Destroy Jin and conquer Song, and carry the Northern Expedition through to the end

Chapter 64: Painstaking Efforts to Peace the People (VI)
"Brother!" Zhou Laoqi, his face covered in tears and snot, was even more desperate. He fell to the ground and raised his head and shouted, "I know I'm wrong, and the Zhou family knows it's wrong! General Liu, we in the Zhou family are willing to work like slaves and give away our wealth, just to save our lives."

"Don't worry, there's more." Liu Huai sneered and interrupted Zhou Laoqi's plea: "During the famine three years ago, the crops harvested by the Miao brothers, the Zhou family's tenants, were not enough to feed themselves, but your Zhou family insisted that they pay the rent in full.

The Miao brothers wanted to offer part of their land as rent, but you, Zhou Qilang, flatly refused. To pay the rent, they were forced to borrow grain from others. After the rent was paid, they had nothing left to eat, and the two brothers starved to death before spring.

The mother of Pei Liuba, another debtor of the Zhou family, died of starvation not long after she returned 300 kilograms of grain to the Zhou family.

There is also a farmer named Hei Shiliu who gave all his food, clothes and furniture to your Zhou family as payment for his debts.

At the height of the famine, when the land was ravaged by starvation, the Zhou family collected all the rent they could and stored it in their cellar, waiting for an opportunity to sell it at a high price. Much of the grain rotted from being stored for so long.

Don’t you know these things?”

"Three months ago, during the lean season, a six-year-old boy plucked a handful of leaves from your Zhou family's fields. You caught him, beat him with a stick until he was covered in bruises, and fined his father thirty strings of cash. Thirty strings of cash, could his father ever pay it back in his lifetime?"

"Half a month ago, the fourth son of the Zhou family fell in love with a tenant's daughter and tried to rape her. When the tenant tried to stop him, Zhou tied her up by her hair and hung her up, then beat her until her scalp was torn off the top of her head. She fell to the ground and bled to death."

Liu Huai flipped through the documents in his hand, finally becoming furious. He pointed his spear at Mr. Zhou and Old Seven Zhou and cursed, "Every single one of these things is a blood debt, and you still have the nerve to beg for mercy? Aren't you afraid of divine punishment?"

The two Zhou family members just begged for mercy, but Wang Zeng, who was kneeling on the ground, laughed and said:

"General Song, these thieves are naturally not afraid, because they have been doing this since their fathers and grandfathers, and they are able to lord it over them and enjoy their power. The Zhou family must be tired of hearing the curses of those poor people when they suffer. They have heard nonsense like being punished by heaven, being struck by lightning, and having their children born without anus, but nothing has happened. General Song, God is blind."

Wang Zeng roared with all his might: "God has no eyes for this thief!"

Liu Huai turned around and looked into Wang Zeng's eyes: "So our army is here to enforce justice on behalf of Heaven!"

"Spare my life!"

"Please spare us, General. We know we were wrong!"

"You know you're wrong? You don't know you're wrong, you know you're going to die." Liu Huai responded coldly, then turned around and said, "Mr. Lu, the Zhou family has killed countless people, trafficked innocent people, sacrificed them in adultery, forced people into slavery, and seized hundreds of acres of fertile land. Their crimes are obvious. How should they be punished?"

"According to the Song Dynasty Criminal Code, the criminal should be beheaded! His property should be confiscated!" Lu You responded bluntly behind his desk.

As a former Dali Temple official, Lu You was very adept at doing this kind of thing and didn't even have to look through any documents.

Upon hearing this, Zhou Laoqi completely collapsed and burst into tears, but Mr. Zhou suddenly became furious. He ignored the large hand pressing on him and shouted loudly: "Song Gou, you are nothing but targeting my family's wealth. You talk so high and mighty, but aren't you doing the same thing as the Jin Man last night?!"

Liu Huai had originally raised his teacup to moisten his throat, but upon hearing this, he smashed it to pieces and pointed his spear at Mr. Zhou: "Do you know why the four banners behind me, 'Establishing Principles and Regulations', are placed on the same level as something like 'Expelling the Tartars'?!

Is it just the Jin thieves who are causing this world's downfall?! I don't expect you, the local tyrants, to speak up for the people and protect them. But how can you bully the people and abuse your power?! We are all fellow villagers, how could you have the heart to do this?!

After scolding, Liu Huai did not stop, but looked around the square: "I know that there are wealthy merchants, landlords, and local tycoons in the audience. You also do illegal things on a daily basis. Let me ask you a question here, and you should also ask yourselves and think carefully. Is it right or wrong for the Zhou family to act so recklessly?"

"The Jin thieves don't treat you as human beings, and you don't treat the common people as human beings. You have enemies above and below you, and you have no help from either side. If you make a mistake, you will end up like last night! You will end up like today!" As he spoke, Zhou Da Hu and Zhou Lao Qi, the two remaining adult males of the Zhou family, were dragged onto the stage.

"cut!"

At the command, two heads fell to the ground.

Wang Zeng on the stage laughed out loud, but then he banged his head on the ground and burst into tears.

The people in the audience cheered loudly. Someone started shouting, "Share the meat!"

The crowd watching the scene suddenly became more enthusiastic, and countless people rushed over, wanting to drag the two headless corpses off the stage.

"Throw down the Zhou family's heads."

Amid the slight panic of the surrounding soldiers, Liu Huai gave the order coldly.

The next moment, two heads were thrown into the crowd like two balls.

The old man who caught Mr. Zhou's head had no idea what grudge he had with the Zhou family. He ignored the blood and bit the ear of the head directly. With a sudden tear, he pulled the ear off.

The old man then threw the head to someone else and chewed the food in his mouth vigorously. Blood mixed with fallen teeth swirled in his mouth. The old man danced with joy, crying and laughing, and left the crowd.

Seeing that the situation was under control, Li Xiu, who was in the front row of the crowd, breathed a sigh of relief. Just as he was about to talk to Liu Huai, he saw Liu Huai turn around and squat in front of Wang Zeng.

"Your actions are worthy of being called heroic and righteous, and I believe they will be recorded in history books in the future. However..."

Liu Huai paused, his voice still loud, but becoming somewhat difficult. "However, have you ever considered that you only killed nineteen members of the Zhou family, but fifty-eight of their slaves, servants, tenants, and clients? Have you ever considered that the vast majority of these fifty-eight people were just as pitiful as you?"

They were humiliated and exploited by the Zhou family, but in the end were killed by you, a strong man. Isn't this the most tragic thing in the world?
Do you know that among the documents in my hand, six are accusing you of killing innocent people?"

Wang Zeng was stunned for a moment, but he became visibly depressed. "So, I've become as wicked as the Zhou family. I really deserve to die."

Liu Huai nodded silently, then waved his hand for the Song army soldiers to draw their swords: "Do you have anything else to say?"

Wang Zeng looked up and said, "General Song, you are a capable man. Don't let more people end up like me."

He then lowered his head and offered himself to be killed.

As Wang Zeng's head fell to the ground, Li Xiu in the audience looked at the soldier who drew his knife and killed someone, his mouth wide open in shock, unable to speak.

(End of this chapter)