I was compiling the daily records during the Wanli reign

Chapter 159 Yin Zhengmao's trial at the ferry crossing, execution by beheading on the banks of the canal

into the night.

At the Matouji ferry crossing in Tongzhou, torches were lit, illuminating the area as bright as day.

The four officials, Gao Jin, the eunuch in charge of the Tongzhou granary, Qin Cheng, the imperial inspector of grain transport, Duan Shutang, the secretary of the grain office of the Ministry of Revenue, and Peng Jiushan, the secretary of the Tonghui River of the Ministry of Works, were released from the grain transport boat.

The four people were on the verge of death.

Yin Zhengmao ordered his men to feed them some dry food and water, and the four of them gradually recovered.

not far away.

There were more than ten open wooden boxes piled up, containing silk, tea, spices, medicinal herbs, etc., all of which were of the highest quality.

This is only a small part of the cargo ships.

The exact figures are still being verified against the ledgers provided by Ding Yuanzhi.

After a while.

The four men were brought before Yin Zhengmao.

Upon seeing Yin Zhengmao, Gao Jin, the eunuch of the Tongzhou granary, cried out in his hoarse voice, "Lord Yin, you...you must do us justice! Ding Yuanzhi, the prefect of Tongzhou, incited a group of unruly people to start a riot, and they almost killed the four of us!"

He thought that Yin Zhengmao had come to save them and to uphold justice for them.

Yin Zhengmao glanced at the wooden crates not far away and said, "You should first explain what's going on with these goods that were searched from the cargo ships?"

Gao Jin glanced at the wooden box, then turned to look at Qin Cheng, the Imperial Inspector of the Grand Canal.

Qin Cheng turned to look at Duan Shutang, the secretary of the Grain Office of the Ministry of Revenue, and Peng Jiushan, the secretary of the Tonghui River Office of the Ministry of Works.

The official rank order of the four is as follows:

The eunuchs of the Tongzhou granary and the imperial inspectors were both of the seventh rank, while the officials of the Ministry of Revenue’s Grain Hall and the Ministry of Works’ Tonghui River were of the fifth rank.

However, the first two were inspectors, while the latter two were resident local officials. Although Gao Jin and Qin Cheng held lower official positions, their actual power was much greater than that of the two physicians.

Immediately.

Duan Shutang, the secretary of the Grain Office of the Ministry of Revenue, stepped forward.

As an official under the Ministry of Revenue, he was Yin Zhengmao's direct subordinate and the person most familiar with Yin Zhengmao.

"Your Excellency, these grain transport ships should be carrying only grain and not smuggled goods. I suspect that either some grain transport soldiers or Ding Yuanzhi, the prefect of Tongzhou, are smuggling goods. If Your Excellency could give me half a day, I would be able to find out the truth!"

Duan Shutang, around forty years old, was somewhat overweight, with a round face and a very noticeable double chin.

Peng Jiushan, the Assistant Director of the Tonghui Canal Department of the Ministry of Works, who was standing nearby, also quickly cupped his hands and said, "This humble official is willing to investigate together with Assistant Director Duan!"

Shen Nian looked at the two of them with serious expressions and couldn't help but laugh.

The fact that they can lie so easily without batting an eye shows that this is definitely not the first time they've done something like this.

Yin Zhengmao stood up, walked up to Duan Shutang, suddenly pinched his chubby face, and said coldly, "Say it again, do these goods have anything to do with you?"

Duan Shutang's face was pulled painfully.

"Your Excellency, this has nothing to do with me! Did Ding Yuanzhi frame me? With Eunuch Gao and Censor Qin here, I would never dare to smuggle in any personal gain!"

"boom!"

Yin Zhengmao kicked Duan Shutang in the stomach, sending the latter flying more than ten feet away.

This kick caused the other three to kneel down.

Yin Zhengmao's fondness for violence was a well-known fact throughout the court.
He was the only official in the Ming Dynasty who angered Feng Bao to the point that he would avoid him whenever he saw him.

"Bring it up!" Yin Zhengmao shouted.

Suddenly.

Shi Qing, a member of the Embroidered Uniform Guard, came over with clerks, accountants, registrars, and several canal soldiers from the grain transport ship.

These men were all beaten black and blue.

When the Imperial Guards interrogated people, they always used force before talking, and these people confessed everything in no time!

