Chapter 420: Cutting the roots and preventing the buds from sprouting
Chapter 420: Cutting the roots and preventing the buds from sprouting
In Yiling County, the news that the Beijing army had occupied Yuezhou City was sent over immediately.
Soon, teams of soldiers rushed out from Yiling County and headed towards the villages in all directions!
The soldiers' faces were extremely serious, and their hands holding their long swords tightened again and again.
Chenjia Village, the originally narrow rural road has now been occupied by the people.
The neatly built road was now dug with large holes.
Fences and fortifications were also set up in front of the main road leading into the village.
Some half-naked civilians stopped behind, holding various farm tools in their hands, and looked anxiously at the black-armored soldiers rushing towards them.
A middle-aged man in decent clothes saw this scene, and his legs trembled and his lips became dry.
But he still pulled himself together and shouted:
"Cheer up, the Chen family treats you well.
Now the Yiliang County Magistrate wants to destroy the foundation of my Chen family and the land of my Chenjia Village.
By that time, the imperial court will collect countless amounts of land taxes, and you will be even more hungry!
Listen to me, don't let them in, we will defend our land to the death! ! "
These words were spoken passionately, and the hundreds of farmers gathered there looked fierce and clenched their farm tools.
Looking at the black armor rushing towards him,
Although there was fear in his eyes, he was also a bit ruthless!
They are all farmers in Chenjia Village, and some are tenants of the Chen family.
The middle-aged man shouted again:
"After this incident, your family's IOU will be written off!
As for the tenants and farmhands, as long as we work together,
From today on, you are members of the Chen family.
The master will give you three acres of land so that you can have a foundation for your life!"
As soon as these words were spoken, the fear in the farmers' eyes disappeared quietly, and was replaced by a determination to fight for their lives!
Their palms and bodies were trembling slightly.
Not scared, but excited!
The tenants licked their lips and breathed faster at the thought of their soon owning land.
As for the farmers, they felt relieved and were ready to fight to the death!
A life in exchange for years of debts can be written off without any gossip!
The sound of horse hooves and orderly footsteps was getting closer and closer, and a group of black-armored soldiers stopped in front of the fence.
When the leading deputy commander Chen Shuhan saw this scene, his face turned green and he cursed in his heart!
I hurried here from Kunming.
He thought there was a chance to make a contribution, but it turned out to be such a terrible thing.
But fortunately, we were prepared.
Chen Shuhan coughed lightly and shook the reins.
He stood out from the crowd riding a warhorse, his armor clanking and somewhat ill-fitting.
But Chen Shuhan still benefited greatly from it, as it was one of the few times he was able to penetrate armor.
Arriving at the battlefront, Chen Shuhan took out a document engraved with the Dusi seal.
Ignoring the surprised looks of the people, he said loudly:
"Everyone listen up, I am Chen Shuhan, the deputy commander of Yunnan.
I came to Chenjia Village today to read you the anti-rebel proclamation!"
"Anti-rebel proclamation?"
The fierceness on the faces of the people in Chenjia Village disappeared in an instant, and turned into confusion.
They have seen countless notices like this in a year.
There were rebellions in various places, and the governor came to announce them.
Let them pay more attention, and there will be a reward if they find it.
Now, the people are confused, wondering if they have made a mistake.
Isn’t the person in front of you the accomplice hired by the corrupt county magistrate?
"That's right. I came here today only to arrest the thief Chen Zehui who colluded with the Yuezhou rebel Azi!"
Chen Shuhan let out a loud shout, and the people were shocked when they heard it!
The middle-aged man stood there in a daze, sweat pouring down his face.
He didn't expect that Dusi was so insidious!
He knew best whether his master had an affair with Ah Zi. This was a false accusation!
A look of determination flashed across the middle-aged man's eyes. He stood up suddenly and raised his arms high:
"Liars, they are all liars!!"
The people looked over.
next moment,
whoosh-
A sharp sound of breaking through the air was heard.
