Liuhe Town is not big, but it has a long history. The town existed during the Spring and Autumn and Warring States Periods, and is located in the territory of Wuyue. Willow River Township is located in the Willow River Pan and named, Willow River turned a corner here, semi-circular Willow River Township into the embrace of the soothing sweet river water nurtured the Willow River Township, just like a bright pearl of the South.
It was night.
Willow river on the blue waves rippling, a decorative elegant and luxurious double-decker boat in the willow river flowing with the waves.
Inside the boat comes a burst of silk and bamboo sound, with the wind floats a burst of wine and meat fragrance, gluttonous river bank two wild dogs harrumphing, following the fragrance, tirelessly chasing after the boat to run non-stop.
Inside the boat, two beautiful-looking female musicians were playing the piano, playing the popular tunes of the moment.
Inside the boat, three tables of banquet were set up, each table was filled with a plate of delicacies and a jar of fine wine.
County Procurator Zhang, Master Yao, Li Danshi and the others sat at the middle table, the six officials of the county department who were dismissed by Zhu Pingan today sat around the three of them, and the remaining two tables were mostly the officials who were dismissed today.
“County Superintendent Zhang, Master Yao, and Chief Li, you must be our judge, he Zhu Pingan has bullied people too much, and has even dismissed all of us. Since ancient times, I’ve never heard of a magistrate dismissing all the county officials, but he, Zhu Pingan, is so unsympathetic and willing to risk universal condemnation!”
“That’s right, he, Zhu Pingan, is tearing his face off from us, he’s going against all of Jingnan.”
“At that time, we even brought out Lord Zhang and you guys, but he, Zhu Pingan, didn’t give any face. Lord Zhang, Lord Yao, Lord Li, ah, he, Zhu Pingan, simply didn’t put you in his eyes. We are not only his servants, but also your servants, Lord Zhang. He didn’t even ask for your opinion before dismissing us. He, Zhu Pingan, is slapping you three lords in the face.”
“Lord Zhang, we have offended that little thief Zhu Ping An for your sake, you can’t just sit back and do nothing. Poor me, I have a seventy year old mother on top and a one year old son underneath, my whole family is waiting for me to feed them ……”
“Lord Zhang, he Zhu Pingan dismissed us today, tomorrow may be Lord Zhang you ah.”
A cadre of dismissed xuxu officials ran all the way from Jingnan County to Liuhe Town, and found County Minister Zhang, Master Yao and Li Dianshi, just like the beaten pups saw their parents and found their backbone, their aggravated voices trembled, their eyes reddened, and their noses soured, complaining with a sobbing voice.
Master Yao sat on the table, listening attentively to a cadre of Xu officials complaining, not a hint of emotional fluctuations could be seen on his face.
“Alright, alright, how old are you all, you can cry even more than Little Peach Red in Yichun Lou. We are court officials appointed by His Majesty, he, Zhu Pingan, wants to dismiss us, but he doesn’t have that qualification yet!”
Li Dianshi was impatient to listen to the complaints of these officials, each one of them was like a whining woman, reaching out and tearing off one of the wings of the roasted chicken, taking a bite in his mouth, chewing on it while saying impatiently. What do you mean by dismissing you today, tomorrow it will be our turn ah, we are court officials, can you be the same as us! He, Zhu Pingan, can dismiss you, but has no power to dismiss us!
“I am aware of this matter. Zhu Pingan’s move is really unexpected. Don’t worry, we will do it for you.”
County Minister Zhang’s face was grim as he nodded to the cadre of Suxian officials, he had operated in the county for decades and had quite a few eyes and ears, in the first moment that the cadre of Suxian officials were dismissed, someone had already come to give him the news.
Zhu Pingan had dared to dismiss the entirety of the county office’s Xu Clerks?
After learning the news at that time, County Minister Zhang was astonished and could not believe that Zhu Pingan dared to risk universal condemnation by dismissing all the Xu Clerks. This kind of thing was unheard of throughout history.
I never thought that Zhu Pingan, at a young age, a humble scholar, would be so bold!
“Lord Zhang, he, Zhu Pingan, has been harbouring evil intentions for a long time. He has long been looking for a good replacement, today in front of the foot dismissal of us, the foot after the replacement of our people came. I can see through it, Zhu Pingan, this little thief, he is a bellyful of bad water, as soon as he entered the Jingnan, he has been calculating us ah. At that time should dao sign in, we are late every day and leave early, he Zhu Pingan just remind us in the future to be on time should dao, half do not punish us, at that time also thought that he did not dare to fart, bite the teeth and blood to swallow, did not think that this belly full of bad water of the little thieves, the original he was digging a pit for us at that time, looking at us to jump.”
“Yes, this insidious little thief with a bad stomach, used the then dawning sign-in book as evidence in court, accusing us of being absent from work for thirty-eight consecutive days for no reason, and also brought out the Daming Laws, what with the officials being flogged with 20 planks for one day of absence, and then added a first degree for every further three days of absence, and caned with 100 planks for a period of 20 days!”
When a cadre of Xu officials thought of the scene today when Zhu Pingan dismissed them, they couldn’t help but swear at Zhu Pingan.
“Also, when the Japanese attacked the city, Zhu Pingan made everyone in the county office go up to the city wall to die. The Japanese invaders are all murderers, there are so many of them, more than 3,000 of them, each one of them is highly skilled in martial arts, and they can catch arrows with their empty hands. Of course we won’t go and die. He, Zhu Pingan, is now grasping this point and making a big fuss about it, either determining that we are fleeing from the battlefield, or determining that we are retreating from the battlefield, and even threatening to chop off our heads.”
“Speaking of which, I have to remind you three adults, Zhang County Superintendent, Yao Chief Bookkeeper, and Li Dian Shi, that you also need to be careful, as he, Zhu Ping An, can use this point against us, he can use this point against you ah.”
“County Minister Zhang, you guys have to make preparations early.”
“That’s right, to say the least, absenteeism, neglecting official duties, and desertion, the three felonies that Zhu Pingan used against us all apply to all three of you as well. I’m afraid he, Zhu Pingan, will do the same to the three lords.”
A cadre of xuyun said, half reminding and half adding fuel to the fire, to Zhang County Minister and the others, tying the three of them tightly to them.
“It’s not that I’m afraid, but already.”
County Minister Zhang looked towards the three tables of officials and said slowly, adding a heavier tone when he said the word “already”.
Not afraid, but already?
Already?
Doesn’t this mean that ……
Zhang County Minister’s words broke through the heavens, a cadre of Xu official heard, like a thunderbolt exploded above their heads, a cadre of Xu official body like a current across, one by one looked up sharply at Zhang County Minister and others.
“That’s right, just as I said, ‘already’, Zhu Pingan has already impeached me, Master Yao, and Li Dianshi, the three of us, and the impeachment report was submitted to the Taizhou government offices several days ago.”
County Minister Zhang said word by word, his face incomparably gloomy.
“Bang! Zhu Pingan really deserves to die! The Japanese bandits are really a bunch of losers, why didn’t they break through the county to kill this little thief.”
Although he had learnt the news for some time already, but as soon as he thought of being impeached by Zhu Pingan, Li Dianshi couldn’t suppress his anger, and as soon as he slammed the wine cup in his hand on the ground with force, he gritted his teeth and cursed with hatred.
