Ming Dynasty: Ask Zhu Yuanzhang to abdicate at the beginning

Chapter 580 The "Wrongful Conviction" Known to All?
Upon entering Shandong territory, Zhu Yunwen deliberately slowed down the pace of the imperial carriage's journey.

Having come from Nanjing, my goal was to reach the disaster area as quickly as possible, as disaster relief is as urgent as putting out a fire.

Now that I've left the disaster-stricken area, my mindset is naturally different.

Although Shandong also suffered from floods, the disaster was far less severe than that in Henan.

Perhaps for this reason, coupled with the fact that they already knew the emperor was coming, the disaster relief efforts here were handled much more efficiently than in Henan.

Wherever the imperial carriage passed, one could see resettlement sites for disaster victims scattered like stars, yet there was not a trace of the desolation of being displaced.

Rows of brand-new tents were set up neatly, and wisps of smoke rose from the cooking fires. These were the porridge kitchens set up by the government, where steaming hot food was being distributed in an orderly manner.

Between camps, medical officers would travel back and forth with medicine kits to provide medical care and treatment to patients.

Most notably, there were several specially set up clean water supply points. With a soft rumbling sound, steam engines were continuously drawing clean water from deep wells, while large pots nearby were used to boil water with coal. After cooling, the water was then provided to the disaster victims free of charge, ensuring that every disaster victim had an adequate supply of hot water and eliminating the possibility of disease at its source.

What delighted Zhu Yunwen was the swift and effective implementation of the "work-for-relief" program in the area.

Looking around, the disaster victims who were actually sitting there waiting for relief were almost all the elderly, weak, sick, and children.

All able-bodied young victims were organized and put into the work of post-disaster reconstruction, such as dredging waterways and repairing field ridges.

Everyone had a job to do, and they replaced simply waiting with self-help.

What struck him even more was that there were quite a few women among those working groups.

Zhu Yunwen understood perfectly well that the so-called "not going out of the main gate and not stepping out of the second gate" had always been a rule only for gentry and wealthy families.

In ordinary households, it was common for women to work in the fields or earn money by sewing and spinning to supplement the family income.

They won't really stay out of the public eye!
However, it was unprecedented in the Ming Dynasty for the government to organize women to participate in public labor on such a large scale and to pay them.

In response, Shandong Governor Li Chongwen said, "In extraordinary times, extraordinary measures should be taken."

"Instead of waiting for the imperial court to provide relief, we should mobilize the people to save themselves."

“Since His Majesty’s new policies were implemented, countless women have entered factories to work.”

"Women can not only work in factories as female workers, weaving and spinning, but also do their best to overcome difficulties in this time of crisis."

Furthermore, the government hired disaster victims and paid them wages on a daily basis, which was itself the most direct and effective form of disaster relief funding.

Admittedly, women are physically weaker, their work is lighter, and their wages are slightly lower than men's, but the people in the camp have no complaints about this.

In the past, even if women went out to work, the wages they received were often much meager.

Nowadays, the government is clearly setting clear prices and, under the guise of "production self-help" and taking advantage of "disaster relief," is giving them substantial wages, which is already an immense favor.

After leaving the disaster area, Zhu Yunwen's inspection team slowed down again.

Having gained this leisure, Xu Miaojin, who had been accompanying the emperor, felt a stronger urge to travel and often talked about wanting to emulate folk tales and experience the feeling of "going on an incognito tour" again.

Zhu Yunwen did not agree at first, until the imperial carriage arrived at Shanxian County, Yanzhou Prefecture.

This is the hometown of Xi Zhaoxue, the woman who blocked the road.

Seeing that the official post station where he was staying was right next to the city, Zhu Yunwen was also moved and wanted to see the scenery of the place with his own eyes. So he agreed to Xu Miaojin's request, ordered people to make some preparations, and took advantage of the rest to change into casual clothes and go out for sightseeing.

The route they took was along the "national highways" that Zhu Yunwen built after he came to power, which crisscrossed the entire country.

These new national highways are built to extremely high standards, and their most unique feature lies in their route planning.

It abandoned the old practice of entering every city along the traditional official road, and instead cleverly traveled around the edge of the city.

Merchants traveling long distances could travel smoothly along the main road without getting bogged down in the bustling crowds and traffic of the city, greatly improving traffic efficiency; and those who needed to enter the city could simply turn at the side road on the outskirts of the city, which was also very convenient.

Later highways and national roads were basically designed in this way.

The design concept was basically the same when constructing national highways and expressways in later generations.

There is no reason to connect national highways and expressways directly to the city center.

Unless you have already reached the end of this national highway or expressway.

Of course, cities will continue to expand outwards.

