People in the Ming Dynasty are lawless

Chapter 523 Obstacles from Local Nobles

The thief hurried back to his hiding place under the moonlight, tightly grasping the new policy leaflet he brought back from the Governor's Mansion, with indescribable excitement in his heart.

This thin piece of paper carries not only the decision of the Ming Dynasty, but also the gospel that countless people in Sanfuqi, including these people in the underworld, have been looking forward to.

"Everyone, come and see, the new policy promised by the Ming Dynasty has finally come out!" The thief shouted loudly as he entered the temple gate. The flyer in his hand seemed to be the most precious treasure, attracting everyone to gather around.

"Tell me quickly, what good news do you have?" an old veteran with a weather-beaten face asked impatiently, with anticipation glittering in his eyes.

The thief cleared his throat, unfolded the leaflet, and read it word by word: "The first item is to reduce taxes by 60% for families with an annual income of less than 20 taels of silver, and by 40% for families with an annual income of less than 50 taels of silver. This is good news for most of us!"

As soon as he finished speaking, the crowd burst into cheers.

The old man was so excited that his eyes filled with tears. He said with trembling hands: "We have worked so hard these years and just managed to get enough food and clothing. Once the tax is reduced, our lives will be much more comfortable."

"Yes, yes!" Everyone echoed, with long-lost smiles on their faces.

However, when the thief continued to read out the second new policy, the atmosphere became subtle: "Second, the annual income of 100 to 500 taels will increase the tax by ten times; 500 to 1,000 taels will increase the tax by fifty times; and those with more than 1,000 taels will increase the tax by a hundred times."

As soon as these words came out, the crowd immediately started talking.

Some were surprised, some were confused, and some secretly applauded.

"What...what does this mean?" a young man from the martial arts world asked in confusion.

"Humph, don't you understand?" A middle-aged man who looked experienced sneered, "The Ming Dynasty is going to take action against those rich guys! We poor people are suffering, but they have been living a life of luxury. Now it's time for them to have a taste of hardship."

"Yes, yes!" The people around nodded in agreement, with a gleam of satisfaction in their eyes.

"But then again, wouldn't those big thieves and bullies in our world be in trouble if this happens?" Someone raised another concern.

"So what? They are tyrannical and bully the people. Someone should have dealt with them long ago!" another gangster said indignantly.

"Yes, although we are also people of the world, we follow the way of chivalry, which is different from those guys who do evil things!" Everyone agreed and the mood became even more excited.

"Moreover, think about it, once this new policy comes out, those wealthy families will definitely be more restrained in order to avoid taxes. This way, it will be safer for us to travel around the world." An old man who looked like a wise man analyzed.

"Yes, yes, yes, the old gentleman is really insightful!" Everyone nodded, expressing their admiration for the old man's insights.

As the new policy leaflets continue to spread in Dongdan City, their influence is like a spring breeze, quietly nourishing the land.

People gathered in front of the notice board, some whispering to each other, some reading it attentively, their faces filled with unprecedented joy and anticipation.

The spring breeze of the new policy quickly blew across Dongdan City, and the joy of the people was like wildfire, difficult to contain.

However, this spring breeze failed to dispel all the haze, but instead aroused resistance from certain dark forces.

Just as the people were having a heated discussion about the new policy leaflets with laughter and joy, a group of lads from large families dressed in gorgeous clothes and with arrogant attitude suddenly broke into the crowd.

They looked arrogant, as if they made the rules of this land.

"Humph, are these scraps of paper worthy of our attention?" The leading young man from the big family sneered, tore off a leaflet from the notice board, tore it into pieces, and threw it fiercely on the ground. "Let me tell you, it's not the court's turn to interfere in our big family's affairs!"

As soon as these words were spoken, the air around them seemed to freeze.

The people were shocked, but more than that, they were angry and unwilling.

They couldn't believe that someone would dare to challenge the authority of the court so blatantly in broad daylight.

"Why are you doing this?" A brave young man stepped forward and angrily questioned, "The new policy was introduced by the court to benefit the people. Why are you obstructing it?"

"We are a big family in Dongdan City!" The leading young man raised his chin arrogantly, "We control the economic lifeline here. You common people are just ants under our feet! New policy? Humph, it's just an empty piece of paper set up by the court to appease you lowly people!"

