I'm only seven years old, Lao Zhu, you let me supervise the country?

Chapter 155 Give the people of Suzhou a way out!
Wu Wanggeng?
The descendant of the Quanzhou Pu family whose whole family was slaughtered by his own soldiers?

Zhu Yunxi remembered that he was originally from a wealthy businessman in Suzhou.

Liu Hanmo saluted again, and said solemnly: "Your Majesty heard that Xu Dongjiang, the magistrate of Jiaxing, had refused to open the city gate and put His Highness Taisun in a dangerous place, but His Highness Taisun didn't think deeply about it. When he returned to Beijing this time, he took him along with him, which shows that His Highness Your Highness is broad-minded, if not for this, the officials would not dare to say these words today."

Taking him back was to testify against others, and then beheaded him!

Zhu Yunxi didn't say this.

He was still waiting for Liu Hanmo to reveal the truth to him.

Zhu Yunxuan smiled and said: "Political affairs have their own public opinions, how can they be misunderstood because of personal hatred? Magistrate Liu, please speak frankly."

Liu Hanmo no longer hesitated.

"Although Wu Wanggeng is a descendant of the Pu family in Quanzhou, he hid it very well. When he was in Suzhou, he was kind and charitable, and everyone praised him as kind. Many people have very close friendships with him."

"Wu Wanggeng's incident happened, and the court ordered a strict investigation. Many of his former acquaintances and friends were implicated. There are not a few people who were imprisoned and convicted, and their property was confiscated."

"The wealthy businessmen in Suzhou City have also lost a lot because of this."

Zhulian, this is a common method used by Daming.

When Wu Wanggeng had an accident, it was not only his clansmen, but also his former friends and business associates, whether they knew about it or not, would be involved.

Under strict investigation, even if you don't die, your skin will peel off.

Zhu Yunxi didn't think deeply about this point.

In his opinion, killing Wu Wanggeng's whole family is enough.

But Lao Zhu didn't see it that way.

Dare to assassinate his favorite grandson, how could Lao Zhu let him go so easily?
Therefore, the imperial court sent officials to Suzhou to handle the case and strictly investigate those who had relations with Wu Wanggeng in Suzhou.

This kind of businessman has a lot of contacts, and it is rare for wealthy businessmen in Suzhou not to deal with them.

Although they are not very deep contacts, it is difficult to tell clearly after checking.

Zhu Yunzhen took a deep breath.

You really have to carry this pot yourself.

Whether he has the heart or not, it all starts with him.

"Because of Wu Wanggeng's case, many people were involved, coupled with the increase of business tax and the opening of business qualifications, which dealt a big blow to those rich businessmen and businessmen, they took the risk and did not hesitate to deal with the Japanese pirates secretly. collusion."

"While funding the Japanese pirates with huge sums of money, at the same time building a bridge for them, Zhang Shicheng's old department, private salt dealers and other anti-thieves and rioters colluded with the Japanese pirates and worked hand in hand, resulting in the disaster that Songjiang Mansion was occupied by Japanese pirates."

Liu Hanmo said: "Later, His Royal Highness Taisun ordered Liang Guogong Lan Yu to be the vanguard, leading three thousand soldiers and horses, and came to Suzhou to sit in town."

"On the one hand, it stabilizes people's hearts, on the other hand, it makes military preparations to suppress the Japanese pirates and prevents their attacks; on the other hand, it is to investigate the secret funding of the Japanese pirates by wealthy businessmen in Suzhou."

Zhu Yunxi nodded slightly.

These people dare to collude with the Japanese pirates and secretly fund the Japanese pirates, of course they cannot let them go easily.

It is only right to pursue their crimes.

"The wealthy merchants who secretly fund the Japanese pirates with malicious intent are only a minority after all, but what they have committed is a serious crime."

"Where one is found out, the person who has been in contact with him must be investigated again. Even if he doesn't know about it, he will be severely punished because of his close relationship."

Liu Hanmo smiled bitterly and said: "After this investigation, nine out of ten wealthy businessmen in Suzhou were involved. Countless people had their property confiscated, their fields confiscated, and their heads decapitated."

"The commerce and trade they originally operated naturally stopped."

"There was no land in the first place, so the poor merchants and workers were forced to live on the streets and lost their source of livelihood. How could Suzhou not be in depression?"

Zhu Yunzhen was stunned when he heard this.

