Three Kingdoms: I am not Liu Bian

Chapter 283 Zhu Gongwei, do you now realize the importance of a prison official?
In Zhu Jun's bedroom at the residence of General Anxi.

Zhu Jun woke up from his hangover once again. Although his head was throbbing, his heart was filled with joy!
Because he had just arranged a second marriage for his eldest son, Zhu Hao.

Although she was not a young woman waiting to be married, but a young widow, this widow was a very powerful noblewoman!
Lai from Xinye, Nanyang, is a direct descendant of the Twenty-Eight Generals of Yuntai. She is the second daughter of the late Sikong Laiyan. At the age of twenty-five, she has already given birth to a daughter and is a sought-after woman with experience in childbirth!

The Lai clan of Xinye rose to prominence during the reign of Emperor Xiaowu. Their ancestor, Lai Han, was brave and talented. He served as the deputy general of General Yang Pu, who was in charge of the naval fleet, and defeated Nanyue and Korea. The clan had been in high rank for generations.

During the reign of Emperor Ai of the Former Han Dynasty, the Lai clan of Xinye declined slightly, and Lai Zhong, as the head of the Lai clan of Xinye, only served as an advisor.

However, Lai Zhong unintentionally took a path that would allow the Lai clan of Xinye to avoid a hundred years of struggle. He married Liu, the great-aunt of Emperor Guangwu, and they had a son named Lai Xi, who was the famous general who ranked among the Twenty-Eight Generals of Yuntai and became an original shareholder of the Later Han Empire!
Emperor Guangwu of the Ming Dynasty had a very good relationship with Lai Xi and respected him greatly. He once took off his clothes to give him a gift. He also wept bitterly when Lai Xi was assassinated by assassins sent by the Shu people. He personally wore mourning clothes to attend the funeral. Because of Lai Xi's merit in pacifying the Qiang and Long regions, he even changed Dangxiang County of Runan Prefecture to Zhengqiang Marquisate for him. This title has not been abolished for nearly two hundred years.

After that, the Shinnora clan continued to intermarry with the imperial family every other generation.

Lai Leng, the eldest grandson of Lai Xi, married Princess Wu'an, the daughter of Emperor Xiaoming.

Lai Ling was the eldest grandson of Princess Wu'an, Lai Ding, and married Princess Ping, the sister of Emperor Xiao'an.

Lai Hu, the eldest son of Lai Ding, inherited the title of Marquis of Zhengqiang, but died young without a son. The title was then inherited by his second son, Lai Yan.

Therefore, Sikong Laiyan's eldest daughter married Huang Wan, the Minister of the Three Dukes and Cao. She was about to marry Zhu Hao's second daughter, who was betrothed to the Song family of Chang'an, Jingzhao. However, her husband died young, and the Song family declined, so she lived as a widow in her parents' home for several years.

After Lai Min and Zhu Jun agreed to the marriage, Lai Min asked Zhu Jun to prepare for the betrothal ceremony in the coming days. Zhu Jun was so happy that he almost jumped for joy.

The Lai family of Xinye were players from the start of the game. Their power, which had not declined for nearly two hundred years, and their extensive network of connections throughout the court and the country, were enough to make Zhu Jun take them seriously.

Huang Wan, who is Lai Min's brother-in-law, is also the current Minister of the Three Dukes, Cao Shangshu. Huang Wan is also the nephew of Liu Yan's mother, making him Liu Yan's cousin.

By establishing a marriage alliance with the Lai family of Xinye, Zhu Jun was essentially being extended an olive branch by all the powerful and influential families in Nanyang who had formed kinship ties with Nanyang.

What appealed to Zhu Jun the most was that the Lai family of Xinye had been sparsely populated for the past two generations, and Lai Yan had only one son, Lai Min, besides her two daughters.

Lai Min inherited the title of Marquis of Zhengqiang. He is twenty-one years old this year and has not yet been recommended for official service.

The person who facilitated this marriage was Lai Min's brother-in-law, Huang Wan, who believed that the Lai family of Xinye was in a period of transition and it was the perfect time to marry into the powerful Anxi General Zhu Jun.

Zhu Jun, on the other hand, sought a marriage alliance with the Lai family of Xinye, who were known for their family's study of the Zuo Zhuan (a classic Chinese text), hoping to exchange this family tradition for the kindness shown to him in his time of need.

