"As a scholar, you declare that you denounce the Donglu, don't donate money to support the king's army to defend against the enemy, and support merchants to evade taxes. How can you call yourself loyal?"
It is worth noting that this kind of "loyalty" who is seeking fame and reputation is not as magnanimous as the two ministers. They speak uprightly and make all kinds of sophistry, but in their hearts they deliberately fight against the imperial court. It is indeed a shame for scholars.
"It is our Ming Dynasty's ancestral system that scholars enjoy preferential treatment. It is the king's duty to defend the enemy. How can we ask scholars to donate money? Merchants are their own common people, and it is not easy to barely make ends meet. I am here to explain Min petitions, and heaven and earth can prove it!”
Today, Yang Weidou is going to fight this dog official sent by the Hunjun, and let the first and second assistants see that the Jiangnan scholars are not weaklings.
"Does this prove that you have nothing to lose and talk about loyalty? Or do you tolerate adultery and deliberately become enemies of the imperial court? In the more than 200 years since the Ming Dynasty was founded, there has never been a shameless scholar like you!"
Chen Tailai originally thought that what Peng Bin said might be exaggerated, but he didn't expect that Yang Weidou himself was much more exaggerated than what Peng Bin said.
How can this person have any trace of the integrity of a scholar?
It's just a bullshit, a strong argument, and it's used as a justification.
When you encounter such a shameless bastard, even if you are right, the other party will not acknowledge it at all.
Maybe only the prince in the north can figure out a way to deal with such bastards...
"I dare to ask if the General Xian accepts the donation, is the General Xian loyal and good? I accept the donation, but I can't be so proud of myself?"
Even if Yang Weidou catches a scholar, he will more or less accept the matter of surrender, and will fight with this dog official to the end.
"I have donated all my family property to the imperial court. Do you dare to donate your family property to the imperial court as well?"
Chen Tailai is not afraid that this guy will continue to mess around. Anyway, he has become a loyal and good person, and his family property is no longer a consideration. It is enough to feed himself and his family.
"Hmph! The General Constitution just wants to use this method to deceive me. After I agree to sign, the General Constitution can shirk the matter completely and confiscate all my family property! How can I be fooled by such a complete package? "
Yang Weidou was naturally very aware of what the local officials in Jiangnan were doing. He had to be very careful about this kind of thing and not let go easily.
"Both the first assistant and the second assistant can testify. Since you claim to be a loyal and loyal person of the Ming Dynasty, do you dare to pledge donations?"
Chen Tailai is not afraid of calling in such a melee, but he is afraid that you will not agree.
"...How can the General Constitution use his power to bully others? Forcibly force donations? How are such words and deeds different from officials who levy excessive taxes? Besides, officials protect each other, and I would not dare to do so!"
Yang Weidou felt very embarrassed and secretly watched the first assistant Qu Shichun and the second assistant Gao Hongtu, but did not dare to agree rashly.
"Peng Bin, as a second minister, has donated all his family property. You call yourself a loyal and good man, so you are not inferior to a second minister, right?"
Chen Tailai sent someone to show Peng Bin's confession to Yang Weidou, just to force him to do so.
"Peng Bin is a villain, what he says cannot be trusted!"
Yang Weidou felt angry when he thought about the loss he suffered from Peng Bin. He was unwilling to admit anything about Peng Bin.
"Whether Peng Bin is a villain or a gentleman, let's not mention it for the moment. At least he is willing to donate money to show his loyalty. But you only expressed it verbally. In comparison, it is not enough to win people's trust. It is more like a stingy villain!"
Chen Tailai can now be convinced that such "loyalties" will be a disaster if they are kept, and it is best to deal with them in some way.
"The General Secretary first forced donations, then used Peng Bin as bait, and finally made me jump to conclusions. He was really calculating every step of the way. I admire you all the way to the city government!"
Yang Weidou didn't want to give a tael of silver to Hunjun and Gouguan, so he pointed the finger at Chen Tailai himself.
