The Hairpin of the Red Chamber

Baochai wanted to experience Baoyu on purpose, so she deliberately said: "If you think about it carefully, what can you come up with?"

Baoyu walked back and forth a few steps, and said: "There is not a big difference between the history of the classics and the county magistrate. Wang Chengcheng is a subordinate official in Changzhou. This time, the analysis of the county has a decree to reduce the original government personnel. Six people in the Suzhou government The number of Tongzhi and the judges, as well as several county magistrates in the county, will be reduced, and they will be selected to be promoted to the new county as appropriate. Could it be that Wang Chengcheng originally wanted to be the magistrate of Yuanhe County, but he couldn't do it later and was taken away by me, so I hate it I?"

Baochai laughed and said, "It's not easy for you to think of this, just think about it again. For example, Wang Cheng, how much do you know about him?"

Baoyu pondered and said: "He is a local, he was not elected by the imperial examination, but was promoted step by step by a small official-I seem to understand."

Baochai nodded approvingly and said: "He was not born in the imperial examination, and the abolitionist was informed by the Tongzhi of the Suzhou government. The post of county magistrate cannot fall on him anyway. The difference between county magistrate and Dianshi is so great. Xiao, there is actually no interest between you and him."

Baoyu murmured, "Then why does he treat me like this?"

Baochai laughed and said, "How did he treat you?"

Baoyu said: "He... is arrogant. I accepted the certificate, but he didn't go to run errands to inquire..."

Baochai sighed: "That's why I specially asked you to inquire about the arrangement by yourself. The things you ordered at home are prioritized by the people below, and they are also divided according to whether they are beneficial to you or not." If you are not dedicated, even if you are a slave at home, let alone outsiders? This Wang Cheng is indeed not loyal to you. You are new here, and he also wants to make trouble for you, but making trouble for you is two different things from colluding with the people to make things difficult for you. Besides, if he really wants to make trouble for you , It is also in the performance appraisal such as money, grain, taxation, etc., not these lawsuits. In Zhang Sixi's case, you are delaying it because you want to handle it well. If you want to close the case early, you only need to send Zhu Da and Wang Si Or the people who passed by arrested and tortured, under the three trees, why not ask for it?"

Baoyu stomped her feet and said: "Sister Bao wants to teach me to choose other cases. If this case is not good, it will be a matter of human life. How can I stand such a slow time?"

Baochai smiled and said, "Since I dare to teach you slowly like this, naturally I already knew that Sixi is fine."

Baoyu opened his mouth and said, "You... how do you know?"

Baochai said, "Isn't the pleading paper you received not very smooth when you saw that old woman for the first time?"

Baoyu frowned and said, "The language is incoherent, that's why I asked her to come and question me in class, and I also asked Wang Cheng to interpret for me. Later, I asked the master in our mansion to help her write the certificate."

Baochai said: "Yuanhe County is known as the three major cancers, one of which is the litigator, which shows that there are so many lawsuits here and the essence of the litigation industry. If it is really a matter of life and death, the mother-in-law has passed several lawsuits but no one has accepted them. Why didn't she find someone to polish the pleading paper, and ask the government to make decisions for her with the mutual understanding of the villagers? Could it be that the life and death of her son is not as important as the money to find someone to write a good pleading paper?"

Baoyu said in a daze, "She...maybe she doesn't understand."

Baochai sneered and said: "Others don't understand, but she must understand - her son is a local bully, he has been in court several times, and Wang Cheng has even arrested him. The two of them depend on each other for life. These official matters , she must understand a little bit, don't you think it's strange that such a person, dressed like a village woman and a widow, came to sue with a completely unsound complaint? No matter what, she is a local, and lives in the city, and the neighbor Neighbors, relatives and old friends, can't you find anyone who has something to do with the yamen? Since she can find out when you will take office, and just stopped you on your way back to the yamen, why don't you ask someone to pass the pleading paper to you? Sued a hundred times in the street? You should know that ninety-nine out of ten people will be beaten when they stop sedan chairs in the street. If you meet an official with a bad temper, you should put him in custody for a few years before trying the case. Do you want to die with peace?"

