Great Qing Xiangguo

Chapter 54

It was already noon when Liu Jing went to Lijiazhuang again.There was still not a single person in the village, only the broken walls and ruined walls were covered with snow, and occasionally decayed grass exposed in the snow trembled in the cold wind.Liu Jing casually walked to the door of a house, knocked for a long time, and heard a faint voice inside, asking who it was.Liu Jing said that he was a foreigner, and he was too cold, so he wanted to come in to avoid the wind.Hearing voices coming in from inside, Liu Jing opened the door and went in.It was very dark inside, Liu Jing looked at the boss for a while, and then saw a blind old man sitting on the kang.

The old man said, "Outsider? Sit on the kang."

Liu Jing sat on it, and the kang was icy cold.

Liu Jing asked: "Old man, are you alone at home?"

The old man said: "The whole family has gone to the ancestral hall to recite the sacred edict."

Liu Jing asked: "What sacred edict are you reciting? It sounds so fresh!"

The old man sighed, "Just blame the imperial envoy!"

Liu Jing asked: "What imperial envoy?"

The old man said: "You are a foreigner, I don't know! An imperial envoy has come to the capital these days, and he visited our Lijiazhuang yesterday. The county government is afraid that we will startle him, so we are not allowed to go out."

Liu Jing said: "To tell you the truth, I am a businessman from the capital, and I have seen the emperor go out. When the emperor goes out, he can't help the people to go out!"

The old man shook his head and said, "You don't know, the county magistrate has the final say in Yangqu, and Li Jiasheng has the final say in Lijiazhuang. I am 95 years old this year, and I have passed through two dynasties. .”

Liu Jing said: "Old man, I just came from the capital, why didn't I know that the imperial court ordered the people to recite the edict? It must be your Li Jiasheng who is playing tricks!"

The old man said: "I dare not say that!"

Liu Jing had already figured it out in his heart, guessed that Li Jiasheng might be an evil gentry, so he tried to trick the old man.The old man lamented for a long time, thinking that it would be all right to talk to foreigners, so he said: "The Li family has a human face and a beast's heart, and they keep saying that they are good for the villagers, and they pay the taxes, taxes and grains for the villagers.

Liu Jing deliberately said: "You can pay it yourself!"

The old man said: "It's a long story. A few years ago, there was a catastrophe in our place, and the small households couldn't afford money and food. Li Jiasheng did it for everyone. After that, every family owed Li Jiasheng's debt to the king of hell. The more money is lost, the property of many people is transferred to Li Jiasheng. The property belongs to Li Jiasheng, and the debts are still owed year after year. For those who have no land, even the people belong to Li Jiasheng! Work for his family for nothing!"

Liu Jingdao: "This is clearly an evil gentry, you can sue him at the Yamen!"

The old man said: "Where can I file a complaint? Li Jiasheng and Mr. Dai in the county government are sworn brothers, and Mr. Dai supports him! Li Jiasheng also has dozens of servants with guns, who can afford it!"

Liu Jingdao: "With so many people in the village, no one dares to sue him?"

The old man said: "It's just a village. The fields in the surrounding dozen villages are almost becoming Li Jiasheng's land! There are thousands of people, men, women and children, and no one dares to say anything! Today Li Jiasheng asked everyone to recite the oracle, but they couldn't recite it." Those who have to pay a fine of [-] catties of white flour!"

Liu Jing said: "I have traveled thousands of miles along the road to the capital, and I have never heard of any place where the people are required to recite the sacred edict and are punished with big white noodles. It's really strange! Let me tell you, you really have to sue him!"

As he was talking, he suddenly heard crying from outside.The old man listened with his ears sideways, and the crying sound was getting closer and closer, and it was coming to the old man's house.At this time, the door was pushed open suddenly, and a black and thin young man rushed in, who turned out to be the grandson of the old man.He cried, "Grandpa, my mother hanged herself!"

The old man couldn't believe it, and asked tremblingly, "God! Hei Zhu, what's going on with your mother?"

Hei Zhu cried: "My mother recited the imperial edict, and she failed to recite it three times. The Li family said that she would be fined a hundred catties of white flour! Mother couldn't think about it, so she ran to the old elm tree behind the ancestral hall and hanged herself!"

Liu Jing went out to see that Heizhu's mother's body was laid upright on a wooden board, and a middle-aged man stood by and cried bitterly. It was Heizhu's father.Liu Jing listened to the comfort of the villagers and knew that Hei Zhu's father was Da Shuan.

Suddenly, Hei Zhu rushed out of the room with a kitchen knife.Several women ran up and hugged Hei Zhu tightly, persuading him: "Hei Zhu, don't do stupid things, you are going to die!"

Hei Zhu roared angrily: "I'm going to kill Li Jiasheng!"

The old man leaned against the door and shouted loudly: "Followers, please do me a favor. Hei Zhu's knife was stolen, so he can't go to die!"

An old lady persuaded Heizhu: "His family has so many vicious dogs, can you kill him?"

Liu Jing answered and said, "He can be killed!"

Only then did everyone realize that there was a stranger here, and they all looked at him in surprise.Liu Jing said: "The Li family has committed many crimes and deserves to be cut to death!"

A man asked, "May I ask where this good man came from?"

Liu Jing said: "Don't worry about who I am. Li Jiasheng used the excuse of reciting the holy decree to blackmail the villagers and force them to death. His crime deserves death!"

The man asked again: "Is it someone from the yamen who listened to your official tone?"

Liu Jingdao: "I told you, don't care who I am. Li Jiasheng should be brought to the Yamen for questioning. Folks, don't act recklessly!"

