The stupid son of Chongba
Chapter 137 We were all fooled by the emperor! Behead Lu Zhongheng and exterminate his three clans!
Chapter 137 We were all fooled by the emperor! Behead Lu Zhongheng and exterminate his entire clan!
“This is such a great painting!”
"Yes, they look alike. They look exactly like your Majesty!"
"This... I think that painting should still pay attention to the artistic conception, and it can't be too similar, otherwise it will be inferior..."
"You know shit! This is called realism, you know? It's about depicting the truest side of farming for the world to see! How can ordinary people understand your artistic conception?"
An hour and a half later, everyone finally climbed out of the paddy field, their bodies already soaked.
A few of those who were weaker were so tired that they had no strength left. They sat on the edge of the field with their eyes wide open, looking as if they had lost all desire to live.
Those who can comment on Xu Miaoyun's paintings are those who have many children in their families and have been lazy for a long time!
"Hahahaha! You're right. We need to portray our truest side!"
Zhu Yuanzhang looked at Xu Miaoyun's paintings and praised them highly.
"The girl from Xu Da's family draws well!"
"I never thought, Third Brother, that a rough man like you could give birth to such a talented girl. This painting is much better than those palace painters in Laoshi!"
"From now on, if we need to paint, we can just ask her to do it!"
Hearing this, Xu Da grinned.
He was very proud to have given birth to such a talented girl.
"Your Majesty is so complimentary."
Xu Miaoyun bowed and said respectfully,
"I learned my painting skills from His Royal Highness the King of Wu."
Zhu Yuanzhang looked at Zhu Ju.
Zhu Ju raised his head and snorted:
"See, this is what they call a good teacher produces good students!"
Old Zhu's eye twitched. Seeing Zhu Ju's smug look, he got angry.
"You are nothing but a famous teacher! At best, you just gave her some pointers. It was still the girl Xu who understood it all on her own!"
Zhu Yuanzhang spat and said,
"Miaoyun, I will appoint you as the chief painter of the palace! Fourth rank!"
"You can also receive a salary in the future! I like your painting style!"
He is a rustic farmer and doesn't like the so-called artistic conception. He just likes the reality!
If this painting of "The Emperor Personally Ploughing the Fields" is shown to people, the common people will definitely believe that the emperor really went to the fields to plant rice on that day!
"Thank you, Your Majesty."
Xu Miaoyun did not refuse and bowed to express her gratitude.
Zhu Yuanzhang wiped the sweat from his forehead, looked at his masterpiece in the paddy field, then examined the results of everyone's labor and nodded with satisfaction.
"Okay, they are all well planted!"
He praised,
"After planting today, everyone should have a deep understanding of how difficult it is to be a farmer, right?"
"Even the simplest task of transplanting rice seedlings almost cost us half our lives! Not to mention the early stages of land reclamation, hoeing, and water diversion. I've heard that some people even fought over water! It even led to large-scale armed conflicts between villages!"
Zhu Yuanzhang paused for a moment before he said with emotion:
“It’s hard for farmers!”
"Isn't hard work all about the moment of harvest? But often before the harvest, you are being targeted. Who is targeting you? The landlords, the tyrants, the corrupt officials!"
"These bastards just want to squeeze 200 kilograms of oil out of the farmers' 100 kilograms of grain! Don't disbelieve me, I witnessed it with my own eyes when I was a kid!"
"That is why such a situation will never be allowed to happen in our Ming Dynasty! We will never tolerate, condone or forgive anyone who dares to exploit the people! No matter if you are a meritorious veteran or a famous scholar, if you cross this bottom line, you will be severely punished! Heavy punishment!"
Everyone was silent.
"How many times has Father said this? He has said this three or four times since coming to Fengyang, right?"
Zhu Gang muttered quietly,
"My ears are almost callused from hearing it."
Zhu Biao, who was standing aside, heard this and said softly:
“Because it is important, I emphasize it again and again.”
"Father, this is probably giving some people a chance, but..."
He looked at the nobles who hung their heads and shook his head slightly.
It seems that no one has stopped and returned to the right path.
"Okay, that's enough of what I have to say. It's up to you to decide how much you can listen to."
