Chapter 1045: Grasping the Power of a Prefecture

The Judicial Military Advisor, like other military advisors and judges, was a military position in the past, and many were recruited by the general's own staff. The Great Song Dynasty valued literature and suppressed military, and these four words are just a summary, which is a comprehensive suppression from top to bottom.

The duties of the Judicial Military Advisor are roughly equivalent to the combined responsibilities of the later intermediate court, municipal procuratorate, and municipal public security bureau, integrating the powers and responsibilities of public security, procuratorate, and law, which is terrifying to think about.

For county-level criminal cases that cannot be decided, involving complex personnel situations, they are also judged by the Judicial Military Advisor, and this is basically the final penalty. In the absence of struggle, regardless of whether the penalty is fair or not, the parties involved basically have nowhere to reason.

As for the Criminal Justice Department of the circuit, which is equivalent to the high court level, it is not afraid at all. Because everyone has the power to submit official documents to the capital, who cares about the opinions of the Criminal Justice Department.

Of course, he has to act under the instructions of the Prefect and Assistant Prefect.

Therefore, this shocking corruption case of the Ever-Normal Granary, which Wang Yan set off because of seizing power, was presided over by the Judicial Military Advisor, and he supervised and guided the work on the side.

In the office of the Judicial Military Advisor, Wang Yan sat in the main seat without politeness, took a sip of tea, and said with a smile: "I don't know why Zhou Judicial Military Advisor pulled this official to your office?"

"Assistant Prefect Wang, it is really that this subordinate was entrusted by someone, and there are some things I want to discuss with the Assistant Prefect."

Wang Yan didn't play dumb: "Are those grain-collecting big families looking for you? Want to spend money to protect people?"

"The Assistant Prefect is truly clear-sighted, it is exactly so. This subordinate is also difficult to do. One of the grain merchants has some relationship with the palace. Another is a relative of the Transport Commissioner of this prefecture. The last one is a local big family, and there are people in the capital who are officials, often doing good deeds in the hometown, truly a kind family. This time the Ever-Normal Granary matter is just a small matter. His three families will make up for the grain in the granary, and it will be fine to confiscate some silver.

In this way, Assistant Prefect Wang will make friends with his three families, and in the future, the prefecture affairs will be supported by his three families. Furthermore, it will not offend the three families and create enemies for no reason. Assistant Prefect Wang can also buy some fields in this prefecture and leave some wealth for his descendants. Isn't it a good thing?

I heard that when Assistant Prefect Wang was lecturing at the academy earlier, he intended to build a new one outside the city. His three families are willing to contribute money and grain, and then divide some land. This is the teaching merit of Fan Gong and Assistant Prefect Wang in this prefecture, and it is also praised by the world, truly a double-win thing. I don't know what the Assistant Prefect thinks?"

Wang Yan shook his head with a smile and said lightly: "I have been in office for more than a month, and I have heard some rumors. Can Zhou Judicial Military Advisor resolve my confusion?"

"Please speak, Assistant Prefect."

"I heard that the second son of the local kind Liu family once forcibly raped a woman and broke the leg of the woman's father. He died before Fan Gong took office. This case was judged by Signatory Judge Zhang and you together, and only fined some silver. I don't know if there is such a thing?"

Zhou Judicial Military Advisor smiled awkwardly, not knowing how to speak.

"This official also heard that the Zhang family, who has a connection with the palace, forcibly annexed land and caused a human life lawsuit. It was also Zhou Judicial Military Advisor who participated in the judgment, and it was also fined some silver. But the land was occupied by the Zhang family, and there was no explanation. I don't know if there is such a thing?"

Zhou Judicial Military Advisor's eye corners began to twitch, and sweat began to flow on his head.

"This official also heard that the family of the Transport Commissioner's relative bullied people's wives and daughters and seized people's fertile land, only to be fined some silver. The victims were not convinced and were beaten violently. The wives and daughters could not bear the criticism and jumped into the river. This case was also judged by Zhou Judicial Military Advisor."

Zhou Judicial Military Advisor began to tremble, and Wang Yan's light voice sounded like magic to his ears.

Wang Yan continued to output: "Does Zhou Judicial Military Advisor think that this official audited the account books and found nothing? The prison was renovated last year, costing 50,000 strings of cash. This official just looked at the prison, why is it so dilapidated in one year?

