After escorting more than ten criminals back to the Six Doors, Yuchi Baolin said with dissatisfaction, "Bringing these guys back is a waste of food. They probably couldn't be happier to do it!"
"It's alright! We'll interrogate them first to find out which groups are in Yongyang Ward, so it will be easier to clean them up," Qin Mu said calmly.
"They're all poor bastards. I feel like arresting them is actually taking care of them," Yu Chi Baolin said with some dissatisfaction.
"Prefect Ma, what do you think about us petitioning His Majesty to use the prisoners for labor?" Qin Mu asked Ma Zhou.
Prisoners refer to people who have been sentenced and are serving their sentences in local prisons. Ma Zhou understood what he meant. When Qin Mu asked, he frowned and then reminded him, "If you want to use prisoners, there are three issues that need to be resolved."
"Please speak!" Qin Mu gestured. He respected Ma Zhou's opinions; with Ma Zhou on the Six Doors, everyone's life had become much easier. Not to mention paperwork, the increasing number of cases were also easily resolved in his hands.
“First, His Majesty’s opinion; second, how to persuade those who oppose him; third, how to ensure that the prisoners will not escape or harm others,” Ma Zhou said, holding up his finger.
"Yes, you're right."
“I have no way to solve these three problems; it’s up to you,” Ma Zhou said.
Qin Mu knew that it wasn't that Ma Zhou had no way out, but rather that due to his status, he had no opportunity to submit a memorial or persuade others.
"Could you help me consider this and see if it's feasible?" Qin Mu said thoughtfully.
Ma Zhou nodded and listened attentively, knowing that Qin Mu had many novel ideas.
“The prisoners’ crimes are not serious. Why not give them a chance to reform? Keeping them there not only does not benefit the court much, but also requires feeding them. Moreover, long-term imprisonment is not good for their physical or mental health; in fact, it may even warp their minds and cause them to do more bad things after they are released.”
“You’re right! But they’re just prisoners, we can’t be too nice to them… You mean to let them work to offset their sentences?” Ma Zhou was very clever, and after a little thought, he guessed Qin Mu’s intention.
"Excellent! I think we can reform prisoners through labor! Those who behave well can have their sentences reduced at the discretion of the authorities. Most of these short-term prisoners are thieves; they're not exactly heinous criminals, just idle people. After labor reform, they might not hate working anymore and would live honestly when they're released."
"As for security, there's no need to worry. Firstly, we can arrange for guards to be on duty; a separate team will suffice. Secondly, escaping, like breaking out of prison, will only aggravate the crime, which isn't worthwhile for those whose crimes aren't serious," Qin Mu explained with a smile.
“That’s right! Those with serious crimes can also be locked up and made to work in the workshop. Hmm! Those who do well can also be given a little money, so that they will have their own living expenses after they are released.” Ma Zhou slapped his thigh in agreement, drawing inferences from one instance to another.
Compared to Ma Zhou, Qin Mu could only say "Holy crap!" What Ma Zhou said was not much different from what a prisoner in another world was saying. If he didn't know who Ma Zhou was, he would really think that Ma Zhou was also a time traveler.
"Yes, that's a great idea! It seems you also think it's feasible," Qin Mu exclaimed.
“Of course it’s feasible! At the very least, we can take on a pilot program first!” Ma Zhou nodded. He had only recently learned the term “pilot program” and thought it made a lot of sense. For any policy, a specific location could be chosen as a pilot area first.
"Alright! I'll submit a memorial first."
"It would be best to have the chief constable and the registrar submit the memorial together," Ma Zhou reminded him. He was worried that Qin Mu was young and would rush into things. Although Qin Qiong was his father, it was still taboo to submit a memorial to someone above his level.
"Of course! We definitely have to involve them, otherwise they'll blame me for not telling them," Qin Mu nodded. Even if Ma Zhou didn't tell him, he would have told Qin Qiong. Besides, he didn't like dealing with Li Shimin; that couple always wanted to take advantage, even more greedy than Cheng Zhijie. So in the end, Qin Qiong still had to submit the memorial.
Although he claimed to be submitting the memorial himself, Qin Mu still looked at Ma Zhou. Ma Zhou smiled and began to write.
Ma Zhou wrote a memorial to the throne, and Qin Mu discussed with Cheng Huaimo and others, and arranged for the constables of the Six Doors to go to Yongyang Ward to clean it up.
"It would be best to ask the Bad Guys for help; they are more familiar with Chang'an," Cheng Huaimo advised.
“You’re right, you and Brother Yuchi should handle this,” Qin Mu agreed.
"You're leaving everything to us? What about you?" Cheng Huaimo asked, his eyes wide.
"I need to make an array plate, why don't you do it?" Qin Mu said, spreading his hands.
“Alright! I forgot, the two markets need quite a few array plates.” Cheng Huaimo quickly shook his head and said.
"It's not just the market that needs it," Qin Mu said thoughtfully. He had an idea in mind while using the Moon Pearl, and he had been studying the knowledge of array plates in the manual recently.
What Qin Mu wanted to do was to create array plates for the constables of the Six Doors. After learning about it, he realized that the array plates used by people and those used in buildings were completely different things.
Buildings using arrays only require burying array plates and connecting them with materials. Once activated, the array plates automatically absorb spiritual energy from heaven and earth and exert their intended effects. Only places like city walls and gates require the use of beast cores or jade as power sources.
The battle formation plates used by soldiers are different. First of all, soldiers are people who move during battle, so the first difference between these formation plates and buildings is that the formation plates used by soldiers are not as strict about distance. Therefore, the materials required for these formation plates are much higher.
Another difference is that the formation plate needs to unleash the power of the soldiers and train them into a unified whole. Therefore, each participating soldier needs a special rune.
The array plate plus the runes make up a complete set. Then, the bloodthirsty energy is used as the power source. The array plate serves as the base, and the runes form the lines to create a military formation. Only soldiers who obey orders without question can execute this formation, and they must be the elite among the soldiers to achieve its full effect.
Spiritual energy itself is very explosive, and bloodthirsty energy is one of the more violent types of spiritual energy. Military formations gather the strength of soldiers to attack the enemy, which places extremely high demands on the load-bearing capacity of the formation plate. It won't be easy for Qin Mu to create one.
He had prepared all the materials. They were from his collection in the Heavenly Mystery Tower, as well as those that Yan Lide had taken from the Crafts Bureau. As the head craftsman of the Crafts Bureau, he had some authority over this. Moreover, the Yuchi family also had some. If Qin Mu needed some materials, even if they were valuable, the Yuchi family would not refuse. Of course, if it came to money, that was another matter.
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