People in the Ming Dynasty are lawless

Chapter 573 Who dares to embezzle? Skinned and stuffed with straw!
To be honest, they actually wanted to come out and surrender at first, but they didn't have the courage to do so.

Because they were afraid that if they surrendered, they might be killed by their own people before they even reached the Ming Dynasty.

But it is precisely because of such hesitation that they are now very passive.

Their passivity lies in the fact that they did not take the initiative to seize this opportunity, and now they are in a passive situation.

What they regret now is that if they had stood up and tried hard to prove themselves and were friendly to the Ming Dynasty, then perhaps Liu Baihu and Wang Dahai of the Ming Dynasty would have regarded them as their own people and let them go because of their voluntary surrender.

He could even immediately absorb himself into the Ming Dynasty's team.

In this way, he could not only enjoy the generous treatment from the Ming Dynasty, but he could even become the Ming Dynasty's vanguard officer here.

Even if he was the first to become a lackey, it would still be a good deal.

However, now he has gained nothing, and instead is being played around like a monkey by others here.

This made them all regretful, but it was useless.

Because people have made it clear just now, this is just a deal.

There is no so-called mercy, nor is there any so-called fairness and justice to you. Anyway, if you let us, the Ming Dynasty, station troops here in the future so that you can get more supplies, then we will let you get more protection here and let you live a better life.

This is what is called a one-to-one redemption code.

It is precisely because of this that they are truly regretting it now. After all, if they were really right in this deal, they might even be able to get some good attention.

But because I didn't take the initiative to stand up at the beginning, and stood behind because I was afraid of being killed, now I have to listen to other people's orders in everything.

Although the Ming Dynasty had not thought of killing all of them, the days ahead would certainly not be so easy.

Even if a private school was established here during the Ming Dynasty, everyone could come here to study and write, and then take the imperial examinations, but the treatment would not be particularly good.

Because the facts before them have already told them that you are not from the Ming Dynasty. Even if you have received preferential treatment from others, even if others want to use you as a typical example to let all the people in Srivijaya and the occupied country see that they can get such good treatment by voluntarily surrendering and cooperating with the Ming Dynasty, what can it do?

You are just a facade.

Once this storefront is no longer useful, it may be immediately turned against and destroyed. Although such things are rare, the thought of it makes people feel very uncomfortable.

And now they particularly regret not seizing the opportunity before.

Whether they were common people or scholars, after listening to Captain Liu’s words, their moods were like a roller coaster, up and down, and they had no idea what others were going to do with their people.
You never know when others will suddenly have other ideas.

I have absolutely no idea what my future will be like.

This uncertainty made everyone present feel very uneasy, and this uneasiness evolved into regret in everyone's hearts.

If I had known earlier that I would have followed the landlords or city lords to the city wall to resist, I would not have been in such a passive situation now.

Of course, they only dare to think so now.

If I really went up to the city wall with those people, the ones who might die would be the soldiers like me who were fighting in the war.

When facing the anger of Ming Chaowu, they were all killed by a cannon or a gun. If they stood up, they would only result in a few more corpses.

So now they are just imagining it and dare not say anything anymore.

But there is a kind of sadness and anger in my heart.

What makes them sad and angry is that they feel they have now become slaves.

Now it has just become a signboard promoted by the Ming Dynasty.

Before, many people from the underworld came to Mandala City to spread the word that after the Ming Dynasty occupied the entire Sanfuqi, it would definitely implement some new policies.

It can make the lives of ordinary people and scholars become particularly better.

However, the common people at that time did not really believe it.

After all, I haven't seen the real situation, so I'm still watching, or even thinking that it's none of my business anyway, so I just have to obey.

But what was unexpected was that the Ming Dynasty directly brought all the cannons here, and after occupying this place, they immediately announced that as long as you accept their words in the future, you will be able to live a good life.

This caused all the common people to curse those scholars, making them feel ashamed.

And those scholars who had once helped the landlords didn't know how to face what they had done before.

Even after listening to what Captain Liu said, most people were very yearning for it, but they did not expect that this yearning had undergone a qualitative change before they even began to look forward to it.

It turns out that they never thought about making sure that the education you received would be the same as that received in the Ming Dynasty.

Although you are reading the same books, you are told directly that this is a deal. If you can be of one mind with the Ming Dynasty in the future, you will enjoy very good material treatment.

But if you don't agree with the Ming Dynasty, then your fate in the future will be the same as those landlords.

Then Captain Liu continued, "As for the questions you mentioned, you scholars, or you common people, don't you want to know one thing in particular?

That is, will you take revenge after you become officials? Whether it is the common people who become officials or you scholars who become officials, will you take revenge on the common people? Or will you take revenge on each other? Then let us explain your question. "

Captain Liu coughed dryly and said, "In fact, there is no need to consider this issue at all. It will never happen." After saying this, some ordinary people were very surprised.

They asked, "General, can you guarantee that what you said is true? Otherwise, we really don't believe it. What you said just now made us feel up and down, and now we don't believe that what you said is true."

