Xiong Tingbi smiled coldly.
When he was speculating on grain prices before, he clearly remembered that these aristocrats were going crazy, mortgaging their residences and properties to borrow money to speculate on grain prices, and they would not stop until the entire property was mortgaged.
Now that the grain speculation has failed, everyone is panicked and at a loss.
Anyone who sees it will find it funny.
But Zhu Youxiao had no intention of playing around. Not long after Xiong Tingbi met these Nanjing nobles, he ordered Li Zhizao to check the properties of the large borrowers of Daming Bank to confirm whether they still had the ability to repay, and asked They promptly cleared their loan debts and asked Lu Xiangsheng to lead the First Battalion of Guards Town to cooperate.
While you are sick, I will kill you.
Zhu Youxiao's purpose was to take away these people's property while they had no money to repay their debts.
Take away as much as you can.
This is not a robbery by the emperor, it is well-founded. After all, you, Nanjing Honorable Lord, have nothing to do, why are you borrowing a loan from the court? It is reasonable for the court to investigate now.
There is no way to say that the emperor is seizing the family property of the hero.
"What should we do, gentlemen, what should we do? The court wants to check the loan, but where do we have the money to repay it now? Apart from the fields, mansions, shops and other money-generating properties, there is only a pile of grain, but grain The prices are so low now!”
The nobles of Nanjing are like ants on a hot pot. They are already anxious. After Funing Marquis Zhu Guobi said in front of Xiong Tingbi that he did not want to mortgage the farmland to the court, he now started talking anxiously in front of other nobles.
"It's all the fault of Dou Ding, Uncle Zheng Guo behind him, and His Royal Highnesses Prince Fu and Prince Lu. They are speculating on food. How can we be the opponent of the imperial court? Even if the food is speculated at such a high price, if we don't let So what if grain comes from Huguang, Henan and other places! People can use the army to forcefully clear the country, and then collect grain taxes, they can adjust grain from all over the country, and they can also send navy to go out to grab grain. As long as they are willing, as long as they don't care, they can do whatever they want. We can do anything, even the vassal king dares to torture and kill him. After all, he is your majesty and the emperor, so why do we overestimate our capabilities, trying to use a mantis as a chariot or a cricket to shake a tree!"
Gu Mingjiao slapped the table angrily at this time and said.
Xu Hongji glanced at Gu Mingjiao and Zhu Guobi, and said a little upset: "Okay! I'm willing to admit defeat, as if I can keep the family business if I don't do this."
"Since we started the government-run textile industry and started attacking the gentry, this kind of killing the rich and helping the poor has been impossible to stop. Who made us unlucky? We stayed in Nanjing and didn't seize the opportunity to invest money. Now I can only be a fat sheep in the eyes of others."
Xu Hongji continued.
Then, Xu Hongji said to these Nanjing nobles: "When the price of food soared and became more expensive than money itself, you were all so happy that you wished you could spend thousands of dollars overnight, and wish you could regard Mr. Dou as your ancestor. Now you are complaining about others? You only blame others? You are all princes and nobles, who dares to force you to do anything? Mr. Dou is loyal enough and admits all the crimes. We can forget about betraying others. , it’s too much to blame others now.”
Tang Xingzuo therefore nodded: "What Wei Guogong said is that when it comes to losses, this time the homies like Uncle Zheng and the vassal kings such as King Fu and King Lu behind Mr. Dou are the ones who suffered the heaviest losses. Ganges Grain Shop is clear. The property above is Mr. Dou's property. It is actually the property of the feudal princes. They have invested more than eight million taels of silver this time and also borrowed a lot. Moreover, they are the big households with the most food, especially King Fu, Huguang, Henan, He has fields in Shandong, and now that the price of food in Jiangnan has dropped like this, other places must be affected as well, and King Fu's losses must be heavy."
"Will the imperial court take action against Prince Fu? Prince Fu is the emperor's uncle!"
Gu Mingjiao asked.
