151-160

Chapter 151 Tiantong Candy Crush (I)

Screaming, frantic, agitated, winking desperately -

——You go ahead!

——Then why don't you go up!

It has nothing to do with interests, nor is it that I have done anything wrong. The main thing is that people instinctively want to keep blood out of their homes.

If Xu Yanmiao continues talking, there will really be a river of blood!

How many people will die? A thousand? Ten thousand? At least not more than 100,000, ha, hahahaha...

Help!!!

Your Majesty the Queen, Your Majesty the Crown Prince, help me, ah ah ah ah ah——

＊

However, it would be impolite if Xu Yanmiao didn't hear the shout of "Knock that guy out quickly".

So he was stunned for a moment: [Who to knock out? ]

Turning his head, he found that his colleagues were all looking at the prime minister, and some were even talking to themselves loudly: "We should tell His Majesty about this - this is going to blow the roof off the world!"

[Oh! So the intention is to knock the Prime Minister unconscious!] Xu Yanmiao suddenly realized.

Although he didn't know why he had to knock the prime minister unconscious, the old officials must have their reasons for doing so! How many years has he been in the officialdom? He should just shut up and hide in a corner and learn slowly.

——Many of the old-timers in the officialdom took advantage of Xu Yanmiao's inattention to pour the boss a cup of tea or wine and secretly took a sip to calm his nerves.

What a close call! I was almost exposed!

Xu Yanmiao's expression suddenly froze.

【etc--】

The old official held a mouthful of tea in his mouth, not knowing whether to swallow it or spit it out. He tried hard to control his facial expression, but he was already panicking in his heart:

What are you waiting for?!

Could it be that Xu Yanmiao finally discovered something was wrong? !

Even the old emperor subconsciously glanced at Xu Yanmiao, stood up directly, and quickly thought of ways to stabilize the situation in his mind.

Then I heard Xu Yanmiao say: [Boss Liang asked me to sit in the corner at the beginning. Could it be that he knew about this and wanted to protect me...]

fine......

After coming to his senses, the old emperor supported himself on the table with one hand and found that his hands and feet were somewhat weak.

I couldn't help but curse: "You careless bastard!"

Xu Yanmiao didn't realize that her casual words almost caused a huge uproar. Instead, she lowered her voice and asked Liang Rui, "Master Liang, did you guess this a long time ago?"

Liang Rui suddenly reached out and covered his mouth, pressed his head down, and whispered, "Don't look up! Be careful not to get sucked in!"

Xu Yanmiao's eyes lit up: [Sure enough!!!]

Then, he heard Liang Rui whisper to him: "I did figure it out a long time ago, but it's hard to tell the reason now. You should retreat inside and don't get affected."

This touched the college students deeply.

[Master Liang, you are such a good person! ]

There is no way to run away when something like this happens. It is safest to hide in the innermost place.

Xu Yanmiao heard that the retired officials were still making a fuss. After being stunned at first, one or two of them slowly regained their "reason".

Some looked suspicious: "Why do you say that, Prime Minister? What do you mean by 'someone will know'? When have we ever done anything wrong? I'm afraid the Prime Minister is framing us!"

There were those who were still flattering him at this time: "Your Excellency is far-sighted and wise, while I am ignorant and foolish. Although I do not know what I have done wrong, I am willing to turn back. I hope that Your Excellency will not bear grudge against me, and will guide and enlighten me so that I can repent and reform as soon as possible. I will definitely remember Your Excellency's teachings and will not dare to disobey you in the slightest."

And there are those who are impatient and impulsive, turning the tables and blaming others: "Dou Qing! Don't think I don't know that you are such a cunning and treacherous villain! You must want to frame the loyal officials in the court and the public! You report it to His Majesty! I will also report it to His Majesty and let him know your evil ambitions!"

It was hot and messy, and no one came forward to admit their mistake.

Prime Minister Dou couldn't help but shook his head and sighed: "I gave you a chance."

The Fifth Universe was startled, and suddenly had an ominous premonition: "What did you say?"

Prime Minister Dou threw his sleeves and bowed to a certain direction: "Your Majesty——"

"Dou Qing! Welcome the Holy Emperor!"

＊

As he finished speaking, the room fell into a suffocating silence.

The faces of the retired officials froze. After several breaths, one of them slowly turned his head, his neck as stiff as a rusty wheel.

A figure slowly emerged in their field of vision. The other person stood tall, shrouded in darkness by the lights. It was impossible to make out the expression on his face, but the murderous aura that emanated from him pierced their skin like needles.

"Your Majesty—"

Some people tried hard to retain the last bit of dignity, but a great sense of fear instantly washed over their bodies, their legs trembled, and their knees hit the ground with a "bang".

The old emperor didn't even look at them. His face was as calm as water. He walked to the middle of the room and looked up and down at the sheepskin knife: "This knife is not bad."

The blade was as bright as snow, with a large pool of dried sheep's blood clinging to it, which was simply shocking to see.

Someone's mind reflexively recalled the scene of peeling the sheepskin just now -

Three legs tied together, peeled from the front legs to the shoulders and neck, and from the back legs to the buttocks, a perfect sheepskin... a perfect human skin...

Not to mention retired officials, even officials in Beijing who knew they had not done anything wrong suddenly lost the courage to speak.

However, there was a very loud voice: [What's wrong? What's wrong? Why is it suddenly so quiet? ]

[Damn it, I can't see anything because Liang is holding my head down! Even if the system text has a description, it's not as exciting as watching it live! ]

[And those retired officials, why are they silent? Could it be that they were caught with something? Why were they so tough just now? ]

The old emperor glanced at the man in the corner who was forced to bury his head. He was obviously motionless, and he didn't listen to his inner voice and didn't know that he was so restless. He felt both angry and amused.

You are not much braver than a cat, how dare you watch the scene? You can turn your head away when watching a sheep being slaughtered, how dare you watch a person being killed with this courage?

What did you say in your heart? Oh! People are bad at it, but they are also addicted!

Tsk.

Prime Minister Dou stood up, and the old emperor came over and sat down on the main seat, still holding the skinning knife in his hand.

His expression was calm, but the hostility lingering between his brows was reflected directly on the bloodstained blade.

The old emperor looked at these daring people one by one, and laughed in anger: "Just now someone seemed to say that he wanted to sue me. The Prime Minister has evil ambitions? I am here now, who wants to sue me?"

The retired official who had been making a fuss just now didn't dare to say a word at this moment. He just lowered his head, his legs trembling.

The one who trembled most obviously was Zhang Qian, the former governor. A future shrouded in darkness lay directly before him, and he almost turned into a screaming chicken.

He used gold to make a horse bridle and silver to make a horse headdress in front of His Majesty?!

How many precious plants in his garden did he show off to Your Majesty?!

Your Majesty also said that he was interested in his garden?!

He was also disrespectful to His Majesty and acted particularly impatient?!

Prefect Zhang Qian could already feel his brain rumbling.

How dare he speak to His Majesty like that!

But the old emperor just pointed at him: "Zhang You, right?"

——Being called by the emperor's full name is not considered an insult.

But it was scary: "Tell me, what grievances have you suffered?"

Now everyone's eyes are on former prefect Zhang.

Prefect Zhang Qian took a big step forward and said sincerely, "Your Majesty, I have no grievances."

——As the saying goes, "All men under heaven are subjects of the emperor", even people without an official position can call themselves "subjects" in front of the emperor.

Zhang Qian, the former prefect, followed up with another question, whether he was playing dumb or trying to plead his grievances: "But I don't know why the Prime Minister is so aggressive. Your Majesty, please understand! I have never done anything evil, violent or licentious!"

The old emperor asked several more people, and they all gave similar answers.

"In that case." He turned the jade ring on his finger bone and said slowly: "Then come one by one."

What are coming one by one?

Someone asked stumblingly, "Your Majesty, what do you mean..."

The old emperor said: "I have indulged you too much on weekdays. It turned out to be like this. Today, I will keep all the officials in the capital and retired officials in the Prime Minister's Mansion. The Jinyiwei will investigate them one by one. When the investigation is complete, we will release them."

"But it's official business..."

"No problem. Send someone to send it from the capital as fast as possible."

"Eat, sleep..."

"Food and water will be delivered by special personnel. The bedding will be spread directly on the floor. This place is spacious and can accommodate two to three hundred people. When you go to the toilet, the Jinyiwei will bring in a spittoon and pass it back after use. If you have any other questions, just ask them."

No one dared to speak again.

Even Xu Yanmiao's voice has not been heard for a long time.

The moon was hidden in thick clouds, and the faint light fell down chillily, making the window paper seem gloomy.

"The Prime Minister is celebrating his 80th birthday. We have invited eight tables of people. Let's start from the last table."

The old emperor stretched out his hand and Prime Minister Dou handed over a list.

The old emperor bowed his head and read calmly: "Su Ziguang, the third place in the imperial examination in the 14th year of Tiantong, petitioned for retirement due to poor health in the 29th year of Tiantong. He was appointed Zuo Yude of Zuo Chunfang in the Zhanshi Mansion."

Su Ziguang walked out with a heavy heart and bowed: "I am here."

The old emperor nodded: "Sit down. Wait for the Royal Guards."

Su Ziguang was stunned for a moment.

Wait for the Jinyiwei to investigate... This will take at least several months, right? Dou Qing invited a total of 32 officials from the capital and retired officials. Even if all 500 Jinyiwei were mobilized, it would take three months to investigate.

Your Majesty, are you serious?!

Two candles on the table flickered with yellow flames. The old emperor said coldly, "I know what you are thinking. You just want to check everything. It will take months to complete. But it doesn't matter. Three months, five months. I can afford it! Today I will let the world know that when retired officials return to their hometowns, it is not to let them go back and abuse their power!"

Of course, if Xu Yanmiao is willing to talk about your affairs, you can relax in advance - oh, or you may even lose your head in advance. But if he is not willing, you will just sleep here in the big bunk bed for three to five months!

The author has something to say:

Title: Thanks to the Hongwu Battle Royale, thanks to our Zhu Baba for providing the deeds and data. According to some statistics, the death toll in the Hongwu Battle Royale ranged from 70,000 to 110,000! Thanks to the person who did the statistics!

Good luck to the Tiantong officials (bow)

＊

Chapter 152 Tiantong Candy Crush (Part 2)

Sleeping on a large bunk bed is better than having your head dropped on the ground.

And some officials who were sure they had not committed any crime were relieved.

It's okay, it's okay, as long as Xiao Baize finds out all the offenders, they don't have to stay for three or five... Wait, where's Xiao Baize, why is there no sound? !

The more sensitive officials in Beijing quickly turned their heads to see what was happening with Xiao Bai Ze.

Then I saw the other person lying on the table very naturally, with his hands folded and his head buried in his arms - his movements were so calm and steady, and he definitely didn't think that admitting his weakness would damage his image.

Beijing officials: "?!"

No wonder I didn't hear Xu Yanmiao's thoughts. Did he plan to hide away?

etc--

If he hides himself, what will they do? Will they really have to sleep on a big bunk bed for three to five months?!

The officials in Beijing looked at the small hall in horror, imagining a life where they would have to put tables together to use as beds. They imagined a life where the sound of peeing into a spittoon would be heard by all their colleagues, and anyone who peed in the toilet smelled particularly bad would be looked at with unspeakable eyes by their colleagues. They imagined...

In short, isn't this just suffering?

If they could be exposed, they would all beg Xu Yanmiao to find out who among them was guilty of the most serious crime, and to sentence them and get them out as soon as possible.

The deputy commander of the Central Army, who had long since returned with the bruised and swollen face of Yu Qian, looked at the pale walls of the main room, the swaying branches on the window paper, and Xu Yanmiao pretending to be dead, and felt infinitely desolate in his heart.

because......

"Your Majesty!" The deputy commander of the Central Army said angrily, "I want to poop!"

——Yes, that's what a rough guy is.

The deputy commander of the front army who was sitting next to him quietly distanced himself from him.

The old emperor, who was also a rough man, accepted it well and said generously: "Take the spittoon and go behind the screen."

The stench hung over the ministers' noses, and they had tears in their eyes: Your Majesty, could you please be more lenient and not be so harsh - how are we going to eat and sleep in the future?

The old emperor had a blank expression on his face: Just bear with it.

The emperor can tolerate it, so why can't you?

The delicate and tender Xu Lang came out of his state of pretending to be dead.

[Who just said they were going to the bathroom? It stinks...]

At this time, it was the turn of the deputy commander of the central army to pretend to be dead.

Xu Yanmiao suddenly thought of something: [Come to think of it, the old emperor probably didn't prepare toilets for the officials, right?]

——In ancient times, there was also a toilet that was similar to a seat, but with a hole in the middle and a spittoon placed under the hole.

——Although, most people don't use spittoons because they can be sat on directly. But for people who are used to a life of luxury, it may be a bit of a psychological barrier to sit on it directly. That's why toilets came into being.

Xu Yanmiao flipped through it, his face horrified: [I really am not prepared - doesn't that mean that everyone who wants to poop but is worried about splashing their buttocks will have to squat? ]

[Stand straight, upper body straight like a piece of iron, legs apart, half squatting or not squatting? For those who have not practiced it, squatting for more than ten times and breathing will make your legs sore and numb? ]

[Isn't this a bit too embarrassing?! ]

[If it gets outside the spittoon by accident...who will clean it up?!]

[Also, even if you don't have mysophobia, if you sit on it...what if your butt is too big and it gets sucked on when you stand up? Do you need to ask a colleague to come in and clear the spittoon?]

[By the way, if your legs get sore from squatting for too long, should you...]

While thinking, Xu Yanmiao also moved his hands up and down: [Pull for a while, stand for a while, pull for a while, stand for a while...]

Following Xu Yanmiao's voice, some people who had never expected such a thing also began to panic.

——This kind of thing! Don't do it!!!

Suck it on your butt and ask your colleagues to help you pull out the spittoon. You will lose face in your life!

Moreover, if you accidentally urinate or poop and don't hold it in time, the spittoon will fall off your buttocks...

The Minister of Rites asked blankly, "Your Majesty, I wonder if the room is cleaned..."

His Majesty smiled slightly: "What do you think?"

Shaoqing of Taichang: "..."

other people:"......"

Okay, they understand and take care of their own business.

After Xu Lang "woken up", his inner voice began to become active again.

He was worried: [Is this considered a battle royale of Tiantong? It feels a bit scary... Will it implicate me? ]

The old emperor was slightly startled.

He thought the little bastard was so heartless and out of touch with the world, but it turns out he could be afraid too?

Is he moving too much? Scary...

[Hehe! I will definitely not be implicated. The Jinyiwei are so powerful that they will definitely find out that I have not done anything wrong. Although I am an official, I am a good citizen! ]

[Then what are you worried about! Just lie down! Wuhu! Just think of it as living in a dormitory for three to five months! ]

Old Emperor: "..."

Beijing officials: "..."

They worried for nothing.

[Read some gossip to kill time! Go, go, go!]

Old Emperor: "..."

Beijing officials: "..."

Otherwise, just worry about yourself.

＊

Xu Yanmiao targeted Su Ziguang, the first person picked out by the old emperor, and flipped him over.

[Oh wow, this seems to be an honest official. He usually eats steamed bread and drinks vegetable soup. He is quite honest. This one should be able to escape the battle royale, right? ]

[Su Ziguang... this name is also quite elegant and nice to hear. ]

[Wow! I carry more than 20 white hand towels with me. I lend them to others when they are needed. I even got the nickname "Timely Rain". ]

The deputy commander of the Central Army came out of the toilet and passed the spittoon to the Jinyiwei outside through the window. After coming out, he looked at Su Ziguang several times and said in shock: "My goodness..."

Could it be such a good omen? The first person chosen is a good person?

By the way: "This Su... Mr. Su, can you lend me a towel to wipe your hands?"

Su Ziguang: "..."

After a subtle hesitation for a while, he took out a white handkerchief and said, "Of course."

The deputy commander of the Central Army pulled at the towel without hesitation, but it didn't move the first time. He tried again and finally got it from the other party. In case the other party regretted it, he quickly wet the white towel with tea, wiped it on his hands, and then smiled: "Thank you. I'll wash it and return it to you later."