Zhu Yuanzhang glanced around and waved his hand.
"We have limited time, let's go back!"
After saying that, he rolled down his trouser legs and dusted off the dirt and dust on his body.
"Your Majesty, what you said is truly good advice! I will keep it in mind and will never forget it!"
Lin Xiu stepped forward and said respectfully,
"In addition, I will send people to take good care of these paddy fields. When the harvest is good, I will send officials to deliver the rice to Yingtian and present it to Your Majesty and the others."
Zhu Yuanzhang glanced at him with a hint of coldness in his eyes.
"Okay, you're interested."
He said,
"It can be seen that you are a county magistrate who is willing to put in effort. If you use your effort in the right way, you will naturally have a bright future."
"Let's go to your county government office and see how you, the Fengyang County Magistrate, govern on a daily basis."
When Lin Xiu heard this, his expression suddenly changed.
"This... Your Majesty is coming, but I am not prepared."
He said hurriedly,
"Your Majesty, why don't you go to the temporary palace to rest first, and let me prepare a little before welcoming you."
Zhu Yuanzhang smiled when he heard this.
"Why, is there something shameful going on in your county government?"
Lao Zhu joked.
Lin Xiu: “!!!”
"Of course not! Your Majesty, you are joking!"
"It's just that I have been away from home these days, and the county government office has indeed been neglected to clean. There is some dust and dirt inside. I am afraid that Your Majesty..."
He was about to explain, but saw Zhu Yuanzhang waving his hand.
"What's there to be afraid of with a little dust? We've even been working in the fields, so why should we be afraid of a little dust?"
"What we want to see is the most realistic state of your government office. It's spotless and the personnel are all arranged in advance. What else are we watching? A performance?"
"Go, go now!"
After saying that, Lao Zhu walked away without further ado.
Hu Weiyong looked at Lin Xiu and gave him a wink. Lin Xiu was not in a hurry, but just nodded, indicating that he should not worry.
He had long thought that the emperor would inspect the county government, so how could he not make preparations?
The words just spoken were actually just for the emperor to hear. If not, how could the emperor's wisdom be highlighted?
……
Fengyang County, inside the county government office.
"Your Majesty, this is where I usually handle my papers."
"This small dining table is where I usually eat. I have a lot of official business in the government, so I usually just eat here..."
"And this..."
Lin Xiu took Zhu Yuanzhang around the county government office and introduced everything patiently.
Zhu Yuanzhang looked him up and down, nodded in approval and said:
"The facilities here are quite simple. It doesn't look like a county government office, but more like a farmyard."
"As I recall, the funding allocated to Fengyang should be quite a lot. Why don't you think of renovating this county government office to be more impressive?"
When Lin Xiu heard this, his expression became serious.
"Your Majesty, I have also considered renovating the county government office, but after much thought, I decided to use the money to improve people's livelihood."
He said seriously,
"The county government is too imposing and majestic, which makes ordinary people feel alienated."
"After all, the purpose of the county government is to serve the people. If it is a little simpler, the people will think it is a farmhouse and can go to the local government officials to solve problems at any time. This is what I think is most important."
clap clap!
"What County Magistrate Lin said is very good!"
Hu Weiyong clapped his hands and praised,
"From your words, I can tell that you must be a good official who always cares about the people!"
"Your Majesty, I think an official like Lin Xiu should be promoted, haha!"
Zhu Yuanzhang also laughed.
"If he is truly a good official, he should be promoted."
He said with his hands behind his back.
"The court is in need of talent right now. As long as someone is truly capable, we will promote him or her regardless of his or her qualifications!"
"You can rest assured about this."
Suddenly, Lao Zhu stared at Lin Xiu and said in a deep voice:
"Lin Xiu, where is the prison in your county? Take us to have a look."
Hearing this, Lin Xiu was obviously stunned for a moment, and Hu Weiyong's expression became even more tense.
This question was beyond their expectations!
"This... Your Majesty, that kind of place is very dirty and messy. I am afraid you can't stand the smell there."
Lin Xiu looked a little embarrassed and said,
"Besides, there's nothing interesting in there. There are just a few gangsters..."
