Chapter 137 Public trial, grievance meeting! (2 per day, 2/, monthly ticket requested)

Northland Bank was closed down!
The news spread quickly with the actions of the Qianyan Army.

Many people who had deposited money in Northland Bank were a little panicked and hurriedly asked people for news, fearing that their deposits would be gone.

On the contrary, many people who had borrowed money from Northland Bank secretly hoped that Northland Bank would simply go bankrupt so that they would not have to pay back the money;
It was not until Manager Andre asked to meet with Qixing and persuaded Qixing with his emotional and logical arguments, proving that the Northland Bank was not involved in the treason case,

Qixing then gave the order to lift the blockade on the Northland Bank.

The rumors about the Northland Bank gradually died down.

Of course, this was just news on the surface. In secret, Northland Bank paid a huge price to obtain the forgiveness of the Seven Stars.

Many of the industries they had seized in Liyue were directly cut out.

A huge amount of Mora was also paid as compensation.

Many unfair treaties were signed.

But even so, Andre was treated like a hero at Northland Bank.

The employees of the Northland Bank looked at him with eager eyes, admiration, and gratitude.
Of course, there are still some doubts in the eyes of a very small number of people.

But these doubts are nothing.

Andre, who withstood the pressure from the Seven Stars and saved the Northland Bank, undoubtedly controls the Northland Bank today.

As for the former Vice President Ivan, I'm sorry, he was the sinner who almost led Northland Bank into the abyss, please don't mention him again.

Even some people who used to follow Ivan came to Andrei to express their
In the past they were ignorant and were just playing around, but now they hope Andre can let bygones be bygones and accept them as his dogs.

And Andre naturally accepted everyone who came.

His situation is now completely open.
Having reached cooperation with Ye Lan, he is not worried about the pressure from Liyue at all.

On the contrary, as long as he can stabilize the situation within Northland Bank, the position of vice president seems to be beckoning to him.

So, he accepted the people left by Ivan without any grudges.

Most of those who once followed Ivan were proficient in finance, which just made up for Andrei's weaknesses.

Andre now controls the financial talents of the Northland Bank in one hand and the debt handlers of the Northland Bank in the other. It can be said that he has achieved the achievement of having the final say.

Of course, the premise is that Pantalone does not return to Liyue.

And that’s exactly what he did.

"I don't want to see Executive Officer Pantalone return."

Still in the same tavern, Andre looked at Ye Lan and expressed his request.

Ye Lan was a little ridiculous instead: "Do you think I can control Pantalone?"

Andre said with a serious expression: "Can we issue an official announcement to deny Executive Officer Pantalone entry?"

"Ha, he is the executive officer of Zhidong, and he usually comes to Liyue as an envoy." Ye Lan glanced at Andre, "Your value is not enough for us to disrupt our diplomacy with Zhidong."

To put it bluntly, the benefits are not enough.

Andre rolled his eyes. You and Zhidong have a shitty diplomacy. It's just superficial.

Of course, he thought so in his heart, but Andre didn't dare to say it out loud.

"What if this can be done without damaging diplomatic relations?" said Andre.

Ye Lan became interested: "Tell me about it."

Andre: "I have some small evidence from Pantalone that proves that he has launched multiple malicious business operations in Liyue."

What is malicious business action?
The most direct way is to kidnap you and then buy out your family's property.

This is called malicious business action.

After all, real business wars are so... plain and simple.

"You want to report Pantalone? Do you want to live?" Ye Lan looked surprised.

Even though Pantalone is not here now, if the other party knew that Andre betrayed him, even if he could not come to Liyue, the executive would have countless ways to take Andre's life.

"What do you mean I betrayed Lord Pantalone? It was the General Affairs Department that found these evidences in Vice President Ivan's office. Vice President Ivan has long been unhappy with Lord Pantalone and has always wanted to rebel, so he collected a lot of evidence like this."

Andre said seriously,

There was even a hint of respect on his face when he spoke of Lord Pantalone.

Ye Lan was a little confused as to whether the other party had really betrayed Pantalone.

