Zhu Yuanzhang Returns from Modern Times

Chapter 149 Taste the Iron Fist of Feudalism!
In the city of Suzhou, a tense atmosphere prevailed.

The chaos spread rapidly.

Even though these clearly organized rioters behaved relatively well in many ways.

But this actually happened.

The impact on Suzhou city was particularly significant.

All shops and businesses were closed, and apart from a very few brave individuals, most households kept their doors and windows tightly shut.

I dare not wander around outside.

They were terrified of being dragged into it and losing their lives.

Even if you don't lose your life, you'll get into big trouble.

"These people are courting death! What kind of sins have they committed?"

To dare do such a thing at this time, do they really think Old Man Zhu's knife isn't sharp enough?
Is it because they felt that Old Zhu had killed fewer people in Jiangnan before?

"Only a few years have passed, and you've already forgotten the pain?"

An elderly man at home shook his head.

“These people are all righteous people, and their actions are all righteous.”

If it weren't for the imperial court's insistence on establishing the Maritime Trade Office, which was too restrictive and increased taxation to six out of ten, so many people wouldn't have been able to survive.

How could people like Liao Yishi possibly rally so many people to demand justice?
This time it's clear that the emperor is being incompetent and doesn't care about the lives of so many people.

That's why this happened in the end!

"I told you to read more books and newspapers, but you never do it."

Look at what's written on this!
Are those people unable to survive?
Is there no profit to be made?

No!

They want to earn more; they've gotten used to smuggling.

They're unwilling to pay taxes to the imperial court anymore!

As the old man spoke, he took out a newspaper and slapped it into the young man's hand.

"Look carefully and read it properly!"

The young man was eager to leave, but his grandfather stopped him firmly.

Hearing what the old man said, she reluctantly took the newspaper and began to read it.

After reading for a while, he put down the newspaper with some surprise and looked at the old man, saying:

"Grandpa, how can these people make so much money?"
With 60% tax, how can there still be so much profit to be made?
"This...the imperial court is just talking nonsense, isn't it?"

"Don't talk nonsense!"

The old man couldn't hold back any longer and cursed out loud.

"That's how these people make money."
Do you think they're all well-fed and rolling in money? Where did they get their money from?

The profits from overseas operations are beyond imagination.

The imperial court had already calculated how much money they could make and how much profit they could generate.

According to the imperial court, they did not earn as much as before.

But you definitely won't lose money.

It's even higher than those doing business domestically.

But they were still not satisfied.

They insisted that the imperial court was making it impossible for them to survive.

He ordered the workshop to be shut down.

Work is not starting.

What is the purpose of this?
The purpose is to make these workers anxious, flustered, and prone to making mistakes.

This would force the court to make concessions.

Otherwise, do you think it would have caused such a big stir so quickly?
How could so many people join so quickly?

And look at what they're saying and the slogans they're chanting. Could ordinary weavers and the like produce such things?

Use your brain!

You're not getting any younger, stop spending all your time hanging out with people here.

Let's get down to business!
Otherwise, you might die without even knowing how you died!

It could even implicate the whole family.

This whole thing was just those people stirring things up behind the scenes, inciting a lot of weavers and others, using them as pawns to make trouble.

But Old Zhu was too ruthless.

In your early years, after Zhang Shicheng's defeat, what kind of fate befell Jiangnan? You were too young then to remember clearly.
But I remember it vividly!
People shouldn't forget the pain once the wound has healed.

Don't think that just because Zhu Yuanzhang became emperor, he's no longer ruthless or cruel.

What they are doing now is tantamount to rebellion.

No dynasty would tolerate such a thing happening!

Moreover, Zhu Yuanzhang, the founding emperor, would certainly not tolerate such a thing.

Those who are hiding behind the scenes should have little problem this time.

But those who are incited and used as pawns are all doomed.

You better stay home and behave yourself!

"If you dare take one step out of here, I'll sever all ties with you and you're no longer my son!"

As the old man spoke, he slammed his cane down hard.