Zhu Yuanzhang waved his hand.
"What's there to be afraid of if it's dirty and messy? There's no such thing as a clean prison."
He said nonchalantly,
"I have been in Fengyang for two days. Everyone says that the government here is clean and honest, the people live and work in peace and contentment, and there are no thieves."
"Hearing is believing, seeing is believing! The reflection of whether a place is peaceful is its prison!"
"Come on, take us there!"
Lin Xiu glanced at Hu Weiyong with a hesitant look.
"Why, you don't want to take us?"
Zhu Yuanzhang said with a smile,
"Could it be that there are many criminals in your Fengyang prison?"
"Did you deliberately whitewash this peace?"
Lin Xiu: “!!!”
"No, no! Your Majesty, you are joking!"
He hurriedly said,
"I will take you there right away, Your Majesty, all the ministers, please follow me..."
As he spoke, Lin Xiu walked in front, leading the way for everyone.
Zhu Yuanzhang followed behind him, and naturally a large group of people followed suit to visit the Fengyang Prison.
But it was obvious that the faces of several Huaixi generals were a little strange at this moment. They silently slowed down their pace and walked to the back of the team.
"This... won't be a problem, right? I think Lin Xiu's face doesn't look right."
"Probably not... But I do have a bad feeling. Your Majesty, why do you want to visit the prison? What's so good about that shabby place?"
"Yeah! It's a bit strange..."
"Don't panic, don't panic! Stay calm. All we need to do is keep our composure. Brother Hu will take care of the rest."
"Yes, yes..."
"..."
The Fengyang prison cell was built with bluestone and its shape was similar to that of the Tianlao, except that it was not as big.
As soon as they entered, everyone smelled a damp and moldy odor, and the women covered their mouths and noses.
"Your Majesty, this prison is relatively small and cannot accommodate so many people..."
Lin Xiu looked at the dozens of people behind him, looking somewhat embarrassed.
"The women should all rest outside."
Zhu Yuanzhang waved his hand, gave an order, and then rushed into the prison.
When Zhu Ju heard this, he decided not to leave.
"Xiaojuzi, you are not a female relative, go in."
Ma Xiuying said with a strange look on her face.
"I've been in jail and I have claustrophobia."
Zhu Ju said,
"So I don't want to go in. Besides, there's nothing explosive inside. It's just a walkthrough."
Ma Xiuying raised her eyebrows slightly, put her arm around Zhu Ju's shoulders, and turned to look at Zhu Di who was standing hesitantly at the prison door.
"Old Four, don't go in either."
"Come here and wait for your father and the others to come out."
When Zhu Di heard this, he turned his head suddenly and immediately showed a look of gratitude!
"Thank you, Queen Mother!"
Zhu Ju's claustrophobia is fake, his is real!
The days in the prison were the most helpless and lowest moments in his life. He really didn't want to go to such a place again in his life!
"Hey, Lao Si, come and have a peach."
"Thank you, Sixth Brother..."
……
Inside the prison.
Zhu Yuanzhang walked and looked around.
"Why is this cell so empty?"
He frowned and said,
"Is Fengyang's security really that good that there aren't even thieves?"
As we walked along, all the cells were empty.
This is too fake!
"Your Majesty, there are thieves, but I am usually quite fast in judging cases."
Lin Xiu said respectfully,
"After the trial, those with lighter charges will only be detained for a few months; those with more serious charges will be sent directly to the provincial government and will not stay in Fengyang."
"In recent months, public security has indeed been good, except for some petty thieves who have committed some petty thefts."
"Your Majesty, please go inside. There are still several criminals inside."
Click, click.
Zhu Yuanzhang walked on the hay on the ground and went deep into the prison.
Sure enough, in the two cells at the back, there were a man and a woman. Upon hearing the noise, they both climbed out of their cells and shouted:
"It's unjust, I'm unjust!"
"Master, please let me out! Please let me out!"
When Zhu Yuanzhang saw these two people, he asked casually:
"What crime have they committed? Why are they crying foul?"
Lin Xiu looked at the two of them fiercely and ordered, "Shut up!"
Seeing how ferocious he looked, the two men were silent as a mouse, except for the woman who was crying.
