Chapter 110 Women as Soldiers
Three years later, on May 11th of the eighteenth year of the Qingyuan reign, the Shaoqing Prefecture government office welcomed the first citizen who beat the drum to appeal for justice.
"Boom—boom—boom!"
Three deafening blasts rang out in quick succession, shattering the tranquility of dawn.
The night watchman awoke from his sleep with a start, looking around in panic: "What's going on? Are the bandits invading the city?"
After looking around, I couldn't see any trace of the bandits. Suddenly I remembered that the bandits were gone.
The sound of drums in my ears sounds familiar, but I can't remember where I heard it.
As their sleepiness faded, several yamen runners looked at each other, and one of them said in surprise, "I remember there was a drum outside the government office."
In Daxia, the drum used for seeking justice outside the imperial palace was called the Dengwen Drum, while the one used outside the government office was called the Hanyuan Drum.
If you count carefully, the drum outside the Shaoqing Prefecture government office has not sounded for three or four years.
When I hear it now, it feels like a lifetime ago.
"Someone really came to complain?"
"Who among you will go and inform the prefect?"
The yamen runner who stretched his neck to look outside was shocked. He looked up at the sky and down at the ground, but not at his colleagues.
"you go."
"I'm not going, you go."
"I'm not going either."
The yamen runners passed the buck to each other, and no one wanted to offend the female Rakshasa so early in the morning.
“Bang, bang, bang!”
The drums sounded again, and the people who had gotten up early and gone out gathered around to watch the fun.
“There are actually people beating drums to protest?”
"I recognize this aunt. She lived across the street from me. Four of her children died, leaving only one alive. Her husband was also beaten to death by those bastards from the south of the city. She had a miserable life."
"Well, you talk as if everyone has a hard life."
Seeing that more and more people were coming to watch the excitement, the yamen runners were worried that the noise outside would wake up the prefect, and they would be in trouble if they knew about it but didn't report it. So they didn't dare to hesitate and ran to the third hall, but were stopped by the guards outside the gate of the inner house.
"Someone outside is beating a drum to complain. Please, sir, come to the court!"
Du Wu walked quickly to the bedroom and knocked on the door. "Master, there are people outside the government office beating drums to complain."
In just a cup of tea, the young prefect in crimson official robes walked out of his bedroom, straightened his clothes, and ran to the lobby.
Yesterday I was in charge of examining the names of the bandits and fell asleep near midnight.
If you are very tired during the day, you will inevitably sleep more deeply.
If Du Wu hadn't knocked on the door, Du Qingtang would have probably slept a little longer.
After a while, Du Qingtang dressed neatly and sat upright in the court.
The yamen runners held their heads high and stood on both sides of the court, slamming their clubs on the ground and shouting in unison: "Up—court—"
Four gongs were sounded outside the hall, and the person beating the drums came in and knelt down to pay his respects.
"Commoner Jin Qiushui pays homage to the prefect."
Du Qingtang sat upright, his tone serious: "What grievances have you suffered? Please tell me in detail, and I will definitely make a decision for you."
Jin Qiushui held the petition in both hands and raised it above her head. "I would like to sue Sun Shizhong, a member of the Sun family's branch. He stole the secret recipe that has been passed down for three generations in my husband's family and beat my husband to death with a club. Please, sir, seek justice for me."
There was an uproar outside the hall.
"The Sun family? The Sun family in the south of the city?"
"Wow! This guy is really brave. Isn't he afraid of revenge from the Sun family?"
The clerk brought the complaint and presented it to Du Qingtang.
Du Qingtang scanned the evidence provided by Jin Qiushui and found it very sufficient, with both witnesses and physical evidence. He immediately ordered, "Come here, bring Sun Shizhong here."
The yamen runner hesitated for a moment, but was suddenly met with the magistrate's cold, lifeless gaze. He shuddered and ran out.
Du Qingtang looked at Jin Qiushui and said, "No need to kneel, stand up."
Jin Qiushui stood up and said, "Thank you, sir."
The court was crowded with people, talking endlessly and making a lot of noise.
"Do you think the prefect will punish that man surnamed Sun?"
"She even dared to kill bandits and corrupt officials. She's just a branch of the Sun family, not the head of the Sun family. If she dies, she dies."
......
The bailiff went to Sun's house and was told that Sun Shizhong was not at home.
After interrogating the doorman, they went to the brothel that Sun Shizhong often visited, and sure enough, he was there.
Sun Shizhong was sleeping soundly when he was suddenly pulled out of bed by a yamen runner, dressed and carried out.
When the wind blew, Sun Shizhong regained consciousness and started cursing: "Do you know who I am? How dare you disrespect me? How many heads do you have left to chop off?"
The yamen runner had a look of contempt on his face and was not afraid at all.
