Early the next morning, the officers and men of the Imperial Mission, armed with a thick stack of summonses, rushed to the inside and outside of Suzhou to inform the plaintiffs and defendants to arrive at the court on time.

Those eunuchs knew that the poor ghosts had come to Hai Rui to complain yesterday, but they didn't expect Hai Zhongcheng to be so resolute and resolute, and he would go to the governor's office for trial in the afternoon at the earliest.

The king of the sea is in full swing, who dares to disobey at this time? I'm sure I'll be killed as an example.

No one dares not to sue!

By noon, the sky was overcast with scattered snowflakes.

The plaintiffs and defendants awaiting trial, under the command of the officials, formed a long queue on Shuyuan Street.

The plaintiff was on the left side of the street and the defendant was on the right side of the street, both holding a 'love number plate' in their hands, waiting to be called.

The plaintiffs on the left side of the street were very quiet, and most of them were poor people with little knowledge. Although they knew that Hai Qingtian was supporting them, they still felt very nervous, and they didn't know which leg to take first when they passed the hall later?

But the defendants on the right side of the street look much more presentable. They were dressed decently, they talked well, and although they were all scared in their hearts, they could still barely maintain the dignity of the squire.

After all, no matter how terrible the King of the Sea Yama is, he can't behead the common people because they have taken a little land, right? Besides, many of them still have fame and fame, and they can buy a righteous official even if they are not good, and they don't have to worry about suffering from flesh and skin.

So they still have a pleasant greeting.

"Oh, third brother, you were also sued?"

"Yes, Nayot."

"Don't panic, all the rich people in Suzhou, one by one, have to come and go. If no one sues you, you can only say that you are not rich enough. ”

"Hey, hey, hey......" The defendants laughed and laughed.

"But Hai Gong too, why did you call us early? With so many people, how can you have to be interrogated for ten days and eight days, right? ”

"That is, when you come to line up in the winter, you have to freeze to death if you don't get tired to death......"

"I guess it's to kill chickens and make an example of monkeys, most of us are here to be monkeys." A middle-aged man wearing an ear bun and his hands in his sleeves pointed to the people at the head of the line with his chin.

"The only ones who can really pass the hall today are a dozen chickens."

"Makes sense." The defendants felt much more at ease.

~~

When the time came, the gate of the yamen was opened, and the officers and soldiers called the plaintiff and the defendant to enter the court according to the registered numbers.

In the first case, a farmer named Ding San sued Ding Peng, a landlord in his village, for forcibly occupying his paddy field three years ago on the grounds that he had borrowed money and did not repay it.

Niu Yanshi put the complaint on Hai Rui's desk, sighed slightly, and said: "This case is very simple and easy to judge. Ding San only borrowed ten taels of silver to seal money, and a year later, the interest was turned into thirty taels. Ding Peng robbed his family of three acres of paddy fields to pay off his debts. Ding San is now dissatisfied with the complaint, so he will return the land and pay the money. But he couldn't take out ten taels of silver, let alone thirty taels. ”

Hai Rui nodded quietly and summoned the plaintiff and the defendant to come up to hear the verdict.

After a while, the two came to the court, Ding San knelt on the ground and didn't dare to speak, but Ding Peng was obviously much calmer. And he was better prepared...... The gentry embezzled and annexed, and ninety percent relied on usury. There is already a complete set of rhetoric and procedures, at least from the legal level, there is no problem.

Therefore, when officials favor them, they will have no psychological burden.

Glancing at the IOU that Ding Peng showed up, the contract to settle the account with the land, and the land deed that had already been transferred, Hai Rui asked lightly:

"Ding San borrowed ten taels from you, why did he pay you back three times?"

