Chapter 99: Doesn't the Imperial Court just want taxes? We'll pay!

I really don't attend to my proper duties. Chapter 99: Doesn't the Imperial Court just want taxes? We'll pay! Zhang Juzheng was always so patient; this was the thing Xu Jie regretted most. If Zhang Juzheng could be a bit more reckless, Xu Jie—or rather, the gentry of the Southern Yamen—would not be in such a difficult position.

But Zhang Juzheng was just that methodical, step by step.

"Why did Zhang Juzheng first aim his spear at the Gu clan?" Xu Jie said with deep emotion: "Because the Gu clan controls the grain routes for the entire Southern Yamen. This means that on the lands of the Southern Yamen, using grain prices to incite the poor and laborers to follow the powerful and wealthy has basically become impossible."

"Struggle without breaking; as long as one holds the grain routes, the lands of Jiangnan cannot fall into chaos. The situation of struggling without breaking can be maintained."

"You know those poor people and laborers—when they are hungry, they become fierce and menacing, as if there is no one in this world who can stop them. As long as you can give them a mouthful to eat, they become docile. If you give them a piece of clothing, they will be filled with gratitude. If you give them a pair of shoes, they will be devoted to you, kneeling on the ground and calling us great benefactors."

Xu Jie discovered that Zhang Juzheng was much more difficult to deal with than in the past. All of this was the ghost created by that 'Theory of Contradictions'. Zhang Juzheng was already formidable enough before, but now, a chasm that cannot be crossed has opened up between Zhang Juzheng and them—the gentry and court officials.

A Zhang Juzheng who has become even more formidable is indeed very difficult to deal with.

Grabbing the grain routes means grabbing the place where the contradictions are most prominent; it means grabbing the stomachs of the common people.

Xu Fan's face brightened, and he hurriedly said: "Then why isn't it us giving the poor, laborers, tenant farmers, servants, wandering bandits, and outlaws a mouthful to eat, a piece of clothing, and a pair of shoes? Instead, we let the Imperial Court be this great benefactor! The Imperial Court has won over the hearts of the people; what are we winning over?"

Xu Jie sneered and said: "Giving pure silver to the poor—if that isn't a sin, what is? Can the hearts of the people be spent like silver? Just as you said, when civil unrest arises everywhere, at most, by paying a little bit of rice, one can escort the unrest out of the borders and let them go cause trouble in other places."

"After the Imperial Court suppresses the rebellion, we can then encroach upon the farmland."

Xu Fan was stunned; he could only say that the gentry have their own standards and style of conduct.

"Father, the Imperial Court has ordered that all armor, bows, and crossbows be returned to the Court. Should we hand them over?" Xu Fan took a step forward and asked.

"Hand them over. How can we not? Our Xu clan of Huating must hand them over, the gentry of the Southern Yamen must all hand them over, and then it will be the Zhejiang, Fujian, and Liangguang regions. This matter is Zhang Juzheng's open conspiracy." Xu Jie leaned back in his chair, his fingers rubbing quickly as he pondered countermeasures.

"Armor and heavy crossbows are not the point," Xu Jie stretched out his hand and said: "A hundred sets of armor, a thousand crossbows—they are fine for guarding the house, but can they conquer the world?"

Xu Fan thought for a moment and said: "Emperor Chengzu Wen?"

When Emperor Chengzu Wen, Zhu Di, raised his army, he had less than fifteen sets of armor and eight hundred men, not even a thousand crossbows, yet didn't he still conquer the world?

Isn't this a ready-made example? And it's from the Great Ming Dynasty, too.

"You're just trying to anger me! Anger me! You won't be satisfied until you anger me to death!" Xu Jie slapped the table and stood up, pointing angrily at his son: "You might as well just anger me to death!"

"Emperor Chengzu Wen was a special case, a special case! Since the beginning of history, have you ever seen which prince marched into the capital to become emperor? Which one? You name another one for me!"

"You've angered me to death!"

"Father, calm your anger, calm your anger." Xu Fan hurriedly poured a cup of tea for Xu Jie and said with a smile: "Please continue."

