At the end of the Han Dynasty: a stingy husband from his hometown

Chapter 309: Written Rape Case

Xiangyang, Kuai Mansion.

Kuai Yue listened to his subordinate's report, his face gradually became ugly.

For no other reason than this, the famous Kuai clan members were praised for their filial piety and honesty, but they were rejected by Zhuge Liang.

"boom!"

Kuai Yue suddenly slapped the table and said angrily: "Huangkou boy, how dare you bully my Kuai family?"

No wonder Kuai Yue was so angry.

When Zhou Qi was able to capture Jingzhou, Kuai Yue put in a lot of effort, thinking that his achievements were outstanding and that he would be respected by Zhou Qi.

Zhou Qi also kept his promise at that time. Not only did he appoint his brother Kuai Liang as the county governor, he also entrusted Kuai Yue with important tasks.

However, as Zhou Qi gradually established a foothold in Jingzhou, Kuai Yue was shocked to find that the Kuai family was gradually being left out, not even as prosperous as it was during the Liu Biao period.

Although he was resentful in his heart, he did not dare to say anything. He just continued to marry other Jingzhou aristocratic families, and made good friends with many county guards in Jingzhou, trying his best to get more Kuai's children to serve in official positions.

With the Kuai family's influence in Jingzhou, everyone will give them face. In recent years, many of Kuai's children have become officials.

Even when Bian Rang served as the governor of Jingzhou, he did not remove the Kuai clan members recommended by local officials.

But I didn't expect that Zhuge Liang, a young man who was just starting out, would be so bold and bold, and he would dare to do this just after he took over the government of Jingzhou.

"Little Zhuge, do you think that I, Mr. Kuai, are easy to bully?"

After Zhou Qi became king, the Cai family, who was also from the Xiangyang family, became more and more prosperous. Cai Mao was not only worshiped as a miscellaneous general, but was even granted the title of Marquis of Guannei.

On the other hand, the Kuai family, although Kuai Liang served as the local governor, Kuai Che worshiped as Jingzhou's farewell commander in Xiangyang, which seemed to be extremely prominent.

However, no one in the Kuai clan was knighted. This was the most difficult thing for Kuai Yue to accept.

He has had a lot of grievances in the past two years, and now he has been given a blow by Zhuge Liang, who has just come to take office. How can he not be angry?

Kuai Yue turned to look at his servants and asked, "Apart from the Kuai clan members, are there any other people who have shown filial piety and integrity who have been dismissed?"

The servant hurriedly said: "For the information of the head of the family, fully half of the Xiaolian people have been removed this time, and most of them are children of aristocratic families."

When Kuai Yue heard this, he couldn't help but be shocked, and then sneered: "You are so arrogant, you really don't know how to live or die!"

Kuai Yue knew that aristocratic families controlled the upward path for local talents, which was a disadvantage that no one could touch.

Zhuge Liang had no power in Jingzhou, and if he dared to do such a thing just after taking office, he would definitely offend many aristocratic families.

as predicted.

Not long after, angry talkative people from other aristocratic families came to Kuai Mansion, accusing Zhuge Liang of his crimes, hoping that Kuai Yue could make decisions for the major families.

For those who came to denounce Zhuge Liang, Kuai Yue naturally tried to appease them, but he did not boast about them.

He was waiting quietly, waiting for Cai and Huang to come.

Not long after, someone from the Huang family came to tell Kuai Yue about the matter, but no one from the Cai family came.

Seeing time slowly passing by, Kuai Yue couldn't help but frown.

He knew that among the Cai clan, Xiaolian, who had already been recommended, was dismissed, all by Zhuge Liang's hand.

Logically speaking, Mr. Cai should not remain indifferent.

Seeing that no one from the Cai family came, Kuai Yue first helped everyone, and then went to visit Cai Mao himself.

Cai Mansion.

Cai Mao was extremely angry when he learned that there was a Xiaolian in the clan who was dismissed by Zhuge Liang as not complying with the regulations.

