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"Rice? We don't have it! But you do!"
After hearing this, several Xingzhou officials and gentry couldn't help but change their expressions.
Even Li He couldn't help but look surprised and turned to stare at Zhao Junchen carefully, wanting to explore Zhao Junchen's true thoughts.
What's the meaning? Could it be that... Zhao Junchen wanted to forcibly requisition the grain reserves of the Jin gentry?
This method is indeed the most direct and effective.
But if Zhao Junchen really did this, he would definitely be fooled by lard!
Because this approach is not only an enemy of the world's gentry, but will also seriously irritate the sensitive nerves of all those with vested interests!
At that time, not only the gentry class, but also merchants, officials, nobles and other classes will be hostile and violently rebound. It can be said that they are braving the disapproval of the world and will soon arouse public outrage!
You must know that even the supreme emperor needs the cooperation and support of vested interests to stabilize his rule, so vested interests must be given a sense of security.
An important part of this sense of security is that higher-level court officials cannot infringe on their private property at will.
Regardless of forced conscription or house confiscation, this kind of power has always belonged to the emperor alone. Although Zhao Junchen was the elder of the court, if he had not been granted the power to make emergency decisions by the emperor, the most he could do was seize and detain the property of the Jin gentry, but he could not We have no right to expropriate and occupy the property of the Jin gentry, otherwise it will be an abuse of the power of the court!
If Zhao Junchen forcibly expropriated the property of the Jin gentry in Xingzhou today, will he forcibly expropriate the property of the Jin gentry in the capital tomorrow? Will it be the turn of the nobles, merchants, and middle- and lower-level officials from all over the Ming Dynasty the day after tomorrow?
If Zhao Junchen, relying on his status as a minister in the cabinet, arbitrarily plunders and plunders goods today, what will happen tomorrow when governors, governors and other frontier officials follow suit? What if middle and low-level officials such as prefects and county magistrates also followed suit?
Such signs must not appear, otherwise it will definitely cause nervousness and panic among vested interests all over the world, and the situation between the government and the opposition will also be turbulent, which can be said to affect the whole body.
Zhao Junchen's implementation of the new agricultural reform policy had a legitimate reason to alleviate the food shortage, but it only damaged some of the interests of some vested interests, and it had already aroused the hostility of the gentry all over the world.
If Zhao Junchen forcibly confiscated the grain reserves of the Jin gentry in Xingzhou under such circumstances, it would definitely arouse more public outrage and be attacked by all forces. By then, even Emperor Deqing might not be able to protect him. he!
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After carefully looking at Zhao Junchen for a moment, Li He frowned and asked: "Zhao Gechen, what do you mean by this? Do you want to forcibly requisition the grain reserves of the Jin gentry? I hope you will consider it carefully. This kind of thing will definitely arouse public outrage. ...even if you are a minister, you may not be able to bear the consequences."
Li He had already reached a secret deal with Zhao Junchen and promised not to interfere in the situation in Xingzhou. However, Li He's questioning at this moment was obviously suspected of breaking the agreement, as if he wanted to come forward to support the Xingzhou Jin gentry.
But in fact, after just thinking about it for a moment, Li He had already figured it out and believed that Zhao Junchen would never forcefully seize the grain reserves of the Jin gentry in Xingzhou at will.
Li He did not doubt that Zhao Junchen lacked relevant courage, but he was more willing to believe in Zhao Junchen's reason and calculation.
Just to deal with a few Xingzhou officials and gentry, it aroused hostility and backlash from vested interests all over the world. It can be said that he killed eight hundred enemies and suffered a hundred thousand losses. Zhao Junchen would never do such a stupid thing with his mind.
What's more, since the defenders of Ji Town would not send troops directly and the Xingzhou government was in a hostile position, Zhao Junchen did not have the ability to forcibly requisition the grain reserves of the Jin gentry in Xingzhou.
Therefore, Li He's questioning seemed to be an attempt to embolden the Xingzhou Jin gentry, but in fact it was just to elicit Zhao Junchen's follow-up plan, and by the way, to make the Xingzhou Jin gentry believe that the "Zhou Party" had never abandoned them. .
However, the Xingzhou officials and gentry did not know Li He's true thoughts. After hearing Zhao Junchen's statement, they were initially a little panicked, but after seeing Li He stand up to support them, they quickly regained their courage.
Lu Wensheng had just joined the "Zhou Party" and was eager to express himself in front of Li He, so he swept away his previous cowardice and took the lead in saying: "Chen Zhao, I fully support Li Ge's statement! The Jin gentry are the foundation of the imperial court. Representing the aspirations of the people, if you arbitrarily requisition their grain reserves and cause dissatisfaction among the Jin gentry, then the foundation will be shaken and the people's hearts will be turbulent... The official also knows that you want to stabilize the situation in Xingzhou as soon as possible, but this approach will only It’s counterproductive.”