This time, the three big families colluded with officials to steal the grain and assets of the Ever-Normal Granary. Such a big case, and with Fan Gong here, Zhou Judicial Military Advisor actually has the courage to speak for me and wants to bribe me and drag me into the water. Zhou Judicial Military Advisor, could it be that you are also involved in this Ever-Normal Granary matter?"

Hearing this, Zhou Judicial Military Advisor raised his head suddenly. He understood Wang Yan's meaning. This is to handle him together.

It is true that civil officials are treated favorably, and punishment does not reach the scholar-official, but his end will not be much better, and this kind of official misconduct will also implicate his relatives.

His brain turned rapidly, and he hurriedly stood up and bowed to Wang Yan: "Assistant Prefect, this subordinate has long known that the Assistant Prefect has great ambitions, and the Assistant Prefect is famous throughout the world, and will sooner or later enter the capital to govern and rule the world. Therefore, I did not want to make things difficult for the Assistant Prefect. However, Signatory Judge Zhang has deep management, and this subordinate had to act with him to squeeze out. Assistant Prefect Wang, from now on, this subordinate will definitely follow the Assistant Prefect's orders."

"No longer burning the accounting room?"

"The Assistant Prefect is joking, how can this subordinate have that courage." Zhou Judicial Military Advisor bowed, raised his head with a smile, and looked flattering.

"The so-called knowing mistakes and correcting them is the best. Since Zhou Judicial Military Advisor has the heart to rectify the administration of officials and return Hangzhou to clarity, this official cannot stop it. However..."

"Please show me, Assistant Prefect, this subordinate will definitely go through fire and water, and will not refuse."

Wang Yan smiled with satisfaction: "The prison still needs to be renovated, this money..."

"This subordinate was confused for a while and made a mistake. Since the Assistant Prefect is willing to give this subordinate a chance to correct, how can this subordinate care about some silver."

"Then this time the three families..."

"Assistant Prefect, rest assured, these three big families are angry with people and gods. Now that they have been captured by the Assistant Prefect, there must be victims seeking help. When the time comes, the Assistant Prefect will lead, and this subordinate will implement it, and they must pay the price for what they did in the past."

Wang Yan nodded again and asked with a smile: "You have been here for less than two years, do you have the heart to overturn the case and make up for it?"

"This..." Zhou Judicial Military Advisor's face was very ugly, but he still had to maintain a smile.

Because he didn't dare to overturn the case. If it was just one or two families, it wouldn't matter, but there were too many powerful big families. There were too many cases that came to him. He couldn't overturn them. This was really going to kill people.

"As Zhou Judicial Military Advisor just said, this official will not stay in Hangzhou for long. If another Judicial Military Advisor comes over, there will inevitably be another struggle, which is a waste of time. This official will not make things difficult for you. In the future, if big families commit crimes, you must enforce the law impartially. This official tells you clearly, if you don't handle them, this official will handle you. Zhou Judicial Military Advisor must have a count on this point."

Such straightforward words made Zhou Judicial Military Advisor's mouth twitch, and he didn't speak any official style at all. But he had to bow and listen to the training: "This subordinate obeys the order and will definitely not live up to the Assistant Prefect's expectations."

Wang Yan took a sip of tea, stood up and walked out: "These three families must be handled solidly. Seize all their family property and land. Those over twelve years old will all be exiled to the border of Western Xia, and the women will be matched by the government. The rest will be handled according to the precedent."

"Then the Transport Commissioner's side, and the palace side..."

"Why let you handle it solidly? Sit down the guilt, not just the Ever-Normal Granary matter, the rest of the guilt must also be thoroughly investigated. Do the documents well, this official wants to submit a memorial to impeach them. If you handle your duties well, this official will naturally recommend you. Do you understand?"

"Yes, I guarantee that not one will be let go."

Wang Yan finally nodded with satisfaction, patted him on the shoulder, and explained to him to clean up the minor officials who had their hands in it, and then left here.

If it were to pull up the banner and rebel, a person like Zhou Judicial Military Advisor would not live past three pages, and would have been beheaded by the battle soldiers and kicked as a ball long ago. But now the road is different. Although they reach the same goal by different routes, they always have to be flexible in the process.

