Chapter 0010: Night Raid

Inside the ceremonial gate is the main hall, where the county magistrate ascends to the platform to hear cases

The clerk hurriedly said: "I do not dare to accept the title of 'Sir'"

Are you very familiar with it

Another twenty-four individuals were selected to serve as squad leaders and deputy squad leaders. There was no training with flags or commands; they were instructed to advance upon hearing the drum and to retreat upon hearing the gong

The clerk introduced, "This is the Mediation Pavilion, specifically used for resolving minor cases"

As we chatted leisurely, we gradually arrived at the entrance of the county office.

The county magistrate is indeed a ruthless person, capable of silencing the grievances of the common people

Of course, there are also shortcomings

The magistrates of both parties in the case, along with the relevant clerks from the county office, will jointly explain the pros and cons to the parties involved. If a settlement can be reached outside of court, there will be no need to pursue litigation. If both sides are unwilling to make concessions, then a formal complaint will be drafted and filed, and the county magistrate will personally preside over the hearing.

Since one has traveled back to ancient times, it is essential to understand various social conditions; otherwise, one would not know which door to approach when litigating in the future

"Young Master, you have returned," the maid said with a smile, "The medicine has just been delivered from the clinic, and I was about to prepare it."

The northern town is left for the fleeing rebels

More than 500 brave warriors gradually approached Duliu Town

At that moment, he saw the head of Chief Clerk Li being held up for public display along the street, which solidified his determination to take a gamble

Zhao Han stood up and walked to the window, opening it to look at the scenery outside, but in his heart, he was wondering whether the night raid would go smoothly

Several hundred temporarily recruited warriors planted over three thousand torches into the ground, while waving the torches and shouting hoarsely, instantly creating the illusion of a vast army.

The tenth generation is even worse, all of them are mere scholars, and Fei Yinghuan is the only one who holds the title of a successful candidate in the imperial examination

A gate pavilion is set on the west side of the main gate, and the ground shows significant wear, suggesting that it is frequently used by people coming and going

... ...

As the governance of the Ming Dynasty deteriorated, the chief officials of the county began to neglect their duties, delegating all matters to the clerks. The clerks could collude with the village heads, coercing the parties involved during the judicial mediation phase, resulting in the disadvantaged party consistently suffering losses without recourse. Many long-standing officials even gained control over civil authority as a result.

Under the lure of great rewards, there will surely be brave men. Five hundred valiant soldiers were quickly recruited, and in fact, there were several dozen more.

Within the courtyard lies the second hall, which is the true daily office of the county magistrate. It is only after passing through the second hall that one reaches the private residence of the county magistrate.

After a thorough explanation by the clerk, Zhao Han's inherent understanding was overturned; it turned out that during the Ming Dynasty, cases were not directly brought to court by beating the drum.

Zhao Han clasped his hands and said: "Thank you."

"The gate is just ahead, and it is not appropriate for me to accompany you any further," the clerk said, stopping.

Wang Yongshi personally led more than 200 men to circumvent to the east of the town in preparation for a surprise attack

Dada dada dada!

What a magnificent sight

It does not matter if there are mistakes on the battlefield, after all, their enemies are even worse

So it turns out to be Mr. Yang" Zhao Han complimented

Zhenxi is a canal

"At your command!" Chen Dianshi felt quite apprehensive, yet somewhat excited

After slaughtering the pig to prepare a meal and filling their stomachs, they drank a bowl of farewell wine, and Wang Yongshi personally led the troops to set off

Zhao Han arrived at the bedside, placing his hand on his younger sister's forehead, which was still somewhat warm, but her temperature had already decreased

"If you continue to fail the imperial examination, are you really going to keep taking it for another twenty years?" Wang Yongshi advised, "Stop taking the exams. Use your money to approach the Ministry of Personnel and leverage the favor of your esteemed ancestors from the Fei family; you could easily secure a position as a county magistrate."

Wei Jianxiong scoffed, saying: "That bandit leader is utterly incapable of warfare. Not to mention sending out scouts, he hasn't even set up a camp; the chaotic rebels are scattered among the houses in the town, with only a few left outside to keep watch at night"

Fei Yinghuan murmured: "I am not taking the imperial examination for myself, but for the entire Fei family of Qianshan."

Wang Yongshi quietly circled to the east side of the town, took a brief rest to prepare, and said to Chen Dianshi, who was carrying a large drum: "You come and beat the drum!"

Wang Yongshi, Fei Yinghuan, Wei Jianxiong, and others were completely trapped in a cognitive bias, only thinking about how to defend the county town, without considering the possibility of taking the initiative to launch an attack

Zhao Han proposed a strategy, purely as a spur-of-the-moment idea, and was even unclear about the enemy's intelligence

Starting from the ninth generation, the Fei family of Lianshan began to decline, to the extent that not a single successful candidate in the imperial examination emerged

Zhao Han walked slowly, stopping intermittently, while keeping in mind the layout of the county office

Returning to the county office again, the treatment is different, with officials providing full escort and guidance.

