I was compiling the daily records during the Wanli reign

Chapter 124 Shen Nian's Drama Queen Father-in-Law and Father! Little Wanli Successfully Sets Up His Nest
The fifteenth day of the first lunar month is the Lantern Festival, nearing noon.

Shen Yaoshan and Gu Dongyi arrived at the Shuntian Prefecture government office located in Beilingchunfang, Beijing, and handed the complaint to a middle-aged clerk on duty in the office's processing room.

After reading the complaint, the middle-aged clerk said coldly, "This matter falls under the jurisdiction of the North City Patrol Office. You've come to the wrong place!"

Having said that, he returned the complaint.

Then, quite impatiently, he waved his hand at the two of them, telling them to leave immediately.

On duty during the New Year holidays.

Most of the clerks were not in a good mood, and they always treated the common people who came to file complaints with a terrible attitude.

Gu Dongyi took out a small silver ingot and secretly slipped it into the hand of the middle-aged clerk.

“Sir, we just came from the North City Patrol Office. Censor Xie said that matters concerning the selection of the Empress should be submitted to the Shuntian Prefecture. Could you please do us a favor and deliver this petition to the magistrate on duty today?” Gu Dongyi said in a sincere and humble tone.

Having been in business for many years, Gu Dongyi has developed the ability to be flexible and adaptable.

At this moment, he was like a small businessman who was almost at his wit's end, urgently needing the magistrate of Shuntian Prefecture to uphold justice.

The Prefectural Magistrate of Shuntian Prefecture was a sixth-rank official.

The judge is in charge of handling legal cases and is the primary person responsible for resolving lawsuits filed by the people of Shuntian Prefecture. He can make decisions on cases involving punishments of caning (including caning) and below.

The middle-aged clerk quickly stuffed the silver ingot into his pocket, and a smile finally appeared on his face.

He glanced at the complaint again, then looked around before saying to the two of them, "Come closer!"

Gu Dongyi and Shen Yaoshan quickly approached the middle-aged clerk, bowed down, and leaned closer.

The middle-aged clerk lowered his voice and said, "I guess you're dissatisfied with Ma Yi, the deputy commander of the North City Military Command, for extortion. So you want to get back the one thousand taels of silver you were extorted by accusing Ma Yi of being involved in the royal selection of the empress for personal gain!"

“That’s right, that’s right!” Gu Dongyi and Shen Yaoshan nodded quickly.

This reason is reasonable and especially consistent with their current status as small business owners.

If they claimed they were filing the complaint for the sake of fairness in the selection of the empress and for the stability of the Ming Dynasty's harem, the middle-aged clerks would regard them as madmen or fools.

Such words.

Only officials with insignia on their chests could say such things; ordinary people didn't care at all.

"Gentlemen, let me give you a piece of advice: consider that thousand taels of silver a loss to avoid further trouble! If you have no connections in the court, then don't file a lawsuit anymore. Otherwise, not only will you not get your money back, but you will also face imprisonment!"

After saying this, the middle-aged clerk walked towards the government office.

These kinds of clerks who "tell the truth for money" are considered relatively competent government officials in the eyes of the people.

Gu Dongyi and Shen Yaoshan exchanged a glance and both smiled helplessly.

After Xie Zhen, the lazy and incompetent imperial inspector, pushed the matter to the Shuntian Prefecture, their task became to test how the Shuntian Prefecture would handle it.

did not expect.

There was no chance of meeting the prefectural judge in charge of the case.

This is the difficulty ordinary people face in filing complaints!

Shuntian Prefecture was inconspicuous among the various government offices in the capital, but it was the only place for the people within its jurisdiction to seek redress and file complaints.

Offices like the Three Judicial Offices, the Office of Transmission, and the Drum of Petition, while seemingly open to the common people, were actually driven away by clerks even if people approached them.

They might even be arrested and imprisoned.

Gu Dongyi and Shen Yaoshan plan to write these things down so that young Wanli can see the hardships faced by ordinary people.