It was fortunate that Xu Jie had a good constitution; otherwise, being contradicted by his son at this age, he would have already collapsed. He said, unable to suppress his anger: "Where were we just now? Ah, right, armor and heavy crossbows are not the point. Those few sets of armor and heavy crossbows can only guard the house; they can't rebel at all."

"Zhang Juzheng, his poison lies in this matter of division." Xu Jie frowned and said: "A hemp rope breaks at its thinnest point; Zhang Juzheng is formidable now."

"The gentry of the Southern Yamen are not a monolithic block, sharing honor and disgrace, advancing and retreating together. Instead, they are full of contradictions everywhere, and every family is different. For example, the three great families of our Songjiang Prefecture—the Gu, Xu, and Shen clans—are actually willing to trade land for shipping permits to go south to the Western Oceans, because the Songjiang Maritime Trade Office is closer to us."

"But the gentry in some places are not willing."

"Now that the Imperial Court wants every family to hand over their armor and heavy crossbows, it is identifying a list."

Xu Fan asked in a low voice: "What list?"

"A list for confiscating property," Xu Jie said with a solemn face: "Look, the gentry, who were already unstable, have been directly struck by Zhang Juzheng at the center, immediately splitting them into two factions: one faction willing to hand over armor and crossbows, and one faction unwilling to hand them over."

"Then Zhang Juzheng takes this faction that is willing to hand them over and strikes at that small handful that is unwilling."

"And after that? Zhang Juzheng has many tools in his hands; he can further divide the gentry. For example, this 'trading land for shipping permits'—one faction is willing to trade, one faction is unwilling. Then Zhang Juzheng continues to take this faction that is willing to trade and strikes at that small handful that is unwilling."

"Repeating this cycle, bit by bit, he finishes this matter without anyone noticing. This Zhang Juzheng really deserves to die; he has played with these contradictions to perfection!"

Xu Fan asked with apparent surprise: "Zhang Juzheng is that formidable?"

"That's right, don't look at who taught him as a student." Xu Jie still said with a hint of pride. No matter what, Zhang Juzheng could not deny one basic fact: Zhang Juzheng was his, Xu Jie's, student.

Xu Fan immediately said: "In the 32nd year of Jiajing, Zhang Juzheng wrote a long letter and parted ways with Father. Father was still so angry that he cursed him as a traitor. Looking at it now, he doesn't look like Father's student either. This 'stopping the evils of indulgence' started with Father."

"Hurry up and leave; Commander Luo has been waiting for a long time." Xu Jie barely managed to catch his breath. Out of sight, out of mind, he immediately waved his hand, telling Xu Fan to get lost!

Get lost! Get lost! Get lost!

Xu Fan knelt down again, kowtowed, and said: "Father knows Zhang Juzheng is formidable, and he also knows Zhang Juzheng is more formidable than in the past, and he also knows that Zhang Juzheng now has the support of His Majesty. He stands behind the Great Ming Emperor; it is the support of imperial power. It will be even more formidable than formidable."

"The little emperor won't even let Zhang Siwei return to the court to restrain Zhang Juzheng."

"Father, don't perform that act of a mantis trying to stop a chariot anymore; you can't stop it. If we honestly make money, our Xu family can still be stable. Children and grandchildren have their own blessings. Without children and grandchildren, where would this eternal, unchanging thousand-year reign come from?"

"Child is leaving, Father, please take care."

Xu Fan kowtowed once more before standing up, leaving the study step by step, and left the old Xu family residence with Inspector Luo Bingliang Bingliang.

Xu Jie sat in the old residence for a long time. His son's official status had been stripped, and the Xu family had been pushed to the forefront of the storm. Xu Jie's eyes flickered uncertainly.

Inspector Luo Bingliang Bingliang sent Xu Fan on the road to exile, including Xu Fan's wife, children, and others, totaling more than a dozen people. For so many prisoners, Inspector Luo Bingliang Bingliang provided two company commanders and fifty Southern soldiers to accompany them.

