Zhejiang, Zhejiang's Governor's Palace.

At this moment, Hu Zongxian was sitting at the top, listening to everyone's reports.

I saw Zheng Michang take the lead in standing up, turned his gaze to Hu Zongxian, who was sitting at the top, and spoke.

"Your Excellency the Governor, all the affairs you commanded earlier have been completed!"

When Zheng Michang said this, he paused for a moment and continued.

"At present, Ningbo Port has many merchant ships going to sea, and the number is still increasing!"

"Soon, the port of Ningbo will be able to return to its previous level."

When Zheng Michang said this, his face was full of excitement.

After listening to Zheng Michang's report, Hu Zongxian nodded and sighed.

"Well, you're doing a good job!"

"In this way, the people along the coast can be regarded as having a way to live!"

After Zheng Michang's report was completed, Ma Ningyuan on the side also got up and reported to Hu Zongxian.

"Teacher, at present, the progress of changing rice to mulberry is also slowly increasing, and those people who plant mulberry seedlings, the government has also exempted them from forced labor while giving rewards in accordance with the previous agreement."

"In addition, there is no food scarcity for the time being."

After listening to Ma Ningyuan's report, Hu Zongxian nodded and commanded.

"Well, we should pay more attention to this aspect, if there are signs of food shortage, the government can distribute the grain prepared in advance to the people who plant mulberry seedlings!"

Hearing this, Ma Ningyuan immediately replied in a deep voice.

"Yes, Teacher!"

At this moment, from outside the council hall, there was a rush of footsteps.

Immediately, I saw a guard enter the meeting hall, turn his eyes to Hu Zongxian, who was sitting at the top, and report in a deep voice.

"Your Excellency the Governor, General Qi sent someone to deliver news that they had captured a group of pirates!"

"What!"

Everyone present was shocked when they learned the news, and then turned their eyes to Hu Zongxian, who was sitting at the top, waiting for his instructions.

I saw Hu Zongxian pick up the teacup on the side, take a sip, and then command unhurriedly.

"In this way, pass on the official's order, let Qi Jiguang's side use no matter what means he uses, he must pry open the mouths of this group of widows!"

"The official wants to know the origin of this group of widows, if there is a stubborn guy among them, according to the past practice, he will be directly executed!"

"Yes, Lord Governor!"

Seeing that Hu Zongxian had already given specific instructions, the guard replied respectfully, and then left the meeting hall of the Governor's Mansion directly, not daring to make the slightest stop.

After the guard left, the people in the hall began to discuss.

I saw Gao Hanwen get up from his seat, pluck up his courage, and ask Hu Zongxian.

"Your Excellency, I beg your pardon, why didn't you execute all of these widows as was customary?"

After hearing Gao Hanwen's words, Hu Zongxian shook his head, and immediately explained.

"Keep them because they're still useful!"

Hearing this, everyone present couldn't help but fall into deep thought.

"According to the past practice, anyone who catches the Japanese and the pirates, regardless of the reason, will be killed on the spot!"

"Could it be that the imperial court gave Hu Zongxian, the governor of Zhejiang, any instructions?"

……

"Kill!"

"Kill!"

In the school field, Qi Jiguang was personally training his subordinates, and he personally corrected any irregular movements.

After several rounds of baptism of blood and fire, the army commanded by Qi Jiguang and Yu Dayou is the most elite and most powerful force in the Ming Dynasty in addition to the nine border armies.

At this moment, I only heard the sound of horses' hooves in the distance, and after the person got off the horse, he went straight to Qi Jiguang's location.

When he came to Qi Jiguang's side, he arched his hand to him with a respectful expression.

"Xiaguan, I've seen General Qi!"

Qi Jiguang took his eyes off the person who came and asked instead.

"What did the Governor say?"

Seeing this, the people who came immediately informed Hu Zongxian's orders were all informed.

"Your Excellency the Governor has told you to pry open the mouths of these robbers, no matter what means you use!"

"Your Excellency the Governor wants to know the origin of this group of pirates, and he also said that if there are stubborn fellows among them, they will be executed according to the past practice!"

Hearing this, Qi Jiguang's face did not have any emotional fluctuations, and he immediately commanded.

"Well, General Ben knows, you can go back and resume your life!"

"Yes!"

After saluting Qi Jiguang respectfully, the visitor turned over his horse and left the barracks according to the path he had come.

Then, I saw Qi Jiguang turn his gaze to the pro-soldiers on the side and commanded.

"General Chuanben's order, let's torture those pirates first!"

"Yes, General!"

After the soldiers responded, they quickly conveyed Qi Jiguang's order.

……

In a dark room, about thirty or so widows were huddled in the corner, shivering, and all of them had scars of varying degrees on their bodies, most of them caused by whipping.

"Tsunoda-kun, it's all my fault, if I hadn't proposed to take this path, we wouldn't have been caught by Akito!"

In the room, a young man with a pale face, his hair in a bun, and his clothes already tattered, dressed as a samurai, listened to his companion beside him.

This person's name is Makoto Tsunoda, born in a samurai family in Miyazaki, Kyushu, but later due to the middle of the family, he had to do the business of robbing the house.

The companion on the side, seeing that Makoto Tsunoda was unmoved, continued to add.

"Listen to them, whoever falls into the hands of the Ming people will be tortured to death!"

Seeing this, Makoto Tsunoda comforted him.

"I can't blame you completely, no one knows that on that road, there will be an ambush of the Ming army!"

"I hope that Amaterasu will protect us and survive smoothly!"

After Makoto Tsunoda finished speaking, he closed his eyes tightly and said no more.

At this moment, only a 'squeak' was heard, and the door of the room where the group of pirates was held was pushed open, and more than a dozen fierce soldiers walked in.

The group of would-be robbers huddled in the corner saw the Ming sergeant enter, and the look of fear on their faces was even worse.

As he stepped back into the corner, he shouted in Japanese.

"Please spare our lives, we won't dare again!"

Seeing this, the soldiers became even more annoyed, and waved the leather whips in their hands with great force, and scolded angrily.

"What kind of bird language do you say, be quiet for Uncle Ben!"

"It's really unlucky, it's better to kill them all!"

Every time the whip in the hands of the Ming soldiers was wielded, it would leave a deep blood mark on the bodies of these Japanese soldiers, and the wails and screams were endless.

Finally, some soldiers got impatient, pulled out their long knives from their waists, and dragged out the loudest wailing ones among the group of robbers in front of them, and killed them with one sword.

After throwing the corpses aside like garbage, the leading soldier made a silent gesture to the group of widows.

Blood flowed down the corpses, gradually converging into a small pool of blood around them, and the faces of those corpses still had the expressions they had before death.

In the air, there was a lingering smell of blood, and the remaining wouldn't dare to make any more noise when they saw this, and the current group of Ming soldiers was, in their opinion, the incarnation of the devil.

"Hmph, it's finally clean, torture!"

"Treat them well, live or die!"

(End of chapter)