Zheng Yuanjin was carefully marking the key points in the newspaper, shaking his head from time to time, and making gasps or clicking sounds.
"Father." Zheng Shaokang walked into the house, his face full of smiles, and said, "The weaving workshop that my uncle and I have jointly opened has been completed. We've chosen an auspicious day to start the weaving. Father, would you like to go?"
Zheng Yuanjin waved his hand and said, "I can't stand the bumpy road, so I won't go."
After a pause, Zheng Yuanjin looked up at his son and angrily scolded him, "Why did you come back at this time? Just to invite me to the opening ceremony? Didn't you bring your wife back with you?"
"No, my son is the only one who came back." Zheng Shaokang said quickly: "Yingluo and Xiaozhao are both fine, father don't have to worry."
Zheng Yuanjin shook his head and said, "Go back quickly. Don't worry about your father."
Zheng Shaokang scratched his head and said, "Father, we didn't get involved in the incident at court, so there's no need to be so scared, right?"
"What do you know?" Zheng Yuanjin tapped the newspaper vigorously and said, "The court will most likely impose severe punishment. We weren't involved, but what if someone makes random accusations?"
After a pause, Zheng Yuanjin continued his life experience, "There are ghosts who died unjustly in every temple! You're out there with your valuables, while you're at home guarding the deeds to your father's land. If anything goes wrong, you can probably still save one. Since it's not a serious crime of treason, the court will probably not punish you too harshly."
Zheng Shaokang scratched his head, feeling embarrassed. He really couldn't bear to leave his father alone. And if something went wrong, it would most likely be this end.
"Let's go, let's go!" Zheng Yuanjin relaxed his tone, waving his hand to urge his son on, saying, "Our family hasn't concealed any taxes or levies, and all the fraudulent loans have been cleared. We'll be fine."
"Wait." Zheng Yuanjin remembered something and warned, "Don't get involved with the Jiangnan Chamber of Commerce for now. They're different from the Maritime Merchants Association and the Chinese Chamber of Commerce. It's hard to say what the court's attitude will be, or whether the emperor likes or dislikes them."
The Jiangnan Chamber of Commerce has been established for some time, and the first article of the Chamber of Commerce's charter is "loyalty to the emperor, patriotism, honesty and law-abidingness."
Anyone with a discerning eye can immediately see that the Jiangnan Chamber of Commerce is responding to Wansui's definition of "righteous business" and is trying to curry favor with the emperor.
But the court did not make any statement, and the emperor did not respond, as if he was observing whether the Jiangnan Chamber of Commerce was consistent in its words and deeds.
At this critical moment, it is better to have less trouble than more. It is best not to get involved with any group that you are unsure about.
Zheng Shaokang agreed reluctantly, and after leaving, he gave instructions to the housekeeper and servants before leaving reluctantly.
Inside the house, Zheng Yuanjin frowned, lost in thought. He had almost no evidence against his family for the government to punish him. Furthermore, ever since County Magistrate Liu Lishun took office, the Zheng family had followed all instructions perfectly and with utmost obedience.
If the imperial court wants to launch a major case and impose severe punishments, the words of Liu Lishun, the person involved, will be crucial. I wonder if he will be fair and let the Zheng family go?
Zheng Yuanjin's concerns were not unfounded. Zhu Youxiao was indeed furious and ready to take drastic action. Liu Lishun, the county magistrate, knew the situation best, so he naturally had to respect his opinion.
But the general principle remained unchanged: no one who participated in this disturbance in the court would be spared, whether they were students and wealthy people who were instigated or bribed, or the local officials and gentry who were behind the scenes.
Moreover, simply causing a disturbance in court and flouting the law was not a serious enough crime. Therefore, Zhu Youxiao specifically instructed that the incident be escalated to the level of inciting civil unrest and plotting against the government.
This was a serious crime, tantamount to rebellion. Only in this way could Zhu Youxiao use the "Factory Guards" to circumvent the normal litigation restrictions of the Ming Dynasty.
Zhu Youxiao also knew that as an emperor, he held the power of life and death in feudal society. However, undermining the normal judicial procedures and legal system would pose a serious risk and should be avoided.
To put it bluntly, if it is treason and rebellion, all restrictions on judicial proceedings can be exceeded, and it is normal for the "Factory Guards" to interfere with the judiciary.
At this time, in the county jail, the main culprits such as Zhou Wenrang, who were beaten beyond recognition, finally signed and sealed their names and were dragged away like dead dogs.
Sun Yunhe, the chief criminal officer of the Eastern Depot, took the confession, sneered, got up and went to the yamen, where he met the magistrate Liu Lishun.
Although Sun Yunhe's rank was higher than Liu Lishun's, before leaving Beijing, the emperor gave him personal instructions, asking him to respect Liu Lishun's opinions appropriately.
Sun Yunhe immediately understood that Liu Lishun was highly regarded by His Majesty and had a bright future in the government. Therefore, he did not act too arrogantly.
"I guessed Xu Tingjiao was behind this, and the Five Elders Association wasn't surprising either." Liu Lishun was furious after reading the confession. "But I didn't expect so many students to be involved."
Sun Yunhe smiled faintly and said, "Master Liu, if there are any other local officials, gentry, and students in this county who have committed bad deeds, we can deal with them all at once and vent your anger on your behalf."
Liu Lishun hesitated for a moment, then shook his head and said, "The confession is already very detailed. I have nothing to add."
Although Liu Lishun didn't know how the emperor would punish him, he knew it would definitely be severe.
He also knew that as long as he said the name, he would almost decide the fate of a person or a family.
Although he was very angry about the illegality of some people, Liu Lishun still wanted to enforce the law and punish them through normal judicial proceedings.
"Master Liu is truly..." Sun Yunhe shook his head and said helplessly, "You have a kind heart! If that's the case, I won't force you. I'll get on with my work now."
"Lord Sun—" Liu Lishun stood up and called out, "I wonder how we will deal with these local officials and students who are causing a disturbance in the court?"
Sun Yunhe looked at Liu Lishun and said meaningfully, "Sir Liu, don't worry about this. The emperor is paving the way for you, so don't miss out on such a bright future!"
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