Zhu Yuanzhang Returns from Modern Times

Chapter 150 Slaughtering heads in droves, beheading sea merchants like cutting grass

In Suzhou, as Prince Yan Zhu Di led his army into the city, he immediately dispatched men to raid homes and arrest people.

It suddenly became even more lively...

"Don't panic, stay calm, nothing will happen."

The popular uprising in Suzhou has nothing to do with us.

It's the emperor's side that's being unreasonable, but we haven't been told here that we can't open workshops or do business.

There were just some things that caused a delay.

It was these lowly peasants who wanted to cause trouble.

We were not involved in this whole affair from beginning to end.

Even if it were the emperor's own son, or even if the emperor himself came, he would still have to reason with him.

We should also explain it in detail.

It's impossible to smear someone's innocence without cause!

In a rather luxurious mansion.

In a hurried moment, the wealthy merchant had just changed out of his silk clothes and into plain clothes.

He spoke up, looking at his rather flustered family members.

His voice was filled with confidence.

He is truly confident.

Regarding the plan that Li Sanshi had told them beforehand.

He had absolute faith.

Even now, I still think it was a brilliant plan.

This incident is exactly as he described.

They haven't done anything wrong here.

It's nothing more than closing the workshop; it hasn't reopened since after the Lunar New Year.

It's those lowly people who can't survive and can't live their lives properly, so they have to do such things.

They were merely acting covertly, quietly fanning the flames and adding fuel to the fire in these matters.

The people who are now causing a popular uprising are peasants, not their family.

They are absolutely obedient and good people.

Their family is wealthy, but they are not the kind of people who are rich but heartless.

They've done a lot of work repairing bridges and paving roads on a regular basis.

They are willing to provide some porridge and rice when disaster strikes.

In the surrounding villages, everyone says that their family is a family that accumulates good deeds.
Their family has a reputation for being virtuous and kind, and they weren't really involved in this matter.

Even if the emperor's own son came, he could only take action against the rioters who were causing trouble in front of him.

We won't lay a hand on them.

There is no reason or evidence to be found.

As long as they don't attack their own family, things will be much easier.

Although these rioters were of lowly status, they were quite powerful when they came together.

Once things escalate, the more Zhu Emperor's sons come here and kill, the more disheartened the common people will become.

The bigger the mess, the more chaos it will cause.

If this continues for a long time, more and more people will get involved.

The government and the public will inevitably feel great dissatisfaction with the Maritime Trade Office.

More and more people will oppose the Maritime Trade Office.

Thus, the matter can be considered accomplished.

This would completely extinguish the emperor's desire to establish a maritime trade office.

On their side, they do business as usual and make big money as they please.

It's just that a few more lowly people died!
These lowly people, they're dead, so be it.

The lives of the lowest caste are the least valuable.

The deaths of some skilled laborers will affect profits in the short term.

But the impact wasn't that significant.

If their workshop reopens in the future, countless people will surely be willing to come here to work and earn money.

With more practice, you'll become more proficient.

The Ming Dynasty lacked everything except people.

Especially since we don't lack these peasants.

As long as I'm willing to spend money, countless lowly people will come to work for me and earn money for me.

They earn money for themselves and are grateful that they are given a chance to eat.

Since it's our own home, we can still do some work like repairing bridges and paving roads.

By bestowing small favors, one gains a reputation for virtue that extends to the surrounding villages and towns, and ultimately, one's own family benefits.

Zhu Yuanzhang, that inhuman emperor, was destined to lose!

They had the audacity to establish the Maritime Trade Office, thinking that since he was the emperor, he could make them bow down and be powerless against him.
He's really overthinking things!

Hearing this man's words, the family members, who were in a state of panic because Zhu Di had led his troops into the city, were relieved.

They felt that what their husband said was absolutely right.

Things turned out exactly as their master had said.

The fault doesn't lie with them.

Even the imperial court must be reasonable and cannot act recklessly or unreasonably.

Even if the Prince of Yan, Zhu Laosi, wanted to get angry, all he could do was kill some lowly commoners.

Once this thought arose, I felt a sense of clarity in my mind, and I was just waiting to watch the changing world unfold.