If it's this difficult for ordinary people in the capital region to file a complaint, imagine how much more difficult it is for people in remote prefectures, counties, and townships!

at this time.

A young man dressed in a gray shirt and shorts suddenly shouted from a distance, "Wang the clerk, wait a moment!"

Wang, the clerk (a middle-aged clerk), turned his head and, after seeing the young man in gray, glanced at Shen Yaoshan and Gu Dongyi.

Shen Yaoshan and Gu Dongyi immediately realized that the young man in gray was most likely a member of the Beicheng Military Command.

With the two suing Ma Yi in this way, the latter naturally could not let them off easily.

After whispering to the gray-clad youth for a moment, Wang, the clerk, walked out of the gate and looked at Shen Yaoshan and Gu Dongyi, who had not yet left.

"Didn't you want to complain? Come in with me!"

Shen Yaoshan and Gu Dongyi were overjoyed.

Now, the Shuntian Prefecture government will definitely be involved.

Whether this judge is loyal or treacherous will soon be known, and it might even expose more corrupt officials.

They are currently working to rid the court of corruption and treachery!

soon.

Wang, the clerk, led the two men to a public building, instructed them not to leave the building, and told them to wait for interrogation before leaving.

……

About a quarter of an hour later.

Inside the tea room of the Prefectural Government Office of Shuntian Prefecture.

Ma Yi, the deputy commander of the North City Military Command, and Song Qi'an, the prefectural judge on duty that day, sat facing each other.

"Judge Song, this is the situation. These two small merchants from Jiangnan have no backing in the capital. It's a small matter that they accused me of extortion, but it's a big matter that they accused someone of using the imperial selection of an empress for personal gain. Eunuch Yu (Yu Xiu) of the Imperial Household Department has already given instructions to lock them up for a few days, then convict them of a crime and exile them to the border!"

"If we don't handle this matter well, we will offend Governor Feng!"

The reason Ma Yi first went to find his eunuch godfather Yu Xiu was that he wanted to use Yu Xiu's influence to suppress Song Qi'an, the magistrate of Shuntian Prefecture.

Behind Yu Xiu was Feng Bao, the Grand Eunuch of the Directorate of Ceremonial.

Song Qi'an and Ma Yi were old acquaintances.

He often cooperated with the North City Military Command to resolve some of the people's lawsuits in private.

Song Qi'an thought for a moment.

“Commander Ma, my authority to adjudicate cases is limited to caning. If these two are sentenced to exile, it must be reviewed by the Court of Judicial Review, but there is currently no evidence!”

Song Qi'an was extremely cunning and would never do anything that would put himself in danger.

Ma Yi smiled faintly.

"Don't worry, how could I put you in danger! You just need to get those two Jiangnan merchants to sign and affix their fingerprints to the confession. As for the Dali Temple's review, Eunuch Yu will take care of that!"

"Good, I'm relieved to hear that!" A smile appeared on Song Qi'an's face.

The reason he cooperated so readily.

On the one hand, it was because they dared not offend the eunuchs Feng Bao and Yu Xiu.

On the other hand, if he were to investigate matters involving the selection of the royal empress for personal gain, it might ruin his career.

The eunuchs in the inner court represented imperial power.

The cabinet never provokes them.

As a mere sixth-rank official, how could he dare to investigate such a matter, especially since there is currently no concrete evidence?

Song Qi'an thought for a moment, then said, "Guards, immediately arrest those two Jiangnan merchants and take them to the prison!"

"Not going to investigate?" Ma Yi asked, looking puzzled.

According to custom, they should first be interrogated in the main hall, and then charges should be fabricated against them to force them to confess.

"No need for interrogation. Would they confess even if we did? Commander Ma, it's noon. Let's go have lunch first. Today, I'll treat!"

"Later, I will order someone to forge confessions, and then force the two to sign and affix their fingerprints. At the latest, the case will be settled by dusk, and then the case file can be submitted to the Dali Temple tomorrow. At that time, it will depend on Eunuch Yu's arrangements!"

"Brother Song, you truly live up to your reputation as the judge of Shuntian Prefecture; your efficiency is remarkable!" Ma Yi said with a smile.

