First Prince of Ming Dynasty

Chapter 721 Torture
In the eyes of Zhao Wenjing, Shangshu of the Ministry of Household Affairs, wine is just a dispensable pastime, and food is the real precious thing that supports the sky and the earth.

Obviously, he doesn't care much about the tax money collected, but cares more about the strict control of tax collection, and as the cost of wine making increases, it will be reduced to a large extent. The middle and lower classes continue to make profits from grain wine without restraint.

The common people don't have much foresight, they follow the crowd when they see the benefits, they follow the trend, they see that one family is benefiting, and hundreds of families follow, but they don't know that once natural disasters and man-made disasters strike, the wealthy merchants and wealthy households can survive because of their huge size, without harming the fundamentals , but they are going to be smashed to pieces.

"Your Highness, alcoholics consume people's wealth, rob people of their food, and cause drunkards to fight and sue. It should be under the supervision of the imperial court. The people should be forbidden to make burnt music, destroy their burning utensils, and sell the burnt wine by themselves. , the song that has been made, reported to the official for registration."

Zhu Biao said helplessly: "Zhao Qing, I want to discuss with you the policy of alcohol tax, not to ban alcohol. Alcohol drinkers, from princes and officials to traffickers and pawns, are all very loving. In the past few years, even if they were The imperial court expressly prohibits it, and private brewing has never been rare, which shows that it is something beyond human power."

"The so-called blockage is worse than sparseness. What's more, the most important thing for the court at the moment is to increase revenue and reduce expenditure. The wine tax is the most thoughtful move by the Palace, and it can best fill the national treasury. You must think carefully and not treat them one-sidedly."

Zhao Wenjing sighed and bowed: "It's my minister who was biased and failed to understand His Highness's intentions. I couldn't see Mount Tai with a blind eye. Please forgive me, Your Highness."

Zhu Biao gently helped Zhao Wenjing: "Aiqing, what do you think? I know that lifting the prohibition on alcohol has advantages and disadvantages, but it is not a long-term strategy to only care about the prohibition. You and my ministers have to find ways to make it come true." The advantages outweigh the disadvantages and don't suppress the advantages, let's encourage each other."

Chen Mingjie, Minister of the Ministry of Punishment, looked at it with keen eyes. Among the six ministers, it is said that the Ministry of Officials is the most expensive, and the status of the other ministries is equal. Courtesy three points.

Zhao Wenjing's temperament is upright, let alone a few nice words, even if the crown prince was promoted by chance, even if he explicitly and secretly expressed that he would pursue a posthumous title in the future, his attitude never changed.

But now the sentence of knowing who he is and what he thinks makes his eyes turn red. Compared with personal fame and fortune, what he expects more is that the world is too common. And people's livelihood is great.

The monarch and his ministers know each other well, and the monarch treats and trusts each other with the courtesy of a state scholar, so why should the minister be so heartbroken.

The emotion in Zhao Wenjing's eyes disappeared when he raised his head: "I will carefully study the wine system of the Song Dynasty, choose the good ones and follow the bad ones and change them, so as to benefit the country and the people."

"If this is the case, before the new wine order is issued, the wealthy businessmen and tycoons are strictly prohibited from collecting food from the people and stomping on it. Those who violate the prohibition will be punished with a hundred sticks according to the original law, and then they will be punished for two months. Every time the local officials who are negligent appear One case will be downgraded to one level, and those who fail to observe three times will be downgraded to three levels."

"promise."

"In the future, the wine administration should also change according to the situation. Apologize for heavy taxes and good years for light taxes. You can't stick to the rules, and adapt to the situation to be safe."

"promise."

After several conversations, the Hubu Shangshu bowed to the prince, then bowed his hands to the Xingbu Shangshu, and then retreated. Now that the regulations have been set, they must be drafted and implemented as soon as possible.

The imperial court used troops on three sides, and the savings he had spent frugally in the past few years had been exhausted, and the several large warehouses in the household department were empty and there was no need to send someone to guard them.

After the Minister of the Ministry of Households withdrew, Zhu Biao smiled and said to the Minister of the Ministry of Punishment: "The imperial court is almost unable to pay the salary now. I am anxious about this matter, and Chen Qing was left out in the cold for a while."

Chen Mingjie hurriedly bowed: "Where is your Highness, I am very happy to have the honor to accompany His Highness, how can there be a little lady envious."

"Chen Qing Yada."

After a few jokes, Zhu Biao asked about the business: "Can all the people in Liyang be transported to Beijing?"

