The purpose of implementing the policy of protecting businessmen is to tie up all these disobedient locusts. If they are still not obedient after being tied up, they can be "fried" directly!
If there is a merchant in A who evades taxes, then even the armor of A is "fried". Once something goes wrong, responsibilities will be held level by level, and the commanders within the top three will all bear corresponding responsibilities.
That merchant neither wants to pay taxes in full nor join Baojia, so he has two choices, either get out of Ming Dynasty or die in Ming Dynasty!
Use heavy codes in troubled times, and they will remain unchanged forever!
A certain filial son once told a certain father that the current situation in the Ming Dynasty is that some generals obey their orders but not their orders, some scholars are loyal to money but not to the emperor, and some merchants evade taxes and refuse to pay taxes.
These three are more or less related to money. If the court wants to cure this strange disease, it must start from the root of the disease.
No matter how ferocious a businessman is, he's not so afraid of death that he won't do business, right?
That's good!
If you want to save both your money and your life, then pay taxes obediently.
Otherwise, the person can die, but the money must be kept, even if he is buried with him!
"Your Majesty is wise!"
Just now, Gao Hongtu felt that the emperor was acting too hastily. After all, the situation in Southern Capital was not even under control at the moment. It would be childish to talk about implementing a defense strategy in the entire Jiangnan or even the eight corners of the south.
But then I heard that it could be piloted, that is, implemented in a planned and step-by-step manner. I suddenly felt that the prince was young and thoughtful, and his coping strategies were far superior to those of them, the elders and ministers.
I can't guarantee anything else. It's still very safe to implement the strategy of protecting the capital in Nandu City. If the emperor can't even control Nandu, let alone the situation in the southern eight corners.
It is not yet the end of the Li Tang Dynasty, similar to the era when vassal towns were rising everywhere. Except for Fujian, which was controlled by Zheng Zhilong, other places still obeyed the emperor's orders.
Even in Fujian, all civil servants and some military officers were appointed by the imperial court. The sphere of influence that Zheng Zhilong could directly control was limited to the coastal areas of Fujian.
Even Zheng Zhilong, who has become Zhenhai Bo, is now working closely with the court, mainly Prince Shi En and his family. Under the temptation of title and gold and silver, Zheng Zhilong can only obey his orders happily.
"Your Majesty, the external situation is still chaotic today, and the imperial court's policy of protecting merchants is really beyond its capabilities!"
The first assistant, Qu Shishu, was really helpless about this. People outside were opening their mouths to curse the emperor, and here in the rear residence, they were still discussing how to protect the armor. In comparison, it really felt a bit ridiculous.
"I have ordered that merchants from all walks of life must stop the strike within three days and continue business as usual. Prices of all types of commodities must not rise arbitrarily. Any stubborn person who exceeds this limit will be regarded as trying to subvert us. The thieves and bandits of the Ming Dynasty will be severely punished!"
Chongzhen felt that he had given him time to retreat on his own, and he had done his best to these Diao Min.
If the court can't say anything good or bad, then don't blame me for being rude to you!
"Your Majesty is wise!"
Gao Hongtu finally figured out a little bit of the secret of Xue Guoguan's role as the first assistant. This "secret" has been spread from the northern capital to the southern capital, and it is almost universally acknowledged.
It's nothing more than changing a word, from "Your Highness is wise" to "Your Majesty is wise". It is easy to speak, listen and understand, and it can also maintain the friendship between the monarch and his ministers...
What the emperor said was an ultimatum. If the deadline is exceeded, the Yongwei Battalion will be dispatched to suppress it.
No matter how many profiteers and Diao Min there are in the city, they will never be a match for the soldiers of the Yongwei Battalion led by Huang Degong.
One thousand fully armed officers and soldiers of the Yongwei Battalion, combined with 1,800 factory guards, are enough to clean up the Diao Min thieves in the city.
Since he did not do this in his hometown, and the target was definitely not a good person in the ordinary sense, Gao Hongtu naturally fully supported this method.
