Chapter 501: Planning and strategizing
Each village naturally hopes that the villagers will go out to work more and earn some money so that every household can have enough food to eat.
No need to go hungry anymore.
Since the flood, many fields have become barren. Some villagers have fled the famine, and it is not easy for some people who still stay in the original village.
They planted the fields in the spring, but when it came time for the autumn harvest, the grain yield from one acre of land was nothing compared to what they had produced in previous years.
We could have had enough to eat, but because there was less food, everyone had to tighten their belts.
It's like going hungry one day and going full the next.
In the past, as long as there was work to do, everyone would actively go to work.
But they were busy from morning till night, and the manager would often use whips, and some people died directly on the city wall.
Sometimes after they worked for a month, the manager would deduct the copper coins and not give them anything at all.
Later these people stopped working.
Even if you're hungry, at least you're still alive.
But the prefect now is different from previous officials.
Everyone wants to give it a try.
Each village discussed it and decided to organize a group of people to go together to repair the city wall so that everyone could take care of each other.
I was just trying to see what was going on.
Who would have thought that after a few days, everyone would get off work in the evening and take home twenty cents a day.
And there is a break at noon, so no one feels tired after working all day.
So everyone spread the word, and some beggars in the town stopped begging and went out to work.
The blueprints for Shen Yueyao Academy have been drawn up, and Su Xueyi has also gathered some people to build the academy.
The shops at the dock were also demolished and rebuilt.
Everything is going on in an orderly manner.
Ever since Su Xueyi came to Hezhou, local forces have been keeping an eye on his movements.
Seeing how big a fuss he made, some aristocratic families could no longer sit still.
The Ge family also held a family meeting.
Mr. Ge stroked his beard and snorted coldly, "We still underestimated this Lord Su. He actually did so many things without making a sound."
Uncle Ge slammed the table and said, "Dad, let's just find someone to kill him. He doesn't know any rules in Hezhou."
Uncle Ge felt that since Su Xueyi came to Hezhou, she should be humble and put the interests of their family first.
Mr. Ge said, "Last time he sent invitations to our four major families, I think only the Xiao family gave him face."
"The Xiao family is just stupid."
"Dad, the people we arranged at the government office, as well as the guards and stewards on the city wall, have all been withdrawn by Su Xueyi. It seems like they're targeting us specifically."
"I don't know how he knew those people were ours."
Old Master Ge snorted coldly, "He was appreciated by the emperor, do you think that's just a little bit of ability?"
"He has the imperial sword in his hand, so we can't confront him openly."
"He wants to recruit people to do the work, so he arranges for some people to sneak in and look for opportunities to cause trouble."
Uncle Ge said, "Dad is really thoughtful. If things get out of hand, everyone will think it's definitely Master Su's fault."
"Let's make some people die and let this Lord Su know that Hezhou is not a place where he can have the final say."
…
Soon, Su Ying returned quietly.
He reported the news he heard to Su Xueyi.
A cold glint flashed across Su Xueyi's eyes as she said, "They didn't disappoint me."
"Keep watching them and see what they do next. Also, mobilize a few people to watch over there on the city wall. If anyone causes trouble, arrest them, interrogate them, and then execute them on the spot to serve as a warning to others!"
As she spoke, Su Xueyi handed a bottle of medicine to Su Ying and said, "This is the medicine prepared by Yao Niang. It can make people tell the truth when fed to them."
"Whoever is behind this, they will definitely speak out."
"We should also place some of our people there. If someone causes trouble or stirs up trouble, we can also stir up trouble and lure the Ge family out."
There are three big families in Hezhou. The Xiao family supports him now because they saved the lives of the old man and others before.
However, the Ge family deliberately took advantage of Qiao.
There is also the Song family. The people of the Song family seem to be remaining neutral.
In fact, Su Xueyi also understood that the Song family wanted to wait and see, and more importantly, they wanted to protect themselves.
Su Xueyi knew everyone's thoughts and attitudes.