However, the Cai family is now being favored by the King of Chu, and she is related by marriage to His Royal Highness, the Crown Prince. Cai Mao is not as anxious to get angry as Kuai Yue and other aristocratic families.

The most important thing is that before Zhou Ji left Jingzhou, he visited Cai Mao, his father-in-law, hoping that he could help take care of Zhuge Liang.

Cai Mao also knew that Zhuge Liang was Zhou Ji's confidant, so he had no intention of breaking up with Zhuge Liang because of Zhou Ji's reputation as the heir apparent.

However, Cai Mao still felt a little uncomfortable in his heart.

"General, Kuai Yidu is here to visit!"

After Cai Hao heard the news, he stood up quickly and said, "I'm here to invite you quickly!"

Not long after, Cai Mao came to the living room.

After the two exchanged pleasantries, Kuai Yue said directly without too much nonsense: "When Zhuge Liang first came to Jingzhou to take up the post of governor, he dismissed more than half of the children of aristocratic families on the grounds that the people recommended by local officials did not meet the standards."

"He is really arrogant. Not only is he questioning the vision of local officials in recommending officials, but he is also provoking us, the Jingzhou family."

"I heard that someone from the Cai clan also had Xiaolian dismissed, I wonder if this is the case?"

When Cai Mao heard this, he sighed: "The person who was kicked off is my nephew!"

Kuai Yue stood up and said sternly: "Zhuge Liang dares to block the ascending path of the descendants of my Jingxiang family today, and he will dare to attack our family in the future. How can Brother Degui sit idly by and ignore it?"

Cai Mao sighed: "That being said, this person is the prince's confidant. The prince is my father-in-law. Before he went to Yizhou to take up his post, he came to the mansion to ask me to take good care of Zhuge Kongming."

"I have made a promise to you, Your Majesty, how can I break my promise and get fat?"

After hearing this, Kuai Yue couldn't help but suddenly realized, and finally knew why Cai Mao did not go to his mansion to discuss countermeasures like other aristocratic families.

At this time, the Cai family not only won the trust of the King of Chu, but also because they were the prince's in-laws, as long as they stayed on their own terms, they would surely prosper in the future.

After thinking about this, Kuai Yue couldn't help but look ugly.

He thought that the credit for welcoming Zhou Qi to Jingzhou was not inferior to Cai's, and it was Kuai Yue who received the favor.

But he didn't expect that it would end up being advantageous to Mr. Cai.

In fact, if Xiangyang was not easy to defend but difficult to attack, Zhou Qi did not want to spend too long in Jingzhou, so he chose to marry Cai.

So today's Cai family may not be much better than Kuai family.

According to Zhou Qi's usual method of treating aristocratic families, he is naturally very kind to them when they need them. When they are not needed, he will slowly suppress them like boiling frogs in warm water, gradually marginalizing them. Hanging like a dog slowly, giving the licking dog a little sweetness from time to time, so that they can see hope, but feel that it is out of reach, and in the meantime, they are looking for opportunities to drain their remaining value.

However, after having this marriage relationship with Cai Mao, Zhou Qi's attitude towards Cai has naturally changed greatly.

Cai Mao did not have Kuai Yue's scheming and skills, but his voice in Jingzhou was not inferior to that of Kuai's. He would be a suitable candidate to assist Zhou Ji in achieving great things in the future. Looking at Kuai Yue with a gloomy face, Cai Mao couldn't help but feel a thump in his heart.

Nowadays, there are many factions under the command of the King of Chu. Cai Mao and Kuai Yue are the leaders of the Jingzhou faction. Together, they will benefit both sides, and if they divide, they will suffer two harms.

He also knew the dissatisfaction in Kuai Yue's heart, and said hurriedly: "There is no need to worry about Yidu. If I really feel that Zhuge Liang has done something wrong, I am willing to go to the lord's side with Yidu to get a copy of it."

