At this time, there was a small county town called Mengcheng in the north of Fengyang Mansion.

Chongzhen took his two sons dressed up as businessmen, standing outside the crowd in front of the eight-character wall of the county government to watch the excitement, and guarding Hu Guozhu, who also looked like a business traveler, and more than a dozen Yiding.

At this time, there were two groups of people facing each other outside the Mengcheng County Ya.

One party was wearing a soap suit and carrying a waist knife at his waist, looking like a servant, there were about a dozen of them.

The other party wore hats and cloth clothes, many of them barefoot, and held all kinds of knives in their hands, most of them were chai knives or sickles, but there were at least hundreds of them.

Because the difference in numbers between the two sides is too great, the government is like a great enemy.

Wu Yingji, who went to inquire about the situation elsewhere, quickly returned to Chongzhen and whispered: "I have asked clearly, because of a marriage robbery lawsuit." ”

Chongzhen said: "What kind of marriage robbery lawsuit? ”

Wu Yingji: "A Xiucai Yang person in Yijia Village said that the family matter, but the new daughter-in-law had not had time to pass the door, and met Yi Yuanwai during a rush, and then Yi Yuanwai also took a fancy to the new daughter-in-law and wanted to marry home as a concubine in the ninth room, but the two families had a conflict, and Yi Xiucai suffered a big loss. ”

"The new daughter-in-law was also forcibly married away."

"Yi Xiucai was not convinced, and reported the change to the county office."

"The Mengcheng County Order is said to have been degraded from Nanjing, and he used to stay in the Hanlin Academy, and he was a stunned young man, and in a fit of anger, he took the officials to arrest and snatch back his daughter-in-law for Yi Xiucai."

After a pause, he said, "Then it angered the Yi family." ”

"Angered the Yi family?" Zhu Cihong said, "Change to a foreign family? ”

"It's a foreign family." Wu Yingji nodded, and then said, "It's not just the Yi family, but the Yi family in the entire Mengcheng." ”

Zhu Cihong said solemnly: "The entire Yi family? ”

"Yes." Wu Yingji said, "The Yi family has already released their words, as long as Mengcheng County orders Yi Xiucai and his new daughter-in-law to hand over and apologize to the Yi family, this matter will be over, otherwise, the Yi family in the entire Mengcheng will not agree, and the current 100 or so people are just the first wave." ”

Zhu Cijiong said angrily: "Is the Yi family trying to kill officials and rebel?" ”

"There will be no rebellion." Wu Yingji said, "But with the Yi family's power in Mengcheng County, it may be easy to add some blockage to this young county order." ”

Chongzhen said: "Is the Yi family very powerful in Mengcheng? ”

Wu Yingji nodded and said: "The student inquired just now, the surname Yi is the largest surname in Mengcheng, and more than half of the Dingkou in the county are surnamed Yi, and Yi Yuanwai happens to be the patriarch of the Yi family. ”

"Aren't these people afraid of the government?" Zhu Cijiong said angrily, "You actually dare to besiege the county government." ”

"They are really not afraid of the government." Chongzhen said suddenly, "The reason is also very simple, because if the government wants to effectively govern Mengcheng County, it has to beg them, so unless they do something to kill officials and rebel, even if the Fengyang Governor's Office knows, they won't have to say a few words." ”

Zhu Cihong said: "This is what my father said that the imperial power does not go to the countryside? ”

Chongzhen said: "That's right, it is because of these clans that the imperial power cannot go to the countryside, because the people in the township do not listen to the orders of the imperial court at all, but are only willing to listen to the words of the patriarch and clan elders." ”

"Are these people stupid?" Zhu Cijiong said, "Yi Xiucai is also a member of the Yi family, what did that bullshit patriarch bully?" They're still willing to listen to that bullshit patriarch? ”

Chongzhen sighed: "They are not stupid, but helpless. ”

"Helpless?" Zhu Cijiong said puzzled, "Why are you helpless?" ”

Chongzhen said: "Because the patriarch and the patriarch have the right to speak in the clan, they can easily control anyone in the clan, whoever dares to go against the patriarch and the patriarch, the patriarch and patriarch can make him unable to survive in the local area, for example, when the water is to be divided in the dry season, let the family be the last to divide the water, and the crops will basically die. ”

"Isn't this messy?" Zhu Cijiong said, "This is too unfair. ”

"Fair?" Chongzhen smiled and said, "There has never been real fairness in this world. ”

Zhu Cihong frowned and said, "Father, is there really no way for the imperial court to take these clans?" Can we only let these patriarchs and elders bully men and women in the township? ”

"Not all patriarchs and elders bully men and women, and fish and meat in the township." Chongzhen waved his hand and said, "The vast majority of patriarchs and elders still have to be face-saving, and they can basically be fair, and they can also assist the imperial court in handling official affairs to a certain extent, such as requisitioning grain and sending out servants. ”

Zhu Cijiong frowned and said: "Father, the ministers can't figure it out about this matter, isn't it just the matter of requisitioning grain and sending servants, and the court can't recruit more officials to arrest fast officials, so you have to get used to these bastards?" ”

"That's a good question." Chongzhen smiled and said to Wu Yingji, "You tell King Ding the reason." ”

"Yes." Wu Yingji arched his hand and said to Zhu Cijiong, "His Royal Highness King Dingwang already knows about the harm of drifting, but does His Royal Highness King Ding know where the money and grain that were drifted away by local officials go?" ”