Although Lai Min was young, he had a wide range of readings and was well-versed in the Zuo Zhuan, especially the Cangjie Pian and the Erya. He enjoyed correcting ancient texts, which is why he did not rush to enter officialdom through the recommendation of filial piety and integrity, but planned to wait seven or eight years before entering officialdom.

However, Lai Min promised that after Zhu Hao and his second sister gave birth to a son, Lai Min would personally teach this future nephew the family classic "Zuo Zhuan" and give a copy of the interpretation of "Zuo Zhuan" to his nephew's lineage.

Lai Min was worried that Zhu Jun might receive the payment but fail to fulfill his contractual obligation to protect the Lai family of Xinye. The reason for not making an immediate prepayment was that he was concerned that Zhu Jun might not fulfill his contractual obligation to protect the Lai family of Xinye.

Although the Lai family of Xinye has a wide network of connections, none of their direct descendants hold official positions in the court. This makes it inevitable that some collateral branches will try to take advantage of the situation. Such family matters can only be handled by in-laws. Zhu Jun, a powerful court general who is eager to curry favor with the gentry, is the most suitable candidate.

Lying in bed, Zhu Jun drank a cup of honey water to quench his thirst. There were no banquets scheduled for tonight, and he planned to rest well for a day. Otherwise, drinking like this every day would take a toll on his body.

At some unknown time, Zhu Jun fell into a deep sleep once again, dreaming that the Zhu family of Kuaiji had become the foremost aristocratic family of the Han Dynasty, with four generations of high-ranking officials!

However, he had only just drifted off to sleep when he heard a commotion outside, which disturbed his sweet dream and greatly annoyed Zhu Jun.

Before he could get up and start cursing, the door was kicked open.

Although he was still hungover, the instincts honed from years of fighting in the army instantly dispelled his sleepiness. Zhu Jun suddenly threw off the covers and instinctively flung them away to block the person who had kicked him away. He then drew the ring-pommel sword from the bedside and slashed fiercely at the person who had been kicked away.

"clang!"

Gold and iron clash!

The leader was a cold-looking young man dressed in embroidered clothes. He reacted very quickly, immediately drawing his sword to parry Zhu Jun's slash, and at the same time, he turned sideways and kicked Zhu Jun hard in the abdomen!
Although Zhu Jun's mind had recovered, his hangover body was unable to make an effective dodge in time, and the kick landed squarely on his abdomen.

Zhu Jun groaned and staggered backward, the ring-pommel sword in his hand being snatched away by the young man. More than ten people behind him quickly rushed forward and pinned Zhu Jun to the ground.

The two iron plates were combined into a pair of "clamps" to lock Zhu Jun's neck and hands, while his ankles were handcuffed with a pair of iron shackles called "titanium".

"How dare you! I am the General of Anxi of the Imperial Court! How dare you do this!" Zhu Jun struggled fiercely, and when he saw the embroidered clothes on the young man and the clothes of the people holding him down, his heart sank.

The Embroidered-Robe Envoy and the jailer of the Court of Justice!

"Shi A, the Imperial Censor of Luoyang and concurrently the Clerk of the Bureau of Bandits in the Court of Justice, is hereby ordered by the Chief Supervisor of the Court of Justice to arrest the General!" Shi A looked down at Zhu Jun with an indifferent expression. He took out a piece of silk from his sleeve and unfolded it in front of Zhu Jun. His eyes were as calm as still water. He met Zhu Jun's gaze and said, "This is your arrest warrant, stamped with the seal of the Court of Justice. I trouble the General to accompany us to the Court of Justice."

Two years ago, Shi A was just a street urchin, but now he has arrested countless noble families and powerful clans. He has watched them kneel on the ground like dogs, begging him, a lowly commoner who was once considered less than a dog in their eyes, to spare them. Therefore, he is not nervous about arresting the Anxi General of the imperial court.

The trials and tribulations of the past two years have transformed Shi A from a wandering knight into an outstanding embroidered officer.

The emperor was very close to and trusted this commoner-born knight-errant. Perhaps it was because the emperor and he had both studied swordsmanship under Wang Yue, who was now serving as the Commandant of the Imperial Guard, and were considered fellow disciples. Therefore, the emperor appointed him as the Embroidered-Robe Censor of Luoyang, with a rank of 1,000 shi, the same rank as the Magistrate of Luoyang, in charge of the affairs of the Embroidered-Robe Envoys in the capital Luoyang.