They simply watched as the emperor and these lowly people fought, robbed, and killed each other.

They reap the benefits here.

This game is in the bag!

They definitely win!
Just then, a large number of armored soldiers arrived in a great rush.

With a loud bang, the closed door was suddenly kicked open.

Dust fell in a soft rustling sound.

Fully armed soldiers filed in.

The businessman, who was brimming with confidence, froze instantly with a wide smile.

"What are you doing? What are you doing!"
Someone shouted angrily.

“Sun Tinggui incited the people to rebel, which is an unforgivable crime!”
The entire family will be beheaded!

The centurion who arrived spoke sternly, his voice full of authority.

Boom! ! !
These words were like a thunderclap from the heavens.

This news struck the heart of the wealthy businessman surnamed Chen and all his family members present.

Many of them felt their heads were buzzing.

I feel extremely dizzy.

Unforgivable crimes? The entire family was killed?

How could something like this possibly happen to them?

Wasn't it agreed that they would perfectly hide behind the scenes this time and not be discovered?
Didn't we agree that we could sit back and watch the storm unfold, reaping the benefits without lifting a finger?

So, after Zhu Di, the fourth son of the Prince of Yan, led his troops into the city with great momentum, shouldn't the most important thing he have done immediately be to lead his troops to kill those peasants?
Shouldn't we have all those who rebelled and caused trouble been killed?

Why are they now turning around and arresting them?
Is this... a mistake?
"Sir, you...you've made a mistake."

Our family did not rebel or cause any disturbances, nor did we incite any unrest.

We are a kind family, and everyone in the surrounding villages knows how good we are.

They've never neglected anything—building bridges and repairing roads, distributing porridge and providing relief.

We would never do something like inciting the people to rebel and cause chaos!

"Yeah! Yeah! We can't do that!"
"Sir, you must have made a mistake."

They began to explain.

But the centurions who came to carry out the mission wouldn't listen to their explanations.
As the saying goes, when a scholar meets a soldier, reason is useless.

Moreover, these people weren't scholars, so they didn't have such eloquence.

Moreover, what they did was not in the right.

The leading centurion was not given a single unnecessary word.

With a wave of his hand, the armored soldiers who had come forward sprang into action.

"Don't move... Ah..."

Some people are used to being assertive and want to rebel at this time.

He was killed on the spot.

The remaining people immediately became much more obedient...

Looking at the glaring blood on the ground, at himself being captured, and at his family.

Not long ago, they were full of confidence, thinking they were sure to win against the maritime merchants, but now they feel dizzy and disoriented.

That damned emperor, Zhu Laosi, may he die a horrible death!

How dare you act so disregarding the rules!

We really didn't give ourselves away.

But instead of arresting the rioters, they arrested us first and sentenced us to death. This is unacceptable!
It was only at this moment that he suddenly realized that things were different.

I realized that I couldn't reason with just anyone or about everything.

Especially when it comes to rebellion, the emperor can be unreasonable.

This was a miscalculation, and the losses are too great!
Zhu Hongwu and that Zhu family brat, Zhu Laosi, are far too ruthless!

How dare they do such a thing!
Shock, regret, fear, and many other thoughts arose in my mind...

Similar scenes were happening in many places in Suzhou.

Merchants, wealthy families, and those hidden behind the scenes.

The soldiers broke down the door and arrested the person.

Anyone who dares to resist will be killed on the spot.

These people were stunned, and many were terrified.

No one expected that the emperor would be so ruthless in this matter!

Even Zhu Laosi, the emperor's son, is so unreasonable!

It was clearly the peasants who instigated the unrest.

But that pig-brain Zhu Laosi, after arriving here, didn't distinguish right from wrong and attacked these honest and kind people first.

Such cruel methods!

This is completely different from what they thought.

At this moment, many people thought of what Li Sanshi had said before.

The emperor could not do without maritime merchants, nor without these people.

The fact that I summoned them to the Heavenly Realm Temple and met them in person is the best testimonial.

But what's going on now?

Is this how the emperor can't live without them?
Is this a sign that they dare not kill them?

