"Your Majesty, King Huai is willing to accept the surrender, and there are no extra conditions. He is just serving as an official to benefit the country. Although King Huai has never benefited the people of Suzhou, he does not want to see the people in ruins, so he boldly requested to be stationed in Suzhou and wait for the army to take over.
.Only when Suzhou is completely entrusted to His Majesty can King Huai leave with peace of mind."
Qian Yongqin knelt on the ground and reported back to Zhu Yuanzhang.
Lao Zhu's face was as dark as water, and he sneered: "It's not just a procrastination, it will make us look down on you!"
Qian Yongqin hurriedly said: "Your Majesty, King Huai never dares to deceive Your Majesty. He has already prepared the atlas for Qian Gujia soldiers. The common people will bring the complete list and submit it to Your Majesty immediately. How can this be a lie?"
While he was talking, someone brought over a huge box, which indeed contained a full inventory, which seemed to prove Zhang Shicheng's sincerity.
But Lao Zhu is not an ordinary person after all, how could he be fooled by the illusion!
Zhang Shicheng's unwillingness to leave Suzhou must have had some calculation. He even said that this acceptance was just a Hongmen banquet and a trap.
We can't be fooled!
Zhu Yuanzhang sent Qian Yongqin away and invited Zhang Ximeng to discuss it together.
"Sir, what do you think? What is Zhang Shicheng's plan? The Qian family's shuttle back and forth can actually facilitate this matter. What are their plans?"
Zhang Ximeng smiled of course, "Lord, the Qian family sent us a message through people, and they were able to persuade Zhang Shicheng to bow his head. In fact, it is not difficult to guess that the people standing behind them are the big families in Songjiang, Suzhou... They have two major fears, one of which is naturally
The wars were so troubled that if hundreds of thousands of people fought, their property might be wiped out. Secondly, they were worried that the Ming Dynasty's national policy of equalizing land would harm their interests."
Lao Zhu lowered his brows, thinking in his heart, and couldn't help but admire, "Sir, you are indeed very insightful. When you say this, we understand. As long as Zhang Shicheng surrenders, there is no need to fight, and he can bargain with us. These two major fears can be overcome."
Clever solution. This method is really powerful!"
Zhu Yuanzhang frowned and said again: "Sir, what we don't understand now is why Zhang Shicheng is willing to be manipulated by these big investors? Something doesn't seem right."
Zhang Ximeng nodded, "There is indeed something wrong, but after thinking about it, I can only find one explanation, and that is that Zhang Shicheng has been completely kidnapped by a wealthy family in recent years."
Zhu Yuanzhang said solemnly: "Sir, can you explain it more clearly?"
"My lord, since we have always advocated equalization of land and treated powerful people rudely, Liu Futong has gathered a group of Song Zhongliang around him, and Zhang Shicheng may not have them around him! And the group of people around Zhang Shicheng will probably be even more powerful."
"How to say?"
"Please think about it, my lord, Zhang Shicheng used the land of Suzhou to station 100,000 troops to resist the Ming Dynasty. Just to raise the troops, he spent countless money every year. Zhang Shicheng can play tricks with anyone, but he can't play with his own life. Finance and taxation
For him, it is even more important."
Zhu Yuanzhang raised his eyebrows, his mind whirled, and he gradually understood Zhang Ximeng's thoughts.
It may seem tacky to start with money, but it can be as small as one person or a family, as large as a team or a country.
Ordinary people just want a few taels of silver, and the country wants more revenue.
Facing the behemoth, Zhang Shicheng was under the greatest pressure and his expenses were staggering. He could not implement equalization of land and then collect taxes from ordinary farmers like the Ming Dynasty... In this way, Zhang Shicheng's biggest support was the large households in Suzhou.
Especially wealthy merchants of silk cloth.
The production of silk cloth requires a large number of mulberry fields and cotton fields... Zhang Shicheng has been purchasing grain from the Ming Dynasty in recent years. This is why Zhang Shicheng accepted the canonization and did not stir up trouble when Zhu Yuanzhang eliminated Chen Youliang and fought the decisive battle in the Central Plains.
Otherwise, if the two sides fall out and there is no food supply, even if they can capture a few state capitals, it will be of no value.
Waiting for Lao Zhu to come back, Zhang Shicheng will be in trouble immediately.
So it's not surprising that Zhang Shicheng chose to close his eyes and wait for the hammer.
Now that the matter has fallen to the Qian family, why can they persuade Zhang Shicheng to bow his head?
"Lord, some powerful people represented by the Qian family have clearly seen that Zhang Shicheng cannot survive, so they took the initiative to stand up. Zhang Shicheng is eating other people's food, so naturally he cannot lift the table."
"Then, are all the big businesses in Suzhou like this?"
Zhang Ximeng laughed loudly, "How could it be! If it were always like this, Zhang Shicheng would not agree smoothly."
This bend is really a bit big... Lao Zhu thought for a long time before he finally understood, "Sir, the big families in Suzhou are also divided into two parts. Some people are willing to join us, but some people want to fight stubbornly. Zhang Shicheng knows that even if everyone is united,
Even if he is not our opponent, with so many half-hearted big businessmen under his command, he will definitely lose. So Zhang Shicheng might as well go with the flow and pretend to surrender, and wait until our troops pass by and arouse the dissatisfaction of Suzhou's merchants and people. Then he can rely on those big businessmen.
The forces, eliminate the evil spirits, and fight for life or death with us."
Zhu Yuanzhang thought about it again and again, "It seems like I've seen this idea somewhere before?"
Zhang Ximeng said with a smile: "Luo Guanzhong's Three Kingdoms is almost finished, only some specific content has not been filled in... Isn't this paragraph Jiang Wei's fake surrender!"
