After Ming Dynasty

Chapter 27

Among several wealthy households, Lin Xiucai was the leader. His face was pale and he was trembling all over.

Zhu Yiyuan's question made him feel like he was struck by lightning, "No, no, I don't want to look for anyone, please forgive me!" He suddenly raised his head, and begged to the people around him: "Folks, help me! Let me tell you something, I am a scholar in our village, a famous scholar, as long as scholars have never committed serious crimes, they will not beheaded, please forgive me this time."

He knelt on the ground, kowtowed, tears flowed, and looked really pitiful.

The refugees and soldiers just looked at him coldly, they didn't care if they were talented or not, anyway, they didn't know this guy, and they only listened to Mr. Zhu's orders.

On the contrary, the group of villagers in Dazhuang Village looked at each other, and some of them felt pity, and they didn't think there was anything wrong.

At this moment, a half-grown child with a handsome appearance and pale face squeezed out from the crowd, and he suddenly knelt down on the ground, "Young Master Zhu, I want to avenge my grievances! I beg Young Master Zhu to make the decision."

Zhu Yiyuan frowned slightly, and said in a deep voice, "Stand up, don't kneel!"

The boy froze.

Zhu Yiyuan said patiently: "When you kneel down, what is reasonable has become unreasonable. We are punishing evil and promoting good, eliminating violence and bringing peace to the good. You just need to express your grievances."

The young man shook his head violently, gaining more courage for no reason, he gritted his teeth and said, "Young Master Zhu, I am his school boy, he, he is a beast!"

The young man pointed at Lin Xiucai, with tears in his eyes, and said angrily, "He, he bullied me."

Zhu Yiyuan was stunned for a while, and finally understood, but the other villagers seemed to have known it for a long time, and they were even a little surprised.

Because according to the rules of Ming Dynasty, after being admitted as a scholar, you can get two servants to serve you.

Of course, it is only qualified, because under normal circumstances, it costs money to hire servants, and the poor can't afford it.

But usually the situation is used for destruction, and according to the regulations of Ming Dynasty, Xiucai can also exempt Erding from corvee.When these regulations are combined, very strange things will happen.

Especially at the end of the Ming Dynasty, when the demons were rampant, many scholars could not wait to raise a few young servants to serve them when they had achieved fame. If they didn't, they would be ridiculed instead.

This young man is Lin Xiucai's book boy... He has been greatly wronged to stand up and testify against Lin Xiucai now.

But Lin Xiucai didn't think so, he was terrified and furious, "Yantai, I'll feed you, drink, and dress you, so you can't be unreasonable and frame the master?"

"I do not have!"

The young man gritted his teeth, and he pulled up his sleeves suddenly, revealing a section of his arm full of scars. There were new wounds and old wounds on his arm.There are traces of whipping, small holes pierced by needles, and even burns burned with tongs.

The young man cried: "There are more injuries like this. Not only did he beat me, but his wife also beat me, saying that I was a lowly thing. Their whole family beat me, scolded me, hung me on the beam, knelt on the broken floor On the porcelain plate... Just three days ago, they beat me up and passed me out for a whole day. I was so scared, I was afraid that they would beat me to death anytime. Mr. Zhu, he is a badass Beast of man, don't let him go."

The teenager wept bitterly and almost passed out.

Everyone understands that he didn't lie, it's just that Mr. Zhu in front of him, can he decide for him?
Zhu Yiyuan's face was serious, and he said in a low voice: "I believe that what happened to this little brother is not unique. There are too many children from poor families who are slaves and handmaidens, being bullied and oppressed. He has the courage to stand up on his own initiative. Even if this thing didn't try to escape, and aimed at him to mutilate and ravage the children of poor families, he should be severely punished... drag him down and kill him!"

Lin Xiucai turned pale with shock, "Forgive me, I am a servant awarded to me by the court. I am a scholar, without me, this brat would have died a long time ago! Mr. Zhu, we are also fellow villagers, and we are not far away. I am willing to give you effective..."

Lin Xiucai yelled at the top of his voice in order to survive.

Zhu Yiyuan didn't bother to listen at all, and shouted angrily: "Don't do it yet!"

With an order, the rebel soldiers swung the Ghost Head Saber, and Lin Xiucai's head fell to the ground.His eyeballs were wide open until he died, but he was just a brat, so why should he kill his majestic scholar-in-law?

The young man was full of surprises. He ran to Lin Xiucai's head and stared at it with wide eyes. After a while, he suddenly burst out laughing.

"I can look at each other now, I don't have to be afraid of you anymore, no need!"

The boy turned his head and ran to Zhu Yiyuan, excitedly said: "I want to join the army, accept me."

Zhu Yiyuan said: "You are still too young, you can only be counted as a second-class militiaman, cleaning and doing chores, and you can only become a soldier when you are a few years older."

The boy nodded quickly, and said cheerfully: "Okay, okay! Let me do whatever you want."

