I'm really not doing business

Chapter 638 I’ll borrow your head to implement the court’s decrees!

Sun Kehong admitted it openly. He admitted that he was afraid. He was afraid that one day the poor coolies could no longer bear the oppression and would rise up in rebellion, first breaking into his home and killing all his family members.

The Sun family is not a good family either, they also exploit their subordinates. Not all the women on the boat are born with the ability to use the ATM between their legs, they are also taught. But the Sun family is at least willing to provide a full meal for all the people who work for them. In fact, the poor laborers don't ask for much, having a full meal is enough.

What do the people want? In fact, it can be summed up in three words: not being idle.

Once people are idle, they have nothing to eat. They may not make much money after a busy year, but after all, they are not idle and they have not wasted their time.

Sun Kehong was extremely dissatisfied with the widespread exploitation in Songjiang Prefecture. This dissatisfaction had reached an unbearable point, because the contradiction theory told Sun Kehong that the contradictions were constantly intensified by this deformed production relationship, and the resentment in the hearts of the poor and coolies was constantly accumulating and brewing. Sooner or later, it would burn the entire Songjiang Prefecture to ashes.

"Governor, something terrible has happened!" A doorman ran in hurriedly, saying breathlessly.

"What's the matter?" Shen Shixing asked with a frown. This doorman had been with Shen Shixing for more than ten years. When he was meeting guests, he would never disturb him unless it was something important. Obviously, something big had happened.

"The dyers of Hongyuan Dyeing Factory in Chongyifang, Shanghai County, had a quarrel with the owner because they were dissatisfied with his bullying. Someone has died!" The doorman explained the matter as quickly as possible. Yao Guangqi, the magistrate of Shanghai, had already taken them there, and they were now in a standoff. The inspector Chen Tiande, who came to report the news, was just outside the door.

"General Sun Shang, I have something to do, please feel free to do as you please!" Shen Shixing didn't care about being rude or not, he immediately stood up and walked hurriedly out of the mansion. The guards had already prepared Shen Shixing's carriage, and even contacted Chen Lin, the Shuri Marquis of the Songjiang Town Navy, and Zhang Cheng, the admiral of the inner court, to prevent the further expansion of the disturbance.

When Sun Kehong heard this, his eyes went dark and he wanted to slap himself. He was such a bad mouth that whatever he said came true. He was just worried that the conflict would further intensify and cause chaos, and now this chaos has come as expected.

Judging from the doorman's panicked look, and the fact that someone had died, I'm afraid this matter won't end well.

Shen Shixing rushed to Shanghai County from Huating County, where the government office of Songjiang Prefecture was located, while Sun Kehong also rushed to Shanghai County without stopping after leaving the government office.

Shen Shixing was on the road and gradually figured out what had happened from the intermittent reports.

Hongyuan Dyeing Factory is an old dyeing factory which has existed since the Yuan Dynasty. During the Yuanzhen period, Huang Daopo brought cotton seeds and textile tools from Yazhou, Hainan, and started to grow cotton and weave cotton cloth in Songjiang Prefecture. Three hundred years later, Songjiang cotton weaving technology was the best in the Ming Dynasty. Songjiang cotton cloth was sold at home and abroad, and it could be said to be "clothing the world".

With the prosperity of the cotton spinning business, dyeing factories naturally also developed vigorously. The Hongyuan Dyeing Factory was built by the Yuan family. The Qingpu Yuan family claimed that they could trace their ancestor Yuan Shao, who was a minister for four generations, and could be considered a thousand-year-old family.

The business of this large dyeing factory has never been interrupted even during the change of dynasties, from the Ming Dynasty to the Yuan Dynasty. During the Jiajing period, when the Japanese pirates invaded the southeast, the Yuan family took the lead in donating 500,000 silver coins to fight against the Japanese pirates.

But now, the Hongyuan Dyeing Factory was in trouble, and it was a big trouble. Because the workers were unwilling to pay their wages, they complained bitterly and the dyeing factory was almost in a state of suspension. After many attempts to ask Yuan for wages, they failed. Later, the workshop was completely shut down.

