Petitioning was a way of resolving problems outside the legal system.
It was generally a direct measure taken by powerless people with nowhere else to turn, appealing to a higher level of government for justice and protection of their rights when faced with authority they could not challenge.
The familiar phrase "going to the capital to lodge a complaint" was one example!
But was Ma Baojin, the local despot of Sitong Township, powerless?
Had he been treated unjustly?
There was something ironic about it. Over the years, Ma Baojin and Feng Zhihong had often used their connections to intercept and block villagers who tried to petition the authorities.
On several occasions, the petitioners had already reached Capital City, only to be forcibly brought back by people they and the Yangcheng Public Security Bureau sent. Before long, those petitioners had died of illness!
Back then, the Yangcheng Public Security Bureau had practically been their own flesh and blood, despite sharing neither parent. Who would have thought things would turn out like this? Alas!
Although none of the petitions against him had ever succeeded, Ma Baojin knew exactly how powerful petitioning could be. Going to the capital, in particular, was a devastating weapon that gave provincial and municipal governments alike a headache!
Whether you had a legitimate grievance or not, all you had to do was gather a crowd and head to the capital. Just watch those leaders panic and squirm! You would be sweating too if you were in their shoes!
Then, regardless of whether there was actually a problem, once the higher-ups slapped them with the label of "failure to maintain stability," it would not just be the lowly director of the Yangcheng Public Security Bureau at risk. Even the municipal Party secretary and mayor might lose their jobs.
That