Bai Zhong put down his teacup and sneered, "The Dong family will not be able to hold on? Are you kidding me? Do you know who is behind the Dong family?"
"Who is it?"
"Shaofu!" Bai Zhong said in a loud voice.
Several wealthy businessmen were indeed shocked.
Bai Zhong sneered, "The Zhu family is rich. But no matter how rich he is, can he be richer than the Shaofu?"
"That's not possible." Wu Dabiao waved his hand and said.
Merchant A said, "Knowing that the Dong family is backed by the Shaofu, the Zhu family still fights against the Dong family. What confidence do they have?"
Yes! The Zhu family doesn't have the confidence to fight against the Shaofu.
Everyone was waiting for Bai Zhong's answer.
Bai Zhong snorted, "What is the Shaofu? It's your Majesty's private treasury. Can your Majesty's private treasury directly engage in business? A single word from a court official about competing with the people for profit would annoy your Majesty to death."
"The Shaofu cannot engage in business, but he can invest money in the Dong family to do business. Do you think the Dong family's fight with the Zhu family is just because of a business conflict? You think the problem is too simple."
"ah?"
Several wealthy businessmen looked at each other, subconsciously followed Bai Zhong's thoughts, and began to figure out the tricks here.
Bai Zhong revealed a little bit, "In the capital, there are many people who dislike the Zhu family. In recent years, the Zhu family has been enjoying the monopoly, and many people are jealous."
oh!
The wealthy businessmen suddenly understood.
It turned out that someone had used the boss to set a trap for the Zhu family.
Perhaps the person who dislikes the Zhu family the most is the Shaofu.
The Shaofu gave money to the Dong family to let the Dong family and the Zhu family compete.
Thinking this way, the Zhu family is doomed to fail.
The wealthy merchants' minds turned to eighteen bends and twists, and they all thought they had guessed the truth. They all smiled knowingly, with a look of relief on their faces.
The so-called truth in the minds of wealthy merchants can barely be considered. It just turns things upside down.
Someone just dislikes the Zhu family and deliberately set a trap for them.
Instead, the boss Gu Jiu took the opportunity to set a trap for the Zhu family and dragged the Shaofu into it.
The result is the same anyway.
Bai Zhong smiled and asked, "Is it stable?"
"It's stable! It's stable!" Several wealthy businessmen laughed and felt very stable.
Bai Zhong asked, "Do you know how to tell people?"
"Don't worry, Eunuch Bai. We understand the rules. We will never say a single word outside."
"That's good. Dong will remember you when he has good projects in the future."
This was a pleasant surprise for the wealthy businessmen.
"Is what Eunuch Bai said true? Is the boss really willing to give us a chance?"
Bai Zhong smiled softly, "Get your money ready, there will be a time for you to make money."
He didn't want to say anything more and got up to leave.
Don't be fooled by his youth, he is full of arrogance and looks down on the world. He has imitated Gu Jiu's contemptuous attitude to the letter.
Several knowledgeable and wealthy businessmen were shocked by him.
After Bai Zhong left, Wu Dabiao said, "As expected of someone from the palace, he has the confidence."
"Who says it isn't?"
"Hey, what did Eunuch Bai mean when he asked us to prepare some silver?"
"What else could it be? After the boss wipes out the Zhu family, he's bound to do something big. We can just invest some money and reap the benefits. I heard that in Yuhua Lane, where we live, everyone who invested money made a killing."
"I heard that the hostess is the wife of the Prince of Ning. Is this true?"
"Reliable! I asked someone to find out, and Eunuch Bai used to work in Prince Ning's mansion."
"Madam Zhao is just a gimmick. Behind her are two powerful figures, Prince Zhao and Prince Ning. Earl Cheng En is overestimating his own abilities. He will undoubtedly lose against the Prince's Palace."
"That's right. Lord Cheng En is used to being domineering, and this time he's hit a wall. Let's just wait and see."
…
After leaving Yuhua Lane, Bai Zhong drove to the construction site despite the muddy road outside the city.
He came to see Deng Cunli.
During this period, Deng Cunli settled down at the construction site, eating and dressing there.
As Bai Zhong approached, he could smell the stinking sweat, which nearly made him faint.
