After getting a definite answer from Mr. Mei, Li Mu was relieved.
Liu Hanyan was not by his side, so he had to be frugal with his spending. He had to ask the Empress for reimbursement for this kind of official expenses.
He walked to the front office and found Wang Wu.
Wang Wu stood up and asked, "Boss, what's the matter?"
Li Mu asked, "Are you familiar with the officials and nobles in Shen 'du?"
Wang Wu nodded and said, "Of course I am. In our line of work, we can have nothing, but we can't be blind. We have to be clear about who we can offend and who we can't. If one day we offend someone we shouldn't, we won't be able to wear this uniform anymore."
It seemed that Wang Wu was the right person. Li Mu asked, "Do you know the Minister Counsellor of the Ministry of Revenue?"
"The Ministry of Revenue has two Minister Counsellors," Wang Wu said, "Under the Ministry of Revenue, there are three Minister Counsellors, under the Ministry of Revenue, there are three Minister Counsellors. Their official positions are half a rank higher than our Commandant daren.
Mr. Mei seemed to have expected Li Mu to have this question. He even thoughtfully put a bracket after the Minister Counsellor of the Ministry of Revenue with the word "Wei" in the bracket.
Li Mu said, "Minister Counsellor Wei."
Wang Wu was obviously familiar with the officials in the court. He immediately said, "Then it's Lord Wei of the Ministry of Revenue."
Li Mu asked again, "Who's in his family?"
This time, Wang Wu thought for a while and said, "In Minister Counsellor Wei's family, other than him, has a wife and two concubines. He and his wife have no children. The second concubine gave him a daughter, and the third concubine gave him a son. Lord Wei likes the son very much and usually spoils him to the heavens …"
Li Mu was not surprised to know that he was an official of the Ministry of Revenue. However, knowing so much about his family was a bit hard to believe.
Li Mu looked at Wang Wu in surprise and asked, "How are you so familiar with this?"
Wang Wu quietly returned to the duty room and quickly ran out with a thick book in his arms. He said, "This is what I saved up with great difficulty over the years …"
Li Mu flipped open the book and was momentarily stunned.
This book was clearly written by Wang Wu himself. It detailed the various officials in the capital, the three provinces, six departments, nine temples, and twenty-four divisions, as well as their family situations. There was even an analysis of the personalities of the officials in the yamen, including the mobilization of the officials in the yamen. It was all written in the book.
This was practically a true record of Great Zhou's officialdom.
Li Mu asked, "Why do you remember these things?"
Wang Wu sighed and said: "I was afraid of offending someone I shouldn't offend. There are many people in the capital who can crush us with just a wave of their hand, so I asked around in advance …"
Li Mu praised, "You're really a talent …"
Wang Wu rubbed his head and said embarrassedly, "Boss, you flatter me."
Li Mu quickly found a breakthrough point from Wang Wu's words. He asked Wang Wu, "Tell me about Minister Counsellor Wei's son …"
Wang Wu flipped through a few pages of the book and said, "Minister Counsellor Wei's son is called Wei Peng. Because he's the only descendant of the Wei family, he's been doted on since he was young. Therefore, his temper is rather eccentric. Even the sons of other officials aren't willing to play with him. He loves good food and his favorite restaurant is the Floating Fragrance Restaurant …"
…
Floating Fragrance Restaurant.
Several constables were drooling over the dishes in front of them. Wang Wu finally couldn't help but ask Li Mu, "Boss, can we eat these dishes?"
Li Mu took a bite and said, "Of course, why not? It's public expense …"
Wang Wu and the others all picked up their chopsticks, looking as if they were going to sweep away all the dishes.
Although the Floating Fragrance Restaurant wasn't the best restaurant in Luoyang, it was still a place they couldn't afford. A dish here cost more than their monthly salary.
Li Mu glanced at them and said, "Eat slowly. Don't embarrass the yamen."
Li Mu was used to eating Liu Hanyan's dishes. The food here was tasteless to him.