Su Ziguang showed an indifferent expression and smiled: "No need to return it specially. Everyone has inconveniences when they are away from home. It is a good thing that it can help you."

Look! How good at talking!

The deputy commander of the Central Army immediately smiled happily: "No..."

[Wait a minute, Su Ziguang you——]

【hiss--】

[Sorry, I take back what I said before! You deserve to die for using civilians' homes as flood discharge areas! You are worse than pigs and dogs!]

The candlelight reflected in the young man's pupils, the flames jumped angrily, and there was anger in his black pupils.

It was rare for Xu Yanmiao to get angry.

[Su Ziguang! How dare you! ]

[Your old cold legs are more precious than human life, right? ]

[Originally, the flood should have been released at your location - Yangzhou's geographical location, so that the damage could be minimized and there would be no casualties. This has been done year after year, and the local government and people can do it well with their eyes closed. The prefect asked you to leave with kind words, and as compensation, he also gave you a more luxurious new mansion, but you felt that the new mansion was too damp and not good for your old cold legs, so you refused to go! ]

[Everyone else evacuated! Only you didn't move! The prefecture rushed to reinforce the levee, but it was too late! The flood directly rushed to the houses on the other side! ]

【Twenty-five thousand mu of farmland was affected, and 573 families were displaced!】

[Son of a bitch! You son of a bitch!!!]

Liang Rui, who was sitting next to Xu Yanmiao, suddenly opened his eyes wide, feeling sad that he had no knife at the moment and could not take the place of the emperor to personally understand Su Ziguang.

Beast!

To call him a beast is an insult to beasts!

He remembered that the place where Su Ziguang lived after retiring was Yangzhou, Hanzhong Prefecture. The flood disaster in Yangzhou was indeed reported to the central court, but no one told them that this disaster was not only a natural disaster, but also a man-made disaster!

The deputy commander of the Central Army was shocked by Su Ziguang's audacity and quickly stuffed the wet white towel in his hand back into the other's hand: "Thank you, I have already washed my hands, I'll give it back to you!"

Su Ziguang's eyes widened, his face full of embarrassment - he simply couldn't believe that someone could be so shameless in front of His Majesty as to force the dirty handkerchief back into the hands of its original owner? !

Before he could finish being embarrassed, he heard the old emperor calling him: "Su Ziguang, come here."

Su Ziguang hurried forward, holding a white towel dripping with water in his hand. He looked like he was being bullied by a high-ranking official, and looked so pitiful.

The old emperor: "Stand there."

Su Ziguang could only stand there, with everyone's eyes piercing his back, making him uneasy. He wanted to twist his body but was afraid of losing his manners in front of the emperor. He felt as if ants were crawling all over his body.

The old emperor calmly ordered someone to bring a knife and a few branches, and actually started to cut the branches slowly and leisurely.

[Eh? What is the old emperor doing? ]

Unable to tell, Xu Yanmiao simply stared at this side, without checking the system for a long time. Until the old emperor finished his handicraft, a few wooden sticks were placed on the table.

Just at this moment, the Jinyiwei came in, holding a notebook and handed it to the emperor.

It looks like Su Ziguang's affair has been discovered.

Su Ziguang only felt his heart pounding, not knowing what his fate would be.

The old emperor asked someone to bring cinnabar, wrote a few words on a wooden stick, and then asked someone to bring a stick tube to put it in. The stick tube was very well prepared to prevent the person who grabbed it from slipping, and it was covered with a thick layer of cowhide.

Then, the old emperor pretended to flip through the book. Su Ziguang didn't know what he saw, but he could only see that as his gaze moved, the emperor's eyes became colder and colder.

Then, His Majesty said, "Draw a lot."

Su Ziguang gritted his teeth and walked forward, shaking the stick tube. A stick came out, and he looked down: nine clans will be killed.

The lips were bitten hard immediately.

He quickly flipped through the other sticks in the tube, and there were "Exterminate three clans", "Punish ten clans" and so on.

How could such a trifling thing happen in the world! Drawing lots to decide the fate of a clan?!

Su Ziguang was unwilling to give in: "Your Majesty! Why are you killing my entire clan? I—"

At this time, Xu Yanmiao continued to check the system and pulled out all the gossip about the disaster: [Ah! Yangzhou suffered from floods for many years, and the granary reserves were insufficient. At that time, the governor of Yangzhou turned his face away and borrowed grain from the local tyrants, and humbly promised to return double the amount, but the borrowed grain was very little. ]

[The Zhao family said they were poor and were only willing to lend 600 dan of grain. 600 dan, the Zhao family's carriages were more expensive than that!]

[The Ding family has even less money, they only borrowed 100 shi, just like sending away beggars. ]

[The head of the Zhang family went even further, not paying a cent at all, playing the victim, saying that his family couldn't even afford to eat, that he had to pay wages to hundreds of servants and maids, and that he had to support his wife, children, and six concubines, and that he couldn't even afford a grain of food - he was talking nonsense, he and Su Ziguang were in cahoots, Su Ziguang's 6,000 acres of land was fine, and he also kept his 4,000 acres of land, and he kept the lard lamp from dusk to dawn every day, how miserable! How could there be no food! ]

[The reason for not lending grain is to wait until there are more refugees so that it will be easier to sign contracts with them to sell their fields, their children, their daughters, and themselves.]

[Isn't this taking advantage of someone's misfortune?! ]

The old emperor's eyes suddenly became sharp, filled with fear and murderous intent.

When Su Ziguang encountered such a gaze, his voice froze and he couldn't utter any words for a while, whether it was a question or a plea for mercy.

Until the old emperor sneered at someone and told Su Ziguang: "In this case, Su Ziguang, I will not execute all your clans."

Under Su Ziguang's surprised gaze, he closed the blank book and said calmly, "Execute the ten clans."

If one has more friends and disciples than the nine clans, the ten clans will be executed.

As for who can be called Su Ziguang's friend...

The look that the commander of the Embroidered Uniform Guard gave Su Ziguang as he glanced across his scalp was quite meaningful.

Probably the Zhao family, the Ding family, and the Zhang family.

Prime Minister Dou brought over the whetstone and took the skinning knife from the old emperor.

"Hiss——"

"Hiss——"

"Hiss——"

The sharp sound of the blade rubbing back and forth against the whetstone echoed in the room.

The bloody scene was completely revealed. The slave and the ointment seller picked up their knives again.

There was no other moment like this that made others realize that His Majesty and the Prime Minister were serious.

——The young man of the past is now old...so what?

The author has something to say:

As for the failure to change the course, which led to a greater disaster on the other side, please refer to Tian Fen:

Tian Fen, Marquis of Wu'an, was the prime minister. His fief was in Dian (near present-day Xiajin, Shandong). Dian was located in the north of the river. When the river burst and went south, Dian was not affected by floods and the harvest was abundant. Fen told the emperor that the bursting of rivers was a matter of nature and could not be blocked by human efforts. Blocking might not be in accordance with nature, but those who observed the weather and used numbers also believed so. That is why it has not been blocked for a long time.

——Book of the Former Han Dynasty

[Translation: Tian Fen's fief, Du County, was on the north bank of the Yellow River. If the Yellow River burst its banks and flowed south, the north bank would not suffer a disaster and would have a better harvest. So he told Emperor Wu of Han that the Yellow River bursting its banks was God's will and should not be changed by human power.]

(As a result, the project to block the breach was forced to stop, causing the Yellow River to breach for 23 years and affecting a wide area. Historical records show that "the river breached Puyang and flooded 16 counties.")

[Purely personal translation, not comprehensive. The original text has been posted above the translation. ]

(It's just a reference, not necessarily the same thing)

＊

Chapter 153 Tiantong Candy Crush (Part 3)

"Kneel down—"

The commander of the Imperial Guards kicked Su Ziguang in the leg, forcing him to his knees.

Another Jinyiwei quickly stripped the man's shirt, revealing his clean white chest. Others watching couldn't help but think of a pig - a pig that had been shaved clean and was ready to be slaughtered.

The old emperor picked up the skinning knife with ease.

Su Ziguang burst into tears: "Your Majesty! If I have to die, let me be a wise ghost!"

The tip of the knife moved against his chest, and the grease on his body turned the tip of the knife yellow with sweat.

The old emperor looked down and smiled lightly: "Oh, you peed?"

In an instant, countless eyes glanced at Su Ziguang's crotch.

Su Ziguang didn't even take a breath, but the wet area in his crotch became even larger.

The old emperor sneered: "When the flood came, you refused to leave, causing the flood to destroy the people's houses. Why didn't you wet the bed when you did this?"

[Eh? How did the old emperor know that he didn't have it? ]

[I peed! Not only did I pee, I got a fever at night because of the fear. I was so scared that I had to tremble for a long time before I could suppress the fear.]

Alas--

The rulers and ministers of Daxia looked at Su Ziguang with disdain.

The smaller the courage, the bigger the things you do, right? You are so scared that you wet the bed, but you still do things that harm others and benefit yourself. Aren't you afraid that you will be found out one day?

When Su Ziguang heard the old emperor talk about the flood, he trembled all over, but he also felt a sense of relief that the dust had settled, as if all his strength had been drained away. Su Ziguang collapsed and closed his eyes: "Your Majesty really knows. In this case, I have nothing more to say."

"You have nothing to say, but I do have something to ask."

The old emperor looked at him and said, "Su Ziguang, can you eat and use up all the food from the six thousand acres of land?"

Su Ziguang laughed at himself, "Most of the food that cannot be eaten is stored in the warehouse. When it is almost stale, it is sold. The money earned from the sales is spent extravagantly - Your Majesty, have you heard of 'Hun Yang Mo Hu'? It is a whole roasted lamb with a goose inside. After it is roasted, all the lamb meat is discarded and only the goose meat with the taste of lamb is eaten."

"It's hard to sell the meat I can't finish, but I feel bad giving it away for free, so I have to feed it to the dogs. Several of my dogs at home have died of overeating. When they die, I buy new dogs and use their bodies to make dog meat pots. Strangely enough, seeing my dogs overeating actually gives me great satisfaction."

When he said this, a slightly morbid expression appeared on Su Ziguang's face.

The deputy commander of the central army loved his dog like his life. Seeing this, he pushed the guards aside, rolled up his sleeves and was about to give Su Ziguang a big slap in the face.

Xu Yanmiao was shocked: [Why should we reward him! He is so perverted, maybe he enjoys being punched! ]

The arm that the deputy commander of the Central Army raised was almost dislocated because of the sudden stop - fortunately, with Xu Yanmiao's angle and distance, he did not see the arm suddenly brake.

[Eh? Why did you stop fighting after raising it for so long? ]

The deputy commander of the central army wanted to curse.

Guess why I stopped fighting? If I fight him and that bastard shows that he enjoys it, I will vomit up my leftover food!

So he looked at the old emperor eagerly and said: Your Majesty, please help us out!

The old emperor glared at him and said, "Get out of the way! You beat someone to death with your fists. How can I skin him alive?"

After these words were spoken, several people at the banquet collapsed. Only the deputy commander of the Central Army laughed and put down his arms: "Your Majesty is right, I am still waiting to see you skinned!"

After saying that, he did not forget to spit on Su Ziguang's face: "Bah! Beast!"

Su Ziguang was in a daze, not trying to hide, but just kneeling there with hunched shoulders.

＊

The tip of the old emperor's knife spun on Su Ziguang's chest, piercing the flesh.

After this movement, most people at the table were sweating profusely.

Do you really want to skin me alive?

Xu Yanmiao: [Come to think of it, the prefect was also a good official. Why didn't he report Su Ziguang's case to the court? ]

[Fuck! I sued, but someone tampered with the data?!]

The knife stopped again.

[Hey, is it the Minister Jia Cao? ]

[This... I feel like even if the Jinyiwei finds evidence, the old emperor might still save the person? ]

[The fact that Jia Cao has been by his side as a minister for fourteen years shows that the old emperor trusts him very much—Wow! This man is the old emperor's adopted son!]

Cao'er?

The old emperor's pupils suddenly contracted, and when he subconsciously recalled people, all he remembered was Jia Cao's round and plump figure and shy smile. Also, because he did not receive a good education when he was a child, even when he grew up and became an official, he spoke with a hometown accent.

how come?!

He almost instinctively asked: Is there any misunderstanding?

[Oh, there is no bloody secret, it's just that Su Ziguang used to be under his command, so he helped him.]

[It just so happened that he was very good at calligraphy, especially at imitating other people's handwriting, so he simply rewrote a memorial, deleted the complaint, and only reported the disaster. The Yangzhou prefect waited and waited but received no response from the court, mistakenly thinking that the court was covering up the matter, so he could only swallow his anger.]

Prime Minister Dou, the official who was closer to the emperor, saw the emperor slowly close his eyes after a period of silence.

What they didn't see, but only Emperor Tiantong could feel, was the burning heat in his body that almost burned him to death. His heart seemed to be burning, beating very violently, and he even had the illusion that it was alive and couldn't wait to burst through his body.

Suddenly he remembered his young adopted son holding the copper coin he gave him, lying next to the white-bearded old man selling candied haws, watching him string six hawthorns into a string.

Suddenly I recalled what I witnessed when I was wandering in the past. After a flood, the people who had lost their loved ones still had tears on their faces, and they numbly scrambled for the small fish and shrimps left on the mud and rocks, either to fill their stomachs or to exchange for food.

Xu Yanmiao's worried voice came: [If we can't treat everyone equally...will the deterrent effect be greatly reduced? ]

The night fog has not yet dissipated, the birdsongs from far and near are slowly fading away, and the bloody smell after the blade pierces the flesh is extremely obvious. In my memory, the small fish and shrimps jumping in the mud are so tenacious and their colors are so bright.

Emperor Tiantong opened his eyes, looked at Su Ziguang, and asked calmly, "Who helped you conceal this important event?"

Su Ziguang was stunned, so stunned that he could hardly hear his own heartbeat. He just stared blankly at the notebook in the emperor's hand.

Your Majesty asked this...Is it that the Jinyiwei has already found out the truth and is testing whether he is still resisting stubbornly, or is it that the Jinyiwei has not been able to find out the truth and is trying to trick the answer out of him?

Or maybe... Your Majesty knows that it was his adopted son who did it, and he seems to be asking in a fair and upright manner, but in fact he is hinting at him to remove Minister Jia?

Just as I was brainstorming, I heard His Majesty's voice again, cold and emotionless: "Do you think I know?"

Without saying anything, Su Ziguang knocked his head hard and said, "It's Jia Cao! It's your Majesty's adopted son, Minister Jia!"

Non-Beijing officials were in an uproar.

The officials in Beijing realized the situation later and immediately followed suit.

Only three or two people remained silent.

One is Xu Yanmiao, one is Prime Minister Dou, and the other is the silent Emperor Tiantong.

＊

The room was filled with the smell of food, the smell of bright red sheep's blood, and the sticky, dull smell mixed with heavy breathing.

The voice of Emperor Tiantong seemed calm: "Mao Zheng."

The commander of the Jinyiwei bowed and said, "I am here."

"Send someone to arrest the Minister Jia Cao, take away his official hat, and take away his official seal..."

"only."

"And..." Emperor Tiantong's face was extremely grim, as if he didn't care at all that this was his adopted son, with whom he had deep feelings for him: "Behead, execute, and put to death!"

Even the Jinyiwei commander's thoughts paused for a moment.

But he soon reacted: "Wei!"

Then he turned and walked out.

Before leaving the house, he heard a sentence: "The corpse was sent here." The Jinyiwei commander's heart beat faster.

Jia Cao's mansion was far away in the capital, but the Jinyiwei rode at full speed and arrived soon.

A team of Jinyiwei rushed into the Jia Mansion in a dignified manner.

First there was a loud clattering sound, as if someone had been bumped into or hit, and many objects fell to the ground with a thud.

Shouting and cursing followed from the high-walled courtyard, one after another, and no one knew what was going on inside. But after a gunshot, everything returned to silence.

After all this going on, by the time Jia Cao's body and head were placed in front of the old emperor, it was already early morning of the next day.

The severed head was very eye-catching, and the eyes were wide open, as if he would never believe until his death that his adoptive father, with whom he had such a deep affection, would suddenly attack him.

