The Prosperous Era of Longwan

On December 25, the thirty-eighth year of the Jiajing reign, Wang Zhi was beheaded at the port of Chenggong in Hangzhou. It was reported to the public in the coastal counties of Zhejiang, and his family was given as slaves to the family of the hero.

At this point, the once-famous generation of tycoons who dominated the southeastern coast of the Ming Dynasty came to an end. There is no such person in the world anymore, but the large amount of maritime merchant power he left behind still threatens the security of the coastal counties of the Ming Dynasty.

"what did he say?"

Sitting in the sedan, Wei Guangde asked curiously.

"Just now I heard what the officer escorting Wang Zhi said. Wang Zhi kept saying in the prison car, 'If I die alone, the people of Zhejiang and Zhejiang will suffer,' and so on."

Zhang Ji replied softly beside the sedan chair.

"Oh, this sentence is also recorded in the file, so it's not surprising."

When Wei Guangde said this, he suddenly stopped talking. Before, Wei Guangde also knew that the Japanese pirates might take revenge, but at this time, Wei Guangde suddenly understood Wang Zhi's thoughts.

In the past, Wang Zhi's pirate strength was the most powerful force on the southeastern coast of the Ming Dynasty. Therefore, many of the rules among the Japanese pirate groups were decided by Wang Zhi. If any Japanese pirates did not act in accordance with Wang Zhi's rules, Wang Zhi would Teach them your own way.

Therefore, the Japanese pirates at that time seemed loose, but in fact they had rules, and the rules came from Wang Zhi's mouth.

But now that Wang Zhi is dead, the rules he set before naturally no longer exist.

Wei Guangde only learned about these rules when he checked Wang Zhi's case files, including the fact that people in the Ming Dynasty were not allowed to kill at will under Wang Zhi's request. They could only kill when they encountered strong resistance. Everything was based on looting. First priority.

After getting in touch with Hu Zongxian, Wang Zhi began to restrain his men's looting operations. This was also an important reason for the alleviation of Japanese invasion in Jiangnan in recent years.

In fact, even if the Japanese pirates did not loot, they could still live off the smuggled goods provided by the coastal gentry.

In fact, the economy of the coastal counties of the Ming Dynasty during this period was entirely supported by the Japanese pirates, or the armed smuggling merchants controlled by Wang Zhi. They continuously smuggled the Ming Dynasty goods smuggled to the sea by the gentry and sold them to the Japanese country and various parts of Southeast Asia. , and imported a large amount of silver into the Ming Dynasty.

Wei Guangde didn't know this before.

However, what Wang Zhi confessed were only recorded in abandoned trial files, or were confession records that the Zhejiang Procuratorate had not had time to destroy, but were not mentioned at all in the bound files.

Wang Bengu's response to this was that Wang Zhi knew he was going to die, so he bit him randomly, and those confessions were certainly not credible.

Wang Zhi's confession in court can be said to have revealed all the truth about the collusion between officials and merchants along the coast of the Ming Dynasty for smuggling. If such a file was handed over to the capital, there is no telling how much of a stir it would cause.

In fact, the reports of Japanese pirate attacks reported by coastal prefectures and counties were true. They were all Japanese pirates who came ashore to plunder property. More often, when Japanese pirate ships docked, they came to trade goods with mainland merchants.

Even if these things were discovered by Ming army patrol officers and soldiers, they would not raise an alarm because they had been bribed by the local gentry. Those who could not be bribed would contact their senior officials to transfer them away.

In fact, the complexity of the anti-Japanese situation in Jiangsu and Zhejiang was largely due to the misdeeds of these gentry.

However, even though he was the censor, Wei Guangde had nothing to do about it.

There were many officials in the Ming Dynasty who knew the inside story of Jiangsu and Zhejiang, but no one lifted the lid. The water was too deep for him to play with.

It is now snowing heavily in the north of the Ming Empire, and the temperature in the south of Zhili and north of the Yangtze River has also dropped sharply, making it impossible to return to the capital.

Wei Guangde came out on official business. Although the official errands had been completed, he still couldn't go back to Jiujiang Prefecture for the festival. First, he didn't have enough time. Second, he had to stay in Hangzhou to wait for the capital's reply because of the joint memorial he had previously sent to the capital. .

For more than a month, the personnel sent out gradually came back from surrounding prefectures and counties.

Wei Guangde read the news he brought back and found that the people were definitely dissatisfied with the tax increase. However, judging from the current situation, it was still within control. After all, the threat from Japanese pirates was real, even in places that had not experienced Japanese rebellion. , the common people also know the ferocity of Japanese pirates, so they still try their best to endure it.

However, this is not a long-term solution.

According to the news that came back, Hu Zongxian's increase in taxes and levies for the common people was actually very limited. The military pay per mu was one and three cents. But in fact, when it got to the local area, the additional taxes and levies had reached three points or even four cents per mu.