"You claim to be a loyal and kind person, but in fact you are stingy, cunning, and narrow-minded. You are even worse than me. Since we are not talking about anything, just sign and fingerprint the confession!"
Chen Tailai didn't want to waste time on this guy anymore. After half an hour, he still had nothing to lose.
"I will definitely not leave any excuse for the General Constitution!"
Yang Weidou said it over, but when it came to the black and white words on the paper, he was really a little scared.
"Humph! Now that the first and second assistants are here, you claim to be a loyal person, but you don't even dare to admit what you said?"
If it weren't for the heavenly book indicating that Yang Weidou was loyal and good, his performance would be the same as that of Li Zhan and others.
"It's not that I don't dare, it's that the General Constitution has framed me in every possible way, so I have to be careful!"
Yang Weidou continues to maintain his upright attitude. No matter what he does, he is the righteous party.
"Hmph! Someone come! Take him down!"
Chen Tailai secretly laughed in his heart, do you think that without signing and fingerprinting, His Majesty will not be able to deal with a bastard like you?
Go ahead and dream!
To take a step back, even if your Majesty really has nothing to do with you, you can still be handed over to the prince.
If it falls into the hands of the Crown Prince, please wish yourself well first!
The prince has traveled to the fairy world, so he must have many ways to deal with you!
Your Majesty is no longer the Majesty of the past, and the Crown Prince is no longer the Crown Prince of the past.
But you are planning to remain unchanged in response to all changes. Do you really think that you are invulnerable?
The "Zhongliang" who was interrogated next, except that Maoxiang was relatively honest and explained what he had done one by one, his performance was almost the same as that of Yang Weidou.
Maoxiang also learned from Peng Bin's warning that he was a loyal person in the heavenly book, so he confidently and boldly confessed the truth, but it was only his own part and did not bite anyone else out.
If anyone else is implicated, whether a merchant or a classmate is punished by the court, it will damage his reputation. Maoxiang does not want to do this, and it is better to do it alone and bear the responsibility.
Mao Xiang despised the plan of Peng Bin, Chen Mingxia, Ruan Dacheng and others to take the initiative to plead guilty, but he was also afraid that if he resisted, his crimes would be increased, so after thinking about it, he could only do this.
Because the trouble was so serious, especially after the interrogation of these important criminals, the report must be reported immediately, because Emperor Chongzhen was still waiting for good news in his residence!
After sorting it out, Chen Tailai, Cheng De, and Fu Guan came to see them with a bunch of confessions, plus the first assistant Qu Shichun and the second assistant Gao Hongtu.
It's just that this time is not very good news for the court or Chongzhen.
This is because a large number of major criminals do not intend to plead guilty, and do not even agree to sign or have their thumbprints pressed.
Since Emperor Chongzhen had said it first, no torture could be used this time, so Chen Tailai and others could only end it hastily.
"My dear friends, you have taken the trouble. This result has already been expected by me. My dear friends, you don't need to worry too much!"
After a brief look around, Chongzhen found that there were only a handful of ministers who were willing to cooperate with the court, and that was all.
Most of the "loyal and good" people are very upright and have no intention of admitting guilt, making compromises or concessions, or even paying money.
If it hadn't been for the ingenious trick provided by the traitor, Chongzhen would have been helpless against these smelly and hard scum.
"Your Majesty, most of the key criminals refused to cooperate in this interrogation, let alone plead guilty. However, they claimed to be loyal and good, and the ministers were incompetent. It is true..."
If punishment was not required, Chen Tailai could not think of a better way, and the same could be said for the other two.