Did the emperor not consider how he would run the Maritime Trade Office after ruthlessly killing himself and others like this?

Many wealthy and well-known figures in Suzhou Prefecture and even the entire Jiangnan region were taken outside the Suzhou Prefecture government office and beheaded.

In an instant, heads rolled and corpses littered the ground.

The stench of blood was so strong it was almost overwhelming.

Having reached this point, kneeling on the ground to be stabbed, countless people will regret their actions.

The commotion outside, and the smell of blood, could not be blocked even by the high walls.

The news reached the government office.

Zhu Di didn't care at all.

And they felt that these people all deserved to die, and that killing them was not unjust at all.

These maritime merchants had long since become extremely wealthy and powerful.

Their own father, the Emperor, condescended to personally seek them out and discuss the matter, having already obtained evidence of their crimes from the brothers Wu Zhen and Wu Liang.

Instead of killing them outright, they were given so many opportunities.

But these people don't appreciate it!

Since you want so much, you're not only refusing to listen to reason, but also daring to incite rebellion.

Then let's all just die!

Father is right. We cannot be soft-hearted towards these people.

They should be killed properly.

If they don't kill a few more people, they won't know who really calls the shots in this world.

They simply didn't know how things were done.

Do you really think that without the Maritime Trade Office, we can't handle foreign trade?

These bastards think too highly of them!
Since that's the case, let's give them a good wake-up call!
The key to this local uprising lies with these smuggling merchants.

They were dealt with.

Then many things will go smoothly from now on.

We need to get to the root of the problem.

Zhu Di didn't find dealing with these maritime merchants particularly difficult.

If we really get serious with them, these guys won't be able to cause much trouble.

They're just a flock of lambs to the slaughter.

At this point, the more than 10,000 weavers and others who had been mobilized were in a rather troublesome situation.

These are the people their father, the emperor, cares about most.

At the same time, he is also the person I care about most.

"Your Highness, let me appeal to their emotions and reason with them, explaining the advantages and disadvantages to them."

These weavers and others were all taken advantage of by people with ulterior motives.

Many of them did not intend to rebel.

Instead, they were deceived and coerced by people with ulterior motives.

I am willing to go and persuade them to recognize their mistakes.

Zheng Shiyuan looked at Zhu Di and spoke, his expression sincere yet filled with anxiety.

He was terrified that once the Prince of Yan arrived, he would indiscriminately kill without distinguishing right from wrong, and wreak havoc.

They also took care of the weavers and other workers.

The trouble that has arisen in Suzhou this time is truly significant.

They've killed all the officials.

Rebellion has always been highly valued by the imperial court, especially the emperor.

They will be dealt with strictly and severely.

How do you plan to persuade them?

Zhu Di's voice was neither warm nor cold, revealing no emotion whatsoever.

Zheng Shiyuan said: Your Highness, I am willing to go alone to meet these people.

Explain the pros and cons to them.

Your Majesty has discovered that the reason these people are so easily misled is primarily because many malicious individuals deliberately slander the court's decision to establish the Maritime Trade Office.

They attributed all the reasons why the workshop was not operating to this.

The Maritime Trade Office was demonized.

Newspapers still don't have enough reach, and there are still too few literate people.

Most of these workers were illiterate.

In addition, many people with ulterior motives deliberately spread fabricated false information.

Many people have been deceived.

Your humble servant went to explain the situation to them, and Your Highness also led troops to Suzhou, severely damaging the morale of the rebels.

They will surely understand.

Upon hearing Zheng Shiyuan's words, Zhu Di, who had been looking serious, suddenly smiled.

"Are you worried that I'll kill all of them too?"

Having his thoughts exposed, Zheng Shiyuan looked somewhat embarrassed.

"Don't worry, I would never do that."

When I left the capital, my father told me this.

The root cause of the problems in Suzhou, Songjiang, Hangzhou, and other places does not lie with these people.

Rather, it lies with those maritime merchants.

Ordinary people have few channels to obtain information.

Many of the sources are things I heard about from other people.

These maritime merchants, as well as many of the workshop owners, were all people they knew.

