The Imperial Age with the Resurgence of Han Style

Chapter 403 Delay
"…On August 28, after several days of trial at the Dali Temple in Chang'an, the suspects of murdering Prince Mingde, including Duan Jinchun, Zhang Songpo, Chen Qingchu, He Mingchang, Su Linsheng, Su Jingxian, Su Zhengsheng, Su Zongqing, Su Zongzhao, Su Zongyue, Su Zongshun, Su Zongfang, Su Zonghou, and his wives and concubines Liu, Sun, Zhang, Chen, Mao, Wei, Liang, Zhou, and 21 others, were sentenced to be shot."

"... Su Maoquan, Su Baohe, Yan Feihu, Qiu Yougen, Wu Yiqing, Wu Yicheng, Wu Yihao, Weng Guangqun, Shi Rilin, Xin Yangang... Oh my god, let me count... Oh my god, a total of 26 people were sentenced to death by hanging. Hey, this big case not only implicated the entire Su family, but also implicated the Wu family. ... How pitiful!"

"...Su Qinghui, Su Qingcheng, Ma Shuihua... and 68 others were sentenced to exile in Haizhou..."

"The former Imperial Horse Department Chief Tao Shiliang, Deputy Chief Ye Yuxiang, and officials Fang Tianli, He Benjun, Wei Yanzao and others were sentenced to five years of hard labor and exiled to Yinzhou for dereliction of duty. Look, even these officials were dragged into this. ... What a pity!"

"...Su's Qishun Ocean Company, seven cocoa, coffee, and rubber plantations on Weiyuan Island and Xuanhua Island, a shipyard in Daxing, two ranches in Wanping Prefecture (now Charleville, Australia), a ranch in Dongzhou Huayang Prefecture (now Dunedin, South Island, New Zealand), and nine mansions and properties in Yongchang, Daxing, Chang'an, and Jianye were all confiscated. Tsk tsk..., how much money does this cost? Hundreds of thousands, right?"

"Hundreds of thousands? I'm afraid it's more than that, at least more than a million! The Su family is a well-known shipping tycoon in the country, owning fifty or sixty ocean-going cargo ships and several private docks, with assets of at least several million."

"Wow, millions of dollars in assets! I can't make that much money in dozens of lifetimes!"

"There's nothing to be envious of! Now, the person is gone, the money is gone, and I'm left with nothing!"

"That's right, this kind of person deserves it! With so much money, he actually dared to assassinate the prince!"

"..."

On September 1737, 9, outside Jianye Railway Station, a group of coachmen gathered together, listening to a literate driver reading a newspaper, and from time to time they made bursts of noise and exclamations.

In Qi State, whether people were relaxing and drinking in teahouses or taverns, or traveling long distances by car or horse, or even in the streets where ordinary people gathered, there would be people who would spend a few dollars to buy the latest newspaper, gather together, and read or listen to the various current affairs news and trivial matters in the newspaper. While they were having fun, they also had a preliminary understanding of the major events in the country and the world, and had something to talk about and brag about.

Travelers from foreign countries are often amazed by the Qi people's talkativeness and extensive knowledge.

It is hard to imagine that any street vendor in Qi State can give you a detailed analysis of the situation far away in Europe and stun the visitors.

"I say, your Qi royal family and cabinet government have dealt with this major case of treason too lightly!" After hearing the news, a driver from Qin State curled his lips and laughed, "If it were in our Great Qin court, we would kill a lot of people if we encountered such a major case. I remember when I was a child, I heard my grandfather say that after the Xinyou Incident (1681), when King Yi failed to usurp the throne, more than people were beheaded, tens of thousands were sentenced to exile, and many powerful families were demoted to slaves overnight. Those delicate young ladies and wives of officials were also sent to the Jiaofangsi as slaves and maids, and were ridden by thousands of people... See, this is what it means when the emperor is angry, millions of people are buried. After all, it is still your Great Qi emperor who is soft-hearted and reluctant to kill people!"

"Tsk!..." A sturdy driver looked at the Qin driver with disdain and said disdainfully: "What do you know! What kind of country is our Great Qi? It is a civilized country that emphasizes legal justice and that...personal protection. ...Oh, and the right to equality! Even for a major case like this, it must be sentenced and executed in accordance with the laws issued by the empire. It's not like your Qin emperor, who opens his mouth and waves his hand, and thousands of people will lose their heads! This is too casual. If you are accused of treason, you will be beheaded. If you are accused of involvement, you will be executed or imprisoned. I heard that your Qin country also has laws that punish nine generations of the family? Hey, if you commit a crime, even the baby in the cradle will be killed, right?"

