Ming Dynasty: Ask Zhu Yuanzhang to abdicate at the beginning

Chapter 374 Integrity and Honesty! Liberation!

Ji Gang picked up the confession signed and sealed by Wu Suning, a determined glint in his eyes.

Immediately, he ordered his men without hesitation: "Search and confiscate the house of Magistrate Qian Motan right now! Also, according to the confession, dig up the gold and silver treasures that Qian Monian has hidden."

As a "transferred official" transferred from another place to Qingxi, Wu Suning lived in the back office of the county government, which made it very convenient for him to search and confiscate the property, saving him a lot of trouble.

Immediately afterwards, Ji Gang strode into the room where Qian Motan was being held, his steps steady and powerful.

It was completely different from the dark and damp place where Wu Suning was imprisoned.

This was originally a study, but it has now been temporarily used as a prison cell, and the environment is obviously much better.

The air still carries a faint scent of ink, as if telling a story of past tranquility and elegance.

As soon as Ji Gang stepped into the room, he went straight to the point: "Wu Suning has already confessed and revealed how much bribe you accepted."

"If you know what's good for you, you'll confess yourself and not cause trouble for yourself."

His voice was deep and cold, carrying an undeniable sense of authority.

"Why would Lord Ji try to deceive me with such words?" A hint of disdain flashed across Qian Motan's face, his tone full of confidence and certainty.

As the saying goes, "If you have a clear conscience, you won't be afraid of ghosts knocking at your door in the middle of the night."

"I am upright and honest in my conduct and in my official duties. Why would I be afraid of your investigation?"

He straightened his back, his expression solemn, as if he were truly a model of integrity and incorruptibility, a good official who served the country and the people!

Ji Gang's lips curled up slightly, revealing a faint smile, but there was no warmth in that smile: "So, Magistrate Qian is indeed an honest, upright, and incorruptible official?"

His tone rose slightly, carrying a hint of teasing and sarcasm.

"Of course!" Qian Motan said with an upright and dignified expression, "Our Qian family has been composed of honest and loyal people for generations."

“My father named me ‘Mo Tan’ (莫贪), hoping that I would always remember that a gentleman loves money, but he acquires it in a proper way.”

"I will not touch a single penny of money that does not belong to me."

He paused slightly, his eyes gleaming with what he considered to be a righteous light, and continued, "Moreover, I have been well-versed in the classics since childhood, and the teachings of the sages have always been kept in mind."

"Studying to become an official is not for the sake of wealth and honor, but for the sake of serving the court and the country, and for the sake of bringing benefits to the people."

"I, Qian Motan, live an upright life, with a clear conscience before Heaven and Earth, and I have no regrets towards my ancestors and my own conscience."

His tone suddenly changed, and his face showed an indignant expression: "What I hate most in my life are those corrupt officials."

"They exploit the people, but do nothing of substance for them, completely forgetting their original aspirations when they entered officialdom."

"I would rather eat their flesh and drink their blood than associate with such people. How could I possibly stoop to their level?"

"I will never stoop to such low levels and become a corrupt, bribe-taking, and treacherous parasite on the country!"

Ji Gang clapped his hands lightly.

Applause echoed in the cramped room, the sarcasm growing stronger: "Magistrate Qian's words were brilliant, truly a wake-up call!"

"As expected of someone well-versed in classical texts, his eloquence and commanding presence are truly admirable!"

Ji Gang practically spat out those last words through gritted teeth, each one dripping with sarcasm.

After he finished speaking, he added slowly, "Scholars are different. They are upright and honest, and cannot be compared with a crude and ignorant person like me."

Qian Motan naturally understood the sarcasm in Ji Gang's words, but he remained calm and seemingly unconcerned, continuing to speak eloquently: "Life is as fleeting as grass and trees in autumn."

"Gold and silver treasures are all external possessions."

"You can't take anything with you when you're born, and you can't take it with you when you die. What good is it to have a lot of things?"