Yuan Shen, the head of the Yuan family who had been hiding for almost a year, had to come out and talk to the craftsmen. He said a lot of things, basically saying that he was struggling with business and unable to pay, but hoped that the craftsmen could treat the dyeing workshop as their own home, and once they received payment and money, they would pay them immediately and start work first.

Yuan Shen came forward because the dyeing workshop had recently received a large batch of work, so the craftsmen started working first. On the first day of resuming work, a big mess occurred.

The lackey of the Yuan family, the boss, bullied the craftsmen in the workshop, beating, scolding and humiliating them. He did not hold back on severity and even injured a new apprentice. The anger accumulated over months of not being paid was completely ignited the moment he saw blood, and the boss was severely beaten by the craftsmen.

After the craftsmen finished making the big bundle, they asked around and found out why the apprentice was beaten like that. It was because the apprentice saw the head of Yuan family entering and leaving the book house on Xiafei Street yesterday.

A brothel is a brothel, but it is an extremely high-end kind where people chat with their friends, drink tea, play chess, calligraphy and painting, and it provides extremely expensive emotional value.

This kind of bookhouse is not a brothel or private brothel with clearly marked prices. It mainly plays the game of playing hard to get, and the expenses in one night can easily be hundreds or thousands of taels. It is a real gold-spending den.

The fact that the head of the Yuan family went in and out of the bookstore proved that the Yuan family either had no money or was dragging their feet and refusing to pay!
Sun Kehong explained the reason for the delay very clearly. Most of the workers were people who moved in a different direction and could not afford the delay. If it was delayed for a few months, these craftsmen would have to fend for themselves. However, the reputation of Hongyuan Dyeing Factory was still there, so they were not worried about not being able to recruit people. Moreover, the Yuan family did not delay any wages for several big bosses and craftsmen in the factory, and even gave them some extra.

The moment the anger was ignited, the entire Hongyuan Dyeing Factory was occupied by the craftsmen.

"We are still in a stalemate, how did it get to the point where someone died?" Shen Shixing asked Chen Tiande who was riding on a horse to provide support.

Chen Tiande took a deep breath and said, "Yuan Shen rushed into the factory with his servants and wanted to beat the craftsmen. Yuan Shen even shouted that he would beat the craftsmen into submission and continue to work. Recently, this big job is very tight. If Yuan Shen hadn't continued to beat people, it wouldn't have escalated to the point of death."

"The servant didn't show any mercy and injured more than a dozen craftsmen. The craftsmen got angry and beat several of the servants to death. Yuan Shen fled in a panic but was caught by the craftsmen."

The changes in Hongyuan Dyeing Factory were all due to the new owner Yuan Shen in the seventh year of Wanli.

The old owner of Hongyuan Dyeing Factory was worthy of being called a great philanthropist, and the craftsmen who had worked in the Hongyuan Dyeing Factory all praised the old owner. However, the new owner, Yuan Shen as Chen Tiande called him, did not think so. He believed that the method he had developed could effectively reduce costs.

Chen Tiande was the coastal defense inspector in the battle to pacify the private market in Sandu'ao. Chen Tiande had a blood feud with the Japanese pirates, and he became a eunuch for the Japanese pirates' entertainment. After Yao Guangqi came to Songjiang Prefecture, he seconded Chen Tiande from the Songjiang Town Navy as his right-hand man, specializing in all detective matters in Shanghai County.

Shen Shixing didn't speak for a long time. He knew that if this matter was not handled properly, it would be a huge disaster. The entire Songjiang Prefecture was like sitting on a powder keg. If this matter could not be resolved smoothly, Songjiang Prefecture would probably be blown to the sky, and he, Shen Shixing, would be blown to pieces.

Yao Guangqi asked Chen Tiande to take people to the government office to report the news, while he himself took the yamen runners to surround the entire Hongyuan Dyeing Factory and cleared out several surrounding streets to prevent the unrest from further expanding.

Yao Guangqi stood in front of the door of Hongyuan Dyeing Factory and looked behind him. Behind him were countless people from Shanghai County. They were looking forward to it, looking at the dyeing factory, waiting for the county magistrate to deal with the matter.

A standoff is happening.

