Jiajing Chengming

Chapter 172 The royal guards went out and fired at those who were crying in the temple!
After hearing this, Li Bing took Zhang Bin and several veteran cavalrymen from the Weiwu Camp of the Zhengde Dynasty and entered Nanjing City first and headed for Jiangning County School.

"Step aside!"

"Step aside!"

The hurried sound of horse hooves, accompanied by the voices of Li Bing and others scolding passers-by, soon echoed in the streets of Nanjing.

And pedestrians avoided it.

at the same time.

Zhou Shangwen also led the main force of the Yongwei Battalion to Nanjing City in full armor and weapons.

Let’s talk.

Jiangning County School is here.

After Ouyang Yu and other scholars cried in the temple, more and more scholars and common people gathered here to cry in the temple.

Many scholars and even retired officials brought their family slaves here to cry, crying about Emperor Xiaozong, crying about the treacherous officials in power in the court, and crying about the harsh policies that harmed the people.

Ordinary wealthy families, urban artisans, ordinary hired workers, and even the servants of the noble families all cried.

Because the adjustment of the land clearance and silver exchange ratio did cause them to lose their interests.

after all……

The hidden fields of many wealthy families were discovered.

Many hired workers and urban artisans also saw their incomes reduced because the big landowners used the excuse of heavy taxes to lower prices.

Moreover, the adjustment of the silver exchange ratio changed the tax policy that was previously beneficial to Nanzhi.

Therefore, these people are resentful of the current new policy.

In addition, once the scholars instigated and talked about the corrupt officials who stole and sold official grain, shielded each other, and harmed the people, they all started to think that the Xiaozong era was very good and the current government was bad, so they naturally started to cry and complain.

And just waiting for someone to add fuel to the fire at this time, they can organize to attack government offices and carry out looting.

This situation naturally alarmed many bureaucrats and gentry.

County Magistrate Lin Tingxian no longer dared to go out and paced anxiously in the inner courtyard of the county government office.

Yingtian prefect Zhao Wenkui had just met Zhu Xizhou yesterday and frankly admitted that he had stolen and sold government grain, and begged Zhu Xizhou to show leniency for his uncle's sake. However, Zhu Xizhou did not agree and just told him to wait for punishment. So he did not sleep well the whole night. Until the next day, when he learned that someone was hanged in the Jiangning County Court and many scholars and people were crying in the temple, he became even more distracted and did not go out the whole day. He just hid in the government office, praying to the gods.

Retired Vice Minister Fang Ning and Nanjing Right Vice-Chief Censor Ren Jian and other officials and gentry rushed here first after learning about this.

Ren Jian also advised the scholars and people who were crying in the temple: "Everyone, please leave first. Crying in the temple is inappropriate. If you have any grievances, you can go to the government office, the governor's office, or even the Censorate! Crying for Emperor Xiaozong here will be suspected of questioning His Majesty and slandering the court!"

"They are a bunch of traitors, working together like a team. How can we file a complaint?"

"We can only cry in the temple and complain to the late emperor about this harsh policy that has harmed the people!"

Scholar Ouyang Yu replied loudly.

"That's right!"

"The treacherous officials are amassing wealth without limit, raising taxes and clearing farmland, in order to drive us, the people of Yingtian, to death!"

"Where can we go to complain? We might as well ask the late emperor's spirit for help!"

Another scholar, Li Yi, also spoke up, and couldn't help wiping away tears as he spoke.

Fang Ning then advised, "You can't say that. It is necessary to clean up the land. According to the teachings of our ancestors, the court should clean up the land and re-compile the Yellow Book every ten years. Now it has not been cleaned up for many years. Your Majesty has just ascended the throne. Cleaning up the land and population in the world and counting the number of households is in accordance with the ancestral system. It is also to alleviate the people's difficulties, prevent large households from annexing each other, and prevent the common people from bearing too heavy taxes."

