62: Chapter 62 A Butcher's Knife in One Hand, a Kindness in the Other

Just past 5 AM, the sky not yet fully bright, a high platform was erected at the vegetable market in Liuhe County.

On the platform, over seventy officials, local gentry, and wicked servants who usually rode roughshod over Liuhe County were all bound tightly, mouths stuffed with rags, kneeling in the cold morning wind and shivering like rows of pigs waiting to be slaughtered.

Magistrate Zhang Deguang and Third Master Liu knelt in the front row. Their brocade robes were torn to shreds, their former official dignity and plumpness gone, leaving only a deathly, ashen look.

Gradually, the commoners began to gather. Most were ragged and gaunt, their eyes filled with numbness.

On the second floor of Yingxian Tower, by the railing.

Crown Prince Zhu Yuntong stood in his black robes, facing the wind. Behind him, Fu Zhong, Prince Consort Guo Zhen, Imperial Envoy Feng Cheng, and a group of noble youths had varying expressions.

Fu Zhong's face was flushed with excitement, his hand resting constantly on the hilt of his blade. Prince Consort Guo Zhen squinted, observing the crowd below with great interest.

Only Chang Sen remained pale, staring fixedly at the prisoners on the wooden platform. He did not lose his composure as before; instead, a terrifyingly bright light slowly ignited at the bottom of his eyes.

"The time has come." Crown Prince Zhu Yuntong said calmly.

Duke of Cao understood. Holding a scroll of yellow silk, he walked slowly downstairs and stepped onto the wooden platform amidst the confused gazes of the commoners.

He cleared his throat, his handsome face devoid of expression, but his voice rang out like a great bell across the entire vegetable market.

"By the order of His Highness, the Prince of Wu!"

"Magistrate Zhang Deguang of Liuhe, as an official of the imperial court, did not think to act for the people, but instead colluded with corrupt gentry, embezzled tax silver, exploited the local community, causing the people to be displaced and military farms to fall into ruin. His crimes are unforgivable!"

"Local gentry Liu Jin, who exploited the villagers, forcibly seized land, caused the deaths of over twenty people, privately opened iron mines, hid armor and weapons, and plotted rebellion. His crimes are heinous!"

"County Assistant Wang... Registrar Sun..."

Every time Duke of Cao read out a name, a suppressed commotion arose among the commoners below.

"Zhang the Skin-flayer! He drove my father to his death!"

"That beast, Third Master Liu! He seized my family's land and even took my daughter..."

The previously numb commoners were revitalized, the anger suppressed for years burning in their eyes.

"...The aforementioned individuals, their crimes are proven, and the laws of the nation cannot tolerate them!" Duke of Cao finished reading, suddenly withdrawing the yellow silk, and shouted sternly: "His Highness has ordered! Execute them all on the spot to serve as a warning to others!"

"Execute!"

Following the order, the Embroidered Uniform Guard soldiers, who had been waiting for a long time on both sides of the wooden platform, stepped forward in unison. They pulled out the ghost-head blades from the buckets, the bright blades gleaming with a chilling cold light in the gloomy daylight.

"Wuu... wuu..."

Magistrate Zhang Deguang and Liu Jin struggled violently, their crotches quickly soaking through, and a fishy, foul stench began to permeate the air.

Pfft! Pfft! Pfft!

With the fall of the blades, blood splashed!

Heads rolled to the ground, and the hot blood spurting from their necks stained the entire wooden platform red.

The commoners below were first in deathly silence, as if frightened silly by this bloody scene.

Immediately after, an old voice with a sobbing tone was the first to cry out: "Oh, righteous officials!"

With a "thud," a gaunt old man knelt on the ground, kowtowing heavily toward the direction of Yingxian Tower.

One, two, ten, a hundred...

Suppressed sobbing converged into one, and the commoners on both sides of the street knelt down in droves, their foreheads striking the cold bluestone slabs with dull sounds.

They cried, they laughed, venting their long-accumulated pain in the simplest way.

On Yingxian Tower, Fu Zhong was boiling with excitement and slammed his fist hard against the railing: "Satisfying! Damn it, it's so satisfying!"

Prince Consort Guo Zhen and Imperial Envoy Feng Cheng were also shocked. They had seen slaughter on the battlefield, but they had never seen such an intuitive scene of using a butcher's knife to win the kowtows of ten thousand people.

Crown Prince Zhu Yuntong turned around, no longer looking at the scene downstairs, his voice ringing out again, clearly reaching the entire vegetable market.

"Open the granaries, distribute the money!"

"All those whose land was seized by the Liu Family, Magistrate Zhang Deguang, and others, bring your old land deeds, and the land shall be returned to the original owners! Those without deeds, with the guarantee of village elders and neighbors, may also reclaim them!"

"For all those whose family members were driven to death by them, for every life lost, compensation of fifty taels of silver will be given!"

"All grain and supplies confiscated today, open the granaries on the spot. Every household in Liuhe County may receive three dou of rice upon presenting their household registration!"

If the beheading just now was a thunderclap, then these words were sweet rain!

The entire vegetable market was completely boiling!

The commoners were first in disbelief, then erupted into earth-shaking cheers!

"Long live the Prince of Wu! Long live the Prince of Wu!"

"His Highness is truly a living Bodhisattva!"

Amidst the tsunami-like cheers, the figure of Crown Prince Zhu Yuntong turned into a... deity holding a butcher's knife in the hearts of countless people.

