Ming Dynasty: Ask Zhu Yuanzhang to abdicate at the beginning

Chapter 372 Ji Gang's ruthless methods in investigating cases! He doesn't follow the usual path!
Hearing the commotion outside, Wu Suning suddenly stood up, a sense of foreboding rising in his heart, and hurriedly walked towards the door.

The moment he stepped out of the room, the sight before him startled him.

A large group of men dressed in brand-new constable uniforms, armed with short guns, surrounded the county government office.

The constables of Qingxi County, their faces tense and anxious, stood facing the uninvited guests, weapons in hand.

The atmosphere was tense, as if a single spark could ignite the conflict.

When the constables of Qingxi County saw Wu Suning appear, it was like seeing the light of dawn in the darkness; they immediately had a pillar of support.

A constable chief, who was on good terms with him, strode forward, his voice tinged with anxiety: "Chief, you've finally arrived!"

"These guys claimed to be from the Ministry of Justice's Anti-Theft Division. They surrounded the county government office as soon as they arrived and demanded that we all disarm."

"What do you think we should do?"

As soon as he finished speaking, the crowd opposite him, like a well-trained army, quickly made way for him.

A man in official robes, with sharp eyes and a capable appearance, strode forward.

His expression was cold and stern. Without saying a word, he directly pulled out a purple-gold waist token and said in a loud voice, "You are Wu Suning, the magistrate of Qingxi County?"

"I am Ji Gang, a senior official in the Bureau of Criminal Investigation. I have been ordered to come to Qingxi to investigate a case. I hope you will cooperate honestly and not make a mistake!"

Although Ji Gang became an official, he did not change his江湖 (jianghu, a term referring to the underworld or江湖江湖义气, a code of honor among江湖义气) habits and still liked to refer to himself as "Laozi" (老子).

One reason is that he felt it was very impressive.

Secondly, it's also a deliberate attempt to maintain his "persona" as a江湖人 (jianghu person, someone from the martial arts world)!
In Ji Gang's view, Zhu Yunwen was able to use him partly because of his own abilities, which earned him the other party's appreciation, and partly because of his "identity" as a江湖人 (jianghu person, a person from the martial arts world).

If His Majesty the Emperor wants to pacify the martial world, he needs someone who is well-versed in its ways.

After all, the world is a complex place, and those civil officials who only know how to read the classics have no idea about the many intricacies involved.

Sending them to purge the underworld figures is mostly superficial.

As long as those martial arts sects lie low for a moment, the civil officials will assume that they no longer exist, have disappeared, and cannot be found!
Only someone like myself, who comes from the martial arts world, is skilled at dealing with all sorts of people, and understands the ins and outs, can delve deeper and capture all those martial arts practitioners who like to socialize and "use martial arts to break the law."

Of course, these are all just Ji Gang's wild guesses, and they are far from the actual situation.

But Ji Gang firmly believed in this "guess" and continued to maintain his "persona" as a江湖人 (jianghu person).

Wu Suning's gaze was instantly drawn to the waist tag.

His eyes were sharp as he stared intently at the waist tag, scrutinizing it carefully, not missing a single detail.

The seal clearly bears the five powerful characters "Ministry of Justice Anti-Theft Division," with the smaller characters "Langzhong Jigang" next to it. Below that is a line that reads: "This seal is used to prove identity and handle cases."

The waist tag is exquisitely crafted with intricate carving techniques and coated with a unique color-changing anti-counterfeiting coating that shimmers with an unusual luster in the sunlight.

Such craftsmanship can only be achieved by factories under the former Ming Dynasty Manufacturing Bureau, now the Ministry of Assets of the Ming Dynasty.

Even if an ordinary craftsman wanted to forge it, he wouldn't know where to begin.

Wu Suning pondered to himself, judging from the group's demeanor and attire, and combining this with the information reported by the constables earlier, he concluded that these people were most likely from the Ministry of Justice's Anti-Theft Division.

In an instant, Wu Suning felt his heart suddenly race, and a wave of tension surged through him.

We were just talking about Ji Gang inside the house, and in the blink of an eye, the person in question was right in front of us.

Wu Suning tried to calm himself down, his expression serious, his tone calm yet firm: "At first glance, this waist tag seems to have no problem."

"However, since His Majesty ascended the throne, he has repeatedly emphasized that no matter what we do, we must strictly follow the regulations of the court. We must not act recklessly just because of an identity token."