"You can't fail to understand this, especially scholars. Since you are learning from the teachings of the saints, you should understand that this is the foundation of long-term peace and stability."

"Besides, this land survey was also carried out because our Yingtian Prefecture's Jiage storehouse was burned down, so the court had no choice but to do this!"

"Yes!"

"The tax increase you're talking about isn't really a tax increase. It's just an adjustment to the silver conversion ratio, which is adjusted based on the fluctuation of grain prices. It's just that grain prices are low right now, so relatively speaking, taxes have been increased!"

"If you think paying silver is a tax, you can pay in cash!"

“Why do you want to slander the imperial court for raising taxes?”

"As a meritorious official who once overthrew the powerful eunuch Liu Jin, the reforms that Yang Gelao presided over were not really to learn from Wang Anshi, but also to benefit the people. After all, the reshaping of the money system requires the return of silver. You must understand Yang Gelao, and even more so, understand the court and the emperor's determination to govern the country."

Ren Jian continued speaking.

Both of them tried their best to persuade them, speaking for the imperial court and for Yang Yiqing who was in charge of the reform in the central court.

Zhu Qi, a plainclothes Jinyiwei who rushed over after hearing the news, couldn't help but think that these two people were loyal ministers. Otherwise, they would not have stood on the side of the court so righteously to persuade these people who were crying in the temple when their own interests were seriously damaged.

However, he had received class education in the Prince Xing's Palace since childhood, and his cognition was much more open-minded than that of ordinary scholars and common people. He still did not dare to fully believe that these two people were loyal ministers. He just watched their performance quietly, thinking in his heart how to best confirm it.

The Nanjing assistant garrison commander Liang Yongfu, Nanjing Minister of Rites Wang Jun and the other two gathered together after hearing from the Nanjing garrison eunuch Liao Tang about people hanging themselves in the county government office and crying in the temple.

“The time has finally come!”

Wang Junxian said this with a smile.

Liao Tang followed with a smile and said, "Yeah, it's time for us to join in the fun."

Liang Yongfu also nodded and smiled: "It's time to let our new emperor know that Nanjing is not Beijing!"

then.

Wang Jun, Liao Tang and Liang Yongfu also came to the crying temple together.

Crying temple here.

After the officials Ren Jian and Fang Ning persuaded, the scholar Ouyang Yu spoke first:
"Even if the new imperial policy was not originally harsh, it became harsh under the manipulation of the treacherous official Zhu Xizhou!"

"As long as the court does not bring Zhu Xizhou and his accomplices Zhao Wenkui and Lin Tingxian to justice, we will not pay taxes!"

"That's right!"

"We have solid evidence that Yingtian Prefecture Governor Zhao Wenkui stole and sold government grain! And the fact that Lin Tingxian beat civilians to death and forced a woman to death is known to everyone in the city!"

"And they dare to do so boldly because Zhu Xizhou protected and instigated them!"

Scholar Li Yi followed up.

"This Zhu Xizhou sold out his fellow villagers in order to curry favor with the treacherous officials, and that's how he got his current high position!"

"He is a complete villain, hypocritical, mean, greedy and vicious. With him around, no reform can be carried out."

"Brother Ouyang, you are right. If the imperial court doesn't kill Zhu Xizhou, we won't pay taxes!"

The scholar Xu Cheng understood what was meant, and at this moment, he criticized Zhu Xizhou by name.

"If you don't kill Zhu Xizhou, we won't pay taxes!" "If you don't kill Zhu Xizhou, we won't pay taxes!"

for a while.

The soldiers and civilians shouted loudly.

Although……

The original reason they cried in the temple was that they opposed the reform, but they also knew that they could not oppose it openly, so they also needed a specific target to hate and denounce.

And Zhu Xizhou became the target.

It seemed that they had agreed long ago to make Zhu Xizhou a specific target for denunciation.

As for why it was Zhu Xizhou?

