There is a space for passenger planes in the late Ming Dynasty

Chapter 26 There still has to be a bottom line

As soon as Lin Feng arrived at the county government office the next day, the official Chengfa came over and told him that the county magistrate had invited him and asked him to go there as soon as possible.

This was the first time that the county magistrate took the initiative to invite him over for discussion. It seemed that there was something urgent. Lin Feng thought about it for a while but had no idea. He hurriedly washed his face and went to the county government lobby.

Magistrate Zhang was already sitting in the main seat, his face was not happy, and he was still talking about something while drinking tea. Seeing Lin Feng coming in, he immediately greeted him: "Yuanshan is here, come here and sit down and drink tea."

Magistrate Zhang was very enthusiastic when he saw Lin Feng. He completed the tax collection task so quickly and gave himself a few hundred taels of so-called management fees. Can such a good subordinate be less enthusiastic?

"What's the matter with the county magistrate's invitation so early?" Lin Feng asked directly as he sat down.

"Yuanshan, we received a letter early in the morning from the Qiangbao garrison of Yulinwei Town, that is, the Liu family and Liu Qianhu of Dabao Town. They want us to sell him a favor and let the Liu family and his son go." Magistrate Zhang said. The reason for summoning Lin Feng.

"What does the county magistrate think?" Lin Feng had to test Shangguan's thoughts first.

"Originally, the Yulin Guards have no influence on our county government, but now civil unrest is frequent, and Mongolian Tatars often come to the border to harvest grass and valleys. I am worried that I will offend the Yulin Guards. If anything happens in the future, they will definitely avenge themselves and refuse to come. Help." Magistrate Zhang did not hide his concerns.

"It's okay to say that Liu Pengsheng, the head of the Liu family, is covering up his son's crimes. But Liu Shangjin, the son of the Liu family, raped the mother and daughter of a good family and killed the whole family. This crime is extremely heinous, the evidence is conclusive, and the impact is extremely bad. Should we just let it go?"

"Hey, so it's a dilemma. If you don't do it, you will definitely offend the Yulin Guards. The soldiers are getting more and more domineering now. If you do it, you can't explain it to the people of Fugu. It's really a headache."

"Your Majesty, if we bend the law for personal gain in this matter, not only will we not be able to explain it to the people of Fugu, but our own conscience will also be troubled."

What Lin Feng hates the most is such a vicious second-generation rich man. If you have money, you can spend money to buy it. He also engages in forcible rape and murders. Such people are not tolerated by nature.

"That Liu Shoubei also said in the letter that he asked the commander of the Yulin Guards to go to the state government office to say hello, and planned to take Liu Shangjin to the state government office for interrogation, so as to avoid us being in trouble, just to let us go."

Magistrate Zhang added that he was afraid of being impeached for blatantly bending the law for personal gain, so the transfer to the state government would not be so stressful.

"Your Majesty, if the prisoner is handed over to the state government and released, the public's anger will still be here. Now the people are very excited. If Liu Shangjin went to the state government for a while and then was released to Dabao Town, I would have no shame in the government. Gu, keep on working, if it leads to a civil unrest, we will have to live with it." Lin Feng doesn't want to do this kind of thing.

"What should Yuanshan say? Liu Qianhu can withstand the pressure, but the state government will not be able to withstand it if it is handed down." Magistrate Zhang did not want to offend anyone, let alone Shangguan.

Hearing this, Lin Feng also fell into deep thought. If you offend Yulin Guard by not releasing someone, you will most likely be retaliated against in the future. If the state government's instructions come, if you don't comply, you may be punished immediately.

But if you let it go, you will give up your bottom line as a human being.

If it's a minor problem, Lin Feng really doesn't mind being a favor. If he really wants to be selfless in everything he does, he will definitely have no friends, and he is not that kind of rigid person. But can this kind of murder case be let go?

If this is also selling a favor, then what else cannot be sold? What are the bottom lines of a human being? What a difficult choice.

After thinking for a while, Lin Feng decided to follow his heart and not let go of scum like Liu Shangjin. There must be a bottom line in being a person or an official.

Anyway, since I have just been appointed county magistrate, I will not be promoted immediately. If I offend the superior, I will be offended, and I am afraid of being punished.

"My lord, this matter has put you in a difficult situation. I thought of a way to deal with Liu Shangjin and leave the state government speechless." Lin Feng made up his mind and began to lobby Magistrate Zhang. “Oh, what can we do in the distant mountains?”

"The county magistrate has just received the letter from Liu Qianhu, and the state government has not sent a greeting yet. You went out to inspect the countryside early in the morning, and before you had time to tell me, I will hold a public trial today to arrest Liu Shangjin. The charges are proven, so I think the state government will not be able to publicly exonerate him," Lin Feng said.

"This is a solution. I'm afraid that the state government won't be happy and will give us some shoes to wear." Magistrate Zhang was still worried.

"Your Majesty, if the state government still wants to blame you for this, just say that I made the decision without asking you for instructions. As a newly appointed county magistrate, I am not afraid that they will slip into their shoes." Lin Feng showed a pair of single-mindedness. Thinking about Magistrate Zhang.

"Hey, Yuanshan's ambition to serve the people is really admirable to me. I think back when I read the books of sages and obtained fame, I was as energetic as Yuanshan. It's a pity that this officialdom..." It seems that County Magistrate Zhang was also a person back then. A passionate young man full of energy.

"County Lord, I'm going to take care of it then. This matter needs to be cut through quickly and it's not appropriate to delay it any longer." Lin Feng reminded.

"Go ahead and do as you say Yuanshan. When I receive their greetings, I will have been convicted, so I can't be blamed." Magistrate Zhang also found a reason for himself, and after speaking, he pressed Lin Feng suggested to patrol the countryside.

Anyway, as long as he doesn't get into trouble, if Lin Feng insists, let him touch the iron plate.

The square at the entrance of the government office.

A simple trial court has been set up, with Lin Feng high on the stage and two rows of government officials standing on the left and right.

When they heard that there was going to be a public trial on the murder case of the Li family on Rulin Street that caused a sensation throughout the county last year, countless people from Fugu gathered around to listen.

"Bring the accuser and the criminal to court." Lin Feng ordered. Li Changji and Liu Shangjin were brought up respectively.

The last time Li Changji went to the Yamen to complain, he had injured one of his legs and was still limping when he walked. When he saw Liu Shangjin, his eyes burst out with rage and he wanted to bite him to death.

Although Liu Shangjin was shackled, his clothes were neat and he looked nonchalant.

"What grievances does the plaintiff have?" Lin Feng asked.

"Sir, last August, when Liu Shangjin saw my sister Li Xiuzhu on the street, he had evil thoughts in his heart. After he asked for a concubine but was refused, he actually bribed the evil officials of the county government prison and forced his way into the Li family on the pretext of providing information to the bandits. He entered my house, robbed my family property, raped my sister and mother in front of my father, and later brutally murdered my entire family because he was afraid they would sue. My servant Li Asan happened to be returning from shopping for groceries, and he hid at the back door and saw this. This scene is truly tragic, I beg you to make decisions for the people." Li Changji fell to the ground and cried loudly.

"Liu Shangjin, can you plead guilty?" Lin Feng asked.

"What crime are you pleading guilty to? I've never done it." Liu Shangjin denied it.

"Bring witnesses!" Lin Feng ordered.

Witness Li Asan and Li's neighbor Zhang Gengfu were brought up.

　The third update is here today, please give me your support
  　　
  　
  (End of this chapter)