Chapter 436: It's the Beijing Army's fault that my friend died but I didn't

Chapter 436: It's the Beijing Army's fault that my friend died but I didn't

Chapter 436: It's the Beijing Army's fault that my friend died but I didn't
As the night deepened, into the second half of the night,

Yangliu Street gradually became deserted and the vendors began to pack up and go home.

There was only Huajianji opposite the Lanluke Tavern and some restaurants scattered on Yangliu Street, with flickering yellow candlelight and faint voices coming out.

The Roadside Tavern was not open for business today, but it was more lively than ever before.

At this moment, the lights were on brightly, and there were guards on duty in front and behind the building.

The solemn scene made many merchants who were about to return home look around frequently, wondering what was happening inside.

At this moment, the atmosphere in the tavern was extremely solemn.

Seven or eight high-ranking officials were sitting on the second floor of the tavern. Their faces were so gloomy that the clerks guarding nearby dared not even breathe.

The news of Li Fu's death had not yet spread completely.
But my Lords, you can already clearly see the turmoil that will come tomorrow.

At the top, Feng Xu, the prefect of Yuezhou, looked pale, his gray beard was unkempt and messy like weeds, and his wide scarlet robe had more wrinkles.

He was just over fifty years old, his eyes were bloodshot, his face was full of wrinkles,

At this moment, he looked like a sixty-year-old man, extremely old.

He glanced at all the officials present, his anger barely contained.

"Master Liu, how could things have come to this?

I have repeatedly warned you to be extremely cautious in dealing with the people.

The situation is tense now. If we are not careful, we will be implicated!

Now tell me, now that the person is dead, how can this matter be resolved?"

Liu Hong, the Tongzhi of Yuezhou Prefecture, was sitting not far away, his official robe also had some wrinkles on it.
Although he is over fifty years old, his complexion is better than Feng Xu's.

He took a deep breath and said in a deep voice:
“Reporting to Lord Feng, those ten porters are rioters.

We tried to appease them, but they didn't know what was good for them and wanted to rebel, so they fought with the yamen runners.

Their deaths were all their own fault.

I think that the yamen runners who were killed by them are the pitiful people.

We should take good care of their affairs and not let the officials in the government feel disappointed."

As soon as these words came out, the prefect Feng Xu's breathing suddenly became rapid, his eyes widened with anger:

"Lord Liu! The imperial court has always attached great importance to civil unrest.

The death of the yamen runner is important, but the riots that may occur tomorrow are more important.
Once the provincial government and the imperial court blame us, we will be in big trouble!"

At this point, Feng Xu slapped the table hard.
As a result, the tea on the table nearby spilled onto the side. The clerks around looked hesitant and did not dare to step forward.

At this time, Sun Zheng, the Tongpan, stood up silently. He was in his forties, had a long beard, and looked very steady.

He bowed respectfully to the leader and said in a deep voice:
"Sir, the civil uprising is certainly worthy of the government's attention, but right and wrong are more important.

According to the Ming Dynasty Law, anyone who organizes or participates in a riot involving more than ten people, and causes death or injury, can be determined by the government to be guilty of treason.

Now, those porters are destroying the port, killing yamen runners, and smashing things at will, which is already a rebellion.

However, the Ming Dynasty law stipulated that the rebel would be executed by slow slicing regardless of whether his rebellion was successful or not.

His grandfather, father, sons, grandsons, brothers and people living with him who were over sixteen years old were all to be beheaded.

Lord Feng, it was a relief for those laborers to die in the restaurant.

If we really get serious about it, even their relatives will not be spared.

I would like to ask Lord Feng why you are giving so much protection to the rebels.
To alienate the government officials who have made contributions to the court is putting the cart before the horse.”

As soon as these words came out, the already tense atmosphere intensified again.
Many officials standing by hurriedly lowered their heads, their faces changing drastically.

The prefect was in charge of the government affairs of the prefecture, and the magistrate was his assistant.

Now, these words have already been regarded as a rebellion against the superior and a breach of relationship.

And some of the adults present couldn't help but have deep eyes, with a hint of amusement flashing in their eyes.

Feng Xu was speechless, looking quietly at what was in front of him, with a hint of uneasiness flickering in his eyes.

