"Master Zhu, let's be frank. We, the Wuxi Miao, went down the mountain to attack the southeastern flood shelter and robbed food and more than a thousand civilians. We have already committed a serious mistake. I wonder how Master Zhu can save us, the Wuxi Miao?"
Madam Yilan leaned forward slightly, stared at Zhu Ping'an with burning eyes, and asked seriously.
"I know that you Wuxi Miao are all good people. It's just that you can't hold on any longer because of the floods and hunger and cold. For the survival of your family, you are forced to go down the mountain to plunder the southeast flood refuge area. You plunder food and grass just to get food, and plunder the people just to protect yourself. I am the magistrate of Jingnan County in accordance with the will of the emperor. I am your parent official. In my eyes, you are all my juniors. You have not made any serious mistakes, and there are excusable circumstances. If you admit your mistakes and can correct them, I will forgive your sins."
Zhu Ping'an also leaned forward slightly, looked at Madam Yilan with burning eyes, and spoke slowly.
The two looked at each other, as if the clouds and winds were meeting. For a moment, the atmosphere was like an exam, but also like a blind date.
After staring at each other for three seconds, they both looked away, with a satisfied smile on their lips.
"Your Excellency cares about the people and is worthy of the name of an upright official." Lady Yilan stood up and bowed to Zhu Ping'an.
"Please stand up, Chief. I am unworthy of the title of Qingtian." Zhu Ping'an took half a step forward and said from a distance.
"But I still have some questions, and I hope you can help me solve them." Mrs. Yilan stood up and said slowly.
"Please speak, Chief. I will tell you everything I know." Zhu Ping'an extended his hand to invite him.
"Your Excellency just said that I, Wuxi Miao, admit my mistakes and am able to correct them, and that Your Excellency will forgive my sins. I wonder what it means to admit one's mistakes and am able to correct them?" Madam Yilan looked at Zhu Ping'an with her weather-beaten eyes without blinking, carefully and attentively, not missing any of Zhu Ping'an's micro-expressions.
All the Wuxi Miao people looked at Zhu Ping'an with burning eyes. For a moment, Zhu Ping'an became the focus of tens of thousands of people.
"Return the looted food and civilians, and surrender the whole family." Zhu Ping'an looked directly at Madam Yilan and replied without hesitation.
What?!
Return the looted food and civilians, and surrender the whole clan? !
Returning the people is fine, but what about returning the food and fodder? ! The reason we plundered the southeast flood shelter is because our tribe is starving! Returning the food and fodder would cost us our lives, wouldn't it? !
A kind of Miao barbarian emotion became excited again.
"Sir, returning the people is fine. It's even better if the whole clan surrenders. We are good people of the Ming Dynasty and have never thought of rebellion. Just return the grain..." Lady Yilan said this, shook her head slightly, and said softly but firmly, "I'm sorry, I can't obey your order. Please understand the hardships of the Wuxi Miao people. The reason why our clan plundered grain is because our clan has been out of food for several days and we have no choice but to do so for our livelihood. These three thousand stones of grain are the life-saving food for our entire clan."
Zhu Pingan couldn't help but laugh when he heard that.
"This dog official can actually laugh!" Seeing this, Butterfly got angry again.
The Wuxi Miao people were extremely angry, and many radical elements even called for a fight to the death with Zhu Ping'an.
Seeing this, Zhu Ping'an smiled even more.
"Why are you laughing, sir?" Lady Yilan reached down with her hand to suppress the excited emotions of the tribesmen and asked with a frown.
"I laugh at you for looking east and not seeing the west wall." Zhu Ping'an said with a smile.
"Looking east, I can't see the west wall?! What does that mean?!" A Miao barbarian was confused and didn't understand what it meant.
"Please be frank, sir." Madam Yilan frowned slightly.
"Just now the chieftain asked me how the Wuxi Miao people can correct their mistakes, but he has not yet asked me how I can forgive you?!"
Zhu Pingan said meaningfully.
"I wonder how Your Excellency is going to forgive us?" Mrs. Yilan asked, continuing Zhu Ping'an's words.
