Daming heir

Chapter 376 The Power of the Clan Gentry

Several fat men, holding long iron spoons in their hands, kept beating on the gong on the side.

The gong made a loud sound.

And around the men, there is a circle of earthen stoves, with large pots on top.The huge thatched shed is transparent on all sides, and smoke and fire gas penetrates from under the thatched shed and emerges from the top of the thatched shed.

Sheds like this can be faintly seen standing at intervals along the entire long river.

The movement under the shed became louder and denser.

Zhu Yunxi and others, who stood a long distance from the shed, saw that the people who were still cleaning up the silt and debris in the river had already slowly put down their work after hearing the sound, and gathered towards the location of the shed. past.

In the blink of an eye, Zhu Yunxie and the others, who originally wanted to look under the shed, were already crowded with people.

The lids of the large iron pots placed on the earthen stove were uncovered, and white water vapor that could block people's sight floated up from the pot.

The aroma of rice permeates the entire river in an instant.

In the strong rice aroma, there is also a unique meaty aroma.

Surrounded by the shed, the people who were the first to receive the rice and meat dishes already let out bursts of exclamation and joy.

In this way, the people who have not yet received the food in the back are even more looking forward to and hungry.

Gao Guang looked at this scene with a rare smile on his face.

He bowed sideways to Zhu Yunxi, who was at the front of the line, cupped his hands and said in a low voice, "Your Highness, I think this is Mou County in Kaifeng Prefecture, following the order of the imperial court, to use work for relief and conscript the common people to work."

As he spoke, Gao Guang's nose twitched twice, fiercely sniffing the rice fragrance floating in the air.

He said again: "There is a lot of meat, the taste is full, and the salt is also enough."

Satisfied smiles appeared on the faces of the accompanying officials.

The imperial court has set a policy of substituting work for relief, and it is these people who implement it in the six prefectures.

On the side of Zhongmou County, there were also several accompanying officials who had settled in early in the morning.

Just when everyone wanted to clear the way for the Jinyiwei who were guarding around, so that the emperor grandson could look more carefully.

Pei Benzhi, the magistrate of Chenliu County, who was walking on the other side of the emperor's grandson, snorted coldly with an unkind expression.

His voice did not hide the slightest bit, when everyone was complacent and delighted that the court policy could appear in front of their eyes, it was like cold water poured out of a basin.

Gao Gaoguang's complexion changed slightly, and he looked at Pei Benzhi who had a gloomy expression on the other side with puzzled eyes.

"What's the opinion of County Magistrate Pei?"

Gao Gaoguang waved his hand and asked Pei Benzhi for advice.

Zhu Gaochi let out a little surprise from the side, looked at Zhu Yunxi who turned his head with a strange expression, and opened his mouth silently.

With a smile on his face, Zhu Yunxi said softly: "Since you have something to say, let's say it. Gu here never keeps his mouth shut."

Pei Benzhi's face was indifferent, looking at the crowded crowd under the shed, there was a cold light in his eyes.

He said in a bad tone: "I'm afraid, the whereabouts of His Highness and ministers today have already been known by everyone in Zhongmou County."

As soon as Pei Benzhi said his first words, there was a commotion among the accompanying crowd.

A charm flashed in Zhu Yunxi's eyes: "Continue talking."

"Your Highness, it's because I didn't think carefully today that this kind of thing happened just now." Pei Benzhi bowed his hands to plead guilty, and then continued: "According to the information I got before, not only this Zhongmu County, but everyone who is guarding the Six Houses this time Although the county government offices under the rule have all received orders for work-for-relief, those people have never thought about giving the vain grains to the common people at all."

Gao Gaoguang exclaimed: "How is it possible!"

Pei Benzhi snorted coldly, "Why is that impossible?"

The atmosphere at the scene froze for a moment, and everyone was silent, only Pei Benzhi and Gao Guang were breathing heavily out of dissatisfaction.

Zhu Yunxi's eyes were looking forward, and he waved his hand suddenly.

Jin Yiwei on the left and right sides of the team immediately stepped forward with their knives, and stopped several Zhongmou county guards and civilian husband leaders who were about to rush over here to supervise the work on the river.

Gao Gaoguang still thinks that even if the court's will is discounted, it will be more or less used on the common people.

