Chapter 621: Fight for Jiangshan Again! (6K Chapter)

It has been rainy in Nanzhi recently.

The summer and autumn typhoons, which people at that time did not understand, swept ashore one after another.

In Nanjing city.

A strong wind brought heavy rain through the area.

The air became icy cold.

however.

Li Chunfang's face was flushed and covered with sweat.

“This is what you have to do!”

"You guys are so aggressive that you are indifferent even if you force someone to death!"

"Your Majesty has passed away, a new king has ascended the throne, and the political situation has changed. You took advantage of this opportunity to steal power and do such a perverse thing?"

This former cabinet minister, now Li Shao Shi, was extremely angry.

However, Hu Zongxian, who was sitting in front of him, had an indifferent expression. He calmly drank a sip of tea in front of Li Chunfang.

Li Chunfang seemed to feel humiliated. He slammed his hands on the table and stood up angrily: "Hu Longchuan! I am not dead yet! I am still the Third Master of the Ming Dynasty!"

Hu Zongxian put down his teacup and dispersed the factory guards who were standing outside the corridor.

Then he looked up at Li Chunfang and nodded.

"Master Li, calm down. The court has always been fair. Even if you are not in the center of the government, you are still the Master of the Ming Dynasty. No one will deny your identity."

Li Chunfang's eyes flashed, and then he said angrily: "In this case, you, Hu Longchuan, should order those tigers and wolves outside to return to the camp and stop the killing!"

Hu Zongxian just shook his head and said: "Elite troops are like sharp blades. How can they be unsheathed without shedding blood? It's too late to say anything now."

If Li Chunfang was not the person in charge in Jiangnan now, I would never waste time sitting here and talking to him.

What a waste of time.

Li Chunfang felt his blood boiling in his chest: "Traitors! Traitors! Sooner or later, my Ming Dynasty will perish at the hands of people like you!"

Hu Zongxian raised his head, his eyes sharp as he stabbed at Li Chunfang.

"Master Li should know the rules. Has he forgotten the principle of being cautious in his words and actions even though he is not in the court?"

Li Chunfang ignored all this and said angrily: "Since you still recognize me as the Third Orphan's Junior Master, if you want to increase the killing, I will carry my coffin and take a boat to the capital! I will impeach you in front of the new emperor!"

"I'm going to file a complaint in Beijing!"

"I will report this to the Emperor!"

The news of Yan Ne's tragic death in Xingfu Temple in Yushan arrived yesterday. After hearing the news, Li Chunfang was in a daze for half an hour.

In addition, countless families in the entire Nanzhi and Zhejiang provinces have been implicated.

Although I have never seen such a devastated scene, I can still think of how many old friends I knew in the past were executed, their entire families were beheaded, their heads rolled to the ground, and the ground was covered with blood.

This made him feel that the air was filled with the smell of blood every time he breathed.

Hu Zongxian frowned.

He looked deeply at Li Chunfang, and seeing that he was still full of resentment, he said no more, but turned to look at the officers and soldiers in the distance.

The officers and soldiers stepped forward.

He quickly placed a thick book on the desk in front of Hu Zongxian, and then left silently.

Hu Zongxian put his hand on the thick book, sighed lightly and looked at Li Chunfang.

"Master Li."

Li Chunfang stared at Hu Zongxian with resentment, his eyes glancing at the notebook held in the other's hand. He snorted coldly without replying.

Hu Zongxian smiled slightly, without commenting on this, but sighed: "Now in Nanzhili and Zhejiang, 80,000 soldiers from the Beijing camp are stationed in various places, and the East Factory and the Jinyiwei have been dispatched to investigate and confiscate more than 2,700 households of gentry who disobeyed the imperial order and violated the law. It is true as the young master said, many people were killed during this period, and it can be said that many heads fell to the ground, blood flowed like a river in Jiangnan, and countless families were destroyed."

A sneer came from Li Chunfang's throat.

His face was grim and extremely cold.

Hu Zongxian changed the subject and said, "But the tax payment system for Nanzhili and Zhejiang must be implemented! This is a national policy! It is a major policy that affects the prosperity of the Ming Dynasty for the next hundred years! No one can stop it, and anyone who dares to resist will be killed without mercy!"