The current situation is still the same as before, with arguments everywhere and nothing can be implemented.

They used their usual method, strictly enforcing the highest penalty in the Ming Dynasty law, which tied his hands and feet.

Given the current situation, if he were to be convicted of treason, his head would be chopped off soon as the prefect.

Unfortunately, as a prefect, his foundation is still shallow and he is unable to have the final say.

Thinking of this, Feng Xu felt inexplicably frustrated.

After taking a deep breath, Feng Xu made up his mind and waved his hand:

"Everyone go out, Master Liu and Master Sun stay."

All the adults breathed a sigh of relief and stood up.

As the adults left one after another, only three people were left in the lobby on the second floor.

Feng Xu no longer concealed himself, leaned back, looked coldly at the two people below, and asked:
"What are you two planning to do? Is this how you plan to deal with the civil unrest?"

Liu Hong pursed his lips, his expression became a little more relaxed, and he no longer concealed his intentions:
"Sir, the civil uprising has nothing to do with our Yuezhou Prefecture.

We are taking the blame for others.

Even if this matter is brought to the attention of the Provincial Government, we can still argue with reason."

"Yes, yes, the root of today's disaster is clearly the fault of the Yunnan government, allowing objects like wheelbarrows, which are detrimental to the country and the people, to enter the public."

The judge Sun Zheng nodded repeatedly, obviously agreeing with him. He continued:

"I have also looked at the two carts. They are indeed good things if used in the army.

But if it spreads among the people, it will be the beginning of numerous civil unrests.

What happens today is just a small ripple in the huge waves to come.

As a starting point,

Sir, we in Yuezhou cannot let this happen.

I would like to ask you to make a decision as to whether these items can be considered as gimmicks or not.

If so, the laborers who died today were not rebels.

I will explain a few things to the rest of the soldiers tomorrow, appease the majority of people, and the matter will be over.

If not, if those laborers make trouble again tomorrow,

It's just that the cholera is beyond the scope and it intends to rebel!"

After hearing this, Feng Xu finally understood everything and his face became extremely ugly.

This is like commanding your own army.

Since Duke Song was impeached and returned home,

He lost his support and had to struggle to support himself as the prefect for the past year.

But it was unable to withstand the obstruction from the old local forces.

There was even a situation where government decrees could not leave the Yuezhou government office.

Now such a big mess has happened again, making him so angry that his face turned red!

Feng Xu could already see the end of losing his official position.

In this case, there is no need to endure it any longer.

He stared at Liu Hong below and shouted angrily:

"Master Liu, I have said many times,

When dealing with new things, you need to slow down and take your time.

But you, gathering merchants to plot secretly,

If they hadn't all stopped working today, how could this have ended up?
Now that the incident has happened, the Yunnan government has been asked to bear the consequences. You have made a good plan!"

Liu Hong was horrified and stood up quickly, his eyes sharp:

"Why do you say that, sir? When did this humble official gather the merchants to make secret plans?"

"What on earth were the merchants doing when they gathered at the government office yesterday? Does Lord Liu think that this government office doesn't know?"

"Sir, the sun and the moon can testify,

Yesterday I gathered many merchants just to build bridges and roads.

They also collected nearly five thousand taels of silver, which was enough to build a road from the west gate to the countryside.

This matter has been recorded by the clerks of the government office.
If you don't believe me, you can send someone to get it for me!"

Liu Hong's voice was sonorous and powerful, and his expression was extremely serious.

The two of them stared at each other, and the judge Sun Zheng sighed heavily.
He slowly stood up and bowed to the two of them:

"My Lords, we are facing a powerful enemy. Let us not quarrel inside.

Day is about to break, so we need to come up with a charter soon."

He looked at Feng Xu again and said in a deep voice:
"Reporting to the prefect, I was also present at the merchants' gathering yesterday.
Some of the merchants did mention the cart.
But at that time, we thought it was a newly built cart and just an ordinary object. But we didn't expect that this thing could make the laborers do such extreme things.

I think it is the fault of these merchants.

They didn't inform us in advance, which led to what happened today.

Sir, how do you think about this?
I will go find some good merchants and ask them to give me some silver.
Appease those troublemakers, or at least prevent them from causing trouble again.