The reason so many people accompanied them was not for fear that Xu Fan would run away—even if Xu Fan were allowed to go to Jizhou by himself, he could go, and he wouldn't run. The reason there were so many people accompanying them was that Inspector Luo Bingliang Bingliang was afraid someone would make a move on Xu Fan on the road.

Ruining Xu Fan's reputation was not the end of the pursuit; many criminals would die on the road to exile.

Inspector Luo Bingliang Bingliang sent Xu Fan away and immediately headed towards Kunshan. A big fish here had already fallen into the net, and now it was time to eat the fish. How to stun, scale, gut, and disembowel the fish—Inspector Luo Bingliang Bingliang had his own methods.

Arriving at the Kunshan County Yamen, Inspector Luo Bingliang Bingliang first interrogated Gu Shaofang, the biological son of the former Regional Governor of Yingtian, Gu Zhangzhi. Gu Shaofang, a provincial graduate of the first year of Wanli who was going to take the metropolitan examination in the second year of Wanli, was locked in the Kunshan Yamen, guarded by the Embroidered Uniform Guard.

Inspector Luo Bingliang Bingliang did not use torture but instead asked Gu Shaofang to sit down. The Imperial Court had not yet stripped Gu Shaofang of his scholarly status; using torture on a provincial graduate was not in accordance with the rules.

Inspector Luo Bingliang Bingliang said quite gently: "Now there are 1,500 Southern soldiers in Kunshan, personally overseen by Deputy Regional Commander Chen Lin. When the Japanese pirates were causing trouble, you were still young, and you didn't know. I can tell you that these 1,500 Southern soldiers, if they were to fight the Japanese pirates, could fight about 15,000 or more."

"Last year, under the command of Commander Yu, he captured eighteen strongholds in one day. That one-eyed A'liu of Jinniutang, who claimed to be the reincarnation of the True Lord Erlang, with a stronghold named 'Howling Heaven', gathered more than 4,000 people, built a large stronghold, and set up gunboats, his prestige unmatched. Five hundred Southern soldiers leveled it in one day, and even burned his stronghold."

"Do you still need me to explain to you in detail the combat effectiveness of our Great Ming Southern soldiers?"

"No need, no need." Gu Shaofang waved his hands repeatedly. He knew the Southern soldiers were fierce, but Commander Yu dividing his troops and capturing eighteen strongholds in one day in the Southern Yamen was still a real eye-opener for the gentry of the Southern Yamen, awakening the fear deep in their memories of being dominated by the Japanese pirates.

The Japanese pirates were already fierce, but these Southern soldiers were more than ten times fiercer than the Japanese pirates.

Inspector Luo Bingliang Bingliang said quite definitively: "Therefore, do not hope that someone will rescue you, that someone will help you. Your father has already been taken to the capital for questioning. Answer whatever I ask."

"Actually, it doesn't matter if you don't answer; I will find out for myself. The Imperial Court also wants your attitude, to see if your family still has even a little bit of submissiveness."

"Where is the hidden silver?"

Gu Shaofang's eyes dodged, and he shook his head repeatedly: "The 780,000 taels of silver in the house have all been seized by the Embroidered Uniform Guard!"

"If you won't tell the truth, forget it." Inspector Luo Bingliang Bingliang, hearing Gu Shaofang speak, seemed too lazy to ask again.

It's not that one shouldn't say this Gu Shaofang was also unlucky. He was a newly minted provincial graduate. According to the Great Ming's imperial examination system, his first trip to the capital to take the metropolitan examination was funded by the Imperial Court. Gu Shaofang was originally going to the capital to participate in the spring examination, but his father had an accident.

If he had already entered the capital, Gu Shaofang, with his status as a candidate, might have been able to avoid this imprisonment.

Inspector Luo Bingliang Bingliang said with a smile: "If you don't say it, your father will say it, your mother will say it, and the servants in your house will say it. Do you think my Northern Chief Military Commission Yamen is a place of kindness? Back then, that great talent Xie Jin was thrown into the ice and snow in the middle of winter, and a bucket of water was poured on him; he confessed everything."

