Although this bearded man had never met Zhu Youxiao, he was influenced by the newspapers and knew how the emperor and the people around him dressed.
Therefore, when the bearded man saw this scene, he couldn't help but swallow his saliva, and then his knees consciously softened, and he knelt in front of Zhu Youxiao and others.
The other young men in this area also knelt down.
Just for a moment.
These people who looked like fierce bandits one second turned into docile common people the next second.
Nowadays, the world is in great rule, and the idea that the emperor is the most noble has already been deeply rooted in people's hearts. What's more, Zhu Youxiao has been exempted from the world's land tax forever, so the emperor Zhu Youxiao still has great prestige among the people.
But now, when these people saw that it was the emperor, they naturally changed their appearance immediately.
"What's your name and where are you from?"
Zhu Youxiao therefore asked the bearded man in front of him.
The big man replied: "Ge Daniu, a native of Gejia Village in Meitian Lake."
"Then tell me, are you bandits or ordinary people?"
Zhu Youxiao continued to ask.
"Common people!"
Ge Daniu replied.
Zhu Youxiao asked again: "As a common people, why do you block the road here to collect fees, and even dare to kill us if we don't pay? Why do I sound like a bandit?"
"It's just a way of making a living."
Ge Daniu replied.
"make a living?"
Zhu Youxiao sneered.
Ge Daniu replied with some fear: "To tell you, Your Majesty, we people have nothing to do except being busy during the busy farming season. We just want to make more money, so we form a group and collect some traffic." Fees, transportation fees and so on.”
"And the transportation fee?"
Zhu Youxiao asked.
"Yes, after the business travelers pay the toll, because there is a lot of cargo and they need our help to carry it, or if they use a sliding pole to lift people, we will also have to charge some money."
Ge Daniu returned and said, "I just didn't expect that it was you, the Emperor, who came. If we had known earlier, we wouldn't have charged you the toll."
"You charge transportation fees and lift poles, which are considered labor contributions. This is understandable, but if you block roads and collect fees, this is considered robbery. Don't your officials here care?"
Zhu Youxiao asked.
"The officials can't control it. After their people came down, we all withdrew."
Ge Daniu replied.
Zhu Youxiao naturally understood after hearing this.
But at the same time, Zhu Youxiao also found that he encountered a problem.
How to deal with this kind of crime committed by the whole village, and how to avoid it.
Zhu Youxiao therefore asked Wen Tiren and Lu Xiangsheng: "How do you think this matter should be handled?"
"Go to Huarong County first and let the local county government handle it. If the county government does not have enough troops, we can temporarily transfer people to them and the county government will directly take the people. But no matter what, since they have committed a crime, they must be dealt with."
Lu Xiangsheng replied.
"Is this suspected of being punished without teaching? These people obviously have weak legal awareness and are not aware of the dangers of being a bandit. Why not educate them first? Besides, they are essentially local farmers. If If we just get rid of them all according to the bandits' rules, it will only lead to no one farming in this area, and there will be a lot of orphans and widows left."
Wen Tiren said.
"When dealing with recalcitrant bandits who wander around the place and endanger the people, according to the regulations I have decreed, they will all be killed regardless of their master or subordinate. However, it is difficult to deal with bandits who are also civilians. In this way, the few who actively block the road will be regarded as the principal offenders. , they must be taken away and imprisoned by the county government to be executed! They are considered direct participants and must be killed! The others can be considered ignorant and will not be dealt with for the time being, but they must be harshly spoken in front of them. If they resist stubbornly, the whole village will be killed. kill!"
Zhu Youxiao said next.
So, next, Yang Tinglin came over and said to Ge Daniu: "The country has royal laws, and families have additional regulations. You blocking the road to charge a toll have violated the national laws and should be classified as banditry. You, Ge Daniu, and you were in the pavilion just now Those sitting in the middle are the main criminals who directly carried out banditry. Now they need to go to the county government with us to surrender. This will reduce the punishment! For the rest of you, you are ignorant of the laws and regulations, and you only care about family ties and become accomplices. I won't be held accountable for committing crimes in the future! But if you dare to block the way to ask for money and threaten the lives of business travelers again in the future, don't blame the king for being ruthless!"
Yang Tinglin said and added: "Also, don't think about resisting stubbornly. If this is the case, the nature will change. It is disobedience, rebellion, and the whole village will be killed!"
After Yang Tinglin finished shouting, he looked at Ge Daniu: "Ge Daniu, are you willing to be taken to the county government and surrender?"
Ge Daniu asked: "After I turn myself in, will my crime be forgiven?"
Zhu Youxiao replied on behalf of Yang Tinglin: "It depends on your county magistrate's decision, but no matter what your county magistrate does, you all have to go to the county government and surrender now."
"If I can't be forgiven, I won't go!"
Ge Daniu replied.
Zhu Youxiao said a very serious "hmm" and asked, "Do you want the whole village to die with you?!"
"Your Majesty, aren't you a good Emperor? You don't even collect the land tax. What does it matter if we charge some tolls? The big deal is that we won't collect them from now on!"
Ge Daniu replied feeling aggrieved.
"This is not a question of whether you will accept it in the future, but that you have already done so and violated the national law. If you violate the national law, you must deal with it!"
Zhu Youxiao replied loudly.
Then, Zhu Youxiao ordered: "Take these people away!"
"yes!"
A group of Yulin Guard officers and soldiers from the Imperial Guard Battalion came over.
Seeing this, Ge Daniu didn't know whether he should resist or not. He also began to realize that he seemed to have violated the king's law, but he was worried that he would be punished by the emperor for this, and he seemed to be at a loss for a while.
"We are only taking away a few of their leaders now, but if you dare to resist, we will take away your entire village."
At this time, Zhu Youxiao saw that other villagers were a little restless, especially some of Ge Daniu's relatives who were about to rush over angrily after seeing Ge Daniu being controlled by the Yulin Guards, so they shouted loudly. A few words.
The villagers calmed down because of this, and even those who were agitated were hugged by the calm villagers.
Next, Ge Daniu and other key criminals who blocked roads and extorted tolls were escorted to Huarong County by Zhu Youxiao's people.
Wu Guofu, the magistrate of Huarong County, was quite surprised when he learned that the emperor came to his county.
But Wu Guofu has always been a weirdo with a very different temperament, otherwise he would not have been appointed as the magistrate of Huarong County, which is not a particularly good county.
"Why did your Majesty suddenly come to Huarong County? Isn't this disturbing the peace of the officials and the people?!"
Wu Guofu said this impatiently at this time.
But no matter what, he knew that the emperor was coming and he still had to greet him.
So, when Zhu Youxiao arrived, he rushed outside the city to greet him. However, he saw Ge Daniu and others being arrested.
Therefore, Wu Guofu saluted Zhu Youxiao and said loudly: "Your Majesty, you made a mistake!"
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