"Settling accounts? I'm also good at this! You don't need to exploit the farmers. As long as each of us, Ming Dynasty, gives us one tael of silver, the total can be as high as 100 million taels, which is a huge amount of ten million taels! That's an annual income of 20 million taels of silver. Five times as much as the king’s army. If the imperial court could get such a huge sum of money, it wouldn’t be easy to reorganize the military and equip the king’s army. What do you think?”
Hearing that Zhu Jihuang actually settled the score for himself, Xu Fuyuan felt extremely ridiculous, so he tried to retaliate in the same way.
My idea was much worse than Zhu Jihuang's idea. It seemed like it would bring huge benefits to the court, but in fact it contained huge loopholes. However, in the eyes of some idiots, it might make sense.
"Oh~!"
"hiss……"
"Exquisite!"
As expected, there were actually some scholars present who showed an unclear reaction.
"That's a good idea!"
Wan Sinian is Wan Tai's eldest son. Hearing Xu Fuyuan's idea, he couldn't help but nod in agreement.
"What do you think, Brother Zhu?"
Xu Fu looked at Zhu Jihuang with a smile but not a smile, just to see how the guy would answer.
"...Not bad!"
Zhu Jihuang felt a little strange when he saw that the other party's smile was not a good one, but he couldn't think of a reason for a while, so he reluctantly said something perfunctory.
"Not bad? Huh! My Ming Dynasty is suffering from natural disasters all over the north. The number of disaster victims is not less than ten million. They have already changed their sons and eaten them. How could Brother Zhu not know about it? Does Brother Zhu still want the disaster minister to donate money to defend against the enemy? Mo? Speaking of the north, looking around the southern capital, there are also many people begging for food in the streets and alleys. Brother Zhu, does he want these beggars to donate money to fight the enemy? The gentry has a good reputation and enjoys preferential treatment. They usually don't get a dime, but how much money do they donate during the war? ? Might as well talk about it so that I can open my eyes? Do you dare to say it? Don’t you dare to say it? When it comes to defending against the enemy, everyone becomes angry and speaks impassionedly. When it comes to paying money, they make every possible excuse and prevaricate. Duplicity, words and deeds are inconsistent. First, without him, you are a hypocrite!"
Xu Fuyuan not only wanted to scold Zhu Jihuang, he also planned to include all the scholars present who supported this guy, for no other reason than to scold him.
"With our fame, we naturally enjoy preferential treatment. This is our Ming Dynasty's ancestral system. How can there be any reason to forcefully donate money? What is the difference between such a despicable act and plundering?"
Jiang Gai jumped out to refute Xu Fuyuan's words. This is the treatment that scholars deserve and cannot be changed due to changes in the current situation. Otherwise, what is the use of studying hard for more than ten years in a cold window?
"According to the ancestral system of the Ming Dynasty, living members are not allowed to discuss matters! Have you forgotten? Why don't you mention the ancestral system of the Ming Dynasty at this time? If it is good for you, you must follow the ancestral system. If it is not good for you, you must oppose the ancestral system. What you just said With your words, don’t you openly forget your ancestors and forget your righteousness when you see benefits?”
Xu Fuyuan did not object to preferential treatment for the gentry, but it had to be done within a reasonable period of time. It would be unreasonable for such stubborn people to talk about the ancestral system.
"Xu Pifu! How dare you slander me! There are so many traitors in the society, so how can you have the face to say that you are seeking profit and forgetting your righteousness?"
Jiang Gai couldn't bear it anymore. Saying that he had forgotten his ancestors was the greatest disrespect for himself.
"Yes! It's exactly what I said! Jishe has become the scum of the scholarly community and must be condemned!"
Chao Mingsheng couldn't stand other gangs bullying his own people, so he immediately supported them.
"In my opinion, the scum are those who collude with profiteers and pretend to benefit the public for their own benefit. When the country is facing a crisis, they still brazenly use exemptions and exemptions as an excuse. The profiteers do not pay taxes, while farmers pay more. This is really the most embarrassing thing in the world. Your Majesty is not going to subjugate the country. The king, but all of you are the people who have subjugated the country!"
It is the greatest misfortune that there are gangs like Donglin and Fushe in the south of the Yangtze River who secretly collude with merchants and insist on fighting against the imperial court.