"And there is this 'earth torture'. Do you know how it's done? You shave a person's hair clean, then smear them with honey, and bury them in the earth. The insects in the earth bite and it hurts and itches. The key is this itching—you can't scratch it."

"If you still don't talk, we peel open the scalp and pour honey into it. The ants crawl back and forth under the skin, tsk tsk."

Inspector Luo Bingliang Bingliang was just scaring Gu Shaofang. The 'earth torture' of the Northern Chief Military Commission was just smearing honey and burying them in the earth, leaving only the head exposed. You couldn't pry open the scalp, you couldn't pour honey in, and the ants couldn't crawl in. He was just scaring people.

Anyone who has killed a chicken knows that what Inspector Luo Bingliang Bingliang said was completely unrealistic.

But Gu Shaofang had been reading books since he was small—'a gentleman stays away from the kitchen'. Gu Shaofang really had never killed a chicken. A fishy smell of urine wafted over, and Inspector Luo Bingliang Bingliang knew that Gu Shaofang had been scared out of his wits.

This is how you hit the head of the fish—knocking the head of this key figure until he is dizzy, and then you start peeling off the scales.

Inspector Luo Bingliang Bingliang's expression became greedy, and his face became fierce as he said: "I'll ask you one last time. Besides these 780,000 taels, which are for the Imperial Court, where is the hidden silver? The brothers of the Embroidered Uniform Guard definitely need to make some profit after coming south. Confess honestly, and we can still treat you with some leniency. Otherwise, if I find out, I'll put your whole family through the earth torture!"

Gu Shaofang, hearing this, shivered and immediately said: "There is another 110,000 taels of hidden silver in the pigsty of my uncle-in-law Chen Chuanshi. He doesn't even know about it. It was buried by my father before my uncle-in-law built the pigsty!"

Inspector Luo Bingliang Bingliang was lying. This 110,000 taels of silver hidden under the pigsty would be accounted for by Inspector Luo Bingliang Bingliang and sent back to the Imperial Court. Even when Lu Bing was the Commander, when the Embroidered Uniform Guard handled cases, they wouldn't take silver they shouldn't take. The Embroidered Uniform Guard was already separated from the Emperor by a palace wall and was subordinate to the Eastern Depot; taking silver would only make them even more insignificant.

Inspector Luo Bingliang Bingliang's son, Luo Sigong, was highly favored by the Emperor. In this world, who dared to whip the little emperor until he had one bruise after another?

Even the Great Ming Imperial Tutor Zhang Juzheng didn't dare to raise a ruler to whip the little emperor!

Luo Sigong not only dared, but since the little emperor had been practicing martial arts for the past year, Luo Sigong had been doing it almost every day!

The reason Inspector Luo Bingliang Bingliang lied like this was based on his rich experience in handling cases. Working for the Imperial Court was official business, but making money for himself meant using every possible means. How much profit he could make was all his own, so naturally, he was diligent.

One was official business, the other was making money for himself.

Gu Shaofang, hearing Inspector Luo Bingliang Bingliang making money for himself, didn't hesitate to confess the whereabouts of a sum of money.

Inspector Luo Bingliang Bingliang nodded and said: "At noon today, give the Gu family good food and drink. Set up a banquet, standard of two taels, with a pot of wine. If the silver isn't found..."

"Hehe."

Inspector Luo Bingliang Bingliang revealed a cruel smile, which made the provincial graduate Gu Shaofang shiver.

Gu Shaofang was taken away. Zhang Cheng walked in, looking at Inspector Luo Bingliang Bingliang. After looking him up and down, Zhang Cheng said with deep feeling: "Ten thousand taels of silver for the brothers to buy wine to drink—our house will pretend not to have seen it."

Inspector Luo Bingliang Bingliang shook his head and said: "Not a cent less; it will all go to the capital. When you eunuchs were taking your cut at Yuegang, why didn't you think about leaving a little silver?"

Zhang Cheng had a mysterious smile and said: "How do you know our house didn't keep any silver?"

