Chapter 199: First, Death by Lingchi for One

Reality proves that human potential is limitless — the key is simply whether there are enough conditions to draw it out.

Whether it was to protect the official post he had finally managed to obtain, or out of genuine devotion to the country, Xi'an Prefect Ma Weiyin did not wait until the next day — he rushed to Lantian County that very night.

To ensure speed, Ma Weiyin, who was normally quite particular about his image, did not even take his sedan chair; he rode hard all the way from Xi'an Prefecture straight to Lantian County.

But once he reached the Lantian County yamen and saw the utterly expressionless face of the Chongzhen Emperor, Ma Weiyin felt his own calves trembling, and inwardly he could not stop cursing his luck.

Getting caught up in today's mess — he really was damn well wronged. As for this grain meant for disaster relief, he, Ma Weiyin, dared swear on his ancestors eight generations back that he truly had not embezzled a single grain of it.

The salary for his position was not all that much, but it was enough for his daily expenses.

Besides, he was, after all, on the golden roster of the palace examination in the twentieth year of Wanli, the renchen year, with plenty of room to rise in the future, so he would not actively embezzle — especially with the current emperor's murderous streak being so heavy, he had even less nerve to embezzle.

As for the customary gifts he sent upward, and the customary gifts he received from those below him — could that really be counted as embezzlement? It was nothing more than social reciprocity. As long as the sums of silver were not too large, presumably no problem would arise.

But as the old saying goes: a man sits at home, and calamity falls from the sky.

The grain he was supposed to allocate to Lantian County — not a grain was missing. What he had never expected was that Lantian County Magistrate Shen Xiuting would dare to embezzle like this and cause such an enormous disaster.

Fine, so you embezzled — but at least don't let anyone starve to death. Even if someone did starve to death, could you damn well clean up the loose ends properly? This damn mess got caught red-handed by the reigning emperor traveling incognito, and it dragged me down with it!

Cursing Shen Xiuting endlessly in his heart, Ma Weiyin first performed the grand ceremony of paying respects to the Chongzhen Emperor, then stood there with the utmost deference, awaiting the Chongzhen Emperor's judgment.

Chongzhen glanced expressionlessly at Ma Weiyin. This was the very man who had first submitted the memorial reporting the great drought in Shaanxi.

He had originally thought the man might be put to great use; he never expected him to be a fool who could not even get a clear picture of the embezzlement by the county officials under his jurisdiction. It seemed this man could be used, but not for anything of great importance.

He might do well enough reassigned as a Censor or a remonstrance official, but governing a region — forget it.

Having made up his mind, Chongzhen spoke: "Tomorrow, first oversee the grain distribution. After that, you will accompany Us as We walk around and take a look at this Xi'an Prefecture. Let Us see exactly what conditions are like under your governance."

Ma Weiyin secretly breathed a sigh of relief. From the information he had, the situation in Lantian County was a damn exception; he just did not understand how the emperor had happened to pick Lantian County — truly, his luck was rotten all the way to his grandmother's house.

After giving his instructions, the Chongzhen Emperor ordered Ma Weiyin to withdraw and rest. As for those two unlucky wretches Shen Xiuting and Wu Qi, they were simply thrown into Lantian County's jail and held separately, to be dealt with once Tian Ergeng and Cao Huachun arrived.

The next day, the Chongzhen Emperor, still traveling incognito, brought Ma Weiyin to the gruel distribution site not far from the Lantian County yamen.

Gazing from a distance at the people lining up to receive gruel, Chongzhen asked: "Minister Ma, what do you see?"

Ma Weiyin did not know the meaning behind the Chongzhen Emperor's question, so he could only answer honestly: "Reporting to Your Majesty, what your subject sees is disaster victims receiving gruel."

Chongzhen nodded, gave an "Mm," and then said: "What We see is not disaster victims receiving gruel. What We see is a force that could overturn heaven and earth gathering."

