Zhu Pingan after understanding the situation of the prison, the heart has a concept, but in line with the principle of “listen to both sides of the light is clear, partiality is darkness”, or change the regular clothes, with Liu Mu, Liu Dazhou two people out of the county government office, to the following countryside to make a private visit to the field to further understanding of the situation for the concept of the implementation of the full research.
After Zhu Pingan left, Zhang Dainian, the criminal office official, went to report to the county magistrate Zhang and the chief bookkeeper Yao at the first opportunity.
“This little County Honour just turned around in the cell and asked a few prisoners about their situation? What does he want?”
After listening to Zhang Dainian’s report, County Minister Zhang was a little confused as to what Zhu Pingan wanted to do and turned his head to look at Master Book Yao.
Master Yao was equivalent to the role of a think-tank in this party of theirs, and County Minister Zhang would refer to Master Yao’s opinion on many important matters, for example, uniting the six rooms of the Suxian to not cooperate with Zhu Pingan in carrying out his work was Master Yao’s idea.
“What did he ask? You tell me from the beginning.”Master Book Yao narrowed his eyes and looked at Zhang Danian.
“In the beginning, when he didn’t enter the prison, he asked how big the prison was? How many rooms? Later, when he entered the outer prison, he asked how the prison had so many prisoners. What offences were they all committing? Later, he asked why a few prisoners had been arrested. When he entered the inner prison, he asked why there were so many prisoners in the inner prison. Why were they all detained?”Zhang Dainian truthfully replied.
“After understanding the situation, how did he look?”Master Yao asked again.
“Appearance?”Zhang Dainian froze, trying hard to recall, and returned uncertainly, “It seems to be very grave.”
“Hehe, that’s right.”Master Yao smiled at his words, “Do you still remember when Junior County Honour first ascended the hall and summoned all the officials of the county office, Junior County Honour made assignments of the county office’s official duties, and in addition to being in charge of the overall responsibility, he was also in charge of the case trial. Oh, Zhang Denglian slow work, the file has not been able to hand over to the small county Zun, small county Zun can not understand the backlog of litigation cases, he Zhang Denglian can do nothing, and can not wait, can only go to the prison to understand the situation. Seeing that the prison is overcrowded, of course he had to have a big head, and it would be strange if he didn’t look grave.”
After listening to the analysis of the Yao chief minister, Zhang county minister thought deeply and couldn’t help but laugh, indeed, the small county honourable what could he do but look grave.
Dignitary Zhang also laughed along with him.
The room was filled with the sound of the three laughing in triumph.
While the three were laughing with glee, Zhu Pingan and his party had already arrived at the first village, this was the closest village to the county town. When Zhu Pingan entered the village, he first went to the fields to see the growth of the crops.
Zhu Ping An came from the countryside, his eldest uncle was not productive, and his fourth uncle was lazy, thanks to their “blessings”, Zhu Ping An has been following his father and elder brother to the field since he was a child, and he is not a stranger to crop planting and harvesting.
This village’s agriculture is mainly planted rice, the field of rice is almost to harvest time, rice yellow and orange, but the overall growth is very general, from the field and the nearby traces, the rice here experienced flooding, Zhu Ping’an estimated that each acre of land is about to reduce the yield of about two to thirty per cent.
Nearby there are ploughing gap, in the field rest old farmers, Zhu Pingan went up and climbed up, from the old farmers mouth to learn, their rice did just experience waterlogging disaster, after the flooding also made a locusts, fortunately the scale is not large, their village just lucky to escape a catch, however, this crop of rice is estimated to be at least 30% reduction in yield.
“Alas, the disaster, food production, but this tax is not reduced, this day is difficult ah …….”The old farmer long pouted and sighed.
“Old man, our village waterlogging, locust disaster, the village is not organised to report to the county office? After reporting it, the county office will send people to survey the disaster and report it to the state government, so they can reduce or waive part of the taxes at their discretion.”Zhu Pingan asked in disbelief.
“Reported, why not reported, so many years, every year when a disaster occurs we report it, but it’s useless ah, also did not see anyone care about us ah, so many years, the tax should be paid how much is still how much, can not be paid on the penalty, and even arrested people. These officials only know how to collect taxes, they don’t care about us. Our village’s Da Niu’s family was the worst hit last year, poor, the family’s acres of paddy fields less than 10% of the previous year’s harvest, smashing pots and pans to sell iron and not able to come up with the tax, was arrested before the year in the prison. This is looking at the time to harvest rice again, Da Niu is still in jail, their family orphans and widows, how to collect the rice in the field ah, hey, this day is difficult ah ……”The old farmer shook his head, sigh after sigh, the wrinkles on his forehead as deep as the furrows in the fields.
Zhu Pingan sniffed and frowned, the predecessor malfeasance ah ……
According to the regulations, the occurrence of disasters should be reported at all levels, the people reported to the governor, the governor should be the first time to report to the superiors, and then formed a disaster survey team, the governor should personally down the countryside survey, statistics on the number of people affected by the disaster and the scope of the different priorities, disaster relief as well as reported to the relief of corvée tax ……
Listening to what the abbot said, it seems that all the successive governors of Jingnan have failed to do so, which is already a very serious dereliction of duty.
However, in ancient times, there was a lack of supervision and constraints on the authority of county magistrates, and this kind of malfeasance and even abuse of office occurred frequently.
When the officials do not act, the people suffer greatly, which Zhu Pingan really felt.
People’s livelihood is not easy.
Zhu Pingan said goodbye to the old man, went into the village and visited a few more households, and then went to the next village.
The situation in this village was very similar to the last village, all of them were in pretty much the same situation.
For the third village, Zhu Pingan chose Dayao Village, the village where Yao Lao, whom he met at the city gate when he came to Jingnan, was located.
After arriving at Dayao Village, Zhu Pingan first learnt about the village’s crops, then he inquired about Yao Lao’s residence from the village people, brought up a pastry, and took the two of them, Liu Mu and Liu Dazhou, to pay a visit to Yao Lao.
After knocking on the door and entering Yao Lao’s house, Yao Lao first froze when he saw Zhu Pingan at the door, and only when Zhu Pingan smiled honestly and called out Yao Lao did Yao Lao recognise Zhu Pingan, and was surprised and excited, his lips trembled as he shouted out, “I pay my respects to the Great Master of the Magistrate County”, and was about to kneel down and pay his respects to Zhu Pingan.
Zhu Pingan did not wait for Yao Lao to kneel down, but went forward to hold Yao Lao.
“Great Master Zhixian, you really came to our Great Yao Village. Wife, son, daughter-in-law, you guys quickly come out to pay your respects to the Great Master of the Magistrate ah, the Great Master of the Magistrate has come to see me, an old man.”Yao Lao excitedly shouted to the house, urging his old partner and son and daughter-in-law to come out to pay respects to Zhu Pingan.
“No need to be polite, all of you please rise, please rise.”Zhu Pingan waved his hand as Yao Lao’s family came out to pay their respects, inviting them to get up.
“Great Master Governor, you just came, why are you still bringing things.”
Yao Lao said on his mouth, but his face was a face of light and glory, then he turned his head to look at his old companion and son and daughter-in-law, not without complacency and bragging, “At first when I told you guys, you didn’t believe me, saying that the county honours were just words on the surface, now how about it, the Great Master of the Magistrate County is a promise of great weight, ah, you came when you said you would come.”
