In the main hall of the county yamen, Fang Yun slammed the gavel and said, "Bring Zhao Yong and Steward Zhao to the court!"
His authority was like the sea, forming invisible waves that spread in all directions.
All the officials immediately became energetic. Just now, Fang Yun had called Zhao Yong for an interview. However, there were already problems and evidence, so it wasn't an interview, but a trial.
Zhao Yong was no longer as energetic as before. He was timidly escorted to the court by the bailiffs. Steward Zhao, who was wearing a light blue robe, held his head high and his chest out. He bowed to Fang Yun in a manner that was neither arrogant nor humble, "Student greets the county magistrate."
Fang Yun nodded and said, "Steward Zhao, do you know this person?"
Steward Zhao arrogantly glanced at Zhao Yong. His gaze only lingered on him for a moment before he said, "I know this person. Due to the older generation's relationship, we have some dealings. However, this person has shifty eyes and evil intentions. I don't like him very much. "
Zhao Yong looked at Steward Zhao in disbelief. Just seven days ago, the two of them were drinking and chatting merrily, calling each other brothers. Now, they suddenly changed.
Fang Yun asked Zhao Yong again, "Do you know this person?"
Zhao Yong suppressed all his anger and said, "I know this person. He is an old acquaintance of Prince Qingyang's Estate."
"Do the two of you have any business dealings?" Fang Yun asked.
"No!" Steward Zhao suddenly answered first.
"Reporting to my lord, no." Zhao Yong's tone was extremely downcast.
Ao Huang's eyes turned and he instantly understood. Although Zhao Yong was helping the young royal prince get money, it was impossible for him to leave any evidence. The young royal prince must have contacted Zhao Yong through Steward Zhao. As long as Steward Zhao insisted that he didn't have a deep relationship with Zhao Yong, Zhao Yong wouldn't be able to produce sufficient evidence. After all, Steward Zhao wouldn't write a receipt when he received money.
Fang Yundao said, "Zhao Yong. You only received ten to twenty percent of the money. Where did the rest go? "
"I don't know." Zhao Yong slowly said.
Fang Yun sneered and said, "You were the owner of the imperial workshop for five years and seized nearly twenty thousand taels of silver, causing the workshop's actual loss to exceed fifty thousand taels. According to the law, such a huge loss. I can already sentence you to exile! Not only that, your children and grandchildren will not be allowed to serve in the Imperial Court or Notre-Dame! "
Zhao Yong's body trembled. He turned his head to look at Steward Zhao with pleading eyes.
Steward Zhao snorted coldly and flicked his sleeves, refusing to look at Zhao Yong.
Fang Yun sighed, "Your four sons aren't that outstanding. But your grandsons are really capable. One of them is one of the best in the academy, and the other one is only nine years old, but he actually ranked 107th in last year's City-Level Exam. He was just one step away from entering the top 100 and becoming a City-Level Student. It was going to be March soon, and there would definitely be high school students this year. However, if his entire family was raided before the Country-Level Examinations, he would not be able to escape. What do you think will happen to him? "
Zhao Yong's eyes reddened and he almost knelt down. He looked at Fang Yun in despair. He said, "Fang Xusheng, this official begs you to be magnanimous and spare my grandson! All the blame lies on this lowly official. No matter how you punish this lowly official, this lowly official will not resist. "
Fang Yundao, "But Shopkeeper Zhao's mouth is so tight. He doesn't want to cooperate with me at all. I can only judge the case fairly. I will punish him before the City-Level Examinations! "
Zhao Yong hurriedly said, "Sir, who doesn't have children and grandchildren? Whose heart isn't made of flesh? This lowly official has already pleaded guilty. Why must I ruin my grandson's City-Level Examinations? Sir, I heard that you govern the county with benevolence and justice. Please have mercy. "
Ao Huang felt compassion after hearing this. For the sake of Zhao Yong's grandson's City-Level Examinations, it seemed better to postpone the trial.
The officials and bailiffs inside and outside the main hall also looked at Fang Yun. They felt that Fang Yun would change the time of the trial.
