Qing Yao

Chapter 226 Everyone Sees a Traitor
What the hell? They're going to arrest my whole family?
Shi Laosan was dumbfounded. "You officials are being so unreasonable!"
However, he immediately chickened out because this official seemed really unapproachable. Didn't he look like a wolf with a fierce look in his eyes despite his young age?

Where did this guy come from? I've never seen him before.

Curiosity is curiosity, and fear is fear.

An official has a mouth; arguing with an official is just asking for trouble.
Hurry up and admit defeat, lest your whole family be labeled as traitors and wiped out.

Once a person chickens out, fear suddenly arises. Shi Laosan pleaded desperately, "Sir, I won't tell anyone anymore, please don't tell anyone anymore!"

"I'm not going to press charges anymore. You're just making fun of me!"

Zhao An wasn't going to tolerate this scoundrel who had brought trouble upon himself. With a wave of his right hand, he ordered the two soldiers holding the scoundrel to "take this rebel leader out and execute him on the spot!"

"Execute him on the spot?!"

Old Master Shi was terrified. "My lord, I won't sue anymore, I really won't sue anymore, please spare me this time!"

Overwhelmed by fear, his jaw was trembling uncontrollably, and his legs were stiff as if they had been anesthetized.

"Lord Zhao, this lad shouldn't be a traitor, right?"

General Hou meant well. He knew that Shi Laosan had nothing to do with rebels. Although the kid wasn't a good person either, there was no need to label him a rebel and kill him.

The guerrilla leader meant that anyone who resisted arrest should be killed without exception. But there was no resistance. It's a bit unreasonable to use such a ruthless method against fellow villagers.

Zhao An glanced at Hou Feng, who was clearly not a professional soldier and had obvious connections with the local authorities, and said meaningfully, "Commander Hou, the imperial court has always advocated killing a thousand innocent people rather than letting one guilty person go free when dealing with rebels. Only in this way can we deter villains and ensure the long-term stability of our Great Qing. In the face of matters of principle, Commander Hou, do not be confused. The Emperor is watching today's events, and so is the Governor."

"This"

Upon hearing that the imperial court and the province were paying attention to this matter, Hou Feng knew he could no longer play the good guy, and had no choice but to nod to his subordinates.

Shi Laosan was immediately dragged away by the soldiers, who clearly intended to behead him. Shi Laosan was so frightened that he howled like a pig being slaughtered, begging General Hou to save his life.

Unfortunately, he had been made an example of, and Lord Zhao had already named him; there was no chance for him to survive.

All Hou Feng could do was sigh.

While Zhao An maintained a cold and ruthless demeanor, he was secretly planning that if he needed money to deal with local bullies again, he would have to transfer troops from other places. This would be the most effective way to avoid the trouble of relatives and friends coming to plead for help and him having to ask for favors.

This matter must escalate to bloodshed; otherwise, the nature of the incident will not be serious.

It's a very simple principle: how could a traitor not rebel?
Can those who do not resist be called traitors?

Now it's just a matter of who's unlucky enough to run into trouble. For example, the thug who was dragged outside was just unlucky enough to run into trouble. As long as he's not a key member of Chen Gong's criminal gang, he won't be in any danger even if he's arrested.

Since the man was used to being slick and openly questioned Lord Zhao, who was personally leading the enforcement of the law for the first time, Lord Zhao had no choice but to play the good guy to the end and let him go down to the lower ranks.

"Don't kill me, don't kill me!"

Shortly after, a scream came from outside. The unfortunate thug had actually been beheaded by the rebel leader.

This scene terrified everyone in the gambling den, including the gamblers who hadn't managed to escape. Several timid gamblers collapsed to the ground on the spot, their legs giving way. One of them was so frightened that he had an epileptic seizure, foaming at the mouth.

Xu Lin, who came with Zhao An, was experienced in this kind of thing. He stepped forward, grabbed the gambler's mouth, and slapped him hard on the back several times. The gambler then stopped sobbing and sat blankly on the ground.

Three question marks must be running through my mind.

Zhao An glanced at Sun Rui, who immediately stepped forward and pointed out several people among the gambling den who could be considered Chen Gong's core members. These people were dragged out of the crowd by the soldiers on the spot.

"My lord, spare us! We are not rebels, we are not rebels!"

Several gangsters who usually swaggered around were now begging and pleading like they'd been drained of their strength.

After sweeping over the group of pale-faced, trembling thugs, Zhao An waved his hand and labeled them traitors, then dragged them out and executed them on the spot.

Hou Feng carried out the order readily this time, without hesitation in instructing his soldiers to do so. As a result, six more corpses appeared in the courtyard outside in the blink of an eye.

