The suffering of the people is beyond words.
Even if Gu Zhengchen saw the hunched old farmers busy in the fields with his own eyes, he could not understand their real hard work.
But when you look at their calloused hands, their dark faces, their vicissitudes of life, and their waists that can no longer straighten, you can feel that they are working hard with their lives and exchanging their lives for the chance to live. .
The people of Jurong are relatively lucky, their taxes are not that high. But the people of Suzhou are also the people of the Ming Dynasty. The label on them is not the people of Zhang Shicheng, but the people of Zhu Yuanzhang!
To go through such trouble and push the people to a desperate situation is not what a good emperor should do.
Gu Zhengchen sympathized with Wang Chui and Wang Zhuo, father and son, but according to regulations, they still needed to be sent back to Suzhou.
The ashen-faced Wang Chui was picked up by a government officer and shouted: "Gu Zhi County, the people of Jurong said that you want everyone in Jurong to have enough to eat. I also want to have enough to eat. Are we wrong?"
Gu Zhengchen walked towards Wang Chui and said helplessly: "You are from Suzhou Prefecture. If everyone becomes a refugee like you, Suzhou Prefecture will become an empty prefecture. By then, who will farm and who will pay taxes..."
Wang Chui wanted to break away from the yamen, but was held tightly, so he had to grit his teeth and shout: "We can still farm after leaving Suzhou. We don't want to live a life of heavy taxes anymore! The court has taken away too much from us, and we can't keep it anymore." We are alive. Instead of dying in Suzhou Prefecture, it is better to die here. In the next life, we don’t have to worry about being kicked in the door in the middle of the night, we don’t have to worry about being branded, or we don’t have to worry about starving to death!"
Gu Zhengchen saw Wang Zhui suddenly exerting force to break away from the Yamen servant and hit a pillar on the side, and quickly shouted: "Stop him!"
boom!
Click!
The tea bowl fell to the ground and broke.
Blood came out of Wang Chui's cheek, and he almost fell to the ground when he staggered. Several government officials rushed forward and caught Wang Chui.
Gu Zhengchen looked at Dianshi Yang Liang. This guy was smart enough to know that he had lost something.
Yang Liang breathed a deep sigh of relief and took out his handkerchief to wipe the tea stains on his hands.
Gu Zhengchen walked to Wang Chui and watched the blood gathering and dripping from his chin. He frowned and said, "If you die, what will your son do? If you are alive, there will be hope for everything. Now, I You will be arrested for disturbing the court and temporarily detained in Jurong Prison."
Wang Chui grinned and said with a smile: "The imperial court does not allow people to live, but it will also cut off my death? Gu Zhixian, if you really care about us miserable people, you should let the imperial court exempt Suzhou Prefecture." Taxes!”
Gu Zhengchen stared at Wang Chui.
Wang Zhui's eyes were a little evasive, he lowered his head and stopped talking.
"Take it down!"
Gu Zhengchen turned around and returned to the second hall.
Luo Shao, Zhou Mao and Yang Liang followed to the second hall. Seeing Gu Zhengchen's face gloomy, they didn't know what to do for a moment.
After the yamen servant informed that Wang Chui and Wang Zhuo had been imprisoned and handed over to their guards, Luo Shao couldn't help but sigh: "My lord, it's not me who is complaining. The taxes of Suzhou Prefecture and Songjiang Prefecture are really too heavy. Although we say The land is small and not fertile enough, and it is not as good as the Susong Prefecture. But in terms of the food produced, the people of Jurong are still living miserably under light taxation. The people of the Susong Second Prefecture..."
Zhou Mao lowered his head and said helplessly: "This is a heavy tax set by the imperial court, and there is nothing we can do about it. There is something hidden in this. Over the years, many officials have written letters requesting to reduce taxes in Suzhou and Song Dynasty, but His Majesty has never agreed. Pass."
Yang Liang looked at Gu Zhengchen and saw that Gu Zhengchen actually took out copper coins and flipped them on his fingertips. He seemed not to be listening to the conversation of several people, but was thinking about a difficult case. He lowered his voice and said to Luo Shao and Zhou Mao: "Suzhou The affairs of the government are not something we in Jurong can get involved in. Send the person back and the matter will be over."
Ding!
Gu Zhengchen put the two copper coins together, stood up and said, "I will go to the prison cell, you stay here.
Although Luo Shao and others were confused, they still didn't ask any more questions.
Prison cell.
Wang Chui sat in the corner, whispering to his son Wang Zhuo beside him.
There was movement outside the door, and the lock was opened.
The jailer leaves.
Gu Zhengchen walked into the prison cell, adjusted to the darkness, looked at Wang Chui, and asked, "So, your coming to Jurong is not a real escape?"
Wang Chui's expression changed: "Of course we are fleeing."
Gu Zhengchen laughed and shook his head: "How can a person who is fleeing from famine say something like asking me to write to the court and ask for exemption from Suzhou government taxes? Tell me, who asked you to come, and what is your identity? "
Wang Chui's face changed slightly. If the lighting hadn't been bad, Gu Zhengchen would have noticed it. Even so, he still couldn't hide his shock and forcefully concealed it: "I don't know what you are talking about. I just ran away with my child." It’s just the common people.”
Gu Zhengchen walked towards Wang Chui, looked at Wang Zhuo who was not very talkative, and said to Wang Chui: "People who are fleeing from famine are just trying to survive. How can there be any reason to seek death in court? Wei Guan asked you to come here, right? Why?" , he couldn’t persuade the emperor to exempt Suzhou government from taxes, so he found another way and found my head?”
"It's not Magistrate Wei!"
"Who is that?"
"I……"
Wang Zhui looked at the approaching Gu Zhengchen and felt a pressure, so he couldn't help but retreat.
