Chapter 645: The Courage of Xie Tianyao

Seven days later.

Liu Zheng finally knew what Xie Tianyao was waiting for.

Because in these seven days, in Jinghua City, there were more and more people causing trouble, even developing into various parades and petitions.

It grew larger and larger.

People in the Capital are just like this; sitting on the dividends of the Capital, they can go their whole lives without worrying about food or drink even without working.

They have plenty of time to play, and as long as someone sets the rhythm, they are willing to follow.

When the entire city is filled with these voices, it easily creates a misconception, a misconception of righteous fervor.

"Prefect Liu and Prince Yong are traitors!"

Then, the people followed along and became agitated.

The people arranged by the Crown Prince naturally had long since mingled into the ranks of these people, and were even the ones leading from behind.

Some officials in the court were also kneeling before the Imperial City, bitterly accusing Prince Yong and Prefect Liu of their treasonous acts.

Zhu Zhen, that old fox, did not make any moves for the first four days.

The fifth day.

The Scholar-Official Group could no longer hold back either; some officials on the side of the scholar-officials also participated in the kneeling and impeachment.

The Imperial Guard did not move.

Could it be that Xie Tianyao was also deliberating?

This was everyone's guess.

But the silence of Yangxin Hall only gave them more room to get agitated and carried away.

For these five days, Liu Zheng did not even dare to step out the door.

Of course.

He did not want to go out either... with such a superb woman as Shen Manqing in bed, he had truly verified what it meant for a bed of gentleness to be a hero's grave.

Indulgence.

Soft moans.

Shen Manqing's feelings for Liu Zheng were undoubtedly crazy. Crazy to the extreme. This woman, who had fallen to selling her talents in Yinzhou, had long since seen her family destroyed. In one leap, she became the number one zither player of Longyan, highly respected. It could be said that everything she had was given by Liu Zheng. Naturally, everything she had also belonged to Liu Zheng.

She was a woman who had been immersed in brothels for a long time; had she not eaten pork, had she not seen a pig run?

That matter between men and women, after a few times, could be considered mastered to perfection by her.

The first day.

Prince Yong came to call for Liu Zheng, heard the movement in the room, shook his head, and left.

The second day.

Prince Yong came to find Liu Zheng, wanting to discuss the situation outside, heard the shaking door, shook his head, and left.

The third day.

The fourth day...

The fifth day, Prince Yong came to find Liu Zheng again...

"Being young is truly good!"

He wailed, turned around, and left.

Liu Zheng and Shen Manqing giggled in the room.

"Traitors, traitors..."

A satisfied-looking Shen Manqing clung to him, refusing to get out of bed. The look in her eyes as she watched Liu Zheng was always so obsessed.

Liu Zheng laughed and rolled out of bed: "I guess that today, Zhu Zhen and his gang definitely won't be able to hold back anymore."

Shen Manqing did not understand political struggles, and blinked her beautiful eyes: "Why?"

Liu Zheng glanced at her jade body stretched out, almost couldn't hold back again, hurriedly looked away, put on his clothes, and smiled faintly: "Because they can't sit still anymore. They are afraid."

"Afraid of what?"

Shen Manqing was a bit confused.

Liu Zheng had endless patience for his own woman; he finished dressing, pulled her into his arms with one hand, and said: "They are afraid of this Economic Special Zone, they are afraid of Longyan opening up to the outside world, they are afraid that the lifting of the Sea Ban will affect their interests."

Shen Manqing's delicate body trembled: "Does the young master mean..."

Liu Zheng laughed: "It's very simple, the Sea Ban has existed in Longyan for over a thousand years. Why? It's simple: the Scholar-Official Group needs to keep this maritime trade route in their own hands."

Shen Manqing was dumbfounded.

Liu Zheng nodded and said: "So, it is not that Longyan has no sea merchants."

"It is just that there are no free sea merchants. No civilian sea merchants. And even less so, imperial sea merchants."

He smiled faintly: "There are only the Scholar-Official Group's sea merchants! Do you think Longyan has really been closing its doors to the world all this time? No, Longyan has always been trading with other countries, it's just that these trade channels have always been firmly controlled by the scholar-officials."

This was true.

In the history of Huaxia, during the Ming Dynasty, there was a Sea Ban for many years.

The Sea Ban was something the Scholar-Official Group strove to bring about.

The reason for this is naturally self-evident. Why, in the late Ming Dynasty, did the income of the wealthy merchants represented by the Scholar-Official Group in the Jiangnan region exceed that of the imperial court? Why did the disaster of the Wa pirates appear at that time? Why did even the situation of 'fake Wa' appear? It was precisely because the Scholar-Official Group, above, deceived the imperial court, and below, strictly controlled commoners from being sea merchants. Yet they themselves were conducting the largest smuggling businesses! No, this was no longer smuggling; this was large-scale maritime trade.

General Qi, General Yuan, and countless common people all became the victims of that era.

Even.

Liu Zheng suspected.

Among these intricate trade relationships, the scholar-officials were very likely to have connections with the Sheng Tang Remnants in Nanyang.

This was inevitable.

He shared this suspicion with Xie Tianyao, who felt he had been "fully restored to health."

Because this will be the greatest resistance to this Economic Special Zone.

That day, Xie Tianyao was silent.

Either perish in silence.

Or erupt in silence.

"Then today we..."

Shen Manqing could not be bothered to think about these brain-taxing matters, her face full of allure and provocation.

Liu Zheng was startled: "No more, no more, I have to go find the Prince of Yong to discuss matters! Rest, rest, no, truce!"

Watching Liu Zheng flee in a panic, Shen Manqing laughed with a beauty that could topple cities.

She lowered her head slyly, gently stroking her own belly.

Is it really so disappointing?

"Oh my, you have finally come!"

When the Prince of Yong saw Liu Zheng, he jumped up with joy.

Liu Zheng gave a wry smile: "Isn't it because of the trouble you caused? How is it, has there been any movement over there?"

The Prince of Yong also knew that it was no longer the time to tease Liu Zheng, so he took a deep breath: "You really guessed it right; today, that old thief Zhu sent a few people out."

"That is not enough..."

Liu Zheng chuckled.

"At least it must be of the Vice Minister level."

He had a premonition.

This time, Xie Tianyao was going to do something big.

That old thief Zhu Zhen was truly very cunning.

Finally.

On the seventh day, he could no longer hold back.

Qian Wenguang, Vice Minister of the Ministry of Personnel, also holding a copy of the Sage Books, wept bitterly and knelt at the gate of the Imperial City.

Traditions must not be lost!

The demeanor of a great nation must not be abandoned!

That Prefect Liu is a man who blasphemes the Master!

In the vast Longyan, a Celestial Empire, why is there a need to trade with barbarians?

In the vast Longyan, a Celestial Empire, when has a single inch of territory ever been ceded like this?

Shame!

This is absolutely a shame!

Prefect Liu, a traitor to the country!

The sixth day.

Another Vice Minister stood out.

The seventh day.

It even went directly to a Duke of a different surname.

Just when people felt that the atmosphere was becoming increasingly indignant and that Prefect Liu and the Prince of Yong would surely die this time.

Yangxin Hall.

An imperial edict was issued.

Following that, three thousand fully armed Imperial Guard rushed toward the people kneeling and weeping at the gate of the Imperial City.

There was only one word that came out.

Kill.

Without any words, without any explanation.

Kill.

In an instant.

Before the Imperial City, the ground was covered in blood.

The first to bear the brunt and die were these two Vice Ministers.

Everyone was stunned.