The other salt merchants and gentry all trembled because of this.
Ye Qixian couldn't help shouting in a trembling voice: "My emperor is wise! Thunder eliminates corruption, I admire you! I am willing to donate another five hundred thousand taels of silver!"
Originally, Ye Qixian and other salt merchants planned to use one hundred thousand taels to send the emperor away.
After all, taking too much can easily expose one's wealth, and they really can't be so generous.
But now, Dongchang has found out that even Li Qiao, a salt road official, can get 800,000 taels in bribes. However, it is indeed unreasonable for salt merchants like him to only donate 100,000 taels to the emperor. Therefore, Ye Qixian immediately understood The amount of silver donation has been added.
Zhu Youxiao just rolled his eyes at Ye Qixian.
He really didn't know whether these salt merchants were really ignorant or really stingy, so he decided not to take out as much money as possible.
As the emperor, it is up to you, the salt merchant, to decide how much money I want from your salt merchant. Aren't I the one who has the final say? Didn’t I say that you can take as much as you want?
I just took them all, do you still have any objections?
Not to mention money, you can't refuse even if it costs your life.
I am the one holding the knife, not you, the salt merchant.
But Zhu Youxiao is too lazy to get to know these salt merchants now. After all, although these salt merchants are rich enough to rival the country, they have the habit of evading the salt tax of less than two million taels every year. He really wants to fight with them. You can't get angry when you're angry.
"First take them to watch the execution! Then, take them to Ye Qixian's house to see me and pass on the order. Since the salt merchant Ye Qixian is so loyal and willing to donate money to me, I can't help but show mercy. Next, I will stay at his mansion. , as a temporary palace.”
Zhu Youxiao knew that Yangzhou salt merchants were the richest in the world, and each of their mansions was more luxurious than the last, and many of them were even far better than the royal gardens.
Therefore, Zhu Youxiao issued the order and looked at Ye Qixian: "Ye Qixian, what do you think?"
How could Ye Qixian dare to refuse? He said hurriedly: "It is the Ye family's great fortune that Your Majesty can come to this humble residence. I would like to express my gratitude to Your Majesty for your grace."
"Okay, then please ask your government to send someone to lead the way. You should go to watch the execution together with other salt merchants."
Zhu Youxiao said.
"yes!"
Ye Qixian replied with a strong smile.
So Zhu Youxiao's master went to Yejia Shouzhiyuan, the predecessor of Geyuan.
Here, Ye Qixian and other salt merchants came to the execution ground and began to watch the execution.
Imperial prisoners such as Huang Zongke and Xu Shaocheng had been netted on a wooden frame. When Xiong Tingbi began to order the execution, the medical soldiers began to take out various knives and use them on these people.
"ah!"
When the medical soldiers made the first cut, Huang Zongke and others screamed.
The salt merchants who were watching the execution could not help but tremble, and some even became incontinent.
"prick!"
At the same time, Yanding, who followed Huang Zongke and others to prevent Shengjia from entering the city, was also shot and executed.
When the military attaché gave the order, the recruits responsible for executing the salt men immediately took up their spears and stabbed them in, stabbing them to death on the spot one by one.
These salt cubes were poured on the spot one after another.
The entire execution ground was filled with corpses.
The salt merchants became even more frightened and began to realize how disastrous the consequences would be if they displeased the emperor.
As soon as Zhu Youxiao arrived at Ye Qixian's residence, he was shocked by the living environment of this big salt merchant.
Because of this, Zhu Youxiao felt hurt again.
He had to admit that not only the wealthy northerners like Li Sancai, who were both wealthy businessmen and high-ranking civil servants, lived better than him, the emperor, but the living environment of the great Yangzhou salt merchant was also inferior to his internal living conditions in the Qianqing Palace.
There are even many over-the-top decorations.
Zhu Youxiao understood more and more why so many people didn't want him to go to Jiangnan since he came out of Beijing.
"Your Majesty, the salt merchants are here!"
At this time, Han Xu walked in and said.