“There is not a single criminal who comes to jail who does not say that he is innocent.”
Lin Xiu bowed and said,
"Your Majesty, these two people committed adultery. The offender, Liu, is the wife of a merchant. Her husband was away from home for many years because of his business. So she had an affair with Wang Gou'er, a village idler. At first, they were doing it secretly, but later, she even let Wang Gou'er stay at her home and did that dirty thing!"
"Later, their scandal was exposed, and the two were sent to the county government office."
"This case is very clear, so I will make the judgment quickly. The prisoner Wang Gou'er is sentenced to two years in prison, and the woman Liu is sentenced to three years in prison!"
After hearing these words, Zhu Yuanzhang's eyes immediately showed disgust.
"What we hate most is women who are not faithful to their husbands!"
He scolded,
"Three years is too light a sentence for a whore like this who is so shameless and unfaithful to her husband! She should be thrown into a pig cage!"
Hearing this, the convicted woman Liu suddenly showed a look of horror and shouted:
"I was wrong, I was wrong!"
"Please spare me! I don't want to be put into the pig cage! Please, Master, let me go!"
Zhu Yuanzhang snorted coldly and turned away.
"See? She will only be afraid if I use severe punishment!"
"It can serve as a warning to others! The adulterer should also be sentenced to a heavier punishment! The sentence you gave is too light, so there is no one in the jail! We are still pursuing a policy of using severe punishments, and we will never tolerate any crime!"
Upon hearing this, Lin Xiu nodded repeatedly.
"Yes Yes!"
He said respectfully,
"Your Majesty is teaching me that the punishment I used was too lenient!"
"I will definitely increase the punishment later to serve as a warning to the people!"
Zhu Yuanzhang then nodded and said calmly:
"Besides this adulterous couple, there are no other prisoners?"
Lin Xiu shook his head.
"Your Majesty, there is indeed no more."
"Perhaps the bailiffs and detectives have not been effective recently and have not found any thieves in the county. I will definitely urge them to patrol properly later!"
Upon hearing this, Zhu Yuanzhang looked at Hu Weiyong, Li Shanchang and other ministers behind him.
"After watching for the past few days, Fengyang's public security is better than we expected!"
He suddenly laughed and said,
"But why do we still feel like something is wrong?"
"I always feel like there's a voice lingering in my ears, crying out for mercy and cursing the dog officials and dog emperors. It's lingering!"
"Where on earth did this sound come from?"
When everyone heard this, their expressions changed.
Lin Xiu's expression changed several times, but he still had some mental strength, so he forced himself to remain calm.
"Your Majesty, you... maybe you are tired these days?"
Hu Weiyong hurried forward and asked with concern,
"I have heard that when people are tired, they will experience auditory hallucinations, and all kinds of messy noises will appear in their ears."
"I think Your Majesty must be too tired..."
When Zhu Yuanzhang heard this, he sneered.
"Whether we are tired or not, we know it in our hearts."
"I've walked around a lot, and I've had enough. Let's go to the next place."
Having said that, he put his hands behind his back and walked out of the prison.
"Your Majesty...where are you going?"
Hu Weiyong gave Lin Xiu several looks, and Lin Xiu finally came to his senses. He hurriedly followed him and asked,
"I will lead the way for you."
Zhu Yuanzhang glanced at him.
"You don't need to lead the way, as long as you can follow."
After saying that, he strode out of the prison.
Everyone in the prison didn't understand what was going on, but they could only hurry and keep up.
When they arrived outside the cell, more than a dozen imperial guards came forward and presented horses.
"go!"
Zhu Yuanzhang climbed onto his horse skillfully, his expression somewhat grim, and ordered,
"Everyone who can ride a horse, come ride with us! Be fast and don't fall behind!"
"Those who can't ride horses, take the carriage at the back!"
"drive!"
Having said that, he rode away on his horse.
Zhu Biao, Zhu Chong and other princes, as well as civil officials and military generals, all rode on their horses and chased after the emperor.
"It seems that the good show is about to begin."
