This prince, it doesn't matter if you don't do it!

In fact, for people like Pei Mo, these are nothing.

In the eyes of these people, how normal is cronyism?

Moreover, based on their backgrounds, merchants really have no status in their eyes.

Every era has its own unique chain of contempt, such as they look down on merchants, and in the eyes of real gentry, such as five surnames and seven wangs, they also look down on them.

It is precisely because of this attitude that they have been very harsh on merchants in the Six Cities of the Grassland these years.

What the person in charge said before is actually just the tip of the iceberg...

At this moment, hearing Li Chengqian's words, Pei Mo was a little sluggish.

He didn't think he was wrong!
Yes, even now, he didn't think it was his fault.

"Your Highness, merchants still need to be restricted." After hesitating for a moment, Pei Mo still said, "Now more than half of our Ming's economy is controlled by merchants. If we don't control them, their power will only grow stronger in the future. hour……"

"You think this king doesn't know about this?" Without waiting for Pei Mo to finish speaking, Li Chengqian snapped, "Is this the problem now? It's the inaction of the officials in the six cities of your grassland!

As for what the merchants will do, you need to consider it?
What, you guys want to make decisions instead of the king? "

Hearing Li Chengqian's words, sweat dripped from Pei Mo's forehead.

In Daming, who would dare to make decisions for Li Chengqian?
"Come here, tell me that all the officials of the six cities in the grassland will discuss matters in the prefect's mansion tomorrow. This king wants to see if the six cities in the grassland are still my Ming's world!"

After finishing speaking, Li Chengqian walked away in a huff.

Although he was angry, he was also a little happy.

If he didn't know how to disintegrate the influence of Yuanmou's old minister in the six cities of the grassland before, then now, his chance has come.

After leaving the workshop, Li Chengqian ordered all the workshop leaders who could be summoned to come over.

As for Pei Mo, he doesn't care. What these guys will do tonight is not important to him. All he needs to do now is to get evidence.

As long as there is proof, it shouldn't be too easy to deal with people like Pei Mo.

At the same time, after Pei Mo left, he also gathered everyone together.

He already felt Li Chengqian's anger.

"Governor, why did you call us here in such a hurry?" Zhang Zhen immediately asked after seeing that Pei Mo hadn't opened his mouth until everyone had arrived.

Pei Mo looked around for a while, before saying, "We may be in trouble this time."

As soon as he said this, everyone was taken aback, and someone hurriedly asked: "The governor, but Your Highness is in trouble?"

The troubles encountered at this juncture must have something to do with Li Chengqian, this is inevitable.

Pei Mo nodded, and said: "Today, His Highness went to the workshop for a walk, because of the workshop's problem, I called the old man over..."

After speaking, Pei Mo talked about the specific situation.

When everyone heard this, they were all surprised.

"No, sheriff, what's the problem?" They couldn't figure it out, what's the matter?
Isn't this a normal operation for them?
Hasn’t the status of merchants been like this since ancient times?
What are their identities?How can those merchants compare with them!

"That's right, it's just such a small matter, as for making such a big commotion?"

Isn't it just a group of merchants?When will these merchants be on the table?

"Isn't it just such a small matter?" Pei Mo shook his head silently after hearing the words, although this matter was really not a big deal to him, but the current situation is not the case, "The current situation is like this Is it that His Highness personally intervened in this matter, in Daming, as long as His Highness intervenes, it is not a trivial matter, do you understand?"

He is also a little speechless, these subordinates of his are really deserted, and they regard this place as the Great Tang, and the national conditions of the Great Tang and Ming are different.

In this matter, Li Chengqian is determined not to let them go.

Although he didn't know what Li Chengqian's purpose was, if he had the opportunity to do something in the six cities of the grassland, would Li Chengqian miss this opportunity?

impossible.

It is impossible for Li Chengqian not to care about their current power in the six cities of the grassland.

Li Chengqian must be willing to weaken their strength.

"From my point of view, the simplest thing this time is actually that our strength in the six grassland cities is too great, and His Highness may be afraid of us.