The Qin driver heard this and said, "Execute nine clans? Hehe... During the reign of Emperor Yongle of the former Ming Dynasty, there was also the execution of ten clans! Before that, during the reign of Emperor Hongwu, there were even more major cases one after another, and hundreds of thousands of heads were chopped off! Unlike your Qi State, in the years I have been here, there are only a few prisoners sentenced to death each year. Even if someone is killed, they are executed by firing squad or hanging, not even by lingchi, beheading, or beheading. This is too merciful. For example, in this case of treason and assassination of the crown prince, at least a few thousand heads should be chopped off, right?... In the end, less than fifty people were sentenced to death."

"Didn't I tell you that my Great Qi is different from your Qin?" A tall and thin driver said proudly while chewing a piece of salted fish, "Both the royal family and the cabinet government of my Great Qi attach great importance to human life. As long as it is not a serious crime such as treason, you will generally not be sentenced to death. I heard from those who study law that punishing the guilty by association and involving the family members of the criminals is a barbaric and backward system, not what a civilized and legal country does."

"Ah?... What does that mean? Besides being richer than our Qin State and living a better life than us, how come your Qi State is also more civilized and has a better legal system than us? But the thing is, aren't the emperor's words the law? Don't those scholars often say that the emperor holds the power of heaven and his words are the law? Anyway, we, the people of the Great Qin State, have always felt that everything the emperor says is the greatest law in our hearts!" The coachman from the Qin State scratched his head and asked in confusion.

"Let me tell you, in my Great Qi, although the emperor is the sky above our heads, since Emperor Taizu, there have been many regulations that the emperor cannot do. One of them is to examine oneself and abide by the laws issued by the empire." The driver who was reading the newspaper carefully folded the newspaper in his hand and placed it on the seat, ready to leave it for the next guest. "Our Great Qi royal family is not like your Qin royal family, who can do whatever they want and even kill people casually. Our Great Qi emperor is the real internal affairs and Mingzhang governance. Any edicts issued are also in accordance with rules and precedents, and then announced to the people of the country, and it must be a good policy that benefits the country and the people."

"In fact, in the hearts of ordinary people like us, whether the royal family is that... whether the internal affairs are well-governed and whether the laws are obeyed are secondary. As long as the emperor allows us ordinary people to have enough food and clothing and live a good life like you in Qi, he is a good emperor, a great sage monarch!"

"That may not be the case!" Another driver looked around and whispered, "If you are like the emperor of your Qin State, who is not bound by any constraints and can kill anyone he wants and confiscate anything he wants, then even if you live a good life, aren't you afraid of being targeted by the emperor? Look at all the wealthy people in history, and in the end, most of them were slaughtered by the emperor."

"Hey, Lao Zhang, what you said makes a lot of sense! You all know that I came from Xuzhou Prefecture. I used to work as a coal miner. Although I didn't make much money, I could barely support my family. However, our boss offended the King of Jin for some reason, so they found a reason to put him in prison. He eventually died in prison, and his property was taken away. My wife and children were forced to live in another place. Alas, as a result, my coal mining business was gone. In the end, I just made up my mind, sold almost all my belongings, borrowed some money, secretly went to sea and boarded your Qi immigration ship, and then came to Jianye to find a way to make a living."

"Just come to my Great Qi! In our Qi, as long as you are willing to work hard, you can make money. Then save a little more money, and you can bring your wife and children over to enjoy life together."

"That's right, that's right. I was thinking, I should work hard in Jianye for five or six years, save some money, and then ask someone to take a letter to my family, asking them to come to Qi. Hey, although driving a horse carriage requires longer working hours, poor sleep, and no fixed meal time, but I can earn more than ten yuan every month, which makes me excited!"

"Oh, look, there are passengers coming out of the train station!"

"Hey, there are quite a few people here. Guys, don't fight over the food later, everyone should get their share. ...By the way, don't lower the fares for no reason. Who knows, maybe we can attract a few guests and earn enough for a day's food!"

Seeing a large group of newly arrived passengers pouring out of the station entrance, the coachmen waiting for passengers suddenly became alert, and they all stood in front of their horses, looking eagerly at the potential passengers.

"Hey, General, take my carriage! It's clean and sanitary, and the cushions inside are very comfortable. You will not be shaken along the way. I have been driving this carriage for more than ten years, and I am familiar with the roads and have good skills. I guarantee that I can take you to your destination quickly and steadily!"

Li Yanliang and his cousins ​​walked out of the station and saw a row of private carriages parked on the side of the road. The drivers were very enthusiastic and tried their best to invite passengers to ride in their carriages.