In fact, even if Zhou Judicial Military Advisor was killed, another Judicial Military Advisor who came over would probably not be clean. In the current social background, officials don't actually consider the people. Although there are various clean names, what they consider more is the stability of the governance. The ministers who reform are reforming for the royal family and maintaining the dynasty's mountains and rivers, but there are not many people who are really running for the people to have a good life.

From another perspective, the essence of reform is also that the contradiction between the social environment to a certain extent, the people and the ruling class has reached an irreconcilable level, and it must be changed. If it is not changed, the world will rebel. As for the specific reform items, that is another matter. After all, the officials who execute below don't care about so much, and they still earn silver and bully the good.

Under such a common understanding, the saying of "herding the people" is not strange. So sometimes, it is not a big deal to wrong the victims...

So if the knife is not held in the hand, you cannot forcefully kill the pests that emerge. Then the rules cannot be too dead, and the requirements cannot be too strict, otherwise there will be no one to follow. Implementing a policy of tenderness is necessary.

It seems that now, letting go of Zhou Judicial Military Advisor who should be killed, this Zhou Judicial Military Advisor will have to do things for him in the future. When dealing with other big families, Zhou Judicial Military Advisor will take the blame. When dealing with unqualified minor officials, it is also Zhou Judicial Military Advisor who takes the blame. They will only hate Zhou Judicial Military Advisor.

At that time, the power to negotiate with big families will be in the hands of his Assistant Prefect, and he will be able to handle it as he pleases.

And when Zhou Judicial Military Advisor's term expires, Wang Yan will exercise his Assistant Prefect power again and give this Zhou Judicial Military Advisor a big good review. When selecting officials, Zhou Judicial Military Advisor will take another step forward. Doing a Signatory Judge in another prefecture, it is not impossible. At that time, Zhou Judicial Military Advisor will still have to listen to his Assistant Prefect Wang's orders.

A two-five boy cannot mix well. Zhou Judicial Military Advisor has already betrayed once, so the cost of his second betrayal has climbed. If he betrays again, the mountain in the officialdom will not be able to accommodate him, and his official career will basically come to an end. But he is only in his thirties, and there is still room for progress.

So as long as Zhou Judicial Military Advisor wants to be good, no matter where he goes or where he is in the future, it is best to lean toward Wang Yan.

Now Wang Yan's previous dilemma has been solved, and he has become an Assistant Prefect with power. Even if Fan Zhongyan didn't assign him work, he could still control the judicial system of this prefecture and control the criminal cases, which is already a considerable power.

But Wang Yan is naturally not satisfied with this...

Fan Zhongyan rubbed his head tiredly: "How is the matter?"

"Zhou Judicial Military Advisor is handling it. The officials related to the Ever-Normal Granary and the three grain merchants cannot run away."

Fan Zhongyan raised his eyebrows: "That Zhou Judicial Military Advisor?"

Wang Yan smiled: "He came to speak for me... Student just said some rumors, and then involved him in the Ever-Normal Granary matter. In addition, I found the funds he embezzled for renovating the prison. It was only a few sentences that he couldn't bear."

"Keep him?"

"If a newcomer comes, it will take more effort. Let him go. Water is too clear and there are no fish."

A light sentence revealed the fact that Zhou Judicial Military Advisor colluded with local big families, bullied the good, and caused many tragedies. This is power.

Fan Zhongyan naturally understood this truth. In his ups and downs in the officialdom, he saw too many people and naturally understood many things. So he just took a deep look at Wang Yan and didn't say any other nonsense.

This is just the beginning of Wang Yan's power. What happens later remains to be seen.

Wang Yan smiled: "Fan Gong should rest. People are all there, why be in a hurry for a day or two? Fan Gong's health is important. It's not easy to see improvement, so there's no need to worry about some minor matters."

"Since you have grasped the punishment, what is the next step?"

"There are three points. First, after checking in tomorrow, I want to audit the Ever-Normal Granary of this county with Fan Gong again. Second, student wants to talk to the prefecture officials well, and use them if they can be used. Third, it is to count the family assets of the three families involved this time and measure their land."

"How to deal with it?"

"The assets of the three families should be no problem to build an academy by the Xihu. Or if there is surplus money, renovate the Xihu. Follow Fan Gong's advocacy, do not levy labor, and all hire people to work with money. As for the land, student thinks it should be returned to the prefecture government. At that time, the people who were trained and eliminated by the Garrison troops can rent the land to settle down. The land rent is one-tenth, and the rest of the taxes are taxed one-tenth in total. In this way, 80% of the land production should be enough for a family to live."