Because he often cooperated with Guo Tu, the chief supervisor of the Court of Justice, to arrest lawless aristocratic families, the emperor simply appointed him as the clerk of the Court of Justice's Bureau of Criminals, with a rank of 400 shi, responsible for arresting criminals on behalf of the Court of Justice.

Having seen the world, Shi A was not afraid of the power of this General Anxi, and his backer was not Guo Tu, the Chief Justice, but the emperor behind him.

Even if Zhu Jun is released, it will not shake his position as an Embroidered-Robe Envoy.

"You... even with the arrest warrant from the Court of Justice, you haven't been convicted. Who gave you the authority to arrest a high-ranking official, and you even dared to assault me!"

Although Zhu Jun did not know what crime he had committed, the whole world had heard of Guo Tu's madness.

Who in the world doesn't know that there are two tigers and a dog in the capital!
The two tigers were Guo Hong, the incorruptible and impartial Sili Commandant, and Zhang Zhao, the wrathful Imperial Censor. After assuming the post of Sili Commandant, Guo Hong was incorruptible and ruthless, cracking down on powerful and influential families in Sili and punishing countless noble households.

As for Zhang Zhao, as the Vice Censor-in-Chief, he was even more intolerant of the slightest flaw. No matter who broke the law, he would immediately lead the Censors of the Censorate to submit a memorial impeaching them, and even impeach them in person at the Grand Court Assembly.

Once, when Zhang Zhao was arguing with the person he was impeaching, his hat and hat tilted due to his body movements, which is why he was called "Zhang Zhongcheng, whose hair stood on end in anger".

These two incorruptible individuals, like Dong Xuan during the reign of Emperor Guangwu, were known as "Sleeping Tigers" or "Two Tigers" by their contemporaries.

As for that dog, well, who else could it be but Guo Tu, whom even the powerful Minister Yuan Kui, who was known as a "traitor," dared to bite in public during the height of his power?
Guo Tu, acting as the Chief Justice of the Court, did not like to make a big fuss like Guo Hong and Zhang Zhao. When he found someone to be guilty of a crime, he would arrest them directly, using any means necessary. He even personally tortured criminals to force them to confess their crimes. The court and the public called him "the mad and vicious dog Guo Gongze" and greatly despised him.

Some time ago, Imperial Censor Huan Dian and a group of court officials impeached Guo Tu at the Grand Court Assembly for frequently forcing confessions under torture, calling him a "cruel official" rarely seen in the world, and deserving to be torn apart by chariots!

Guo Tu was not angry. Instead, he happily returned the bow to thank the court officials who impeached him as a "cruel official" and expressed his flattery at being treated the same as his idol.

To be called a "cruel official" was the highest praise a Legalist scholar could receive!

To be torn apart by chariots was the treatment reserved for the patriarch of Legalism!

If you Confucian scholars are unhappy, then we Legalist scholars are happy!
Moreover, after investigation, it was found that none of the criminals arrested by Guo Tu were innocent; although they were subjected to severe torture, the evidence was irrefutable.

Shi A, who often cooperated with Guo Tu, also submitted records of each time he helped Guo Tu arrest criminals to the emperor. Luo Yang's Embroidered Robe Chief often helped the Court of Justice investigate cases, but some evidence was only heard and seen, and not in hand. Therefore, although the other party's crime was confirmed, there was a lack of evidence sufficient to convict him.

That's why Guo Tu would torture the criminals so severely at this time, until they confessed and revealed where the evidence was hidden.

Therefore, the emperor did not punish Guo Tu, but only told him to be careful and invited him to dine with him to show his closeness. From then on, Guo Tu made a name for himself.

Zhu Jun didn't want to argue about what crime he had committed, but at least he couldn't be taken to the Court of Justice in chains, which would make him lose face and affect the marriages of his two sons.

Shi A glanced at him indifferently, his tone flat, and said, "Your retainers refused to open the door and cooperate, even after we showed them the arrest warrant. They even violently resisted the law with weapons after we broke down the door, so we had no choice but to fight our way in."

“The general was originally going to bed, and we did not intend to arrest him directly. However, the general swung his sword at me first. Since he violently resisted arrest and attacked the clerk of the Court of Justice and the prison guards, it is justified and lawful for me to arrest the general.”