Zhu Ju put down the cakes, took a horse from the imperial guard, stepped on the stirrups and climbed up, clapped his hands, and smiled at Xu Miaoyun,
"My dear Miaoyun, do you want to join us?" "This is a great show. If you take your time in the carriage, you may not be able to catch up!"
Xu Miaoyun blushed.
How could she dare to mount Zhu Ju's horse in public? If someone spread the news, would she still be able to live as a human being?
However, she was indeed curious about the "good show" that Zhu Ju mentioned.
Any smart person can see that His Majesty looked strange when he came out of prison... Something must be happening!
"Me...Me and my dad!"
She replied with a red face and turned to get on Xu Da's horse.
She must maintain her reserve, and before she is officially married...she must not ride on Zhuju's horse and gallop along!
"whispering sound."
Zhu Ju whistled and rode away.
Da da!
Da da da!
After a cloud of dust, the horse's hooves landed in front of a deserted village.
Next to a broken wall, there were already several imperial guards waiting, and the most conspicuous one among them was naturally the commander of the imperial guards, Mao Xiang.
"See Your Majesty."
Mao Xiang stepped forward, bowed and said,
"I have been waiting for Your Majesty here for a long time."
Zhu Yuanzhang nodded expressionlessly.
At this moment, a cry of surprise came from behind:
"Your Majesty! County Magistrate Lin has fallen off his horse!"
Hearing this, Zhu Yuanzhang sneered and looked behind him.
Lin Xiu was seen falling off his horse and being helped up by several imperial guards.
At this moment, Lin Xiu no longer had the spirit and energy he had just now. The fall from his horse seemed to have taken away all his energy and spirit. His face was extremely pale, and his forehead was covered with cold sweat.
Zhu Yuanzhang dismounted from his horse and walked slowly forward.
"Lin County Magistrate, why are you so careless?"
He said with a smile,
"Are you ok?"
Lin Xiu's body trembled. He swallowed hard and shook his head.
"Your Majesty, he seems to be unsteady on his feet."
The imperial guards on the side reported.
Zhu Yuanzhang looked at Hu Weiyong and others standing aside, only to see that they all lowered their heads, not daring to breathe, let alone look him in the eye.
"Maybe he fell and got hurt, it's okay."
"Help him and come in."
After saying that, he turned and walked towards the ruins. After crossing the low wall, there were several dilapidated tiled houses inside.
"Lin Xiu, are you familiar with this place?"
Zhu Yuanzhang asked.
Lin Xiu was being held by the imperial guards, how could he say anything? He only saw his throat rolling, looking straight ahead, but no words came out of his mouth.
"Whether you are familiar with it or not, let's just go in and take a look."
Zhu Yuanzhang put his hands behind his back, glanced at the people behind him, and walked into the house calmly.
Mao Xiang was leading the way. After turning two corners, he heard a humming sound.
Da da.
Zhu Yuanzhang quickened his pace and stepped into the backyard!
Swish!
His eyes fell on the cowshed!
I saw that the cowshed was surrounded by wooden fences and was packed with people!
Everyone's mouth was stuffed with thick cloth and their faces were bound with wire, making it impossible for them to speak and they could only make humming sounds!
Da da!
"this!"
"What's going on?! Why are there so many people imprisoned here?"
"hiss……"
Zhu Biao led everyone into the backyard, and when they saw the people imprisoned in the cowshed, they were all shocked!
Although Hu Weiyong and others had made mental preparations, their faces changed drastically when they saw this scene, and they looked terrified!
At this moment, Hu Weiyong had only one thought in his mind!
Finished!
I have been fooled by His Majesty these days!
"What on earth is going on? Who arrested the person?!"
Zhu Biao was shocked and ordered,
"Quick, open the bullpen and let everyone out!"
Mao Xiang looked at Zhu Yuanzhang.
Zhu Yuanzhang waved his hand.
"Let go!"
At a command, the Imperial Guards violently cut down the wooden fence. Upon seeing this, the people in the cowshed began to struggle excitedly, squeezing together frantically, trying to escape!
"Don't run around!"
"The Emperor has come to rescue you! You can tell us any grievances you have! His Majesty will bring justice to you!"
