You can't only love the Qing Dynasty when you're eating the fruits of others' labor.

Chapter 390 On the Art of Stirring Up Fire
The wonton shop was completely silent.

Zhou Peigong coughed twice.

"Shopkeeper, go out and do your own thing. This is none of your business."

"Hey."

The shopkeeper felt as if he had been granted a pardon and quickly left.

Zhou Peigong stared into the beggar's eyes and said, slowly and deliberately, "Girl, what did you just say you wanted to do?"

"This servant wishes to file a complaint with the Emperor."

Who do you want to sue?

"I wish to accuse Kong Qingsheng, a scholar from Qufu, of instigating his servants to kill my husband; I wish to accuse the magistrate of Qufu of disregarding human life; I wish to accuse Emperor Yansheng of..."

"Be bold!"

Yao Qisheng decisively shouted and scolded.

"You dare mention the title of Duke Yansheng? If you miss, just jump into the Yongding River."

……

Zhou Peigong stared at Qi with great interest, making her feel uneasy. She thought she had encountered a lecherous man, but then she thought about what she had to lose now.

As long as revenge is possible, nothing is unacceptable.

Looking at Qi Shi, whose eyes were gradually hardening, Zhou Peigong smiled.

"This is not the place to talk, let's go."

"May I ask who you are, sir?"

"I work in the Ministry of Justice."

Qi's eyes lit up, and she immediately got up and followed them out of the wonton shop, turning into the alley to find a hotel.

Although Qi was flustered, she answered fluently. The gatekeeper of the Jinan Provincial Surveillance Commissioner's Office was right; a woman who dared to cry out for justice was no ordinary commoner.

Halfway through the conversation, Zhou Peigong suddenly cried out in surprise.

"slow."

"grown ups?"

"Your husband's name is Kong Qingfu, and the person who killed your husband is Kong Qingsheng. Are they cousins?"

"Yes."

Zhou Peigong forced himself to calm down.

"Qi, please eat some food and change into clean clothes. I am willing to lend you a hand."

"Thank you, sir."

Lady Qi knelt and kowtowed meticulously.

……

The hotel's backyard.

Yao Qisheng: "What do you want to do?"

Zhou Peigong: "The Grand Secretary's intentions are obvious to everyone. He just wants to find a reason to frame someone. Coincidentally, the Qi family case is perfect."

"Do you want to cause a major upheaval?"

"This is a rare commodity, and perhaps I can use it to gain the Grand Secretary's trust. Brother Yao, you know me; my pursuit of higher office and greater power is for the future."

Zhou Peigong did not continue speaking.

The anti-Chiang Kai-shek alliance will not disappear; it will only relocate.

One crop is harvested, and another grows back.

Zhou and Yao endured humiliation and hardship, defended Confucianism, infiltrated the central government, formed factions and alliances, and waited for the right time, all for the political purpose of overthrowing Chiang Kai-shek.

You'd better think carefully about the consequences.

"I've thought it through. I don't want to involve you in this. Just in case something happens, I don't want to drag you down with me."

Yao Qisheng took a deep breath.

"Take care."

"Take care of yourself."

After saying that, Yao Qisheng turned and left without any hesitation.

Zhou Peigong turned back to his room and knocked on the door.

Dong~ Dong Dong~
"Sir, please come in."

Lady Qi was slender, elegant, and refined. Apart from her white hair, her overall appearance was average.

"Have you thought it through?"

"Think it through."

“Qi, listen carefully. All lawsuits between the military and civilians must be filed from the bottom up. Anyone who goes beyond their jurisdiction and files a lawsuit with a superior will be punished with 50 strokes of the cane.”

Lady Qi took a deep breath: "I am willing, but there is something I do not understand and would like to ask you for guidance, sir."

"please say."

"My lord, what are you after?"

"I have a personal grudge against this county magistrate."

Zhou Peigong lied, but the lie was very effective. Upon hearing this, Madam Qi visibly breathed a sigh of relief, and her trust level soared.

……

Noon the next day.

With her head of white hair, Madam Qi walked out of the hotel, holding a petition in her hand. Under the gaze of countless astonished eyes, she shouted, "A woman from Qufu, seeking justice for her husband!"