"Eunuch Deng, please pay attention to hygiene."
"I'm busy!" Deng Cunli's face was cold and stiff, his expression was rigid. "What do you want, Madam?"
Bai Zhong sat down opposite him. "Madam asked me to come over and ask Eunuch Deng what difficulties he has here."
Deng Cunli said with a stern face, "There are many difficulties. Even if I delay the construction, the building materials in stock will only last for five days. After five days, we will have no choice but to drive the refugees to the mountains to open up wasteland."
Without building materials, the construction site cannot start.
Only digging ditches and clearing mountains, purely physical work, could continue. All technical work had to stop.
But it would take less than eight or nine thousand people to dig mountains and ditches.
This means that if someone has no work to do, they will go hungry.
The refugees really had no food left.
You only have one day's food if you work one day.
In addition, the purchase of houses some time ago has drained the savings of many refugee families.
Once they can’t work and have no food to eat, these refugees will rebel.
Bai Zhong hurriedly said, "Madam asked you to hold on for seven to eight days. She is currently dealing with the Zhu family and will have results soon."
Deng Cunli frowned, "Can't you go faster?"
"Not anytime soon. The Ministry of Revenue's tax office is not going to audit the accounts overnight. The officials in the court are also paying attention to this matter and have already started to argue. In addition, the Zhu family reported the wife for tax evasion, and the Ministry of Revenue's tax office has been ordered to audit the accounts. Of course, we are not afraid of being audited, but it takes time."
Deng Cunli frowned and looked very bitter.
When I first stayed in the capital and took on this job, I knew it wouldn't be easy. But I still underestimated its difficulty.
He asked, "Madam, besides checking the Zhu family's taxes, do you have any other options?"
"Yes! Madam told me to pass on the message that work will be stopped in three days, and after five days, a group of refugees will be organized to enter the city and besiege the Cheng En Marquis's mansion."
Deng Cunli was speechless. "Madam, you want refugees to besiege the Marquis Cheng'en's residence? Aren't you afraid of something happening? What if His Majesty calls you to task?"
"Madam said she needed a reason. A reason to start a face-to-face battle."
Deng Cunli's breathing became heavy. "Madam, do you want to file a complaint before the Emperor?"
"I don't know. I'm just conveying my lady's message."
After saying that, Bai Zhong took out a letter and handed it to Deng Cunli, "This is from your wife. Remember to burn it after reading it."
Deng Cunli quickly opened the envelope and took out the letter to read it.
As expected, Gu Jiu asked him to stop work after three days in the letter, starve the refugees for two days to arouse the anger of the people, and then besiege the Cheng'en Marquis's Mansion.
Deng Cunli frowned, his brows furrowed as if he could pinch a fly to death. "Madam, this is a risky move."
"So Madam asks you to control the scale and be organized and disciplined."
Deng Cunli nodded, "I understand. I will follow Madam's instructions and handle this matter."
After Bai Zhong left, Deng Cunli issued an order, "From today onwards, the daily workload will be halved, the food will be halved, and the wages will be halved."
Everyone was confused.
Deng Cunli didn't explain at all. "Do as I ask. Go quickly! If anyone below discusses this, make sure they're directed towards the Zhu family."
When the managers heard this, they all understood.
…
After the heavy rain, there were several days of sunny days.
The atmosphere on the construction site was solemn.
The smiles and enthusiasm of the past were gone from everyone's faces. Everyone's face was tense, as if a thread would snap completely if the slightest pressure was applied.
For two consecutive days, the work load was halved, the food was halved, and the wages were halved, causing panic among many migrant workers.
What if there is no work to do one day?
What should I do if I have taken out a loan for a newly bought house but haven’t moved in yet?
Just when there is hope in life, do we have to go back to the past and eat only porridge so thin that you can see the bottom of the bowl every day, and live a life with no hope and lying down waiting to die?
No!
don't want!
Life has just started to get better, and we finally have hope. We must never go back to the past and be a lowly bug or a humble refugee.
Looking at the newly built Xincun Market, that is my future home.
Who can give up home so easily?
Look at the shacks and wastelands surrounding the market town.
The manager said that houses will be built here in the future.