His words were full of contempt and disdain for the people, instantly igniting the anger of the crowd.

The people gathered around and glared at them, like a group of enraged wild beasts.

At this moment, several martial artists quickly moved among the crowd, calmly analyzing the situation while calmly calmly calming the excited people.

One of the older people in the underworld stood up and said in his deep and powerful voice: "Everyone, please be patient. We in the underworld believe in convincing others with reason.

Although these big families are powerful, they cannot openly defy the imperial decrees.

What we need to do is to continue to publicize the new policy, let more people know the truth, and at the same time report the situation here to the court, so that the court can make the decision for us!"

In the mansion of the wealthy family in Dongdan City, the lights were on, and the clan leaders and advisers from all walks of life gathered together. The atmosphere was solemn and tense.

The night outside the window was as dark as ink, but it could not conceal the waves in the hearts of everyone in the house.

They had just learned that the Ming Dynasty had entered Sanfuqi and implemented a series of reforms aimed at winning the hearts of the people, which undoubtedly touched their sensitive nerves.

"Everyone, this move by the Ming Dynasty is truly brilliant." An adviser dressed in Confucian robes and holding a feather fan spoke slowly, with an ancient and elegant style, yet sharp and profound. "They use the new policy as bait, intending to win the hearts of the people and consolidate their rule here. This strategy not only shows their benevolent heart, but also implies a far-reaching plan. We must be on guard."

He paused, glanced at the people present, and continued, "In the past, the king of the past also used the policy of light taxes and levies and recuperation to win the support of the people, thus strengthening the country and unifying the world.

What the Ming Dynasty is doing today is quite similar to what it did back then. However, as the nobles of Dongdan City, we have lived here for generations and have a deep foundation. How can we sit back and watch foreign forces easily infiltrate? "

"Moreover, the new policies may be detrimental to our interests, such as increasing taxes on wealthy households and reducing land taxes on the poor. This will weaken our strength and strengthen the voice of the poor. If this continues, our position in the city may be lost." A clan leader added with a worried look on his face.

The counselor nodded slightly to show his agreement, and then changed the subject: "However, we are not helpless. Since the Ming Dynasty is using the New Deal as a sugar-coated bullet, we can also do the opposite and expose its true face."

He stood up, waving his feather fan, as if pointing out the situation: "We can spread the word and say that this new policy is a stopgap measure of the Ming Dynasty, intended to deceive the people, but in fact it is a hidden evil. We can also say that the implementation of the new policy will inevitably disrupt the market order, cause losses to merchants, and cause the decline of all industries. We can also say that corruption is rampant among Ming Dynasty officials, and the new policy is just a new way for them to make money."

"If this happens, the people will have doubts and their enthusiasm for the new policy will naturally wane. We can take this opportunity to unite and discuss countermeasures to safeguard the interests of our people. We can write to the court, explain the pros and cons, and request a temporary suspension of the new policy; or we can secretly support the opposition voices to make them powerful enough to force the court to be cautious."

The counselor's words were clear, logical, and to the point, causing the representatives of the noble families present to nod in agreement.

They realized that if they simply responded passively to the new policies of the Ming Dynasty, they would only give in step by step and eventually lose everything. Only by taking the initiative could they preserve their status and interests.

"Sir, you are absolutely right!" A clan leader stood up and thanked him with a cupped hand. "We will start preparations immediately and make sure that all the people in the city know the truth behind this new policy."

As the night deepened, the restaurants and teahouses in Dongdan City were still brightly lit and bustling with people.

In these seemingly ordinary places, a carefully planned rumor-spreading operation is quietly taking place.

The wealthy families used their financial resources and influence to buy off a group of people of all kinds. Some of them were ragged, some had a strong street style, and some were well-educated. However, they all had the same goal - to cast a shadow on the truth of the Ming Dynasty's new policies in the hearts of the people.

……

In a corner outside a restaurant, several beggars sat together, with a few plates of leftovers scattered on the ground.

One of the old beggars, with a twinkling look in his eyes, lowered his voice and said to his companions: "You know, the Ming Dynasty occupied our Sanfuqi and said that they were going to implement some new policies. In fact, it was all a lie!"

"What do you mean?" asked the young beggar curiously.

