afterglow

Chapter 212 Chapter [-] Fundamentals of food and clothing;
"This word is well said, out of control." The emperor repeated it in satisfaction, and then stroked his beard and said leisurely: "Throughout the history books, the last years of the dynasties have given people this feeling. abyss."

Hey, my father also believes that this is the last year of the dynasty.

Hearing this, Zhu Liqie didn't know how to answer the words better, he hesitated to speak, and finally swallowed the words back to his stomach.

In fact, although it is often said that those in the authorities are confused and bystanders are clear, Ming people are not stupid. As early as decades ago, many people put forward arguments similar to "the time is running out".

Afterwards, although there was confusion for a while, the successful completion of the constitutional transformation made many people see hope, thinking that this was actually a "reincarnation of prosperity and decline" once, and opened a new era.

However, there are also people who hold objections, thinking that this is just a new policy and reform to continue the life of the dynasty. Daming can only be said to be a flashback.

Of course, such views and arguments are suppressed by the government. No matter how open the atmosphere and public opinion of Ming Dynasty are, they will not allow the voice of "your country's pills" to be swayed in the market all the time.

"But." The emperor suddenly said again, "Even if the downhill road is inevitable, so what? After all, life must go on. I won't live long. What will happen to Ming Dynasty in the future depends mostly on you."

The emperor has always disliked staying in the Forbidden City. In his words, "It is difficult to live long in the deep palace." Recently, his health was not good, so he simply moved to Xiyuan.

The emperor said to his face that he himself was running out of time, so what should he do now?

Zhu Liqie and Zhu Lingjing reacted very quickly, bowed their heads together, and hurriedly said: "Father, the emperor will live forever."

"I'm tired of hearing this kind of talk..." The emperor didn't care about it, and asked instead: "So, how should we deal with the current situation? Ningyou, tell me?"

In fact, Zhu Lingjing was secretly pleased at first. What does it mean that she can participate in this kind of conversation that should only exist between the monarch and the prince?This is real recognition!

But now this question is not easy to answer. Without preparation in advance, I can only answer verbally, and it has to be just right.

She didn't dare to be negligent, she blinked quickly, then raised her head and said: "I feel that everything is changing, and the most important thing is to ensure food supply. If there is a mistake in this point, the chaos will become bigger and bigger. "

The emperor smiled, and asked calmly: "Did you put thousands of words into this sentence, or do you only know this?"

"Ah?" The embarrassed Zhu Lingjing thought for a while, then hesitated and said, "I...don't dare to say that I know everything, but of course I know more than this."

"You are right to regard this as the 'top priority'. The operation of the country is indeed complicated, but its basic laws are so simple." The emperor paused and said in a contemptuous tone: "But ah , which is overlooked by many bombastic pedants and self-proclaimed wise men."

"Food is the most important thing for people after all, and industry and commerce are also based on agriculture." The crown prince added.

The emperor walked up again with his hands behind his back, and said slowly as he walked:

"There are [-] million people in my country, farmers accounted for more than [-]%, they are the absolute main body, their needs are not much, just enough to eat and wear warm clothes. With development in the future, their needs will gradually increase...But, at present, they All that is needed is food, clothing and shelter.”

"Every aspect today cannot be compared with that of ancient times. The consumption of long-distance food transshipment can be regarded as heaven and earth; artificial fertilizers can greatly increase crop yields; I heard that Americans are already trying to use oil cracking products to make textile fibers. There must be. These are all good things that were unimaginable in ancient times."

"However, even with these advantages, how can every household be free from hunger and cold? Production is always easier than rational distribution. This is the difficulty that needs to be overcome. I say this to emphasize the key point with you two. Because many people will be blinded by the chaotic appearance and ignore the most basic."

The crown prince and the princess nodded, and said in unison: "Follow father's instruction."

The emperor with complicated eyes stared at the reflection of the setting sun on the surface of Mochou Lake. After a long time, he said leisurely: "It's not easy to fill up the big holes, but the small holes...there are so many, the boat will sink sooner or later."

"But you shouldn't be sinking now." Zhu Liqie said bluntly.

"Mountains and rains are about to come. After we persevere through the strong wind and waves... In the future, we should not worry about it."

The emperor ended with these words, and then left the crown prince and princess behind, and went back to the place where he was staying to rest alone.

Because there are still some things that haven't been settled, Zhu Liqie is also in a hurry to go back to the East Palace.