"This matter will be discussed after the investigation."

Whether it was Fan Zhongyan or Wang Yan, neither mentioned Signatory Judge Zhang, because Signatory Judge Zhang was finished.

Just maintaining the current situation, Signatory Judge Zhang has already failed to explain, and the previous Prefects and Assistant Prefects will all be implicated. Even if they didn't participate, at least there is a lack of supervision, and the officials who are linked to the assessment and supervision will also be affected. As for the Transport Commissioner of the two Zhejiang circuits, this kind of specially corresponding official will also be affected.

Other people's influence is acceptable, but Signatory Judge Zhang's official career basically ends here. Of course, correspondingly, as the initiator who set off this matter, Wang Yan also offended a large group of people. But obviously, he doesn't care.

And he now has the power of criminal cases in the prefecture. After these two days of fixing the evidence of the Ever-Normal Granary corruption case, he will turn around and destroy Signatory Judge Zhang's relatives, all exiled to the border of Western Xia.

Then let Zhou Judicial Military Advisor interrogate fiercely and involve Signatory Judge Zhang. Then submit a memorial to impeach Signatory Judge Zhang. The official career that originally had no chance of progress is really the end.

It is that punishment does not reach the scholar-official that saved Signatory Judge Zhang's life, but if it were changed to another dynasty, Signatory Judge Zhang would have to die, and no one would protect him.

Of course, Wang Yan didn't have much hatred with him, but he was just slightly suppressed for more than a month, so stripping Signatory Judge Zhang of his wealth was enough. It wouldn't go so far as to kill people because of this little thing, and he had to leave handles for others.

Leaving Fan Zhongyan's office, Wang Yan returned to his office and asked the two minor officials to pass the message one by one. He was going to start talking to the people in the prefecture office.

The first people to be summoned were high-ranking officials such as the Trial Judge and the Record-Keeping Military Advisor, then they looked for low- and mid-level officials, and even some relatively important clerks. This afternoon, Wang Yan did just this one thing.

To talk about the control of a prefecture, winning over high-ranking officials is useless. Because they are going to leave, one term for three years, except for some special circumstances, three years is the limit. But relatively speaking, some officials who are not officials in the prefecture, as well as old clerks who have been there for years, are the real controllers.

If you want to talk about it, it is naturally the local big families, various landlords in the countryside, they and low-level officials control the real power of a prefecture.

It's just that Wang Yan's goal is not a small Hangzhou. Otherwise, these officials, one by one, would have to die. He also wants to establish his own political faction and increase the political power he controls. These people will be officials in other places in the future, and it is important to ensure that they are in step with him to a certain extent.

Of course, this is when the fundamental interests are not touched. It is always difficult to let them revolutionize themselves, and it must be done with a knife.

For the officials working in the prefecture office, today is probably the most terrifying day of their lives.

Some people entered the Assistant Prefect's office with heavy hearts, but relaxed after coming out. Others were directly taken by the soldiers outside and locked in the underground prison. Others came out with joy on their faces, obviously promoted, replacing the original people.

Wang Yan can be called vigorous and resolute. In one day, he seized power and directly carried out an internal purge. Of course, it was not divided according to good or bad, but according to who cooperated and who did not.

Those who didn't cooperate were not just arrested and finished. They still had to have their homes raided. The officials were waiting for the disposal, the clerks were decided by the prefecture's power, and the families of the clerks were also wealthy. Just this wave of cleaning, before touching the fundamental interests of all landlords, Wang Yan had already raided a lot of money and land.

Zhou Judicial Military Advisor has a heavy responsibility. The past cases have been overturned again and again, and he has to find victims to sue, in order to handle them to death, and he is so busy that his feet don't touch the ground. Because there are too many things he needs to do, he can't even go home for a long time. However, such a big move also increased his authority, and it is said that local big families are very uneasy and have entrusted people to inquire about news with him.

But Zhou Judicial Military Advisor is now a clean official of the Great Song...

