Chapter 38 Killing Li
Anchuan County, located on the western edge, has a population of 3,000 and is considered a lower-level county.
Starting from Chang'an, it took eight days of travel to reach Anchuan County. It was already the beginning of June.
After Zheng Dan's advice, he really understood the local official system of the Sui Dynasty. Emperor Wen of the Sui Dynasty, Yang Jian, accepted Yang Shangxi's suggestion and carried out a large-scale streamlining and rectification of local administrative agencies in accordance with the principle of "keeping the important and removing the idle, and merging the small into the big" in the third year of Kaihuang. The three-level system of prefectures, counties and counties was changed to a two-level system of prefectures and counties. All prefectures were abolished and counties were directly governed by prefectures. The prefectures had governors and the counties had county magistrates. Five families under the county were grouped into a bao, five baos were grouped into a li, and four li were grouped into a clan. The baozhang, lizheng and zuzheng were appointed to exercise strict control.
One of the major measures taken by Emperor Wen of the Sui Dynasty to reform the local administrative system was to completely abolish the system that had existed since the Han Dynasty, in which prefecture and county chiefs could appoint their own staff, thus greatly strengthening the central government's control over the localities.
In the third year of Emperor Yangdi of Sui Dynasty, Yizhou was changed into a county, and the local official system was changed into a two-level system of counties and prefectures.
It turned out that there were actually three ranks of county magistrates: the sixth rank for upper counties, the seventh rank for middle counties, and the eighth rank for lower counties. Since I was an eighth rank magistrate in charge of the lower counties of Anchuan County, it would be just right if I appointed an agent.
As expected, in ancient times, official rank was the most important thing, so how could a big mistake occur?
Zhang Xuanning arrived in Anchuan County, ten miles away from the county seat. According to the rules, he should not continue to move forward, but should send a few riders to set off first and notify the county government to come and greet him.
According to the rules, Zhang Xuanning should have waited for a while, and the people from the county government should have arrived before a quarter after noon. However, after waiting for half an hour, there was no one to greet him. Zhang Xuanning was immediately furious and decided to kill a few chickens according to the rules of ancient officialdom.
Just as I made up my mind, I saw a group of people coming.
"Ah, I am sorry for not welcoming you in person. Please forgive me, Lord Shi!" A young man, an official wearing a ninth-rank hat, dismounted from his horse. He looked only eighteen or nineteen years old. He smiled and bowed to Zhang Xuanning, who was having a simple bamboo tea. Although according to the rules, administratively, there was only a one-level difference in rank, so a bow would be enough, but he should still kneel when meeting the chief officer for the first time.
Zhang Xuanning was furious and didn't respond at all. He just drank his tea. The fifty soldiers around him snorted coldly and put their hands on the hilts of their swords. But Tao Ji came forward. He was also from the ninth rank and spoke: "Who is coming?"
The young official was a little embarrassed, and he bowed and said, "I am Li Judao, the chief clerk of the county. Please forgive me for being late."
Li, is he from the Li clan? I wonder which branch of the clan he belongs to? However, the more this is the case, the more he cannot let him go. Anyway, he will not stay in the Sui army for long, and he will fight to the death with the Li clan in the future. Besides, he wants to participate in or even destroy the Li clan's plan to force Emperor Yang of Sui to move south. Sooner or later, they will be enemies. Why worry too much? Thinking of this, he said calmly: "Are you the only one in the county?"
"Yes, the enemy is rampant and many people have died !" Li Judao showed a sad expression: "I am the only official left in the county."
"Oh, that's how it is!" Zhang Xuanning nodded slightly, but just as he turned around, he suddenly shouted in a stern voice: "Li Judao, do you admit your guilt?"
Li Judao was surprised and said, "Please calm down, sir. I wonder what crime I have committed?"
"Hmph, you refused to die when the county was destroyed. As the chief clerk, you have the responsibility to defend the territory. You have already committed a serious crime, yet you dare to call yourself a humble official. Come, take away his official hat, suspend his seal, and report to the county for disposal!" Zhang Xuanning immediately attacked with thunder.