He looked at Zhu Lingjing, who was at the side, and asked casually, "Are you able to make enough money normally? If you have any difficulties, don't be shy to say so."

The latter nodded and said: "My expenses are not much, more than enough."

Just like that, Zhu Liqie, who was thinking about the matters to be done, left in a hurry after talking casually.

Left alone, Zhu Lingjing slowly walked a few steps to the side. She stood by the lake with her usual expression, gazing at the sunset in the west that had just touched the horizon.

After a while, she said to herself: "The end is the end, the sunrise and sunset are the most beautiful times."

When the sun had completely set, she had just returned to the Princess Mansion.

Just as she was about to take a bath, she suddenly thought of something, so she turned her head and asked, "Isn't Zhou Kexing going to be punished? Has he been executed?"

Su Yiyi beside her shook her head and said, "I don't know, probably not yet. The unwritten rule in the military prison is to fight before you get out of prison."

"Oh, let me explain, tomorrow you..."

Rod punishment is no joke. Under normal circumstances, one cannot move freely for three to five days after being boarded. It may take ten and a half months to fully recuperate and heal.

This unwritten rule is to make the prisoner's impression even deeper - after finally waiting to be released after serving his sentence, he will be punished at this time, and he will not be able to celebrate happily after he is released from prison with a limp.

The next day, early in the morning.

In the Class D dining area of ​​Qixia Prison, dozens of people were eating breakfast, and today's morning news was broadcast on the speakers above the corner.

According to the seriousness of the crimes, Qixia Prison divides the prisoners into four grades: A, B, C, and D. The crimes committed by those in Grade A are getting more and more outrageous.

"...The enemy is entangled and domineering. After the young man backed away, he was scolded on the nose. This is good, and he was completely angered. That day, the boy wrote a list by himself and went to the Shangguan's valet In the middle, when the Shangguan went to the latrine, he stole the seal and stamped it..."

"...That's more than a dozen pieces of explosives per catty, tsk tsk tsk, think about the scene, the house was blown up, and one of the six members of the enemy's family didn't survive. This is just a rage. Now Well, it is said that the sentence was shot, and it is almost the same, and it is estimated that he will be executed in autumn."

In the early morning, it was very interesting to listen to other inmates bragging and spanking while eating.

The morning news coming out of the loudspeaker is about the succession of the British king. It seems that the coronation ceremony will be held soon. At the same time, the British plan to hold a large-scale ship parade?
When Zhou Changfeng finished the remaining gruel in one gulp, a military policeman came over, clasped his fists and said to him: "Dingzi No. [-], rod punishment will be implemented today, you should prepare."

aha?Hitting the board today?

Not only Zhou Changfeng was puzzled, but Mu Yu also felt strange.

So he directly stopped the gendarme, "Hey, isn't it the rule of Qixia Prison to give the cane after the sentence is over? What's the matter?"

The latter also shook his head blankly, and replied that he was just conveying the news and didn't know the reason.

Mu Yu patted Zhou Changfeng on the shoulder, and said in relief: "It's actually pretty good. After the beating, you can rest with peace of mind, so that you don't get hit by a board on the eve of leaving happily, which is a disappointment."

Although I don't know why, but if the beating is finished early, it's still a beating, so Zhou Changfeng didn't think too much about it, and went to the execution room with the military police after breakfast.

The sticks used for stick punishment are bigger than ordinary military sticks in the army. In ancient times, the "Law of the Ming Dynasty" clearly stipulated the specifications and shapes of this thing-the thorn board used for stick punishment, the diameter of the big head is two-thirds of two centimeters, and the diameter of the small head is two-thirds. Every penny.

Zhou Changfeng couldn't help feeling a little apprehensive when he saw the black-blue thick long wooden stick. He might not be able to get out of bed for three days if he was beaten fifty times by this thing.

He has also heard a lot of interesting things these days. For example, making boards was a technical job in ancient times, like how can a piece of paper be laid on top of tofu, and the tofu can be smashed without the paper being rotten, or can the The paper shreds but does not hurt the tofu.

Out of curiosity, he asked several gendarmes and prison officers present.

As a result, the second lieutenant of the gendarmerie couldn't stop laughing, "Maybe there really were such gods and men in the past, but people rely on their skills to make a living. We... obviously don't want to study this skill hard."

