The Moon Over Tang Dynasty

Chapter 183 takes a turn for the worse and is at a loss for words (100 votes added)

At three o'clock in the morning, the windless Xizhou City was illuminated by the sun, which was yellow and warm, quite like the warmth of spring in March, and the streets outside the Xizhou Protectorate were even more hot in midsummer - a total of 10,000 people At least half of the people from the small town where the visitor came came here, crowding an originally wide street to the brim. Everyone had a bit of festive excitement on their faces. The younger women did not dare to go too far into the crowd, so they gathered around and chatted. From time to time, bursts of crisp laughter broke out, and the dexterous children They climbed up the high wall opposite the Duhu Mansion, stood on tiptoe to look into the opposite courtyard, and screamed the latest news, while the able-bodied busybodies pushed forward with all their might.

Just at the door of the Duhu Mansion, the angry faces of the guards and the sticks they waved from time to time immediately blocked everyone's footsteps. Behind the guards, the gates that were usually open had already been closed tightly. Only a few people would. After being interrogated for a few words, they were let in. There were well-dressed officials, squires, and well-behaved students. However, when a young man with messy hair and a shabby robe was also let in, someone started making noises. , "Why can that person get in, but we can't?"

A police officer rolled his eyes, "Can you treat cattle and sheep? Can you tell the type of teeth of a calf? Didn't you see the notice posted by the chief? In addition to the squire and students related to this case, there are also cattle and sheep dealers and veterinarians. If you can enter the house to hear the case, get away from me!"

On the high wall, a child screamed, "Come out!" The crowd made an uproar, and then slowly became quiet.

In the courtyard of the Duhu Mansion, there was a tall table placed on the steps of the main hall. Under the steps, more than a dozen servants stood in a row. Bai San was the leader, and Ah Cheng stood quietly in an inconspicuous corner. inside. On both sides of the courtyard, a curtain was set up on one side. Inside the curtain were officials from the Duhu Mansion, and on the other side stood dozens of people who were allowed to enter the mansion to watch the case. Most of them were Zhang Er's clansmen and Qiao. Sixth grade students gathered in a group, and there were also a few cattle and sheep traders and veterinarians standing scattered between the two groups.

Wearing a dark green robe, Pei Xingjian walked out of the main hall calmly and sat down behind the desk. His eyes slowly swept over the faces of everyone in the courtyard, and many people subconsciously took a step back.

 A calm voice immediately sounded in the courtyard, "Bring the people up!"

Before the voice could finish, the figure moved slightly by the window in the side hall of the lobby of the Duhu Mansion, and Qu Chongyu sat down leisurely. From under the raised window lattice, only half of Pei Xingjian's figure could be seen, but the situation in the courtyard was clear at a glance. Seeing Zhang Er, who was wearing a brocade robe, being brought up by the guards and standing there with a big smile, the corners of his mouth suddenly curved. It became a comfortable arc, "It seems that we don't need to worry about this second one."

Wang Junmeng stood behind him, nodded and smiled, "Exactly. Although the servants of Pei Shouyue take people seriously, what kind of person is Zhang Er? A direct descendant of the Zhang family in Dunhuang is not worth mentioning. These are not something ordinary people can afford to offend! Pei Shouyue wanted to scare him, but he was probably wrong. "

As if to confirm what they said, Zhang Er in the courtyard raised his head proudly and looked at Pei Xingjian when he heard the customary question of "Registration in the Hall." There was no trace of respect in his tone. In Xianxiang, the military cavalry officer Zhang Shanyuan is also here."

Pei Xingjian looked at him calmly, and a gentle smile slowly appeared on his face, "It turns out to be Zhang Qiwei. Come, watch your seat."

In the yard, several well-dressed Zhang clan members looked at each other, and their faces couldn't help but show a bit of pride. It's a long history! The dozen or so young men who looked like scholars were astonished, and then showed signs of indignation - this case has been waiting for so long and finally came to trial, but they didn't expect that the new Pei Changshi was also a bully and afraid of the strong!

