Huangming

Chapter 206 Corpses Lay on the Fields, Adultery in the Marquis's Mansion

During the previous purge of the Beijing garrison, Marquis Xue Lian of Yangwu and Marquis Zhu Guobi of Funing were beheaded and their heads displayed outside Kaifeng by Duke Zhang Weixian of Yingguo for their crimes, and their families were also severely punished.

All the male members of the direct lineage were exiled to the frontier, while the female relatives were enslaved and sent to the brothels.

Therefore.

When Zhu Chengzong and Hong Chengchou investigated the hidden land properties of the two marquises' mansions, the process went surprisingly smoothly.

The power of the two marquisates had long since crumbled, and no one dared to obstruct the government's actions.

However, when the land survey team turned to the surrounding powerful families, they encountered unprecedented and stubborn resistance.

These local gentry have been entrenched for generations, and have long regarded concealing land ownership and evading taxes as a matter of course.

They either colluded with clerks to tamper with the imperial registers, or drove tenants to falsely report acreage. Some even went so far as to openly build high walls and fortresses, turning their estates into independent kingdoms in order to defy the imperial court's orders.

Hong Chengchou, acting as a civil official, navigated the situation skillfully. He first cited classical texts, using the "concealing land and grain" clause from the Ming Dynasty law to intimidate the local gentry, and then supplemented this with a weighing of the pros and cons:
If they actively cooperate with the land survey, their punishment may be reduced or waived; if they stubbornly resist, they will be punished as "resisting grain tax," with penalties ranging from confiscation of their property to exile or military service.

Under this combination of soft and hard tactics, some pragmatic local gentry had no choice but to yield.

However, there are still some die-hards who value the land more than their own lives and refuse to cooperate with the land allocation.

Faced with this, Hong Chengchou was at a loss for a moment. After pondering for a long time, he had no choice but to take a hard line, sending troops into the courtyard to capture the stubborn ones and treat them as traitors.

Zhu Chengzong's methods, however, were completely different.

He already bore the stigma of being the "son of a traitor" because of his father Zhu Chunchen's treasonous plot, and he harbored a deep-seated anger with nowhere to vent it.

When the powerful families blocked the way with high walls and confronted the enemy with armed servants, a cold glint flashed in his eyes. He immediately dispatched his elite personal guards to set up ladders and battering rams, and like a siege, he ruthlessly destroyed the defenses of the powerful families' manor.

After breaking down the door, he gave the other party no chance to explain. He directly beheaded the person in charge on charges of "treason" and displayed his head to the public. All the men in the mansion, regardless of age, were executed, and the women were used as military rewards.

Even more appalling, he allowed his personal guards to repeatedly humiliate the wives and daughters of the local gentry, their screams echoing throughout the night.

Under the bloody executioner's blade, the powerful and wealthy class of Daxing County fell silent in fear.

After the news spread, before the land survey team even arrived, local gentry had already been preparing land deeds overnight and were rushing to kneel and welcome the officials.

Some people even offered up three times the original amount of land, fearing that they would be called out by Zhu Chengzong's blood-stained gloves.

This bloody census laid bare the rules governing the operation of power at the grassroots level in the Ming Dynasty:

When vested interests trample the law underfoot, only by using more brutal means to shatter their illusions can these wolves be taught to respect.

Zhu Chengzong trampled over the corpses with his horse's hooves and set the ancestral hall ablaze with torches. The lessons he etched on this land were more unforgettable than the imperial edicts' vermilion annotations.

The garrison of the Fifth Army of the Beijing Garrison was located in the suburbs of Daxing County.

Since the imperial court reorganized the Beijing garrison, a large number of redundant soldiers and generals have been dismissed, and the once bustling military camps have become much quieter.

As night fell, the camp was sparsely lit, with only a few campfires burning on watch, their flames flickering in the autumn wind, illuminating the "Five Armies Camp" plaque above the gate.

Hong Chengchou and Zhu Chengzong each led their personal guards back.

Inside the main hall, Hong Chengchou was bent over studying the unfolded map when he suddenly felt a pungent smell of blood hit him.

He frowned slightly and turned to look. He saw Zhu Chengzong stride in, his armor covered with thick scabs of blood, which gleamed with a dark red luster in the candlelight.

Hong Chengchou knew in his heart that it was all someone else's blood.

"I wonder how the imperial envoy's land survey went today?"

Zhu Chengzong casually removed his helmet, revealing his temples damp with sweat.