This sudden outburst stunned everyone, but the soldier knew very little after all and had no idea how much background the person in front of him had. He responded and was about to step forward.
"Sir, sir !" Zheng Dan turned pale with fright. The man in front of him was a member of the Li family, so even though he had failed in his duties, no one had dismissed him. Now, he was suddenly dealt with with such force, which was beyond his imagination. He didn't want to offend the Li family.
But just as he said this, he saw Zhang Xuanning turning around. After just one glance, he immediately stopped talking, because he had been in the enemy army for a long time and was able to read people's expressions. He clearly saw a strong murderous intent in Zhang Xuanning's eyes.
If I say one more word, even though you just called me sir, I will be killed immediately. I have no official position and I am suspected of being an accomplice of the enemy. Killing me is like killing a dog.
But Zheng Dan stopped talking. Li Judao was furious. He was a descendant of the Li family. Although his official rank was not high now, he was not someone who could be humiliated by a mere deputy brigade commander. He was about to blame him, but he also felt Zhang Xuanning's undisguised murderous intent.
After a moment of hesitation, the two men who came later, dressed in blue and looking like the yamen runners' followers, snorted coldly and put their hands on the hilts of their knives: "Who dares to come up?"
"How dare you, you yamen runners, do you want to commit rebellion? Catch them!" Zhang Xuanning shouted immediately.
This time, the soldiers did not hesitate any more and went straight for them. The two yamen runners drew their swords and tried to resist.
"Li Judao, you draw your sword against me, are you trying to rebel?" Zhang Xuanning said grimly.
Li Judao knew something was wrong and looked around, only to see that the yamen runners behind him didn't know what to do and kept away from him. He had only two followers in front and behind him, and soldiers were all around him, watching with eager eyes.
Feeling Zhang Xuanning's strong murderous intent, his face became gloomy. He wanted to give the official a warning so as not to disrupt the county's plan, but he didn't expect to meet a madman who didn't understand the situation. Moreover, he didn't even bring more followers with him, and fell into such an embarrassing situation.
If there is a head-on conflict, I will inevitably be charged with the crime of insubordination, and there are so many people witnessing it. However, I don't think this person would dare to do anything. Even if I don't mention my background in the Li family, just my official position, the maximum authority of this acting county magistrate is just to temporarily remove my power. As long as I can get away and contact the clan, wouldn't it be a piece of cake to crush this ant to death?
Thinking of this, the anger in his heart subsided a lot. He put on a faint smile and took off his official hat and said, "How dare I?"
Having said that, he ordered the two followers to lay down their weapons.
These two followers were trained by the Li family and were naturally loyal. After a moment of hesitation, they laid down their weapons.
The soldiers rushed forward, knocked the two men to the ground without any mercy, and tied them up with military ropes. At this time, Li Judao wanted to say something, but saw Zhang Xuanning revealing a trace of a grim smile: "Kill them!"
With a wave of his hand, the two soldiers who had received the hint stabbed with their knives. With a "puff" sound, both of them were stabbed in the back, with half of the bloody knife sticking out.
The two were stunned for a moment, then they roared in anger and mobilized all their internal strength, knocking the two soldiers who were holding him down to the ground.
But at this moment, there were two more "pu" sounds, and two more knives pierced into the body, blood splattered. As the blood splattered, the true energy leaked out, and the military rope was extremely strong, so it could not be shaken open. The two men glared at Zhang Xuanning and died.
This sudden change came suddenly, and everyone present was shocked.
"Li Judao, these two men are yamen runners, but they dared to point knives at me. They are committing treason and their crime is unforgivable. Do you have any objection if I kill them today?" Zhang Xuanning said with a sneer.
"These two indeed deserve to die. It is only natural for you to kill them." At this point, Li Judao was calm instead. He bowed and spoke calmly. If Zhang Xuanning had not paid close attention, one would not have been able to detect a hint of anger and murderous intent. He concealed it so well and so calmly. Is this profound sense of "capable but incapable" the cultivation of a child from a noble family?