Dashuan wiped away his tears and said, "The more I hear you, the more you look like someone in the yamen. Li Jiasheng and Mr. Dai of the county yamen wear the same trousers. Who will ask him about his crimes?"

Liu Jing only said: "I will lead you to arrest Li Jiasheng and send him to the yamen!"

Everyone was skeptical, and someone said: "Hero, you are afraid that Erlang God descended to earth! Li Jiasheng has dozens of family members!"

Liu Jing said: "Come with me, I can get him naturally!"

After Liu Jing finished speaking, he turned around and walked out.Heizhu father and son fucked the dick and followed closely behind.A few men next to him murmured together and followed suit.A few women ran to each house to report the news, and not long after, all the men in the village came out.Holding poles, shovels, and kitchen knives, everyone followed Liu Jing to Li Jiasheng's house.

Something happened in the ancestral hall, but Li Jiasheng didn't care.He had already returned home, lying on the kang smoking a hookah.The people below heard the wind and rushed to report.Li Jiasheng was furious: "Li Dashuan, how dare you! Call me everyone!"

The servant said again: "Master, there is another person inside, who seems to have followed the imperial envoy yesterday!"

Li Jiasheng was shocked and asked, "Did you read it right?"

The servant said: "That's right."

Li Jiasheng lowered his head to think about it, slapped his thigh, and said with a smile: "Okay, I'll tell him to beat him to death with a stick!"

The gate of the Li family was closed tightly, and dozens of family members waited quietly inside.The villagers beat on the door for half a day, and Li Jiasheng shouted: "Let them in, don't break the door! Let's see what they dare to do!"

The villagers rushed in, shouting and cursing at Li's house.Li Jiasheng put his hands on his hips and shouted loudly: "What do you want? I am following the orders of the imperial envoy!"

Liu Jing shouted: "Li Jiasheng!"

Liu Jing was about to speak, but Li Jiasheng pointed at him and shouted: "Folks, this is the imperial envoy! Ask him!"

Liu Jing said angrily: "Li Jiasheng, you are so bold!"

Hei Zhu didn't distinguish between black and white, and glared at Liu Jingyuan: "So you are an imperial envoy? It was you who killed my mother. I will kill you first!"

Hei Zhu raised his knife and slashed at Liu Jing with a loud roar.Liu Jing dodged and snatched Hei Zhu's knife with his backhand.The villagers felt that they had been tricked by Liu Jing, so they turned their sticks and beat Liu Jing.Liu Jing didn't have time to speak, so he parried for a few rounds, jumped out of the circle, and shouted loudly: "Folks, listen to me!"

Da Shuanxue's eyes were red, and said: "We don't believe the government's words, let's kill you first today!"

As Da Shuan spoke, he rushed forward, Liu Jing slapped him back, and turned around to reprimand Li Jiasheng angrily: "You falsely spread the imperial envoy's decree, it is already a death penalty! You return the fish and flesh of the common people, forcing people to die, you deserve to be cut to death!"

The villagers stopped sticks in their hands, not knowing what to do, and stood there in a daze.Li Jiasheng also wanted to provoke the villagers to beat Liu Jing to death, and shouted: "The imperial envoy came to Yangqu to supervise the construction of the Dragon Pavilion, and ordered me to teach the villagers to recite the sacred decree. Otherwise, how could I, Li Jiasheng, have such courage?"

Liu Jingdao: "Are you still timid? You forced the villagers to recite the sacred decree, which has killed people! You also monopolize taxes, increase the price without authorization, and exploit the people. You are so daring!"

Li Jiasheng laughed loudly and said, "Taxation all over the place? We in Daizhi County call this a big family plan, and the imperial envoy will tell the court about my method!"

Liu Jing said: "You don't want to incite the folks! I just want to take you to see the imperial envoy!"

The Li family laughed and said: "You want to take me? A strong dragon can't overwhelm a local snake! I still want to take you! I'll kill you first today!"

The servants rushed over, Liu Jing flung left and right, gradually unable to resist.The folks have no idea and don't know where to start.

Hei Zhu shouted: "Father, it seems that the imperial envoy is a good official!"

Da Shuan said: "He is a good official, we will help him!"

After Dashuan and his son finished speaking, they went forward to help Liu Jing in the battle.Seeing this, the villagers also yelled and beat the servants.Li Jiasheng saw that there were so many people in the village, after all, he felt timid and wanted to sneak back into the house.Liu Jingfei stepped forward, grabbed Li Jiasheng, and shouted to the servants: "You all stop! Otherwise, I will kill this villain first!" Seeing that the situation was not good, the servants all stopped.

It was slowly getting dark.Liu Jing, Dashuan, Heizhu and several young and strong men took Li Jiasheng to the county government overnight.Dai Mengxiong had already fallen asleep, heard the announcement, and hurried to the lobby.He asked the reason, pointed at Li Jiasheng's nose and cursed, and ordered the yamen servant to put him in prison immediately.The Li family kept crying out for grievances, but Dai Mengxiong ignored him with a dark face, like an iron Baogong.

When Ma Ming saw that Li Jiasheng was brought in, he knew that Liu Jing had returned from Lijiazhuang.He has already quietly revealed the truth to the county magistrate.The Prime Minister of Xiang County called Xiang Qi by name, because he had privately said that he would participate in Dai Mengxiong, but he was passed on by a treacherous villain a few days ago.It happened that the imperial envoy was coming, so Dai Mengxiong locked Xiang Qixian up and found a way to deal with him later.

(End of this chapter)