If you are still threatening them even when you are about to die, you will have no place to cry later.
Sun Shizhong cursed all the way and was extremely arrogant until he was thrown into the court, beaten with sticks and the bailiffs shouted "mighty", then he restrained himself a little.
Beneath the plaque hanging high above the mirror, Du Qingtang's gaze was stern. "Sun Shizhong, Jin Qiushui is suing you for forcibly stealing the Fang family's secret recipe and intentionally killing someone. Do you plead guilty?"
Sun Shizhong was completely confused: "Who is Jin Qiushui? When did I steal the secret recipe?"
Jin Qiushui's eyes were filled with hatred, his fists clenched tightly, and he tried his best to control the urge to hit the other party: "Eight years ago, at the Fang family snack stall."
Sun Shizhong thought about it carefully and it seemed to be true.
Back then, his favored concubine came to him and asked for the secret recipe of the Fang family snack stall so that she could open a shop for her brother.
Sun Shizhong agreed without hesitation and asked someone to buy the secret recipe. However, the servant returned empty-handed, saying that the man surnamed Fang refused to sell it.
He immediately became angry and beat Fang to death and stole the secret recipe.
The matter is true, but Sun Shizhong will not admit it.
He's just a pariah, and he's dead if he dies.
It is their honor that he sees the Fang family's secret recipe. If they are so ungrateful, don't blame him for being rude.
Sun Shizhong stiffened his neck and yelled, "This is a false accusation. I don't have that much time to waste on you. I will forgive you for this offense. If there is a next time..."
He smiled grimly, turned around and walked out.
Du Qingtang slammed the gavel and said, "Stop him for me!"
The yamen runners shouted in unison: "Powerful—mighty—"
Two other yamen runners stepped forward and hit Sun Shizhong's calves with their clubs.
"ah!"
Sun Shizhong screamed and fell face first onto the ground, and was dragged back by the yamen runners by his trouser legs.
Sun Shizhong struggled in vain, his face flushed with anger: "I am a member of the Sun family. How dare you treat me like this? The head of the family will not let you go!"
Du Qingtang remained unmoved: "Contempt of the court, punishable by thirty strokes of the cane."
As soon as he finished speaking, there was the crackling sound of sticks hitting each other.
Although Sun Shizhong was from a side branch, he had always had everything provided for him and had never suffered any hardship. How could he withstand the pain of being beaten? He immediately howled in agony.
But in a moment, the green robe was stained with blood red.
"My goodness, the prefect is serious, he's bleeding!"
"Well done! Why should we suffer while they enjoy the good life?"
After being beaten with the stick for more than ten times, Sun Shizhong finally felt scared and burst into tears: "Sir, please spare my life. I am innocent!"
Jin Qiushui was delighted to see this, but she also hated him for refusing to confess. She turned around and knelt again, "Sir, the witnesses are outside. I beg you to let them in so we can confront Sun Shizhong in court!"
Du Qingtang said without hesitation: "Yes."
Four witnesses entered the courtroom.
"My family had a stall next to the Fang family back then. That afternoon, he brought a group of people over, smashed the Fang family's stall, forced Fang Liang to dictate the secret recipe, and then had his men beat Fang Liang to death with clubs."
"My family runs a stall across from the Fang family. I can testify that what Sister Jin said is true."
"I can testify to that, too."
"And me!"
Du Qingtang looked at Sun Shizhong, who was lying on the ground with his buttocks bruised and dying after being beaten with thirty sticks: "What else do you have to say?"
Sun Shizhong was in so much pain that he couldn't speak: "......"
Du Qingtang took it as his acquiescence and raised his hand: "Come here, put him in jail and execute him at three quarters past noon today."
After saying this, he looked at the people outside the court and said solemnly, "Justice is clear, killing someone means paying with your life. If you have any grievances, please come to the government office to seek justice. I will definitely give you justice."
The bailiff came forward and carried Sun Shizhong to the government prison.
Sun Shizhong struggled: "I didn't kill anyone! You can't kill me! The Sun family will not let you go!"
Du Qingtang waved his hand and the bailiff walked faster.
Sun Shizhong's shouting faded away. Jin Qiu Shui looked at the prefect under the plaque hanging high above the mirror. It seemed as if all the strength in her body had been drained away. She collapsed to the ground, tears streaming down her face.
Feeling the wetness on his cheek, Jin Qiu Shui was stunned.
Ever since her husband passed away and her children left one after another, she and her daughter have depended on each other and have never shed a tear in the past eight years.
She is a mother.
She is a protector.
She must be strong and unyielding, and must be able to do anything.
She can't cry.
If she weakened, tragic death would await her and her daughter.
Until this moment, she finally got her revenge.
She knelt in the court and finally had a good cry.