If a conviction can be reached by dusk today, he can make a copy of the case file and extort more gold and silver from the servants of the two men in the inn tomorrow.

This money belonged entirely to him and his eunuch godfather, Yu Xiu.

There was another reason why Song Qi'an fabricated a confession without investigation.

He didn't want to show his face.

If anything goes wrong, the clerk who will act as his judge will take the blame.

Within the government offices, some clerks specialize in taking the blame; this is a way for lower-level officials to survive in their careers.

...The meal was finished in less than an hour.

With the combined efforts of the three clerks, a false charge was drafted.

The charges and sentences have been determined.

"Jiangnan merchant Shen Yaoshan and Gu Dongyi made unfounded comments about the selection of the empress, framed officials, and provided false evidence. It is recommended that they be sentenced to one month in cangue, sixty strokes of the cane, and exiled two thousand li."

Even if the charge of "making irresponsible remarks about the selection of the royal empress" is somewhat far-fetched, framing an official is a serious crime.

After reading the indictment, Ma Yi murmured, "This indictment is so meticulously written that it could easily pass for the real thing. Magistrate Song is truly a man of great talent!"

Song Qi'an stroked his beard and smiled slightly.

"In order not to affect the festival! The speed is also to implement our dynasty's performance evaluation system. Later, I will order someone to make those two Jiangnan merchants confess and sign their confessions!"

If Zhang Juzheng heard this...

Seeing that someone has turned the Examination and Assessment Law into a Law for Falsifying Examination and Assessment Results, they'd probably be furious.

……

A quarter of an hour later, in the Shuntian Prefecture prison.

Wang, the clerk, appeared before Shen Yaoshan and Gu Dongyi with two constables and handed them the indictment.

"Sign it. If you can live, it's not too bad!" Clerk Wang said calmly.

He had fabricated charges against others many times before.

As Shen Yaoshan and Gu Dongyi looked at the false confessions and false charges in the indictment, their eyes welled up with tears.

“Clerk Wang, the contents of this indictment are false! We...we plead not guilty, we absolutely refuse to plead guilty, we...we are innocent!”

"Can we not sue? We don't want the thousand taels of silver!" Gu Dongyi's legs trembled, his voice urgent, and his face filled with terror.

At this moment, Shen Yaoshan suddenly grabbed Wang Shuli's sleeve.

"Clerk Wang, please save us! Tell us how much money you need to settle this matter, how much money... to let us out! We'll find someone to raise the money right away!"

……

Snapped!
Wang Shuli slapped Shen Yaoshan's hand away.

The latter collapsed to the ground, his face filled with fear.

Wang, the clerk, said slowly, "No amount of money will help. You have done things you shouldn't have done and offended people you shouldn't have offended."

"Where is there any fairness in this world? Who doesn't seek personal gain? Who doesn't love money? You call yourselves businessmen, yet you really think you can bring down officials? You don't understand the ways of the world in the capital! If there's a next life, don't come to the capital!"

In Wang Shuli's eyes, they were just two unlucky small businessmen who had never seen the world and were willing to risk their lives for money.

After saying that, Wang the clerk waved his hand.

Immediately, the two clerks held down the hands of the two men who were struggling desperately, first drawing a circle on it, and then pressing their thumbs onto it with red fingerprints.

The movements were executed in one smooth motion, clearly indicating that he had done this many times before.

The so-called signing and sealing.

Actually, those who can read sign their names, while those who can't draw circles or crosses, and then press their handprints with their right index finger or thumb.

However, many officials who conduct trials, in order to save time, almost always have the criminals draw circles.

Wang, the clerk, disliked using torture.

Because he knew that what he was doing was immoral, and if he showed more murderous intent, he would eventually face retribution.

He was only focused on completing the task.

After the two were forced to sign and put their fingerprints on the document.

Wang the clerk added, "Don't even think about recanting your confessions, or the upcoming caning will be enough to kill you. Being alive is a blessing!"