"Zhu Gaoxu, who was in charge of the Ministry of Justice, took advantage of his noble status and went to the military factory to collect firearms and ammunition without completing the necessary procedures."

"The factory director and supervisor, fearing his power and status, dared not disobey him and violated the court's procedures and regulations by making exceptional payments, which ultimately led to a major disaster."

"This lesson from the past is as vivid as if it happened yesterday."

“As a county constable, Wu bears heavy responsibilities and dares not be negligent or make any mistakes.”

“Even if you are indeed the Director of the Criminal Investigation Division of the Ministry of Justice, you cannot simply detain all the constables in a county without distinguishing right from wrong based on your status.”

"If this is to be done, an official document issued by the Fujian Provincial Surveillance Commission must be produced, which is in accordance with the rules and procedures."

"Otherwise, please forgive me for being unable to comply."

On the surface, Wu Suning spoke righteously, but inwardly he was as anxious as fifteen buckets of water being drawn up and down.

Those human traffickers who commit crimes outside often sneak back to their homes in Qingxi.

Perhaps right now, many people are still hiding in the county.

Ji Gang's ruthless and decisive style of action—he immediately ordered the arrest of all the constables in Qingxi County—will surely lead him to send people to the homes of those human traffickers to arrest people next.

If he manages to catch a few, we'll be in big trouble.

He knew in his heart that if another batch of "human traffickers" were arrested in Qingxi, he would not only lose his position as county magistrate, but would also likely be imprisoned.

Furthermore, even if those human traffickers are not in Qingxi, their wives, children, and other family members are mostly still there.

Once these people are apprehended and the crimes committed by the human traffickers are brought to light, the situation will become equally complicated.

The incident happened suddenly, and we must immediately send someone out to warn them so that they can flee Qingxi as soon as possible.

That's why Wu Suning acted so "boldly" and dared to openly defy Ji Gang's orders.

After all, he had no choice but to go all in and fight with all his might at this critical juncture.

No matter how high the other party's status is, as long as he can't find any fault with them, there might still be a chance for things to turn around.

Ji Gang's lips curled up slightly, revealing a mocking sneer. His voice seemed to carry the chill of frost: "Hmph, I knew you wouldn't give in so easily."

"Open your dog eyes and look carefully, I have two more seals here."

"This is an official document issued by the Ministry of Justice. It is written in black and white that I am here to investigate the case by imperial decree and the local judicial commissioners must fully cooperate."

"Anyone who disobeys orders or refuses to comply, I can use the name of the Ministry of Justice to handle it on their behalf first, and then report back later."

"As for the other letter?" Ji Gang let out a chilling laugh: "You're not qualified to see it. Men, seize them all!"

"Stop!" Just as the tension was about to escalate and a fight was about to break out, a loud shout suddenly rang out.

Everyone looked in the direction of the sound and saw Qian Motan, the magistrate of Qingxi County, dressed in official robes and looking hurried as he strode out of the inner office.

He was slightly overweight, and the fat on his face jiggled slightly with his hurried steps.

Upon seeing Qian Motan appear, Wu Suning was overjoyed, as if a drowning man had grasped at a straw. A hint of surprise flashed in his eyes, and he hurriedly stepped forward, his voice urgent yet tinged with grievance: "My lord, you've finally arrived!"

"These people claim to be from the Ministry of Justice, but they have no proof whatsoever. They come here and start spouting nonsense, saying they want to arrest and detain all the constables in Qingxi County. We beg Your Honor to do us justice!"

Qian Motan nodded slightly, a calm expression on his face. He then bowed to Ji Gang with his hands clasped, his posture perfectly appropriate: "I am Qian Motan, the magistrate of Qingxi County. I have long admired the reputation of the Chief of the Anti-Theft Division. It is an honor to meet you today."

According to the conventions of officialdom, Ji Gang should have returned the courtesy at this time.

But he didn't budge, his eyes gleaming with hostility as he sized up Qian Motan from head to toe like he was sizing up prey. He coldly asked, "So you're the magistrate of Qingxi County?"

"Do you know that Qingxi County, which you govern, has now become a den of swindlers and robbers!"

“Some thugs in Qingxi County used despicable means such as fraud and kidnapping to sell our Ming Dynasty citizens to Siam, Bagan and other places in Southeast Asia as slaves.”