Some of the Duhufu officials in the curtain were a little surprised, while others shook their heads and laughed. Zhu Que then muttered in a low voice, "If this is the case, how can we still interrogate!"

 Zhang Er chuckled, clasped his fists, "Thank you, Chang Shi!" He sat down on the high chair that was brought in, and glanced left and right, his excitement was beyond words.

Outside the Duhu Mansion, someone with sharp eyes could see clearly through the fence gate and shouted, "The man named Zhang has sat down!"

A buzz of "Wow" suddenly rang out among the crowd. Although the case of Zhang Erqiao Liu's fight over cattle was not as uproar as that of the cattle thief, after yesterday's notice, no one knew about it, and everyone was even more excited. I’m curious about how this case has anything to do with the strange cattle thieves: This case is very clear. Most of the twenty calves in Zhang Er’s home belong to Qiao Liu. There was no rinderpest last year. How could a good group of calves all die? It's just that the Zhang family in Dunhuang is powerful, and Zhang Er is a distinguished official, so no one in the Duhufu is willing to offend the Zhang family for a white student. The new one, Pei Changshi, would rather suffer losses for his family than take on the task of reducing expenditures. He also has magical arithmetic skills, so he is probably a clear-minded person. But he didn't expect that before the trial started, he was already treating the Zhang family in a different light!

 Sighs of disappointment and sneers of disdain could be heard everywhere among the crowds filling the streets.

In the courtyard of the Duhu Mansion, Pei Xingjian's voice was still unhurried, "We invited Zhang Qiwei to come here today. It turns out that there is something that needs Zhang Qiwei to come and resolve." Student Qiao Qiyu complained that he went to Chang'an On the way to the exam, Zhang Qiwei entrusted the family's cattle to look after the calves, and they agreed that one year later, the calves would be divided in half. However, Zhang Qiwei did not abide by the previous agreement and devoured twenty of his calves. Instead, he demanded a year's grazing income from him. , I wonder what Zhang Qiwei’s explanation is?”

Zhang Er sat and crossed his hands, "Reporting to the long history, that Qiao Liu clearly defaulted on the debt, so he came to slander me! I missed my uncle and nephew and tried my best to help him take care of the cattle. However, the weather was not good last year. None of the calves survived, what does it have to do with me? Since there were no calves to pay for, he was supposed to pay me three cows to look after the cows, but he took a fancy to the new group of calves I bought this spring. They all belong to his family. Such a greedy person who falsely accuses his elders should be punished by the chief minister and exiled thousands of miles away! "

Before he finished speaking, a scholar said angrily, "Nonsense, it's obvious that you saw Qiao Liu failed and his father was ill again. You knew that he was waiting to sell the cattle to pay for the transportation and medicine, but you deliberately took advantage of the fire! How in the world can you take advantage of this? Is there such a black-hearted elder as you?”

Zhang Er stood up with a "Teng" sound, pointed his halberd and cursed, "Where did you come from, you little bastard, and you dare to accuse me in front of me in court!"

The scholar was about to reply, but Bai San, who was standing in the hall, took a step forward and shouted, "Quiet!" His voice was like a bell, which immediately startled everyone in the courtyard.

Pei Xingjian looked unhappy and said, "Zhang Qiwei, this is the court hall. If you don't want to sit down, then take your seat!"

 Zhang Er was startled for a moment, then protested, "It was that little boy who slandered me!"

Pei Xingjian didn’t answer, and just said calmly, “Get out of your seat!”

A yamen servant came up and moved the high stool. Zhang Er was stunned for a moment, and the group of scholars all had smiles on their faces. Unexpectedly, Pei Xingjian said again, "Come here, kick out the person who just interrupted!"

Two officers came forward, pushed the young man who had spoken just out of the door without any explanation, and closed the gate with a bang.

Pei Xingjian glanced down coldly, "If anyone talks nonsense again, don't blame me for being rude!"

The courtyard immediately became quiet. The scholars and Zhang clan members glared at each other a few times, with some anger on their faces, but they did not dare to speak again.