Jin Qiushui burst into tears and banged her head on the ground: "Your Excellency is wise! I thank you very much!"
Outside the court, everyone was speechless.
"She actually sentenced Sun to beheading."
"Isn't she afraid of retaliation from the Sun family?"
The young man stood in the crowd, smiling faintly: "What are you afraid of? Justice will eventually drive out evil."
yes.
Justice will eventually drive out evil.
Bandits can be eliminated.
Dog officials can be tortured to death.
The powerful could be beheaded.
Shaoqing Prefecture can also welcome a good official who is not afraid of power.
"The prefect is wise!"
I don’t know who shouted first, but everyone followed suit.
"The prefect is wise!"
The tone was sonorous and shocking, like piercing through the clouds and splitting the rocks.
......
In just one hour, the news that the Sun family's branch branch would be beheaded spread throughout the city.
"Is this true? Don't try to deceive me."
"Absolutely true."
"That's the Sun family, one of the four great families, and the prefect actually sentenced him to beheading."
"This shows that the prefect is a good official who is upright and honest."
"You said...why don't we go too?"
Living in Shaoqing Prefecture, the people were burdened by three huge mountains: bandits, corrupt officials, and wealthy families and merchants, which made them feel suffocated.
Now that the two mountains have been removed, the wealthy families and wealthy merchants have become the target of public criticism.
The people who suffered from their persecution in the past saw the light of hope in Jin Qiusui's case.
Maybe they can get justice for themselves.
"Before filing a complaint, you must first write a complaint. If you can't read, you can go to Zhou's bookstore and write one for four cents. Gather as much evidence as possible. Sufficient evidence will help the prefect solve the case."
"I know, I know."
That morning, Zhou's bookstore welcomed dozens of customers, all of whom wanted to have their lawsuits written.
The young man's pen almost flew out of the shadow around him, and he finally sent all the guests away before noon.
"It's too late. I have to go watch the execution."
"If you hadn't mentioned it, I would have almost forgotten that the dog official and the man surnamed Sun were to be executed together today."
"Let's go together?"
"Together!"
The sound of conversation faded away, and Zhou Jizhong rubbed his sore wrist and smiled slightly.
The dark clouds hanging over Shaoqing Mansion seemed to dissipate a little, and the place became less dead and more filled with laughter and joy.
"What a pleasant surprise." Zhou Jizhong murmured.
Who could have thought that the young prefect would bring them so many surprises.
-
At three quarters past the hour of the si Dynasty, Zhou Wei and four others were dragged out of the woodshed and thrown into a prison van.
Zhou Wei struggled hard, his shackles rattling. "How dare you disrespect me? Be careful or I'll chop off your heads!"
The bailiff wasn't afraid at all. He slapped the man hard in the face and said with a grin, "How dare you! You are a prisoner now, you are not allowed to call yourself an official!"
Zhou Wei was stunned by the slap: "You dare to hit me?"
The bailiffs had wanted to beat him for a long time.
They are also human beings. Every time they are ordered around, beaten and kicked, they can't help but feel resentment and hatred in addition to the pain.
He was just intimidated by the absolute power of Zhou Wei and others, and couldn't speak out his grievances.
Now the government office has changed. The prefect is swift and decisive in his actions and never bullies others by taking advantage of his power. As long as they do their job well, he will not make things difficult for them.
Compared to the past, their lives can be said to be much more comfortable.
Seeing that Zhou Wei and others were about to be tortured to death, they had to seize the opportunity to take a small revenge.
Not only Zhou Wei, but the other three were also slapped in the face by the yamen runners.
"presumptuous!"
"I'm going to kill you, ahhhh!"
The bailiffs ignored the four men's shouting and put Sun Shizhong into the prison van. The group marched towards the execution ground.
The streets were crowded with people, each holding a handful of stones and throwing them hard at the five people in the prison van.
The yamen runner was nearly hit by something and couldn't help complaining, "Can't you just use rotten vegetable leaves?"
One woman said confidently: "Rotten leaves can be eaten, and if they can't be eaten, they can be fed to chickens. Isn't it a waste to smash them?"
The yamen runner was speechless and had to compromise: "Then you can smash it when you see the right one."
Everyone shouted that they understood, and for a moment stones flew everywhere and screams were heard.
When the prison van arrived at the execution ground, the five men's faces were covered in blood and their original appearance was unrecognizable.
They were escorted by yamen runners and knelt on both sides of the execution ground.
The prefect sat high on the platform. At three quarters past noon, he took out a fire stick from the stick tube and threw it high into the air.
"Execution—"
The executioner took off the death card, ordered Sun Shizhong to bow his head, and then took off the prison uniforms of Zhou Wei and the other three and covered their bodies with fishing nets.
