OBS Chapter 661 Now that you've become an official, you're several levels above others?
Chapter 661 Now that you've become an official, you're several levels above others?
Zeng Li, Ye Chengyuan, and Tang Chengfei, the Left Assistant Administrators of the Shandong Provincial Administration Commission, were of the third rank.
Left Councilors Zhuang Hong and Shi Xing'an, Right Councilors Pei Siyuan and Gong Chengbi, all of the fourth rank.
The censor Wu Liang was not of high rank.
You Wen, the Provincial Surveillance Commissioner of Shandong Province, was a third-rank official.
Deputy Envoy Li Zhongda, a fourth-rank official.
The five officials, Zhao Mingjie, Shao An, Xu Ruyi, and Liu Wentai, were all of the fifth rank.
Ding Dalu, Deputy Commander of the Shandong Provincial Military Command, was a second-rank official.
Jiang Fan, Hong Qi, and Guan Gou, all Vice Commanders, were of the third rank.
Looking at the row of criminals kneeling in a row, Hu Weiyong couldn't help but feel a little smug: "Tsk tsk, you've wiped out the entire Shandong Provincial Surveillance Commission in one fell swoop? If that old scoundrel Liu Bowen saw this, his face would turn as black as the bottom of a pot."
Wang Guangyang, who was standing next to him, snorted coldly and said, "Then you, Hu Weiyong, might as well take a look at my face first?"
Wang Guangyang didn't care whether Liu Bowen's face was dark or not.
However, Wang Guangyang believed that his face must be even blacker than the bottom of a pot.
Three out of four left-wing councilors were dismissed, two out of eight left-wing councilors were dismissed, and two out of eight right-wing councilors were also dismissed.
Add to that a second-rate official's case file, and the entire Shandong Provincial Administration Commission, if not wiped out, was at least severely weakened.
If it weren't for the even more disgraceful Provincial Judicial Commissioner's Office standing nearby, the Shandong Provincial Administration Commissioner would have almost completely lost face this time, and Wang Guangyang would have become a laughing stock in the court as well.
Wang Guangyang was displeased, and his words inevitably carried a hint of anger.
However, Hu Weiyong was equally unhappy.
What?
If you, Wang Guangyang, are angry, go take it out on Yang Dianfeng. Why are you taking your anger out on me?
Hu Weiyong said sarcastically, "If you, Governor Wang, hadn't said anything, I wouldn't have realized how dark your face was. What's wrong? You haven't managed your officials well, and you're losing face?"
Wang Guangyang rolled up his sleeves and glared at Hu Weiyong: "You, surnamed Hu, do you want a beating?"
Hu Weiyong laughed loudly, rolled up his sleeves, and said in a sarcastic tone, "I'm just asking for a beating, so what? With your old arms and legs, you think you can tear me apart?"
Yang Shaofeng was completely dumbfounded.
The row of officials kneeling on the ground were equally dumbfounded.
A Vice Minister of the Secretariat and a Provincial Treasurer of Shandong—are they preparing for a full-blown brawl?
Yang Shaofeng stood between Hu Weiyong and Wang Guangyang and advised, "Councilor Hu, Governor Wang, please calm down. It's more important to interrogate these bastards first."
Hu Weiyong snorted coldly and stared at Wang Guangyang, saying, "I'll give the Prince Consort some face today and let you go for now, you old scoundrel!"
Wang Guangyang was not to be outdone and retorted directly: "If it weren't for the fact that the Prince Consort wanted to hear the case, I would have taught you, Mr. Hu, how to respect the elderly today!"
Yang Shaofeng chuckled twice and said, "The case is the priority, the case is the priority."
After persuading Hu Weiyong and Wang Guangyang to leave, Yang Shaofeng immediately turned his gaze to Ding Dalu, the Shandong Provincial Military Commander-in-Chief kneeling at the front: "Ding Dalu, are you going to confess honestly, or wait until after the torture to confess?"
Ding Dalu first looked at Hu Weiyong with a hopeful expression, then lowered his head deeply and cried out, "Prefect Hu! Prefect Hu! I have no face to see you, please leave immediately!"
Ok?
As Ding Dalu finished speaking, Yang Shaofeng and Wang Guangyang immediately turned their attention to Hu Weiyong.
Hu Weiyong was completely numb, and his gaze towards Ding Dalu now held a hint of hatred.
Hu Weiyong turned to look at Yang Shaofeng and stammered, "Your Highness, I used to be the Vice Prefect of Ji'an Prefecture. This Ding Dalu is from Ji'an Prefecture. I recommended him to my position, so he calls me Vice Prefect Hu."
After a slight pause, Hu Weiyong quickly added, "However, I recommended him in the first place because I valued talent and couldn't bear to see his bravery go to waste in the government office."
Damn it!
What terrible things have I done?!
I recommended you, and you not only failed to be a good official, but you also went and colluded with those gentry to abduct children.
It's one thing for you to abduct children, but the worst part is that you're trying to drag me down with you!
Thinking back to the people of Ningyang County he had met along the way when he went to pay his respects to Emperor Zhu and Empress Ma, and then looking at Ding Dalu kneeling on the ground in front of him, Hu Weiyong felt like he wanted to die!
Wang Guangyang wanted to laugh, and even wanted to say a few sarcastic remarks to Hu Weiyong.
But when he saw the Shandong Provincial Administration Commission officials kneeling on the ground, Wang Guangyang's smile vanished.
Just then, Ding Dalu looked up at Hu Weiyong again and said, "Prefect Hu, I will confess honestly. I beg you to give me a quick death and not let me be humiliated by slaves."
Yang Shaofeng glanced at Ding Dalu, sneered, and then looked at Hu Weiyong, asking, "What does Councilor Hu think?"
Hu Weiyong glanced at Ding Dalu and said through gritted teeth, "I ask you, who are you referring to as a slave?"
"Didn't you, Ding Dalu, also come from a farming background?"
"What, now that you're an official, do you think you're superior to others?"
"Now you're begging me to give you a quick death, but when you were involved in child abduction cases, causing countless parents to be heartbroken, why didn't you give them a quick death?"
After reprimanding Ding Dalu, Hu Weiyong sighed and turned to Yang Shaofeng, saying, "Your Highness, conduct the trial as it should be conducted. My biggest regret now is recommending such a beastly scoundrel!"
Yang Shaofeng nodded slightly, then turned his gaze to Ding Dalü and asked, "I'll ask you one more time, Ding Dalü, will you confess or not?"
Ding Dalu's face gradually turned ashen, and after a long while, he finally spoke: "I confess!"
Ding Dalu glanced at Hu Weiyong again before continuing, "This child abduction case was handled by Yang Yuanqing and his son Yang Siyuan. However, they didn't instigate this case; they were merely pawns being used."
Yang Shaofeng immediately perked up.
I'll just say it!
How could a major case involving dozens of coastal prefectures and counties be something that a mere local gentry could have stirred up?
Ding Dalu continued, "The one who really stirred up the child abduction case was Gu Chengzhi from Wuxi."
As Ding Dalu finished speaking, Hu Weiyong couldn't help but exclaim in surprise, "Who?"
Ding Dalu raised his head again, looked at Hu Weiyong and said, "Prefect Hu is Gu Chengzhi."
Hu Weiyong's face turned as black as the bottom of a pot, but Yang Shaofeng looked at Hu Weiyong with a face full of curiosity: "Councilor Hu, do you know this Gu Chengzhi?"
Hu Weiyong grunted and said through gritted teeth, "I know him, of course I know him, how could I not know Gu Chengzhi!"