Linxia

Chapter 115, Fighting Tigers

That was the night when Fang Lin and Dong Zugao conspired to attack Master Zhuo San.

Zhuofu.

These days, Master Zhuo San was very happy, making a lot of money. In just ten or twenty days, he earned seven or eight hundred taels!
Even so, this profit is still expanding like a snowball - the government management is becoming more and more strict, and people will be fined if they are caught dumping feces into the ditches, so more and more people are forced to compromise and pay money to Master Zhuo Sanye.

This is more than just a huge profit. It's faster than robbing money!

That night, Master Zhuo San ate and drank his fill and fell asleep.

The next day, he got up early and went out to walk the bird. As he went out, he heard a loud splash and something splashed over and poured down on his head. Followed by a foul smell, he almost choked to death.

Master Zhuo was in this line of work, so he knew what had been poured on him without even looking. This move was easy on others, but it was uncomfortable on himself. He wiped his face and shouted angrily, "Who is the damned one who plotted against me? Come out here!"

The people in the mansion came out after hearing the noise. Seeing Master Zhuo covered in feces, they were terrified. Just as they were about to ask questions, they heard Master Zhuo shouting angrily, "What are you standing there for? Why don't you help me change my clothes? In broad daylight, how dare someone stroke my beard? This is outrageous! I will go to the government office later to urge a thorough investigation and bring those criminals to justice."

……

A remote street.

"Haha!" Fang Lin and Dong Zugao laughed heartily.

It was these two who threw dung on Master Zhuo Sanye, along with Dong Zugao's two confidants, as well as Yuan Daniu and Qu Dajiang, two dung men who had been beaten by Master Zhuo Sanye. Before they came, Yuan Daniu and Qu Dajiang didn't know what to do, but when they actually did it, throwing dung on Master Zhuo Sanye, they were completely on the same side as him.

They had figured out the route early these days, and were well prepared when they took action today. After pouring the water, they immediately retreated along the planned route and escaped before the servants from Zhuo's house came out.

"Brother Fang, why is it so smooth this time? Last time, I almost fell into Mr. Zhuo's trap and got into his pocket..."

"That time, we were in the open and Master Zhuo was wary of us; this time, we moved in secret and made sufficient preparations. On the other hand, Master Zhuo has been doing well recently and let down his guard... It's not surprising to have such a result." Fang Lin explained with a smile.

"Boss Dong, I feel relieved. I didn't expect that I could throw it back at Mr. Zhuo San."

"Yes!"

There was obvious excitement on the faces of the two dung men, Yuan Daniu and Qu Dajiang. They never expected that such small figures as them could take revenge on the famous Master Zhuo San today.

"Morale is good!" Fang Lin and Dong Zugao looked at each other and nodded slightly.

Throwing feces at Master Zhuo San was not just a simple way for them to vent their anger, but also to boost the morale of their men. The most important purpose was to fire the first shot and send a signal that someone was going to attack Master Zhuo San, and those who wanted to take advantage of him, hurry up!

"To be honest, the evidence of Zhuo Sanye's guilt is irrefutable. My family has used our connections to deliver the evidence to the Censor. Now we have to go to the government office and ask to see the prefect... Zhuo Sanye is like a grasshopper after autumn! When Zhuo Sanye is brought to justice, you will all be heroes. I have already made arrangements. All you need to do is do this..."

Dong Zugao asked his confidants, Yuan Daniu and Qu Dajiang, to start another arrangement. He and Fang Lin went straight to the government office according to the plan and acted separately.

……

Fang Lin and Dong Zugao went to the government office and asked to see the prefect. Because of their relationship with the Dong family and the appointment had been made long ago, they met the prefect smoothly.

The prefect of Huai'an, whose surname was Pu and whose name was Pu Yuanhao, was a handsome man with a square face, a full forehead, and a long purple-black beard.

"You two came here, saying that you came to help me solve a major worry. What major worry do I have?" Prefect Pu, wearing a bright red official robe, asked calmly after taking a sip of tea.

This obviously carries the intention of inspection.

"My lord, your biggest concern is the recent uproar over feces in the city." Dong Zugao said, glancing at Fang Lin, meaning for him to continue.

He used to basically study at home and was not good at dealing with people. Although he has made a lot of progress recently, at such a critical moment, it would be more effective to let Fang Lin speak.

"Yes, sir, please listen to me."

