The treasurer read the same, and the clerk next to him wrote the same. Today, the speed of the search was significantly faster. The more time passed, the more expensive the jewels were. The jewels taken out today seemed to be the treasures that the Dark House had accumulated over the years. Although Yang Ling did not know much about treasures, he could feel it.
An Dongchen was in charge of the Dirty Punishment Warehouse. The warehouse was where the royal family stored some very valuable and difficult to handle items when they confiscated the property of the officials. An Dongchen chose again from the jewels that the officials regarded as treasures, and stole some of the best jewels home. Therefore, all of his jewels were of high quality. Among these jewels, they were called treasures and were no less than the items used by the royal family.
In front of Yang Ling was a set of twelve gold jewels. They were divided into gold hairpins, hair coverings, heart coverings, heart coverings, head hairpins, headbands, and so on. There were all kinds of red and sapphires inlaid on them. The colors were bright and dazzling. The workmanship was exquisite and could be called fine.
It was indeed fine. Just the gold alone weighed more than two catties. Although imperial consorts wore wigs when they went out, if such heavy jewels were to be worn on their heads … Yang Ling shook his head gently.
All the officials in the counties and towns of Bazhou knelt on the ground. Seeing the duke shake his head, they didn't know if it was because he did not agree to Zhizhou Fan's request or because he disdained this set of expensive gold jewels that did not look shabby. They secretly exchanged looks with each other, and there was a slight commotion.
Now, when a wall was down, everyone would give it a shove. Zhang Zhong, the wall that blocked the wind, had fallen. Not only had he fallen, but it was also very likely that he would bring disaster to others. Therefore, these officials, who usually did not even have the time to curry favor with him, all took a stand and fought to be the first to step on him to show their loyalty.
Their memorials were written with both voice and emotion, their antithesis was neat, and their choice of words and sentences was extremely gorgeous. They wrote about how insane Zhang Zhong was, how they, as local officials, put the overall situation first, and how they made compromises. They wrote with tears in their eyes, and painstakingly, which could be the motto of honest and upright officials in the future. It was a pity that the High Duke did not seem to be interested in the beautiful articles they had written. He did not even look at such a thick stack of memorials.
Governor Fan was still impassioned as he said, "Duke, you are someone close to the Emperor and an imperial envoy. This matter involves Bazhou Garrison Zhang Zhong. We can only ask you for help in order to report this to the court."
Yang Ling sighed, put down the Golden Phoenix Hairpin and said, "Official Fan, you can remonstrate with His Majesty on this matter. My trip to Bazhou this time is not to inspect the governance of the officials. If I intervene in this matter, it will not be reasonable."
Fan Mo Li hurriedly said, "Duke, only you can interfere in this matter. Zhang Zhong is a eunuch from the Bureau of Rites and has high status and power. He acts like a tyrant in Bazhou and we dare to be angry but don't dare to say anything. Now that Zhang Zhong is dead, what else can we do, even if we don't care about the monk's face? If the High Duke is willing to come forward and take charge of the situation, then you can expose Zhang Zhong's evil deeds and quell the anger of the people in Bazhou. "
Yang Ling heaved a sigh of relief and said with a smile, "For Buddha's sake? Which Buddha is it? Haha, you don't have to be secretive, I know who you are afraid of. En … Of course, this Duke is not afraid of him, but since Zhang Zhong is his man, then even if he is dead, it won't be so easy to get him back. In the officialdom, we are bound together for good or bad, you all understand the logic. "
"Yes, yes, yes, this official understands!" Once this phrase was said, everyone knew that the puppet County Magistrate Qiao had spoken up.