The deputy commander of the Central Army took a deep breath and clamped his buttocks together: "It's over..."

The deputy commander of the front army was terrified: "Yes... It's over, His Majesty can even kill his adopted son, this..."

The deputy commander of the Central Army said: "No, I mean, I feel like I have diarrhea."

The deputy commander of the front army: "..."

The deputy commander of the front army was very disappointed: "Hold on! Otherwise, His Majesty will want to kill people!"

The deputy commander of the Central Army had tears in his eyes and could only look at His Majesty's back, which was almost hidden in the dark, and silently hoped that the matter would be over soon.

At this moment, the back suddenly turned, and everyone could see that the emperor's eyes were red, frighteningly red.

Almost at the same time, there was a "crack" sound, and the skinning knife was inserted heavily into the table.

Emperor Tiantong picked up the list on the table and grinned: "Come on——"

"Let's continue."

All the officials present, whether they were officials from the capital or retired officials, began to tremble immediately.

Your Majesty has even killed his adopted son. If you find out anything else, is there anyone else you dare not kill or won't kill?

The list was wrinkled, and the emperor's voice was murderous: "Next."

"The fifth one."

＊

Many days later, in the distant Yangzhou, several teams of soldiers entered the house of the local tyrant Su. Then, the incident of confiscation of property and extermination of the clan that shocked Yangzhou began to break out.

Not only the Su family, but also the local wealthy families Zhao, Ding, and Zhang, all had soldiers rushing in. The rice was knocked over from the table to the ground, and the boots moving back and forth flattened the rice grains. The fatty braised pork was limp, and the ochre soup was spilled all over the ground. The rebels were beheaded on the spot.

Countless ruffians, beggars, residents, masters, wives, young ladies, young men, and the most well-informed waiters from various shops watched the "ten clans" arrest not far away. They were crowded together, speaking Hanzhong Mandarin, and the discussion was lively.

Who would have thought that these local tyrants would one day fall - their eyes were sparkling with excitement and their voices were filled with joy.

The author has something to say:

When the imperial kitchen serves food, all utensils are supervised by the Shaofu. Nine glutinous rice dishes are used, and the food is placed in between nine ivory plates. They are placed in front of the table, which is also called "watching the food". I heard from people in Kyoto that when the two armies eat on the march and at banquets, they eat chickens and geese. Among them, they like to eat young geese, and each goose is worth two to three thousand. Whenever there is a banquet, geese are taken according to the number of people. They are boiled and the hair and five internal organs are removed, and then stuffed with meat and glutinous rice, and the five flavors are blended. First, take a piece of sheep, boil it, peel it, and remove the intestines and stomach. Put the goose in the sheep, sew it up and roast it. When the mutton is cooked, the sheep can be removed. Take the goose and eat it whole, which is called "hun yang mei hu".

——Lu's Miscellaneous Stories

＊

Chapter 154 Tiantong Candy Crush (IV)

"Diwu Ang, in the fifth year of Tiantong, passed the imperial examination. In the thirty-second year of Tiantong, he retired at the age of seventy-four. He was appointed as the Chief Censor of the Supervisory Office and a Bachelor of the Hanlin Academy."

As soon as the old emperor finished reading, he heard Xu Yanmiao say, "Hey! He retired half a month before I came. Is this fate?"

Old Emperor: "..."

That is indeed fate.

When Diwu Ang straightened his body and walked out in high spirits, he was completely stunned when he felt the sympathetic gazes of his former colleagues.

——Although being named by His Majesty is indeed dangerous, it is not likely to cause any real harm. Why should you sympathize so quickly?

Of course, Diwu Ang would never know that the fact that these Beijing officials sympathized with him was another matter.

One thing...if he had retired even half a month later, it would have changed his life after retirement.

[The old man is still strong. He has been retired for only three years, but he has decisively taken action on public land. He is much braver than those who have been retired for seven or eight years and dared to take action cautiously. He is worthy of being the former highest official of the Hanlin Academy and the person who wrote imperial edicts for the old emperor many times.]

Lian Hang silently gave a thumbs up.

Xiao Bai Ze's words are becoming more and more choking. Didn't you see that Your Majesty was so shocked by the phrases "old but still strong" and "he wrote imperial edicts for the old emperor many times" that he closed his eyes.

The old emperor, in the main seat, looked at Diwu Ang with his bloodshot eyes and said, "You have been retired for only three years, and you have already occupied public land. I really don't know if you still have the courage."

As soon as these words came out, the old emperor's eyelids twitched.

Why do I feel... that this sarcastic word has a hint of smoke?

Someone didn't notice this, but was very excited: [The Imperial Guards are indeed the Imperial Guards. I don't know how much they found out from that notebook - I thought at first that it was only the crimes of that guy named Su.]

The commander of the Embroidered Uniform Guard had a smile on his face, as if he was a magical person who could go to heaven and earth, and had the ability to see and hear from afar, and could easily provide a lot of intelligence when the emperor needed it...

——In fact, he really wanted to know where Xu Yanmiao started to have such unrealistic fantasies about the Jinyiwei.

Old Emperor: I'm killing someone, don't make me laugh!

However, the Jinyiwei did have some information about Diwu Ang.

"As soon as he retired, he occupied the entire mountain as his family cemetery. He demanded that the existing graves be forcibly moved. If they were not moved, he would dig them up and throw them off the cliff. The Fifth Scholar is really bold."

In fact, just for this matter, the old emperor would not insist on exterminating his entire clan - he just wanted a big purge, not to satisfy some perverted desire for massacre.

But this matter was related to the issue of public land, which made the old emperor even more furious.

"Diwu Ang! I really regret it. When I found out that you had forcibly moved the graves, I shouldn't have just given you a light warning out of consideration for our past friendship. Otherwise, you wouldn't have dared to act recklessly and occupy public land in the future."

He suddenly raised his voice: "I pity your old age, respect you and trust you, and think that you are just confused for a moment and will change, but you treat me as a fool!"

As soon as these words came out, everyone fell to their knees.

Diwu Ang's eyelids were wrinkled and tears flashed gently as he knelt on the ground. The old man looked at him with pity.

However, when Diwu Ang looked at His Majesty's face through his tears, he knew that His Majesty was not moved at all.

——After all, reaching out to public land has indeed touched the bottom line.

What is public land? It is a means used by the imperial court to restrict private ownership of large amounts of land, suppress the strong and support the weak, and ensure that poor families with no or little land have land to cultivate.

It is a form of relief from the government!

The tax collected is called "agreed rent" and only one in thirty is collected!

Of course, when powerful landlords took public land and sublet it to farmers, the tax rate was not the same. Basically, the tax rate could reach the high rate of "ten taxes and five".

The fifth ang sublet public land and collected the "tenth tax".

That is to say, if the common people planted rice, their annual harvest could be exchanged for 2,800 to 3,300 copper coins, and if they borrowed public land from the court, they would only collect about 100 copper coins in taxes. However, if they borrowed land from powerful landlords to cultivate, they would have to pay a rent of more than 1,400 copper coins.

Xu Yanmiao calculated the money in his mind: [The common people only have 1,400 to 500 or 500 to 600 coins a year, and they have to support a large family...]

Xu Lang's pupils widened.

[Once we encounter natural disasters or man-made disasters, how can we survive? ]

If you can survive, of course you can survive.

The old emperor almost laughed. That smile must have been cold and mocking: if he sold himself and his family to them as slaves, he could barely survive.

"Snapped--"

There was a crisp sound of slap.

When Diwu Ang was in the officialdom, he was determined not to turn back until he hit a wall. His colleagues all laughed and called him "the reincarnation of a stubborn donkey." But at this moment, the stubborn donkey had lost all the stubbornness he had with the emperor, and slapped himself hard on the left side of his face.

The slap was so loud... everyone who knew the Fifth Stubborn Donkey gasped. Even those who were kneeling couldn't help but raise their eyes and look again and again.

Is this still the fifth stubborn donkey who, when he gets angry, can even confront the emperor with his neck stiffened?

He once dared to use an axe to split the lock of the palace gate, and stood at the palace gate and shouted "Your Majesty is abusing punishment" more than a dozen times in a loud voice, but now he kneels there and hits his left cheek and right cheek, and his face is swollen? !

Xu Yanmiao: [Wow——]

[As expected of a stubborn donkey, he hits himself extra hard! 】

Beijing officials: "..."

hiss--

So it seems to be true?

"Snapped--"

After slapping the right cheek, Diwu Ang turned around and slapped the left cheek hard. His nails directly opened a shallow cut on the face, and blood slowly seeped out of it.

"I deserve to die! I was bewildered and touched the people's life-saving fields. I was foolish! Your Majesty has been very kind to me, but I brought shame upon Your Majesty! I deserve to die!"

"Snapped--"

Diwu Ang slapped him on the right side of his face again. This time the corner of his mouth was cracked, and saliva and blood flowed together.

"I am guilty! I have failed the Queen's praise for me and her appreciation for my assistance in government affairs. How could I forget the Queen's words 'pillar of the country'? After returning home, I indulged in money and dirt, swallowed the blood and tears of the people, forgot the expectations of Your Majesty and Your Highness, and failed their trust! I would rather die in prison after cutting the locks on the palace gates, so as to avoid doing things that insult Your Majesty and Your Highness now!"

"Snapped--"

This slap was even more ferocious, making him stagger all over the place and dizzy. After shaking his head, Diwu Ang got up and knelt down again.

"Your Majesty, I was weak-minded and made many mistakes. I saw that the local officials were corrupt and disloyal, and many people died unjustly. I also saw that many retired colleagues were trying to get their hands on the public land. I was wavering between writing a letter and joining the crowd. In the end, I was even more confused, obsessed with desire, and went with the flow. I regret it! Even now, I kneel down and break my legs, smash my teeth, dig out my eyes, and rip out my heart and liver, but I can't undo my mistakes!"

"Snapped--"

Diwu Ang beat himself so hard that his cheeks swelled and tears streamed down his cheeks. Then he kowtowed and cried, "My death is not a pity, but when I think of the many people who are suffering, I don't know how to face your majesty's kindness!"

"Snapped--"

"Pah pah pah pah——"

There were several more slaps in a row, so hard that it seemed as if they were not his own flesh.

"I am worthless now. I only ask Your Majesty to show mercy and give me a chance to start a new life. Let me use my remaining energy before I die to root out those bastards!"

"Pah pah pah pah pah——"

Not to mention Xu Yanmiao, even the ministers who had been in officialdom for many years were stunned.

"This is simply..."

[A textbook response...]

It is totally worth reading carefully and savoring it while lying in bed at night. If this were a TV series, then this series of slaps in the face to save oneself would definitely be the climax.

Although Liang Rui was disgusted with Diwu Ang's occupation of public land, but these few slaps... He lowered his voice and said to his son Liang Youwen, who was sitting at the same table, "Remember it well and study hard."

First, he played the emotional card, saying that he had failed His Majesty and Her Royal Highness the Queen - especially the part about Her Royal Highness the Queen, which was a stroke of genius. He was almost openly using the Queen to save his life.

Your Majesty! You see how much Her Majesty the Queen values ​​me, and even praised me as a "pillar of the country". I regret it now, and I know that I have failed the Queen's expectations and trust. Although Her Majesty the Queen is not my backer, she does remember me.

I am loyal to Your Majesty and grateful to Her Majesty the Queen. When the Crown Prince ascends the throne, I will definitely be a royalist.

——It not only achieves the purpose of showing loyalty, but also increases the possibility of mercy.

Then, he admitted his mistake with a very sincere attitude, and slapped the person very hard each time, without any impurities.

While deeply repenting and criticizing his mistakes, he did not forget to excuse himself, using his weak mind and repeated mistakes to show that he was too weak when faced with temptation and that he did not sincerely want to commit a crime, but that the local environment was too bad and he could not control himself.

It's understandable, Your Majesty!

He then immediately dragged other retired officials into the water, showing that he was just going with the flow and that since everyone else was doing the same, he was just confused for a moment.

In the end, he simply stated that he was following in the emperor's footsteps and decided to sell out his friends for fame.

——It's worthy of being a battle royale, everyone really shows off their skills.

If the atmosphere hadn't been like this this time, he might have been able to escape.

But now...

The old emperor calmly watched Diwu Ang slap himself. After dozens of slaps, his teeth were pulled out and his eyes were dull. Seeing that he was trying to beat himself to death, he slowly said, "Since you said the residual heat before death--"

"Then tell me, is there anyone in this room who has touched the public land?"

Among the people kneeling in the room, many of them had slightly changed expressions.

Diwu Ang kowtowed again, blood gushing down from his broken forehead. He spoke impatiently: "I know, it's——"

Just then, a man suddenly rolled out from the crowd.

Really get lost.

He rolled directly to the old emperor's feet and shouted at the top of his voice: "Your Majesty! I also know who has touched the public land!"

The new official and Diwu Ang stared at each other, with flames burning in their eyes, and they wished they could burn each other to ashes on the spot.

Chapter 155 Tiantong Candy Crush (V)

At this time, Xu Yanmiao had already overtaken others.

[Me, me, me! I know that too! ]

[The retired officials sat at the two tables, the one with a very pale face who could speak Tianjin dialect! He bumped into him!]

The Jinyiwei standing at the door began to record.

The old emperor: "Five."

The fifth Ang and the man who rolled out: "Five?"

Five what?

[Also, the head looks like a chisel! ]

The old emperor: "Four."

Fifth Ang: "!!!"

The man who rolled out almost jumped up: "Your Majesty! Is it too tight..."

[And the one wearing colorful clothes, brighter than the golden pheasant. ]

The old emperor: "Three."

Diwu Ang blurted out: "My good friend, former Imperial Academy tutor, Zhu Heng!"

Zhu Heng had been ill before and lost all his teeth, but anyone could see that a medical miracle seemed to have occurred to him at this moment, as his cheeks trembled as if he was gritting his teeth.

Diwuang! You are awesome! Brothers are connected with you, you use your brain to think with your brothers, right?

—and knelt in the middle of the room.

The old emperor was calm and said, "The Jinyiwei has already reported this man to the authorities."

——The one with "a head like a chisel".

The old emperor: "Change one."

The old emperor: "Two."

The man who rolled out hurriedly said, "Your Majesty! Wen Shuzhi, the former magistrate of Yingtian Prefecture! He also touched the public land!"

The old emperor: "I know this too."

Other retired officials: "?!"

Is Jinyiwei, a new official position created in the 32nd year of Tiantong, so omnipotent?

Uncle Wen interrupted angrily, "You're still talking about me? Don't think I don't know that you're even more outrageous! There's actually an uprising led by a woman under your rule!"

——He deliberately used the name of the rebel army to disgust the other party and to please the emperor. If he used ordinary names, such as "female thieves" and "female bandits", and mainly used words such as "riot" and "rebellion", the impact would not be as strong as that of the rebel army.

Others: (⊙o⊙)

Does this person talk nonsense because he knows he can't survive? !

This is a rebellion, you say they are insurrecting?!

The man who rolled out looked at Uncle Wen straightly and said in a gruff voice: "It is because of people like you who spread rumors that the story of three people making a tiger came into being."

He turned around and kowtowed to the old emperor: "Your Majesty, please allow me to report that this matter is not my fault. I am Xu Jingxing, the retired magistrate of Changshu County, and the rioting girl is Li, a wealthy family in this county. She once defeated Hangzhou with Princess Lihua."

——This Princess Lihua was naturally not a princess of the previous dynasty. She was actually the sister of one of the eighteen rebel kings at the end of the previous dynasty. She was also one of the important generals of that force. Because she was good at using the pear blossom spear, people at that time called her "Lady Lihua" and "Princess Lihua".

"Because the county magistrate Liu Zhi was greedy, he demanded the BMW that Li's son had found by accident. When the son refused, he fabricated charges against him and accused him of being an accomplice of the bandit. I failed to notice this and executed him for his crime."

"Li had a grudge in his heart, so he built a wine shop in the countryside. Whenever a young man came to drink, he would give him money on credit. If he saw that his family was poor, he would give him rice and money. If he saw that he had ambitions, he would give him gold, silver and swords. Over the years, many people benefited from his kindness."