It turned out that in the end, the most critical reason was because of a series of entanglements.

Wu Yigeng assassinated himself, and wealthy businessmen in Suzhou were implicated.

In desperation, he had no choice but to secretly support the Japanese pirates and collude with them in order to put pressure on the court and let him go.

As a result, it was found out again. Not only was he himself dealt with, but also those related to it, whether they knew it or not, were implicated.

It's like a domino effect.

The rich and powerful merchants in Suzhou City were basically involved. No wonder Suzhou became so depressed.

Speaking of which, all of this really started because of me.

Zhu Yunxuan reprimanded: "Lan Yu is also capricious. Too many people are implicated. Enough should be done. How can we completely ignore it and expand the scope of attack?"

Implications are very common in this day and age.

In a way, it has its positive meaning.

For example, if an official in the family commits corruption, but the whole family benefits from it, there seems to be nothing wrong with paying the price collectively.

But once the involvement expands, many innocent people will be involved.

This was the case for several major cases during the Hongwu period.

But this is what Lao Zhu did deliberately, using "involvement" to achieve his political goals.

And comprehensively attack wealthy businessmen in Suzhou...

Zhu Yunxi had no such intention!

But after a little thought, he immediately understood.

In the eyes of outsiders, the grandson and these wealthy businessmen seem to be competing with each other.

From the collection of business tax, to Wu Wanggeng's assassination, to the application of tax certificates, and the opening of business qualifications...

Wealthy businessmen hold grudges against him, and Zhu Yunxi's retaliation is merciless.

When rich businessmen secretly colluded with Japanese pirates, Lan Yu must believe that these people came for His Royal Highness.

Then he will "revenge" His Royal Highness the Grandson and hit them, and he will be merciless.

This can explain why the big merchants in Suzhou are all involved.

Liu Hanmo said: "Mr. Liang always intends to please his grandson, but in addition, it is also because the imperial court spent too much, the Songjiang Mansion was occupied, and the pacification of the Japanese pirate rebellion requires a large amount of military expenditure, and rebuilding in the future is even more indispensable. silver."

"Mr. Liang took the opportunity to act, and he also has this intention."

"There is another point. In addition to the rich and wealthy merchants, in the past, the Suzhou government owed a lot of taxes to the court due to excessive taxes and the people had no food to pay."

"The cumulative amount owed totals more than eight million stones."

"After Liang Guogong came, he wanted to pursue the taxes owed over the years to use for the military."

"The people have no food to hand over, so they take people wantonly, so there are countless people who fled, which is why they are so depressed."

Zhu Yunxi had also heard about the fact that the Suzhou government owed a lot of taxes to the court.

On the one hand, the imperial court imposed heavy taxes on Suzhou, and on the other hand, Suzhou could not pay it, so it owed it.

This has long been an old problem.

Every time a prefect of Suzhou takes office, the first thing to solve is the tax arrears.

However, the problem of tax arrears in Suzhou has not been resolved.

On the contrary, it increases every year.

Owe a little a year, owe a little a year.

Over the years, it has become an astronomical figure.

Suddenly asking them to pay all the taxes they owed over the years, wouldn't that kill them?
Zhu Yunxi also knew that Lan Yu had his difficulties.

The three armies have not moved, and the food and grass will go first.

The [-]-strong army labored on an expedition, and the daily food and grass expenditure was not a small amount.

If it is transported from Jinling, the journey is far away, and 10,000+, or even more, will be confiscated just for the people who transport the food.

The consumption on the road is also an astronomical figure.

The best way, of course, is to collect food locally in Suzhou and solve it on the spot.

When the army arrived, the food had already been levied, and there was no need to bring food from Jinling.

Not only can it save the court a lot of money, but also the speed of advancing the army will be faster.

Suzhou originally had taxes and grain arrears accumulated over the years, and it was logical to collect them on the spot.

It's just that the price is not small.

Liu Hanmo suddenly knelt down.

"His Royal Highness, Suzhou has accumulated a lot of evils. If we don't solve them, I'm afraid that the people of Suzhou will not be able to survive."

"This millennium prosperous capital will also become a barren land."

"My subordinate Liu Hanmo hereby pleads for the people, and also asks His Royal Highness Taisun to be the master for the millions of people living in Suzhou, and to give the people of Suzhou a way to survive!"

(End of this chapter)