Three Kingdoms

One of the oldest human emotions is fear.

The highest punishment for those who disrupt order is death.

In Chengdu, preparations were made for a public trial of Qiao and others.

Public trials have become synonymous with Eastern evil in some people's descriptions. It seems that such brutal behavior can only occur in a place of ignorance and non-freedom. But in fact, people who claim to be free and free In fact, the West is also a loyal user of public trials.

Public trial is actually "execution in public".

Of course, most of these executions are direct executions.

Hanging is a basically common form, and according to many Western educators and commentators on knights, hanging seems to be more civilized, less bloody, and less violent than beheading...

Regardless of whether you can still realize whether hanging and beheading are humane and gentle deaths after death, let's just say that China has beheading and quartering the body with five horses, while the West also has executions of disembowelment and separation of the head and limbs. Cut it down and hang it all over the castle.

For example, this is what the Rotten Nation people did when they dealt with the Splatoons who were trying to fight for freedom.

By the way, at that time, the Fu country people even cut off the genitals of those Su Ge who said they wanted to be free, and hung them on the bridge as wind chimes...

I don’t know if those people in later generations who went to China for tourism, study, or other purposes, and then arrived at the bridge, expressed that they felt the breath of freedom while facing the bridge, and then happily took a group photo with the bridge, would they have thought of this? There was a certain Brother Su's genitals dangling next to him?

So in fact, in feudal society, between state violence, there is no such thing as civilized or uncivilized, violent or not, they are just different butts sitting in different positions.

Just like the current public trial of the Qiao family in Chengdu, perhaps if one's position is on the side of the Qiao family or the children of the gentry, they will naturally say that Xu Shu and others are not considerate of the people, bloody and cruel, and have no human feelings. , Didi Gugu showed disdain, but it was just talk. These people didn't dare to do anything.

Outside the big city of Chengdu, on one side of Cheguancheng, close to the water inspection site, a high platform with a simple wooden and bamboo structure was built.

There is a lot of bamboo wood in Sichuan and Sichuan, and it is easy to collect, so in one day, a platform about two or three stories high was built. There were patrols and soldiers under the stage to maintain order.

People are always full of enthusiasm and curiosity about things like public trials. As long as the people in the city are really not too busy to leave, they will come and crowd the open space in front of the platform and the surrounding streets. There are even some children chasing and playing happily, and there is no such adult. He would say that it was too bloody and that children should not watch it.

The public trial began near noon.

First, the inspection team announced the list of people involved in the Qiao family, as well as some relevant explanations, which quickly aroused the empathy of ordinary people.

So when the relevant clan members of the Qiao clan were being escorted, there were roars and curses from the people on both sides of the road and under the high platform, which made the noble clansmen standing or sitting in the distance somewhat frightened, with expressions on their faces. Turning white, the eyes of the ordinary people around him couldn't help but become a little frightened.

Amidst the roaring sound like a surging river, a group of interfering Qiao clan members led by Qiao Ming were escorted out for public trial.

On the high platform, officials with loud voices read out their crimes, focusing on the fact that they carried out a series of brutal acts of beating, killing, poisoning, and even annihilation of families in an organized, planned, and targeted manner.

This kind of crime is different from ordinary people.

Most ordinary people commit crimes without any premeditation or plan, but the Qiao clan is obviously not like this. They have minions, division of labor, and planning. This is very scary. After all, no one wants to have a person around them. A large group of people in the family are plotting to harm people every day...

And it’s still the kind where you have to issue a letter of understanding if you are murdered.

Therefore, Qiao's public trial easily aroused fear and hatred among ordinary people. The masks of these Qiao clan members who were originally "good country squires" were pulled off, and the underwear of the "real monks" were also pulled off.

Not to mention that most ordinary people around Chengdu have not received any "benefit" from the Qiao family, even if there are a few who remember some benefits from the Qiao family in the early years, they found out that the Qiao family is currently selling charms in order to make money. Not only Zhang Orion was killed, but some farmers were also beaten and killed, and their families were destroyed. They became angry, and the people turned their fear of being harmed into endless hatred towards Qiao and others.

The aroused hatred burst out, and voices shouted to kill him one after another.

Qiao Ming's face was as pale as earth.

He was completely speechless and trembling all over.

He used to think that the people in the audience were just leeks, cutting one after another, and they could cut them whenever they wanted. But now he saw these "leeks" gnashing their teeth and waving their hands. He was scared when he held his arms and stared at him, as if he would rush up and tear him alive in the next moment.

Only then did he realize that these "leeks", these "leeks" that he had despised, ignored, and even trampled on, would one day kill him...

Some relatives of the victims who had been invited in advance came to the stage to complain. When they expressed their indignation, they cried and cursed, and some directly jumped on them to fight and bite them, which made the patrol officers on the sidelines to maintain order. It took several pulls to pull the victims off the Qiao family's bodies.

After hearing the complaints of these victims, the people under the high platform became more and more agitated, and then suddenly someone shouted: "Kill him!" 』

Immediately, the people in the audience were stunned for a moment, and soon many people started shouting together, and the shouts got louder and louder, and they became more organized.

