Guide to traveling through the Northern Song Dynasty

The next day, the trial will continue.

The first person to be interrogated was the inspection censor Yingshan.

This man is not old, he has just turned thirty, and he is a very talented young man.

He calmly walked into the hall, bowed to several presiding judges, and then quietly waited for the interrogation.

Chen Dong said: "You are the first person in the Inspectorate to commit a crime."

Ying Shan replied: "I am definitely not the only one who commits crimes and crimes within the Inspectorate. The power of the censor in the new dynasty is too great. I don't know how many people come to curry favor, but there are always a few who can't resist the temptation. Don't give it to that person. With such great power, the censor cannot check it locally, so he can only be reduced to a useless person who only hears about things."

"You are right," Chen Dong said expressionlessly, "After the case is settled, I will investigate myself in the Inspectorate!"

"If you, superiors, want to know anything, just ask." Ying Shan behaved calmly, as if he was not here to be tried, but was invited to drink tea and chat.

Wu Mao couldn't help but said: "You don't regret it at all?"

Ying Shan said: "I have regretted it a long time ago, but it is too late. No matter how big the things you have done, you have to bear it. If you refuse to admit guilt, you will only bring shame on yourself."

"You are a sensible person, but you did stupid things." Pan Lianggui felt regretful.

Chen Dong said: "Tell me everything you know."

Ying Shan suddenly closed his eyes, as if recalling the past: "The first time I accepted a bribe was in Guozhou (Lingbao). There are gold mines in the mountains of Guozhou, and it has always been like this. The gold mines there are relatively good. From time to time, one would be found, but it was not a big mine. The court did not set up a supervisor to collect gold, but let the general magistrate supervise gold matters. "

"Guozhou Tongjian Bi Nan, together with the mine owner Shi Jingquan, secretly mined the newly discovered gold mine, but did not report it to the government to evade gold taxes. I found out about this, and they were all afraid, so they gave me a thousand guans to keep silent fee."

Chen Dong found it difficult to understand: "As a patrol censor, a thousand guan can silence you?"

Ying Shan was a little helpless and sighed: "I was in a hurry to use money at that time."

Chen Dong asked: "You, the Ying family in Guixi, have a mine, how can you be short of money?"

Ying Shan said: "The family has been separated since my grandfather's generation. My father is good at selling gold and dispersing wealth. My house is increasingly in embarrassment. The thousand gu hush money I received was actually sent back to my younger sister as a dowry. The land of two rivers Marriages are extravagant, especially among the gentry and noble families. My father also spent a lot of money to save face, selling off a lot of family property, and adding the thousand gu that I had stolen, I finally collected a dowry of 3,000 gu for my little sister."

All the officials responsible for examining the case were stunned when they heard this.

Ying Shan was identified by them as the core figure in the case, and may even involve the Crown Princess's family.

But this person's first corruption and abuse of law was actually to raise dowry money for his sister...

Ying Shan continued: "The gold mine is not big. Even if the tax evasion is concealed, the court will not lose a lot of money. At least, that's what I thought at the time. I didn't feel like I was sorry to the officials."

"You are so... ambitious!" Chen Dong didn't know how to scold him, because Ying Shan was so weird.

Ying Shan's eyes were blank, and he looked up at the rafters: "After one payment, there will be a second payment, and it has to be accepted. I once applied to be transferred out of Henan and become an official in another place, but the Inspectorate did not agree. Instead, because Lu Benzhong was transferred to rectify the big families in Luoyang, and I was asked to stay in Luoyang to assist in this matter."

"Splitting up the migratory wealthy clans is very lucrative. If you slip a little bit through your fingers, it will be enough for a lifetime. But those wealthy clans that were split up knew that their property had been illegally swallowed up, but they dared not speak out. They even thought that , this is what the prince arranged, thinking that I am making money for the prince."

Having said this, Ying Shan shut up and looked at Chen Dong, whose face was as black as ink.

Seeing Chen Dong's ghostly appearance, Pan Lianggui and Wu Mao looked at each other, terrified and afraid of what might happen.

After a long time, Chen Dong gritted his teeth and asked, "Did Shi Ruchang participate in embezzling the property of those wealthy families?"

Ying Shan actually grinned, and his smile was a bit gloating: "He made more money than me."

Shi Ruchang was promoted by Chen Dong and was Chen Dong's favorite disciple. Moreover, he listened to Ju Ming's lectures in Guizhou and followed Ju Ming all the way from Guangxi to Jinzhou to raise troops.

This man is only twenty-eight years old this year, but he is already the censor of Zuo Qiandu of the Inspectorate. If you work conscientiously, you will most likely be a minister in twenty years, make some political achievements, and even have the opportunity to join the cabinet and become the prime minister!

Chen Dong said nothing, his whole body trembling slightly with anger.

Pan Lianggui asked: "Does Lu Benzhong know about it?"

Ying Shan said: "Of course Lu Benzhong knows, but how much he knows, only he knows. But Lu Benzhong did not reach out to make money. He, a son of the Lu family, went to investigate the Lu family. He had already been stabbed in the back. If he dared to make money from it, Qian is just seeking death. Shi Ruchang supervised the whole process of demolition and migration, and his words are far more important than Lu Benzhong, and he is also the prince's confidant. How can Lu Benzhong dare to say no? "

Pan Lianggui asked again: "Did Henan's former political envoys and the prefect of Luoyang participate in the division of the spoils?"

Ying Shan said: "The left chief envoy had just been transferred away, but the right chief envoy and the Luoyang prefecture had gained them. It happened that while the left chief envoy was away, the new left chief envoy had not yet assumed his duties, and the right chief envoy was organizing the rural examination. At that time, he dragged me into partnership with him to help scholars cheat."

"A bunch of bastards!"

