Ming Dynasty: Domination of the World from the Imperial Examination

Chapter 170: Labor Reform, Become a New Person! (First Update)
The rainy night in Peking is very depressing.

The rain has become much lighter, but the black fog is still everywhere.

The lights in Xia Zhibai's residence had already been turned off.

The attendants who had accompanied him were still waiting in confusion, on guard against any accidents.

Heiwa took two benches and put them together to make a simple small bed. A half-meter-long wooden stick was placed on one foot of the bench. He leaned against it outside Xia Zhibai's house with his clothes on.

The air on a rainy night was a little sticky and had a slightly corrupt smell.

It doesn't smell good.

Heiwa was still concentrating.

The city is too chaotic.

The sudden action of King Yan was beyond everyone's expectation. It was very swift and ruthless. There was no sign or warning. He killed people in the city very cleanly and efficiently without any regard for the citizens in the city.

Just this quick cut.

It was the first time that Heiwa met such a crazy person.

When the imperial court executes a criminal, shouldn't it first hold a trial and then determine the crime and sentence?

How can you be so domineering?

He knew that Xia Zhibai had had a conflict with Zhu Di, and was worried that the murderous Prince of Yan would attack Xia Zhibai. If this murderous madman really went crazy, he would dare to do anything. He could not do anything for Xia Zhibai, but he still had the courage to block a knife for Xia Zhibai.

He doesn't understand so many principles.

But as those opera singers say, a life-saving favor should be repaid with a thousand times the gratitude.

This is what Heiwa thinks.

Heiwa looked up, looked at the rain curtain falling hazily in front of his eyes, and subconsciously tightened the wooden stick beside him.

inside the house.

Xia Zhibai has fallen asleep.

He slept soundly and peacefully, without any worry or anxiety.

Zhu Di had a somewhat cruel character, but he was not without principles and he would not kill people without any regard for the consequences.

The only one who really wanted to kill him was Yao Guangxiao.

But Yao Guangxiao didn't dare.

Yao Guangxiao had both the intention and courage to commit evil, but he lacked the determination to risk everything on one throw. Although he practiced the art of slaying dragons, he always put Zhu Di first and did not dare to act alone. He could only do some piecemeal things on the edge of acting alone.

boom!
Boom!

The silent night was awakened by a rapid knock on the door. Heiwa, who had just fallen asleep, was also suddenly awakened. Not daring to delay for a moment, he quickly woke up Xia Zhibai, then walked towards the door with a wooden stick in hand and shouted, "Who?!"

There was a little silence.

A series of low, uneasy and somewhat anxious voices came in.

"Ma Tao, the youngest son of salt merchant Ma Wenhua."

"Peng Lin, the second son of the salt merchant Peng Jiasheng."

"Yang Qisong, son of salt merchant Yang Wensong."

"."

Hearing the people outside introducing their families and backgrounds like the names of dishes, Heiwa was stunned for a moment. He didn't understand the situation outside. He looked blankly at Xia Zhibai who had just packed his clothes and walked out of the house. Xia Zhibai had been paying attention to the situation outside the house. When he heard that it was the son of the salt merchant coming, Xia Zhibai also understood what was going on.

Xia Zhibai said: "Open the door."

Hei Wa tried to dissuade him, "Brother Xia, even if the salt merchants wanted to find you, they should have come themselves. Why would they call their own son over? Who knows if there are people with ulterior motives mixed in?"

Xia Zhibai shook his head and sighed, "Ma Wenhua and the others can't come."

"This is already entrusting an orphan to someone else."

"Tuo" Heiwa was stunned and completely confused.

Salt merchant entrusts his son to others?

And entrusted it to Brother Xia?
They have only met a few times and have always been unhappy with each other, so how can you force someone to entrust your child to you?
Xia Zhibai did not explain much. He lowered the bolt himself and welcomed the dozen or so teenagers outside in.

As soon as they entered the house, Ma Tao and others knelt down in front of Xia Zhibai and begged, "Master Xia, please save us. This is a letter my father wrote to you."

Xia Zhibai looked at the young boys in front of him, whose clothes were covered in mud, and was silent for a long time. Then he reached out and took the letter written by Ma Wenhua to him. He roughly guessed the content of the letter.

It means entrusting an orphan to someone else.

Ma Wenhua and his friends are businessmen.

Merchants' information collection is generally stronger.

They had inquired about what had happened in the city. Upon hearing that so many military officers had met with accidents, even the calmest people would find it difficult to sit still. They must have thought of the fate of themselves and others. Given the ruthlessness of the Prince of Yan, once he made up his mind, he would never give up and would definitely do everything to the end.

If you are involved in collusion between officials and businessmen, you are doomed to die.

They knew they couldn't survive.

With the fierceness of Prince Yan's attack, he even spared no effort for the military officers under his command. Merchants of low status like them might not be able to escape with their entire families. At this moment, the only thing they could do was to try their best to preserve some of their family bloodline.

As for the price.

It is the entire property of the salt merchant.

There is also the trade route they have been operating over the years.

These things are really not enough.