Mao Xiang had been prepared. With a wave of his hand, the imperial guards took control of the situation and prevented this group of excited people from attacking the emperor.
At the same time, they also took action to untie the iron hoops and thick cloth on the faces of everyone in the cowshed.
"Damn Lin Xiu!!!"
"I'm going to kill you, I'm going to kill you!!!"
As soon as the men's mouths were opened, they all started roaring. If it weren't for the Imperial Guards' control, they would have rushed forward and torn Lin Xiu into pieces!
"Lin Xiu!"
Hu Weiyong ordered,
"You! What on earth is wrong with you?"
"Why would Fengyang hold so many people in prison? What on earth did you do? Tell His Majesty quickly, or else, watch out for your head!"
However, facing Hu Weiyong's questioning, Lin Xiu was completely unable to answer. He had already collapsed all over. If he had not been supported by someone, he would have been lying on the ground and turned into a puddle of mud.
"talk!"
Hu Weiyong angrily shouted,
"Don't play dead! Tell me everything!"
"Otherwise, your whole family's lives will be in danger!"
The four words "the lives of the whole family" sounded like a bolt from the blue to Lin Xiu, waking him up from his paralysis!
"Your Majesty! They...they are all rebellious people!"
He kept bowing to Zhu Yuanzhang and said in a trembling voice,
"Your Majesty, I am guilty. I took the initiative to not lock them up in the county jail because... because I was afraid that they would talk nonsense and upset Your Majesty! That's why..."
"Your Majesty, please punish me!"
Pfft!
Lin Xiu broke free from the hands of the two imperial guards beside him, knelt on the ground, and kowtowed continuously!
"Rebellious people?"
Zhu Yuanzhang sneered and said,
"What a rebellious people! We should ask what they are rebelling against."
He turned to look at the imprisoned people and said loudly:
"I am Zhu Yuanzhang! I am from Fengyang and the emperor of the Ming Dynasty. Today, I am here to seek justice for my fellow Fengyang people!"
"You should take revenge for your grievances! Whoever caused you to be locked up in the cowshed, you should make trouble for him! Think carefully about who you want to sue. If you miss this opportunity, you will never get it again!"
"Come on, take them all away!"
When the people heard this, they were all excited!
……
Outside Fengyang County.
A medium-sized wooden platform had already been built.
Countless common people gathered around, it was as crowded as a temple fair, it was very lively.
"Are you here too?"
"Yes! Didn't they say that His Majesty the Emperor invited all the people of Fengyang to watch a big show? Who wouldn't come if there's a show to watch?"
"Tsk tsk, your majesty must have invited a famous actor! I just don't know what kind of play he will sing."
"..."
Looking at the sea of heads, Hu Weiyong's expression changed again and again as he rushed back from the dilapidated village.
"Who arranged all this?!"
"We, we had no idea!"
His heart had sunk to the bottom.
"Weiyong, I think we still think too simply of His Majesty, thinking that he is in a high place and cannot see the real situation below... In fact, he has already seen through everything, and is just playing along with us and playing tricks on us."
Li Shanchang whispered,
"No matter what happens next, don't get too excited, stay calm."
"Let's ensure our own safety first, then talk about other things."
Hu Weiyong was startled and nodded slightly, trying his best to calm himself down.
I thought everything was under control, and everything in Fengyang was arranged perfectly by Lin Xiu.
But looking at it this way now... I have no control over anything!
Something was wrong when His Majesty came out of prison! No, something was wrong before, but he didn't investigate it carefully!
What happened next was beyond his expectations.
In the current situation, let alone having control over the situation, even if I can protect myself, I will be very lucky!
clatter! clatter! clatter!
Zhu Yuanzhang led Ma Xiuying and several princes onto the wooden platform and sat on the armchair in the middle.
The emperor and empress took their seats, accompanied by the princes.
As for the civil officials and military generals, they were arranged to sit on the side.
All the men in the cowshed were brought to the wooden platform and controlled by the imperial guards, making them kneel in front of Zhu Yuanzhang.
boom!
Zhu Yuanzhang slapped the armchair and said loudly:
"I am Zhu Yuanzhang, the emperor you all call me! I invited you all here today not to watch a show, but to be a witness!"