Gu Zhengchen asked in a deep voice: "Who is it?"
"Yes Yes……"
Wang Zhui was very nervous.
Gu Zhengchen stopped and looked at Wang Chui, who was forced to the wall: "Anyone who wants to lend my hand to achieve his goal is definitely not a simple person. If you don't tell me, I will file a letter to the court to impeach Wei Guan for setting up a trap to manipulate people's hearts. , impeach him for maliciously sending refugees to interfere with Jurong County Government!"
"It's not Magistrate Wei, it's -"
"Gao Qi?"
Gu Zhengchen stared.
"ah?"
Wang Zhui was shocked as he seemed to have not said the name.
Although Gu Zhengchen couldn't read lips, there were only two close aides beside Wei Guan, Gao Qi and Wang Yi. Looking at Wang Chui's mouth opening and closing, it is obvious that his pronunciation is high.
Gao Qi, this guy is really playing with fire!
It can be said that a large part of the reason why Wei Guan was killed by Zhu Yuanzhang was not necessarily the matter of moving the government office, but was caused by Gao Qi's involvement.
Zhu Yuanzhang had disliked Gao Qi for too long, so he invited Gao Qi to become an official, and he was given the high-level official title of Right Minister of the Ministry of Revenue. However, Gao Qi did not give Lao Zhu face, so he refused to be an official.
Before that, Gao Qi also wrote a poem titled "Pictures of Palace Maidens", in which two lines are: "The little dog barks at the shadow across the flowers, who comes to the palace in the dead of night?"
This was originally an idle work about the privacy of Emperor Yuan Shun's palace, but Lao Zhu thought it was scolding himself. If it weren't for showing respect for talents, Lao Zhu would probably respect Gao Qi's family for once.
Gao Qi refused to accept Lao Zhu's official position. After Wei Guan's invitation, he turned to become Wei Guan's staff and entered Suzhou Fuxue as a professor. This once again aroused Lao Zhu's nerves.
It is said that Wei Guan was promoted to participate in politics in Sichuan because of his outstanding political achievements. It was Gao Qi who was operating secretly. He staged a show where countless people begged Wei Guan to stay in Suzhou, and used public opinion to impress Lao Zhu, who promised Wei Guan to continue serving in Suzhou. .
Gao Qi, together with Liu Ji and Song Lian, are known as the "Three Great Masters of Poetry and Prose in the Early Ming Dynasty". Together with Yang Ji, Zhang Yu and Xu Bi, they are also known as the "Four Heroes of Wuzhong". Some people even regard Gao Qi's poetry as the first in the Ming Dynasty. .
In any case, Gao Qi is a talented and knowledgeable person, but he is also a guy who lacks political acumen and is good at using small cleverness.
If you don't want to be an official, then don't go out and just stay at home and farm. Why are you helping Wei Guan? You dare to interfere with "public opinion" even when court officials are mobilized. Is this kind of trick of manipulating people's hearts something that you, a staff member, can play?
Well now, this person actually had an idea on his head, trying to get him to come forward to persuade Lao Zhu to exempt Suzhou government from taxes. What was staged was still a drama of bitterness.
Gu Zhengchen looked at Wang Chui and gritted his teeth.
He felt like he was dumb, and handing Gao Qi over would not help matters.
Gao Qi's starting point is morality and for the people of Suzhou Prefecture, and he can stand firm. Everyone is standing on the commanding heights, and if they make even the slightest mistake, they will be blamed.
Even if Gao Qi's story is told and Lao Zhu kills Gao Qi, then there is just one more dead old man in the world and nothing will change.
"I have recorded this account!"
Gu Zhengchen was not willing to suffer a loss, especially not to be used like a pawn.
Wang Chui suddenly knelt down: "Gu Zhixian, the people of Suzhou Prefecture are really desperate! The imperial court is giving aid to other places, but it is providing relief to Suzhou! The people have no harvest in the summer, and they have to pay back the food in the autumn. At the end of the year , and there are no grains left. The businessman said that Gu Zhi County loves the people like his own children. If this is the case, why can't Gu Zhi County intercede for the people of Suzhou Prefecture and save the people from the fire and water? "
Gu Zhengchen was silent.
The people of Suzhou Prefecture are working hard, and the pressure they bear is too great. But the problem is that he is the magistrate of Jurong County in Yingtian Prefecture and has nothing to do with Suzhou Prefecture.
It is not a big mistake to write a letter to talk about the affairs of the Suzhou government and speak for the people, not for political commentary. As a civil servant, the idea of serving the world is very important, and there is always a shortage of voices asking for orders for the people.
However, the incident in Suzhou Mansion could easily touch Zhu Yuanzhang's fragile psychology. Once he is remembered by Lao Zhu, his good life will be gone in the future. Gu Zhengchen knew that the people in Suzhou were suffering, and he also understood the difficulties of Gao Qi's "strategy", but the water here was very deep.
Wang Zhuo looked at Gu Zhengchen who was turning to leave, knelt down and said timidly: "We are also the people of the Ming Dynasty. We work hard, why should we live like sinners?"
Gu Zhengchen turned around and looked at Wang Jue. He was just a child, but he had also suffered from the vicissitudes of life.
How to answer him?
Can't answer.
The people of Suzhou Prefecture seem to be guilty of original sin.
Gu Zhengchen walked out of the cell and returned to the second hall without saying a word. It was not until he returned to the magistrate's house in the evening that he said to Zhang Xiwan: "Is it appropriate to offend the emperor for the sake of the people?"
Zhang Xiwan became nervous and pulled Gu Zhengchen's arm, uneasiness written on her face.
The emperor is very cruel.
Gu Zhengchen shook his head bitterly, as if saying to himself: "I am not Wei Zheng, and he is not Tang Taizong..."