"Du Gong Mingjian, the IOU clearly states that the interest is nine out of thirteen. He lent me ten taels, and after three months he had to pay me back thirteen taels. He didn't pay it back for a year, and even the principal and interest rolled to thirty-nine taels. It's like this all over the world, and Tong Su is not bullied. As long as the villain is thirty taels, it seems that he is bleeding heavily for the sake of the villagers. ”

Niu Weishi on the side sighed secretly, this case is not a head, if Hai Gong is forced to screw, I am afraid that it will have a bad impact.

"Nonsense!" But seeing Hai Rui, he sneered and said, "If you want him to pay off his debts with paddy fields, why don't you pay it when it expires in March?" Do you have to delay it until a year later, and then roll over the principal and interest to thirty taels before you do it? Dare to say that he is not scheming and wants to get his three acres of paddy fields? ”

"Dugong was wronged, it was Ding San who begged me to forgive him for a few months. The villain is kind-hearted, so he will wait until the end of the year. Ding Peng was busy and called Qu up.

"Dare to reverse right and wrong in court? Do you think this school is a three-year-old child?! Hai Rui slapped the wood in shock, and shouted: "If you are really kind, you should not accrue interest when it expires in March, and let him postpone the repayment of your thirteen taels." But you still accrue interest every month, and the longer the time, the higher the interest! You can collect four or five taels of interest a month, is this also called kindness?! ”

"Uh......" Ding Peng was poked in the heart by Hai Rui, and he couldn't quibble, so he could only whisper: "The rules are like this, and everyone else counts like this." ”

"How much is an acre of paddy field in Suzhou?" Hai Rui suddenly changed the topic and asked.

"Back to Zhongcheng, there are upper, middle and lower fields, but in the case of paddy fields, the minimum is not less than 221 acres." Niu replied hurriedly.

"The three acres of paddy fields are at least sixty taels." Hai Rui stared at Ding Peng with a sword and said, "Why do you only pay thirty taels for others?" ”

"I can't afford to pay back this, and when I take things as a price, I have to give them a discount." Ding Peng wiped his sweat with his sleeve.

"Ding San, let me ask you, why don't you sell the land first and then use the silver to pay off the debt?" Hai Rui looked at Ding Sandao.

"Ding Yuanwai is the chief of our area. When he let it go, no one dared to buy my family's land, so he could only give it to him at half price. Ding San replied tremblingly.

"Ding Peng, you actually only paid nine taels of silver, and you will ask for three acres of paddy fields in a year, what is this not an invasion and annexation?!" Hai Rui was shocked, and immediately pronounced the verdict: "You are limited to return the field to Ding San within three days, and the flail will be displayed to the public after the deadline!" ”

"Thank you Hai Qingtian!" Ding San cried with joy.

"Dugong, it's okay to return the land." Ding Peng did not give up, and expressed his dissatisfaction: "You can repay the debt, it is justified." What will he do with the money he owes me? ”

Ding Sandeng was dumbfounded. When he lost his land, he went to work in the city. I have been unemployed for more than half a year this year, and I have just returned to work for a month, and I can't afford to pay a tael of silver.

But Hai Rui sneered and said, "Yes, but you also have to return to him the grain that Bai planted for three years." Suzhou paddy field yields two stones and five per mu, two seasons a year. Three acres of land is forty-five stones in three years. I didn't have interest on you! ”

The average annual price of one stone of grain in Suzhou is two taels of silver, and forty-five stones is ninety taels. No matter how Ding Peng calculates, he has to post the money himself.

Ding Peng was speechless, always feeling that something was wrong, but he couldn't say it, so he refused to draw a bet on the written verdict.

Hai Rui slapped the shocked wood again, and said sharply and threateningly:

"You only gave nine taels of silver, and you occupied other people's paddy fields for three years, no matter how you count it, you will make a lot of money. If you don't know how to restrain again, this court will give you a break and forcibly occupy other people's fields, how should you judge according to the "Da Ming Law"! ”

The officials knocked on the water and fire sticks together, and Ding Pengden was frightened, so he had to obediently sign the affidavit.

ps. The first update of the three consecutive changes, ask for a monthly pass!