Chapter 298: Its easy to break the clan in the county, but its hard to break the clan in the heart
At this time, there was a small county called Mengcheng in the north of Fengyang Prefecture.
Chongzhen and his two sons dressed up as businessmen and stood outside the crowd in front of the eight-character wall of the county government office to watch the excitement. Surrounded by them were Hu Guozhu and a dozen other Yiding who were also dressed as businessmen.
At this time, there was a confrontation between two groups of people outside the Mengcheng County Yamen.
One of them was wearing a soap uniform and carrying a waist knife on his waist. He looked like a government servant. There were about ten of them.
The other party wore bamboo hats and cloth, many of them were barefoot, and held various knives in their hands, most of which were hatchets or sickles, but there were at least hundreds of them.
Because the difference in numbers between the two sides was too great, the government officials felt as if they were facing a formidable enemy.
Wu Yingji, who went to inquire about the situation elsewhere, quickly returned to Chongzhen and whispered: "I have already asked clearly, it is because of a marriage robbery lawsuit."
Chongzhen said: "What kind of marriage robbery lawsuit?"
Wu Yingji: "A scholar from Yijia Village announced a marriage, but before the new daughter-in-law could get married, she met Yi Yuanwai while going to the market. Then Yi Yuanwai also fell in love with the new daughter-in-law and wanted to marry her home."
The ninth concubine caused a conflict between the two families, and Yi Xiucai suffered a big loss."
"The new daughter-in-law was also forcibly married away by Yi Yuanwai."
"Yi Xiucai was not convinced and reported Yi to the county government."
"It is said that the magistrate of Mengcheng County was demoted from Nanjing. He once stayed in the Hanlin Academy. He was a stupid young man. In a rage, he led the Yamen to arrest Yi Xiucai and snatch his wife back."
After a pause, he added: "Then he angered the Yi family."
"Did you anger the Yi family?" Zhu Cihong asked, "Yi Yuan's family?"
"It's Yi Yuan's family." Wu Yingji nodded, and then said, "It's not just Yi Yuan's family, but the entire Yi family in Mengcheng."
Zhu Cixiang said solemnly: "The entire Yi clan?"
"Yes." Wu Yingji said, "The Yi family has already announced that as long as the Mengcheng County Magistrate hands over Yi Xiucai and his new daughter-in-law and apologizes to the Yi family, the matter will be over. Otherwise, the entire Mengcheng city will be affected."
The Yi family did not agree, and the hundreds of people now are just the first wave."
Zhu Cijiong said angrily: "Does the Yi family want to kill officials and rebel?"
"Rebellion will not happen," Wu Yingji said, "but with the power of the Yi family in Mengcheng County, it will be easy to cause trouble for this young county magistrate."
Chongzhen asked: "Is the Yi family very powerful in Mengcheng?"
Wu Yingji nodded and said: "Students have just inquired about it. The surname Yi is the largest in Mengcheng. More than half of the Dingkou people in the county are surnamed Yi, and Yuan Yi happens to be the leader of the clan with the surname Yi."
"Aren't these people afraid of the government?" Zhu Cijiong said angrily, "How dare they besiege the county government."
"They really are not afraid of the government." Chongzhen said, "The reason is also very simple, because if the government wants to implement effective governance in Mengcheng County, they have to rely on them, so unless they kill officials and rebel,
Otherwise, even if Fengyang Governor-General finds out, he will just say a few words without any trouble."
Zhu Cihong said: "Is this what my father said about imperial power not going to the countryside?"
Chongzhen said: "Yes, it is because of the presence of these clans that the imperial power cannot go to the countryside, because the people in the countryside do not listen to the court's orders at all, but only want to listen to the words of their family heads and clan elders."
"Are these people stupid?" Zhu Cijiong asked, "Yi Xiucai is also a member of the Yi family. How did he let that bullshit patriarch bully him? Are they actually willing to listen to that bullshit patriarch?"
Chongzhen sighed: "They are not stupid, but helpless."
"Helpless?" Zhu Cijiong said in confusion, "Why are you helpless?"
Chongzhen said: "Because the clan leader and elders have the right to speak in the clan, they can easily manipulate anyone in the clan. If anyone dares to go against the clan leader, the clan elder can make him unable to survive in the local area. For example, if he encounters
When it comes to water distribution during the dry season, if this family is the last to share the water, the crops will basically wither. Another example is the Pai Ding clan. If anyone dares to go against the clan leader, that family will definitely share the most Ding Yin and Ding Yin.
Yao servant."
"Isn't this random?" Zhu Cijiong said, "This is too unfair."
"Fair?" Chongzhen said with a smile, "There has never been true fairness in this world."
Zhu Cixiang frowned and said: "Father, is it true that the imperial court has nothing to do with these clans? Can it only allow these patriarchs to bully men and dominate women in the countryside?"
"Not all clan leaders bully men and dominate females, like in the fish and meat village." Chongzhen waved his hand and said, "The vast majority of clan leaders still want to have face, and they can basically be fair, and they can also assist the court to a certain extent.
To deal with official duties, such as collecting grain and dispatching labor, a few county government officials alone would definitely be too busy."
Zhu Cijiong frowned and said: "Father, I don't understand this matter. Isn't it just a matter of collecting grain and dispatching servants? The imperial court can't recruit more government officials to catch fast officials, and it has to get used to these bastards?"
"That's a good question." Chongzhen smiled and said to Wu Yingji, "Tell Prince Ding the reason."
