Chapter 255: Autumn Tax (XX)

Wu Mingjin and Wang Zhaomin looked at each other. This matter really couldn’t be “settled just like that.” Wang Zhaomin then said, “This, to handle a case, investigate, and arrest people, you need to issue warrants and fire plates. You are not from the Ming Dynasty, and you have no official rank or position…”

“Of course, the county will still be in charge of this matter,” Xiong Buyou said. “We are just assisting from the side.”

Wang Zhaomin thought that the so-called “assisting from the side” actually meant that the kūnzéi still wanted to control the handling of this matter—which was also good. This hot potato might as well be thrown back to the original owner to deal with. He also wanted to see what kind of medicine the Australians were selling in their gourds.

Wu Mingjin coughed and excused himself, saying that he was not feeling well and wanted to go back to rest for a while. Xiong Buyou knew that this was a way for officials to show that “you can do whatever you want with this matter, but it has nothing to do with me.” The following matters could be discussed with Wang Zhaomin. This was also a common method in officialdom.

Wang Zhaomin thought that this matter could not be handled by the Australians themselves, such as holding a court session. The only way was to entrust an official from the county yamen to come forward, with the Australians directing from behind.

“Someone, please ask Master Sun to come,” Wang Zhaomin ordered.

This errand naturally fell on the head of the county registrar. The county registrar was an official that only existed since the Ming Dynasty. It was derived from the county lieutenant of the Song and Yuan dynasties. The main responsibility was public security work such as prisons and patrols. In places where there was no inspection department, it was also responsible for patrol, suppression, and catching thieves. It was perfectly justifiable to hand this matter over to him.

The rank of the county registrar was very low, not even reaching the lowest rank of the ninth grade. It was considered “unranked,” but this unranked was still an “official,” and was supposed to be appointed by the court.

The people who served as county registrars were all the most unsuccessful scholars, most of whom were selected from the “jiansheng” (imperial college students). If a juren failed to pass the jinshi examination, he could still be “specially selected” to be a county magistrate, county assistant, or other official positions. But a jiansheng could only be a minor official such as a chief registrar, an education official, an instructor, or a county registrar, and the hope of promotion was very small.

Therefore, the county registrar of this county, Sun Ruiwu, became a typical official who was all about money. Unfortunately, this place was too poor, and the local forces and bandits were powerful, so the profit he could make as a county registrar was very limited.

The arrival of the Australians brought good fortune to Sun Ruiwu. Because his rank was low, he was often used as a scapegoat by Wu Mingjin to handle matters for the Australians. Every time he handled a matter, he would receive a benefit as a rule. The various enjoyments in Dongmen Market made it even more difficult for him to extricate himself. Thus, under the dual stimulation of money bribes and life enjoyment, the county registrar sank deeper and deeper. Whenever the Australians had any action, he was always the first to appear and was extremely diligent in his work, so much so that he was jokingly called the “Australian registrar” in the county.

Sun Ruiwu himself didn’t care at all. He “enjoyed life” in Dongmen Market every day and got along very well with Dugu Qiuhun. The two often “corrupted” together. This jiansheng had long forgotten the sage books he had read and had thrown the defense of Chinese and barbarians to the nine clouds.

“No,” Xiong Buyou unexpectedly expressed his opposition. “Master Wang, the county registrar’s rank is low. This is a case involving the gentry and powerful families of this county. If there is not a considerable figure to preside over it, I am afraid that people will not be at ease.”

“Then, what does Master Xiong mean?”

“It’s better to ask County Assistant Wu to preside over it, with Master Sun assisting.”

“Reasonable, reasonable.” Wang Zhaomin thought this was somewhat reasonable. Anyway, as long as it wasn’t his own master who came forward, it didn’t matter whether it was the county registrar or the county assistant.

So he called for the two of them to be brought in and explained the matter to them. When the county registrar heard that he was going to handle a case for the Australians, he immediately agreed. On the other hand, Wu Ya, thought for a moment before saying, “Leaders, this matter of threatening the gentry with swords and arrows, the case itself is nothing, but the matter is difficult to handle…”

Wang Zhaomin coughed and said, “Since you are talking about official business, I will not disturb you anymore.” He also slipped out.

“The matter is difficult to handle, I have heard a little about it,” Xiong Buyou said. “But this matter is of great importance, and it must be investigated to the end to give the county an explanation.”

“Yes, yes, since Chief Xiong has said so, we will do as you say.” Wu Ya knew that he had nothing to do with this matter. He and the county registrar were just here as figureheads. “I wonder where Chief Zhou plans to work?”

“Of course, in the county yamen. Let’s use the second hall—”

“Inappropriate, inappropriate,” Wu Ya shook his head. “Chief Zhou has no official rank in the Ming Dynasty and is a commoner. To use the second hall without authorization is a violation of the law in itself. Besides—”

Besides, Wu Mingjin was after all a “bailihou” (a high-ranking official). He couldn’t be summoned at will like a servant. Moreover, holding a court session was a very serious and important matter in the past, and it couldn’t be too casual.

“I think it’s better to handle the case in the flower hall,” the county registrar said.

“I also have this intention,” Wu Ya nodded.

