As a glorious old district with a tradition of popular revolts, Suzhou City was not the only place where people like Lin Daguan could organize popular revolts.
The Suzhou Textile Industry Office also has strength, as evidenced by the frequent weaver riots in history.
In the past, Lin Daguan people were very keen on organizing civil uprisings because they could use them to compete for interests.
But the current Lin Daguan does not like the civil uprising, because the civil uprising will harm his interests.
Although the Dongcheng Weavers' Riot was not organized by Lin Daguan and did not even have much direct relationship with him, it would still indirectly affect him.
After all, in today's Suzhou city, especially in the socio-economic field, it seems that everything can be related to Lin Daguan.
Let’s just say that the Dongcheng Silk Weaving Industry is still controlled by the Textile Industry Office and is completely different from Lin Daguan’s Xujiang South Bank Industrial Park.
However, taxes, wages and benefits are all common and circulated. If the conditions in the industrial park are not as good as those in Dongcheng, those small businesses and weavers may have to leave the industrial park and run back to the city.
So when he heard that Dongcheng weavers were organizing a protest, Lin Tailai decided to send people to the scene to monitor the situation and take countermeasures according to the specific situation.
At the same time, he said to everyone present: "Do you have any other suggestions? If not, let the meeting be dismissed first!"
But Zhou Daodeng suddenly reminded him: "With the prestige of sitting in the palace, just telling a lie can divert trouble to the east."
"Lie?" Lin Tailai thought thoughtfully.
Gao Changjiang felt a huge threat, jumped out and scolded Zhou Daodeng: "What lies? We only tell the truth here!"
Lin Tai came to his senses and said, "That's right! What I said is the truth!"
Later, Officer Lin changed his mind and personally led a team to observe the Dongcheng weavers' riot.
After leaving home, Lin Daguan went directly to Xuanmiao Temple in the north of the city.
Anyone who knows anything about the city knows that weavers' strikes, riots and other activities are usually organized and gathered here.
When Official Lin arrived in a hurry, he saw that one or two thousand people had gathered near Xuanmiao Temple.
There was a man in his late thirties, standing on a high place, speaking impassionedly.
Lin Tailai laughed when he saw it, pointed at the man who was giving a speech, and said to the people around him: "Isn't this General Ge?"
It was the weaver leader Ge Cheng who left several marks in history and was later commemorated by Suzhou people with a shrine built to commemorate the "god of strikes and tax resistance."
Under the protection of more than 200 patrons, Lin Daguan forced his way from the back of the crowd to the audience. He was very eye-catching due to his tall size and large number of people.
The leader of the weavers, Ge Cheng, saw Lin Daguan and his people crowded over to join in the fun at a glance, and his heart skipped a beat!
He recalled the experience of being teased by Lin Daguan during the strike three years ago.
This time the governor wants to raise taxes. He organized the Dongcheng weaver brothers to rise up to resist the tax. It seems that he has nothing to do with you, Mr. Lin, so what are you doing here?
Is it possible that you still want to sabotage this anti-tax strike and get stabbed in the back by your fellow villagers?
Lin Tailai jumped onto the high platform with a big stride. Ge Cheng, who was filled with shadows in his heart, subconsciously took two steps back.
"Don't be nervous!" Lin Tailai showed an approachable smile, "I am also a member of the textile industry, and of course I am here to support you!"
"Do the officials really support us?" Ge Cheng asked uncertainly.
Lin Tailai replied very firmly: "If I say I support you, I will support you. Suzhou people will not lie to Suzhou people."
Then he asked Ge Cheng: "I wonder what you are going to do next?"
There is nothing to hide. Ge Cheng said: "We will work together to petition the Procuratorate and ask Futai to withdraw the tax increase order."
Lin Tailai frowned and sighed deeply, "But don't you find it strange?
Usually, the apportionment and tax increase for the weaving industry were done by the weaving eunuchs, and the governors mostly cared about feathers and seldom participated.
But this time the governor was dismissed directly, don’t you find it strange?”
This sentence really stopped Ge Cheng. How could he know why?
Lin Tailai said in a pitiful tone: "I really pity you ordinary people, you always don't know the inside story, you don't know the truth, you are always fooled by those powerful people!"
Ge Cheng: "."
If another person said that in front of one or two thousand people, you would easily get beaten, you know?
But Ge Cheng still asked tentatively: "Is there something else going on?"
Lin Tailai replied: "As the saying goes, every injustice has its owner, and every debtor has its owner. I didn't expect that you couldn't even find the right owner for your tax resistance."
Ge Cheng then asked: "Can a senior official give me some advice? Who is the right person?"
