Xu Hongji, Duke of Wei in Nanjing, and hundreds of Jiangnan officials jointly reported to the court: Xujiazhuang in Xinghua County had rebelled against superiors, monopolized sea salt, raised prices wantonly, and launched a rebellion to attack the imperial army, causing tens of thousands of military and civilian casualties... Xujiazhuang's reverse shape has emerged.
, if the imperial court does not send troops to destroy it, the consequences will be disastrous!
Not long after this joint memorial was delivered to the capital, it immediately aroused great attention from everyone in the court. Cabinet ministers, civil and military officials, and nobles all requested an audience with the emperor and requested that this huge matter be handled.
The next day, the Jinluan Hall court meeting was held.
Zhu Youjian, who was sitting on the dragon chair, immediately heard the voices of impeachment and toughness one after another.
"Your Majesty, Xujiazhuang has rebelled! A mere businessman dares to openly rebel and cause chaos. He has no regard for the majesty of our Ming Dynasty. Your Majesty, if we don't deal with it in time, our country, Ming Dynasty, will be in danger!"
"Businessmen have rebelled, which has never happened in ancient times. If this happens, the Ming Dynasty will never have peace! I request to postpone the encirclement and suppression of the bandits. First, mobilize heavy troops to destroy the Xujiazhuang who caused the rebellion, and collect their property to enrich the national treasury, and then use it to suppress the bandits.
It can be described as killing three birds with one stone.”
"This Xujiazhuang can no longer tolerate indulgence! I am willing to lead the army and raise money and food to put down the chaos and eliminate this scourge for the Ming Dynasty!"
"Your Majesty, Xujiazhuang used strange and ingenious things to empty out the gold and silver of our Ming Dynasty; annexed land, bought people's hearts, recruited refugees, and built manors that did not obey the king's laws; and now monopolizes the salt industry, strangles the throats of the people of the Ming Dynasty, and commits crimes.
If you continue to cause chaos and attack the imperial troops and horses, you are lawless and crazy, if you continue to let it go, the Ming Dynasty will fall into the hands of Xujiazhuang!"
"Monster merchants like Xujiazhuang are far more harmful than rogue bandits and Tartars. They must be eradicated first to avoid future troubles forever!"
"Your Majesty, please listen to the popular opinions in the world and order the destruction of Xujiazhuang!"
"..."
In the face of so many ministers speaking out loudly, they were like cuckoos weeping blood, demanding that action be taken to eradicate Xujiazhuang.
Chongzhen Zhu Youjian was somewhat thankful and emotional.
If Fang Yizhi hadn't shown him Xujiazhuang's self-defense video yesterday, he would have seen the general picture of this 'salt merchant revolution' through the perspectives of many lower-level people, and faced the masses without knowing anything about it.
In the face of the unanimous voice of crusade from his ministers and officials, he might have really 'obeyed the people's will' and issued an imperial edict to eradicate Xujiazhuang, causing the empire's most important financial and taxation area to also fall into the flames of war.
Of course, Xujiazhuang also has problems, and it is not a good bird. As the emperor, Zhu Youjian is not that easy to fool.
However, Harbor City promised to hand over 300,000 silver dollars to the inner city every year, and also pay tribute of 8,000 shi of top-grade snow salt (equivalent to 0.2 taels/jin) for the royal family, which added up to an annual income of 500,000 taels.
Not only has a new source of income been added.
Fang Yizhi's "Royal Farm Plan" also has the economic basis for implementation. As long as one hundred royal farms can be built within five years, each farm bringing an annual income of 50,000 taels, the Ming Dynasty's financial problems will be solved.
If it is solved, there will no longer be a shortage of money and food, and there will be enough energy to clean up this corrupted country.
Perfect.
Although Zhu Youjian was a little wary and fearful of Xujiazhuang, for the sake of money, this fear could only be put aside after solving other problems.
So I waited for the officials to finish their impassioned speeches.
"I have known in advance about the changes in the salt merchants in Jiangnan. I have ordered people to investigate clearly the rights and wrongs, who is right and who is wrong. The interests of the salt merchants have been harmed, and they have joined forces with the army to attack Xujiazhuang. Both sides suffered a disastrous defeat. Xujiazhuang was forced to
Fighting back is really helpless, but it is also a legitimate defense. Dear ministers, there is no need to discuss the matter of annihilating Xujiazhuang. From now on, in the south of the Yangtze River, no one can use weapons rashly without the permission of the imperial court. Anyone who violates this will be charged with treason!"
Zhu Youjian opened his mouth and not only made a definite conclusion, but also came to a final conclusion.
be surprised.
His Highness and his ministers were all surprised.
The cabinet minister Wen Tiren came out and said: "Your Majesty, how did you learn about the changes in the salt merchants? How can you make such a conclusion lightly?"
Li Tengfang, the Minister of Rites, said: "The emperor and the scholar-bureaucrats discuss the affairs of the world together, how can your majesty make a decision on your own? Xujiazhuang is so bold and reckless, and it will be reversed in the future. If it is not dealt with in time now, how can you let it go lightly? Wouldn't Xujiazhuang be even more arrogant?"
, do more harm to the soldiers and the people, your Majesty must not be confused!"
Chen Yuyan, the imperial censor of Zuodu, said: "Your Majesty, I have heard that a man named Fang Yizhi sent by Xujiazhuang recently bewitched Your Majesty with evil words for three days and three nights? Your Majesty, the demon in Xujiazhuang cannot be trusted. Please kill him immediately.
Of!"
Zhou Yanru, the first assistant, also stood up, wiped the corners of his eyes with his sleeves, and said with tears in his eyes, "Your Majesty does not believe in important ministers like us. Instead, he became familiar with outsiders and spies sent by Xujiazhuang, and regarded them as close friends and brothers."