Seeing that although Ma Weiyin bowed in acknowledgment, his expression still carried some skepticism, the Chongzhen Emperor — who intended to groom Ma Weiyin in the direction of a Censor or civil remonstrance official — continued: "From the Qin dynasty down to our Great Ming, how many dynastic transitions have there been?

Setting aside the Jin and the Song, how many were caused by popular uprisings?"

Ma Weiyin, hearing this, drew in a sharp breath. If one did not think about it, it was merely the change of dynasties.

But if one truly thought about it as the emperor said, one would realize that no matter which dynasty or which era, in the end it was always because of these seemingly insignificant common people that dynasties truly changed.

The Great Han, where one Han matched five barbarians and which perished uniquely through its own strength — it was these common people who first rose in the Yellow Turban Rebellion, and only afterward came the Three Kingdoms.

The Mongol Yuan, which had thrashed the entire world, was also driven back to the steppe by the Grand Progenitor Emperor, who rose from the humblest beginnings.

And these disaster victims before his eyes — how alike were they to the common people during the Yellow Turban Rebellion, and during the Mongol Yuan, who had no food to eat?

Who knew whether, among them, there might be those who, when they could no longer survive, would rise in revolt and raise their banners?

As for the Eastern Jin's flight south and the old Song — those two weaklings were simply exceptions, with not the slightest reference value.

Seeing that Ma Weiyin's expression as he looked at the common people had changed, the Chongzhen Emperor, satisfied in his heart, continued: "In Our view, the common people of our Great Ming are the finest common people under heaven.

So long as they have a single mouthful of food to fill their bellies, they will not choose to rebel, but will instead honestly make their living by farming.

Yet how is it that all the lords of the court, and all the officials throughout Great Ming, high and low, fail to see this clearly? Must they drive the people to rebellion, and only be satisfied when they themselves are torn to shreds by these enraged disaster victims? Hm?!"

Ma Weiyin was momentarily speechless, but then heard the Chongzhen Emperor continue: "Let us go. We shall see for ourselves exactly what this gruel distribution in Lantian County looks like."

In fact, even while the Chongzhen Emperor and Ma Weiyin were speaking, some people under the distant gruel-distribution awning had already spotted the Chongzhen Emperor and Ma Weiyin in his official robes, but seeing the two of them chatting there, no one had come over to disturb them.

Now, as the two walked over from a distance, with Chongzhen leading the way and Ma Weiyin, dressed as a Prefect, instead following deferentially behind, it was clear that this young gentleman with the face of a pretty boy was the person of the most exalted status.

Therefore, those yamen runners who had escaped yesterday's upheaval because they had been out distributing gruel were quite respectful as they waited for the two to come and ask questions, and none of those face-slapping scenes so common in novels occurred.

But when Chongzhen drew near and saw the rice-water in the great cauldrons beneath the gruel awning, the fury that he had earlier somewhat suppressed in his heart flared up again with a whoosh.

Looking at the yamen runners who stood bowing, waiting for his orders, and at the disaster victims who kept a little farther away but were still gazing eagerly at the cauldrons, Chongzhen, his face as dark as water, asked: "Is the gruel distributed every day always like this?"

Because they had been out distributing gruel the whole time and were not inside the yamen, the yamen runners had escaped yesterday's calamity, but they still knew that the yamen had been surrounded by soldiers, and it was said that quite a few agonized screams had come from within afterward.

The yamen runners, already uneasy, were now asked such a question by the noble young master before them, and were so frightened that they dared not even speak.

After a long while, a yamen runner who looked like a head constable finally stepped forward. He first made a bow with clasped hands, then, stooping, said: "In reply to the young master, this gruel is sometimes thinner, sometimes thicker.

If the County Lord happens to be in a good mood, the gruel is a bit thicker. As for ordinary days, it is probably about the way it is now."

Chongzhen's fury, restrained again and again, finally could be held back no longer. He raised his foot and kicked over the table beside him, roaring: "Do the craven officials think Our blade is not sharp?!"