"It is said that the common people love the great judges, so today I will be the great judge and judge a case!"
As soon as these words were spoken, the people all became noisy.
"He is the Emperor? He is the Zhu Yuanzhang from back then?!"
"Hush! Keep your voice down. Do you want to kill yourself? Do you think you can just yell the name Zhu Chongba? Watch carefully and don't make a sound!"
"Hey! Isn't that Erniu? I haven't seen him for several days. Why is he here?"
"Yeah, there are so many familiar faces! Aren't they all..."
"..."
"Silence!" Zhu Biao shouted with full energy, making the people quiet down and look at Zhu Yuanzhang on the wooden platform.
"We've given you time to think about it, and now you've probably figured it out."
Zhu Yuanzhang looked at the men and said in a deep voice,
"Who comes first?"
Deng!
As soon as the words fell, a man stepped forward and said bitterly:
"Your Majesty, I want to sue!"
"The first person I want to sue is the county magistrate Lin Xiu! This damn Lin Xiu lied that he wanted to uphold justice for us, the people who had been wronged, but in the end he found an opportunity to arrest all of us and locked us up in the cowshed!"
"We have not been able to eat or drink for the past two days, and our heads and faces have been covered. We have suffered all kinds of torture. It is all this beast's fault!"
As soon as these words were spoken, all the Han people became excited and started shouting loudly!
“Take Lin Xiu!”
Zhu Yuanzhang ordered.
Two imperial guards grabbed Lin Xiu and threw him onto the wooden platform.
His appearance caused the people to exclaim in surprise.
He is the official of Fengyang, but now he is treated like a criminal. Where is his official dignity?
"Lin Xiu, what's your explanation?"
Zhu Yuanzhang said in a neutral tone,
"You just said that these common people are rebellious and unruly people?"
"But why do they say that they are innocent people who need justice? Were they tricked and locked up by you?"
"Haha, this is what you call peace and prosperity, with the people obeying you? Arrest all those who are looking for trouble, and don't let them have the chance to appear in front of us, and then the world will be peaceful?"
Lin Xiu knelt on the wooden platform, his body trembling.
"Your Majesty, I am a minister..."
"shut up!"
Zhu Yuanzhang said angrily,
"You still have the nerve to call yourself our vassal? You are not worthy of being our vassal! You are so eloquent, but you still say you are wholeheartedly serving the people. Is this how you serve the people? You bastard!"
"Come on, give him twenty blows first!"
Mao Xiang stepped forward, holding a long stick, and hit Lin Xiu mercilessly!
boom!
boom!
The sound of the stick scared the common people, but some people couldn't help but cheer!
"Good fight!"
"This dog official should have been beaten long ago! This dog official teamed up with the landlords to bully us ordinary people!"
"Your Majesty is wise, Your Majesty is wise!"
For a while, there was constant cheering.
After twenty blows, Lin Xiu's butt was already a bloody mess.
He lay on the wooden platform, his face pale, and he could only breathe in and out, not out.
"You guys keep talking."
Zhu Yuanzhang snorted coldly and said,
"There is a huge injustice, and we will host it for you today!"
The man saw the beating, but the anger in his eyes did not dissipate much.
"Your Majesty, Holy Might!"
"The second person I want to sue is Lu Ji! He relied on his brother being a general to bully and rob my family of all their fertile land! My eldest brother argued with his servant and was beaten to death by that evil servant!"
After hearing this, all the men around him started shouting.
"I'm going to sue the Lu family too!"
"I want to sue the Lu family too! Not only did the Lu family occupy our land, they also collected private taxes! After the government collected taxes, they wanted to collect them again, and the private taxes were even higher than the government taxes!"
"Your Majesty, Lu Dalong has taken my wife by force, you must make the decision for me!"
"..."
For a time, the crowd was excited, and the crimes of the Lu family were exposed one after another, which made the nobles feel numb.
At this moment, even the dumbest person would know who His Majesty was targeting with this move!
“Lu family, haha!”
Zhu Yuanzhang sneered,
"It seems that the Lu family in Fengyang is so powerful that they can cover the sky with one hand! Not only do they seize land and bully men and women, they even dare to collect private taxes!"
