"I was wronged..."
After being escorted to the small school grounds north of the screen wall of Dongda University, Tang Shiji did not forget to plead his grievances.
This is the place of execution. The chief officials of the Metropolitan Procuratorate, Dali Temple, and the Ministry of Punishment have all been waiting behind the table for a long time.
The final sentencing of the condemned prisoner was a sign that the executioner should be given enough time, so he had to be picked up early.
Calculated based on time, a thousand knives in one day is enough. There is no need to spend more than 3,000 knives. That would be too much trouble.
Due to the cold weather, the prisoner may not be able to hold on until that time.
Calculated based on five hours, a hundred cuts in half an hour is not too difficult for the executioner.
"..."
When beheading, use a big knife, and Ling Chi uses a small knife. When the big knife comes, it will be gone as soon as you close your eyes, but this is not the case with the small knife, so the small knife is much scarier than the big knife.
Li Qiao was so frightened that he was sweating profusely. He didn't want to die, let alone be exposed. How painful would this be? I definitely can't bear it with my body!
"Come here! I am willing to plead guilty!"
"I am also willing to plead guilty!"
Tang Shiji and Qi Fengji shouted one after another. If they didn't shout again, the executioner would come and slice their flesh.
"After a joint trial by the three judicial departments, it was found that Li Zhan, Li Qiao, Tang Shiji, Qi Fengji and other four persons colluded with merchants, took bribes and violated the law, resisted the imperial court, disobeyed the holy will, caused great trouble, and had a bad influence. After verification, they are now sentenced to the punishment of "Zhe", immediately. Execution!”
After Fu Guanyan, the Minister of Punishment, concisely and concisely announced the execution order in public, the executioner could go into battle.
Filming four at a time requires at least four executioners, but there is no shortage of craftsmen in this industry in Nandu.
For the executioners, since there is only one day, the test is each other's knife skills...
A skilled executioner is almost done waiting for the film, but the execution target is still alive.
The prisoner was sliced to death with a hundred or so knives. He was obviously an unqualified executioner.
There is also something to be careful about when cutting. Start with the limbs, especially the thighs.
As long as the torso is not touched, the prisoner will probably not die immediately.
"Did everyone see it? The wicked and treacherous king joined forces to harm our loyal and good people! If you have a conscience, can you dare to rescue us?"
Li Zhan saw that the shouts of his companions had no effect at all, so he planned to encourage the people around him to stand up for him. It would be best to disperse the officers and soldiers and save himself.
"Li Zhan! You charge me a hundred taels of silver, but you don't want to do anything for me. You should be punished for being a thief. Death is not a pity!"
Suddenly someone among the people shouted, and the content was nothing more than exposing Li Zhan's background.
"..."
So that’s the case, no wonder!
These words made people who originally sympathized with Li Zhan suddenly realize that this guy deserved to be killed.
There were many scholars in the crowd who also wanted to demand the release of Li Zhan and others, but before they could speak, they heard someone accusing Li Zhan.
Since the imperial court was no longer tolerant of scholars, and a large number of officers, soldiers and factory guards were deployed at the execution ground, the scholars felt that it was better to wait and see what would happen.
In order to rescue the four people in front of us, it is really not worthwhile to bring in dozens or even hundreds of scholars, not to mention that many of them have no friendship with Li Zhan and others and have no intention of fighting to the death.
"Who are you? How dare you slander me! Since I became an official, I have had nothing to do with my sleeves, how can I receive any favors from you!"
Seeing that Chen Tailai and others did not listen to his excuse, Li Zhan planned to fight to the end as an upright official.
"Li Zhan! You are such a thief, you dare to deny it even when you are about to die. It seems that you won't admit it until you cut off a few kilograms of meat. I will eat your meat to satisfy the hatred in my heart! Master Cha. Let’s do it quickly!”
Not to be outdone, that man wanted to see Li Zhan die. One hundred and ten taels of silver is not much for a merchant, but for ordinary people, it is ten years of expenses.
