After Liu Bang, the emperor of the Han Dynasty, put down the rebellion of Wang Yingbu of Huainan, he passed through Peixian County on his way back to Chang'an. After more than ten years of fighting in the north and south, I returned to my hometown for the first time and saw my brothers and sisters in my hometown again. It was really emotional. On this day, Emperor Gaozu held a banquet in Peigong to entertain the villagers and elders. He poured wine into the wind and was full of joy. Just at this moment, there was a sudden noise outside the door. Gaozu was so surprised that he quickly put down his wine glass and asked: "Why is there such a noise outside the door?" As soon as Gaozu finished speaking, the county magistrate stood up and stretched his head to look at the outside of the door. After hearing this, he slowly calmed down, turned around and knelt on the ground and kowtowed to the great ancestor and said: "Your Majesty, please forgive me. I humbly came to pay homage to your Majesty this morning when I encountered a villager who blocked the road and complained about injustice. I dare not delay the imperial edict. I don't dare to delay my humble position… I don't want them to cause trouble and frighten the emperor. The crime of humble duty deserves ten thousand death. The crime deserves ten thousand death!" After hearing this, Emperor Gaozu began to ponder. He heard that the county magistrate was incompetent and relied on My father-in-law was able to be reused as a county magistrate. Why don’t I see with my own eyes what this county magistrate is capable of today! Ban Zu secretly made up his mind and quickly ordered: "The officials are clean and the people are safe, civil society is the most important thing, Zun County might as well try it immediately!" Before the county magistrate could answer, Gao Zu left the table and greeted everyone: "Here is the place. Since Tang Gui’s shop has an owner , let’s stay away for the time being!”
When the county magistrate heard this, he broke out in a cold sweat and complained repeatedly in his heart. Do you think, how bold can a small county magistrate dare to try a case in front of the emperor? Not to mention such an incompetent person! The county magistrate did not dare to shirk, so he had no choice but to beat the drum and go to court. The villager was brought to the church by the servants and knelt down in front of the hall. He cried and cried: "… twenty geese are raised by the common people. They hope to sell the geese to buy farm tools to reclaim wasteland and support their families. When I went to the store last night, I didn't expect the store owner to dominate the geese and falsely accused him. The common people are being unruly…please ask me to make the decision for the people!"
After the county magistrate heard this, he pretended to point his finger at the shopkeeper and shouted: "Shopkeeper, you are dominating the goose for no reason, what crime should you deserve!" Who knows that the shopkeeper was not afraid, and when he heard the shout, he knelt down on the ground and quickly argued:
"Master Rong: The little shop owner heard that Emperor Gaozu was about to return to his hometown, so he prepared twenty geese for a long time to show his respect to the emperor and prepare for the emperor's use. Unexpectedly, this rural thief, relying on the emperor's lenient laws and loving the people like a son, He was so bold that he came to my store, saw a goose, and gave birth to this evil intention… Please ask Master Qingtian for a clear mirror!" After hearing this, the county magistrate felt that what the store said was reasonable, and thought to himself, how can this be resolved… . Then his eyes rolled:
Hey, the villagers were refugees. He didn't dare to do anything with a light sentence and a heavy pardon. Besides, if the county couldn't cure even one villager, wouldn't it appear to be extremely incompetent in front of the emperor? Thinking of this, he hurriedly ordered both sides: " You are a wild man and a thieves, harassing this county – take them down for me, take a heavy responsibility for forty years, put them in the south prison, and wait for punishment!"
The villager showed no fear and kept shouting that he was wronged, but was forcibly removed by the guards.
The flaws in it had long been seen clearly by Great-grandfather Gao, and he thought to himself: If there were such a group of "Qingtians" in the world, how many injustices would be caused, and my country, the Han Dynasty, would soon be defeated by these people. …. Emperor Gaozu held back his anger and walked into the lobby and asked coldly: "Lord Qingtian, has this case been cleared up?"
