Volume 3: Dragon and Snake Movement Chapter 332: Public Sentiment
“It’s unfair!”
Even though he didn't know whether shouting "injustice" would work, he had to try his best to save the situation when he was at the mercy of others. Even though the Changlu County Office was said to have been purged yesterday, and many officials and even runners from Changlu County Magistrate Xu Cheng down were imprisoned, there might still be some who slipped through the net.
Even Sun Zhubu, whom Zhu Tingfang had chosen before, was just a tall one among a bunch of rotten officials, not a clean one. Therefore, he simply shouted angrily: "My Qi family has accumulated virtues and done good deeds, and everyone in Cangzhou knows it. General Zhu and Doctor Zhang listened to the words of the traitors and put all the blame on me and others. I don't accept it!"
Taking advantage of the fact that the expected Ruiqi Battalion soldiers did not rush over and capture him, he still had a chance to speak. Without even thinking, he raised his hand and pointed at the little peanut standing behind Zhu Tingfang, and raised his voice and said, "General Zhu, dare you say that the guy behind you is not the one who has always been following the bandit leader Xian Yunhe? You can keep such a little rebel by your side, but you don't trust us gentry?"
"If we follow the way General Zhu and Dr. Zhang act, the rebels can be spared, but we who have radicalized them into becoming good citizens will be doomed! That is simply bizarre, a group of rebels, can they call themselves good citizens? Moreover, those of you who are now staying safely in the Changlu County Office, have you not radicalized them into becoming good citizens? When County Master Xu was still alive, didn't he send you to suppress the rebellion?"
"It was you who beat the spinners until they were bleeding? It was you who threw manure and wrote the words 'troublemakers' on them? But so what? Those troublemakers were ignorant and unruly, and we never stole or robbed, and every penny we earned was legitimate. As for the crimes you just accused us of, Dr. Zhang, you are simply making excuses for them!"
"Where are the witnesses? Where are the physical evidence?"
Under Qi Yuanwai's fierce defense... or counterattack, the other old men who had just prepared to take a lot of risks also came to their senses. Since Jiang Da Shao, who took the initiative to plead guilty and accept punishment, was obviously unable to escape the disaster of imprisonment, and even his life and death were controlled by others, they might as well put on an iron-willed appearance.
At least now that the turmoil had subsided, neither Zhu Tingfang nor Zhang Shou dared to kill them as a warning to others!
Although the Zhu family was deeply trusted by the emperor, they also had many enemies among the court officials and had been attacked countless times before. They didn't believe that the political enemies of the Zhu family in the court had not been closely watching the changes in the situation in Cangzhou and would not seize this opportunity!
Hearing these questions that were getting louder and louder, Zhang Shou turned his head and saw that Peanut was in a panic, while the officers standing nearby were in a commotion. He who had brought Peanut here on purpose suddenly clapped his hands and said with admiration, "Not bad, not bad. Life-and-death danger can really bring out the greatest potential in people. I couldn't help but feel angry when I heard it, let alone others?"
"The imperial censors in the court should learn some rhetoric skills from Master Qi, so that they won't be at a loss for words and have to leave the court in disgrace when they are arguing fiercely in the court!"
Mr. Qi didn't expect Zhang Shou to say this suddenly. He glanced at the other people around him. He had to suppress the unspeakable uneasiness in his heart and protested loudly: "What I said is the fact. There are many causes of the civil unrest in Cangzhou. If it weren't for us, those rebels might also riot..." In the final analysis, these four words, what does it have to do with me?
Before he finished speaking, he suddenly heard a huge commotion outside, as if many people had gathered outside the county government office. Having experienced a major civil uprising, he immediately felt a chill in his heart and swallowed back the words that were on his lips. The officers who had been "selected" before couldn't help but look at each other, and everyone's face was filled with fear.
Zhu Tingfang was too arrogant. He sent the one hundred soldiers of the Ruiqi Battalion who had followed the eldest prince to guard the houses of the six families in front of him. The two hundred people who had just arrived in Cangzhou were sent to the palace to "guard" the eldest prince, as well as dozens of rebels headed by Xian Yunhe, and the criminals captured today.
Even most of his capable followers had been taken away by the second son and eldest daughter of the Zhu family. Now, there were probably only a dozen people left in the county government office.
If there is another civil unrest outside... How can we deal with it with the current number of people? Of course, they are not clean, so they will not be thrown out by these two people to quell the public anger, right?
