Ming Dynasty 1566

Chapter 26

Hai Rui's face immediately became serious: "Go and see!"

The two walked quickly towards the pier hand in hand.

These soldiers are so ruthless in grabbing the boat!As soon as they approached, they first controlled the cables that tied the boat, and then a dozen soldiers with guns fired at the mast of the boat!
There were several ships with sails, the sails were cut off the mast ropes, and immediately floated down.

The ropes on the masts of several other ships without sails were also broken by the gunfire.

The gunpowder shoots gunpowder and scattered bullets, and when it is ejected from the barrel, it is still a ball, but when it hits the ship, it is already a piece.Some grain sacks were blown open like honeycombs, and the rice gushed out onto the side of the boat and into the river.

Some people on board went to plug the hole in the grain bag.Block this, and that still flows.Some people lay their whole bodies on the grain bags.

"Do not move!"

"Come out, kneel on the deck!"

The soldiers in the first group who had finished firing their guns began to change the gunpowder, and the soldiers in the other group who took the guns aimed their muzzles at the grain ship again.

Those people on the boat were so distressed, but they had to let go of the bag's hand, left the bag's body, and walked to the deck.

Those firecrackers were aimed at them: "Kneel down!"

Some knelt on the deck.

Soldiers with spears ran into the grain ships from the springboard in groups.

The people in one boat were still standing there straight.

The team officer called out: "Fire gun!"

A few firecrackers aimed at the upright person in the boat.

The team officer stood on the shore: "I tell you all to kneel down, do you hear me?"

Several people in that boat bent their legs slowly.

"Don't kneel!" A man shouted at them, "We haven't broken the law either. You stand here, and I will speak."

As the man spoke, he walked towards the springboard—this man was Qi Dazhu.

The team officer's face turned livid, and he said to the soldier holding the gun beside him, "This is the leader, put him down."

Then several firecrackers aimed at Qi Dazhu on the diving board.

Qi Dazhu stopped in the middle of the gangplank, and suddenly shouted to the growing crowd on the pier and on the shore: "Fellow folks, we are the victims of the disaster in Chun'an. We have suffered a catastrophe, and people starve to death every day. We collected some money and went to Hangzhou to buy some food, in order to go back and save lives!"

Hearing what he said, there was a commotion on the pier and ashore.

The soldiers were also stunned for a moment by his yelling, and the guns pointed at him also froze for a moment.

Qi Dazhu then shouted loudly: "The government is going to arrest us now and cut off our life-saving food! If we are beaten to death, please be a witness!"

The team officer finally regained his composure, he didn't dare to call out the gun again, and shouted: "Catch him!"

As soon as the words were finished, a "bang" was heard, and a firecracker rang!
It turned out that a soldier pulled the trigger of the firecracker because he didn't hear the order clearly because of his panic.

Before all eyes could see clearly, Qi Dazhu on the diving board knelt down, but his hands were tightly grasping the edges on both sides of the diving board.

Immediately there was a commotion on the pier on the shore!

Those soldiers who were going to arrest people stopped, and the soldier who fired the gun also panicked, and threw the gun to the ground in a hurry.

The team officer walked over and kicked him, then shouted: "What gun did you throw? Pick it up!"

The soldier hurriedly picked up the gun on the ground again, and aimed at the boat.

The team officer shouted loudly: "If you hit me, hit me! Arrest people!"

Several soldiers with long guns ran to the gangway of the boat.

Two young men on the boat had already run to the diving board to support Da Zhu: "Brother!"

Qi Dazhu shouted in a low voice: "Go back!"

The two slowly backed away.

The pikemen had already run to the springboard, and the two front soldiers stopped in front of him, pointing their two pikes at him: "Stand up!"

Qi Dazhu straightened his upper body, his right leg was exposed, blood was continuously flowing out!

There was also some shock and pity in the eyes of the two soldiers.

Qi Dazhu quickly tore off his shirt, took it off, wrapped it around his bleeding right leg, and then slowly stood up naked.

Qi Dazhu looked at the soldiers in front of him: "Are all the brothers from Zhejiang?"

The soldiers looked at each other, but did not answer.

Qi Dazhu: "We are victims of disasters in Chun'an, not thieves. If you seize our boat, many villagers will starve to death."

Those soldiers stood there.

Seeing that the soldiers were all standing on the diving board in a daze, the team officer on the shore yelled again: "Why don't you arrest them!"