Fang Lin said slowly: "Huai'an is a cultural and commercial city in the Yangtze and Huaihe River Basin. It has all kinds of people, from high-ranking officials to common people and merchants. If the city governance issues are reported to Yingtian and the capital, then your Excellency..."

He stopped talking here, giving the other party time to react and think, but his meaning of "you will suffer the consequences" was clearly conveyed.

Prefect Pu nodded after hearing this. Master Zhuo San relied on his connections to bully others and bully the market. The government wanted to intervene but couldn't. At most, they could give him a verbal warning. They could only watch helplessly as the city became dirtier and dirtier, and the pressure on the government grew day by day.

He also understood that if this continued, the consequences would be disastrous if he was reported.

"Moreover, the weather this year is abnormal. This spring has come in a very strange way. The climate is warming up very quickly, which may be a sign of a major disaster. At this critical juncture, if a large-scale infectious disease is caused by the feces problem, and people connect the two together, it will spread a prophecy..."

Fang Lin observed the expression of Prefect Pu and made a prompt decision: "Sir, the matter is urgent, please make a decision as soon as possible!"

When Prefect Pu heard this, his eyes twitched. He had never expected this.

This is not a question of intelligence, but involves health knowledge. Moreover, winter has just passed and his impression is still on winter. This spring has come so quickly that he couldn't react for a while and neglected it a little.

If he was sued for city management issues, at most he would be demoted and dismissed; but if a plague broke out and disaster signs and prophecies spread, causing unrest, he would probably lose not only his official hat but also his head.

'This person is right. There is such a big problem hidden behind the feces problem. It is urgent to solve it.'

Prefect Pu felt a sense of urgency in his heart, but he was very good at cultivating his energy, so he asked calmly, "What should I do between the two of you?"

"This matter is not small. Since it cannot be suppressed, you might as well make a big fuss about it." Fang Lin said.

Dong Zugao's words were even more sonorous, his voice as loud as iron and stone: "Students request that Master Zhuo be executed as a warning to others, to calm the public anger, and to set the record straight!"

"You are going to cause great trouble!" Prefect Pu was shocked and after a pause, he said with a smile: "If I remember correctly, you were also in the feces business before. Are you going to use me to get rid of Master Zhuo San?" Since he agreed to meet, he naturally knew about Fang Lin and Dong Zugao, so his words were a warning.

"We did do feces business before, but our staff have long since dispersed. We are here more for the people. Mr. Zhuo Sanye's actions have angered God and the people. If we don't arrest him, we won't be able to appease the public anger." Dong Zugao defended.

"Sir, we are in the right, so why should we be afraid of making things worse? Only by making things worse can we solve the problem at its root."

Fang Lin talked about the problem from the perspective of interests: "Master Zhuo changed the free manure collection service to a fee, and exploited the people. The people in the city have suffered from Master Zhuo for a long time, and they all grit their teeth when talking about him. Also, because of the payment for manure collection, many people in the city dumped manure into the ditches, and this continued despite repeated bans. Merchants' businesses were affected and they complained. The city stank, and many dignitaries thought that Master Zhuo had no sense of propriety."

"Besides, at this point, with the weather like this year, there is a fear that an epidemic may spread. Where does Mr. Zhuo San put the safety of the entire city? My Lord, you might as well make this known to the public. In accordance with the will of heaven and the will of people, you can make Mr. Zhuo San an example and win the support of the people. If this matter is reported to the court, it will also be a great achievement."

Prefect Pu nodded after hearing this.

Zhuo Sanye has someone behind him, so it is indeed difficult to deal with him. However, if he is dealt with, the benefits are obvious. Zhuo Sanye has caused complaints from the whole city. Bringing him to justice in accordance with public opinion will naturally gain great popularity. Huai'an is not an ordinary small place. It is the focus of everyone's attention and a major tax collection area. If the problem is solved, there will be political achievements. Will the adults in the court not see it? Will the emperor not see it?

Just at this moment, there was a sudden noise outside.

"Please let the prefect make the decision!"

"Severely punish Master Zhuo San!"

"Down with the Dung Tyrant!"

……

The aide came in hurriedly and whispered something with Prefect Pu.

Fang Lin and Dong Zugao listened to the noise outside and knew that the other plan had taken effect.

……

Not long ago, Master Zhuo San was splashed with feces. This news spread like wildfire, and many people subconsciously thought that some powerful person was upset and was going to take action against Master Zhuo San. They couldn't help but applaud and then, they were ready to take action, wanting to add insult to injury for Master Zhuo San.

