Capital.
A secret courtyard.
A large number of officials gathered at this moment.
These officials looked very ugly.
Because what happened today was enough to make them feel desperate.
It was clear that the emperor should give in when all the officials were in trouble, but instead of giving in even a little bit, the Wude Emperor set up a party prison, arrested more than 20 officials in one go, and imprisoned them directly for execution!
This is clearly "knocking on the mountain and shaking the tiger"!
But these gentry had no choice, because Emperor Wude wanted to abolish their fame and privileges and cut off the foundation of their interests!
If the gentry and the gentry lose their fame and privileges, how can they annex their fields and reap the benefits of the people?
Destroying people's wealth is like killing their parents!
Even if you are the Emperor of the Ming Dynasty and want to act against the will of the world, that won't work!
All the officials looked at an old man sitting on the main seat. The old man had a stooped figure and gray hair, but his eyes were bright and energetic, and he seemed to be quite energetic.
The old man's name was Shi Zhongcheng. He was a student of the Hongwu Dynasty and entered the officialdom. After stumbling and stumbling, he finally reached the position of the Imperial Censor of the Capital. He was about to officially enter the upper echelons of power in the Ming Dynasty. However, he was directly dismissed by Gu Zuo, the new Zuodu Censor. He was removed from office on the pretext of being "old, infirm and unfit for the political system".
It is precisely because of this that Shi Zhongcheng hates Gu Zuo and Zhu Gaoxu behind Gu Zuo!
Unfortunately, God has no eyes to see, and the former prince Zhu Gaochi died of illness early, so that a villain like Zhu Gaoxu ascended the throne and proclaimed himself emperor, sitting on the dragon throne.
Just when Shi Zhongcheng was feeling worried and angry because of this, an opportunity for revenge came.
Then Zhu Gaoxu wants to risk the disapproval of the world to implement the policy of dividing every child into an equal share and abolishing the academic privileges. This is undoubtedly an enemy of the gentry in the world!
Therefore, Shi Zhong contacted a large number of officials as soon as he was established, and single-handedly planned the case of Baiguan Fuque, trying to force the Wude Emperor Zhu Gaoxu to give in, thereby hindering the implementation of the New Deal and greatly damaging the prestige of the Wude Emperor Zhu Gaoxu.
However, Shi Zhongcheng never expected that Zhu Gaoxu would be so determined. Instead of giving in at all, he directly ordered the arrest of hundreds of officials. Even the court officials were scolded for this, without showing any mercy!
The so-called court rules and tacit understanding are like nothing in the eyes of this Wude Emperor!
Shi Zhongcheng stroked his beard and fell into deep thought. A group of officials were also talking about it, eager to launch a second counterattack.
After all, Yang Shiqi is currently promoting the idea of dividing a family into an entire family in Nanzhili. If he really succeeds, the gentry will be completely doomed.
But faced with a Wude emperor who did not follow common sense, many officials also felt extremely headaches.
They don't care about their so-called reputation at all, they act ruthlessly and decisively, and don't give Jin Gentry a chance to fight back!
In this case, it seems that they really have no choice!
"Shi Gong, what should we do now?"
"Yes, Mr. Shi, there is news from Nanzhili that that cruel official Yang Shiqi is vigorously promoting the New Deal!"
"Anyone who dared to secretly obstruct the New Deal was imprisoned, had their homes confiscated and exiled by Yang Shiqi. He must be a ruthless man!"
Officials complained one after another, pinning their hopes on Shi Zhongcheng.
After all, Shi Zhongcheng was a high-ranking official in the Metropolitan Procuratorate in the past. He had a profound official background in three dynasties, and now he became the backbone of the Jin gentry.
Shi Zhongcheng did not speak in a hurry after hearing this, but thought about countermeasures.
They have seen Emperor Takeru's determination to implement the New Deal.
It was basically impossible to take action from the court and force Emperor Wude to give in.
In other words, we can only start from outside the court.
Shi Zhongcheng thought about it, and a bright light suddenly flashed in his mind.
"Are you able to control the shops in the capital?"
Hearing this, everyone's eyes lit up.
The capital is a place where dignitaries gather, so it is inevitable that there will be three religions and nine schools.
Although it is the most benign place under the emperor's feet, it is precisely because of this that there are so many dignitaries and dignitaries that if you throw a stone in, you will be able to smash out a noble or powerful son.
Therefore, if you want to do business and open a shop in the capital, you must have a profound background. Most of those merchants have a powerful benefactor standing behind them to ensure that their business can proceed normally.
If a foreign businessman, no matter how strong his financial resources, if there is no powerful person behind him, he will be eaten to the bone long ago!
The benefactors behind these merchants were precisely the gentry in the court.
Who cares about the money?
It's just a matter of saying hello, and you can get a lot of filial piety money every year, so why not?
"Don't worry, Mr. Shi, most of them are under our control!"
"Behind a small number of shops stood noble military officials and members of the royal family."
Shi Zhongcheng smiled when he heard this.
"When you go back, order those shops to close immediately!"
"Not just you, but all the gentry must unite and order those shops to close down, otherwise they will never want to do business in this capital in the future!"
As soon as these words came out, the whole place was in an uproar.
"Shi Gong means..."
"The capital does not produce much grain, and most of it relies on water transportation and trade."
"But water transportation can be carried out four times a year, which takes several months at least."
Shi Zhongcheng sneered and said: "Once the capital is without food for more than ten days, people will definitely be panicked, and there is even a high possibility of a civil commotion!"
"When the time comes that Emperor Wude's prestige has been lost, in order to appease the people of the capital, he can only choose to give in, suspend the New Deal and compromise with us, otherwise he will wait for chaos in the capital!"
When the gentry heard his idea, their eyes lit up.
Transporting grain through canals is inherently time-consuming and labor-intensive, and can take several months at least.
If the Jin gentry closed all the shops, used grain to create a food shortage crisis, and forced Emperor Wude to compromise, it seems that there is really much to be done!
After all, the greatest confidence of the gentry and gentry came from the fields they annexed and the food they hoarded at home!
If all the gentry in Beijing united, the food in their hands would be enough to shake the Ming Dynasty. At least it would not be a problem to defeat Emperor Wude!
"There is a question. What if Emperor Wu De chooses to force it and directly inspect those shops and grain stores?"
One official raised questions, or suggested loopholes in the plan.
Shi Zhongcheng did not get angry after hearing this, but explained with a smile: "That will play into our hands even more!"
"It is normal behavior for merchants to close down their businesses when doing business. They did not violate the laws of the Ming Dynasty, but the court forcibly inspected the shops. This will only arouse the rebellious spirit of the merchants."
"Besides, it is easy to seal down shops. What is difficult is how to meet the daily needs of many people in the capital after sealing up these shops."
"Not to mention other things, daily necessities such as rice, flour, grain and oil are indispensable materials for ordinary people. Ordinary people in the capital don't have much spare money to hoard food in large quantities. They basically buy food every few days."
"If the imperial court raids the shops and the people have no place to buy grain or oil, they will definitely become angry and dissatisfied with the imperial court."
"At that time, I will take action, add fuel to the flames, and target the Emperor of Wude, and great things will happen!"
All the gentry were elated when they heard this, and nodded in approval of the plan.
Shi Zhongcheng looked calm and said in a deep voice: "Gentlemen, the emperor is stupid and ignorant, and favors treacherous ministers. Now is the time for our scholars to serve the country with loyalty. We must unite as one to force the Wude Emperor to bow his head and admit his mistakes, and eradicate Yang Shiqi and other treacherous ministers. !”
"Shi Gong Gao Yi, we will understand!"