The next day, Wang Yan and Fan Zhongyan, after checking in, went directly to the county's Ever-Normal Granary with troops, and arrested the pale-faced Registrar on the spot. In fact, the county official was still lucky. They also understood that Wang Yan was seizing power, so he made such a big thing, thinking that Wang Yan would not come to check the Ever-Normal Granary in the county again.

In fact, in the Great Song, there are problems with the Ever-Normal Granary in all places, even in Kaifeng Prefecture. Otherwise, how would everyone get rich and support their families?

No matter how generous the treatment of officials is, it can't stand the consumption.

Of course, the county official actually made preparations and planned to supplement the grain later. After all, Wang Yan is staring at it now, and they have no chance to operate. They can only hope that Wang Yan will only seize his power and not expand the scope of the attack. If they don't hope so, they have no way, and what can they do?

So when Wang Yan and Fan Zhongyan appeared with hundreds of soldiers, they were already pale. So the officials related to the Ever-Normal Granary in the county office were all arrested.

As for the Qiantang County Magistrate, he didn't dare to let out a fart, but instead explained to Wang Yan and Fan Zhongyan, and expressed his absolute cooperation with the action, and took the opportunity to show favor to Wang Yan.

How fierce Wang Yan is, yesterday's day showed it vividly. As for the means, those with brains naturally see it clearly. Without Fan Zhongyan's help, he grasped the timing and killed with one blow.

Of course, if they knew that the mountain thieves who robbed the road were also sent by Wang Yan, it would be even more exciting...

In the following days, the prefecture office and Qiantang County office were all busy, trying officials, dealing with the problems of some victims, and putting hats on officials and the three big grain merchants, and buckling them to death. At the same time, the work of sealing family property and measuring land was also carried out.

The big families involved this time are five, and these five families are all capable. If they don't have the ability, they can't eat the business of colluding with the government. There are also numerous low-level officials and minor officials, all of whom are uncooperative, or Wang Yan thinks they are uncooperative. Mainly, there are a considerable number of people, Wang Yan wants to accept them, but he can't pass the hurdle in his conscience. If he doesn't clean them up, Hangzhou really won't have a blue sky.

This is a huge amount of work. Of course, Zhou Judicial Military Advisor's task is heavier. He is the source after all.

Taking advantage of this big case of the Ever-Normal Granary, Wang Yan cleared the prefecture and county two-level government in one fell swoop, and unified the understanding of most people up and down. That is, he, Assistant Prefect Wang, has the final say, and they must be closely united around Assistant Prefect Wang and carry out future work under Assistant Prefect Wang's instructions.

As for a closer relationship, Wang Yan will have to further exert influence on them in future work.

At this time, I have to thank Fan Zhongyan. Although he didn't get Fan Zhongyan's specific help, Fan Zhongyan didn't speak and had no other actions, which was the best help for Wang Yan.

The number one is the number one. Wang Yan can naturally hollow out the power of the number one, but relatively speaking, the process is more laborious. How can it be as easy as it is now, sitting on the cold bench for more than a month, and completing a big blood change in a few days.

The reason for success is mainly that he found out enough information by auditing accounts, and the speed of setting off the Ever-Normal Granary case and handling it was fast enough. He didn't give others too much time to communicate information, unify consensus, and organize forces to confront.

After all, local big families, low-level officials, and minor official families that have been passed down for several generations, these are integrated to confront, which is not easy to mess with.

The batch of Garrison troops Wang Yan mobilized, people stood there empty-handed and let them catch, they didn't have the courage to do it. When the time comes, once a bloodshed incident is aroused, it will really be impossible to end.

This is also one of Fan Zhongyan's concerns at the beginning. It's just that Wang Yan didn't listen to him at all, and he also wanted to see what ability Wang Yan had, who was taking the imperial examination and establishing theories, so he didn't stop it. Only then did he have the current situation.

Of course, the situation is already like this, everything else is not important, Fan Zhongyan intends to fulfill it, and now Hangzhou is his Assistant Prefect Wang's business.

As for other local big families, seeing that Wang Yan had no movement, they finally settled their panicked hearts, and their days were still the same, but they had one more thing to make friends with Assistant Prefect Wang.

This business, they are all very familiar with. And the many industries sealed, someone always has to take over, and big families are very greedy.

Little did they know, the Assistant Prefect Wang who had just seized power was already sharpening his knife, and the next knife was to cut them... ===== CHAPTER 1046 =====