Shouning County is a small county with a permanent population of less than 20,000. When Hu Zongxian finished cleaning the battlefield and arrived with his army, the sky was already dark.
In the earlier battle on the outskirts of Shouning County, after the large army was annihilated, the remaining Japanese pirates in the city also knew that the city could not be defended. After looting everywhere in the city, they dispersed like birds and beasts.
During the whole process, these Japanese pirates did not dare to attack the location of the powerful landlords in the city. Otherwise, the strength of those powerful landlords was far stronger than the remaining Japanese pirates!
The landowners and gentry near Jiangsu and Zhejiang have the habit of keeping slaves. If possible, they will hire martial arts instructors to train these slaves. Before these slaves take up weapons, they are called slaves. Once they take up weapons, they are private soldiers! Keeping slaves was strictly prohibited by the imperial court, and if discovered, severe fines would be imposed.
But these are nothing to the landlords and gentry. Their ancestors have lived here for generations, and some of their ancestors even passed the imperial examination and became high-ranking officials. They relied on the shadow of their ancestors and their own efforts to weave a picture. An extremely huge network of relationships! Even these landlords and gentry would provide financial support to scholars from poor families, if for no other reason than to increase the possibility of passing the imperial examination.
As long as you cast a wide net, there's nothing you can't accomplish! And those scholars who were funded by the landlords and gentry would also remember their past favors and open the door to them after they became officials.
It's okay if the officials sent here by the imperial court are knowledgeable, but if they are not, they will cause you some trouble and force you to submit. Therefore, many officials turn a blind eye to this kind of behavior in order to preserve their official status.
As early as the moment Shouning County fell and the county magistrate was killed, those powerful landowners united and took the initiative to negotiate with the Japanese pirates, and forcibly purchased the land from the people at extremely low prices. If they refused, they would hand over the people to the Japanese pirates. Disposal.
Under the threat of the group of Japanese pirates and powerful landlords, the common people not only sold all the land in their hands at a low price, but also had no choice but to choose to rely on these powerful landlords for the safety of their families. They were reduced from farmers to tenants of these powerful landlords, suffering the consequences for generations. its exploitation.
"Dad, hold on! I'm going to call a doctor for you right now."
In a dilapidated house, a young man of eighteen or nineteen was kneeling beside the bed, crying bitterly.
"No...it's not necessary. I'd better keep that little money for you to get a wife. Your father and I won't be able to hold on for much longer, cough, cough, cough."
A middle-aged man with ragged clothes and dark skin said feebly. His legs were broken, and his whole body was covered with scars caused by sticks. It seemed that he didn't have much time left, and it was precisely because he was unwilling to sell. My own land had just been beaten like this.
"Dad, I will go to the Wang family to take revenge! They are the ones who beat you like this." The young man said, wiping the tears on his face and saying in a deep voice.
"Don't... don't go. I'm begging you. The Wang family has a big business and we can't fight them! If it doesn't work, just sell the land and we can get some money."
"When I die, bury me and your mother together! Really, I had so many quarrels in the past, but in the end I still had to endure her nagging." The man rambled, as if he was explaining his future. thing.
"Dad, you're going to be fine, you're going to be fine! I'm going to find the best doctor in the county!" The young man's eyes were blurred by tears, and he was choked and speechless.
"Well, your father's biggest regret in his life is that he didn't see you get married and have children." Like a flashback, the middle-aged man suddenly struggled to sit up from the bed, stretched out his hand, and gently stroked the child's head, his eyes full of joy. love.
After doing all this, the man may have been satisfied, with a faint smile on his face, his head hanging down weakly, and he died just like that.
"father!!!"
From a dilapidated house, a sad cry could be heard.
…
Outside Shouning County, respectable landowners and gentry gathered here to greet the imperial army with great respect, and prepared food and wine to comfort the soldiers.
"I'm Wang Wang, the head of the Wang family, the 11th year of Jiajing reign! I've met your Excellency! May I ask who you are?"
"I am Hu Zongxian, the Governor of Zhejiang Province and the Governor of Zhejiang Province!" Hu Zongxian rode on his horse, nodded, and then asked.
"I have seen the Governor!" Upon seeing this, the noble gentry quickly knelt on the ground in fear, their faces full of respect.
"Where is the magistrate of Shouning County? Why don't you come out to meet with me?"
"Your Majesty, the magistrate of Shouning County, Zhao Yanchang, was killed by a stray arrow when the city was destroyed. Now the city is managed by Master Li! We are just assisting from the side."
As Wang Wang spoke, he glanced at the people on the side, and then an official came forward, his eyes flashing, and he bowed and said: "Your Excellency, I am Li Jie, the chief registrar of Shouning County. Shouning County is managed by subordinates."
"Since the fall of Shouning County, we have been waiting day and night for the imperial army to finally arrive. Sir, please save me and other people from the fire and water. Please accept my prayers!" Wang Wang said, with tears streaming down his face. , led the remaining gentry to salute Hu Zongxian.
"I've prepared a banquet in the city to welcome the soldiers, please!"
"Yes." Hu Zongxian nodded and prepared to ride into the city.
Just as everyone was preparing to enter the city, a ragged young man of seventeen or eighteen years old rushed out. He held a kitchen knife and howled at Wang Wang.
"Ahh! I'll kill you! I'll kill you!"
Soon, the young man was controlled by the accompanying soldiers. He was stepped on the ground unable to move, and the kitchen knife in his hand was kicked aside. But even so, the young man's eyes were still fixed on Wang Wang, the head of the Wang family. Unabashed hatred.
"What's going on?" Hu Zongxian frowned and asked Wang Wang.
"... I'm reporting to the Governor! This man is a well-known rogue in Shouning County. Previously, he and his father ran rampant in the county and committed all kinds of evil."
After Wang Wang paused for a moment, he continued to add: "Previously, the father and son wanted to forcibly sell a piece of bad land to my family. Although my family had a small amount of money, it was not a big deal, so I immediately rejected the offer. After a deal, the father and son came to haunt my family!"
"Please ask the Governor to hand this person over to me. This can be regarded as justice to the oppressed people of Shouning County."
"You lied!" The young man who was pinned to the ground by the soldiers struggled to explain with his eyes wide open.
"Well, let's leave this person to my officer. I will give him justice!" Hu Zongxian waved his hand and motioned to the soldiers to take the person away.
"Thank you very much, Mr. Governor." Wang Wang said, his face full of flattery.
After all, this is the governor of Zhejiang Province! If a dignified court official can climb such a high branch, the Wang family will reach a higher level in his hands. He will be worthy of the ancestors of the Wang family. Therefore, Wang Wang secretly made up his mind that tonight he must Hu Zongxian and others entertained them well.
…
"Mr. Governor, please!"
"I'd like to propose a toast to you, sir!"
At the banquet, the wealthy gentry of Shouning County toasted to Hu Zongxian one after another. They didn't care whether he drank or not. In short, they picked up the wine glass and drank it down in one gulp.
While waiting for a break, Hu Zongxian winked at Qi Jiguang, who was sitting at the same table. The latter quickly understood and left the banquet on the grounds that there were still some things that needed to be dealt with.
Soon, Qi Jiguang came to the room where the young man who "committed murder on the street" was detained during the day, and asked, "Tell me everything you know."
"Well, thank you, sir, thank you, sir!" Seeing that his request was taken seriously, the young man immediately knelt on the ground, kowtowed as if pounding garlic, and began to tell the whole story.
"Sir, this is what happened..."
(End of chapter)
