The bank run crisis is not over yet.
The common people in the capital, anyone who had anything to do with the Zhu family's bank, were all in a panic.
"The Zhu family is about to collapse."
This is everyone's thoughts and concerns
"I have fifty taels of Zhu Family Bank's common silver notes on hand. I'm selling them for forty taels. Do you want them?"
"don't want."
As night fell, countless people holding Zhu Family Bank's banknotes were looking for a way out.
When everyone's attention was focused on Zhu's money house, a businessman named Li came to Zhu's shop with his assistants to pick up goods.
He has been supplying goods to the Zhu family for many years and also holds shares in the Zhu family's maritime trade.
Now that the money is about to be wasted, every bit of it can be recovered is valuable.
"Hurry, hurry, take all these goods away."
"We can't transport goods. These are all our Zhu family's goods."
"Bullshit! These are all from our Li Family Trading Company."
"Our Zhu family will pay the bill."
"What the hell is the bill? I'd rather expect you to pay it myself quickly than me. Move everything out, leaving nothing behind."
At a certain mansion in the capital, a servant hurried to the owner's door and said, "Sir, Master Li is bringing his men to the Zhu family's shop to move goods."
"Is this true?"
"Absolutely true. I saw it with my own eyes."
The middle-aged man called the master had a solemn expression.
Today, he and everyone else went to the Zhu family in the Cheng'en Marquis's mansion to ask for an explanation.
Thinking carefully about Cheng Enbo's attitude, it seems that the Zhu family has no money.
The middle-aged man made a quick decision. "Gather the men and move the goods to Zhu's shop overnight. All our goods, whether they have been paid for or not, will be moved away. Leave nothing behind."
"I understand."
That night, many merchants stayed up all night. They were all doing one thing: organizing people to move goods.
All the shops under the Zhu family's name were emptied out one after another.
The shops that were once filled with goods became empty in the blink of an eye.
The Zhu family's servants wanted to stop it, but were powerless.
By dawn, most of the shops under the Zhu family's name had been emptied out.
Xu Xianzhi woke up early in the morning and his subordinates reported that those people had been moving like ants, one after another last night.
Fortunately, the capital has been peaceful recently and there is no martial law. Otherwise, these merchants would never be able to come out and do business in the middle of the night.
Xu Xianzhi spat out the mouthwash in his mouth. "As long as they don't cause any looting or vandalism, I don't need to worry about them."
"The shops under the Zhu family's name are almost emptied out."
Xu Xianzhi chuckled, "Empty it if you want, it's none of our business. Remember, we, the Embroidered Uniform Guard, are only responsible for the security of the capital. We are not the Zhu family's thugs, so we have no obligation to guard their goods."
"I understand."
"Go! Tell the boys to get their spirits up, because the Zhu family bank will be run again today."
When it was daybreak and the market became bustling, people found that the Zhu family shops, which used to open early, were all closed today as if they had agreed to do so.
Someone shouted, "All the goods in the Zhu family shop have been taken out!"
boom!
This roar was like the signal of a gunpowder explosion.
Those who originally had some confidence in the Zhu family all rushed to the door of the Zhu family's bank, banging on the door and clamoring for redemption.
The Zhu family's money shop was guarded by an iron general, not a single move could be made.
The sun is already shining on my butt, but the bank is still closed.
It is obvious that the Zhu family bank decided to play dead and survive today and would not open the door no matter what.
"The Zhu family has gone too far. Let's go to the Earl's Mansion to seek justice."
"Yes, go to the Earl's Mansion and ask for justice. Even if you are a noble, you can't oppress innocent people and destroy our livelihood."
"Not only are we going to the Earl's Mansion to demand justice, we're also going to report this to the authorities. The Zhu family has defrauded the common people of their money and driven them to ruin. Will the court intervene?"
"Report to the police, report to the police."
The biggest characteristic of the common people in the capital compared to those in other places is that they are knowledgeable and not so afraid of officials.
A third-rank master?
Pooh!
It's nothing in the capital.
I have seen quite a few royal relatives.
A Earl's Mansion, even if it forces people into a dead end, will still kill them.
One group went to the Earl's Mansion, and the other group went to the government office.
