Chapter 654: Death of Zhao Minglou

Outside the county governor's government office, the common people surrounded the government office, and the public was furious, all because of the many people who had lost their families in Zhuozhou.

At this time, Zhao Song came back.

As soon as his carriage appeared, it was recognized by the people.

"Look, that's Zhao Song's carriage!"

Zhao Song is now famous, and everyone knows that he, Zhao Song, is the cousin of Zhao Minglou, the county governor.

"Quick, stop him!"

"Yes, stop him, I don't believe that the county governor Zhao won't come out!"

Zhao Song was in a bad mood after being frustrated for days, and was forced to stop by the people and couldn't go home.

He got out of the carriage with a dark face and shouted to the people around him, "What are you trying to do? Rebellion?"

The people around him were frightened by him at once.

Until someone in the crowd shouted at him, "We don't want to rebel, we just want you to give us Zhuozhou people an explanation!"

This made the people come back to their senses, "Yes, give us an explanation."

Zhao Song snorted, "What do I need to give you an explanation?"

His words and attitude made the people angry.

"You have hurt the people of Zhuozhou so badly, and you don't feel guilty at all?"

"That's right, the price of donkeys in Zhuozhou has fallen so much because of you guys, shouldn't you give us an explanation?"

Zhao Song asked them, "Did our master ask you to raise donkeys? After our master took office, he has always asked you not to raise donkeys and to farm honestly. Did you listen?"

"Now you are losing money, who can you blame?"

His words made the people explode.

"Yes, we raise donkeys, and we don't listen to advice. We bear our own profits and losses. But if you guys hadn't broken the contract, would Pingzhou stop purchasing Zhuozhou donkeys? All this is caused by you! You have harmed our entire Zhuozhou!"

"Didn't you also invest 500,000 taels to raise donkeys in the Cai family? You still have the nerve to scold us for not listening? I think you guys are stupid and greedy!"

"That's right, the ones who really deserve to die are you greedy guys!"

"You are the one who harms others and yourself!"

"You are the troublemaker! Bah!"

Being pointed at by so many people and scolded, Zhao Song was so excited that he couldn't help talking, "What kind of good people do you think Pingzhou is?"

The common people looked at him coldly, to see how he could quibble!

In a hurry, Zhao Song said, "All of this is a conspiracy of Pingzhou!"

"The purpose of Pingzhou's trap is to reap the wealth of Zhuozhou!"

"It's a pity that you stupid people still speak for Pingzhou and mistake the jackals for good people!"

When Zhao Song said this, the whole audience was silent for a while, and then there was a strong discussion.

"Impossible?"

"He is trying to shirk responsibility!"

...

In the yamen, everything Zhao Song said and did was reported to Xie Zhan and Zhao Minglou.

Hearing Zhao Minglou's words of exposing Pingzhou and trying to bring trouble to the people, Xie Zhan's face changed, "This idiot!"

He stood up and walked out of the yamen, and Zhao Minglou hurriedly followed.

Outside, the people were fiercely discussing the truth that Zhao Song had just revealed.

"So Pingzhou is so powerful?" Someone sighed in a low voice.

"Do you think our court seems a little incompetent?"

"Not a little incompetent, but really incompetent."

At this time, someone in the crowd pinched his throat and shouted, "So what if this is a conspiracy of Pingzhou? If Zhao Minglou is not incompetent, the court is incompetent, unable to protect Zhuozhou, and unable to make decisions for us, do we ordinary people have to suffer such hardships?"

The words just now are not what ordinary people can say, and they are extremely inflammatory.

"There is nothing wrong with this. Pingzhou and the court are two opposing parties. Isn't it normal for opponents to calculate against each other? It's just that when the gods fight, the little ghosts suffer. We in Zhuozhou are just unfortunate to become that little ghost."

"You are even more stupid to be used as a knife for others."

"Yes, after all, it's you people who have hurt us ordinary people so badly."

In the hidden place of the government office, Zhao Minglou quickly looked at the person who was speaking, but there were too many people and he didn't find anything.

His brother-in-law had told him before that Pingzhou had a group of very powerful gossipers who were very good at stirring up public opinion. These people were originally raised by Lu Desheng in Chang'an, and later when he went to Pingzhou, he also took them there.

There must be many of them mixed in with the people at this time.

Xie Zhan looked at Zhao Minglou with cold eyes.