It was just that the ingredients were more expensive, the presentation was more particular, the quantity was extremely small, and the price was exorbitant.
If it weren't for the fact that the son of the Minister Counsellor of the Ministry of Revenue liked to eat here, Li Mu wouldn't have come to this place.
In an exquisite private room on the second floor of the Floating Fragrance Restaurant.
Wei Peng and a few friends finished eating and walked out of the private room and down the stairs.
One of them said as he walked, "I heard that Zhu Cong was flogged in the Ministry of Justice. Why would the Ministry of Justice do anything to him?"
Another person said, "I've heard that Zhu Cong and a few others were caught riding horses on the streets of Luoyang. He paid the fine and gave the arrester a hundred taels after he got out, saying that he would do it ten more times …"
He shook his head and said, "Zhu Cong really thinks that he can do whatever he wants in Luoyang just because his father is the Director of the Ministry of Rites. It's fine if it's normal times, but this time he's too arrogant. Isn't he riding on the head of the imperial court? If the Ministry of Justice doesn't punish him, who will?"
Another person said, "When it's time to restrain yourself, you have to restrain yourself. Going against the Luoyang yamen is the same as going against the imperial court …"
The three of them walked down the stairs. Wei Peng saw that a constable who was eating at the door kept looking at him. His gaze also lingered on him for a while.
The next moment, the constable slammed his chopsticks on the table and stood up. He looked at Wei Peng and asked loudly, "What are you looking at?"
The others were stunned. Wei Peng was even more confused.
He had only glanced at the constable and the constable had put on a provocative posture. This constable's temper was worse than his …
He was in a good mood today and did not get angry. Instead, he looked at the constable mockingly and asked, "What's wrong with looking at you?"
The constable looked angry and said, "I dare you to look at me again!"
It was the first time Wei Peng had seen such an arrogant constable. He crossed his arms and said, "What are you going to do?"
Bang!
The bailiff simply punched him in the face. Wei Peng staggered and was sent flying backwards. A bruise appeared on his eye.
Wei Peng was stunned. The people behind him were stunned. The guests, shopkeeper, and waiters of Wafting Fragrance Inn were all stunned.
He punched someone just because they looked at him a little longer. How could there be such an arrogant person in Luoyang?
Even the sons of officials and nobles would have a reason when they bullied others. This constable's reason was a little careless …
That said, many of the people present felt quite satisfied with that punch.
After all, the person he hit was Wei Peng. Everyone was used to seeing his arrogant and despotic appearance. It was the first time they saw him being bullied.
The constables were also stunned. Wang Wu had never thought that the reason Li Mu asked him about Minister Wei's vice director was because of this …
The pain that came from his eyes stunned Wei Peng for a moment before he woke up. Then, he clearly realized something.
He had been beaten up.
He had been beaten up by a constable.
The reason the other party had beaten him was because he had looked at him a little longer.
He was used to using his power to oppress others. When he went out, he brought two guards with him. At this time, the two guards also realized what was going on and reached out to grab Li Mu.
These two people were in the Spirit Condensing Realm.
Li Mu did not move. He just glanced at them.
The two's outstretched hands stopped in mid-air. Cold sweat seeped out of their foreheads. They did not attack again and retreated to Wei Peng's side.
The other two looked at Li Mu in shock. Li Mu looked at them and asked, "What are you looking at?"
Thinking of Wei Peng's fate, the two immediately looked away and shook their heads. "Nothing, nothing …"
Wei Peng covered one eye and looked at the two with his other eye. He said angrily, "What are you still standing here for?!"
One of the guards said, "Young Master, he is at the Third Realm. We are no match for him."
Li Mu took one last look at them and left under Wei Peng's resentful gaze and the shocked gazes of the surrounding people.
The three young men behind Wei Peng were at a loss. They did not know what to do.
After all, they had always been the ones who took the initiative. They were also the ones who left.