"Grandpa, Grandpa, I won't go out, I won't go out, I'll stay at home obediently."

I'm not going anywhere.

It's unclear whether they were intimidated by the old man's imposing aura or shocked by the terrifying situation he described.

The young man nodded repeatedly, indicating that he would not act recklessly.

……

"Brother Wang, how...how did this happen?"

We just wanted to set a fire and put some pressure on the emperor.

They never intended to attack the county government office or kill the officials.

Inside a courtyard, someone spoke up in a panicked voice.

"Who is this Liao Xing? Which family does he belong to?"
Are you from my place, Brother Wang?

Besides Brother Wang, there's no other family in Suzhou with such great capabilities!

The newcomer, with a serious expression, asked a question to a middle-aged, well-off elderly man.

"I don't know either, don't look at me like that."

Am I so stupid as to cause such a big commotion in Suzhou?

This time, what we're asking for is for the emperor to make concessions.

"I'm not going to do something like that and get myself into trouble!"

"Then...who exactly did this?"

The person who came to inquire was taken aback upon hearing the old man's words, and appeared somewhat exasperated.

“We’ve been used as pawns this time. I think it’s either Li Sanshi who’s behind this.”

It could be Li Youtian, or some other person with ulterior motives.

"Now, there's no clear evidence to be found..."

After these words were spoken, both of them panicked.

Don't be fooled by what they heard Li Sanshi say when they were in the capital.

They all had to follow Li Sanshi's lead and, as Li Sanshi had planned, make the artificial emperor rebel.

But in reality, that's not the case.

Many of these people talked the talk, but in reality, many didn't dare to rebel against Zhu Yuanzhang.

They were more inclined to let people cause more trouble and put pressure on the emperor.

Even if someone rebels, it is hoped that the rebellion will not take place in their own area, but rather in someone else's.

They can then sit back and reap the benefits.

But who could have imagined that the situation would change so drastically?

I wonder if there have been any demonstrations or rebellions in Songjiang Prefecture or Hangzhou.

In Suzhou, on the contrary, they were the first to ignite such a raging fire.

At first, a large number of weavers gathered, and then a large number of people began to riot.

They were still very happy inside.

In fact, many of them are among those present.

But who could have imagined that things would suddenly turn out this way?

They gathered together and went to the government office to demand an explanation, whereupon they stabbed several of the government office's servants to death in public.

We still can't find out who did it.

On the other side of the government office, some of the yamen runners were actually killing these peasants who had gathered together.

After learning about this incident, many people felt that it was a big deal.

Things didn't go as they expected.

They wanted to take action, but the rioters didn't give them a chance at all.

Before they could take any action, they tried their best to put out the fire and prevent things from escalating.

Then Liao Xing appeared.

They commanded the people, swore an oath of blood, shouted slogans, and posted notices.

He then led his men to attack the county government office and publicly executed some of the officials there.

Once something like this happens, the fire will never be extinguished!
Faced with such a situation, how could they not panic?
Besides cursing those damned bastards, there wasn't much else that could be done at this point.

A fire is easy to start burning, but putting it out is not so easy.

In particular, there are those with ulterior motives who are deliberately stirring up trouble and adding fuel to the fire.

They intentionally wanted to escalate the situation.

In that case, things become even more difficult for them.

"Brother Hua, things are getting complicated."

I think we should start making emergency arrangements here immediately.

We'll start work tomorrow.

They allowed the workshops to operate, recruited the lowest social classes, and made people work.

It would be best if the rioters smashed one or two of our workshops.

This is the best solution that the elderly man surnamed Wang can think of right now.

Upon hearing the old man's words, the man referred to as Hua Zhi's younger brother was visibly taken aback.

"Brother Wang, we've agreed to halt construction across all regions to put pressure on the Emperor."

If we start construction here, I'm afraid people will look down on us.

In the future... I'm afraid I won't even be able to do business anymore.

In Suzhou, the original leader was Mr. Yushan.

However, Yu Shanxian had already been killed by Emperor Zhu Hongwu when he was at Tianjie Temple.

