PNB Chapter 117 Human Blood Buns
Chapter 117 Human Blood Buns
[The previous chapter is now complete; those who haven't read it can go back and check it out.]
However, a few ambiguous emotions flashed across Zheng Hao's deep eyes.
Uncle Gu could guess that Ma Feng Village had royal relatives behind it, which wasn't surprising to him, but why would the other party make the connection to a prince?
Throughout the land, most people believed that princes, as sons of the emperor, enjoyed the patronage of the entire nation from birth, residing in magnificent palaces, wearing clothes made of fine silk and satin, and eating delicacies from land and sea. Even if they did nothing in the future, they would at least be princes of the realm, possessing their own fiefdom.
According to popular legend, the princes were all brothers who were friendly and respectful to each other, unlike ordinary families where brothers would fight to the death over family property and never speak to each other again.
In short, most people believed that princes had everything they could want and would not fight each other over property and money like ordinary families.
Thinking this, Zheng Hao spoke up and then asked Gu Lin, "Uncle Gu, why would you associate Mafeng Village with the prince? Now that the Crown Prince has been established, he has a reputation for virtue, and the court praises him highly. All the other princes pale in comparison to the Crown Prince's brilliance. The Emperor is also in his prime. Under all these circumstances, it is impossible for the prince to act rashly."
Gu Lin raised his eyes, his upturned peach blossom eyes widening slightly, and looked at him with an expression that said, "You really don't know?" and "Don't be ridiculous." He said, "In ordinary families, parents only have a few plots of land, and the brothers will fight to the death for them. How could they not fight for it when they were born into such a family background?"
Gu Lin continued, "The common people feel that the royal brothers are harmonious and do not fight or compete because they feel that the princes already have things that many people do not have. It can be said that, apart from the emperor, empress and crown prince, the princes are the most honorable people in the Great Qian Dynasty."
"Therefore, ordinary people cannot understand the reasons why their brothers killed each other."
"With their status, they naturally have no shortage of gold and silver, nor do they lack status. But which prince or phoenix would want to lower themselves to a subservient position? Ordinary families fight for money and property, but they fight for power—the entire Great Qian Dynasty. No one can resist that temptation, not to mention..."
Gu Lin raised his eyes, a sharp glint appearing in his usually gentle gaze, and said, "So what if the Crown Prince has been established? Let's not even talk about how many crown princes in previous dynasties were able to successfully ascend the throne. Was the current emperor the Crown Prince? Was the late emperor the Crown Prince?"
"No word of the succession to the throne of the Great Qian Dynasty reached the common people, but the changes in the palace of the Yu Dynasty were even the subject of plays among the common people."
Emperor Taizong of the Yu Dynasty was the second son of Emperor Gaozu. He made great contributions when his father overthrew the previous dynasty. It can be said that Emperor Taizong conquered half of the Yu Dynasty's territory.
However, after Emperor Gaozu established the country and ascended the throne, whether he followed the system of primogeniture or for personal reasons, he could not make Emperor Taizong the crown prince. In the end, Emperor Gaozu made Emperor Taizong's elder brother, who was born of the same mother, the crown prince and enfeoffed Emperor Taizong as the Prince of Qin.
However, Emperor Taizong had made outstanding achievements and enjoyed great prestige in the court. Sometimes, the orders of the Prince of Qin were even more powerful than those of the Crown Prince, which gradually caused anxiety in the Crown Prince's palace.
The brothers, born of the same mother, gradually drifted apart and grew further and further away. In the end, the Crown Prince launched a coup, intending to kill the King of Qin at the palace gathering. However, the King of Qin had anticipated this and retaliated.
Afterwards, the King of Qin imprisoned Emperor Gaozu and successfully ascended the throne. Although historical records state that Emperor Taizong usurped the throne and his accession was illegitimate, later generations have all been impressed by his achievements.
Gu Lin said, "With such an example before us, it is even more impossible for the brothers in the royal family to get along. Moreover, Emperor Taizong and his elder brother, who were born of the same mother, also went down the path of fighting among themselves. The current Crown Prince and the other princes are not born of the same mother, and I'm afraid they would rather the other party be dead."
but……
Gu Lin pursed his lips and said, "I still don't understand why, given that Mafeng Village was secretly hoarding iron ore, they didn't know how to protect themselves, but instead incited the disaster victims to riot and even handed over weapons to expose themselves."
Upon hearing this, Zheng Hao smiled slightly, a rare occurrence, and said, "Uncle Gu was pondering many things just now, so it's normal that he couldn't think of anything for the time being."
Gu Lin looked up at him, waiting for an answer.
Zheng Hao said, "Uncle Gu, have you considered that those who incite the disaster victims to riot and those who hoard iron ore are two different groups of people?"