Looking at Ye Lan's eyes, Andre regained his composure: "Why are you looking at me like that? I really didn't betray Lord Pantalone. I just...want to make progress."

This is an absolute egoist.
Ye Lan deepened her judgment of Andre's character.

Then she smiled, nodded to Andrei, and said, "If the evidence in your hand...oh, in Vice President Ivan's office really exists, then I will report it and designate Pantalone as a person denied entry."

Hearing this, Andre smiled.

As long as Master Pantalone cannot return to Liyue, or in other words, cannot return to Liyue openly,

Then I am the most powerful person in charge of the Northern Bank in Liyue,
The feeling of being in power made Andre extremely happy.

"Please rest assured, there is absolutely enough evidence."

"I am looking forward."

……

October 15th,
The people of Liyue Harbor had already received the news.
A public trial will be held today at Yujingtai.
Anyone can watch, anyone can speak,

Those traitors will be tried in a fair, just and open manner.

This unprecedented form of trial immediately attracted the attention of a large number of Liyue people.

Some people find it novel, some feel ashamed, and some are curious about who made such a judgment.
After asking around for a while, a familiar name appeared in front of everyone.

General Affairs Department, Wang Hao.

He was the young man who led his men to raid three wealthy families.
It was he who proposed the public trial system.

For these extremely evil people, they must be dealt with under the judgment of the whole nation, which can be considered a just trial.

This concept has improved Wang Hao's image in the hearts of the lower-class people.
But for some big families, this kind of trial is undoubtedly threatening.

They really wanted to find Wang Hao and tell him if he could stop playing so extravagantly.
If there is anything, why don’t we just close the door and talk slowly?
Why do you have to make it known to everyone?

This kind of gameplay that is inconsistent with Liyue's unspoken rules since ancient times makes many big clans very uncomfortable.

Wang Hao understood even more clearly that reputation was very important to the big families.
Only when it becomes known to everyone can we truly deter them.

As for closing the door and chatting slowly, it's so funny. Wang Hao and Keqing didn't even close the door to chat, so are you qualified to do that?
Of course, if there are many people who are not comfortable with it, there are also some who can adapt to it.

Especially some big families with good family traditions, they are very optimistic about Wang Hao's public trial system.

Anyway, they have a good family tradition and outstanding children, so the public trial system is of great benefit to them with no harm at all.

For example, a young man who had been reading chivalrous novels all night for several days in a row was woken up by his brother early in the morning and came to Yujingtai with dark circles under his eyes.

Originally, Xingqiu didn't want to come.

But his brother convinced him with just one word.

"Today is your friend's real debut, won't you go and support him?"

These words hit Xingqiu's sore spot.
Loyalty, how can you not be loyal?

So Xingqiu yawned and came here with all his strength.

On the wide Yujing Terrace,
A high platform has been erected.

It is not as gorgeous as a stage, but just a simple wooden platform. In this place called Yujingtai, it seems too plain.

This is also what Wang Hao requested.

After all, it is prepared for the prisoners, and it is so beautiful that people who don’t know would think it is a commendation.

In front of the wooden platform and on both sides, there are many small benches.

No matter how Xingqiu looked at it, he felt something was wrong.

I feel that this stage and the small stool really lower the status of Yujingtai.

Of course, he didn't know the word "big shot", but that was the feeling.

My brother has already started chatting with some adults around.

Xingqiu listened for a while and found that it was just some business cooperation. He immediately lost interest. He looked around and suddenly saw a familiar figure.

His eyes lit up, he walked over quietly, and then: "Ah!"

The shout startled the young alchemist who was sitting quietly.

"Hahahaha, Chongyun, you are too frightened." Xingqiu laughed happily.

Chongyun was startled. He saw an ice-blue talisman between his fingertips. After discovering that it was Xingqiu, he dispersed the talisman.

"I almost did it." Chongyun said in a muffled voice.

He was really not good at speaking and couldn't win an argument with Xingqiu.

Xingqiu didn't care at all and almost took action, but he hasn't taken action yet.

He put his arm around Chongyun's shoulders and asked, "Why are you here? Are you here to cheer for Wang Hao as well?"

