The next day, after listening to Li Jierong's instigation, the middle-class merchants continued to watch from the sidelines. In their view, the shop is mine and the goods are mine. Whether to sell or not is my freedom and the government has no control over it.
Therefore, the streets that used to be bustling with business were still deserted, and most of the shops were still closed. Even the occasional passers-by were in a hurry. Until noon, which was the deadline set by Wen Renjun, the streets were still empty.
There was no movement, only the occasional autumn wind carried away a few dead leaves on the street.
In Prince Zhou's Mansion, Pang Gang had finished his lunch at this time, and his family was sitting and chatting. Pang Gang, who came from later generations, had never had any rules about women not being allowed to serve at the table, and not talking when eating or sleeping. Even Pang Gang
It didn't change even after he became the king. Therefore, the atmosphere of their family is still very relaxed compared to today's official families. At least the wives and concubines in the family don't have as many intrigues as other wealthy families.
Wei Manting, who had finished confinement, was holding her newborn baby next to Pang Gang. On the other side was Kong Ruolan. She was holding her ten-month-old son who had just been weaned. However, her eldest son was not at all uneasy.
She was alive, dancing and shouting, waving her little hands constantly. Ling'er and Qiao'er, two concubines who were former personal maids, gathered around their former ladies to help take care of them. Chen Yuanyuan and Li Xuezhu were teasing on the side.
With the two little guys, the whole scene looked like a happy one.
At this time, Man Ting was nursing the baby. There were no outsiders at this time, and Man Ting had so many worries, so she sat beside Pang Gang openly. From Pang Gang's point of view, she could see clearly that she had given birth.
The woman is different. Her pair of peaks are obviously a bit bigger, and the two peak tips have also changed from pink to dark red. Her hands are not as strong as before, but they are much softer.
Sensing that her husband was looking at her, Man Tiao straightened her body with some pride. The midday sun shone through the screen window and fell on her jade-like body, forming a gorgeous picture.
I don't know whether it was the midday sun or the girlish shyness that dyed her snow-white skin red, and the green tube top across her chest and abdomen added a bit of pink.
She has not yet recovered after giving birth. Her slightly bulging belly, not only did not ruin her figure, but formed a graceful curve with her enlarged breasts.
The vine in front of him was like a strange mixture of a girl and a mother, both young and mature. That strange beauty made Pang Gang's eyes become extremely hot.
However, Man Ting was born as a lady after all. She couldn't do such a thing in front of all the sisters and maids with her husband in broad daylight. Pang Gang's hot gaze made Man Ting a little embarrassed, and she turned pale with anger.
The husband glanced at her and deliberately diverted his attention and said: "Your Majesty, now that my children are one month old and sister Ruolan's child has also been weaned, shouldn't it be time for you to name your two children?"
Speaking of which, Pang Gang's eldest son is almost one year old, but considering his limited cultural level, Pang Gang originally wanted to wait until his first birthday and invite everyone to have a drink before naming the child, but he really couldn't bear the two daughters-in-law's tough talk.
.Now Wei Manting brought it up again, but Pang Gang couldn't refuse.
Pang Gang pondered for a long time, then nodded and said: "Okay. Let's name our children today, so that you don't always blame your husband for being lazy. In this way, our eldest son will be called Su Peng, and our second son will be called Su Peng.
Su Ming, what do you think?"
"Su Peng? Su Ming?"
Kong Ruolan on the side is also a person who has read poetry and books. After hearing the name her husband wanted to name her son, she pondered for a moment and agreed with a smile: "Shuowen said: When a phoenix flies, the number of birds will follow, so there are tens of thousands of them."
Peng is the word for clique. "Zhuangzi - Xiaoyaoyou" also said: There is a fish in the North Ming Dynasty. Its name is Kun. Kun is so big that I don't know how many thousands of miles it is. When it turns into a bird, its name is Peng. It can be seen that this Peng
The calligraphy is very good, and I like the name given by the prince very much. After saying that, Kong Ruolan smiled at Pang Gang, as touching as a hundred flowers blooming."