Now that they were being bullied, they could not win in a fight. If they scolded him, they would probably be beaten up again.
That person was extremely unreasonable. Even if they looked at him a little longer, they would be punched. If they scolded him, it would not be a matter of one or two punches.
One of them looked at Wei Peng and asked, "What do we do next?"
Wei Peng's face darkened. He said, "Go to the Ministry of Justice!"
Li Mu left the restaurant and walked leisurely to the government office.
Wang Wu followed behind him and asked with his mouth agape, "Boss, what are you doing?"
Li Mu could not be bothered to explain to him. He said, "You will know in a while."
Wang Wu said anxiously, "What do you mean by in a while? The people from the Ministry of Justice will be here soon. We are the unreasonable ones this time …"
Wang Wu's prediction was right. The people from the Ministry of Justice came very quickly, even faster than Li Mu arrived at the government office.
When he returned to the government office, the people from the Ministry of Justice were already waiting outside.
Li Mu had already met a few bailiffs from the Ministry of Justice twice. The leader looked at him with a cold smile and said, "Constable Li, I'm afraid we'll have to trouble you to come with us."
Li Mu did not refuse. He said, "Let's go …"
Xiao Bai ran out of the government office and asked softly, "Benefactor, what's the matter?"
Li Mu said, "Nothing. You stay in the government office first. I'll be back in a while."
The bailiff from the Ministry of Justice had a mocking expression on his face. Last time, he was the reasonable one. Under the threat of the internal guards, the doctor did not dare to judge randomly. This time, he was the one who beat someone first. The reason was in the Ministry of Justice. As long as the doctor handled the case fairly, he would have to go in standing and come out lying down.
Li Mu originally wanted Xiao Bai to stay in the government office, but she insisted on following. Li Mu let her go.
It was Li Mu's second time in the court of the Ministry of Justice. The doctor of the Ministry of Justice sat on the top. Wei Peng and his bad friends stood on the side, looking coldly at Li Mu.
The doctor knocked on the gavel and asked, "Li Mu, Wei Peng said that you beat him up for no reason. Is this true?"
Li Mu explained, "Who told him to look at me?"
The doctor said in a low voice, "He only looked at you, and you beat him up?"
Li Mu looked at Wei Peng and asked, "Haven't they done this kind of thing before?"
The doctor knocked on the gavel again and said, "I don't care about the past. I only want to ask about the present. Did you beat Wei Peng up for no reason at Spring Fragrance Brothel?"
Li Mu nodded and said, "Yes."
"Since you've admitted to the crime, there's nothing left to interrogate." The doctor sneered and said, "Men, drag him away. Give him 20 beatings and throw him into the Ministry of Justice's prison for seven days!"
He looked at Li Mu with satisfaction.
Last time, the internal guards were there, and it was Zhu Cong who made the mistake first. He had no choice but to let him walk out of the government office.
But this time was different.
This time, Li Mu beat Wei Peng first, and Wei Peng did not do anything from the beginning to the end. This case could not be simpler.
Even if the Heavenly Emperor came today, he would still be guilty!
When the two bailiffs from the Ministry of Justice came up, Li Mu suddenly stretched out his hand and said, "Wait!"
The doctor said, "Do you have anything else to say?"
Li Mu raised his head and said, "According to the 'Laws of the Great Zhou', Volume 2, Article 13, those who beat up others for no reason can be punished with less than 20 beatings and imprisoned for less than seven days, depending on the severity of the injury. Wei Peng's eyes are bruised, but it's only a minor injury. Sir Doctor, you sentence me to 20 beatings and imprisonment for seven days. This is an abuse of punishment. According to the 'Laws of the Great Zhou', Volume 25, Article 47, any official who abuses punishment will be fined a month's salary for a light punishment, or removed from office for a heavy punishment.
The doctor looked at Li Mu, who was calmly explaining the 'Laws of the Great Zhou' to him, and felt as if there was something stuck in his chest. He could not swallow it, but he could not spit it out either …
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