Chapter 29 Seven Mortuary Bureau

Just as the adjudication bureau was relieved to be relieved, a bigger trouble came. It turned out that one of the four beaten township soldiers was named Wang Liansheng, who was about forty-five or six years old, and fell ill a few days ago.It was a little better that day, so I was taken to the Fire Palace by my companions for a drink, and when I came back, I felt cold, and I was already shocked to be bound to the case bureau.This time, he was hit with another fifty army sticks, his ears were pierced, and he passed out as soon as he was carried to the barracks. The rescue failed, and he passed away that night.When the soldiers in the town heard about it, everyone was furious and threatened that Zeng Guofan would pay for his life.

Early the next morning, Deng Shaoliang came to see Bao Qibao, and explained yesterday's situation and Wang Liansheng's death with elaboration.Bao Qibao's anger was no small matter. He waved the long cigarette stick in his hand and shouted: "Wow! Zeng Guofan, a son of a bitch, dares to do anything wrong within my authority. How can I tolerate him! Deng Shaoliang, you put Wang Liansheng's body in the hands of you!" Take him to the trial bureau and ask the trial bureau to put him in a hemp sash and sacrifice his life for his life, and say that I picked up the leopard and said it, let's see what a son of a bitch Zeng Guofan can do!"

When Deng Shaoliang saw Bao Qibao supporting him like this, he immediately became proud.He gathered 300 town soldiers, lifted Wang Liansheng's body, and came to the trial bureau aggressively. When Zeng Guofan heard the news that Wang Liansheng had been beaten to death, he was startled. He quickly calmed down and ordered the gate to be closed tightly, ignoring any scolding from the guards.Deng Shaoliang didn't dare to rush to the gate, he knew that if the Green Camp and the Tuan Ding fire broke out, he would lose his head. The soldiers of the township yelled for a long time outside the trial bureau, but no one answered.Deng Shaoliang asked someone to write three pieces of Bao Qibao's words and one of his own ideas. They wrote them on white paper, pasted them on the wall, placed the corpse at the door, and then drove away with the guards.

Kang Fu walked around the door, came into the room and told Zeng Guofan: "There is a blank sheet of paper pasted outside the door, and those sons of bitches have made three demands for the adults." "How to say?" "Article 1, the Trial Bureau will do the funeral for Wang Liansheng wearing a hemp belt." "Hmph!" Zeng Guofan sneered. "The second rule is that the regiment who beat Wang Liansheng to death will pay for his life with his life." "Delusion!" "Article 3, pay one thousand taels of compensation to Wang Liansheng's survivors."

"Deng Shaoliang is daydreaming!" Zeng Guofan yelled, "Kang Fu, you take a few people to move Wang Liansheng's body away. The yamen of my trial bureau has to do business every day. How can this stinky corpse block the way." "Slow down." Kang Fu was about to leave, when Luo Zenan called out quickly, "Disheng, I think it's like this: buy a coffin first, and carry Wang Liansheng's body to an empty room. On such a hot day, the body It's not good to keep it out of the trial bureau. What do you think?" Zeng Guofan remained silent.Luo Zenan asked Kang Fu to take someone to do it.After Kang Fu left, Luo Zenan said again: "Di Sheng, I think we have to discuss this matter with Luo Zhongcheng."

Thinking of Luo Bingzhang's attitude yesterday, Zeng Guofan knew that he couldn't come up with a good idea to discuss with him, but the matter was so important that he couldn't leave him alone, so he said, "I'd better ask Pu Shan to go over and talk to him first, and I'll visit in the evening." After a while, Wang Chi came back and said with displeasure: "Luo Zhongcheng's family said that he was frightened yesterday, fell ill in bed today, and hasn't seen anyone for the past two days." Zeng Guofan's long face immediately pulled down, and he cursed in his heart: "What a Luo Bingzhang, you are trying to keep me from stepping down!" He said to Wang Chi: "Forget it if you don't come!" Two fists clenched tightly.

Luo Zenan said softly: "Just being angry is not enough, this matter must be handled carefully. Human life is at stake, and it is not a good thing for the court to know." Zeng Guofan said: "Luo Shan, it is obvious that Bao Qibao and Deng Shaoliang are provoking trouble. There is no reason to beat people to death with fifty army sticks." "Yes. Could it be that Wang Liansheng has been ill for a long time?" Luo Zenan's words reminded Zeng Guofan, he said: "Luo Shan, what you said is good, Wang Liansheng must have been ill first." "However, Wang Liansheng always died under the baton of the Judicial Bureau. You said he was sick, but where is the evidence?"

"Ask someone to go and investigate." Zeng Guofan thought for a while and said, "Who should I call? The soldiers of the township have always been consistent with the outside world, even if Wang Liansheng is sick, they will not speak at this time. " "Tell Yang Zaifu to go. He has been training recruits in Chenzhou for half a year, and he has some contact with Zhendang soldiers. I want him to spend a lot of money to buy him and come up with something." Three days later, Yang Zaifu found out through some old connections that Wang Liansheng had been ill before he played the army stick, and found out the bill from the Lisheng medicine shop where Wang Liansheng picked up the medicine.

The cousin of He Yuan, the owner of Lisheng Pharmacy, has been betrothed to Zeng Guofan's eldest son Jize, and the two families are married.He Yuan is willing to testify for this matter.After hearing Yang Zaifu's report, Zeng Guofan said happily: "That's all right, bring Wang Liansheng's body back to him. The trial bureau is not responsible for his death." "Di Sheng, you can't say that." Luo Zenan said, "In terms of military law, when dealing with offending officers and soldiers, the execution can be postponed if they are sick. Bao Qibao and Deng Shaoliang can also sue based on this. I think both parties in this matter agree Take a few steps, calm down quickly."

The boss of Zeng Guofan was not happy, and after thinking about it, Bao Qibao really appealed based on this, and he couldn't get rid of the responsibility, so he said to Luo Zenan: "Well, you can represent the case bureau and Deng Shaoliang to negotiate, and you can't let them take advantage of it. yes." When Luo Zenan showed Wang Liansheng's bill for picking up medicine at the Lisheng Medicine Store, and He Yuan proved to his face that Wang Liansheng had suffered from severe cold before his execution, Deng Shaoliang restrained his arrogance a lot. After bargaining, the two parties finally agreed on three things: 1. The trial bureau sent someone to escort him Wang Liansheng's coffin was returned to his hometown; 2. The trial bureau paid five hundred taels of silver as a pension; 3. The two members of the regiment who killed Wang Liansheng were expelled from their hometowns.

Zeng Guofan was very unhappy when he saw these three items, but he knew that under the current circumstances, this is the only way to make the Zhendao soldiers reluctantly agree.In order to express his comfort to the two regiment members who killed Wang Liansheng, Zeng Guofan asked Luo Zenan to give them ten taels of silver each, and gave them permission to come back in two years.