Li Ci did not give in, and said loudly: "Zhao Cabinet Minister Mingjian, of course we Jin gentry know that the people in Xingzhou are eager to buy low-priced grain. We do still have some grain in stock, and we are willing to help the court share the worries! But considering that Xingzhou The food shortage dilemma in the state will continue for a long time. Our limited food reserves must not be used easily. We must be prepared for any disaster. Otherwise, we will not only drink poison to quench our thirst, but also completely lose our retreat and room. When the real crisis comes, instead, If there is no food and no silver available, the consequences will inevitably be more serious!"
Liu Jiahe showed weakness and complained, hiding needles in the cotton wool, and said: "That's right! The reason why our Jin gentry hoards food is not only to maintain the long-term stability of Xingzhou, but also to help the court's great cause! Take my Liu family as an example. They are all actively assisting Ji Town in preparing military supplies. Most of the food and drinks for the Xingzhou garrison are provided by the Liu family. If you forcefully commandeer my Liu family’s food reserves, it will definitely cause dissatisfaction among the garrison in the territory first..."
Song Songgong hesitated for a moment and couldn't help but said: "Zhao Gechen, you promised in public three days ago that you would solve the problem of raising money and grain by yourself, and you would be able to meet the people's rice purchase needs without our help, so I'm happy Only then will all walks of life in the state actively cooperate with your announcement and allow you to fully take over the power of relief and food administration. If when things come to a close, you will not only be unable to fulfill your promise, but will instead target the family property and food reserves of us people. I’m afraid it’s suspected of being dishonest and capricious, and it’s really chilling!”
All in all, the Xingzhou officials and gentry were unwilling to provide food to sell to the people, and they found various reasons to justify their actions.
Zhao Junchen's eyes flashed with coldness, but the next moment he smiled, his tone was slightly gentle, and he patiently explained: "Mr. Li Ge, Lu Zhizhou, and all the noble gentry, you have misunderstood what I mean! This pavilion does not want to forcefully seize the grain reserves of the Jin gentry in Xingzhou, but wants to borrow it! Just like we borrowed military rations from Ji Town a few days ago, after we return to the center of the imperial court, we will mobilize grain from various warehouses in the treasury How about giving it back to the gentry?"
As he spoke, Zhao Junchen's tone was slightly softer.
After hearing Zhao Junchen's statement, several Xingzhou officials and gentry were overjoyed.
In the eyes of the Xingzhou officials and gentry, Zhao Junchen had absolutely no options. He was about to destroy his credibility and trigger another riot, so he came up with the idea of borrowing food from them!
But borrowing food means that Zhao Junchen needs to beg them.
Since you are asking for something from others, it means bowing your head and giving in!
Thinking of this, and the fact that they thought they had Li He's support, they all became more and more arrogant. Not only did they not directly agree to Zhao Junchen's reasonable request, but they also took the opportunity to make a request!
"Zhao Gechen, it is reasonable to say that your proposal is reasonable, but we are still worried that there are too many variables and cumbersome procedures in the imperial court, which may delay time and make it impossible to replenish the grain reserves for Xingzhou in time. If the people continue to make trouble during this period, Get up, we Xingzhou officials and gentry will be helpless!"
"If Zhao Gechen wants to borrow grain, that's fine! But please return to the center of the capital as soon as possible, so that rice and grain can be transported from the treasury to Xingzhou in the shortest possible time, and this can also resolve the concerns of all walks of life in Xingzhou!"
"Yes, Zhao Gechen, as long as you return to the center of the capital as soon as possible, let alone lending you food, the price of rice in Xingzhou can be completely reduced!"
All in all, the Xingzhou officials and gentry still wanted to force Zhao Junchen to return to the capital as soon as possible and stop causing trouble to them.
Zhao Junchen frowned and said hesitantly: "But the reason why I am staying in Xingzhou is mainly to investigate the specific reasons for the civil unrest some time ago. If we return to the center of the capital now, wouldn't all our previous efforts be wasted?"
Later, Zhao Junchen's tone became weaker and weaker, and he asked: "How about this, I will write a note to all the Jin gentry to guarantee that I can pay back the grain on time. How about this?"
Seeing that Zhao Junchen was still unwilling to leave Xingzhou and return to the capital, the Xingzhou officials and gentry would naturally not agree to Zhao Junchen's condition!
"No! Zhao Gechen, we are not doubting your credibility, but this matter is of great importance and we dare not take any risk!"
"Yes, in order to be prepared and just in case, the amount of grain stored in Xingzhou must be guaranteed..."
"The attitude of Xiaomin and others has never changed. As long as you are willing to return to the court as soon as possible to raise food to support Xingzhou, whether it is borrowing food or reducing food prices, we can discuss it!"
Zhao Junchen's eyes became colder, but the smile on his face remained unchanged, and his tone softened by three points again, and continued: "If it still doesn't work, how about I pay you interest? Well, every time you lend me a stone of food, you will be When I repay the grain on time, I will pay you one penny of interest at the same time. If I delay the payment, I will pay you an additional penny of interest for every ten days of delay. How about that?"
Such conditions were extremely generous, and several Xingzhou Jin gentry couldn't help but be tempted.
