Chapter 1428 Public Trial
"Are these the Qing officials here?"
Han Yu asked.
"Your Highness, I have checked it myself. Except for the Governor of Yunnan and Guizhou, Zhao Tingchen, all of them are here."
Mu Tianbo said.
"Then where is this Zhao Tingchen?"
Han Yu frowned.
Zhao Tingchen was a big shot, the Governor-General of Yunnan and Guizhou, in charge of military affairs in Yunnan and Guizhou provinces. If it weren't for Wu Sangui, he would have been the local tyrant of the two provinces, holding both political and military power.
With him around, we can gather the troops from Yunnan and Guizhou provinces and lead a large army to besiege them.
Although his First Grenadier Corps was powerful, it was still powerless against an enemy with an absolute numerical advantage, and might even suffer huge casualties.
He is weak now, and his men are very valuable, and none of them can be lost easily.
"Tell me where Zhao Tingchen is. If you tell me, you can live. If you don't, all of you will be tortured to death. Not only you, but also your family members. Even your ancestral graves will be dug up."
Han Yu stared at the officials on the ground and said coldly.
These officials were originally local gentry. After Wu Sangui came, they donated silver and became officials, and they were used to a life of luxury.
Now, with the grenadiers holding their knives against their necks, they were terrified like quails, shaking all over.
Some have even become incontinent.
They were already extremely frightened, and when they heard that they were going to be tortured to death by slicing, some of them fainted out of fright.
Seeing that no one said anything, Han Yu sneered.
"You really think I'm kidding you? Set up an execution platform in the yard!"
"yes!"
Soldiers immediately drove wooden stakes into the yard, tied the officials to them one by one, and covered their bodies with fishing nets.
Seeing that Han Yu was serious, these officials dared not hide it , and one of them immediately shouted.
"Your Highness, I know where Zhao Tingchen is!"
"explain!"
Han Yu walked up to the official.
"In a small courtyard on the north side of Hanchuan East Road. That's the home of his eighteenth concubine. If she's not in the house, he's most likely there. This is his hiding place. No one knows about it except for a few personal soldiers."
"Then how do you know?" Han Yu asked.
"That's my sister-in-law."
The official said quickly.
"Very good, I will send someone to verify it now. If what you said is false, I will make you suffer worse than them."
Han Yu said coldly.
"I dare not, I dare not. Your Highness will know once you go down and take a look." The official responded quickly.
"Second Squadron, take someone to check it out."
Han Yu ordered loudly.
"yes!"
The captain of the second squadron immediately rushed to Hanchuan East Road with his subordinates.
When they arrived, they caught the dishevelled Zhao Tingchen from the doghouse.
"What are you going to do? I'm telling you, I'm the Governor-General of Yunnan and Guizhou, and the Commander-in-Chief of the Han Army of XHQ. If you dare to touch me, I will destroy all your clans!"
Zhao Tingchen tried to use his identity to intimidate the people in front of him.
"You are the one I caught. Take you back!"
The captain sneered.
The group was forced into the yard.
At this time, people from other squadrons also came to report that all the gates of Chuncheng had been controlled and all the soldiers had been captured.
Those who resisted stubbornly were wiped out on the spot.
Because some of the combat was close combat, casualties were inevitable. More than a dozen of our side were injured, one of whom was seriously injured.
Although the casualties were very small, Han Yu was still a little unhappy.
"The seriously injured must be well taken care of, and those with minor injuries must also be taken care of. There must not be any non-combat casualties. If they cannot continue to fight, find them a job in logistics. They must not be left without a place to live."
Han Yu said.
"Your Highness is kind and gracious. I will make arrangements." Mu Tianbo said.
Seeing Han Yu's considerate arrangements for the wounded soldiers, the other soldiers in the yard also felt warmed in their hearts.
The thing they feared most when they joined the army was getting disabled and having no idea where to live in the future. Now that Han Yu has solved their worries, what else do they have to fear?
Unknowingly, Han Yu's prestige in everyone's heart rose again.
"Sir, how should we deal with these criminals?"
Mu Tianbo asked.
" We will hold a public trial tomorrow . Those who are guilty of the most heinous crimes will be executed on the spot. Those whose crimes do not deserve death will be sent to the mines to do hard labor to atone for their sins."
Han Yu said.
"Yes." Mu Tianbo went down to make arrangements.
The prisoners in the yard breathed a sigh of relief at this time, at least they would not have to die for the time being.
Then, they began to think in their hearts about what evil things they had done in the past.
The sufferings are too numerous to mention, and people are in panic.
If there is a minor evil, it will make it difficult to sleep or eat.
Taking this opportunity, the First Grenadier Corps cleaned up the entire city, arrested all the scoundrels who tried to take advantage of the situation, and hung them on the city gates for public display.
The next day, the sky was just getting light.
At this time in the past, peddlers in Chuncheng would have already started setting up their stalls.
But today, no one dared to take to the streets.
The street was deserted, with no one in sight.
"Go and drive all the people in the city to the front of the Prince of Pingxi's palace, build a platform, and let them watch the public trial."
"But the front of the Pingxi Palace is the backyard of the Liu family compound, so not many people can stand there."
Mu Tianbo said.
"Then tear down the wall of the Liu family compound and clear the space."
Under Han Yu's order, a large area was cleared in front of the Pingxi Palace, and a high platform was built in the center.
The first person to be pushed to the podium was Zhao Tingchen, the Governor-General of Yunnan and Guizhou.
"The person on the stage is Zhao Tingchen, the criminal official. The people below the stage may have grievances and grudges, and they can all seek redress."
Mu Tianbo shouted from the platform.
The people below were all silent.
They didn't know the origins of Mu Tianbo and others, nor did they know what they were doing.
Those on the stage are high-ranking officials whom they dare not even look at on weekdays. If they go out to complain, and the other party is fine, when they turn around, their entire family’s lives will be in danger.
For safety reasons, those people chose to remain silent.
Looking at the quiet people, Zhao Tingchen breathed a sigh of relief .
As long as no one dares to come forward to complain, he will not die. As long as he is not dead, once the imperial army arrives, he will be reinstated.
Looking at the quiet crowd below, Mu Tianbo felt a little anxious.
At this moment, an old beggar squeezed out from the crowd and shouted loudly: "My Lord, I am innocent!"
"If you have any grievances, please tell me now and I will help you!" Mu Tianbo was so happy that he almost shouted out loud.
"I was originally a peddler in this city. I have a daughter named Cuilian, who is quite pretty. She followed me to the market that day, and was spotted by Zhao Tingchen on the way. He took her to his mansion, raped her to death, and threw her body into a mass grave. I beg you to redress my injustice."
The old beggar knelt on the ground and shouted loudly.
"Zhao Tingchen, do you plead guilty?"
Mu Tianbo turned and looked at Zhao Tingchen.
Zhao Tingchen had done this kind of thing so many times that he couldn't think of anything else and was stunned for a moment.
"Duke, what crime should be punished for such behavior according to the Ming Dynasty Law?" Han Yu suddenly asked.
"Your Highness, you shall be beheaded."
Mu Tianbo said.
"Behead immediately!"
Han Yu said.
"yes."
Immediately, a grenadier drew the long sword from his waist and chopped down Zhao Tingchen's head, which immediately fell on the platform.