"I have said something before. This time I would like to say that the cut items will not be sold, but people can taste them. I can also provide fine salt so that you can dip them and eat them!"
The supervisor already knew the meaning of the above, so he made such an arrangement. Only when the above felt that the hatred was relieved, his job could be regarded as successful.
"...Huh? You and the lackeys of the foolish king are going to die a happy death!"
After hearing these words, Li Zhan became even more frightened, but he remained stubborn.
"Haha! You're a tough guy, let's see if it's still the same later and execute him!"
The executioners, who were big and round-waisted, had been impatient for a long time. It was freezing cold and the school ground was relatively empty. There was a cold wind blowing. If they didn't drink a bowl of wine to warm themselves up beforehand, they might become seriously ill at the end of the day.
"Ah...let me go! You thief!"
When Li Zhan saw the executioner grabbing his thigh and picking up the knife to cut his leg, he immediately yelled and cursed.
It's useless to scold Li Zhan. Li Zhan's limbs have been fixed on the wooden stakes and tied like a pig. It is impossible for anyone without natural supernatural power to break free, otherwise the executioner would not have to do the job.
"Hey? Why are you leaving, dear friend?"
"I won't see any blood!"
Seeing that the overall situation had been decided, some scholars chose to flee directly. Seeing such "loyalty" being criticized at a close distance, they might even vomit out the food they ate last night.
Many people who want to cause a scene of execution have a similar mentality. They can make trouble at will and even insult important members of the court, but if they are allowed to watch such a bloody scene, they will not be able to bear it.
There were hundreds of soldiers who just ran away. It would be better for these four people to die than to have them all captured by the officers and soldiers. Qian Qianyi, Wu Yingji and others have not yet been released, but they cannot suffer another defeat.
"Ruan Dacheng, Peng Bin, and Chen Mingxia are here to stay. Someone is looking for you! The rest can go home. If they do it again, they will be responsible for the consequences!"
After Li Zhan and other death row prisoners were taken away, it took more than half an hour before the cell leader asked the jailer to open the cell door and informed Ruan Dacheng and others that they could be released.
"We are loyal and good people, why don't you release us?"
Yang Weidou saw that the other ministers on the other side had been released, but there was no movement in his cell, so he asked.
"Let it go! Open it! Maoxiang can leave alone, and put the shackles on the others!"
"Why is this!"
"You are assigned to mine in Ma'anshan for a period of three years! Together with your family! Hahahaha..."
The superiors are so wise. People with hypocritical loyalty like this should be sent to mine, so as not to have enough to eat and drink every day and have nothing to do.
"Ah? How dare the imperial court treat us like this! You must be deliberately deceiving us!"
When Wu Yingji heard the news, it was like a thunderbolt from the blue. He couldn't believe it at all, let alone accept it.
"I lied to you? See for yourself!"
The prison boss took out a folded piece of paper from his arms, and after opening it was the result of dealing with these "loyal and good people". It was drafted by the Metropolitan Procuratorate, verified by Dali Temple, and signed by the Ministry of Punishment.
"You are a fool! You are a fool! We are all loyal and good, but the court is so cruel to those who are loyal and good. If we allow the crafty tricks to succeed, how can the Ming Dynasty be revived?"
Yang Weidou, who still regarded himself as a loyal and good man, regarded himself as extremely important and just. Without these loyal and good men, the Ming Dynasty would not have improved.
"Brother Yang, we'll never see you again! It seems like I can't take care of your wife and concubines anymore. I'll let you go this time, and you can mine with peace of mind!"
Hearing such good news, Peng Bin was really elated and did not forget to interrupt and tease the other party.
"Then why was Maoxiang spared?"
Before Yang Weidou could say anything, Wu Yingji hurriedly asked. After all, people in the same room had different fates, which made everyone feel very unbalanced.
"Humph! Do you even need to ask?"
The cell leader looked at Wu Yingji with a half-smile, not knowing whether this guy was really stupid or pretending to be stupid.