However, Hou Feng was also feeling uneasy. Not only did he feel that the slain rebels seemed somewhat unworthy of their names, but the entire arrest operation also seemed strange. He also wondered if something might happen after killing so many people.

This isn't war; no one would question killing innocent people and claiming credit for it!
If a local official were to report this matter to higher authorities, not only would a lowly rank like Houfeng be in serious trouble, but even a high-ranking official would likely face severe consequences.

"How can we show the ruthlessness of rebels and the bravery of you officers and soldiers if we don't kill a few rebels?"

Zhao An gave Hou Feng an encouraging look, "Don't worry, just do as I say. Your bravery will surely be recorded in the memorial I submit to the Emperor. You won't even have time to thank me then."

In other words, I've already prepared the report and assigned you the credit, so what are you waiting for if you're not going to work hard?
Given the tone of the previous report, the death of a few people was no big deal to the old master, as long as local stability was ensured and the canal gangs were prevented from causing trouble again.

As for whether any of the dead were innocent, the elderly gentleman probably had no interest in knowing.

If it is ensured that no "victims" can file a complaint and that the few adults who can report to the old master remain silent, then this crackdown on the leading forces within the canal gang will be a suppression operation against the canal transport rebels.

The gambling den was in a state of white terror. The "staff" were so scared that their teeth were chattering and they dared not speak, while the gamblers were so frightened that their legs were trembling and they regretted coming to gamble today.

Before the raid, Zhao An ordered his soldiers to surround the gambling den at both the front and back gates, and left soldiers on both sides of the courtyard wall to prevent anyone from climbing over and escaping. Since no "insider" made a phone call to leak the news beforehand, it can be said that the entire operation was wiped out, with no one escaping.

At this moment, many of the soldiers involved in the operation were drawn to the scattered silver ingots on the gambling table.

Money moves people's hearts.

Who wouldn't be envious of those gleaming silver ingots, let alone these Green Standard Army soldiers who could also be considered low-income individuals?

Zhao An observed all of this and quickly made two arrangements.

"All gambling funds will be confiscated and kept in custody by Commander Hou. He will report the amount to me afterward."

This arrangement made Hou Feng and his officers' eyes light up. They instinctively led their men to quickly stuff the silver into bags. Lord Zhao wasn't just asking them to keep it safe; he was clearly letting them make a profit.

When it comes to the count afterward, a thousand taels would be reported as two hundred taels at most!

The soldiers' affinity for Lord Zhao surged by another 200 points, bringing them just a few hundred points away from joining him on a sightseeing trip to the Forbidden City.

If Zhao An puts in a little more effort, these soldiers will all be able to yell and shout when they see the old man.

In fact, for Zhao An, the several thousand taels of loose gambling money on the table were nothing. He gave it to them as a token of his appreciation.

What he was after was the gambling den's "capital," which was the profit that Mr. Chen had earned through the gambling den over the years.

Sun Rui has already taken two gambling den employees to the accounting office. If the accounting office doesn't find much of Chen Gong's illegal funds, then they'll go to the backyard and interrogate all of Chen Gong's family members.

Since we've started cracking down, we must do it thoroughly.

Murder and robbery. Zhao An planned to hand over 40% of the illicit funds seized to the old master, 40% to be split equally between Zhao Dehan and the co-supervisor of the remaining 60%, and the remaining 20% ​​to be used to bribe the Yangzhou government and related agencies to ensure that the case was an ironclad one that could withstand the scrutiny of the imperial court.

Secondly, all personnel were escorted back to the prefectural school, and the gamblers were also taken away.

The prefectural school was empty because of the winter vacation, so it was perfect for imprisoning the rebels. Otherwise, no matter how big Yangzhou was, there really wasn't enough space to imprison so many people.

Zhao An himself set a death sentence quota of one hundred, a prison sentence of three hundred, and the rest would depend on each person's remorse.

It means paying a fine.

Those who pay can go home; those who don't will be sent to do hard labor on the coast of Dongtai County for several months.

At the same time, all black and gray industries in Yangzhou were forcibly cracked down on by the garrison.

The Green Standard Army soldiers, like wild horses, stormed into brothels, gambling dens, opium dens, and other places engaged in illegal activities. The entire city of Yangzhou was alarmed by this large-scale operation. Many government officials and institutions at all levels had close ties with these industries, so the Green Standard Army's raids caught the local government off guard and threw them into chaos.

To Zhao An's surprise, the operation, which was originally a targeted elimination, gradually expanded. The reason was that the Green Standard Army soldiers involved in the operation were of poor quality and had discovered that this operation to catch rebels was a good way for them to get rich quickly.

There was nothing we could do; the operation was a sudden decision, and we hadn't emphasized "discipline" to the DPP soldiers beforehand, and the DPP was the main force.

