A steamboat towed these ten inland river boats and stopped at the dock of Linhe City.
A group of people wearing tattered prison uniforms got off the boat in a noisy manner, being whipped by the yamen guards and regiment drills.
In recent days, more than a dozen fleets have docked here every day. Then unload the unkempt, scrawny prisoners.
They were tied with ropes, and one hundred of them walked from the canal boats to the pier on the gangplank. Here they are waiting to check the heads.
Although Jiao Zhen is very thin, like a skinned skeleton, his frame is very large, with a height of two meters. He was the only shackled felon on the ship he was on.
His family's land was dedicated to Wang Juren, but Wang Juren refused to acknowledge it the next year. Their land was swallowed up, and his old father went to argue, was injured by his servants, and died three days later.
Jiao Zhen went to Wang Juren's house in the middle of the night and poured poison into the well water. After turning over the medicine of Wang Juren and his family, he rushed in with a broken hatchet, killed more than a dozen people, and set a fire.
While on the run, he was discovered and killed three more agents. Finally arrested.
He had already been sentenced to beheading, but had to wait until the Autumn Judgment.
In the Ming Dynasty, executions were usually carried out in autumn and winter. This is related to the Ming Dynasty's concept of natural theocracy, which is to comply with the will of God.
Spring and summer are the seasons when all things grow, while autumn and winter are the seasons when trees wither, symbolizing desolation. Human behavior, including all activities, must comply with the weather, otherwise they will be punished by the gods.
Since the emperor is the son of Heaven, he must abide by Heaven's will and act according to Heaven's timing. The same goes for executing prisoners.
When he was in prison, he thought he was dead. He simply let it go.
As soon as he entered, everything inside was turned upside down, and then he became the ancestor of that cell.
I originally thought that I would just take it one day at a time.
But unexpectedly, instead of waiting for Qiu Jue, he was transported here.
He looked around the grassland curiously, feeling a little dazed.
He didn't know where this was, or why he was being escorted here.
"Prisoner, what are you looking at?" a jailer yelled angrily and whipped him.
His already tattered clothes were instantly shattered into pieces, flying like butterflies.
The clothes of the poor are made of rags joined together. They are already brittle and they dare not wash them in water. It broke as soon as I washed it. There is no way I can withstand the whipping at this time.
An open bloodstain appeared on his back. Excruciating pain.
The bronze skin on his back was as rough as pine bark.
He just grinned and lowered his head. He knew that being stubborn would only make him suffer more.
The dock was crowded with prisoners. A chief of the Criminal Department looked around, turned to Zhang Geda and said: "Zhang Baihu, you have checked it. As of today, there are 86,741 people, no one is missing, and they have all been delivered. Please sign Even if it's over, we can go back and recover."
Zhang Geda's official position is Yang Fan's captain of the personal army and the member of the Jinyi Guard Baihu.
Zhang Geda cupped his hands and said, "I would like to thank Mr. Wang in advance on behalf of my uncle. These more than 80,000 prisoners were escorted thousands of miles, and more than a thousand people died and escaped along the way. Your Excellency really took care of this." I’d like to thank Mr. Wang for your kindness, please don’t be polite.”
As he spoke, he put a banknote into the hands of Manager Wang.
When Manager Wang saw that it was a three thousand tael banknote, he immediately became happy. Uncle Dingyuan lived up to his reputation for being generous. It's so relatable.
He held Zhang Qida's hand affectionately and said, "It's just a small effort. Thank you Uncle Dingyuan for me."
The people from the Ministry of Punishment got on the boats and left. They took these boats to return the same way. They had to go back to the capital to return to the Ministry of Punishment.
Chief Wang was very happy. This time he escorted the prisoner without suffering any trouble.
Prisoners from the five northern provinces were gathered at Changxindian Railway Station in the capital. Then take the train to Zhangjiakou, then change to a carriage and take some highway to Guihua City. From Guihua City, change a boat and arrive at Linhe.
It took more than five days to travel more than two thousand miles. It's really unimaginable.
Because I said hello in advance, there were comprehensive food and beverage supplies along the way. Even for every batch of prisoners being escorted, Uncle Dingyuan was assigned a doctor to solve the problem of illness at any time.
For these unworthy thieves and prisoners, this is a treatment never seen in the Ming Dynasty. Of the more than 80,000 prisoners who were transported thousands of miles away, only more than a thousand died or escaped. It is simply a miracle.
He didn't expect Uncle Dingyuan to be so generous and directly rewarded him with three thousand taels of silver.
He only earns seventy taels a year as a boss. Although I have to give a lot to the people below, I still have to be filial to the superior. But what he got would not be less than a thousand taels. He was extremely satisfied.
Today the steam fleet sent a total of twenty batches of prisoners. The total number is fully 20,000, and this is the last group of people. With the arrival of this group of people, the entire escort was completed.
"Untie them all, and let the doctors sort out those with the disease first. Send them to the isolation area first. Let the rest take off their clothes, shave their heads and hair. Line up and enter the tent area to take a bath. All their belongings Burn them all." Zhang Geda ordered.
They are so skilled at this. It is not necessary to be familiar with all the processes. As long as you are a servant, you will know how to operate it. They have been recruiting and sending refugees.
Jiao Zhen is still confused until now. Aren't you going to kill? Why send him here?
After shaving his head and all his hair, he allowed the parasitic animals to say goodbye to him completely. Had another bath.
For the first time, my whole body felt so relaxed. He had never had a hot bath in his life.
The soldiers shouted and let them soak in the hot water pool for an hour. Then one by one, the soldiers were put on a wooden frame, and their skin was almost scratched with a pig-hair brush and something as hard as a stone.
He bared his teeth and screamed, and a lot of black mud flowed from his body. Finally, he finally saw the true colors of things.
"Hurry up, hurry up and get out in line after washing." The soldiers roared angrily.
Jiao Zhen didn't expect that when he went out, each person was given a piece of linen cloth to dry, and then they were given clothes, shoes and socks inside and outside.
At this moment, he felt like crying. He had never worn new clothes in his life. No shoes, let alone socks. There is no chance of encountering things like shoes and mud legs for farming.
He was wearing coarse clothes and shoes that he had never seen before, and he couldn't walk for a while.
He heard that the soldiers called these shoes rubber shoes.
He had never seen green rubber shoes like this before, and they looked super strong.
What he didn't know was that the reason why they were given such good shoes that would last for several years was because they would soon be walking a long distance. Go to a holy place with holy snow-capped mountains and devout people. .
Put on clothes and shoes. They were taken to a square.
They were all ordered to squat on the ground and not to move. Jiao Zhen looked around at several soldiers holding unseen muskets and shining bayonets, guarding them.
"Now we are giving out two-in-one water bottles and lunch boxes. Please queue up to get them."
The prisoners were as happy as if they were celebrating the New Year. New clothes were given out, as well as lunch boxes and kettles made of steel that looked like mirrors and were shaped like pork kidneys.
Then, they collectively swallowed, and a dozen soldiers carrying burdens and wearing white aprons entered the square. They smelled the food.
"Come in line to get food. No grabbing. Anyone who jumps in line will be whipped three times."
Jiao Zhen couldn't help but said to the soldiers beside him: "Where are you going to send us?"
The unexpected beating did not come, and the soldier said impatiently: "Send you to Blackwater City in Alxa. Don't think about escaping on the way, there are deserts on all sides. There is not enough water and food, and there are no camels, no one can escape. If not, we will all die of thirst in the desert.”
Although Jiao Zhen didn't know why they were brought here, at least he knew that his head would not be chopped off for the time being.
