When a new issue of "Da Ming Forum" was sent to Nanjing for printing and various pirated copies appeared in various places, some smart people saw the trick.
"Greed is the root of all evil. It makes you lose your mind, obsessed with profit, and leads you to break the law..."
"Luck is the easiest way to foster human greed. Often, it's the desire for luck that sows the seeds of poisonous greed, which then slowly grow and eventually lead to the abyss of sin..."
The style of Daming Forum has been gradually changing, and now it is mostly a mixture of classical and vernacular Chinese. Sometimes it is even plain and simple, which has caused many scholars to criticize it. However, its readership has been increasing day by day, and its influence has gradually expanded.
Do you want to understand the deeper meaning of the policies introduced by the court? Do you want to know the emperor's ideological inclinations? How can you understand national affairs and succeed in officialdom without subscribing to "Da Ming Forum"?
An old hand stroked the gray beard, and a few gleams of light flashed in the old eyes that usually seemed a little cloudy, giving people a feeling of sudden enlightenment.
"Father." Zheng Shaokang held the medicine bowl and handed it over respectfully.
Zheng Yuanjin stretched out his hand to block it, pondered for a moment, and asked, "How much tax and grain does our Zheng family owe the government?"
Zheng Shaokang was stunned for a moment, then saw his father staring at him, and quickly replied, "Not too much, probably around two or three thousand dan!"
"Send it to the government immediately, add the grain consumption, and pay with silver." Zheng Yuanjin looked away, narrowing his eyes slightly and said, "What's the name of the new county magistrate?"
Zheng Shaokang replied, "His name is Liu Lishun, he's from Henan, and he's the new top scholar." After a pause, he added, "According to the rules, a gift was sent, but it was returned."
Zheng Yuanjin lowered his eyelids and said, "Don't send me off in the future."
"Yes, father." Zheng Shaokang picked up the medicine bowl again and handed it over.
Zheng Yuanjin drank the medicine in one gulp, rinsed his mouth with clean water, pointed, and asked his son to sit down.
"Do you know why you are in such a hurry to pay back the overdue money and grain?" Zheng Yuanjin looked at his son with a questioning look in his eyes.
Zheng Shaokang thought for a moment and said, "Could it be that the county magistrate has been replaced and they are afraid that he will cause trouble because of this?"
Zheng Yuanjin shook his head slightly and said, "If it was just a matter of changing the county magistrate, there wouldn't be any need for this. Our Zheng family isn't the one that owes the most, so if they were to take action, they wouldn't target us first."
Reaching out and pointing at the newspaper on the table beside him, Zheng Yuanjin said earnestly, "Kang'er, read it carefully, and you will understand that this is the will of the court, the decision of the emperor."
Zheng Shaokang seemed to understand and said, "But the court didn't impose strict demands for repayment?"
Hehe, Zheng Yuanjin sneered twice and said, "Let me ask you, is it useful to demand it strictly?"
"This..." Zheng Shaokang pondered for a moment and said, "If the county magistrate hadn't been replaced, there would still be a way to deal with it."
Zheng Yuanjin nodded and said, "This is the crux of the matter. The court saw it clearly, so they remained silent and suddenly took action, striking hard. Do you really think that those wealthy and powerful families are colluding with the Wenxiang Sect and plotting rebellion?"
Zheng Shaokang was horrified, his mouth hanging open. After a long while, he said in disbelief, "Then, was this a deliberate frame-up by the imperial court? They used this opportunity to kill people and confiscate property?"
Zheng Yuanjin's face darkened as he said, "Tax arrears are punishable by a beating at most; tax evasion is not a serious crime either. Even these can be avoided. That's why the court-"
His father hesitated to speak, but Zheng Shaokang broke out in a cold sweat. He looked around in fear, fearing that the soldiers would burst into the Zheng family and arrest another wealthy man who was "conspiring for rebellion."
"It should be fine for now." Zheng Yuanjin waved his hand, comforting his son. "The deterrent effect of killing a chicken to scare the monkey is to lay the foundation for the implementation of the 'grain-based' policy. If anyone dares to resist again, the court will not mind killing and confiscating their property. In fact, it will gain more."
Zheng Shaokang seemed to understand a lot. He sighed and said, "Only when it comes to the crime of treason and rebellion, no one dares to collude and resist, and no one dares to defend him. Xu Hongru has been executed, but Wang Haoxian is still imprisoned. Isn't it true that he can bite whoever he wants?"
Zheng Yuanjin gave a rather sad smile and said, "Greed and luck—the newspapers are absolutely right. Since we really can't pay the taxes, why did we let the court get so angry that it took such drastic action? It would only lead to the destruction of our families. Why bother?"
If Zheng Yuanjin had previously worried about being out of step with other landlords and being looked down upon and ostracized, now he was terrified of being implicated by those greedy people. His life and property were at stake!
Zheng Shaokang stood up and bowed, saying, "I'll have the accountant settle the outstanding balance right away, prepare for loading, and send it to the county town tomorrow morning."
Zheng Yuanjin waved his hand, leaned back in his chair and closed his eyes slightly.
Zheng Shaokang turned and walked away. When he reached the door, he heard his father sigh softly, "There are ghosts who died unjustly in every temple!"
………………Dividing line…………………………
This is the capital of the Ming Dynasty!
The closer we get, the more shocking and oppressive the towering city brings us.
Yan Siqi looked up and swallowed hard. The magnificent waves of the sea and the majestic towering city on land were two completely different feelings.
"At the feet of the emperor, the capital of the Ming Dynasty..." A slightly old sigh came from the carriage next to him, which immediately made Yan Siqi in a bad mood and rolled his eyes.
He did not dare to delay, but his brothers were full of doubts. After he finally persuaded everyone, he took the amnesty letter, boarded a ship and headed straight for Tianjin.
Following Yang Tiansheng's instructions, Yan Siqi took the route of the imperial envoy to Korea and Japan, which was considered quite fast.
But he was only a day or two late. Li Dan, a sea merchant who was more powerful than him, was not much slower than him and arrived in Tianjin almost at the same time.
Yan Siqi was feeling awkward, but with the imperial envoy Wu Zheng around, he couldn't possibly rely on his youth and physique to gallop on his horse and leave Li Dan, who was riding in the carriage, behind, right?
There was no other choice, the two maritime merchant leaders had to travel together to the capital to meet the emperor.
Of course, Yan Siqi was very surprised and unexpected that Li Dan accepted the pardon and dared to go to the capital.
Isn't it true that people become more afraid of death as they get older? How could this guy have the same decisive courage as me? This shouldn't be the case, right?
Yan Siqi thought that Li Dan would definitely accept the pardon, but he would not dare to rush to the capital easily. At most, he would send his son Li Guozhu to test the waters and then make plans.
Li Guozhu wasn't as important, and Yan Siqi was confident he could outdo him. First come, first served, by the time Li Dan made his final decision, it would probably be too late.
In addition to being confused, Yan Siqi hinted at it on the way and mentioned Wang Zhi in passing, trying to scare Li Dan.
Of course, he also knew that this might not have much effect, but he just wanted to see what Li Dan thought.
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