It was at this time that Fang Lin and Dong Zugao, who had already arranged the personnel, organized the people to take the lead in petitioning.

The effect of this move far exceeded expectations!

The people they arranged were just the beginning. The scholars who had been arguing with Master Zhuo San and many more who were dissatisfied with Master Zhuo San but had some organizational skills and voice, keenly sensed the opportunity, took up the banner, took the lead in organizing the people, and shouted in the streets to come to the government office. When the people on both sides of the street heard it, they joined in one after another, and in a short time, more than ten thousand people gathered.

……

When Prefect Pu heard the whole story, he sighed, "Great! The people have suffered from Master Zhuo for so long!"

Coincidentally, at this moment the doorman came in and said that Mr. Zhuo San wanted to see him.

"If you don't see me, just say I'm out and send me away!"

Obviously, Prefect Pu was persuaded and planned to make a big fuss about today's incident. In addition, the people of Huai'an City had been resentful for a long time, so he mobilized the power of the people to solve the problem in one fell swoop.
Upon hearing this, Fang Lin and Dong Zugao looked at each other and knew that the matter was settled.

However, today they came not to be satisfied with just defeating the tiger Zhuo Sanye Zhuo Yuhu, but also to go a step further and flatten the backers behind Zhuo Sanye!
"Does your Excellency know who is behind Master Zhuo's support?"

"Master Zhuo San has a brother named Zhuo Yanxiu, who is the head of the Yingtian Ministry of Personnel."

What is the Ministry of Personnel? It is a powerful institution that specializes in the appointment and removal of officials!
Prefect Pu was therefore filled with worries and was reluctant to touch Master Zhuo San, for fear that he might fail to touch the other party and end up hurting himself.

Having served as an official for many years, he is no longer at the age where he cannot tolerate any grain of sand in his eyes. He knows how to handle practical matters, such as the case of the collision between Mr. Yang and a woodcutter, and the case of Grandma Man's fake pheasant... But he also understands the art of compromise.

Besides, as a prefect, he already had a lot of things to do. He didn't realize the seriousness of the situation before and treated the matter of Master Zhuo Sanye's dung tyrant as a trivial matter. He only sent people to warn and punish him.

——There are too many things to do in official circles, and it is impossible to be serious about everything. When the matter is not serious, the government always turns a blind eye, and muddling through has become a common practice.

Now, realizing the urgency of taking action, Governor Pu still held back.

Master Zhuo Sanye was a bully and could have been arrested directly, but he was sent away on the pretext that he was out. This was showing some mercy and considering Zhuo Yanxiu. If it weren't for the excuses and the law, Zhuo Yanxiu wouldn't have been affected too much this time. Since they are still colleagues in the officialdom, it is natural to leave a way out for him so that they can meet again in the future. This is also the unspoken rule of the officialdom.

"Your Excellency the Prefect, Master Zhuo not only bullies the market, but also relies on his brother's reputation to do evil in the local area. He even has a murder case on his hands." Fang Lin took out evidence from his arms.

"Yes, I have also delivered the evidence to the Censor Han," said Dong Zugao.

This was also a backup plan they had prepared. The Censor Han Yuanjing was strict in enforcing the law and was impartial and just. He also had some relationship with the Dong family, so it was impossible for him to bend the law for personal gain. However, he could do it by passing a letter.

"Oh? Lord Censor Han, we are old acquaintances too."

As Prefect Pu spoke, he looked deeply at Dong Zugao, then lowered his head to look through the evidence. He frowned deeply and suddenly slammed the table and said, "How dare you! Zhuo Yuhu is lawless, and his brother is not good at managing his family. I will also report him... Come on, arrest this beast!"

From calling him by his nickname "Master Zhuo San" in private to calling him by his real name "Zhuo Yuhu", we can tell that he is taking on the attitude of judging a case in court, and he is serious about bringing this man to justice without mercy.

If he ruthlessly brought Zhuo Sanye to justice, he would inevitably offend Zhuo Yanxiu, who was behind it. He had been cautious before and left some room for maneuver, but the situation is different now. There is solid evidence against Zhuo Sanye, which can be found out with a simple investigation. Furthermore, the Censor Han Yuanjing has taken action... Under such circumstances, he will naturally not leave any future troubles, and will also give Zhuo Yanxiu a hand.

"The great thing is done, the Zhuo brothers are finished!" Fang Lin and Dong Zugao looked at each other and smiled slightly, saying everything without words.

……

(End of this chapter)