As expected, Qiao Yushu's fat body arched forward and said with a fawning smile, "It is because of this that this official and my colleagues thought of the High Duke. The High Duke loves the people like his own children and hates evil like an enemy. Even if the High Duke doesn't think for us, for the countless people in Bazhou who are suffering, you will not stand by and do nothing. We firmly believe that only under the High Duke's care can the clouds be cleared and the moon can be seen, and the truth can be revealed to the world. "
The puppet County Magistrate Qiao Yushu had always regarded 'be careful with your words and actions' as his motto. He paid particular attention to 'one word is enough to hurt the harmony of heaven and earth, one action is enough to ruin a lifetime of blessings, one word of praise is enough to cause the decline of prosperity, one word of demotion is more severe than an axe'. Now that the Bazhou civil rebellion was the most closely related to him, and it was related to his immediate safety, his brain had actually been enlightened.
When the officials heard this, they all complimented in unison, "Yes, yes, the High Duke is Yang Qingtian, the whole world knows!"
"The High Duke loves the people like his own children, hates evil like an enemy, is upright and plainspoken, loyal and faithful …"
"High Duke Yang is upright and has a heart as clear as a mirror. He is full of righteousness and incorruptible. He is indeed the White Jade Pillar of Ming Destiny, the Purple Golden Beam that supports the sea!"
"The High Duke is not ashamed of the Heavens, nor is he ashamed of the Earth. He is magnanimous, righteous, upholds justice, gets rid of the evil and pacifies the people …"
"Stop, stop, stop!" Yang Ling had goosebumps all over his body from the flattery of these bootlickers. He really couldn't take it anymore.
He patted the pile of documents that was half the height of a person and said, "It's not that I don't want to plead for the people, but I need solid evidence. Otherwise, if I don't let go of a dead guard eunuch, people will inevitably think that I'm making up a crime and have ulterior motives.
Therefore, there is no need for you to write these things about how you couldn't bear to be forced, how you were oppressed by Zhang Zhong, how you went against your will to obey him, how you worried about the court and the common people. I know that you were forced to write these things, but if you want to present them to the Emperor and make the person you are worried about shut up, you need concrete evidence. I want evidence, do you understand?
Time, location, who are the people? What kind of orders did Zhang Zhong give, what kind of extortion, what kind of evil deeds did he do, who the victim is, where they are now, this High Duke wants to know the facts of these crimes.
Hmm … All of you are the court officials, you have tried all the cases and read all the complaints, right? Take all these documents to express your loyalty back. Just treat it as a complaint to me. I want solid evidence! Do you understand? "
"This lowly official understands!" All the officials responded loudly.
After half a beat, they heard a lone voice say, "Yes, yes, yes, this lowly official understands!"
"Hmm!" Yang Ling nodded his head in satisfaction. Suddenly, he saw a pair of bracelets that were very eye-catching. He picked it up to take a look. The bracelets were made of agate, blood red and translucent. They were very cute.
Fan Mo Li hurriedly said, "High Duke, this pair of agate bracelets is also of the highest quality. Agate is also known as Red Jade, Fine Jade, Scarlet Jade. Red is the most authentic. In the jewelry industry, there is a saying that 'agate without red is poor for life'. Look at this pair of bracelets. They are beautiful and have a gentle texture. They are like Hetian jade, glossy like fat. From the inside to the outside, they are extremely beautiful. When worn on a white chest, they have a natural aura and greatly increase their beauty. "
Yang Ling's heart moved. Princess Yongfu liked to be quiet. Although she was the Emperor's sister, she did not dress ostentatiously. After becoming a nun, although she wore her hair to cultivate, she could not wear the jewelry of the palace. This agate bracelet was quite suitable for her appearance and temperament. In addition, this string of agate beads was round and smooth. If it was said to be prayer beads, it would make sense. If he gave it to Princess Yongfu, she would definitely like it and it would be perfectly justifiable.
Yang Ling thought of this and put the bracelet into his sleeve. He nodded to the clerk and said, "There is no need to record this string of beads."
