I'm really not doing business

Chapter 786: A Wise King and Virtuous Ministers, a Prosperous and Prosperous Time

The meat-eaters, such as local gentry, powerful officials, elected officials, hereditary officials, and emperors, do not participate in production. There are many ways to make money, but all of this money comes easily. The easier it is for a person to get money, the more generous he will spend it. They are not sensitive to prices and think that premiums are reasonable.

For example, on Xiafei Street in Shanghai, there is a Shanghai Tax Office at every end of the street.

The powerful and wealthy who were not sensitive to prices carried box after box of silver to Xiafei Street, and brought with them luxurious items such as ink paste that was more expensive than gold, exquisitely carved jades, hairpins decorated with all kinds of treasures, kingfisher lacquerware, the four treasures of the study, each of which was luxurious, such as tung smoke Hui ink and rice paper.

Any one of these items might be what an average family earns in a year, but when these powerful and wealthy people make a move, they do so without any hesitation.

In order to prove that the products are genuine, these buyers will even go to the tax inspection office to get the tax invoice in person before they are satisfied.

The luxury tax, which was originally intended to limit the consumption of luxury plants, is simply unable to stop these powerful and wealthy people.

The poor laborers, such as tenants, trackers, porters, water carriers, kiln dwellers, craftsmen, etc., are the producers themselves. Their way of making money is limited to their own labor. The money is not easy to come by. The easier it is for a person to get money, the more stingy he is with money, the more sensitive he is to prices, and he feels that premiums are very unreasonable.

For example, in Beijing's Caishikou, Meishikou, Liangshikou, etc., poor coolies used handkerchiefs and square towels, as well as copper coins and small change, to bargain for every penny. They were also very particular about the weight of the goods they bought. They could roughly tell how heavy they were just by picking them up, and some even had to bring their own scales.

The Beiya Tax Inspection Office never went to places like Caishikou and Liangshikou to inspect taxes. It was hard to squeeze money out of the poor, so the Tax Inspection Office targeted the big grain merchants, managed the main intersections into Beijing, and relied on various sampling bureaus to collect points on the goods.

The meat eaters and the poor laborers have very different sensitivity to money and wealth, one is like white clouds and the other is like black soil. The meat eaters cannot understand it. They feel that he only asks for such a little bit, but these poor laborers are willing to fight for their lives!

The poor laborers felt that this was the worst form of exploitation.

Feng Bao believed that this phenomenon was because the son did not feel sorry for selling his grandfather's land. Since the wealth was not created by himself, he would naturally spend it happily.

Zhu Yijun explained that it was the suddenness of the contradiction, which Feng Bao found difficult to understand. He then used the words "a son does not feel bad about selling his father's land" and "the last handful of rice" to explain it, and in this way, it became very easy to understand.

When Bai Juyi wrote poems, he would play them to an old woman first. Only after she understood them would she include them in her collection. That is why there is the famous poem "The grass on the plain is withered and grows green every year; wild fire cannot burn it all, for it will grow again with the spring breeze" which has been passed down through the ages.

The Ming Dynasty's great debates on scriptures produced many results, but the key was how to make the people understand these scriptures.

The rebellion of Tian Bing in Jiangxi did not last long. A steady stream of memorials were rushed to the capital, especially those from Ganzhou Prefecture. After arriving at Zhangzhou Prefecture via land post stations, they were sent to the capital by hydrofoil sailboats, which was even faster.

In early April of the 15th year of the Wanli reign, Zhu Yijun received news that Tian's troops had retreated. The criminals and leaders of the civil unrest that the emperor had requested were also arrested and sent to the capital by boat.

In the Wenhua Palace, the Ming Emperor sat on the platform, flipping through the memorials from Jiangxi. After reading for a long time, he said, "Overall, the officials on the ground in Jiangxi reacted very quickly. The governor of Jiangxi and the provincial government did a good job of appeasing the people and did not let the situation escalate further."

"Moreover, after the farmers in the three counties withdrew, they promised to reduce rents, abolish old rules such as New Year festivals, thoroughly investigate and close gambling houses, and exterminate traitors. These things have all begun to be implemented."