"Does that need to be said?" Zhu Cijiong said, "It must have been greedy by local officials." ”

"No, it's only a small fraction of the local officials who are greedy for ink." Wu Yingji waved his hand and said, "Most of them were actually used by local officials to welcome and send them, as well as to recruit officials such as government officials, catchers and master Qian Gu. ”

Zhu Cijiong was stunned and said: "The silver sent by the local officials is all from the treasury, but the silver recruited by the local prefectures and counties is also from the treasury?" Doesn't the imperial court give out money? ”

Zhu Cihong nodded and said: "The imperial court only issues the salaries of the local state government chiefs and adjutants, and the salaries of the officials, arresters and officials need to be raised by the local prefectures and counties themselves, and the imperial court will not bear them." ”

"This?" Zhu Cijiong immediately became dumb, is there such a thing?

"Jiong'er, now you know the reason." Chongzhen said, "Just raising these officials and officials has already overwhelmed the finances of the imperial court, recruiting more officials and arresting officials, and it will go bankrupt directly." ”

"Father, but this is too annoying." Zhu Cijiong said, "I know that the clan power is harmful to the imperial court, but we still have no way to deal with them, this is really unbearable." ”

"There are many helpless things in this world, if you are angry about everything, where can you be angry?"

Chongzhen waved his hand and said: "But a clan like the Mengcheng Yi family still has to deal with it, they actually dare to gather strong men to surround the county government, this is out of bounds, and they must be severely punished!" ”

After a pause, Chongzhen said again: "Wu Yingji, you go and tell Yan Yingyuan and Xu Yingwei to let them lead the Shizi battalion into the city to arrest all the strong men of the Yi family, and after the situation calms down, half of the Yi family in Mengcheng will be moved to Kaifeng, especially the patriarch, all of them will be moved to Kaifeng for resettlement within the five suits, and they must be resettled separately." ”

For such large clans, it is best to disassemble and settle them.

It's best not to have a single name anywhere.

A thousand scholars led by Yan Yingyuan and Xu Yingwei were stationed not far outside the city.

After receiving Chongzhen's will, a thousand scholars soon drove into Mengcheng County.

In the face of the soldiers with loaded guns, the hundreds of strong men of the Yi family could not resist at all, and they were immediately arrested, and even the Yi member could not run away.

Seeing Yi Yuanwai and more than a hundred strong men being escorted away, Zhu Cijiong breathed a sigh of relief.

"Father, I finally got angry." Zhu Cijiong said, "Otherwise, the ministers will not be happy in the next few months." ”

Chongzhen turned his gaze to the direction of Nanjing, and said faintly: "It is easy to break the clan in the county, but it is difficult to break the clan in the heart, and the most difficult thing to break is the clan in the hearts of the people." ”

"The clan in my heart?" Zhu Cijiong looked dazed.

Yan Yingyuan and Wu Yingji faintly felt that these words were a little familiar.

After a little thought, the two suddenly remembered that this is not a copy of what Mr. Shouren said after pacifying the bandits in southern Gannan, "It is easy to break the mountain thief, but it is difficult to break the heart"?

The clan in the county mentioned by the saint must be the family surnamed Yi.

So which clan is the clan in the heart that the Holy One said?

With this question, the two of them invariably turned their eyes to the direction of Chongzhen's gaze, which is where Nanjing is located? Isn't the clan in my heart in Nanjing? Could it be the Donglin Party that the Holy Lord is talking about?

……

Outside the Sanshan Gate of Nanjing.

Everywhere Ma Mingluo's prisoner car passed, the people were full of indignation.

Facing the rotten vegetable leaves, rotten eggs and even feces and urine thrown over like raindrops, Ma Mingluo felt pain in his heart and lungs, how stupid, how stupid these people are?

You have all been deceived by the Donglin Party!

The real dog officials are those of the Donglin Party!

However, Ma Mingluo no longer had the strength to defend himself, and he didn't want to defend anymore.

Since you are so willing to believe in the Donglin Party, then wait for the Donglin Party to bring disaster to the country and the people to the death of the country, and be killed by Jiannu.

The prisoner cart was soon escorted to the execution ground.

Ying Tianfu's officials stepped forward to open the prisoner cart and set Ma Mingluo down.

The executioner also showed off his ghost-headed broadsword, took a sip of soju and sprayed it.

The crowd of onlookers immediately applauded, waiting for the moment when the steel knife fell and the head hit the ground, two old women had already prepared steamed buns, waiting to be stained with blood.

Legend has it that human blood steamed buns can cure tuberculosis.

However, at this moment, there was a sudden sound of horses' hooves.

The three officials sitting on the beheading platform turned their heads to look at each other.

But I saw that more than a dozen riders were galloping from the direction of Swallow Rock Pier.

Seeing this group of cavalry, the scarlet-robed official sitting in the middle suddenly became anxious, and immediately took out a chopping lot from the lottery holder and threw it to the stage, shouting: "Three o'clock in the afternoon has arrived, execution!" ”

The little official in charge of guarding the sundial was stunned and said, "My lord, there is still a quarter of an hour before three o'clock in the afternoon. ”

"The official said that the hour had come, that is, the hour had come." The scarlet-robed official said sharply, "Execution!" ”

(End of chapter)