The number of people in these two teams is increasing.
Some of them have personal interests at stake and are counting on the Zhu family to exchange the banknotes in everyone's hands under pressure.
Some are just there to watch the fun.
There are also a small number of people who are trying to take advantage of the situation and stir up trouble.
It would be best to alarm the emperor and let him take action to deal with the Zhu family.
The Zhu family has been the richest family in Beijing for so many years and has offended many people.
Now that the Zhu family is in bad luck, I wonder how many people are waiting for the opportunity to take advantage of their misfortune and bite off a piece of meat from them.
Zhu's partners, relatives and friends are always paying attention to what's happening outside.
When they learned that the common people in the capital had formed a group to report to the authorities and attack the Earl's Mansion, everyone had the same thought: the Zhu family is finished!
What are you still standing there for? Continue to clear out the Zhu family’s shops and all the businesses under their control.
Regardless of whether it is your own goods or not, move them away first.
For a time, the Zhu family was deserted by everyone.
Hundreds of common people stormed the Earl's Palace.
They are different from the refugees last time.
The refugees who attacked the Earl's Mansion last time were organized, disciplined, and strategic. They were basically just intimidating and did not cause any real harm to the Zhu family.
But this time it's different.
These common people are unorganized and undisciplined, and only care about gaining benefits.
They are irritable and impulsive.
The damage they cause is far greater than that of organized riots.
They worked together, some climbed over the wall, some climbed through the window...
They used various means to attack the Earl's Mansion.
They overthrew the guards of the Earl's Mansion, opened the door and welcomed everyone.
Countless people rushed into the Earl's Mansion like a swarm of locusts.
Xu Xianzhi personally led people to the scene.
When I saw the scene, I was shocked!
This is serious.
"Disperse the crowd. Arrest all the rioters inside first."
Hundreds of Embroidered Uniform Guards were dispatched, armed with sticks, swords and guns to disperse the crowd, close the doors and arrest people.
Fortunately, the Embroidered Uniform Guard arrived in time, and these mobs only caused property damage to the Zhu family and injured a few guards, but did not harm the women in the inner courtyard.
Xu Xianzhi secretly wiped the cold sweat from his forehead, feeling lucky that he arrived in time.
MMP, the Zhu family must be in trouble this year.
Being attacked twice in a row, how much public anger did he cause?
"Sir, now that everyone has been arrested, what should we do with them?"
Xu Xianzhi's face was stern. "Throw them all into jail. No need to torture them. Let's wait and see what the palace says."
"I understand. Take them all away."
Hundreds of people were tied together with ropes and taken to the Xiuyiwei prison for custody.
Xu Xianzhi straightened his collar and walked towards Cheng Enbo Zhu Ci who was standing under the eaves.
"Uncle, you are frightened."
Cheng Enbo Zhu Ci's face was flushed, and the redness was obviously abnormal.
"Uncle, you must take care of yourself." Xu Xianzhi said with concern.
Cheng Enbo Zhu Ci coughed lightly and said, "This old man is not going to die yet."
Xu Xianzhi smiled and said, "Master, you are such a jokester. Today's matter is of great importance. I will report it to the palace truthfully. His Majesty will most likely summon you, so you should make preparations early."
"Why weren't you, the Embroidered Uniform Guards, there when those people attacked the Earl's Mansion? Why did you, the Embroidered Uniform Guards, arrive just as those people were breaking into the Earl's Mansion? Sir Xu, you really have a good sense of timing."
Xu Xianzhi's face was stern. "My Lord, do you suspect that this humble official deliberately allowed the common people to attack the Earl's Mansion?"
Cheng Enbo Zhu Ci snorted coldly, "Whether it is or not, you know it best in your heart."
Xu Xianzhi chuckled, "My Lord, you suspect me, and I have nothing to say. But my Lord, your Zhu family bank suddenly closed down without even a single notice, causing panic among the common people of the capital. You should quickly think about how to bear the responsibility for this crime."
"you……"
"What are you talking about? Pack up and leave."
Xu Xianzhi had a stern face and was extremely impatient. He took his men and left.
Leaving a mess for the Zhu family.
Several of Cheng Enbo's sons came out and also stood under the eaves.