"The only difficulty now is the order to return the land. My dear ministers, do you have any good suggestions?"

The situation in Jiangxi requires a transitional policy to fulfill the emperor's promise while not causing the situation to require the Beijing troops to quell the rebellion.

"I have a memorial to report." Wang Guoguang stood up, handed the memorial to Feng Bao, and presented it to the emperor.

The emperor needs the wisdom of his ministers, and the ministers must have a code of conduct.

The conditions for universal return of farmland in Jiangxi are not met, and its implementation will face great resistance. If one is not careful, civil unrest will occur, with tenants rebelling and local gentry also doing the same.

The Ministry of Revenue designed a land system that was mainly a compromise.

While recognizing the land ownership of local gentry, it also placed strict restrictions on their unlimited exploitation of others based on the land.

"The camp system." Zhu Yijun looked at the memorial in front of him. The Ministry of Revenue's approach was milder than the Land Return Order, but a little more violent than Jiangxi's current land policy.

Yingzhuang means running a farm. Twenty-eight Yingzhuangs were set up in each township in the three counties of Ningdu, Ruijin and Ninghua. These 28 Yingzhuangs were operated by concentrating the farmland in the three counties on leasing.

All land harvests were divided according to the distribution of one township, two officials, and seven people. The township gentry took 10% of the rent, the court took 20% of the tax, and the villagers took 70% of the harvest.

A camp has three non-official officials, namely the camp chief, accountant, and militia commander.

The camp commander was sent by the local government, the accountant was hired by the camp village, and the militia was elected by the local township.

The function of the militia is to maintain public security and joint defense. Wild beasts and thieves are dealt with by the militia, and the militia can recruit civilians as volunteers to be responsible for defending the village.

Zhu Yijun frowned and said, "The people in charge are from the imperial court, the people who do the accounting are the temporary accountants, who are considered the gentry, and the militia are elected by the people, and the military force is controlled by the militia."

Zhang Xueyan bowed his head and said, "Your Majesty, the military force seems to be controlled by the militia, but in fact it is still in the hands of the court. Compared with the small collective of Yingzhuang, the county, prefecture, and road control more military forces."

"But within the camp, the militia did have military power. This military power was only useful for driving away wild beasts and thieves, and it served as a check and balance, preventing the court from sending out village heads and camp commanders to do whatever they wanted."

"For the common people, there won't be much change, because before they rented land from the homes of local gentry, but now they rent land from the camps."

Zhu Yijun reviewed the military camp system again. After reading it for a long time, he suddenly remembered Zhang Xianzhong, the King of the Great West.

Zhang Xianzhong was an important armed force in overthrowing the Ming Dynasty. He liked to kill. After Zhang Xianzhong's death, the remaining troops of the Dashi Army chose to ally with the Ming to fight against the Qing Dynasty, and achieved the record of defeating two famous kings.

The two famous kings were defeated. This was the greatest victory of the Ming Dynasty since it lost to the Tatars in the Battle of Sarhu in the 47th year of Wanli.

The camp system submitted by the Ministry of Revenue and the camp system used by the Dashi Army are not only similar in system design, but even the names are the same!

Li Dingguo and Sun Kewang also relied on this camp system to fight against the Tatars and the Qing Dynasty, until Sun Kewang and Li Dingguo had an internal conflict and parted ways.

Yingzhuang is the last lifeline of the Southern Ming Dynasty and the last chance for the Southern Ming court to compete with the Qing Dynasty in terms of politics and economy.

"Isn't this the Zhechoufu from the Sui and Tang dynasties, which has been patched up? The only thing missing is the ability to enlist in battles." Wang Chonggu looked at it for a long time and raised his doubts. The Ministry of Revenue fiddled with it for a long time, and the more Wang Chonggu looked at it, the more it looked like a Zhechoufu.

"In the Sui and Tang dynasties, the Zhechongfu was also called the Tongjunfu. The talented people in the registered population were the soldiers of the government. The Zhechongfu was mainly for the soldiers of the government. The camp was mainly for growing crops in peace, so as to save the tenants, landlords, and local government offices from pinching the land every day for farming."