With a loud crash, the table, on which some chipped bowls were set, finally lost its balance and toppled to the ground. Even many of the chipped bowls on the table were smashed to pieces.

The yamen runners and disaster victims nearby, however, heard it clearly. The word "Zhen" — since the First Emperor, who in ordinary times dared use it?

And looking again at the Prefect, who was following behind this noble young master like a put-upon little daughter-in-law — who would not know that this was the emperor himself arriving?

In an instant, beneath the gruel awning, the yamen runners distributing gruel and the nearby disaster victims all dropped to their knees in a sweeping wave.

But the disaster victims farther away could only see this noble young master kick over the gruel-distribution table with one foot, and at once a murmuring arose. The gruel might have been a bit thin, but at least it was something to drink.

If even this little bit was gone, then what were they supposed to do? All just wait to starve to death?

Thinking this, the gazes those disaster victims directed at Chongzhen carried more than a little hostility.

Fang Zhenghua and Zhu Gang, who were guarding Chongzhen, had been observing the surroundings all along. Seeing this, they hurriedly shouted, "Protect the Emperor!"

First they sent the signal to summon the Capital Camps, then they ordered the accompanying Internal Depot agents and Embroidered Uniform Guard to form a tight circle around the Chongzhen Emperor.

In mere moments, the Capital Camps soldiers, who had been very close by and merely on alert, had completely surrounded this small square-like area.

One company of Centurion troops swiftly ran to Chongzhen's side, forming up outside the ring of Embroidered Uniform Guard, thoroughly separating the Chongzhen Emperor from the disaster victims.

As Capital Camps soldiers kept charging over, ceaselessly shouting "Protect the Emperor!", even the disaster victims farther away now understood that this young gentleman who had kicked over the table was none other than the reigning emperor, traveling incognito and arriving here.

Although these disaster victims waiting for gruel had absolutely no idea why the emperor would kick over the table, the soldiers surrounding them were no joke.

Therefore, however much discontent they felt in their hearts, they could only forcibly suppress it, kneel on the ground, and shout "Long live the Emperor!"

These disaster victims might not have understood clearly, but Zhang Zhiji, who had brought soldiers over to cordon off the area, needed only a single glance at the cauldrons cooking the gruel, and his heart was as clear as a mirror.

This was damn well — rather than calling it gruel distribution, it would be better to call it water distribution, with a few grains of rice mixed in. A bowl of this gruel going into the belly — in the time it took to take a piss, a person would be hungry again!

What a fine Lantian County Magistrate! If the emperor did not fly into a rage under these circumstances, that would truly be strange!

Sure enough, the Chongzhen Emperor, his face dark, first picked up a relatively intact bowl from the ground, then took a ladle and scooped around in the cauldron for ages before he managed to scoop up a bowl's worth of rice.

Next, the Chongzhen Emperor casually picked up a chopstick and stuck it upright in the bowl.

Only then, his eyes reddening, did he stare at the chopstick and say: "Transmit Our decree: order the Embroidered Uniform Guard's mounted couriers to disperse and supervise the grain distribution. The gruel that is distributed must hold a chopstick upright.

If the chopstick falls, the head falls! No matter which department or which county — if a single chopstick falls, if a single commoner starves to death, We shall have their heads!

The heads of nine degrees of kinship!"

Because this passage was practically roared out, which of the nearby commoners and yamen runners could not hear it clearly? For a moment, it was the commoners who began to discuss it first.

"See, I told ya — it's all these officials messing around. How could the emperor possibly not care about us?"

"A wise ruler! A wise ruler!"

"Now things are good — finally we won't have to go hungry anymore!"

"I was saying just now, why did a flash of golden light pass by — turns out it was the Son of Heaven arriving. No wonder, no wonder."

Hearing the discussions of the nearby commoners, Chongzhen roared out a command for silence, then loudly declared: "We, today, shall give you an accounting!"