The current situation is that the bloodless method has failed. Even if the outside of the residence is cleaned up, all kinds of shops in the city are still closed.
It was said that they were going out of business, but in fact they were using strikes to resist the imperial court. This was no different from what they did during the Wanli period.
Gao Hongtu believes that both profiteers and Diao Min should be severely punished and must not be tolerated.
If this continues, I'm afraid that the entire Nanting's annual income can only be maintained by agricultural taxes.
Raising agricultural taxes would force farmers to rebel. The emperor had already learned the lessons from the past, so he targeted the merchants.
It is impossible for the imperial court to condone merchants to evade taxes as they did before.
If it were the other side of Beidu, if the prince had heard about the stolen money, he would have cut off one of the profiteer's fingers, right?
Three days!
Gao Hongtu wanted to see how those unscrupulous thieves outside could turn the sky upside down in just these thirty-six hours!
If you can't turn it over, then just wait to be suppressed!
Chongzhen will no longer be as kind as Wanli!
How many ministers from various ministries alone were killed?
Are you sending these profiteers in the city?
"There is one more thing that I have to entrust to my second assistant!"
"Your Majesty's orders are enough, and I will do my best!"
"Shi Kefa has resigned from me, and I have graciously allowed him to step down as Zuo Shilang of the Ministry of War, but still ordered him to serve as the censor of Zuoqiandu. The prince once said that Shi Kefa managed water transportation in an orderly manner, and I also saw his resume, so I appointed him to supervise the Lianghuai coal mines. I know a little bit about Ai Qing and know the military, so I hope Ai Qing can also serve as the left minister of the Ministry of War. I wonder what Ai Qing wants?"
Shi Kefa probably saw that the military town of Yangzhou was captured by the Donglu in one day, and he felt very disappointed. He also knew his strengths and weaknesses, so he took the initiative to resign.
Chongzhen did not embarrass him. Since the Lianghuai Coal Mine and the Ma'anshan Iron Ore were equally important projects, related to the court's revenue and the economic development of Jiangnan, it was necessary to send one of his confidants.
In view of Shi Kefa's good performance as the governor of water transportation, Chongzhen also felt that what Na Nizi said was reasonable, not to mention that he had a complete set of coal mine management manuals written by Na Nizi in his hand, so he could get twice the result with half the effort.
It is not impossible to create positions based on people, but it depends on who the target is. The newly established governor of the Lianghuai Coal Mine is a huge vacancy, and this position must be obtained by close relatives.
Not only that, Chongzhen also gave Shi Kefa a Shangfang sword. Once a moth is found, it can be killed first without asking for instructions.
Shi Kefa was not Yuan Chonghuan, and Lianghuai was not Liaodong. There was no official at the same level as Shi Kefa, and there was no such thing as killing the wrong person.
Chongzhen could rest assured about the character of this beloved minister, and his resume was clearly written in the Heavenly Book. Therefore, Chongzhen rewarded Shi Kefa with such a good job.
Since Shi Kefa also served as the censor of Zuo Qiandu, when he caught a suspect, he did not need to send him to the Metropolitan Procuratorate for conviction. He could directly try and sentence him, and Shang Fang's sword could help him.
"...I obey your orders and will do my best to live up to the divine grace!"
Gao Hongtu didn't rush to say that he would just die. He wanted to be the "Second Loyalty of the Southern Capital" for many years. After all, a lot of money can't be donated in vain!
Being the Zuo Shilang of the Ministry of War seems to be a heavy responsibility, but in fact it is not the case. Yuan Jixian, the Minister of the Ministry of War, is not an outsider, and there are no wars in the eight corners of the southern court's jurisdiction except Huguang.
Even if there is chaos in Nandu City, Huang Degong's Yongwei Battalion and factory guards are there to suppress it. The Yongwei Battalion is a department directly under the emperor's jurisdiction, and the Ministry of War has no right to mobilize it.