"The volunteers under the command of the militia do not need to be mobilized for expeditions." Wang Guoguang answered Wang Chonggu's question.

It was not a case of war and aggression. It was mainly the Ming army, of which only 100,000 were from the Beijing garrison and 130,000 were recruited soldiers. The rest were all half-farming and half-agricultural soldiers from the garrisons. They were hereditary military households and were mainly responsible for defensive tasks.

The treatment of the Beijing Navy was very good. Every time they were recruited, they would choose one strong and healthy man from a good family with no criminal record for three generations of direct relatives.

"Who came up with this camp system?" Zhu Yijun asked curiously as he flipped through the memorial.

Wang Guoguang took out a letter and said, "Liaodong Governor Hou Yuzhao used this method in Liaodong. Ying means to manage, and also means camp and fort."

"Liaodong has gradually become more stable in recent years. It has been reclaimed. It is no longer as dangerous as it was in the past, but there are still wild beasts. In recent years, Liaodong has gradually become a barracks like this."

"In the first month of the year, I received a letter from Hou Yuzhao asking whether it is possible to reclaim 440,000 hectares of land in Liaodong and set up an agricultural reclamation bureau directly under the Ministry of Revenue."

Hou Yuzhao wrote down all his experience in land reclamation over the years in the letter, hoping that the Agricultural Reclamation Bureau, which was directly managed by the court, would manage all agricultural matters.

The issue of establishing a province in Liaodong had already been put on the agenda. For this matter, Li Chengliang retired specifically and followed His Majesty to the south of the Yangtze River to live a carefree and happy life.

However, after the outbreak of the Korean War, the establishment of Liaodong province fell into the same predicament as before, and the Liaodong military still had the basis of a feudal system.

If the imperial court intervenes too much, the Liaodong army may be forced to rebel. If the imperial court does not intervene, the 440,000 hectares of land in Liaodong and the population of more than three million may become a major concern for the imperial court.

The Liaodong Plain is a large granary where one can grow rice for one season with an excellent harvest.

If the Liaodong Army is allowed to grow stronger, within a few years, even if Li Chengliang himself does not want to be An Lushan, his subordinates will force him to be An Lushan.

Hou Yuzhao thought about it and came up with a good idea. He decided to set up an agricultural bureau directly managed by the court. If the court controlled the food in Liaodong, it would control the stomach of the Liaodong army. In addition, since gunpowder was controlled by the court, the Liaodong army would not continue to be a vassal state, and the contradiction of establishing a province in Liaodong would be alleviated.

Regarding the establishment of the Agricultural Reclamation Bureau, the Ministry of Revenue still needs to communicate carefully with Hou Yuzhao. After all, Liaodong is a serious matter. If one is not careful, it will cause trouble.

"Then let's try this compromise method of temporary farming system in Jiangxi and see how effective it is." Zhu Yijun made a decision to pilot it in Ningdu, Ninghua and Ruijin counties. The exploration of the system requires little attempts, the unity of knowledge and action, and continuous improvement in the successive contradictions.

"Shen Shixing reported that something strange happened in Songjiang Prefecture recently." Zhang Juzheng said solemnly, "It's a strange thing called the soul."

"Calling the soul?" Zhu Yijun frowned and asked, "What's going on? Is there an evil spirit causing trouble?"

"It shouldn't be like this. Songjiang Prefecture is extremely wealthy, and local people don't need to seek sorcery to comfort themselves. If this evil spirit caused chaos in Shaanxi, Gansu and Ningxia, it wouldn't be surprising. How could it happen in Songjiang Prefecture?"

The economy was booming, the population was gathering and growing rapidly, goods from the nine provinces along the Yangtze River were distributed in Songjiang, and part of the goods from the Grand Canal were also distributed in Songjiang Prefecture. Songjiang Prefecture had unprecedentedly prosperous commerce and handicraft workshops. There should be no room for evil spirits to spread.

The more underdeveloped a place is, the more likely it is that evil spirits can bewitch people. Shaanxi governors such as Shi Maohua and Shen Yikuan often reported this matter to the authorities, and anyone who encountered it would be killed without mercy.