Seeing that the situation is unfavorable, he will not fight back on the spot. As long as he returns it to him, he will be on the blacklist. This kind of "patience", considering his still young age, hehe, makes him feel uneasy!
If you can "bend" now, you will be able to "stretch" tomorrow. There are so many masters in the aristocratic family!
Regardless of what the two were thinking at the moment, seeing that Li Judao had surrendered, Zhang Xuanning mounted his horse, and the yamen runners immediately beat gongs and drums, surrounding him as they marched towards the county town ten miles away.
Wherever he went, the people along the way knelt down immediately, not even daring to raise their heads, kowtowed from time to time, and kept shouting "Hello, Master". Seeing thousands of people kneeling down, Zhang Xuanning accepted it calmly, but in his heart he was thinking: "A real man should be like this! This is great joy!"
Entering the county town, it was a bit desolate, and the county government office was a bit dilapidated, with traces of fire, but it was still very large, covering an area of ten acres, with dozens of corridors and rooms. You have to know that in a county, there are the inner courtyards of the county magistrate and the county chancellor, a lobby, and officials from various departments.
According to official rules, although the chief clerk is under the county magistrate, he is also an official appointed by the imperial court and there is mutual control and supervision over government affairs. It is not an absolute superior-subordinate relationship. As long as he feels it is appropriate, the chief clerk can even refuse some government orders.
The county magistrate’s greatest authority is not to dismiss the chief clerk, but he can suspend his powers.
Of course, this will get to the higher levels, and it depends on the nature of the matter and the mutual backgrounds. But generally speaking, in officialdom, the worst thing to do is to kill everyone off, so relatively speaking, people won't fall out.
At this time, Zhang Xuanning also smiled and said, "You have done a good job in rebuilding after the thieves."
"Your Excellency, please forgive me! I am the chief clerk, and I survived the defeat of the enemy. Now I am just trying to make up for the loss." Li Judao seemed respectful, but in fact he was speaking sarcastically.
"Haha, Lord Li is really a man of courtesy and talent." Zhang Xuanning said with a smile: "However, it is also true that you have committed a serious crime. Well, come on, please ask Lord Li to come in and do not go out. If you trespass privately, you will be regarded as a traitor and will be killed without mercy. Do you understand?"
He was smiling at the beginning, but by the last sentence, he was already hinting at murderous intent.
"Yes!" At this time, the soldiers had already escorted him into the room, and several people were standing guard.
No matter how good a person is, he could not endure such humiliation. Li Judao's face turned pale and he almost wanted to fight with him, but he finally held back.
The few remaining clerks in the yamen had long known about Li Judao's power, and they admired him for being patient despite his behavior. They all felt that Zhang Xuanning was extremely arrogant and deserved to be killed. They calculated in their hearts when he would die, but they did not dare to neglect him. After all, this man could turn against them at any time, and if they were killed, it would be unfair.
Their attitude became respectful instead. Since even Li Judao could tolerate it, they, the petty officials, could naturally tolerate it as well. They introduced them one by one without hiding anything.
He also respectfully accompanied him to visit various institutions of the county government, including the county magistrate's hall, where cases were heard publicly and the common people could watch. There was also a "second hall" in the backyard of the hall where cases were heard secretly, but few people knew about it.
In the county government, there are six departments, also known as the "Six Rooms", namely the Household Department, the Law Department, the Military Department, the Personnel Department, and the Warehouse Department. There are also prisons, jails, stables, and even temples for the gods of the government, which occupy a huge piece of land. One sentence can summarize it as: Although the sparrow is small, it has all the organs.
If it is sublimated, it is equivalent to a small imperial court model, so it is said that if you control one county, you can know the whole world.
When it was time for the dinner, the acting county magistrate Zhang Xuanning took his seat, but the county magistrate and the heads of various departments were nowhere to be seen. Only some minor clerks were waiting. In addition, the original heads of officials and chief clerks were placed under house arrest as soon as they met the guests. Therefore, everyone looked pale and had no appetite. As a result, they only ate half the amount they usually ate and the banquet was over.