"I need two carriages here. Please call another one for me." Li Yanliang said in a gentle voice, and handed the luggage he was carrying to the coachman, letting him put it in the carriage.

"Okay, General, I'll call an experienced driver for you." The driver grinned and agreed, "Xiao Wu, hurry up and drive the car over here. We have an honored guest here!"

"Well... Yanliang, we can take a public carriage, which can save a lot of money." Li Dewu said in a low voice.

"Uncle, it's okay. Even if I save a lot of money, I won't let you go to the gambling den to play." Li Yanliang glanced at this "unscrupulous" uncle and said lightly: "You are riding in the same car with me. You are not allowed to move around without my permission."

"......Hey." Li Dewu's mouth twitched, and he forced a smile and nodded in response. Hey, who is the uncle and who is the nephew between us?

"Brother, I want to ride in the same car with you." Cousin Li Yankuo shouted enthusiastically.

"Yes." Li Yanliang patted his shoulder and gestured to put the luggage on the carriage. "After sending you to the hotel, I will go to Muxian Lake Manor to visit my father-in-law. You guys should keep an eye on your uncle and don't let him run around. ... You should also have lunch and dinner in the hotel and ask the waiter to write down your room number."

"Okay, big brother." The slightly more mature cousin Li Yanzheng nodded in response.

"Let's all get in." Li Yanliang said, and he was the first to get on the carriage and sit in the innermost seat.

Li Dewu sighed and followed behind in the car.

It's really uncomfortable to be controlled by my nephew!
-
"I heard that Xuan'er came to you and wanted to go to India to do trade?" Cao Chengxu took a sip of the wine in the glass, then looked up at his son-in-law.

"Father-in-law, my second brother wants to engage in import and export trade in India." Li Yanliang said with a smile: "He didn't ask me for help, he just mentioned it to me casually."

"Did you accept him?"

"I will be able to provide him with some convenience when I go to India to take up my post."

"Yanliang, what's the point of making so much money in this life?" Cao Chengque shook his head and said, "Every day, we only need three meals to eat and a bed to sleep on. When we die, we are naked and can't take anything with us."

"My second brother just wants to save more money for the family and future generations." Li Yanliang said: "After all, no one knows whether future generations will have so many opportunities to make money. Haha, even if the family of future generations falls into decline, they can at least hold on for a while longer."

"how about you?"

"Me?" Li Yanliang was stunned for a moment. "Of course I have to protect Xiaoxi and the children and provide them with the most comfortable and warm life."

"Then...what about you?" Cao Chengxu looked at Li Yanliang, "Continuously build achievements and use the corpses of the enemies to achieve your glory and military exploits?"

"Father-in-law, I am a soldier of the Empire."

"Alas, you are soldiers of the Empire. You need to keep fighting, keep expanding, and keep bleeding."

"..." Li Yanliang looked at his father-in-law in confusion, not understanding why he had such a complaint.

"Cao Ge died in the battle..." Cao Chengxu looked a little sad, "Back then, I watched him grow up little by little."

"What?" Li Yanliang was shocked.

"Four months ago, he was with the expedition fleet bombarding the French Toulon naval port, but was unfortunately hit by the coastal artillery. He was rescued for several days, but eventually died of his injuries." Cao Chengxu looked bitter, "I remember that this child loved cleanliness since he was a child, and was also afraid of pain and blood. I don't know how he could bear it after being hit by a shell..."

"Where is King Naru..."

"Haha..., he has many sons, he doesn't care about the death of just one of them." Cao Chengque had a sarcastic expression on his face.

"What a pity!" Li Yanliang sighed, "I haven't seen him since he attended my wedding with Xiaoxi."

"Yanliang, you have to be well, and don't let Xi'er...become a widow."

"My son-in-law should cherish his life." Li Yanliang said with a smile: "Besides, with the military deployment of our Qi State in India, there is almost no threat."

"What if the military transfers you to the European battlefield?"

"It shouldn't happen." Li Yanliang said firmly: "We in Qi will not engage in a large-scale land war with the French. We can't afford such a long distance."

"What if?" Cao Chengxu said worriedly, "What if we can't defeat France through a sea battle? Your Majesty and the military might use the land force to fight France."

"Impossible." Li Yanliang still insisted on his own judgment. "We will suffer a great loss if we send troops on a long expedition. You know, France is a big country in Europe. Your Majesty and the military will not make such a decision rashly."

"But, what if?..." Cao Chengxu picked up the wine glass and drank it all, muttering to himself.

"..."Li Yanliang.

(End of this chapter)