Everyone was frightened.
"Father, this can't go on."
"Hurry up and sell the seafood from Jiangnan."
"We must find a way to calm down the money bank as soon as possible."
"Uncle, this is terrible. All the goods in the shop have been taken away by those partners."
"What? Why is such a big thing only reported now?" Cheng Enbo Zhu Ci was shocked.
Without goods, how can the Zhu family’s shop continue to operate, make money, and keep the funds flowing?
The steward felt wronged, "I reported it once last night, and the master said he would take care of it."
Cheng Enbo Zhu Ci suddenly turned his head and looked at his eldest son fiercely.
Master Zhu was very calm. "When the steward reported this last night, it was already late. Father's health was urgent, so no one was disturbed. So much has happened today, so I didn't have time to report this in a hurry."
"The shop was emptied. How could you hide such a big thing?"
"What else can we do if we don't hide it? Is there any way father can stop those merchants? If they take away all the goods, our Zhu family will have a legitimate reason not to return the capital of Haimao."
"You, is this what you are planning?"
Master Zhu said confidently, "At this point, any reduction in losses is a good thing. The shop's goods are gone, but the shop is still there, and the Zhu family's foundation is still there. Once we get through this difficult time, one day our Zhu family will be able to regroup."
"You are absolutely ridiculous. Why didn't you discuss such a big matter with me?"
Master Zhu said, "Father, do you know how much money those partners have raised in total? Nearly two million taels. That's too much to pay back. Let's give them some goods so they don't have a reason to come and collect the debt, and our Zhu family can take a break."
Cheng Enbo Zhu Ci gritted his teeth and said, "Stop talking."
"Father, now that things have come to this, why not think of how to use the common people to attack the Earl's Mansion and seek some benefits for the Earl's Mansion."
"Do you think it's so easy to get benefits? You are so naive."
"Whether it's childish or not, you won't know until you try it."
The Zhu family father and son had different ideas and fell out with each other.
…
On the other hand, the common people who filed the complaint went directly to the Dali Temple.
We ask the Dali Temple to give everyone justice.
The Dali Temple was so excited when it received the complaint!
They like to take on big cases to plead for the people, which can bring them merit and fame.
The Dali Temple took over this case.
And promised to give everyone an explanation.
The Embroidered Uniform Guard and the Supreme Court, both government offices, were exerting their efforts, and the matter soon came to the emperor's desk.
Because Jiang Shuyi gave birth to a ghost baby, the emperor was extremely depressed and could explode at any time.
Seeing such a big mess in the Cheng'en Marquis' Mansion, the emperor could no longer suppress his pent-up anger.
"Are you looking for death?"
This was the first sentence the emperor uttered, and it frightened all the servants in the hall into silence.
“I’m old after all!”
This was the second sentence the emperor said.
Chen Dachang's heart moved slightly. Is the emperor preparing to take action against Cheng Enbo?
However, Cheng Enbo is old after all. Perhaps the emperor will not take Cheng Enbo's life because of their blood relationship.
The emperor threw the document aside and said, "Pass on my order to conduct a thorough investigation of the Zhu family's bank. I want to know how many banknotes the Zhu family has kept out there? How many ordinary families are involved?"
Chen Dachang bowed and accepted the order, "I obey your command."
He walked out of the hall. It had been cloudy for many days, but today it finally cleared up.
A eunuch came up to him and said, "Sir, Concubine Li De has sent someone to contact Shen Changshi."
Chen Dachang laughed, "Is Concubine Li De so eager to regain her favor?"
"Father-in-law, do you want to stop me?"
"No need to stop her. Without Jiang Shuyi, His Majesty must have someone who understands and cares for him."
"But……"
Chen Dachang's eyes swept across the eunuch's cheek. The eunuch's heart skipped a beat and he was so scared that he just said "but" and swallowed the rest of the words.
"I understand. I will obey you, sir."
Chen Dachang snorted coldly.
Because of Jiang Shuyi, His Majesty thought of Concubine Li De again. To prevent Concubine Li De from receiving favor at this time would be tantamount to opposing the Emperor.
Is he stupid?
Unless there is a second Jiang Shuyi who can satisfy Your Majesty.