Swish!Swish!
Yin Zhengmao threw several account books and the testimonies written by the witnesses in front of the four men.

"With witnesses and physical evidence on hand, how do you plan to deny it?"

The four quickly picked up the ledger and the confessions and began to read them.

Lean slightly.

Just as Duan Shutang, the secretary of the Grain Office of the Ministry of Revenue, and Peng Jiushan, the secretary of the Tonghui River Office of the Ministry of Works, were stunned.

Gao Jin, the eunuch of the Tongzhou granary, bowed and said, "Lord Yin, this servant knew nothing about this matter, but I failed in my duty of supervision. Please punish me!"

Inspector Qin Cheng was taken aback for a moment, then quickly cupped his hands and said, "Lord Yin, I was completely unaware of this. It was also a failure of supervision. Please punish me!"

The two men found that the account book and their confessions both mentioned Duan Shutang and Peng Jiushan.

Therefore, they wanted to evade responsibility.

Oversight negligence is far less serious than dereliction of duty or embezzlement.

Yin Zhengmao ignored Gao Jin and Qin Cheng, and instead walked to Duan Shutang and Peng Jiushan's side, squatted down, and asked, "Do you plead guilty? Do I need to remind you again?"

Yin Zhengmao's reminder naturally led to action.

Back when he was suppressing Japanese pirates along the coast, he was the kind of man who could charge into battle with a knife and split a Japanese pirate in two.

"This humble official confesses his guilt!" Duan Shutang said, bowing.

"This humble official...this humble official also confesses!" Peng Jiushan also spoke up.

With witnesses and physical evidence present, their attempts to deny it are futile.

Yin Zhengmao then asked, "Are Gao Jin and Qin Cheng unaware of this matter, or are they conspiring with you to smuggle in their own goods?"

The two hesitated, not daring to speak.

"Don't think they have powerful backers who can save you. You have committed a capital crime. The only difference is whether your family members will be pardoned, exiled, sent to the army, or enslaved. Only by confessing honestly can you reduce the punishment for your family members!"

“They…they were involved! Of the profits, the two of us took 30%, Imperial Censor Qin took 30%, and Eunuch Gao took 40%!” Peng Jiushan couldn’t help but blurt it out.

Yin Zhengmao looked at Duan Shutang and asked, "Is that the truth?"

"Yes, it's true!" Duan Shutang's forehead was pressed tightly against the ground, and his back was soaked with sweat.

Yin Zhengmao looked at Shen Nian not far away, and Shen Nian nodded and said, "It has all been recorded!"

At this time.

Gao Jin raised his head and said coldly, "Grand Secretary Yin, embezzlement in the grain transport is now commonplace. You are not unaware of this, nor is the court. If you convict us based on this, then all the grain transport boats on the Grand Canal are problematic, and few officials in the grain transport system are clean. Those who are clean simply cannot meet the performance evaluation requirements set by the court!"

"I urge you to think twice. If this matter escalates and disrupts the canal transport, the daily lives of all the officials in the capital this year will be affected, and it may even seriously impact His Majesty's wedding next year!"

"This matter is simply a magistrate leading a group of troublemakers in a riot that disrupted the canal transport. As long as Ding Yuanzhi and these troublemakers are arrested, this matter will be settled. If you keep arresting the four of us and collecting evidence, you are actually causing trouble for the court and affecting the livelihoods of many people!"

……

Yin Zhengmao glared and said, "So you admit to smuggling, and admit that you wanted to kill all the canal workers who saw you smuggling goods?"

"Humph!"

Gao Jin looked around with a cold smile on his face.

"Grand Secretary Yin, aren't you putting the cart before the horse? The most urgent task is to immediately restore the canal transport, not to inquire about the deaths of the canal workers!"

"Is it a big deal if a few canal workers die? You should know that the canal transport has supported countless refugees and beggars. Because of the canal transport, they have a bite to eat. What right do they have to ask for rest, a raise, or even cotton-padded clothes? That's just the view of a scholar. These people are dead, so be it. Our Great Ming Dynasty has no shortage of people like them!"

Upon hearing these words, Shen Nian's expression turned serious.

On the canal, officials who think like him are certainly not a minority.

In their eyes, these people were nothing more than livestock.

If one batch dies, just replace it with another; there's absolutely no need to pity them.