The prince was personally responsible for the Huguang War, and the specific implementation was left to Hong Chengchou and Sun Chuanting. The talents of these two people were well known all over the world, and Gao Hongtu was relatively reassured about this.
How Huang Chuangzi's Yongwei Battalion acted had nothing to do with the Ministry of War. Even if many thieves were killed during the suppression operation, the people in the Ministry of War would not know about it.
At least in the near future, it seems that if I take on an extra job, I will earn an extra salary, which is considered as a reward for my previous generous donation.
Since it was getting late, Chongzhen no longer had long talks with his five ministers.
There will be no court meetings for the next three days, so everyone can handle matters in their respective yamen.
A certain father followed the example of a certain filial son and also set up a military aircraft office in his rear residence to facilitate cabinet members to seek instructions from him in a timely manner.
Now it plays the role of protecting the important officials of the imperial court. If they are really murdered by thieves, the gains will outweigh the losses.
"Qian Qianyi! You actually confessed?"
Tang Shiji, who returned to the cell, asked about Qian Qianyi's interrogation. It was widely rumored that the leader had confessed, and he wanted to ask clearly in person.
"Today is not what it used to be! You are not admitting guilt, you are just accepting your fate!"
Qian Qianyi seemed calm and calm. Ruan Dacheng, Chen Mingxia, Peng Bin and others had previously stated that they had pleaded guilty in exchange for a lighter sentence. Qian Qianyi believed that he had not made a wrong move.
The leader of Donglin is not in a hurry. It doesn't matter if his family property is confiscated and his reputation is damaged. What matters is that his life and that of his family have been saved and they will not be sent to mine.
Even if you can't eat big fish and meat in the future, you won't starve to death if you switch to simple food. At worst, it will be several times better than those miners who work hard to death.
"Qian Qianyi! As the leader of Donglin, you actually begged for surrender from the imperial court and admitted your mistake to that foolish king. How can you save your face? Where are you, the scholar of Donglin? How will everyone in Shilin view you?"
Li Zhan resolutely refused to plead guilty. At that time, those who did not know his righteous appearance thought he was possessed by Wen Tianxiang.
It's just that everyone is in the same cell and someone does the most despicable things, how can Li Zhan feel satisfied.
"If you believe in the Book of Heaven, it is true; if you don't believe it, it is false!"
There is a major premise, that is, the content stated in the Heavenly Book shall prevail.
You believe that the content stated in the Heavenly Book is true and reliable. The Heavenly Book says that you are the second minister, so you must recognize it.
Among other things, Qian Qianyi believed that what his student Qu Shichun did after that was described in the Book of Heaven was almost the same as Wen Tianxiang, and he could be called a model of loyalty and virtue, and he highly recognized this.
To have such an upright student who was also the chief minister of the Ming Dynasty, Qian Qianyi felt that he was burdened by two ministers and could tolerate being scolded by others.
A man can bend and stretch, and he can correct his mistakes when he realizes them. If he is obsessed with reputation and avoids the important and takes the easy, then he is in line with the characteristics of seeking fame and reputation.
"The Book of Heaven is nonsense, how can we believe it easily?"
Qi Fengji had decided to advance and retreat with Li Qiao, Li Zhan, and Tang Shiji, so he scorned what Qian Qianyi said.
"In your opinion, if you don't believe in the Book of Heaven, which book should you believe in?"
After Qian Qianyi pleads guilty, he will also lose his title of leader of Donglin, but he feels relieved.
"..."
Qi Fengji ended up being asked directly. He had never thought about this question.
"Qian Qianyi, you are just trying to excuse yourself!"
Li Zhan hated having a traitor among his colleagues, but now this traitor was the most famous among them, which made him feel betrayed.
"Isn't it a bit too much for you to mobilize your troops to accuse them like this? If it wasn't to save your family, how could the leader act like this? Are you not planning to save your family?"
Cai Yichen couldn't bear to see the faces of these people. He took the benefits and accepted the contributions, but refused to admit them. Instead, he felt confident. What kind of nonsense was this?