Chen Dong was finally overcome, and stood up to give up the presiding seat: "Shi Ruchang is my student. I need to recuse myself from this case, and then it will be handed over to Pan Shilang for trial. After I left, other officials of the Inspectorate only You are allowed to observe and record the case, and you are not allowed to interfere in the interrogation!"

After saying that, Chen Dong walked away, he wanted to see the prince quickly.

Pan Lianggui suddenly had a headache. This case might take a long time, because there are still more cases within the case, and the more damn they are investigated, the more they get investigated.

Shi Ruchang used to patrol places, and most of them had been making money.

Every time you make money, you are shielding a corrupt official!

And those corrupt officials must have many cases against them.

Wu Mao asked: "You guys are really not afraid of losing your head. You are so bold to embezzle the property of the migratory wealthy family. You even dare to take the imperial examination and provincial examination."

Ying Shan had a wry smile on his face: "I didn't dare to do anything too big at first. I agreed that I would only help one scholar cheat, which was to repay the favor I owed. But that stupid candidate got the test questions in advance and showed off to his classmates. Again I couldn't stand the begging of my classmates, so I resold the exam questions. I resold one copy at a time, and I don't know how many copies were sold. I was locked in the Gongyuan, and I didn't come out until I posted the candidate list. I was so frightened that I almost committed suicide."

"You really committed suicide, you still have some sense of shame!" Wu Mao complained.

Ying Shan said: "I knew from that time that I was destined to die. I would count every extra year I could live. I had to enjoy life well before I died. I took in several concubines in succession, and quietly bought a house in Henan. Now. Come to think of it, it’s really ridiculous, the books of sages have been read into the dog’s belly.”

Pan Lianggui said to Wu Mao: "The cases of fraud in the imperial examinations and the case of misappropriating the property of wealthy families are really too big. They must be reported to the officials for investigation and then investigated separately."

Wu Mao shook his head: "There are cases within cases, and they can only be tried together. How can they be tried independently?"

Pan Lianggui said: "I finally understand why they didn't kill the bartender to silence him. It turns out that the imperial examination fraud case has been spread for a long time, but someone kept covering the lid. Killing a bartender is useless, but will make the matter worse."

Wu Mao said: "In the next year, I am afraid that you and I will not be able to escape. It is estimated that these cases will not be completed in a year."

The two looked at each other and smiled bitterly.

They will definitely be promoted as a result, but they will also offend a lot of people!

Pan Lianggui sorted out his clues and continued to interrogate: "Henan Inspector Chen Hong was also involved because he embezzled the property of a wealthy family?"

Ying Shan shook his head slowly and showed a gloating smile again.

Pan Lianggui felt a little scared when he saw that smile: "Is there another case?"

Ying Shan paused one word at a time and slowly said a few words: "Fu-zhou-shi-bo-si!"

"Fuzhou Shipping Department?" Wu Mao asked in surprise, "After the prince inspected Shandong, didn't he check all the shipping departments across the country?"

Ying Shan said: "There must have been a fish that slipped through the net. Marquis Chen is the fish that slipped through the net. His family evaded customs duties and bribed officials. Until now, the incident has not come to light. Naturally, someone helped the Chen family cover it up. The Chen family owes so much Of course Chen Hong must reciprocate such a big favor and repay the debt of favor borne by his family."

"Straight bitch!"

Pan Lianggui couldn't help but swear.

The Municipal Bureau of Shipping in various places is jointly investigated by the Inspectorate and the Ministry of Household Affairs, and the Ministry of Punishment is also responsible for closing the case.

Marquis Chen was able to slip through the net. Officials from the Inspectorate, the Ministry of Household Affairs, and the Ministry of Punishment who were responsible for thoroughly investigating Fuzhou's customs duties. I don't know how many people have been involved!

"Let's wait for another day to try again," Wu Mao said. "We have to go to the palace to face the saint. This case has frightened me into confusion."

…

After Zhu Guoxiang heard the case report, he also had a headache. He rubbed his face and said, "Call the prince, Chen Dong, and Xu Fuyan too."

Xu Fuyan was on call around the clock, and when summoned by the emperor, he arrived faster than the prince.

Zhu Guoxiang said to Pan Lianggui: "Please tell Xu Shangshu in detail."

Pan Lianggui cupped his hands and said: "Mr. Xu, the case is a bit complicated and there are a lot of officials involved. What we have found out now is just a drop in the bucket..."

The facts of the case were retold one by one, and Xu Fuyan didn't even finish listening. He already had chest tightness and shortness of breath, and slumped down on the chair with his mouth shut.

His face was ashen and he looked at the emperor with pleading eyes, not knowing what dignity he wanted to ask for.

Not long after, Ju Ming came over with Chen Dong.

After Pan Lianggui finished speaking again, Zhu Guoxiang asked: "How to check?"

Ju Ming's eyes were cold: "How else can we check? Of course we need to check to the end!"

Zhu Guoxiang asked again: "Did Ying Shan involve the Dexing Zhang family?"

"Not yet," Pan Lianggui replied, "Ying Shan is already crazy. Every time he talks about a major case, a weird smile appears on his face. He knows that he will not be spared and plans to confess everyone. What are you asking? He just answered whatever he asked, and he even took the initiative to explain to anyone who wasn’t asked. I haven’t had such a smooth trial in the past few years.”

Ju Ming said: "After the case is concluded, all provinces are notified that gentry marriages must not be extravagant. In order to prepare a dowry for a young sister, the censor can actually get embezzled. From now on, if the gentry's weddings are too grand, the local authorities should investigate and see if they are Getting married with stolen money!"

"It's useless. Throughout the ages, the trend of extravagance can only be stopped for a while." Zhu Guoxiang felt very tired, and the idea of ​​​​retirement became stronger and stronger.