Ta-Jen Zhu, let’s just open up the window and say the truth, I, Wuxi Miao, went down the mountain and attacked the Southeast Flood Avoidance Area, robbed the grain and more than a thousand people, and I have already committed a big mistake, I wonder how Ta-Jen Zhu can save me, Wuxi Miao?”
Lady Yilan leaned her body forward slightly, her eyes burning as she stared at Zhu Pingan, asking with a serious face.
“I know that all of you Wuxi Miao are good people, it is only because of the raging floods, hunger and cold, you just can’t support it anymore, for the sake of the survival of the whole clan, you were forced to go down to the mountains to loot the south-east flood avoidance area without any choice, looting the grain and grass is just for the sake of food, and looting the people is just for the sake of self-preservation. I was ordered by His Majesty, on behalf of the governor of Jingnan, is your parents, in my eyes, you are my juniors. You have not caused a major mistake and are justifiable, if you know your mistakes and can change, this official will forgive your sins.”
Zhu Pingan likewise leaned his body slightly forward, looked at Lady Yi Lan with a burning gaze, and slowly said.
The two of them looked at each other, like wind and clouds, for a while this atmosphere was like an examination, but also like a blind date.
It took a full three seconds of staring at each other before each of the two withdrew their gazes, and the corners of their mouths both ticked out an arc of satisfaction.
“Your Honour’s compassion for the people is worthy of the name of Qing Tian.”Lady Yilan rose and bowed to Zhu Pingan.
“Toastmaster, please rise, the name of Qingtian, this official is not worthy of it.”Zhu Pingan took half a step forward and held her up in vain from afar.
“It is just that, the old me still has questions, please ask your honour to solve them.”Lady Yilan got up and slowly said.
“Tusi please speak, this official knows everything.”Zhu Pingan stretched out his hand in salute.
“Your Excellency just said that I, Wuxi Miao, know my mistakes and can change, and your Excellency will forgive my Wuxi Miao’s sins, I wonder how can I be considered to know my mistakes and be able to change?”Lady Yilan’s weathered eyes looked at Zhu Pingan without blinking, carefully and intently, not sparing any of Zhu Pingan’s micro-expressions.
The crowd of Wuxi Miao also looked at Zhu Pingan with burning eyes, and for a while, Zhu Pingan became the focus of tens of thousands of people.
“Return the plundered provisions and people, and raise your clan to submit.”Zhu Pingan gazed straight at Lady Yi Lan and returned without hesitation.
What?
Return the plundered grain and herbs, the people, and raise the clan to submit?
Returning the people is not a problem, but returning the grain and grass, how can that be? The reason why we looted the southeast flood avoidance area is because the clan couldn’t make ends meet! If we return the grain and grass, that’s not asking for our lives!
A kind of Miao barbarian emotionally agitated again.
“My lord, returning the people, no problem. Raising the clan to submit is even more no problem, we are originally the good people of Daming, and have never had the idea of rebellion. Just return the grain and grass ……”Lady Yilan said here, shook her head slightly, and said softly but firmly, “It is difficult to comply with the order. Please be considerate of my Wuxi Miao’s hardship, the reason why my clan looted the grain and grass is because the clan was out of food for several days and was forced to do so to make ends meet. These three thousand stones of grain and grass are the life-saving food for our entire clan.”
Zhu Pingan couldn’t help but laugh at his words.
“The dog official can even laugh!”Seeing this, Butterfly instantly exploded again.
The crowd of Wuxi Miao was even more furious, and many radicals even coaxed to break the net with Zhu Pingan.
Seeing this, Zhu Pingan smiled even more.
“Why is your honour laughing?”Lady Yi Lan reached down and pressed her hand to suppress the clan’s agitation, frowning as she asked.
“I’m laughing at you all looking eastward and not seeing the western wall.”Zhu Pingan said with a smile.
“Looking eastwards and not seeing the western wall? What does that mean?!”A kind of Miao Barbarian was dumbfounded and did not understand the meaning.
“Please also speak clearly, my lord.”Lady Yi Lan frowned slightly.
“Just now, the Toastmaster asked me how the Wuxi Miao would be considered to know their mistakes and be able to change, and has yet to ask me how to forgive you?!”
Zhu Pingan said meaningfully.
“I wonder how Your Excellency is prepared to forgive us?”Lady Yilan followed Zhu Pingan’s words and asked.