"Place the pen and ink here so you can write your wills and make arrangements for your families. But Mo Yan himself is innocent, and I will have them delivered to him."

This statement reveals that Wang, the clerk, still possessed some humanity, though not much.

Immediately afterwards, Wang the clerk and his accomplices left with the charges against them.

Only Shen Yaoshan and Gu Dongyi remained in the cell.

The two looked at each other, and seeing each other's disheveled appearance, they couldn't help but laugh.

Faced with the current situation.

The two showed no signs of frustration or fear; on the contrary, they were quite excited.

Being imprisoned in the government jail on the Lantern Festival (January 15th of the lunar calendar) and forced to sign and affix one's fingerprint seems like a terrible ordeal.

However, if it was done while serving the emperor, then it was a completely different story.

This is a tremendous honor!

By doing this, the emperor would owe Shen Nian a favor and would surely compensate her handsomely.

Since Shen Nian was able to profit, the two felt they had made a huge profit.

Next, we'll see which officials will step forward, and whoever does will be the one to suffer.

……

Near dusk.

Shi Qing, the commander of the Embroidered Uniform Guard, reported everything that had happened to the young Emperor Wanli.

As a member of the Imperial Guard with imperial orders, it would be incredibly easy for him to inquire about things from the Shuntian Prefecture government office.

The young Wanli Emperor had a gloomy expression.

If he had directly ordered the three judicial departments to conduct a thorough investigation at that time, he would most likely have only found a few eunuchs, and would never have witnessed such a scene of "officials protecting each other and fabricating charges against the people with ease".

Currently.

Besides Ma Yi, the deputy commander of the North City Military Command, who should be sentenced to death, Xie Zhen, the censor patrolling the North City, and Yu Xiu, the eunuch of the Imperial Household Department, should also be sentenced to death. The official in charge of the Dali Temple's review tomorrow will also most likely be sentenced to death.

Emperor Wanli was able to tolerate the growing power of some eunuchs in the inner court because they represented imperial authority.

However, it is intolerable that they represent imperial power yet do things that harm it, and even more intolerable that eunuchs collude with officials from other government departments to deceive the emperor.

Shi Qing then said, "Your Majesty, I have also discovered three eunuchs who manipulated the selection of the royal empress for personal gain. They are all the adopted sons of Governor Feng. Should we continue the investigation?"

Little Wanli thought about it.

"If this matter involves Feng Daban, and evidence of his manipulation is unexpectedly discovered, destroy it immediately and then report it to me!"

When the young Wanli Emperor said this, he was naturally trying to protect Feng Bao.

He had deep feelings for Feng Bao and needed Feng Bao to do many things for him, so he did not want Feng Bao to leave him because of this.

immediately.

The young Wanli Emperor then said, "After the Dali Temple reviews this case tomorrow, we will begin the roundup. We will arrest all those involved in this case and send them to the Northern Garrison Prison. We will not question them yet; we will leave them there to linger!"

The young Wanli Emperor wanted to use this incident to demonstrate his imperial power, increase the emperor's control over officials, and make them more afraid of him.

"Furthermore, after rescuing Shen Bianxiu's father and father-in-law, give them this letter." The young Wanli Emperor took out a handwritten letter from the imperial table.

This was his reward to the two of them.

"Yes!" Shi Qing replied, cupping his hands in greeting.

……

As night falls, the moon rises above the willow branches.

Inside the capital, the streets and alleys were brightly lit and bustling with people.

Shen Nian's family was also strolling around Zhengyangmen. Shen's mother and Gu Yue'er were unaware that Shen Yaoshan and Gu Dongyi were in the mansion's prison.

Shen Nian only said that the two of them had gone outside the city on important business matters and would probably not return until tomorrow.

Shen Nian was actually happy to learn that her father and father-in-law were in the mansion's prison.

Because the two of them had this interaction with the young Wanli Emperor.

If you go north to do business after the New Year and encounter unexpected situations, this favor might just be your lifesaver.

Next, he waited patiently for the young Wanli Emperor to close the net and for a spectacular drama to unfold in the imperial court.

(End of this chapter)