While handling the organizing and planning officials, Li Zhi also organized efforts to end the merchants' strike as soon as possible.
The first step is to dispatch merchants from Fanjiazhuang to various counties and towns to sell goods. Fanjiazhuang is Li Zhi’s base camp, and the people are very loyal to Li Zhi, so naturally they did not participate in this strike. The merchants in Fanjiazhuang are all Li Zhi.
Li Zhi asked the traders in Fanjiazhuang to sell Fanjiazhuang's rice to various states and counties to stabilize the market.
As long as the people can buy rice and have food to eat, the market strike will not cause chaos.
Not only rice, traders in Fanjiazhuang also took the initiative to sell salt, cloth, vegetable oil and oil to nearby states and counties, selling the goods on the road outside the commercial tax collection point. At this time, merchants from all over the country went on strike collectively, and the market became a monopoly of Fanjiazhuang traders.
.They sell goods at a price slightly higher than the market price and make huge profits.
The merchants in Fanjiazhuang are fair when selling goods and are fair and honest in terms of weight and price. Although the selling price is a little higher than the average price on weekdays, it is still quite popular. In front of each vendor, there are several layers of customers buying goods.
, the business is so good that the goods are often sold out as soon as they are put on the market, and the traders desperately hire people to transport the goods.
The merchants in Fanjiazhuang wished that the merchants in various states and counties would go on strike for a few more days, so that they could earn a few more days of cheap money.
No one dared to evict these Fanjiazhuang traders, not even the government officials who organized a market strike did not dare to provoke them. After all, there were 200 Fanjiazhuang soldiers stationed at each tax collection point, and they were protected by force. It was no joke to anger those soldiers who were armed with live ammunition.
Yes, anyone who dares to attack these tax points is dead.
On the other hand, Li Zhi also summoned the officials from various states and counties to Tianjin to explain the current situation clearly to them and asked them not to continue to resist and organize a strike.
On September 19, the chief officials from various prefectures and counties in Tianjin gathered in the lobby of the Tianjin General Military Mansion, waiting for the Taibao Lord to come out and speak.
After letting the prefect and county magistrates wait for a while, Li Zhi came out wearing official robes.
At this time, the governor Zha Dengbei, the governor Liang Yishou and the soldier Yu Tao who were at the forefront were no longer there. All the civil servants lost their backbone and all flinched when they looked at Li Zhi.
Seeing Li Zhi coming in, all the civil servants looked frightened and stood up to salute.
"I've met the Grand Governor!"
"I've met Mr. Taibao!"
Li Zhi sat down, glanced at the civil servants in the hall, and said slowly: "According to my intelligence investigation, although everyone here participated in this strike, the culprits were Governor Cha Dengbei, Zhizhou Liang Yishou and Bing Bei
Dao Yutao. All local officials are just working together."
When all the officials heard this, their eyes were filled with joy. Li Zhi put the responsibility on Cha Dengbei and Liang Yishou, which was undoubtedly the best outcome for them.
Li Zhi looked at the civil servants and said: "However, accountability is a matter for the future. The most important thing today is to stop the strikes in various states and counties. Everyone should quickly send officials to the stores to notify them that the strikes are prohibited."
After a pause, Li Zhi said: "For local officials who continue to obey Cha Dengbei and resist stubbornly, I, Li Zhi, will severely punish them without mercy!"
Li Zhi sat on the main seat, glanced around at the trembling civil servants, and suddenly said: "In this strike, the most active one is Renqiu County Magistrate He Pingnan. Come on! Take He Pingnan down first.
!”
Then He Pingnan owned a wide range of industries in Renqiu County and monopolized the business of many industries. In addition, he protected the monopoly operations of other Jin gentry and collected bribes from the Jin gentry. He Pingnan could be said to be the spokesperson for the interests of the merchants in Renqiu County.
Li Zhi's levy of commercial tax was simply cutting flesh from He Pingnan. He was the first to refuse.
These days, He Pingnan is resisting Li Zhi's pressure. He sends government officials to supervise the strike and beats the traders who open their doors to do business. He wants to continue the strike. If this activist who leads the strike is not captured, other prefects, prefects and
The county magistrates had no idea how powerful Li Zhi was.
Then He Pingnan heard that Li Zhi summoned local officials to discuss matters before, so he didn't dare to come, fearing that Li Zhi would capture him on the spot. But who is Li Zhi? Even if you hide in the county government, they will still capture you.
So He Pingnan finally came.
He Pingnan had already figured out the escape route when he entered the door, and was sitting at the seat closest to the door. Hearing Li Zhi's words, he suddenly jumped up from his chair and was about to escape out the door. But how could Li Zhi let him
He ran away, and when He Pingnan ran to the entrance of the lobby, two servants at the door punched He Pingnan in the stomach, knocking him upside down and his body immediately softened.
As the civil servants looked on with dumbfounded eyes, three servants held He Pingnan down and escorted him into the prison cell.
Li Zhi picked up the tea cup next to him and took a slow sip.
The civil servants were all frightened by Li Zhi's actions and turned pale. This Li Zhi was a murderer. What was the point of arresting the magistrate He Pingnan? He could send troops out at any time to arrest others into the squad room.
Li Zhi said slowly: "Within three days, if there is a large-scale strike in shops in any prefecture, state, or county, the chief official of that place will be like Pingnan!"
It took a long time for the prefect of Hejian Prefecture, who had the highest official position, to react. He knelt on the ground with a bang and said loudly: "Don't worry, Taibao! We will definitely open all the shops in the city within three days!"
The prefect of Hejian Prefecture took the lead, how could other petty officials dare to be tough? They knelt down one by one, and they knelt down for a large area in the lobby of the General Military Mansion.
"Don't worry CPIC, we will definitely send someone to notify the merchants."
"If a merchant doesn't open the door, we will seal the store so that he can never open the door!"
Li Zhi slowly put down his tea cup and said, "Then it depends on your command."
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After seeing off the frightened civil servants, Li Xing and the others walked out from behind.
Li Xing smiled and said: "Brother, you scared these magistrates to death!"
Li Zhi said: "If I don't let them know how powerful I am, they still think that I, Li Zhi, am easy to deal with."
Zheng Kaicheng looked at Li Zhi and said, "Sir, another civil servant has been arrested. It's hard to explain in front of the emperor!"
Li Zhi spat: "What's not easy to explain?" He turned to look at Zheng Hui and asked: "Zheng Hui, how much money can you collect from the commercial tax this time?"
Zheng Hui cupped his hands and said: "Sir, Tianjin is a prosperous place where wealthy businessmen gather. It is estimated that the business tax can be more than 400,000 taels per year."
Li Zhi nodded and said, "Leave 300,000 taels as salary for recruiting new soldiers." After a pause, Li Zhi said, "The remaining 100,000 taels will be handed over to the emperor's inner treasury."
Li Xing laughed and said: "Brother, plus the stolen money from Liang Yishou, Yu Tao and He Pingnan this time, the emperor will earn hundreds of thousands of taels of silver!"
Li Zhi nodded and said: "A few hundred thousand taels of silver is enough to support ten thousand border troops. The emperor should be happy to have received so much money!"