A feathered arrow flashing with cold light and inlaid with a fish-tail arrowhead shot out from the battle formation.
With a puff, the nail pierced into the middle-aged man's left chest!
The people were terrified and scattered in all directions, covering their heads in fear.
Chen Shuhan looked at the soldier holding a longbow with satisfaction.
He said "not bad".
The soldier was very young, about eighteen or nineteen years old.
Hearing the praise, his face turned red with excitement, and he quickly said:
"Thank you for the compliment, sir!"
Chen Shuhan was extremely touched by such respect, and his depression was somewhat relieved.
He looked at the panicked people in front of him without explaining.
Instead, he took the trumpet and shouted at the top of his voice:
"Now there is a man named Chen Zehui from Chenjia Village, Yiliang County, who has evil intentions and is ungrateful.
He secretly colluded with Azi, a rebel in Yuezhou, and formed a clique of traitors.
Azi was originally a descendant of a native official of Yuezhou.
However, he did not appreciate the kindness of the imperial court, and instead attempted to raise an army to cause chaos, disturbing our border people and destroying our country.
As a citizen of the Ming Dynasty, Chen Zehui
Protected by the divine grace, one should be loyal to the country, defend the land and protect the people, but for his own selfish desires, he joined the rebel group.
His secret envoys passed on confidential information and helped Ah Zi plan and plot.
Providing weapons and ammunition and hiding rebels are heinous acts and are unforgivable.
Today, I, the Yunnan Commander, issue a strict order:
Ah Zi has been caught in a dragnet and cannot escape, so he has identified Chen Zehui and others as traitors!
Any of our soldiers and civilians who know about the incident but fail to report it will be punished equally.
If you can capture the enemy and present him to us, you will be handsomely rewarded!
If you are coerced by the rebels, but you can repent and turn to the light, you may be given a lighter sentence!
The Yunnan Regional Military Commissioner, with the goal of quelling rebellion and ensuring the safety of the people as its foundation, will surely eliminate the rebellious atmosphere and restore peace to us.
Announce it to the world, and the envoys will hear about it. "
After finishing speaking, Chen Shuhan looked at the people in front of him and shouted:
"Did you understand?
Chen Zehui is a traitor. There will be a huge reward for catching him.
What are you still waiting for here? Do you want to have an affair with the traitors?
Listen, if you don't disperse after ten breaths, you will be considered a traitor and your family will be exterminated!"
As soon as these words were spoken, the people, who were originally full of violence, were stunned and fled in panic.
But a middle-aged man ran away and turned back, shouting as he ran:
"General, I'll take you to find Chen Zehui. He's hiding in the cellar!"
Chen Shuhan was stunned on the spot, then burst out laughing.
The whereabouts of Chen Shuhan and others have always been under the control of the Dusi.
But if someone leads the way and sets a good example, he will not refuse.
"Good! For turning from evil to good, I'll give you five ounces of silver. Lead the way!"
The middle-aged man was stunned on the spot, and then he was hit by a huge joy, his facial features became beaming with joy:
"General, General please follow me!!"
Soon, at the Chen family's house,
The soldiers rushed in and dragged Chen Yuanwai out in a short while.
He was still wearing a purple robe, but compared to the calmness he showed in the government office that night, he looked a little more embarrassed.
There was dirt on his clothes, sweat on his face, and his hair was disheveled.
He kept yelling "Unfair!"
But Chen Shuhan didn't waste time talking to him. He waved his hand and a piece of sackcloth blocked his mouth.
When he was dragged to the front of the battle, Chen Shuhan looked him up and down and shook his head helplessly:
"The Chen family owns 110,000 acres of land in Yiliang County.
There are 50,000 acres of arable land, which is really shocking.
The people of Yiliang County have worked hard for a year and earned
I fell into your hands for nothing, I really deserve to be killed!"
Originally, some people who didn't understand the meaning gathered together.
