I was a conman in the Ming Dynasty.

Chapter 642 A woman’s kindness

Chapter 642 A Woman's Kindness

The people of Hanshan couldn't stand it anymore. "You shameless barbarians! You insult us and then smile at us!"

"Kill these invaders and avenge the fallen heroes of Hanshan!"

Suddenly, a man shouted and charged into the prisoner-of-war formation, beating one of the prisoners mercilessly. The young soldiers escorting the prisoners, though they disliked these barbarians, knew this was a military parade and couldn't continue like this. Several soldiers quickly stepped forward to pull the man away.

The people of Hanshan nowadays all practice martial arts. The man who brutally beat the prisoner was named Luo Yingzhuo. Luo Yingzhuo didn't look particularly strong, but because of his martial arts training, he had considerable strength. He pushed aside the soldiers who tried to stop him and kicked the prisoner in the face. The poor prisoner's teeth were knocked out, his mouth was full of blood, he saw stars, and he collapsed to the ground unconscious.

Luo Yingzhu shouted, "Fellow citizens of Hanshan, what are you waiting for? The time has come to avenge our heroes!"

The names on the Hanshan Heroes Monument are increasing, and so are the relatives of these heroes. Many of the people who came to watch the military parade were relatives of the Hanshan heroes.

Although many heroes died, it had nothing to do with these barbarian prisoners. However, these barbarians were all bastards who invaded the Ming Dynasty, and at this moment, the hatred in the hearts of the heroes' families was transferred to these prisoners.

In an instant, many people rushed into the formation and started beating the prisoners. Of course, among these people, there were actually very few relatives of the hero; most were just people who enjoyed watching the excitement and liked to stir up trouble.

Hou Fangyu, seeing this, knew it wouldn't do and immediately ordered the prisoners to be pulled apart and the fighting to stop. These unfortunate prisoners were tied together like grasshoppers, completely powerless to fight back. Meanwhile, the Hanshan villagers who rushed in were all highly skilled, and although they weren't armed, they could easily take down a prisoner in a few moves.

Hou Fangyu grabbed an old man's arm and said with a wry smile, "Uncle, please stop hitting him!"

The old man glared at Hou Fangyu and asked sternly, "What do you mean? You dare to lay a hand on me? In Hanshan, no police officer has ever dared to hit me!"

After the old man finished speaking, he took out the "Hanshan Hero Commemorative Medal" from his pocket, pinned it to his chest, pointed at the medal, stiffened his neck, and said sternly, "Go ahead and hit me!"

The "Hanshan Heroes Memorial Medal," designed by Wang Wenzhou, is awarded to heroes who defended Hanshan, shed blood, and to the families of those who sacrificed their lives. While the medal doesn't grant special privileges, it represents an unparalleled honor. In Hanshan, wearing the medal ensures that most shops will not charge you for purchases.

Although Hou Fangyu had not been in Hanshan for long, he knew that bullying or neglecting people wearing commemorative badges would definitely get him condemned by the people of Hanshan.

Hou Fangyu said with a wry smile, "Uncle, how could I possibly fight you? But you can't beat the prisoners anymore, or someone will die!"

"Hmph!" The old man snorted coldly and said righteously, "Any traitor who dares to invade my Great Ming Dynasty deserves to die! You are a scholar, and you should understand the principle of punishing even the most distant criminals better than I do!"

After the old man finished speaking, he shoved Hou Fangyu aside and rushed towards the prisoners again.

Hou Fangyu shook his head with a wry smile. Even if the old man wasn't wearing a commemorative badge, Hou Fangyu wouldn't dare order his subordinates to violently expel even ordinary people from Hanshan.

In Hanshan, as long as the people don't break the law, they can walk around with their heads held high. Of course, this "law" is different from the laws and regulations of other parts of the Ming Dynasty; it is the Hanshan Public Security Management Regulations.

Although these civilians have broken the law by rushing up and beating the prisoners, according to the rules of Hanshan, only the female police officers and the yamen runners have the right to enforce the law.

Wang Wenzhou shook his head with a wry smile. He had originally intended to show off his great victory and the large number of prisoners he had captured in front of the people of Hanshan. He never expected things to turn out this way.

"Babies, babies, don't move around here. I'm going to calm down the agitated people." After saying that, Wang Wenzhou got up and left.

Liu Rushi thought for a moment and said to her sisters, "I'd better go with my husband. I'm afraid he'll act impulsively!"

The children shared similar thoughts with Liu Rushi. They knew their nemesis was capable of anything when he went crazy, and if he failed to dissuade the people and instead acted impulsively along with them, something terrible would happen. Since Liu Rushi was with their nemesis, they felt relieved.

After Liu Rushi finished speaking, she caught up with Wang Wenzhou, took his arm, and accompanied him to the front of the Youth Army formation.

"Stop fighting! Lord Wang is here!"

"Lord Wang, are you here to lend a hand? These barbarians all deserve to die!"

"Wang Qingtian, you can't let these barbarians get away with this! Those who are not of our kind will surely have different hearts. These barbarians are like wolves from Zhongshan, they can't be tamed!"

Upon seeing Wang Wenzhou approach, the civilians who were brutally beating the prisoners immediately stopped. By this time, there were already over a thousand prisoners lying on the ground, their faces covered in blood, groaning in agony.

Wang Wenzhou waved his hand, signaling the people to be quiet, and the scene quickly quieted down.

Wang Wenzhou spoke up, saying, "Fellow elders of Hanshan, these prisoners have indeed violated the territory of our Great Ming Dynasty and deserve to die. However, they were all acting under orders. Although they made mistakes, we cannot blame them entirely."

Cheng Benqing wiped the blood from his hands on his clothes, pushed aside the people in front of him, walked up to Wang Wenzhou, cupped his hands in greeting, and said righteously, "Sir, you cannot be so soft-hearted! Although killing prisoners is inauspicious, are these barbarians even human? Sir, you are just too kind-hearted. Look how well you've raised these barbarians, they're all plump and healthy!"

"Pfft..." Wang Wenzhou was completely dumbfounded. These prisoners were all pig barbarians. Their white skin was not because they ate well, but because of their genes.

"Yes! Old Cheng is right!"

"My lord, even at his advanced age, Old Master Cheng can't bear to watch and wants to personally avenge his enemies. Please grant the request of the masses!"

The people echoed his sentiments.

Although Cheng Benqing did not hold a formal official position in Hanshan, he had always been in charge of collecting the city's entrance tax. He was highly respected among the people of Hanshan.

Speaking of which, Old Cheng is also a relative of the heroes of Hanshan. His second son died in the great battle when the bandits attacked Hanshan. That's why Old Cheng personally took to the battlefield today, brutally beating the prisoners, wanting to avenge his son and vent his grief over losing his beloved son.

In truth, Wang Wenzhou didn't care whether these prisoners lived or died. However, he couldn't allow the people to beat them to death. As the saying goes, without rules, there can be no order. If he allowed the people to violate the Hanshan Public Security Management Regulations, they would be capable of anything in the long run.

Wang Wenzhou thought for a moment and then said, "Gentlemen, let's not talk about how to deal with these prisoners or their identities. But you have already violated the Hanshan Public Security Administration Regulations by beating people in the street."

Upon hearing this, the people's faces changed. In Hanshan, breaking the law meant either being whipped or sent to a labor camp. Those who wanted to go to the labor camp were already there; these people only had the option of being whipped. Although the whipping in Hanshan wouldn't kill anyone, it was incredibly painful!