Tiantong Xiaoxiaole (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 assistant governor of the Inspectorate and a scholar of the Hanlin Academy."

The old emperor had just finished reading it coldly when he heard Xu Yanmiao's voice: [Hey! He retired half a month before I came. Is it fate?]

The old emperor: "..."

It was indeed fate.

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

- Although being named by His Majesty was indeed dangerous, it would not really happen. Why sympathize so quickly?

Of course, Diwu Ang would never know that the reason why 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 only been retired for three years, but he has decisively taken action on public land. He is much braver than those who dared to cautiously reach out after seven or eight years of retirement. He is worthy of being the former highest official of the Hanlin Academy and the one who wrote imperial edicts for the old emperor many times.]

Lian Hang silently raised his thumb.

Xiao Bai Ze's words are getting more and more choking. Didn't you see that His Majesty closed his eyes because of the two sentences "still strong after retirement" and "wrote imperial edicts for the old emperor many times"?

And the main seat, the old emperor glanced at Diwu Ang with his bloodshot eyes: "It's only been three years since I retired, and you have done something to occupy public land. I really don't know how much courage you still have."

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

Why do I feel that... this sarcastic word has a flavor of Xu Yanmiao?

Someone did not notice this, but was very interested: [The Jinyiwei is indeed the Jinyiwei. I wonder how much they found out in that book - I thought at first that it was only the crime of that Su.]

The commander of the Jinyiwei smiled as if he was a magical person who could go to heaven and earth, and at the same time had a thousand-mile vision and a sharp ear, and could easily come up with 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.

The old emperor: I'm killing people, don't make me laugh!

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

"He occupied the entire mountain as his family cemetery right after he retired. He demanded that the existing graves be forcibly moved. If they were not moved, they would be dug up and thrown down the cliff. The courage of the Fifth Scholar was really amazing."

In fact, if it was just 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 slaughter.

But this matter was connected to the public land issue, which made the old emperor's eyes redder.

"Diwu Ang! I really regret it. When I first found out that you had done something like forced relocation of graves, I should not have just given you a light warning out of our past friendship. Otherwise, you would not 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 knelt on the ground.

Diwu Ang's eyelids were wrinkled, and tears flashed lightly as he knelt on the ground. The old man looked at him pitifully.

However, Diwu Ang saw the emperor's face through his tears and knew that the emperor was not moved at all.

- After all, reaching out for 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 for the government!

The collection of taxes is called "agreed rent", and only one in thirty is collected!

Of course, after the powerful landlords took the public land and sublet it to the farmers, the tax rate is not this. Basically, they can reach the high tax of "ten-tenths tax and

five-tenths tax". The public land that is sublet is the "ten-tenths tax and five-tenths tax" levied.

In other words, if the people grow rice, the annual harvest can be exchanged for 2,800 to 3,300 copper coins. If the public land is borrowed from the imperial court, the tax is only about one hundred coins of grain. But if you borrow land from a powerful landlord to cultivate, you have to pay a rent of more than 1,400 coins.

Xu Yanmo calculated the money in his mind: [The common people only have 1,400 to 5,000 or 5,000 to 6,000 coins a year, and they have to support a large family...]

Xu Lang's pupils dilated.

[Once they encounter a natural disaster or man-made calamity, how can they survive!]

They can survive, of course they can survive.

The old emperor almost laughed. That smile must be cold and sarcastic: if you sell yourself and your family to them as slaves, you can survive.

"Pa--"

a crisp slap sound.

When Diwu Ang was in the officialdom, he had the spirit of not turning back until he hit the south wall, and even if he hit the south wall, he would not turn back. His colleagues all laughed and called him "the reincarnation of a stubborn donkey." But at this moment, this stubborn donkey didn't have any of the stubbornness of the emperor, and slapped himself on the left cheek with extra force.