, I am as happy as Zhuge Liang. Did your Majesty know about Emperor Wuzong's rebellion, and did you know about Wei Zhongxian's harm? If Your Majesty dislikes us, you can expel us all from the court."
The official Zheng Xuan came out and said with murderous intent: "Your Majesty, please kill the demon in Xujiazhuang and bring peace to the court."
Another famous official also knelt down and said: "Your Majesty will not kill the demons and decree the destruction of Xujiazhuang. I will not be able to kneel down!"
"Your Majesty, please kill the demon!"
More ministers knelt down, saying that they would not get up until the demons were killed and Xujiazhuang was destroyed!
Forced into the palace.
Faced with the official's behavior of forcing the palace.
Zhu Youjian was very surprised. He did not expect that the reaction of the ministers would be so fierce. He even expressed his intention to "reduce major issues to minor issues". None of the ministers cooperated. Instead, he was determined to fight to the end with Xujiazhuang, displaying an irreconcilable attitude.
Posture.
He was even dissatisfied with his closeness to the 'monster' and wanted to kill Fang Yizhi, the eternal sage he had finally hoped for.
"Okay, okay, you are all my good ministers. You are confusing right and wrong, and making troubles. My people have been forced to rebel by you. The situation in Liaodong is getting worse day by day. Now even the good Jiangnan, you are trying to mess up for me.
We must wait until the Ming Dynasty’s sky falls!”
"Do you think that I am blind and deaf and cannot distinguish right from wrong? Xujiazhuang has a monopoly on the salt industry and has reduced the price of coarse salt to 100 cents per catty to 20 cents per catty of snow salt. Salt merchants
The interests of the officials behind the salt merchants were harmed, so they colluded together and sent troops privately without the permission of the court. This has been a serious crime! I don't care about this matter, but you are unwilling to give in.
I also want to stand up for Jiangnan salt merchants and form cliques for personal gain. I must recruit the imperial army and bring chaos to the heart of Jiangnan! His intentions are punishable and his crimes are unpardonable. I will send people to investigate to the end and meet your expectations!"
Zhu Youjian was angry!
He will not be tolerant any longer and must teach these gangsters a lesson!
Seeing that the emperor was very angry, he was very dissatisfied with them.
Some ministers panicked and knelt down to defend themselves, saying that they were not forming factions or confusing right and wrong, but were only dedicated to serving the country.
Several officials were even more dissatisfied, saying that it was Your Majesty who was confusing right and wrong. The world knew that Xujiazhuang was greedy and evil. The salt merchants were the victims, but they were guilty. How unfair was this? Your Majesty, please stop being so infatuated!
"Okay, you want evidence, right? I will show you the evidence. If you are still stubborn in front of the evidence, I will order you to be beaten to death!"
Zhu Youjian shouted at the officials with a murderous look on his face.
soon.
A white curtain was pulled up above the Jinluan Hall.
Qichunnian appeared again, set up a projector, connected it through a laptop, and played several videos.
The first video: It is a video of the extravagant daily life of the salt merchants, such as the fried chicken tongue that uses a thousand chickens, the private garden that is as gorgeous as the palace, and the deformed Yangzhou thin horse.
The second video records the miserable and desperate life of Zaohu salt workers. They cook salt day and night, but have no food and clothing, and endure endless exploitation. Their living conditions are simply shocking.
The third video: The salt merchants are plotting how to deal with Xujiazhuang, their greedy and arrogant faces are clearly visible.
The fourth video: After the imperial army was defeated, the captured soldiers were interrogated and they admitted that their purpose in attacking Xujiazhuang was to 'make a fortune, kill people, and rob women.'
The fifth video: Dozens of salt owl thugs and pirates who committed heinous crimes were tried and executed in public. Each person's crime was unforgivable and could be executed three times.
The sixth video: After cheap snow salt came on the market in large quantities, people's salt consumption situation.
The last video: Xu Jiazhuang took the initiative to file a lawsuit and defended himself. He said that he was truly loyal and patriotic, a good citizen of the Ming Dynasty who paid taxes in accordance with the law, and was not a profiteer who evaded taxes and colluded with the powerful. He said on the spot that Harbor City paid 300,000 yuan in salt taxes every year.
Silver dollars, 8,000 stones of top quality snow salt, and an advertisement at the end.
These videos have finished playing.
There was silence in Jinluan Palace.
Even the most vehement officials remained silent and did not dare to raise questions and offend the emperor.
After announcing the dispersion of the dynasty.
All the court ministers realized that in this confrontation with Xujiazhuang, they were at a disadvantage. Even if they attacked in groups, they could not change the emperor's decision. Their old method had failed.
On the one hand, the persuasive power of sorcery like videos is obviously much stronger than their eloquence, so that after watching the videos, they were unable to refute.
Secondly, they underestimated Xujiazhuang. They underestimated it by far. This Xujiazhuang not only sent monsters to bewitch the emperor, but also took advantage of them. The evil people complained first, so that the emperor took their side early. This was simply a lack of martial ethics and they were caught off guard.
Finally, there is the real temptation of profit. 300,000 silver dollars and 8,000 stones of top-quality snow salt every year. How could the emperor not be tempted by such a huge bribe? It is much more attractive than their moral articles. If they had taken such a huge sum
The benefits will definitely come to Xujiazhuang’s side.
Lost.
This time the court officials were defeated, completely defeated.
However, they will not be willing to do so. If they do not suppress the evil existence of Xujiazhuang, will there be room for them to speak and exist in the future? Can the Confucian orthodoxy continue? This is a life and death battle, and rogue bandits have taken over the country, yes;
It is acceptable to establish slaves and devour the Ming Dynasty, but the threat of Xujiazhuang must die!