He said in a deep voice: "Magistrate Pei has forgotten that this time I came with His Royal Highness, and there were also people from the Jinyiwei who accompanied me. After I entered Xuzhou Mansion, the people from the Jinyiwei were divided into two lines, light and dark. When the officials went to various yamen, these Jinyi guards also secretly went to various places to investigate and find out the details. There were occasional deceptions, but it was not as the magistrate Pei said."

However, Pei Benzhi sneered: "A secret agent of Jin Yiwei? Has Mr. Gao forgotten what happened to him in Kaifeng Mansion?"

As soon as Pei Benzhi said this, not only Gao Gaoguang, but even some of the officials accompanying him turned ugly.

A few days ago, Gao Guang and the others dressed up in strong clothes and secretly went to Kaifeng Mansion from Lanyang County. The original intention was to enter the city quietly and then secretly inquire about the situation of Kaifeng Mansion.

It's just the result, everyone knows it.

Before Gao Guang and the others entered Kaifeng City, their identities were exposed by Fang Guxin, the general judge of Kaifeng City at that time.

In the end, Gao Gaoguang and others were locked in the Kaifeng government office, and they never had the opportunity to investigate the situation in Kaifeng city. until being apprehended.

What Pei Benzhi said was undoubtedly a slap in the face of Gao Guang and others.

Gao Gaoguang grunted a few times with a cold face, but for the time being, he didn't open his mouth to refute.

Pei Benzhi said in a bad tone: "Ever since you entered the territory of Henan Province, your every move has been under the watchful eyes of those people. These people have been running Henan Province for decades, how could a few spies of Jinyiwei be able to find out the details?"

"When the people from the court come, they can know the news in advance, and then come up with a disguise like today's. The Jinyiwei people will only see that the local government is implementing the court's request for work-for-relief, and giving relief to the people. Don’t make the people hungry.”

"It's just that as soon as the people from the court left, the government warehouses and the grain transferred by the court were all written off from the account books and put into the pockets of officials and local gentry."

"On weekdays, if you can see rice on this construction site, it means that you have a job. If there are chopsticks in the porridge, it is because these people are afraid that the people will collapse from hunger and no one will do anything. Be more kind, and don't let the people starve to death."

Cancellation, left hand out and right hand in.

According to Pei Benzhi's words, the officials on and off Henan Road were almost completely crippled by him.

Gao Guang sighed for a long time, and finally retorted stubbornly: "The government and the local gentry deceived the court and exploited from top to bottom, so are these people willing?
If I remember correctly, since the imperial court issued a decree to help the six prefectures, there have been many imperial envoys who have revealed their identities and traveled to various places to spread the word of the imperial court's grace and lead the people to report the government's evil deeds. "

The officials under him had a quarrel, but Zhu Yunxi turned a deaf ear to it, and looked curiously at the common people who had noticed his appearance.

The common people with meat rice in their hands, regardless of the muddy water all over their bodies, just crouched in the dry place on the river with their bowls and chopsticks in their hands, pawing at the food, raising their heads from time to time while chewing, and opening their eyes curiously. look this way.

The government servants and the stewards on the river who were stopped by the Jinyi guards did not dare to make the slightest movement when facing the knife in the hand of the emperor's messenger, and could only stand outside timidly.

Faced with Gao Guang's rhetorical question, Pei Benzhi couldn't help letting out a series of sneer, as if he heard a big joke.

"Appeal with the emperor's messenger from the imperial court?"

Pei Benzhi asked a self-deprecating question, and then his face darkened: "Unless they don't want to continue living on this land, unless they can move their family away from Henan Road!"

Gao Guang and the others were stunned for a moment, before they could ask.

Pei Benzhi said quietly: "Don't you really know that those people are in charge of local affairs? A village is a surname, and a hundred families are a family. How many people have lived here for generations, and everyone is related. The words of the elders of the village sages are more effective than the emperor's oral instructions!"

There is no longer any excuse for rebuttal above the light.

Even just now, he had a dispute with Pei Benzhi because of the vague dissatisfaction in his heart.

Gao Guang, who originated from a family in the countryside, has never understood the existence of clans in the countryside.

The imperial power does not go to the countryside.

It is not a simple sentence, nor is it something that can be solved by a simple article.

Gao Guang was a little embarrassed, and even turned around angrily. He wanted to find the emperor's grandson and asked for a thorough investigation of Zhongmou County, and then thoroughly investigated the entire disaster-stricken county of Henan Province.

Gao Gaoguang suddenly discovered that the grandson of the emperor was no longer there.

