The Incense Monopoly Order

Chapter 101 Death Penalty
In response to Shang Zishu's question, Shang Mingshu just smiled helplessly and didn't want to answer.

"Third sister, do you also not understand what they are thinking?" Shang Zishu misunderstood Shang Mingshu's reaction.

Her clear eyes met Shang Zishu's confusion and anger, and Shang Mingshu sighed softly: "Second sister, the reasons are really complicated..."

"Then tell me everything." Shang Zishu wanted to know, as she was about to face the Chen family members.

Shang Mingshu lowered her eyes and pondered for a moment, gathering her thoughts. "The reasons can be broadly divided into two categories: First, family interests are readily available. The family business is like a tempting hot soup, constantly emitting an alluring aroma. There are always some who are afraid of the dangers of the world and the hardships of adventuring, unwilling to be mediocre, and yearning for wealth and comfort. Trapped within the family, they focus on the benefits of their family."

Shang Zishu listened and nodded. In such a large family, there were many people who loved to relax and had lofty ambitions.

"Secondly, within the family, relationships are as tangled as the roots of a tree, and conflicts of interest are as tangled as a tangle of hemp. The clan elders, with deep convictions, insist that the family business can only be passed down through blood relatives. Even if the world offers countless opportunities and prosperity, to them, they are like passing clouds, and they disdain them."

Businesses also have such elders, who are afraid that if some of their children and grandchildren go out to work, their family will get less when the profits are divided based on the number of people in the family.

Shang Zishu has encountered a lot of this, and sometimes she doesn't know how to persuade them to take a long-term view.

"Third sister, what you said, I'm afraid no family will be immune." Shang Zishu smiled bitterly.

"Second sister, when the water is too clear, there are no fish." In reality, family rivalries are far more complex than she had analyzed. It's just that the disputes faced by different families vary from person to person. Shang Mingshu could only point out the general direction. "We can't change or eliminate it. We can only go with the flow and protect our own plate."

Without family there is no prosperity, and without prosperity there is no competition.

This is an unsolvable closed loop.

"Is there no way to break it?" Shang Zishu was a little dazed. She really wanted to see a family looking out for each other, uniting and building a family business together.

No deception, no scheming. We work together to achieve prosperity.

"The human heart is inherently insatiable." Shang Mingshu never imagined this way. "Read less storybooks."

"I was a little naive." Shang Zishu had to admit that her ideal big family did not exist, and she did not have the ability to build one.

"As the head of the family, I use family rules to restrain their daily words and deeds. When there is an external enemy, they can unite to face the outside world. This is an extremely remarkable move for the head of the family." Shang Mingshu also made such plans for the Shang family.

The Shang family is not able to do that now. For example, this time, when they return to Huizhou and face Shi Houqiong head-on, the family may not be so short-sighted as to be bribed by Shi Houqiong for a little money.

Shang Mingshu recuperated in Jiande for another two days. Seeing that if she did not set off again, she would be delayed on the way and might miss Lin Yuanyuan's wedding, she persuaded Xiao Yu and Shang Jinliang to set off. This time, Shang Jinliang spent a lot of money to pay for the boat and hired a well-known escort agency in Jiande.

Chen Che brought a lot of people with him, filling up a large ship and returning home safely.

As soon as they entered the house, the result of the pirate case came out. No collusion with the Japanese pirates was found. The muskets were purchased privately by the pirates. There were a total of six, including the two owned by Shi Guangchao. Shi Guangchao also spent a lot of money to rent them temporarily from them.

Shi Guangchao was sentenced to beheading.

Shang Mingshu originally thought that Shi Houqiong was going to Zhejiang to collect the body, but for some reason Shi Guangchao was escorted back to Huizhou Prefecture and tortured there.

"Could this be a conspiracy by the Shi family?" Shang Zishu couldn't sit still after hearing the news and immediately came to find Shang Mingshu, "It will make it easier for them to replace the real thing with the fake one? They can't dare to rob the execution ground, right?"

Shang Wenshu held her forehead with her hand. "If the Shi family could reach so far, you and I would have already turned into a pile of yellow earth."

This case was being thoroughly investigated by the Zhejiang Provincial Governor and the Ministry of Justice. "What my elder sister said is true," Shang Mingshu knew. Shang Zishu didn't really think that, but sisters were just outspoken and spoke their minds. "Perhaps it's to intimidate the people of Huizhou Prefecture and let us all know the consequences of committing evil."

The news of the torture of Shi Guangchao in Zhejiang did not cause any ripples among the people of Huizhou Prefecture, but only led to a few casual conversations and expressions of emotion.

But if someone witnessed the execution with their own eyes, they would definitely take it as a warning.

The death penalty is usually carried out after the autumnal equinox, when all things wither, symbolizing austerity and killing. This is an idea of ​​harmony between man and nature that was created by ancient sages.

The death penalty can be carried out, that is, beheading in the autumn.

It was now mid-October, and the autumnal equinox had already passed for more than a month. Shi Guangchao was escorted back and executed on the guillotine the next day.

Shang Zishu hated Shi Guangchao so much that even though she was afraid, she wanted to go and see it in person. Shang Wenshu didn't dare to face such bloodiness, so Shang Mingshu accompanied her.

Chen Che volunteered to go for one, but was dissuaded by Shang Zishu, who felt that if Chen Che saw it, he would probably have nightmares.

It happened to be drizzling that day. The executioner raised his knife and slashed, and blood spilled all over the ground.

After the execution, the crowd dispersed. Shang Mingshu was still weak, so they did not go to the execution ground. Instead, they stayed in an inn not far away, where they could barely see the execution ground.

Shang Mingshu saw Shi Houqiong walking alone, with a look of old age from behind. She personally collected her son's body, which had been separated from his head, in the breeze and drizzle.

He walked over with the packed corpse in his arms, looked up from the road, and happened to see the Shang Mingshu sister through the rain.

The raindrops condensed on Shi Houqiong's wet hair and dripped down one by one. His eyes were calm, and he looked at Shang Mingshu calmly.

No resentment, no gloom, no murderous intent...

Blood seeped out from the shroud in his hand, staining his robe red. He withdrew his gaze expressionlessly and continued forward.

All that remained where he had stood was a pool of crimson water, which had accumulated due to the rain and then been washed away by the rain.

"Third sister, has Old Man Shi gone crazy?" Shang Zishu couldn't help rubbing her arms until the others were far away. "He didn't look like he was in any pain just now."

Those who don’t know him would think he is just a cold-blooded corpse collector.

Shang Mingshu couldn't get Shi Houqiong's embarrassed look out of her mind. "I've recently told the Shang family's people to be more cautious."

Shi Houqiong's calmness was like the calmness that came from the surging waves. Because she had already made a revenge plan, she would not reveal any emotion in front of them. This was an incompetent show of weakness!

From Shang Jinliang to the Shang family members, everyone in the Shang family was cautious, fearing that they would be ambushed by Shi Houqiong.

However, the Shi family defied everyone's expectations. Apart from the funeral, they acted as if nothing had happened and continued as usual.

Soon it was Lin Yuanyuan's wedding day. Shang Mingshu went to guard the door for the bride personally and was on guard the whole day, fearing that Shi Houqiong would make Lin Yuanyuan and Yao Zongsi's wedding unhappy and use this as an excuse to attack her.

But nothing happened, and Lin Yuanyuan's wedding went smoothly.

Even after Shang Mingshu returned home safely, it felt unreal.