Hong Chengchou's gaze returned to the map, and he said in a calm tone: "We have found 8,750 mu of hidden land and 321 unregistered households."

"good."

Zhu Chengzong grinned, revealing his gleaming white teeth.

"It's about what I estimated. But the area around Marquis Yangwu is even more lucrative, with over 15,000 mu of hidden land cleared out and 561 unregistered households identified."

As he spoke, he casually tossed the blood-stained riding whip onto the table, making a crisp 'snap' sound.

"These parasites need to be taught a lesson. They'll never learn to obey if you don't draw blood."

Hong Chengchou finally raised his head.

In the candlelight, his face appeared extremely weary: "Your Highness, we are acting on the Emperor's orders, representing his dignity. Such cruel methods may damage His Majesty's virtue."

"Hahahaha~"

Zhu Chengzong suddenly burst into laughter, the sound shaking dust off the beams.

"Thunder and rain, both are acts of imperial favor. What Your Majesty desires is the result; the process is secondary."

He patted the sword at his waist meaningfully and said nonchalantly, "We, his henchmen, will take care of it."

Seeing that Hong Chengchou remained silent, Zhu Chengzong stepped closer and lowered his voice, saying, "If the Imperial Envoy is afraid of getting his hands dirty, then leave the tough challenges to me tomorrow."

Hong Chengchou gazed at the elongated shadows of the two figures on the wall and finally let out a long sigh.

"Your Highness, please rest early. Tomorrow, there will be even more fields to be surveyed."

Is it possible to both achieve merit and gain a good reputation among scholars?

It's not advisable to have both, but it's not entirely unacceptable to bear some criticism in order to pave a smooth career path.

the other side.

The night was as dark as ink, and the Wuqing Marquis's residence was shrouded in darkness.

The once magnificent mansion, with its carved beams and painted rafters, now has only a few strands of gold paint remaining on the eaves, gleaming coldly in the moonlight, as if silently telling the story of the mansion's decline.

In the backyard bedroom, a few dim yellow oil lamps flickered, casting distorted and eerie shadows on the window frames. Occasionally, sounds of suppressed desire rose from the room, startling the cat curled up by the bed, which pricked up its ears before quickly burying its head in its paws.

A month ago, Marquis Li Chengming of Wuqing was arrested and imprisoned by the Embroidered Uniform Guard for crimes such as privately keeping barbarian soldiers and embezzling military pay.

This nobleman, who once dominated the capital's military garrison, ultimately ended up being stripped of his title and exiled. Even the imperial plaque inscribed with "Loyal and Diligent in Serving the Country" bestowed upon him was removed from the lintel of his mansion, leaving only a glaring mark of vermilion lacquer.

The person currently in charge of the residence is Lady Liu, the wife of the Marquis of Wuqing.

The term "temporary leadership" was merely a facade, a pretense of survival before the new ruler took office.

Once the imperial decree arrives and the new Marquis of Wuqing ascends to the throne, she will be swept out of the Marquis's mansion and become a drifting duckweed with no branch to cling to.

"Zheng Lang~"

Suddenly, Liu gripped the brocade quilt tightly, her fingertips almost digging into her palms.

"We went to great lengths to transfer the Marquis's estate of five thousand acres of prime land to your name, only to be met with 'King Hong's' land survey! What's even more terrifying is that the heir of the Duke of Cheng. I heard that the Huang family's scholar only argued a few words, and he was accused of treason, with the men beheaded and the women forced into prostitution! If they trace this back to the Marquis's estate, our situation will likely be dire."

"Please don't worry, Madam."

A large, calloused hand stroked her smooth back, the rough touch making Liu tremble slightly.

The bedroom was filled with a sweet, warm fragrance. Zheng Yaowu, shirtless, leaned against the lacquered canopy bed, his chest hair still damp with the sweat from their recent lovemaking.

The commander of the Daxing Thousand-Household Garrison, at this moment, had none of the imposing presence he had during the day, wearing armor and wielding a halberd. Instead, he resembled a satiated jackal, lazily playing with Liu's loose black hair.

"No matter how incorruptible Hong Chengchou was, he was still a civil official and had to take into account the rules of officialdom."

Zheng Yaoxian sneered, his rough fingertips caressing Liu's delicate chin as if playing with a fragile treasure.

"As for Zhu Chengzong? Hmph, even if he's crazy, would he dare to openly defy the military orders of the Five Armies Commandery?"