Zhu Yunxi and Zhu Gaochi, under the guard of Zhu Shangbing and Tian Mai, had already walked in front of the people who were eating.

Zhu Yunxi squatted down with his robe in his hand, and an old man crouching in front of him, holding his rice bowl in his hands, carefully lowered his head and moved back two steps.

He and Xiaopang glanced at the bowl held in the old man's hand. White rice and pickled vegetable fat were steamed together, and the fat on the fat soaked the whole bowl of rice thoroughly.

The fragrance is very rich, and the appetite is also very good.

Zhu Yunxi's eyes flickered, and he asked in a low voice: "Old man, how long have you been working here?"

The old man lowered his head, with rice still stuffed in his mouth, hesitating for a moment and then said sullenly: "Since the disaster started, we have been working here."

Zhu Gaochi took the conversation and asked, "Is this the kind of meal every day?"

The old man immediately nodded and said, "Yes! The lords of the county government have been here several times. As long as the food here is about to run out, new food will be delivered, and we will not be hungry."

The guards and stewards who had been blocked by Jin Yiwei finally squeezed over.

"For the younger ones, see His Royal Highness the Emperor Taisun."

"His Royal Highness is blessed and safe."

Zhu Yunxi glanced at the old man who had already started picking up the rest of the food in the bowl, frowned slightly, put his arms on his knees, turned sideways, and looked up at the few servants and stewards who crowded in front of him.

"How do you know the identity of Gu?"

Several people were obviously stunned for a moment, and then they said in a low voice: "You guys dare to boldly guess the identity of His Highness when you look at the knives of the officials."

Zhu Yunxi snorted: "You guys are sharp-eyed and shrewd."

Several people bent over and laughed along with them, and kept nodding their heads.

Zhu Yunxi stood up slowly, noticing that as long as his eyes fell, those common people would lower their heads one after another.

His face was a little ambiguous, and he didn't care about the officers and stewards who crowded over, he led the people and walked under the shed.

A person who seemed to be an official of the Zhongmu County Yamen was blocked by Zhu Shangbing, but he said with a smile on his face: "Your Highness, our construction site is mainly responsible for dredging, and resuscitating these rivers and the Yanming Lake in front. Dredging and reconnecting to the Yellow River will also prevent the fields from running out of water when they need water in the future.”

"These sheds have two meals a day, breakfast and lunch. They don't fire at night, but they also distribute some rice to the villagers so that they can take home to cook a pot of porridge for drinking."

Zhu Yunxi hummed twice and walked into the shed.

Several cooks who held long spoons in their hands and held their heads upright, now crowded aside timidly.

Zhu Yunxi looked down at the earthen stoves around.

Then he asked the officers and stewards: "How much is the daily ration? How long does the work last? Have the houses been damaged this time, and are they within the scope of repairs?"

Hearing the emperor's grandson's question, the guards and stewards tensed up and responded in a low voice.

Zhu Gaochi saw that Zhu Yunxi had drawn the attention of several people over.

With lowered eyelids, he moved silently to the earthen stove, and wiped the earthen stove with his hand.

Then flipped his hand in front of his eyes.

The fingertips were dusted with earth powder from the earthen stove, very dry, and the fingers were not even half greasy.

The answer is utterly obvious.

These cooktops are only free from oil stains on the cooktop if they are not used frequently.And today, these people must have known the itinerary of themselves and others in advance, so they made a way to deal with it.

Zhu Gaochi couldn't help frowning, raised his head and silently looked at Zhu Yunxi, who was surrounded by guards and stewards, but was already looking at him.

He silently shook his head.

Zhu Yunxi's pupils shrank slightly, and it was as expected.And Pei Benzhi also didn't say anything wrong. The nature of these people is like that, why would they change?
He coughed lightly, and looked calmly at the guards and stewards in front of him: "Have you ever bullied the people?"

Several people shook their heads again and again.

"Your Highness, you little ones, don't dare to treat the folks harshly."

"They are all the folks at the door of the house. If the young ones really do something outrageous, the door of the house will be smashed down by the folks in the middle of the night."

"It's absolutely unbearable."

"Your Highness, please enlighten me."

Zhu Yunxi hummed, and turned to look outside the shed at the people who lowered their heads but obviously had their ears pricked up.