"To date, the number of victims has reached tens of thousands!"

"His Majesty was furious upon learning of this and ordered the Ministry of Justice to solve the case within a specified time."

"I have come here on imperial orders to thoroughly investigate this matter."

“You’ve come at the right time. As the magistrate of Qingxi County, such a big thing has happened in your jurisdiction. If you say you know nothing about it, I don’t believe you.”

"Since we're here, let's take them all!"

At Ji Gang's command, the constables from the Anti-Theft Division behind him immediately stepped forward.

Qian Motan's face turned deathly pale instantly, then flushed red. His eyes widened in anger, and he roared, "Ji Gang, how dare you!"

"I am an official appointed by the imperial court, the dignified magistrate of Qingxi County. What right do you, a mere junior official in the Ministry of Justice's Bureau of Criminal Investigation, have to arrest me?"

Ji Gang threw his head back and laughed loudly, the sound echoing throughout the county government office, sending chills down everyone's spine.

After laughing, he suddenly reached out and pulled out another official seal from his pocket. He exaggeratedly turned the seal face up to Qian Motan and the others, then slowly unfolded it: "Look carefully, this is another official seal that the government affairs office specially issued to me when I left the capital."

“It is clearly written above that I, Ji Gang, am here by imperial decree to investigate the case, and the Administrative Office has granted me the authority to act expediently.”

"If I find any official who is corrupt or colluding with fraudsters, robbers, or thieves, I can act on my own initiative, arrest them first, and then report back to the capital."

"Lord Qian, tell me, even with explicit authorization from the government affairs office, do I have that authority?"

Ji Gang was in no hurry to take action, nor did he order his men to use force immediately.

On the one hand, he did not have any irrefutable evidence of collusion between county officials and constables and "human traffickers".

Based solely on his extensive experience in the underworld and his intuition for solving cases, he concluded that these people, as local bullies, could not possibly be completely unaware of this major case.

As soon as they hear a rumor, those human traffickers will definitely bribe officials in the government to seek protection in order to ensure their safety in their hometowns.

On the other hand, he had previously made a point of reviewing the Qingxi County security files stored in the Ministry of Justice.

It turned out that the place was surprisingly peaceful and harmonious, with an absurdly good public security and very few murders or homicides.

This is so abnormal.

How could a place identified by the Intelligence Bureau and the Intelligence Agency as a "bandit's den" have such good security?
He concluded that there was only one possibility.

That is, local officials and human traffickers have long been colluding with each other.

Those human traffickers were cunning and never committed crimes in their hometowns, so local officials and yamen runners pretended to turn a blind eye and completely ignored the heinous crimes committed by the human traffickers.

Therefore, as soon as Ji Gang stepped into the Qingxi County government office, he took decisive action, disregarding everything else, intending to first capture all the constables in one fell swoop.

Solve this case with swift and decisive action.

It's good to show off my skills in front of His Majesty!
Having made up his mind, he took the initiative and investigated the case in an unconventional, step-by-step manner!

However, Ji Gang knew in his heart that without solid evidence, he really didn't dare to rashly start a killing spree.

Otherwise, the situation will completely spiral out of control and become unmanageable.

That said, the magistrate and the county constable's reaction at this moment precisely confirmed his suspicions. These people had something to hide, which was why they resisted his orders.

They were probably trying to buy time so they could tip off the fraud gang in Qingxi and their families.

However, Ji Gang was not one of those pedantic scholars who only buried themselves in their studies and delved into knowledge.

He roamed the martial arts world from a young age, accumulating rich experience and knowledge through his trials and tribulations, and gaining a thorough understanding of the dark side of human nature.

To put it bluntly, he only needs to glance at these people's actions to guess what they are plotting.

Upon hearing Ji Gang's words, Qian Motan's eyes widened in shock, his mouth gaped open for a long time, his face filled with astonishment and fear.

He might not take the official documents from the Ministry of Justice seriously.

After all, unlike Wu Suning, he was a county magistrate and not directly under the jurisdiction of the Ministry of Justice, so he naturally had no need to fear the people of the Ministry of Justice.

In his view, no matter how powerful the Ministry of Justice was, it was useless if it couldn't control him.

However, when the order issued by the government affairs office was mentioned, Qian Motan's face turned ashen.

Nowadays, His Majesty rarely issues edicts in person, and the State Affairs Office handles many government affairs on his behalf.

