Chapter 289

Even if the court lacks money and imposes levies to seize their family assets,

they would mostly just complain about being poor.

As long as some of their vast wealth remains,

after complaining about poverty, they would return to being obedient subjects of the court.

Only Jiajing smelled a different scent.

Because this scent was far too familiar to Jiajing.

Back when Jiajing wanted to open the seas,

wasn't it this very scent he smelled!

It's just that at that time, those merchants were still too green.

They only dared to hide under the wings of famous families like the Xie clan of Dongshan, secretly challenging the court.

To have them stand out and openly declare to the Son of Heaven, as they do today, "one life for one life,"

they would absolutely not dare to do!

Calming down, Zhu Yuanzhang looked at the crowd of Emperors in the chat group and asked,

"Now, what do you think we should do next?"

"Pardon Su Qiao?"

"Or kill them?"

Jiajing spoke slowly and softly,

"Reporting to the Great Ancestor Emperor, your son still believes... it is better to channel than to block."

Zhu Yuanzhang slowly raised his head, looking at the other Emperors and asked,

"What about you? Do you also think we should release Su Qiao?"

Zhu Di looked at Zhu Yuanzhang, hesitated for a long time, and then said,

"Father, this matter was stirred up by Su Qiao,"

"Su Qiao might have a Method of resolution."

"Perhaps there is a way to make the merchants and scholars fight each other, leaving real benefits for the common people?"

Zhu Yuanzhang immediately couldn't help but curse,

"Nonsense! Letting them fight each other? Do you believe that within three days, these things will merge on their own!"

Hearing this, Zhu Di shut his mouth resentfully.

However, Zhu Yuanzhang's expression remained Solemn.

After hesitating for a long time,

Zhu Yuanzhang slowly stood up.

He gave an order,

"Prepare the carriage."

"Your Majesty, where are we going?"

Zhu Yuanzhang took a deep breath and said slowly,

"To the Imperial Prison!"

"Yes."

Half an hour later.

Old Zhu's carriage slowly drove out of the side gate of the Forbidden City.

And in the distance, one could vaguely see,

the common people and merchants kneeling at Chengtian Sect had not decreased,

but rather showed a trend of increasing.

Old Zhu's brows were tightly furrowed.

He even didn't understand the common people who joined the merchants in submitting memorials.

How did all these people stand together with the merchants?

Old Zhu prided himself that among the hundred officials under his rule, not a single one dared to oppress the common people like the former Yuan dynasty.

Ordinary common people.

Normally, even if they suffered some grievances, it was just grievances from dishonest merchants, or having some wages withheld.

But today,

these two groups who should have been mutually exclusive,

actually stood together in unison, pleading for Su Qiao's life!

Everything about this reeked of abnormality!

Before, Old Zhu thought that even if Su Qiao's matter was absurd, it was for the sake of all people under heaven and for the Great Ming Jiangshan.

So Old Zhu would not kill Su Qiao.

But everything that happened today,

had made Zhu Yuanzhang, this Emperor, fully alert.

Old Zhu needed an answer.

An answer that could determine the lives or deaths of these people and Su Qiao!

Inside the Imperial Prison.

Su Qiao slept soundly, leaning against the corner of the wall.

Just at that moment.

An aged voice emerged within the prison cell.

"Su Qiao."

Su Qiao shuddered on the spot and opened his eyes, a look of confusion on his face.

What he saw was Zhu Yuanzhang, his expression gloomy.

"Your Majesty, why have you come in the dead of night?"

Zhu Yuanzhang took a deep breath and asked slowly.

"What bewitching potion did you pour into those merchants?"

Hearing this.

Su Qiao immediately came to his senses.

"Your Majesty has stopped the lending of the Treasure Note Administration?"

Zhu Yuanzhang's brows immediately knitted tightly.

He stared fixedly at Su Qiao and asked.

"Is it simply because no one lends them silver anymore?"

Su Qiao pondered for a moment, then nodded and said.

"It counts, but not entirely."

"Just like tenant farmers in a year of great disaster, who could originally survive by borrowing high-priced grain from landlords."

Hearing this.

Zhu Yuanzhang's face suddenly turned ferocious.

"That is landlords exploiting tenant farmers; that is landlords setting their sights on the tenant farmers' households!"

Su Qiao immediately retorted.

"But without that grain, the tenant farmers cannot survive!"

"If people cannot even survive, what use are those few acres of land?"

"At this time, whoever prevents landlords from lending grain to tenant farmers is whoever wants to kill these tenant farmers!"

Su Qiao's voice echoed within the empty prison cell.

Zhu Yuanzhang immediately stood frozen in place.

The ways landlords exploit the common people are nothing more than those few types.

But no thing exists without reason.

And the reason why landlords can exploit the common people.