"You wouldn't dare. If you took what you shouldn't have, the Old Ancestor would peel your skin off and throw you into a well," Inspector Luo Bingliang Bingliang said with a laugh.

Zhang Cheng was silent for a moment and said: "Then what if our house and Zhang Jin, Luo Gongchen, and others split the account?"

Inspector Luo Bingliang Bingliang's smile became even broader: "Zhang Jin will hand the silver over to the Old Ancestor as soon as he goes back, and then he will peel your skin off and throw you into a well. There's no difference."

"Commander Luo is truly impervious to oil and salt!" Zhang Cheng also laughed.

If Inspector Luo Bingliang Bingliang took this ten thousand taels of silver, the credit for this errand would be immediately offset. For the eunuchs in the palace, this was news that couldn't be better.

Inspector Luo Bingliang Bingliang looked at Zhang Cheng and said: "Alright, Great Eunuch Zhang, let's stop playing games here. We are both wolves hitting wolves—both sides are afraid. The eunuchs of the Qianqing Palace and the Director of the Ceremonial Palace are fighting for the position of Old Ancestor, and the Chief Military Commission and the Eastern Depot are also fighting for the power of investigation. To put it bluntly, we are all fighting for the Emperor's favor."

"The Commander is going to choose between me and Zhao Mengyou to recommend as Commander. Zhao Mengyou's son is also in the palace for sparring, and Zhao Mengyou is also a military graduate; he has more of an advantage."

"Is power more important or is money more important? We are all thousand-year-old foxes; intrigue has no meaning. Handling the errands entrusted by His Majesty well is what's important."

In the Great Ming, which designed its system around imperial rule, whether power is more important or money is more important is simply not a question. Power is the most important.

"Does the Commander think this Gu Shaofang has spat it all out?" Zhang Cheng stopped playing games. Everyone was an old fox at handling errands. With eight hundred schemes between them, and all having read His Majesty's 'Theory of Contradictions', there was no need to continue talking nonsense. If you have the guts, then embezzle; as long as you aren't afraid of the punishment from the Grand Secretary and the Emperor, then take it boldly.

Inspector Luo Bingliang Bingliang sneered and said: "No, this is just peeling off one layer of fish scales; we haven't gutted it yet."

"Peeling off one layer of fish scales—what kind of saying is that?" Zhang Cheng asked with great surprise.

"This is a method passed down by Commander Lu; I cannot easily tell you." Inspector Luo Bingliang Bingliang was protective of his secrets and refused to share Commander Lu Bing's fish-eating method from back then. Actually, it was very simple: there is a layer of oil on the fish, making it slippery. Once you remove the scales, it's not so slippery, and you can hold it.

More clearly, it means that when handling a case, after stunning the other party, you use deception, trickery, and every possible means to make the other party confess some problems.

This created the possibility of further breakthroughs. The next step is gutting.

Lu Bing was able to sit firmly in the position of Commander back then, and he could also step on the Eastern Depot and make the eunuchs kowtow to him. That was not just because Lu Bing and Emperor Shizong had a close private friendship; handling errands was naturally his strong suit.

Soon, news came back: 110,000 taels of 'golden flower silver' had been seized. This was also a sum of illicit money.

Inspector Luo Bingliang Bingliang began to gut the fish. With the newly seized illicit money, the insatiable Inspector Luo Bingliang Bingliang began further pursuit, interrogating several people separately and specifically. Without using major torture, he dug out another 90,000 taels of silver.

At this point, Zhang Cheng thought it was already Inspector Luo Bingliang Bingliang's limit, but Inspector Luo Bingliang Bingliang gave Zhang Cheng a real eye-opener, letting Zhang Cheng know what it meant to eat clean and wipe clean.

"Use torture." Inspector Luo Bingliang Bingliang looked at Gu Shaofang, who had been brought back, and said to the Embroidered Uniform Guard.

"I am a provincial graduate; you cannot use torture on me!" Gu Shaofang panicked immediately! His greatest confidence was that he was a provincial graduate and could be exempt from torture. Inspector Luo Bingliang Bingliang had already taken his silver, and yet he still wanted to use torture!