After serving as a warning to others, these two are now the only ones in Suzhou who can be considered top-tier in business.

"Brother Huazhi, we can't worry about that now."

This incident was clearly exploited by someone with ulterior motives.

We've been set up. Regardless of whether we did it or not, there's no way to prove it.

If the emperor really wants to cause us trouble...

It's not easy to refuse.

At this point, it was a matter of life and death for us.

The most important thing right now is for us to get through this difficult time as quickly as possible.

Don't risk our lives.

They need to make some statement on this matter as soon as possible.

Let's get rid of us.

Next, Zhu Hongwu's people gave them a big blow.

But that would be bad.

We are all afraid that our lives are in danger.

If you lose your life, you lose everything.

Let alone business matters.

You know what became of Yu Shan Gong, and so do I.

We mustn't follow the same path as Duke Yushan.

The elderly man surnamed Wang seemed somewhat flustered as he said this.

Anxious and corrupt.

They hate those who take advantage of this incident to plot against them and use them as weapons.

They intended to use these weavers and others as tools.

Who would have thought that they too would be used as pawns without anyone noticing!

Just thinking about it makes me feel so frustrated!
After hearing what he said, the man known as Hua Zhi's brother belatedly realized the seriousness of the matter.

It changed color.

"Brother Wang, you're right. We really can't be thinking about business now."

Save your life first.

What a load of rubbish!
Don't let me find out who did this!

"I understand. I'll kill him, even if it costs me my life!"

He shouted curses, filled with resentment.

After saying that, he immediately left the old man surnamed Wang.

Back home, I immediately started preparing for going back to work the next day...

As dusk fell, the neighing of warhorses thundered.

A large contingent of cavalry galloped in.

Now, a popular uprising has occurred in Suzhou.

Liao Xing then shouted some slogans, calling for an attack on the county government office and the execution of officials.

However, the garrison in Suzhou is still there.

The city's defenses are still under the control of the troops in Suzhou.

The Jiangnan region of today is vastly different from the Jiangnan region of the Yuan Dynasty, and from the Jiangnan region decades or even a century or two later.

Their control over the Jiangnan region was significantly stronger at this time than that of the Yuan Dynasty and later dynasties.

Zhu Yuanzhang established garrisons in important places such as Suzhou and Hangzhou to station troops.

Before the unrest occurred, the city's garrison troops and soldiers had received clear orders.

They did not take action against these rioters.

Only defend the important places.

At this moment, a large number of cavalrymen came galloping in, raising clouds of dust.

The garrison commander immediately recognized the newcomer's identity.

The emperor had already informed the fourth prince, Zhu Di, the Prince of Yan, of the position of Director of the Maritime Trade Office, and that the Prince of Yan would be in charge of the Maritime Trade Office.

At this time, such a big commotion has occurred in Suzhou City because of the Maritime Trade Office.

It was perfectly normal for Prince Yan, Zhu Di, to bring his troops.

However, normal is normal.

He immediately verified the documents and confirmed the identities before opening the city gates to let the cavalrymen into the city...

"From this moment on, you will all obey my orders!"

Zhu Di spoke up and took out the relevant documents.

The document was personally signed and issued by Emperor Zhu Yuanzhang.

He granted Zhu Di, the Prince of Yan, temporary control over the troops in the Suzhou, Hangzhou, Songjiang, and other areas.

All soldiers obeyed the orders of the King of Yan.

Upon seeing the Prince of Yan arrive in person, along with his large army and this order, they were deeply moved.

The generals in Suzhou secretly shuddered.

I knew this matter wouldn't be small.

At the same time, there was also a feeling of relief.

A popular uprising broke out in Suzhou Prefecture, and they cannot escape responsibility for it.

This kind of thing is particularly tricky and difficult to handle.

But now that His Highness the Prince of Yan is personally taking charge, things naturally become different.

If the sky falls, the tall ones will hold it up...

"The rioters in this uprising are merely the surface; they are people who have been coerced into joining in."

The real rebels are hiding behind the scenes.