Qu Chongyu, who was under the window, held his chin with his fingers and nodded with a smile, "Hit fifty big boards each, this move is quite beautiful!"

Wang Junmeng snorted, "I just want to see how he can identify Zhang Er as a cattle thief! Who is Zhang Er's identity? Who would believe that he stole cattle? Those calves are clearly Qiao Liu's. Everyone in Shangxian Township knows this, but no one dares to offend the Zhang family and come out to speak for Qiao Liu! Is it possible that he really dares to punish Zhang Er? "

Qu Chongyu smiled softly, "If that's the case, that would be great!"

Wang Junmeng glanced at the few servants standing in the hall, and also laughed, "Exactly, as long as Pei Shouyu dares to punish him today, even if he only gets ten sticks, with Lao Hei around, that Zhang Er will never get out of this courtyard alive. ! I wonder if the Dunhuang Zhang family will be willing to tolerate this and let this Pei Changshi go!"

Seeing that the courtyard was completely silent, Pei Xingjian spoke again, "Zhang Qiwei, according to your words, these twenty calves definitely do not belong to your nephew Qiao Liu, but is that true?"

 Zhang Er was standing there feeling a little uncomfortable. Hearing this, he nodded vigorously, "Of course you are!"

Pei Xingjian asked, "I wonder where these twenty calves came from?"

Zhang Er straightened his chest and said proudly, "It's just that in the late autumn of last year, a Turkic herdsman passed by my hometown. I saw that the calves he herded were very good, so I bought twenty of them! Our village's Baochang, Li Zheng, and neighbors all It can be proved!”

Pei Xingjian nodded, "Bring a few of you here too."

Within a moment, several servants of Pei Xingjian came up with a few people who looked like country squires. They were all neatly dressed and had rosy complexions. When they saw each other, they nodded to each other and smiled at Zhang Er. Zhang Er suddenly felt at ease.

Pei Xingjian asked a few more people's names and identities as usual, and then asked with a smile, "Just now, Zhang Qiwei said that he bought twenty calves from Turkic herdsmen last autumn. Do you know about this?" "

Several people were suddenly taken away from home by the guards the day before yesterday. They were a little panicked at first. However, when they arrived at the government office, they were not imprisoned. Instead, they were separated into separate rooms and had no shortage of food and drink. At this time, they saw Pei Xingjian asking polite questions. , all smiled and nodded, "Exactly! These calves were bought by Zhang Qiwei from Turkic herdsmen." The cattle and sheep transactions in Xizhou require market coupons, so the only way to buy them is from Turkic herdsmen. There is no one to check, no coupons to check, and there is nothing the government can do.

Pei Xingjian's smile showed a bit of relaxation, "Okay, according to the laws of our court, if there are more than three witnesses, the verdict can be concluded. This is very good, and there is no need to bother with the trial."

 Zhang Er smiled so wide that his mouth widened, "Chang Shi really knew everything!"

The scholars looked at each other in disbelief - the chief historian was actually about to close the case without even asking the plaintiff? Someone couldn't help but let out a loud "poof". The Zhang clan members on the side looked at each other and smiled, while the other cattle dealers and veterinarians had a look of disdain and boredom on their faces - if they had known that this was going to be a formality, why would they come to see the excitement? ! A young man in shabby clothes yawned loudly.

Pei Xingjian, however, seemed oblivious and said loudly, "Come here, bring me a pen, ink, paper and inkstone!" Then he looked at Zhang Er and smiled warmly, "Since we are going to close the case, why don't you bother Qi Lieutenant to write down the process of purchasing the calf?" After writing down, when, where and from whom, how much money was spent on the silk, and the person’s approximate age and name, press the fingerprint and the case will be over.”

As expected, a handyman brought a few cases over and put pen, ink, paper and inkstone on them. Zhang Er smiled and reached for the pen. After thinking about it for a moment, he started writing.