Baoyu's eyes were dumbfounded, and he said after a while: "So... she, she deliberately wanted to make a scene in the city, so that everyone would think her son was dead and not go after the whereabouts of the money? These... are all blindfolds?"

Baochai nodded: "Zhang Sixi took the money away from Yuandun. She is an orphan and stays here to inquire about the news. After a few years when things are calm, we will see if she looks for her son or her son comes back."

Baoyu said: "... Then she chatted with Wang Cheng that day, was it on purpose? She deliberately acted like she was familiar with Wang Cheng, and wanted to frame Wang Cheng instead?"

Baochai laughed and said, "Being framed is not counted, but since Wang Cheng is an official she knows, she feels guilty, and most likely wants to chat, cling to cling, if you get angry, there will be a twist in the middle, this is Common sense of ordinary people."

Baoyu said: "This piece of Sixi is clearly defrauding money on purpose. I'm going to write a letter and catch him back!"

Baochai stopped him and said, "How are you going to catch him? Are you going to send someone from the yamen to chase him all over the world?"

Baoyu was stunned again.

Daiyu kept watching, seeing that he didn't understand, she stomped her feet angrily and said, "Go outside and post a notice saying that the murderer is Zhu Da, who has been put in prison and sentenced, and post a reward saying that anyone who sees Zhang Sixi's traces will be there." The silver reward, if you can bring the corpse, the reward is two hundred silver, that Zhang Sixi sees that he has divorced, and there is a reward, and he will ask someone to take him to receive the reward in a few days, and you can take him down when the time comes .”

Baochai added another sentence: "When you posted the notice, you should be vague. Don't just talk about this case, just talk about killing people on the commercial road. If you have any clues, you can come to the government to receive a reward."

Daiyu tilted her head to look at Baochai, and said softly, "Is it because of bandits?"

Baochai smiled, nodded to her, opened the corners of her mouth slightly, and silently said the word "smart". Baoyu frowned and said, "A reward of 200 taels is offered? Is this amount too big? Can outsiders believe it? I have seen that the rewards offered in the past dynasties seem to be It’s only a few taels, it’s a shocking case, and 20 taels would be good.” It’s not that he hasn’t thought about offering rewards, and he has read the scrolls, but most of the rewards offered over the years were fruitless, so he also Let it go.

Daiyu smiled lightly and said, "As soon as you came, we publicized your identity as a wealthy young master. You can pay the reward of 200 taels yourself. Why don't they believe it?"

Baoyu opened his mouth, but the first thing that came to his mind was: "Do I really have to pay for it myself?" 200 taels was his salary for several years, and he was no longer the playboy he used to be.

Baochai said, "You can't spend the money, don't worry."

Baoyu said: "I... I just took office, so it's not good to be so unconventional?"

Baochai laughed and said, "You talk to the magistrate first, and then you come to offer a reward. If you solve the case, it's also a merit test. The magistrate will not refuse, don't worry."

Then Baoyu nodded and said, "That's good." Just as he was about to go out, Baochai stopped him again: "Since you have arrested Wang Si, why don't you ask him more about the water bandits? After all, they are all begging for life in the water. Maybe they know something. If you go to question him again, it will be too revealing. The place where the surname Yu and Liu Jia live is close to the water, and the hills beside the water are the most gangsters. The hiding place, these two people have become rich in the past few years, you may want to check it several times to be prepared."

Baoyu said: "Water bandits? I, Yuanhe, are still some distance away from Taihu Lake. Water bandits can't come here, can they?"

Daiyu glanced at him and said: "Suzhou is connected by water and alleys. It takes less than half a day to get there from the waterways in the city to Taihu Lake. Before you came, didn't you look at the territory and geomantic occupancy?"

As soon as Baoyu took office, he was involved in Zhang Sixi's case, and before he could think of anything else, he bowed his hands and went out quickly to check the map.