Lao Zhu suddenly understood and couldn't help but laugh: "How can this Zhang Shicheng be our opponent when he fights with the help of novels? Jiang Wei's trick did not succeed. Zhang Shicheng followed suit, which is just to increase the jokes!"
Zhang Ximeng immediately said: "My lord is wise, that's true. But don't be too careless. Suzhou and Songjiang have millions of household registrations, 100,000 soldiers and horses, and there are also places like Taizhou. If it is like what Zhang Shicheng expected, we will really fight to the death."
, fight to the death, even Jinling will be affected, not to mention the loss of life, it will also affect the overall situation and delay the progress of the Northern Expedition... In fact, from the perspective of means, Zhang Shicheng's move is very vicious!"
Zhu Yuanzhang had a sullen face and was thinking undecidedly... Zhang Shicheng was forced to do this because he relied on big households, and the big households under him were divided into two groups. They had completely different ideas. If there was a falling out, he would directly take action himself. Once the Ming army came, everything would be destroyed.
it's over.
He had no choice but to play the trick of pretending to surrender and put the fire on Daming.
The question is, can Daming be able to catch it?
Zhang Shicheng spent so many years and still had no clue and was being led around. Daming was not prepared at all and suddenly intervened. There was almost no need to ask. Problems were bound to happen.
Throughout the Ming Dynasty, the old Zhu family and the southeast region headed by Suzhou did not get along very well.
After Lao Zhu eliminated Zhang Shicheng, he imposed heavy taxes on Suzhou. Since then, jokes about Zhang Shicheng have been circulating in Suzhou, remembering this loyal minister of the Yuan Dynasty.
In fact, how good could Zhang Shicheng treat the people?
Rather than missing Zhang Shicheng, it is better to say that I hate the emperor of the Zhu family.
This resentment lasted until the end of the Ming Dynasty. In Suzhou and other places, the gentry in the south of the Yangtze River defaulted on taxes and could not collect them. They sent Jinyi guards down, but they were beaten so hard that they hid in their huts and did not dare to come out.
The Ming Dynasty, which could not collect money, fell, and the gentry in the southeast did not get a good end.
In the new dynasty, after the model of benevolent rule came to the throne, he traced tax arrears and discovered that Tanhua Ye Fangai owed a penny, but was demoted, leaving behind the allusion that Tanhua was not worth a penny.
From a certain perspective, whether the issue in Suzhou can be properly handled will even affect the national destiny of the Ming Dynasty.
"Lord, Zhang Shicheng pretended to surrender. We might as well make the fake act real and find a way to properly take over Suzhou, win the hearts and minds of the people in Suzhou, and completely crush Zhang Shicheng's plot!"
Zhu Yuanzhang frowned, "Sir, you are right... But the big families in Suzhou have their own agendas, and Zhang Shicheng is cunning and insidious. There are so many threads, making it a mess. Not everyone can handle Suzhou's affairs well. Looking at the court, Li Shanchang
He is too naughty, Yao Guangxiao is too fierce, Yang Xian is treacherous, and as for Mr. Fenglin, he is old and physically weak... no one is qualified for this matter."
Zhu Yuanzhang combed all the way and found that there was really no suitable candidate. But why did Mr. Zhang look a little weird?
"ah!"
Lao Zhu suddenly realized something, "Sir, do you want to go?"
Before Zhang Ximeng could nod, Lao Zhu shook his head repeatedly, "No, absolutely not! You, sir, are our most important ministers. How can we let you put yourself in danger? We would rather delay the incident in Suzhou than let you make mistakes."
Zhang Ximeng smiled slightly and said, "My lord cares about me, and I am grateful. It is impossible to say that I have risked my life. After Zhang Shicheng's frenzied oppression for so many years, the people of Suzhou have long been at the end of their rope, and the people are in dire straits. As long as more than 90% of the people can be captured, Zhang Shicheng's
These tricks can only add to the laughter!"
Zhu Yuanzhang took a breath, his face was solemn, and after thinking again and again, he said: "Sir, even so, we can't let you take risks. Is there no one else in the court? Guo Xing, Zheng Yuchun, they have also dealt with the matter of surrendering troops."
Zhang Ximeng said with a smile: "But they don't understand the business of merchants, and they don't know what the people of Suzhou want."
When it comes to this matter, Lao Zhu is speechless. Indeed, except for Zhang Xiang, no one can do it, even if he himself is unable to do it.
"That's all... pass the decree, select elite soldiers and generals, and fine civil servants, mobilize all personnel, and go all out to protect the safety of sir!"
With Zhu Yuanzhang's decree, the entire Ming Dynasty was mobilized. People were mobilized from the army and searched for capable ministers and officials in the court. A large number of people soon gathered.
In addition, Lao Zhu mobilized 30,000 elites from various places, including Lu Zhongheng, Tang Shengzong, Zhu Liangzu, Zhou Dexing, Geng Junyong, and Li Xincai, all of whom were assigned to Zhang Ximeng.
At the same time, Lao Zhu gave Zhang Ximeng the title of Zuozhu, and as a young master and Duke of Qi, he patrolled Songjiang, Suzhou... By the way, Zhang Ximeng also achieved the achievement of being the first governor.
All civil servants and generals gathered in Zhenjiang. Zhang Ximeng arrived in person. Facing everyone, Zhang Ximeng proposed the first military regulation.
"You are not allowed to enter civilian houses! This is the most important rule. From the beginning, you must show yourself to be different and have military regulations engraved in your bones."
Zhang Ximeng added: "Today, a soldier ate at a noodle shop without paying... He was fined ten times, apologized to the store, and informed the entire army. If he does it again in the future, he will be punished a hundred times, military law is ruthless!"