"Xu Pifu! You are clearly slandering others! We, people with lofty ideals, will not spare you lightly!"
Jiang Gai's eyes were filled with fire when he heard this, and he almost showed his arms and rolled up his sleeves, and went straight to full martial arts.
"Hold on! Mr. An, if you don't intend to be with us, you can leave. There is no need to be so rude!"
Zhu Jihuang didn't want to break the relationship with the other party. It would be easy to deal with Xu Fu, but it would be unwise to make enemies of several societies because of this.
"I have already explained it just now. Brother Zhu and everyone can take care of themselves. I will take my leave!"
"Farewell!"
After Xu Fuyuan saluted and turned to leave, Chen Zilong also made the same decision. The two had already agreed to go north and would not change it because of today's experience.
"Wait a minute, our society and Fushe have always been friendly and like good neighbors. There is no need to turn against each other over this matter. Brother Xia is still far away in Fujian. It would be too abrupt for us to make an arbitrary decision without getting a reply from him. I would like to express my gratitude to you. The society apologizes, and I hope you won’t be offended. In the future, we will still maintain long-lasting friendship with Fushe and the Shilin Society!”
Song Zhengbi was also from Songjiang and a backbone of several societies, but he did not think that Xu and Chen's decision was correct and wanted to correct their mistakes.
"Shang Mu, if you are stubborn, I don't blame you, but don't use the banner of Jishe. Jishe will not collude with profiteers to fight against the imperial court."
Xu Fuyuan's status in several societies was second only to Xia Yunyi's. If the latter was not in Nandu, he could manage several societies on his behalf, and he had sufficient say in all affairs, big and small.
"Xu Pifu! Don't cause trouble! It's a great thing for Shang Mu to abandon the dark side and turn to the bright side. If it weren't for your control, how could Jishe have fallen to this point!"
Jiang Gai, who just wanted to beat up this old guy, was stopped by Zhu Jihuang. After hearing these words, the anger in his heart burned again.
"Hmm! Humph! Colluding with profiteers can be done, but not talked about. It's done now!"
After Xu Fuyuan said this, he chuckled, his mockery evident in his words.
"Shang Mu, if you insist on doing this, you can quit the club!"
Chen Zilong didn't expect Song Zhengbi to be this kind of person. He said that Peng Bin was a traitor. Peng Bin knew his mistakes and could correct them. At least he was loyal to the emperor. How could this guy be better than Peng Bin?
"Among people, it's not your turn to take the lead for several societies. I originally thought that you were a dragon among people, who could lead us to achieve great things. But today, it seems that you are just a worm among people!"
Seeing that the situation was not good, Song Zhengbi, who had been hesitant before, decided to leave the sinking ship of Jishe and join Fushe. This was his final destination.
Song Zhengbi is six years older than Chen Zilong, so naturally he will not listen to the other party's reprimands. For him, it is nothing more than a public humiliation, and it is best to break up with him directly.
"Ha ha ha ha……"
These words caused everyone to burst into laughter. Song Zhengbi's description was indeed correct. Chen Zilong was timid and fearful, so he must be an insect.
"Today's emperor is ignorant and the court is dark, but you turn a blind eye and want to help him do evil. I have repented, but you have obstructed me in every possible way. You are just worried that I will affect your future career. In this case, I will withdraw from several societies and join the Fushe. Together with many colleagues, we will work hard to reorganize the government and revive the Ming Dynasty!"
Song Zhengbi already felt that there was no hope of staying in a few more societies. Instead of jumping into the abyss with Xu and Chen, it was better to rein in his horse from the cliff and hold on to the hope of returning to the society, so that he would not have to worry about losing his job in the future.
"What Shang Mu said is absolutely true!"
"Join Fushe and have a bright future!"
"Chen Zichong, get out!"
"Ha ha ha ha……"
Shilin is a different market, but what they have in common is that they also have mutual constraints, and they are even worse.
Song Zhengbi's words received a positive response from everyone in Fushe. It would be a good thing if we could take this opportunity to severely damage or even dismantle Jishe, a gang that had taken refuge in the dog emperor Chongzhen.