"My dear, there is no need to worry too much. I have already thought of a countermeasure. Many merchants in the south of the Yangtze River dare to evade taxes for a long time, and the amount is huge. Even if there are a large number of scholars to excuse them, the court must not condone it. I think that based on this trial, I will get the result As a result, Ruan Dacheng, Chen Mingxia, Peng Bin and other three people, due to their good attitude towards pleading guilty and their meritorious service, can be returned to their homes and their families will not be implicated. I will be banned for one month and will not commit similar crimes again from now on. If When the imperial court resumes its appointment to another position, it will be considered separately. Qian Qianyi, Cai Yichen, Wang Duo, Liang Yungou, Zhang Weiji, Wei Xuexian, Gong Dingzi, Maoxiang and other seven people will be banned for one year. If they commit the same mistake again in the future, they will be guilty of the second crime. Return to the same place. The property will be confiscated and returned to their homes, and their families will not be affected. Nineteen people including Yang Weidou, Wu Yingji, Shen Shizhu, and Wan Tai have bad attitudes, and their words and deeds have damaged the reputation of scholars. They are hereby stripped of their titles and all their property is confiscated. I and His family members were assigned to mine in Ma'anshan. If they perform well within three years, they can return to their place of origin to settle down. Otherwise, they can mine for another three years, and so on. As court officials, Li Zhan, Tang Shiji, Li Qiao, and Qi Fengji He did not want to serve the court. Instead, he ignored the king's law, colluded with profiteers, had no sense of shame, and enriched his own pockets. As a punishment, I ordered that the male family members be assigned to mining, and the female family members were assigned to the teaching office! I think that the remaining scholars, except for a few individuals, All can be sentenced according to the first three categories!"
Today's report is just the tip of the iceberg. There are still nearly a thousand people imprisoned in the factory guards, the Imperial Procuratorate, and the Ministry of Punishment. Chongzhen is not in the mood to read their confessions one by one.
Just give Chen Tailai a standard and let him figure it out.
Didn't that naughty son already set an example? Just do it!
Those who proactively plead guilty and actively explain the crimes they committed are considered outstanding.
For example, Ruan Dacheng could be released with just a moment's notice.
Then he will become a royal literati, specially used to publish articles in newspapers to deal with those stubborn scholars. .
People who take the initiative to plead guilty but deliberately pay attention to people, such as Qian Qianyi, behave well.
This kind of person needs to be observed for a period of time. Only if he doesn't get sick again can he be lifted from the confinement.
If he repeats the same mistake, firstly, he and his family will be sent to mine, secondly, the honor gained from studying hard in the cold window will be gone, and thirdly, the career path in this life will be over.
The traitor said that Qian Qianyi was talented but timid, and he was really just trying to gain fame. If one had known what happened to Yang Weidou and others, they would probably not have put themselves in danger, and the gain would not be worth the loss.
Yang Weidou was so smart that he tried to resist by refusing to plead guilty, but now this strategy didn't work.
Chongzhen had already made up his mind that he must use thunderous means to suppress the scholars this time, otherwise it would be a disaster in the future.
Is it okay for scholars to protect merchants and obstruct the imperial court from collecting taxes?
If he is allowed to act recklessly, how much tax money will the court be able to collect next year?
How to keep the court running without money? How else to support Beiting against the Donglu army?
The book of heaven has revealed the secret of heaven. If seeing the secret of heaven can still throw away the Ming Dynasty, Chongzhen will no longer intend to pass the responsibility to others.
But now, whoever dares to stop the imperial court from collecting taxes and fees is an enemy of the imperial court and an enemy of the Ming Dynasty!
Except for Li Zhan and others, they are all considered qualified and can be exempted from the death penalty and can barely live a living.
The rest are all scum who failed the test, and it is not a pity to die!
"Your Majesty, if the property of these criminals is confiscated, only the house is left to live in, and they are grounded, how can they support their families?"
Qu Shishu felt that since Emperor Chongzhen planned to be lenient to most people, he should at least find a way for him to survive.
"First Assistant, if it's not like this, I can allow you to leave each family with two hundred taels of silver to live on. When they sell off the current house and replace it with a smaller one, the difference from the resale will not be enough to gain a sum of money. Well. I can also find him an editor position in the newly purchased "Da Ming Daily" and give full play to his talents. If you feel uncomfortable staying in Nandu, you can go to live elsewhere. I already know that these people are not poor. The common people and relatives can live without worries with a little help.”