Inspector Luo Bingliang Bingliang said: "We are the Embroidered Uniform Guard. When the Embroidered Uniform Guard handles a case, can't we use torture on a provincial graduate? What kind of beautiful dream are you thinking of?"

"Let's start with fire torture. Bring up the bronze tripod and stuff our provincial graduate Gu into it."

"Fire... fire... fire... torture?" Gu Shaofang was scared silly; he asked sluggishly.

Inspector Luo Bingliang Bingliang said quite considerately: "We'll throw you into the bronze tripod, fill it with oil, and then lock the lid tight, leaving only your head exposed. Then we start burning firewood. When you confess, we'll fish you out. It's also called 'going into the oil pan'. Does provincial graduate Gu have anything else to ask? No? Then let's begin."

"Commander, Commander, whatever you want to know, I'll confess, I'll confess!" Gu Shaofang was already scared silly. What kind of 'five poisons torture' was this? What kind of human-eating Asuras were these Embroidered Uniform Guard? Were these tricks that humans could think of?

Inspector Luo Bingliang Bingliang still said very gently: "I want to know the number of armor and crossbows in each family in our Southern Yamen. I don't know if provincial graduate Gu can provide some clues? It doesn't need to be too specific. I just want to know where this armor was made, where the crossbows were made, and by the way, I want to know how many armor and crossbows each family in our Southern Yamen has."

Gu Shaofang hesitated. He didn't immediately argue loudly that he didn't know and beg Inspector Luo Bingliang Bingliang to spare his life, but he hesitated.

This hesitation made Inspector Luo Bingliang Bingliang overjoyed. He immediately stood up and said: "Bring up the bronze tripod!"

"I'll say it, I'll say it! I'll say it!" Gu Shaofang immediately chose to surrender. He had no choice but to surrender; if he didn't surrender, he would have to go into the oil pan.

Soon, the Embroidered Uniform Guard grasped important clues. This 'melon vine method'—this was not Commander Lu's method; it was the method of Ji Gang, the Commander of the Embroidered Uniform Guard during the Yongle period.

The Embroidered Uniform Guard had been working in the outer court for more than two hundred years, and like the Xu, Shen, and Gu clans, they had a long history. The Embroidered Uniform Guard had accumulated quite rich criminal experience. Dealing with a Gu Shaofang was truly like pinching a snail with three fingers—it was a sure thing.

Inspector Luo Bingliang Bingliang obtained important clues and immediately began to send people to follow the melon vines.

Zhang Cheng said with admiration: "Commander Luo is indeed formidable."

"Not as formidable as my son. He dares to hit His Majesty! I've almost broken the legs of this rebellious son, but this rebellious son only listens to His Majesty's words, as if I'm trying to harm him." When Inspector Luo Bingliang Bingliang spoke of his son Luo Sigong, he had a massive headache.

Fortunately, the Commander was afraid that they would really be cut during sparring, so he gave everyone protective gear. Otherwise, if Luo Sigong had really beaten the little emperor until he was unable to have children, the Luo family's eighteen generations of ancestors wouldn't be enough to be beheaded.

But if you hit the right spot while wearing protective gear, it would still hurt for several days.

"And where is that bronze tripod?" Zhang Cheng asked about that bronze tripod. He also wanted to see the trick of going into the oil pan.

"If Gu Shaofang asked, I wouldn't be surprised. But for Great Eunuch Zhang to ask, I'm somewhat confused." Inspector Luo Bingliang Bingliang looked at Zhang Cheng with strange eyes.

Zhang Cheng thought about it and immediately understood, saying with deep feeling: "Commander Luo's lesson is correct; one still has to read books. Gu Shaofang doesn't read books, so he doesn't understand."

"Indeed, if you read few books, you can't handle errands. Gu Shaofang reads few books, which is why he was tricked by me," Inspector Luo Bingliang Bingliang said with great approval.

