I am Emperor Wanli

Chapter 429 Hai Rui is determined

Hai Rui put his right hand behind his back, rolled up his sleeve with his left hand, and watched with a sullen face as Tian Sheng, Zhang Dao, the old servant, and the driver loaded the four wooden barrels onto the mule cart.

The driver jumped onto the front pole of the mule cart and cracked the whip, "Go!"

The mules and horses started lurching forward and moved along the official road.

Tian Sheng and Zhang Dao knew Hai Rui was angry, so they didn't dare to approach him. They walked to the side and pretended to talk. Hai Rui walked for a while, turned around and saw the old man following slowly behind the car. He slowed down his pace and walked side by side with the old man.

"Old man, are you fifty years old?
"Fifty-five." The old man grinned, revealing his sparse teeth.

"You're still looking for work at such an old age?"

The old man randomly found the place outside the north gate, where there was a spontaneous market with people selling chickens and ducks, needles and thread, and people gathering together waiting for work.

"There's nothing we can do. The government has just implemented some kind of whipping law that requires everything to be converted into money. We farmers have no other way to make money except digging in the soil for food, so we have no choice but to take on odd jobs and earn a few cents."

A whip method!
Hai Rui muttered to himself.

After Gao Gong entered the cabinet as the Minister of Revenue, he implemented the new policy in a hurry. In addition to continuing to survey the land, he also tried out the "One Whip System" in the capital, Shandong, Shanxi and Henan.

"Yes, there are few ways for farmers to make money!" Hai Rui nodded. "I heard that there are many factories in South Zhili and Liangzhe, and there are many ways to make money."

The old man shook his head. "I've heard about it, too. Someone from the next village has been to Nanzhili and talked about the situation there. It's a world of difference compared to our Shandong."

We can only say that we are unlucky and were born in this place. No matter how good or bad it is, we should just finish this life first."

“Isn’t there a factory here?”

"What kind of factory?

I heard from Mr. Mi in the village that several merchants from Linqing came to our Sishui to open a flour mill, but they were cheated of all their money by a relative of the Confucius Mansion, who teamed up with the top judge in the county and the prefecture. They were arrested and thrown into prison, where they were about to be executed. Fortunately, one of them was related to Mr. Hu, the Minister of War in Beijing, so they were able to return alive. "

Nearly half of the merchants in Linqing, Shandong, were Huizhou merchants, who originated from Huizhou in southern Zhili. Hu Zongxian was originally from Jixi County, a county under Huizhou.

"Without factories and businesses, how can the people make money? Without money, how can they pay the tax?"

The old man put his hands behind his back and shook his head, "Who says it's not true? The officials above only urge people to pay the taxes, and never care about the lives of the people."

"The local government doesn't care?"

"Why should I care? The whole prefecture and county are all dogs of the Kong family."

When I walked to the spontaneous market in front of the north gate, I suddenly saw a man selling girls.

He was wearing a student's scarf and a patched robe, looking like a scholar. He huddled in the corner with his face turned to the other side.

In front of him, there was a girl about ten years old kneeling. She had beautiful eyes and eyebrows and a piece of grass stuck in her hair.

Hai Rui had a gloomy face.

He had seen such scenes many times. The scholar failed to study and became addicted to gambling, losing everything. It was just a pity for the girl.

Some people were talking nearby.

"What kind of trouble has happened to Yu Xiucai?"

"His old house was coveted by Fang Sanqian, who framed him and forced the Yu family to go bankrupt. Not only did they lose the old house, but his father was also angered to death.

Now his family of five is hiding in the ruined temple of Lu Pan in the east of the city. It is said that his mother is sick and is dying. He has to sell his daughter to survive as he still has a family to live on.

When someone familiar said this, everyone around couldn't help but sigh.

"Fang Sanqian is really getting more and more rampant. He even dares to frame a scholar."

"What a bullshit scholar. Yu Xiucai is just a county student who hasn't passed the examination to become a scholar yet. It's just that the neighbors are used to calling him that."

"Alas, the Kong family is the heaven of our Shandong. Anyone who gets close to them can be domineering and tyrannical. Han the Butcher, and this Fang Sanqian, it is said that his biological mother is the wet nurse of the current Duke of Yansheng. The Duke of Yansheng's wet brother, the same milk brother, the county magistrate has to respectfully address him as Mr. Fang when he sees him."

"That's right. Fang Sanqian is walking around in our Sishui City like a tyrant."