"Many of the evil young men in the village were righteous. When they heard about the injustice done to Li's family, they followed her to attack the county government office and cut off the head of the county magistrate. This is the beginning and end of the so-called uprising."

Uncle Wen glanced at the old emperor's face and his heart skipped a beat.

No! Your Majesty must feel that this old bastard has been wronged.

He decisively taunted: "Oh~ I failed to notice~"

In the corner, Liang Rui analyzed to his son in a low voice: "Have you learned it? Don't worry about what he said, but make His Majesty understand what you want to say immediately."

I failed to supervise? What did I fail to supervise? You are a county magistrate, and such a big thing happened under your jurisdiction, and you use the word "failure to supervise" to excuse yourself? !

Although the response consisted of only four words, the sarcasm in it was successfully conveyed to everyone.

Including the emperor.

Emperor Tiantong smiled generously: "Oversight, huh?"

The retired magistrate of Changshu County was quicker than a rabbit and said, "Your Majesty! I am guilty."

Uncle Wen smiled like a winner.

The retired magistrate of Changshu County said: "But I have never occupied a single acre of public land! Although I am content with my position and don't want to waste my energy on being a judge, I at least know what I can and cannot get my hands on!"

Uncle Wen's face suddenly turned pale.

He knelt down and did not dare to look the old emperor in the eye: "Your Majesty! I...I did touch the public land, I deserve to die - but!!!"

Uncle Wen raised his voice and said, "I rented out public land and divided it with the people in a 4:6 ratio, 4 for me and 6 for them. Moreover, when they encountered difficulties, I allowed them to buy on credit. Unlike some of the people present here, they are cold-blooded and heartless. The farmers who rented their land could not survive and owed rent. They paid 90% of the interest and kept 13% of it. It's really shameless!"

"#@×あ..."

Uncle Wen is so straight! I will fuck your ancestors!

Several people knelt and walked over on the spot: "Your Majesty, I... I just..."

[And the one wearing a blue satin fox fur robe...]

[That's probably all there are in the room... Eh? What happened? Why are there a few more of them lying out? ]

Xu Yanmiao was distracted from the system and saw a group of people lying on the open space in the middle, like small mounds of earth. She was shocked on the spot.

Then I flipped through the system.

【Oh! Dog bites dog! 】

[Let me see what you have said - this former judge of Yingtian Prefecture, are you any better than others if they are cold-blooded? It is true that you did not get as much from the public land as others, but what is the difference between 46% and 55%? Farmers only need to pay 1/30 of the tax, they are all squeezed out of their blood and sweat, what is the difference! ]

The old emperor felt regretful again.

With such a good mouth, why can't he be used as an imperial censor?

Now these retired officials cannot hear Xu Yanmiao's voice, so he has to do it himself.

The old emperor expressed regret again, then he looked down at Wen Shuzhi who was kneeling and said, "Are you proud of the 40:60 split with the people?"

Uncle Wen raised his head and smiled awkwardly: "Neither, nor..."

The old emperor said: "Do I need to distinguish you from others? Others will be punished with nine clans, but you will be punished with three clans. This is a lighter punishment. It is to show your willingness to spare the people from having their arms chopped off."

Wen Shuzhi: "..."

Tears welled up in my eyes.

The old emperor: "Are you touched?"

Uncle Wen's psychological defenses were broken: "But I only care about three tribes. I'm not familiar with the other six tribes!!!"

Is there any difference between exterminating three clans and exterminating nine clans?

The old emperor: "...Oh."

——In fact, he had never thought about this aspect.

The retired magistrate of Changshu County moved stealthily. The dog quickly observed the situation and smiled triumphantly.

Fortunately, he reacted quickly!

If what Your Majesty said is true, and only three tribes were exterminated for occupying 46% of the public land, then for someone like him who did not occupy the public land but was just derelict in his duty, wouldn't he only be beheaded himself, and not his entire tribe?

[Eh? What is that retired magistrate of Changshu County laughing at? ]

The retired magistrate of Changshu County felt a chill on his back for some reason.

Looking around carefully, he found that many people, including the emperor, were staring at him.

The retired magistrate of Changshu County: "..."

The smile froze on his face.

[Could it be that he was proud of himself for successfully hiding his crimes from the old emperor? ]

Xu Yanmiao had a wrong idea, and as other Beijing officials looked at the retired magistrate of Changshu County with a "goodbye" attitude, he began to unconsciously stab this clever former magistrate in the back.

[What is he so proud of? He didn't take the public land, but he did a lot of other things. It's not like the Imperial Guards can't find out.]

The Jinyiwei commander's eyes drifted subtly.

It is possible to find out, but not as fast as you can.

[Someone blocked your distant nephew's way, so your distant nephew beat him up.]

[When someone fought back, your distant nephew beat them to death and fed them to the dogs, and he can still walk around in public with such brazenness?! ]

[Tsk, what a privileged county magistrate. He has absolute power.]

[In the future, if we take the imperial examination, can we just write an essay called "My Uncle Magistrate" and be on the list? ]

"puff--"

Many officials in Beijing were about to burst out laughing, but they tried their best to suppress it, choking and causing their throats to feel hot and stinging.

"My uncle the county magistrate"... Xiao Bai Ze's words were really mean. This was a direct attack on His Majesty's lungs.

The old emperor glanced at them silently.

Oh! Naive.

Now I am gloating over someone else's misfortune. With Xu Yanmiao's personality, be careful that he might lose his focus while flipping through the pages and find something like "my uncle the assistant minister" or "my father the doctor". You will cry when that happens.

[But speaking of "my uncle the county magistrate", I remember when I was reading gossip before, I saw something called "my grandfather the prefect"? ]

Other Beijing officials: Hahahahaha! They actually managed to drag other people into this!

I don't know which unlucky guy it is, hahaha!

Anyway, it won't be us, there are no local officials among us!

[But now he is no longer called the prefect grandfather, but rather "the governor grandfather". He has been a Beijing official for many years.]

A group of Beijing officials: "..."

Especially those ministers who served as envoys in the court and had grandchildren had frozen expressions on their faces and stared so wide that even the wrinkles on their faces disappeared.

Which envoy? !

Which one is the envoy? Please explain clearly!

Isn't this a battle royale among retired officials? How come it has something to do with us Beijing officials?!!!

The author has something to say:

The title was changed from Battle Royale to Candy Crush because Battle Royale is not allowed in the title ()

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Brothers are connected with you, you use your brain with your brothers (Internet meme)

＊

Women's uprising, reference:

In the first year of Tianfeng, there was a woman called Lü Mu in Haiqu, Langya. Her son was a county official. He committed a minor crime and the governor wanted to kill him. Lü Mu resented the governor and secretly gathered guests to seek revenge. Lü Mu's family was rich and had millions of assets. She brewed fine wine and bought swords and clothes. She gave credit to young men who came to sell wine. She also lent clothes to those who were in need, regardless of how much. After a few years, her money ran out and the young men wanted to repay her. Lü Mu wept and said, "I am not trying to make money by being generous to you. I just want to avenge the governor who killed my son unjustly. Would you be willing to pity me?" The young men were encouraged by her intention and promised to do so. Among them, a brave warrior called himself a fierce tiger. They gathered together dozens of people and went into the sea with Lü Mu to recruit fugitives. There were thousands of people. Lü Mu called herself a general and led her troops back to attack Haiqu and capture the governor. The officials kowtowed and pleaded for the governor. The mother said, "My son committed a minor crime and did not deserve the death penalty, but he was killed by the butcher. He deserves death for killing someone, so why ask for death? " So she beheaded the butcher and offered his head to her son's grave, then returned it to the sea.

——Book of the Later Han

【Translation: In the first year of Tianfeng of Wang Mang, there was an old woman named Lü in Haiqu County, Langya Prefecture. Her son, a county official, committed a minor crime, and the county magistrate sentenced him to death and killed him. Lü's mother resented the county magistrate, and secretly gathered guests to plot revenge for her son. Lü's mother's family had always been relatively wealthy, with millions of assets, so she brewed a lot of good wine, bought swords and clothes. When young people came to buy wine, she let them buy on credit and gave them wine. When she saw poor people among them, she lent them clothes, never asking how much. After a few years, her property was slowly depleted, and the young people were ready to repay her together. Lü's mother said with tears in her eyes: "The reason why I want to treat you well is not because I want to gain any benefits, but because the county magistrate acted recklessly and killed my son unjustly, I want to avenge him. Don't you pity me?" The young people thought that Lü's mother's idea was very heroic, and they had always been treated well by Lü's mother, so they promised to avenge her. One of the warriors called himself the Tiger, so he gathered a hundred or so people and went to the sea with Lü Mu. He also gathered desperate criminals, and the team grew to several thousand people. Lü Mu called herself a general, led the army back to attack Haiqu County, and captured the county magistrate. The officials kowtowed and begged for mercy and forgiveness for the county magistrate. Lü Mu said: "My son only committed a small crime and should not have been killed, but he was killed by the county magistrate. The murderer should pay with his life, why are you begging for mercy and forgiveness for him?" So she killed the county magistrate, sent his head to the grave to commemorate her son, and returned to the sea. 】

(Referring to this incident does not mean that the cause, process, motivation and result are exactly the same)

(The translation is taken from the Internet, and the original text is posted above the translation.)

Chapter 156 Tiantong Candy Crush (VI)

The old emperor glanced at this group of "unlucky people" and said mercifully: "Get up."

The officials from the capital and retired officials who had been kneeling for a long time quickly stood up to express their gratitude, and sat back on their chairs with their stiff bodies. Their knees felt sharply cold, and some secretly bent and stretched their legs and feet to avoid problems with their joints.

However, those who are in a certain position don't have this thought.

Who cares if your legs are numb or your knees hurt? Think about whether you have a troublesome grandson at home. Are you the unlucky one in Xu Yanmiao's mind?

Interviewers: Oh no! It can't be mine?

'My idiot grandson, is he going to bully boys and girls?'

"My grandson is an elite, but is he using his intelligence in the wrong place?"

'My troublesome grandson did beat someone up. His head was smashed and two fingers were broken, but I didn't cover it up! I paid him 10 taels of silver for medical expenses and locked up that troublesome grandson in jail for three days. You shouldn't be talking about me, right? ! '

Afterwards, another Tongzhengshi became stiff from the back of his head to his tailbone, and he froze himself like an ice sculpture.

"It can't be me, can it? It must not be me! I worked so hard to climb to the third rank!"

Those officials who had been temporarily assigned as deputy envoys of military preparation also felt very anxious.

Everyone prayed to God in their hearts: It has nothing to do with us, right? The deputy envoy is just a poor deputy envoy, how can he be called an envoy!

——Although subordinates usually call them that, they dare not really call them "deputy" envoys.

Xu Yanmiao hissed fiercely in his heart.

The officials who could hear his inner voice also took a deep breath.

[What a great-grandson's wife seduced her father-in-law, and was forced by the master to marry the foolish old widower. ]

[Just like the foxy maid who is always unruly and seduces the pure and innocent young master, this time it is also the great-grandson's wife who takes advantage of her father-in-law's "old age and weakness" and forces herself on him, right? ]

[The Tongzhengshi had such great power that the great-grandson's wife and her relatives dared not resist and could only accept it.]

——There is only one Tongzhengshi. So...

A group of officials in the capital quickly glanced at a certain Minister of Public Administration present, and then quickly looked away, as if their behavior was very appropriate and they gave the Minister of Public Administration 100% of face.

Of course, if the Minister of Public Administration did not hear people muttering, "Still too old and weak? The grandson of Envoy Bai, the father-in-law of his great-grandson's wife, is only thirty years old. He is so shameless to covet the beauty of his own daughter-in-law", he might feel more relieved.

The Tongzhengshi was so embarrassed that his face turned red and he was totally ashamed.

It would be wrong for a grandson to forcibly take his great-grandson's wife, and it would make people laugh at the family's bad traditions. However, as the head of the family, he protected his grandson and humiliated his great-grandson's wife by forcing her to marry a stupid widower.

It would be fine if I could keep it a secret, but Xiao Bai Ze had to expose it...

Liang Rui looked carefully and saw that the Bai Tongzheng Envoy was annoyed. He couldn't help but curl his lips, full of mockery.

What? Are you still regretting why you didn't act more covertly? Why didn't you deal with the situation promptly when you discovered Xiao Baize's existence?

Do you have time to think about the shame of being exposed? It is better to think about the "Xia Law" that "father-in-law who forces his daughter-in-law shall be executed and the daughter-in-law shall be returned to her family."

＊

The Xia Code was too thick, and Bai Tongzheng rarely read it, so he had no idea that there was such a law. He didn't even know that he was going to lose his grandson. He was just glad that although this was a dirty thing, he was at least much luckier than his former colleagues who lost nine generations of their clan.

Then at this time, Xu Yanmiao's inner voice was heard, and she was so happy: [But God has eyes, Bai Shijun, you didn't expect that one of the students who passed the imperial examination this time was a student of Fan Tao. Come and avenge his teacher. ]

When he heard the name Fan Tao, Tongzheng Shi Bai was obviously panicked.

He never thought that he would hear the name of this former political enemy again!

This person is not...

【hiss--】

[The officialdom is so terrifying! I should think of a way to quit while I am ahead...]

Xu Lang's eyes widened, and many people almost lost their composure when he expressed his thoughts.

——Although they were particularly afraid of being named by the King of Hell before, the risks are great, but the opportunities are also great!

Didn't you see, for example, that minor official Gao He, who had just passed the imperial examination, was promoted to a high position overnight and was remembered by the emperor just because Xu Lang showed him that he could save money for the emperor!

Xu Yanmiao ran away, where can they go to fight for opportunities!

what exactly is it!

What on earth did Xu Yanmiao see that made him want to run away? !

The officials in Beijing breathed in and out with such force that shallow pits appeared on both sides of their noses, and their anger and anxiety seemed to be about to burst out of the pits.

Some people stared at Envoy Bai with red eyes, making people wonder if they were about to perform a bull charge the next moment.

——Don't worry about whether Bai Tongzhengshi is a third-rank official. Taking away someone's wealth is like killing their parents. Blocking someone's path to success is even more hateful than killing their parents.

[Bai Shijun is really a vindictive person... Fan Tao was his political enemy, and he defeated him. He exiled him to a wild place like Qiongya Island, but that was not enough. He also sent people to suggest that the other party commit suicide. When the other party was unwilling to commit suicide, he sent people to pretend that the other party committed suicide.]

[Fortunately, Fan Tao has a student. The first thing he did after becoming an official was to secretly collect evidence of Bai Shijun's crimes. It is estimated that he will be able to report him for murdering the exiled official in a while.]

The Imperial Censors: "!!!"

Good news comes from the sky!

You can increase your performance again!

If their censors don't come forward to impeach the secret murder of exiled officials, who else will?

Look, if you follow Xiao Bai Ze closely, opportunities will come! If you accumulate good performance, you can get promoted!

Envoy Bai only felt a gust of cold wind blowing on his face, and his teeth began to chatter.

[Eh?] Xu ​​Yanmiao cautiously poked his head in: [Is there a mouse?]

——Yes, Envoy Bai happened to be sitting at the same table with him.

Lian Hang looked at Bai Tongzheng's choked expression and stopped trembling with pity, poured a glass of water from the kettle for his good friend who was obviously thirsty, and received a grateful smile from his good friend.

Lian Hang also laughed and whispered, "Don't drink too much, otherwise it will be troublesome when you want to go to the toilet later."

He also felt from the bottom of his heart that he was really kind, and he helped Bai Tongzheng to divert Xu Yanmiao's thoughts, so that he would not be choked to death before paying for Fan Tao's life.

——After all, death is the greatest thing.

＊

Xu Yanmiao took a small sip of water and went back to staring at the retired officials.

Beijing officials: Wuuwuwuwuwuwuwu——

Crying with joy.jpg

Retired officials who noticed the situation here: "..."

We are the ones who are going to lose our lives, why are you laughing? Why are you pretending to cry?

That's a bit rude!

"Your Majesty!!!" Suddenly someone howled, "The reason why I dared to embezzle public land is because someone in the court opened the door for me!"

