Chapter 209: Commoners suffer, cannot be bullied, but the rich bully to their heart’s content!
“Prefect, it’s definitely not like this!”
“You’ve misunderstood me!”
“This absolutely did not happen!”
…
Lin Beifan shouted, “Stop pretending! I know who you really are better than anyone else! Before you argue, think about how you managed to accumulate hundreds of thousands of silver in your homes!”
The officials present fell silent.
Lin Beifan continued angrily, “I’m talking about all of you! It is said that those who eat the salary of their lord should bear the worries of their lord. You receive your official salary from the court, so you should not only consider the concerns of the court, but also enforce justice! But instead, for your own selfish interests, you disregard the law. Can you justify the court’s expectations of you? Can you justify the trust of the emperor?”
The officials in the room lowered their heads one after another.
Lin Beifan continued to reprimand, “The common people are already living a difficult life. Why must you take advantage of your power and oppress them? The common people can endure a lot and often endure it silently! If they can’t endure any longer, why would they report to the authorities? Why would they expose the powerful? Do you think they don’t understand the concept of striking a rock with an egg?”
“But you, dampen their hopes, and deny them any way out! As officials, can you live up to the expectations of the countless common people?”
The officials remained speechless.
“Moreover, we have studied the books of Confucius and Mencius since we were young, and learned the rituals of the sages! The sages taught us that scholars have the responsibility to dedicate themselves to the prosperity of the country and the well-being of the people, and to give their all until death!”
“After studying for so many years, where have all your teachings gone? Can you satisfy your own conscience? Do you not fear being criticized by the people even after death?”
The reprimanded officials all felt ashamed.
“Sir, your reprimand has made me deeply ashamed!”
“I will never dare to do it again in the future!”
“From now on, I will certainly enforce justice, not let down the emperor’s favor, not let down the common people, and not let down my conscience!”
…
Lin Beifan nodded in satisfaction, “It’s not too late to repent! But considering your difficulties, sometimes it’s necessary to be a bit corrupt, otherwise life won’t be easy!”
The officials looked at each other. You tell us not to bully the common people, but then tell us we can be corrupt. What does this mean?
Could it be fishing for favors while enforcing the law?
One of the officials asked cautiously, “Sir, what do you mean? I don’t quite understand.”
“Let me first talk about how you obtained your money!” Lin Beifan smiled and said, “It must have been during the process of handling cases when one party offered you a bribe. Because of that money or fear of the other party’s power, you naturally leaned towards the wealthy and influential side, am I right?”
“Well…” No one dared to admit it, but their silence was equivalent to confirmation.
Lin Beifan shook his head, “You’re thinking too small! How much money can you gain by doing this? It’s no wonder that after all these years, you’ve only managed to accumulate a few hundred thousand silver, and your official position hasn’t advanced!”
The group once again looked at each other, feeling that they were being looked down upon.
But upon careful consideration, they realized that the other party’s contempt was justified.
In less than a year in office, Lin Beifan had embezzled several times the amount of money they had, yet his official position had been rapidly promoted, even skipping several levels, and now he was sitting above them.
Compared to Lin Beifan, they were truly living like dogs.
Thinking about it, they couldn’t help but feel frustrated.
“Prefect, what should we do?” One of the officials respectfully asked for guidance.
“You’ve asked the right person. Let me tell you now!” Lin Beifan shouted, “If you want to be corrupt, you should target the wealthy! If you want to bully, it should be those in power!”
“How much money do the common people have? The total value of all their possessions combined wouldn’t even be enough for a meal for you! It’s better to bully the wealthy. The combined wealth of thousands of common people wouldn’t match that of a single wealthy person!”
“The common people are powerless. Is it even interesting to bully them? It’s time-consuming, laborious, and without benefits! It’s better to bully those in power. It’s more satisfying!”
The officials exclaimed in shock.
“But how do we extort money from these people?” A timid official asked.
Lin Beifan impatiently replied, “How foolish, can’t you understand such a simple concept? Just accuse them, arrest them, and then there will be room for negotiation!”
“For example, the Deputy Supervisor we just arrested, according to the Great Martial Law, he is to be caned 80 times and imprisoned for five years! Do you think someone like him, who is delicate and unable to endure hardships, would prefer to pay money to avoid being caned or accept 80 lashes?”
The officials’ eyes lit up, “He would definitely want to pay!”