At first, the noise and clamor outside was so chaotic that it seemed difficult to hear clearly, but as the voices gradually became unified, people with excellent hearing like Zhu Tingfang gradually distinguished the repeated words. Soon, not only him, but also Zhang Shou, Xiao Huasheng, Qi Yuanwai and others, and even the runners, could hear it clearly.
"Please ask the Imperial Envoy to make a decision for the people of Cangzhou!"
Qi Yuanwai and the others immediately changed their expressions, and the faces of the police officers also changed. But what made them even more frightened was that Zhu Tingfang actually laughed, then stood up and flicked his clothes and said, "This is really new. Could it be that there is another major case in Cangzhou City that has made the people so angry that they surrounded the county government? Since you happened to be there, come with me and Dr. Zhang to take a look."
At this point, he didn't give anyone else a chance to refuse, and shouted sternly, "Someone come here!"
In an instant, Zhang Shou saw a line of big men in the same uniform coming out, holding their swords and standing solemnly. Even though there were only a dozen of them, they still had an air of dominance. With Zhu Tingfang nodding, Qi Yuanwai and others were easily lifted up one by one without any resistance, and soon after, seven people stood in front of the officers.
Although the swords were not unsheathed and the men had not made any moves, the officers could not help but tremble under the watchful eyes of the seven men. Finally, under the intimidating gazes, they obediently followed Zhu Tingfang and Zhang Shou who were striding ahead of them. They even did not dare to delay intentionally because someone was following them.
Until they were almost at the gate of the county government office, the shouting sounds gradually became clearer. Although there were many people, there should be only dozens or hundreds at most, not hundreds or thousands. Only then did they feel a little relieved.
As long as there aren't too many people, as long as it's not another bunch of rioters trying to occupy the county government office... Who would have thought that a group of lowly people who they could bully at will on a daily basis would come to make trouble again and again. Are they so bold?
"Listen, everyone outside the door. If you have grievances or complaints to make, please step back three steps from the door and wait for me to come out and explain in detail. If there are still people three steps away from the door when I open it, you will be punished for intruding on the government office!"
Following Zhu Tingfang's order, the tightly closed gate of the county government office was slowly opened. At this moment, except for Zhang Shou and Zhu Tingfang, who had some idea in their minds, the others couldn't help but feel nervous. Zhu Tingfang had said so before, but who knows if those people outside would be so angry that they would rush in all at once?
Especially those who were being escorted and had to be at the front, as the two doors slowly opened, they saw pairs of glaring eyes and felt the rage that was as real as if it were real, and their hearts were in their throats.
"General Mingwei, please help the people of Cangzhou!" A loud man in the crowd shouted, then stepped out of the crowd, strode forward, pointed at Mr. Qi's nose and cursed, "It was this old man who took the widow and her land, and even sent her children to a so-called charity to be raised. The charity manager forced them to work day and night, and the seven-year-old son was exhausted to death!"
Mr. Qi's heart skipped a beat. Just as he was about to speak, someone shouted, "I used to work in that charity. If a child resisted, they would be hung up with ropes and beaten with wooden sticks. If they tried to escape, they would be tortured. If they died, they would be tied with stones and thrown into the stinking pond at the back! I was kicked out of the charity because I said a few extra words. I was threatened and had to live on the street!"
After this person, someone else started to shout loudly: "This bunch of idiots and idiot official Xu Cheng colluded to replace the good rice in the granary with moldy and rotten old rice and put it in the warehouse! Every time they give out porridge, they use the moldy old rice to fool people. Every year, several poor people will die from it!"
"That old man from the Huang family is still stubborn. He's old enough to still forcibly take away a commoner girl who was engaged... I don't know how many boys from good families his son, who is so good at sex, has taken away!"
Qi Yuanwai never knew that the so-called public anger would one day erupt in such a form. Although there were only a few dozen people outside the county government at this moment, the constant shouting exposed all the crimes that they had taken for granted and didn't care about in the past. In such abusive accusations, he could only barely keep calm and try to defend himself.
"It's ridiculous. Just because these three people can make a tiger, and the gossip of many people can melt gold, can they arbitrarily put the crime on us ?"
However, compared to him, the other old men had already been disturbed by the chaotic noise and atmosphere, and they couldn't even say such a sophistry. Seeing that he could only support himself, Qi Yuanwai was angry and resentful. Thinking of Zhang Shou's previous imprisonment of the youngest young master Jiang, he felt that the other party was deliberately plotting.