"Hey, isn't it because they just arrived and haven't established a firm foundation yet, so they use the new policy as bait to make us happy?" The old beggar shook his head mysteriously, "Once they have established a firm foothold, won't they exploit us even more? By then, poor people like us will really have no way to survive!"

The young beggar looked worried when he heard this. The diners at the surrounding tables also looked at him with concern and started to talk about it.

……

In the teahouse.

On the other side, the teahouse was bustling with people and the aroma of tea filled the air.

A street vendor, carrying goods on his shoulders and holding a teacup, shuttled through the crowd and greeted regular customers from time to time.

He brought up the topic seemingly casually: "Hey, have you heard? The new policy of the Ming Dynasty is not a good thing!"

"Oh? How do you mean?" a tea drinker asked curiously.

The vendor lowered his voice and pretended to be mysterious: "Let me tell you, I have a relative who works in the government, and he told me privately that this new policy is just a temporary sweet treat for the Ming Dynasty in order to stabilize us ordinary people.

Once they gain a foothold here, hey, it will be a completely different scene. We still have to be careful!"

The tea drinkers looked at each other and nodded in agreement.

The atmosphere in the teahouse suddenly became heavy.

……

Next to a bookstore in the city, a scholar in a blue shirt was holding a book. He seemed to be concentrating on reading, but in fact he was also paying attention to the movements around him.

He shook his head slightly and said to a scholar-like young man beside him, "Brother, have you ever heard of the Ming Dynasty's new policy?"

"Of course I know. This is a policy implemented by the imperial court to benefit the people." The young man answered seriously.

"Humph, that's wrong." The scholar in green sneered and gently closed the book. "The new policy may seem bright and beautiful, but it actually hides mysteries. The Ming Dynasty has just arrived, so it naturally has to show that it is benevolent and loves the people in order to win the hearts of the people.

However, once they gain a foothold, they will surely exploit us even more vigorously.

We scholars should be able to distinguish right from wrong and not be fooled by superficial phenomena."

Upon hearing this, the young man looked puzzled, as if he was questioning the remarks of the scholar in blue.

But he also understands that in this age of mixed information, any statement needs to be carefully considered before it can be accepted.

In this way, rumors about the Ming Dynasty's new policies spread rapidly like wildfire in every corner of Dongdan City.

These rumors spread through the mouths of beggars, hawkers, scholars and other people of different identities, causing the people who had originally had high expectations for the new policy to begin to feel doubts and insecurities.

As rumors spread like a tide among cities, the atmosphere in Dongdan City and the entire Sanfuqi region became increasingly tense and complicated.

The thief, a righteous man who cares about the safety of the people, knows that if these rumors are allowed to continue to spread, it will inevitably cause more chaos and unrest.

He was extremely anxious and decided to take immediate action. He went straight to the Governor's Mansion and reported the matter to Governor Xia Yuanji.

The lights were on in the Governor's Mansion. Xia Yuanji was sitting at his desk with a frown on his face, holding a secret report on the implementation of the new policy in his hand.

The implementation of the new policy concerns the future of Sri Lanka and is also directly related to the experience of the Ming Dynasty in operating its first colony, so it cannot be taken lightly.

Otherwise, he would be unsuccessful in fulfilling the court's trust and Chen Han's earnest instructions.

At this moment, the sudden visit of the thieves made him realize that in addition to the challenges of the new policy itself, there was also an undercurrent brewing.

"Governor, I have something important to report to you!" The thief rushed in without reporting, his tone filled with anxiety and worry.

Xia Yuanji looked up, his eyes sharp as torches, and instantly caught the anxiety in the thief's eyes.

"Why are you so flustered?" Xia Yuanji asked in a deep voice, but his tone revealed a barely perceptible concern.

The thief reported to Xia Yuanji all the rumors that had been circulating in the city in recent days, and his words were full of concern that the people were being misled.

After hearing this, Xia Yuanji's expression became even more solemn. If these rumors were not curbed in time, they would have an immeasurable impact on the implementation of the new policy.

"Please be patient. I am about to gather all the powerful families to listen to their final opinions on the new policy." Xia Yuanji comforted him, "You stay and make plans after the meeting. This matter is of great importance, and we must act with caution."

When the thief heard this, although he was still extremely anxious, he also understood Xia Yuanji's intention.

I could only nod silently and decided to wait and see what would happen, and find the right time to speak up for the people...

(End of this chapter)