Wei Manting, who was sitting aside, also thought about it and asked: "The husband's tripod has an inscription. The person who inscribed it named himself, and he named himself to praise the beauty of his ancestors. Is this what the prince meant by naming his child?"
"sweat!"
Pang Gang wiped his forehead and felt some cold sweat on it. These two names were just mentioned by him casually, but he asked his two daughters-in-law to say them. With so many sources, our Chinese characters are really broad and profound. Any word can be said
There is something special about it. Now, Pang Gang finally understands why there are so many female Ph.D.s and female professors in later generations. It is not always a good thing for emotional women to have too high a degree and too much knowledge. At least this life-long matter will be difficult to solve. This is also
It puts so much pressure on men...
"Sure, as long as you're satisfied."
Seeing that the two daughters-in-law expressed satisfaction with the names of their children, Pang Gang secretly breathed a sigh of relief, and then turned his attention to Chen Yuanyuan and Li Xuezhu. Looking at Li Xuezhu's charming face and plump body, and Chen Yuanyuan's
The picturesque fairy posture made Pang Gang's heart start to move again. He rolled his eyes and was thinking about whether to go back to the room with his two wives to rest while the weather was not too hot, but he didn't wait for him to take action.
, the maid outside came in and reported that she was waiting outside this morning.
"Let him wait, I will leave immediately."
Pang Gang did not let Gu Chen come in. After all, this was an inner house. All his wives and concubines lived in this big house. Not everyone could come in, even his intelligence chief. However, Pang Gang quickly stood up.
Get up and walk outside.
"Your Majesty, stay safe!"
Seeing Pang Gang coming out, Gu Chen quickly saluted.
Pang Gang waved his hand: "No need, is there any movement over there?"
"Your Majesty, those merchants are still not open for business. The profiteers had discussed this as early as yesterday, but those merchants have also learned their lesson. Now they don't come out to cause trouble. They just close their doors silently, waiting for us to take the initiative to find them.
." Gu Chen reported while suppressing the atmosphere in his heart.
"Hey, it seems that they have made some progress, but I have already expected this. If they don't bounce around such a big thing, they won't be them anymore." Pang Gang said calmly, with a look on his face.
Slowly he became stern and continued: "Since some people refuse to eat and drink wine as a penalty, then don't blame us for being tough. Guchen, are Wang Zhi ready?"
Gu Chen raised his head and said: "Your Majesty, General Wang's troops all entered the city late last night, and are now lurking in the hidden soldier pits near each city gate, just waiting for your order. Your Majesty, please give your order!"
"
Although he has been doing intelligence work for several months, Gu Chen, who was born in Ye Bu Sua, still has the blood of Ye Bu Sua adventure flowing in his bones. Therefore, when he heard Pang Gang's words, his whole body began to get excited.
"Okay, order Wang Zhi to immediately send out a battalion of soldiers and horses to arrest Li Jierong and the several families of gentry and merchants headed by him! The rest of the people will surround Qingzhou City, and no one is allowed to run away!"
"Yes, I humbly obey my orders!" Gu Chen straightened his body and then asked: "Your Majesty, what is the charge?"
"Fornication with the Tatars!" Pang Gang said calmly, but there was a hint of murderous intent on his face.
Gu Chen trembled. It seemed that those people had really offended the prince. Although the prince had already turned against the Ming Dynasty and established his own company, they were still consistent on the issue of treating the Tatars, that is, if there was an affair with the Tatars,
There is only one result for you, and that is to kill without mercy!
"President Li, President Li. Today is already the second day and it's already the You hour. If we don't open the shop in the future, it will be difficult for us to be blamed by King Zhou."
"What are you afraid of? Since we have decided to fight King Zhou, let's go to the end. I don't believe it. If King Zhou dares to touch us, isn't he afraid of the world's mouth? Let's just waste it with him until they are
Until you agree to our request."
In the backyard of Li Jierong's home, many unscrupulous businessmen were questioning Li Jierong, wanting a guarantee from Li Jierong, but some were indifferent. In their opinion, the Ming Dynasty was powerful enough, so it couldn't do anything to us either.