Upon hearing Zheng Hao's words, Gu Lin was slightly taken aback, and then a thoughtful expression appeared on his face: "You mean that the bandits hiding in the refugee camp are not real bandits, but deliberately pretend to be bandits from Mafeng Village to incite the refugees, and then wait for the government to arrest them, and then expose Mafeng Village, with the purpose of making the government discover that Mafeng Village is secretly hiding iron ore?"
Uncle Gu understood immediately, and Zheng Hao's cold brows relaxed slightly: "Uncle Gu's guess is close to the truth."
"Those bandits captured by Prefect Zhen were spies from other forces who had infiltrated Mafeng Village. They had been trying to expose the fact that Mafeng Village was secretly hoarding iron ore, but they couldn't find a suitable opportunity. Just then, more and more disaster victims gathered outside the city, so they took advantage of inciting the disaster victims to cause a riot to achieve their own goals."
After hearing Zheng Hao's explanation, and thinking about how those people in the capital were using innocent civilians as cannon fodder in their power struggles, Gu Lin felt a surge of anger in his chest and said, "They're fighting for power in the capital, and they're even dragging us down with them."
Seeing Uncle Gu's angry expression and the sadness in his eyes, Zheng Hao knew that the other party must be feeling sad for the dead disaster victims and civilians.
Zheng Hao lowered his eyes slightly and parted his lips slightly, trying to divert Gu Lin's attention: "Uncle Gu, do you know how the Prefect dealt with the bandits of Mafeng Village?"
Gu Lin looked up at Zheng Hao, his light brown eyes shining brightly with the lingering anger. He asked, "How will Prefect Zhen deal with them?"
Gu Lin thought, so many people have died, at least these bandits should all die.
Zheng Hao's expression was indifferent, and his tone was heavy: "Prefect Zhen has ordered that the bandits of Mafeng Village be beheaded and displayed to the public in the market three days from now."
"it is good!"
Upon hearing of Prefect Zhen's execution, Gu Lin's spirits immediately lifted.
"It's a pity..." Gu Lin thought of those wealthy and powerful families who had not been punished.
No, Gu Lin thought again. They had been punished. On the night the disaster victims invaded the prefectural city, most of them flocked to the east and west cities.
These people not only paid the price of their lives and bloodshed for their cold-blooded greed, but also had to hand over large amounts of money and grain to the government after being robbed by the disaster victims.
Three days later, the day arrived for the bandits of Mafeng Village to be beheaded. They were escorted by yamen runners through the streets to the market. Gu Lin originally wanted to go with them, but was stopped by Zheng Hao and Sister Zhao, who both forbade him to go to the market to watch the beheading.
Gu Lin thought they were worried he would be scared if he saw the bandits being beheaded, so he repeatedly assured them, "I'll go with you. I won't be scared if I stay by your side."
Zhao's wife rubbed her forehead and said, "Ancestor... do you think watching people beheaded is fun? You are frail and easily get a high fever if you are frightened. Besides, what kind of people do you think you are going to the market to watch beheadings? I'm afraid that when you see them, you will be frightened by them instead of by the heads of the bandits falling to the ground."
Gu Lin thought that what Zhao's sister-in-law said was an exaggeration.
Seeing that the other party didn't believe her and seemed determined to keep going, Sister Zhao said, "Those who went to watch the executions, apart from the brave and those who love to watch the excitement, were all there for the blood."
"Human blood?" Gu Lin had a bad feeling.
Zhao's wife said helplessly, "There's an old folk remedy that says human blood buns can cure all diseases. Whenever someone is beheaded in the market, a lot of seriously ill people bring buns to watch the execution, just to drink the first sip of hot blood. Those people don't have ordinary colds or fevers, but tuberculosis, smallpox, and all sorts of other diseases. Going there is just asking for trouble."
When Zhao's wife mentioned the word "dirty disease," she spoke very softly, mindful that Zheng Hao was beside her.
Zheng Hao said without changing his expression, "Auntie is right. The bandits committed many evils, and they deserved to be beheaded. Uncle Gu is in poor health. Don't let them cause you to suffer a greater loss for a small matter and harm your own body."
"If Uncle Gu isn't going, we won't go either."
Sister-in-law Zhao nodded in agreement.
What kind of good person would have nothing better to do than watch someone get beheaded? Even if the person being beheaded was a heinous criminal, Sister Zhao would still feel it was bad luck.
Seeing that the two were adamant, Gu Lin had no choice but to agree not to go to the market.
But that afternoon, Gu Lin went to Haoyunlou.
As soon as he entered, he heard the diners in the lobby discussing loudly: "The man wielding the knife opened his mouth and sprayed strong liquor onto the blade. With a single swing, the gleaming knife fell, and the heads of the bandits fell to the ground one by one like footballs."
"The blood spurted high, and the clothes of those watching the execution were splattered with blood."
Gu Lin and Lin Xiaoyao stood behind the counter. Although they didn't go over, they could clearly hear the diners recounting the scene of the bandits being beheaded. They listened with great interest.