Almost no one here is a decent poor person, and the family wealth of Qian Qianyi is not inferior to that of Zhou Kui, a national warrior.
Even if his family property is really confiscated, he can still support his family by relying on his past reputation to connect others and act as a middleman.
The true meaning of "poor scholar" has nothing to do with it. Even Maoxiang can find a job as a clerk without starving to death.
"I have been overly worried, Your Majesty, please forgive me!"
Since the emperor had already made plans, Qu Shichun didn't have much to say, and that was all he could help.
It was obvious that the emperor planned to let Ruan Dacheng, Peng Bin, and Chen Mingxia, three of them who had actively surrendered, work for the Daming Daily.
Although the reputation of the three people has been ruined after what they have gone through, it is a blessing in disguise that they were not severely punished but were instead used.
The most important thing is that these three people all know the situation of the scholars in Jiangnan very well, and they are afraid that they will become the mouthpieces of the emperor in the future, using newspapers to criticize the scholars for their actions.
"I wonder what Cifu will do?"
Gao Hongtu was a veteran "anti-Donglin general". Even if Chongzhen did not plan to completely eliminate Donglin, he still had to play Gao Hongtu's card well.
"Your Majesty, although this case occurred in Nandu, it involves a wide range of things. It may shock the entire Jiangnan Shilin. The merchants behind the scenes will also take action after hearing the news. A strike may be inevitable. I hope that your Majesty will make preparations in advance!"
Gao Hongtu believed that although the scholars were charging ahead, the many merchants were the real enemies that the court needed to deal with.
Because even if the court really punished these scholars, the merchants still did not pay taxes, and the court was helpless. Wouldn't it mean that it would lose the game?
Only when the merchants finally gave up their resistance, surrendered, and took out their money obediently, could the emperor and the court win a complete victory in this confrontation, otherwise it would just be an anticlimax.
Gao Hongtu had experienced the tax strike during the Wanli period. The scene at that time was extremely fierce and he would never forget it in his life.
However, when the words came to his lips, he did not say them out in the end. The main reason was that he was worried that these words would involve Emperor Wanli, so it was better not to say them.
"The second assistant's worries are also my worries. I really don't have any means to deal with the merchants' strike!"
"..."
"However, the prince gave me some tips and tricks before, and I found them interesting!"
"..."
Gao Hongtu was almost frightened by Chongzhen's intermittent answers. How dare he play such a big game without a countermeasure?
Fortunately, the prince has it!
etc……
The emperor expects the prince to take action?
If the prince's trick didn't work, wouldn't he have to send flying cavalry to Beidu?
It won't take more than half a month to do this again and again. I'll try again when I get back. What should I do if it doesn't work?
Is this too much fun?
Emperor Chongzhen, who expected to use his son's method to deal with the merchants, really impressed the old man!
"Dear sirs, do you know the content of the clever plan proposed by the prince?"
"..."
Where can I guess?
Why did the emperor learn to be mysterious after he regained his mind?
We are all ordinary people, how can we know how the prince with boundless immortal power thinks?
"To sum it up, there are only two words: 'Bao Jia'!"
"..."
The five important officials were immediately confused. What relationship does the merchant have with Baojia?
Could it be that the armor protection system should be used on merchants?
Now that we can't even collect business taxes, how can we talk about protecting our country?
Isn't the prince's method too whimsical?
Does Your Majesty still think this strategy is feasible?
Are there bugs in the minds of these two men?
Or was it struck abnormally by lightning?
"My dear friends, you don't know something. I thought it was incredible at first, but after reading it, I realized what the secret is!"
"..."
secret?
I guess there should be!
Otherwise, how could the emperor firmly believe that his son's trick could be used on merchants and would have immediate results?