However, there are so many beauties in the palace, but no one can truly replace Jiang Shuyi.
What a pity!
Jiang Shuyi had the potential to compete with Consort Li Defei, but her pregnancy wasn't what she wanted. She chose to give birth to a ghost baby, which disgusted His Majesty to the extreme.
…
Bai Zhong hurried back to the palace.
"Madam, the Zhu family is secretly selling off their assets."
Gu Jiu breathed a sigh of relief. After planning for so long, the Zhu family finally reached the point of selling off their assets.
"Is it an industry in the capital?"
“It’s an out-of-town industry.”
Gu Jiu smiled and said, "It seems that the Zhu family still wants to preserve its strength. Add more fuel to the fire and force the Zhu family to sell off their assets in the capital."
Bai Zhong accepted the order.
After thinking for a while, he said, "Madam, the Zhu family bank probably has no money."
"If you don't have money, then you don't have money. Don't worry about the Zhu family bank."
"Madam, do you mean not to acquire the Zhu family bank?"
Gu Jiu nodded. "Yes, we don't need to buy the Zhu Family Bank. Without money, the Zhu Family Bank is just an empty shell. There's no point in buying it. We can buy everything else, such as the grain store, mines, and farms. Many of the Zhu family's shops are located in prime locations where every inch of land is worth a lot of money. Buying a shop alone would be a good deal."
"I understand. I'll take care of it right away."
Bai Zhong left.
Gu Jiu called Xu Yousi again, "Take my visiting card and give it to the Minister of Revenue. Ask him if he wants to sell the old grain in the Beijing warehouse."
The Zhu family could hardly protect themselves and was unable to digest the accumulated grain in the Beijing warehouse.
If the old grain is not shipped out of the warehouse, the new grain cannot be shipped in.
Because the new grain could not enter the Beijing warehouse, the Ministry of Revenue was criticized and attacked jointly by several other ministries and government offices.
However, in the entire capital, there is no other grain merchant except the Zhu family who can consume hundreds of thousands of taels of grain in one go.
I guess the Ministry of Revenue is also worried about the full warehouse of old grain.
Give the food to the Ministry of War?
If the Ministry of War doesn’t pay for it, why should we give it to them for free?
Do you really think that the food from the Ministry of Revenue falls from the sky?
The Ministry of War has a large annual budget, and food is already included in it. If you want extra food, you can buy it with money.
Unless a war breaks out, the Ministry of Revenue will never give food to the Ministry of War for free.
Moreover, the income from selling surplus old grain every year is also a fixed source of income for the Ministry of Revenue.
Whether the officials of the Ministry of Revenue can receive their salaries on time and live a comfortable life in winter depends entirely on the sale of old grain.
No one in the Ministry of Revenue would give away this part of the benefits for free.
Just like the Ministry of War's arsenal, the Ministry of Personnel's power to appoint officials all over the world, the Ministry of Justice's power over punishment and life and death, the Ministry of Rites's power over imperial examinations, and the Ministry of Works' power over all construction and renovation, these are all the private domains of each government office, and no one can get involved.
Even if the emperor comes, it won’t work.
Even if the emperor sitting on the throne today is one of the few emperors in history who is autocratic and powerful, he can never expect the six ministries to give up their private plots.
This is the power structure. Even a powerful person like the emperor can only accept it.
The emperor would never easily touch the private plots of the various yamen, at most he would touch the people in the yamen.
Xu Yousi came to the Ministry of Revenue with Gu Jiu's visiting card, and with the help of Gu Yu, he successfully delivered the visiting card to the Minister of Revenue.
When the Minister of Revenue read the contents of the visiting card, he felt a pain in his teeth.
"Is Madam Zhao planning to blackmail me?"
"You are joking, sir. My wife is dedicated to the public good and has taken the initiative to solve a major problem for the Ministry of Revenue. However, if the problem of the old grain in the Beijing warehouse has been solved, then it will be as if I have never been here today."
The Minister of Revenue snorted, "When will your wife give birth?"
"Soon, just in the next few days."
"After she gives birth and has finished her confinement, I will talk to her."
"Is it too late?"
"At worst, we can ask the people collecting the grain down below to slow down."
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