Fan Mo Li saw that the High Duke had accepted the string of beads in front of him. Although it was not a very expensive item, it at least showed that he did not treat them as outsiders. Fan Mo Li was delighted and hurriedly said, "A courtyard full of spring annoys people, the ground is covered with fallen flowers and a few patches of red. Haha, falling red all over the ground, the scenery of spring annoys people, the crabapple in the rain, the rouge is soaked through. This is praising this Scarlet Jade Bead. High Duke has good eyes. "
"Falling red all over the ground?" How could this Fan Mo Li talk about such obscene things? Yang Ling glared at him but saw Fan Mo Li's serious face. He could not help but feel ashamed, "This time it seems I have thought wrongly!"
※ ※ ※
Imperial Envoy Residence, Yang Ling's residence.
Yang Ling's independent courtyard had a left and a right wing, separated by a low wall. In the middle was a moon door. The left wing was the bedroom of the commander of the bodyguards, Song Ai. Because she was a woman, the officers and soldiers in this area avoided her. Yang Ling returned to the Imperial Envoy Residence. He did not enter his main room, but turned left and walked to Song Ai's room.
Outside the moon door were two bodyguards armed with swords. The small courtyard inside was empty. Yang Ling waved his hand and ordered a few bodyguards to wait outside. He only brought a large wooden club and walked straight in.
As soon as he opened the door, what should have been a woman's small building was shockingly another four bodyguards armed with swords, standing solemnly under the pillars.
Yang Ling did not say anything and went straight up to the second floor with familiarity. He walked to a bedroom and pushed lightly. Hearing the sound, two bodyguards immediately came out. Seeing that it was Yang Ling, they hurriedly cupped their hands and said, "Duke."
Yang Ling nodded, lifting his head to look inside. This was an ordinary living room, separated into an inner room and an outer room. But now, the windows had been nailed shut from the inside. The room inside was quiet, and there was a person on the bed, sleeping sideways.
At this time, light footsteps could be heard from behind. It turned out that Song Ai had received the news and hurried over.
Yang Ling nodded slightly to her and then walked into the room with light footsteps. He strolled to the side of the bed and stood quietly for a moment. He laughed and said, "Gong-gong is calm and has the demeanor of a general. You can actually eat and sleep. Admirable, admirable!"
The person on the bed suddenly sat up and sneered, "Entering Duke's residence, what is there for me to be afraid of? Naturally, I can eat and sleep well."
He moved to the side of the bed, stood up angrily and said, "High Duke, although my status in front of you is low, I am now the garrison of Bazhou. High Duke captured me privately and locked me up here. What is your purpose in bringing me here? Although you are a dignified Duke, you can't escape the death penalty by arbitrarily detaining an imperial envoy! "
Yang Ling smiled and turned back to sit at the table. He said, "After locking you in the military camp for two days, I thought your anger should have subsided. I didn't expect you to still be so arrogant. Yes, you are the garrison of Bazhou. Bazhou's military and politics are in your hands. You can be said to have a high position and power. But if not, I can't be bothered to touch you. Why did I capture you? Hehe, Eunuch Zhang, don't tell me you can't guess at all? "
When Zhang Zhong heard this, his face could not help but tighten. That day, when the self-proclaimed enemy of ten thousand people, Jiangzhou University's You Ji first arrived at the gate, he was as arrogant as a crab. Unexpectedly, a brick was thrown at him and he was so scared that he ran away. Zhang Zhong was so angry that he wanted to curse as he rode on the horse.
Fortunately, although Jiang Bin had escaped, he didn't leave him behind. Jiang Bin brought him along as they ran. Finally, they were able to shake off the crazed commoners. Zhang Zhong felt relieved and was just about to praise Jiang Bin when he received a heavy blow on the back of his head. When he woke up, he found himself locked up in the barracks.
No matter how he asked and scolded, the guards only pretended to be deaf and dumb and did not say a word. Zhang Zhong shouted for two days and was exhausted. But in his heart, he could not figure out the intention of this newly arrived You Ji General. Until last night, when he was secretly moved to Yang Ling's residence and saw the female general who was inseparable from Yang Ling, Zhang Zhong finally realized that he had fallen into someone else's trap.