Lin Beifan continued, “If he serves five years in our prison, do you think he would want to eat and drink well, or suffer like the others with poor food and rotten water?”
The officials’ eyes lit up once again, “Definitely spend money to enjoy!”
“The conditions in prison are harsh, with no freedom. Do you think he would want to be released early?”
The officials’ eyes shone brighter, “Certainly!”
“What should he do, then?”
The officials unanimously said, “Spend money to reduce his sentence!”
Lin Beifan clapped his thigh and laughed, “You see, aren’t these all opportunities? As long as we arrest them, we can use our authority to negotiate! It’s not a one-time deal, it doesn’t end after the case is closed! We can profit from start to finish. As long as they can’t bear the grievances, they will have no choice but to spend money, continuously!”
“In this way…” Lin Beifan smiled smugly, “We can uphold justice for the common people, be worthy of the court, be worthy of the people, and be worthy of our conscience! We can also profit from it, a win-win situation, isn’t it great?”
“Sir! This is truly brilliant!” Everyone praised and admired him.
“You’re too kind, colleagues!” Lin Beifan smiled, “So, in the future, when handling cases, lean towards the common people! They have a hard life and are easily defeated. We shouldn’t bully them! But those in power and authority can be bullied! As long as we don’t beat them to death, they will yield!”
Everyone nodded with a smile, as if they already saw a path to riches opening up before them.
Lin Beifan whispered, “As long as this goes well, I promise, you can have twenty percent of the money we extort from them, and I’ll keep the remaining eighty percent!”
Everyone’s eyes sparkled with excitement.
However, one of the officials was not completely satisfied, “Sir, can you add a little more?”
Lin Beifan smiled and nodded, “Alright, I can give you eighty percent!”
The other person ecstatically responded, “Thank you, Prefect!”
“But, in the future, if we bully those in power and authority, such as the officials in the court, you’ll take the lead!”
The person’s face instantly turned red.
“Bloody hell!”
This small official is completely unable to withstand it!
Just one person stepping up can completely annihilate him!
The Assistant Magistrate chuckled, “It’s better if Sir Lin takes the lead! Sir, you should bear such great pressure and receive more; I fully support it with both hands and feet!”
“I also support Prefect Lin receiving more!”
“Sir, you’ve worked hard!”
…
“Not hard at all!” Lin Beifan said with righteousness, “Colleagues, for the Emperor, for the common people, and for our upright hearts, let’s all work together! Dedicate ourselves fully and only rest in death!”
All the officials in the government office were completely convinced!
Look at how he can talk so fresh and noble, so tall and majestic!
No wonder he’s thriving in the officialdom. He is truly capable!
Under Lin Beifan’s leadership, the officials mobilized and first dealt with some long-standing cases.
Cases reported by the people against officials or powerful individuals were given priority.
After the trial, many people in power and authority were thrown into prison.
Many of the powerful individuals involved were terrified.
They wanted to bribe, but found that it was impossible. The other side looked at them with a greedy gaze, as if they wanted to devour them.
Some even tried to bribe the officials in the court, hoping to smooth things over.
But as soon as they found out the matter was related to the Dedian Prefecture, they immediately returned the bribes.
That person was too formidable to provoke!
It’s better to provoke as little as possible!
The people of the capital gradually noticed that things had changed in the Dedian Prefecture. It was no longer a case of officials protecting each other, but rather a fair and just enforcement of the law. Those in power and authority were frequently targeted to protect the interests of the common people.
As a result, the common people became more courageous and went to court without hesitation!
The Dedian Prefecture warmly welcomed such litigants and treated them with enthusiasm.
They also promised that as long as your lawsuit was reasonable and legal, they would definitely seek justice for the people and protect their interests.
Many people in power and authority were scared out of their wits!
They had to be careful not to cause trouble. If they were sued to the Dedian Prefecture, they would suffer severe consequences even if they didn’t die!
As a result, the phenomenon of bullying and taking advantage of the weak diminished. Everyone followed the rules honestly. The atmosphere in the entire capital became refreshed, and the lives of the common people improved significantly!
Meanwhile, Lin Beifan made a lot of money from it and lived a comfortable life.
His officials also benefited greatly and led comfortable lives.
It can be said that from start to finish, everyone benefited!
Only those who bullied and took advantage of others suffered losses. They deserved it!