But in the end, they finally remembered their priorities and knew that it was business to send the troublesome Zhao Junchen to the capital as soon as possible, so they still rejected the proposal one after another.
Seeing that the Xingzhou officials and gentry rejected his proposal again, Zhao Junchen sighed softly and said: "Since you are unwilling to borrow food or lower the price of food, we have only one option left!"
After speaking, Zhao Junchen waved his hand and saw Niu Fude commanding hundreds of Forbidden Army soldiers to carry sixty or seventy red-lacquered wooden boxes into the main hall of Liu Mansion.
For a time, the main hall of Liu Mansion was filled with red painted wooden boxes.
Because there are so many, there are still many red-painted wooden boxes stacked in the front yard outside the main hall.
These red-painted wooden boxes were not only numerous in number, but also large in volume. The boxes were obviously filled with heavy objects, and they made a heavy sound when they landed on the ground.
Then, Zhao Junchen waved his hand again, and saw the Forbidden Army soldiers opening all the red-painted wooden boxes at the same time.
The next moment, dazzling golden light filled the entire Liu Mansion.
All red-painted wooden boxes are filled with gold ingots and gold bricks!
This gold is naturally the Liaodong Town deposit that Zhao Junchen swallowed in Jinzhou Camp.
After seeing such an astonishing amount of gold, let alone the officials and gentry of Xingzhou, even those as well-informed as Li He could not help but feel stagnant and dazzled.
When everyone was shocked and speechless, Zhao Junchen said with a smile: "And my solution is to use this gold to buy grain from all the Jin gentry!"
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As Zhao Junchen finished speaking, Li He came to his senses first.
After taking a look at the golden mountains and seas in front of him, and then carefully thinking about the negotiation process between Zhao Junchen and the Xingzhou officials and gentry, Li He immediately sighed secretly in his heart.
He knew very well that the Xingzhou officials and gentry would soon be in disaster.
When Zhao Junchen was negotiating with the Jin gentry just now, his attitude seemed to be weak, but in fact it was just to prove one thing - for the Xingzhou officials and gentry, he, Zhao Junchen, had already done everything he could to be benevolent and righteous!
In other words, he, Zhao Junchen, originally did not want to be an enemy of the Xingzhou officials and gentry! It’s not even that he wants to make enemies of the gentry in the world!
After Zhao Junchen moved out of this golden mountain, the nature of the whole matter changed completely!
Prior to this, there were overt and covert conflicts between Zhao Junchen and the Xingzhou officials and gentry. The superficial conflict was about the specific qualitative issues of civil unrest in Xingzhou, but the actual conflict was about the promotion of the new agricultural reform policy. Xingzhou officials and gentry fought against Zhao Junchen for these things. Many people can understand that Jun and ministers are enemies, especially the gentry class in the Ming Dynasty, who will actively support him.
But when Zhao Junchen moved out of this golden mountain and expressed his intention to use this golden mountain to buy sky-high prices for grain from the Xingzhou gentry, the focus and contradiction of the whole matter was directly shifted.
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After the news spread, everyone would only focus on one thing, and that was - Xingzhou Jinshen forced Zhao Junchen to buy grain from them at a sky-high price of one stone and five taels of silver! It's just a rip off! It’s definitely too much!
In order to quell the people's grievances and save the people, Zhao Junchen would rather buy rice grains from the Xingzhou gentry at the sky-high price of one stone and five taels of silver. He was absolutely sacrificing himself for others, enduring humiliation, loving the people like his own children, and rescuing those in need! It cannot be praised enough!
As a result, all parties in the government and the public were either focusing on the sky-high price of one stone and five taels of silver, or focusing on the golden mountain that Zhao Junchen suddenly moved out of, or praising Zhao Junchen's heroism, or criticizing the greed of the Xingzhou Jin gentry. , no one will pay attention to the real cause of the conflict between Zhao Junchen and Xingzhou Jinshen.
Under such circumstances, after Zhao Junchen takes action to rectify the Xingzhou officials and gentry, even if he kills them all and wipes out their families, he can avoid triggering the hostility of the Jin gentry in the world to the greatest extent! The world will only think that the officials and gentry of Xingzhou went too far and deliberately made things difficult for him, Zhao Junchen, so Zhao Junchen just retaliated in reciprocity!
The Jin gentry in Xingzhou were so greedy that it was only natural for them to be completely punished by Zhao Junchen!
Even if a few people among the gentry class were sharp-sighted and discovered the underlying reasons, they would not be able to find a reason to publicly slander Zhao Junchen.
In this way, Zhao Junchen could unscrupulously rectify the Xingzhou Jin gentry and avoid the collective hostility of the Jin gentry class. He could also take the opportunity to further accumulate popularity for himself and reverse the reputation. It can be said that he killed three birds with one stone!
As for the price Zhao Junchen paid... there was no price at all!
Zhao Junchen seemed to be paying a gold mountain to the Jin gentry, but after Zhao Junchen took action to rectify the Xingzhou officials and gentry, the gold mountain would soon be returned to Zhao Junchen!
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First update!
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