"You really don't know until you hear it. Is Lu Zhongheng planning to establish a country within a country in Fengyang?!"
“Come on, take Lawrence Lu!”
At a command, Mao Xiang brought Lu Zhongheng, who had been secretly brought there, onto the wooden platform.
"Your Majesty!"
Pfft!
Lu Zhongheng was pushed down by the Imperial Guards and fell to the ground.
“Lu Zhongheng, you are capable!”
Zhu Yuanzhang stared at Lu Zhongheng and said coldly,
"In our hometown of Fengyang, you dare to be so unscrupulous!"
"Tell me, how do you want me to punish you?"
Lu Zhongheng slowly raised his head and his eyes met Zhu Yuanzhang.
"If you want to kill or behead me, please do as you please!"
He spat and whispered,
"Anyway, I've already been a fish on the chopping board, waiting for you to kill me!"
During the days he was thrown into death row, Lu Zhongheng had already figured it out. He was going to die anyway, and it was useless to beg for mercy!
君要臣death,臣不得不death!
"Haha, you make it sound like you've suffered a great injustice, like a tragic hero."
Zhu Yuanzhang did not get angry but laughed and said,
"If you don't break the law, will we kill you?"
"If it's just about secretly mobilizing troops in Yingtian, we might be able to let you go and not kill you."
"But what have you done? Although you are in Yingtian, your family has extended their evil claws to Fengyang! Relying on your power, you have brought disaster to the area!"
"Here, harming the common people is the first capital crime, a capital crime that cannot be forgiven!"
boom!
As he spoke, he stood up abruptly and looked at the group of civil and military officials on his left.
“Now, who wants to plead for Lawrence Lu?”
"stand out!"
"We want to see who has the guts to protect him at this time!"
Civil and military officials: "..."
At this time, who dares to speak?
Although the people of Huaixi were united in opposing the emperor, no one dared to show up at this moment.
If you show up, you might be implicated!
"there is none left?"
Zhu Yuanzhang said with a fake smile,
"Weren't you all very united before? The petitions to plead for mercy for Lawrence Lu are almost drowning us out!"
"There are some situations that we don't know, but as brothers, you should know them! It would be fine if you didn't report it, but you actually wanted to protect it. What's going on? Are you all the same?"
"Let's do some digging today to see if there is anyone like him among you!"
All the ministers were silent at this moment.
"come!"
Zhu Yuanzhang did not hesitate and gave the order:
"Behead Lu Zhongheng on the spot to serve as a warning to others!"
"In addition, all his property will be confiscated and his three clans will be exterminated! Even his adopted sons and nephews will be included in this!"
I have been planning for this moment for so long.
Overwhelm all voices and cut the Gordian knot!
"According to the order!"
Mao Xiang picked up the long knife in his hand and dragged Lu Zhongheng to the edge of the wooden platform.
"Zhu Chongba!"
"The thing I regret most in my life is following you!"
Lawrence Lu roared, his eyes full of resentment!
chap!
The next second, Mao Xiang swung his knife cleanly and cut off his neck!
Blood gushed out, and Lu Zhongheng's head fell to the muddy ground, stained with blood.
"If we knew you were this kind of person, we wouldn't have used you at all!"
Zhu Yuanzhang listened to Lu Zhongheng's last words, but he didn't care at all. Instead, he snorted coldly,
"Where can we find people like you?"
I am not exaggerating. With a general like Lu Zhongheng, one more or one less won't make much difference.
Without our appreciation, you are nothing?
A smell of blood filled the air around the wooden platform, and the sight of a human head also frightened all the people present.
This, just kill him as you say? So quick and easy?!
A bully family that was rampant in Fengyang was destroyed so easily, without even a trace of struggle or resistance?
The visual impact of this scene is undoubtedly huge!
“Besides Lawrence Lu, who else should we sue?”
Zhu Yuanzhang looked at the people and waved his hand.
"We are here today to seek justice for our fellow villagers and vent our anger!"
"If anyone has been wronged or bullied, report it to us! As long as the case is true and the evidence is solid, we will kill them without hesitation!"
(End of this chapter)
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