The officials in Beijing felt their legs go weak and they almost fell to their knees again.

who!

Who wants to harm them!

Xiao Baize let them go, so who is the bastard who plotted to murder an official of the imperial court?

After a careful look, I found that the person who spoke was a retired official - the one who was complained by Xiao Bai Ze that he was dressed brighter than a pheasant.

Looking again, the other party was also looking at them angrily, and his obvious mentality was: Since you are gloating over other people's misfortune, don't blame me for being destroyed along with you.

The officials in Beijing were speechless and just wanted to hold up a sign with the word "Injustice" written in capital letters on it.

The old emperor was delighted: "Then tell me, who is it?"

Brother Jinji opened his mouth and said, "Su Zhen, he used to be the deputy governor of Shaanxi, and now he is the deputy governor of the Right Army Governor's Office."

[Wrong, wrong! Just a year ago, because of his meritorious service in the war against the Japanese with the Marquis of Yongchang, he was promoted to the deputy governor of the rear military governor's office! A first-rank official!]

The old emperor glanced at the golden pheasant brother and said: "Wrong."

Brother Jinji was stunned: "What?"

The old emperor patiently corrected him: "Now Su Qing is already the deputy governor, and it has been a year since he was promoted."

Brother Jinji said calmly: "Your Majesty, please forgive me. In order to avoid being discovered that Su Tongzhi turned a blind eye to my taking public land in Shaanxi when he was the deputy governor of Shaanxi, I deliberately did not pay attention to Su Tongzhi's news for a long time, which led to this joke. But it was indeed Su Tongzhi who protected me..."

[Eh? That's not the case.] Xu Yanmiao pondered and suddenly realized: [I understand, this is just dragging people into the water, just biting them casually, right?]

The old emperor looked calm and even seemed to appreciate Brother Jinji's reaction.

——Of course, appreciation does not prevent him from taking action.

Although this person doesn't know who is clean and who is not in the court, he can frame someone and confuse the issue at this moment. Maybe he can use the fact that there are many people involved to make the emperor hesitate.

It's quite quick-witted.

It's a pity that he didn't know about Xu Yanmiao's existence.

Su Tongzhi looked at Xu Yanmiao with gratitude.

Although he did not do this, there are cases of injustice in history. If His Majesty is too angry or only wants to use this matter to intimidate others, he may not carefully check whether he did this.

Fortunately, fortunately, there is Xiao Baize!

[It shouldn't be effective to accuse someone of something that is not true, right? It seems that the old emperor is determined to clean up the bureaucracy, so he should investigate everything thoroughly? ]

[Instead of picking on this, it would be better to attack Su Tongzhi for his extravagant lifestyle, where he even spared the dead. His family cemetery has nine graves for four generations, and whenever he was short of money, he would dig one. There is so much gold! ]

"..."

Su Tongzhi looked at Xu Yanmiao sadly.

Xu Lang, can't you make people happy for a little longer?

Colleagues looked at Su Tongzhi in surprise.

Did he put a lot of gold as burial objects? Were his ancestors so rich?

【Wow!】

[Because his grandfather's generation was relatively wealthy, and he himself loved gold, he renovated the family graves, dug up the bodies, and used gold to replace the missing or rotten parts of the organs. He gave his father two golden eyes and a golden arm, and even replaced the gap of the front tooth of his six-year-old daughter who died before she died with a golden tooth.]

[So when others are short of money, they kneel down and pray to their ancestors for blessings, but when he is short of money, he melts down his ancestors at random? ]

[How should I put it? It is better to rely on yourself than on others...? ]

Colleagues: (⊙o⊙)

Is there such an operation?!

The author has something to say:

Killing exiled officials, reference:

Dun and Cai Bian were about to put him to death, so they sent an envoy to an island to kill Chen Yan, and then they mocked the envoy for passing by Anshi, forcing the envoy to commit suicide. They also promoted a local tyrant to be the judge of transportation and ordered him to be killed.

——"History of Song Dynasty"

[Translation: Zhang Dun wanted to kill Liu Anshi, who had been exiled, so he sent an envoy to suggest that Liu Anshi commit suicide. He also promoted a local tyrant to be the judge of transportation and asked him to kill Liu Anshi.]

(Purely personal translation, not comprehensive. The original text has been posted above the translation.)

＊

Golden Eye Reference:

The Empress Dowager came to the funeral and cried, "Yang Lang was loyal but was convicted." She gave the imperial gold a look and was close to the inner circle.

——"Zizhi Tongjian"

[Translation: The Empress Dowager personally mourned Yang Yin and cried, "Yang Lang was loyal and devoted, but he was considered guilty!" She made an eye out of the gold from the imperial treasury and personally put it into Yang Yin's eye socket]

(Translation from the Internet, the original text has been posted above the translation.)

＊

Chapter 157 Tiantong Candy Crush (Part 7)

[Speaking of which, the crime of grave digging is equivalent to intentional homicide in the law. Even during a general amnesty, people who maliciously destroy other people's graves will not be pardoned.]

[What if the grave you dug is your own? ]

Xu Lang was confused.

However, many people who were familiar with the law had subconsciously recited to themselves: Any descendants who, due to poverty or believing in the words of witches and sorcerers, dig up their ancestors' tombs, steal their property, or sell their burial sites will be punished according to the severity of their crimes.

In other words, even if you dig up your own family's grave, it is a "great evil" crime.

But the good news is that digging up one's own ancestral graves can be pardoned under a general amnesty, with the sentence reduced from beheading to tattooing and the person being able to move to a distant place to settle and farm.

The official sitting next to Su Tongzhi sincerely comforted him: "Would you like to eat well? His Majesty should not mind you eating in the presence of others."

——After all, this might be the last good meal. The food in the prison is not delicious.

Then I saw Su Tongzhi looking confused: "What should I eat?"

The official looked at him twice, touched his chin, and said firmly: "You have already thought about how to get out after being exposed." He was curious again: "What can you do?"

This matter can be criticized as unfilial no matter how high or low it is - in officialdom, once the label of unfilial is stamped on you, it will be difficult to turn things around.

Our Great Xia has its own national conditions, and we rule the world with filial piety!

"Why didn't my ancestors have such foresight?" the old emperor muttered in a low voice in the main seat.

He would never treat the corpses of his ancestors with malice. He would take the gold first, and then make a new one for them when he got rich!

Su Tongzhi smiled at the kind official, and whispered to the Jinyiwei standing next to him to bring paper and pen. When the things were in place, he buried his head in writing on the table.

The kind-hearted official muttered to himself: Hmm? Is he planning to surrender? This is indeed a way to deal with it, but it is not very subtle.

Then he looked over and said, "..."

The expression gradually changed from dazed to wide-eyed to slightly open mouth.

There was a story written on the paper, and the protagonist was of course Su Tongzhi himself.

It describes in detail the war that year. In order to support his elderly mother, Su Tongzhi decided to bury his son to serve his mother. The ancestor was deeply moved by his filial piety and appeared in his dream at midnight, telling this filial son to open his own grave. Su Tongzhi opened the grave and found that the ancestor's bones had turned into a golden body. As a filial son, Su Tongzhi would certainly not touch the ancestor's bones. He buried it back immediately. So, that night, the ancestor came again and expressed his satisfaction with Su Tongzhi in his dream. At the same time, he scolded Su Tongzhi, asking if he didn't take the ancestor's golden body, did he want to starve his mother to death and bury his son alive? Su Tongzhi had no choice but to melt the ancestor's body with tears in his eyes - such a filial piety moved the heaven and was a moving story.

Well-meaning official: "..."

Is it outrageous?

Outrageous.

Is it fake?

Fake at first glance.

But there are many stories of filial piety like this one in Daxia. There are even more exaggerated ones than this one - for example, someone was filial to his parents but lacked money, and the gods came on clouds and rewarded the filial son with gold so that he could serve his parents well.

For example, someone's father drowned, and he cried for three days by the river, feeling grief-stricken, and then jumped into the water and died. Then the Dragon King in the water was moved by his filial piety and sent him back to life.

There are stories like weeping at the tomb when hearing thunder, crying to the bamboo to make bamboo shoots grow, lying on the ice to catch carp, strangling a tiger to save his father... Anyway, as long as you dare to make up a story and can successfully spread it, you will become famous for your filial piety and the court will also reward you.

——Loyal ministers and filial sons. Loyalty and filial piety usually appear together. The court promotes and encourages filial piety, which is actually indirectly encouraging people to be loyal to the court in order to consolidate its own rule.

In short, as long as Your Majesty does not insist on punishing Su Tongzhi, after the story of burying his son to serve his mother comes out, Your Majesty will have a way out and can reasonably not pursue the matter of insulting the corpses of his ancestors.

The kind-hearted official was stunned for a moment, and said sincerely: "You are truly a filial son and a good grandson."

Su Tongzhi continued to write furiously, trying his best to write the story of Su Da, a filial son, vividly, waiting to spread it to the world after he got out.

——By the way, the ancestral tomb was secretly moved to prevent it from being broken into by other tomb robbers.

＊

Brother Jinji didn't know that he had failed to bite Su Tongzhi.

He started to bite the second one: "Besides, I have so much grain in stock, I have to find a way to sell it. Su Tongzhi issued a pass for my grain sales team, which made it very convenient. At that time, all the governors of Shaanxi Province participated!"

"There is Xuan Xuan, the former Qingzhou prefect!"

[It's fake. He didn't do it.]

The Jinyiwei wrote it down and circled the name.

"There is the prefect of Pingliang, Gao Jujing."

[Fake, I didn't do this.]

The Jinyiwei wrote it down and circled the name.

"And there is Song Zhao, the prefect of Fengxiang."

【This! This is real! 】

The Jinyiwei quickly wrote it down and happily put a red tick behind his own performance record.

"And the Censor Wu Zhenshu."

[Really! This is also true! ]

The Censor was the one who served as Supervisor before Brother Jinji retired. Wu Zhenshu, who is now the Prefect of Jingzhao and the Prince's Guest, felt like he was struck by lightning.

Facing the strange looks from his colleagues, he racked his brain frantically, trying to exonerate himself.

"It's just tacitly allowing the other party to occupy public land. It's not a big problem. If we manage it well, it will be dereliction of duty at most..."

[Tsk, what a scumbag. He quarreled with his wife and kicked her who was eight months pregnant, causing her to have a miscarriage. This scumbag deserves death.]

[Fortunately, fortunately, although I am not sure whether I will survive or not, I am lucky and no one is hurt. ]

My colleagues looked at me even more strangely.

Wu Zhenshu hugged his arms with a natural expression.

——Isn't it just beating his wife? If an official doesn't care about personal ethics, at most he will be the subject of gossip for three to five months.

It's a pity. The doctor said it seems to be a boy.

[However, the old emperor actually trusted him to be the prince's guest? To teach him etiquette and correct his mistakes? What? To teach him to kick the princess and cause her to miscarry?]

Wu Zhenshu's face suddenly became gloomy.

He subconsciously looked at the old emperor, and indeed saw that His Majesty was looking at him with a frown, as if he was sizing up and thinking about something.

In fact, the old emperor was just thinking: How could the prince's thing affect his etiquette? Does he have etiquette?

But Wu Zhenshu didn't know, he just felt a pang in his heart.

Could it be...don't!

The old emperor glanced at him and was too lazy to waste time, so he interrupted Brother Jinji: "Wu Zhenshu? Are you telling the truth?"

Brother Jinji's eyes lit up, and he said directly: "Your Majesty! Everything I said is the truth!"

The old emperor snorted, but did not expose him. He just took this opportunity to cut the Gordian knot: "Issue an order - strip Wu Zhenshu of his title of Jingzhao Yin and guest of the crown prince!"

Wu Zhenshu: "Your Majesty!!!" As he shouted reflexively, the three layers of traces of time on his stomach shook three times.

However, this man, who was once known to have great connections, did not dare to say the next words after meeting the old emperor's calm gaze. He knelt down tremblingly, his knees cracking.

"and."

The old emperor's dark pupils still reflected the festive red door of the prime minister's residence, and the iron lock on the door was shining coldly.

"Because he protected the gentry from embezzling public land while in office, he should be executed! At the gate!"

Prime Minister Dou: "?!"

etc--

That's my door.

[Eh? Did you miss the words "Wu Men" on the door? ]

Xu Yanmiao was looking at a loss, and Liang Rui beside him was quick to cover his ears.

Xu Lang: "Eh?"

Wu Zhenshu, who was lying limp on the ground, was dragged out by the Jinyiwei. With a sharp move of their swords, the two stone lions beside the iron gate of the Prime Minister's Mansion opened their mouths wide to the sky, and blood spurted from the human neck and splashed directly into the lions' mouths.

But the Jinyiwei were not professional executioners, so there would always be some mistakes when they cut. So...

"ah--"

Wu Zhenshu's screams made people shudder and goose bumps spread from their necks to their ears.

Liang Youwen estimated that the man was chopped twice before he died, and looked at his father with resentment: Dad! You are really a father, you don't care about your own son, but you care about other people's sons!

——He didn't even react to what happened and didn't even have time to cover his ears.

Liang Rui calmly withdrew his hand, and when he saw his son's gaze, he put on a serious face and said, "You are over 30 years old, and you have no experience. You don't even know there is a scream. You don't know how to cover someone's ears when you see me."

Liang Youwen's eyes drifted away and he lowered his head silently.

When Xu Yanmiao was quietly thanking Liang Rui, the door opened again and the Jinyiwei came in with bright moonlight, illuminating the bloody footprints behind them.

"Your Majesty, the criminal has been executed."

The old emperor nodded and turned to look at Brother Jinji, only to find that the other's face had changed and turned pale.

Inevitably bad taste:

What did this person think? Did he think that I had not made any move on the previous few people, and only this one was taken out and beheaded? Did he think that I had already found out who the real harbouring person was, and was just sitting back and watching him make a fuss?

Do you still think that I knew nothing but chose to shield Su Zhen, who was also a Beijing official, so you would stand up for Su Zhen and kill him to silence him?

He held the skinning knife between his two fingers and flicked it. Amid the sound of the knife, he smiled at Brother Jinji and asked, "Anything else?"

Brother Golden Pheasant took a breath and didn't speak for a long time.

However, the officials in Beijing did not feel that they could take a breath. They pitifully and skillfully glanced at Xu Yanmiao from the corner of their eyes, fearing that the other party would suddenly say: Yes, yes! I know!

＊

In a place where no one was paying attention, Diwu Ang knelt calmly on the spot, but silently made his presence less noticeable.

He is not asking for a reversal now, he just hopes that the situation will not get worse.

Then he received a test from Xu Jingxing, the retired magistrate of Changshu County, who was also a retired official: "Fifth Scholar, you have been an official for many years, so I think you must have a lot of leverage over people, right?"

Diwu Ang had no expression on his face: "What do you want to do?"

Xu Jingxing was about to speak when Diwu Ang interrupted him again: "Whatever you want to do, don't drag me into it."

Xu Jingxing didn't get angry. He straightened his clothes and said politely, "Is the Fifth Scholar willing to die like this? It doesn't matter if you die, and it doesn't matter if your entire clan is buried with you, but your son hasn't enjoyed enough, has he?"

Diwu Ang's expression changed visibly.

Xu Jingxing: "I heard that your son likes to eat wild duck rice shipped from Yangzhou, and he always chooses ribs for meat, stews the oxtail for beef, and gets angry if there is even a hair on the pig's feet. He is so particular about food and drink, I guess he doesn't want to leave this wonderful world?"

This time, Diwu Ang swallowed back the refusal that was about to come out of his mouth. He remained silent, so Xu Jingxing lowered his voice and said to himself: "Your Majesty is indeed very courageous, but what if the number of people involved is more than tens of thousands, and if it exceeds 100,000? The law does not punish the masses, can he still kill them all?"

The author has something to say:

On digging your own grave:

Those who, due to poverty or believing in the words of witches and sorcerers, dig up their ancestors' graves, steal their property, or sell their graves will be punished according to the severity of their crimes.