Sun Shizhong still does not repent, swearing constantly and threatening the executioner: "I advise you to let me go quickly, otherwise the Sun family will not let you go."
The executioner was the same one who had beheaded the bandit some time ago. When the first blow failed to cut off the bandit's neck, he cut it again.
He scoffed, his beard covering most of his face. "Do you really think you're still the Sun family's young master? It's already been two or three hours. If the Sun family really wanted to save you, they would have gotten you out long ago. Why would they let you go to the execution ground?"
Sun Shizhong was struck by lightning and collapsed to the ground like mud.
This was the fact, and he couldn't say a word to refute it.
The executioner raised the ghost-head knife high, and with a flick of his hand, the knife slashed down, and Sun Shizhong's body was separated in an instant.
On the other side, Zhou Wei and his three companions were naked, with only a fishing net barely covering their bodies.
A gust of wind blew and made them feel cold all over.
They knew that there was no turning back and that they would surely die today, so their faces turned pale and they trembled.
They began to regret it.
If I had known this would happen, I should have kept a low profile.
At least they had to clean up the mess so that Du Qingtang couldn't find any evidence of their guilt.
The executioner, holding the lingchi knife, approached step by step.
Thinking of what was going to happen next, Zhou Wei shuddered and a pool of liquid seeped out from under his body.
The executioner paused, a look of disgust on his face.
Zhou Wei kowtowed desperately, his shackles rattling, tears and snot all over his face. "Don't kill me! Please don't kill me! Or just chop off my head, don't torture me to death by slicing, don't torture me to death by slicing!"
The executioner grinned, revealing a row of sharp white teeth, like a butcher ready to take his life: "Now you know how to cry. When you did bad things before, you should have thought that this day would come sooner or later."
The law of nature is clear and retribution will come.
It’s not that I don’t want to take revenge, it’s just that the time has not come yet.
They thought that the imperial court had abandoned Shaoqing Prefecture long ago, so they did whatever they wanted in Shaoqing Prefecture and committed all kinds of evil.
Unexpectedly, Cheng Yaojin appeared out of nowhere and in just one month, Shaoqing Prefecture underwent earth-shaking changes.
It also made them fall from the clouds into the quagmire.
The executioner lifted Zhou Wei up, moved to a clean place, held him down with one hand, and twisted his other wrist to cleanly cut off a piece of flesh.
"ah!"
Zhou Wei wailed and struggled desperately like a dehydrated fish.
However, he was bound by shackles, and no matter how he struggled, he could not escape the executioner's five fingers.
The bloodiness of lingchi is far less than beheading, but the people watching the execution showed no fear.
Living in Shaoqing Prefecture, they had to experience or watch armed fights almost every day, with red and white splattered all over the ground, and sometimes intestines even spilled out. Isn't it much more terrifying than lingchi?
Seeing Zhou Wei and the other three gradually turning into blood gourds, convulsing and twitching constantly, everyone applauded and said it was a great pleasure.
The executioner cut the body for an hour.
Pieces of flesh fell onto the tray, and in the end only a bloody skeleton was left.
But at this moment, Zhou Wei and the other three were still alive.
Just by lowering your head, you can see the heart beating in your chest.
"How much is it?"
"One thousand eight hundred and four."
"That's the number I counted."
"They're supposed to be dying, aren't they?"
"I feel like this is too easy for them. They should be made to experience the punishment of skinning and bone pulling."
“That’s right!”
No!
don't want!
Zhou Wei opened his eyes wide in horror.
With a "bang", the lingchi knife fell into the tray.
The punishment of lingchi ended here.
Zhou Wei smiled slowly, and his breathing stopped abruptly.
......
After Zhou Wei and the other three died, their bodies were buried by a special person and sent to a mass grave on the outskirts of the city.
Because only a skeleton was left of them with scattered flesh and skin, they were not wrapped in straw mats, but were directly put into sacks and thrown into the mass grave filled with a foul smell.
The sack rolled down from the pile of corpses. The hyena came forward to sniff it, then walked away in disgust.
Not long after, a group of men appeared at the mass grave.
They were armed with sticks and attacked the heavy sacks.
After venting his anger, he dragged the sack to the open space next to him and threw a tinderbox over there.
The flames ignited the sack and spread rapidly with the help of the wind, burning more and more vigorously, like an angry fire dragon, swallowing the sack whole.
The fire burned for a full half hour.
The scarlet flames gradually died out, leaving only a pile of black ash.
When the wind blew, ashes flew everywhere.
The men clapped their hands and turned away.
"Do you think the new Tongzhi and the new Tongpan will be good officials?"
"With the prefect here, they can't cause any trouble."
"That's true..."
-
"This is too much! This is really too much!"
The head of the Sun family slammed the table in anger, his fat face turned red and his bald head was shiny.
