jdhmnovel Chapter 396 Wang Qingtian Reappears
Chapter 396 Wang Qingtian Reappears
Chapter 396 Wang Qingtian Reappears
"Fine! Even if the person was killed by a temporary worker, let me ask you, even ten years after the three-month salary payment was collected, was it still done by a temporary worker?" Wang Wenzhou asked coldly.
“Alas…” Shen Zizhen said helplessly, “Lord Wang, it is not that I have been bending the law for personal gain. I was forced to do this. I have been a county magistrate for six years. The collection of the three taxes is within the scope of the Ministry of Personnel’s assessment. If I cannot collect enough of the three taxes, I will not pass the assessment. I have no choice but to collect the remaining three taxes like my colleagues.”
Shen Zizhen said with a wry smile, "Gaoling County is now almost empty, but the registered population is still the same. Even if all the people pay the three taxes, the silver is not enough. I have no choice but to come up with this solution."
Shen Zizhen did not hide anything and told the truth.
Wang Wenzhou frowned. People are selfish, and from Shen Zizhen's perspective, there was nothing wrong with what he did.
Liu Rushi angrily rebuked, "You corrupt official, selfish and greedy! For the sake of your official hat, you have driven the people to ruin. Only your death can appease public anger. Lord Wang, you must stand up for the people!"
"We beg Judge Wang to uphold justice!"
"Wang Qingtian, you can't let him go!"
The people immediately knelt down and begged.
Wang Wenzhou shook his head with a wry smile, hugged Liu Rushi, and said softly, "Rushi, what's wrong with you today? Why do you want to kill him? Actually, what he did wasn't that excessive."
Liu Rushi said coldly, "Isn't it excessive to collect the three taxes for ten years? Think about it, how many people have gone bankrupt to pay them? Qi Siyan's father also lost his life because of this. Lord Wang, are you not going to seek justice for your father-in-law?"
“Ruru, you must understand that officials are human too, and they have it tough! They also have wives, children, and elderly parents. Killing him is not a big deal for me, but what about his wife, children, and elderly parents?” Wang Wenzhou asked.
"Hmph!" Liu Rushi said irritably, "An official who doesn't serve the people might as well go home and sell sweet potatoes. An official who doesn't care about the people and only wants to keep his own official hat is a disaster for the local people."
Wang Wenzhou curled his lip and said disdainfully, "Ruru, you are too naive. Even Zhu Youjian could not have killed all the corrupt officials in the Ming Dynasty. What is a corrupt official? Can a person who can become an official be a fool? They are all shrewd people. The reason why they seem muddleheaded and incompetent is because they have not focused on their duties."
"In officialdom, those who are good at talking are worse than those who are good at doing things, those who are good at flattering are worse than those who are good at flattering, those who are good at running around are worse than those who are good at running around, and those who are good at giving gifts are better than those who are good at doing things! This is an unspoken rule in officialdom that has been formed over thousands of years. Back when Emperor Taizu was fighting corruption, anyone who embezzled 20 taels of silver would be beheaded. It even reached the point where there were no officials available, but in the end? It was still useless. Officials still embezzled as usual," Wang Wenzhou said helplessly.
Liu Rushi sneered, "Wang Wenzhou, are you sure you're not bragging that there's nothing you can't do? If you're so capable, why don't you get rid of all the corrupt officials!"
Wang Wenzhou curled his lip. Looking at all dynasties, it was truly rare for officials not to be corrupt, unless it was like the Song Dynasty, where an official's annual salary was equivalent to tens of millions in later times—in which case, of course, they wouldn't need to embezzle. But where would the imperial court find so much silver to support so many highly paid officials? Only a democratic system could completely solve the problem of official corruption, but implementing democracy in the Ming Dynasty? Even Zhu Youjian, who was most averse to official corruption, wouldn't agree.
"How are you going to handle what happened today? Don't you want to see me sleep with Qi Siyan anymore?" Liu Rushi asked irritably.
Wang Wenzhou glanced at Shen Zizhen. "Little Shen, it's not that I'm heartless and insist on killing you. The key is that I can't resist Ru Ru's temptation, so I have no choice but to use your head."
"Guards! Bring the Imperial Sword!" Wang Wenzhou said coldly.
Jian Fengyu hurriedly presented the imperial sword.