Chongyun tilted his head: "What does it have to do with Wang Hao?" "Hey, don't you know? Wang Hao was the one who started this drama today." Xingqiu was also surprised, "No, if you don't know, then why did you come here?"

Chongyun said honestly, "I stayed in the tribe for half a month, went out to exorcise demons, and after returning to Liyue Harbor, I saw a lot of people walking this way. I thought something had happened, so I came to take a look."

After following the crowd here, Chongyun saw that nothing seemed to be happening and there were many small benches here. He had been walking for a while, so he sat down to rest.

"What? You went out to subdue demons, then why didn't you call me?"

Xingqiu looked regretful that no one had invited him to such an interesting event.

Chongyun rolled his eyes and said, "You gave me a lot of false information before. I don't dare to take you with me again."

Xingqiu's face turned red. He had indeed used a lot of false information to trick Chongyun.

As for the honest Chongyun, it seemed that he might not have realized that it was Xingqiu's prank.

He naively thought that Xingqiu had also been deceived.
Well, that’s what honest children are like.

"Ahem, okay, then you must call me next time." Xingqiu coughed a few times and quickly changed the subject, "Let's go support Wang Hao together later, and then don't leave after it's over, I'll treat you to a meal."

Chongyun had no objection and nodded to show his agreement.

Time passes quickly,

More and more people gathered at Yujingtai.

The small stools that Wang Hao asked the General Affairs Department to prepare were no longer enough.
Many people spontaneously gathered around the perimeter, sticking their heads out to look inside.

Everyone is very interested in this so-called public trial.

Soon, with the entry of Qianyan Army, the scene gradually became noisy.

The appearance of Yuheng Star made the atmosphere at the scene even more lively.

After Keqing came here, she didn't say much. Today was not her home court, she just came here to watch on behalf of the Seven Stars.

Sitting on the wooden platform, Keqing became the "mascot".

Everyone was talking about it until Wang Hao came over with a team of Qianyan soldiers.

He walked up to the wooden platform expressionlessly and looked at the crowd watching below.

"Silence!"

"This public trial will be supervised by Yuhengxing and presided over by me. Any citizen of Liyue can go on stage and make a speech, but they need to sign a contract to guarantee the truthfulness of their speech."

"The subjects of this public trial are Zhu Yongfu, Zhu Yongfu, Zhu Yongxun, Zhu Yongzhao...; Zhang Mingji, Zhang Mingpu, Zhang Mingxuan, Zhang Mingze...; Li Guangdai, Li Guangna, Li Guanghui, Li Guangbei..."

Wang Hao called out a long list of names.
As these names were announced, some people in the crowd below began to get excited.

In addition to those who came to watch the public trial and some people who care about current affairs,
There are also many people who have really been harmed by these powerful families.

It could be beating, scolding or bullying, or it could be deception, blackmail or even darker crimes.

These people were previously unable to take revenge, but now they hear that their enemies appear on the public trial list.

How could they not be excited?

"Next, bring the prisoner Zhu Yongfu."

Wang Hao signaled to the Qianyan Army below, and soon, Zhu Yongfu, dressed in prisoner uniform, was brought up.

There was something stuffed in his mouth, and he kept making whimpering sounds.

But Wang Hao didn't even look at him, and continued, "The prisoner Zhu Yongfu, the head of the Zhu family, has received the emperor's grace for generations, but he has no intention of repaying it. Instead, he is greedy, bullies the weak, colludes with outsiders, and attempts treason. He should be sentenced to death. However, the emperor's grace is spread across the mountains and seas, so he is ordered to be tried by everyone, and the root of the matter will be determined later."

This prisoner deserves death, but for the Emperor's kindness, we will give him another chance to prove himself.
Whether he is dead or alive depends on whether you can find out his past.

After a pause,
Wang Hao looked at the audience and said loudly: "Whether it is good or bad, if someone speaks on the stage, Yuheng will bear witness and give justice."

No matter whether it is good or bad, when you go on stage and speak, Yuhengxing will act as a witness and make the most fair judgment.

