Du Zhongxiao sat on the chair, looking at the rows of trees on the Bianhe River not far away, frowning, and quietly listening to the situation in the Yongcheng area that Jin Shuzhao on the side had inquired about in the past few days. The situation was far more complicated than he thought, and it was a little tricky.

Sandwiched by the Bianhe River, there is a wharf near the inspection village and the county seat opposite, and the scale is not small. The wharves in the county town are mainly for the transportation service, and the official and private ships that pass by mostly rest there. The wharf here is for local business services, directly adjacent to the official road to Chenzhou.

After Jin Shuzhao finished speaking, Du Zhongxiao asked, "That tooth man surnamed Ma, how did you listen?" To be a tooth person, which is not all kinds of people who are proficient and treacherous. Lu Yuhou, whom Tao 17 killed, was a relative of his family, and the facts of the case were all on this person. ”

"Back to the officials, the little one has sent someone to visit in the past few days, and the tooth man surnamed Ma is really an unusual person. He originally started as a medicinal herb business, and in recent years, he has become bigger and bigger, such as lacquerware, local products, silk and satin cloth, and countless businesses. Because of his abundant capital and wealth, he was called Ma Daguan in the vicinity. This man is not in charge of the industry, and there is a Zhuangzi not far from the north of the wharf, and the villager makes a living by fishing, and then transports goods for him. ”

Du Zhongxiao said: "Is he doing business? ”

"How can this kind of character do business. There are a lot of idlers on his farm, saying that he takes care of various businesses, but in fact, where do outsiders know what he does? This person is familiar with the public officials in the yamen, and there are many bankers under him, and it is said that there are many outlaws during this period, which one dares to provoke him? Even if it is to inspect the village, it is easy not to dare to go to his door to interrogate things. ”

Hearing this, Du Zhongxiao couldn't help frowning: "Inspect more than 100 soldiers in the village, are you still afraid of a big local household?" ”

"If you say you're afraid, you're exaggerating, but you're just worried. There are many idlers in this person's village, and there are fewer people who go, so it is inevitable that he will be bullied. Moreover, this person is familiar with the people in the yamen and is well-informed, so it is difficult to hold the handle. And there is not just one Ma Daguan in this area, it is difficult to collude everywhere. ”

Du Zhongxiao nodded and didn't speak for a while. The situation in the countryside was far more complicated than he originally thought. According to his experience in his previous life, as long as the government comes to investigate things, no matter what his identity, who dares not to cooperate? In this era, it is not good, and when he is found on the door, people are not clear about what he is doing, either because he is not at home because of something, or the time is not coincidental. Being able to come out and meet and ask three questions without knowing is enough to save face.

There are even more outrageous ones, one side arrests people in prison, and the other side climbs over the wall to sleep and drink prostitutes, unscrupulous. How many officials are there in one state and one county? It is still up to the local officials to really do things. These people mingle with the ground, and they can't be guarded. Thinking of watching "Water Margin" in his previous life, Song Jiang committed an accident, and there were people everywhere to cover him up, not that he later committed a capital crime, and he couldn't help him at all. There is another one here in Yongcheng, the inspection of the village and the county government are not under the control, can not cooperate closely, and it is more likely to be exploited by local snakes and rats.

After being silent for a while, Du Zhongxiao said: "What kind of bird and horse official is this, he started in the medicinal materials business, and he has a relationship with the Tao Seventeen family, I am afraid that there is another hidden truth in this matter." That Tao 17 killed people in front of me, and went to the official in anger, if he really took revenge, he was a good man. He committed murder in public, and I could not save his life, but when I arrived here today, I could only find out the hidden secret, so that he could go on the road with peace of mind. ”

Jin Shuzhao was a little embarrassed: "Ma Guanren is very powerful in the local area, and he has many eyes and ears, so it is difficult to check it. Again, the state and county are inclined to admit that Tao Seventeen misidentified the person and closed the case earlier. The officials want to investigate this matter, but they don't have a name, so it's not easy to start. ”