Even though Shandong now has a different owner, it still has to rely on people like them to support it, so everyone speaks very arrogantly.
Just as everyone in the yard was talking wildly, they heard a chaotic sound coming from outside.
Immediately afterwards, Li Jierong's housekeeper ran over panting and cried: "Master, it's not good, there are many officers and soldiers coming outside. They are coming in."
Li Jierong felt his scalp numb, and he stood up suddenly and shouted: "What? The officers and soldiers are coming in? How many are there?"
"Sir, I don't know. I guess there must be thousands of people!" The butler was so anxious that he even shed tears. "Sir, you'd better take the young master and his wife and run away, otherwise
It’s too late.”
"Run...can we still run?"
Li Jierong laughed miserably. He knew that everything was over. The lives of his whole family, young and old, might not be saved. He, the vice-president of a small chamber of commerce, unexpectedly tried to compete with the King of Zhou over his own abilities. However, despite all his schemes, others only wanted to fight against him.
He can kill himself by just raising his finger. Is this the difference in strength?
"boom......."
A dull sound sounded in front, followed by waves of neat footsteps coming from the outer courtyard. A burly and dark-skinned General Qian, who was wearing leather armor, led a group of sergeants and strode over. He saw Li Jierong and others.
Afterwards, he raised his hands for a while and shouted: "Li Jierong, someone reported that you were having an affair with the Tatars. I have come to arrest you on the order of the prince. Why don't you just surrender and arrest you!"
The CEO's voice came like thunder, frightening all the merchants until their faces turned pale.
A fat gentleman with big ears was so frightened that his legs were shaking and he said in a trembling voice: "Sir, it's unfair, it's unfair. The common people don't know anything. This has nothing to do with the common people."
Mr. Qian sneered and said: "Humph, you will find out if you go to the magistrate's prison with me or not. Come on, take all these people away!"
"yes!"
Following the order from the General, a group of sergeants swarmed up and surrounded these merchants and gentry. The bayonets on their Minie rifles were pointed at them. The bright bayonets shone with a terrifying cold light, which was frightening.
These usually arrogant merchants were all scared, their faces were pale, they were all trembling, and they didn't dare to move. Suddenly, a faint pattering voice came out, and everyone looked down and it turned out to be a man in his forties.
The year-old gentleman was so frightened that he became incontinent, and a pool of yellow liquid appeared at his feet.
"waste!"
Seeing the pool of urine on the ground, the thousand general couldn't help but look at the gentleman with contempt, waved his hands, and then two sergeants came over, grabbed the gentleman's neck, and dragged him to death like a dog.
Drag it down.
"Stop, do you know what you are doing?" At the critical moment of life and death, Li Jierong also risked his life. He jumped out and pointed at this Qianhu and shouted: "Do you know that if we are taken away, the merchants in Qingzhou and even Shandong will suffer
Withdraw them all, and I will see how you explain to the King of Zhou then!"
"Explain?" Qianhu sneered, pointed at Li Jierong and said disdainfully: "It's you profiteers who drive up prices and hoard goods. The people now have nowhere to buy even a needle, thread, or brain. Is this what you rely on?"
After that, Qianhu pointed at a group of merchants and said: "Some of you are our local gentry in Qingzhou, and some are merchants from other places. Why are you here? Isn't it just to make money? But look, you are all doing
What happened? Now the food on the market, which used to be one tael per stone and rice, has increased to 5 taels. You still have the nerve to say that you are unjust... Others say that I am old Lu Hei, but I think you are better than me.
It's a hundred times worse. Come here, take them all away!"
"Crash..."
The sergeants would not be polite to these people. They swarmed up. They turned over the guns in their hands and smashed the butts of their guns hard, making the usually pampered merchants and gentry cry loudly.
Wang Zhi's actions were very efficient. After leading his troops into the city, it took less than three hours to arrest all the merchants who participated in the strike into the prefect's jail before dark, making the prefect's jail almost overcrowded.