A ruthless glint flashed in his eyes as he leaned close to Liu's ear, his hot breath brushing against her neck: "Tomorrow I will mobilize a troop of soldiers to plant the banners of the thousand-household garrison all over the fields—I want to see who dares to touch the imperial farmland!"

Upon hearing this, Liu looked at Zheng Yaoxian's unwilling face and couldn't help but sigh.

She remembered the past:

The seeds of her ill-fated relationship with Zheng Yaoxian were sown as early as twenty years ago.

At that time, Zheng Yaowu was just the son of a minor officer in the Daxing Thousand Household Office, and Liu was merely the daughter of a sixth-rank military officer.

The two families lived next door to each other, and the two children often played under the old locust tree at the entrance of the alley.

When they reached the age of 14, the young man gave her a crude silver hairpin, and the young woman reciprocated with a handkerchief embroidered with twin lotus blossoms. The vows they made under the moon still echoed in her ears.

Who would have thought that a betrothal letter from the Marquis of Wuqing would shatter their dream of a perfect couple?

On one side was the hereditary marquis's mansion, and on the other was a military household whose members would never be able to hope to attain the rank of fifth grade. Liu's father didn't even let the matchmaker finish explaining the Zheng family's intention to propose marriage; he accepted the marquis's invitation that very night.

On the day of her marriage, Zheng Yaowu mingled among the onlookers and watched as the eight-bearer sedan chair rolled over the bluestone road they often walked, and she was married into the Wuqing Marquis's mansion.

Liu could only keep her love hidden in her heart, thinking that this was probably how her life would be.

The gates of a noble family are as vast as the sea, but the Liu family's suffering was even deeper than the sea.

After marrying into the Marquis's household.

Li Chengming not only carried the slender women from the banks of the Qinhuai River into his side courtyard one by one, but also made them dance at the banquet when they were drunk and in high spirits.

The most unbearable memory is from last year's Double Ninth Festival, when the drunken Marquis of Wuqing grabbed her sleeve and pushed her into the arms of a guest.

That night, she held a broken gold hairpin to her throat, which brought her beastly husband to a moment of clarity.

On the day Li Chengming was exiled to Liaodong, Liu laughed until tears streamed down her face in the ancestral hall.

I felt extremely happy.

With her mind wandering, on the evening of the third day after Li Chengming left the Marquis's residence, she ordered someone to invite Zheng Yaoxian into the residence.

After that, they partied day and night, enjoying themselves until late at night before finally stopping.

She thought to herself: If only I hadn't married into the Marquis's family, but instead married Zheng Lang, how wonderful that would have been?
But there are no "what ifs" in life.

Liu leaned lazily against Zheng Yaoxian's chest, her fingertips lightly tracing an old wound on his chest, and whispered, "Zheng Lang, you're just a garrison commander, who can you scare? These days, Hong Chengchou and Zhu Chengzong are ruthless, even the Yangwu Marquis's mansion and the Funing Marquis's mansion have fallen into their hands. If we continue to hold on, I'm afraid our fate will be dire."

She paused, her voice becoming even softer: "Why don't we just hand over those five thousand acres of land? Even if the new Marquis comes, the money in the treasury will be enough for us to live a carefree life for the rest of our days."

Zheng Yaoxian's eyes suddenly turned cold, a sinister glint flashing between his brows. He immediately shook his head and said, "Five thousand acres of land? That's five thousand acres of fertile land! How can we just hand it over to someone else?"

Liu sighed, pressed her face against his shoulder, and whispered, "In any case, they are just external things. I have Zheng Lang, and that is enough."

Zheng Yaoxian sneered inwardly—'You're enough, but I'm not!'

Without this land and wealth, how could he live a life of luxury and honor for the rest of his life?

How can I take more beautiful concubines?
How can one advance further in officialdom?
He sat up abruptly and said resolutely, "We must not back down! If they dare to fight us head-on, then the 'White Lotus Remnants' and 'Jiangnu Assassins' of Daxing should take action against those two ignorant fools, Hong Chengchou and Zhu Chengzong!"

Once these two men are dead, the land survey will naturally be dropped.

At that time, he will secretly work to completely seize these 5,000 acres of land for himself, and even slowly erode the remaining assets of the Marquis of Wuqing's mansion.

In the future, wealth and honor will be within easy reach.

Thinking of this, a ruthless smile curled at the corner of his mouth.

Cutting off someone's livelihood is like killing their parents.

Anyone who dares to stop him will die!

Even if the Emperor himself came, it wouldn't make a difference!

ps:
I really want to add more chapters! I can't control myself anymore~
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(End of this chapter)