jdhmnovel Chapter 932 Damn it, another day of damaging reputation!
Chapter 932 Damn it, another day of damaging reputation!
As a transit port between Dengzhou and Jiangnan, ships filled with laborers would dock at Huai'an Prefecture Port every day.
Then, on a ship carrying three hundred laborers, at least fifty or sixty of them would suffer from heatstroke, seasickness, or catch a cold and have to stay in Huai'an Prefecture for treatment.
Although these workers didn't understand why they could inexplicably suffer from heatstroke when the weather was still chilly in early spring.
He couldn't understand why he had been fine while drifting for so long, but suddenly got seasick as soon as he arrived in Huai'an Prefecture.
But no one was foolish enough to directly point it out.
Then, the able-bodied men of Huai'an Prefecture would excitedly load some grain onto the ships and entrust them to take it to Liaodong.
The only exception was the ships that transported laborers from Ryukyu.
The laborers on Ryukyu ships would not catch a cold, get seasick, or suffer from heatstroke for no apparent reason.
The first batch of 3,000 laborers arrived in Huai'an Prefecture and left Dengzhou Prefecture.
The envoys, merchants, and even sailors of many vassal states were filled with mixed emotions about this.
"It's unbelievable that I didn't get skinned alive while passing through Huai'an Prefecture. It's like seeing a ghost in broad daylight."
Then, a rumor inexplicably began to circulate along the sea route between Huai'an Prefecture and Dengzhou Prefecture.
Zhou Jingxin, a physician in the cabinet, was known in the martial arts world as Zhou the Skinflint.
Xu Jingyu, the prefect of Huai'an, was known in the martial arts world as Xu the Bone-Crusher.
All the laborers detained in Huai'an Prefecture were ultimately skinned alive and dismembered; none escaped.
Legend has it that Zhou Bapi loved to skin people alive, then use the skin to make drums, and even use human leg bones to make drumsticks.
Rumor has it that Xu Chaigu (Xu the Bone Cutter) loved to make drumsticks from human leg bones and colluded with Zhou Bapi (Zhou the Skinflint) in their evil deeds.
There are also rumors in the martial arts world that Zhou Bapi and Xu Chaigu are both eight feet tall, with waists ten spans wide, arms big enough for a horse to run on, and fists big enough for a person to stand on. They say that the two of them eat the hearts and livers of three to five people every day as a snack.
Zhou Jingxin looked at Xu Chaigu, who was not much fatter than a monkey, and couldn't figure it out for a long time. How could someone like Old Xu have a fist that could support a person?
What, are all these people from Lilliput?
Xu Jingyu looked at Zhou Jingxin, equally bewildered.
How on earth could he possibly eat the hearts and livers of three to five people?
Damn it, another day of damaging my reputation!
……
There are no rumors in the world.
As more people spread the word, rumors began to circulate.
Xu Liang, the Assistant Magistrate of Dengzhou Prefecture, deeply experienced what it means to be shot even when lying down.
Rumors circulate that Xu Liang, the Assistant Magistrate of Dengzhou Prefecture, and Xu Chaigu of Huai'an are related, since they both share the surname Xu.
Xu Chaigu of Huai'an liked to make drumsticks from human leg bones, while Xu Liang of Dengzhou liked to crack open human leg bones and suck out the marrow inside.
"So you're going to extract the marrow from their bones, huh?"
Unlike Zhou Bapi and Xu Chaigu's impotent rage, Xu Liang, upon learning that his reputation had been damaged, immediately summoned numerous envoys to the prefectural government office.
"They dare to spread rumors that Dr. Zhou likes to skin people alive, that Prefect Xu likes to dismember people, and even more audaciously, that I, this official, am sucking the marrow from their bones."
Xu Liangpi stared at the group of envoys, picked up his teacup, took a sip, and said with a forced smile, "It's all thanks to the fact that the Prince Consort is not in Dengzhou Prefecture. Otherwise, would you even dare to spread rumors about the Prince Consort?"
