468: Chapter 442: Hold on!
468: Chapter 442: Hold on!
Upon hearing Zhang San’s words, all the officers in the camp felt an ominous sensation.
The last ti they felt this ominous was when i Fei declared there would be no holiday on New Year’s Eve.
Everyone knew that i Fei cared a lot about his reputation and was sotis emotional in his actions.
If it had been i Fei who discovered this matter today, he might have just scolded Peng Hu and at most made him cough up the embezzled comfort aids he had swallowed.
After all, padding the muster rolls is one thing, but profiting from the dead using these funds, once revealed, would inevitably breed resentnt among the soldiers toward their leaders.
But unfortunately, it had to be today when guests from the Lingwu Army were present, and even Old General Yuchi An from Jin River Path was there.
It was supposed to be a chance for i Fei to shine, but encountering such an incident, how could he not be furious and how could Peng Hu not be dood!
Now, as Changsun Wuji asked one question, Zhang San gave one answer.
i Fei, in order to maintain a facade of impartiality and to protect his image, would necessarily have to make an example out of Peng Hu!
At this mont, Peng Hu, kneeling on the ground, understood everything.
All that talk about repaying his kindness was bullshit!
Zhang San was plotting against him!
But with such matters, even if he spoke up now, who would believe him?
At this mont, Peng Hu regretted why he had sacrificed his own n to go against Zhang San; now, Zhang San survived, but he was about to die.
As for Zheng Poyue, he was now just a minor brigade commander in the army, not qualified to be at such an event.
And even if Zheng Poyue could attend, now that the Zheng Family was in decline, could i Fei possibly spare him based on Zheng Poyue’s face?
Then, Zhang San stepped forward and saluted i Fei with cupped hands, “Grand Commander-in-Chief i, as far as I know, if there is impersonation in the army, the brigade commanders and colonels should be punished, and more so for an official of General Peng Hu’s rank.
But it’s only impersonation, though the number is up to one hundred and eighty n, and the most severe penalty would be just a year and a half of imprisonnt.”
At this mont, Peng Hu, watching Zhang San pleading for him, suddenly felt that Zhang San’s stature seed to grow taller.
After all, padding the muster rolls could be a major or minor issue.
If trivialized, it indeed was just padding the muster rolls, but in a broader view, it was embezzlent!
Kaihuang was very strict with officials guilty of embezzlent!
“It’s just a year and a half of imprisonnt, and isn’t it possible to redeem oneself with money and copper?
Right?”
Upon hearing Zhang San speak in such a manner, i Fei’s expression eased slightly.
“But General Peng Hu has pocketed the comfort aids for one hundred and eighty soldiers, and embezzled their money.
Although I don’t know how much money was involved, given Kaihuang’s temperant, when the Magistrate of tropolitan Prefecture Shen Wen embezzled, his house was directly confiscated.”
“If the military does not give an explanation to the soldiers below, I’m worried that if Kaihuang learns of this, Commander-in-Chief i, you might be implicated!
After all, Kaihuang advocates frugality and strongly opposes filling one’s own pockets.
You know this, don’t you, Grand Commander-in-Chief i?”
i Fei initially thought to heavily fine Peng Hu, then demote him, as he could be promoted again after earning rits later on.
But if the man is dragged out and beheaded, then that’s the end of him.
Now, having heard Zhang San’s words, i Fei also realized that if Peng Hu was let off, once Kaihuang found out, Peng Hu would undoubtedly die, and he would be unlucky too.
It would be better to discard Peng Hu now.
i Fei, having received Kaihuang’s favor and trust, naturally understood his way of handling things.
But i Fei still wanted to make a last struggle.
“Old General Yuchi, technically, as the commander of an army and the Deputy Commander-in-Chief of Longyun Path, I should handle this impartially.
This young man Peng Hu, with his embezzlent and wealth hoarding, is undoubtedly dood.
But you are about to confront Gao Junxian, and have specifically co here to borrow troops.
How about this—I will assign five thousand soldiers to you, and demote this Peng Hu to a foot soldier to lead the horses, letting him redeem his cris through service.
How does that sound?”
Yuchi An sneered and said, “Grand Commander-in-Chief i!
Don’t say it’s five thousand soldiers you’re lending , even if you give all five thousand cavalry, along with a man who dares to embezzle money from the deceased, I wouldn’t dare take him!”
“Moreover, if Kaihuang learns of this, why, will this man sentenced to death in your i Fei’s army survive in my Yuchi An’s army?”
“I ca to borrow soldiers because the Jin River Path forces are insufficient, and I worry that Gao Junxian, cornered like a desperate dog, might attack and raid everywhere in Jin River Path, so I ca to Longyun Path to borrow troops.