Having said this, and paying no heed to the curious commoners' whispered murmurs, Chongzhen next ordered Zhu Gang: "Go and bring Shen Xiuting here. Also, prepare the execution platform. We shall personally have him sliced to death right here today!"

Zhu Gang bowed: "Your subject obeys the decree!" He then ordered men to prepare the execution ground and instruments, and also ordered men to fetch Shen Xiuting from the jail and bring him to this small square.

Shen Xiuting, who had already resigned himself to awaiting death, saw that it was not to be a quick end with one stroke, but that he was instead being tied to a wooden frame.

In his great terror, a burst of energy came from he knew not where, and he shouted: "Your Majesty, show mercy! Your Majesty, show mercy!

This guilty subject knows his wrongs! I beg Your Majesty to show mercy!"

The Chongzhen Emperor, his face dark, paid him no attention whatsoever, and did not even give an order to dislocate his jaw — Go on, scream at me, if you've got the guts, bite your tongue and kill yourself — you won't die anyway!

It must be said, the Embroidered Uniform Guard was full of talent, and they were extremely eager to learn.

Ever since the last time, when the Jianzhou barbarians besieged the capital and the Chongzhen Emperor ordered the Embroidered Uniform Guard to slice Haoge alive, quite a few men in the Guard had gone to the experts of the Court of Judicial Review and the Ministry of Justice to seek special instruction in the craft of lingchi.

Seeing that his men had already bound Shen Xiuting securely, Zhu Gang bowed to Chongzhen and said, "Your Majesty, the criminal is ready."

Chongzhen's face was dark as he said, "Go find a few more dogs."

This, however, took nearly half a shichen — could starving, desperate refugees possibly have let any dogs survive? Most had been beaten to death and eaten for their meat!

Only after Zhu Gang's Embroidered Uniform Guard had scoured the entire Lantian County town and found four or five dogs so famished their eyes glowed green did the Chongzhen Emperor fix his gaze dead on Shen Xiuting and say, "Slice this bastard alive.

Afterwards, even his bones are to be smashed to pieces and fed to the dogs!"

Hearing Chongzhen's order, Zhu Gang bowed and said, "This humble officer requests to carry out the execution personally."

Once Chongzhen nodded his consent, Zhu Gang turned to Shen Xiuting with a savage grin and said, "Grandson, your grandpa's going to take care of you himself today!"

With that, he strode swiftly onto the execution platform, produced from somewhere on his person a small single-edged knife, seized Shen Xiuting's eyelid, and sliced it off in one cut.

After slicing off both eyelids, Zhu Gang drove a fist into the screaming Shen Xiuting's stomach. As Shen Xiuting let out a strangled grunt, Zhu Gang grinned savagely and said, "Grandson, you'd better keep your eyes wide open and watch how your grandpa carves you up like a Beijing roast duck!"

The common folk watching from a distance could not hear what Zhu Gang was saying, but they saw the actions — slicing off eyelids, punching the stomach — with perfect clarity, and for a time, cheers rang out without end.

Zhu Gang, who had something of a crowd-pleaser's streak, now had a flush even coloring his face. As he worked at slicing the man, he panted heavily and said to Shen Xiuting, "Hear that? Look — this craft of your grandpa's, the whole of Lantian County's common folk are cheering for it!"

——

The following text is free of charge:

Everyone knows that the Tyrant is a miserable part-time writer. As you can see from the posting times of recent chapters, the Tyrant has basically been cultivating to immortality.

Today, he finally couldn't hold out. Got home at seven after work, collapsed on the sofa and fell asleep, didn't wake until the middle of the night.

After waking, the Tyrant started typing and only just now finished. The update is late — the Tyrant pleads guilty.

Still, the Tyrant does have a shred of integrity, so please rest assured, honored readers — even during the New Year period, the Tyrant will not break the update streak.

(End of chapter)