Li Chunfang opened his mouth and made a harsh sound from his throat: "Then you just wait until all the people in Jiangnan are killed. By then, Jiangnan will be empty for thousands of miles, and you can do whatever you want."

Hu Zongxian shook his head and said, "Master, you still don't understand what the court's purpose is this time. You think that the emperor and the people share the world, and the people refer to you, not those people who used to work hard in the fields and you called them peasants. But now the court doesn't recognize you. You are not the people. You think about becoming a noble family like the Han and Tang dynasties, but you can't do it. Even the tax farming of the previous Yuan Dynasty, you can't do it now."

He suddenly felt that people like Li Chunfang were somewhat pitiful.

The former Yuan Dynasty had been destroyed for two hundred years, and now the descendants of the so-called Golden Family on the grassland are no match for the enemy.

Li Chunfang, Yan Ne, Xu Jie and other people who were born in Jiangnan, whose ancestors had enjoyed the glorious days of the tax farming system in the early Yuan Dynasty, are still dreaming of going back to the past?

But doesn’t the imperial court know what they are planning?
If they really regain the right to tax farming, the next step will be to recreate the story of the Han and Tang dynasties through several generations of operation.

They want to become a new aristocratic family!

The aristocratic family will always be the aristocratic family, and the common people will always be the common people.

This is their purpose!

Li Chunfang was stunned for a moment.

He didn't expect that Hu Zongxian would expose the last plot of their Jiangnan gentry families.

Hu Zongxian just shook his head and sighed, "History has long written that aristocratic families can never achieve great things. If we follow what Master Yan said in his latest new theory in the Changping newspaper, aristocratic families have been swept into the garbage heap. You have enjoyed the Ming Dynasty for 200 years, and have been prosperous for generations, with all kinds of preferential treatment. You should know how to be content with what you have, instead of being ignorant of the immensity of the world and fantasizing about the reappearance of aristocratic families in the Central Plains."

Li Chunfang's expression had changed a little, and there was a dazed look on his face.

"You can't do this... and you shouldn't do this..."

Hu Zongxian sneered and shook his head: "What else should we do? Do we have to wait until the court can no longer collect one ounce of tax silver or one stone of grain from Jiangnan? Wait until the bandits outside the Great Wall become stronger and stronger and our border soldiers have no military pay or military food to use, and wait until the Ming Dynasty is destroyed and the family is ruined?"

After finishing speaking.

Seeing that Li Chunfang wanted to argue, Hu Zongxian waved his hand and tapped heavily on the notebook that had been under his hand for a long time.

"Master Li, we killed a lot of people this time, and raided a lot of houses. Just as you said, we destroyed families and clans everywhere. But..."

"Li family in Xinghua County, Yangzhou Prefecture, do you know how Master Li is doing?"

Li Chunfang's heart skipped a beat and he quickly lowered his head to look again at the notebook that Hu Zongxian was holding in his hand. He began to hesitate.

Hu Zongxian sneered sarcastically: "When the court investigated Huating Xu, it found hundreds of thousands of acres of land and tens of thousands of slaves and tenants. Today, I also looked at Xinghua Li. Although he is not as good as Huating Xu, if we really look at it in detail, I am afraid that among the more than 3,700 households in Jiangnan, there will be..."

"Hu Longchuan!"

Li Chunfang finally got scared and spoke quickly, interrupting Hu Zongxian's words, which were not yet finished but whose meaning was already obvious.

There was anxiety and fear in his eyes.

Hu Zongxian remained calm and looked at Li Chunfang with a scrutinizing look in his eyes.

at last.

Li Chunfang sat down softly.

He lowered his head, his shoulders trembling slightly.

After a long silence, Li Chunfang raised his head again.

"The imperial court has been implementing benevolent policies. The land tax in Nanzhi and Zhejiang has been allocated according to the land area. The tax payment will be very complicated. I... I can also take on the responsibility, share the worries of the imperial court, and ease the unrest and restlessness of the people in Jiangnan."

That's all that has been said.

Li Chunfang leaned over and looked at Hu Zongxian: "I still have a young daughter who is waiting to be married. She can be sent to the Changping Marquis's Mansion! My eldest son has a room and several granddaughters. They can all be sent to the palace to serve the Heavenly Family!"

Watching Li Chunfang, who was willing to sell out the entire Jiangnan region to become a guide and send all the women in his family to the capital in order to save his own life.