The flower hall belonged to the inner yamen. However, any case in the county that involved public morals or was related to the gentry and powerful families was generally tried in the flower hall and not publicly in the main hall or the second hall, in order to save the face of the parties involved.

Because it belonged to the inner yamen and was not a place established by the court, Zhou Dongtian could handle the case here in a grand manner.

“Good,” Xiong Buyou nodded. “Let’s do it this way.” He cupped his hands and said, “This case is very extensive, and the matter must be kept secret. We will set up a guard at the county yamen in a while. Please do not be disturbed.”

“Guard?” Wu Ya and Sun Ruiwu did not expect this move and were greatly shocked. What was this for?

“No need to worry,” Xiong Buyou comforted them with a gentle voice. “This is also a last resort, haha.” As he spoke, he made a phone call:

“Let’s begin.”

The dozens of guards stationed outside the county yamen were immediately transferred into the yamen, and all the entrances and exits and important places in the yamen were completely controlled. People in the county yamen were allowed to enter but not to leave.

At this time, according to the phone call from Xiong Buyou, the three small teams of the army that had been prepared long ago quickly arrived at the three city gates of Lingao County and immediately controlled the city gates. They did not blatantly take over the city defense, but were stationed in the hidden soldier caves behind the city gates to monitor the local militia.

The non-commissioned officers of each small detachment had been recognizing faces for several weeks. Now they had memorized the faces of the runners in Lingao County and their “official” cronies. Wu De’s order to them was: these people were only allowed to enter the city but not to leave.

“If someone wants to leave the city, detain them directly and send them to the county yamen, understand?”

“Yes! Understood.”

In the county yamen, as the key departments were controlled, the runners who were working in the county yamen felt uneasy and came out one after another to inquire and observe. Sun Ruiwu had to come out to appease everyone and tell them not to panic.

Zhou Dongtian ordered someone to call the head of the soap-making team.

The head of the soap-making team, Lin Changsan, was a capable man in his thirties, with a long face and a pair of small, very bright eyes. His arms were muscular, and he was worthy of being an old soap-maker who was good at punishment.

When he arrived at the flower hall and had paid his respects, Lin Changsan saw that the two masters of the county were sitting on the top of the flower hall. An Australian in his thirties or forties was sitting in the lower seat, his eyes cold. He looked like a very difficult person to deal with.

Zhou Dongtian looked at the head of the soap-making team and said, “Bring me the roster! Summon all the soap-makers in the team. I want to call the roll.”

“Yes, yes,” Lin Changsan hurriedly went out to give orders. In a short while, all the soap-makers had arrived.

Zhou Dongtian opened the roster and was surprised. It turned out that the roster was densely packed, and there were fifty or sixty soap-makers on the list, but only about twenty people were standing below waiting for the roll call.

“What, not everyone is here?” Zhou Dongtian asked.

“Sir, you don’t know,” Lin Changsan said cautiously. “The number on the roster doesn’t count. These are all soap-makers in name only.”

Because being a yamen runner in the yamen had the benefit of being exempt from taxes, some people would pay a little money to have their names on the yamen runner roster, but in fact, they never came to the yamen to work.

“…Only those with a number of silver taels under their names are the ones who are on duty.”

Zhou Dongtian counted, and there were a total of twenty-four people who received silver. When the roll was called, everyone was present.

“Everyone immediately prepare a set of soap-maker’s clothes. Immediately!”

Everyone looked at each other, not knowing what this was for. Lin Changsan looked at the county registrar, and Sun Ruiwu waved his hand impatiently: “If you are told to prepare, then prepare quickly. What are you dawdling for!”

“To answer your honor, I only have this official uniform.”

“Then take it off!” Sun Ruiwu scolded.

The soap-makers had no choice but to do as they were told, and in a short while, they had gathered all the clothes.

This batch of clothes was immediately put on the students of the political security crash course they had brought.

“Alright, everyone, be quick! Change your clothes.” You Guotuan shouted.

You Guotuan was a staff member under the General Security Administration. This man was an unknown petty citizen in the modern time and space, but in the 17th century, he became an advocate of the supremacy of violent means. He had always advocated that only the most cruel and ruthless means could effectively rule. Originally, he served in the army. Later, the General Security Administration believed that this person would cause “bad tendencies” in the army, so they simply transferred him to this department.

Sure enough, when he arrived at the General Security Administration, he was like a fish in water. He soon made his colleagues look at him sideways with his cruel remarks. Of course, he had not yet had the opportunity to show his cruel style.

“Alright, now you are the soap-makers of the county yamen. According to the pre-arranged plan, guard all the key points!”

In a moment, Lingao County and the Lingao County Yamen were completely controlled by the transmigrator group.

The yamen runners of the soap-making team stood crowded in the flower hall, looking uneasily at Zhou Dongtian, who was giving strange orders. Lin Changsan had an even more frightened and fawning look on his face, almost prostrating himself on the ground. This made Zhou Dongtian sneer secretly in his heart: “You think you can deceive people with this trick, pretending to be harmless to humans and animals? Unfortunately, I am not a naive person who thinks he is full of kingly aura.”

“Everyone,” Zhou Dongtian said slowly, “you have all inherited your ancestral profession for generations, and you are the best at torture and interrogation. When we interrogate the case tomorrow, I will have to trouble you all a lot!”