Linhuai Hou Li Zushu used the name of commemorating the previous emperors to oppose the court's new policies.
Although the means are despicable, they occupy the moral high ground.
Zhu Cilang had no experience in handling related incidents and was a little confused for a moment.
Upon seeing this, Ni Yuanlu walked out from behind the screen.
He quickly came to Linhuai Hou Li Zushu and pointed at his face: "Li Zushu, you are so brave!"
"Currency reform is a national policy formulated by the imperial court! Everyone from the royal family to the common people must obey it. You are trying to resist the new policy in the name of the previous emperors. You deserve to be killed!"
After saying this, he turned around and bowed deeply to Zhu Cilang: "Your Highness, the Crown Prince, Linhuai Marquis Li Zushu did not think about sharing the country's worries, but instead did such a treasonous thing!"
"I think this man should be beheaded!"
Ni Yuanlu's words shocked everyone present.
Li Zushu stared with disbelief on his face.
He didn't believe that these words came from Ni Yuanlu's mouth.
But the facts were right in front of him and he couldn't question them.
Immediately afterwards, a huge fear instantly occupied Li Zushu's heart.
The fear came from Ni Yuanlu.
If these words were spoken by Zhu Cilang, he would not be afraid, because Zhu Cilang's character determined that he was not a killer.
But Ni Yuanlu is different.
He was not only the prince's teacher, but also his adviser.
Zhu Cilang always obeys his words!
"Ni Yuanlu, you...you are talking nonsense!" Li Zushu was so scared that his voice trembled.
"Your Highness," Li Zushu looked at Zhu Cilang again, "Everything I said is true. If Your Highness doesn't believe me, you can order someone to investigate."
Zhu Cilang doesn't want to investigate, nor will he send anyone to investigate.
He just needed to find solid evidence that Li Zushu resisted the new policy.
After thinking for a while, Zhu Cilang ordered: "Take Linhuai Hou away first and wait for his punishment."
"Yes!" Four guards took Linhuai Hou Li Zushu out and locked him up.
Soon, Zhu Cilang and Ni Yuanlu were the only ones left in the hall.
Zhu Cilang asked worriedly, "Sir, will this cause resistance from the nobles in Nanjing?"
Ni Yuanlu didn't say anything, but shook his head.
Zhu Cilang guessed: "Sir, what you mean is... no?"
"I mean I don't know!"
"Ah?" Zhu Cilang opened his mouth wide, "Then...what if the nobles unite to harm the court or us?"
"Don't panic, Your Highness! His Majesty is able to make plans and win battles thousands of miles away. He must have prepared a backup plan in advance." Ni Yuanlu comforted.
"I hope so!" Zhu Cilang answered helplessly.
Chongzhen did prepare a backup plan, and two of them.
One was Zheng Chenggong, who fought against bandits and pirates near Nanzhili.
One was Li Dingguo who was training troops in Huguang.
If the nobles in Nanjing dared to turn against him and cause trouble, he would order Zheng and Li to rush to Nanjing for assistance by water and land respectively.
Therefore, Chongzhen was not afraid of the Nanjing nobles causing trouble.
on the contrary.
He was afraid that the Nanjing nobles would cause trouble.
No one can kill people if no one causes trouble.
Reforms without bloodshed are unlikely to yield results.
The kindness of a gentleman will be cut off after five generations!
What happened in the Six Dynasties? All it did was become a private conspiracy of one family!
If a group of people were not killed, the achievements of the Ming Dynasty's reform would eventually be reaped by a few aristocratic families.
One more thing.
No reform or change can be successful overnight.
At least ten years, at most several decades.
Only when those who resist the reform grow old and the children influenced by the reform grow up, will the reform have a mass base and succeed.
The news that Zhu Cilang had imprisoned Linhuai Marquis Li Zushu quickly spread.
The entire city of Nanjing began to be in turmoil.
Especially the nobles in Nanjing, they did not expect Zhu Cilang to suddenly intervene in the currency reform.
What he didn't expect was that Zhu Cilang, who had always been weak, would suddenly become tough.
The changes before and after made the nobles feel uneasy.
The Mansion of the Earl of Sincerity.
Liu Kongzhao hid in the study, feeling uneasy.
Xincheng Earl's Mansion.
Zhao Zhilong tossed and turned in bed.
Funing Marquis Mansion.
Zhu Guobi was like an ant on hot pot, pacing back and forth with his hands behind his back.
The Duke's Mansion of the State of Wei.
Xu Wenjue pulled up his trousers and walked to the table, lighting a cigarette under Mrs. Wei's resentful gaze.
Late that night.
The four men disguised themselves and met in a hidden room in the brothel.
Liu Kongzhao, the Marquis of Chengyi, arrived at the scene first.
From time to time he opened the door and looked out through the gap, his expression tense and serious.
After a while, footsteps were heard outside the door.
Zhu Guobi, Marquis of Funing, Zhao Zhilong, Earl of Xincheng, and Xu Wenjue, Duke of Wei, arrived one after another.
After everyone sat down, there was silence for a while.
Zhu Guobi, Marquis of Funing, coughed lightly and spoke first: "Everyone, have you heard about the incident involving Li Zushu, Marquis of Linhuai?"
"I heard about it." Zhao Zhilong replied.
"Of course I know. Everyone in Nanjing knows it." Xu Wenjue responded.
"Alas," Zhu Guobi sighed, "Your Highness the Crown Prince's move is obviously intended to kill the chicken to scare the monkey! If we don't cooperate with the court to exchange the silver for Ming Yuanbao, the next person to be arrested may be one of you and me."
The others were silent again.
They realized that the currency reform had become an unstoppable tide that was coming in waves and could not be stopped.
Anything that stands in the way will be submerged and crushed by the tide.
After a long time, Liu Kongzhao asked, "Brother Zhu, have you heard of something?"
"What's the matter?" Zhu Guobi raised his head and asked.
"Li Zushu met the prince and went to Daming Money House to give him a large amount of silver!" Liu Kongzhao said.
"I have heard of this!" Zhu Guobi rolled his eyes after he finished speaking, and suddenly smiled meaningfully: "What a good method, it is indeed a good method."
"Why are you laughing, Brother Zhu?" Liu Kongzhao continued to ask.
Others also cast inquiring glances.
Zhu Guobi smiled and asked everyone: "Do you know who is the real owner behind Daming Money House?"
"Is there any need to ask? Everyone knows that Daming Money House belongs to the current emperor!" Zhao Zhilong replied.
"That's right!" Zhu Guobi's smile remained unchanged. "Whether it's Daming Bank or other banks, they all value reputation the most!"
"I don't need to explain how important reputation is to a bank, right?"
"If you deposit silver in a bank, you have to pay silver when you withdraw it! If you deposit Ming Yuanbao in a bank, you have to pay Ming Yuanbao when you withdraw it! Otherwise... your reputation will be ruined!"
Liu Kongzhao suddenly realized: "I understand!"
"The New Deal is the spear! The Ming Dynasty Bank is the shield!"
"As long as we deposit the silver into the Daming Bank and don't keep any silver in the palace, the prince won't be able to find evidence that we are resisting the new policy."
"For the sake of their reputation, the bank will not force us to exchange our silver into Ming Yuanbao."
"If the prince wants to implement new policies, he can only cause trouble for the money houses!"
"And His Majesty is behind the bank!"
"Your Highness is using a spear to attack a shield!"
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