He sneered and swaggered back to the table. He sat beside Yang Ling and picked up a cup to pour himself a cup of tea. He said with a smile, "Duke, you're not doing this to deal with Eunuch Liu, are you? Hehehe, you want to deal with my family to bring down Eunuch Liu? Tsk tsk tsk, Duke, even if I spill the beans and say whatever I want to say, do you think it's possible? "
"Of course not! At most, it's because I don't know how to use people. As for other things, Liu Jin will push the blame. Even I can't do anything to him. "
"Hahahaha …" Zhang Zhong laughed wildly, "Duke, you're half right. You can't do anything to Eunuch Liu, but can you do anything to me? You want to deal with my family? What crime? The rebellion in Bazhou was instigated by the unruly people. The magistrate of Gu 'an County was not strict. I was ordered to collect taxes and did my best for the imperial court. What crime did I commit? "
He swung his legs and said proudly, "If you want to deal with me, you must have witnesses and material evidence, right? Duke, the magistrate is not as good as the magistrate. As long as my family is here, you won't find a chance in Bazhou. If Eunuch Liu knows about this, he will protect me in the capital.
Hehe … What does the imperial court lack now? Money. Duke Wei wants to deal with a law-abiding Garrison Eunuch who spares no effort in paying taxes for the imperial court. As long as Eunuch Liu gives the signal, all the Garrison Eunuchs in the world will be afraid and slack off. The imperial court won't be able to collect taxes. At that time, I wonder how Duke will end up? Aiya … At that time, even if Duke invites me to come out of the mountain, I still have to think about it. "
The more Zhang Zhong said, the happier he was. He swung his legs more vigorously.
"Stop swinging."
"Hmm?"
Yang Ling said earnestly, "Men shake the poor, women shake the cheap. You are neither a man nor a woman. Won't you become poor and cheap by swinging?"
"Pfft." Song Ai couldn't help but laugh. She quickly turned her head, her shoulders still trembling.
"You …" Zhang Zhong's face turned red. He suddenly jumped up.
Yang Ling said lightly, "The things that Eunuch Zhang said will not happen, because the eunuch guarding Bazhou, Zhang Zhong, is already dead!"
"What?" Zhang Zhong's face turned from red to pale. His body shivered. He suddenly jumped up and said, "Are you crazy? Do I have any personal grudges with you? Bazhou Guerrilla knows that I'm not dead. Many of his soldiers know that I'm not dead. You, you, them, many people know that I'm not dead. You can control them now, but can you guarantee that they will be loyal to you forever? As long as one person leaks the news, saying that the dignified Duke Wei killed the local garrison, you will have to bear the consequences. "
Yang Ling ignored him and continued, "Bazhou Garrison Eunuch is dead. He died in the uprising of the people. Bazhou is close to the capital. Why did a popular uprising occur here? The Imperial Court would definitely investigate this matter, and they would definitely hold the culprit responsible. If Eunuch Zhang is not dead, he can cover the sky with one hand and find a pitiful person to be the scapegoat. The evidence will be flawless. It's a pity that you are already dead. No one can cover the sky. How can the officials of Bazhou protect themselves? "
Zhang Zhong had already calmed down. He sneered and sat down. He said unconcernedly, "So what? Who dares to hit me when I'm down? Going against me is the same as going against Eunuch Liu. Before beating a dog, you have to look at its master. Even if I'm dead, I'm not someone those trash can afford to provoke. "
Yang Ling pointed at the tip of his nose and said, "They don't dare, but I dare. Not only do I dare to hit the dog, I also dare to hit the dog's owner. If I, Duke Wei, stand up for them and take all the blame, do you think they will collect all kinds of evidence of your crimes and report it to me so that they can clear their names?