"Regardless of whether the imperial court will take action against His Royal Highness Prince Fu, what is certain is that the imperial court will definitely take action against us. After each of us goes back, we will inventory our property to see how much is left after the court investigates and repays the loan. "
Xu Hongji said.
"The problem is, now that the price of food is low, everything is also low. Houses, shops, and fields are not as valuable as before. You don't need to count them to know that they will go bankrupt. I feel sorry for the ancestors of the Gu family!"
Gu Mingjiao started to cry, and then said: "Your Majesty, why don't you let us go!"
"I'm not willing to give in. I'm really not willing to give in. We've all suffered so much. Why should we just give the property that my Zhu family has worked hard to accumulate for generations to the imperial court? Why would the emperor rather give it to those who were bankrupted by the rebels? We send silver coins and food to poor households, but why can’t we be kind to those of us who have contributed to the Ming Dynasty!”
The more Zhu Guobi thought about it, the angrier he became.
"That's right! Mean and unkind!"
Tang Xingzuo couldn't help but say something, and then looked at Xu Hongji and said: "Wei Guogong, you are the head of our Nanjing nobles. Please make up your mind. Do we really want to sit back and wait for death?"
"As I said before, I am willing to admit defeat and go home to take stock of our family fortunes! Otherwise, what if we have to change from meritorious service to rebel?"
After Xu Hongji said that, he said: "Send off guests!"
…
"Just because they are heroes, I have been merciful enough. If they were replaced by another family and they ignored the safety of the country, I would have wiped out their clan long ago. I told Li Zhizao and Lu Xiangsheng to strictly investigate and kill anyone who obstructs them!"
Zhu Youxiao only said this after knowing the complaints of these nobles.
"yes!"
After Wei Zhongxian answered, he immediately went to pass the order to Li Zhizao and Lu Xiangsheng.
This way.
Li Zhizao, Lu Xiangsheng and other force collectors had already arrived at Funinghou Mansion, which was closest to the emperor's palace.
"Please come out, your Lord! We are here to collect grain and check bank debts. Your Lord's loan amount is huge and needs to be checked in time."
After paying homage first, Li Zhizao stepped forward and gave instructions to the chief steward of Funinghou Mansion.
The chief steward of Funinghou Mansion hurriedly informed Zhu Guobi.
Zhu Guobi took a look at his luxurious mansion and said nothing.
And here, after Li Zhizao finished speaking, Lu Xiangsheng had ordered the officers and soldiers of the 1st Battalion of Guards Town Infantry to break in forcefully.
"What are you doing? How can you force your way in?"
As soon as the porter of Funinghou Mansion asked this question, Lu Xiangsheng personally cut off his neck with a knife.
Then, Lu Xiangsheng shouted loudly: "The Holy One has decreed that during the investigation, anyone who obstructs us will be shot to death!"
The other concierges of Funinghou Mansion hurriedly shut their mouths.
Li Zhizao, Lu Xiangsheng and others successfully entered Funinghou Mansion.
Li Zhizao ordered the inspectors he brought with him to conduct the inspection on the spot: "Inspect immediately! Check the grain, houses, properties, and land deeds one by one!"
When Zhu Guobi saw this scene, he came to his senses and hurriedly shouted: "You, what are you doing? This is my palace, how can you just break in?"
Li Zhizao hurriedly cupped his hands and replied: "Marquis Funing, we are here to conduct an investigation. Please cooperate."
Zhu Guobi directly hugged the carved gold beams and pillars of his mansion: "No, no, you can't check, you can't check and take away my family property!"
…
"You, you, this box of land deeds is the water accumulated by my family for generations. You can't just take it away!"
After that, when the family of Tang Xingzuo, the Marquis of Lingbi, was investigated, Tang Xingzuo also cried bitterly while holding on to a box of land deeds that were investigated by Li Zhizao and others to pay off debts.
Lu Xiangsheng pointed a knife at Tang Xingzuo: "Lingbihou, if you don't let go, I will have no choice but to act according to the order and your head will be missing! I will count three times."
Tang Xingzuo then hurriedly threw away the box.
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