Not long ago, Du Qingtang's guards came to the door and said, "I'm here on the orders of the prefect to demand compensation on behalf of Jin Qiushui."
Patriarch Sun was confused: "What compensation?"
The guard said, "Compensation for seizing the secret recipe."
The head of the Sun family was so angry that she collapsed on her back and wanted to send someone to expel the guard, but then she heard the guard say something shocking: "The master said that if the head of the Sun family doesn't pay compensation, she will have the yamen runners beat drums and gongs to demand the money."
Patriarch Sun: “…”
Because of Sun Shizhong's affair, the Sun family was pushed to the forefront. He didn't want to cause any more trouble, so he had to hold his nose and give him one thousand taels.
"I won't be able to sleep or eat peacefully until this woman is eliminated!"
Patriarch Qian and Patriarch Li remained silent.
They had already received news that many people in the city were preparing to write petitions and go to the government to complain.
It is certain that members of the Qian and Li families will also suffer next.
They couldn't help but blame the head of the Sun family.
If he hadn't failed to manage the younger generation of the clan well, allowing Sun Shizhong to cause trouble, how could so many troubles have been involved?
"And that bitch who beat the drum to complain about her injustice, I will never let her off!" The head of the Sun family was so angry that his beard stood up, and he swore a harsh word.
......
"Here's one thousand taels. Madam, keep it." Du Yi handed the banknote to Jin Qiushui. "My master asked me to tell you to move out of here as soon as possible."
Jin Qiu Shui held the light silver bill in his hand, feeling mixed emotions.
Jin Qiushui never expected that the prefect would actually send someone to the Sun family to ask for money. One thousand taels of silver notes were enough for her and her daughter to live a rich life, and to prepare a generous dowry for her daughter when she grew up.
"Thank you, sir, for me. We were originally planning to leave the city tonight."
Du nodded and left.
Jin Qiu Shui closed the door, not forgetting to lock it from the inside, and went back to the house to continue packing.
My daughter Mei Jie'er ran around holding clothes, her young eyes full of joy.
Jin Qiu Shui took a look and her heart softened.
After settling a grudge and tonight, they will start a new life.
"Sister Mei, you must always remember the kindness the prefect has shown our family."
The little girl nodded: "Sister Mei knows that the prefect is a very good man!"
There is a smile in the golden autumn eyes.
Yes, you are a good man.
-
That night, the soldiers of Loushan Pass and the soldiers of Shaoqing Prefecture gathered together to drink wine and celebrate the successful suppression of the bandits.
Fifty village chiefs who voluntarily surrendered were also present.
The bandits had not yet completed their registration and were temporarily not allowed to move around freely, so they did not attend the celebration banquet.
During the banquet, everyone was toasting and chatting happily.
Du Qingtang was in a good mood and accepted everyone who came to chat or toast him.
General Feng also came over and said, "Commander Du, we will return to Loushan Pass early tomorrow morning."
Du Qingtang raised his glass: "Thank you very much for your great help, General. I will drink first as a toast."
General Feng drained his glass in two gulps. "Commander Du, it's a bit awkward for you to say this. Honestly, it's me, Old Feng, who should thank you."
Before the arrival of the Firearms Battalion, the battle was at a stalemate.
After the Firearm Battalion arrived, the outcome was decided in just over ten days, excluding the negotiations which took more than a month.
The soldiers of Loushan Pass were grateful to the Firearm Battalion from the bottom of their hearts, so they made this trip to assist Shaoqing Prefecture in suppressing the bandits.
Du Qingtang knew what he meant, smiled without saying anything, and drank another glass of wine with General Feng.
The celebration banquet lasted for three or four hours. The soldiers were drunk and did not go back to the tent to sleep, but just lay on the ground with their legs spread out.
People were piled up on top of each other, and the snoring was deafening.
It was already late at night when Du Yi returned to the government office. He reported, "Master, Jin Qiushui and her daughter have already left."
Du Qingtang hummed softly to indicate that she understood, and after washing up, she fell asleep.
......
The next day, the soldiers of Loushan Pass left Shaoqing Prefecture.
Du Qingtang was busy with official duties and did not leave the city to see him off.
After taking up his post at the hour of Mao, the first thing he did was to draft an urgent memorial to ask the court for someone.
Two associate magistrates and two assistant judges were convicted and executed, leaving four vacancies.
She had to ask the court to send someone over quickly. Otherwise, even if she had countless clerks to serve, many things would still require her, the prefect, to personally handle them.
There is also the garrison commander. The previous garrison commander died a few months ago and no one has taken over yet. I'd like to urge him to take over.
The urgent memorial was sent out and delivered to Xiajing by express courier over a distance of 800 miles. Du Qingtang had just put down his pen when the prison warden asked to see him.