This official document from the government affairs office was almost equivalent to an imperial envoy's "letter of appointment," carrying immense weight.

He could ignore the Ministry of Justice's orders, but he would never dare to openly disobey the orders of the Administrative Office.

Upon thinking of this, Qian Motan's body trembled slightly uncontrollably.

How could he, as the local magistrate, not have heard about the heinous acts committed by the human traffickers in Qingxi County?

However, since those crimes all occurred outside of Qingxi and were not committed within its borders, he naturally did not want to get involved, adhering to the official philosophy of "it's better to mind your own business."

Secondly, many of those human traffickers who made a fortune in other places also brought their money back to Qingxi to invest in their "hometown".

As a result, the economy and people's livelihood in Qingxi County have improved.

For example, some human traffickers funded the distribution of pension funds and food to all elderly people living alone in Qingxi County.

Some donated money to repair roads, making it easier for people to travel.

Others donated money to build schools and nursing homes, supporting local education and charitable causes.

For Qian Motan, the magistrate of Qingxi County, these became his "achievements" and important "capital" for his future promotion.

In his eyes, these people could bring him benefits, so why bother attacking them?

Thirdly, if we really take action against these "human traffickers," the security situation in Qingxi will not only not improve in the short term, but will deteriorate rapidly.

These human traffickers are ruthless and vicious criminals who dare to kill and commit arson in other places.

The reason they behaved so obediently in their hometown was simply to avoid trouble and ending up homeless.

If you really push them too far, they're capable of anything.

If this happens, at least in the short term, Qingxi will descend into chaos, and public security will deteriorate rapidly.

This was of no benefit to him, a "temporary official" who was only serving a short-term position in Qingxi.

After all, the higher-ups don't care what caused the deterioration of public security.

If any problems arise during your tenure, then it is your responsibility.

Fourth, most of the people in the government offices had accepted money from those "human traffickers" and colluded with them, acting as their accomplices.

Even if a county magistrate like him, who was transferred from another region, were willing to rectify the situation, he would face numerous difficulties and might not be able to succeed at all.

After all, most of the yamen runners were locals, with deep-rooted connections and complex relationships.

If he, a county magistrate with no real power, were to truly wage war against those human traffickers...

It's not impossible for someone to find a way to kill you.

Finally, and most importantly, he himself couldn't resist the temptation and accepted money from the "human traffickers."

Although his name means "Don't be greedy for money," he is actually quite ruthless when it comes to greed and has an enormous appetite.

For all these reasons, Qian Motan naturally did not want those "human traffickers" to be exposed and arrested.

Seeing Qian Motan's terrified and distraught appearance, Wu Suning felt a surge of contempt and cursed inwardly: "These scholars are just cowards, they can't even withstand the slightest storm. They were scared by Ji Gang's few words? What a spineless coward!"
But they completely forgot that when they faced Ji Gang just now, they were just as panicked and in no better shape.

Wu Suning quickly stepped forward, firmly supported his arm, leaned close to his ear, and whispered, "Sir, please don't fall into his trap."

“Even if his seals are genuine, why didn’t he go to the provincial capital, Fuzhou, to find the provincial officials first? Instead, he bypassed his superiors and came to our small Qingxi County.”

"Without the accompaniment of higher-ranking officials, how could our small Qingxi County government dare to easily receive such a 'big shot,' and how could we possibly determine the authenticity of his identity?"

"If you want us to acknowledge his identity, you have to report to the government, the executive branch, and the provincial government."

"We can only follow his orders after we confirm that everything is correct."

As he spoke, Wu Suning kept giving Qian Motan meaningful glances.

Qian Motan snapped out of his daze after being reminded by him.

He knew that, given the current situation, regardless of whether the other party's identity was real or fake, even at the risk of completely offending them, he had to try to delay as much as possible so that his people could go out and inform the "human traffickers" and their families in Qingxi, giving them a chance to escape.

Therefore, as long as you can find an excuse, you must hold on to it tightly.

Thinking of this, Qian Mo took a deep breath, trying to calm himself down. He raised his hand to wipe the beads of sweat from his forehead, straightened his back, and spoke in an official tone:
“What County Magistrate Wu said is absolutely right. Our small county government office is too small to accommodate such a great person, and we really cannot receive the distinguished guests from the imperial court.”

"Only the officials in the province are qualified to verify the authenticity of this waist tag and seal."