Zhu Yiyuan nodded at him, then turned his head to look at all the villagers, and said with emotion: "If you can't make it through, who is willing to be a slave and a handmaid, and be bullied and insulted by others. This time we divided the land and let the villagers We can live on, and things like slaves and servants that abuse people should not exist. No one is superior to others, and no one can do whatever they want. In my place, bullying is absolutely not allowed. If there is any, report it immediately and punish severely No loan!"

Zhu Yiyuan said solemnly, the silent villagers suddenly burst into violent cheers, and the big guys clapped their hands and applauded in unison.

The big guys are not stupid. I have never seen a child from a rich and big family go to work as a slave. It's not that their poor family suffers.Mr. Zhu is helping the big guys make decisions!

In the midst of the jubilation, there was only one person, who was out of his mind, with cold sweat on his forehead.

He fell one step at a time, and when he reached the door of the house, he bumped his head against the door frame, directly hitting a black eye.

This person is Zhang Xiucai.

Yesterday he was still arguing with Zhu Yiyuan, thinking that this great Ming clan could look up to their great Ming scholars, but who would have thought that a scholar died in a blink of an eye, and it seemed that his crimes were pinned on his own head, so it was not impossible...

Why don't you run away?

Zhang Xiucai came up with the idea of ​​running away, but quickly dismissed it. Lao Lin couldn't run away, and now his defenses were even stricter. Where would he run?
But speaking of it, this Mr. Zhu was straightforward and decisive.

It is to divide the land and release the slaves, which is different from those thieves who only know how to plunder and kill.

Maybe, maybe, he can really do something... By the way, when Lao Lin was dying, he also said that he would work for Mr. Zhu. His death, does it mean that his chance has come?

The more Zhang Xiucai thought about it, the more he felt that it made sense. From panic, he became excited.

Perhaps Conglong Zhigong is right in front of you.

Zhang Xiucai quickly took out 20 taels of silver from his home, sealed it, and handed it to his concubine, and then sealed two 20 taels of silver in succession, and handed it to the book boy.

"I'll give you the money, and I'll let you go back as well. Both of you have parents and family members, and I haven't beaten you, so don't sue me. I'll go to Mr. Zhu. If you make a false accusation, you won't be able to bear it." Walk around."

Zhang Xiucai tried his best to warn the two people, but he was always very guilty.

After all, Zhu Yiyuan hasn't received him yet... Zhang Xiucai pondered for a while, and then turned out another item.

The land deed for a full 150 mu of land!
This has been handed down by their ancestors for several generations. Even Zhang Zhifa and Zhang Ge didn't take it away. It's a treasure.

There is no other way, even today, I can only take it out in exchange for my own life.

As soon as it was dawn, he rushed to the Zhang family compound with the land deed in his arms.

Zhu Yiyuan was still the same as yesterday, sleeping in the concierge and getting up early for a run. Apart from the refugees and soldiers, there were also some young and strong people from Dazhuang Village, making the team even bigger.

After running, Zhu Yiyuan went to eat.

In addition to the rice porridge cooked by the refugees, the women of Dazhuang Village also brought some pickles, which enriched the breakfast a lot.

Zhu Yiyuan held the porridge bowl and drank it. When he was almost finished, he looked up and found Zhang Xiucai, who was already standing beside him.

"Is something wrong?" he asked casually.

Zhang Xiucai hurriedly said respectfully: "Young Master Zhu, I have dismissed all the servants and concubines at home. This is my family's land deed, a total of 150 mu of land, please take it back."

Zhu Yiyuan looked at it, nodded slightly, "It seems that you figured it out quite quickly!"

One sentence made Zhang Xiucai's old face turn red. A few days ago, he was yelling that he was a scholar of the Ming Dynasty, but he changed his face in a blink of an eye, saying that he was sincere, and even a fool would not believe it.

Zhang Xiucai blushed, and gritted his teeth, "Young Master Zhu, I have been depressed all my life, and my fame is only a scholar, let alone my official career. I am willing to work for you."

"Why?" Zhu Yiyuan smiled and said: "You should understand that our future is uncertain, and our power is still weak, so there's no need to hold your head and fight with us."

Zhang Xiucai's complexion changed again and again, and finally he mustered up his courage and said: "Emperor Taizu started his business as a beggar, and when Han Gaozu was in Mangdang Mountain, there were only a few hundred mobs. I believe that you can achieve great things!"

Zhu Yiyuan pondered slightly, and said again: "Is that all?"

Zhang Xiucai was silent again, and said in a trembling voice, "I don't want to live my life with a pig's tail on my head."

Zhu Yiyuan frowned slightly, feeling something in his heart, when employing people, he really shouldn't be too fussy, just be careful in the future.

"In this case, you can take care of the sub-fields in Dazhuang Village. Is ten days enough?" Zhu Yiyuan asked.

Zhang Xiucai couldn't help but said hurriedly: "No need, just three days."

(End of this chapter)