For His Highness, merchants are not important, what is important is the six cities of the grassland, do you understand?
In other words, this is just an excuse from His Highness. "

Although Pei Mo didn't see the essence of this time, he also saw the crisis.

They have been operating in the six grassland cities for too long these years, and the entire six grassland cities are under the control of their old officials of Yuanmou.

"That is to say, His Highness can't tolerate us anymore?" Someone immediately said indignantly, "In the past few years, how many things have we done for the six cities of the grassland? Can Liucheng be where it is today?

Why, now that the rabbit is dead and the dog is cooking, has the bird been hidden? "

Even at this time, they don't feel that there is a big problem with them.

At the moment, everyone is full of indignation.

Hearing this, Pei Mo shook his head too...

On the other side, Li Chengqian was collecting concrete evidence.

Early the next morning, in the county guard's mansion.

Li Chengqian arrived early in the morning.

Not long after, Pei Mo and others also rushed over one after another.

Seeing that everyone was present, Li Chengqian directly threw out the evidence collected last night and said, "This is the six grassland cities under your rule?"

Everyone was surprised when they saw this.

However, after seeing the so-called evidence, everyone was extremely disdainful.

What happened to the suppression of merchants?
Isn't this the case in all dynasties?
"Your Highness, is this not a big deal?" Zhang Zhen immediately stood up and said, "We have also made great contributions in the six cities of the grassland in the past few years. Could it be that His Highness will be obliterated just for the mere merchants?" Is it our credit for all these years?"

If before, he would not dare to be so rigid.

But last night when they were discussing, Pei Mo and others pushed him out.

There is no way, this time I must give Li Chengqian an explanation, so I have to introduce someone to vent Li Chengqian's anger.

This is also a way to protect them.

Of course, it would definitely be unfair to Zhang Zhen to do so, but even though they have various flaws, they still dare to sacrifice themselves in this kind of matter.

But Li Chengqian was not angry when he heard the words. He knew that this was Pei Mo's countermeasure, so he smiled and said: "You have indeed made some contributions in the six grassland cities over the years. This king has never denied you. .

But have you forgotten that I, Daming, started my business by relying on merchants!

And this is not the most important thing, the most important thing is that the people of my Ming Dynasty have always been equal, when will there be a class?
When did the officials of my Ming Dynasty become superior?
Well, who told this king? "

When Li Chengqian said these words, his whole body was full of smiles.

Hearing this, Pei Mo winked at Zhang Zhen again.

Now they can only launch one to make Li Chengqian vent his anger, but Zhang Zhen is a little hesitant at the moment. Although they discussed it last night, it is not the result.

They had said at the time that Zhang Zhen would come out to fight against the thunder this time, but everyone would protect him, at best he would be temporarily dismissed from office, but the current problem, Li Chengqian's attitude was obviously not as simple as dismissal from office.

This made Zhang Zhen hesitate.

But seeing Pei Mo's attitude, he still bite the bullet and said: "Isn't this the way I Han people have been since ancient times? The system of scholars, farmers, businessmen and commerce has been formed long ago. Could it be that Your Highness is going against the law?"

Seeing Zhang Zhen stand up, Pei Mo and the others also breathed a sigh of relief.

They were really worried that Zhang Zhen would give up at this critical moment, but fortunately Zhang Zhen stepped forward in time.

But Li Chengqian laughed when he heard the words: "This is Daming, not Tang! Do you know what kind of contributions my merchants of Daming have made to our Daming in the past few years?
And the reason why my Ming Dynasty has been able to develop so much in the past few years, is it because of you few people?

You said before that what kind of contribution you have made to the development of the six cities in the grassland. This king does not deny it, but are you really the only ones?

If it's just you, can the six grassland cities really achieve what they are today? "

As soon as he said this, everyone fell silent.

Indeed, the development of the six grassland cities is definitely not the result of one or two people.

They must admit this.

Seeing that everyone was silent, Li Chengqian sneered and said, "Since the founding of the Ming Dynasty, I have never had a class concept, but after you came..."

Speaking of this, Li Chengqian laughed, "I really don't know what you think? Maybe you don't understand what is the foundation of our Ming Dynasty?

If I, Da Ming, had always had a class concept, Da Ming would be where I am today.