"We just expanded our house two years ago. Are we going to expand it again?"

"In the past two years, I have acquired some land. Last year, I also dealt with several merchants in Linqing. I have become rich. I have taken in several concubines and raised a troupe of actors. Of course, the house is not enough for me."

"Yu Xiucai should just sell the house to him. We are all neighbors, so why make things awkward?"

"Haha, you don't know how powerful Fang Sanqian is. He also has a nickname called Pixiu, who only takes in but never gives out. The price he offered to Yu Xiucai was less than a fraction of the market price. How could Yu Xiucai and his family be willing to sell it?

Haha, Fang Sanqian is just waiting for you not to sell it, so that he can show his tricks and kill the chicken to scare the monkey. Well, Yu Xiucai's family was destroyed and driven to live in a dilapidated temple. The neighbors who were still watching all reluctantly sold the house to the Fang family at a low price. "

Yu Xiucai turned around and said with tears in his eyes, "Stop talking, my neighbors, stop talking. I beg you, some kind-hearted person, to buy my Yun'er away so that she won't suffer with us anymore."

"They bully men and women, and rob people by trickery. They have actually reached such a rampant level." Tian Sheng and Zhang Dao shook their heads and sighed, then turned to look at Hai Rui.

Hai Rui's face turned pale.

He had visited hundreds of counties and prefectures in disguise, and had witnessed countless human tragedies even more tragic than this.

But what made him extremely angry today was that this incident happened in the neighboring county of Qufu, and the relatives of the Kong family who committed the crime relied on the power of Duke Yansheng.

As a Confucian scholar, I have been familiar with the classics of sages since my enlightenment, and I have remembered their teachings. I have kept loyalty, filial piety, benevolence, righteousness and courtesy in mind at all times, and have made contributions to the people and the country.

However, the Kong family, who should have been the role models for Confucian scholars, bullied the people and were unkind despite their wealth.

Not only are they themselves unkind and without moral integrity, but the vines and minions that cling to them are becoming more and more vicious in bullying the people in the village, committing all kinds of evil, and are even worse than the evil gentry and bullies in other places!

"Zhang Dao." Hai Rui called softly.

"Master Li."

"Take Mr. Yu's family to our courtyard, and ask a doctor to treat Mrs. Yu."

"Yes!"

Hai Rui returned to the yard of his residence, went straight back into the house and closed the door. Zhao Kuan did not dare to ask, so he had to ask Tian Sheng quietly. Soon, the two of them sighed and lamented.

After a while, Hu Guangsheng and Shu Youliang came back. Seeing this, the four of them whispered to each other for a while, and Shu Youliang walked to the door.

"Master, we have reached an agreement with Qi Xing'an. He helped to negotiate, and the chief of the Sishui Criminal Court is willing to help, but he asked for a price of 160 silver dollars.

There is also Qi Xing'an's bribe and other handling expenses, a total of 200 silver dollars. Master, do you think you want to pay this money?"

"Pay!" Hai Rui's voice came from the room. "This money was not paid by me, the master. It was paid by Wang Zijian from his own allowance. It was his money, not mine."

Shu Youliang said outside the door: "Of course, it's not your money, so you don't feel bad about spending it. Fortunately, it's also Wang Duxian's money. If I spent your money, it would be a big joke if it got out.

Hai Qingtian spent money to rescue people from Sishui County Jail. Is it Sishui County that feels honored, or Yang Yunpeng that feels honored? "

"You son of a bitch, stop making noise! ​​Rescue Brother Yang as soon as possible, and get out of here!" Hai Rui yelled in the room.

"Okay, okay, you are the master, just give orders, and I, the dog, will run my legs as hard as I can."

Half an hour later, Zhang Dao hired a donkey cart and brought Yu Xiucai and his family back.

Shu Youliang looked at the surprised and happy, somewhat bewildered Yu Xiucai and his wife, their teenage daughter Yu Yuner, their seven-year-old son Yu Suiliang, and Yu's mother, who was lying on the donkey cart, sick and confused, and whose last breaths were unknown.

Upon learning that it was Hai Rui who was doing good deeds, Shu Youliang jumped to the door and said to Hai Rui in the room, "Master, you should do good deeds within your ability!
We don't have much money left in our bag. If we do one or two more good deeds, we can go back to our old ways, just like you did when you took the imperial examination, begging for alms and going to the capital!"

With a creak, Hai Rui opened the door and came out.

(End of this chapter)