He walked out of the shed, stood on a high ground, and shouted to these people: "Gu is the grandson of the Ming emperor. Gu's grandfather is the current majesty, and Gu's father is the current prince. , I came to Kaifeng Mansion to take a good look at how the villagers are doing and how they are doing under the disaster on behalf of His Majesty and the Crown Prince."

"Folks, as long as you feel unhappy and someone oppresses you, tell Gu that Gu will make the decision for you."

Zhu Yunxi's voice was very loud, echoing up and down the river.

However, none of the people who lowered their heads raised their heads and spoke.

The guards and managers kept looking back and forth among the crowd, and seeing that no one raised their heads to speak, the smile on their faces became even brighter.

Zhu Yunxi's heart gradually became heavy.

Looking at the people in front of him at this moment, he couldn't help but think of the people on the embankment he saw that day when he led people to Lanyang County, where the Yellow River broke through.

numbness.

No.

The people here are not only numb, they are still afraid.

Afraid of the ubiquitous clan power outside the court and in the countryside.

Zhu Yunxi and Zhu Gaochi looked at each other, and a trace of disappointment flashed in their eyes.

"Lonely, let's see here today."

Zhu Yunxi couldn't help but speak quietly.

Those officers and stewards immediately stepped forward, and said in a friendly manner: "His Royal Highness, I think His Highness and all the superiors have not eaten today, and there are many kind people from Kaifeng Mansion not far from the East Lake. The younger ones are serving His Highness, go over there to find a family to eat and stay in bed to rest."

Zhu Yunxi looked at these people indifferently, but did not speak.

Zhu Gaochi said coldly at the side: "Your Highness is not used to disturbing the common people. What you do now is military law. Everything you do is the same as in the army."

As soon as Xiaopang finished speaking, Zhu Shangbing behind him spoke loudly, calling for the officers and soldiers to find a place to set up camp.

When the guards and stewards saw that the grandson of the emperor seemed to have the idea of ​​staying here, they didn't dare to say much, and they just showed great hospitality for a while.

It wasn't until Zhu Shangbing chased him away with a knife in his hand with a cold face, that the matter was over.

The officers and soldiers quickly built a temporary camp in an open space not far from the river.

Around the camp, there are officers and soldiers guarding them, and they dare not approach them when they are idle.

With no outsiders around, Gao Guang sighed for a while, with a sad face.

He looked at the people present who were silent, and turned to look at Pei Benzhi who was on the side.After thinking for a while, Gao Gaoguang bent over Pei Benzhi.

Pei Benzhi couldn't dodge in time, Gao Guang had already opened his mouth.

"Pei county magistrate, before this official's speech was wrong, he lost his manners, and without verification, he made aimless nonsense."

Pei Benzhi's face was tense, and he also bowed his hands in return: "Master Gao's intentions are good, and this officer understands clearly."

Zhu Gaochi forgot how to understand the two of them with a glance, but he looked at Zhu Yunxi who was sitting aside with a gloomy face.

"It may be difficult for these people to speak up. Since the local government has the preparations it has today, it means that they have already prepared. If we want to check it out, I am afraid it will not work. Unless we do not follow the rules and directly give Those people are all condemned..."

As soon as Zhu Gaochi finished speaking, Gao Guang immediately widened his eyes and walked up to Zhu Yunxi.

"Your Highness, what Yan Shizi said is correct, it is very difficult to find out the evidence now. However, when dealing with local clan gentry, we can no longer do what His Highness did in Kaifeng Fucheng. Officialdom and folk are still different after all."

Zhu Yunxi looked very ugly.

He understands what Gao Guang said.

People in the officialdom are bound by the laws of the court, and life and death are all up to God.Even if there is no evidence, it should be taken down or it can be taken down.

Otherwise, these people, the old man would not be able to clean up the court again and again.

As long as you are in the officialdom, you have to admit that the imperial power of the Ming Dynasty is unprecedentedly strong at this moment.

But the place is different, these people belong to the clan, they are gentry, but they are also the common people of Ming Dynasty.

If you don't figure it out, you will convict and kill these people, which will cause panic among the people all over the world.

Zhu Gaochi's face was also not good-looking, he turned his head to look at Gao Gaoguang: "Master Gao, what can you do about the current situation?"

Gao Guang opened his mouth, but in the end he could only bow his hands.

However, Zhu Yunxi frowned, and his face became fierce: "Excitement! Arouse the anger in the hearts of the people! Let the people vent all the anger in their hearts!"

(End of this chapter)