Hu Zongxian sighed silently.

He shook his head and said, "Since Master has come to Nanjing, you may as well stay for a few more days. I will also submit a memorial to the court in the near future to report the recent events in Jiangnan. By then..."

Under Li Chunfang's expectant gaze.

Hu Zongxian finally continued, "What Master Li said today, I can report to the Central Government on his behalf."

After all, he is a former cabinet minister, and now he holds the honor of being the Junior Tutor of the Three Solitary Ones.

It was impossible for him to really confiscate and execute the Xinghua Li family, and the imperial court would not do such a thing either. At most, they would exile them thousands of miles away like they did to Xu Jie.

Now Li Chunfang wants to be a guide in Jiangnan and offer the girl from his family as an offering. He has no right to dispose of the matter and everything depends on the decision of the central government.

After receiving Hu Zongxian's reply, Li Chunfang finally breathed a sigh of relief.

……

Capital.

Although Yan Shaoting demanded strict control in the capital, it was impossible to keep the empire under lockdown forever. At least the death of Emperor Longqing had to be announced to the world.

Now, Zhenyuan Marquis Gu Huan leads the Beijing Army to intimidate the south of the Yangtze River.

In the overall situation, there will basically be no trouble.

All we need to do is continue to strictly prevent news from flowing out of the country.

Thus, the capital city dealt with the affairs of the previous emperor's death and the new emperor's ascension to the throne step by step in this state of looseness on the outside but tightness on the inside.

Thanks to the increasingly full national treasury in recent years.

The court is now handling the funeral of the late emperor and the ascension of the crown prince to the throne with great composure.

Even with the huge amount of military pay and food mobilization brought about by the deployment of troops to the south of the Yangtze River, the officials of the Ministry of Revenue did not cry poor everywhere as they did in the past.

But the little brat Zhu Yijun eventually became the new emperor of the Ming Dynasty, with the reign title Wanli, and the next year the whole country would change the era name.

The Ming Dynasty finally entered a stage of long-term political stability that was expected to last.

Only recently.

As news from the south poured into the capital.

The central court, which had been relatively calm, finally began to show a different atmosphere.

Hu Zongxian, Gu Huan, Xu Wenbi and others killed people in Jiangnan where rivers of blood flowed.

Everyone in the capital also began to feel insecure.

No one knows when the central government will transfer what it is doing in Nanzhili and Zhejiang to provinces such as Huguang, Guangdong and Guangxi, Henan, Hebei, Shandong, and Shanxi.

As the details of more than 3,700 wealthy gentry families in Jiangnan who had their properties confiscated and their property exterminated were reported to the capital one by one.

In the court, there are always many officials who have various relationships with these people.

They are either classmates, old friends, or in-laws.

this day.

Another ten days has passed.

According to convention, the imperial court would hold a grand court meeting and the emperor would hold court in front of the Huangji Gate.

In fact, this has also been the case since Zhu Yijun ascended the throne.

At first, according to the discussion of Gao Gong and others, they were not going to let the young new emperor work so hard, but in fact they felt that the new emperor was too young to understand anything even if he attended government affairs in the palace. It would be better to pay more attention to the small meetings in the Wenhua Hall, study hard in the imperial lectures and daily lectures, and only rule the country after he comes of age.

In this regard.

Even Zhang Juzheng, who had returned to Beijing and finally entered the cabinet when the previous emperor passed away and the new emperor ascended the throne, held the same opinion.

But they couldn't persuade Yan Shaoting. According to this junior tutor, the prince's tutor, and the Imperial Palace's academician, even if the new emperor is young and unfamiliar with state affairs, he should let the children watch and listen more.

Ever since.

The imperial court's sitting of court every ten days was still retained.

This caused some criticism among officials in the capital, who suffered the pain of not being able to avoid court meetings for a few years because the new emperor was young.

today.

All the civil and military officials in the capital went out early in the morning.

At first, no one expected that the young Grand Secretary of Huangji Palace, Yan Shaoshi, who was equivalent to the Prime Minister of the Cabinet, would be even more demanding than Prime Minister Gao.

During the first few grand court meetings after the new emperor ascended the throne, the young Master Yan actually personally led people to take roll call outside the Meridian Gate.

As for who came, Master Yan would not care and could not remember.