Go outside and have a look, those people who you look down on are the cornerstone of my great Ming!
It is they who are building and developing Daming, not you!never was.

This king will say something ugly today, as far as what you have done in the six cities of the grassland, even if you tie a horse to the Yamen, it will not be worse than you! "

"Your Highness..." Upon hearing Li Chengqian's words, everyone was a little sullen, and the words went too far.

This is comparing them with livestock, which makes no one bear it.

But when someone was about to speak, Pei Mo gave everyone a vicious look.

He could actually see that Li Chengqian was deliberately provoking them. At the moment, Zhang Zhen was the only one resisting. Calf.

Seeing this, everyone shrank back.

Li Chengqian didn't care, he did intend to anger everyone, but not entirely.

Seeing that everyone was still silent, Li Chengqian sneered and said, "Do you really think that Zhang Zhen can expose this matter by standing up? Come here and pass it on to the heads of the workshops."

When Liu San heard the words, he immediately asked people to call in the heads of the workshops.

Li Chengqian sneered: "Report all the losses of the workshops in the past few years."

The person in charge of the candle workshop immediately stood up and said, "Returning to Your Highness, since the candle workshop that I am in charge of moved to the six cities of the grassland, the loss is about [-]% or more. With the annual profit of my workshop of [-] yuan, The direct loss of profit was nearly [-] guan.”

After he finished speaking, several workshop leaders stood up to report their losses.

And when everyone finished speaking, everyone was stunned. In the past few years, because of their inaction, the workshops in the six cities of the grassland lost nearly 20 yuan in profits.

This is something they never thought of.

"20 guan!" Li Chengqian sneered when he heard the words, "I can't even imagine that the court lost 20 guan just because of your inaction!

You only know that they are merchants, and you only know that you look down on them because of their identities?

But have you forgotten that they belong to my king!

Even if it is a merchant, it is still my imperial merchant of Ming Dynasty!
Every penny they earn is for the construction of my Daming, but what about you?

What are you doing? "

The more Li Chengqian spoke, the angrier he became, "Do you know that your salaries are contributed to you by these merchants you despise!
Eat my Ming Dynasty's imperial food, but curb my Ming's economic development, what exactly do you want to do? "

For a moment, the entire hall was as quiet as ashes, and no one dared to speak.

Because by this time, they also realized the seriousness of the problem.

They did look down on these businessmen, but if Daming suffered such a huge loss, they would not be able to accept it.

This sense of gap made them feel that their so-called contributions in the six grassland cities over the years were all a joke.

At this moment, even Zhang Zhen couldn't hold his neck anymore.

But the people in charge of the workshops were all smiling.

In the past few years, they have been aggrieved in the Six Cities of the Grassland.

If Li Chengqian hadn't come, their aggrieved days would have continued.

At this moment, I finally saw hope.

"Come here, pass on this king's order. The officials of the six cities of the grassland have not sought their own government in their positions, causing the court to lose more than 20 yuan. This crime is unforgivable. From now on, all the officials of the six cities of the grassland will be taken into custody. Investigate, thoroughly investigate, and deal with everything strictly! If you are pardoned, you will not be pardoned!"

Li Chengqian immediately made arrangements.

As long as he has an excuse to deal with these guys, he still has a way.

It's just that he had no excuses at the time.

Pei Mo's lineage was not his direct lineage at all, and the reason why they were allowed to govern the six grassland cities was actually helpless, after all, there was no one available for him at that time.

It's just that today is different. After these guys have made contributions to Daming, it's time to kill the donkey.

As a king, kindness is the most taboo, and Li Chengqian has never been a kind person.

Of course, Pei Mo and the others didn't refute at this moment.

They are also immersed in the huge loss of 20 guan.

Although these guys have problems of one kind or another, there is one thing that is good. Gentlemen, they are willing to admit it as long as you show enough evidence.

20 guan, it is also a huge fortune in Datang.

In the early years of Zhenguan, the tax revenue of the entire Tang Dynasty was only a few 20 guan.

And this is attacking the heart.

Although they had their own selfish intentions, everyone felt a little guilty for causing Daming to lose such a large amount of wealth.