As cities expand, national highways and expressways that were originally on the outskirts of cities gradually become the "city center," which is another matter entirely.

This is how it is when you pass through Shanxian County on this national highway.

Originally, we were just passing by the edge of Shanxian County, but with the start of the new policies of the Ming Dynasty, commerce flourished, Shanxian City expanded, and the area along the national highway also became very prosperous.

However, because Zhu Yunwen's policies were very forward-thinking, prohibiting the construction of houses within ten zhang (approximately 33 meters) on both sides of the national highway, leaving ample space for future road widening and ensuring the safety and smooth flow of traffic, even though the national highway was now bustling with vendors and people, the road itself remained wide and unobstructed.

"Brother Tong, come quick! There's a monkey show here, it's so entertaining!" After leaving the post station and arriving on the main street of Shanxian County, Xu Miaojin skipped and jumped all the way, extremely happy.

She was in the prime of her youth, full of energy and curiosity about everything.

However, his audacity startled the accompanying Tian Shu Si guards, who, not daring to reveal their identities, could only try to keep up closely.

Zhu Yunwen squeezed through the crowd and saw an old man with a granddaughter who looked about seven or eight years old. The old man was directing a monkey to do all sorts of funny and comical things.

The monkey was agile, leaping and bounding, and occasionally winking and bowing to the crowd, which made the onlookers laugh.

The old man cupped his hands high in greeting to the surrounding crowd and said loudly, "Traveling south and north, telling stories of the world, and eating at every household's table, this old man will today sing a clapper talk and perform a drama of joy and sorrow for you all. Gentlemen, ladies, and misses who are passing by, if you have money, please support me financially; if you don't have money, please support me by being here. This old man thanks you in advance!"

After saying this, he bowed deeply again.

Behind them, the seven or eight-year-old girl also bowed and greeted them, then began to somersault in the air repeatedly, and the little monkey followed suit, jumping up and down and moving with the little girl.

The surrounding crowd erupted in cheers and applause.

After the old man finished bowing, he cleared his throat, picked up a pair of clappers, and began to sing:

"Listen to me, everyone, the drums are beating loudly and cheerfully."

Today we'll sing a strange tale; after listening, you're guaranteed to be amazed.

He started it, and the little girl behind him immediately began to beat the drums, while the monkey kept jumping up and down, making faces, and singing along with the old man's fast-paced rhythm.

After the drumbeats ended, the old man began to sing the main text:
In Shandong, there was a poor family where a brother and sister lived a life of misery.

My younger brother is just twenty and has already been engaged.

Who knew that times would change, and that the matchmaker's words would bring trouble?
The bride's family asked for a dowry of 88 taels of silver, which was mandatory.

The younger brother was heartbroken; his savings had already been given away.
I gave her all the gifts and money, only to be told in return that it didn't count.

The girl was several months pregnant, but the child was not conceived by her brother. She turned around and embraced another man, and the two secretly flirted with each other.

The younger brother was so angry his forehead exploded, and he rushed forward to demand an explanation.
But the man was tall and strong, and he beat him with a flurry of punches and kicks.

He stayed home and bedridden for half a month, never stepping out of his house.
Suddenly I heard that the constables were like wolves and tigers, arresting people and throwing them into prison—it was truly terrifying.

It turned out that the man passed away a few days later.
The authorities' verdict was swift as lightning, claiming that the younger brother had poisoned him.

The sound of the flogging echoed in the courtroom; a false confession, forced through torture, could not be overturned.
A death sentence is a death warrant; my sister's cries chill the heavens and earth.

They appealed to the government hoping for justice, but at first they said there were doubts.
Suddenly, a new official was appointed, and his attitude changed faster than flipping through a book.

Those in power collude to protect their official positions, while the common people weep uncontrollably.
Neighbors' testimonies were ignored, forcing him to change his story and fabricate lies.

Sister, bring your medical records as solid evidence. How can you travel back and forth from fifty miles away?
The official shook his head and ignored him, saying instead that the evidence was irrefutable.

Then they went to the provincial government to appeal their grievances, initially with a smile and sweet words.

A few days later, the situation changed drastically, and they declared that there was no wrongful conviction!

His family fortune was gone, and he was haggard; he knelt before the emperor to stop his carriage.
The emperor issued an edict to retrieve the original residence and reopen the case with lightning speed.

It's lamentable that officials are all in cahoots, secretly still trying to frame the innocent.
The case has been tried repeatedly, but the injustice remains unaddressed!

As the old man sang this part, the clapperboard suddenly stopped, and the little girl and monkey behind him, who had been making various movements, all stopped moving.