"I am Yao Guangqi, open the door." Yao Guangqi asked the yamen runners to step back, and walked to the door of the dyeing workshop alone. He looked at the craftsmen on the wall and said loudly.

A craftsman said loudly with a red face: "You bastards! You are in the same boat with the Yuan family. If you open the gate, the bailiffs will rush in!"

"But he is Yao Guangqi. Did you see the scar on his face? He left it after fighting pirates for the fishermen's kelp. He is not a corrupt official." The other craftsman knew the magistrate Yao in front of him very well.

After Yao Guangqi took office, his deeds spread, especially the origin of the scar on his face. Yao Guangqi had people spread this story just to make his position clear. Yao Guangqi was a man from heaven, with connections directly to Wang Chonggu, and he didn't give any face to local tyrants at all.

Yao Guangqi has a scar on his face. When he returned to Beijing, Wang Qian mocked Yao Guangqi, a rich young man, for having fallen to such a state. After learning the origin of the scar, Wang Qian really slapped himself twice.

The scar on Yao Guangqi represents that he is the kelp king. If he had a choice, he would be willing to grow kelp in Shandong for the rest of his life. However, due to the transfer order from the imperial court, he had to come to Shanghai County to be the magistrate. He should have been promoted from the prison official to the highest official long ago. The emperor always remembered his contribution in pacifying the private market in Sanduao and wanted to promote Yao Guangqi.

And today, this scar has become a stepping stone to start a conversation.

"That's right. I am the only official in the Ming Dynasty with a scar on his face." Yao Guangqi untied his official robe, took it off and threw it aside, saying, "I have no weapons on me, only a plain shirt. Let me in."

Yao Guangqi's behavior was bold. You have to know that the Hongyuan Dyeing Factory had already started bleeding, and the craftsmen had just seen blood. They were at their most excited. Their emotions were completely out of control, and their rationality was gradually disappearing. At this moment, Yao Guangqi came here alone, which was extremely dangerous.

Yao Guangqi knew this very well, so he came here quickly at this time, even alone, without any bodyguards or yamen runners.

Because this is the most critical time, the last moment for rationality to return. The confrontation situation has already formed, and someone must step forward to break the deadlock.

The Hongyuan Dyeing Factory was quiet for a long time. Finally, with a creaking sound, the door slowly opened.

Yao Guangqi stretched out a hand, signaling all the yamen runners behind him not to act rashly, and then Yao Guangqi walked into the gate step by step, and his figure gradually disappeared into the closed gate.

Not long after Yao Guangqi entered, Shen Shixing's galloping carriage had already arrived at the gate of Hongyuan Dyeing Factory in Chongyifang.

"Where is Yao Guangqi!" Shen Shixing hurriedly ran down from the car and looked around. He saw the chief clerk, the county magistrate, the registrar, and the third shift, but he didn't see Yao Guangqi. He immediately asked loudly.

Yao Guangqi didn't show up for such a big event! He is a direct descendant of the Jin Party!

"Inside!" The county magistrate wiped the sweat from his forehead and replied quickly.

"Inside?" Shen Shixing frowned and looked towards the Dye House. Then he looked at the county magistrate and asked in disbelief, "You said County Magistrate Yao Guangqi is in the Dye House?!"

"In reply to the governor, County Magistrate Yao went in alone and his current situation is unclear." The county magistrate was sweating profusely. These high-ranking officials were all so daring and had so many ideas!

The current Hongyuan Dyeing Factory is basically a den of dragons and tigers.

"Nonsense!" Shen Shixing said harshly, but he soon realized the reason why Yao Guangqi did this. If this matter wanted to be implemented smoothly, there had to be such a person to stand up at this critical moment. Shen Shixing didn't dare to think about how big a mess it would cause if the bloodshed continued and quickly expanded on the ground of Nan Ya!

It will definitely be more violent than the slave rebellion in Sochi.

Shen Shixing discovered that this might be the only way. Someone who could keep his word and take responsibility could come forward to calm the agitated emotions of the craftsmen and prevent things from getting worse.

