The prefect acted very proactively. On that day, he sent officials to spread the word and summon some famous local gentry and gentry inside and outside the city.
Two days later, Magistrate Li met with the local gentry in the lobby of the government office. About twenty or thirty people gathered together, and together they were enough to represent the public opinion in Gusu City.
As a local chief official, the prefect is not low on the fourth rank. Most of the local people want to show off their face, and most of those invited can only come happily.
After singing and drinking several times, Magistrate Li appeared on the official throne, and Cai Kongmu, who had been expelled from the imperial envoy's residence, stood beside the magistrate.
All I could hear was Magistrate Li coughing heavily and saying to everyone: "I've called you all here because I heard that Envoy Fang is determined to increase taxes on Min Tian and Men Tan Yin. You are all local celebrities.
I always have a lot of people to rely on when I am administering the government. I wonder what you think about this?"
A short, fat gentleman asked: "How did the prefect get such news?" Magistrate Li pointed to Cai Fu next to him, "This is Cai Kongmu, the imperial envoy's attaché. He can testify."
Cai Fu had no choice but to take a step forward and said to everyone: "This is indeed the case..."
But Cai Kongmu had only finished speaking halfway when Magistrate Li immediately took over and continued: "What I said must be true. If I am not sure, how can I dare to bother you all to come here to discuss it? Fang Qin was ordered to urge the conquest.
Regarding money and food, it seems that there is no other way at the moment. If we insist on going our own way, we will raise taxes.”
Cai Fu glanced at Magistrate Li a few times, but didn't say anything. The tax increase was just a rumor, but Magistrate Li took it seriously as a fact, and even somewhat misled the people.
Is this the result of being driven to the point of insanity? Or is this just a deliberate attempt to exaggerate?
After Magistrate Li finished speaking, the gentry and wealthy people in the lobby believed him. This was probably because Suzhou Prefecture was really a piece of fat. It was not a new thing for the imperial court to come to reap benefits. The most widely circulated story was that of killing Shen Wansan. Therefore, no one was afraid.
Speculating on the Imperial Envoy with the utmost malice.
Although raising taxes is simple and crude, it is indeed direct and effective. The possibility of a young and energetic imperial envoy using this method is very high.
What's more, since the imperial envoy took office, there have been rumors in Suzhou Prefecture and even the entire Jiangnan, but the imperial envoy has never explained or refuted the rumors. What does this mean? It shows that the imperial envoy has no intention at all, and is probably just testing the people through rumors.
After understanding the current situation, someone in the crowd immediately echoed: "Prefect Li can't make the decision regarding the imperial envoy. We will write to the court on our own!"
Magistrate Li responded: "With people's hearts like this, how can I dare to attach myself to others? Even if I fight against this evil, I definitely cannot ignore evil things."
Cai Kongmu watched with cold eyes. What he saw and heard made him secretly frightened. What frightened him was not that this group of people wanted to jointly write a letter to criticize the imperial envoy, but that the scene was exactly what the imperial envoy expected.
In the view of Cai Kongmu, who was well aware of the situation, Governor Li was indeed a bit too active, and his actions seemed to be taking advantage of the opportunity to manipulate public opinion and create an image of himself as an anti-tyranny.
As Mr. Fang was sent by the imperial court to collect taxes, he was naturally unpopular and became a target deliberately set up. But the strange thing is that Mr. Fang has always cooperated with being a target, and he doesn't know what kind of medicine is being sold in the gourd.
Cai Kongmu's thoughts were not revealed when he pressed the button. Someone in the hall doubted: "Based on the current situation, we haven't seen any actual actions by the imperial envoy. Are we going too far with the high-profile promotion?"
But someone else came forward to explain. "It is clear from various signs that this imperial envoy has bad intentions, and I am afraid that he will definitely implement harsh policies and do his best to collect money. However, the collection of autumn grains does not start until October. It is only the beginning of August, and the imperial envoy wants to take action."
It was too early. So he could only bluff and make arrangements in advance.
It’s October. It’s time to go to war! You guys should know how to prepare for a rainy day. How can you take precautions in advance instead of being caught off guard and in a state of distress?”
So everyone was speechless, and then someone took the initiative to write a petition, splashing ink and a brush, and the words were completed in a matter of seconds. After others read it, they yelled several times, and then signed their names one after another.
Since the time of Emperor Taizu, the country has always established the political correctness of free speech. Unless people write letters deliberately to discuss sensitive matters, the court will generally not blame them.
For these wealthy gentry, there is basically no risk in jointly writing a letter to express their dissatisfaction with the imperial envoy. It is something that is not worth doing. The court is unlikely to convict them for this.
Therefore, they had no psychological burden and easily accepted the petition proposal. Even if they got the job in vain, it would not be in vain.
Of course, Magistrate Li would not mix with the private sector and sign a joint petition. He would submit a memorial separately and also invite the county to submit a petition together.
Anyone with a slight sense of politics will know that Suzhou government officials' petitions and private petitions were sent to the court at the same time. When combined, the effect was not just as simple as one plus one.
Officials' petitions reflect the attitude of the local government, while civilian petitions reflect public opinion. When viewed separately, in the eyes of the superior court, they are likely to be innocuous and nothing more than individual complaints, and do not represent the mainstream local attitude.
But when the local government and public opinion are combined, the influence will increase exponentially. At this time, it is no longer a matter of individual complaints, but an attitude that can represent the mainstream, and the court must pay attention to it.
Of course, Cai Kongmu also understood the above truth, so he looked at the farce in the government office hall with worry, and couldn't help but worry about Mr. Fang.
Previously, Mr. Fang asked Cai Kongmu to stage a painful plot, and then asked him to come to the prefect to offer suggestions and vigorously encouraged the prefect to propose a petition. Cai Kongmu felt that this plan was not very successful.
Which official could be so stupid that he didn't even understand the principle of officials protecting each other? But Cai Kongmu didn't expect that what Mr. Fang said became true, and Magistrate Li actually encouraged everyone to submit a letter.
Now that this is the case, what should Mr. Fang do?
Judging from Cai Kongmu's political experience, any time local officials and gentry leaders jointly protested against impeachment, it would lead to resentment and anger. The protagonists of such things are either rebellious officials and traitors who harm the country and the people, or eunuchs who harm one party.
thief.
Unless the emperor unconditionally supports him, most such people will not end well. Fang Yingwu may have some background, but he is not strong enough to be supported by the emperor. He is not a sycophant of the emperor, nor is he an eunuch.
But this situation seems to have been brought about by Mr. Fang. Looking at the whole process, it seems that he is seeking his own death... Even though Cai Kongmu has a clear understanding of the world, he can't understand it at this time and is trapped in
In confusion.
Is Mr. Fang in control of everything and has a back-up plan secretly, or is he self-defeating and riding a tiger with difficulty? (To be continued...)