Seeing Cai Mao's statement, Kuai Yue's expression eased slightly, and then he shook his head and said, "My lord has just appointed Zhuge to govern Jingzhou. If we go to impeach Zhuge Liang at this time, where will our lord be treated?"

Kuai Yue still didn't dare to say a word, nor did he dare to think.

That is, Zhuge Liang is not a fool. How could he not know how many people would be offended by doing this?

But he did it boldly and boldly. He was so confident. In addition, he was appointed by His Highness the King of Chu. There was no guarantee that he would not be authorized by the King of Chu.

The reason why Kuai Yue dared not say anything was because he was worried that if such speculation spread, it would arouse the anger of the King of Chu and panic among the Jingzhou family.

He frowned and pondered for a long time, and then said: "Degui, please come with me to visit the governor, so that we can get a feel for him."

Cai Mao did not refuse Kuai Yue's proposal.

In this way, the two went to visit Bian Rang together, but when they arrived at the governor's house, they learned that the governor had a cold and was bedridden, so he was not suitable to see guests.

The two had no choice but to leave.

On the way back, Kuai Yue said with a gloomy face: "The governor obviously doesn't want to take care of this matter, that's why he didn't see me waiting."

Cai Mao frowned and said, "What can I do?"

Kuai Yue lowered his head and thought for a long time, then a sneer appeared on his face and said: "Jingzhou is not a place where Zhuge Liang, a child with a yellow mouth, can do whatever he wants."

"How can I continue to serve as the ruler of Jingzhou when I use my little plan to disgrace him?"

Cai Mao's face changed slightly when he heard this, and then said: "Please show mercy to me, the prince has asked me to take care of Zhuge Liang."

Kuai Yue waved his hand and said: "Degui doesn't need to worry too much, I just want to give him a small lesson. Polish this person's edges so that he can be better used by the prince in the future!"

Cai Mao was aware of Kuai Yue's methods and was a little uneasy. He warned again: "Even if he doesn't care about the prince's face, Zhuge Liang is the person whom the lord trusts and promotes. It's OK to make a move, but you should also use discretion."

The sneer on Kuai Yue's face subsided and he said, "I'm going to take action. Is Degui still worried?"

Governor's Mansion.

Zhuge Liang was handling official business, but Kuai Yue came over with an official document and asked with a smile on his face: "Is Kong Ming busy?"

When Zhuge Liang saw Kuai Yue approaching, he hurriedly put down the official document in his hand, stood up and saluted, and then said: "The governor was feeling unwell and did not come to handle government affairs. This led to a backlog of things, which made Kuai Biejia laugh."

In terms of age, Kuai Yue is older and Zhuge Liang is younger; in terms of position, Kuai Yue is Jingzhou's special master, slightly higher than Zhuge Liang, the Jingzhou ruler.

Zhuge Liang is a man who attaches great importance to etiquette, and his behavior is naturally blameless.

Kuai Yue praised: "Kong Ming is really a young talent, and he is so dedicated and admirable."

Then, he changed the topic and said to Zhuge Liang: "If Kong Mingruo's affairs are not too urgent, he might as well handle this case first."

"Although the local county government issued a verdict, the prisoner refused to plead guilty. His mother even came to Xiangyang and planned to beat the Dengwen drum."

"If it hadn't been stopped by officials from the county who came after the news, I'm afraid the case would have alarmed the governor."

When Zhuge Liang heard this, his face changed slightly, and then he said in a deep voice: "According to the law of Chu: if someone reaches the highest level and hears the drum and expresses his grievances, the chief officer must accept it. If he doesn't accept it, he will be punished. If any official obstructs him, he will be punished. , all sentences will be harsh."

"Which county official dares to stop the people under his rule from beating the Dengwen drum?"

Zhuge Liang in history was famous for his strict law enforcement. Although he had just become an official in this time and space, he gradually revealed this potential.