Just as Gu Lin was engrossed in listening, suddenly, a figure appeared in front of him, blocking his view of the diners at the table who resembled storytellers.
He looked up and his expression showed a hint of surprise: "Young Master Fang."
Private room on the second floor.
Gu Lin and Fang Jiyue sat facing each other. Since it was not yet time for dinner, Lin Xiaoyao had several plates of snacks and tea served.
Looking at the young man opposite him, Fang Jiyue said, "I just returned to the prefectural city from the capital today. As soon as I entered the city, I saw that the streets and shops were dilapidated. After arriving at Fumanlou and listening to the manager's account, I learned about everything that the prefectural city had suffered in the past few days."
"Fortunately..." Fang Jiyue sighed, "Boss Gu is alright."
Fang Jiyue's concern was genuine, though it contained his feelings for Gu Lin, it also reflected a friend's concern for his friend.
Gu Lin seemed oblivious to the hidden meaning in the other person's words, simply stating, "I survived by sheer luck."
Thinking that the young man in front of him had just experienced a disaster, he couldn't joke around with him as usual. Fang Jiyue said seriously, "Boss Gu, the empress in the palace has taken a liking to our soap and shower gel!"
"Hmm?" Gu Lin's attention was diverted. If he was not mistaken, the cosmetics and clothing used by women in the palace were all provided by a special palace agency. How could things from the common people flow into the palace?
Fang Jiyue smiled and explained, "When the Imperial Concubine's daughter, Princess Hejing, visited the Imperial Concubine, she brought bath gel and soap, which were popular in the capital, to cheer her up. Unexpectedly, the Imperial Concubine was immediately attracted by the unique fragrance of the soap and bath gel. Soon after, the Imperial Concubine's praise for the soap flowed out of the palace gates through Princess Hejing's mouth."
Upon hearing this, Gu Lin's expression shifted, and he turned to Fang Jiyue, saying, "You've gotten involved with Princess Hejing?"
"No."
Fang Jiyue spread his hand and raised his paper fan, saying, "My uncle's eldest son, who is a high-ranking official in the capital, married the daughter of the Minister of Revenue. Coincidentally, my sister-in-law and Princess Hejing are close friends and have been intimately close since childhood."
I have a good relationship with my eldest uncle's son, who is also my elder brother, so I asked my sister-in-law to send gifts to Princess Hejing for help. Princess Hejing understood my intentions and immediately went to the palace for a visit. Our soaps and shower gels sold even better, and those who were envious dared not make any rash moves because of the nobles in the palace.
With the daughter of the Minister of Revenue, Princess Hejing, and the Imperial Concubine in question, Gu Lin felt that Fang Jiyue couldn't possibly have gone to such great lengths just to warn those who were envious.
Sure enough, Fang Jiyue said, "The ladies in the palace all like scented soap and shower gel, and want these two items to be offered as tribute."
贡品？
Gu Lin frowned. The title sounded nice, but it didn't offer any benefits.
Fang Jiyue said, "I can't agree to that, but I can't refuse either, so I said I could make bath products that are even more effective than soap and shower gel. What do you think, Mr. Gu?"
Upon hearing Fang Jiyue's words, Gu Lin thought, "As expected, they were waiting for me here."
He pondered. Although the other party's words had some exaggeration, it was quite possible that the empresses in the palace wanted their soap and shower gel to become tribute items. When it came to making money, Gu Lin dared not be careless in the slightest.
After a moment, he said, "I know you had no choice but to make the promise to them this time, but coincidentally, I am currently developing a new product that can handle this situation. However, if similar situations arise again, I'm afraid I won't be able to handle it."
With his smile fading, Fang Jiyue solemnly assured him, "This time it's a last resort, but also an opportunity we can't afford to miss."
Fang Jiyue didn't hide anything: "If we can seize this opportunity, the Fang family will very likely become imperial merchants."
No wonder...
Gu Lin realized what was happening, then nodded without asking any further questions.
Upon seeing this, a hint of disappointment flashed across Fang Jiyue's eyes.
Gu Lin looked up and saw that the sky outside the window was a golden orange, and Fang Jiyue followed his gaze.
He said, "It's getting late, shall we have the waiter bring some food?"
Gu Lin smiled and said, "My family is waiting for me. I didn't tell anyone that I still need to go back for dinner, so they won't have to wait for me."
Fang Jiyue did not try to persuade him to stay.
As the year draws to a close, people are gradually emerging from the shadow of the disaster riots. Life goes on, and with the New Year approaching, everyone wants to take advantage of this auspicious occasion to wash away the bad luck.
As December approached, Gu Lin worried that heavy snow would block the roads and make it difficult to return to the county town, so the group decided to set off in mid-November.
Zheng Hao will be taking the provincial examination next year, so he must go back to pay respects to Zheng the Hunter this year to avoid being criticized for this matter in the future.
However, Gu Lin asked with a worried look, "I wonder if Xiao An will come back?"