“Firstly, I will forgive your sins of attacking the southeastern flood-avoidance area and plundering the grain and grass and the people; secondly, not only do I have 50,000 troops out there, but I also have 30,000 stones of grain and grass, and after bringing you back 3,000 of the plundered grain and grass, this official will release these 30,000 stones of grain and grass together with the 3,000 stones of grain and grass that you have returned; thirdly, five miles southeast of Wuxi Mountain, there are thousands of acres suitable for cultivation in theWasteland, this official makes the decision to divide this wasteland among you Wuxi Miao, allowing you to enjoy it for generations, after you Wuxi Miao open the land, you will be exempted from taxes for five years, after five years the taxes will be collected at half the amount, and after ten years you will pay the same taxes as the Han people.”
Zhu Pingan got up and stretched out his fingers, promising one item after another to Lady Yilan and a group of Wuxi Miao.
“Ah? Sending us 30,000 stones of grain and grass, and giving us thousands of acres of fields to farm, really?!”
“It can’t be a lie to us?!”
“It’s a lie! Everyone, don’t be fooled by this dog official! If he’s going to send us 30,000 stones of grain and grass, why does he want us to return 3,000 stones of grain and grass? This is not taking off his trousers and farting!”
A group of Wuxi Miao were shocked, Zhu Pingan’s promise made them excited, 30,000 stones of grain and grass ah, this can be enough for their whole clan to survive this disaster year, not to mention there are thousands of acres of fields, they have long been envious of the Jingnan Han Chinese people have a good field to farm ……However, while excited, they were deeply sceptical about Zhu Pingan’s promise, suspecting that Zhu Pingan had swindled them.
“Your Excellency is so sympathetic to my Wuxi Miao, I can’t thank you enough. It’s just that I’m puzzled as to why Your Excellency insisted that we return 3,000 stones of grain and grass since he was going to distribute 30,000 stones of grain and grass to us.”
Lady Yi Lan was equally puzzled.
“‘What I gave’ and ‘what you robbed’, these are two concepts that are diametrically opposed in nature. What I give you is yours; if I don’t give it, you can’t rob it. If I say so, can the Toastmaster understand?!”
Zhu Pingan scanned Lady Yi Lan and a group of Miao barbarians with a burning gaze, and said slowly, word by word.
“What Your Excellency said is very true, it is we who are not thinking well.”Lady Yi Lan came to a realisation and bowed.
“Lord Lord think twice, Ming people can’t be trusted, and officials can’t be trusted even more, don’t be fooled by Ming people. These three thousand stones of grain and grass are our life-saving food, this return is a meat bag hitting a dog – there is no return.”
Some Wuxi Miao still questioned.
“Gentlemen, this official will always be here! Until the grain is handed over and the dust settles!”Zhu Pingan stared at those questioning Five Streams Miao with a burning gaze and pulled the corner of his mouth breathlessly, “In that case, what else do you have to worry about? Does it mean that this official is still not worth 3,000 stones of grain and grass?!”
After the crowd of Wuxi Miao heard Zhu Pingan say that he would always be here, one by one, they fell silent.
“Tusi, and all of you, if you listen to me, then return the grain and grass, the people, and submit to me, I will forgive your sins, release you 33,000 stones of grain and grass, and give you thousands of acres of barren land, allowing you to farm it, and you won’t have to worry about your livelihoods in the future; if you don’t listen to me, then you can capture this official, or kill this official, but next, you will have toIf you don’t listen to me, you can capture me, or kill me, but then you will have to bear the wrath of the 50,000 troops outside, and the imperial court’s inquiry, and the extermination of your family is not a threat. One or the other, it’s not hard to choose, right?”Zhu Pingan’s gaze was like a torch as he scanned Lady Yi Lan and a group of Wuxi Miao.
“If you are truly as compassionate to us as you say, we, the clan of Wuxi Miao, are willing to surrender to Your Excellency.”
Lady Yi Lan looked at Zhu Pingan with a burning gaze.
“This official’s word is a promise!”Zhu Pingan said firmly.
“What are you all still waiting for, don’t be quick to follow me to pay your respects to the lord!”Lady Yi Lan lashed her cane and rebuked the crowd of Wuxi barbarians.
“Greetings, my lord!”
The crowd of Five Streams Miao, led by Lady Yi Lan, bowed down in unison.
