It was clear that things were fine last year, but as soon as the new year came, those weavers and boatmen who had to sell their strength to support their families suddenly found themselves unable to find work in large areas.
Or even if there is an employer willing to hire people, the wages offered are only half or even one-third of last year, and everyone is still rushing to work...
Because their family did not have land, the whole family relied on the income from work. Once they could not find a job, their lives fell into a desperate situation. Until March, the situation still did not improve. You can imagine how depressed the workers were.
Today is another day without any improvement. The workers have been squatting on Guanqian Street early, craning their necks in the hope that someone will come to recruit workers.
Whenever they see a passerby who is dressed like a boss or a shopkeeper, they cheer and crowd around, asking all kinds of questions:
"Are you hiring, boss? I'm cheap, forty cash a day..."
"I only need thirty-five cents, and I can do all kinds of dyeing, binding, and jacquard stitching..."
"I am thirty cents..."
But involution can't solve any problems, people are just passing by.
The workers returned to their original place in disappointment, and someone cursed: "Damn it, the minimum wage is forty cents a day! Why did they go down by themselves before they even opened their mouths?"
"You are an old man. Who will hire you now for 40 cents? What's the use of hanging on?" The person who just took the initiative to lower the price also had something to say.
"Why is it useless? How many times have I said that the difficulty is only temporary!" The optimist loudly said: "Now it is just the ignorant King of Chu who is not allowed to go to sea for private trade, which makes the big households dare not produce, so we don't
It's a good job. This won't last long - the gentry are begging for our lives! Everyone has seen that Mr. Lu is risking his life!"
Lu Garden is on Guanqian Street, and everyone can clearly see the wreaths and curtains placed outside. Of course, they also saw the tragic scene of the government taking Lu Zhonghe's coffin away, and the Lu family crying and following them all the way.
So I couldn't help but feel sad when I heard this.
"Well, Mr. Lu is a kind man. How many of us have been supported by his looms?" A middle-aged man sighed: "I hope that his death will make the emperor look up to him and let us live."
"Go and dream!" Suddenly a sharp voice sounded, and a man with triangular eyes said gruffly: "Don't you know yet? The imperial court will not stop, but will intensify its efforts - the sea ban will soon be implemented, and there is a lot of chaos.
No planks are allowed into the sea! Let’s just wait for the northwest wind!”
"What, the plank won't be put into the sea?" Everyone was shocked. "Then wouldn't we have no way to survive at all?!"
"That's not the case!" The triangular-eyed man urged hard: "Don't expect the court's conscience to find out. As long as they have some conscience, Mr. Lu will not commit suicide in despair!"
"Yes, Mr. Lu is dead, do we still have a way to survive..." The workers couldn't help but feel extremely depressed. The moods of hunger, exhaustion and despair were intertwined, making the atmosphere on Guanqian Street more and more stagnant.
"Damn it!" At this time, another black-faced man suddenly jumped up and roared: "You stupid old man, if you don't give us a way to live, then we won't live either. Come, follow me and surround the government office.
Kill the Dog Emperor’s bastard and snatch Master Lu’s coffin back!”
"Let's go together!" The black-faced man had a high prestige. Many people immediately got up and echoed loudly: "We can't let Mr. Lu die in vain. We have to make the matter bigger to force the court to abolish the sea ban!
"
"That's right, Suzhou is one of the richest places in the world, and the old man can't afford chaos!" Triangle Eyes also echoed loudly, leading many people to follow.
The workers were originally full of resentment, but once someone took the lead, they couldn't hold it in any longer. They got up one after another and headed towards Yaqian Street.
In the crowd, someone else took the lead in shouting slogans: "Abolish the market, impose a maritime ban, and avenge Mr. Lu!"
"Abolish the market, impose a sea ban, and avenge Mr. Lu!"
"I want to eat, I want to live!"
"We need to eat, we need to live!" That very inflammatory slogan quickly caused everyone to shout in unison.
The loud slogans attracted more people to join the team from all directions. The team heading towards Yaqian Street became longer and longer, and by the time they arrived in front of the Suzhou Government Office, there were already more than 10,000 people...
~~
In the magistrate's yamen, he is in the house.
Liu Ying stood beside the bed with her hands behind her back, staring intently at the corpse as they performed the autopsy.
Both of these are works from the Ministry of Justice that he brought from Beijing, and they are very experienced.
"Uncle, based on the physical signs of the deceased and the "Record of Cleansing Wrongs", the deceased should have died one to two days ago."
"The cause of death of the deceased is believed to be caused by someone covering his mouth and nose and strangling his neck."
"Oh, didn't you take poison?" Liu Ying looked sharply. Mr. Lu and Uncle Lu and Ke both said that Lu Zhonghe committed suicide by taking poison.
"Probably not. Although the deceased's lips were purple-black, the nails on his hands and feet were all normal yellow-white color, and there were no signs of poisoning in the organs in his abdomen. Of course, he put poison in his mouth to pretend he was poisoned after death..." Wu Zuo said with certainty.
.
"Interesting..." Liu Ying couldn't help but sigh to herself. The emperor was really wise. Lu Zhonghe really didn't commit suicide, but was 'suicided'...
At this time, Wu Zuo suddenly remembered a rapid knock on the door, and then Li Heng's anxious voice: "Uncle, something big has happened."
"You guys, go ahead and make detailed records." Liu Ying ordered, turned around and left the widow's workshop.
"What's wrong?"
~~
It was already dark at this time, but the fire was still shining outside the government office and there was a buzz of people.
Li Heng and Liu Ying stepped on the ladder and climbed up the outer wall of the government office from a position far away from the gate. When they took a look, they saw thousands of citizens shouting slogans gathered outside the government office gate.
The officials from the government office and the officers and soldiers brought by Liu Ying shouted to the crowded crowd outside through the gate, trying to disperse them. Unfortunately, the voices were drowned out and no one could hear them...
Looking up in the distance, there are still winding fire dragons converging towards here.
"What are they shouting?" Liu Ying stared at the angry crowd outside with a livid face.
"It seems to be shouting, 'Abolish the market, impose a maritime ban, and avenge Mr. Lu'..." Li Heng had only been in Suzhou for a short time, and could only barely understand Wu dialect.
"This is a rebellion!" Liu Ying said coldly: "Prefect Li, have you notified the nearest health station?"
"We have sent people to report the emergency to Suzhou Guards." Li Heng wiped his sweat and said, "Wu County and Changzhou County should be coming to support soon."
"Well, arm everyone inside and prepare for resistance. Don't let the mob rush into the government office." Liu Ying said solemnly.
"Hey, the official has already ordered preparations." Li Heng nodded and whispered: "But no one knows what will happen if there is chaos. The government office has a secret passage leading directly to the river. The official has the responsibility of guarding the land. Uncle, please hurry up.
Take your family with you to get away."
"Absurd!" Liu Ying snorted and said completely unappreciatively: "As an imperial envoy, how can I bring shame to the emperor? I will not become a deserter if I wait for my bodyguard to die!"