"kill him! 』

"kill him! 』

"..."

The people in the audience shouted, as if the mountains were falling apart.

Some of the Qiao clan members who were escorted onto the high platform were limp, some were crying, and some were already incontinent...

On the side of the high platform, Ma Heng and Ma Zhong looked at each other, and then Ma Heng extended his hand slightly to signal, and Ma Zhong bowed his hand in salute, then walked a few steps forward and stood at the edge of the high platform.

The people in the audience saw Ma Zhong standing on the edge and gradually stopped shouting.

Ma Zhong unfolded a book of writings and announced the verdict loudly: "Under the command of General Hussar, the Yizhou Mu Xu envoy ordered the verdict against the Qiao family and others as follows..."

The killing drum started beating, and then the inspector and the soldiers shouted three times in unison. The surrounding area suddenly became quiet, and Ma Zhong's voice was heard echoing.

"Qiao's son Ming, behead him immediately and hang his head in public display!" 』

"Qiao's son Yue will be beheaded immediately and his head hung in public display!" 』

"Qiao family..."

Ma Zhong read out the trials one by one.

Fifteen of the Qiao clan's children, headed by Qiao Ming, and nearly sixty others who were members of the Qiao clan or were minions within the family were sentenced to death. There were more than two hundred people involved in this incident, and then Different punishments were given, ranging from confiscation of family property, fines to hard labor, expulsion from school, dismissal from the civil service, banning descendants from serving for three generations, etc.

It can be said that the Qiao clan has declined as a whole since this moment. Even some ordinary Qiao clan who were not beheaded or arrested for hard labor, but just because of shielding, involvement in dirty things, providing criminal facilities, etc., were almost There is no chance of recovery.

As long as the Hussar forces are in Sichuan and Sichuan, at least the Qiao family will have no chance within three generations.

Qiao's downfall was like the collapse of a tall building.

Dust everywhere.

After the dust settled a little, someone seemed to realize that something was wrong with this tall building...

The Qiao family has high-rise buildings, is it possible that other wealthy gentry families don’t have high-rise buildings?

Among the Han dynasties, the squires in many places not only climbed the ranks of the upper class, but were also local landowners and businessmen. They held connections, wealth and resources in their hands, and even in some remote areas, they were like local emperors. , say the same thing, don’t offend.

After the public trial, the news gradually spread, and some people gathered in twos and threes.

Especially in the Nanzhong area.

Nanzhong Jianning.

At the public trial near Chengdu, heads rolled down, which made the atmosphere in Nanzhong suddenly tense. Not only did people from various Dong villages begin to gather, but some squires also began to "move" and move their property, belongings, population, etc. to their own villages to hide them.

Jianning was originally a large county. It used to be the territory of the Dian Kingdom, the ancient kingdom of the "Southern Barbarians". It gradually declined after the Han Dynasty. Especially near Dian Lake, these large households that had survived from the Western Han Dynasty inevitably gathered together to discuss with each other.

As Cuan Xi gets older, basically he doesn't show up as often, but people around him will still respect Yu Cuan Xi's attitude. As a new generation, Cuan Li became the family leader.

"This... this Commander Xu is too unruly..." A younger squire said, his eyes passing over Cuan Li's face, "He moved his hands without even saying hello... …』

"May I ask what your surname is?" ” Cuan Li glanced sideways at the person who spoke.

"Uh, I'm here, my family name..." The younger squire was in a daze. Is this Cuan Li suffering from amnesia? Cuan Li called him by his name when we just met before. Why did he forget it all at once?

Zhu Ziquan on the side sneered. He understood what Cuan Li meant, "Brother Cuan, I say that in this situation, it is better to follow the general trend... In this day, the movement will be thunderous, even those who are playing outside." Didn’t fall...』

A layman only knows that Xu Shu arrested and killed many people in the Qiao family, but an expert can see a lot of things. These days, if you really want to catch someone, it is not as convenient as in later generations. Especially the terrain like Sichuan and Sichuan is complex, with mountains, forests, trees and ravines. If the news is leaked and the person burrows into the ravine, regardless of whether the person who burrows into the ravine can survive smoothly, it will definitely be difficult to catch him. .

And like how Xu Shu dealt with the Qiao family, nothing seemed to happen if he didn't take action. Once he wanted to take action, he immediately caught everything that needed to be caught. Even the Qiao family's son who was not at home could be captured. This not only reflects the strong soldiers and horses of Xu Shu's men. In addition, it also reflects a very important message...

Cuan Li nodded, and then turned his neck uncomfortably, causing the joints in his neck to make a slight rattling sound. After he heard the news, he really felt like someone was staring at the back of his head all the time, and he always felt a chill on the back of his neck.

"Have you...discovered anything?" ” Cuan Li asked Zhu Quandao.

Zhu Quan looked at Cuan Li, then smiled bitterly with a slightly depressed expression and shook his head.

Cuan Li suddenly felt a toothache, and his neck was becoming more and more uncomfortable. He couldn't help but reach out and touch the back of his neck, rubbing it twice, as if to dispel the coolness emanating from the invisible blade on the back of his neck.

