novelaction Chapter 797 Barefoot and Shoes
Chapter 797 Barefoot and Shoes
Chapter 797 Barefoot and Shoes
"Please, Your Highness, uphold justice!"
"Sheng Liang oppresses the people and has committed numerous evils. We beg Your Highness to execute this villain!"
"Your Highness, I'm innocent! My Sanlu just didn't want to let those unscrupulous merchants who colluded with the Tartars make money. How could you arrest him?"
After martial law was declared, the people who had looted and vandalized were quickly arrested and sent to labor camps, totaling as many as 8 people.
The principle of "the law does not punish the masses" makes sense. Precisely because of Wang Wenzhou's actions, the families of the common people would not allow it. The elderly, women, and children surrounded the Tu Zhu Prince's Mansion in layers.
Wang Wenzhou did not order them to be driven away, and even if he had, the guards probably wouldn't have been able to bring themselves to do it. They were all neighbors, people who would see each other all the time, and besides, they were all unarmed elderly, weak, women and children.
Wang Wenzhou, with one arm around Dayuer and the other around Wen Liandie, came to trick the people into getting lost.
"Your Highness, you must do me justice!"
"Your Highness, you must not be misled by villains and do things that harm the people!"
"Quiet!" Wang Wenzhou waved his hand.
The people gradually quieted down.
"Gentlemen, please hear me out first!" Wang Wenzhou looked around at everyone, his gaze lingering on those he recognized, and nodded with a smile.
“Many of the people here are old acquaintances of mine!” Wang Wenzhou said with deep emotion. “Back then, Hanshan was a small county with only more than 10,000 people. When I first came to Hanshan, I was a big fat man weighing more than 300 pounds.”
I used to love my baby Ruru, but she thought I was too fat, so I had to run every morning to lose weight. I still remember the first time Ruru accompanied me on a run, we ran into Aunt Li and others along the way.
Aunt Li tried her best to persuade Ruru to marry me, but Ruru still refused. I was so moved I almost cried, because I realized Aunt Li considered me family!
Aunt Li happened to be there, and she raised her hand to wipe away the tears from the corner of her eyes. In the hearts of the vast majority of Hanshan people, especially the locals, Wang Wenzhou was truly considered family.
Wang Wenzhou continued, “Although I am now the Tu Zhu King of the Ming Dynasty, my reputation in officialdom is not good. I am called a mad dog, a butcher, a treacherous villain… In short, no official in the Ming Dynasty thinks I am a good person. But you all call me Wang Qingtian (a paragon of justice), and when I was trapped in the capital, you did not abandon me, which moved me deeply.”
When I was attacked and fell into a coma, everyone spontaneously prayed for me, and I am still very touched. Everyone treated me like family, and I treat everyone like family too!
I swear to God, I, Wang Wenzhou, have never done anything to oppress the people!
"Your Highness, look at what you're saying! We've come here not to say you've done anything wrong!"
"Yes, yes, Your Highness! It was Sheng Liang who acted recklessly; it has nothing to do with you!"
Young racing prodigy Sheng Liang smiled bitterly to himself. "You ignorant masses, without my brother's orders, would I dare do that? Brother, we can't just abandon you after you've served your purpose and make me take the blame. My aunt isn't dead yet; if she knew you were making me take the fall, she'd be heartbroken!"
Wang Wenzhou waved his hand, and the people quieted down. Wang Wenzhou said with deep emotion, "Fellow elders of Hanshan, there can be no order without rules! Let me ask you, who punished Xiao Liang with whipping when he forcibly slept with the girl? Today's matter was ordered by me, and Xiao Liang was just following orders!"
"Huh?" The people were immediately dumbfounded.
"Your Highness, please spare them!"
"Your Highness, they meant well but did something wrong!"
The people pleaded for their loved ones.
"Alright, everyone, let me finish!" Wang Wenzhou continued, "In other parts of the Ming Dynasty, powerful and influential people may escape legal punishment if they break the law! But in Hanshan, no matter who it is, if they break the law, they must pay the corresponding price!"
There were rumors circulating on the streets that Prince Ajige of the Tartars came to Hanshan, was arrested for violating the Hanshan Public Security Administration Regulations, and was eventually castrated.
Now I can tell you, it's true!
"Ah!" The people were stunned.
Wang Wenzhou said indignantly, "The Tartars harbor evil intentions and have never given up their desire to destroy our Great Ming. They cannot bear to see the people of Hanshan living a happy and prosperous life! Recently, Tartar spies have been coming to Hanshan to massacre villages and rob, which has angered the people. This is not your fault!"
"The fault lies with me, and with all the constables of Hanshan! We failed in our duty to protect the people. Therefore, I have decided that all constables of Hanshan will be fined one year's salary, and all fines will be used as condolence money to be distributed to the survivors of the massacre and the relatives of the dead."
"Your Highness is kind-hearted!"
"Long live the Prince! Long live the Prince!"
In an instant, the people all knelt down and shouted "Long live the Emperor!"
Among the crowd, Cao Huachun reluctantly followed the others in bowing. Cao Huachun smiled bitterly to himself, "Your Majesty, thank goodness you didn't see it. If you had, you would be furious! These people actually called Wang Wenzhou 'Long Live the Emperor'!"
"Alright! Get up, all of you! You all know I don't like people kneeling and kowtowing!" Wang Wenzhou waved his hand.
The people slowly rose to their feet, and Cao Huachun also stood up. His brows were furrowed, and he couldn't help but admire Wang Wenzhou. This mad dog was ruthless and heartless, capable of harming even the people under his rule. Where did these Tartars come from? With the military strength and security of Hanshan, even if Tartars had infiltrated, they would have been arrested and sent to labor camps long ago.
Cao Huachun truly admired Hanshan's counter-espionage capabilities. All the secret agents from the Eastern Depot, Western Depot, and Embroidered Uniform Guard in Hanshan were now under Cao Huachun's command. Moreover, hundreds of new spies infiltrated Hanshan every month, yet Cao Huachun himself commanded only about a hundred men.
With such strong counter-espionage capabilities, even the Ming Dynasty wouldn't have had the power to carry out such a large-scale massacre of a village, let alone the Tartars.
Wang Wenzhou bowed deeply to the crowd and said, "Everyone, I'm sorry! It's my fault for failing to stop the enraged people before the situation escalated. But we in Hanshan cannot disregard the law! Although I understand their actions in terms of reason and emotion."
But they broke the law after all. No matter who it is, anyone who breaks the law should pay the price! Even the emperor himself, if he commits a capital crime, should be executed!
"My lord is mighty!"
"Your Highness is right!"
"Your Highness, please return to your residence and rest. We know we were wrong!"
Wang Wenzhou waved his hand and said, "Don't worry, everyone. They only violated the public security regulations. After studying in the labor camp for a period of time, they can go home! Here, I would like to say a few more words! Although many shops sell goods from Liaodong, the merchants are not aiding the enemy!"
"Huh? What do you mean?"
The common people really didn't understand why the prince would say that.
Wang Wenzhou stated unequivocally, "How many Tartars are there in Liaodong? The goods produced in Liaodong are all made by the people of the Ming Dynasty who are oppressed by the Tartars. If you buy goods from Liaodong and the people of Liaodong make money, does that count as aiding the enemy?"
Moreover, even goods produced by the Tartars don't count as aiding the enemy! If a bandit could become wealthy through his own labor, would he still be a bandit? Who would be so foolish as to take off their shoes and go barefoot?