They will have endless work to do and endless wages to earn.
But the Zhu family wanted to seize the owner's property, the land and houses here, and sell the houses to others at a high price.
These refugees will one day be driven away like livestock and will never be able to settle down in the capital.
In the whole capital, only the landlord was willing to sell the house to them at such a low price.
Without their boss, they are nothing.
"The Zhu family deserves death!"
I don't know who was the first to say these words that were suppressed in my heart.
Countless people cater to it.
"Yes, the Zhu family deserves to die."
"If the Zhu family seizes the construction site, they will definitely drive us away and raze our shack to the ground."
"We can't just sit there and wait for this to happen."
"We will go to the capital and seek the officials. If they don't help us, we will go to the Zhu family. If the Zhu family cuts off our chance of survival, we will fight them to the death."
"Yes, fight with all your might, fight with all your might..."
At first, it was just a small-scale cry.
Eventually it spread to the entire construction site and the entire shantytown area.
Everyone was clamoring to fight the Zhu family to the death.
There are many calm and fearful people among them, but their voices are so small that they can be ignored.
When the manager announced, "Because the Zhu family has monopolized building materials and raised the labor price, the employer is unable to support it, so work will be stopped tomorrow," the refugees' anger reached its peak.
They surrounded the manager's office and asked the manager to give everyone an explanation.
The work suddenly stopped. What will everyone eat and drink?
These days, food has been cut in half, wages have been cut in half, and life is already difficult. Now they want to stop work, are they pushing everyone into the fire pit?
An explanation must be given.
Deng Cunli stood on the platform, holding a metal loudspeaker and shouted, "You want an explanation? Fine, I'll give you one. The Zhu family of the Cheng'en Marquis's Mansion wants to take over the entire Nanchengmen New Village. They want to sell your houses to others at a high price. They want to drive you all away. It doesn't matter if you're driven to the North City, West City, or East City. Just don't get in the way outside the South City Gate."
To pressure the employer, the Zhu family resorted to underhanded tactics, threatening all vendors to cut off supply to the construction site or raise prices. The houses in the new village were already being sold at low prices, but the suppliers' price hikes effectively drove up the cost of the houses. The employer, unable to sustain the situation, had no choice but to halt construction until the problem was resolved.
“We want to eat!”
"Yes, we need to eat."
“Eat, eat, eat…”
The refugees were angry, shouting, and impulsive.
The time had come. Deng Cunli said loudly, "I'll take you to the Zhu family to beg for food. Do you dare?"
"dare!"
The sound shook the sky and shocked the defenders on the city wall.
Is this a rebellion?
"Hurry, hurry, everyone, get to the city gate and be ready for battle."
The defenders at the South Gate were like frightened birds, and all of them climbed up the gate.
The news was reported to the Five Cities Military Command and the Ministry of War immediately.
The Minister of War was shocked when he heard this.
The tens of thousands of refugees stranded outside the city have always been a major concern for the capital.
It took a lot of effort to get Madam Zhao to come forward and resettle these refugees, but now something happened again.
"What's going on? Don't those refugees have anything to do now that they're full? Didn't they buy houses and settle down? Why are they suddenly making trouble again?"
“I heard that the construction site has stopped and the refugees have no food to eat.”
The Minister of War was stunned for a moment, "Work has stopped?"
The subordinate nodded heavily, "Absolutely true."
"What's going on?"
"Don't you know, old man? Madam Zhao is fighting with the Zhu family of the Cheng'en Marquis' Mansion. It's getting really bad. The Zhu family has ordered that no supplies be made, and no one dares to disobey them. So the construction site has been cut off from the supply of goods, and we can't start work."
The Minister of War gnashed his teeth, "Ridiculous! Doesn't the Zhu family know what the consequences will be if the construction site is stopped?"
"The Zhu family just wants to force the construction site to stop and force Madam Zhao to compromise."
The Minister of War put his hands behind his back and said, "We must take precautions against this. Send someone to watch outside the South City Gate for twelve hours. We must not let these refugees cause any trouble. We must also send someone to tell Madam Zhao to start work immediately and pacify the refugees. By the way, where is the young master's man?"
