Zhao Defang's road to the virtuous king

Suddenly they heard shouts from downstairs, and the three of Defang looked over. Several government servants were beating three people. These three people were tied with iron chains. It could be seen that they had traveled a long distance, their clothes were torn and their feet were bleeding, and they were arrested. People shouted that they were wronged, and the yamen servant dragged the three of them to the yamen.Defang looks at Nangongwen

"I didn't expect to see such a thing when I just arrived here. Why don't I go to the Yamen to see how Mr. Zhang is going to try it. I also want to know what these three people have committed."

So the three of Defang came to the gate of the yamen and stood among the people listening to the trial, so as not to let Zhang Mingfeng see. The three people who were arrested knelt on the ground, and Zhang Mingfeng sat on the hall and said, "Are you three guilty?"

One of them said, "Zhang Mingfeng! We don't accept it. You corrupted the law and killed more than [-] members of my Li family. The three of my brothers will definitely go to Beijing to sue! Make your crimes known to the world!"

"Bold and unreasonable! You have committed a capital crime and are wanted on the case. The crime committed by your Li family should have ransacked your family and wiped out your family! Now you dare to slander the prefect, come! Lock them all up! Execute in three days!"

Seeing this, Defang was very surprised, and returned to the mansion with Nangong Wen and Song Jiajun. Defang and Nangong Wen said, "Master Zhang didn't ask anything in Caitang, and these three people were sentenced to death. It's really unbelievable."

Nangong Wen thought for a while, "Your Highness, I have heard that there is a family surnamed Li in this county. The rebels were accused of treason and other crimes, and their entire family was executed, except for the three sons who were out of business and did not return."

Defang was very surprised, "What? Hiding tribute, forging official money, and attempting to rebel, such a serious crime, why hasn't this king heard about it?"

"Your Highness, two years ago after the battle between Song and Liao, the prince's elder brother, His Royal Highness King Wei, committed suicide. At that time, people in the court were panicked. At this time, the case reported by the county seat was reported directly to the Ministry of Criminal Justice without review because the crime was serious. The emperor, the eldest son of the Li family in the army is one of the officers of the imperial army. Due to the delay in reporting, the emperor lost contact with the army. The death was blamed on this, and the execution was directly approved. The prince was too sad at the time and didn't notice this."

Defang was very surprised, he walked back and forth with his hands behind his back, and said to Nangong Wen, "Okay, this king must find out about this matter, if this matter is true, then his Li family will kill my brother Wang. Song's rebellion, this king will be the first to let them go! But... if there is something hidden about this matter, this king will also give them justice!"

Nan Gongwen nodded, "Your Highness, if you want to investigate the case back then, it is the right place to start from this county town, and what the three brothers said in the lobby is the key."

Defang agreed very much, "Yes, there must be an inside story between them and Zhang Mingfeng, and he was the one who reported the case back then. The three brothers scolded Zhang Mingfeng in the hall, but Mr. Zhang didn't say anything, and directly ordered him to be executed in three days. If The case back then was true, so why did they scold Zhang Mingfeng? Even if it had nothing to do with the case back then, things between them are not simple." De Fang turned around, "How does Mr. Zhang feel about this place?"

Nan Gongwen thought for a while, "Zhang Mingfeng is forty-five this year. He was originally a military officer. He was a lieutenant in the Forbidden Army. Ten years ago, he was transferred to a civilian officer. In less than five years, he has been promoted several levels. Now he is the magistrate of the fourth-rank Zhongshushe. , when he was a military officer, he made military merits, and after he became a civilian, he worshiped Qiao Enming, the deputy envoy of the Privy Council at that time, as his teacher. Reviews are slightly different”