How could these poor folks not get excited when they see money?

In my excitement, I picked up watermelons and sesame seeds together, since they were all things I could easily do.

This has caused great suffering to the innocent civilians living around the raided areas.

"Get out of the way, get out of the way!"

"When the government is handling a case, all bystanders must keep clear!"

Pedestrians on the street were so frightened by the sudden appearance of so many soldiers that they retreated to both sides of the street, thinking that the soldiers were just passing by. They were curiously asking each other what the soldiers were doing there when, unexpectedly, the soldiers cornered them one by one against the wall.

Do you have any silver on you?

"No...no..."

"This guy is a traitor, take him down!"

"No...no...sir, I don't have any silver on me!"

"What are you looking at? What are you standing there for? This person is obviously a law-abiding citizen. Why are you holding him down? Let him go..."

"Sir, I am an old man with mobility issues. I was only a step slower. Why are you arresting me?"

"If it weren't for you getting in the way, would those suspicious rebels up ahead have gotten away? Who else would we arrest if not you?"

"."

At least a hundred civilians were extorted and blackmailed by the Green Standard Army soldiers, and the places that were raided were in complete chaos. Some of the girls who were entertaining customers came out naked and screamed in fright, while customers climbed over walls, hid in the outhouses, or hid under the beds, causing a lot of laughs.

Several incidents of resisting arrest occurred at various locations. After people died, the soldiers involved in the operation became even more reckless, kicking down doors repeatedly, and screams and pleas for mercy never stopped.

In a raided opium den, several customers who had just finished their addiction stared dumbfounded at the Green Standard Army soldiers. One of the bolder ones mustered his courage and asked, "Sir, what's going on? What exactly is going on?"

"it's okay no problem."

"It's nothing, why did you tie our hands?"

After the guests were tied up, the Green Standard Army soldiers smiled and said, "We suspect you are rebels, and we are now ordered to take you back!"

Upon hearing that they had inexplicably become traitors, the guests were terrified and cried out that they were innocent.

They just came to have a few puffs of a cigarette, how did they become traitors!

"Gentlemen, Constable Ma of Jiangdu County is my elder brother's good brother. We often drink tea together. He can testify that I am not a rebel. If you don't believe me, just call Constable Ma over and ask him."

Someone tried to be clever and thought of using connections, but before he could finish speaking, he was stabbed in the back: "Even if you call the county magistrate here, it won't do you any good. If he says you're a traitor, then you're a traitor!"

The others were all startled by this and dared not say that they knew anyone.

The Green Standard Army soldiers didn't care about anything else and pulled on the rope to take the men away. The man who looked like a scholar and was tied at the back had no choice but to whisper to the soldiers next to him, "Sir, my father is the county magistrate."

The soldier laughed and said, "Your father is a county magistrate, but my father is the emperor!"

The other companions looked over upon hearing this, and when they heard that there was someone who recognized the county magistrate as his father, they couldn't help but jeer and push the man around.

"Gentlemen, I'm not lying. My name is Ding Ping, and my father is Ding Chengen, the magistrate of Ganquan County. If you don't believe me, just send someone to Ganquan County to ask!"

Ding Ping was frantic. It was better for his father to know that he was secretly smoking opium than to be taken away by these soldiers as a traitor. If he were really arrested, who knew whether he would live or die.

Alas, the old saying is true: when a scholar meets a soldier, reason is useless!
The sentry in charge was leading the opium den owner and his gang over. When he saw that his men hadn't left with their men yet, he cursed them. The soldiers, angered by their leader's outburst, vented their fury on Ding Ping, kicking and dragging him and several other opium smokers away with ropes.

We had just received orders to send all the captured rebels to the prefectural school when another group of people came towards us on the way.

The sentry officer, with his sharp eyes, spotted Captain Hou approaching and quickly went over to greet him.

"This is Lord Zhao!"

Hou Feng smiled and told the sentry to greet Imperial Censor Zhao. Zhao An smiled and nodded, glancing at the sentry's group. His heart skipped a beat, and he quickly asked the sentry, "Who are you arresting?"

The officer said smugly, "Reporting to Lord Zhao, they are all traitors!"

"Rebel?"

Zhao An coughed lightly, "Not necessarily. To me, a few of them don't seem like rebels."

"what?"

Both Captain Hou and the sentry officer were stunned, not understanding for a moment what Lord Zhao meant.

Zhao An said helplessly to the two of them, "If my uncle and father-in-law are rebels, what am I, their nephew-in-law?"

After saying that, he pointed to Ding Ping, whose hands were tied with rope and who was following behind the group, indicating that he should release him immediately.

These are real relatives; we'd rather let a thousand go than arrest just one.

(End of this chapter)