After listening to Wang Hao's words,

The audience got quiet for a while.
Then there was a roar of sound.

"I, let me tell you, Zhu Yongfu ate at my house and didn't pay."

"I'm telling you, Zhu Yongfu ordered his thugs to beat up my son's legs, but the thugs took the blame and he didn't pay a penny."

"And me, my daughter went to work for the Zhu family, and was falsely accused of stealing by them, and her hand was broken."

"The Zhu family's mine didn't pay us and beat us, saying we were stealing minerals."

"The Zhu family's fishery also withheld our wages and threatened us not to tell anyone."

……

The crowd was surging, and the condemnation of Zhu Yongfu soon spread to the condemnation of the Zhu family as a whole.

Wang Hao stood on the stage, looking at the crowd below with a calm expression. He did not feel surprised. All this was within his expectations.

[My goodness, I have committed so many sins. ]

[This kind of person is a real bad guy and must be judged. ]

[Tsk tsk tsk, damn it]

[There are always people like this in every situation, so we must uphold justice! ]

[This is clearly a grievance meeting. ]

[Although Wang Hao sometimes likes to use various strategies, it must be said that his foundation is becoming more and more popular. ]

【It’s all because of our good teaching. 】

[Pah, you guys said before that there would be rivers of blood. ]

【…】

The commentators were chatting freely, and they seemed to have different feelings towards this scene of complaints.

But Wang Hao was not very moved. He was like an impartial judge, inviting the complainants to come up one by one.
Supervise the other party to sign a contract guaranteeing to tell the truth, and then watch the other party tearfully accuse the powerful family of oppression.

His eyes covered the entire place.

On the stage, the person being tried had a pale face and despair in his eyes, as if he was regretting it.

But Wang Hao knew that this was not repentance, but just the regret of a loser, and what he regretted might not be the evil he had committed.

And in the audience,

Some were excited, some were hesitant, and some looked as pale as the people on the stage.

This is probably the first time that the people at the bottom of Liyue have made their own voices heard.

These voices are not only deafening, but also pierce the heart.

Physically penetrate the heart.

Many families with a long history suddenly seemed to not understand the current Liyue.

They don't understand why the voices of these civilians have such great power.

This force seemed to overturn the entire Liyue Harbor.

Oh, and overturn their Liyue Harbor.

When the twentieth complainer left, Wang Hao and Keqing looked at each other and then said, "Prisoner Zhu Yongfu, after being pointed out by twenty Liyue citizens, do you realize your mistakes?"

The Qianyan soldiers guarding Zhu Yongfu pulled the cloth out of his mouth.

Zhu Yongfu's eyes were red as he stared at Wang Hao: "Kill me, kill me."

He had a mental breakdown after being insulted by a group of untouchables.

"It seems that you still haven't repented." Wang Hao looked at him coldly, then turned his gaze away and looked at the crowd below the stage. "The prisoner Zhu Yongfu was publicly tried and convicted of 20 crimes, including allowing servants to commit crimes, oppressing the good, violating contracts, and defying the law. Together with the original crime of treason, all assets will be confiscated, and the rights of Liyue citizens will be deprived. The death penalty will be executed in three days."

Following Wang Hao’s announcement, there was cheering from the audience.

Some even burst into tears.

Justice that was delayed finally came.

Wang Hao still had no expression on his face. As the host, he could not show any bias.

"Take Zhu Yongfu down, and then bring the next Zhu Yongfu up."

He waved to the Qianyan Army behind him.
Then there was another round of public trials.

With the previous demonstration, the subsequent public trial went very smoothly.

Even more oppressed people heard the news and dropped their jobs to join in the complaints.

This is the first time that Liyue has a place that truly gives voice to the lower classes.

They don't need to understand complicated contracts or cumbersome laws.

They don't even need to prepare a lawsuit.
They just need to go on stage, sign a contract to tell the truth, and then speak out their grievances.

The indifferent Wang Hao from the General Affairs Department will give them justice.

The silent Yuheng Star will witness a fair, just and open trial.

Liyue’s sky seems... cleaner.

(End of this chapter)