Under Aldan Khan there was a leader named Zhao Quan, who was the leader of the White Lotus Sect in the area north of Yanmen Pass. After he defected to Aldan Khan, he gathered a large number of desperate criminals.

The evil spirits headed by Zhao Quan often dressed up as monks and beggars, wandered around the borders, gathered intelligence, and preached in the heartland of the Ming Dynasty, causing chaos.

After the Longqing peace agreement, Altan Khan handed over Zhao Quan and others to the Ming Dynasty.

In underdeveloped areas, life is difficult and people need spiritual comfort, so religion will take advantage of the situation and come in.

The same thing happened in Songjiang Prefecture, which made Zhu Yijun extremely alert. It might be the rebellion of evil spirits, or more likely that the powerful and wealthy people, local celebrities and gentry who were unwilling to lose their economic advantages and social status had gathered together to oppose the Ming Dynasty's new policies and sabotage them.

But as Zhang Juzheng slowly unfolded the case, Zhu Yijun discovered that this was not the case.

Shanghai County Magistrate Yao Guangqi has already figured out the cause and effect of the incident.

At the end of December last year, a stonemason named Chen Dongpeng worked away from home for a long time and his family was bullied. Chen Dongpeng scared the villagers, saying that he had learned a magic called soul-calling from a Taoist priest.

You just need to write the person's name and date of birth on a piece of paper, stick it to a hammer and hit it. The person will hear the sound, and in mild cases will become listless, or in severe cases will bleed from all seven orifices and die of shock!

Chen Dongpeng had been away from home for a long time working, and could only go home once a month. In the short term, he could not buy a house in Songjiang Prefecture, and he was registered as a registered permanent resident in Songjiang Prefecture, so he could only make up threats like this.

Not long after Chen Dongpeng started working, a lazy man who had bullied his family kept hearing the sound of banging. He was so frightened that he lost his mind. Unexpectedly, after seven days, he actually bled to death! Immediately, there was an uproar in Chen Dongpeng's Qidong Village, and everyone avoided Chen Dongpeng's house.

Yao Guangqi had already found out that it was Chen Dongpeng who gave the lazy fellow three coins of silver and asked him to pretend to hear the knocking noise;
The cause of death of this lazy man was actually very simple. He drank heavily with some bad friends he met in the gambling house, and they started quarreling over a disagreement, which led to a fight. The fatal injury was a violent blow to the back of the head.

These bad friends were afraid of being caught, so they told everyone that it was Chen Dongpeng who used necromancy to kill the lazy man, which made people even more panic-stricken.

The Shanghai County investigated the case for only two days before the truth came to light. Yao Guangqi arrested the murderer and began the process of three reviews of the death penalty.

Yao Guangqi knew that the soul-calling technique was fake and posted a notice to that effect, but the man was still in a panic.

At this time, some people found the Xilin Zen Temple in Songjiang Prefecture and asked the Zen master to exorcise the evil spirits, hoping to prevent this soul-calling technique.

Things went wrong because of the Zen master.

The Xilin Zen Temple is extremely popular, but the incense is for the entire Zen temple, and some Zen masters do not receive much of the incense.

As soon as he saw the existence of the soul-calling technique, a Zen master immediately found a new way to ward off evil spirits. Using the soul-calling technique as a link, he and several other Zen masters aligned the granularity and empowered new hot spots. Several Zen masters immediately began to publicize the dangers of various evil techniques, and a combination of jade, wooden objects, talismans, and other methods of warding off evil spirits were launched one after another.

These Zen masters immediately received a large amount of money from incense donations, and the rumors about the soul-calling technique became more and more widespread.

"A single piece of evidence is not enough to prove that this lazy man died from the so-called soul-calling technique. As time goes by, there will be no more evidence. This rumor will be self-defeating. Even if the pilgrims are scared, can they continue to pay tribute to these Zen masters?" Zhu Yijun felt that the matter was almost over here. How could it have come to the emperor's desk?

It's just to make some money. Only a guilty conscience would give his money to a liar.

"These Zen masters also know that in a few days, without the evil spirits causing trouble, everyone will return to peace. In order to make the storm worse, several Zen masters began to spread rumors deliberately, telling people everywhere that someone had died tragically under the spell of calling souls. But the lie cannot last long." Zhang Juzheng sighed.