Zhang Xuanning ignored him, and didn't even look at Zheng Dan's pale face and the expression on his face that seemed to want to say something, and just walked straight in.
The people guarding the county's chief clerk Li Judao were not his personal soldiers, but yamen runners. Li Judao was not hungry at this time. Although he did not give any instructions, several smart yamen runners had already served him some dishes and buns.
Time will reveal a person's true character. This is what Li Judao, who was imprisoned and had no food to eat, thought to himself.
Just then, Zhang Xuanning came in and said, "Oh, I thought Lord Li hadn't eaten yet, so I brought something here specially, but I didn't expect he had already eaten."
He didn't look embarrassed at all. Although Li Judao was a child of aristocratic family and was very smart, he was also confused by him. He had a strange expression on his face and didn't know what to say. But he felt in his heart that this person was not normal. How could he be so hostile? In the blink of an eye, he ran over as if nothing had happened.
He immediately said, "How dare I? I am just hungry, so I have to eat something."
"Yes, we are eating steamed buns. I often eat steamed buns in Yangzhou. They taste really good, much better than what you eat!" Zhang Xuanning sat down near him and said, "Why not eat some of the dishes I brought!"
After these words came out, Li Judao said coldly: "I am a criminal, so of course I can only eat these buns. I am ashamed to decline your kindness, sir."
"Oh, you don't want it. But since you have eaten it, I'll send you on your way. You won't be a starving ghost." In fact, when he said the two words "Oh", Zhang Xuanning suddenly made a move and pressed directly on the acupoint.
They were all officials appointed by the imperial court, and Li Judao had never expected this to happen. Although he was also quite skilled in martial arts and might not be inferior to Zhang Xuanning, he felt his whole body numb and he couldn't even open his mouth. By the time Zhang Xuanning finished speaking slowly, he was already sweating from fear.
After he finished speaking, he realized that he could speak: "How dare you do this? How dare you kill me?"
When I wanted to raise my voice again, I felt numb again and couldn't speak.
Zhang Xuanning smiled and said, "I know what you want to say. It's nothing more than that I don't have the power to kill you, and you have a powerful background. If I investigate, I will definitely be in trouble. Or you want to persuade me with emotion, law, and profit. I admit that you have amazing power behind you, but so what? Your life and death is now in my hands."
As he said this, he released his internal energy without hesitation. Li Judao struggled desperately, his mouth gurgling, but he couldn't speak, and he kept spitting out blood.
"I will say that you attempted to escape from prison and I killed you. I know this excuse is lame and your Li family will not let it go, but what does it matter? If you die, I will write a memorial to the emperor, saying that your Li family is plotting a rebellion and colluding with the Turks. Who dares to make a voluntary decision on such a major matter? That's why I have been as stable as a rock in the past few months! When the Turks besiege us, His Majesty will believe it in his heart even if he doesn't believe it."
When he said this, even though he was on the verge of life and death, Li Judao's expression changed obviously.
"Hey, did you get it right?"
"Bullshit!" Li Judao tried his best to gather his internal energy and even spit out these two unclear words with blood.
"It doesn't matter, it doesn't matter. You're dying soon anyway. Haha, it doesn't matter if you scold me a few times. You know, the emperor has left Chang'an for a northern tour. My memorial, such a big matter, must be delayed or something else. In short, it's difficult for the emperor to know. But, this is enough." Zhang Xuanning laughed, carefully admiring his expression of death struggle, and then spit out forcefully.
"Puff!" Li Judao wanted to say something at last, but he spat out a mouthful of blood mixed with his internal organs. He struggled a few more times and then died.
No matter how talented you are or how rich your family background is, so what?
After going out of the door, Zhang Xuanning drew out his long sword leisurely, smiled at the two yamen runners, and then the sword flashed, blood flew everywhere, and a shout was heard: "There is an assassin!"
