Aspirations

Chapter 183 You must take care of yourself

The retrial of Fuke will implicate local officials. Cui Xiang doesn't want to let the matter continue to escalate. Nowadays, one more thing is worse than one less thing. There is an urgent need for stability.Xia Xiang is also helpless, after all, the magistrate is a higher official, he can't offend the superior.

Of course, he is not helpless, he has secretly informed Zheng Hao.After Zheng Hao came in, he insisted on the importance of retrying Fu Ke's case, and even quarreled with Cui Xiang, but Cui Xiang refused to give in. In a rage, Cui Xiang even asked Xia Xiang to hand over Fu Ke and Wei Zhongqiang, It is under the care of the government office.

When the quarrel was raging, Zheng Xiang'an stood up and said that Fu Ke's case must be reviewed.Cui Xiang was furious, and reprimanded Zheng Xiangan for not knowing the rules, and told Zheng Xiangan to get out.

Cui Xiang is in a bad mood recently, and his successive defeats have left him devastated and almost exhausted. If it weren't for the help of the medicine chair and medicine bed given by Lian Ruohan and Xia Xiang, he would probably be sick now.It's funny to say that he deliberately made things difficult for Xia Xiang, but Xia Xiang even gave him a medicine chair and medicine bed to make him energetic. Thinking about it, I really feel ashamed of Xia Xiang.

But that's the way things are in the officialdom. Now that Cui Xiang has boarded Xingwang's ship, it's impossible to get off. He can only continue to try his best to keep Xingwang's big ship unsinkable.

While Cui Xiang received the approval document from the Ministry of Criminal Justice, he also received a letter written by Hou Pingpan.Hou Pingpan's words must also be what Xing Wang meant, let him stand still and continue to suppress Xia Xiang. Although he lost for a while, it did not affect the overall situation. Xing Wang still has the chance to win.But what methods Xingwang has not used, and what powers have not been revealed, have not been clearly stated.

Whether Cui Xiangxin believes it or not, that's all he can do, but what he also firmly believes is that although Xia Xiang's commotion is not small and breaks Xingwang's layout, it only hurts Xingwang's fur, not his body. The muscles and bones were not involved in Xingwang, Xingwang's foundation was still solid.

The main reason is that there seem to be many things, but in fact there is only one Liu Changting who is the closest confidant to Xing Wang, and of course Yan Hao is also.However, Yan Hao was injured by Fang Shiniang, it was a feud between Jianghu and Jianghu, which cannot be counted.It is precisely because of this that Liu Changting is the one who must die, and the Ministry of Punishment will reply so quickly.Once Liu Changting died, there was no evidence for his death. Xing Wang categorically denied that the underground bank was his bank, so who would dare to insist on Xing Wang?

The case of Fu Ke is different. Xia Xiang arrested Wei Zhongqiang again. Fu Ke and Wei Zhongqiang can implicate Tian Qing, and maybe they can drag him into the water. If the officialdom of Zhending Mansion is affected, it will be shaken. This laid the foundation for Xingwang Zaizheng's layout.Therefore, no matter what Cui Xiang said, Xia Xiang could not let Xia Xiang retry the case of Fuke.

Unexpectedly, after Cui Xiang got angry at Zheng Xiangan, instead of backing down, Zheng Xiangan laughed and took out his official seal.Zheng Hao also introduced very tacitly from the side, Zheng Xiangan is Zheng Shan, the prison officer of West Hebei Road, who is in charge of the four prefectures, Kyushu, and Sixth Army of Hebei West Road. There are several days.

Cui Xiang turned pale with shock, and hurriedly saluted Zheng Shan.Zheng Shan was one level higher than Pin Yi, and his authority was also much greater. The appointment of a criminal officer was not only in charge of the official affairs of the prison, but also the responsibility of supervising local officials.

Xia Xiang was also taken aback, and hurriedly saluted Zheng Shan.Unexpectedly, Zheng Xiang'an, who has been following him like a entourage for several days, is actually the famous Zheng Tixing.