In the middle of the execution room was a long bench, about half a meter wide and two meters long.

According to the current requirements, the prisoner does not have to take off his pants, he can just lie on his stomach, and the board will land on his buttocks.

However, just when Zhou Changfeng summoned up his courage to meet the excruciating pain he imagined, someone walked in.

"You guys haven't started fighting yet, have you?"

"Yes."

Zhou Changfeng turned his head to look, and found that it was Yuan Huai, the warden.

The latter seemed a little helpless, and he said, "Mr. Zhou, someone specifically told you to be sentenced early this morning, and also said... If you sincerely admit your mistake and dictate a letter of confession, we can take it lightly."

This said, Zhou Changfeng immediately understood.

The co-authorship was done on purpose by that woman, this, this, this... Isn't this a special way to get people's mentality!

Now he finally understands how correct it is that "only a villain and a woman are difficult to raise", Zhu Lingjing's mind is too small!
Zhou Changfeng, who was very depressed, made up his mind and said displeasedly: "I only admit the crime convicted by the military judge, but not her fault, so just hit him, how heavy can it be?"

"Okay, then it will come normally." Yuan Huai, dumbfounded, nodded and waved his hand.

10 minutes later……

With tears in his eyes, Zhou Changfeng rolled over from the bench with his teeth bared, and almost lost his footing. Fortunately, the military police next to him supported him.

"Don't be brave, let's take you back slowly."

In fact, Zhou Changfeng didn't realize that it was completely different from the spanking in his impression until the board really landed on his buttocks.

Flexible things such as rattan and belts can only hurt the skin at most, but the things used in stick punishment are both hard and tough, and they can completely smash the skin and flesh.

That's a full fifty blows!
At this time, Zhou Changfeng felt a trace of regret spontaneously in his heart—maybe it wouldn't hurt so much to admit love before?

After returning to the cell, the two gendarmes told them to lie down on the bed and not move, and the military doctor would come to debride the wound and apply medicine later.

Mu Yu looked at Zhou Changfeng, who was dripping with blood, in amazement, and then thought that he would be hit thirty times in the near future, and couldn't help but feel hairy.

He sighed: "No wonder the stick can kill people. If it is slightly tilted upwards and falls on the lumbar spine, it will be disabled if it is not dead."

After about a cup of tea, a gray-haired military doctor came in with a medicine box.

He probably had seen similar scenes many times before. He just glanced at it, and immediately took out the boric acid disinfectant and the ointment in the aluminum tube.

First clean the wound with boric acid disinfectant, and then apply that unknown black-green, paste-like ointment. The cool feeling immediately relieves the pain a bit.

"To this day, this kind of corporal punishment is still retained. It's really..." Zhou Changfeng couldn't help complaining: "When will this thing be abolished?"

While packing the medicine box, the military doctor said, "It's abolished as soon as it is said to be abolished. Now only the cane and the cane are left, but I heard that the Advisory Council is also discussing whether to abolish the cane punishment."

"Come on, this news came out a few years ago, and it has been three or five years and nothing has happened." Mu Yu who was on the side said disdainfully: "If you have the ability to abolish the cane punishment before I get hit by the board."

Daming is now a standard unicameral system, which is theoretically more efficient and can avoid the bicameral system.However, sometimes when there are disagreements within the Senate, the proposal will also be deadlocked.

As far as the proposal to abolish corporal punishment was concerned, it was jointly submitted by several officials from the Ministry of Punishments and the Criminal Division, and it was sent to the Advisory Council for deliberation as early as the year before last.

However, it is obviously impossible for everyone to hold the same attitude towards this, so this proposal has been going around inside the Advisory Council, and has been brought up for reconsideration from time to time.

Now that the proposal has been revised several times and three times, the coverage has been reduced to rod punishment, that is, only rod punishment is abolished, but flogging is retained, so that progress can be considered.

Tucao returned to Tucao, and the two gradually brought the topic to the news they heard this morning-the coronation ceremony of the King of England.

George V died last year, and the throne was passed on to Edward VIII, but he insisted on marrying the American Simpson, which was against the Anglican Church, which triggered a constitutional crisis. Edward VIII finally chose to abdicate.The throne now passes to his younger brother, now King George VI.

"The navy has made an indisputable contribution to the British' military power. It is quite reasonable that the king's coronation will also include a ship review ceremony."

(End of this chapter)