When Yin Zhengmao was fighting against Japanese pirates along the coast, he lived and ate with many ordinary people. He disliked the idea of ​​treating ordinary people like livestock.

Upon hearing this, the onlookers all turned grim.

They knew that many officials viewed them this way, but they were powerless to resist.

Yin Zhengmao paused, looked around, and then said loudly, "Fellow villagers of Matouji Ferry, I believe you have all heard it. Gao Jin, the eunuch of the Tongzhou granary, has admitted to smuggling contraband and to attempting to kill people. His crimes are heinous, yet he still does not know his wrongdoing. His Majesty has granted me permission to act as I see fit, and today I will give you all an explanation!" Just as many people were wondering what kind of explanation it was...

Yin Zhengmao suddenly drew the waist knife that was lying diagonally on the table, and then a cold light flashed past.

Swish!
A bloody head rolled to the ground, and then the rest of the body fell down.

The man who was beheaded was Gao Jin, a eunuch at the Tongzhou granary.

His blood splattered onto Qin Cheng, Duan Shutang, and Peng Jiushan.

At this moment, all around was quiet.

Wang Yi, the prefect of Tongzhou, Qin Cheng, the imperial censor in charge of grain transport, Duan Shutang, the secretary of the grain office of the Ministry of Revenue, and Peng Jiushan, the secretary of the Tonghui River office of the Ministry of Works, all began to vomit.

They had seen murder before, but never murder like this.

Ding Yuanzhi and Shen Nian were both stunned. They knew that Yin Zhengmao was going to kill four people tonight, but they did not expect him to do it in this way.

Shi Qing, a centurion of the Embroidered Uniform Guard, exclaimed excitedly, "That's amazing!"

It is truly astonishing that Yin Zhengmao, at the advanced age of sixty, can still perform such movements, cutting people as easily as chopping melons and vegetables.

The surrounding crowd was stunned, then someone shouted, "Good riddance! Good riddance!"

The local people are used to seeing officials commit serious crimes but receive only light punishments after trial.

Therefore, they did not have much trust in the imperial court.

But Yin Zhengmao's actions instantly made them feel that Yin Zhengmao's image had become much more impressive.

immediately.

Yin Zhengmao, holding the bloodstained knife, looked at the other three.

"Imperial Censor Qin, Physician Duan, Physician Peng, the more I question you, the more I want to take action. You'd better write down all your crimes, and better yet, don't hide anything from me!"

Shi Qing immediately ordered people to prepare paper, pens, and torches for the three of them.

At this moment, the three of them dared not speak nonsense anymore, and immediately wrote down all the things they had done with Gao Jin to bully the canal workers and to smuggle in their own agendas.

At this moment, it is only the hour of Xu (19:00-20:59 PM).

If the three judicial departments were to investigate this matter, these four people would probably still be making excuses right now!
A quarter of an hour later.

The three men wrote down their charges, then signed and affixed their fingerprints.

After reading it, Yin Zhengmao said, "Gentlemen, in order for the court to take this matter seriously, in order to improve the treatment of the canal workers, in order to fulfill the promise I made, and in order to prevent your families from being implicated too much, I will now kill you myself!"

"Guards! Take them to the riverbank, and I will personally carry out the punishment!"

Upon hearing this, the three of them immediately became anxious.

Although they knew it was a capital offense, they were still somewhat unwilling to be killed before the Dali Temple had even reviewed their case.

Unfortunately, before the three could speak, their mouths were gagged by the Imperial Guards, and they were dragged toward the riverbank.

Seeing Yin Zhengmao pick up a large knife, Shen Nian quickly found one as well.

His actions were intended to reduce Yin Zhengmao's responsibility, but they also generated considerable public attention regarding the matter.

Shen Nian felt a little uneasy.

This was his first time being beheaded, and it might be the only time in his life.

Just then, Yin Zhengmao turned his face.

"Shi Qing, remove the knife from Shen Shijiang's hand. He has a bright future ahead of him and should not be implicated in this matter. I can handle it myself!"

In Yin Zhengmao's eyes, Shen Nian was more important than everyone else on the banks of the Caohe River.

If Shen Nian were to be transferred to a post outside the capital because of this incident, the court would suffer a great loss, so he did not allow Shen Nian to take action.

Without saying a word, Shi Qing snatched the knife from Shen Nian's hand.

