amaotonovel Chapter 1049 Why is this world so unfair?
Chapter 1049 Why is this world so unfair?
Playing Hu Shih-ren can be considered a high-risk profession.
If the performance is not good enough, and the actor fails to portray Hu Shiren's vicious exploitation of the people, His Highness the Crown Prince and his son-in-law will be dissatisfied.
If the performance is too good, revealing Hu Shiren's vicious face of exploiting the people, the audience will resent the actor.
If His Highness the Crown Prince and his consort are dissatisfied, they may lose their jobs or even their lives.
If an audience member harbors resentment towards an actor, they might over-provoke the audience and be beaten to death on the spot.
"Since ancient times, poverty breeds cunning, while wealth fosters conscience."
"What does it matter to me whether you peasants live or die?"
"These days, even landlords don't have surplus grain."
"No money? If you have no money, we'll use your daughter to pay off your debts!"
"There's nothing in these surrounding villages that I, Hu Shiren, can't accomplish!"
"A poor wretch is a poor wretch, born to be poor, work for me!"
Offstage, the actor playing "Hu Shiren" recited lines from the script, captivating the audience.
The people in the audience, whom Yang Shaofeng had invited to watch the play, saw themselves reflected in the lines spoken by "Yang Bailao".
"Good heavens, how are we supposed to live like this?!"
"The end of the year is approaching again. The landlord's rent and the Huang family's debts are weighing on my old bones, making them feel like they're about to fall apart!"
"Ten miles of snow and wind, everything is white. I hid from debtors for seven days and came home hoping to get through this ordeal. I can endure the cold and hunger!"
"Young master, the mountains have been blocked by heavy snow for more than ten days, and we are really starving!"
"Master Huang, we are human beings too, with flesh and blood. Why do you have to bully us like this?"
Xi'er's lines are more like interrogations, questioning both Hu Shiren's evil and the injustice of fate.
"Why do we work for Hu Shih-jen's family every year but never get anything in return?"
Why is this world so unfair?
"Why can they live in big houses, while we can only live in dilapidated thatched huts?"
"Should the poor suffer their whole lives?"
As Yang Shaofeng listened to the opera, he turned his head to look at the people of Xujiazhuang.
confused.
pain.
resentment.
unwilling.
A complex mix of emotions lingered on the faces of the people of Xujiazhuang.
Especially those young adults in their twenties.
When the plot on stage progressed to the point where Yang Bailao was forced by Hu Shiren to sign Xi'er's indenture and then committed suicide by drinking brine after returning home, the young men looked at the stage with a mixture of humiliation and resentment, and a hint of murderous intent.
Yang Shaofeng nodded in satisfaction.
It's good to know it's humiliating.
It's good that you feel resentment.
What I fear most is that the people of Xujiazhuang have completely lost their fighting spirit, and dare not even feel humiliation or resentment.
After the performance of "The White-Haired Girl" on stage ended, Yang Shaofeng was the first to get up and walk straight to the stage.
The soldiers of the Embroidered Uniform Guard brought over several tables and chairs. Some tables had writing brushes, ink, paper, and inkstones on them, while others had tin megaphones on them, which served as makeshift loudspeakers.
"I've seen the play."
"In the play, Hu Shiren is overthrown and put on trial."
"The characters Xi'er and Wang Dachun in the play have finally seen the light."
Looking at the audience below the stage, who were filled with resentment and a hint of confusion, Yang Shaofeng asked, "So, what about Hu Shiren offstage?"
"I am not a citizen of Xu Family Village, so I do not know what Second Master Xu has done in Xu Family Village."
"I wonder if he is more ruthless and domineering than Hu Shiren in the play, and more wicked."
"However, I only heard from the old man in the village a few days ago that this Master Xu is probably three times worse than Hu Shiren."
"Now, Master Xu has been arrested, just like Hu Shiren in the play."
"Then, do the elders and folks of Xujiazhuang dare to stand up like Xi'er and Wang Dachun in the play and testify against Master Xu's crimes?"
Yang Shaofeng tapped the table lightly and raised his voice: "Anyone who dares, come up on stage."
"The current emperor has already sent officials from the Censorate and the Ministry of Justice to Xu Family Village."
"Everyone pointed out Master Xu's crimes, and the officials from the Censorate and the Ministry of Justice put Master Xu on trial on the spot."
"Is there anyone brave enough to come up here?!"
The villagers of Xujiazhuang suddenly fell silent below the stage.
Arresting Master Xu is certainly a cause for celebration.
The fate of Hu Shiren in the play was also very satisfying.
But can we, these peasants, really testify against Master Xu?
The prince consort was doing well while he was in Xinghua County, but he was bound to leave eventually.
Looking at the various expressions on the faces of the people below the stage, Yang Shaofeng suddenly laughed and said sarcastically, "It seems that I have overestimated you all after all."
"A bunch of spineless cowards!"
"You're all terrified by just one Master Xu?"
"Good heavens, I'm standing up for you today, but what if another Master Xu appears tomorrow? Won't you all help him kill me?"
Looking at the crowd below the stage again, Yang Shaofeng raised his voice: "Is there anyone who dares to stand up!"
"If not, then after the censor and the official in charge of the Ministry of Justice have interrogated him, Master Xu may be released without charge."
"You all know how many bad things you've said about him before!"
"Whether Master Xu will let you go or not, you know in your hearts!"
"..."
Yang Shaofeng's taunts and threats ultimately had an effect.
A young man, whose face was already flushed with anger, suddenly broke free from the old man's hand, strode onto the stage, and shouted, "Xu Qi, I'm here to testify against Master Xu!"
“A few years ago, we suffered from a flood and couldn’t pay the rent. So Master Xu forcibly kidnapped my little sister to pay off the debt, just like Hu Shiren kidnapping Xi’er in the play!”
"But," Xu Qi took a deep breath and said, choking back tears, "Xi'er in the play survived, but my little sister has vanished without a trace, neither alive nor dead!"
Xu Qi knelt down with a thud, looked up at Yang Shaofeng, and cried out, "I beg Your Highness to do me justice!"
Yang Shaofeng got up from behind the table, went around to the front, helped Xu Qi up, and then instructed Chang Xiaojiu beside him: "Take him to Xu Er's house to identify people and see if there is any trace of his little sister."
After Chang Xiaojiu led Xu Qi away, Yang Shaofeng looked at the crowd below the stage and shouted, "Who else! Who else dares to stand up and identify Xu Er?"
……
The inspecting censors and the vice minister of the Ministry of Justice took over the part of hearing complaints and testimonies.
Yang Shaofeng, with a dark and sour face, said to Black Sesame Dumpling, "It will probably be more difficult than we imagine to mobilize the people to testify against these officials and gentry."
Zhu Biao nodded, his face equally dark.
As the saying goes, "to see a leopard through a tube is to see only a part of it."
Even though Master Xu's family had been arrested, even though the plot on the stage made them grit their teeth in hatred, and even though Yang Shaofeng was mocking and threatening them, the people of Xu Family Village still didn't dare to stand up and testify.
This clearly demonstrates the extent of the tyranny and power of these officials and gentry.