"Have you forgotten, old sir? Young Master Zhao asked for leave two days ago, saying he was sick. It was approved by you personally."
The Minister of War felt embarrassed and extremely angry.
"Did Gongzi Zhao know that the construction site would be shut down and ask for leave early?"
It must be like this, it must be like this.
The Minister of War found the truth through the thick fog.
"Send someone to the palace to tell Gongzi Zhao to go on duty tomorrow and not to be absent without reason."
"As you command. Where is Madam Zhao?"
"Ask Gongzi Zhao to handle it." The Minister of War was very angry, but the consequences were not that serious.
The commander of the South City Gate was on high alert to prevent the refugees from causing chaos.
Little did they know that five hundred young and strong refugees, disguised themselves, entered the capital from the west gate and the east gate respectively.
Then they gathered in an organized and large-scale manner at the Cheng'en Marquis's Mansion.
…
"Hahaha... Father, the construction site outside the South City Gate has stopped. Gu Jiu can't hold on any longer."
Master Zhu Er was very excited.
Cheng Enbo Zhu Ci smiled slightly and asked the housekeeper beside him, "Are there any results from checking Gu Jiu's taxes?"
Butler Zhu shook his head, a look of worry on his face. "There's no result yet. Instead, our shop has been sealed by the Ministry of Revenue."
Two or three hundred shops were sealed off, and the daily turnover was a huge number.
The closure of these shops meant that the Zhu family suddenly lost a large amount of cash flow that could be used for turnover.
There won't be any major problems in the short term.
However, as time went on, coupled with the tax inspections by the Ministry of Revenue, Butler Zhu became very worried that the Zhu family's cash flow would be cut off.
"Grandpa, this matter must be resolved as soon as possible." Butler Zhu reminded cautiously.
Cheng Enbo Zhu Ci hummed, "Don't worry, Gu Jiu won't be able to hold on for long. I believe this matter will have a result soon."
"Father is right. Tens of thousands of refugees need to eat. Stopping work for three or five days would be like taking their lives. Just wait a day or two and Gu Jiu will come crawling here in disgrace to apologize to father."
Zhu Ci, the Earl of Cheng'en, stroked his beard and smiled reservedly, "When Madam Zhao comes to visit, remember to be polite."
The matter was not over yet, and everyone in the Zhu family had already begun to imagine the scene of Gu Jiu bowing his head and admitting defeat.
He is indeed arrogant and presumptuous.
Just as I was feeling happy, the doorman ran in with a frightened look on his face.
"Oh no, oh no, they're calling."
"Who's calling? Why are you so nervous? Speak clearly."
"Yes, yes, yes, those refugees are coming in. There are so many of them, we can't hold on any longer."
"What? Are you sure they're refugees?"
The servant nodded repeatedly, "They are refugees, all of them are refugees."
Cheng Enbo Zhu Ci immediately stood up and walked out the door.
In the distance, I could actually hear shouts and screams.
"Quick, quickly send the guards out. Send someone through the back door to notify the Embroidered Uniform Guards, the Golden Guards, and the Five Cities Military Commander. The refugees outside the city are rebelling!"
A sharp voice pierced the sky.
The Zhu family was frightened by the crazy refugees.
They had never experienced such a scene.
"It must be Gu Jiu, it must be her. She wants to die with me! She's crazy, absolutely crazy!"
"Father, what should we do?
"Hold on! We must wait until the Jinwu Guards arrive to rescue us. How dare Gu Jiu do this? Isn't she afraid of angering His Majesty and being held accountable?"
"Father, I can't take it anymore."
"We have to hold on even if we can't. If the refugees really rush in, will you and I still be alive?"
The refugees were well-organized and disciplined. When they received the news that the Jinwu Guards had reached the alley entrance, they did not hesitate to fight. Instead, they scattered like birds and beasts, disappearing into the streets and alleys, blending into the crowd, and disappearing.
The Jinwu Guards who arrived first watched the refugees run away and were too late to chase them.
The ground in front of the gate of the Cheng'en Marquis's Mansion was in a mess. A pair of stone lions were smashed to pieces, and the copper gate had several holes in it.
The straw sandals, tattered clothes and trousers scattered on the ground proved that a shocking riot had just taken place here.
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