"I agree with what Shang Mu said, and I also want to join Fushe!"
Zhou Maoyuan, who had been silent for a long time, suddenly spoke. After some troubles between Xu and Chen, several societies had ceased to exist in name only. Following Song Zhengbi and joining the restored society was the right move.
"Welcome Su Lai to join Fushe!"
"Shang Mu and Su Lai join Fushe. If we get Wolong and Fengxiao, we can accomplish the great task of reorganizing the imperial court!"
"How wonderful! How wonderful~!"
Everyone knew that Song Zhengbi and Zhou Maoyuan were both capable men of several societies, so they gave Xu Fuyuan and Chen Zilong a very high evaluation of their surrender, which was a blow to the other's arrogance.
"Su Lai! How could you do such an deviant act if you are deeply favored by your Majesty?"
Zhou Maoyuan is five years younger than Chen Zilong, but he does not show any backbone. Instead, he actively wants to join the rest of society, which really disappoints Chen Zilong.
Especially since this guy was pardoned by the emperor that day, and instead of repaying the mercy, he actually joined the local forces that resisted the emperor, he was already out of his wits.
Could it be that the Heavenly Book was wrong?
Zhongliang...
wrong!
I don’t see this guy’s resume in the heavenly books!
Could it be...
Thinking of this, coupled with the extremely noisy surroundings, Chen Zilong's mind suddenly became confused.
"I am not guilty, so how can I be so favored by you? Only people can learn from others. Has Your Majesty ever given you an official position? But you don't distinguish between right and wrong, confusing right and wrong, and you want me to go to the pit of fire with you. .Hmph, I won’t accompany you!”
Zhou Maoyuan believed that Chen Zilong ignored the golden road and chose to take the narrow path full of thorns.
Don’t you know that during the Wanli period, Shilin won a great victory?
In the past, Shilin was able to defeat Hunjun Wanli, and this time he can defeat his inferior grandson again!
"Among people, you and I don't agree with each other, so there's no need to say more!"
Xu Fuyuan realized that talking was useless, so he grabbed Chen Zilong, who was still planning to argue, and left the place where the matter was.
After living for forty years, he finally understood that the decline of the Ming Dynasty was inseparable from these scholars jumping up and down.
"Don't even think about leaving!"
"stop!"
"Chief Assistant!"
"We are not robbers and bandits, how can we kidnap others? I am a secret agent, but I still believe it!"
Jiang Gai also planned to detain the two people opposite him directly to avoid making noise while walking, but was intimidated by Zhu Jihuang.
Isn't it a big joke that Fushe and Donglin have not yet reached the point of taking the people of several societies as hostages, but they have become kidnappers before their great cause has been accomplished?
"Mr. An, the city gate is closed now. It's difficult to get out of the city without finding a way. What should you and I do?"
After coming out, Chen Zilong didn't know whether to leave or stay. He couldn't leave yet, or he didn't want to stay.
"Your Majesty's current behavior must be based on what the Crown Prince did in the northern capital. I think we can wait and see what happens before making a decision. It will not affect your plan to go north!"
It was not easy to meet someone who had the same goals as him. Even though Xu Fuyuan was nearly ten years older than Chen Zilong, they still called each other names and did not add brothers. The two could be regarded as close friends half a generation apart.
"Could it be that An Gong thought that His Majesty would..."
As Chen Zilong spoke, he quickly looked around and saw that no one was paying attention to him, so he deliberately lowered his voice.
"Long-term pain is worse than short-term pain. If things continue like this, Jiangnan will be in chaos. Let's talk about this later!"
Xu Fuyuan also responded in a low voice so as not to be overheard by passersby, and reported it to the factory guard to avoid causing trouble for himself.
After the two left, the remaining people in the hall cut the "big cake" again under the witness of the first assistant Zhu Jihuang and the second assistant Zheng Fujiao.
That is to divide the six ministers and ministers into three. Fushe will contribute the most this time, so naturally it can get the two most fat yamen, the official department and the household department.
Although Donglin was suppressed by the Dog Emperor Chongzhen, he had deep roots in the Jiangnan area and had many disciples, so he was still taken care of and received the Ministry of War and the Ministry of Industry.