——History of Yuan Dynasty

＊

By the way, there are exceptions to everything. The exception to the death penalty for tomb robbers is robbing the tombs of corrupt officials, treacherous officials, and evil people ()

Yes, for example, when Qin Hui's tomb was dug up during the Ming Dynasty, the tomb robbers were caught and given lenient punishments.

＊

Chapter 158 Tiantong Candy Crush (Part 8)

Ninety-nine percent of people will feel that "it won't happen, it really won't happen" until the situation really develops to a certain point.

In the eyes of most people, killing tens of thousands of people was the limit for the emperor. If more were to happen, wouldn't there be rivers of blood?

So Diwu Ang and Xu Jingxing looked at each other and attacked fiercely.

Xu Jingxing spoke first, and before he spoke he glanced at Diwu Ang, indicating that he did not want to squat behind him and send him to death.

"Your Majesty, I once served as a deputy county magistrate in Shaanxi."

The old emperor looked at this man who was like a mouse seeing a cat, his hands were still shaking, and when he stood in front of him, he still pretended to be passionate. He simply gave him a chance: "You say."

Facing the sharp gaze, Xu Jingxing's heart sank, he gritted his teeth and risked his life: "In order to supply the troops stationed in the Hexi Corridor with food, the court allowed merchants to buy rice and transport it to Ganzhou. The court paid the price of rice and the transportation fee. Your Majesty, some people will use this to defraud the court of money."

The old emperor sneered, not surprised at all: "Who?"

Xu Jingxing: "Officials in various counties and cities in Shaanxi can do it, and I can do it too! There are also people in the palace of the king and the palace of the prince consort! And there are also officials in the central court..."

Old Emperor: "..."

[Wow!] Xu Yanmiao exclaimed: [No wonder he jumped out, stealing... or cheating? Anyway, he took the old emperor's money, he was afraid of being discovered.]

Diwu Ang suddenly asked, "Your Majesty, do you know why so many people failed the Tongsheng exam?"

Fifth Ang: "Nothing else, just money."

Fifth Ang: "The boy does not need to memorize the Four Books and Five Classics. He only needs to memorize a few Chengwen articles with a total of 200 to 300 words, and he will be admitted."

Diwu Ang: "As long as the rich and powerful pay money, the first place in the case can be chosen."

Just these two people and just these few words pushed this prime minister's fishing game to a height that even Prime Minister Dou could not have expected.

One is that it hit the money that the old emperor cared about most.

One is to point directly to the root of the imperial examination.

The Minister of Rites had some sweat on his forehead: "Crazy... All crazy..."

Are they afraid that there won't be enough people to be buried with him?

There is no wind or rain today, and the sky is full of moonlight.

The old emperor looked at the two men, his expression and tone very calm: "I understand. Speak one by one - Xu Jingxing, you first."

Diwu Ang bowed and stepped aside.

Xu Jingxing cleared his throat: "The imperial court has set up a whole anti-fraud line for this grain transportation..."

The old emperor waved his hand and said, "I know this better than you do. Just tell me how you cheated me."

Xu Jingxing said, "When merchants transport grain across the Yellow River, officials inspect it at the ferry. After the inspection, they seal it into bags, mark the weight of the bag on the seal, and issue a certificate to the merchant."

Xu Jingxing: "Then, the officials would cut off the seals again, use sheepskin rafts to smuggle the rice back to the other side of the Yellow River, and then cross the river again, repeatedly deceiving the seals and the inspection permits. They would cross the river as many times as they wanted, and finally take the empty bags to the Ganzhou warehouse, and report the rice price and freight with the seals and the inspection permits."

Xu Yanmiao concluded: [In other words, even if they didn't provide food, they could still get some benefits from the imperial court.]

[There are also businessmen... I guess besides real businessmen, there are also people pretending to be businessmen. ]

[This is military rations! ]

[Someone secretly stole the military rations before and was chopped off... Oh! The adopted son of Marquis Yongchang! ]

Yongchang Hou, who had been pretending to be a wooden man sitting in his seat and not jumping around, looked at Xu Yanmiao with some despair, wailing in his heart:

"Can you please let me go? I know I was wrong! I will never take in so many adopted sons again! Let's talk about it. Can we not bring this up anymore?"

"Even if you want to mention it, can you please not mention him as the adopted son of Marquis Yongchang all the time? Just mention his name directly! There's no need to mention ours every time!"

"You don't know his name? I'll tell you! His full name, I'll even tell you when he's playing house and calls himself the invincible general of the universe!"

Under the sympathetic gazes of the crowd, Marquis Yongchang tried hard to squeeze his brown bear-like height into the chair.

The old emperor was too lazy to pay attention to the Marquis of Yongchang. He sat down behind the table and propped up his chin with both hands: "Tell me, who are they?"

Xu Jingxing poured out all the information like beans in a bamboo tube - he really knew all about this, because he was the alternate magistrate of Xi'an, Ganzhou!

The old emperor had only one word for this: "Investigate!"

The commander of the Embroidered Uniform Guard held the booklet and wrote down the names one by one. If Xu Yanmiao mentioned in his mind whether any of them had done something, he would circle or cross out those names.

After asking this, the old emperor looked at Diwu Ang again: "What's going on with this boy's test?"

Diwu Ang had already prepared a draft in his mind: "Your Majesty, do you remember the eight-part essay?"

The old emperor said "hmm" faintly.

That was in the middle and late period of the previous dynasty. It has been a thousand years since the imperial examination was first established. The system has evolved from a crude system to a mature one, and the upward channel has indeed been completely opened up, but the questions that should be asked in the imperial examination have also been almost exhausted.

——The Four Books and Five Classics contain only so much content that it can be said that every word in them has been tested repeatedly over the past thousand years.

In this situation, in order to win the examiner's favor when answering questions, candidates' quotations tend to be original and unconventional.

From history books to the Six Philosophers, from Buddhist scriptures to Taoist canons, and then taking a more radical approach, you can simply make up a famous quote and say it was said by someone... Of course, this is only limited to people who read a lot on a daily basis. Most people only read the Four Books and Five Classics from childhood to adulthood, and don't read anything else because "it won't be tested in the exams."

In the middle and late period of the previous dynasty, the imperial examination families had already summed up a set of study plans:

Before entering school at the age of eight, read "Xingli Zixun". After the age of eight: first read "Xiaoxue", then "Daxue", then "Analects of Confucius", "Mencius", "Doctrine of the Mean", "Book of Filial Piety", followed by "Yi", "Shu", "Shi", "Yili", "Liji", "Zhouli", "Spring and Autumn Annals" and "Three Commentaries"; after the age of fifteen, read "Four Books Annotations", "Analects Annotations", "Mencius Annotations" and so on.

As long as you learn and memorize these from childhood to adulthood, you basically don't have to be afraid of exams.

——Except for poor students.

But this kind of examination has a very serious consequence...

Diwu Ang: "Eight-legged essays were popular in the previous dynasties since Emperor Wen. Candidates did not know the 'Three Tongs' and did not read the 'Four Histories', so they did not even know which dynasty the Liang Zu and Chu Zong were from."

——In a parallel world, most candidates do not know the founder of the Han Dynasty and the founder of the Tang Dynasty.

Xu Yanmiao: [Oh! I see. "We won't take this part of the exam. We'll skip it."]

Fifth Ang: "Moreover, when writing articles, you must use classics and idioms. Classics must be uncommon, and idioms must be...If you can use uncommon words, then don't use common words. If you can use ancient words, don't use vulgar words. If you can use pigs and boars, never use boars and sows."

Xu Yanmiao: [Yes! I understand. "When writing English essays, try to use advanced vocabulary and long and difficult sentences."]

As he spoke, Diwu Ang wrote a line of words: 蠖略蕤遂，漓虖幓纚。

The old emperor: "What do you mean?"

The fifth Ang: "Boasting about the emperor's dragon-riding chariot and the beauty of its decorations."

Xu Yanmiao: [Implication that the emperor was born into a peasant family and doesn't know rare characters?]

Old Emperor: "..."

Gao Tiezhu made a deadpan assessment: "Bullshit."

[Yes, yes!] There is also an uneducated person here who is waving the flag and shouting wildly: [Can't you make it simpler and easier to understand, so that even an old farmer can understand it! What are you showing off!]

Gao Tiezhu nodded frantically in his heart.

A group of senior officials who had worked their way up from the bottom with Gao Tiezhu were also nodding frantically in their hearts.

God knows how awkward it was when they were fighting for the throne and faced with the declaration of war from the Xiangyang bandits, trying to translate the meaning of "鬯、爨、鱻、麤、鑿、篪、黼、巇、袠、囮、茝..." word by word.

Even if you ask educated people, many of them read haltingly and do not recognize many characters.

[Fortunately, I was an examiner in the imperial examination this time. When I looked at the papers, I didn't seem to see any uncommon characters. Otherwise, I would be embarrassed.]

The prime minister and the six ministers looked at each other and smiled.

The old emperor coughed, twirled his beard, and said smugly: "Why is there no such situation in our dynasty?"

Diwu Ang could tell at a glance that His Majesty wanted him to sing praises... The key point was that it was really the credit of this group of peasants to put things right and clear out the popular trend of obscure literary styles.

"Of course it's because of your Majesty, the Prime Minister, and the ministers..."

Fifth Ang: "Prohibit eight-part essays, prohibit scholars from showing off their literary talent in memorials, and never accept those who use awkward words in the imperial examinations."

How simple does it have to be? In the fifth year of Tiantong, when Daxia held its first imperial examination, the prime minister personally supervised the examination. At that time, a candidate wrote at the beginning "Heaven and earth squeeze, all things thrive, and saints emerge", which was directly criticized for using strange and awkward words and was eliminated.

Not only did the old emperor not stop it, he also commented: "When you learn to write 'The world was first divided, all things grew, and the saint was born', then you can take the imperial examination again."

This is the standard for wording used in Daxia's officialdom today. Anyone who goes deeper than this will be impeached.

——Of course, this also makes it easier for people to understand policies.

--By the way, three years later that candidate came again. He even changed his name from "Liu Yu" to "Liu Yu". His writing style and words were also very simple. This time he passed the exam and won the top spot.

When Diwu Ang used the example of the imperial examination in the fifth year of Tiantong, the old emperor said, "Oh?" "You are very knowledgeable and can still remember such a long-ago event."

Diwu Ang smiled and accepted the compliment.

However, the divine beast was already revealing his true colors.

【Hahahahahahaha! 】

[Because he was admitted through that exam! ]

[After hearing about Liu Yu's story, he wrote down his essay overnight, repeatedly pondering it, looking for words or sentences that seemed strange and unfamiliar. He couldn't sleep well for a few days, and resolutely decided not to take the palace examination. He took the official position and went to Lishui County to serve as the magistrate.]

[Fortunately, the country was founded not long ago, and the official position was vacant, so the official could be directly appointed. 】

【......Eh?】

Xu Yanmiao thought thoughtfully: [Come to think of it, it seems that it is always like this. When a position in the officialdom is vacant, the imperial examination candidates are thrown in to serve as officials. So...if too many officials are killed, then we can do the same, right?]

[If there are not enough candidates in the first term, can we have an additional examination? ]

[So... the old emperor is not afraid of killing too many people?! ]

The old emperor chuckled.

if not?

Moreover, it is possible to not kill them first, but keep some officials working in their positions with shackles until the next batch is trained.

As for whether these officials will cause trouble? You don't want your wife and children to... well, that kind of thing, right?

【hiss--】

【Let's just stay here for a while! 】

Old Emperor: "???"

Seeing Xu Yanmiao leaning over the table again, making the familiar gesture of crossing his arms and burying his face under his arms, he could no longer bear it -

"Xu Yanmiao! Come here!"

What are you afraid of? You are a favorite! Show your arrogance!

The author has something to say:

Refer to Zhu Yuanzhang for working with shackles. By the way, I also wrote about working with shackles in a previous plot√

The situation of eight-part essays refers to the late Ming Dynasty. In fact, there were knowledgeable people who wanted to improve it at that time, but the situation at the end of the Ming Dynasty... became more and more abnormal. The more it was done, the more people at that time praised the Qin and Han dynasties (referring to writing and literature. On the contrary, the Eight Great Masters of Tang and Song dynasties were basically not read because their writing was very simple. In addition, in "The Scholars", it is written that Fan Jin did not know Su Shi, and Mr. Ma Er did not know Li Qingzhao. This basically shows the atmosphere of the candidates at that time)

＊

The ferrymen with the Kanhe issued by Gansu Province inspected the grains that the merchants carried across the river. If they passed the inspection, they were packed into bags with seals sewn on the mouth of the bags, indicating the weight of the rice samples, and issued Kanhe (voucher). After the merchants transported the grains to the Ganzhou warehouse, they compared them with the Kanhe. After checking that the seals were correct, they were paid the price of the rice and the freight.

...

In the Yuan Dynasty, there was serious fraud in the Kanhe system for paying grain in Lanzhou Bipu Ferry. The officials and soldiers guarding the ferry colluded with the profiteers and sailors to cut off the seals on the bags of rice that had been inspected and accepted, and smuggled the rice across the river again on sheepskin rafts. They repeatedly cheated the seals and Kanhe, and took the empty bags to Ganzhou to collect rice from the grain warehouse to pay high freight. Some even directly bribed the Kanhe seals to defraud the freight. These behaviors seriously affected and undermined the Yuan government's plan to pay military grain, and were severely punished by law. But on the other hand, it also reflects the scene of Lanzhou City in the Yuan Dynasty, where merchants gathered, goods were abundant, and transportation was busy.

——"Collection of Papers in Commemoration of the Centennial Anniversary of the Birth of Professor Chen Shouzhong"

＊

At the beginning of the Tang Dynasty, the style of writing was elegant and the scholars tended to be superficial. At the beginning of the Song Dynasty, the style of writing was thorny and the people were cunning. At the beginning of the country, some people used the Six Classics in the examinations. Later, they quoted Zuo Zhuan and Guoyu, and then Shiji and Hanshu. Shiji was exhausted and the Six Schools of Thought were used. When the Six Schools of Thought were exhausted, the Hundred Schools of Thought were used. Even Buddhist scriptures and Daozang were used. The bad habits were eliminated. In the Hongzhi, Zhengde and early Jiajing years, Chinese writing was pure and elegant. It is advisable to select the best ones and publish them in the school so that people can know the trend.

——History of Ming Dynasty

＊

Imperial family:

Before entering school at the age of eight: Read Cheng Fengyuan's expanded version of Xingli Zixun. Read three to five paragraphs of Zixun every day.

After entering school at the age of eight: read the main text of "Elementary School Books". Read only one book a day, from childhood to adulthood.

As your strength and ability grow, you can gradually increase the number of words from 100 to 200 to 600 to 700. As time goes by, you can reach nearly 1,000 words. Each large paragraph must be divided into small sections. Each small section must be read a hundred times. Read it twice a hundred times. Read it twice twenty to thirty times. If you work hard like this, you will never forget it.

Elementary schools should not require students to write poems and couplets every day, which is a waste of energy. The current secular education does not allow students to read and memorize the nine classics before the age of fifteen, all because of this drawback.

Just remember to finish reading "The Great Learning", then "The Analects of Confucius", then "Mencius", and then "The Doctrine of the Mean".

From the age of fifteen, when one is determined to study, one should set high aspirations. To study the Dao is one's aspiration. To be a saint is one's aspiration. If one has not been able to work properly before the age of fifteen, one should start from this age. One should read the chapters and sentences of the university or ask questions, and also supplement the elementary school books.

Since the age of fifteen, I have read the Four Books, the Commentaries on the Classics, and the Books on Nature and Principle.

——《Reading Schedule by Year》

[Translation: Before entering school at the age of eight, read "Xingli Zixun". Recite three to five paragraphs of "Xingli Zixun" every day.

After entering school at the age of eight, read the main text of "Elementary School". You can only read one book a day, and this should be the case from childhood to adulthood. As your intelligence grows, you can gradually increase the amount of words you recite from 100 to 200 to 600 to 700 words a day. As you grow older, you can increase the amount of words you learn to 1,000. For large paragraphs, you should divide them into small paragraphs. Each small paragraph must be read more than 100 times, recited 100 times, and then recited the entire paragraph 20 to 30 times. If you work hard like this, you will never forget the knowledge you have learned.