When you're alive, Liu Jin has to protect you in order to win people's hearts. Now that you're dead, there's a lot of conclusive evidence against you. Do you think Liu Jin is busy drawing a line between her and you, throwing two big stones into your well, or is she desperately trying to protect your reputation as a peeler? Of course, I won't really kill you. When everyone thinks that you deserve to die, I will hand you over. "
Yang Ling smiled leisurely and said, "Everyone knows that you are dead now, but you are not dead. When everyone knows that you are not dead, you are already dead. "
Zhang Zhong's face was sallow and beads of sweat were dripping down.
Seeing this, Yang Ling went to pour tea as he crossed his legs and swung them around happily.
"Hmm … Cough!" Song Ai let out a cough. Yang Ling lifted his head and looked over. He saw Song Ai's bright eyes look at his face, then slide to her crossed legs. She had a faint smile on her face.
Yang Ling understood and glared back at her before putting down his legs.
After a long time, Zhang Zhong let out a strange laugh and said hoarsely, "Since you are not going against Eunuch Liu, why are you going against me? For the common people, what are the common people? Are they worth your effort? Moreover … do you think the common people of Bazhou will have a good life after I am beheaded? Do you know how many corrupt officials in Bazhou are? "
Yang Ling smiled and said, "Killing you might not have such an effect, but with you as a warning, the people who come later will have some reservations. If the people in power can be on their guard, the lives of the commoners will be much better."
Yang Ling sighed and said, "Actually, the common people's request is really not much, really not much. What's more, the corrupt officials in Bazhou will also be severely punished by this duke. "
Yang Ling clapped his hands and Big Cudgel walked in with a thick stack of documents and gently placed them on the table. Yang Ling said with a smile, "These are the officials reporting you for extorting and harming the common people when you were guarding Bazhou. The blood debts are too numerous to list. These are only the ones received today. I reckon there will be more reports tomorrow and the day after tomorrow. "
Yang Ling patted the stack of documents and said, "Eunuch Zhang, these crimes have time, place, witnesses, and material evidence. This duke only needs to take out a third of it and send it to His Majesty. Even if you are hacked into pieces, it will not be enough to erase your sins!"
Zhang Zhong's cheeks twitched, "What a bunch of dogs! They … they're trying to pin all the crimes on our family? How can they be so dirty? Haven't they done any dirty things before? "
Yang Ling casually flipped open a document and said, "The treacherous official Zhang Zhong, in the sixth month of the first year of Zhengde, under the pretext of supervising the merchant tax, he stopped the merchant ships on the water route and the peddlers on the land route. He extorted and blackmailed and pocketed all the money he earned. This lowly official Zhao Yi and my subordinates can testify. This lowly official can also find the victims of the peddlers' wharf … "
"Bullsh * t! Bullsh * t! "Zhang Zhong was trembling with anger," Zhao Yi! Zhao Yi! He was the one who came up with this idea. He was also the one who took the lead in stopping the peddlers on the land and water. We only got a third of the money he extorted. He actually … actually took everything for himself! "
"This lowly official Mo Lingxing of the patrol office reports the treacherous official Zhang Zhong …"
"Bang!" Zhang Zhong's lungs were about to explode from anger. He shouted sternly, "Patrol office? A small patrol office, I won't even put them in my eyes. They don't even have the right to stand at my door. When did they have anything on me? Pui! They really think too highly of themselves! "
Yang Ling smiled and said, "They are not thinking too highly of themselves. You, Zhang Zhong, this layer of gold is something that the officials are avoiding like the plague. No one is willing to put this layer of gold on you. They're just taking the opportunity to pin all the dirty things they've done on your head. "
Zhang Zhong was startled. He looked at Yang Ling suspiciously and asked, "You … what do you mean?"
Yang Ling smiled faintly and said, "Of these crimes, which are yours and which are committed by those dirty officials themselves, of course you know very well. You will definitely be able to provide evidence to the contrary. Therefore, I brought these case files here in the hope that you, Eunuch Zhang, can clearly distinguish the good from the bad."