"Lord Wang, spare my life! I may have made a mistake, but it doesn't warrant death!" Shen Zizhen kowtowed and begged for mercy.
"Swish!" Wang Wenzhou drew his sword and coldly questioned, "Shen Zizhen, do you have any shame? You don't deserve to die? But do the people you killed deserve to die? Qi San just wanted an explanation from you, and you ordered the yamen runners to beat him to death! The people hate you, and they will hate the Emperor as well."
"What did the Emperor do wrong? He tightened his belt and stopped levying the three taxes, but you levied exorbitant taxes, continuing to levy the three taxes for ten years. Isn't this a disgrace to the Emperor? How can I forgive you for such a crime of deceiving the Emperor!" Wang Wenzhou flattered Zhu Youjian, using this as a pretext to kill Shen Zizhen.
Shen Zizhen broke out in a cold sweat. Although he had never met Wang Wenzhou, he knew that Wang Wenzhou was a mad dog, capable of anything when he went berserk. As an official of the imperial court, even an imperial envoy could not simply kill him according to the law; the case had to be reported to the Three Judicial Offices first, and the Three Judicial Offices would then investigate and determine the crime.
But Wang Wenzhou was holding the imperial sword at that moment, and he really killed him with one sword. Even if the emperor pursued Wang Wenzhou's responsibility afterward, he would have nowhere to cry.
Shen Zizhen hurriedly said, "Lord Wang, please reconsider! I am not the only one in Shaanxi who does this. As far as I know, almost all the counties in Shaanxi collect the three taxes in this way. Otherwise, Governor Sun Chuanting and Lord Sun would not have the money to train troops."
Shen Zizhen was telling the truth. Although the three taxes had to be handed over to the imperial court, a portion of them would be kept by the governor.
"Who goes there? How dare you cause trouble at the county government office!" At this moment, Yu Tao arrived with his soldiers.
"Make way! Make way!" Yu Tao's soldiers, looking fierce and menacing, drove away the onlookers to make way.
"Huh?" Yu Tao walked closer and was dumbfounded. What was going on? Why was Lord Shen kneeling on the ground, and a man dressed in mourning clothes pointing a sword at Lord Shen?
"General Yu, save me!" Seeing that Wang Wenzhou was about to take action, Shen Zizhen, in desperation, decided to drag Yu Tao into the mess.
"How dare you! You dare to kidnap an official of the imperial court!" Yu Tao shouted, pointing at Wang Wenzhou.
"Who are you?" Wang Wenzhou turned around and looked at Yu Tao before asking.
"I am Yu Tao, commander of the Gaoling Guard!" Yu Tao said arrogantly.
"Holy crap! A mere commander dares to call himself 'this general'? You're utterly shameless!" Wang Wenzhou cursed.
"How dare you! You insult me! Guards! Seize him!" Yu Tao said, pointing at Wang Wenzhou.
"Wait!" Wang Wenzhou said with a smile, "Lord Yu, is that right? I am Wang Wenzhou, the newly appointed military supervisor of the Northwest by the Emperor. You want to arrest me?"
"Your humble servant Yu Tao greets Lord Wang!" Yu Tao immediately knelt down. Wang Wenzhou was someone even his superior, He Renlong, had to curry favor with; he couldn't afford to offend him.
Wang Wenzhou ignored Yu Tao, pointed his sword at Shen Zizhen, and loudly proclaimed: "Shen Zizhen, the magistrate of Gaoling County, has been tyrannical and oppressive, harming the local area, and has ordered his yamen runners to beat innocent people to death. This official hereby sentences Shen Zizhen to be executed immediately!"
After Wang Wenzhou finished speaking, he swung his sword and beheaded Shen Zizhen. This was not the first time Wang Wenzhou had killed someone, but because he had experience, he was not terrified this time.
"it is good!"
"Wang Qingtian stands up for the people!"
"Lord Wang has rid the people of this scourge!"
The people immediately praised it.
Yu Tao trembled with fear. Wang Wenzhou truly lived up to his reputation as the legendary mad dog; the magistrate killed him without hesitation. The magistrate was a scholar who had passed the imperial examinations, and even his superior, He Renlong, dared not be disrespectful to Shen Zizhen. Yet this man had simply beheaded him with a single sword stroke.