When the county magistrate heard Gaozu's tone, he knew something was wrong and trembled with fear. After a pause, Gaozu asked again: "How is the trial of this case going?" The county magistrate could not guess what Gaozu meant, and his face was so frightened that he dared not even snort, and hurriedly knelt on the ground and kowtowed repeatedly.
Gaozu raised his head and looked around, smiled slightly and said: "Brothers and fathers, if the magistrate doesn't reply, the case must be fruitless! In this case, how can the shopkeeper be free?" Then he spread his hands to everyone and said softly: "Battlefield Knowledge A good general will bring out talents to govern the world. Who among you can-" Everyone knew in their hearts that the emperor wanted to recruit talents to handle the case! However, in this situation, who would dare to stand up and take such a big risk? Everyone just looked at me and no one said a word.
At this time, there was an owner of the ghost shop . A thin man with bright eyes in the corner shouted loudly, knelt under the case and said:
"Long live your Majesty, long live your Majesty, forgive me for my innocence, I am willing to give it a try!"
Liu Bang was overjoyed when he heard this and hurriedly left his seat and raised his arms with both hands. When everyone saw this person, they couldn't help but be surprised: "Isn't this the scholar Li Liang?" Li Liang straightened up and said to Gao Zu: "We want to call the two families back and explain it to them face to face; and send the white goose over quickly. I want to interrogate him." Goose, goose as proof!”
"Trial the goose?" Everyone was shocked, whispering and discussing.
"It's a trial of geese! All twenty of them will be interrogated – please prepare twenty pens and twenty pieces of silk, and ask the geese to confess one by one!"
Li Liang spoke so calmly that even Emperor Gaozu was secretly surprised and couldn't help but have doubts: Could this man be a madman and possessed by evil spirits? There is no such thing as a goose in the world. How can a goose write a confession? Li Liang remained calm, turned around, bowed to Emperor Gaozu, and said, "Long live your Majesty, please review tomorrow!"
The next day, Li Liang opened the court to examine the goose. Emperor Gaozu sat down, the shopkeepers and villagers knelt down the hall, the elders and brothers in Peicheng sat on both sides, and there were many people outside the door waiting to watch the strange things. Li Liang is neither impatient nor impetuous, and is as calm as Mount Tai. Seeing that everyone was getting impatient, he turned around and shouted loudly: "Bring us the confessions of twenty geese!"
Before he could finish his words, twenty officers each held a piece of silk and hurriedly came up from the back hall. At this time, everyone's eyes were as wide as pairs of bells, and their eyes suddenly fell on the silk. They looked at it carefully, but there was nothing else on the silk except goose poop. There is no "confession"! Many people became nervous from disappointment, and everyone was worried about Li Liang.
At this time, Li Liang stood up and looked at the cloth for a while. Suddenly, he frowned and shouted: "Shopkeeper! Now the truth is revealed. You opened a black shop and occupied the people's geese. Twenty geese have revealed the truth." Confession, the evidence is solid, what else can you say!" The shop owner knew that he was wrong, so frightened that his legs were shaking, he collapsed to the ground, and finally he could only nod his confession. Li Liang called the officers on the left and right to take down the store. Then he turned to the stunned villagers and said: "Fellow fellow, now the property is returned to its original owner, drive away your twenty geese, exchange them for farm tools, open up more wasteland, and live a better life…"
Li Liang saw that everyone was still there, not knowing what was going on, so he pointed at the silk and said with a smile: "City people raise geese, and the geese eat food and eat yellow excrement; country people raise geese, and the geese eat grass. , look, aren’t the pieces of silk all green and green?”
Only then did everyone suddenly realize. At this time, Emperor Gaozu reached out to grab Li Liang and praised him repeatedly: "Good, good! Now you can be called the blue sky of Peixian County!" From then on, Li Liang was appointed as the magistrate of Peixian County.
Li Liang ruled the country for many years, and the people lived and worked in peace and contentment. The story of Liu Bang's selection of talents has been circulated to this day.