A huge crowd of onlookers followed her all the way to the Ministry of Justice. Under the watchful eyes of the crowd, Lady Qi mustered her courage and walked towards the Dengwen Drum.

The Dengwen Drum was a tool used by ancient dynasties to appeal directly to the emperor, hanging outside the court. It allowed people to beat the drum to appeal for justice or report urgent cases. Once the drum was sounded, one of the plaintiff or the defendant had to die.

Zhou Peigong had been waiting there for a long time, gazing at the dense crowd of onlookers.

Shout loudly:
"The imperial court has regulations that all lawsuits involving the military and civilians must be filed from the bottom up. Anyone who bypasses their own jurisdiction and goes to their superior to file a lawsuit will be punished with 50 strokes of the cane."

"Woman, have you thought this through?"

"To seek justice for my husband, I, a humble woman, am willing to accept the beating."

"Guards, prepare for the execution."

Zhou Peigong stood imposingly, his yamen runners were like wolves and tigers, and the onlookers were excited and restless.

Caning involves removing one's clothes in public.

Regardless of gender.

Therefore, for women in ancient times, caning was not only a physical punishment, but also a form of mental humiliation.

Most of those who have been tortured are too ashamed to live and choose to take their own lives.

……

"come here."

"What are your orders, sir?"

"This woman is truly a woman of great integrity and virtue; please show mercy."

"Please don't worry, sir."

Even without his superior's instructions, the yamen runner was prepared to go easy on her, because an ordinary woman who had traveled thousands of miles to the capital to appeal to the emperor just to seek justice for her husband was already very deserving of sympathy.

The bailiff raised the board high, then gently brought it down.

"One, two, three~"

After the caning was finished, Qi Shi trembled as she got up, crawled to the Dengwen Drum, and struck the drum.

Seeing that she was not strong enough, Zhou Peigong simply took the drumsticks.

Dong~dong~dong~
The drums beat like thunder.

Everyone present turned pale.

Things have gotten to this point, and the matter has completely blown up; it's gotten out of hand.

The Grand Secretary is known for his kindness and benevolence; after such an incident, it would be impossible to cover it up without dozens of lives.

……

Yuquan Mountain.

"Zhou Peigong".

"The subordinate is here."

"What do you think?"

"I believe this case is of great importance, far from being an ordinary murder case. Rather, it is a major case concerning Confucian ethics and the fate of the nation, and it must be retried by the imperial court."

"Yes, it's good that you can see this floor."

"Thank you, Chief Minister."

Jiang Qingyun was familiar with the name Zhou Peigong, thanks to a TV series. This was a good opportunity to assess his abilities.

What are your thoughts on governing a country?

Zhou Peigong immediately knelt down.

"Prime Minister, I am merely a sixth-rank official and dare not utter any wild words."

"I told you to release it, so release it boldly."

"Yes."

Zhou Peigong took a deep breath and raised his head.

"In my opinion, the problems in the world stem from hypocrisy and deceit. There is a small group of people who read the classics but do the things of scoundrels. The teachings of the sages are good, but these people have misused them."

Jiang Qingyun was startled.

Wow, that's impressive.

"Huang Zongxi thinks about the same thing as you."

"Minister Huang is a model for scholars in our dynasty, and I am deeply honored."

"Then tell me, how should we deal with this small group of people with ulterior motives?"

"Kill him!"

"How to kill?"

"Investigate the crime, make it public, and punish the perpetrators accordingly."

"What if it's a high-ranking official of the first or second rank?"

“If the crime is proven, death may be warranted.”

Jiang Qingyun looked at Zhou Peigong, whose eyes were resolute and seemed to be about to join the Party, and carefully examined him before a plan came to mind.

"Do you dare to share the burdens of the imperial court?"

"dare."

Zhou Peigong couldn't have asked for this more! He was an incredibly audacious man to begin with!

Jiang Qingyun stood up:
"Zhou Peigong, listen to my command."

"Starting today, you shall immediately depart for Qufu. This case is of great importance and has attracted worldwide attention. It is imperative to ensure fairness, impartiality, and transparency. This case must withstand the test of the imperial court and the scrutiny of scholars throughout the land."

(End of this chapter)