As for how to deal with it later, how about waiting until Mr. Chen from the Provincial Administration Office comes tomorrow?"

Before Feng Xu could speak, Liu Hong, who was standing there silently, spoke in a deep voice:
"Now the provincial government wants to collect the commercial tax.

The merchants are already overwhelmed. If they are pushed to the limit and run away elsewhere, we will be in trouble.

Moreover, all these things can be attributed to the Yunnan government.
It even comes down to the cart, what does it have to do with merchants?
If this thing didn't exist, would they still use it?"

A gleam of light flashed in Sun Zheng's eyes, and he spoke in a deep voice:
"My lord, this is wrong.

If I remember correctly, the wheelbarrow was first used by the Beijing Army.
There is nothing wrong with the thing itself, but the person who used it is wrong. If you say this, wouldn't you be blaming the Beijing army?"

Liu Hong straightened up suddenly and snorted coldly:
"That's exactly what I think. The Beijing Army has an unshirkable responsibility for the leak of this item."

As he spoke, Liu Hong looked up at Feng Xu:
"My Lord, the civil unrest,

We must find the real culprit behind the scenes and not let those laborers be deceived.

Since the Beijing troops are here, and the leader is dead,

It would be better to let other fighters cause trouble for the Beijing army.

A dead Taoist friend will not die a poor Taoist,
The Yuezhou government office cannot afford to be disturbed again."

The two of them talked about this matter and involved the Beijing Army.
This caught Feng Xu off guard.

It was not until this moment that he suddenly realized!
Everything is a pre-calculated conspiracy, waiting for the Beijing army to arrive!

He will also make things difficult for the army in Beijing.

Feng Xu didn't know where they got the courage from, but he knew very well that

A provincial governor and a provincial judge,

If there was no one behind the scenes directing them, they would not dare to do so even if they had ten times the courage.

Feng Xu suddenly felt discouraged and extremely tired.

He couldn't understand the current situation in the court, and his family could no longer help him, leaving him in the dark.

You can't even see who is fighting on both sides?

"Perhaps, staying in the Imperial Hospital was the best choice. I am not fit to be an official."

Feng Xu thought silently in his heart, and the two people below him did not say anything.

The Roadblock Tavern suddenly fell into a dead silence.
Not only could you hear a pin drop, but the atmosphere was also extremely depressing.

After an unknown amount of time, Feng Xu finally let out a sigh.
His back gradually bent, and his face looked much older.

He held his forehead with one hand and spoke softly:
“Although I don’t understand the ways of business, nor the craftsmanship of craftsmen,
But the cart is obviously a good thing. What does the uprising today have to do with the artifact?"

As soon as these words were spoken, the faces of the two people below suddenly became serious.

There was a strong sense of danger in his eyes, and even a hint of dissatisfaction.

Liu Hong looked at Feng Xu above him with a half-smile, and said in a rhythmic voice:
"Sir, please give me some rules on how to deal with this tomorrow."

"Let's calm the people down first, and wait until Mr. Chen from the Provincial Administration Office arrives tomorrow before we deal with it."

Feng Xu felt exhausted. He lowered his head and waved his hand:
"Today, Li Fu's death cannot be concealed.
I will instruct the clerks to tell the other laborers the truth, so that the government will not be in a difficult situation. "

Hearing this, Sun Zheng's eyes flashed with disappointment and asked:

"Sir, what if those laborers revolt again?"

"Catch those who should be arrested, kill those who should be killed,

We need to take care of the disturbances of porters and merchants.
Things like carts can be used, but they cannot be used to exploit the people!
Those foreigners in Yunnan were only three people in one boat.

They just want to unload one boat with two people, how ridiculous!
This government will tell those merchants,
If you continue to deliberately create panic, don't blame me for ordering arrests! ! "

Feng Xu's words were powerful and his face was filled with a sinister look.

After he finished speaking, without waiting for the two to speak,
Feng Xu stood up suddenly and waved his sleeves.
He walked out with a clatter, and one could faintly hear him ordering the clerks and officials to follow him!

The two of them were left staring at each other.
Liu Hong snorted and sat down, slowly picked up the teacup and sipped it gently, with a meaningful look on his face.