"It is better to cultivate oneself, immerse oneself in reading, not be tempted by external things, and only pursue inner peace. Only in this way can one attain enlightenment."

He raised his head slightly, looking aloof, and said, "Now that you have detained all the yamen runners of Qingxi County, you can go and ask them."

"Look at me, Qian Motan. Do I eat simple meals every day? Have I ever tasted any delicacies?"

"Do you wear plain clothes and linen every day? Have you ever worn fine silk or satin?"

"My poverty and frugality are well-known far and wide."

"Everyone in Qingxi County who knows me speaks highly of me."

“Everyone in the county government can testify for me, and I am not afraid of anyone slandering me.”

Ji Gang sneered, a cold glint flashing in his eyes. He took a step forward, staring intently into Qian Motan's eyes, and spoke slowly and deliberately:
"If that's the case, then may I ask Magistrate Qian, are the people under your jurisdiction in Qingxi committing all sorts of evil deeds, such as robbery, murder, arson, kidnapping, fraud, and other heinous acts, to lure innocent people of our Great Ming Dynasty to Siam and Bagan?"

“Once those people are deceived and go to Siam or Bagan, they will be imprisoned as slaves and suffer all kinds of torture.”

“These people make dirty money outside, but they run back to their hometown to build mansions and pretend to donate money everywhere, build schools and charity halls, and pretend to be great philanthropists.”

"As the magistrate of Qingxi County, is Magistrate Qian really completely ignorant and has never heard a word about this?"

His voice gradually rose, carrying a hint of questioning and anger.

The atmosphere in the room became tense and oppressive.

Qian Motan's face darkened, a hint of displeasure flashing in his eyes. He coldly said, "Most of the wealthy merchants in this county are out doing business in other places."

"I am not a god who can predict the future and know the future. How could I possibly know what kind of business they are doing outside and what means they use to make money?"

“If they don’t tell me, I have no way of investigating these matters.”

He raised his chin slightly, with a hint of pride: "Anyway, under my careful governance, Qingxi County is peaceful and harmonious, and everything is thriving."

"This magistrate has vigorously promoted education, built schools, and ensured that all children have access to education."

"The establishment of Jishantang allows the elderly to live in peace and comfort."

"At the same time, we vigorously built roads and dredged canals, making Qingxi a well-connected and convenient place for people to travel, so that the people no longer have to worry about drought or flood when farming."

“These tangible achievements are evident to every resident of Qingxi.”

Qian Motan became more and more agitated as he spoke, and his voice rose a few decibels: "If you don't believe me, you can walk out of this county government office and go to the streets to ask any ordinary people what they think of me as their local official!"

"You can also go to the provincial government to check your superiors' comments on me and see how they evaluate me."

"Furthermore, may I ask, if Qingxi County is truly as you say, a 'bandit's den,' and the wealthy merchants of Qingxi are all ruthless robbers, then why has the security in Qingxi County remained so good, with the people living in peace and contentment, and no one picking up lost items on the road or locking their doors at night?"

"Why do those human traffickers you mentioned, who are ruthless killers and have committed countless evil deeds, suddenly transform into law-abiding citizens once they arrive in Qingxi?"

Qian Motan stared intently at Ji Gang, his words aggressive: "Even if we take a step back and assume that they are truly wicked villains who kidnap and abduct our people to Siam and Pagan as slaves, they all behaved well and obeyed the law in Qingxi County, not daring to overstep the bounds. This can only mean that I have governed effectively, making them wary and not daring to act recklessly in Qingxi County."

"As for the evil they committed in other places, what does that have to do with me?"

"No one has come to this county to file a complaint, and it is impossible for this county to send anyone to Siam or Bagan to investigate!"

Ji Gang listened quietly, then gave a thumbs-up and said with a half-smile, "Magistrate Qian's words were truly brilliant."

"From this perspective, the imperial court should not only not hold Magistrate Qian accountable, but should instead reward him handsomely and promote him to a higher rank."

