I, Liu Bian, Sanxing Han Dynasty

Chapter 298 Decisive Killing

To be honest, petty officials like Li Cheng are the ones who can survive the most.

Being careful, but not daring to cause big trouble, and not offending anyone are still useful.

As long as you don’t get “I don’t eat beef”.

Li Cheng has never been more grateful than now for his timidity.

Looking at the man who was patrolling in front of these little officials, it was early spring. His hands and feet were cold and his whole body was shaking.

The county magistrate who deducted his salary died because people sent from the court caught evidence of corruption.

Although petty officials like him had signed their paperwork, the county magistrate was unable to withstand more and more salary deductions, and no one was willing to protect him.

Chen Guo's postal supervisor who was responsible for supervising the county also died. Because such a large-scale corruption and perversion of the law was not discovered by the postal supervisor.

"Are there any of Li Da's accomplices here? If you stand up now, your crime will be reduced, but if I find out... Li Da will end up!"

Hearing this, Li Cheng couldn't help but tremble, and the corner of his eyes glanced at Li Da again.

It was clear that he was chatting and laughing with him earlier today, but now Li Da stared with a pair of dead eyes, and his head and body had become separated.

His crime was that he had embezzled more than 5,000 yuan in the past year.

Chen State has a large population, and there is not only one market in the county, but also in the township. Li Da united with some unscrupulous people and used his power to disrupt the market and profit from it.

The income of more than 5,000 yuan is much less than a few years ago. It is worth more than 30 shi of grain, which is not enough for his family to chew for half a year.

It is true that Li Da is guilty, but the crime does not end there!
Moreover, why was Li Da’s head chopped off? How come the heads of those traitors who cooperated with Li Da were still intact?
Of course, Li Cheng only dared to think this way in his heart. On the surface, he didn't dare to say a word.

Anyone who is caught with evidence of a crime will be beheaded at every turn if it falls into the hands of the person in front of him!
He also heard that this man was a very famous person named Kong. He was a person who could teach his son the Confucian classics, which would be regarded as smoke coming from his ancestral grave.

It's just that today's truth made him gain knowledge. Is this the legendary celebrity?
Li Cheng, who had only heard about it but never seen it with his own eyes, seemed to have been opened to a new world.

In extreme fear, Li Cheng strengthened his determination to send his son further.

Yes, the person who was so decisive in killing was none other than Kong Rong, the imperial censor who first asked Liu Bian for orders to go out on inspection.

Not only Li Cheng was frightened by his behavior, but Zhao Yan who was beside him was also frightened.

Zhao Yan had heard about Kong Rong's reputation for a long time, knew about his heroic deeds in risking his life to take Zhang Jian in, and also knew about the righteousness of Kong Rong's family competing to take the blame afterwards.

Even after Kong Rong became the imperial censor, he repeatedly advised him, but he never thought that Kong Rong had such a decisive side.

But the problem is that the county magistrate Kong Rong is not qualified to kill him!

Obviously it should be left to Huang Wan and Huang Gong, who upholds integrity, but Kong Rong ignored his persuasion and killed the person.

However, although Zhao Yan is young, he is a smart person. Along the way, Zhao Yan has vaguely grasped Kong Rong's logic of action——

Officials who do not know the classics are the ones who deserve to be killed. As long as they are held accountable, Kong Rong will show no mercy. People with extraordinary talents in studying ancient times deserve courtesy and respect. However, Kong Rong will only talk to senior officials about difficult-to-implement decrees, but will not discuss state affairs with them. ; The leaders of Guizhou need to be enlightened, and even if there are some cunning people among them, they can still be solved through enlightenment...

Therefore, the Changping County Magistrate was killed directly by Kong Rong without any mercy, because the Changping County Magistrate relied on military merit to reach his position. Zhao Yan once persuaded Kong Rong on this matter. Even though he clearly told Kong Rong that he would inform Huang Wan and Huang Gong who was in charge of the matter, Kong Rong remained unmoved. And after he actually wrote an official document about the matter to Huang Wan, Kong Rong's attitude towards him did not change - he could discuss and make suggestions, but it was impossible to listen.

Looking at it now, Zhao Yan knew that these traitors kneeling on the ground were all like Li Da. They bullied others in the village market, so they must be hiding traitors. But he also understood that even if he persuaded him, Kong Rong would still not change his attitude.

So Zhao Yan simply stopped trying to persuade him and just waited for Huang Wan to recall Kong Rong after receiving the news from him.

Zhao Yan wanted to make meritorious deeds during this trip. It was okay to be in the limelight, but he must not become the target of public criticism.

Even if the emperor sent Jiu Qing to take charge, and the chariot and cavalry generals sent troops to show their determination, Kong Rong's move would still be suspected of indiscriminate killing.

For Kong Rong, killing just one Li Da was not enough to deter these cunning village officials, and he did not believe that Li Da had no comrades.

He looked at the three elders of his hometown and Youzhi, and shouted: "You two are out in battle, what can you say?"

The two Baishi officials were so panicked. The official seals and official uniforms that had allowed them to live comfortably in the past had now become life-threatening talismans. Apart from begging for mercy, they had nothing to say.

Kong Rong therefore concluded that the two of them must have something secret in their hearts. Otherwise, why would they beg for mercy if they had no fear in their hearts?

He immediately said: "You two have such cunning little officials under your rule. It is hard to escape the blame for the lax discipline..."

"Mr. Kong!" Zhao Yan couldn't shut up at this time. There was no conclusive evidence to kill these two people. He was afraid that Kong Rong would drag him down.

Kong Rong glanced at Zhao Yan and said: "Pull down, each with twenty sticks, as a warning to others!"

The soldiers behind him immediately responded to the order.

Listening to the screams coming from the side, Li Cheng immediately lost his mind and thought, for fear that he would be implicated in the next moment, because he was also considered a person who knew nothing about Li Da's crimes.

At this time, he suddenly heard the sound of horse hoofbeats. After a while, a knight came to deliver the order. The famous man named Kong left angrily with the knight who delivered the order.

But the affairs at the scene were all handled by another young scholar who had been following Kong Mingshi.

Li Cheng breathed a sigh of relief, thinking that this person must be different from Kong Mingshi!
"My surname is Zhao and my given name is Boran. I am from Yingchuan. I was originally a subordinate of the Taiwei Mansion. Don't worry, I will not kill people like Duke Kong..."

Li Cheng just relaxed a little after hearing this, but the next words made him panic again.

"But there is one thing I agree with Mr. Kong. In this huge town, only Li Da colludes with traitors to oppress the people, and you are completely innocent and don't know about it? Li Da alone is not enough!"

"You, come with me!"

Li Cheng didn't hear anything. He raised his head slightly and found that it was himself who was being pointed out.

He followed Zhao Yan tremblingly to a place where the villagers could not hear his voice. Faced with Zhao Yan's questions, he did not dare to hide anything.

……

The state of Chen was not far from Luoyang. Huang Wan recalled Kong Rong to his side and sent someone to inform the court of the whole story.

As for Luoyang, Liu Bian, who had never thought that Kong Rong would use his power to kill everyone when he came to the place, and became the most ruthless official, said he had been fooled.

(End of this chapter)