"First, I will pardon your crimes of attacking the southeastern flood refuge area and looting food and civilians. Second, I have not only 50,000 troops outside, but also 30,000 stones of food. After you return the 3,000 looted food, I will distribute these 30,000 stones of food together with the 3,000 stones of food you returned. Third, five miles southeast of Wuxi Mountain, there are thousands of acres of wasteland suitable for farming. I will make the decision to distribute this wasteland to you Wuxi Miao people, and you can enjoy it for generations. After you Wuxi Miao people reclaim the wasteland, you will be exempted from taxes for five years. After five years, the taxes will be reduced by half. After ten years, you will pay the same taxes as the Han people."
Zhu Ping'an stood up, stretched out his finger, and made promises one after another to Madam Yilan and the Wuxi Miao people.
"Ah?! They gave us 30,000 shi of grain and fodder, and thousands of acres of farmland to cultivate. Is this true?!"
"You're not lying to us, are you?!"
"This is a lie! Don't be fooled by this dog official! Since he is going to give us 30,000 shi of grain, why do he want us to return 3,000 shi of grain? This is like taking off your pants to fart!"
The Wuxi Miao people cried out in shock. Zhu Ping'an's promise made them very excited. Thirty thousand shi of grain and fodder, this was enough for their entire clan to survive this disaster year, not to mention the thousands of acres of land. They had long been envious and jealous of the Han people in Jingnan who had fertile land to cultivate... However, while they were excited, they also had deep doubts about Zhu Ping'an's promise, suspecting that Zhu Ping'an was deceiving them.
"Your Excellency is so considerate of us Wuxi Miao people. I am very grateful. But I don't understand why you insist that we return 3,000 shi of grain and grass since you are going to give us 30,000 shi of grain and grass."
Mrs. Yilan was equally puzzled.
"'What I give' and 'what you steal' are two different concepts with completely opposite natures. What I give you is yours; if I don't give it to you, you can't steal it. Do you understand what I mean, Tusi?!"
Zhu Ping'an glanced at Madam Yilan and the Miao barbarians with a burning gaze, and spoke slowly, enunciating each word.
"Your Excellency is right. It is our fault for not thinking it through." Lady Yilan suddenly realized and bowed.
"My Lord, please think twice. Ming people are not to be trusted, and officials are even less to be trusted. Don't be fooled by them. These three thousand shi of grain and grass are our life-saving food. This is like throwing meat buns at a dog - there is no return."
Some Wuxi Miao people still have doubts.
"Everyone, I will be here all the time! Until the grain and grass are handed over and the matter is settled!" Zhu Ping'an stared at the questioning Wuxi Miao with a burning gaze, and pulled the corner of his mouth speechlessly, "In this case, what else do you have to worry about?! Does this mean that I am not worth three thousand stones of grain and grass?!"
After hearing Zhu Ping'an say that he would always be here, all the Wuxi Miao people fell silent.
"Chief, and all of you, if you listen to me, then return the grain and the people and submit to me, and I will forgive your sins, distribute 33,000 shi of grain to you, and give you thousands of acres of wasteland for you to cultivate, and you won't have to worry about your livelihood in the future; if you don't listen to me, you can capture me or kill me, but then you will have to bear the wrath of the 50,000 troops outside and the court's call for punishment. Extermination of your clan is not just a threat. It's not difficult to choose between the two, right?" Zhu Ping'an's eyes were like torches as he glanced at Madam Yilan and the Wuxi Miao people.
"If you are as compassionate to us as you say, we, the Wuxi Miao people, are willing to submit to you, my Lord."
Madam Yilan looked at Zhu Ping'an with burning eyes.
"Once I have spoken, I cannot take it back!" Zhu Ping'an said firmly.
"What are you all still standing there for? Come with me to pay my respects to the master!" Madam Yilan slapped her cane and scolded the Wuxi barbarians.
"Greetings, sir!"
All the Wuxi Miao people, led by Lady Yilan, bowed down together. (To be continued)