Behind the curtains, the officials of the Duhufu Mansion looked at each other and smiled bitterly - if they had been asked to resolve the case, the result would probably not be much different, but they would never be so hasty. Now, so many people have been called in to watch the case being concluded, and the street outside is surrounded by people. So many people! As a result, not only were the cattle thieves nowhere to be seen, but the cattle fight was also hastily settled. As a result, not to mention Pei Changshi, even if they went out, their spines would be fingered!

In the side hall, Wang Junmeng couldn't help but laugh, "Yulang, this person is such a fool, it's a waste of our arrangements!" Qu Chongyu also frowned, seeing that Zhang Er had finished writing the confession, After pressing the fingerprint, his expression changed and he stood up suddenly, "No!"

Wang Junmeng was startled and looked at Qu Chongyu's already green face, "What's wrong?" Qu Chongyu gritted his teeth and looked at Zhang Er's triumphant smiling face in the yard, stamped his feet and said, "This idiot got into Pei Shouyue's house when!"

Wang Junmeng looked at Zhang Er in the yard in shock, and then at Qu Chongyu. He really didn't understand how he had been fooled.

Pei Xingjian already held Zhang Er's confession in his hand, looked at it carefully, and his smile was as warm as the spring sun, "Thank you Zhang Qiwei! Please step aside and wait for a while, Bai San, you Go and bring the stool and serve the Cavalry Lieutenant."

The scholars could no longer suppress it any longer, and they began to discuss in a buzzing manner, with various expressions showing some resentment. Pei Xingjian's face suddenly turned cold, "Whoever dares to talk nonsense again, don't blame me for condemning you for contempt of court!"

After a pause, Pei Xingjian looked at the squires who had just said they would testify, and a smile appeared on his face again, "You all saw Zhang Qiwei buying cattle with your own eyes. Do you still remember what happened at that time?"

Those people all nodded, "Of course I remember."

Pei Xingjian chuckled and said, "Do you really remember them all? You really have a good memory."

Several people also smiled and nodded, and one of them said, "That's..." Pei Xingjian immediately said, "No need to say it!" Then he said with a smile, "Come here, take these squires down and let them take care of them respectively. Write down what happened, where and when Zhang Qiwei bought the cow, how much it cost, what the person who sold the cow looked like, and how old he was, write it all down clearly, put your fingerprint on the confession and bring it back to the court!"

Those people were suddenly a little stunned. Pei Xingjian smiled broadly, and his soft and mellow voice echoed clearly in the courtyard, "Don't worry, you all. Since you all remember it clearly, just go ahead and write it down clearly. As long as your confessions are roughly the same as those of Zhang Qiwei." If there is no discrepancy, then the crime of hypocrisy and deceit, which is one hundred times less than that of stealing an ox, will naturally not fall on you."

 Everyone’s expressions suddenly changed. Zhang Er had already asked someone to hint at this matter, and they all agreed at the time. However, the guards came suddenly the day before yesterday, and they were all taken care of separately. How could there be a chance to verify such trivial things with each other? ? Do you just make it up and write it down randomly? But the meaning of this long history's words is clearly: If it doesn't match up, it is a crime of hypocrisy!

Zhang Er's eyes widened and he immediately stood up, but felt his shoulders heavy and fell back down hard.

 Bai Sanlang stared down at him and sneered, "Chang Shi ordered you to sit down and not speak. You'd better be obedient, otherwise, I, Bai San's fist, won't recognize any cavalry or not!"

Zhang Er opened his mouth, looked at the fierce eyes above his head, and felt the iron claw-like strength on his shoulders. After all, he still didn't dare to make any more moves, and his face suddenly turned a little gray.

His appearance fell into the eyes of the few witnesses in the courtyard, and everyone couldn't help but feel even colder. They vaguely understood that this matter was probably going to be difficult to solve. When I first agreed to Zhang Er's matter, I originally thought that I would just go to the court to go through the motions and sell my favor. Who knew that things would suddenly take a turn for the worse? Is it possible for him to receive those hundred sticks and be exiled for a year?