"Yes." Wu Yingji cupped his hands and said to Zhu Cijiong, "His Royal Highness Ding Wang already knows about the harm caused by the floating, but does His Highness Ding Wang know where the money and food that were drowned by local officials went?"
"Does this need to be said?" Zhu Cijiong said, "It must have been corrupted by local officials."
"No, only a small part of the local officials are corrupt." Wu Yingji waved his hand and said, "Most of them are actually used by local officials to welcome and transport them, and to recruit government officials, police officers, Qian Gu and other officials."
Zhu Cijiong said in astonishment: "The money received by local officials is paid out of the treasury. I know it, but the money for local prefectures and counties to recruit yamen, police officers and officials is also paid out of the treasury? Doesn't the imperial court pay salaries?"
"
Zhu Cihong nodded and said: "The imperial court only pays the salaries of the chief officials and assistant officers of the local prefectures. The salaries of the yamen, police officers and officials need to be raised by the local prefectures and counties themselves, and the imperial court will not bear it."
"This?" Zhu Cijiong immediately became speechless. Is there such a thing?
This chapter is not over yet, please click on the next page to continue reading! "Jiong'er, now you know the reason." Chongzhen said, "Just raising these yamen, agents and officials has already overwhelmed the imperial court's finances. Recruiting
More government officials and policemen will go bankrupt directly."
"Father, this is too irritating." Zhu Cijiong said, "We know that the clan power is harmful to the court, but we still have no way to deal with them. This is really intolerable."
"There are so many helpless things in this world. If you get angry at everything, where can you get angry?"
Chongzhen waved his hand and said: "However, clans like the Yi family in Mengcheng still have to be dealt with. They dare to gather strong men to surround the county government. This has crossed the line and must be severely punished!"
After a pause, Chongzhen said again: "Wu Yingji, go tell Yan Yingyuan and Xu Yingwei and ask them to lead the scholar battalion into the city and arrest all the strong men of the Yi family. After the situation subsides, move half of the Yi families in Mengcheng to
Kaifeng, especially the clan leader, all the people in the five clans were moved to Kaifeng for resettlement, and they had to be resettled separately."
For such a large clan, it is best to separate them for placement.
The best thing is that no one surname dominates the situation anywhere.
A thousand soldiers led by Yan Yingyuan and Xu Yingwei were stationed not far outside the city.
After receiving Chongzhen's order, a thousand scholars quickly marched into Mengcheng County.
Facing the soldiers who were armed with live ammunition, the hundreds of strong men of the Yi family had no intention of resisting at all, and were immediately captured. Even the Yi member could not escape.
Seeing Yi Yuanwai and more than a hundred strong men being taken away, Zhu Cijiong let out a sigh of relief.
"Father, you have finally vented your anger." Zhu Cijiong said, "Otherwise, I will not be happy in the next few months."
However, Chongzhen turned his gaze to the direction of Nanjing and said quietly: "It is easy to break the clan in the county, but it is difficult to break the clan in the heart. The most difficult thing to break is the clan in the hearts of the people."
"The clan in your heart?" Zhu Cijiong looked confused.
However, Yan Yingyuan and Wu Yingji vaguely felt that these words sounded familiar.
After a moment of thought, the two of them suddenly remembered that this was not a replica of what Mr. Shouren said after pacifying the mountain bandits in southern Jiangxi: "It is easy to break the mountain, but it is difficult to break the heart."
The clan in the county mentioned by the Holy Spirit must be the Yi clan.
So which clan is the clan in the heart mentioned by the Holy Spirit?
With this question in mind, the two of them unanimously cast their gazes in the direction Chongzhen was looking at. Is this the location of Nanjing? Could it be that the clan in their hearts is in Nanjing? Could it be that the Holy Spirit was talking about the Donglin Party?
…
Outside Sanshan Gate, Nanjing.
Wherever Ma Mingluan's prison car passed, the people were filled with anger.
Facing the rain of rotten vegetable leaves, rotten eggs and even feces and urine, Ma Mingluan felt pain in his heart and lungs. How stupid are these people?
You have all been deceived by the Donglin Party!
The real dog officials are those from the Donglin Party!
However, Ma Mingluan no longer had the energy to defend himself, nor did he want to defend himself anymore.
There is nothing more sad than death. Since you are so willing to believe in the Donglin Party, then just wait until the Donglin Party brings disaster to the country and the people to the point of subjugation, and is slaughtered by the slaves.
The prison car was quickly taken to the execution ground.
Yingtianfu's yamen officers stepped forward, opened the prison cart, and lifted Ma Mingluo out.
The executioner also showed his ghost-headed sword, took a mouthful of soju and sprayed it on.
The crowd of onlookers immediately cheered, waiting for the steel knife to fall. The moment the head hit the ground, two old women had already prepared steamed buns, waiting to be stained with blood.
There is a legend that human blood steamed buns can cure tuberculosis.
However, at this moment, the sound of rapid horse hooves suddenly sounded.
The three officials sitting on the execution platform turned their heads to look.
But I saw a dozen riders galloping from the direction of Yanziji Pier.
Seeing this group of cavalry, the scarlet-robed official sitting in the middle suddenly became anxious. He immediately took out a beheading lotus from the lotus tube and threw it to the audience. He shouted sternly: "It's three quarters to noon, execution!"
The little official responsible for guarding the sundial said in shock: "My lord, there is still a quarter of an hour until three-quarter noon."
"When I say the time has come, it means the time has come." The scarlet-robed official said sternly, "Execution!"
