pdf-ebookys Chapter 911 What a pity, we couldn't snatch the Marquis of Champion back for the Master.
Chapter 911 What a pity, we couldn't snatch the Marquis of Champion back for the Master.
As it turns out, when Li Shanchang started acting like a wicked person, Zhu Biao and Yang Shaofeng were as kind as two innocent flowers.
"Your Highness, the New Year is just around the corner, and people have already visited each other's homes. Shouldn't we go and take a look at the construction site?"
"As far as I know, there are not only our Ming people on the construction site, but also a large number of Korean and monkey laborers."
"These laborers also contributed to the development of our Great Ming Dynasty."
In order to make the officials obediently act like beasts of burden, Li Shanchang actually had Zhu Biao give out some wine, meat and clothes as rewards, and then led a group of officials to the construction site to visit the laborers.
Of course, it doesn't matter whether we see the Korean monkeys or not; the main thing is to let the officials see those convicted officials and gentry who have been exiled to Liaodong.
Then, the officials were completely bewildered.
A low, cramped shack?
Food that's barely better than pig feed?
Ragged clothes?
Even in the dead of winter, construction sites that refuse to stop work at the end of the year?
My goodness!
When did the officials and gentry who were exiled to Liaodong become so hardworking and resilient?
"Prime Minister Li! Prime Minister Li, save me!"
"Prime Minister Li! We're from the same hometown, you can't just stand by and watch someone die!"
"Prime Minister Li! I know I was wrong. Please, please say a few good words for me before your superiors!"
"..."
The cries of agony were incessant, but Li Shanchang seemed oblivious, simply smiling as he led a group of officials across the construction site.
"How are they sleeping? How are they eating? Are they tired from working?"
As they walked, Li Shanchang instructed Hu Weiyong: "These people are, after all, criminal officials of our Great Ming Dynasty. We can use them to the death, but their treatment cannot be too bad. At least it should be better than that of those barbarian laborers."
Hu Weiyong nodded without hesitation and said, "Don't worry, Prime Minister Li. The place they are staying is not too good, but it is not too bad either. At least there are not many snakes, insects and rodents."
"In terms of food and drink, we can eat meat and vegetables on the birthday of the emperor, New Year's Day, and the winter solstice."
"In terms of work, the jobs they have to do are much easier than those of the barbarian laborers, and there is little danger involved."
The officials following behind Li Shanchang were almost amused by Hu Weiyong's outburst.
I originally thought Yang Dianfeng was a master of lying through his teeth.
Unexpectedly, Hu Weiyong is even more cunning than Yang the Madman.
The absence of many snakes, insects, and rodents implies the presence of them.
So-called meat dishes are mostly just a pot of vegetables with a bone in it, and it's not even certain whether there's any meat on the bone.
The fact that it was easier than the barbarian laborers meant that it was definitely more tiring than the Ming Dynasty people, and that people might die at any time.
Especially when they thought about the scene of the officials and gentry frantically grabbing for food and wine, the officials felt a sense of sorrow, like the rabbit mourning the fox's death.
However, just as the officials were secretly complaining, Li Shanchang stroked his beard and sighed, "Tell me, if they had been good officials and hadn't made any mistakes, how could they have ended up in this state?"
As soon as Li Shanchang finished speaking, Zhu Biao immediately reached out and tugged at Yang Shaofeng, "Brother-in-law, is Prime Minister Li making a veiled attack on me?"
Yang Shaofeng clicked his tongue softly.
Pointing fingers at mulberry trees and scolding huai trees?
No.
He was pointing his finger at the officials, saying, "If you don't work hard like oxen and horses, you'll end up like them!"
This is a classic example of making an example of someone to warn others.
……
While Li Shanchang was busy making an example of someone in Liaodong, Chen Mo, the executive deputy magistrate of Ningyang, was giving a speech to Liu Sanshier and other village leaders in the Ningyang county government office.
"Before Her Highness returned to the capital, she specifically instructed that if anyone from our county went to Liaodong, we must keep a close eye on them."
“We need to keep a closer eye on those who are particularly bold.”
"Don't let some people get carried away and insist on going to Liaodong to try and recreate that 'Sealing the Wolf and Dwelling in the Mountain' thing."
Liu Thirty-Two chuckled dryly and asked, "Your Excellency, I've always heard people talk about 'Fenglangjuxu,' and I've also heard that Your Excellency dreams of 'Fenglangjuxu' and getting the title of Marquis of Champion. What exactly is this 'Fenglangjuxu'?"
Chen Mo reached out and rubbed his forehead, sighed, and said, "Fenglangjuxu is a ceremony held at Langjuxu Mountain to worship Heaven and perform the Fengshan ceremony. It is a kind of ceremony to announce to Heaven and Earth and to boast of martial arts. It is similar to the saying 'Leshi Yanran'."
Liu Thirty-Two and Wang Thirty-Five, the other commune leader next to him, exchanged a glance, then cautiously looked at Chen Mo and said, "Your Excellency, how about we send a few bolder men to Liaodong?"
"Since our master is so eager to get the title of Marquis of Champion, why don't we bring it back for him?"
"It's just Langjuxu Mountain. With more men, we can take it down."
Chen Mo glared fiercely at Liu Thirty-Two, then sighed helplessly, "The Marquis of Champion only has a nice-sounding name. In history, the Marquises of Champion either did not live long or did not die a good death."
"Otherwise, why would His Majesty directly bestow the title of Duke of Ying upon our eldest master? Is it because he is unwilling to grant our eldest master a marquisate?"
"So, you should stop thinking about the Fenglangjuxu incident."
"And no one is allowed to even think about taking the title of Marquis for the Master."
"Anyone who dares to act recklessly will not be spared by Her Highness the Princess!"
The light in the eyes of Liu Sanshier and the other commune leaders and village chiefs dimmed slightly.
Pity.
We can't let the master win the championship.
Chen Mo continued, "Furthermore, the Koreans next door are a vassal state of our Great Ming. No one is allowed to go to the Koreans to capture laborers. The savages in Liaodong are also the property of the Great Ming, and no one is allowed to capture them at will."
As Chen Mo finished speaking, the light in Liu Sanshier and the others' eyes completely died out.
That's even more of a pity.
I'd heard that you could sell a captured laborer for a certain amount of money.
As a result, Her Highness the Princess forbade the arbitrary capture of laborers.
How much money will this cost?
Chen Mo glanced at Liu Sanshier and the others again, and snorted coldly, saying, "Her Highness the Princess instructed that the people from Ningyang County who go to Liaodong should just do their jobs honestly."
Don't think about those unnecessary things.
"Go safely, come back safely, and making money is the most important thing."
“When you go back, you must explain this clearly to the people in your own communities.”
"Have you memorized everything?"
Liu Sanshier and the others responded listlessly.
What's the point of clarifying things?
Originally, many people were eager to go to Liaodong.
You must take your words back with you, Deputy Magistrate Chen, and I guarantee that not a single person from Ningyang County will go to Liaodong.
make money?
They're already making a lot of money in Ningyang County, who would want to go to some godforsaken rural area in Liaodong to suffer!
Seeing the half-dead state of Liu Sanshi and the others, Chen Mo coughed again and said, "Don't put on that dead face for me. The master gave me instructions before he left."
Liu Sanshier and the others were instantly revived.
"What did the master instruct?"