Children should not be asked to write poems and couplets every day when they are studying, which is a waste of time. The current teaching method is that children cannot recite the text of the Nine Classics before the age of 15, but only recite poems and compose essays every day. This is the drawback.

Just remember that after finishing "The Great Learning", you should study "The Analects of Confucius", then "Mencius", and then "The Doctrine of the Mean".

Starting from the age of 15, we should pay special attention to setting goals. When studying, we should aim to understand the truth, and when being a person, we should aim to become a saint. Some people did not follow the correct steps to study step by step before the age of 15. From now on, they can directly study "The Great Learning". But at the same time, they need to make up for the "Elementary School" course.

started reading the Four Books at the age of 15, including the Commentaries on the Classics, Questions and Answers, and the Commentaries on the Classics.

＊

Finished the elementary school book.

Next, read the main text of "The Great Learning".

Read books, review books, tell stories, practice calligraphy, and perform essays, as before.

Read the main text of "The Analects" again.

Read the main text of "Mencius" next.

Next, read the main text of "The Doctrine of the Mean".

Next I read "Errors in the Book of Filial Piety".

Reading, reviewing books, telling stories, practicing calligraphy, and performing essays are all the same as before.

Read the main text of "Yi" next.

The correct interpretation of the Six Classics is based on the punctuation of Chengzi, Zhuzi, Hu and Cai, with reference to Liao's and ancient annotations, Lu's "Yin Yi", Jia's "Yin Bian" and Mou's "Yin Kao".

Read books, review books, tell stories, practice calligraphy, and perform essays, as before.

Read the main text of the Book again.

Next, read the main text of the Book of Songs.

Next, read the main text of "Yili" and "Liji".

Next, read the main text of "Zhou Li".

Next, read the main text of "Spring and Autumn Annals" and "Three Commentaries".

If one starts at the age of eight and spends about six to seven years of hard work, one can finish the main texts of "Elementary School Books" and "Four Books" before the age of fifteen.

From the age of fifteen, when one is determined to study, one should set high aspirations. One should set aspirations for learning the Dao and for being a saint. From this point on, one should read the Four Books according to Zhu Xi's method. If one has not been able to work properly before the age of fifteen, one should start from this point on and read the Great Learning and Questions, and also supplement the Elementary School Books. Read the Great Learning and Questions, and

Finished reading "The Great Learning" and "Some Questions".

Next I read "Collected Commentaries on the Analects of Confucius".

Next I read "Collected Commentaries on Mencius".

Then I read "The Doctrine of the Mean" and "Or Questions".

Next, I copied and read those parts of "The Analects of Confucius or Questions" that are consistent with the "Collected Notes".

Next, I copied and read those parts of "Mencius' Questions" that were consistent with the "Collected Notes".

——《Reading Schedule by Year》

＊

Do you know what kind of articles are the "Three Communications" and "Four Histories"? Which emperors were Han Zu and Tang Zong? There are high-top lectures on the desk, and new weapons are bought in the store.

——"Suiyuan Poetry Talk"

＊

I used an incomprehensible article to deal with such an incomprehensible topic. I used all the difficult words for birds, beasts, fish, insects, plants and trees in the "Selected Works of Literature" and the absurd ancient Chinese texts in the "Kangxi Dictionary" to fill a long article without thinking about it.

...

No one could have imagined that my incomprehensible article would deceive the incomprehensible master and give me the first place.

——"Due to the blockage on Jinjiang, I don't know which of the five characters are problematic. You can look for the title yourself. "I" am Chen Yizhi Duxiu"

＊

The silkworm is slightly swaying, the silkworm is swaying

——"Ode to the Sweet Spring"

＊

Regarding whether high-ranking officials in ancient times knew rare characters:

When Emperor Shenzong of Song visited the Imperial College, hundreds of students tried their best to write articles praising the emperor's achievements and whitewashing the peace, hoping to win the emperor's favor. Zhou Bangyan carefully conceived and wrote an "Ode to Bian Capital" of more than 10,000 words, which was far superior to his peers in terms of gorgeous rhetoric and complex allusions. The most striking thing is that there are many ancient and rare characters in the text, so that when the right prime minister Li Qingchen was ordered to read aloud in the Erying Hall, he actually stuttered and could not read many words at all. Emperor Shenzong of Song was very surprised and soon promoted Zhou Bangyan to the position of Principal of the Imperial College.

——"A Review of the Dictionary of China's Most Beautiful Poems"

＊

Regarding the imperial examination essays, if they are not good enough, you should brush them off. For reference:

During the Jiayou period, the scholar Liu Ji liked to say strange and bizarre things, and scholars followed his example, which became a custom. Ouyang Gong was deeply worried about this. When he met the princess, he saw a candidate who wrote: "Heaven and earth collide, all things grow, and the saint emerges." Ouyang Gong said: "This must be Liu Ji." He jokingly added: "The scholar is scratched, and the examiner is brushing it." He then used a red pen to smear it from the beginning to the end, which was called red silk, and a large number of wrong words were written on it. It turned out to be Liu Ji.

——Collection of Anecdotes of the Song Dynasty

【Translation: When Ouyang Xiu was marking the examination papers, he saw one of them began with the words: "Heaven and earth are in turmoil, all things grow, and sages emerge." Yongshu snorted, "Isn't it just as simple as 'When heaven and earth were first separated, all things began to grow, and sages were born'? It must be Liu Ji's paper if it has to be written in a weird and awkward way." Then he followed the rhyme of the original text and added six words below: "Scholar, examiner, please reject me." It means that this scholar's writing is very eccentric and weird, and this examiner will reject you. 】

(Translation reference: A Song Dynasty Poem Talking about the Past and Present)

＊

Chapter 159 Tiantong Candy Crush (Part 9)

Xu Yanmiao's pupils trembled.

【Why did you call me? ! 】

[I didn't do anything! I absolutely abide by the law! ]

[Did someone frame me? Or did I do something I don't know about! ]

[You're not going to be beheaded, are you?! ]

Xu Yanmiao nervously simulated a little head theater, where a matchstick man with a big "Xu" written on his head was held down by a group of people. A little man representing the Jinyiwei read out his crimes loudly, and then, he took out a big knife from behind his butt.

Then, the tomatoes burst into juice!

[No! I have to save myself! ]

Xu Lang's eyes gradually became firm: [I haven't spent these few years in the officialdom in vain! ]

The old emperor blinked.

He actually wanted to ask someone to sit next to him to show off his honor and favor.

But now...

The emperor thought maliciously: Let him come and see what Xiao Baize is trying to do.

＊

The favored minister in everyone's eyes calmly walked up to the old emperor, saluted respectfully, and then said: "Your Majesty is so angry that he wants me to get out..." He smiled and said: "Could it be that you read the "Chicken In and Out Book" and disliked me for eating too much chicken when I went to Fujian to provide disaster relief?"

The "Chicken In and Out Book" was originally only available in Dunhuang, and was used to record the amount of chicken consumed by Dunhuang officials each year. Later, the old emperor expanded this book to the whole country, so that he could know how many chickens officials who were on diplomatic missions to various places usually ate.

Hearing Xu Yanmiao's words, the old emperor was stunned for a moment and subconsciously asked: "How many did you eat?"

The young man blushed: "Eleven."

"You ate eleven chickens in seven days?!" The old emperor's voice unconsciously became louder.

Xu Yanmiao tried to argue: "I'm not the only one eating this."

The old emperor felt distressed and said: "That's a lot! Almost two chickens a day... Even if they are specially raised for officials to eat, you can't eat so much!"

Xu Yanmiao: "The chickens in Fujian are so delicious. If the chickens are lean, the meat is tough, and if they are fat, the meat is tasteless. I heard that the chickens in Wuding are fat and tasty, so they sent people to Wuding to learn. The chickens they raise there are tastier than those from other places."

The old emperor laughed and said bluntly: "How many places have you eaten chicken? How can you be so arrogant?"

Xu Yanmiao said meekly and respectfully: "Your Majesty is right."

His inner voice was: [Anyway, I've eaten more than you! Changshu's beggar's chicken, Dezhou's braised chicken, Guangdong's salt-baked chicken, Hunan's Dong'an chicken, Sichuan's strange-flavored chicken, oh, and Shandong's fried chicken, I've eaten them all! ]

[You have only eaten beggar's chicken and salt-baked chicken! ]

The old emperor thought angrily: So what! I don't like eating chicken!

and!

Xu Yanmiao, you are blocking me in your heart again! If you have the guts, just say it to my face! Those who can criticize me to my face will be rewarded!

The old emperor said: "Xu Yanmiao, have you ever thought about how difficult it is to fatten a chicken? The chickens you eat up in one go may be the only fat chickens that people have raised for a long time out of ten chickens!"

Xu Yanmiao lowered his voice and said, "Just castrate him."

Old Emperor: "What?"

Xu Yanmiao: "If you castrate them, they will grow flesh faster."

The old emperor: "Can it be castrated? A rooster?"

Xu Yanmiao: "According to the miser in Fujian, both roosters and hens can be castrated, but hens require more skills, and this skill was only known by people in Wuding before."

The old emperor was overjoyed: "Let them teach it to the whole country! How can we keep such a skill that can make chickens grow meat hidden?"

The officials in Beijing were used to it, but the local officials and retired officials were all shocked, as if they had seen a dolphin leap out of the water, with sparkling water on its body, which was very eye-catching.

This... is this the treatment of a favorite minister?

At such a solemn moment, when the emperor, who had just killed someone, told him to get lost, he could still laugh and curse with the emperor and chat happily!

The blood on the stone lions at the door hasn't dried yet!

Beijing officials: "..."

Actually, the favorite minister who you all think is very courageous is now saying: [Done! I am worthy of being the one who can appease the old emperor with this! ]

[Although it seems to be different from what I imagined? ]

[I thought that after I told him about the chicken, the old emperor would ask me why I thought of the chicken, and I would say that I was just a little confused about this matter, and then the old emperor would suspect the informant and think that I was framed, and then I would be able to successfully escape danger! ]

The old emperor didn't know whether to laugh or cry: "Come here!"

Even so, I haven't worked in officialdom in vain!

Well, there is no need for him to engage in intrigue anyway, so it would be better if he could be less cunning.

Xu Yanmiao moved closer.

The old emperor dipped his fingertips in a little tea and wrote a few words on the table. Xu Yanmiao slightly widened his eyes.

The old emperor smiled and said, "Go ahead."

Xu Yanmiao bowed and said, "Yes."

After completing the ceremony, he turned around and left the house in full view of everyone.

This time, whether it was the officials from the capital, the local officials, or the retired officials, their hearts were beating faster.

His Majesty said at the time that no one could leave! Even the Prime Minister who started all this couldn't leave the house, but Xu Yanmiao could? !

This is too much of a favorite!

It's sour.

After Xu Yanmiao left, the old emperor's smile faded and he looked at Diwu Ang: "Continue."

The room was quiet and silent, a completely different atmosphere from when Xu Yanmiao was here.

Diwu Ang took a deep breath and continued, "Your Majesty, this dynasty has only been established for thirty-five years, and most of the county magistrates in the world today are those who studied eight-legged essays in their youth in the previous dynasty."

"Even if they could force themselves to change their writing style in order to become officials, they have become accustomed to the eight-part essay and are even more accustomed to the decadent atmosphere at the end of the previous dynasty."

"At that time, the boy's test was easy to pass. The rich had their rankings predetermined, and the poor memorized the essays, and all became scholars and had a bright future."

"Now that we are in the new dynasty, Your Majesty, do you think that after they become county magistrates, they will try to capture boys for tests?"

"Not to mention, at the beginning of the country, the number of candidates for the imperial examination was small, and most county magistrates were directly selected from the old officials in the county."

Is it really that easy to change the things we have been used to since we were young?

Anyway, it is not easy to catch examiners cheating in the Tongzi Test, and candidates still have to take interviews after handing in their papers, which leaves a lot of room for maneuver. So why go to so much trouble to maintain fairness and justice?

Moreover, even if you want to try to be fair and just, you see other county magistrates being promoted quickly because they have many talented scholars and outstanding political achievements under their jurisdiction, while you have several old students under your jurisdiction who have not passed the examination for fifty years, and others accuse you of not being good at governing. Can you still insist on being fair and just?

How can we just turn a blind eye to this?

Diwu Ang finished speaking and sighed: "It's really hard to maintain your innocence."

Emperor Tiantong suddenly asked: "Are you talking about yourself?"

Diwu Ang's face changed drastically.

The emperor looked at him coldly and changed the subject: "How many county magistrates are involved?"

After a brief silence, Diwu Ang said, "I don't know about other places, but in Henan, almost every county is like this."

＊

It was the middle of the night and there was not even a pedestrian on the street. It was very deserted.

Xu Yanmiao walked past in a hurry and had no time to be afraid.

What's more, he was accompanied by the Jinyiwei.

He rode back to the capital at full speed overnight - the Jinyiwei rode fast horses, while he continued to ride in a bamboo carriage. After the emperor personally granted the token to open the city gate, he directly knocked on the doors of all the princesses' mansions and arrested all the consorts.

When they learned that it was the emperor's order, none of the princesses resisted. The princes-in-law did not dare to say a word and got into the prison car obediently.

Afterwards, Xu Yanmiao knocked on the East Palace door and issued an order to the Crown Prince who was in charge of the regent: "His Majesty said that all officials should walk to the Prime Minister to get along. This includes His Highness."

——There are still many officials who are not qualified to receive the invitation to the Prime Minister's birthday party.

The prince's face became solemn, and he bowed to Xu Yanmiao, who represented the old emperor, and said, "I obey your order."

The place where the prime minister held his birthday banquet was 131 miles away from the capital. All the officials had to walk for at least a day and a night, but no one dared to complain.

They all sensed that a storm was coming.

the other side.

Diwu Ang, with some sincerity in his words, advised the emperor: "Your Majesty, if all those officials are killed, there will be chaos in the world."

"It is better to be patient and wait until the crown prince ascends the throne. The blood of the whole world will be replaced, and the situation of the boy's test will naturally improve slowly."

The old emperor said directly: "Okay, those who want to go to the toilet can go to the toilet, those who want to eat can eat, and wait for Xu Yanmiao to come back."

He actually ignored the fifth one.

The deputy commander of the central army let out a "wow", picked up the spittoon and rushed behind the screen with his buttocks tucked under him. Then, a loud noise like a waterfall falling three thousand feet and a foul smell wafted out.

other people:"......"

How do we eat?

Even the old emperor was stunned for a moment, then laughed and cursed: "Bad stuff!"

Why didn't you tell me you had diarrhea earlier? How could he not let me go to the toilet?

At this moment, Diwu Ang found that no one cared about him. His face turned red and he couldn't utter a word.

＊

After a day and a night, the officials, exhausted as hell, arrived at the Prime Minister's Mansion.

The entrance had been cleaned up, and the stone lions had been changed to different positions, making it seem as if nothing had happened. So, all the officials entered the Prime Minister's Mansion without any precautions.

Then, he was shocked by the knife stuck in the table and the blood in the middle of the lobby.

One official stammered, "Your Majesty, what happened?!"

The old emperor said: "Fa Fa Fa, there was an incident of a gentry embezzling public land. I just killed one of them at the gate of the Prime Minister's Mansion yesterday."

Many people's legs went weak on the spot and they were quickly supported and lifted up by the people next to them.

——You can't behave inappropriately in front of the emperor now!

One of the consorts said: "Your Majesty summoned us..."

"Oh, someone reported you for embezzling the imperial money."

The princes-in-law and the new officials: No! Who dares?!

The old emperor said: "Don't worry, I have a list, I will kill according to the list."

"!!!"

No! Who can guarantee that there are no false or wrongful convictions on the list? ! !

Xu Yanmiao was stunned for a moment when she walked in slowly from outside the door.

[Huh? Why are you all looking at me?! ]

[Everyone was looking at me, and I thought I was looking at the savior. ]

Isn't he the savior!!!

The newly arrived officials from the capital were glowing with excitement and looked at Xu Yanmiao.

Xu Lang! Help!

The old emperor patted the chair beside him and said, "Xu Yanmiao, come and sit down."

Enough of a favorite minister!

