The next day, Yu Xiang beheaded all the bandit leaders and small leaders who were captured alive, and handed over the rest to Cheng Guoxiang and Wen Zhi for interrogation and conviction.

The advance army of the New Guard Army set off towards Runing Mansion, and along the way, refugees continued to gather, and the mountain bandits surrendered, Wang Chengen, who was sitting in an open-top carriage, saw this scene and praised again and again: "What a benevolent and righteous division, a loyal and brave division, and the people's aspirations!" Daming has such an army, why worry about civil strife and injustice, and the Tartars invade the territory! ”

It turned out that the news of Yu Xiang's execution of Gou Zhi County, the suppression of bandits, the surrender of Meng Whip, the rescue of refugees, and the drought relief spread like a storm, and the nearby disaster victims and serfs rejoiced, helped the old and the young, and waited for the new guards on the official road. The mountain bandits along the way seized this rare opportunity and took the initiative to surrender, many of them were forced to be helpless, and their conscience was in a predicament.

This herd effect is unstoppable. Everywhere Yu Xiang passed, the entire local villages and towns often came to defect, resulting in empty villages one by one, which greatly surprised Yu Xiang.

It was originally planned to arrive at Da Runing Province on the same day, receiving refugees and surrendered mountain bandits, greatly slowing down the march, but by the evening, it was only half of the way. Yu Xiang had to arrange to set up camp and be stationed on the spot.

Later in the evening, Yu Xiang convened a simple meeting of the main personnel, which was attended by Wang Chengen, Liu Guoneng, Meng Whip and Zhuge Shanzhen.

After discussion, everyone agreed that it is unrealistic to concentrate all these people in refugee camps, not to mention the problem of food shortage, and that it is a difficult problem to solve the problem of shelter alone. Guide and supervise the development of production self-help, and form scattered rescue stations. Yu Xiang suggested that from the Jade Emperor Temple in the northeast of Runing Prefecture, south to Wild Boar Gang, east of Guizhuang, west to Bieqiao, build an artificial lake, prepare for the drought in the coming year, and can accommodate a large number of laborers, which can not only avoid the waste of human resources, but also prevent refugees from being idle, build such a large-scale artificial lake, which is initially estimated to be tens of thousands of people, can accommodate local refugees.

His idea received an enthusiastic response from everyone, who believed that this method was feasible. Yu Xiang decided to leave Chen Zhiping in Runing and direct the construction of an artificial lake, which was named Suyahu Lake, and ordered Meng Whip to be the commander-in-chief of the construction of Suyahu, and Zhou Zhengxin and Zhang Yuan, the chief of the preaching group, to stay in the local area to assist in coordination.

Wang Chengen believed that this method was feasible, fully affirmed it, and recorded this practice in detail and reported it to Emperor Chongzhen.

At noon the next day, Yu Xiang's advance team came to Runing Mansion, and a large group of squire officials greeted them at the city gate, but only Zhu Xingan's shadow was missing.

It turned out that the news of the murder of Gou Zhi County in Queshan County reached Runing Mansion, and Zhu Xingan had a sense of foreboding, and he was in a state of panic all day long, and the governor Yu Xiang beheaded Gou Zhi County all over the house without informing him, and he must have obtained sufficient evidence, and his courage can be seen.

Zhu Xingan thought about it, he decided to visit King Fu in the name of seeking refuge, these years, he has not been less filial piety to King Fu, the reason why he can steadily do the position of the prefect of Ruyang, all rely on the promotion and cultivation of King Fu, the officialdom knows that he is King Fu's person.

So, he took his concubine, in the name of visiting King Fu, with a large amount of gold, silver and jewelry, and fled to Luoyang.

But Yu Xiang didn't know that Zhu Xingan had absconded in fear of crime, and the New Guards came to Ruyang City, so he couldn't help but say that all the soldiers inside and outside the city gate were replaced by soldiers of the New Guard.

Yu Xiang got off the horse, and after accepting the squires who came to welcome him for a while, Yu Xiang greeted the people who welcomed him one by one, and after that, he began to work on the spot, and asked in a loud voice: "Where is the prefect Zhu Xingan?" ”

"Your Excellency Governor Qiqi, Governor Zhu set off the day before yesterday and went to Luoyang to pay a visit to King Fu Chitose, and he has not yet returned." Ru Ning replied with the knowledge of Chai Kewang.

Yu Xiang looked at the person in front of him, his temples were gray, but there was a fairy wind bone, Jia Bin had already informed Yu Xiang of his situation, this person was indecisive, timid and fearful, pedantic, but he was very honest as an official, strict with himself, and lenient with others. Look at his official uniform, although it is clean, but there are many patches, and look at the official boots under his official robe, there are holes, so far there is a certain number in his heart.

"Runing Mansion cannot be left without an owner for a day, Chai Kewang, from today on, you will act as the acting prefect of Runing, and after the official is played in the court, he will be officially appointed." Yu Xiang announced in public.

Everyone present, everyone was stunned, this kind of appointment was unprecedented, the original prefect was not dismissed, the new prefect took office, and everyone knew that Zhu Xingan was the person of King Fu, and it was up to the master to beat the dog, this young governor actually disdained King Fu, either he was brutal, or he was confused. Those who were not accustomed to the new governor's arbitrariness were secretly happy in their hearts, waiting to see the joke.

