Chapter 182: Yin and Yang
The faint scent of sandalwood wafted into Feng Qing'an's nose. He turned his head and immediately saw a tall figure among the crowd of onlookers.
Ghosts and gods in Pingwu County!
"We have no right to interfere in human affairs, please forgive us, sir!"
When he saw Feng Qing'an looking over here, the City God of Pingwu County, who had led a group of ghosts and gods to watch, bowed and saluted.
"Um!"
Feng Qing'an nodded and ignored this group of ghosts and gods. The ghosts and gods worshipped by the people can capture monsters and evil spirits, but they have no control over humans.
These exorbitant taxes and levies have nothing to do with these ghosts and gods. If they want to watch the fun, let them do it.
Snapped!
ah--
At this moment, all the officials in the county government were hung on the beam in front of the gate of the government office together with their superiors. Wu Qilang, who was whipping them, was rude and greeted them with a grim smile on his face. Howls of pain came one after another. He had no sympathy for corrupt officials.
"Tell them that, apart from the normal land tax and head tax of the imperial court, all other miscellaneous taxes in Pingwu County will be abolished from today!"
Feng Qingan listened to the wailing of these termites, turned his head to look at Butler Zhao, and ordered,
"yes!"
"Zhou Da!"
"Sir, give your orders!"
The high-spirited eldest son of the Zhou family hurried over.
"All of you Zhou family's accountants, call me here and count the tax silver collected from the county government!"
"Sir, what are you doing..."
Zhou Yiyang looked shocked.
"That's the people's hard-earned money. This pig has been taking it so ruthlessly that some people can't survive. If they don't return it to the people, how are they going to live in the future?"
"I'm afraid this is not something that can be done in a short time!"
After hearing Feng Qingan's thoughts, Zhou Yiyang admired him but was also a little worried. He wanted to persuade him but didn't know how to start. This young man probably had not seen the evil of human nature.
It is indeed a good thing to distribute the money extorted by corrupt officials to the people, but how can we achieve fairness and justice?
These guys didn't know how to do accounting when they collected tax silver. Now they have to return the silver to every household. How can they do that? How much do the people ask for? I'm afraid that before they have even distributed half of it, the county government's treasury has already emptied out.
"Then take more time!"
Feng Qingan smiled, then his expression turned a little grim.
"If you have any problems, you can tell me. If I can't solve them, I can kill one to warn the rest!"
"It's no problem for my accountant to count the silver in the county government, but how can we return the silver in full? We can't just give the people whatever they ask for!"
"We can do our best to help with this matter!"
The sandalwood scent lingering around the nose suddenly became stronger. After hearing Feng Qingan's instructions, the ghosts and gods who were originally just watching also came over.
"We can tell whether the words of mortals are true or false!"
"Then I'll have to trouble you all!"
Feng Qing'an was quite satisfied to see that the local ghosts and gods were so self-aware and willing to help in this matter. It was natural for ghosts and gods to be able to distinguish the truth from falsehood in people's words. If they did not even have such authority, how could they reward the good and punish the evil?
“I don’t dare!”
At this time, even more intense and noisy noises than before arose from the onlookers, because Steward Zhao had announced to them that miscellaneous taxes would be exempted.
When they heard that there would be no more miscellaneous taxes, they couldn't believe it at first, and then they were ecstatic. After all, the county magistrate had been hanged, so what could be impossible?
When the complex emotions intertwined, the crowd suddenly erupted with unprecedented enthusiasm. However, some people remained relatively sober and boldly asked the old butler about Feng Qingan's identity.
"Elder, may I ask who your son is?"
"My brother is the governor of the state!"
The old butler directly mentioned Feng Qingan's eldest brother, the governor of the state. To the common people, this was an extremely unfamiliar official position. Some people who heard it were bewildered, but there were still people who knew what the word governor meant. After they knew what it meant, the atmosphere of joy among the crowd suddenly became even more enthusiastic.
"Sir, I'll go get my accountant first!"
"Well, go ahead!"
Feng Qing'an rode his horse and led Heishan and Baiyao into the county government office. It was impossible for him to beat the county magistrate and then leave after venting his anger. He had to solve the problem before leaving.
The sun sets and dusk falls
"Sir, there's someone outside claiming to be from the Night Patrol, and he wants to see you!"