Xu Yanmiao understood.

[I know that by making me the most unique one at this time, it is clear that he wants me to be a loyal and solitary minister! It seems that the old emperor may have something to entrust to me in the future! ]

[The speculation is reasonable! ]

The old emperor pushed the man to his seat expressionlessly, and then stuffed a large lantern into his mouth: "Go and have fun by yourself."

Stop using your brain.

Xu Yanmiao: "Huh?"

The old emperor looked at the other ministers.

"listen."

His tone was calm and relaxed: "I will investigate. Whether it is the princes and nobles who have committed crimes, or all the county magistrates in the world who have committed crimes, I will investigate."

"I know this matter. If I give it to you, you won't dare to take responsibility! You are afraid of taking responsibility!"

"You are afraid of killing too many people. I will push you out to appease the public anger!"

Those officials didn't even raise their heads, and none of them said a word. I don't know whether they agreed or just didn't dare to speak at this moment.

The old emperor didn't care, he continued: "It doesn't matter, I will take care of it!"

"I'll tell you who to arrest! I'll tell you the specific method of action! You just need to be responsible for execution! I'll take the responsibility!"

Those eyes were as sharp as a knife.

"If anyone calls this a bloody and cold-blooded executioner, I will be the first to be scolded! If history books record it and future generations condemn it, I will be the first to be whipped!"

"I am the mastermind behind this matter!"

Officials from the six ministries raised their heads one by one, their eyes full of disbelief.

Are there any bosses who take the initiative to take responsibility these days?!

"now--"

Emperor Tiantong stood up and said: "The Censor of Zhejiang Province, the Censor of Henan Province, the Censor of Shandong Province, the Censor of Shanxi Province, the Censor of Shaanxi Province, the Censor of Huguang Province, the Censor of Fujian Province, the Censor of Jiangxi Province, the Censor of Guangdong Province, the Censor of Guangxi Province, the Censor of Sichuan Province, the Censor of Guizhou Province, and the Censor of Yunnan Province."

"I am here!"

A total of 143 censors spoke up in response.

"Go to the provincial capitals across the country and obtain the number of acres of public land, the number of acres of land owned by retired officials, and the population of landless and land-poor people in each county."

"Yes!" The censors all obeyed the order.

"Jiang Weizhong, Li Xianqi, Wang Jianyu..." The old emperor then ordered: "Go to Ganzhou, check the military rations of the garrison, compare the inspection permits with the seals, and find out which family is colluding with the officials!"

The Left Vice Minister of the Ministry of Revenue, the Left Vice Minister of the Ministry of Justice, the Left Vice-Chief Censor and others immediately responded: "Yes!"

"All officials from the Minister of Personnel on down, from the Minister of Rites on down, check the results of the boy's examinations in previous years!"

"only!"

Since someone has committed a crime, investigate it!

We must investigate even if it means turning the whole place upside down!

Emperor Tiantong had a grim expression.

In the past, he rose from humble beginnings, cleansed the world, and put an end to the devastating world. He can do the same now.

If killing one clan is not enough, kill ten clans; if killing ten thousand people is too light, kill one hundred thousand people.

He just wanted to let the people of the world see that nowadays, in Daxia - at least in the Tiantong Dynasty, the law of not punishing the masses is no longer applicable!

The author has something to say:

All the officials and people who can point out my faults to my face will be rewarded.

--"Warring"

＊

There are indeed people who have failed the boy's exam for fifty years:

So the boy was tested and failed to sell it for fifty years.

——"The Biography of Gong Yizu"

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Chapter 160 The strong wind brings money!

The Censor-in-Chief was dispatched.

The Embroidered Uniform Guards were dispatched.

The Ministry of Revenue, the Ministry of Punishment, the Ministry of Personnel, and the Ministry of Rites were dispatched.

Xu Yanmiao was also (he thought) providing clues very carefully to avoid false charges and wrongful convictions.

They examined the land officials and county magistrates with the most rigorous attitude and dealt with criminals with the sharpest stance.

Your Majesty said that he is responsible!

Those gentry, officials, and imperial consorts who were found guilty of crimes, as well as their male family members over the age of 16, were stripped of their shirts, their arms were tied, and they were forced to confess their crimes with their bare bodies. They were then executed by the punishment of having their ears pierced, and were driven to the capital. Their feet were covered in blood.

An official nearby held up the evidence of their crimes and read it out loudly.

All the people were watching them, especially when they were being tortured with arrows piercing behind their ears, and they cheered.

The female family members and males under the age of sixteen were put in shackles and walked beside the criminals. People who watched the fun pointed at them from time to time, and they were so ashamed that their faces turned red and their gums were almost bleeding.

The execution of nine clans may seem bloody, but in reality, unless the emperor specifically ordered that no one among the nine clans should be spared, otherwise, the female members of the clan - including mothers and daughters, wives and concubines, and sisters - would basically be forced to serve as slaves for the officials.

——In the past, they were distributed to the families of meritorious officials as slaves. Later, when the system of nobles and inferiors was cracked down on in the last year of the Ming Dynasty, they only became slaves of officials.

——Official slaves were not prostitutes. They were usually responsible for serving in the palace and government offices, such as raising dogs, horses and other animals in the gardens, and participating in the government's handicrafts, river canal hauling, city building and other labor.

Of course, married women are not included in this category. There is a saying that goes, "No crime can reach a married woman."

A wife who has just been engaged but has not yet married into the family is not among the candidates for the throne.

As for males, those aged 16 and above were all killed. They were executed by slow slicing. Those under 16 were castrated and sent to the palace as eunuchs.

Descendants who have been married off before and are not within the nine generations of the family do not have to be punished.

——Of course, considering all the above, if the emperor insists on killing, then there is nothing we can do, as the imperial power is the most supreme.

Even so, because there were many criminals, and generally these people would have more children if they had money, the Nine Clans were therefore very large. During that period of time, heads were thrown into the mass grave, almost submerging the entire mass grave.

As many officials died, the emperor directly opened an imperial examination, which was another imperial examination. There was no need to wait for three years.

Scholars in the world: (⊙o⊙)

They were about to start cursing the tyrant, but at this point, more than 90% of the scholars changed their tune and said, "Well done for killing him!!!"

"An official who protects those who seize the people's public land and steals even the army's rations should be killed!"

"They deserve to die!!!"

How can you make room for others if you don't die?

As for having no work experience, it doesn't matter, the position of county magistrate (deputy county magistrate) is still waiting to be promoted.

As long as you have not committed any crime, you can be promoted to county magistrate. Even if the county magistrate of your county is not the one who was sacked, it doesn't matter. If there is a vacancy in the county magistrate position of another county and the county magistrate there is unable to take on this important task, you can transfer someone there.

County Magistrates: "Great kill!!!"

"Your Majesty is truly a holy king!!!"

[Shengjun, does it mean the sage who picks up the money scattered by others? 】

While Xu Yanmiao admired the old emperor, he couldn't help but complain. It was the scene that happened after he walked out of the Prime Minister's Mansion that he could not forget for a long time.

＊

It was the day after Prime Minister Dou's birthday banquet. The old emperor let those who had not committed any crime leave the Prime Minister's Mansion.

Some people were throwing money on the street.

Yes, it was money that was scattered. The layer of money on the ground shining in the sunlight was particularly eye-catching. People rushed to pick it up, and each of them was like a martial arts master with extraordinary skills.

On the tall building, the person who was scattering money watched the people scrambling to grab the money, pushing each other, and laughing.

But Xu Yanmiao didn't care whether the other party was making fun of others or not.

This is money!

Picked it up for free!!!

In modern times, someone is throwing 100-yuan RMB on the ground, and whatever you can pick up is yours!

Xu Yanmiao pulled his best friend together and rushed inside. He happily bent down to pick up the money, his eyes shining brightly with the light of money.

[What a good person! I wish there were good people and good deeds like this every day! ]

While Xu Yanmiao was picking up the trash, she accidentally stepped on someone's foot. She turned around with difficulty and said, "I'm sorry..." Her eyes suddenly widened, "Your Majesty——"

The mouth was covered by a hand.

After the old emperor let go, he swaggered around picking up the money and reminded Xu Yanmiao: "Don't disturb the people."

As for whether his inner voice would be revealed or not, the old emperor didn't care.

What's wrong with picking up money? This is money blown by the wind! It would be a waste if you don't pick it up!

Xu Yanmiao also saw the prince limping, but he was determined to rob other normal people for money. Sparrows flew across the sky, and several of them landed on the branches near the crowd, chirping happily.

Xu Yanmiao: "..."

The emperor and the prince were both picking up money, so if he picked up money it wouldn't damage the dignity of an official, right?

So, I picked it up with even greater joy.

The good man who scattered the money said loudly: "After you pick up the money, you must wish Prime Minister Dou Qing good fortune as vast as the East Sea and a long life as long as the Southern Mountains, understand!"

The emperor below heard it without even raising an eyebrow and continued to pick up the money actively.

Xu Yanmiao felt that he could not pick up any more money, so he stepped aside and checked the system: [Wow! This is also a retired official who did not receive an invitation from Prime Minister Dou. But he also wants to take a chance, so he is throwing money here to see if he can attract Prime Minister Dou's attention? ]

【Why didn't you do it yesterday? 】

[Oh! By the time he got the news, it was already too late. When he hurried over, it was already this morning.]

[No wonder, if he had arrived a day earlier and seen someone being beheaded at the gate of the Prime Minister's Mansion, he would not have dared to do this. Isn't it because he is afraid that the old emperor will not investigate him? ]

[I thought I might have gotten away with it, tsk tsk.]

[However, maybe the old emperor is just being ungrateful? ]

The old emperor stuffed a lot of money into his pockets, even his hands were full, and he slowly withdrew from the crowd and calmly said to the Jinyiwei: "Since he has come to our door, let's check whether he has done anything he shouldn't have done."

Taking favors from others and then paying them back? Not true.

The fool who threw money around didn't know that there was a dog emperor who picked up his money and not counted it, but also investigated him. Now he is happily imagining that he can spend a lot of money, attract the prime minister's favor, and reach the pinnacle of officialdom.

＊

The memories end.

It was early April. Xu Yanmiao was in Linshu County, Shandong.

He came with a mission: "I heard there's an old farmer here who's good at farming?"

The farmer who was asked thought for a moment and said, "You mean Tukela Xishi's house?"

——Xi Shi was a beauty who appeared during the struggle of seven kingdoms, and Tukela is a Shandong dialect, which means a piece of earth.

"Tu Ke La Xi Shi?"

"Their daughter loves beauty! Ever since their family earned money from farming, they bought silk clothes for their daughter. The spendthrift woman wore silk clothes to turn over the dirt in the fields several times, and their family was very happy! They often praised their daughter for her beauty!"

Xu Yanmiao glanced at the envy in the old farmer's eyes, smiled, and did not respond. Instead, he asked politely, "Where is this Xishi's home? Can you point the way, old man?"

The old farmer was very enthusiastic. Not only did he show the way, he also took Xu Yanmiao directly to the door of the house.

Xu Yanmiao looked at the small yard and the house and believed that the other party had made his fortune by relying on his farming skills. The houses in the countryside were all built with a roof, so they must have had spare money to build them.

There was a black man washing his face in the yard. He didn't even use a face towel. He just scooped up water from the basin with his hands, wiped his face casually twice, and then took a coarse cloth towel from his belt to wipe it dry.

The old farmer shouted to the man, "Old Qi! There's a young man looking for you. He's a handsome young man!"

"Ah?" The black man turned his head and his heart suddenly tightened when he saw Xu Yanmiao.

A person like this with red lips, white teeth, soft and expensive clothes must be either a rich young man or the son of an official. Why would he come to him?

He tried to smile, making himself look honest and friendly: "What do you want?"

Xu Yanmiao nodded: "I heard that you are good at farming? Have you found that it is better to use well water than rain water when watering vegetables, and rain water is better than well water when irrigating crops?"

The black man was stunned for a moment: "Yes...I did tell the villagers that they should water the plants like this."

Xu Yanmiao asked again: "In this village, how to choose seeds, use fertilizers, when to weed, when to plant rice seedlings, everyone else listens to you?"

Speaking of this, the black man became proud: "I'm capable! Others can only produce 100 kilograms of wheat per acre, but I can produce 20 kilograms more! A full 20 kilograms of wheat!"

Xu Yanmiao made a prompt decision: "I have a big business to discuss with you. It's about farming. When you have time, I'll come over again."

The black man's eyes lit up.

For a big shot like this, the big business he talks about must be very profitable.

I agreed immediately and even made an appointment to meet at dusk.

After Xu Yanmiao left, the black man exchanged a few words with the old farmer and then returned home: "Wife! Wife! Make some bone soup quickly, because an important person is coming to discuss business with us tonight!"

Bone soup was stewing in the kitchen. When dusk came, the milky white bone soup began to bubble out of the casserole.

At this time, the black man, his wife, the sixteen-year-old Tukela Xishi, the ten-year-old eldest son of the Qi family, and the seven-year-old youngest son of the Qi family, all wearing their cleanest and most beautiful clothes, were standing at the door, anxiously waiting for Xu Yanmiao's arrival.

Such a big deal!

The black man's wife was surprised and worried: "Why don't you ask more clearly? What if the big shot goes back and thinks that he can't do this business with you and doesn't come again!"

The black man slapped his thigh, also very annoyed.

Tu Ke La Xi Shi suddenly heard the noise and said anxiously: "There is a sound over there! A very loud sound!"

The family walked hurriedly for a long distance and saw a large group of yamen runners coming towards them. The county magistrate was in front of the runners, but he was nodding and bowing to the "big shot" in the daytime, as if he was saying something.

The black man's family: "!!!"

He is indeed a very important person! Even the county magistrate is so respectful to him!

The author has something to say:

Regarding the female family members of criminals being used as slaves:

In the early Ming Dynasty, many people were confiscated for crimes and given to the families of meritorious officials as slaves.

——"The Imperially-Decreed Continuation of the Comprehensive Examination of Literature"

＊

Also, in history, there were indeed cases of castration of men under the age of sixteen (many dynasties had this), but I don't know why. Theoretically, wouldn't the emperor be afraid of revenge? Orz

＊

Official slaves were used to serve in the palace and government offices, to raise dogs, horses and other animals in the gardens, and to work in government handicrafts, hauling grain along the river, and building cities.

——Outline of Chinese History

＊

For the matter of throwing coins, please refer to:

Sometimes they would gallop on the road, scattering coins and belongings, allowing people to pick them up, scrambling and making noise, and they considered it happy.

——"Northern History"

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Reference 2:

On the Ji Mao day, the emperor entertained the princes and officials at Chengtian Gate and ordered his attendants to scatter gold coins on the lower floor. Officials of the Secretariat and above of the fifth rank and officials of various departments and above of the third rank were allowed to pick them up. The gifts given also varied.

——"Old Book of Tang"

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Reference 3:

After the meal, he scattered buns and bundles of gold hairpins, gold and silver coins from under the throne for the maids to fight over. If they got a bundle of gold hairpins, they would split it in two. When they picked it up, they would find many hairpins and earrings left behind, and the people in the palace would laugh and have fun watching.

——"Qingbo Magazine" Song Dynasty·Zhou Hui

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Reference 4:

In the fifth year of Xuande, the "Records of Emperor Chengzu" was completed, and he was promoted to the position of Attendant Scholar. The emperor visited the History Museum and scattered gold coins to the scholars. They all accepted them, but Shi was the only one who stood up straight. The emperor then gave them the remaining money.

——History of Ming Dynasty

＊

By the way, I (blah blah blah to my bestie): I really envy the boss who just throws money around! And, it turns out that people love money from ancient times to the present. Even officials don't care whether it will be embarrassing or not, and they will rush to pick up the money on the ground.

She: Maybe it was because the emperor spread it, and they couldn't pretend to be indifferent.

Me (stunned): Yes, yes... But there are also some who are indifferent, such as the Ming Dynasty...

Before she finished speaking, she said: Oh! Ming Dynasty, I believe the officials of Ming Dynasty were really trying to rob.

Me: Died of laughter.

[She is implying the salary of Ming Dynasty officials, hahahaha]

＊