But Xia Xiang was surprised, but he didn't turn pale. He had doubted Zheng Xiangan's identity before, because Zheng Xiangan said he was Zheng Shan's follower, but his behavior and conversation were not submissive, but generous. Very generous.It's just that although he has doubts, he dare not really think that Zheng Xiang'an is Zheng Shan himself.

He never expected that the well-known Zheng Tixing really had such a childlike innocence. He pretended to be Zheng Xiang'an's private visit on his micro server, and had a clear understanding of the real situation.

Zheng Tixing wanted to review Fuke's case, but Cui Xiang had no reason to refuse, so he had to agree.When he came out of the government office, Xia Xiang didn't dare to make a fuss, and he and Zheng Hao followed behind Zheng Shan, holding the case in hand, causing passers-by to watch frequently, not understanding why the majestic Xia Xianzun followed a Behind the entourage, are you still so respectful?
According to the regulations, Zheng Shan, as a prisoner, should work in the highest local government office when he goes to a place to handle and investigate cases.However, since Zheng Shan made a fake entourage, it can be seen that he is not a person who follows the rules. He prefers to work in the county government office instead of staying in the government office. Cui Xiang has nothing to do with him, Xia Xiang naturally welcomes him.

After Zheng Shan came to Zhending, he lived in the county office for several days and got used to the environment of the county office.Today he looked through the case files in his study, and recalling what he had seen and heard in Zhending in the past few days, he became even more certain in his heart that the case of Fu Ke would not only implicate Cheng Tianqing of Shile County, but also affect the city. Pei Shuozhang of Lezhi County and Cui Xiang of Zhending Prefecture.

Zheng Shan tapped the case with his finger, frowned slightly, and sighed: "Tingzhou is full of reed leaves, and the cold sand belt is shallow. It took 20 years to re-pass the South Tower. The boat under the willow is still not stable. It will be a few days before the Mid-Autumn Festival. The yellow crane is broken." Rocky head, has the old man ever been there? The old rivers and mountains are full of new sorrows. If you want to buy sweet-scented osmanthus and carry wine with you, it will not look the same. You are a young man."

Xia Xiang smiled and said, "Why did Zheng Tixing suddenly feel nostalgic?"

"I just remembered something from the past..." Zheng Shan got up and pushed the door to go out. Xia Xiang, Zheng Hao, and Cao Shujun followed behind, and they walked towards the backyard.

In the courtyard, the autumn water is green, the lotus is still there, the wicker is like silk, and the rockery is picturesque.

"Great Xia values ​​culture over martial arts. Although businessmen are not restrained, businessmen are still inferior to others. Thinking about Dong Xian's innocence, he was deliberately framed and died. Today, it is difficult to clear the truth. As a criminal officer, I feel uneasy." Zheng Shan walked with his hands behind his back and stood still by the water, "I was visiting the scenery outside Xingzhou City last spring. When I saw an old farmer plowing the fields, I stepped forward and made a bow, jokingly said: "My husband has worked hard, this year is good. Do you think we should thank the heavens for the good weather, or thank the emperor for his blessings?"

"What I didn't expect was that the old farmer bent down and laughed, and then said: Look at what crude words you said, you don't understand farming at all! I work hard every day, and the harvest is all in exchange for my sweat. Why? Do you want to thank God? I pay taxes on time, and the officials can’t force me to do anything. Why should I thank the emperor? I’ve lived a long time and seen countless people, and I’ve never seen someone as stupid as you.”

Xia Xiang pursed his lips, trying not to laugh.Zheng Hao couldn't help laughing, and Cao Shujun laughed so hard.

Zheng Shan also laughed: "Isn't it funny? Although the old farmer's words were a bit vulgar, they were very reasonable. I was speechless by his scolding, so I had no choice but to leave. After hearing about this, Tan Cong, the magistrate of Xingzhou, insisted on He was stopped by the official for punishing the old farmer. Speaking of Tan Cong and Tan Zhizhou, there are many interesting things."