"Hmph~! In the bright world, how dare that foolish king Chongzhen accuse me and others!"
The reason why Li Zhan refused to plead guilty was that he saw that Yang Weidou and others did not intend to plead guilty. Even if he was suspected of being two ministers, he believed that as long as he shared the same hatred with the enemy, he could achieve the goal of not punishing the law.
"Yes! Yes!"
Li Qiao, Qi Fengji, and Tang Shiji naturally thought the same way. There were many people who refused to plead guilty. In the end, Chongzhen would definitely make compromises and concessions.
"It's useless to talk more, so let's wait and see!"
Wang Duo didn't want to see these villains jumping up and down and attacking Qian Qianyi, so he found an excuse and stopped talking.
To be fair, those of them who took the initiative to plead guilty are excusable. No one wants to see their family members being implicated by them.
What's wrong with taking the initiative to plead guilty and avoid being severely punished?
"It's time to eat!"
The jailer shouted loudly, which cheered up the prisoners in the cells on both sides of the corridor.
Of course, for most scholars who think they have integrity, they still need to maintain a certain degree of reserve.
You can't let the jailer say it's time to eat, and just like a dog, he presses his face against the fence and waits eagerly...
"My dear friend, why are there no chicken legs in the bowl?"
Peng Bin was surprised when he saw that the food delivered to his cell was all rice and pickles.
It stands to reason that everyone in their cell has confessed their crime, so shouldn't they be treated like this?
"So much nonsense? You need to go home and eat!"
"..."
What kind of attitude is this?
I'm just asking!
However, the smart Peng Bin quickly thought about it and realized that there was a lot of mystery in this sentence!
Could it be...
I see!
The six people in the cell were not fools and immediately realized what the jailer meant.
After seeing the same thoughts in each other's eyes, everyone was relieved and let out a long sigh of relief.
Eat it!
After eating this meal, I will probably go out and get some meat dishes when I get home.
If I don't eat, I won't starve to death, but my stomach will keep growling all night long.
"Huh? Why do these people have chicken legs, vegetarian dishes, and a glass of wine in their bowls, but we don't get the same treatment?"
Zhang Weiji couldn't bear it anymore after eating pickles for two days in a row.
Can Li Zhan and others enjoy such treatment even if they refuse to plead guilty?
Doesn't that mean that all their hard work was in vain?
Is it still wrong to take the initiative to plead guilty?
It’s reached the point where rice is just like pickles...
God cannot tolerate it!
"Death meal! Do you want to eat?"
The higher-ups have already announced that Li Zhan and others will be executed at noon tomorrow, and they will be given a good meal tonight.
"……ah???"
Not only Zhang Weiji was dumbfounded now, but Qian Qianyi, Wang Duo, and even Li Zhan who was eating were also stunned.
"What do you mean? Beheaded? Are we going to be beheaded?"
Li Zhan hurriedly threw away his job, ran to the fence, and reached out to grab the jailer's clothes.
"What do you want to do?"
The jailer next to him saw that something was not going well and immediately pulled out his sword as a warning.
"Why should we be executed?"
"You asked questions knowingly! What you did made the world angry and resentful! You could have saved yourself from death by pleading guilty earlier. You were so smart but you were fooled by your cleverness! Have a good meal, it's your last meal!"
"..."
Zhang Weiji looked at the pickles in his bowl and felt much more at ease.
It turns out that good food and rice means losing your head. It seems that eating pickles is safe.
Qian Qianyi said nothing and just watched the scene just now silently, but his thoughts were the same as Zhang Weiji's.
Ruan Dacheng's judgment is quite accurate. Those who resist will die this time!
If you make one wrong move this time, your head will fall to the ground!
All right!
You still have to remember that you owe Ruan Dacheng a favor. If you still have some spare money after going out, you can treat this guy to a feast as compensation.
Is what the jailer said true?
It depends on what happens tomorrow. If you tell a lie, you can escape.
On the contrary, when the person's head falls to the ground, even if it is sewn onto the neck again, he probably won't be able to speak!