"Sir, how do you plan to deal with those bandits?"
If the warden hadn't mentioned it, Du Qingtang would have almost forgotten about the bandits in the prison. He paused and asked, "Are they behaving well?"
"They're all well-behaved, but there are too many people." The warden laughed bitterly. "Thirty or forty bandits can be crammed into one cell, leaving no room to turn around. Even so, there aren't many empty cells left."
Among the bandits in more than 200 bandit camps, excluding those who died, there were more than 10,000 people captured alive.
Every day at mealtime, it’s like feeding pigs. A hundred pots of rice are not enough.
The prison warden was overwhelmed and finally came forward to ask.
Du Qingtang stroked the pen and pondered in silence.
She said nothing, and the warden did not dare to disturb her. He held his breath, concentrated, and stood respectfully with his head bowed.
"Should there be a lot of wasteland in Shaoqing Prefecture?"
The prefect suddenly asked, and the warden was stunned for a moment before telling the truth: "To be honest, Your Excellency, Shaoqing Prefecture is vast, but there are only about 100,000 registered citizens. With such a small population, there's naturally a lot of wasteland."
The small population is one thing, but the mere act of "surviving" exhausts the people, who can only manage to cultivate a few acres of land to prevent their families from starving to death.
Du Qingtang made a prompt decision and said, "Then let them go and open up the wasteland."
The reclaimed wasteland can be used for farming or planting trees. Farming produces food so that the people will not go hungry, and planting trees can prevent wind and sand, but it will take some years to see the results.
The warden was stunned for a moment: "What if they take the opportunity to escape..."
Du Qingtang thought for a moment and called the yamen runners: "Go and ask General Huang Qian to come over."
The bailiff took the order and disappeared in the blink of an eye.
The prison warden didn't understand what the prefect was up to and wanted to ask, but unfortunately the prefect went back to work after giving his orders. He opened his mouth but swallowed the question that was on the tip of his tongue.
After waiting for an incense stick of time, General Huang arrived in a hurry.
"I will pay my respects to you, sir."
"No need to be so polite." Du Qingtang raised his hand and said straight to the point, "I plan to send bandits to open up the wasteland. This matter will be your responsibility. Start from the surrounding areas of the prefecture and spread out step by step."
General Huang grew up in Shaoqing Prefecture, so he knows exactly where the wasteland is.
Huang Qianzong was overjoyed to be entrusted with such an important task by the prefect. "I will obey your order, but those bandits are very cunning. If they take the opportunity to escape..."
I actually asked him the same question.
The prison warden secretly complained, while pricking up his ears, curious about what the prefect would do.
"That's easy. Send more guards to guard him. He must report to the toilet and have the guards accompany him the whole time. If he fails to escape and is caught, starve him for three to five days. He is not allowed to drink water during this period. He can't stop clearing the land. He will behave after being starved a few times."
General Huang Qian: “!!!”
Warden: “!!!”
Being thirsty, hungry and having to work is more painful than death.
The two of them were in awe and even felt a little gloating.
Anyway, they are not the ones who will be punished, so they can just watch the fun.
"Besides land reclamation, there is also the issue of city defense."
General Huang Qian took a sharp breath.
Du Qingtang tapped the table with his fingers. "I've lived for twenty years and have been to many places, but I've never seen a city without a gatekeeper."
Only Shaoqing Prefecture.
The city gates are wide open twelve hours a day, allowing all kinds of monsters to enter.
The refugees in the city were running around everywhere, causing panic among the people.
Huang Qianzong's face flushed, filled with shame. "It was my negligence. Please punish me, sir."
Du Qingtang waved his hand. He was in need of help right now, so he decided to waive any punishment if possible. "In addition to guarding the city gates, you will also have to patrol the city. The government soldiers and yamen runners will be there. You can arrange the patrol time and how to find the shift yourself."
"As for the city walls and gates, they also need repair and reinforcement. I'll arrange for craftsmen to go there later."
"By the way, arrange for someone to inspect the bandits who have surrendered. There must be no conflict between the two sides. If there are no abnormalities after two months, they can be officially recruited as government soldiers."
General Huang wrote down all the instructions and left.
Seeing that there was nothing more for him to do, the prison warden also left.
Du Qingtang stared into space, pondering for a moment, then summoned a clerk: "I intend to establish a refugee camp in the south of the city to accommodate refugees from other places."
First, take care of the city’s defense and public security, and then address the people’s livelihood issues.
The clerk was a little worried: "There are all kinds of people among the refugees, many of whom have committed crimes. If we let them gather together, wouldn't it be..."
Du Qingtang agreed. If they bullied the unarmed refugees, it would be very easy for someone to die.