Everyone outside was so nervous that they were sweating profusely, but Yao Guangqi, who had entered the dragon's den and the tiger's lair, was strolling leisurely and looking around. The ups and downs over the years told Yao Guangqi that fear was useless. Things would not change because of your fear. The only way was to face it calmly. "Is this Master Yuan?" Yao Guangqi stopped and looked up. He saw a man hanging from the beam. It was Yuan Shen, the head of the Yuan family. He was not hanged to death, but just hung upside down. In addition to Yuan Shen, there were several big men hanging upside down on the beam.

"How stupid." Yao Guangqi said with a sneer.

Under the leadership of Young Master Yuan, the dyeing workshop was going from bad to worse and the resentment of the craftsmen was growing day by day. It had come to this point that Yuan Shen actually dared to come to the workshop, so it was only natural that he was hung up.

It seems that he doesn't read much on weekdays, at least he hasn't read "Opinion on Contradiction".

After all, craftsmen are the most law-abiding group of people, because those who do not follow the rules will cause production accidents. Things have come to this point, and Yuan Shen and several bosses who were caught are still alive.

"County Magistrate Yao, save me!" The moment Yuan Shen saw Yao Guangqi, he immediately shouted loudly and began to struggle, swinging in the air like a swing, which looked particularly funny.

As soon as Yuan Shen shouted, all the craftsmen around suddenly looked over. Everyone tightly grasped the weapon in their hands, which were production tools such as hoes and iron bars.

Yao Guangqi looked around, picked up a rag, stuffed it into Yuan Shen's mouth, and said sternly: "You are so noisy. You have caused such a big disaster and are still talking nonsense. I can't save you, and no one can save you."

It would be fine if Yuan Shen just wanted to kill himself, but he also spread nonsense and wanted to kill Yao Guangqi as well!
The craftsmen did not take any further action after seeing Yao Guangqi's actions. At least this Yao Guangqi was exactly the same as the one rumored, and he really had a scar on his face.

"Whose words have influence?" Yao Guangqi looked at these craftsmen and asked who was in charge.

"Me! My name is Zhou Jianren, and I'm from Huguang." A sturdy man who looked to be in his forties came out and said loudly, "County Magistrate Yao, I killed him! Every wrong has its perpetrator and every debt has its creditor. It has nothing to do with anyone else."

Yao Guangqi saw hostility in Zhou Jianren's eyes, and it was obvious that he was extremely emotional.

"You are an honest man, won't you kill someone if you are pushed into a corner?" Yao Guangqi looked at Zhou Jianren and labeled him an honest man. This was a way of appeasement, but it was also the truth. Zhou Jianren looked like the kind of person who worked hard to make a living, and would swallow his anger as long as he could survive.

"If you keep your word, I will talk to you." Yao Guangqi looked into Zhou Jianren's eyes, not moving or giving in. During negotiations, if one was not brave enough to look into the other person's eyes, it meant that he was timid and guilty. However, Yao Guangqi had nothing to feel guilty about. He came in to solve the problem.

"Okay, where shall we talk?" Zhou Jianren stretched out his hand, signaling everyone to put down their weapons.

"Right here, in front of everyone." Yao Guangqi looked around and did not choose inside the house, but chose in public.

Choosing to do it inside the house can easily be seen by the craftsmen as reaching some kind of ulterior motive, which will further escalate the conflict. At this time, trust is the most precious thing.

"Here? Great!" Zhou Jianren was stunned, and then immediately said: "County Magistrate Yao, Yuan Shen must die!"

"Okay, but he can't die here, and certainly not in your hands. He can be executed openly, but not lynched." Yao Guangqi stated his bottom line. Yao Guangqi was conciliatory, not indulgent. The same was true for the craftsmen. If Yuan Shen and these big bosses were lynched to death, the court would have no choice but to suppress it.

As soon as Yao Guangqi said this, Zhou Jianren's face changed drastically. The craftsmen behind him clenched their weapons and looked at the two people who were talking nervously, as if they were about to fight if they disagreed.

Even though Yao Guangqi was only wearing a plain shirt, the craftsmen still treated him as a formidable enemy.