The weavers and others were more likely to believe what they said.

In this incident, the ones who truly deserve to die are not the ordinary people who were deceived and exploited, but those seemingly respectable but actually wicked maritime merchants.

We need to distinguish who is right and who is wrong.

Upon hearing Zhu Di's words, Zheng Shiyuan breathed a sigh of relief.

The unease in my heart must also completely disappear.

What he feared most was that rebellion was too sensitive a topic.

The emperor imposed a severe punishment.

If that happens, it will inevitably result in a bloodbath.

It was not unjust at all that so many maritime merchants were killed.

But it would be too heartbreaking if many people who depended on working in the workshops died because of this.

Fortunately, his worst fears did not come true.

Both His Majesty and Prince Yan have shown great tolerance towards the people.

They are willing to think about the people's needs.

"On behalf of these people, your humble servant thanks Your Majesty for your divine grace."

"I thank Your Highness for your kindness."

Zheng Shiyuan kowtowed to Zhu Di.

Zhu Di smiled and helped Zheng Shiyuan up.

"Shiyuan, you don't need to do this."

My father once said that the people are the foundation of the Ming Dynasty.

Everything should be based on people, and on the people.

Whether you're an official or an emperor, you must stand with the people.

We must always remember the hardships people face and the difficulties they endure.

We must come from the people and go back to the people.

My father and I both know the truth about what happened this time.

Therefore, these innocent civilians will certainly not be killed indiscriminately; they will be dealt with properly.

Are the people the foundation of a nation?

Is everything centered on people?

From the people, to the people?
This... Zheng Shiyuan felt as if he had been struck by lightning.

These words, while novel, are also thought-provoking.

"Let's go, let's go take a look together."

Zhu Di looked at Zheng Shiyuan, greeted him, and stood up.

Zheng Shiyuan was stunned for a moment, clearly not expecting that Prince Yan, Zhu Di, would actually go along.

"Your Highness, your status is so noble, please let me handle this matter."

Upon hearing this, Zhu Di shook his head and said:

"What do you mean by noble or not noble?"
They're all individuals; I wouldn't dare let you go by yourself.

There's a lot I don't understand about the Maritime Trade Office, so I'll need your help a lot in the future.

If anything were to happen to you, I'd be swamped with worry.

"Let's go together, let's go together."

After hearing Zhu Di's words, Zheng Shiyuan's opinion of Prince Yan, Zhu Di, improved.

Your Majesty has indeed fathered some fine sons!
Thinking this way, a few more ideas suddenly came to mind.

His Majesty's son is so outstanding that he has been enfeoffed as a prince.

From now on, all the kings must go to their fiefdoms.

Now His Majesty clearly trusts the Prince of Yan and has entrusted him with important responsibilities.

The power in the hands of the Prince of Yan will inevitably increase, and the Prince of Yan is a capable man.

Well... in the future, I'm afraid... it might cause some unnecessary trouble.

Such thoughts arose in my mind.

Zheng Shiyuan shook his head to himself, trying to stop thinking about it.

The most important thing now is to get through this difficult time.

The popular uprising was completely resolved.

……

"I am Zhu Di, the Prince of Yan."

This man was named Zheng Shiyuan, the Deputy Director of the Maritime Trade Office.

You are probably familiar with his name.

The former prefect of Fengyang, who was in charge of handling affairs in Zhongdu, was the one who redressed grievances for countless people.

Under the torchlight, Zhu Di, dressed in a dragon robe, looked at the more than 10,000 rioting weavers who had been surrounded by Ming soldiers and spoke.

Zheng Shiyuan, along with many of his soldiers, secretly broke out in a cold sweat upon witnessing this scene.

They were all prepared to rush forward at any moment and become the scapegoat for Prince Yan, Zhu Di.

What Qiu Fu and the others were thinking was that His Highness the Prince of Yan was so close to these rioters.

If anything were to happen to them, they would all lose their lives.

Zheng Shiyuan's thought was that if His Highness the Prince of Yan had truly met with an accident, then these more than ten thousand people would likely not survive.

And at that very moment, amidst the horde of rioting people, someone began to move…

(End of this chapter)