She thought for a moment, then clapped her hands and said, "Go and borrow five hundred soldiers from General Huang Qian. Take all the refugees and take them to the refugee camp for custody. Anyone who takes the initiative to provoke a fight will be arrested and sent to reclaim the wasteland."
The clerk who just learned from the prison warden what the meaning of land reclamation is: "......"
Du Qingtang added, "We'll observe them for half a month first. If they behave themselves, we can arrange for them to go out to open up wasteland and provide them with work in exchange for relief. This way, they can support their families and won't have to rely on the government for food, clothing, housing, and transportation."
After hearing what the prefect said, the clerk thought to himself that it was wonderful.
Regardless of whether they were obedient or not, they were all captured and taken away to open up new land.
As a result, Shaoqing Prefecture had more arable land available, and the people had land to plant and food to eat, so there would not be starving people everywhere. The refugees also had something to do, and they no longer had to be idle all day long like before, and they no longer had to gather in groups to fight for no reason, causing countless bloody incidents.
It’s like killing two birds with one stone!
"Your Excellency, someone is beating a drum to complain."
Du Qingtang's expression became serious, and he stood up and walked out: "That's about it, you can go."
The clerk took the order and left.
Du Qingtang came to the lobby, sat down under the plaque hanging high above the mirror, and slammed the gavel: "Court open!"
......
At the prefect's command, the government office began to operate rapidly.
General Huang discussed with another General Ma that he would be responsible for clearing the wasteland, while General Ma would be responsible for investigating the bandits who had surrendered.
Captain Huang designated six wastelands and that afternoon brought out more than 10,000 bandits, put them in shackles, and divided them into six groups to be sent to open up the wastelands.
The bandits realized that they were not going to die, and their minds started to become active again. Within an hour, dozens of them tried to escape.
As a result, because he was wearing shackles on his feet and had difficulty moving, he was discovered by the palace guards before he ran far, and was beaten up and taken back.
The bandits thought that a beating would be enough, but they didn't expect that something even more terrifying was yet to come.
That night, when it was time for dinner, the palace guards asked the bandits to line up to get their meals.
The bandits who failed to escape also went there, but they were caught by the palace soldiers after taking just two steps.
"The prefect has ordered that you are already guilty, and now you are trying to escape, which is an even greater crime. Considering that this is your first offense, you will only be deprived of food and water for one day. If you do it again, you will be deprived of food and water for three days."
"Okay, now you can get back to work."
The bandit held a shovel: "???"
The bandit was shocked and couldn't stand it anymore, so he lay on the ground and threw a tantrum.
The palace soldier decisively drew his sword, and with a "bang", the bandit instantly became obedient and got up to work cowardly.
They worked with great effort, and the aroma of food filled their noses.
The bandits who hadn't escaped watched the fun without a care in the world, smacking their lips and exclaiming loudly, "Ah! It's so delicious!"
Punished bandit: "......"
Tears flowed uncontrollably from the corners of his mouth.
For the next twelve hours, they could not eat a grain of rice or drink a drop of water.
That's fine, they still have to work.
"The prefect said that if you don't work today, you won't have anything to eat tomorrow."
Bandit: “…”
Ahhhhh, you damned dog prefect!!!
......
On the other hand, city defense and public security construction were also being carried out vigorously.
General Huang Qian arranged sixty palace soldiers to guard the city gate, twenty people at a time, working three shifts a day.
In addition, he also arranged 180 palace soldiers, 60 people at a time, in groups of three, working three shifts a day, forming a six-man team with three yamen runners, and patrolling fixed areas in the city together.
That afternoon, the city guards and patrol soldiers officially took up their posts.
At the same time, the minor official successfully borrowed 500 government soldiers to capture the refugees wandering around the city.
Seeing that the situation was not good, the refugees ran away.
Unfortunately, they were facing government soldiers who had rich experience in suppressing bandits. They were attacked from all sides and had no way to escape.
The five hundred government soldiers were extremely efficient. In just three days, they captured most of the refugees and locked them all up in the refugee camp that was set up in an emergency.
There are currently four refugee camps located in the south of the city, right next to the main residences of the four major families of Zhao, Qian, Sun and Li.
The refugees were unwilling to accept this and started making a lot of noise.
The palace guards would not tolerate them and would beat them up with their iron fists.
For a while, the refugee camp was filled with howling and chaos.
The Zhao, Qian, Sun and Li families, who were disturbed day and night, said: "..."
"I think she did it on purpose!"
"This is intolerable, how can we not teach her a lesson?"
"Do you still want your head shaved?"
The three family heads with bald heads looked at each other in silence for a long time.
There was another commotion next door. Patriarch Li's forehead was throbbing with veins, and he clenched his fists in a furious rage. "I'm so pissed! Sooner or later, I'm going to make Du Qingtang wish he were dead!"
The newly appointed head of the Zhao family moved his lips, but finally said nothing.
