svetikya Page 232
Page 232
now.
When Chen Yan mentioned it, a series of chilling details popped into her mind.
For example, the Southern Ming imperial family had eight princes in Henan alone!
It occupies as much as half of the arable land in Henan!
Furthermore, half of this farmland is exempt from any taxes, and the taxes that these princes are exempt from paying naturally fall on the shoulders of ordinary people, doubling the taxes of the already impoverished people and causing them immense suffering!
and.
These princes continued to tyrannize the local area, committing countless acts of bullying and oppressing men and women...
For example, when the Prince of Fu, the favorite son of Emperor Wanli, was enfeoffed, Emperor Wanli was afraid that he would suffer, so he issued an edict ordering the officials in charge of the fiefdom to collect four million mu of fertile land for him!
Four million mu of fertile land is an astonishing number!
It's impossible for something to appear out of thin air, so where exactly could it come from?
Because of this incident, countless innocent people have likely been ruined, left destitute, lost their land, and become homeless refugees.
For example, there was a prince in Sichuan who had nothing to do all day, so he stayed at home having children and fathered more than a hundred offspring.
And his more than one hundred descendants were all royalty, able to enjoy a life of luxury where they didn't have to do anything...
These specific incidents, one by one, didn't seem problematic to Cu at first glance.
But upon closer reflection, it's truly chilling and sends shivers down your spine...
Late Southern Ming Dynasty.
The Zhu family, the imperial family, has sucked the blood of the common people far too much!
Ordinary people already struggle to survive in such difficult years, and to be exploited and oppressed like this, how can they not rebel?!
Do not!
Perhaps what ordinary people did wasn't a rebellion, but rather a resistance and struggle they had to wage to fight for their most basic right to survival...
"So, so, so it really is as Master Chen said. There may be many reasons for the demise of my Southern Ming Dynasty."
There were natural disasters, man-made calamities, foreign enemies, empty talk by virtuous officials that harmed the country, and defections by military generals.
But the biggest culprit is still my Zhu family itself.
The people are like water; they can carry a boat, but they can also capsize it!
My great-grandfather's reckless behavior, my grandfather's neglect of his duties, and my father's suspicious and stubborn nature.
Add to that the hundreds of thousands of idle, domineering members of the royal family...
My Southern Ming Dynasty ultimately perished by its own hand...!
Furthermore, none of the people of the Southern Ming owe the Zhu family anything; on the contrary, it is the Zhu family that owes all the people of the Southern Ming!
I owe them so much...
Think of this.
As if struck by a heavy blow, Master Jiunan's mind was filled with shame, remorse, self-blame, and pain. Her face turned from sallow to deathly pale, and finally flushed red. She spat out a mouthful of blood, staggered back several steps, and collapsed.
[Ding! The host caused Jiunan to collapse, resulting in a double critical hit and gaining 3,000 Collapse Points!]
[Ding! The host caused Jiunan to collapse, resulting in a double critical hit and gaining 3,000 Collapse Points!]
[Ding! The host caused Jiu Nan to collapse, resulting in a double critical hit and gaining 3,000 Collapse Points! 2.5]
"Master, are you... are you alright?"
After all, Ake was raised by Jiunan from a young age. Seeing Jiunan in pain, she quickly stepped forward to support her.
Jiu Nan wiped the blood from the corner of her mouth, turned to look at A Ke, and stared blankly into thought.
After a long pause, he said in a pained tone, "Actually, it is my Zhu family that owes you."
If it weren't for the chaos that ensued, perhaps your mother, Chen Yuanyuan, wouldn't have ended up in prostitution, and your father, Li Zicheng, wouldn't have become a murderer...
"Our Zhu family of the Southern Ming owes no debts to civil officials, no debts to military generals, no debts to wealthy merchants, no debts to powerful figures, but we owe a debt to all the common people of the Southern Ming..."
"Master!"
This was the first time Jiu Nan had spoken to him in such a gentle tone and apologized to him.
Ake felt both touched and bittersweet.
He touched his eyes and tears welled up.
"Child, don't cry. It's all my fault. I'm sorry. If you ever want to take revenge on me or ask for my help, you can come back up the mountain to find me."
I will remain there, observing vegetarianism and chanting Buddhist prayers, to atone for the sins my Zhu family has committed against the people of the Southern Ming Dynasty…
Done.
She gave Ake another long look.
Then, he bowed to Chen Yan, chanted a Buddhist prayer, turned around, and left with a lonely and desolate figure...
Chapter 177 Lianxing Offers Himself Up?
Watching Master Jiunan's departing figure, everyone present had mixed feelings.
No one expected that things would turn out in such a dramatic way.
In Chen Yan's brief narration.
What started as Ake's parents owing Master Jiunan became Master Jiunan owing Ake's family...
"Perhaps only a divine being like Master Chen could accomplish such an incredible feat."
Countless people were deeply moved, their gazes towards Chen Yan filled with awe.
Both Wanwan and Wuqing looked at Chen Yan with eyes full of love.
It was a sense of pride that came from having a man who was exceptional.
Shi Feixuan's expression also brightened slightly, and the strange emotion in her eyes as she looked at Chen Yan intensified.
"He...he's really amazing..."
Lianxing's heart trembled slightly.
At this point, she no longer compared Jiang Feng and Chen Yan.
Because, in terms of appearance, strength, experience, and so on, Chen Yan is far superior to Jiang Feng.
"That wretched brat, he's a real scoundrel, but strangely enough, he's someone you both love and hate... Ugh! Who loves him? He's a complete little rascal!"
If I ever get the chance, I'll tie him to a big tree and whip him a hundred times over!
Yaoyue stared at Chen Yan for a moment, then blushed slightly and spat inwardly.
at this time.
In her heart, Jiang Feng's image grew increasingly faint, almost completely replaced by Chen Yan...
"He...he's really a good person, but...but I really don't know how to get close to him..."
Wang Yuyan's face was somber, a mixture of joy and sorrow...
After watching Master Jiunan's figure disappear completely, Ake's feelings were extremely complicated.
She never imagined that her background would be so bumpy.
Fortunately, with Master Chen's help, the feud between him and his master came to a reasonably good end.
Think of this.
She looked at Chen Yan, and slightly squatted down to express her gratitude.
Chen Yan smiled and waved his hand, not taking it too seriously.
I'm just a businessman; as long as others provide the crash points, it doesn't matter whether I'm grateful or not.
"By the way, Master Chen, I would like to ask you something else."
If you hadn't appeared, what would my future have been like?
Could it be like my master's plan, where I go to kill Wu Sangui, only to die a tragic death at his hands?
Suddenly, Ake had a thought and asked again.
Chen Yan shook his head: "No..."
Ake breathed a sigh of relief and a smile appeared on her face.
Chen Yan smiled and said in a very gentle and calm voice, "If I hadn't appeared, you wouldn't have died at Wu Sangui's hands, but your fate would have been far more tragic than if you had..."
what? !
Ake's smile was still on her face when a chill suddenly ran through her.
The others gasped in surprise, their expressions filled with pity as they looked at Ake.
Chen Yan: "If I hadn't shown up, you would have been relentlessly pursued by a lecherous young monk. By sheer chance, he would have even given you a light kiss on the lips and taken you back to his temple..."
Ake's expression changed again!
If Master Chen hadn't appeared, would my future have been ruined by a lecherous little monk?!