"Maoxiang! Could it be that you betrayed us?"
He is about to be in trouble, and his family is also affected. Yang Weidou will be suspicious of everyone now.
"I... I am just pleading guilty, and I have not betrayed you!"
Maoxiang had no choice but to plead guilty. Even Hou Fangyu confessed, so why couldn't he plead guilty?
"You are obviously making excuses. Who knows what you said to those dog officials?"
Yang Weidou became more and more suspicious that Mao Xiang had become a traitor, and used the news he heard in exchange for his release.
"Maoxiang! Did you see that? Brother Yang has clearly turned into a mad dog. He bites whoever he sees without distinguishing between them!"
Peng Bin turned out to be a good person and kindly reminded Mao Xiang that this was the second time he helped Mao Xiang. Last time, he told Mao Xiang first that it was Zhongliang's business.
"You fart! Dog thief Peng Bin! When I get out, I will make sure you die badly!"
"Get out? Brother Yang, are you planning on escaping from prison or escaping from the mining area? I am loyal to the court and will not tolerate any mercy. I will definitely report you!"
If you shamelessly claim to be loyal and good, and if others don't take care of you, I will take care of you alone.
"you……"
"If I get to see Madam-in-law someday, I must ask Madam-in-law to give Brother Yang a fat, white boy! Hahahaha!"
"Dog thief Peng Bin...ah..."
When Yang Weidou heard that the other party wanted to accuse his family again, he became angry, but before he could finish the scolding, he protruded a mouthful of blood and collapsed to the ground.
"Vomiting blood is a sign of loyalty. I have learned from you. Brother Yang takes this seriously. I take my leave!"
When Peng Bin saw the other party's virtue, he had no intention of being rude and unforgiving.
"Are these three Ruan Dacheng, Chen Mingxia and Peng Bin?"
"Exactly! I dare you to ask..."
"I am Luo Yida, Ambassador of the Ministry of Rites!"
ambassador!
What a noble-sounding name!
If you ask about grade...
Feel sorry!
Not yet in the flow!
That is to say, it is useless!
But why did the officials of the Ministry of Rites find the three of them?
"You three, follow me and we'll find out!"
The Ministry of Justice was full of people and was not a place for discussion, so Luo Yida took three newly minted ministers to the Ministry of Rites.
"Everyone, are you okay?"
Ni Yuanlu, the Minister of Rites and the censor of Youqiandu, has been waiting in his yamen for a long time. Since the emperor intends to use these three people, he has no choice but to follow the trend.
What's more, writing an article criticizing Jiangnan Shilin is not my specialty. However, these three people happened to be from the local area and knew the situation of Jiangnan Shilin very well, so they were the most suitable writers.
"Uncle Da Zong has made me a sinner!"
Ruan Dacheng apologized in advance. When he came to someone else's territory, he had to lower his profile. What's more, he was still a guilty person and had to be cautious in everything.
"Where! Please sit down, come and serve tea!"
There is no need to go to court today, Li Zhan and other ministers have been warned, and Ni Yuanlu does not need to watch. At present, the entire Ministry of Rites is busy preparing for the "Daming Daily". This is the top priority and the most urgent task.
"I don't want to play tricks with you. Your Majesty now intends to send the Ministry of Rites to publish the "Da Ming Daily". However, the Ministry of Rites is currently short of writers. I wanted to recruit you to join. However, due to your special status, you cannot be listed as the official editor for the time being. However, It can also be called a 'writer'. That is, the articles you write will be reviewed by the Ministry of Rites. Once the article is accepted, it will be settled according to the number of words, one tael of silver for every thousand words. Although you are not a full member of the Ministry of Rites, you can enjoy the treatment of a formal editor. , that is, if the newspaper office distributes grain, oil, meat, salt and other goods, everyone can get them. The article can be written at home or in the newspaper office. It is enough to submit the article on time, and the rest of the time can be controlled by yourself. If you are willing, you can do this That’s it.”
