nycdaug Chapter 176 Brothers reunited
Chapter 176 Brothers reunited
"Drag him away and interrogate him thoroughly!" Shen Lian said with disgust.
"My lord, spare us! My lord, spare us!" The two officials were dragged out.
"And you?" Shen Lian coldly glanced at the other officials below the hall.
"We are guilty!" The officials all knelt down to beg for forgiveness. Only a few remained standing.
"Go down and explain yourself!" Shen Lian waved his hand.
“You are all well-versed in the classics, but look at the lives of the fishermen outside. They work so hard just to earn two meals a day!”
As a modern person, Shen Lian couldn't bear to see those emaciated fishermen outside, who couldn't even afford proper clothes!
"You won't even give them these basic requests, and you still want to plunder them. Are you even human? Have you wasted all your education?!" Shen Lian roared in fury.
The officials in the hall were so frightened that they fell silent!
"The salary I'm giving you now is equivalent to several thousand taels of silver a county magistrate earns a year, and several thousand to tens of thousands of taels a year a prefecture earns a year. And you're still not satisfied! Do you want all the silver in the world to be given to you?"
"A bunch of corrupt officials who are worse than pigs and dogs!" Shen Lian couldn't help but curse.
He really wanted to drag all those bastards out and kill them! Unfortunately, he really couldn't. Even if he killed them all, he wouldn't have enough people to manage the area.
“Mr. Wang, now I understand why the Ming Taizu Emperor killed so many officials back then?” Shen Lian shook his head and sighed as he walked in the garden.
"My lord! You are mistaken! Whether the Ming Taizu killed corrupt officials or meritorious generals, it was not for the sake of the common people, but only for the sake of his Zhu family's rule!" Wang Kaiyun shook his head.
"Through countless historical records, throughout thousands of years, which ruler has ever truly cared about the common people? The so-called love for the people as one's own children is nothing but the flattery of scholars!"
"The common people! They are nothing but cattle and horses raised by them, naturally meant to be exploited. They have never been treated as equals."
"The people are like leeks; once you cut one crop, another will grow back. So, naturally, we don't care at all when it comes to plundering them!"
"Don't the books say that he who wins the hearts of the people wins the world? And all sorts of classic articles teach us to treat the people well!" Shen Lian asked, puzzled.
"My lord! The power of interpretation is in the hands of those in power, so of course whatever they say goes! When did it become the people's place to speak?"
Wang Kaiyun was also puzzled by his master's naiveté. He was a scholar, after all! How could he not understand these things at all!
An Chongrong, a scholar from the Five Dynasties period, once said: "The emperor is the one with the strongest army and the most powerful horses."
"Our founding emperor also said: 'After entering the pass, great Confucian scholars will naturally explain the classics to us!' Your Excellency is intelligent and naturally understands this!" Wang Kaiyun stopped there. Some things cannot be said too bluntly.
Am I to become like those ancient emperors, ignoring the suffering of the people in order to rule the country? To collude with these corrupt officials and scoundrels, exploiting and oppressing the common people?
Shen Lian shook his head. He didn't consider himself a good person. He was greedy for money and women, and he also loved fine clothes and delicious food. He also liked gold and silver jewelry, mansions and luxury homes.
But he couldn't possibly treat all the people in the world like leeks to be harvested! Perhaps he was simply not a qualified leader.
But is it really true that only by relying on their methods can one conquer the world? I don't believe it! I want to try it with my own ideas!
Even if he fails! At least he tried. At worst, he can just go back and become a lawless citizen! Shen Lian clenched his fist!
In the following period, Shen Lian inspected the surrounding districts and counties of the two lakes region. He openly accepted complaints from the people. Within half a month, he arrested hundreds of corrupt officials and local tyrants.
Two months later, the Shandong "lowly people" case came to an end. Shen Lian ordered the execution of more than 300 people, and more than 100 officials had their homes confiscated and were sentenced.
The entire Shandong officialdom was eerily quiet, everyone terrified by Shen Lian's ruthlessness!
A small newspaper quietly appeared in people's field of vision.
Shen Lian handed over the responsibility for the "Shandong Daily" to Yang Du. They began publicizing the crimes of executed corrupt officials and exposing official corruption. They also praised the stories of patriotic generals, while interspersing some populist ideas hinted at by Shen Lian.
And all sorts of world knowledge, strange tales, and more!
Because of its high readability, the newspaper quickly spread throughout the market, gradually expanding from Shandong to Zhili (Hebei) and even the Jiangnan region.
The two Dreadnought-class battleships built in Britain have finally returned, and Tesla has also developed the fire control system. Together with the two battleships delivered last year, they have entered their own dry dock for secret modifications.
As June arrived, the war in Northeast China raged on. The Japanese army, with its momentum unstoppable, repeatedly defeated the Russian army and had already advanced its front line to Liaoyang.
As with historical battles, the Russians suffered from chaotic command and outdated weaponry and tactics. They were essentially being pushed back by the Japanese throughout the campaign.
The only difference was that, because of Shen Lian's strong presence, the Japanese and Russian armies committed far fewer acts of burning, killing, and looting against the local people.
The First Infantry Division dispatched by Shen Lian, along with local gangs, provided protection for the civilians. They also actively sold grain, weapons, vegetables, and other supplies to both sides, making a considerable profit.
Right now, neither Japan nor Russia can afford to cause them any trouble, so they can only endure the First Division's extortion. Although the supplies are expensive, they're still cheaper than if they were shipped from their own countries.
Both sides were thinking that they would deal with the Qing army after they won the battle.
"Brother Tie Niu!"
"Stone!"
Two brothers who hadn't seen each other for years embraced tightly!
Knowing that Zhang Tieniu had joined the officers' observation group, Zhang Shishou traveled over a thousand miles to see him.
"How have you been these past few years?" Zhang Tieniu asked, looking at Shi Tou, who had a big beard and a bandit-like air about him.
"That would be wonderful! Eating large chunks of meat and drinking large bowls of wine every day, life couldn't be more comfortable. Hahaha!" Stone laughed heartily.
"I told you to pretend to be a bandit, but don't actually become one!" Zhang Tieniu shook his head.
"How could that be! We're pretty much the same as you now, with chiefs of staff and political instructors all in place. Who would dare to really mess around! I only dared to come here because I got approval from above." Shi Tou shook his head and smiled wryly.
"You've all worked so hard! Hang in there a little longer! It shouldn't be too long." Zhang Tieniu nodded.
"Brother Tie Niu, you're really something! You're a colonel now. Looks like I'll never catch up!" Shi Tou said enviously, looking at Zhang Tie Niu's rank insignia.
"Don't give me that! Do you think I don't know? You already have two or three thousand cavalrymen under your command. It's just that the Marquis hasn't given the order to reorganize the army yet!"
“Once the cavalry is reorganized, you could become a regimental commander at any time! Are you trying to provoke me?” Zhang Tieniu glared at him.