Shen Nian immediately panicked!

"Grand Secretary Yin, you...you...you are the Minister of Revenue and a Grand Secretary, you can't go back on your word! Just let me cut one off, just let me cut one off!"

Yin Zhengmao ignored Shen Nian and turned to leave.

At this moment, Shi Qing tightly hugged Shen Nian's waist.

"Shi Qing, release him immediately, or I will impeach you before His Majesty!"

Upon hearing this, Shi Qing hugged Shen Nian's waist even tighter.

Just then, cheers from several people came from not far away.

Shi Qing released Shen Nian's waist; Yin Zhengmao had already finished killing people.

Shen Nian walked towards Yin Zhengmao with a helpless expression.

At this time.

Yin Zhengmao said to Ding Yuanzhi, "Ding Yuanzhi, although you are a criminal, I cannot arrest you for the sake of smooth canal transport. I now order you to immediately cooperate with Prefect Wang to restore normal canal transport at Matouji Ferry. As for how to compensate the canal workers, the court will discuss that later. You will come to the capital with me first thing tomorrow morning!"

"Your humble servant obeys!" Ding Yuanzhi said.

At that time, all four officials in charge of the Grand Canal had been killed. Ding Yuanzhi was the official who knew the Grand Canal best. Only under his orders could the canal workers move and the Grand Canal quickly return to normal.

Immediately, all the officials got busy.

Yin Zhengmao approached Shen Nian and said with a smile, "Ziheng, we need to immediately draft a memorial to report to the court. I had a good time killing, but explaining it will be troublesome. I'll need you to polish it. After that, we'll return to the capital with Ding Yuanzhi at dawn!"

"By the way, don't forget to impeach Wang Yi, the prefect of Tongzhou. An official like him is not fit to be the head of a prefecture!"

Shen Nian smiled helplessly, cupped his hands, and said, "Your humble servant obeys!"

Although Ding Yuanzhi was trying to uphold justice for the people, he was bound to be sentenced to death.

Because an official must never lead a people's uprising, must never kidnap his superiors, and must never disrupt the normal operation of the canal transport.

As the hour of Yin approached (03:00-04:59), Yin Zhengmao and Shen Nian finished writing their memorial and ordered the soldiers to send it out. Then, seeing that the grain transport boats on the river had returned to normal, they lay down on the table and fell asleep.

……

The sky is slightly bright.

While Yin Zhengmao and Shen Nian were still fast asleep.

Shi Qing, a centurion of the Embroidered Uniform Guard, rushed over from outside, shouting, "Grand Secretary Yin, Lecturer Shen, wake up! Wake up!"

Yin Zhengmao and Shen Nian slowly opened their eyes and sat up straight.

"Something terrible has happened! Ding Yuanzhi, the magistrate of Tongzhou, has committed suicide by taking arsenic!"

"what?"

Yin Zhengmao and Shen Nian suddenly perked up and quickly walked outside.

Ding Yuanzhi lived in a wooden shed not far from the two of them, and Liu Bo, who was seventy-three years old, slept in the same shed with him.

A moment later, at the riverbank in front of the wooden shed.

Ding Yuanzhi lay there, his body completely covered by a piece of burlap, while a group of people knelt there and wept bitterly.

After seeing Yin Zhengmao and Shen Nian, Liu Bo, who was kneeling beside him, said, "Last night, he said that he would rather die on the riverbank than face trial; he said that if his death could allow the canal workers to rest for an extra hour on hot summer days and have an extra cotton-padded coat when dragging the canal boats in the dead of winter, then he would have died a worthy death!"

"Grand Secretary Yin, Lecturer Shen, and Prefect Ding, after capturing those four men and putting them on the grain transport boat, already had the will to die. This is a letter he wrote to you two before taking poison!"

Yin Zhengmao received the letter with trembling hands.

Shen Nian's eyes reddened as she looked at Ding Yuanzhi's corpse and said, "Brother Peichu, the canal workers along the canal will remember you, and you will surely be remembered in history!"

at this time.

Suddenly, Uncle Liu pulled out a short knife from his pocket and plunged it into his heart.

Shen Nian shouted, "Help! Help!"

Uncle Liu shook his head, slowly lay down beside Ding Yuanzhi, and said, "If there is a next life, let's not come back!"

After saying that, he closed his eyes forever.

(End of this chapter)