Qian Motan, with a serious and solemn expression, straightened his back and said, "I receive the salary of the court, and as a servant of the emperor, I am obligated to serve the court wholeheartedly, to repay the Ming Dynasty, and to serve His Majesty."

“Doing these things is my duty and my responsibility.”

"As long as I can bring benefits to the people and do practical things, I really don't care whether I will be rewarded by the court or promoted."

"My sincere heart is as clear as the sun and moon, and as heaven and earth bear witness."

At this point, his tone suddenly changed, and a ruthless glint flashed in his eyes: "However, I am not so easily wronged!"

"Lord Ji, you have no evidence whatsoever. Based solely on your conjecture, you have abused your power by detaining me without cause on the grounds that I am protecting 'human traffickers' within my territory."

"Do you know that I came from the imperial examination system and have many friends in the court who graduated from the same year?"

"My mentor is a highly respected figure in the court." "As for who he is, I will not mention it today."

"If Lord Ji doesn't believe me, he can always go and inquire about it."

"If they hear that I have been wronged without cause, they will certainly not sit idly by and will definitely petition the court to redress my grievances."

"I advise Lord Ji to release me as soon as possible, lest you bring trouble upon yourself."

As he spoke, he narrowed his eyes slightly, his threatening intent making no attempt to conceal it.

Ji Gang threw his head back and laughed loudly.
Laughter echoed in the room, filled with disdain and contempt: "How grand of a statement!"

"Sure enough, the more corrupt the officials are, the better they can talk than they can sing."

"On the surface, they appear to be full of righteous indignation, but behind the scenes they do all sorts of despicable things that violate their ancestors and cannot be brought to light!"

As he spoke, Ji Gang suddenly pulled out the confession written by Wu Suning from his pocket and slammed it onto the table:
"See for yourself. This was all written by the Qingxi County Lieutenant himself. It details the amount, time, place, and people involved in every bribe you received. It's irrefutable evidence!"

Qian Motan stared intently, and in an instant, all the color drained from his face.

Just now, Ji Gang said that Wu Suning had taken the initiative to confess, but he still didn't believe it and thought that the other party was testing him.

In Qian Motan's view, as long as he kept his mouth shut about accepting bribes from those human traffickers, and the human traffickers kept their mouths shut as well, no one would be able to find out.

After all, these bribery cases do not directly infringe upon the interests of any specific, named victim.

He did not openly do things for them just because he accepted bribes.

They simply pretended not to know or care about the evil deeds they committed outside Qingxi County.

This can be easily dismissed as a lack of knowledge, and outsiders would find it extremely difficult to verify.

That's why he was certain that Wu Suning wouldn't easily reveal it.

After all, this does Wu Suning no good.

But to my utter surprise, this guy revealed everything so quickly.

"Slander! This is all slander!"

After a brief moment of shock, Qian Motan screamed at the top of his lungs:

"This Wu Suning, as a county magistrate, accepted bribes from robbers, bandits, and human traffickers, and actually fabricated these false accusations to openly slander this official!"

"Utterly hateful, he deserves to die! He deserves to die."

"I was completely kept in the dark by him before; I was truly blind!"

His face flushed red, his anger erupting like a volcano.

Taking a slight breath, Qian Motan suppressed his anger, tried his best to calm himself down, put on a righteous and indignant expression, and cupped his hands in greeting:

"Lord Ji, you are an expert in handling cases, so you are naturally familiar with the laws of this dynasty."

"A single person's testimony is merely one side of the story, so how can it be easily accepted?"

A fleeting, almost imperceptible cunning glint flashed in his eyes, vanished in an instant, and he concealed it: "The laws of this dynasty clearly stipulate that three witnesses are required to testify."

"Furthermore, in any case of embezzlement or bribery, the perpetrator must be caught red-handed in order to be convicted."

"With only one person making the accusation and no embezzled funds, what is this if not slander and falsehood?"