The reason for doing this is also to consider the reputation of the Ministry of Rites. After all, the bad reputation of these people will make their colleagues sneer at them. Ni Yuanlu can only arrange these three in this way for the time being.
"We are indebted to His Majesty for your forgiveness and would like to express our gratitude to Uncle Zong for disregarding the previous grudges. The treatment is so generous, so naturally we are happy to go!"
After Ruan Dacheng looked at Peng Bin and Chen Mingxia, he understood the intentions of the other two people and agreed to let him do it for them.
You have free time when you go to work. Although it is not a formal establishment, the salary is not bad. You can also make money by writing articles. If you write ten articles a month, at least you will not starve to death.
"This is because Your Majesty is thinking that your family property has been confiscated and you are short of money, so you will use it for turnover purposes without having to repay it!"
Ni Yuanlu sent someone to bring 600 taels of silver, 200 taels per person, which was considered as living expenses for the three families.
"We are truly ashamed of Your Majesty for what we have done before. From now on we will change our minds and work hard for Your Majesty, for the court, and for the great uncle. We dare not make any mistakes!"
Ruan Dacheng and the other three people stood up in a hurry and bowed to Ni Yuanlu. It was an unexpected surprise to get this money. At least the family would be able to have enough food and clothing in the near future.
"Okay! Please sit down, three of you. You must have known that the merchants have joined forces to resist taxes and even openly went on strike. Your Majesty is deeply worried about this and intends to have "Nandu Daily" and "Da Ming Daily" write an article to inform merchants and the people of the need to pay taxes in full. . You can refer to similar articles from the "Jingshi Daily" that were previously sent to Nandu. Each person can write an article with a word count of no more than 1,000 words."
This can be regarded as a test for these three people, but it is not too difficult to think about. These three people are not only great talents, but they also have a lot of ink in their stomachs. In addition, they have the articles of "Jingshi Daily" as reference, so they will not be unable to write.
"Please rest assured, Uncle Zong, we will do our best to write articles to criticize the despicable behavior of profiteers, so that the people who have been deceived by them will understand their tax obligations!"
It would be unjustifiable to collect so much money at once without giving something in return, and Ni Yuanlu must be made to understand the writing power of the three of them.
"That's good!"
The emperor intends to let the Ministry of Rites be responsible for its own profits and losses in the future. How to make money depends on the "Da Ming Daily", otherwise Ni Yuanlu would not directly summon the three people who had just been released from prison.
It is said that Princess Le'an and his wife could earn no less than fifty taels of silver from the "Jingshi Daily" every day, which was a huge amount of ten thousand taels a year. They were the envy of others at the time.
Nandu is located in the south of the Yangtze River. It has a population of one million, is surrounded by many cities, and does not have frequent threats from Donglu. If it is issued properly, it is not impossible for the Ministry of Rites to earn tens of thousands of taels per year.
Even with the Secretary of General Affairs as a competitor, Ni Yuanlu did not think it would be difficult to sell the Ministry of Rites' newspapers. At least people in cities along the Yangtze River should be able to buy them.
After the discussion was completed, Luo Yida took the three people to the Ministry of Personnel, where they applied for relevant documents. Without the documents, they could not enter the court's yamen at will.
It was also the first time for the three of them to take photos. It is said that this method has a soul-capturing effect, which made the three of them shudder. It was not until they saw the photo on Luo Yida's ID card that they calmed down after looking at it for a long time.
Nowadays, all officials working in the imperial court have photo IDs, which makes it easier for the guards to verify their identities and prevents others from impersonating them and committing illegal acts.
Before that, Ni Yuanlu sent people to clear a road for these three people. With this, they could enter the Ministry of Rites. It would be much more convenient once they received the certificates.
After finishing the work, the three of them walked together and walked west along Chongli Street. They planned to have a good meal together and then discuss the future affairs.
However, what surprised Ruan Dacheng and others was that the shops on the street, including restaurants, were closed, and only officers and soldiers on patrol could be seen...