"Let them all come here and listen to my instructions."
Zhu Youxiao ordered.
Not long after, Ye Qixian and other salt merchants came to Zhu Youxiao and knelt down in front of Zhu Youxiao honestly.
"Let's all get flat!"
Zhu Youxiao said something first.
"Thank you, Your Majesty."
These salt merchants then stood up obediently, not daring to take a breath.
"I'm very disappointed in you. Let's not talk about anything else. You actually use one hundred thousand taels to humiliate me. What I lack is one hundred thousand taels?! What I lack is sincerity and loyalty. , let’s talk about the matter of Yangzhou City not allowing me to enter. Are you all dead, or do you think I am as easy to deceive as a three-year-old child? The prefect has already been held hostage by the rebels, and you people actually sit back and watch such a thing happen, The safety of Yangzhou City has nothing to do with you? Also, why didn't you go outside the city in advance to greet the Holy Emperor?! However, I am too lazy to settle these matters with you. I just want to know whether you are loyal to me or not. Since you If you want to donate silver, then each person should donate 20% of his family property, 10% to honor me, and 10% to repair Yangzhou City!"
Zhu Youxiao said.
At this time, a salt merchant named Yao Sunju couldn't help but say "ah".
"Ah what, you don't want to?"
Zhu Youxiao asked.
"Grass people, grass people."
Yao Sunju hesitated.
"It's not up to you whether you want it or not. The whole world belongs to me. Is it the royal land? Is it up to you to decide how much money I want from you or even your life?"
Zhu Youxiao asked loudly and coldly.
Then, Zhu Youxiao ordered: "Wei Zhongxian, take the prepared teams of the East Factory and the inner court supervisors to inspect these salt merchant properties, starting with the Ye family."
As Zhu Youxiao said this, he looked at Ye Qixian, who was already showing pain in his body: "Ye Qixian, I just saw it, and I know that you are the Minister of Household Affairs in the Xiaomiao Dynasty, after Ye Qi, after your ancestors changed to the Chinese method, I didn’t expect that your family would become a big salt merchant!”
At this time, Ye Qixian knelt down with a plop: "Your Majesty! My family doesn't have much money. The five hundred thousand taels I donated is almost the entire family property! I beg Your Majesty to have mercy and take 10% less, even half a percent. OK!"
"You think this is a business deal, do you have the right to bargain? I don't want everything, it's already a gift from God!"
Zhu Youxiao started talking.
At this time, Wei Zhongxian came over: "Your Majesty, the Ye family didn't get much cash."
Zhu Youxiao glanced at him: "How many times have your Dongchang houses been raided? Don't you know they like to hide money? Go and get all the sticks from the prisons of the prefect's Yamen and Yandao Yamen, and give them to me. Where is their money! If you dare to be dishonest, then no one will want this salt and profit!"
Zhu Youxiao continued to ask Ye Qixian as he spoke: "Ye Qixian, tell me the truth, how much property does your Ye family have and how much cash is there?"
"Your Majesty, please be kind to me. I really don't have much property!"
Ye Qixian cried.
Zhu Youxiao snorted.
Half an hour later, Wei Zhongxian asked his entourage Dongchang Banner School to bring a clamping stick and clamped it on Ye Qixian first.
Ye Qixian struggled non-stop at first, refusing to put his gloves into the clamping stick. In the end, he was forced into the stick by the banner school of Dongchang, and then he was pinched by the people of Dongchang.
"ah!"
Ye Qixian suddenly felt extremely painful.
"Tell me quickly how much property your family has and how much cash it has."
Zhu Youxiao asked.
Ye Qixian endured the pain and shouted: "
"Clamp again! Increase your strength," Zhu Youxiao ordered.
So, the people from Dongchang continued to clamp them down. Ye Qixian was sweating profusely and couldn't help but scream: "It's behind the ancestral hall! It's in the secret room behind the ancestral hall! Just turn the candlestick! It hurts, it hurts, please." Your Majesty, please have mercy, don’t let them pinch you again!”
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