He once again displayed an arrogant expression of integrity and self-discipline, and continued, "My family has no surplus wealth. Since I came to Qingxi to serve as the county magistrate, I have been living in the back office of the county government and have never purchased any property."

"They usually eat radishes and greens, and wear coarse clothes and linen."

"There is no gold or silver treasure at home, nor any property outside."

"Lord Ji accuses me of embezzlement and bribery, which is unlikely to convince the people of Qingxi, let alone the many loyal officials of the court."

Ji Gang listened quietly, nodded slowly, and smiled, "Magistrate Qian is indeed a well-read man, with a thorough understanding of the laws of the Ming Dynasty."

"Don't worry, I always insist on evidence when handling cases. Only when the perpetrator is caught red-handed and the evidence is conclusive will I convict someone. I will never wrong an innocent person."

As he said this, he narrowed his eyes slightly, as if talking to himself, or as if deliberately telling people not to be greedy when offered money.

"Judging by the time, the people sent to dig up the gold and silver treasures buried by Magistrate Qian should be back by now."

"Digging for gold and silver treasures?" Qian Motan's heart tightened suddenly, as if he had been gripped tightly by an invisible hand, and his face turned deathly pale instantly.

at this time.

With a creak, the door was pushed open forcefully.

A constable from the Anti-Theft Division strode in, bowed to Ji Gang, and said, "Sir, we've dug them all out!"

Ji Gang remained calm, nodded slightly, and said indifferently, "Bring it up."

Soon, a group of constables filed in, carrying basket after basket of gold and silver treasures, filling the room to the brim.

Qian Motan, who had just been calm and confident, and swore to be an incorruptible official, suddenly changed his expression upon seeing the scene before him. He seemed to have lost all his strength, and his body swayed, almost unable to stand.

“When Magistrate Qian received money from others, he went to the Daming Bank to exchange it for silver, and then found a secluded place to secretly bury it.”

Ji Gang stepped forward, picked up a glittering piece of silver, and tossed it gently in his hand: "He usually pretends to eat coarse food and wear simple clothes, but his silver is buried in the ground."

"Thinking that he had done something flawlessly, he did not realize that in this world, if you don't want others to know, then don't do it in the first place."

Ji Gang sneered: "Wu Suning has been secretly watching what Magistrate Qian has been doing for a long time."

"However, considering that Magistrate Qian is the magistrate of Qingxi County, he doesn't dare to dig up the silver you buried without permission."

"Now, Wu Suning has confessed, and in order to lessen his sins, he also revealed the location where Lord Qian buried the silver."

"I sent people to dig, and sure enough, they dug up so much gold and silver."

Ji Gang's voice suddenly rose, echoing in the room like a booming bell: "Now that things have come to this, does Magistrate Qian still intend to argue?"

Qian Motan stared at the mountain of silver in front of him, his eyes gradually becoming vacant, as if his soul had been ripped away.

His body began to tremble uncontrollably, and soon two streams of turbid tears slid down his cheeks.

"I...I...I'll tell you, I'll tell you everything..."

Suddenly, Qian Motan burst into tears, like a helpless child.

The cries were filled with regret and despair.

"Actually, although I received a lot of silver, I dared not spend or use a single penny of it."

"I'm afraid of being found out by outsiders, afraid of being found out by my former classmates and friends."

“They all pride themselves on being upright and honest. If they knew that I had actually accepted so much money as a bribe, I would never be able to face anyone again.”

"Being surrounded by this silver, I can't eat or sleep!"

"But I really... really can't bear to part with it!"

"With so much money, I can do so many things."

"When I retire from officialdom, I can go back to my hometown, build a big house, acquire land, and enjoy the rest of my life in comfort."

"I never expected this... I never expected this... In the end, it was all for nothing."

"But it's alright, I'm finally free."

Qian Motan slumped to the ground, clutching his head with both hands, his body curled up in a ball, as if he wanted to disappear from the world and never be seen again.

……

(End of this chapter)