this official will give you twenty catties of grain seeds and let you cultivate. ”

"Also...... It has to be someone from Qinghe County? Isn't it human? ”

The old man's face was embarrassed: "I have lived in Qinghe County for hundreds of years, and I have never been registered. If you don't have a household registration, can't you receive this kind of grain? ”

Zhang Shihong glanced at the old man and looked surprised: "You are not human?" ”

The old man said honestly: "We are nearby demon cultivators, we have always done our duty, and we have never killed or injured people. We also open up wasteland and grow some food on weekdays, which is enough to feed our stomachs. But in the past few years, the year has not been good, and the harvest has failed, so I can only retreat and eat gas. I had been hungry for three years, and suddenly I was woken up by hunger, and several children were also dying of hunger. ”

He said to Zhang Shihong: "I wanted to go down the mountain to carry some grain, but I didn't expect that a great Confucian appeared in this Qinghe County, so I didn't dare to make a mistake." Seeing that there was grain to be received here, I came here to receive a grain seed so that I could plant it and feed my children. ”

When Zhang Shihong heard this, his face changed color, and he turned his head to look at Li Mu.