Du Zhongxiao stood up, looked at the boats coming and going in the Bianhe River not far away, and then turned to look at the desolate land behind him. After pondering for a while, he said to Jin Shuzhao: "It's not easy to start, because there are more people than people from big local households." I have other plans for this. In the past few days, you have arranged people to find out the situation of the people around you. How many powerful people are there, what do they do for a living, and how many villagers and idlers obey orders. Don't worry about the case yet, we always have to stay here for a few days, and if we don't find out these things, nothing can be done. ”

Jin Shu summoned fork hands to answer the promise.

Du Zhongxiao himself had been bullied by local forces, and he knew that this kind of thing was extremely tricky. Back then, he was privately arrested by Wu Kejiu and put in prison and slaughtered by others, and the county government was just like his family, and the county order pretended not to know. Is this kind of thing not only in Linying County? In fact, this is the case in most places. As long as they collude with public officials, officials have no choice, and they can't investigate if they want to. Du Zhongxiao is a state official, and he came to the county with a few retinues, these people have nothing to do with the county, and officials such as the county magistrate do not even have this condition. If you want to find out who it is, the news will be revealed early in the morning, and all kinds of fake official documents and fake certificates will be made for you to see, but there is no way to check it.

For the county government, it is not a big case that alarms the state, and the public officials in the county can cover the sky with one hand. A few officials in the county are only responsible for collecting grain taxes and maintaining local law and order. It is not an isolated phenomenon that public officials with more powerful means control the affairs of a county, and even call themselves the magistrates of the county, and do not take officials seriously. It is not uncommon for them to falsely accuse and threaten their superiors even more domineeringly.

Let Jin Shuzhao arrange it, and Du Zhongxiao will sum it up alone, how to break the game. He has more than a thousand years of knowledge, and he always has his own way to earn it from this net. The method that came up with it coincided with the method of some officials of this era, such as Wang Anshi's later appointment to the county in the same year.

Two miles north of the inspection village, there is a big official Zhuangzi, in addition to his mansion, there are nearly 100 households. These people also do not farm, either fishing for a living, or trafficking goods, and some of them earn a living on the docks. These people have a close or distant relationship with the Ma family, and they all obey the orders of the Ma officials. The local government turns a blind eye to these big households, because they are too numerous and powerful to deal with.

Song Sigong took Shen Dalang and the three of them here in the dust, saw a young man coming back with a string of fish, stepped forward and asked, "Dare to ask if this is the Zhuangzi of Ma Daguan?" ”

The young man glanced at a few people and said, "Not bad." How many of you are in the eyes, who came to find Ma Daguan? ”

Song Sigong arched his hand: "Song Sigong from the capital has heard of the name of Ma Daguan for a long time, and he came to defect." ”

The young man shook his head: "What Song Sigong, I haven't heard of it." The big officials have a lot to do, where do they have to see some irrelevant people. ”

People are under the eaves and have to bow their heads. Song Sigong was not annoyed, and said to the young man: "Please ask the little brother to inform Ma Daguan, and say that Song Sigong from the capital is visiting." The big officials know my reputation, and they will meet each other. ”

The young man looked at only a few people, and did not go to courtesy, nor spoke.

Song Sigong understood, took out a handful of copper coins and handed it over: "Little brother take it to buy a bowl of wine to drink." ”

The young man weighed the copper coins for a while, and then said, "You guys wait here, I'll go to the big official's house to have a look." ”

Watching the young man leave, Shen Dalang said, "Why should the fourth prince ask this person. Since this is the Zhuangzi of Ma Daguan, we just need to find the largest house to find it. A few copper coins, let's stay to buy wine and eat. ”

Song Sigong glared at Shen Dalang: "What do you know." Ma Daguan is a figure on the rivers and lakes, how can he see it as soon as he thinks about it. We rushed to his door, and we didn't know what he thought of us. Just wait here. ”