What Cuan Li can be sure of is that whether it's on his side, on Zhu Quan's side, or on the side of the squire who just said stupid things, there must be some spies from Xu Shu...

With the penetration and guidance of the eyeliner, Xu Shu could easily hold Qiao Shi up and down when he wanted to take action!

But the problem is that Cuan Li can guess, but he can't tell that those people are Xu Shu's spies...

This is the most terrifying place.

You don't even know where the enemy is hiding. He just stands behind you and puts a knife to your neck. Under such circumstances, how can you resist?

If Qiao was a chicken, these monkeys in Nanzhong were indeed frightened.

He knew that Xu Shu might be using Qiao Shi to scare him, but how could he guarantee that Xu Shu would not actually take action?

Or could Xu Shu be able to prevent it once he made a move?

What a headache!

"Then let's have a good discussion!" ” Cuan Li waved his hand helplessly, “Let’s talk about Zhuge’s strategy of “removing the stronghold and establishing the countryside”... ”

If you can't prevent it or stop it, then you have no choice but to follow it.

Before Zhuge Liang left Nanzhong, he summoned these people and announced his plan to transform Nanzhong, which was called "withdrawing the village and establishing the village."

According to Zhuge Liang's intention, the scattered villages in Nanzhong were relatively gathered together to form larger counties and townships, and then further promoted the economic, cultural and other development of these new counties and townships.

Nanzhong has a lot of resources, but its degree of development is very low.

The villages are far apart from each other, and there is little concept of division of labor and cooperation. There are very few products. Many utensils are all purchased, and the economic benefits are basically zero. Of course, the economic benefit here is zero, for Xu Shu, the tax collector.

The reason why these villages have been able to exist for so many years is of course of great benefit to the leaders of the villages. The people in the villages are ignorant, and all exchanges of goods or other things are controlled by the village leaders. Once they come into contact with the outside world, the interests of these village leaders will inevitably be reduced.

Therefore, when Zhuge Liang suggested to "remove villages and establish villages" and re-plan the roads so that more people can benefit from the newly built roads, these Nanzhong village leaders and local gentry were naturally more or less hesitant. of.

At that time, Zhuge Liang did not forcefully implement it. He just said that he wanted Cuan Li and others to think about it carefully, and Zhuge Liang later left.

But now that I think about it, isn't the fate of the Qiao family the best warning?

What did the Qiao clan do?

If the skin of the God of the Five Directions is lifted off, is there any essential difference between everything and what the wealthy squire in Nanzhong does?

Perhaps Qiao was more greedy and cruel, but the crimes were actually the same.

The Qiao family took advantage of the people's ignorance and information bias, and then deceived the people to profit from it. As for the leaders of the villages in Nanzhong and the local squires, who dares to pat their chests and say that everything they do is decent?

Look at the public trial in Chengdu. Those usually docile and cowardly people suddenly turned into wild beasts that dared to bite the flesh and blood of the Qiao clan in public. These wealthy people in Nanzhong couldn't help but feel a little scared. What if? …

Just in case...

So what should we do?

It was impossible to resist the order, my neck felt cold and my scalp was numb.

Therefore, we can only think carefully and discuss carefully how to build one or two townships and counties according to local conditions, and then look at the specific situation of subsequent development.

According to the suggestions left by Zhuge Liang, Nanzhong established agriculture and livestock industry as the key basic industries, and then determined the economic industries based on the natural environment around the township and county.

Because Nanzhong is an important hub area between Sichuan, Sichuan and Jiaozhi, it can be predicted that if the caravan is opened and the road is smooth, a large number of Sichuan horses and Yunnan horses will be needed for transportation and transshipment. Therefore, in addition to ensuring the daily food of the population, In addition to agriculture that produces grain, animal husbandry is also an important industry that South China must develop and can benefit from.

In the past, the villages were all small, and even if they had some output, they were basically duplicated. For example, when there was a lot of food, everyone had too much food and couldn't sell it for a price. Now if they are concentrated together, then naturally there will be a bigger one. space and more possibilities for division of labor and collaboration.

As for other economic industries, they can depend on the specific location. If there are mines, open mines. If there are no mines, you can also make bamboo paper and weave bamboo baskets. Anyway, as long as the roads are open and there are more caravans, what can't make money?

In fact, Zhuge Liang's plan of "withdrawing the village and establishing a village" was very good, but Cuan Li and others subconsciously wanted more benefits at the time, so they did not agree immediately. Now after the Qiao family incident, Cuan Li When others look back at this proposal, it seems that it is not so unacceptable.

"How about following this path... and giving it a try?" Zhu Quan said.

Cuan Li turned to look at Meng Huo, "What do you think?" 』

Meng Huoba smacked his lips and said, "I don't have any objection. Whatever you say is what it is!" 』

Cuan Li sighed and clapped his hands, "Then let's do this first. Each family will set up two villages with no less than five hundred people. According to the counties and villages planned by Zhuge before starting work, they will cooperate with the envoys and generals. Use soldiers and manpower to establish villages and counties! 』