Eighth year of Chongzhen

Chapter 626 The Secret Meeting
In November of the 11th year of Chongzhen, the northern land has entered the season of withered vegetation and withered everything, while the Jiangnan area thousands of miles away is still a scene of lush greenery.

In the afternoon of that day, in front of the gate of a large-scale mansion located a few miles south of the Qinhuai River in Nanjing, luxuriously decorated eight-carried sedan chairs arrived here one after another.

After the sedan chair came to a complete stop, the stewards accompanying the sedan chair rushed up to lift up the curtain of the sedan chair, stretched out their arms to help the owner step out of the sedan chair, and several guests waiting in front of the door rushed forward to greet each other, and then respectfully greeted each other. Extraordinary big shots enter the mansion.

Teams of guards in blue or black costumes with long knives hanging from their waists followed closely around the sedan chair. They did not begin to hug each other to salute until they saw their masters being welcomed into the mansion by the welcoming guests standing in front of the door. Say hello.

This six-entry mansion is the residence of Xu Hongji, the Duke of Wei. It was also built by Xu Da, the first hero of the founding of the Ming Dynasty and the Duke of Wei, after Zhu Yuanzhang established his capital in Nanjing.

However, the original Wei Guogong Mansion did not occupy a large area. The reason why it can have the size of a thousand acres today is also formed after more than [-] years of Wei Guogong's ingenious robbery.

The huge mansion is full of rockery ponds, precious flowers and trees, and the winding corridors seem to be endless. Several large and small courtyards are connected to each other. When walking in it, small wooden two-story buildings often rise from the ground, in order to be able to walk from different places. From different angles and heights, you can enjoy various beautiful scenery in Fuchu.

If Xu Da is reborn, if no one guides him, he may not even find a place to wash his hands when he enters his own house.

It is the tenth generation of Xu Hongji who has been passed down from Wei Guogong's line to the present.

Although since the tenth year of Chongzhen, the emperor decreed to revoke the guards in various parts of the Ming Dynasty, and Wei Guogong’s mansion no longer holds military power, but the connections and prestige accumulated over the past 200 years are still unmatched. Your mansion is only slightly lower than the British government in Beijing, but it is far superior to the rest of the Duke's mansion.

A few days ago, Xu Hongji dispatched the steward of the mansion to spread invitations all over the city of Nanjing in the name of his 65th birthday, inviting many nobles in the city to come to the mansion for a banquet at the end of Shenshi today.Although it is still some time before the end of Shen Shi, the nobles who received the invitation have already brought their own gifts and came to Wei Guogong's mansion ahead of time.

In fact, both Xu Hongji and the many guests knew in their hearts that this birthday banquet was just an excuse. Xu Hongji, who was over [-] years old, had been suffering from serious illness for more than a year, and his health was deteriorating. Meet the guests.

The purpose of this feast is clear to everyone, and it is to discuss how to deal with the matter of the gentry paying for food together.

As soon as the news spread in the capital, it was quickly brought to the Jiangnan area by merchant ships sailing on the canal day and night, and immediately caused a huge wave among the wealthy gentry.These voices quickly converged into one voice: the emperor has no morals, the court is treacherous and sycophant, and he wants to implement this evil policy to steal food from the people's mouths.
All the officials and gentry in the south of the Yangtze River should unite in solidarity and collectively speak out for the people, while denouncing these evil policies of the poor people, they should also take necessary measures to prevent their implementation in the south of the Yangtze River.

In the ten days since the news spread, except for Songjiang Mansion and Ningbo Mansion, the chief officials of all prefectures, prefectures and counties in the Jiangsu and Zhejiang regions have received batches of gentry visits every day, strongly urging their parents and officials to write to the emperor And the imperial court, as soon as possible to dispel this kind of bandit behavior that wants to rob the people, so as to ensure the prosperity and stability of the Jiangnan area.

A large number of scholars and students from all over the country also gathered in front of the government to sit in and demonstrate, protesting the imperial government's upcoming policy of suffering the people.

The governor’s yamen in Jiangsu and Zhejiang are also full of people. Every day, people of all kinds, whether they are high-ranking officials, or relatives and friends of high-ranking officials, come to ask whether the imperial court really wants to implement this policy, and warn the two senior officials. If this policy is implemented in a land with heavy taxation, the current prosperity and prosperity will disappear in the blink of an eye. I hope that the two Futai emperors will come to the emperor immediately to explain the danger of this matter, so that the newly stable Ming Dynasty will not fall into an irreparable situation again. In trouble.

Some of the chief officials in the two provinces of Jiangsu and Zhejiang have already begun to communicate with each other, and they are preparing to jointly write a book to explain to the court the serious consequences that may be caused after the implementation of this policy, and ask the court officials to think twice.

Of course, these people are the direct victims of the upcoming New Deal.

As Zhu Youjian considered, compared to the harm caused by the gentry's one-time payment of food, the compensation it gave was not enough. Many people didn't take that compensation at all.

These people think in their minds that compensation is compensation. If we serve as an official for you, any remuneration should be given, but if you want to take money from us, what is the difference between you and a thief?

Your Majesty, are you trying to rebel?
Compared with the strong restlessness and opposition of the gentry group, the nobles who got together and settled in Nanjing seemed much quieter.

In addition to sending people to the capital overnight to inquire about various details, they tacitly kept silent until the news came back, and even visited the Jiangsu governor's yamen.

For these nobles who sat and watched the changes in the Ming Dynasty for 200 years, seeing the direction of the wind before making a decision is the best way to ensure the continuation of wealth.

As the time came to Shen Shizhong, all the honored guests who received the invitation, such as Zhu Guobi, Duke of Baoguo, Xu Wenjue, Duke of Dingguo, Tang Guozuo, Marquis of Lingbi, Deng Wenyu, Marquis of Dingyuan, and Zhao Zhilong, Uncle Xincheng, all arrived at Duke Wei’s mansion and were led by the guests. In the fourth garden, Xu Hongji was waiting for them in a living room by the pond.

This living room made of rosewood as a whole is divided into two rooms. As soon as you enter the outer room, several elegant and exquisitely crafted palace lanterns have been lit, and the tallow candles mixed with South Sea incense are emitting a pleasant fragrance. It is fragrant, and there are silver basins carved with auspicious patterns on the four corners. The golden bamboo charcoal without a trace of smoke inside is burning vigorously, making the indoor temperature as warm as spring.

In the center of the outer room is an Eight Immortals table made of huanghuali wood and eight carved seats with cushioned backs. Because it is still early, there are no wine and dishes on the Eight Immortals table, only a few plates of dried fruit and pastries are placed on it.

"Welcome all virtuous brothers to come to the house as guests, old brother, I am not good at conduct, so I won't go out to greet you personally.

It's still early, so I dare you to invite all virtuous brothers to come in first, so we can catch up on the old days and have a chat before we have a banquet, shall we?
Xu Wu, go and tell everyone in the mansion not to come within a hundred steps of this place without orders! "

Just after Zhu Guobi and others stepped into the living room and stood still, Xu Hongji's deep and majestic voice came from the inside. After hearing the voice, everyone bowed to each other and entered the meeting hall on one side in order of rank.

(End of this chapter)