He summoned up his last bit of strength and shouted, "Dr. Zhang, you are holding us gentry accountable for the crimes that a group of rioters said. Ask yourself, as a scholar of the Imperial College who has read many books of sages, are you not acting out of selfish motives?"
At this moment, the noisy crowd suddenly quieted down. When Qi Yuanwai thought that his anger had finally intimidated the group of unruly people in front of him and made Zhang Shou speechless, he suddenly heard an old but steady voice.
"A scholar is a gentleman. He is a gentleman who holds a position based on his knowledge and uses his talents and wisdom. When he is in office, he governs the local area and keeps the area peaceful. When he is at home, he educates people inside and outside and keeps the family peaceful. You are a person who seeks fame and reputation but is actually full of evil. Are you worthy of being called a scholar?"
Following this voice, an old man with mostly white hair but still vigorous appeared in front of everyone. He was wearing a linen cap and a linen shirt, cloth belt and flat shoes. At first glance, he seemed to be just an ordinary old man in the market, but when he saw this man, Mr. Qi took a breath of cold air. Not only him, but the other old men who had just been scolded and were panicked and angry were also stunned.
That was Mr. Xu, an old scholar who had failed in the imperial examinations many times, but he was highly respected in Cangzhou. Because he was a scholar with profound knowledge, he opened a school in Cangzhou to teach people, treating the rich and the poor equally, so he was very famous. Even those who had sons and nephews in official positions would often be polite to him. How could a group of lowly people invite this highly respected old scholar?
Qi Yuanwai, who was both shocked and angry, finally shouted, "Mr. Xu, don't be deceived by these rioters..."
"Although I am old, I am still sharp-eyed and sharp-eared. I am not easily deceived! Today, I saw with my own eyes that three bodies were fished out of the pond. One of them had not even melted away yet, and it was obvious that they were thrown into the pond not long ago. The coroner saw with his own eyes that based on the size of their skulls, each of them was definitely no more than ten years old... It was simply outrageous and horrible!"
"It is said that we should respect the old and the young as well as the old of our own family, and the young as well as the young of others. Although I have heard rumors about your charity, I never thought that there would be such a tragedy in the world! I know that if something happens to families like yours, you will blame it on the manager or the servants. Anyway, you are clean and innocent, as if you have done nothing..."
"But if you didn't do anything, why would the people of Cangzhou be so angry? Why would that weird thing happen? Why would so many people surround the county government office in the middle of the night and demand justice from the imperial envoy?"
The older Mr. Xu became more and more excited as he spoke, and the more excited he became, the louder his voice became. When he finished his last roar, he was so angry that he lost his balance and suddenly stumbled to the side. At this moment, a pair of hands reached out from the side and supported him steadily. He turned around awkwardly and nodded slightly to the person, then coughed.
"Officials and gentry colluded with each other, deceived their superiors and deceived their subordinates, and abused the people... God really gave you a human skin for nothing!"
Zhang Shou had seen clearly that the person who helped Mr. Xu was none other than Zhu Ying, who was dressed in men's clothes. Her face was still gorgeous and refined even under the illumination of the torches. Seeing that the eldest lady was winking at him with a smile, he did not expect that she would make such a big fuss tonight, so he could not help but smile back at her.
Zhu Tingfang, who was watching them flirting with each other, was in a very complicated mood. If he couldn't see that this was exactly the same as the situation when Zhu Ying brought those thugs, he would be blind! Everyone in the capital thought that his sister was a fool who liked to wear fancy clothes and beautiful accessories and flaunted herself in the streets... Now look at what she did, it was simply a random punch to the master!
He withdrew his gaze from Zhu Ying and nodded slightly to Mr. Xu, saying, "So, Mr. Xu came here today to serve as a witness?"
"That's right!" Mr. Xu nodded heavily and said word by word, "My Cangzhou is rich in natural resources and has many talented people. How can we let these ruthless people ruin our reputation? I beg the Imperial Envoy to severely punish these dogs and rats who harm the people and restore peace and order to my Cangzhou!"
Hearing this, Mr. Qi, who had been overexerting himself from the beginning, tilted his head and fainted. When he fell, the other old men who had been following his lead were immediately at a loss. After looking at each other, as the first person fell down and pretended to faint, the others hurriedly pretended to be dead, as if to deceive themselves not to listen to the increasingly loud shouting.