"Please rest at the county office for now, Lord Ji. I will send someone immediately to request the provincial government to send someone to verify your identity."

"If Lord Ji is indeed an imperial envoy sent by the court, I will obey your orders without question."

No sooner had Qian Motan finished speaking than the sound of rapid hoofbeats came from outside, "clatter clatter clatter," approaching from afar.

Immediately afterwards, the sound of horses neighing rang out, and the faint sound of someone jumping off a horse could be heard.

Another series of footsteps sounded.

A short while later, several people dressed in official robes, panting heavily, burst in from outside.

The leader, panting heavily, said, "Lord Ji, how come you ran so fast? I'm exhausted from chasing you!"

It turned out that Ji Gang traveled south from the capital and first arrived in Fuzhou, where he met with the governor, the imperial inspector, and the provincial judicial commissioner.

He then politely declined their hospitality and rushed to Qingxi overnight.

This greatly worried a group of officials in Fujian Province.

This was the first time they had encountered such an unconventional "imperial envoy."

Upon learning of this, Wei Zhenxing, the Provincial Surveillance Commissioner of Fujian, immediately led his men on horseback to pursue them.

Wei Zhenxing thought he would catch up quickly, but Ji Gang's horse was fast and tireless. He used all his strength and was so exhausted that he was about to fall apart before finally catching up on the third day.

It should be noted that the distance from Fuzhou to Qingxi is over 600 li (approximately 300 kilometers).

An ordinary imperial envoy would probably have to travel for more than ten days to arrive.

Upon seeing Wei Zhenxing, Qian Motan, Wu Suning, and the others turned deathly pale.

They certainly recognized the provincial inspector from Fujian.

But to everyone's surprise, the provincial inspector arrived at this very moment.

Now what excuse can they use to stall for time?

Ji Gang glanced at Wei Zhenxing sideways and said slowly, "Lord Wei, you've come at the right time. The magistrate and the lieutenant of Qingxi County said that they are low-ranking officials and do not know the official documents of the Ministry of Revenue, let alone distinguish the authenticity of the seal of the Administrative Office. Therefore, they disobeyed my orders."

"Lord Wei, please take a closer look and tell them whether the seal in my hand is real or fake?"

"Let them understand whether or not they should obey my orders."

Wei Zhenxing took the seal, glanced at it, and his face instantly turned ashen.

When they were in Fuzhou, the provincial capital, Ji Gang only showed the Ministry of Justice's official document, but deliberately kept the "special order for expedient action" from the Political Affairs Office hidden.

Otherwise, he wouldn't be the only provincial inspector chasing after us now.

It's possible that even the Fujian governor and the imperial inspector would have to hurry over.

"How dare you! How dare you disobey the imperial envoy's orders? Do you think it's uncomfortable to have your heads on your necks?" Wei Zhenxing shouted sternly.

Qian Motan and Wu Suning exchanged a glance, their eyes filled with helplessness, and could only bow their heads and say, "Your humble servants will obey the imperial envoy's orders!"

"Then take them all down," Ji Gang ordered calmly. "Detain the people in Qingxi County Government Office on the spot and interrogate them separately."

"If the person is innocent, release him immediately and reinstate him to his original position."

"Those suspected will remain in custody until the truth is revealed."

"Anyone found to be in cahoots with human traffickers or thieves will be severely punished."

After saying that, he paused and added, "Send the other half of the men with me to raid the residences of those 'human traffickers'."

Upon hearing this, Wei Zhenxing was taken aback and asked with a face full of doubt, "Lord Ji, you just arrived at the Qingxi County government office, and you've already found out where the 'human traffickers' in Qingxi are hiding so quickly?"

He really couldn't believe it.

Ji Gang's lips curled up slightly, revealing a faint smile, and he said, "On my way here, I saw mansions lined up one after another in Qingxi County, built with an extraordinary and magnificent style."

"But I haven't seen so many mansions elsewhere!"

"Where did the money to build these luxury houses come from in Fujian, a barren land with seven parts mountains, two parts water, and one part farmland?"

"I think that as long as we bring the people in those mansions to the county government office, investigate them thoroughly, and interrogate them, everything will be clear."

“If the money was earned through honest business dealings, we would not wrong them. After questioning them, we would politely send them home.”

"But if you're making money through dishonest means, then don't blame me for being ruthless."

……

(End of this chapter)