Fang Yun's face flashed with a mocking smile, "When you sold cotton that can't resist the cold to the prefectural army, why didn't you think that they are also other people's children and grandchildren? Why didn't you think that they will also have children and grandchildren in the future! Oh, maybe if they freeze and die, they won't have any children and grandchildren! Why didn't you think about how many workers and farmers have sacrificed their lives for your annual income? Aren't they children and grandchildren? Don't they have children and grandchildren? "
Everyone present was stunned.
Ao Huang looked at Fang Yun in surprise. He felt that Fang Yun seemed to have pointed out something. Many people always felt that criminals were pitiful and would even sympathize with them because of their background. However, no one cared about the situation of the victims and their families.
Ao Huang suddenly realized that those who wanted to make criminals look pitiful were twisted. That kind of behavior was also twisted. Fang Yun's view was correct!
As a county magistrate, Fang Yun's words in court contained a different kind of power. One of them was the will of the people.
Zhao Yong was only a City-Level City-Level Scholar. Under the influence of Fang Yun's power, his willpower became weaker and weaker.
"What, you still don't want to tell the truth?" Fang Yun shouted in a low voice. His official's prestige increased.
Zhao Yong's body trembled. He hurriedly looked at Steward Zhao and begged, "Steward Zhao, please help me. After all, my surname is also Zhao. We are from the same family!"
However, Steward Zhao was like a wildcat that had been burned by fire. He shouted, "How are you worthy of the surname Zhao? Our Zhao Family is the royal family of Jingguo. You are just a sharp-witted servant. How are you worthy of the surname Zhao? "
Zhao Yong froze in place. His face was full of humiliation.
Steward Zhao cupped his fists at Fang Yun and said, "Sir, this person is talking nonsense. I'm afraid that he has lost his mind. Our Prince Qingyang's Estate can't escape the blame for producing such a person. We are willing to compensate a portion of the money as an apology for our steward's poor judgment. "
"You …" Zhao Yong suddenly understood. The young royal prince was afraid of getting into trouble and decisively cut off all relations with Zhao Yong.
"Zhao Tongsheng, don't talk nonsense to avoid making mistakes!" Steward Zhao looked at Zhao Yong and said coldly.
Zhao Yong's eyes instantly turned red. He was proud of being bestowed the surname Zhao and worked like a horse for the young royal prince. He used all means to protect the Prince Qingyang's Estate and took all the blame himself. He only hoped that the young royal prince would stand out at this time and help him delay for a few days. However, he was abandoned by the young royal prince.
Steward Zhao calmly looked at Zhao Yong and didn't hide the threat in his eyes.
If Zhao Yong pleaded guilty now, he would at most be unable to be an official for three generations and could still participate in the imperial examinations. However, if he offended the Prince Qingyang's Estate, the consequences would be a hundred times more severe.
Zhao Yong suddenly smiled bleakly and said, "You are right. I'm just a dog of the Zhao Family. How can my surname be Zhao? How can I be worthy of the surname Zhao? I will bear this crime alone. However, from now on, our family will no longer be surnamed Zhao. We will be surnamed Mu! Sinner Mu Yong will plead guilty and be executed! "
After speaking, Mu Yong knelt in front of Fang Yun and lowered his head in silence.
Fang Yundao asked, "Mu Yong, have you thought it through?"
"I've thought it through. Please have mercy on me, Your Excellency!"
Fang Yun didn't speak immediately. This time, he 'showed mercy' not because he wanted to delay the trial, but because he wanted Fang Yun to pass the trial immediately so that he could bear the blame and avoid implicating his family and being retaliated against by the Prince Qingyang's Estate.
"Then confess!" Fang Yundao said.
Afterwards, Mu Yong confessed. He recounted how he had used his position as the workshop owner to harm public interests and enrich private interests. There were too many ways to enumerate and it was shocking. Even Ao Huang was incomparably annoyed when he heard it. Mu Yong's large-scale workshop originally earned six to seven thousand taels of silver every year. However, after Mu Yong took over, it lost two to three thousand taels of silver every year. In reality, it was equivalent to the workshop losing over ten thousand taels of silver. However, Mu Yong and the young royal prince only earned two to three thousand taels of silver every year.
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