"Zhou Jianren, there are more than 30 craftsmen present here, and the 72 apprentice craftsmen watching over there. Now they have started fighting, blood has been shed, and the bodies are piled against the wall. Have you thought about what to do next?" Yao Guangqi spoke slowly and orderly, trying to give these craftsmen time to think.

When they were oppressed, they chose to rise up in resistance. When Yuan Shen led a group of servants into the dyeing workshop and beat and even killed people, the conflict escalated to the point where the craftsmen retaliated in kind and took up weapons to protect themselves. Now that things have come to an end for the time being, and Yuan Shen is hanging here, should we kill Yuan Shen to vent our anger, or choose to believe that the court will uphold justice?
In fact, the craftsmen are now at a crossroads. They themselves are very confused and don’t know where to go.

"Your Majesty has issued a new imperial decree, requiring the Songjiang Prefecture's household office to notarize the labor contract and guarantee the payment of labor remuneration. For those who refuse to pay, their property will be confiscated! This is a clear decree, and the imperial decree has already arrived at the Songjiang Prefecture government office. Your Majesty, you always keep your word!" Yao Guangqi looked at the craftsmen who began to hesitate, and immediately brought out his trump card. Yao Guangqi played the emperor card.

The credibility of the Ming Emperor is known to the world.

Songjiang Prefecture especially trusted Your Majesty, but Xu Jie died in the Heavenly Prison. The biggest dark cloud lingering in Songjiang Prefecture was cleared away by Your Majesty himself, allowing Songjiang Prefecture to see the light again. When Xu Jie was at the peak of power, all taxes for Songjiang Prefecture had to pass through Xu Jie's mansion.

Your Majesty is the biggest confidence that gives Yao Guangqi the courage to come in on his own!
He knew that when he said His Majesty would give a fair and just trial, the craftsmen would believe him because His Majesty would truly uphold justice.

The craftsmen looked a little horrified, then they clenched their weapons, slowly released them, and then put the weapons down. Yes, no matter how bad the world is, Your Majesty is still worthy of trust.

There was a man named Chen Dazhuang, whose father was a funeral attendant for a dog in Confucius Mansion in Yanzhou. Ling Yunyi gave Chen Dazhuang the opportunity to choose, and Chen Dazhuang chose to believe in His Majesty.

The Confucius Mansion in Yanzhou collapsed.

Yao Guangqi watched the craftsmen lay down their weapons. At that moment, he suddenly had a deeper understanding of the sixteen words "the country has lost its credibility, people's hearts have become suspicious, and with ten thousand men united, the world is invincible." Your Majesty is like this. Once you make a promise, you will fulfill it.

With such a monarch, ministers like Yao Guangqi and Shen Shixing have endless confidence when doing things.

"Zhou Jianren, do you want to bear the consequences of murder yourself? Murder must be paid with one's life." Yao Guangqi actually knew that it was inappropriate to say this and should not be said now. He should wait until the craftsmen completely laid down their weapons, until the matter was over, and until everyone was taken to prison before questioning them.

But Yao Guangqi still raised this sharp issue in front of Zhou Jianren.

"I did it!" Zhou Jianren took all the blame on himself without any hesitation.

"Do you know Zhao Laoqi?" Yao Guangqi said as quickly as he could, fearing that if he spoke too slowly, the craftsmen would cut his head with the hammers in their hands!
When it comes to this key issue, these craftsmen have begun to get restless!

"Who is that?" Zhou Jianren asked puzzledly.

"Your Majesty personally inquired about a case." Yao Guangqi told the story of Zhao Laoqi's case. Zhao Laoqi from Caihuying was the one who was stronger than Your Majesty, wrestled with Your Majesty, and posed a real threat to Your Majesty, the first master in the youth group. Zhao Laoqi killed Sun Zhicheng's servants and sued for a stick. After the Emperor personally inquired about the case, Zhao Laoqi did not pay with his life, but was exiled to Yingchang. (Chapter 322)
Of course, Zhao Laoqi was extremely strong. When he arrived in Yingchang, he made many military achievements and had already become a captain.

This case has many similarities with the case of Hongyuan Dyeing Factory, but there are also differences. The biggest difference is that Zhao Laoqi's anger came from his heart and was personal anger; while the case of Hongyuan Dyeing Factory was the collective anger of the craftsmen.