Because Zhu Xizhou broke the rule that villagers should not betray the party, and also because Zhu Xizhou was the highest executor of this reform.

and so……

As long as Zhu Xizhou met a miserable end, the subsequent governors would either take the initiative to compromise with these local forces or be defeated in the same way, and the reform would not be able to proceed.

As to whether Zhu Xizhou actually embezzled money, it is naturally unimportant.

Right and wrong always have to give way to pros and cons.

Boom!

Boom!

When Li Bing, Zhang Bin and other cavalrymen arrived, they saw that there were so many people here and they were shouting loudly, so they fired a few shots into the air.

After hearing the gunshots, the soldiers and civilians became much quieter.

At this time, Li Bing stood on his horse, holding the flag of the Emperor's personal army, and shouted, "Our commander-in-chief has ordered that if you have grievances, you can report them to the higher authorities, even to the Censorate, but you cannot cry in the temple! Crying in the temple is to express dissatisfaction with the current emperor, just like calling the current emperor a tyrant. For the time being, I will consider that you are ignorant and naive, and have been instigated by others and do not understand the seriousness of the situation. I will only give you a temporary warning. If you insist on not leaving, don't blame the king's army for being ruthless!"

At this time, Ren Jian took the initiative to walk towards Li Bing, bowed and asked:
"Where's General Zhou?"

"Our Marshal is still behind."

Li Bing quickly got off the horse and replied.

"If you can avoid sending the royal army, then don't do it. The people's resentment is all due to corrupt officials who abuse their power for personal gain and pervert the law. We, the local officials, are trying our best to persuade them, so please don't kill people, so as not to hurt the elegance and harmony of Jiangnan."

"Yes, to avoid a bigger conflict!"

Fang Ning also bowed and tried to persuade him.

Li Bing also returned the salute and said, "Our commander-in-chief has no intention of exacerbating the conflict, but the premise is that they really listen to advice and are willing to abide by the rules. The whole world belongs to the king. If they really want to rebel, we can only rectify the government."

"It's them!"

But this time.

Ouyang Yu suddenly pointed at Li Bing and shouted, "They, the Yongwei Camp, killed Lords Jin and Hu. They are in cahoots with the treacherous official Zhu Xizhou!"

"That's right!"

"What kind of royal teachers are they? They are nothing but treacherous officials who murder loyal officials. They are here to forge an imperial decree and pretend to be royal teachers!"

Li Yi followed up.

"Kill them!"

I don’t know who shouted first.

Suddenly.

Many people rushed towards Li Bing and other cavalrymen.

Whoosh!
Whoosh!
A more powerful arrow suddenly came from the air.

As an experienced old cavalryman, Li Bing was quite sharp and turned his head to avoid the attack.

Zhang Bin also dodged.

But the other three cavalrymen were hit by arrows.

Two were shot in the arms and legs, while another was shot in the neck and fell to the ground.

"what!"

The two injured ones screamed.

"Inverted!"

Li Bing couldn't help but shout, and then hurriedly helped the injured person up.

But at this moment, many soldiers and civilians rushed in like a flood and drowned them in the crowd.

then.

Li Bing, Zhang Bin and others were beaten and kicked by these soldiers and civilians.

"What are you doing!"

"Don't you know this is a rebellion?"

Ren Jian smiled secretly, then pretended to be anxious and shouted.

Fang Ning was also secretly proud of himself, and shouted: "You are really lawless! These are the personal guards!"

"Take them to the temple and confess their crimes to it!"

Ouyang Yu shouted at this time.

Many scholars and civilians therefore loudly declared their approval, and Li Bing and others were actually taken to the filial piety temple and forced to kneel down.

Even though Li Bing and his men were good at fighting, they could not withstand the large numbers of soldiers and civilians. In addition, there were also elite military officials and servants in plain clothes who secretly participated in the fight, making it impossible for them to resist.

"You are so brave!"

"Who told you to do this?!"

Fortunately, that time.

A man came with a large number of soldiers and horses.

(End of this chapter)