.
Pang Gang's order to arrest Qingzhou businessmen on strike was like a thunderbolt, shocking everyone, and the news spread like the wind to the surrounding state capitals. Only then did everyone realize that their self-proclaimed boss was not only fighting the Tatars
, He was ruthless in killing the bandits, and he was ruthless in arresting his own people.
After more than a hundred merchants were arrested, the leader Li Jierong and his family were beheaded by Pang Gang on charges of liaison with the Tatars, and all his property was confiscated.
Other shops were released after paying a large fine. Then all shops were ordered to open immediately.
The bloody heads and cruel facts told these merchants that facing the King of Zhou holding a knife in his hand, any conspiracy was in vain. They had to accept the fact that they had to accept the tax rate set by their King of Zhou.
Either get out of Shandong or Qingzhou in despair. If you dare to evade taxes, the tax collectors in Shandong will let them know what it means to punish you to the point of bankruptcy. For this reason, Pang Gang even set up a tax department to collect taxes.
Kuai was deprived of the functions of the government and was specifically responsible for collecting all taxes.
Pang Gang's order to increase taxes on the merchants under his rule did not end with the dismissal of a group of merchants such as Li Jierong, but intensified. Although the merchants under Pang Gang did not dare to resist due to Pang Gang's force, in Jiangsu and Zhejiang
, Anhui, Fujian and even Hebei have aroused strong responses.
"Shameless, shameless, these people without kings and fathers actually did such ridiculous things. They raised taxes to 20%. This is something that has never happened in the three hundred years of our Ming Dynasty!"
In a restaurant in Yangzhou, today Sun Xiyi and a group of his literati friends invited Liu Rushi, a famous concubine from Jiangnan, to accompany them. Surrounded by a group of brothel girls, they were facing the taxation that happened in Shandong and other places.
Kill criticism.
A pale-faced scholar also nodded and said: "Yes, my Emperor Taizu once said that the tax on merchants should not be excessive, just one draw for thirty or even one draw for sixty. Now this Pang Gang actually received 20%. This
It is comparable to the ancient King Zhou."
Sun Xiyi snorted coldly: "Humph, doesn't he call himself King of Zhou? What's the difference between him and King Zhou?"
"Hahaha...that's right. He, the King of Zhou, is no different from King Zhou. Such rebellious ministers and traitors will be annihilated by the imperial army sooner or later!"
Everyone burst into laughter, with contemptuous expressions on their faces. Sun Xiyi turned around and said to Liu Rushi: "Master Liu, Sun is not talented, but he is deeply disdainful of what Pang Gang has done. What do you think?"
Liu Rushi pondered for a moment and then sighed: "Maybe, that week... Pang Gang was so undeserved in his extortion and extortion. This was to compete with the people for profit."
In Liu Rushi's view, Pang Gang went too far and even wanted to charge 20% of the tax, which would cut off the merchants' livelihood.
Sun Xiyi felt that belittling Pang Gang in this way was not enough. He looked around and suddenly saw a person. He said to everyone: "Everyone, isn't that shopkeeper Yan who went to Shandong to sell cloth last month? Let's invite him here.
How is the current situation in Shandong?"
"Great kindness!"
Everyone was overjoyed and quickly sent a boy to go down and fetch people.
Soon, the boy called the man up. He was a businessman in his fifties. Years of running around made him look like a sixty-year-old man. When he came up, he handed over to everyone and said: "Little old man.
I have met you gentlemen."
Sun Xiyi waved the folding fan in his hand and opened it with a swish sound. A splash-ink painting of landscape jumped out. He pretended to be cool and asked: "Shopkeeper Yan, you just came back from Shandong. Tell us about it."
, what is the situation in Shandong today?"
Shopkeeper Yan glanced at the scholars around him and sighed softly: "Young man can't say it. Shandong, especially Qingzhou, has been particularly turbulent these days. Many businessmen have been fined and imprisoned. It's very chaotic.
, that King of Zhou even issued strict orders over and over again, not to pay taxes!"
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