This is the difference.

Yao Guangqi said very seriously: "I can't promise you that you can be pardoned on the grounds of self-defense like Zhao Laoqi, but I can tell you that there is such a possibility, or I can say it more bluntly, you can always trust His Majesty."

"Are you willing to trust the court and His Majesty again?"

"Of course." Zhou Jianren replied immediately. He believed Yao Guangqi because Yao Guangqi had a scar on his face, which was left by kelp from protecting fishermen. He was also willing to believe His Majesty because His Majesty kept his words.

"I will dismiss the yamen runners and only leave ten people to take the criminal to Shanghai County Jail. How about you let the craftsmen go home and surrender yourself?" Yao Guangqi gave a solution. The most urgent task at the moment was to let the craftsmen leave and calm down their anger.

Zhou Jianren said solemnly: "Yes."

Yao Guangqi walked out of Hongyuan Dyeing Factory and asked the yamen runners to disperse. Then Hongyuan Dyeing Factory opened its gate. When the craftsmen saw that there were no yamen runners surrounding them outside, they immediately scattered and left quickly. Zhou Jianren did not try to escape by taking advantage of the situation, but watched Yuan Shen and waited until the yamen runners put shackles on him.

Shen Shixing strode into the Hongyuan Dyeing Factory, and watched Yuan Shen, who was hung upside down, turn left three times, right three times, and said to Chen Tiande: "Commander Chen, please find three long poles, preferably more than ten feet high."

"What?" Chen Tiande asked puzzledly. What was Shen Shixing going to do?
"Parade him through the streets. Hang Yuan Shen on a long pole and parade him through the streets." Shen Shixing patted Yuan Shen's face and said with a smile, "I was just worrying about how to carry out His Majesty's order. I fell asleep and someone handed me a pillow. Master Yuan, I'll borrow your head to implement the court's order!"

Chen Tiande didn't understand, as these scholars had too many twists and turns in their minds. But Yao Guangqi understood immediately and cursed inwardly, "You are an old fox."

His Majesty's decree has two things in total. The first thing is naturally to notarize the labor contract, and the second thing is to explore the collective ownership economic system. The craftsmen hold shares in the workshop. How should the system be established? How should the shares be divided? How to make major decisions, etc., all these issues need to be explored.

Now, Hongyuan Dyeing Factory, a ready-made pilot workshop, has appeared. This is the role of Mr. Yuan’s presence.

Therefore, Yuan Shen must die, and Shen Shixing must push forward the decree. He really wants to make progress. If he doesn't want to make progress, why should he suffer this punishment in Songjiang Prefecture?
"County Magistrate Yao is really brave. He dares to go to the meeting alone. I admire him. I will report the matter truthfully to the court and ask for credit for County Magistrate Yao!" Shen Shixing was very satisfied with Yao Guangqi's handling of the matter. As for the struggle between the Chu Party and the Jin Party, they had to fight for it, but the struggle was not about greed for the credit of the other side. Shen Shixing had never embezzled the credit of any of his subordinates.

"Thank you, Governor. Actually, I am not a coward. I have dealt with the common people a lot and know that these craftsmen are the most law-abiding." Yao Guangqi sighed and said, "This world shouldn't be like this. The more law-abiding people are, the more they are bullied."

The development of the whole incident is extremely clear. It was the boss who injured the apprentice, and then the craftsmen rose up in resistance. When Yuan Shen heard this, he took the servants to beat the craftsmen and even killed someone. The craftsmen who saw the blood began to defend themselves and killed the servants. The facts are very clear.

"Let's go and parade him through the streets!" Shen Shixing waved his hand and ordered the runners of the county government to hang Yuan Shen on a long pole and parade him through the streets.

Sun Kehong, the general manager of Songjiang Ocean Trading Company, arrived late and saw Yuan Shen hung on a long pole and paraded through the streets from afar. He breathed a sigh of relief. Fortunately, the conflict would not escalate further. If a civil unrest broke out, no one would be able to escape.

Under the nest, there are still eggs.

(End of this chapter)