In the backyard of the county government office, Feng Qing'an, who was reading the county annals, looked at the butler Zhao who walked in with his back bent. After hearing the report, a smile appeared on his face, which was just as expected.
"Let him in!"
"yes!"
Soon, the old butler led a man in black wearing a bronze mask into the backyard of the county government office. The obscure and almost invisible aura made Feng Qing'an look at him carefully, and then nodded.
"Night Patrol, Malu, meet the Second Young Master!"
"Malup? Is that your name? Who gave it to you?"
Millipede is a kind of millipede that likes damp and shade areas, but considering the background of this person, the name is quite appropriate.
"This is my nickname!"
The man in black with a bronze face answered respectfully.
"So, what exactly do you do in the Night Patrol?"
Feng Qing'an stared at the man in black in front of him. If he wasn't right in front of him, he would easily have ignored him. His aura and dress were completely different. He almost blended in with everything around him and had a very low sense of presence.
"Reporting to the Second Young Master, the Night Patrol Division was established by order of Emperor Taizu, and it has the power to monitor all officials!"
"What about the Pingwu County Magistrate? Is this how you monitor people?"
The smile on Feng Qing'an's face faded, and the majesty and oppression revealed at that moment made the man in black, who was already slightly hunched over, lower his body even more.
"We only have supervisory powers. We have already reported the matter of the Pingwu County Magistrate!"
The man in black said calmly that they had fulfilled their duties, so if this young man was really reasonable, he should not be blamed.
"It has been reported, but no one has dealt with it. So, officials like the Pingwu County Magistrate are everywhere in Dajin? Or is it that this county magistrate has someone above him, so no one can touch him? Hmm?"
"There are officials like the Pingwu County Magistrate who privately increases taxes in all parts of the Jin Dynasty. Few are as excessive as him, but there are also those who are even more excessive than him!"
"Is there anything worse? Where is the person?"
Feng Qing'an narrowed his eyes. He couldn't stand what the Pingwu County Magistrate had done. Now he had let the pig hang at the gate of the county government office and was being whipped all the time. Of course, there were also other officials who assisted him in his atrocities.
"He has been executed!"
"Um?"
"He aroused public anger, causing local people to riot and attack the county government office..."
"Okay, what happened after the people of that county attacked the county government?"
Feng Qingan interrupted him. He was only concerned about the group of people who had attacked the county government office.
“…Exiled to the frontier !”
The man in black was silent for a while and then spoke slowly.
"Ah!"
Feng Qingan laughed, but he was not very surprised. Then he asked,
"So, why did you come to visit me so late at night?"
"I see you want to execute this county magistrate?"
"Yes, tomorrow I will execute the Ningwu County Magistrate in public!"
The young man calmly told him his plan, and then quietly looked into the eyes under the bronze mask. He had already decided to kill the county magistrate, and there was no need to keep him.
"You want to plead for him?"
"My lord, you want to execute this county magistrate. Please accept this order!"
As he spoke, the man in black took out a golden token from his arms and handed it respectfully to Feng Qing'an.
"What's this?"
Feng Qing'an looked down at the token, and the word "inspection" was clearly visible on it.
"This is our Night Patrol's patrol token. With this token, we have the power to execute criminals first and report later!"
The man in black explained in a respectful tone.
"What this means is that I have this token and I can kill any official from across the Jin Dynasty that I don't like?"
Feng Qing'an then reached out to take the token, an amusement look on his face. He played with the token casually. On the back of the token was carved a ferocious beast shaped like a lion or tiger, which looked extremely ferocious.
"Of course not. To execute someone first and report to the emperor later, there must be a proper reason. For example, the magistrate of Pingwu County privately increased taxes, which is a capital crime. Even if you want to execute him, you only need to write a memorial and submit it, and everything will be fine!"
Hearing Feng Qingan's seemingly ordinary tone, the man in black couldn't help but break out in a few drops of cold sweat under his bronze mask.
It's nothing for young people to be full of vigor and hate evil, but it is extremely terrifying when they really have the power to crush everything they don't like.
"Writing a memorial? I don't know how to do that. What should I do?"
When Feng Qing'an heard that he still had to write a memorial, he shook the token in his hand casually and made a gesture as if to throw it away.