If Grand Commander-in-Chief i is unwilling, just refuse directly.
There’s no need to fool with such severe cris that would implicate everyone!”
i Fei grimaced, understanding that Peng Hu was definitely dood this ti.
If it’s dood to be dood, might as well put him to use!
At the thought, i Fei slamd the desk forcefully, and roared at Peng Hu below, “Peng Hu!
I trusted you so much, yet you committed such acts for re money against the laws and regulations!
In the i Fei army, orders are to be followed, military discipline is strict, not even a hair should be hard…
um…”
i Fei felt that he should utter a four-character idiom here to seem more imposing, but alas, his cultural knowledge was almost exhausted at this point, and after struggling for a while, he finally blurted out— “Do you admit your guilt?”
Imdiately, Peng Hu kowtowed, tears and snot flowing in unison.
“I was confused for a mont, I beg the Grand Commander-in-Chief to spare my life, let serve my country, and make ands!”
i Fei gritted his teeth and even squeezed out two tears, making a face of imnse heartache as he waved his hand towards the outside.
“Take him away, behead him!”
“Hold on!”
Zhang San suddenly stepped forward, cupping his hands towards i Fei, his face filled with urgency.
At that mont, Peng Hu understood.
Zhang San did this to purposely put in a desperate plight, then save !
Afterwards, he wants to help him deal with Zheng Poyue.
Yes, that must be it.
Dealing with Zheng Poyue is just that, especially now that the Zheng Family is in decline, and this youngster seems no match for Zhang San, I might as well follow Zhang San in the future.
This guy is both sinister and ruthless, following him might even carve out a good future for .
At that thought, Peng Hu, who just a mont ago was in tears, looked up at Zhang San’s silhouette and once again felt he lood larger.
i Fei thought Zhang San wanted to plead for rcy, then suddenly rembered that Zhang San was a disciple of the Pharaoh, and a future leader of Legalism.
It can be said, in the entire Northern Army, he knew Law the best.
If he were to plead, it would be a perfect excuse for to step back smoothly.
“Zhang San, speak if you have sothing to say.
As a disciple of the Pharaoh, what you say, I will surely agree to.”
At this mont, i Fei also prayed in his heart, hoping that Zhang San would quickly plead for rcy, after all, Peng Hu was one of his own and his death would pain him!
“Although General Peng Hu has rits in our Northern Army, although today he has committed a capital offence, if beheaded, he won’t even have a complete corpse.
I’ve heard there’s a godly archer called Zheng Poyue in the Shuofang Army.
Why not let Zheng Poyue accompany General Peng Hu on his final journey.
It preserves General Peng Hu’s whole corpse and lets everyone in the army know that Grand Commander-in-Chief i rewards and punishes clearly!”
i Fei clenched his teeth and nodded.
anwhile, Peng Hu looked at Zhang San’s silhouette and for the first ti felt what terror really was!
Peng Hu had sent n to trap and kill Zhang San on behalf of Zheng Poyue, and now Zhang San, in turn, was having Zheng Poyue shoot him.
Such karma!
Such retribution!
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[Note 105]Legal Trivia
According to the records in “Tang Lv Shu Yi” under “Unauthorized Conscription·Impersonating in Place of Another”: “If it’s not personally supervised by the head, reduce the punishnt of the team leader by one level.
For one impersonator, forty lashes; for each additional impersonator, add one level, up to a maximum of one and a half years.”
aning: Even though you’re not personally supervising as the direct superior, if soone below impersonates soone else, you are also to reduce the punishnt according to what the team leader receives.
One impersonation earns forty lashes; any additional person increases the severity by one level, up to one and a half years maximum.
And this business of ghost payrolls is actually worse than impersonation, but I didn’t find the specific cri for ghost payrolls, so this helps out that rascal Peng Hu!
[Note 106]Legal Trivia
During the Sui and Tang dynasties, there was no cri called “corruption”.
But so should not rejoice too soon, because even though there was no official cri nad “corruption”, during the Sui and Tang periods, the cri of officials embezzling was characterized as theft.
Is the state’s property sothing you can take at will?
According to “Tang Lv Shu Yi” in “Thirty-Six Forms of Theft·Supervisors and Guardians Stealing Themselves”: “Those in charge of supervising, guarding, and then stealing themselves, and those who steal from the property they are supervising, add two degrees more than ordinary theft, thirty bolts of silk, strangulation.”
aning, those responsible for supervising and guarding assets who then steal privately, as well as those who steal from the managed range of assets (state or public), will receive two degrees more severe punishnt than ordinary theft.
If the stolen items are worth more than thirty bolts of silk, the punishnt is strangulation!
The law of the Tang Dynasty rarely imposed the death penalty, being generally lenient in punishnt, but even then, corruption was severely punished!
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