OBS Chapter 556: Immediately execute those merchants who drive up grain prices
Chapter 556: Immediately execute those merchants who drive up grain prices
Padua was shrouded in mist in the spring of 1462, and parchment scrolls were piled up in the office of the former mayor of the city council.
Minzer sat behind an oak table piled with documents, handling affairs in the city.
The workload in the city was far more complicated than he had imagined. The hardships of township management and siege warfare were child's play compared to it. He had to cooperate with the grassroots officials of the city council who stayed behind. Although these people did not do bad things, their efficiency was worrying.
"Mr. Min Caier, here are the results of today's public trial and the list of death penalty executions."
A rebel soldier came in holding a stack of yellowed papers.
"Put it there."
Min Caier didn't even raise his head, his voice was hoarse as if it had been sandpapered.
"Oh, by the way, ask the kitchen to bring breakfast. I'm starving."
After the soldiers left, Minzer continued to work on his paperwork. After an unspecified amount of time, his stomach growled in protest.
He looked up at the clock. The gilded hands were almost pointing to noon. Outside the window, a few crows were circling in the dead tree, making shrill cries. He rubbed his temples and decided to go to the kitchen to take a look.
The stone bricks in the corridor exuded a damp and moldy smell, and Minzer's leather boots made a dull sound when they stepped on them. When he turned the corner, he suddenly heard a noise in his ears.
"How did this kid get in? He was running around everywhere and even sneaking into the kitchen to eat!"
A cook was holding a little girl about ten years old. The girl's flaxen braids hung loosely on her shoulders, and her dirty skirt was stained with flour.
She huddled in the corner like a frightened cub, the tips of her worn shoes drawing circles on the ground.
"Let her go."
Min Caier said in a deep voice, his voice echoing in the stone corridor.
The cook hurriedly let go and said:
"Mr. Muenzer, your breakfast is ready, but this child came out of nowhere and ate up all your breakfast."
Then the cook continued to ask the little girl:
"where do you come from."
However, the little girl seemed to be frightened and did not dare to speak at all.
"She didn't tell me when I asked her. I think she must have lost her way."
The soldier beside him said.
"Isn't it just breakfast?"
Min Zeer waved his hand to signal the cook to leave, and he turned to the girl with a tone so gentle that it could melt the ice.
"Little girl, what's your name?"
"Natalia."
The girl's voice, as soft as a mosquito's buzz, mixed with the noise of the kitchen. Her eyes were like obsidian washed by rain, clear but empty.
"What a great name."
Min Caier took her little hand covered in flour, and the rough calluses on his palm rubbed against the girl's delicate skin.
"Would you like to work with me?"
"Okay."
Natalia said.
"Okay, then come with me. I won't eat breakfast. I'll wait for lunch."
In this way, Min Zeer pulled Natalia to the office. After finding a chair for Natalia to sit down, Min Zeer saw that she had nothing to do. He glanced at the ink and feather pen beside her and asked:
"Natalia, do you want to work with your uncle?"
"Okay."
"Okay, you draw here and I'll write here."
Minzer continued to work beside her while Natalia drew on the paper with great interest.
At this time, Min Ze'er was looking through the list of people who were about to be sentenced to death. Although the top leaders of the city council had all fled, a considerable number of people in the city had been arrested and sentenced. Those sentenced to death included bullies like William who exploited and harmed the local people, officials in the city who were corrupt and lent money at high interest rates to citizens and took human lives lightly, and some were merchants who inflated food prices.
"Dong dong dong."
At this moment, the door opened and a rebel soldier said at the door:
"Mr. Muenzer, lunch is ready."
"Oh well."
After Min Zeer finished speaking, he glanced at Natalia and said:
"Prepare one for this little girl as well."
"Ok."
Min Zeer put down the work in his hands and came to look at Natalia. At this time, she had drawn a lot of things on the paper. Although the paintings were a bit abstract, Min Zeer could still make out some of them were houses, grass, flowers and the like.
"Natalia, who are these people?"
Min Caier pointed at the people in the painting and asked.
"Me, my dad, my mom, grandpa and grandma."
"Oh, what a sweet family."
Minzer said casually, but when he saw Natalia's tattered skirt, he asked:
"Natalia, why doesn't your mother mend your clothes?"
My mother is gone.”
Natalia said calmly. Min Zeer was stunned for a moment, then continued to ask:
"Oh what happened to her?"
"My mother starved to death."
Hearing this, Min Zeer hugged Natalia and asked:
"Is there anyone else in your family?"
"There's no one left."
Min Ze'er was silent. He looked at Natalia with some sadness, then picked her up to comfort her. But the moment he picked her up, he felt that the child was too light.
He thought of the skinny, starving children in the parish school, but Natalia was even thinner than them, like a weed that would wither at any moment.
He put Natalia down and then paced back and forth in the office. He felt a fire in his heart that was about to burst out.
At this moment, his gaze shifted to the table, where there were several applications for the execution of merchants for raising grain prices.
"Call Father Walden."
He shouted to the outside, his voice as cold as ice.
When the priest hurried over, Münzer pushed the documents to the edge of the table.
"We will immediately execute those merchants you arrested for inflating grain prices, and widely inform the people of this matter."
"To make it clear, from now on, if we catch any merchants attempting to create famine, we will treat them like enemies and kill them immediately!"
Although Minzer spoke to him in a very normal tone, Walden clearly felt that Minzer was very angry. Walden had never seen Minzer so angry before. It seemed that Minzer really wanted these people to die quickly.
"Oh, by the way, one more thing."
Min Zeer looked at Natalia and said:
"We need to immediately set up a ministry to care for these children in need. We need to love these children just as the Lord loves us."
"I understand, I'll do it right now."
After Val recorded what Minzer had said, he left the office and went to the court in Padua.
"What, immediate execution?"
Looking at the newly appointed Supreme Judge, Walden confirmed:
"Yes, organize a trial immediately and sentence them to death. They must all be executed today. What they did has a terrible impact. People like them must be severely punished."
"Alright, whatever you say is what it is. Since we have all the evidence, bring the criminal here for trial immediately."
The Supreme Court said this, and at the same time he was thinking about whether he had done anything wrong in the past, so that the person who now rules Padua would not kill him.