Zhao Han had just settled in the inn when he heard noises on the street.
He hurriedly went out to look, and saw a large blue cloth sedan in front of him, followed by many attendants with swords, and behind them was a long line of carrying teams.
Back in the store, Zhao Han asked the shopkeeper for information: "May I ask, sir, where are the many people outside?"
The shopkeeper glanced outside the door, shook his head and sighed: "The eunuch has finally moved away. The gentry and merchants of Hekou Town will be lucky."
"That's it, thank you for your advice." Zhao Han said with his hands in hand.
In the Ming Dynasty, there were local garrison eunuchs and separate garrison eunuchs. At first, they only supervised and assisted border military affairs, and gradually spread to the whole country to supervise military and political affairs. Later, the "mine tax supervisor" suddenly expanded, and eunuchs went to local areas to supervise tax collection.
For the chaos in Liaodong, in addition to the contribution of civil servants and military generals, mining tax supervisor Gao Huai was also to blame.
Gao Huai was originally a gangster in Beijing who made a living by collecting taxes for others at Chongwenmen. When he heard that Wanli was going to send eunuchs to local areas to collect taxes, he actually took a knife from the palace and bribed his favorite officials to get the position of tax supervisor in Liaodong.
Because of his skill in plundering, Wanli gave him the residence of the eunuch who was guarding Liaodong. Gao Huai was so proud that he appointed himself the eunuch, but was impeached by the officials. After hearing this, Wanli not only did not blame him, but said, "I have confirmed my fate." Gao Huai was really promoted to the eunuch guarding Liaodong.
In ten years, all forty-seven large households in Liaoyang alone went bankrupt, and the emperor only received more than 45,000 taels of silver. More than 90% of the silver taels were swallowed up by the Chief of Liters and Gao Huai himself.
Big households will pass all their losses on to the common people.
If the big businesses are bankrupt, how miserable will the lives of the common people be?
As a result, a demon appeared in Liaodong and led more than 3,000 people (according to "Joseon Record" to be 50,000) to revolt. It took Liaodong's elite to suppress it for half a year before it subsided.
After such a big commotion, Gaohuai actually didn't do anything wrong and continued to search Liaodong under the emperor's order. A large number of military households, craftsmen, and civilians in Liaodong were forced to flee and join the Jurchens. Nurhachi's strength increased rapidly.
In the end, it was so outrageous that Emperor Wanli could not suppress public opinion and finally recalled Gao Huai.
Ten years after this eunuch left Liaodong, the Battle of Sarhu broke out.
At the beginning of Chongzhen's succession, most of the guarding eunuchs and tax supervising eunuchs were abolished.
However, only a year or two later, he sent eunuchs all over the country. Because he did not trust civil servants and military generals, and wanted to use conditions to control the army and taxation.
When the news came out that the emperor was re-employing eunuchs, a large number of people committed suicide in the palace with swords. There were too many eunuchs to use, so the court had to reiterate the decree that those who committed suicide in the palace would be punished, and their neighbors would be imprisoned.
But it was said that Wang Heng, the tax supervisor of Qianshan, was originally a civil servant in the capital. He was ruthless and stabbed himself, and got a good job through bribery.
This guy went to work alone, spent a year searching, and used money to recruit a large number of local gangsters. Now, he has privately set up banknotes in four waterways. In order to facilitate control, he moved his base camp to Hekou Town, where the entire Qianshan County is The center of .
The fleet rushed to the mouth of the river in a mighty manner. Wang Heng came to the door of the Zhejiang Guild Hall and said to his men: "This is a very good place. Let the people inside move."
All of a sudden, the merchants were driven out, and the Zhejiang Guild Hall became the residence of the eunuchs.
This dead eunuch had been planning for a long time and had already grasped the situation in Hekou Town, but the local gentry was still unaware of it.
Half a day later, the leader of the Iron Foot Guild was quietly invited to the guild hall.
Fei Xu was so frightened that he knelt down and said: "Common people, hello... hello... um, hello to the tax superintendent!"
Wang Heng played with a jade pendant and said with a smile: "A few days ago, Hekou Town resisted taxes and beat the tax collector to death. I heard that you were the one who took the lead?"