As soon as Xu Liang finished speaking, the assembled envoys could no longer sit still.
The Korean deputy envoy, Park Sung-sung, was the first to step forward, bowing to Xu Liang and saying, "Xu Tongzhi, you know me. I have always respected the Prince Consort and would never allow others to spread rumors."
"Moreover, the Korean laborers all went directly to Liaodong, and no ships went through Huai'an Prefecture. The rumors could not have been spread by Korean merchants."
The short and stocky deputy envoy, Kikuchi Ryota, also stood up and bowed deeply to Xu Liang: "Prefect Xu, the Japanese laborers went directly to Liaodong and did not pass through Huai'an Prefecture. The rumors have nothing to do with Japan!"
Ryukyu envoy Shang Ning also stepped forward to clarify: "Prefect Xu, the rumors are definitely not the work of Ryukyu. I urge Prefect Xu to investigate thoroughly!"
With Park Sung-hee, Kikuchi Ryota, and Shang Ning all coming forward to clarify, Annam envoy Du Shunqin, Siam envoy Polong Moroja, and envoys from vassal states such as Burma, Khmer, Malacca, and Srivijaya immediately became restless.
The stick and the shorty have every reason to clear themselves of suspicion.
Although the Ryukyu envoys did not have sufficient reason, and even the initial rumors of their exposing their crimes originated from them, Xu Xisui clearly did not doubt Ryukyu.
Although I don't know why Xu Xisui doesn't suspect Ryukyu, Ryukyu is fine, but what's dangerous are us, the envoys of the various vassal states in the South Seas.
Thinking of this, Du Shunqin and the other envoys from Southeast Asia felt even more distressed.
Damn it, what's so great about Ryukyu?
He's made such a huge mess, yet Xu Xisui doesn't even suspect him!
Is it because the Ryukyu people are behaving too obediently?
If that's the case, I, Annam, can also be obedient and love the Ming Dynasty!
While pondering this in his mind, Du Shunqin bowed to Xu Liang and said, "Minister Xu, I truly do not know anything about this matter. The merchants of Annam are all law-abiding and honest people, and they would never spread rumors."
Siamese envoy Polonmoroja looked at Du Shunqin, then at the envoys from Srivijaya and Malacca, among other vassal states.
Let's call it a day!
As the saying goes, a dead Taoist friend will never die if he is a poor Taoist.
This person should first clear themselves of any wrongdoing.
As for you guys, whether you live or die is entirely up to your own fate!
Thinking of this, Polonmoroja bowed to Xu Liang and said, "Minister Xu, I was also unaware of this matter. Siamese merchants have always been honest and law-abiding, and would never dare to do such an outrageous thing."
As one envoy after another stepped forward to cry out for justice, Xu Liang suddenly sneered and said, "That's enough."
"I don't want to hear your explanations, nor do I want to hear your cries of injustice."
Xu Liang picked up his teacup again and took a sip. "I called you here today on the orders of the Prince Consort. There's a chance to make a fortune that I want to give you."
As Xu Liang finished speaking, Park Sung-hee and Kikuchi Ryota, among other envoys, felt a sudden tremor in their hearts.
Will Yang the Epilepsy take care of us?
Stop joking, you son of a bitch.
He, Yang the Madman, doesn't even treat us foreign envoys as human beings, so why would he come to take special care of us?
I bet they've come up with some wicked scheme again!
While Park Sung-sung and the other envoys were internally ranting, Xu Liang said with a smile, "Commander Yu of the Dengzhou fleet brought back a message from the Prince Consort when he returned from Liaodong a few days ago."
"The prince consort said that although Liaodong is freezing cold and almost everything is scarce."
"But there are also good things in Liaodong."
"For example, the Fifth Prince and Imperial Physicians Yang and Wang from the Imperial Hospital found a good thing in Liaodong that could make people strong and healthy after taking it."
"If there are young children in the family who refuse to eat properly, after taking this good thing, they will have a good appetite."
"..."