Northern Song Dynasty Justice

Chapter 579 An Indestructible Fortress

Chapter 579 An Indestructible Fortress

Cai Yanqing's ability to serve as the magistrate in Hezhong Mansion is beyond doubt, but he has always been very low-key. Although he already knows about Zhang Fei and Yuan Jiang's deeds, he does not know what the ultimate goal of these two people is .

So he is still more willing to be a bystander and do his own thing well. After all, the current direction of things is developing in a positive direction, and he is also happy to enjoy the results.

And at the same time that Cai Yanqing rushed to the Transshipment Department to inform Yuan Jiang of the news, Cao Yi also rushed to the government office.

"what happened?"

When Wei Yingfang saw Cao Yi, he was also very puzzled and said, "Why did they suddenly make up their minds and accept our suggestion?"

Cao Yidao: "It's because the country gentry from all counties have stood up, and this has prompted those big landlords to choose to adopt our suggestion."

Wei Yingfang frowned slightly at first, then suddenly chuckled: "Stupid! Stupid! We only thought about profit, but never thought that when the common people go to the royal police to pay their taxes, this will do the greatest harm to the squires."

"exactly."

Cao Yi nodded: "Many squires were furious at the actions of the police station without discussing with them. At the same time, the previous trial made the villagers more willing to go to the imperial court or even the imperial court when they encountered disputes. The police, which made the squires feel a great threat.

Now those gentry, in the name of cracking down on usury, stated that anyone who lends money in their own village should not exceed one cent five, otherwise, they will be punished by patriarchal law. "

Wei Yingfang said with a smile: "This is not a bad plan. In this way, the squire will become the most important person of the villagers."

Cao Yi nodded: "That's right. Compared with the imperial court and the government, the villagers are more accustomed to following those gentry who are highly respected. The most important thing is that they established this patriarchal clan, which can not only weaken the public security law, but also severely damage the Qingmiao law. .”

Procuratorate.

"Before the future of our public security bureau, I didn't see them doing this. This is clearly Xiangzhuang's sword dance, which is aimed at Pei Gong."

Wang Shen said a little excitedly.

Chen Qi coughed: "You can't say that. Those country gentry have always opposed the Young Crop Law. It's understandable for them to do so."

Wang Shendao: "But they didn't do this to deal with the Youth Law, but to deal with our public security law. They wrote the interest into the patriarchal law. This intention is very obvious. In the future, will the patriarchal law or the law be the main thing? ?”

Chen Qi frowned. This was indeed detrimental to the public prosecutor's law. She couldn't help looking at Su Zhe, who was silent, and said, "Chief Prosecutor Su, how should we deal with it?"

Su Zhe was looking up information about military pay, he was slightly taken aback, glanced at the two, and asked, "Have they violated the law?"

Wang Shen and Chen Qi looked at each other and shook their heads.

When the patriarchal line does not conflict with the law, that is of course permissible.

The interest of one cent and five is far lower than that stipulated by the imperial court.

Even if the imperial court is unwilling, it is difficult to say with a cheeky face that you cannot set such a low interest rate, which will destroy the laws of the market.

The key is that there is no such statement now.

"Then we don't care."

Su Zhe shook his head and said with a smile: "I don't know if you have noticed that Judge Zhang has always emphasized that the judiciary does not interfere with the administration. From my understanding, maybe the more we want to control, the more we will lose. If it depends on the size of the official position and the size of the power, why should we let the magistrate and the transit envoy testify in court?"

Wang Shen asked again: "Then that green seedling method?"

Su Zhe pondered for a while, "In my opinion, this is far better than the Green Crop Law. Let's not talk about other things. If the court makes money by relying on the Green Crop Law, may the court still be willing to put the money and food in the Changping warehouse? Interest-free loans to the people?

Anyway, I think that these two dividends cannot solve the problems of the common people. What the common people really need is a permanent warehouse, which can give them assistance when they encounter disasters. "

He still admired Changping warehouse even more, and believed that the imperial court should provide interest-free loans to those people in need, so as to prevent land mergers and stabilize the society.

As for the squire coming out to take over the matter, he did not object.

royal court.

"Will those countrymen believe the nonsense of those squires?"

Zhang Fei frowned and looked at Cai Jing, and said again: "Is there any compulsion in this?"

Cai Jingdao: "It is said that the squires who stood up this time are not comparable to those household heads and Li Zhengs. They are all officials who have retired from the court and are highly respected in the village."

Zhang Fei asked: "Is it true virtue, or fake virtue?"

Cai Jing said: "Mostly it is true. Many officials resigned and returned to their hometowns, and they will also benefit the villages and give some help to the villagers. Moreover, it is not uncommon in the villages to pay five cents. They are squires who lend money. There are also one-five points, or even lower, because they have good remuneration and are not likely to be short of money."

Zhang Fei sneered: "But before usury was rampant, I didn't see them stand up and say a word."