Sun Zheng, however, was not as calm as before, pacing back and forth in the room:

"Why do I feel a little uneasy?"

"Why are you panicking? You can kill three birds with one stone. If just one of them succeeds, you'll make a lot of money."

Sun Zheng looked anxious and kept pulling his beard:

"But Mr. Chen from the Dusi will be here tomorrow, and we can't hide what we did.
Those merchants are spineless.
I’m afraid he’ll have to expose both of us.”

"Hey! Besides, if the sky falls, there are tall people watching, and Lord Feng is here, so why are you afraid?"

Liu Hong held the teacup and smiled meaningfully.
Seeing that he was still a little panicked, he pressed his hand:
"Sir Sun, Sir Chen of the Military Commission is a reasonable man, and he can clearly distinguish between merits and demerits."

As soon as these words came out, Sun Zheng's eyes widened suddenly, and a deep sense of surprise suddenly surged in his heart:

"Master Chen, he...he too?"

Liu Hong didn't say anything else, just smiled gently:
"As vanguards, we don't need to worry about the big guys.
In Huguang, no one has been able to stir up any storm."

"Yes Yes Yes"

Sun Zheng's heart suddenly calmed down a lot.
At this moment, there were sudden exclamations from outside the window, accompanied by hurried footsteps.

Liu Hong frowned slightly, stood up, opened the window and looked out.

His face suddenly became serious.
Feng Xu was seen walking towards Huajianji with clerks and several trusted officials in big strides.

"What is he going to do?"

A hint of doubt flashed across Sun Zheng's eyes.

Tongzhi Liu Hong smiled and said, "He's going to pick on the weak."

At Huajianji, the guests and women had been kept aside by the yamen runners and clerks.

Feng Xu walked in quickly with big strides.
The scent of powder that hit his face made his breathing pause and his brows furrowed slightly.

Then, he saw a couplet of words at the main entrance of Huajianji:

[The spring is strong in the flower garden, and the dream is in the beautiful pavilion in a drunken mood]
The poem makes no sense, but what is conspicuous is the signature of Duke Cao and the seal below.

This made Feng Xu feel a sense of pressure for no reason.

Yuezhou Prefecture, as an important port city adjacent to Dongting Lake, was a battleground for military strategists.

It was simply a competition among all kinds of gods, and he used to be one of them.

But now, he can't afford to offend any of them.

"Hey, isn't this Lord Feng?

Lord Feng is quite elegant today, planning to have some fun here?"

A graceful madam came hurriedly, but saw Feng Xu's serious face.
She also put away the smile on her face and bowed:
"My humble daughter Xiaoqing pays respect to the prefect."

As soon as these words were spoken, many guests and women present reacted and bowed one after another.

Seeing this, Feng Xu felt a little heavy-hearted and his mood calmed down a lot.

He nodded and said in a deep voice:
"Where are those shopkeepers? Take me to see them."

Xiao Qing looked surprised, "Yes, please follow me, Master Feng."

When Feng Xu went up to the second floor, he found that the shopkeepers had left their window seats and were waiting at the stairs.

Seeing him coming up, the shopkeepers bowed to him repeatedly with expressions of fear on their faces.

Although Feng Xu is an outsider, he is also quite powerful.

Especially businessmen like these, they are afraid of any official.

Feng Xu took a deep breath, looked coldly at everyone present, and spoke in a deep voice:
"I don't care who ordered you to do this.

When work starts tomorrow morning, all the laborers will be called back to work.

The cart can be used, and so can people.

If there is trouble again tomorrow, I will not forgive you!"

As soon as these words came out, countless shopkeepers raised their heads, their faces showing surprise and fear.
Then, one by one, they began to talk about how difficult it was for their own businesses and how they were on the verge of closing due to losses.

Hearing this, Feng Xu frowned and became upset. He waved his hands suddenly:
"Shut up, everyone. I came here to inform you, not to discuss with you.

If Li Fu causes trouble again tomorrow, I will hold you accountable!
If anyone doesn’t want to do business in Yuezhou, just tell me, I will satisfy you! "

"Humph!"

After saying that, Feng Xu ignored them, waved his sleeves, and went downstairs!

Leaving a group of people looking at each other in bewilderment
(End of this chapter)