After a long pause, he sang the ending again:

Dear readers, if you understand this, you'll find this case quite amusing:

Some are on the brink of life and death, while others are securing their future with their official positions.

Even with imperial edicts and decrees, corrupt officials still dare to act recklessly!
What is the deepest darkness in the world? The darkest place is the human heart!

As the voice faded, the little girl and the monkey bowed to the people around them.

"it is good!"

"it is good!"

"Well done!"

"Good work deserves reward!"

The surrounding crowd cheered.

The little girl and the monkey each carried a plate and walked towards the crowd, bowing and scraping all the way. People threw money into the plates.

This "speech," which combined acting and singing, earned him a considerable amount of money.

Someone else shouted, "You two have some nerve! You should know this is Shanxian County. You and your grandson dare to make such a fuss. Aren't you afraid the officials of Shanxian County will take action against you?"

Before the old man could reply, someone nearby shouted in response: "Why be afraid of those damn officials? In broad daylight, under the clear sky, I refuse to believe that there is no justice in this world."

“Exactly!” someone echoed. “His Majesty the Emperor is currently on a northern tour. I heard he arrived in Shanxian yesterday and is staying at the newly built post station outside the county town. I don’t believe that the officials of Shanxian would dare to cause trouble under His Majesty’s nose at this time.”

"Yes, if all else fails, let's go together to His Majesty the Emperor and lodge a complaint!" someone shouted.

"You can't just say things like that," someone warned. "The post station where the emperor is staying is guarded three or four times over by the Tian Shu Si (a secret police agency). The Shandong government has also dispatched a large number of people. The original shopkeepers on the surrounding streets have all been replaced by government clerks and soldiers. If you go to file a complaint with the emperor, you probably won't even get to see His Majesty before you're arrested by the clerks."

"Alas, that's true." Someone sighed, "That Miss Xi, didn't she go to the emperor's court to plead her case, but what was the result?"

“It’s been like this since ancient times: officials protect each other. It’s so corrupt! We ordinary people can only do this. Try to avoid getting involved in lawsuits and trouble.” Someone kept shaking their head and said.

Someone countered, "It's not like you can just avoid getting involved with something like that. Who did Xi Yunlang from the Xi family offend? He had a perfectly good marriage, but he ended up in prison and is about to die."

"So what can we do? We ordinary people can only cry out for justice, but we can't overturn the verdict for the Xi family," someone said with a helpless expression.

The crowd was buzzing with discussion, which Zhu Yunwen and Xu Miaojin both heard clearly.

Zhu Yunwen then asked one of the men, "Are you talking about the case of Xi Zhaoxue's younger brother, Xi Yunlang, committing murder?"

The man looked Zhu Yunwen up and down and said, "Judging from your accent, you're from out of town, aren't you? We're talking about this case."

"The clapper talk that the old man just sang was also about this case."

Zhu Yunwen asked with a smile, "Who are you to the Xi family? How do you know so much about this case?"

The man laughed and said, "I have no relation to or friendship with the Xi family, and we have never met before."

"However, this case has already caused quite a stir in the Shandong area."

"Especially after Xi Zhaoxue traveled thousands of miles to appeal for her brother's innocence and stopped the imperial carriage to plead her case, the story became widely known."

"Not to mention the people of Shanxian County, the news has spread throughout the entire Yanzhou Prefecture, and even most of Shandong."

Zhu Yunwen pressed further, "How do you know that Xi Yunlang was framed?"

The man sneered, "In this world, justice resides in the hearts of the people."

"Although I am a complete stranger to the Xi family, I am also a native of Xi County."

“The Xi family has neighbors, and everyone knows about this, so the news will naturally spread outside.”

"Xi Yunlang was severely beaten at the time and was bedridden at home. This can be testified to by the villagers around the Xi family. So how could he have gone dozens of miles away to kill someone?"

"Who in Shanxian County doesn't know that Xi Yunlang was innocent in the murder case?"

"That is, the officials in the government insisted on making a blind case, making arbitrary judgments, and insisting that Xi Yunlang committed the murder."

"Which of us, the people of Shanxian, doesn't feel indignant on behalf of Xi Yunlang?"

"He was truly wronged, even more wronged than Dou E."

"He just wanted to get married, but he ran into that heartless woman from Tan. Not only did she demand an exorbitant dowry, but she also got pregnant with another man's child and framed him for murder."

"It's a pity that such an honest and upright man ended up like this."

“We, the people of He County, all know that he is innocent.”

"But the officials in the county government turn a blind eye and cover their ears, pretending not to see or hear, and insist on convicting him anyway. What can be done?"

"Since ancient times, the people have never been able to fight against the officials. We ordinary people can only curse a few times and grumble."

……

(End of this chapter)