Cai Jing hesitated for a moment, then said: "Things in this village are not so simple, they must have helped some people, but after all, this is not their job, and there must be people behind those big landlords, and they are also powerful people, no one can do it." But this time, they came together for a number of reasons."

Zhang Fei sneered, "So that's why they stood up against the Green Crop Law?"

Cai Jingdao: "The Young Crop Law is not respected by many gentry, but they are eager to stand up this time, not because of the Young Crop Law, but because of our Public Procuratorate Law. They believe that the Public Procuratorate Law has destroyed village management and patriarchal clan, and will make the village become disunified. .”

Speaking of this, he paused for a while, "This also involves power struggles. These retired officials are not completely ignoring government affairs. Many of them still interfere with government affairs by relying on their local influence. Keep in touch. Many magistrates and county magistrates have a good relationship with them when they come to the localities to take up positions."

"At the end of the day, it's about interests and power, not kindness." Zhang Fei laughed.

Cai Jing nodded: "Students think so too."

Zhang Fei asked again: "How much effect do you think their patriarchal clan can play?"

After all, he is a foreigner and has never been in the village. He actually doesn't know the deeper power structure in the village.

But Cai Jing knew very well that they were all from the countryside, and said: "Students estimate that most people will still choose to trust those squires. In comparison, the royal police are outsiders, while the villagers are their own people. They have lived together for generations. .”

This generation after generation made Zhang Fei very depressed, and sighed: "I really underestimated them, thinking that they could be accomplished overnight."

In fact, the young crop law is only secondary, and the key is to use the royal police to break through the village's fortress.

If the squire succeeds, it is tantamount to building a more solid fortress in the country.

His plan was definitely going to run aground.

Cai Jingdao: "Although they are actually targeting us, they are still targeting the Youth Law on the surface. Why don't the teacher inform Wang Xueshi of this news, and let Wang Xueshi use government orders to stop them."

Zhang Fei said: "If the government decree can solve everything, then what do we need to do with the public prosecutor's law?"

Cai Jing said again: "If the teacher intends this way, then we can use decrees to block the government's decree. The government's decree is to suppress the patriarchal clan, but the teacher's decree is to make decisions for the patriarchal clan. At that time, our decree will be able to further control the patriarchal clan. "

Zhang Fei's eyes lit up, and he said immediately: "But our public security bureau is relatively passive, and someone has to initiate a lawsuit."

Cai Jing said simply and clearly: "Students think that many people are happy to see the dispute between the public prosecutor's law and the young crop law."

Zhang Fei glanced at him and thought, he really deserves to be a treacherous minister of Cai, it really is because he has talent in this area.

However, he still seemed a little hesitant. In fact, he had used this trick before, but what he considered was different from Cai Jing's.

Just at this moment, Shangguan Jun's voice sounded outside the door, "Teacher, are you inside?"

"come in."

With a squeak, the Shangguan pushed open the door and entered the house, and said with a serious face: "Teacher, just now a self-cultivator came here and voluntarily withdrew the lawsuit."

"so fast!"

Zhang Fei couldn't help sighing with emotion.

Shangguan couldn't help but glance at Cai Jing.

Cai Jing nodded his head slightly, implying the teacher's reason for this.

So Shangguan Jun said again: "I heard that the squire in their village has already mediated the dispute between this person and the landlord."

Zhang Fei asked: "Then do you know how they mediate?"

Shangguan Jun said: "It is said that all the remaining interest is exempted, and borrowed the teacher's means to apportion his debt to two years."

Zhang Fei was surprised: "Really? Those landlords have such a grand atmosphere?"

Shangguan Jun said: "For these big landlords, they mainly want to annex the land, and they don't care about the interest. Even if they don't reconcile, our imperial court will not award the land to him. A self-cultivator has already paid a lot of interest before, even if the remaining interest is exempted, the big landlord has not lost money."

Cai Jingdao: "This is actually the teacher's tactic. They used to pursue interests, but now they are fighting for power. The longer the debt period, the longer the people will rely on them. I can't drag myself to death."

Zhang Fei asked: "Is this my trick? Why don't I know?"

Cai Jing reacted abruptly, and hurriedly said, "Sorry, teacher, the student made a mistake."

"As a judicial officer, you still have to pay attention to what you say, and use the evidence."

Zhang Fei then said to Shangguan Jun: "Shangguan, you go and tell them that our imperial court very much encourages them to reconcile privately, and highly approves of what the squires do for those villagers. I hope they will not forget their original intentions and help the villagers in every way If there is a need, our imperial court is also willing to help them."

Shangguan Jun pursed his lips, "Teacher, they are all official officials, and they may not care about our high praise."

Zhang Fei clicked his tongue: "It's just a polite talk, do you need to be so serious?"

"Yes."

Shangguan Jun said: "Student, let's go on."

(End of this chapter)