The guns of those soldiers pointed at Qi Dazhu again.

"It's too shameful!" Then a voice sounded.

Many eyes followed the prestige, and it was Wang Yongji. At this time, his face was also blue, and he strode towards the team officer.

Hai Rui was also taken aback at first, but then followed with strides.

"Which Yamen do you belong to?" Wang Yongji looked at the team officer.

The officer of the team also looked at him and examined him for a moment: "You are a member of the yamen, and you are ordered to catch thieves. You better not meddle in your own business."

Wang Yongji: "They have already said that they are victims of disasters. They bought food to save themselves. If you still want to hurt people and arrest them, aren't you afraid that someone will sue them?"

The team officer: "Where does your driver work?"

Wang Yongji: "I am the new county magistrate of Jiande."

The team officer immediately relaxed: "These people belong to Chun'an. I'm following the order of the province. You should take care of Jiande's affairs." Having said that, he turned to the soldiers again: "Arrest people!" Arrest the boat!"

"Then I'll take care of it." Hai Rui said loudly, and walked up to the team officer a few steps, "You said they were thieves, what kind of thieves?"

At first, the team officer thought that Hai Rui was Wang Yongji's long-term follower, but now seeing that this person's power was far greater than that of the Jiande magistrate just now, he was at a loss: "Your driver is..."

Hai Rui: "Don't ask me who I am, just answer my words first."

The team officer: "The governor's yamen has a notice that buying and selling grain is prohibited in this section of the grain market. Those who smuggle grain will be arrested."

Hai Rui: "I just came out of the governor's office not long ago, why didn't I know about this ban?"

The team officer was taken aback for a moment: "I don't know about this. We are here to handle the errands under the orders of the local yamen."

Hai Rui: "That's fine. Let me tell you, I'm in charge of this matter. Tell your soldiers to disembark immediately."

The team officer: "I'm afraid that won't work. We have to have an order from the yamen to retreat."

Hai Rui stared at him closely: "Let the people and the boat go first. I'll go to the office with you to talk about it later." After saying this, he ignored him and walked towards Qi Dazhu's boat.

Wherever they passed, the soldiers gave way.

When he reached the diving board, Hai Rui said to the soldiers still standing on the diving board, "Get down!"

Those soldiers saw that their team officers were very respectful to this man, so they all retreated from the diving board.

Hai Rui stepped onto the springboard and walked up to Qi Dazhu, "Are you really a disaster victim from Chun'an?"

Qi Dazhu: "Yes. I am Sang Nong from Chun'an, and my name is Qi Dazhu."

Hai Rui: "The food you bought is really to go back and save people?"

Qi Dazhu: "The land price has been reduced to [-] shi per mu by them. We want to get some food by ourselves to save a way for next year."

Hai Rui heard that what he said was the real situation in Chun'an at the moment, so he nodded and looked at him: "The people don't fight with the officials. You take the folks and the boat back. I'll take care of the affairs here." To the people on board, "You help him aboard."

Two young men on the boat hurried over and supported Qi Dazhu from behind.

Qi Dazhu still stood there without moving, looking at Hai Rui: "I want to ask, who is your lord?"

Hai Rui lowered his voice: "My name is Hai Rui, and I am the new magistrate of Chun'an."

Qi Dazhu's eyes flashed, and he knelt down with injuries, and the two people who supported him also knelt down by his strength.

Hai Rui: "It's not the place to meet the ceremony. I'll be in Chun'an in two days. Take your boat and leave immediately."

Qi Dazhu stood up, and was supported by the two young men onto the boat.

Hai Rui was still standing on the gangplank, turning his gaze to the soldiers on the other boats: "Stand back, all of you!"

Those soldiers all looked at the team officers on the shore.

The team officer was still hesitating there.

Wang Yongji, who was standing next to the team officer, said to him: "I told you that we will go to the Yamen with you, and we will not retreat. Do you still want to be a post?"

The team officer had no choice but to shout loudly: "Everyone back down!"

The soldiers on each ship stepped on the springboard and retreated to the shore.

Only then did Hai Rui walk ashore from the gangplank, and shouted to the boats, "Let's go! Bring the food back!"

Some boatmen climbed up the mast and connected the mast ropes that had been broken by the gunfire.

The sails on the boats are pulled up!

Hai Rui said to the team officer, "Let's go to the Nisi Yamen."

(End of this chapter)