"This is the magistrate's office. Everyone, please step back three meters!"
"If you have grievances, cry them out and beat the drum!"
"If something happens, just go to your commander-in-chief first and report it at all levels!"
“If you gather a crowd to cause trouble, you will be punished!”
The old guard from the prefect's Yamen stepped forward, looked at the crowd and shouted angrily.
The common people were shocked by this sharp shout, but those in the crowd arranged by wealthy businessmen and gentry were not afraid.
Instead, he hid in the crowd and said loudly: "Suzhou Prefecture is in such chaos. We are all waiting for the rice to be cooked. Doesn't the magistrate care about it?"
"That is, we businessmen from other places brought the best things from our hometown to Suzhou, so that the people of Suzhou could taste and see them. The result is like this in Suzhou city. We are so disappointed!"
"That is, if it is a natural disaster or our own fault, we accept this, but this is obviously the fault of Suzhou's wealthy businessmen and gentry, and we cannot accept this!"
"If we want to see the prefect, please give us justice!"
"Let the prefect come out, we want to file a complaint!"
"Give way, the governor is here!"
Amidst the excitement and anger, a loud shout came from behind the crowd.
Hearing that it was the governor, the people immediately made way for a passage, and Yingtian Governor Sun Youzhi walked slowly towards the prefect's Yamen with square steps.
After reaching the front of the crowd, he turned around and looked at the people gathered behind him, and said loudly: "Dear neighbors and fellow villagers, I am responsible for the chaos in Suzhou Prefecture today.
Don't worry, everyone, Japan will definitely ask Prefect Zhou to give you a satisfactory answer today! "
After saying this, he turned to look at the guards at the magistrate's office: "The common people can't see Magistrate Zhou, so can I not?
Get out of the way, otherwise, I will punish you for despising your superiors and strip you of your clothes! "
"Governor Sun, don't you think it's beneath your status that your dignified second-grade governor is trying to show his authority with a small guard?"
"Prefect Zhou, don't argue with me. Yesterday, Japan advised you not to act like this. If you don't listen, you insist on having your own way. Look at what Suzhou City is like now.
People are waiting for rice to be cooked, tourists have no place to eat and rest, and vendors cannot sell their goods. Do you know how much loss there is?
If you don't give me, the people of Suzhou City, and merchants a satisfactory explanation today, then don't blame me and all the officials of Suzhou Prefecture for taking part in this! "
"I don't need Governor Sun to supervise this matter. I have my own countermeasures!"
Zhou Tingru sneered in his heart, but with a faint smile on his face, he then looked at the gathered people: "Fellow fellow villagers, only the future can determine whether what happened yesterday was right or wrong, so we won't mention it for now.
I hereby make a promise that I will give you a satisfactory answer at the magistrate’s office before Unity Time tomorrow, and everything will be resolved within three days.
If this is not possible, I am willing to resign as the prefect of Suzhou and obey the imperial court's orders.
For those who are waiting for the rice to be cooked, before noon, the government will transfer the grain from the Suzhou Sifang Granary to various markets and streets for sale. Everyone will buy what they need, such as grain, oil, tea, vinegar, etc., and everyone will be patient for two days;
It doesn’t matter if the goods are stored for two or three days. If any losses are caused, the Suzhou government will definitely compensate you.
You can rest assured that I have the imperial edict given by the imperial court and have the right to take advantage of it. What I say represents the imperial court. If I cannot honor it, the imperial court will definitely honor it. I don’t need to explain the truth!
It's all gone. We'll know the result at noon tomorrow!
I would like to remind all my neighbors and fellow villagers that I checked the Suzhou Prefecture’s Prison Department yesterday and found that there are still 300 vacancies in it! "
After Zhou Tingru said this, he looked at Governor Sun Youzhi: "Governor Sun, I still have a lot of things to do, so I won't accompany you. Please do as you please!"
Seeing Zhou Tingru entering the magistrate's yamen, Sun Youzhi's face was so gloomy that he could shed tears, and he held his hands tightly in his sleeves.
Since he became the governor, no one has ever treated him like this. It is simply intolerable.
After a while, Sun Youzhi calmed down, and his gloomy face once again regained the look of compassion and guilt. He turned to look at the crowd: "Since Prefect Zhou has given you the guarantee, let's all disperse.
I will keep an eye on Prefect Zhou and report it to Nanjing. If Prefect Zhou can’t solve it, Nanjing will definitely give an answer. Don’t worry! "
"Your Majesty, the Governor has taken the trouble, we believe in the Majesty the Governor!"
"The governor is still reliable and takes us into consideration, unlike someone else!"
"Hey, in this world, the older an official is, the more he cares about the people, and the younger an official is, the more he likes to show his authority!"
"Fellow folks, please disperse. The governor is watching. If we gather here again, we will only cause trouble for the governor!"
"Let's break up and endure it for one more day!"
…
The people slowly dispersed. Sun Youzhi smiled coldly as he listened to the people talking about him.
Turning his head to look at the magistrate's office, he felt a little surprised. Could it be that Zhou Tingru really had a way to crack it?
After thinking about it, Sun Youzhi stopped thinking about it. He had already put himself in danger by coming here today. Fortunately, his temptation had already spread the attitude of the prefect's yamen, and the wealthy businessmen secretly must have known about it.
Whether they can respond or not is their business. They have already done what they should do.
Suzhou Magistrate Zhou Tingru's promise spread throughout the entire Suzhou city in just half an hour, and spread to the subordinate prefectures and counties.
"Prefect Zhou seems to be confident in his words!"
"In my opinion, it's just a matter of holding on. The gentry and wealthy businessmen of Suzhou Prefecture have united. This power is not something that the government can contend with!"
"Yes, the most important thing is that these methods do not violate the laws of the Ming Dynasty, and the government has no right to interfere!"
"It's hard to say. In the Xizong Dynasty, I was able to get into the position of Minister of Rites, and was dismissed and then re-employed. I should still have some ability. Just wait!"
"Do you think you will fight violence with violence? Now that the Yanshan Guards have taken over the Suzhou city defense, will they directly arrest and chop these people?"
"It's unlikely. If we kill them all, how can we do business in Suzhou? The Ming Dynasty focuses on taxation. Even if the imperial court gives prefect Zhou the advantage, he probably won't be allowed to do this!"
"It makes sense, but what else can we do besides this? Violently open the door of the store? But how many goods are there in the store? They were sold out in one day.
After solving this problem, what about workshops and workshops? As long as one thing is not solved, the trouble will still exist! "
"Hey, maybe we are standing at different heights and can't see the thoughts of the higher-ups. Just wait, we will know at noon tomorrow!"
…
Countless people were talking and eagerly awaiting this confrontation between government and businessmen.
They also wanted to see what methods the new Suzhou magistrate would have and whether he could defeat the alliance of Suzhou's gentry and wealthy businessmen.
Amid the expectations of the people, and the anxiety and sneers of the gentry and wealthy businessmen, dawn dawned.
The people rushed towards the magistrate's Yamen. When they saw the scene in front of the magistrate's Yamen, they were all shocked.