"It has nothing to do with the common people, it's the gentry's collusion and instigation." Fei Ji quickly clarified the relationship.
"Come here!" Wang Heng suddenly shouted.
Fei Xu was so frightened that he trembled all over and kowtowed repeatedly: "Master, please forgive me, Master, please forgive me!"
Wang Heng smiled and comforted: "Don't panic, I won't save your life, but I will also give you benefits."
Two taels and one ingot of silver, a total of five ingots, were quickly placed in front of Fei Xiu.
Fei Xiu didn't understand what he meant and looked at the eunuch stupidly.
Wang Heng said seductively: "The Iron Foot Club beat up the tax collectors and killed two of them. This is going to cost people's lives. Our family is magnanimous and can forget the blame. You can atone for your sins and become the head of the Iron Foot Club. From now on, you will only
Are you going to listen to our family’s orders?”
Fei Xie refuted: "The grassroots are just the fourth leader of the Iron Foot Society, and their words really have no weight."
"Our family says you are the boss, so you are the boss!" Wang Heng stared with a smile.
Fei He was in a dilemma, but in order to protect himself, he finally gritted his teeth and kowtowed: "Thank you for your support, sir. I will listen to my words from now on."
"Call your people here and control the Iron Foot Society with us," Wang Heng continued to induce, "If you do well, I will recommend you to an official position in the future."
Fei Shi was originally a child of a wealthy family, but it was a pity that the clan branch was relatively biased, and it completely declined in his generation.
He was also cheated by his tribe, and his remaining land was also taken away from him, so he could only make a living by working as a coolie at the dock.
The eunuch carefully inquired about the news and specifically chose Fei Jiu as the second and fifth son.
Fei Xiu's mind turned over and over again, and he did not want to betray his brothers from the Iron Foot Society. However, the eunuch threatened and induced him to either die or surrender. If he surrendered, he might still become an official.
It's easy to make a choice!
Fei Xu left the Zhejiang Guild Hall. As soon as he went out, he saw hundreds of Lifu who had blocked the door of the guild hall. But it was Sun Xianzong, the headmaster, who heard that Fei Xiu had been captured by the eunuchs and immediately came to rescue him with his brothers.
As expected of sworn brothers, Fei Xiu felt moved in his heart.
Sun Xianzong asked: "Brother Xian, did the eunuch not make things difficult for you?"
"Don't worry, brother, he won't dare."
Fei Xiu stepped forward, suddenly pulled out his dagger and stabbed Sun Xianzong in the stomach.
"You..." Sun Xianzong was in disbelief.
Before anyone could react, Fei Ji immediately withdrew from the guild hall and shouted: "The man named Sun is eating everything inside and outside. Kill him quickly. Brother Dazhu, we have agreed!"
Li Dazhu quickly shouted: "I didn't, this guy framed me, please avenge me!"
Wang Heng stood upstairs and witnessed the whole process. He nodded and praised: "You are indeed a smart man. Shoot the arrow!"
The eunuch's men were all gangsters, and their bows and arrows were shot crookedly, but they did not cause many casualties.
But the coolies of the Iron Foot Society were frightened and fled in all directions.
Fei Ji took the opportunity to persuade him to surrender: "Brother Li, come with me!"
Li Dazhu's scalp was numb and he had been yelled at by Fei Ji several times. How could he clear his innocence? He simply betrayed on the spot, summoned a few confidants around him, and killed Sun Xianzong, Sun Zhenzong, Zhang Tieniu and other leaders.
Sun Xianzong was stabbed with a dagger. He had already suffered heavy injuries and was killed on the spot before he could retreat.
"If a dog breaks in, I will give my brother his life!"
Sun Zhenzong did not run away either. He led his men with sticks to kill him, and the eunuch also sent men to kill him with knives.
One uses a stick and the other uses a knife.
One party is panicked, and the other party is well prepared.
Victory or defeat is decided instantly.
Zhang Tieniu was slashed twice and did not dare to fight anymore. He rushed out with a wooden stick and took advantage of the chaos to escape without a trace.