Someone who was more clever immediately knelt down on the ground with a plop and said loudly, "Shangguan Mingjian! The younger one only heard Zhang Er talk about this matter and didn't witness it with his own eyes, so he didn't know what was going on. He just responded to Shangguan in confusion. , It’s just a small thing, please forgive me!”

At the beginning of him, where the rest of the people dared to hesitate, they fell down and fell down.

Pei Xingjian still had a faint smile on his face, and turned to look at Zhang Er, "Zhang Qiwei, what do you think of this? Is it possible that we have to ask the police officer to go to Guixiang to look for witnesses immediately?"

No matter how slow Zhang Er was, he knew that something was not right at this time. Even if he brought forward witnesses at this time, he would not have time to give a confession. After thinking about it, he could only stand up and said coldly, "This matter is not someone's fault." , a few months later, these villagers can’t remember it, but it’s just that someone bought the calf from a shepherd, and it has nothing to do with that Qiao Liu!”

Pei Xingjian smiled and said, "Okay! With your words, I feel relieved." Then he turned to look at the courtyard and said, "Which of you is the security chief and who is the upright?"

 The chief security officer and Li Zheng looked at each other and took two steps, "That's it, you guys."

Pei Xingjian smiled and raised the confession in his hand, "I wonder if any of you have seen the Turkic herdsman?"

They both dared to speak harshly at this time and immediately shook their heads, "I've never seen him before."

Pei Xingjian looked at the other people and said, "You are Zhang Qiwei's neighbors. Have you ever seen this Turkic herdsman selling cattle?"

Everyone shook their heads together, Pei Xingjian looked at Zhang Er with a smile, "Zhang Qiwei, I wonder if you can name anyone who has seen this Turkic herdsman selling cattle?"

Zhang Er thought for a moment. He just scribbled down the time, place and appearance. He was afraid that no one would be able to match this confession. He couldn't help itching with hatred in his heart, and said in a cold voice, "Zhang accidentally met this person in the wild." When they met, he bought the calf and drove it back without being seen by anyone else."

Pei Xingjian nodded, with a cold smile on his face, "You mean, a few months ago, a Turkic man met you alone in the wild and sold you twenty calves?"

 Zhang Er nodded and said, "Exactly!"

Pei Xingjian burst out laughing, "Captain Zhang, what you said is very interesting. Now is the time when the Western Turks are rebelling. If Turkic shepherds come to our hinterland of Xizhou to graze their cattle, what kind of news will it be? Now the security chief is Li Zheng. The neighbors didn't know anything about it, so the Turks must have come quietly, but they didn't know what benefits you had given the Turks, so that the Turks found you and gave you twenty calves. This matter is so important? , and it involves you as an honorable officer, I dare not act on my own. I have no choice but to ask you to stay in the Duhu Mansion and wait for the trial when I, the General Manager of the Tang Dynasty, arrive with my troops, or I can ask you to go to the Tianshan Army barracks in Xizhou. Go figure it out!"

 Zhang Er's face suddenly turned pale, and he waved his hands and said, "No! That's not the case! Don't slander me!"

Pei Xingjian looked at him funny, "Zhang Qiwei, I wonder why I'm so slanderous? You said that you bought your calves from a Turkic herdsman. You said that no one saw this herdsman except you. These twenty calves Now in your yard, this matter is so strange, shouldn’t it be reported to the court for decision?”

At this moment, not to mention that Zhang Er could not make a sound with his mouth open, everyone in the courtyard was stunned. No one expected that the matter would suddenly involve rebellion-Pei Changshi actually wanted to beat Zhang Qiwei as a Turk. A spy? And these words were indeed spoken by Zhang Er himself... The officials in Xizhou began to discuss among themselves, did Pei Changshi want to establish meritorious service or prestige?

Looking at Zhang Er's face that had lost all color, even the students in the courtyard murmured in their hearts: Zhang Er was indeed hateful, but this would make him unable to stand up forever, and Pei Changshi's methods were too ruthless. Some!