Zhang Zhong was stunned. His eyes suddenly shone with excitement. He asked with a trembling voice, "I … I report these dirty officials. Will Duke protect me?"
Yang Ling smiled and said, "If they are a group of wolves that harmed Bazhou, then you, Zhang Zhong, are the tiger of Bazhou, the biggest scourge. If you can be pardoned, who can't be pardoned?"
"Hahahaha …" Zhang Zhong pointed at Yang Ling and laughed, "Who do you think you are? You want to behead me and still want me to help you clean up the officials of Bazhou and dig out the corrupt officials one by one to achieve your great achievements? Pui! You are really crazy! "
"I am not crazy, and neither are you!" Yang Ling stood up and said calmly, "There is a kind of person in this world. His joy is not in how many people he can help or how many people he can see happy, but how many people he can harm and how many people he can see in pain. He will feel happy when others suffer more than him.
This kind of person is like a maggot hiding in the gutter. Whenever there is a chance, he will crawl out to disgust others. If others do something wrong to him, he will bear a grudge for life and seek revenge a thousand times over. This kind of person is called a villain. You are a villain! An out-and-out villain!
Of course you are not willing to help me, but you are even more unwilling to bear all the crimes yourself and let those people live a luxurious life. "They won't remember your kindness. In the future, when they mention you, they will spit on you to prove their innocence and continue to enjoy their wealth with a clear conscience." Zhang Zhong, how can a villain like you tolerate others having such good things? I am afraid you will not be satisfied even if you become a ghost, right? "
Yang Ling pushed the pile of files in front of him and said with a faint smile, "You are right. If you do not help me, I will not be able to break through the network that the officials of Bazhou have weaved over the years and catch all these corrupt officials in one fell swoop. Because of this, they will be able to get away scot-free and enjoy glory and luxury.
I will leave these official documents here. You can take a good look at them, and then … you decide for yourself: You go to hell, they live in heaven, or let them go to hell with you! "
When Yang Ling walked to the door, he suddenly turned back and said, "Eunuch Zhang, don't forget that you are a villain. A villain should act like a villain. Don't let me down. "
Zhang Zhong was so angry that he grabbed two official documents and threw them out. The pages inside were scattered and instantly turned into flying paper butterflies. Yang Ling walked out without turning back. Zhang Zhong roared and turned back to grab an official document and tore it with all his might. After tearing it a few times, he suddenly stopped and panted, "They set me up! They made me a scapegoat! They made me a scapegoat for them while they continue to enjoy glory and wealth. Why? Why? "
Zhang Zhong thought about how his fellow comrades could still sit in high positions and ride fine horses, but he could be dismembered into thousands of pieces and not even have a grave. His heart instantly felt as uncomfortable as a frying cat scratching it.
"I am a eunuch, I am only one person. Even if I lose my head, it will only be a big scar. They all have wives and children. If their crimes are exposed, they will definitely suffer more than me. Hahaha, they want to make me a scapegoat. Who knows who will be the scapegoat! I am in pain, so I will make you suffer ten times more than me!!! "
Zhang Zhong grabbed the official documents in his hands and fell to the ground. He hurriedly flipped through a few lines and roared angrily. He opened another and read a few pages, then roared a few curses. The teapot, teacups, tables, and chairs were all thrown into a mess by him. The two inner factory guards only watched coldly with their arms crossed and did not say a word.
Finally, Zhang Zhong panted and raised his head. His eyes were bloodshot and he said fiercely to the two guards, "Find two advisors for me to make statements. I want to read every single one of them and sue them one by one. I want them all to accompany me to hell."
Zhang Zhong bared his white teeth and was already in a state of half-madness. "Come on! Come on! Let's see how many people have sued me! I will bite whoever sues me. Hahaha! Hahaha … "
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