"Sir, just execute him. I can write for you."
"Can you write for me? Sure. Remember to show it to me when you're done!"
"yes!"
"Oh, you don't have to waste time, start writing now. Someone, go get him some paper and pen!"
“…”
Looking at the Second Young Master Feng who didn't give him any chance to refuse, the man in black remained silent. However, when he saw the pen and ink that had already been placed in front of him, he could only let out a helpless sigh and began to write for the Second Young Master.
"Act first and ask for permission later, ha!"
Seeing the man in black obediently starting to write memorials for him, Feng Qing'an weighed the gold medal in his hand, but wanted to laugh in his heart, as the development of the matter was exactly as he had expected.
Perhaps it was because he himself was worthy of being wooed by Da Jin, or it was because his elder brother had a significant influence.
So when he wanted to kill a county magistrate who had privately increased taxes, no one pleaded for him, not even the backers who were most likely behind the magistrate.
It's just that someone gave him an identity that allowed him to reasonably execute the county magistrate on the spot, so he transformed himself from a commoner who challenged the dynasty's laws into an inspector who maintained the dynasty's laws and order.
"You guys handed the knife to me, I would be so sorry if I didn't use it!"
Next day
On the execution ground platform built overnight in Linwu County, Feng Qingan, dressed in white, sat on it and spoke loudly, revealing the new identity he had obtained last night.
"I am the inspector of the Night Patrol, with the power to supervise all officials. If I see corrupt officials along the way, I can kill them first and report to them later!"
When the people heard Feng Qing'an's identity, they immediately became excited, but soon calmed down. After all, his elder brother was the governor of the state, so it was not surprising for the younger brother to act first and report later.
"According to our investigation, the Ningwu County Magistrate has privately increased taxes, causing widespread complaints from the people and making their lives miserable... From today on, he will be dismissed from his post and demoted to a commoner. His crimes are so heinous that killing him will not appease the people's anger. He should be put to death by slow slicing!"
Feng Qing'an did not waste time on the investigation. He had already visited the place and listed a series of charges before announcing the result. When the verdict came out, the people surrounding the execution ground cheered as if it was New Year's Day.
"Please spare my life, sir! I am innocent! Sir!"
The fat county magistrate, who had been whipped with a spiked iron whip all night and was covered in blood, could not bear it any longer after hearing the result of his own punishment, as his mental will completely collapsed.
His remaining sanity told him that shouting and yelling would be of no use and that no one would pay any attention to him. However, he could never accept such a tragic death.
He knew that this young man had extremely strange means in his hands. Even a person like him who was lazy and didn't know the difference between grains could be whipped for a whole night without dying. He could be kept alive all the time and feel all the pain.
It must have been the same when he was suffering the punishment of lingchi. He would probably not die unless all the flesh on his body was peeled off alive. However, the pain was so painful that he trembled all over even when he thought about it.
But he no longer had any way to survive. This young master would not let him go, and the people he respected behind the scenes did not seem to have any intention of saving him.
In this case, there is nothing more to say. He accepted the gift but was unwilling to stand up for him at the critical moment. Don't blame him for being unkind. Just go to hell with him!
"Sir, I want to report the Shao Yin of Nanshao Prefecture. Since I became the magistrate of Pingwu County, I have sent him 100,000 taels of silver and 5,000 taels of gold..."
"Shut up!"
Seeing the Pingwu County Magistrate, who was about to be executed, on the execution ground, naming an important figure in the city, the onlookers were suddenly in an uproar. However, someone in the crowd below became very anxious and threw a flying knife straight into the man's throat, intending to put him to death there.
"As if I don't exist?"
The flying knife was still in the air when a hand tempered by the Gangsha energy appeared and smashed it to pieces. The next moment, the Gangsha warrior who followed Feng Qing'an appeared in front of the person who threw the flying knife with a grim smile on his face.
However, before he could grab his neck, the warrior found that the man had no breath left, black blood was flowing out of his seven orifices, and he had already become a corpse.
However, there was no anger on the warrior's face, because he saw a ghost with a faint sandalwood scent coming in front of him, throwing out an iron chain, and hooking the panicked soul out of the corpse.
"I will interrogate him about everything he knows!"
"Thank you for your help!"