Zhe Tuan is also the backbone of this time. He couldn't eat meat, so he got the Ministry of Rites and the Ministry of Punishment. Although there was a little less meat, it was still better than eating soup.
The imperial censors on the left and right of the Duchayuan returned to Fushe, the censors on the right returned to Donglin, and the minister of Dali Temple was assigned to Zhe Tuan. Such a distribution was fair and reasonable, and no one could say what the real son was.
In terms of cabinet members, Liu Zongzhou was originally going to occupy one seat, but only two seats were left, and they had to be divided among Donglin, Zhetan, and Jishe. Now the Jishes were humiliating themselves, and it happened that Donglin and Zhetan's family had one.
For people like Song Zhengbi and Zhou Maoyuan who had recently joined the army, Zhu Jihuang, the first assistant, did not believe them at all. In the future, they could be dismissed by being given a fifth-grade official position, or if that didn't work, they could be transferred to other places to become prefects.
As for how to mobilize the people in the city to take to the streets to petition, this was easier. Almost everyone present knew the merchants, and the merchants who had been exploited by the court were asked to contribute their servants.
In addition to his own servants and the people whose livelihood was affected by the strike, the number was at least tens of thousands, or even more than 100,000. Zhu Jihuang did not believe that Chongzhen would abandon his reputation and take risks.
As long as they can persevere, the imperial court and Chongzhen, that dog emperor, will not be able to withstand the pressure and will eventually make compromises and concessions to themselves. At that time, the "price" of ending the strike will be easy to negotiate...
Now there is a chief assistant, a second assistant, a cabinet, six ministries, and even errands for the Duchayuan and Dali Temple!
Waiting for Qingjun to come...
No!
This time, even the Hunjun must be eliminated!
When the new emperor and the fifth prince ascend the throne, the new team will be established.
Broadly extend the divine grace, grant amnesty to the world, give light taxes to merchants, and collect agricultural taxes. This will create a new Ming Dynasty!
By then, we will be able to annihilate the bandits, defeat the Eastern captives, recover Liaodong, pacify the mainland, and finally realize our long-cherished wish to revive the Ming Dynasty!
The contributions of everyone are comparable to those of the civil servants who founded the dynasty, and they will surely go down in history and be praised by future generations!
The next day, before the scholars from Fushe, Donglin, and Zhesuan began to mobilize merchants and ordinary people, a large number of petitioners appeared on the streets.
Some directly besieged Yingtianfu Yamen, while others went to Xi'anmenwai Street, Genbei Street and South Street in Xihuangcheng to petition.
Without exception, the merchants wanted to prevent the factory guards and the Yongwei camp from evacuating their property.
Although many merchants have been imprisoned, servants still have to avenge their masters under the orders of their relatives who have slipped through the net.
The number of people deceived by it is extremely large, more than 100,000, and some of them have nothing to do, just to go to the streets to watch the excitement and join the team.
The leader shouted loudly, and the people following him naturally followed suit.
"The ignorant and ignorant king! Return my family wealth!"
"Extreme levies and extortion! The Ming Dynasty will surely perish!"
"Business tax is shameful! It must be exempted!"
"The Hunjun issued the "Edict of Gui Ji"! Apologize to the people!"
What's more, they even wore sackcloth and mourning, as if they had lost a family member, wore a white cloth as a vassal, and wrote in red letters, hoping that the court would admit their mistakes.
The crowds were fearless, like long queues, blocking the roads and making it difficult for factory guards, officers and soldiers who were on official business to move forward.
In some places, extremely chaotic scenes occurred, and the petitioners took advantage of this opportunity to openly rob the materials and silver transported by the other party, just like bandits.
"Hushan, everyone is talking about Shen Zi outside?"
"The last general..."
"But it doesn't matter!"
"The final general has been written on the paper, please accept it!"
Huang Degong did not dare to tell what he heard in public, so he had to hand over a piece of paper to Wang Banban.
"Hmph! Wishful thinking! Let me abdicate! Let the fifth prince ascend the throne! Damn! A bunch of thieves! How dare you rebel!"
After Chongzhen saw it, he suddenly became furious. These thieves finally showed their true colors.
The first assistant Qu Shichun and the second assistant Gao Hongtu looked at it and frowned.
