Daming talker

Chapter 649: Spring and Autumn
Governor Zhao no longer had the energy to continue his incognito visit. He returned to the temporary residence at the Snake King Temple in a rage and immediately became bedridden.

However, Governor Zhao still insisted on summoning all his staff and entourage to his bedside to discuss the situation together.

Everyone knew very well that the real big trouble was coming.

After taking office, the governor hurriedly increased taxes and levied additional taxes. His main motivation was actually to win the emperor's appreciation. After all, the emperor would definitely support any minister who dared to levy taxes.

At the same time, the contradiction between imperial power and Suzhou local government was provoked and intensified, forcing Lin Tailai to stand against the imperial power.

As long as this core idea can be implemented, everything else is trivial, and even repeated humiliation will not hurt the foundation.

But now, even in a teahouse at a remote intersection in the suburbs, there are storytellers using the "Blocking the Snake Gate" incident to talk about the Yue Governor's hatred for Suzhou, so how could there be no such thing in other places?

It goes without saying that this rumor must have spread throughout the city! Suzhou residents have always liked to complain about the heavy local taxes, so this conspiracy theory is very popular.

Then the governor's motivation for increasing taxes and making up for the levies became, in public opinion, regional conflicts and the struggle to reduce taxes and levies in his hometown of Zhejiang.

It would be damned if the Emperor could countenance such a motive!

One of the attendants said angrily: "Lin Tailai is so wantonly inciting regional emotions and using this method to confront the imperial envoy. In the long run, he will definitely burn himself and suffer the consequences!"

Governor Zhao scolded, "Don't talk about the long term! What happens in the future has nothing to do with me! Just talk about now! Right now!"

After staring at each other for a while, Master Jiang suggested: "This time we are facing a public opinion problem, and we can only fight back from the public opinion aspect.

I have two ideas. One is to reopen the Snake Gate to avoid being accused of malicious associations. The other is that as the saying goes, public opinion comes from schools. Mr. Dong may as well visit the schools in various prefectures and counties to defend himself.

No one else could come up with an idea, so Governor Zhao waved his hand and said, "Let's arrange it this way! I don't think anyone will go to the academy to besiege our school."

Mr. Jiang sighed. Although it was he who came up with the idea, he was not very optimistic about it.

In ordinary places, where the county town is only two or three miles in radius, public opinion can indeed come from schools.

However, in a metropolis like Suzhou, which not only has a large population but also a prosperous and active private economy and culture, it is hard to say how much influence the school can have on public opinion.

But faced with the governor's predicament, someone had to step forward and offer advice, and as his aide, he could only do his best to say something.

Originally, Mr. Jiang was worried that when the governor visited the schools in various prefectures and counties, he would be besieged and questioned by the scholars - the scholars in Suzhou would definitely do such a thing.

But in the end, nothing happened. The governor explained and defended himself in three schools. No one objected whether he said that the tax increase was due to a deficit in the national treasury or that blocking the Snake Gate was for safety reasons.

It was just like a dull formality, with no one arguing or questioning. It was totally unlike the style of Suzhou scholars.

Not feeling reassured, Mr. Jiang went out again and randomly found a teahouse with a storyteller, where he sat for half a day. As expected, he heard the storyteller talking about "current affairs" again.

The storyteller sitting on the stage said excitedly: "Reopening the Snake Gate just shows that some people are guilty!

If they really have a clear conscience, would some people in high positions shamelessly overturn their original behavior just because of a little gossip?
Therefore, the move to reopen the Snake Gate was just a subconscious attempt to whitewash someone's evil intentions after they were exposed! It can be said that the more you try to cover up, the more obvious it becomes!

Also, no matter how some people pretend, they still want us to increase taxes and pay back taxes!"

The more Mr. Jiang listened, the more depressed he became. The biggest problem now was not being "spread with rumors" but the fact that the channels of public opinion were completely controlled by the other party.

No matter how you whitewash yourself, the other side can distort and attack you at will.

If they block the Snake Gate, they will say that this is imitating Gou Jian's malicious intentions; if they open the Snake Gate, they will say that this is an attempt to cover up one's guilty conscience. How can they fight back?

Back at the temporary station of the Shewang Temple Governor, Jiang Shiye helplessly advised Governor Zhao: "Dong Weng might as well make a bold move and stop all tax increases and tax supplements."

Governor Zhao questioned, "Such an important matter is stopped just like that. In the eyes of others, wouldn't the governor's order be a joke?
Then what is the point of me being entrusted by my fellow scholars to serve as the governor?"

Other attendants nearby also said, "Even if we stop now, will Lin Tailai forgive us for what happened?"

Master Jiang was speechless in the face of these doubts, but was there any perfect solution now?
At this time, another attendant rushed in and reported to Governor Zhao: "The eunuch Sun Long, the weaving eunuch, ordered that the levy on the weaving industry in Hangzhou be reduced by half!"

Governor Zhao was shocked and asked, "Is he crazy?"

The full name of Sun Long, the weaving eunuch, was actually the eunuch superintendent of the Suzhou and Hangzhou weaving factories, which included not only Suzhou but also Hangzhou.

However, under normal circumstances, weaving eunuchs like Sun Long were stationed in Suzhou because the weaving industry there was more developed.

The basic amount that needs to be handed over to the imperial palace every year, except for a small portion that comes from the weaving bureau's own hundreds of dilapidated looms, the rest has to be levied on the weaving industry.

Anyone with a little bit of common sense could imagine that Eunuch Sun was in charge of both Suzhou and Hangzhou. If the levy on the Hangzhou weaving industry was halved, the shortfall would have to be made up by additional levies from Suzhou!
Doesn’t this practice completely fit in with the rumor that “Suzhou increases taxes and Zhejiang reduces taxes”?