He had blood on one hand and bestowed grace with the other.

...

The bloody smell of the vegetable market had not yet dissipated, and the fragrance of grain and silver quickly replaced it.

Dozens of makeshift long tables were lined up beside the wooden platform.

On the left, there were mountains of grain bags, distributed under the personal supervision of Fu Zhong and a few noble youths. His ferocious face became the best signboard to prevent anyone from muddling through.

On the right, there were more than a dozen heavy wooden chests. The lids were opened, and the neatly stacked snow-white silver ingots inside were dazzling. Duke of Cao held a thick book, the account book confiscated from the county office and the Liu Family, and was slowly calling out names.

"Li Laosi from the south of the city, originally had three mu of paddy fields, which were forcibly seized by Liu Jin, and his tenant was driven to death. Now, the land deed is returned, and compensation of fifty taels of silver is awarded!"

A ragged old man walked up tremblingly. When he received the regained land deed and the heavy fifty taels of silver from Duke of Cao, his murky old tears burst like a dam.

He knelt down with a "thud" and sobbed: "Your Highness... Your Highness's great kindness, this commoner... this commoner cannot repay it even by working as an ox or a horse!"

Duke of Cao smiled slightly, personally helped him up, and said warmly: "Old man, this is the justice His Highness gives you. Take the silver and go home."

This scene was like a signal, and more and more crowds surged forward.

"This commoner Wang Er Mazi, my wife was beaten to death by Magistrate Zhang Deguang's lackeys..."

"This commoner Sun Daniu, the Liu Family's steward grabbed my family's ancestral two mu of poor land..."

Crying, expressions of gratitude, and the sounds of kowtowing were mixed together.

Duke of Cao and the Embroidered Uniform Guard soldiers under Jiang Wan were busy but orderly. Every piece of land and every life was clearly recorded in that book of sins.

Throughout the afternoon, Liuhe County was immersed in a kind of near-manic joy.

When the last compensation payment was issued and the last commoner took away the grain, the entire vegetable market was empty, leaving only the blood on the ground and the tears of gratitude left by the commoners when they departed.

Duke of Cao closed the book and let out a long breath. He walked to Fu Zhong, who was drinking heavily from a large water bag.

"I'm exhausted." Fu Zhong wiped his mouth, looked at the empty street, and chuckled, "But, it was damn well worth it!"

Prince Consort Guo Zhen leaned to the side, playing with a jade pendant confiscated from the Liu Family, his eyes deep: "I used to know that killing Tartars on the border was protecting the country. Today I understand, sometimes, killing these national vermin makes the people more grateful to you than killing ten Tartars."

Imperial Envoy Feng Cheng wiped his fingers with a snow-white handkerchief and said slowly: "Two hundred and forty thousand taels of silver, forty thousand shi of grain. Our His Highness didn't even blink when he gave away nearly half. This scale... tsk tsk."

Duke of Cao glanced at him and chuckled: "Company Commander Feng, you only see the money given away, you don't see what was collected back."

He lifted his chin, signaling everyone to look toward the direction of Yingxian Tower.

Crown Prince Zhu Yuntong was still standing on the second floor, quietly watching all this.

"What was collected back is the hearts of the people." Duke of Cao's voice was very low, "This thing is much more valuable than two hundred and forty thousand taels of silver."

That night, Yingxian Tower.

In the private room, the dishes were still sumptuous, but the atmosphere was completely different.

The noble youths were wolfing down their food, their mouths full of grease. The distribution of money during the day had exhausted their physical strength and completely ignited their enthusiasm.

Crown Prince Zhu Yuntong sat in the main seat, with only a bowl of clear porridge in front of him.

Eunuch Sanbao stood quietly behind him, serving him food.

"Your Highness." Jiang Wan walked in from outside, knelt on one knee, "According to your instructions, seventy thousand taels of silver and ten thousand shi of grain have been distributed on the spot; seventy thousand taels of silver and some treasures have been loaded and departed, led by an Embroidered Uniform Guard Company Commander, and are being escorted back to the capital; the remaining one hundred thousand taels of silver and thirty thousand shi of grain have been put into storage and can be called upon at any time."

"Hmm." Crown Prince Zhu Yuntong nodded, "Have the bodies been dealt with?"

"Replying to Your Highness, all the corpses have been buried in the mass grave outside the city, and the vegetable market has also been cleaned."

"You've worked hard." Crown Prince Zhu Yuntong put down the porridge bowl and looked at Jiang Wan, "Sit down and eat together."

This time, Jiang Wan did not refuse, sat down decisively, and picked up the rice bowl.

Crown Prince Zhu Yuntong's gaze swept over the crowd and finally landed on Duke of Cao: "Jiujiang, you said yesterday that if I do this, it will force the Jiangnan gentry to rebel."

Duke of Cao heard this, quickly put down his chopsticks, and said respectfully: "Your servant is foolish."

"No, you were not wrong." Crown Prince Zhu Yuntong said calmly, "It's just that I don't know to what extent they can go."

He stood up and walked to the window, looking at the Liuhe County city with ten thousand lights outside.

"The hearts of the people are like water; water can carry a boat, but it can also capsize it."

"What I have done in Liuhe County today will soon spread across Jiangnan. The people will know that the imperial court has a Prince of Wu who is willing to act for them."

"By then, if the gentry dare to incite a riot, I wonder if the people will help them, or help me..."