Lin Tailai patted Ge Cheng on the shoulder and said, "I can't bear for my countrymen to be fooled by foreign officials!
If you believe me, tax resistance petitions should go to the Weaving Bureau, not the heavily guarded Procuratorate!"
Ge Cheng kept thinking carefully, what does Lin Daguan mean by this?
At the same time, Ge Cheng looked at the workers around him and hesitated for a moment.
Changing the original plan requires a lot of determination, and it is not an easy decision to make.
But with the prestige and status of Senior Official Lin, he wouldn't come here specifically to fool a little guy like him, would he?
Lin Tailai waited for a while and then added, "If you are still worried, then I will also go to the Weaving Bureau to petition for you!"
Ge Cheng called dozens of key relatives and friends aside to discuss. Someone said: "I heard that the governor and procuratorate have strong soldiers and horses, and there are many governor's soldiers, so I'm afraid there may be danger.
It would be safer to go to the Weaving Bureau with Mr. Lin, after all, Mr. Lin is a local and will not insist on harming us."
Seeing the attitude of his relatives and friends, Ge Cheng had nothing to say, so he stood on the stage again and called on his fellow workers to petition the Weaving Bureau again.
Today weavers gathered to cause trouble, and all the yamen in the city knew the news, but most of them were just a little wary and just wanted to watch the excitement, because most of the yamen were not responsible.
Only the Governor's Office was heavily guarded, with all the officers and soldiers of the Thousand Standard Battalion on duty. In addition, a thousand people were transferred from the local garrison camp to the outer streets.
Although we don't expect these local officers and soldiers to play a big role, they can serve as a buffer.
Sun Long, the weaving eunuch, was sitting in the official office of the Weaving Bureau, drinking tea and chatting with his entourage.
"If we weren't afraid of being hurt, we would really like to see the excitement." Eunuch Sun said unwillingly.
As a veteran traditional villain in the Suzhou weaving industry, whenever he encounters weavers causing trouble, others have always watched his excitement. Today, it was finally his turn to watch other people's excitement.
Sometimes Eunuch Sun couldn't understand. Isn't it a lot to add a tax of five cents a year for each loom? Just for this, there is a tax riot!
The attendants on the left and right hurriedly persuaded them. Whenever they encountered weavers' tax riots, the eunuchs could often run away, but their lackadaisical followers were a high-risk group with an extremely high casualty rate!
Finally, this year, someone else is taking advantage of the tax money from the textile industry. We should calm down on our side!
Before the cup of tea was finished, a long attendant suddenly crawled in and shouted to Eunuch Sun: "The official Lin is coming to the Weaving Bureau with two thousand weavers!"
Eunuch Sun: "???"
What kind of plot is this? It’s obviously the governor who’s raising taxes, so why is he still targeting himself?
The attendants on the left and right jumped up quickly and shouted: "Close the door! Close the door! All the officers must assemble! Assemble! Only block the door! Don't attack Mr. Lin!"
Someone else shouted: "Go and invite Third Master Lin! We have friendship with Third Master Lin!"
The Weaving Bureau was unprepared, and in a hurry, everything was in chaos.
Looking at the closed door of the weaving bureau, Lin Tailai said to Ge Cheng: "I'll go first and petition the weaving eunuch. If it doesn't work, how about making another fuss?"
Then the door of the Weaving Bureau was half opened, and Officer Lin walked in with a dozen or so servants, holding their heads high.
Eunuch Sun was standing in the vestibule. When he saw Lin Tailai, he said angrily: "We have always been on good terms with you, why did you bring these rioting weavers to me today?"
Lin Tailai sighed and said very caringly: "This is for your own good."
Eunuch Sun: "."
Should I believe your evil, or should I disbelieve your evil?
Lin Tailai continued to explain: "Da Ju, your main responsibility in Suzhou is actually to gather wealth for the emperor.
If the weavers don't come to you this year to cause trouble, but go to the governor instead, doesn't it mean that your work is far less effective than the governor?
What would the emperor think if it reached his ears?
A eunuch who is specially designed to attract people has a worse attitude towards his job than a civil servant. Will the emperor think that you have neglected your duty?"
Eunuch Sun was a little frightened. What he said was not unreasonable. As the saying goes, the power of God is unpredictable. No one can bet with the emperor's mentality.
But he still said with a sneer on his face: "It seems that we have really misunderstood your kind-heartedness. It turns out that you led the weavers to make trouble at the Weaving Bureau. How much should we thank you?"
Then tell me, what should we do in the face of your kindness?"
To be continued...