"What's interesting, tell me quickly." Cao Shujun liked anecdotes the most, and jumped up.

Zheng Shan took a walk along the pond, the sun was shining right now, and although there was a breeze, he didn't feel the cold.

"Tan Cong is greedy and despicable. He likes to write prefaces to other people's poetry collections, and then collect some embellishment fees. There was a small man in the market who asked Tan Zhizhou to write a preface to his poetry collections. The reward was five Wen. Tan Zhizhou first took five Wen. , put it in his arms, and wrote a few words casually. The people in the market were very unhappy when they saw that Tan Zhizhou was perfunctory, and threw the preface to Tan Zhizhou's face, asking Tan Zhizhou to pay back his five cents. Tan Zhizhou Zhizhou refused, and the people in the market were so angry that they punched Tan Zhizhou, almost hitting Tan Zhizhou in the face."

"Did Tan Zhizhou pay back the money?" Cao Shujun was overjoyed, he didn't expect Tan Zhizhou to be such a greedy person, the dignified Zhizhou would not let go of even five cents.

"I didn't pay back the money when I arrived, haha." Zheng Shan laughed with his face up, and then asked after laughing, "What do you think is the most interesting part of this story?"

Zheng Hao replied without hesitation: "Of course it's Tan Zhizhou's greed and fun, and he won't let go of even five cents. There is also that scoundrel who is a villain in the market. Since he asked someone to write the preface, no matter whether it is good or bad, he must recognize it." .”

Cao Shujun rolled his eyes: "I think Tan Zhizhou is very interesting. He has no airs about Zhizhou. As long as he gives money, even if it's only five yuan, he will write a preface for the villain in the market. Although he is greedy for money, he is also cute."

"How does Xia Xianzun feel?" Zheng Shan looked at Xia Xiang with a smile.

Xia Xiang pondered for a while: "The villain is not satisfied with Tan Zhizhou's preface, and dares to throw it back and ask Tan Zhizhou to pay back the money. It can be seen that the people of Daxia are simple and tough. It's just that the people are less and less tough when they see officials. Cui Fuzun, usually lives in seclusion, does not get close to the people, and few people know him. So how do you know the sufferings of the people, how do you listen to the voice of the people?"

Cao Shujun grinned: "Xiaxian Zun is indeed Xia Xianzun. He is full of worries about the country and the people, which is admirable."

"It is the duty of an official to seek his own government in his position." Zheng Shan nodded in approval, "Cui Xiang Cui Fuzun, although he has no major faults, he has no merit. People's feelings and voices are a type of lazy government officials. Pei Shuozhang, the magistrate of Pei County, only wants to be promoted, regardless of people's livelihood, and has no heart to benefit one party. He is a type of lazy government officials. Under the hood, one-heartedly pursues the camp, which is a type of running for officials. As for Tian Qing and his like, they are willing to be pawns. For their own selfishness, they can bet the lives of the people and use the country as a chessboard. They are the type of corrupt officials. Think of me The common people in Daxia used to have a whole body full of toughness. It was Tan Zhizhou, who later lived in Hangzhou. Because of his lust, he prostituted himself with a maid at home one day. Unexpectedly, the noise was so loud that the neighbor's wall was shaken to the ground. The neighbor Furious, no matter who Tan Zhizhou is, he sued Tan Zhizhou to the government with a lawsuit, haha. When the Hangzhou Zhizhou saw that it was Tan Zhizhou, there was nothing he could do about it, so he had to punish him to repair the neighbor’s wall and let him go.”

Everyone laughed.

