Then the three of them planned the overall layout. While sending out troops, they could first clear out the big families in the city who owed taxes and grain.
These people are all the best among the gentry. They are either influential in the gentry or have someone in their family who is an official.
Let's set them up as a model first, and the rest will be easy to deal with.
After the three people discussed it, they decisively decided to take action immediately. The first targets were those families in Nanzhen Fusi who had the details.
At the same time, tens of thousands of soldiers and horses were frequently gathering in the military camps within the capital to be on standby.
Because it was necessary to leave half of the army stationed in the city to suppress the officials and gentry families and stabilize the situation, Li Zhicai decided to use Nanjing's garrison for this operation.
A temporary joint force was formed by the garrison troops and the garrison regiment under his own command, and was led by the Tiqi from Nanzhen Fusi to various places in Yingtian Mansion.
As for Zhang Shize, who was responsible for staying in the city and controlling the overall situation, it was decided to stay. Li Zhicai was still afraid that he was too young and not ruthless enough.
Tian Ergen will also stay in the city and secretly monitor the big families and officials to prevent them from secretly communicating with each other and uniting to resist.
These families all have more or less private soldiers and servants, and their image among the people is relatively great and upright.
If you are really bold and dare to jump over the wall to instigate domestic slaves and private soldiers to cause chaos, or confuse the people and cause trouble and cause civil unrest, it will really be a troublesome matter.
Without too many words and nonsense, after deploying the troops and arranging various city defenses, the three of them led their troops out of the military camp and began to take action.
They all knew in their hearts how risky this matter was, which was unprecedented in the Ming Dynasty since ancient times.
If it is done well, the imperial power will return and suppress these officials and gentry with human faces and animal hearts.
If it goes wrong, His Majesty's good intentions and careful planning over the past year will be in vain, and the three of them who are the only executors will die without a burial place.
In a large house located in the east of the capital, near the Taiping Gate, a white-haired but energetic old man was sitting at the main seat in the inner hall, leisurely sipping freshly brewed tea.
On both sides of him, there were several slightly anxious young people standing, secretly looking at the sitting old man with their eyes.
After the old man put down his tea cup, a middle-aged man dressed as a Confucian scholar standing in front of him took two steps forward and said respectfully:
"Teacher, the situation is serious now. Li Zhicai, a vulgar warrior, actually sent troops to besiege Da Sima's mansion and no one is allowed to approach."
"Zide, they have been imprisoned by those mud-legged people. Things are not simple!"
After the middle-aged bearded man finished speaking, a person standing in front of him continued:
"Yes, father, this day has passed. There are more and more troops outside, and there are fewer and fewer pedestrians. This is not right. We still have to sit at home and wait for death!"
After hearing this, the old man first praised the good tea a few times, and then responded to them with a straight face:
"Why are you panicking? I have lived for almost seventy years. What scene have I not seen before?"
"Although it is a bit sudden and bizarre, there is nothing to be nervous about. According to my estimation, it is just that the court, or the little emperor, is dissatisfied with the taxes collected this year!"
"It's true, you guys are really brave. I have warned you many times that nothing should be rushed. Most of the daily and financial operations of the imperial court depend on Jiangnan!"
"This year the number is half that of previous years. Not to mention the emperor, the ministers who are officials in the court will also be dissatisfied!"
"The changes in Nanjing must be the work of the emperor. The purpose is to put pressure on us and force us to hand over all the taxes and grain we owe. As expected of a young man, he is really full of blood!"
After the old man evaluated Zhu Youxiao with a hint of appreciation, he continued:
"Several of my friends have already written to me. You are indeed a little excessive. This can be reduced year by year."
"You must know that our enemy is the young emperor in the palace, not the princes of the dynasty. If this continues, who will be willing to protect you?"
This white-haired old man was obviously very dissatisfied with their huge amount of money and food owed to the country, but it was just that the matter was at this point, and it was useless no matter how much he objected.
"My father's lesson is that this matter was indeed too hasty and urgent. It was only a temporary decision to change without any prior discussion and arrangements, which led to the current situation!"
"But now that we have offended the emperor and lost face, we cannot retreat and must fight to the end!"
The middle-aged bearded man who just called the old man teacher said again:
"Teacher, it's not that we don't know the importance, but the little emperor is pushing people too hard!"
"I have only been on the throne for more than a year, and the entire court has already changed a group of people. The people who were killed are heads rolling in, and blood is flowing like rivers!"
"Most of them are officials from my hometown in Jiangnan, as well as members of the Donglin Party. How can the emperor make us feel at ease when he behaves like this?"
"Last New Year, Zhang Shize led 5,000 troops from Beijing and stationed himself in Nanjing with Li Zhicai, the commander of the Xiaoling Guards. The purpose of this was to curb and be wary of the nobles like us!"
"Nanjing has its own garrison ministers and troops, and the noble families are no weaker than the capital, but why is it still like this?"
"Isn't it just distrust? In my opinion, this time the little emperor must have a good experience of what it means to be a Jiangnan gentry."
"The emperor is so aggressive, obviously he wants to kill our Jiangnan nobles. If we continue to endure it, it will only make the emperor think that we are easy to bully, and it will become more and more excessive!"
"What is the difference between the young emperor's actions and the Wanli period when Shen Sect sent his trusted eunuchs to collect taxes?"
According to the meaning of this person's words, it is obvious that this incident is connected with the mining tax matter.
From their understanding, as long as they perform an operation similar to directly beating the tax inspector to death, the ignorant little emperor will be afraid and shrink back.
Wasn't this the case back then? Emperor Wanli had already been in power for more than 20 years, so didn't he still turn into a coward?
Therefore, the young Zhu Youxiao was not taken seriously by them at all. All his actions and policies were just playing house.
No one picked up his topic, and the hall fell into silence. The old man's son asked worriedly:
"From my father's point of view, what does the young emperor mean by ordering the army to suddenly take over the city of Nanjing?"
After thinking about it, the old man said:
"I think it's just a threat with weapons, there will be no other actions!"
"My father has been an official in the court for more than 20 years and has never experienced anything, so you can relax!"