There was no bronze tripod at all, nor was there any oil pan. Even the 'five poisons torture' was a persona created by the Northern Chief Military Commission for the outside world. The real 'five poisons torture' wasn't that scary, nor was it that terrifying. This fire torture didn't even have a single branding iron.

Because contradictions exist between all things, harmony and balance also exist between all things.

The Northern Chief Military Commission Yamen is opposite the Six Ministries Yamen. Once the Embroidered Uniform Guard uses torture on civil officials with scholarly status and official positions, they will be verbally attacked by the censorate. The censors can even force the Emperor into an extremely passive position. When the Embroidered Uniform Guard handles cases, they must also maintain a certain degree of restraint.

Ji Gang back then threw Xie Jin into the ice and snow and froze him to death with a bucket of water. Ji Gang later couldn't escape the death penalty. Where there are contradictions, there is struggle, and where there is struggle, it will cycle forward. This is the main point of the 'Theory of Contradictions', and it is also the current situation.

The Northern Chief Military Commission generally doesn't use torture easily, but it's enough. If Gu Shaofang doesn't confess, the Embroidered Uniform Guard can still handle the case properly. If they didn't have this ability, how could they live up to the prestige of the Embroidered Uniform Guard for these two hundred years?

Soon, a list of the number of armor and heavy crossbows hidden in each household was sent to Yingtian Prefecture.

The Regional Governor of Yingtian, Song Yangshan, posted a notice again, demanding that each household not harbor any wishful thinking. The Imperial Court had already effectively grasped the number of armor and heavy crossbows in their hands. If they harbored wishful thinking, the Gu clan would be their end!

Great Ming armor, taking the 'Jixiao Xinshu' as an example, mainly uses cotton armor as an example. Cotton armor is also divided into three, six, and nine grades. The lowest grade is just cotton sewn like a padded jacket with cloth. Just the upper body cotton armor weighs seven catties. It doesn't get heavy in the rain, doesn't rot with mold, and bird guns cannot cause major damage.

The 'Ji Armor' recorded in the 'Jixiao Xinshu' is this kind of low-priced cotton armor that can defend against arrows and lead bullets.

Medium-grade cotton armor is plate armor covered with cotton armor, with a thick cotton hat worn outside the helmet.

And heavy armor is cotton-iron composite armor, also called cloth-faced iron armor. After two layers of cotton cloth wrap the iron armor plates and sew them well, the inside and outside are fixed with copper nails. This is heavy armor.

This kind of heavy armor is strictly prohibited by the Imperial Court. As long as the source of the Gu clan's armor can be found, the number of armor in the Southern Yamen can be clearly investigated.

According to the investigation by the Embroidered Uniform Guard, there are mainly two ways for armor to flow out.

The first is from the Imperial Court's Directorate of Imperial Armaments. These armors are all the Imperial Court's armor, but they flowed out through various means, such as 'fire dragon burning the warehouse' or 'five ghosts moving'. The second is private manufacturing. This type of workshop is relatively difficult to find, but with the clues provided by Gu Shaofang, it became simple.

Xu Jie finally arrived at the Southern Yamen and submitted a visiting card, wanting to see Song Yangshan. Song Yangshan met Xu Jie in his private residence.

"Long time no see, Grand Tutor Xu, your style remains the same." Song Yangshan bowed first and met Xu Jie.

Song Yangshan, Song Yiwang, and Xu Jie were from the same school, both being direct disciples of Wang Yangming's disciple Nie Bao. The two were fellow disciples.

"Junior brother is being distant." Xu Jie looked at Song Yangshan, his expression complex. He had originally thought that Song Yangshan serving as the Regional Governor of Yingtian would be able to tolerate his Xu family a little, but Song Yangshan, on the contrary, didn't show any consideration at all.

According to the news Xu Jie received, if it weren't for Zhang Juzheng repeatedly writing to Song Yangshan, telling him not to be too hasty, in the sixth year of Longqing, Song Yangshan would have already investigated the encroachment and land return matters, with the posture of taking his senior brother as the first target.

"No matter how close our private friendship is, or how you address me in private, since you have come for official business, please call me Regional Governor. Sit." Song Yangshan didn't pick up on the 'junior brother' topic but instead clarified the rules.