After hearing this number, their eyes widened. They only had a few acres of farmland.
110,000 acres, they couldn't figure out how much there was;
"My goodness, that's going to take a mountain." An old man who knew about accounts murmured.
"If we planted crops, we would never be hungry again."
Everyone in the group had different opinions and talked at once.
Chen Shuhan was not angry after hearing this. He took out his loudspeaker and shouted to the surroundings:
"Chen Zehui is a traitor. All his property should be confiscated and put into the accounts of Yunnan Sansi.
Officials will come and some of the people whose land was seized will be able to take their land back."
"Sir! How do we settle those IOUs? My grandfather owes the Chen family two taels of silver." A skinny old man asked tremblingly.
"It is only natural to pay back debts, but Chen Zehui is a rebel, so he doesn't have to pay back the money he owes to the rebels!"
wow——
The whole audience was in uproar. In an instant,
Chen Shuhan felt that countless pairs of eyes were cast on his face, staring at him intently, as if trying to remember his appearance.
Chen Shuhan was naturally fearless.
This disposal is the result of joint judgment by the three departments.
The purpose is to ensure the safety of the people and prevent them from causing trouble.
He looked around and could clearly feel that the people around him were getting less excited.
He nodded secretly in his heart. This method was extremely effective.
"Okay, fellow villagers, please make way. We are going to take our people away.
All of their properties will be confiscated, so please help keep an eye on them, fellow villagers.
If the accounts don’t tally up afterwards, I won’t be able to speak for you.”
"Please rest assured, I will be guarding the door of Chen's house day and night!"
The old man who spoke earlier turned red in the face and was the first to stand up and shout.
"Me too!!"
More and more people stood up, with unprecedented excitement on their faces.
Chen Shuhan nodded upon seeing this:
"Thank you very much, folks. Let's go!"
A group of soldiers tied Chen Yuanwai to his warhorse in a somewhat brutal manner.
All the servants and family members were escorted out, forming a long line.
At the same time, most of the villages outside Yiling County had similar scenes.
Officials from the Three Departments rushed into the village with their soldiers and arrested all the families who had always been highly respected!
For a moment, the people were in an uproar.
However, under the promise of great benefits from the three officials,
There was no trouble, but it was quickly calmed down.
After some people were sure that the officials were really going to fall,
Without hesitation, he told them some of the immoral things they had done over the years.
The officials of the three courts collected a lot of evidence.
Xiangjia Village is the best village built in Yiliang County.
The houses are neatly arranged and the paths between the fields are wide and spacious.
Not to mention the roads in the village.
One part was paved with gravel, and the roads around the Xiang Mansion were paved with bluestone slabs.
The Xiang Mansion's courtyard was also very large, about the size of two or three five-story courtyards.
It occupies the eastern end of the village, surrounded by mountains and water.
There are endless fertile fields on the east side, which can be said to be a Feng Shui treasure land.
At this time, the Xiang Mansion was no longer as lively and cheerful as before, but instead was filled with solemnity.
Teams of black-armored soldiers surrounded Xiang Mansion tightly.
The armor on his body emits a dark glow.
A number of long swords have been unsheathed, emitting a dazzling cold light.
This made some people around feel intimidated and they dared not approach.
It is worth mentioning that because Xiang Boxi was a court official,
Entering Xiangjia Village and surrounding the mansion was much smoother.
All they need to do is to let the censor Ma Yang come forward and accuse Xiang Boxi of corruption.
The people gave way one after another.
He even called his friends and family members to come and watch.
In the Ming Dynasty today, corruption is the root of all evil.
They had met a few times in Yiling County and it was indeed very exciting.
Inside the mansion, not only is it luxurious on the outside, but it also has hidden mysteries on the inside.
The tables, chairs and benches are all made of mahogany.
It looks simple on the outside, luxurious on the inside, and exudes a faint fragrance.