Su Ying took the medicine and was amazed in her heart. She thought that the lady was really amazing and could even prepare such a medicine.
This saves them from interrogation.
Su Ying explained some more things and then left.
Sure enough, a few days later, when everyone was repairing the city wall, someone deliberately bullied others and pushed someone down the steps of the wall.
Many people rolled down from it, and the stones fell to the ground and smashed into the ground.
There were so many people that no one knew what was going on for a moment.
Some people in the crowd deliberately started causing trouble and fighting.
Others deliberately incite speech.
"These people are so stupid! The prefect has already said that they are untouchables. They take so many copper coins every day, so it's time to punish them."
"Exactly. Do you really think they got those copper coins for free?"
"Oh, they should be whipped to death. They should have served in the army."
"The prefect must have a plan. He deliberately found a way to get these people to work. It looks like it won't be long before the refugees outside return..."
Some people deliberately took advantage of the chaos to incite speech and cause panic among the people.
"What? It was actually arranged by the prefect."
"This is terrible! Everyone, stop building the city wall and run!"
"Yes, yes, don't stay in Hezhou anymore."
Someone suddenly got a whip in his hand and started to act like the prefect, asking them to do this.
Just when the scene was in chaos, several figures quickly passed by, like flying eagles, and directly grabbed more than ten people who were causing trouble and attacking others in the crowd and threw them to the ground.
A group of people wearing yamen runner uniforms and armed with knives quickly rushed over, surrounded the area and maintained order.
Now not even a fly can escape.
"What are you doing? Bullying civilians."
Su Ying kicked the person who was speaking to the ground. "Everyone, look at his hands. These hands are not for working. He was instructed by someone to cause trouble."
"Everyone is not stupid. You should know that they are the same gang as the manager who bullied you before. Their goal is to prevent you from getting paid. They just want to control Hezhou."
"Think about it, if the prefect really arranged it this way, why would he have us here to watch over it and prevent any chaos?"
"We won't let these people discredit the prefect, will we?"
Su Ying himself has internal strength and a very loud voice. When he spoke, his voice spread out. Everyone who was originally frightened calmed down at this moment.
That’s right, if it was the prefect who arranged it, he wouldn’t let these people speak like this.
They have never been to school and don't understand much, but they are not that stupid.
The faces of the dozen or so people who were arrested were a little stiff.
They originally wanted to make a big deal out of it while no one was paying attention, incite some people to make a big noise, kill a few people, and then make the matter bigger.
In this way, even if it was not done by the prefect, everyone would suspect the prefect.
Who would have thought that someone was watching secretly and was well prepared?
They were caught before they could even launch a full-scale attack.
Su Ying said: "Tell me, who ordered you to do this?"
"No one ordered us to do this. It was arranged by the prefect."
"The prefect said he was an untouchable."
They bit it to death because the prefect told them to do so.
Some people pretended to be just building the city wall, trembling and saying, "We don't know anything. We're just building the city wall. How could you treat us like this? Look, this is how the government treats ordinary people..."
Su Ying said coldly, "It doesn't matter if you keep your mouth shut. You'll tell the truth soon."
As she spoke, Su Ying popped pills into their mouths one by one.
It was eaten so fast that it melted in the mouth, and the people outside couldn't see what was happening.
Soon, the leader who had bitten Su Xueyi to death began to tell the truth mechanically.
"It was the Ge Mansion's steward who asked us to do this. He hated Lord Su for damaging the Ge family's interests and removed the people the Ge family had planted. So he wanted us to deliberately make a big deal out of this and frame the prefect..."
"And let them kill people..."
"Let the prefect not be able to make any progress in Hezhou, so that the prefect can only ask the Ge family for help..."
"From now on, the Ge family will have the final say in Hezhou. Even if the prefect is powerful, he still has to listen to the Ge family..."
"The previous prefect listened to the Ge family. Why doesn't this prefect listen to them now? He's so self-righteous..."
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