"The application time has come, the magistrate of Liyang has confessed, and the minister is preparing to enter the palace to report."

"Oh, confessed, it's so simple, punish severely according to the law."

"promise."

After accepting the promise, the Secretary of the Ministry of Criminal Affairs hesitated for a moment before saying: "Don't dare to lie to Your Highness, the case is solidly proved, and the county magistrates who were escorted have confessed to Huang Lu's complaint, but Lang Guan, the subordinate of the minister, said that there are still doubts about the case. place."

"Why worry?"

The Minister of the Ministry of Punishment smiled bitterly: "He only said that this trip was in a hurry, and there was no time for a thorough investigation, so he felt uneasy."

Zhu Biao was not angry either: "It's a good thing to do your best to be on duty, so there is no need to be harsh. But after all, the case has been known to the emperor, and the court, Chinese and military are also waiting and watching. It still needs to be dealt with strictly as soon as possible."

After saying this, he said meaningfully: "Since the county magistrate has pleaded guilty, he should be dismissed from public office. He is a criminal officer and prisoner. I don't know when the Criminal Department will not be able to handle a prisoner."

"The humble minister is stupid."

The dignified minister of the Ministry of punishment is not a fool, how can he not know such simple things as torture and interrogation will tell the truth, but it is a case heard by Shang Datian, so it is not good to lynch without authorization.

This kind of case that the emperor's officials are paying attention to is the most difficult to handle. If it crosses the line a little, the Dali Temple and Yushitai's gang will be as if they have seen meat and bones.

"Go, don't delay, but don't make mistakes."

"promise."

The Shangshu of the Ministry of Punishment hurried back to the yamen, and a Lang official was pacing back and forth anxiously. When he saw his Shangshu came back, he hurried up to greet him. He didn't speak in a hurry, but looked at him anxiously.

Chen Mingjie nodded without hesitation, and Ma Ze turned around and ran to the punishment room. The prison of the Ministry of punishment is not here, but occasionally very important prisoners will be temporarily detained here.

Li Gao, the magistrate of Liyang County, had his hands tied and hung from the beams of the house, only his toes touched the ground slightly. His face was pale and he was groaning in pain. Seeing Ma Ze entering, he hurriedly begged for mercy: "It hurts... my lord, please let the criminal offender go. He is dead, why bother to humiliate him, he is a disciple of a sage who once served as an official in the same dynasty..."

Ma Ze grinned: "Shut up! Even a county magistrate deserves to talk about going to court with me. I'm afraid you've never been in the court in your life and seen the Holy Majesty."

"Come here! Bring the instruments of torture, set them on fire and burn them!"

Li Gao was so frightened that he screamed again and again, his emaciated body writhed like an earthworm, looking extremely ridiculous: "I am also an official of the imperial court, even if I violate the criminal law, I should be punished by the Holy Majesty, you can't lynch me! "

Ma Ze ignored him, but told the torturer who brought the torture tools: "Give him twenty lashes to appetize first, and remember not to break his face."

"Hey, don't worry, my lord, the handicrafts passed down from generation to generation of the younger ones, where you want him to be bruised, and the other places are a little oily, the younger ones will serve you with wine!"

At the end of the speech, the thin whip dipped in salt water burst out of the air, and it was crisp and loud on the flesh and blood. The fine sound and wailing resounded throughout. Guess who the executioner is directly based on the rhythm of the whip.

Hearing Li Gao's mournful wailing and begging for mercy, Ma Ze's expression relaxed, and he was not in a hurry to ask questions. During the short period of time he was detained in Beijing, Li Gao's status as an official did not impose a sentence, but the rest of the yamen servants did not. treated.

The yamen servants are very tight-lipped, and the tortured delirious will want to speak, but once they regain their senses, they would rather bite their tongues and die than confess. Obviously, there is nothing more frightening to them than death.

It's nothing at all, the criminals only used a few methods, as long as there is enough time, there is nothing that cannot be asked, death?There is nothing happier than death.

But now everyone is urging them so hard, there is no time to torture them carefully, and even under the attention of many parties, no one dares to be tortured to death, so they can only simmer slowly.

You must know that once such a case is reported to the Holy Majesty to close the case, there will be no chance of repentance. If you find a problem later, you can only make mistakes, and even take the initiative to cover up the truth.

Ma Ze went to another room, the wailing here was not as loud as Li Gao's, it was dull and weak, bloodstained on the bodies of several tortured, it was obvious that they had been injured and unable to speak out within just over an hour after entering Beijing.

.....................

(End of this chapter)