Several common people were so frightened that their faces turned pale, and they hurriedly waved their hands and said, "Don't dare to talk nonsense. Guo Linggong loves the people as his own son, how could he do such a thing?"
"Don't talk about Guo Linggong, even ordinary people can't do such cruel things."
The official said impatiently: "Today you are here to testify. Guo Ziyi appears to be honest, but in reality he is cruel and deceitful. He just killed people for food. I want your mouths to be used as trumpets for me in Hanzhong."
Preach it in the city."
"No, it's impossible, the people won't believe it."
"You are also common people. How can the common people not believe what the common people say? This is the opportunity before you people. You can either sit on the land and have a good house, have a beautiful wife and concubines, and become a master, or you can confiscate your family and exterminate your family and die without a burial.
The land depends on how you choose."
These people were stunned for a moment, looking terrified and not knowing how to answer.
"I will give you three days to think about it carefully. Guo Ziyi has already gone to Jingzhou and may not be able to return to Hanzhong in his life. How the people of Hanzhong view him will not have any impact on him."
That's weird.
If there was no influence, you people would not have spent so much effort to smear him, and you would not have spread rumors like this about a savior who was loyal to the Tang Dynasty and deeply loved by the people.
Two people slowly raised their hands: "Your Majesty, we are willing to obey your words and go to smear Guo Ziyi in private."
"What is slander? This is the truth! If you can't convince yourself to believe it, how can you convince others!" the official taught angrily, waving a round fan.
After saying this, he waved his hand and ordered someone to bring the land deed and gold on a tray. The golden light made everyone unable to look away.
"This is a commendation to the pioneers. Five hundred gold collars and eight hundred acres of fertile land beside the Han River. The land deed is signed by King Yong, ensuring that your ancestors will enjoy this fertile land for generations to come."
"Eight hundred acres!"
This is indeed a great thing, isn't it just lying? Which of them can't do that?
The two people who agreed first had already stepped forward and left happily holding the land deed and gold. The remaining people were very greedy when they saw it, and hurriedly stepped forward to swear an oath: "We are also willing, and we are also willing to tell the truth.
Other people."
"Don't worry, come one by one and bring up all the gold and the land deed. I'm warning you in advance, don't think that you can get away with the gold. Now every pass in Hanzhong leading to other places is blocked by King Yong's army.
guard."
"I know, I know, of course we don't dare."
When everyone left with their wealth, only a thin-looking scholar stood in the corner, accompanied by a pretty lady and two medium-sized children. The lady had just left.
Half a step out, he was grabbed by his husband and shook his head firmly.
The official said seductively: "Scholar, why don't you come and get it? Is it because you think there is too little? I know the bad temper of scholars. They just like to wait for the price. It's not impossible for you to want more."
The scholar spoke with emotion: "There are fair hearts in the world, how can we allow you people to confuse right and wrong and slander others. Although I, Zhao Li, cannot change these people, I can still be alone. I just want you to know that the truth can never be bought.
.”
The official looked at the scholar with wide eyes, then sighed and said, "Come here, put his whole family on death row!"
The scholar raised his head and straightened his chest, showing no fear, but the lady cried so much that she couldn't change her husband's opinion at all. Both the younger and younger sons frowned, as if they hated family disputes but were unaware of the horror of death.
The soldiers came forward and took the four members of their family into prison. The official laughed contemptuously at the scholar's pedantry, and quickly went to report the results to Li Siye.
…
King Yong was sitting in the study room on the attic, holding a volume in his hand. After listening to the officials around him, he raised his head and asked: "Are you saying that the scholar will not change his views and opinions even if he is thrown into death row?"
Decide?"
"That's right," the official replied: "This scholar has become stupid in studying and has become stubborn. I'm afraid there is no other way to make him change his mind, so I have to forget about it."
Li Siye didn't listen to what he said, but still sighed to himself: "Since the army was raised in Anlu Mountain, the world has been in chaos, the world has been declining, and people's hearts have been corrupted, but there are still loyal people who uphold the foundation of morality and stick to their own bottom line. It is indeed not easy. Since there are temptations and death
We can't threaten him, and there's no point in killing him, so why not just let him go."
"I'm afraid I can't let him go, Your Majesty. This scholar has a bad temper and a tough temper. It would be bad if he incites some contrary remarks in private after letting him go."
"Then give him some money and expel him from Hanzhong County, and then everything will be fine."
The official had no choice but to cross his hands and say, "Here!"
…
The scholar Zhao Li was sitting in his cell with his eyes closed, waiting to die. Although his wife still had a sad and desolate expression on her face, she may have felt relieved in her heart. She thought that marrying a chicken, marrying a dog, and following a dog, seemed to be the way it would be in this life.
The cell door opened with a bang, and two soldiers walked in and said lazily: "Let's go, let you live."
The scholar obviously couldn't believe it, squatting in the corner and refusing to move, thinking that no matter what tricks you have, just use them.
These soldiers scolded loudly: "What's going on? If you still want to stay in there and eat and drink for free, get out of here quickly, or I'll give you hundreds of whips!"
The scholar finally believed what these soldiers said, because these soldiers were still bad-tempered and did not look abnormal. Maybe someone had interceded for them in front of them.
He held the hands of his wife and children and wandered out of the cell, ready to walk home, but was stopped by two soldiers and scolded: "You no longer have a home in Hanzhong, take this money and get away as far away as possible."
, don’t let us see you again.”
After that, the soldiers hung a string of copper coins around the scholar's neck and drove the family out of the city.
Scholar Zhao Li walked out of the city gate and saw a ray of morning sun shining down from his head. The soldiers guarding the city gate were chatting on both sides, not caring about a small person like him. Behind him were several government officials walking leisurely.
"Leave quickly, this is no longer your home."
At this time, rumors were rife in Hanzhong City. People were talking about what had happened to the people who had followed Guo Ziyi's army and fled to Jingzhou. People who had fled back said that Guo Linggong had used people as food for the army and that many people had been killed and eaten.
The people were so happy that they felt horrified when they gathered together to talk about this incident.
"It's really scary. Who would have thought that a prominent Sikong like Guo Ziyi could do such a thing."
"What do you know? This is called loving-kindness but not controlling the army, justice not controlling the wealth, and being kind and cruel. How can high-ranking officials like them put the lives of the people at stake? There was insufficient rainfall in Hanzhong last year, and the yield of seedlings was reduced. The common people paid rent and taxes.
It’s not enough to support his army, so I’m afraid he’ll want to use us common people as military food at that time.”
"Usually, we all still call him Guo Linggong, bah! He is simply the Demon King Guo, the monster Guo. Now that the people know his true face, we hope he will die on the battlefield soon and never come back to Hanzhong."