The windows and doors are inlaid with gold-filled decorations.
Under the sunlight, there seems to be a hazy glow.
Even the pillars of the buildings were carved with exquisite cloud patterns and had some inscriptions embedded on them.
The names of officials appeared on the pillars one by one, from all over the world.
These were left by Xiang Boxi’s students!
But beneath the luxury, there is wailing.
The servants and guards were pinned to the ground.
The maids and concubines were gathered in the corner of the courtyard and tied up.
Xiang Boxi's family members were still somewhat respectable, standing on the other side of the courtyard.
The low, suppressed sobs continued.
The woman's sobbing was no longer pleasant to hear, but annoying.
Inside the courtyard, the house where Xiang Boxi lived was surprisingly simple.
The small room was empty except for the table, chairs and benches.
All that was left was a bed covered with a light grey quilt.
At this moment, Xiang Boxi was sitting on the chair facing the door.
His eyes were empty as he stared blankly ahead, not knowing what he was thinking.
Next to him, Fan Yi, the deputy censor, sat there.
His face was calm, but his expression was complicated, and the tea in his hand had long gone cold.
"Mr. Xiang, why is it so?"
After an unknown amount of time, Fan Yi's old and helpless voice was heard in the house.
Xiang Boxi's body, which was like rotten wood, had some life.
His eyes moved, his lips trembled slightly, and he let out a sigh.
"Fan Yi, your actions are against the harmony of nature."
"Why?"
"The Lüshi Chunqiu, Shangnong, records: Therefore, the emperor personally led the princes to cultivate the imperial land, and the scholars and officials all made contributions."
Xiang Boxi turned his neck very slowly.
But he finally turned around, staring at Fan Yi with a calm look in his eyes.
"Since the pre-Qin period, the emperor and the scholars have jointly ruled the country.
The two have their own responsibilities, and this remains the case until today in the Ming Dynasty.
Isn't the Censor afraid of being punished by God for doing this?"
"The Xiang family had settled here since the Southern Song Dynasty, so they were even more prominent during the Yuan Dynasty.
It is well-known in Yiling and the surrounding areas.
Now that I have come to the Ming Dynasty, I have devoted all my energy to recruiting talents for the country and have taught countless students.
Today they serve as officials in various places, bringing benefits to the people.
The Censorate wants to get rid of it?
How will people with lofty ideals around the world view this move?
Local celebrities like my Xiang family are as numerous as a beehive in the Ming Dynasty. Does the imperial court intend to catch them all in one fell swoop?
Who will then take care of the people of this world on behalf of the imperial court?"
Xiang Boxi spoke calmly and calmly.
At this point, the Xiang family's fate was already determined.
He didn't intend to resist or toss around.
He just didn't quite understand what the imperial court and the three local officials were thinking.
Why would someone do such a thing as cutting off one's own roots?
Fan Yi pursed his lips and fell silent for a moment.
After an unknown amount of time, Fan Yi spoke in a deep voice:
"Mr. Xiang, my Fan family is also a famous family in Lingqu.
I understand what you said, and I also understand what you didn’t say.
As for helping the imperial court to look after the people of the world, that is even more nonsense.
The imperial court set up household registration, established the Yellow Book, compiled the Fish Scale Map, and established the Lijia System.
There is no longer a need for local elites to govern the country together.
What's more, some of us always claim to be speaking for the people, but what we do are fraudulent and deceptive acts.
Therefore, the collapse of the Yuan Dynasty was due to the cholera areas like you.
Today, Mr. Fan came here just to tell Mr. Xiang one thing.
If we keep things peaceful and let the Xiang family take full responsibility, then all problems will be solved and there will be no trouble.
If you insist on being stubborn, don't blame me for not remembering our friendship."
As he spoke, Fan Yi took out two books from his pocket.
He placed it on the table between the two of them and said calmly:
"One of the documents is that the Xiang family colluded with the Yuezhou rebel Azi. The evidence is solid, and there is a handwritten letter from Azi."