Captain Liu smiled and said, "That's true. The so-called transaction mentioned earlier was indeed a bit cold, but it's true.

I just want you all to know that there is no need to maintain a so-called worship or belief when facing the Ming Dynasty.

We are just telling you that we are here for a deal. If you want to live a good life, then make this deal with us.

If you don't want to live this good life, you can just pick up your hoes and shovels to resist. Of course, you will face our muskets and artillery.

The reason why I am explaining this to you so clearly here is to tell you a very realistic problem, which is that you have no way to resist us now, and as for whether you will resist in the future, it actually depends on whether we can treat you well according to the rules of the transaction.

What I want to say now is that if you really enjoyed a good life, if you really enjoyed the benefits brought to you by the Ming Dynasty's reforms, you would not be so foolish as to pick up a shovel and a hoe to fight us. "

After Captain Liu finished saying this, the people below burst into laughter.

"That's right. You are telling the truth. If you had told us nonsense that following the Ming Dynasty would definitely lead to such and such, we would still have some doubts in our hearts. But you told us so honestly that this is a deal, which has cleared up all the doubts in our hearts."

Another citizen said, "Yes, just like you said, this is a transaction. Since it is a transaction, there is buying and selling. We provide a good environment for the Ming Dynasty. The Ming Dynasty allows resources to flow into our Sanfuqi and even our Mandala City continuously, making our lives better. I think this is a fair thing."

Many common people smiled and said, "Although this is not pleasant to hear, and although it sounds a bit cold and hard to accept, I don't know why, now that you said this, we find it quite acceptable. After all, you are a real person, and the Ming Dynasty is a real country.

It can make us clearly know that we are a transaction, and it can make us willing to fight for this transaction. I think this is better than those officials telling us some principles and then not abiding by them. "

The scholar also said: "If it is a transaction, then in the future when you and the Ming Dynasty behind you treat us badly, we can raise our shovels and hoes to resist the Ming Dynasty, and we can feel at ease. After all, this is a transaction. If the buyer does not give a good price, why should we sell things, right?"

Captain Liu and Wang Dahai both nodded, and Wang Dahai said, "This fellow is right, this is a business, and since it is a business, we must be fair and just.

We provide you with a good environment, good policies and good resources.

And you provide us with an excellent and stable tax environment, so that our garrison can have enough food and clothing, and so that we can get the resources and benefits we deserve, then everyone will be fine.

As for the so-called Arabian Nights-like empty promises, I think no one likes to hear them. Since no one likes to hear them, let's not say that they are nonsense.

So, as I said before, we are all honest people, so we shouldn’t say those untrue things, right?”

After hearing this, the people applauded.

"I couldn't accept it at first, but after hearing what they said, I can accept it more. People should tell the truth and not say what the landlords say.

If we had planted the crops well this year, we would have been able to harvest more millet next year. But we didn't expect that the millet would be snatched away by them next year.

They also tell you that if you can grow more next year, you will get more the year after that. Fuck them, they have the final say.

Now that you have explained it clearly and everyone can accept it, it makes all of us convinced. The Ming Dynasty is really efficient in doing things, and I like this very much."

Unexpectedly, after Captain Liu said this, everyone else agreed, and they were all smart people.

This immediately made the initially tense and cold atmosphere of the so-called transaction become lively.

Everyone understood it.

It is just as that fellow villager said, since it is a business transaction, it would be better if it is stated fairly and impartially so that everyone can accept it.

The same goes for Captain Liu.

This is the fact he wanted to point out.

"Since we are all doing business, there should be buyers and sellers, and that is fair trade. If you cannot be fair, then we will not give you fair treatment either."

Then Captain Liu continued, "So don't waste your time talking so much. I will tell you why you will never retaliate against each other.

There is a rule in our Ming Dynasty that officials cannot serve in their local area, or even in their wife’s family. This is to ensure that they cannot form their own power in the local area.

If an official dares to retaliate against the map snake, I think he will not be able to continue his position as an official. This is how we need to solve the problem.

I wonder what you think after listening to it?

Anyway, if we do this in our place, it is actually very difficult to form cliques. Even if an official is only focused on creating performance, he will not think of oppressing anyone unless he is determined to embezzle money.

However, in this regard, our Emperor has already had particularly strict laws. In our place, if you embezzle ten taels of silver, you will be skinned and stuffed with straw.

What does "skinning and stuffing with straw" mean? It literally means that after you embezzle money, they will peel off your skin, stuff it with straw and put it at the gate of the government office as a warning to everyone.

When the common people and officials heard such harsh laws, they were terrified.

I was thinking in my heart: Oh my God, even if I become an official, I cannot embezzle. If I embezzle such a small amount of money, I will be skinned alive and stuffed with straw for others to see. What a miserable punishment that would be.

When thinking of this kind of punishment, no one dares to cross this red line easily.

Captain Liu said, "So I would like to ask you scholars, or you common people who are going to send your children to private schools to study and then take the imperial examinations to become officials in the future, do you dare to engage in corruption?"

……

(End of this chapter)