In other words, it indirectly confirms the governor's governance ideas?

The room was completely silent, with only Master Jiang muttering to himself, "It's over! Everything is over!"

Except for these few people in the Censorate, all forces, from the Garrison to the Weaving Eunuchs, seem to secretly obey Lin Tailai. What's the point of this?
At this time, Lin Tailai, who was on a western tour, had already inspected the Taihu boat owners, Mudu customs, and industrial park, and was inspecting Hengtang Town. After walking around Hengtang College, he asked the executive vice president Gao Changjiang, "Where is Mr. Li Zhuowu?"

Li Zhi, who was brought back from Hubei, has been officially arranged at Hengtang College.

Gao Changjiang replied: "It seems that he went to the river to fish."

Mr. Lin said, "He is a well-known scholar after all. I will go and see him."

The group walked to the bank of Xu River and saw Li Zhi with his hands in his sleeves, looking at something.

Lin Tailai, who was standing next to Li Zhi, also took a look. Wasn’t there an old man fishing in front of him?
He asked curiously, "What is there to see?"

Li Zhi raised his hand, gestured and said: "Does this picture look like the painting of fishing alone in the autumn river?
In this late autumn season, this old man fishing exudes such a lonely and desolate temperament that I can resonate with it even though I am dozens of steps away.

Suzhou is indeed a city of flourishing humanities, with poetic and picturesque scenes everywhere.”

Lin Tailai couldn't help but fall into philosophical thought. In daily life, is being a literary youth a disease?

Gao Changjiang greeted the old man who was fishing, but the old man turned his head to look over here first, then turned back coldly and ignored him.

Li Zhi sighed: "To be able to ignore the powerful and the wealthy is truly the style of a great hermit!"

Gao Changjiang couldn't help but say, "Mr. Zhuo Wu! That old man fishing is the supreme leader of the largest society in Jiangnan, the leader of the New Wu League and the head of Anle Hall, Mr. Lu!"

Li Zhi was surprised again and said, "He is indeed not an ordinary person!"

Lin Tailai and Gao Changjiang: “.”

That night, they had dinner together at the Lin Family Courtyard in Hengtang Town. During the meal, Li Zhi talked about the latest situation and said:

"Jiu Yuanjun is stirring up regional emotions and provoking and intensifying the local people's dissatisfaction with taxes. He may end up playing with fire and getting burned in the future."

Lin Tailai asked knowingly, "What do you mean?"

Li Zhi added: “Let’s take an extreme example. If the North were to encounter a large-scale disaster or an invasion by the enemy, it would need strong support from the South.

What should we do if the gentry and common people in Jiangnan are unwilling to contribute money, labor and grain after years of provocation and instigation? "

Lin Tailai sneered sarcastically, "You make it sound as if those local rich people would be willing to contribute money and effort without me."

Li Zhi was surprised and asked, "So you can see this?"

Lin Tailai replied, "That's why I want to try my best to concentrate Jiangnan's wealth and industries in my own hands. If anything happens, as long as I can make the most correct decision, that's all."

Li Zhi almost asked, what if you don't want to be right? But some questions have no answers, so it's useless to ask them.

Lin Tailai was inspired and sighed for the second time in his life: "The only ones who know me and judge me are the Spring and Autumn Annals."

Gao Changjiang asked: "The first phase of public opinion work has been carried out smoothly. Can we launch the grain resistance next?"

Lin Tailai took out a map, pondered for a moment, pointed to the east and said: "Suzhou's article must start from Songjiang!"

Then he added: "Launching a resistance movement in Suzhou will easily put sensitive Suzhou figures like me and the Prime Minister in a passive position, so let's get Songjiang Prefecture to take action!
I guess the Prime Minister is having a hard time lately, and he might even have to step down, so don’t give him any more trouble.”

Although Li Zhi had extreme views, he was not a hermit who was indifferent to worldly affairs. He was very interested in all kinds of political gossip.

Hearing this, he immediately asked curiously, "What happened to Prime Minister Shen Wumen? Why is he not doing well?"

"Because of His Majesty's promise to appoint a crown prince on the winter solstice! And now it's only half a month away from the winter solstice!" Lin Tai said.

It was indeed as Lin Tailai had expected. Ever since Lin left Beijing, the imperial court, which had been quiet for two months, began to become turbulent again.

Originally, under the warnings from Henan and Huguang, the Qingliu Party wanted to recuperate.

However, the winter solstice is getting closer and closer. If the Qingliu Party members do not make any statement on the issue of the Eastern Palace, then the "political personality" they have established will collapse completely.

Therefore, the Qingliu Party had to take action. On the one hand, they sent several death squads to act as cannon fodder, and on the other hand, they wrote letters to the emperor to express their frank advice and request the establishment of a crown prince.

On the other hand, he put a strong squeeze on Luo Wanhua, the Minister of Rites who had just taken office for two months, and forced Luo Wanhua to take the lead in expressing his position on the issue of the crown prince.

Luo Wanhua himself was not a smooth-talking person. After being pressured by public opinion, he immediately wrote a formal letter as the Minister of Rites, explicitly requesting the emperor to make his eldest son the Crown Prince.

After reading the memorial, Emperor Wanli was furious and ordered the dismissal of Minister of Rites Luo Wanhua, and the order was first sent to the cabinet.

At this time, the Prime Minister Shen Shixing took leave to recuperate at home due to poor health, and the daily work of the cabinet was presided over by the second prime minister Wang Xijue, who was very smart.

(End of this chapter)