Zhu Jun was startled. He had just woken up from a hangover and subconsciously imagined being attacked by enemy troops at night after a hangover in the army. He never expected that it was the Court of Justice that had come to arrest him.

Moreover, he suddenly realized a problem and subconsciously tried to get up, but the jailers pressed him firmly to the ground, saying, "What's going on with breaking in! How dare you use weapons without permission? The Court of Justice has no right to slaughter people in a minister's residence!"

"General, as I said, he is the Imperial Censor of Luoyang and the Clerk of the Bureau of Bandits in the Court of Justice."

"The power that the clerk of the Court of Justice does not have, I, the Embroidered-Robe Censor of Luoyang, do. Those that the Court of Justice dares not arrest, I, the Embroidered-Robe Censor, dare to arrest. The Emperor has personally bestowed upon me the ceremonial staff, and the Embroidered-Robe Censor acts on behalf of the Emperor, holding the tiger tally personally bestowed by the Emperor. Today, even if I were to order the City Gate Commandery and the Luoyang County and Kingdom troops to attack your residence, it would be perfectly justified."

Well, of course Shia doesn't have that kind of eloquence.

Guo Tu taught him all these arguments. Guo Tu told him that law enforcement officers themselves cannot leave any room for criticism, otherwise even if they successfully arrest criminals, they will still be subject to gossip.

Therefore, Guo Tu made a list of almost all the possible questions that might be asked and taught Shi A how to answer them.

Shi A gave the explanation he needed to give, and was unwilling to argue with Zhu Jun any further. With a wave of his hand, he said in a low voice, "Take him back!"

However, Zhu Jun was still somewhat unwilling to be taken back to the Court of Justice with his shackles on. He struggled with brute force and shouted hoarsely, "I shed blood in Jiaozhou, I was wounded in Liangzhou, I made contributions to the Han Dynasty, I want to see the country!"

The jailers of the Court of Justice were in a real bind. Although they were going to arrest Zhu Jun, the General of Anxi, they were not allowed to harm him except for the Court of Justice's normal torture and interrogation before he was formally convicted.

However, it would be difficult to bring Zhu Jun back without harming him, as he is, after all, a general who has been through many battles.

One of the jailers was shoved hard by Zhu Jun, his thigh hitting the corner of a table in Zhu Jun's bedroom. He winced in pain and gasped for breath, while Zhu Jun laughed loudly and shouted, "You lowly jailers think you can arrest me?"

Enraged and ashamed, the jailer pulled out a wooden spear from his waist (Note 1) and thrust the end hard into Zhu Jun's abdomen.

A wooden stick is a very short wooden stick with no sharp ends.

Zhu Jun immediately bent over in pain and knelt down, but he still managed to lift his head and straighten his upper body, glaring fiercely at the jailer with eyes as sharp as knives.

"You despicable official!"

"You prisoner!"

The jailer spat and plunged the wooden spear into Zhu Jun's abdomen once more. This time, Zhu Jun did not straighten his upper body; instead, he collapsed completely to the ground, kneeling with his chest pressed against the ground, his mouth wide open as he howled in agony.

The jailer tucked the wooden spear back into his waistband, put one hand on his hip, looked down at Zhu Jun, and said coldly, "Old thief, do you now realize how powerful a jailer is!"

The prison officials of the Court of Justice know all too well how to make prisoners wish they were dead.

Shi A frowned slightly and shook his head. These prison guards were too inexperienced; they insisted on using violence to enforce the law but didn't know how to use their brains.

He had the door panel of Zhu Jun's bedroom removed, and the crowd hurriedly tied the still groaning Zhu Jun to the door panel, carried the door panel out the door, like carrying a fat pig waiting to be slaughtered.

Of course, there are no personal grudges or conflicts involved.

Shi A absolutely did not intend to further humiliate Zhu Jun, nor was he acting on the emperor's private orders to deliberately humiliate him; it was simply a helpless act to subdue a criminal who resisted arrest.

(4409 words)
-

Note 1: There are many kinds of shu, some with blades and some without, some in different lengths, and some made of metal and some of wood. The shu in the jailer's hand is similar to the picture below. If the bronze is replaced with wood, there should be a handle on the left side of the picture.

(End of this chapter)