A declaration pavilion must be constructed on the west side of the county office gate

Fei Yinghuan held the hilt of the sword in one hand and raised a torch high in the other, sighing, "I achieved success in my youth, having been a successful candidate at a young age. I have been preparing for the imperial examination for twenty years; it is simply not possible for me to give up halfway, is it"

Although Zhao Han had achieved great merit, he did not take pride in it. With a respectful attitude, he clasped his hands and said, "May I ask for your esteemed name, old sir"

As they advanced with torches in hand, Wang asked Shi while walking, "Brother Dazhao, do you still intend to continue with the imperial examination?"

The young master correctly stated, "The clerk also pointed to the side door on the east side of the ceremonial gate, saying, 'This is the entrance for people, also known as the Joy Gate, used for the county dignitary and their close attendants to enter and exit.'"

Zhao Han casually inquired, "What place is that?"

As the county magistrate, Wang Yongshi encountered the peasant army for the first time, and he had only a few yamen runners at his disposal, having to recruit local militia overnight to defend the city

Wang Yongshi felt an instant sense of relief, certain that victory in this battle was assured. He immediately issued the order: "Extinguish all torches, hold onto the belts of your comrades in front and behind, and march silently with chopsticks in your mouths!"

For civil cases such as property disputes and fights, one must first go to the mediation pavilion for resolution

It is estimated that County Magistrate Wang killed to establish his authority, and Zhao Han has gained the magistrate's favor. This clerk, not daring to be negligent, replied with a forced smile: "I am called Yang, with the courtesy name Shouzhong, merely a minor official in the county's ceremonial office."

Zhao Han was quite interested and eagerly inquired about the details

Zhao Han hurriedly said: "Thank you for your concern, sister"

This invention was pioneered by Zhu Yuanzhang, allowing local governors of various provinces and counties to be liberated from trivial matters.

That is the Ghost Gate, also known as the Deadly Gate. It is used for the interrogation of serious offenders or for escorting death row inmates to execution

He is the hope of the entire family, the main branch of the Fei clan, and there are also the branches of the Henglin Fei, Hekou Fei, Lieqiao Fei, and Ehu Fei... all of them are counting on him to bring glory to the family. How could Fei Yinghuan dare not continue her studies?

Since one is a ruthless person, then one should propose a daring strategy. This is referred to as assessing the situation based on the individual, and it is also known as asking the guest to kill the chicken

Isn't that just bad luck? Getting closer brings a chilling breeze, " the clerk said with a smile

He pointed to the second gate of the county office and said: "This is the ceremonial gate, which is not usually open. It is only opened on auspicious days such as when the county magistrate takes office, to welcome distinguished guests, or during sacrificial celebrations..."

If it were a mediocre official, Zhao Han would certainly propose a conservative strategy; he would not seek to make himself look foolish

In the darkness, a rider comes galloping.

Wang Yongshi fell silent, feeling that Fei Yinghuan was rather pitiable

The courtyard gate isolates the inside from the outside, with a gatekeeper on watch. To meet the county magistrate, one must report in advance, and generally, entry is not permitted without payment, commonly referred to as "paying the gatekeeper"

After all, this is the first year of the Chongzhen era, and peasant uprisings have not yet become a common phenomenon

Fei Yinghuan comforted, "You take care of the people, I will study, let us encourage each other."

One fears the recurrence, the rise and fall, which is truly distressing

Wang Yongshi temporarily organized these more than 500 strong men into twelve groups

On the east and west sides of the main hall are the treasury and the armory, with the six offices of the county government distributed on the left and right. The treasury is managed by the county deputy, serving as both the finance office and the archive; the armory is overseen by the chief clerk, containing tools of punishment, weapons, and their inventory.

Wang Yongshi also said, "Send the order down, light the torches"

This item is standardized, universally applicable in both the north and south; remembering one means remembering them all

Judicial mediation

Fei Yinghuan and Wei Jianxiong, along with more than 200 people, lay in ambush in the southern part of the town, awaiting orders

Kill them, eradicate the bandits!

Zhao Han said: "Unlucky"

Wang Yongshi shook his head and sighed: "What kind of military achievement is this? It is merely a group of starving people driven to desperation. Brother Dazhao fights tonight, while I will fight in the future; benefiting the community is my battlefield. Jinghai County is in dire need of revitalization, and I do not know how much effort it will take to restore even a semblance of vitality."

In the quiet of the deep night, a dull drumbeat resounds, and torches are lit one by one, accompanied by intense shouts of battle.

Wei Jianxiong dismounted: "County magistrate, young master, quickly extinguish the torch."

Wang Yongshi inquired, "What is the situation with the enemy?"

Fei Yinghuan said: "Do not mention these matters; today we have fought vigorously against the bandits, which can be considered a contribution to the battlefield."

Zhao Han pointed to the side door on the west and asked, "What about that door?"

After exchanging a few words, the maid went to prepare the medicine

Uncle and nephew both achieved the top rank, father and son both attained the fifth highest honor, brothers were both appointed to the cabinet

The Fei family of Qianshan reached its peak in the sixth, seventh, and eighth generations, with an average of two Jinshi graduates per generation, and countless Juren and Xiucai.

Knock knock knock knock knock

Seeing Zhao Han asking this and that, he seemed very interested in the county office, and the literati took the initiative to play the role of a tour guide.

For intelligent individuals, certain principles become clear with just a little understanding

Zhao Han immediately understood: "The door of etiquette"

In the direction of Zhennan, Fei Yinghuan immediately led the crowd in response