The timid and fearful Chai Kewang immediately knelt on the ground and said: "Lord Governor, by all means, it is not a junior minister who shirks it, this matter is not in accordance with the regulations, and I am afraid that it will incur the blame of the court." ”

Yu Xiang picked up Chai Kewang and said: "At a special time, a special law is practiced, if the court is to blame, it is up to the governor to bear it, not to mention that you are just exercising the responsibility of the prefect on your behalf, and it will not implicate you, you just need to do your part, and the governor will be the master for you." ”

Chai Kewang saw that the young governor said this, and everyone present heard it, so he couldn't shirk it any longer, so he had to say: "Since the governor trusts the lower official so much, the lower official will do his best." ”

At this time, Liu Guoneng came over to report: "Your Excellency Governor, the city defense has been changed, and the scene is completely controlled." ”

The squire officials who welcomed Yu Xiang at the city gate were surprised to find that they were surrounded by the New Guard Regiment with loaded guns.

Yu Xiang nodded in satisfaction, he walked to a carriage, respectfully asked the carriage for instructions: "Everything is in order, please instruct." ”

A voice came from the carriage: "Let's do it!" Of course, this was Wang Chengen's voice, and he didn't get off the carriage.

The squire officials saw that Yu Xiang was so respectful to the people in the sedan chair, and they were very curious about the mysterious person in the sedan chair. Everyone couldn't guess what Yu Xiang was going to do next, and they didn't know what kind of medicine the new governor was selling in the gourd.

After receiving the order, Yu Xiang made a gesture to Liu Guoneng, and immediately, a group of soldiers separated the crowd that came to welcome them one by one, and the officials and squires present did not know what the governor was going to do.

Zhuge Shanzhen took out a list and read it aloud: "The general sentence Wang Lai, the official Zhang Laishou, and the prison Zhao Fa ....." read out thirteen names in one breath, these people are all officials in charge of various departments, and there are no squires and businessmen in the list.

The officials who were named were so frightened that they trembled and their legs went limp.

Yu Xiang said: "The king is sentenced to come and resell. During the period of being in charge of the salt administration, the officials and businessmen colluded to raise prices without permission to make profits from it, ignoring the needs of the common people, filling their private pockets, which is really hateful, and sentenced to confiscate Wang Lai's family property and behead his ,.....entire family."

Hearing Yu Xiang's punishment decision, Wang Lai immediately collapsed to the ground.

The other 12 officials, knowing that they could not escape their guilt, fell to their knees and shouted for mercy.

Yu Xiang didn't pay attention to it, and told them one by one about their punishment decision, all the people, confiscated the family property, and the whole family was beheaded, and it was executed on the same day.

Some of them were frightened to death on the spot, and these evil officials, who usually act as a prestige and oppress the good, are all as timid as rats, greedy for life and afraid of death, so as to attract the people's hatred, and the common people and soldiers present at the scene all applauded.

After Yu Xiang punished these thirteen people, he took another look at the officials and squires, these people fell to their knees together, and the voices of wailing came one after another, and many of them were more or less guilty.

Yu Xiang said loudly: "According to the wartime amnesty law, you are exempted from all criminal responsibility, no matter what you have done before, you will not be held accountable, but from now on, you must respect the law and discipline, if you commit a crime, you will be investigated for the previous crimes, the two crimes will be one, and the punishment will be severe, do you know very well?" ”

Just now, there were many people who thought that they would end up like the thirteen people, and when they heard Yu Xiang say that they were exonerated from their crimes, they were immediately relieved, and they were alive and dead, and they kowtowed to thank them, and some of them cried with joy and cried.

When the king saw this, he did not know where the strength came from, and cried out loudly: "I am not convinced, I am not convinced, why do you punish me for my sins, and forgive others, many of them are guilty of the same crime, I have evidence, I have evidence!" ”

Those who had been pardoned, when they heard the king cry out like this, were eager to come forward and tear his mouth apart.

Yu Xiang snorted coldly and said, "They have been pardoned by this governor, and their opposition is invalid. ”

When everyone heard this, they breathed a sigh of relief.

Yu Xiang continued to say to everyone: "Each of you must stick to your post, do your job well, assist the prefect of Chai, drought relief, the capital of the government is in charge of Shao Mingyi, and the original capital Zhao Chang follows the governor to tour Henan, and there is another reuse." ”

Zhao Chang of Ruyang Mansion came out of the column and knelt down to accept the order.

Yu Xiang quickly issued an amnesty decree to exempt all incumbents from their crimes, but they must take the initiative to hand over the corrupt silver taels, and they must be strictly supervised and evaluated after accepting them, and they are not allowed to commit crimes again.

This is also a way to do nothing, the prefect takes the lead in corruption, and the people under his command, few people are difficult to escape the involvement, if you dig deeper, I am afraid that no one in the entire officialdom will be spared, for the sake of today's plan, only to grasp the big and let go, let the accomplices completely put down their ideological baggage, work hard, and reform themselves in their work, of course, Yu Xiang formulated unprecedented strict legislation to regulate the words and deeds of these amnesty people, so as to clean up the corrupt atmosphere of officialdom and establish a new order that abides by law and discipline.

Of course, the "Wartime Amnesty Law" has some drawbacks, and it is still unknown whether these people can change their past mistakes if they are overly lenient for those with vested interests, and these people have already committed crimes.