According to legend, during the time of Yao and Shun, there was a "drum for daring to remonstrate". Anyone who wanted to express his remonstrance or complain about injustice could do so on the drum.

During the Zhou Dynasty, drums were hung outside the road gates and were called "Road Drums". They were in charge of the imperial servants and guarded by the royal servants. If the common people beat the drums to complain about injustice, the imperial servants must quickly report to the imperial servants. The imperial servants would then report to the king of Zhou without delay. .

This "Road Drum" is now the "Dengwen Drum".

In the later Sui, Tang, Song, Ming and Qing dynasties, there was such a system.

Especially in the Ming Dynasty, after Zhu Yuanzhang established the Dengwen Drum, he sent people to specially manage it, and the emperor would even handle grievances personally.

But later, because there were too many trivial things, the emperor could not bear to be disturbed, and because it was established by Zhu Yuanzhang, he did not dare to dismantle it, so Dengwen Drum gradually became a mere formality.

In the Qing Dynasty, it was stipulated that the drum must be played only if the affairs of the military and the state were involved, if there was great corruption and evil, and if there were extraordinary injustices and misfortunes, any violation would be a serious crime. It also stipulated that those who beat the Dengwen drum should have a thirty-year imperial staff, which completely made the Dengwen drum system exist in name only.

Deng Wengu is equivalent to a petition beyond the level, which can also be said to be an appeal.

Zhou Qi absorbed the Dengwen drum system of several later dynasties and set up Dengwen drums in various counties and prefectures. It also stipulated as in the Qing Dynasty: non-concerning military and state affairs, great corruption and evil, strange injustices and misfortunes, involving Those who have wealth and life are not allowed to play drums, but there is no rule like the Qing Dynasty, and those who play drums must first play the drum for thirty years.

However, Zhou Qi also stipulated that if it was later determined that the drummer did not comply with the regulations, he would also be punished with a cane of thirty years.

In this way, the pressure can be distributed to each state and county, which will not make Zhou Qi busy with these things every day, but also prevent the people from beating the drum because of trivial matters, and leave a way for the people to redress their grievances. .

Every time someone beats the Dengwen drum, it means that something earth-shattering will happen.

In order to ensure that the county governor and the governor could redress the injustice of those who beat the drums, Zhou Qi established strict laws, requiring that if someone beats the drums, the officials in charge must accept the case, otherwise in addition to being charged with dereliction of duty, they will also be charged with additional crimes. Wait.

In order to prevent officials from preventing people from petitioning for help, officials who obstructed the beating of drums would also be severely punished.

As soon as Kuai Yue spoke, Zhuge Liang knew that someone had broken the law.

Kuai Yue looked embarrassed and wanted to get rid of this matter, saying: "Since the woman has come to Xiangyang, this matter must be dealt with naturally. As for the news, it is okay not to beat the drum, so as not to alarm the king."

"Ringing the Dengwen drum in Xiangyang is not a trivial matter. It is just a fixed rape case, and there is no need to cause a stir in the city."

"Besides, the governor is currently unwell. If a woman plays the drum, the governor will have to examine the case while sick."

"The most important thing is that the woman was in poor health and the rape case did not comply with the drum beating regulations. How could she survive if she was raped in court afterwards?"

"Since Kong Ming is knowledgeable and proficient in government affairs, it would be better to try the case directly and inform the governor of the result."

Wedding means engagement.

When Zhuge Liang heard the words "Wen Ding Rape Case", he couldn't help but frown.

He took the file, carefully read the contents and the local county magistrate's file, and immediately raised his head and said: "According to the records in the file, there are complete witnesses and physical evidence accusing the man of rape in this case, and there are injuries on the woman's body. It is almost impossible to reverse the case. Since the woman has agreed to settle and withdraw the complaint, why does the suspect insist on refusing to accept it?”

A strange smile appeared on Kuai Yue's face, but he quickly disappeared, and then he pretended to be confused and said, "I don't know either."

(End of this chapter)