The only ones who were somewhat useful in the letter were actually these young men, who had not participated in those things and were not aware of them, so they were relatively clean. As for the so-called salt merchant's property, Xia Zhibai did not take it seriously at all. With the fierce and wolfish character of the King of Yan, if the salt merchant really had property, how could he leave it to himself? He had already taken it all away when the property was confiscated.

This is also a characteristic of the times.

Xia Zhibai rubbed his eyebrows and also felt a headache.

He didn't really want to get involved in these things.

The life and death of Ma Tao and others was not very important, but for Zhu Di, dead people were the safest. This was also the usual character of the Zhu family, that is, to uproot the grass at its roots. If they were still not at ease after wiping out a clan, then they would annihilate three clans, and if three clans were not enough, then nine clans. They would never leave any trouble for themselves.

The idea is simple and direct.

The effect is also immediate.

Since ancient times, it has always been easier to deal with the King of Hell than with the little ghosts.

Xia Zhibai did not approve of Zhu Yuanzhang's drastic method of killing.

But he also had to admit that in this world, this method was the simplest and crudest, and the easiest way to establish prestige in the world and make people all over the world fear and respect him. However, this way of doing things could certainly bring temporary relief, but it was only a temporary solution and could not solve the fundamental problem.

Zhu Yuanzhang launched a massacre across the country, but local officials continued to do as they pleased.

It's just more cautious and covert.

It wasn't really corrected.

In the final analysis, we cannot just kill without teaching.

For people who have shortcomings and have made mistakes, not only should they be severely punished, but also after the punishment, we should observe whether they change and take the initiative to help them change. One is to observe, and the other is to help. Zhu Yuanzhang only did the first point and ignored the second.

Naturally, the effect is not good.

Seeing that Xia Zhibai didn't reply for a long time, Ma Tao and others felt a little uneasy.

Xia Zhibai is their last chance of survival.

If Xia Zhibai didn't rescue them and drove them out, they would be caught by the soldiers in no time, and their lives would be in danger. Thinking of this, Ma Tao and other young men were so scared that they burst into tears, and their cries were extremely desolate and sad.

Heiwa held a wooden stick and tried his best to protect Xia Zhibai.

He sneered at the cries of the young men in front of him, thinking they were nothing but crocodile tears. They might look clean and innocent, but their families were not clean, so how could what they used in daily life be clean? Since they enjoyed the people's money, they would naturally have to pay the price.

Otherwise, wouldn't it be unworthy of being a 'young master'?
After a moment of silence, Xia Zhibai sighed and said, "You guys get up."

"I don't want to save you because it won't do me any good and will only cause a lot of unnecessary trouble."

"It's just that God has a merciful heart. It was indeed me who advised your fathers to surrender. I can barely be considered half a businessman, and I know the situation of businessmen. In today's world, especially for businessmen who make huge profits, no one is truly clean."

"From ancient times to the present, almost all businessmen who have made it big from small have been unable to escape this situation."

“You can earn money again if you lose it, but you can earn more if you lose your conscience.”

"Your family is no exception."

"I can save your lives temporarily, but whether you can survive depends on your own awareness. If you still believe that your family is just down and out, and you want to be rich and powerful when you grow up, you will also inflict the misery of your down and out on others."

"I will send you to King Yan immediately."

"Your past days of fine clothes, fine food, and lavish feasts are gone."

"From now on, you will be no different from other lower-class people. You will also have to participate in labor, endure hardships, do it yourself, and have enough food and clothing. If you can accept it, you can stay. If you can't accept it, you can run away."

"I won't force you to stay."

"But if you don't do what you said, don't blame me for being ruthless."

As he spoke, Xia Zhibai seemed to have thought of something, and slowly said: "But you should have studied in a private school for a few years and know a few words. In addition to the ordinary farming, I will also give you another choice, which is to be a craftsman, learn some of the most advanced technology, and then devote your whole life to it."

Hearing Xia Zhibai's words, Ma Tao and others were stunned.

It was not anger or insecurity, but confusion. They had lived a comfortable life in the past and had never suffered any hardship. Although they could not be said to have had everything provided for them, they had certainly never worried about food and clothing. Suddenly they were asked to be self-reliant and they were stunned.

Heiwa glanced sideways at the young man in front of him, sneered and shook his head.

Even if this delicate-skinned and tender young man just bent down to weed the fields, he probably wouldn't last more than two days.

Xia Zhibai didn't rush.

This is a life choice that affects the future.

He will give Ma Tao and others enough time to think.

Young people like Ma Tao must undergo labor reform even if they are to become successful in the future.

Otherwise, they will just become beans in your hands. Once you loosen your hands, these people will scatter and return to their old hedonistic ideas. They have no intention of doing anything and only think about spending, robbing, eating and drinking.

He doesn't want the people he trains to become like this.

a long time.

Ma Tao and the others raised their heads and said through gritted teeth: "We will all listen to you from now on."

Xia Zhibai nodded and said, "Heiwa, I will write a letter to King Yan later. You can pass it on for me. Now let's arrange for them to rest."

Not a moment.

Heiwa ran to deliver the letter.

The letter Xia Zhibai wrote to Zhu Di was very concise.

Only eight words.

Reform through labor and start a new life!

(End of this chapter)