Under such an environment, almost 80% to 90% of the farm output is handed over to the government and landlords, and farmers can no longer even meet basic food and clothing.

As for the extra part, it is naturally apportioned by the yamen. After all, there are labor costs for collecting grain, and the yamen servants in the county yamen also share the profit.

It is precisely because of this that the people in the south of the Yangtze River have "exhausted their blood" and their livelihood has been cut off. Some people are forced to become tenants or even refugees, and some even choose to join the ranks of Japanese pirates.

"The price of land here is only five or six taels of silver per acre now?"

Wei Guangde looked at what Zhang Ji had sorted out and said a little surprised.

"Yes, sir, the land prices here are even lower than those in Jiujiang Prefecture.

I heard that those whose families do not have scholars who have achieved fame are now assigned more jobs, and those with more land will be recognized as grain chiefs and serve in the household if they have more land. Therefore, most of the additional positions fall on them.

Now these people are eager to get rid of the land in their hands. Hasn’t the land price, which used to be ten taels of silver, fallen to five or six taels of silver?

It seems that no one wants it at this price now. It is said that someone bought a field for four taels of silver, but the next day he regretted not buying it and even started a lawsuit. "

Zhang Ji replied on the side that these were the people who were sent out to inquire about the news. He was really surprised.

But I feel relieved when I think about it. In Zhejiang and Nanzhili, the Japanese pirates are making troubles, which has greatly affected agricultural production. With additional taxes and servitude, those who do not have tax exemption qualifications have no choice but to get rid of their fields as soon as possible.

However, those gentry with a good reputation are also evil-minded. The price of land has been lowered to 40% to 50% of previous years, which is still not enough. Seeing this, they don't intend to sell even 40 taels of silver.

Land annexation, this term came to Wei Guangde's mind.

It’s hard to describe the Chinese people’s love for land. In previous years, you might have tried your best to buy land from others, because it was meant to be passed down to the family. Unless they were forced into a desperate situation, most people would not sell it. own land.

The current situation in Jiangnan is naturally a God-given opportunity for those local gentry and powerful people, and they do not want to annex it.

But Zhang Ji is right, they are really dark-hearted, and they still don’t take action when the land prices are so low.

Wei Guangde is not very interested in the fields here, but he likes the gardens here. Unfortunately, most of the gardens are built near the state capital, and there are many Ming troops stationed here. Generally, there are really no Japanese pirates who would come here to take advantage of it, so the price of the gardens is a bit expensive. expensive.

Wei Guangde has money, but unfortunately he doesn't want to leave it here, so he can only think about it.

At this time in the capital, everyone in and outside the city must be busy. Officials in the government offices are waiting for the government offices to be locked, and craftsmen and Lehu are busy preparing for the celebrations in the palace and the Aoshan Lantern Festival.

It's a pity that he won't be able to attend this event this year, as the Chinese New Year is approaching.

At this moment, a messenger in brocade clothes rushed into the inner city of Beijing from Chaoyang Gate on horseback and ran along Dong'anmen Street. Along the way, the military patrolling the streets decisively stepped aside when they saw the attire of the knight on the horse. , pretending not to see it.

Just doing this made the crowded civilians on the street suffer. Amidst the sound of horse hooves, the people scattered in all directions and fled to both sides of the road. Even the horse-drawn carriages and ox-carts on the street also gave way. For a time, the entire street Chickens are flying, dogs are jumping, people are shouting and horses neighing.

The Jinyi messenger flew all the way to the Fusi gate of Jinyiwei North Town before reining in the reins. Then he jumped off the horse. The captain in front of the gate hurriedly stepped forward to take the reins of the horse. He took off the bamboo tube from the horse and ran all the way into the gate. .

Not long after, the urgently delivered bamboo tube was in the hands of Lu Bing. After checking the seal, Lu Bing opened the bamboo tube and poured out the contents. There were only two confessions. He looked carefully into the bamboo tube and found that it was empty. things.

Wei Guangde would not tell Lu Bing anything in a letter. God knows whether Lu Bing would keep it or destroy it immediately. He did not want to be the one to make friends with the emperor's ministers. Everything was a trick discovered by Jin Yiwei himself. As for Lu Bing's thoughts If he doesn't want it, then it's none of his business.

However, Wei Guangde believed that with Lu Bing's intelligence, he would not have thought that this was a bargaining chip for negotiating with the Yan family.

Even if there is no evidence for the things mentioned in the confession, as long as the news is released through the Jin Yiwei, the censors in the Metropolitan Procuratorate who have nothing to do all day will know what to do.

The facts were just as Wei Guangde thought. Lu Bing frowned when he saw the contents of the confession and the name of the person signing below.

The contents of the two confessions are closely related, but they are very different.