The slap was so loud... Everyone who knew the Fifth Stubborn Donkey gasped, and even those who were kneeling couldn't help but raise their eyes and watch again and again. Is

this still the Fifth Stubborn Donkey who, when he got angry, could even butt the emperor with his neck! He once

dared to use an axe to break the lock of the palace gate, and stood at the palace gate and shouted "Your Majesty abuses punishment" more than ten times with a loud voice like a bell. Now he kneels there and hits the left cheek and then the right cheek, and his face is swollen? !

Xu Yanmiao: [Wow——]

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

Beijing officials: "..."

Hiss——

It seems to be true to say that?

"Pa--"

After slapping the right cheek, Diwu Ang turned his hand and slapped the left cheek hard. His nails directly opened a shallow cut on the face, and blood slowly seeped out from inside.

"I deserve to die! I was bewitched. I touched the life-saving fields of the people. I was so stupid! Your Majesty is very kind to me, but I brought shame to Your Majesty! I deserve to die!"

"Pa--"

Diwu Ang slapped the right cheek again. This time the corners of his mouth were cracked, and saliva and blood flowed together.

"I am guilty! I have failed the Queen's praise of me in the past and her commendation of my assistance in government affairs. How could I forget the words 'pillar of the country' from your Highness? After returning home, I indulged in money and shit, swallowed the blood and tears of the people, forgot the expectations of your Majesty and your Highness, and failed their trust! I should have died in prison after cutting the lock on the palace gate, so as to avoid doing something that would insult your Majesty and your Highness now!"

"Pa--"

This slap was even more fierce, and he was slapped to the ground and turned dizzy. After shaking his head, Diwu Ang got up and knelt again.

"Your Majesty, I have a weak mind and have made one mistake after another. I have seen corrupt officials and disloyal officials in the local area, and many people have died unjustly. I have also seen many retired colleagues laying their hands on public land. I was wavering between writing to the emperor and going along with the crowd. In the end, I lost my mind, was obsessed with desires, and went with the flow. I regret it! Even now, if I kneel down and break my legs, smash my teeth, dig out my eyes, and rip out my heart and liver, I cannot undo my mistakes!"

"Pa--"

Diwu Ang hit himself so hard that his cheeks were swollen and tears were streaming. Then he kowtowed and cried to the sky: "It is not a pity for me to die, but when I think of the many people who are suffering, I don't know how I can face your majesty's kindness!"

"Pa--"

"Pa-pa-pa--" He slapped me

in the face several times, and the blows were particularly fierce, 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, so that I can use my remaining energy before I die to root out those messes!" "

Pa-pa-pa-pa-

pa--" Not to mention Xu Yanmiao, even the ministers who have been ups and downs in the officialdom for many years were stunned.

"This is simply..."

[The response is the same as in the textbook...]

It is completely worth reading and savoring in bed in the middle of the night. If this is a TV series, then this series of slaps to save myself is definitely the climax.

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

He first played the emotional card, saying that he had let down His Majesty and Her Majesty the Queen - especially the part about Her Majesty the Queen, which was a stroke of genius. It was almost like he was bringing out the Queen to save his life.

Your Majesty! Look how much Her Majesty the Queen values ​​me, and even praised me as a "pillar of the country." Now I regret it, knowing that I have let down 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 I am grateful to Her Majesty the Queen. When the prince ascends the throne in the future, 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 mistakes with a particularly sincere attitude, and slapped the emperor with great force, without any water mixed in.

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

Is it excusable! Your Majesty!

Then he immediately dragged other retired officials into the water, showing that he was just following the crowd, and that everyone else did so, so he was confused for a while.

Finally, he neatly showed that he followed the emperor's footsteps and decided to sell his friends for glory.

——It is worthy of being a battle royale, and everyone really showed their skills.

If the atmosphere had not reached this point this time, maybe he could have really gotten away with it.

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 his determination to slap himself to death, he slowly spoke: "Since you said that the remaining heat before death--"

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

Many people in the room who were kneeling changed their expressions slightly.

And Diwu Ang kowtowed again, and blood flowed down from his broken forehead. He couldn't wait to speak: "I know, it's--"

At this moment, suddenly a person rolled out from the crowd.

Really rolled out.

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