Xia Xiang recalled one incident and said: "All the people in the market in my Great Xia are so stubborn, let alone scholars. During Taizong's prime minister, Wang Yuan, there was a severe drought for a year. One day after the court, I went home and passed by Pan's Banner Pavilion. , There was a maniac sitting in the pavilion, pointing at Wang Yuan and shouting: "The people are suffering from drought, and are extremely tired. The gentleman receives a heavy salary, and he feels at ease?" Wang Yuan's forehead. Wang Yuan's entourage captured Kuangsheng and sent him to Jingyin. Wang Yuan said: "What he said is exactly the fault of this official. What is the crime?" So he let him go."

"During the Emperor Taizong's reign, the folk customs of Daxia were more simple than today." Zheng Shan stood there for a long time, and suddenly made up his mind, "The dandies don't starve to death, and the Confucian crowns often miss their bodies... to the king, Yao and Shun, and then make the customs honest. I will be the official. Return Dong Xian's innocence, and return Da Xia to a bright future."

For several days, Zheng Shan interrogated Fu Ke, Wei Zhongqiang, and Wu Yidong.Although the prisoner did not have the authority to supervise the commander of the Forbidden Army, he could summon Wu Yidong through Cui Xiang.Cui Xiang had no choice but to obey orders. After Wu Yidong took the order, although he didn't come in person, he sent his deputy to hear the hearing.

A few days later, after Zheng Shan had conclusive evidence, he ordered Cheng Tianqing of Shile County to be taken down, and Pei Shuozhang was investigated for negligence of duty. At the same time, Zhuang Feifei was arrested from Shile and brought back to Zhending for trial.

Tian Qing denied it in every possible way at the beginning, thinking that Xing Wang and Cui Xiang could protect him.Xia Xiang told him that Xing Wang is now preparing to accompany the emperor on a southern tour, and has no time to care about the trivial matters other than the emperor's southern tour.In the end, in front of witnesses and material evidence, Tian Qing admitted the truth about the murder of Dong Xian under the guise of Fu Ke, and also confessed the fact that Pei Shuozhang did not act as a county magistrate.

Cui Xiang saw that the situation was getting more and more out of control, and advised Zheng Shan to accept it as soon as it was good, and not to affect too many people.Zheng Shan refused to listen, and told Cui Xiang face to face that he would write a letter to the emperor, asking the emperor to dismiss Cui Xiang.Cui Xiang walked away in a rage, claiming to be waiting for Zheng Shan's letter at any time.

The dredging of the Hutuo River, which lasted for more than ten days, finally came to an end.The dredging has achieved remarkable results. The silt covered the wasteland around Xiajiazhuang, creating thousands of fertile fields. Countless refugees were ecstatic.

Many refugees regarded Xia Xiang as a savior. Some people wanted to set up a shrine for Xia Xiang, but Lian Ruohan resolutely stopped him when he found out.Lian Ruohan is very clear that Xia Xiang's reputation is now far and wide, and his name spreads all over Zhending Mansion, which has made Cui Xiang feel ashamed. If he builds a shrine, it will make Cui Xiang unable to gain a foothold.What's more, since ancient times, those who set up shrines were all high-ranking and powerful people, most of whom were prime ministers. Xia Xiang, a small county magistrate, set up a shrine, fearing that he would be attacked by people with ulterior motives.

Zheng Shan sorted out all the facts of the case, and after discussing with Xia Xiang, he wrote to the Ministry of Criminal Justice and sentenced Tian Qing, Fu Ke, Wei Zhongqiang, and Zhuang Feifei to execution. .Please remove Wu Yidong from the post of Commander of the Forbidden Army in Zhending Mansion.After Xia Xiang also seconded the proposal, he added one more item, asking for the repeal of the new law!

After the letter was written, there was no response.Xia Xiang and Zheng Shan were not worried either. They went to Xiajiazhuang every day to check the progress of the project. Xiang was very happy.

On this day, as soon as Xia Xiang arrived at the county government office, he suddenly heard horses neighing outside, and someone shouted: "The imperial decree has arrived!"

Xia Xiang hurriedly adjusted his clothes, and together with Zheng Shan and the officials of the county government, greeted him at the gate of the county government office, bowed before him.

(End of this chapter)