The gangster organization is really useless and can be easily divided and controlled by the eunuchs.
As a result, the eunuch Wang Heng took control of Hekou Town, Fei Ji and Li Dazhu acted as minions, and the Iron Foot Society became the thugs of the tax supervisor.
…
Ehu Feizhai.
After settling the clerk sent by Master He to deliver the message, Fei Yuanyi frowned and called his close servant: "Lao Wu, what happened in the young master's room?"
"Sir, I didn't understand," Lao Wu replied.
"Take it and read it," Fei Yuanyi threw the letter out. "If you register Zhao Han, you can train him to become an official for the Fei family. But Zhao Han has been removed from the list and will not be able to become an official in the future, so why should he return it?"
He signed a contract with him and gave him land and money to start his own business?"
Lou's behavior was so abnormal that Fei Yuanyi couldn't help but be suspicious.
After reading the letter, Lao Wu was also confused. He only had one thought in his mind: That's nonsense. Why didn't I do such a good thing in the first place?
Fei Yuanyi asked again: "I asked you to inquire about the news. It has been more than three months and there is still no clue?"
Lao Wu replied: "Jing Xingyuan was very tight-lipped. I spent a lot of money and found out the matter. The young lady did commit suicide that day and seemed to be saved by the maid. The young master was not at home either. It was all that Zhao
Han's command included cutting off the fingers of the slaves in our courtyard."
"Okay, okay, it's Zhao Han again!" Fei Yuanyi sneered repeatedly.
Lao Wu was humiliated that day, and he hated Zhao Han so much that he took the opportunity to slander him: "This guy has no master at such a young age, how can he be better when he grows up?"
Fei Yuanyi muttered: "I still can't figure it out. A mere domestic slave can no longer become an official. Why should we return his deed and spend money to give him land to help him establish his own business? This kind of thing is really unheard of."
Lao Wu's thoughts changed and he was shocked: "That Zhao Han, could it be...could it be..."
"explain!"
Fei Yuanyi scolded.
"Although Zhao Han is young, he is also strong and handsome. Could it be that he has an affair with the young lady?" Lao Wu immediately thought wrong.
Fei Yuanyi was immediately stunned. The more he thought about it, the more likely this was, and he gradually became trembling with anger: "Destroy the family style, corrupt the family style, such a thing can be done!"
Lao Wu quickly said: "Master, this matter cannot be made public or even mentioned."
"Yes, we can't mention it." Fei Yuanyi was extremely frightened, fearing that the scandal would be spread out, and he would never want to hang out among the squires in the future.
Lao Wu suggested: "Zhao Han must be allowed to disappear without a trace."
Fei Yuanyi thought about it again and again, and said: "Take fifty taels of silver and go to the county with the messenger, and ask Mr. He to arrest Zhao Han and imprison him! Kill him. Look for an opportunity to kill him in prison!"
There were many refugees in the late Ming Dynasty, and a large number of landless peasants fled to the city to seek livelihood. Such homeless people can also be regarded as refugees.
Generally speaking, the government is too lazy to take care of them. If they really want to arrest them all, the county jail will have to be full.
However, the government reserves the right to arrest refugees, and officials will also look for opportunities to blackmail the refugees in the city!
Mrs. Lou really didn't expect that the master would be so greedy. Even after taking forty taels of silver, he still didn't think it was enough, so he came to Fei Yuanyi to report the news, which caused so many complications.
In Master He's eyes, Zhao Han is just a bug, one that can be crushed to death with just a stretch of his feet.
Born as a domestic slave, a refugee, and young, what is he other than a bed bug?
Don't say don't bully young people into poverty. In two or three years, before Zhao Han has grown up, the master will be transferred with the county magistrate.
Therefore, Fei Yuanyi is the person worth making friends with. As long as he has a good relationship with the squire, he will make the master's life very comfortable in the past few years.
Zhao Han gave fifty taels of silver, and Fei Yuanyi also offered fifty taels of silver. The master's choice must be: take one hundred taels of silver and listen to Fei Yuanyi!
This approach has never failed.
The premise is that you don't run into anyone who is desperate for your life.