Several members of the Zhang clan rushed up and said loudly, "Shangguan Mingjian, I, the Zhang family, have never done anything to disgrace the imperial court, and Zhang Qiwei will never be a traitor to the Turks!"

Pei Xingjian still smiled slightly, "Oh, you also know that the army is now strictly investigating those who have liaison with the Turkic rebels? If you are willing to be Zhang Qiwei's guarantee, why not go to the army with Zhang Qiwei to make a distinction?"

Those people were immediately speechless and took a few steps back, "I don't think I have any intention of doing this..."

Zhang Er's face became even more bleak. He never imagined that he had greedy for a few calves and turned into a spy of the Turks in the blink of an eye. If the matter reached this level, if he went to the Tianshan Army camp of the Tang Dynasty stationed in Xizhou, among the soldiers How ruthless a man is, how incomprehensible he is!

Under the window of the side hall, Qu Chongyu also had a face full of surprise—Which song is Pei Xingjian going to sing? Kill the chicken and show it to the monkey? Tell the officials of Xizhou that whoever dares to oppose him in the future will be the fate of Zhang Er? His heart was racing, he stood up suddenly, pushed open the door and walked out, laughing loudly, "Pei Changshi, please listen to me!"

The eyes of the people in the yard immediately focused on Qu Chongyu. He was wearing a light yellow robe. When he strode towards him, the swinging corners of his clothes were caught by the sunlight, glowing with a soft golden light. When Zhang Er saw him, he immediately As if seeing a savior, he knelt down with a plop, "Your Majesty, save me! Zhang Er has never had an affair with the Turks, and those calves were not given to me by the Turks!"

Pei Xingjian also stood up, his dark green robe fluttering slightly, and the smile on his face was still soft and clear, "What do you have to say, Your Majesty?"

Qu Chongyu glanced at Zhang Er and sighed, "Pei Changshi doesn't know something. The Dunhuang Zhang family is a big family in Xizhou. They have a strict family style and a lot of loyalty. If their children are said to have liaisons with Turks, Xizhou people Who can believe it? The origin of Zhang Qiwei's calf may be unknown, but it is definitely not a bribe from the Turks! Chongyu is willing to guarantee it!"

 Zhang Er breathed a sigh of relief, knelt on the ground and kowtowed with tears in his eyes, "Thank you so much, Your Majesty, thank you so much, Your Majesty!"

Pei Xingjian seemed to be stunned for a moment, and raised his eyebrows in slight surprise, "The prince is actually willing to vouch for this person? This is the time when Pei believes in the prince!" He turned to look at Zhang Er, "Zhang Qiwei, you are such a calf, you really are not. From the Turks?"

Zhang Er didn't dare to hesitate at this time, he nodded hurriedly, "It's true, if you make false claims, I will be struck by thunder!"

Pei Xingjian took a long breath and said, "Can you please tell me how the heck you got here?"

 Zhang Eryi was stunned, but how should he respond to this?

Pei Xingjian waited for a moment, and his face became colder and colder, "Aren't you going to say it? Well, even if you don't say it, I know that these twenty calves are not a small number, and they can never fall from the sky. In the past few months, "There are no more than twenty calves lost in various villages in Gaochang. If you didn't get this calf from the Turks, it must be stolen!"

Zhang Er, who had already breathed a sigh of relief, was startled when he heard this. He knelt on the ground and waved his hands repeatedly, "No, absolutely not!"

Pei Xingjian smiled indifferently, "It's useless if you don't admit it. The cattle thief has been caught and brought to justice! He has also confessed clearly!" His eyes slowly swept over the faces of everyone in the yard, "I wonder if you all have Interested in seeing how this cattle thief confronts Zhang Qiwei in court?"

Pei Jiu's sinister plot has just begun... The crime of perjury was committed in the Tang Dynasty. "Tang Law. Perjury and Fraud" stipulates that for perjury, depending on which crime is perjured, the conviction will be reduced by one level (such as cattle stealing, then The crime is one less serious than cattle rustling).

Let the pink votes come more fiercely, **** ho...

 (End of this chapter)