When working, address by position.

Xu Jie said quite earnestly: "Junior brother, have you made up your mind to follow Zhang Juzheng to the end? If Zhang Juzheng falls, you will inevitably be ruined. Wake up."

"He can't even protect himself; can he protect you? I know it was the Grand Secretary who gave the order, and you had to obey, and I can't make things difficult for you."

"What does Zhang Juzheng want? Doesn't he just want silver? Or the tax revenue from those 70,000 qing of land? I can persuade the gentry of the Southern Yamen; the tax revenue from these 70,000 qing can be paid."

Song Yangshan was unhappy when he heard this and shook his head: "The levy of cloth, the levy of grain, the levy of labor—these have existed since ancient times."

"Grand Tutor Xu, were the Japanese pirate troubles in the Southern Yamen, Zhejiang, Fujian, and Liangguang pacified by the gentry? If so, then what the Imperial Court did was contrary to morality. But it was clearly the Imperial Court that racked its brains to pacify the Japanese pirate troubles and return peace to the world. How come, listening to the Grand Tutor, it seems this regular tax shouldn't be paid?"

"Now it's still about handing over armor and crossbows. If you don't hand them over, you'll be raided. I have a list in my hand. The Xu clan has more than thirty sets of armor and three hundred crossbows. I thought Grand Tutor Xu came to hand over the armor and crossbows."

Song Yangshan's words were a bit impolite. Does the Imperial Court not need tax revenue to raise an army?

The gentry only care about sweeping the snow in front of their own doors and want to take the opportunity to drink human blood. The world has finally recovered some vitality under the auspices of the Imperial Court, but regarding this land return matter, they are unwilling to return it and are calculating in every possible way.

If the Imperial Court has no tax revenue, how can it pacify the world? When the army is fierce and the war is dangerous, the whole world suffers.

"Song Yangshan, don't forget the matter of Hu Zongxian back then!"

"Zhang Juzheng is now clearing Hu Zongxian's name and giving him a posthumous title. He is cleaning me up now, and tomorrow he will clean you up. He doesn't even put me, his teacher, in his eyes; can he still put you, his junior uncle, in his eyes? He wants to cure the evils of bribery and indulgence, starting with me, and the next one will be you!" Xu Jie, seeing that the discussion was not working, immediately changed his tone and spoke of the past.

Song Yangshan impeached Hu Zongxian in the 41st year of Jiajing, and Hu Zongxian stepped down.

Hu Zongxian was imprisoned again in the 44th year of Jiajing because of a handwritten letter by Hu Zongxian, falsely claiming the imperial edict.

And this forged imperial edict was exactly the false testimony made by Song Yangshan.

Xu Jie saw Song Yangshan's face change drastically and knew that Song Yangshan had begun to struggle.

Xu Jie's expression changed from fierce to gentle, and he said quite earnestly: "Now Zhang Juzheng, Wang Daokun, and Shen Yiguan see that you are capable of presiding over the investigation of encroachment, so they rely on you. Once you finish, they will immediately settle old scores with you!"

"We fellow disciples are from the same school, why must we kill each other? Why not discuss it with the Imperial Court? The Imperial Court wants taxes, we'll pay them, won't we?"

Song Yangshan showed a struggle. He clenched his fists and looked at Xu Jie. If Xu Jie produced that forged imperial edict, then Hu Zongxian's case would not be a miscarriage of justice, but a typical persecution.

At that time, would Song Yangshan still be alive?

Forging an imperial edict and causing Hu Zongxian's unjust death—he, Song Yangshan, also had a share in it!

"Don't think about it anymore. Zhang Juzheng can't protect you in this case. Even the censors of the world can eat you alive. You have long since had no way back. Why be a loyal official now?" Xu Jie persuaded again, his tone even gentler: "The Imperial Court just wants taxes, we'll give them, stop causing trouble."

Please vote for monthly tickets, Awoo!!! There might be some tonight, there might not be, I will try to have some. ===== CHAPTER 100 =====