The bamboo tube that conveyed the message was carried by the people he sent to Wei Guangde. Jinyiwei had strict regulations on the use of these objects. One look at the bamboo tube and he knew where the message came from.

However, Lu Bing thought for a long time, and at first he still didn't understand Liu Shou's intention in sending the confession. Shouldn't this thing be kept by the Zhejiang Procuratorate?

After Wang Zhi was executed, the confession should have been kept in Wang Zhi's trial file. How did it end up here?

Lu Bing naturally understood the weight of this confession. It was a bit involved, and Lu Bing did not dare to expose it casually.

Give it to the emperor. Although Lu Bing is loyal to Emperor Jiajing, he is not ignorant. Giving this thing to the emperor is not showing loyalty but harming others.

A little confused, and regardless of the fatigue of the messenger from traveling for days, Lu Bing ordered the messenger to be brought to him.

Yes, after handing over the bamboo tube he brought, the courier was already slumped in a duty room, sipping ginger soup, with several pastries placed on the table beside him.

It was freezing cold and he was galloping all the way. His physical strength was severely exhausted and his whole body was frozen. At this moment, he could only rely on the stove to slowly restore his body temperature.

Delivering letters in this weather is like walking through the gates of hell, but luckily I survived.

When two captains brought him to Lu Bing's door, the messenger hurriedly saluted and said, "I am a humble guard in Hangzhou."

"Excuse me, tell me what the person who gave you the bamboo tube asked you to bring?"

Seeing that the man was still struggling to salute, Lu Bing said hurriedly.

"Reporting to the Commander-in-Chief, Liu Baihu only said that this was something given to the prisoner by your Excellency, and nothing else."

The messenger hurriedly replied.

"Something given to someone in prison?"

Lu Bing frowned and repeated, "Do you have anything else to say? Think about it again."

Lu Bing was worried and reminded him again. After getting a clear answer from the messenger, he nodded and everyone left.

"Things belonging to people in prison?"

Lu Bing recited these words over and over in his mouth. It was so fresh. He could tell by looking at the signature that it was a confession made by someone in prison. However, Lu Bing felt that the "inmate" here should not be the person who signed the signature on the confession. That would be unnecessary.

If it means someone else, who is it?

Lu Bing thought about it for a long time and still didn't understand whether Liu Shouyou and the others had drunk too much and were giving back the things that the adults gave to the people in the prison.

Lu Bing was a little angry. The messenger's answer was very straightforward, and he probably didn't say anything wrong. Moreover, Jin Yiwei's messenger still had this awareness and would definitely not remember it wrong.

grown ups?

Prisoner?

Suddenly, Wei Guangde's appearance flashed in Lu Bing's mind.

Liu Shou is a lord they don't care about. The messenger is talking about Liu Baihu saying that this is what the lord gave to the people in the prison. So does this lord refer to Wei Guangde?

Wei Guangde used Jin Yiwei's communication channel to hand it over to himself, and said it was something given to the people in prison. Could he be referring to Yu Dayou?

Wei Guangde said to give this confession to Yu Dayou?

"hiss"

In an instant, Lu Bing seemed to understand the role of this confession.

This is because Wei Guangde discovered some unreported information about Wang Zhi's case in Zhejiang. This is very complicated, but it involves Hu Zongxian and others. Does he mean to use this thing to make a deal with the Yan family and bring Yu Dayou to justice? Swap it out?

Yu Dayou's case has been pending. Lu Bing could only ensure that Yu Dayou lived comfortably in prison, but he could not get him out. After all, it was Emperor Jiajing who ordered the arrest.

In order to release the person, the case must be closed first, and Yan Song and Yan Shifan were in trouble, even if they refused to release the person, Lu Bing was helpless about this.

Lu Bing would not dare to plead directly to Emperor Jiajing. This would not help him but harm him.

Lu Bing took out the confession and looked at it carefully. There were many places for manipulation. Forging a pardon edict, the whereabouts of the 800,000 taels of silver became a mystery.

Lu Bing put down the confession in his hand and unconsciously reached out to rub his chin.

Wei Guangde had no control over what Lu Bing would do in the capital. He could only spend the Spring Festival in Hangzhou.

The Spring Festival, in the Hangzhou dialect of the Ming Dynasty, was called "relaxing the soul". Starting from the first day of the first lunar month, it was a time to have fun.

Young people even go to temple fairs and other entertainment venues to have fun.

Wei Guangde was also young. During the day, he took Zhang Ji and others to visit temple fairs and watch plays, and at night he participated in various banquets held by Hangzhou official circles.

Starting from Hu Zongxian, the governor of Jiangnan, Hangzhou officials took turns entertaining guests and inviting famous local oirans to perform.

In ancient times, almost all officials worked in other places. Officials were not allowed to take office in their hometowns according to the system, so everyone could only celebrate the holidays with each other, and miss their relatives more during the festivals. This may be a reflection of this.