"You are to immediately raid their home and arrest them. Anyone who dares to resist will be killed on the spot!"

After entering the city, Zhu Di did not go to the government office.

Instead, he immediately produced a list and handed it to the soldiers he was leading.

Let everyone split up and act separately.

Upon receiving Zhu Di's order, these soldiers immediately rode their horses to various parts of Suzhou Prefecture.

As for the rioters who gathered together, they were mainly composed of weavers and other similar individuals.

Zhu Di simply dispatched troops to surround the area.

They were confined to an area.

They didn't kill him outright.

I just said to wait a bit.

The wealthy are easy to kill, but these people are the most troublesome to deal with...

After completing these tasks, Zhu Di headed towards the Suzhou government office...

……

"What? The Prince of Yan has entered the city?"
So fast!

Upon hearing the report, the elderly man surnamed Wang broke out in a cold sweat.

This matter is indeed difficult to handle.

We've definitely been set up!

Judging from the fact that the Prince of Yan, the emperor's son, arrived so quickly, it's likely that the court had anticipated this event.

They even went so far as to condone it.

Otherwise, given the military strength of the Suzhou government, it wouldn't be so easy for the peasants in Suzhou to cause trouble in a short period of time.

Li Sanshi, along with himself and many others, intended to take advantage of the civil unrest to carry out their own agenda.

Put pressure on the emperor to make things easier.

But now it seems that the emperor may have intentionally condoned and deliberately allowed them to make a big fuss so that the Maritime Trade Office could be dealt with properly.

This time they really messed up; things have gotten really bad!
The emperor is too cunning!
They originally thought that when they were at Tianjie Temple, the emperor personally summoned them and beat Yushan Gong to death on the spot.

It was the emperor's last resort.

Little did they know that this was just the emperor's initial tactic.

The emperor summoned them and then did a series of things.

I'm afraid that the initial idea wasn't to use this method to get people like me to work honestly.

Rather, it was to put pressure on themselves and others, and to provoke them.

They deliberately drove them to a dead end!
To provoke themselves and others.

This would prevent them from making any unwise moves in the future.

In this way, the bigger the fire gets, the easier it will be for the emperor to intervene.

It's aboveboard and honest, and you don't have to worry about being gossiped about by too many people.

If the emperor were to use the account books he obtained from Wu Zhen and Wu Liang last time to take action against so many of us.

This will definitely cause a huge uproar.

But this time, a popular uprising broke out, and officials were killed. If the emperor were to take drastic measures again, it would be perfectly justified.

Many people were no longer able to criticize the emperor.

Zheng Bo defeated Duan at Yan!
Too insidious, too cunning!

"Quickly, you all go through the back door and escape immediately, hiding your identities!"
Then, taking advantage of the chaos, we fled Suzhou, running as far as we could!

The elderly man surnamed Wang looked at his grandson with a panicked expression and called over his most loyal servant.

Without having time to say more, he had someone take his grandson and leave immediately.

Things aren't so easy to resolve.

Whether it was the sudden intervention of someone stirring things up behind the scenes or the emperor's ruthlessness, this incident far exceeded his expectations...

……

"Gentlemen, what are you doing?"
We are a family of honest and kind people.

We weren't involved in the chaos that broke out in Suzhou.

My husband is getting ready to start work tomorrow.

We must do everything in our power to quell public anger.

We stand with the imperial court.

Members of the Wang family, looking nervously at the approaching troops, offered explanations.

"Wang Dehou rebelled and instigated a popular uprising; his crimes are unforgivable!"

The leading centurion roared and commanded his troops to forcefully break down the gate.

The Wang family panicked instantly.

Some people desperately tried to explain, while others ran away.

Some people tried to resist.

But those who resisted were killed in an instant.

The head of the Wang family, who was expelled, was a highly renowned figure among merchants in Suzhou.

They also hurriedly spoke up to explain, repeatedly saying that they hadn't done it.

However, the soldiers who came did not listen to his explanation at all.

A long spear pierced his body, killing him on the spot...

(End of this chapter)