He was not his reckless father who lost his life for a moment of bravery and died in an ignominious way.
No matter how capable Du Qingtang is, he can only stay in Shaoqing Prefecture for three years.
Be patient for now. Three years later, Shaoqing Prefecture will belong to the Zhao family again.
......
The craftsmen spent five days repairing the city gate and wall.
The clerk came to report, and Du Qingtang had just finished his official business and had nothing to do, so he simply went over to take a look in person.
Perhaps because Du Qingtang had a bad reputation, the craftsmen were very careful in repairing the city wall. All the potholes on the city wall were repaired, and the city gate was thickened by several inches, making it look much more solid.
The soldiers guarding the city were quite responsible. They stopped the people entering the city and questioned and searched them carefully.
When encountering refugees from other places, they would follow Du Qingtang's requirements, register them in detail, and then send them to the refugee camp, where they could only be released after passing the inspection.
As for those refugees who came to Shaoqing Prefecture to avoid disaster and whose hands were stained with blood, they were turned away.
No matter how they acted like a spoiled child or how much money they offered, we would not let them go.
Du Qingtang looked for a while, then turned his horse around and went back to the city.
Without refugees wandering around the streets and fighting over trivial matters, the city became much quieter.
The hawkers were shouting at the top of their lungs and the pedestrians were walking in a hurry. There was no need to keep an eye on all directions and be on guard against someone jumping out to hurt you.
Du Qingtang was very satisfied when she suddenly heard someone calling her.
"My lord! My lord!"
Following the sound, she saw a girl with red lips and white teeth waving at her on the street, her eyes smiling, full of vitality and energy.
Du Qingtang tightened the reins and rode forward: "Miss Wan."
Mu Yuanzhu raised her face. Her skin was a healthy tan, delicate and smooth, without a single blemish. "Sir, the capital has been much more peaceful recently. Everyone is praising you."
Du Qingtang raised his eyebrows slightly: "This is what I should do."
Mu Yuanzhu looked at the prefect, whose delicate features and slender figure seemed to be outlined in thick ink and color, with envy and admiration in her eyes.
Mu Yuanzhu has always known Du Qingtang.
If it weren't for her, perhaps I would still be living under someone else's roof, or perhaps I would have passed away long ago.
After hearing about Du Qingtang's glorious deeds some time ago, Mu Yuanzhu admired her sincerely and regarded her as a role model.
Lady Du and Lady Fu are the only two women holding important positions in Daxia. Mu Yuanzhu is not good at studying, but she has a great talent for martial arts.
If, she meant if—
Women can be civil servants, so one day in the future, will they also be able to be military officers, put on armor and go into battle?
Although the hope was slim, she still couldn't help but have this unrealistic hope.
"I heard from your father that you have been teaching martial arts to the women of Wanjia Village."
Mu Yuanzhu came back to her senses, reacting a little slowly. She nodded, "It started five years ago. They're very good, no worse than men. Every time I beat them, they scream."
Du Qingtang smiled and said straight to the point: "I intend to form a women's army."
Mu Yuanzhu's eyes lit up, and he immediately held his head high, trying to make himself look taller. "Sir, do you think I can do this? Don't look at my skinny appearance, I can definitely take on three of them at once, and I'll be the winner!"
"And the sisters from the previous village, they admire you very much. If they knew you wanted to form a women's army, they would definitely work hard to get you."
Du Qingtang didn't say yes or no, but only said: "If you can train a female army that is no less powerful than the infantry of Loushan Pass, I will go against all odds and incorporate you into the palace army."
War is cruel, and this era is far crueler than war.
They must possess abilities far beyond those of ordinary people and a strong enough heart, otherwise they will become victims of feudal ethics like she did in her previous life, and end up in a tragic way.
"Then it's a deal!" Mu Yuanzhu's face flushed, her eyes filled with excitement. She raised her right hand, her little finger slightly bent. "For two years, I will definitely impress you!"
Du Qingtang looked at her hand stretched out in front of him, confused: "What is this?"
Mu Yuanzhu shook his right hand and said cheerfully, "Pink hook, once you've made it, you can't go back on your word."
Du Qingtang had never made a pinky promise with anyone in his life, so he found it quite novel.
After a moment's hesitation, Du Qingtang leaned forward slightly and hooked his little finger around Mu Yuanzhu's.
Intertwine the two little fingers and shake them gently.
"Let's make a promise and stick together for a hundred years. Whoever changes will be Xiao Ah Hua!"
Du Qingtang: "Who is Ah Hua?"
Mu Yuanzhu: "It's the kitten I raised."
He is still a bit childish, but he has great ambitions.
Du Qingtang pressed his thumb down, bringing it close to Mu Yuanzhu's.
stamp.
The agreement is established.
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