But Master Yan, who was holding the roster, remembered clearly who was absent.

They were not given a chance to explain or clarify, and were directly sent to guard the border.

Now, no one dared not to attend the grand court meeting, not even to be late.

However, among the officials who entered the palace to attend court today, it was obvious that something was wrong with the atmosphere.

People gathered in twos and threes, all whispering to each other, with some sighs and even low cries in between.

Wait until all the officials enter the palace and stand in their seats.

The sky was gradually getting brighter.

As the whip-wielding captain cracked his whip to warn people, the area in front of the Huangji Gate gradually became quiet.

Yan Shaoting looked at Gao Gong who was standing beside him, and then looked behind the Huangji Gate.

Under the gaze of everyone, the new emperor Wanli, wearing the imperial crown, arrived in the imperial sedan chair and sat on the imperial throne under the Huangji Gate with the help of Feng Bao.

however.

The accident happened suddenly the next moment.

Before Feng Bao could step out to remind people to start the court meeting.

In the civil servant train, a group of people suddenly rushed out from their respective positions without any discussion.

Even among the military attachés, many people followed out.

Not long after.

Nearly a hundred civil and military officials had already knelt on both sides of the imperial road in front of the Huangji Gate in front of everyone.

Cry.

It also resounded in an instant.

"Your Majesty!"

"Your Majesty, please understand that the new dynasty has just begun. You should stop the killing, govern the world with benevolence, stop the war, and improve people's livelihood!"

This is the beginning of the topic.

It also directly points to the current Jiangnan.

Then someone burst into tears.

"Your Majesty! Please make a wise decision!"

"Now, tens of millions of people in the south of our dynasty are in dire straits. Rivers of blood are flowing in Nanzhi, Jiangsu and Zhejiang. Every family is wearing white silk and the common people are all in mourning."

"The heavenly soldiers came south with benevolent policies, but now they have become cruel policies. How miserable it is! I hope Your Majesty will listen to your wisdom and stop the war to cultivate the people."

On the imperial throne.

Zhu Yijun was stunned for a moment, looked at Feng Bao somewhat at a loss, and then looked past him at the gentleman below.

What's going on?

The young new king didn't know how to face the current situation.

And below.

Yan Shaoting has narrowed his eyes.

Gao Gong beside him snorted coldly and whispered: "Here comes the grave-crying party!"

After saying this, he looked at Yan Shaoting leisurely.

After all, he has been in charge of the affairs of Jiangnan. Although he is still the prime minister in name only, his promotion to the title of Marquis of Huating has been basically confirmed in private. He is just waiting for the right time to announce it to the world.

Zhang Juzheng, who had stayed in Jiangnan for several years before returning to Beijing to join the cabinet, was also somewhat curious.

Whether it was the equalization of land tax or the unified tax payment, it was something he and Hai Rui worked out together with Yan Shaoting in Nanjing.

This time, this kid didn't even discuss it with himself and Hai Rui in advance, and he suddenly made a move.

When he first learned about this, he was still a little angry.

Now that such a farce has occurred in the court, although he can come out to deter the authorities, it would not be a bad idea to give Yan Shaoting a headache for a while.

Among the civil and military officials, those officials who rushed out, knelt on the ground and cried, were still begging the emperor to stop the killing in Jiangnan.

Other officials were also affected to some extent.

After all, too many people died in the south this time.

Yan Shaoting suppressed the anger in his heart with a cold look and looked up at the little emperor sitting on the throne.

Zhu Yijun understood what he meant and immediately coughed lightly, imitating an adult and speaking in a low voice: "I... I am new to the throne, I am young and immature, I am young and immature, I am dedicated to the great cause, the late emperor's will said that all matters of state, big or small, are more important than Mount Tai, I dare not speak lightly, I will... I will let the cabinet act on my behalf."

The officials in front of Huangji Gate have long been numb to this.

Ever since Master Yan asked the new emperor to insist on holding court meetings in person, the new emperor has always responded with this statement, which has never changed a word, whenever there are things he does not understand or has no say in.

I have used this draft countless times!
And after the little emperor's voice fell.

Yan Shaoting stepped out at the right time, turned around to look at the officials who were kneeling on the ground begging, and glanced at the civil and military officials in the square who had strange expressions on their faces.

When serving as an official at the central government, everyone actually knows basically everything about the cabinet.