Zhao Minglou knew what he meant by this look. He couldn't live, and Zhao Song must die.

"I know what to do."

Xie Zhan nodded and turned to leave.

"Brother-in-law, I'll leave my family, wife and children to you."

Xie Zhan paused slightly, "Yes."

After Xie Zhan left, Zhao Minglou took a deep breath and walked forward.

As soon as he appeared, someone saw him with sharp eyes.

"Look, Zhao Minglou is out!"

"The coward who has been hiding for so long finally comes out!"

Zhao Minglou raised his hand, "Everyone be quiet."

"I know all your demands, you have to explain, I will give you an explanation now."

The common people in front of the government office all raised their heads and watched quietly, and more and more people rushed here.

"Come here, bring Zhao Song up."

Zhao Song didn't know that danger was approaching, and when his nephew ordered him to be brought up, he was not afraid at all.

Facing Zhao Song who was kneeling on the ground, Zhao Minglou stated his crimes and ordered, "Be caned and executed!"

Zhao Song's eyes widened when he heard this. He struggled to say something, but the officers and soldiers who were holding him quickly stuffed his mouth and pressed him to the ground. The sticks fell on his body again and again until the blood dyed the ground under him red. Then his eyes rolled back and his head slowly fell from high to low on the ground, and gradually he lost his voice.

The officers and soldiers who were executing the execution squatted beside him and put their hands under Zhao Song's nose. They found that he had stopped breathing, and then they reported loudly, "Mr. County Magistrate, Zhao Song has been executed."

"Are you satisfied with this explanation?" Zhao Minglou asked loudly.

"How many people in Zhuozhou have been ruined by you? How can the death of Zhao Song alone be enough?!"

"Yes, Zhao Song is just a scapegoat!"

"Don't think you can get rid of us like this!"

Facing the unyielding people, Zhao Minglou smiled bitterly.

"Fellow villagers of Zhuozhou, I admit that this time, Zhuozhou suffered a disaster because of my negligence, I did not control my family well, and I did not act as a good parent official. Now I, Zhao Minglou, am willing to die to apologize, and I beg for your forgiveness."

As he said, Zhao Minglou grabbed the knife in his hand and slashed it hard on his neck.

It was too sudden!

This scene made the people gasp, and then screams broke out.

Wang Dong, who was hiding in the dark, frowned. Although he wanted to use public opinion to force Zhao Minglou to death, it was too smooth.

After two people died in a row, the people were at a loss and didn't know what to do.

At this time, Xie Zhan appeared.

He came from the city gate to the government office, and the guards he brought cleared the way along the way.

"The imperial envoy, the military commander Xie Zhan, is here!"

After Zhao Minglou's death, when Zhuozhou was leaderless, Xie Zhan, the military commander of Dali, appeared with great momentum holding the imperial edict.

At this time, the people's resentment had been somewhat reduced due to the deaths of Zhao Song and Zhao Minglou.

After Xie Zhan took over the Zhuozhou government, he immediately ordered the arrest of officials who sold affordable grain to the people of Zhuozhou and investigated corruption.

Then, the affordable grain was directly converted into disaster relief grain and distributed to the people of Pingzhou for free.

The people of Zhuozhou were appeased again.

Finally, Xie Zhan announced that Zhuozhou would be tax-free for three years.

Xie Zhan's series of actions were swift and resolute.

After Xie Zhan's three consecutive appeasements, the people of Zhuozhou had lost most of their resentment.

Chang'an

During this period, Zhao Yutan's life was not easy.

The donkey market in Zhuozhou has been falling in price because of their Zhao family. The latest news she received was that the price of donkeys has dropped to five taels per head.

This time, the Zhao family invested 500,000 taels of silver. It would be good if they could not lose money, and they could forget about making money.

In addition, if the situation in Zhuozhou continues to deteriorate, her elder brother Zhao Minglou may be to blame.

These bad news hit Zhao Yutan's heart like a club. She now only hopes that her husband Xie Zhan will show up quickly to save their Zhao family from the water and fire.

The death of Zhao Minglou and Zhao Song, along with the news that Xie Zhan appeared in Zhuozhou, was immediately reported back to Chang'an.

When Zhao Yutan received this news, she trembled all over.

Her husband survived, but her elder brother died, and her uncle died too!

What happened here?