As soon as Meng Changqing fell asleep, he was called by Bafang.
"Master." He lay beside the bed, "Two people in the night shift caused trouble and were called to the side by the guards to reprimand them. Captain Yang said that he must tell you about this."
Meng Changqing sat up immediately, "Let them continue working now?"
"Not yet. People in both groups were beaten. Some of them were not wearing thick clothes and were beaten on the flesh."
"Bring me the cotton-padded jacket." Meng Changqing put on the cotton-padded jacket and got off the bed.
Bafang put the scarf and gloves on her, "You want to go over now?"
"Go get the horse."
"Master is keeping vigil tonight, and his horse is outside." Bafang tied her cuffs tightly, "I'll call Master over and ask him to take you there."
"good."
Meng Changqing put on his shoes and came outside the cave, where Xi Bei was already waiting on the horse.
"Master."
"Sit behind me." He reached out and pulled Meng Changqing onto his horse, and the two quickly came to the place where the dispute occurred.
Two groups of servants were leaning against the city wall as high as one person, and Colonel Yang was talking to them loudly.
Seeing the horse approaching, Yang Zheng immediately stepped forward to greet him, "Mr. Meng."
Meng Changqing jumped down, "What caused the trouble?"
"Just because of a few loads of soil." Yang Zheng explained, "Someone in the eighth group couldn't see clearly at night, so he put the soil he picked up at the position of the seventh group, or someone from his group called him, and this person realized that he had made a mistake Once the person has chosen the position, he will move the soil that was previously picked into the seventh group back to his own group.
The people in the seventh group refused to move for him, so they started to quarrel, causing the people next to them to put down what they were doing and start arguing together, and almost started to fight. "
"What happened to the guards?"
"There were two groups, one went to get food and the other went to add firewood. Only one person was left watching, and he realized it was too late."
"Did you get the food back?" Meng Changqing asked.
"I called back, but I haven't divided it up yet."
"Let them eat first."
"Yes." Yang Zheng returned to the two groups of people and raised his voice: "Everyone, listen, go get your own bowls and chopsticks and get ready to eat."
Both groups of people were in disbelief. The guard had just said that he would beat them to death, but why did the official just turn around and get eaten again?
"Move!" shouted the two groups of guards.
Soon the two groups of people started lining up to get food. Meng Changqing walked around holding a torch and saw that several people had been beaten to death.
The people who were most severely beaten did not have thick clothes on their bodies, and they were young and did not know how to hide when the whip came down.
"Master." Meng Changqing walked to Xi Bei's side, "Help me run around and ask Bafang to find some wound medicine and cotton cloth."
"Okay, be careful and don't stay too far away from Brother Yang."
After Xi Bei left, Meng Changqing called the two groups of guards over.
"What do you think? Since you know someone is going to get food, why do you have to take this time to add firewood? Are you afraid that they won't cause trouble?"
"It's because we didn't think well, please punish us."
"Not thinking carefully." Meng Changqing pointed out directly, "You are taking it lightly, thinking that you have taken these people with you for a long time and they have not caused any trouble, so you are relieved of them, and that's why you dare to do this, right?"
The six people collectively lowered their heads and said, "Yes."
"When you first came here, did I repeatedly emphasize to you not to get too close to the people and not to trust them too easily?"
"It's our fault." Several people admitted simply.
"Very good. You still know that you made a mistake and are willing to admit it. But if you make a mistake, admitting it is only the first step." Meng Changqing said, "Next, you will have to bear the consequences of your mistake. Can you bear it?"
"We can afford it."
Meng Changqing suddenly sneered twice, and asked them in a moderate voice, "What can you bear?
You made a mistake in your work, which led to a dispute between the two groups and failed to stop it in time. Now more than a hundred people have stopped what they are doing and are standing around. This is delaying the construction period.
If I can't bear this responsibility, what can you bear? "
Meng Changqing said: "Not all mistakes can be made up for afterward. If something goes wrong, just ask an adult for punishment and the matter will be overturned.
Since it has been emphasized repeatedly before, there must be a reason.
Now that the matter has come out, I should have immediately thought of solutions and preventive measures in the future, but if I didn't say a harsh word to you, you should think that I am easy to deal with. "
The six guards slumped in front of Meng Changqing, feeling very uneasy and thinking that the whip would be too short.
Meng Changqing gave her response, "Six of you, go to work in the kitchen."
"Sir." A guard couldn't help shouting.
"It's just an ordinary job transfer." Meng Changqing said, "The two hundred people who worked in the kitchen before were also brothers who came with you. There is no distinction between guards and cooks. When the city wall is built, you will all have the same Credit.”
"Captain Yang." Meng Changqing called to Yang Zheng who was standing aside, "Send someone to take them back to the kitchen and find six more people."
"yes."
Meng Changqing walked up to the city wall that was not yet high enough, and shouted loudly to the servants below: "Everyone, have you finished eating? I think you have almost eaten, so please listen to what I have to say."
The servants left the wall, and someone took the lead in kneeling. Soon the two groups were kneeling on the ground.
"You recruited from all over Liangzhou to build the city wall. It is said that your purpose is the same, which is to build this city wall." Meng Changqing said, "But today, there was a dispute over a few loads of soil, and we suffered like this. Sin, do you think you are wronged or not?”
Most of the people kneeling on the ground did not dare to answer. One bold person replied: "It's a bit unfair."
"Since you feel unjust, then don't suffer this crime again in the future. If you see someone in the same group quarreling and making trouble, you should immediately step forward to stop them. If you can't stop them, call the guards immediately.
But you must be aware that if anything happens to the guards, the whip will not escape. "
Meng Changqing spoke slowly, as if he wanted to talk to the slave laborers, "I heard from the guards that you had a quarrel over a few loads of soil."
"Whoever is the one carrying the burden, step up."
Looking around among the crowd, a short man finally stood up.
"Is it because you caused the trouble?" Meng Changqing asked, and the man stumbled to explain, "No...it wasn't me. It was the people in their group who pushed me first."
Meng Changqing asked again: "For the seventh group, do you have anything to explain?"
Someone in the seventh group knelt on the ground and said, "He is the one who wants to steal our soil."
The man standing said, "I was the one who picked it out, but I just put it in the wrong place. I want my own back. Why don't you give it to me and why are you robbing me? Your village has always taken advantage."
Someone from the eighth group immediately followed up: "Who doesn't know that in your village, every bird that flies from the sky has to be plucked off by you?"
(End of chapter)