Now Yan Shaoting is on the verge of becoming the chief minister of the cabinet, acting on behalf of the king and regent of the country. All he has to do is wait for Gao Gong to retire and go to Huating to be his lord.

Everyone was looking at Yan Shaoting who came out.

And under the gaze of everyone.

Yan Shaoting suddenly laughed.

But there was a hint of coldness in his laughter.

The laughter died down.

Yan Shaoting's expression froze. "Crying? I never thought that there would be a day in the Ming Dynasty when all the officials would cry together!"

He was merciless, his voice was cold and harsh.

Under the gaze of everyone, Yan Shaoting waved his hand and pointed to the Huangji Hall behind the Huangji Gate.

"Who are you crying for, in front of the emperor and the ancestors of the Ming Dynasty?"

"Even if all the ministers in the court cry from night to morning and from morning to night, they cannot destroy our great Ming Dynasty!"

"I can't even cry for the parasites who have been siphoning off the people's blood and sweat and have had their property confiscated and executed in Jiangnan!"

In front of the Huangji Gate, all the officials looked stunned, just like the little emperor before.

Who could have thought that Yan Shaoting, who now holds great power and is as high up as the Prime Minister of the Cabinet, could speak so harshly.

It's really disrespectful.

But Yan Shaoting continued to scold: "I know why you are crying. You are not crying for those damned people in Jiangnan, but for yourselves. You are afraid that I will petition the emperor to continue to implement the land-based tax system and abolish meritorious service preferential treatment in your hometown!"

Say it.

Yan Shaoting took a step forward, his steps steady and powerful, with a loud sound when he stepped on the ground.

"I will tell you clearly today, and tell everyone in the world, whether it is the equalization of land tax or the unified tax payment, it is the national policy of our Ming Dynasty for the next ten, a hundred, a thousand, or ten thousand years, and no one can change it!"

When Hu Zongxian's memorial was delivered to him from Jiangnan, and when he learned that the people of Jiangnan were wailing and begging for mercy under the sword, Yan Shaoting understood one thing.

It's impossible to reason with these people.

Only swords can make these people see reason.

Only by using swords and spears can these people be made to obey.

He sneered, full of ridicule: "Crying? I understand today and I tell you that one person crying is better than ten thousand people crying, one family crying is better than ten thousand families crying, and your crying is better than the whole world crying!"

"I might as well make things clear with you."

"Some people have dreamed of the 200-year-old tax farming, but you can't do it!"

"Since Huang Chao, no one in the Central Plains has dreamed of reappearing aristocratic families. You all must remember that the streets of heaven trampled the bones of nobles!"

Yan Shaoting's voice was full of murderous intent.

Full of murderous intent.

"Today, in front of the emperor, the cabinet, and all the civil and military officials, I might as well make my words clearer."

Having said that, Yan Shaoting finally paused and glanced at the civil and military officials present.

Everyone's heart sank, and they looked at Yan Shaoting with confusion and worry.

I wonder what ugly words this young man who holds great power in the new dynasty will say next.

Yan Shaoting looked around and suddenly chuckled.

"I know that since the reign of Emperor Taizu Gao, some people have been treacherous."

"Why was Emperor Taizu buried seven days after his death?"

"How did Emperor Yingzong cause the Tumu Incident?"

"How did Emperor Xianzong pass away? How did Emperor Xiaozong suffer from an illness? How did Emperor Wuzong, who was still strong enough to fight the enemy, suddenly die without an heir?"

"Even if it was Emperor Sejong, how could there be a palace maid assassination and a fire in the palace?"

"And our Ming Dynasty seems to have committed the sin of Zhurong Gonggong. For generations, there have been many fires in the palace and emperors have fallen into the water."

"Today, I can also clear up these old things with you."

"I want you to remember this."

"If you still have fantasies, feel free to use them. Whether it's fire, water, food, medicine, or evil people, just use them!"

"If you and those people outside are shameless and take the tolerance given by the court as a reliance, I will also tear my face off..."

"At worst, I can bring the emperor and the loyal civil and military officials with me to fight again!"

"I don't believe it. In the past, Emperor Taizu Gao conquered the world by conquering the north."

"Today, I, under the command of the Emperor and the Heavenly Army, cannot bring down the Ming Dynasty all over again!"

…………

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(End of this chapter)