Xiang Boxi turned his head sharply, with a look of disbelief on his face.
The pupil shook violently, and he stretched out his finger tremblingly:
"This is a frame-up!!"
Fan Yi's expression did not change, and he spoke calmly:
"Another document records that the Xiang family has embezzled land, bullied men and women, colluded with the upper and lower classes,
Privately set up courts to kill people, arbitrarily tamper with tax accounts to enrich themselves,
They secretly colluded with bandits to rob merchants and travelers, and used their power to force them to work."
"The evil deeds are too numerous to list!"
"Two sins to the old gentleman,
If Fan were to choose, the former would be better.
Even if it is a rebellion, the Xiang family still has a chance of survival, and perhaps some bloodline can be left behind.
If it’s the latter.”
Fan Yi shook his head and said nothing.
Xiang Boxi suddenly became quiet. These serious crimes,
Given the temper of the emperor in the capital, the entire family would certainly be exterminated without leaving any survivors.
He took a deep breath and spoke to Bo Xi in a hoarse voice:
"It was I who made the decision to have correspondence with Ah Zi, and I will take full responsibility for this crime.
Can you please leave some bloodline in my Fan family?"
Fan Yi's tense body relaxed for a moment, and he breathed a sigh of relief. He said calmly:
"Mr. Xiang, the censor has already sent this case to the court.
The Provincial Surveillance Commissioner was only cooperating in the investigation.
I hope to settle this case before the three court officials send someone here.
So that things don't cause a big uproar.
The Xiang family members in Yunnan can no longer be protected. Everyone is watching us from top to bottom, and it is difficult for me to do anything.
Are there any remains of the Xiang family outside Yunnan?
I can write a letter to ask him to change his name and flee as soon as possible.
Otherwise, if the imperial court investigates, they will not be able to hide.
Of course, we should take the blame for the crime, Mr. Old, and don’t let the matter escalate. The three divisions in Yunnan still want to be more stable.”
Xiang Boxi knew what he meant, so he did not resist and allowed himself to be slaughtered.
But at this point, Xiang Boxi has no choice.
With a long sigh, Xiang Boxi leaned his head against the back of the chair, slowly closed his eyes, and spoke hoarsely:
"it is good"
Fan Yi pursed his lips, took out a booklet, opened it and placed it on the table between the two of them.
"Master Xiang, these are the locations of some of the Xiang family's branches that the three divisions have explored.
Take a look at what is written above. Needless to say, there is no way to avoid disaster this time."
Xiang Boxi looked at the booklet in astonishment, his eyes narrowed:
"The imperial court is so cruel"
Fan Yi did not respond, but continued:
"As far as I know, the Censor-in-Chief also has some locations in his hands.
So please choose carefully, sir.
If the person has already been investigated by the court, please forgive me for being unable to do anything."
Xiang Boxi stared at the booklet in a daze.
From the booklet, he could already feel the determination of the three divisions.
He took a deep breath and spoke to Bo Xi in a deep voice:
"In Yuanye Village in Chengdu Prefecture, Sichuan, there is a family of mine.
I have never contacted him in these years.
I just sent some silver through various trade routes, and I hope Master Fan will protect it."
Fan Yi nodded, slowly stood up, straightened his robes, and said in a deep voice:
"Goodbye, old man."
Xiang Boxi did not say anything else. He just watched Fan Yi walk out of the house quietly. His eyes became increasingly empty, as if he had suddenly aged ten years.
A quarter of an hour later, Fan Yi found Han Yike who was counting the finances in the front yard.
He handed over a piece of letter and said in a low voice:
"Brother Bo Shi, I don't need to thank you for your help.
The letter contains the location of one of Xiang Boxi's relatives, but we haven't found that one yet."
Han Yike looked at the letter, his eyes darkened, he nodded slightly, and put it away:
"Thank you."
(End of this chapter)