The bigger the waves, the more expensive the fish is. This principle is understood not only by fishmongers but also by Zen masters.

Faced with the decline in traffic, the Zen masters were unwilling to accept that the new track of exorcism had come to an end. Several Zen masters discussed how to deal with it, and one of the Zen masters said: Knock the person on the head!

Because of the opening of the sea, Songjiang Prefecture attracted countless outsiders due to population siphoning. At this time, the Zen master only needed to find these lowly outsiders doing hard labor in the dead of night, hit them with a hammer, and kill them from all seven orifices. Then, this wealth myth called soul-searching could continue.

The reason why they targeted outsiders was that no one would care if these outsiders died. Many outsiders came to other places on their own and were not afraid of being helped by others. Helping others was a way for fellow villagers to stick together for warmth. If someone died from such an evil technique as soul-calling, no one would dare to avoid it.

After killing seven people in succession, this soul-calling technique immediately became bloody evidence and a threat.

It is difficult to investigate murder cases, and this kind of homicide case with no conflict of interest, no direct relationship, and random killing is even more difficult to solve. Moreover, the murder occurred in Shanghai County, and Xilin Zen Temple is south of Huating County, Songjiang Prefecture.

Yao Guangqi investigated for a long time before he finally identified these evil Zen masters.

Zhang Juzheng said with a sad face: "This evil Zen master has no idea how big a mess he has made."

"The case was solved, and the criminals were arrested. The four counties of Huating, Qingpu, Shanghai, and Pudong all posted notices, and even sent runners and stokers to go door to door to announce it. But the trouble caused by these evil Zen masters has just begun."

"Because it's not just these few Zen masters who are doing this business of exorcising evil spirits. All kinds of people are doing this business of exorcising evil spirits. Three people make a tiger, and many mouths can melt gold. This is called soul magic. If everyone talks about it, it will become true."

"On the third day of last month, local people gathered together and beat the foreign stonemasons to death."

Things are out of control.

This stonemason was from Jingzhou Prefecture in Huguang, and was a fellow villager of Zhang Juzheng. Of course, this stonemason did not know Zhang Juzheng. He went to Songjiang Prefecture to work.

Songjiang Prefecture was building a bridge and there was a big shortage of stonemasons. While this stonemason was taking a break, he was playing with a child on the side of the road. As he had just arrived and didn't know the taboos in Shanghai County, he asked the child what his name was.

This question caused trouble.

The conditions for activating the soul-calling technique are name, birth date, and stonemason. What does the stonemason want to do by asking the name?
The stonemason was so terrified that he had no idea what was happening before he was surrounded. As soon as he opened his mouth with a Huguang accent, he was beaten to death by the Huangpu River. There were more than 20 people involved in the attack, and no one admitted that they had killed anyone.

"This is a big trouble." Zhu Yijun sat up straight. He realized why Zhang Juzheng said that the evil Zen master himself didn't know how big a trouble he had caused.

The art of calling souls has gradually evolved into a form of power.

There are some locals in Songjiang Prefecture, but most of them are from other places, and many of these outsiders are rich. In terms of absolute numbers, there are more outsiders.

There is a contradiction in the first place. This is called the soul technique being alienated into a kind of rule. If you don't understand the rule, you will be beaten to death.

The trouble with the case is that there are more than 20 people involved. Should we kill them all?
"How was the Songjiang area handled?" Zhu Yijun frowned and said, "This rumor has already caused a stir and caused a lot of harm to people."

Zhang Juzheng said with a heavy face: "More than 20 people refused to confess, so Yao Guangqi sentenced them all to death. These people finally got scared, and finally identified the murderer after constantly pointing fingers at each other."

"The murderer must pay with his life, and the others will be exiled to Danshui Town, Jilong Island. After serving five years of hard labor, they can return to Ming Dynasty."

"Shen Shixing was in charge of returning the land to Zhejiang, and Yao Guangqi was allowed to handle it flexibly."

"Yao Guangqi didn't do anything else. He shut down the entire Songjiang Prefecture and imposed a daily curfew. No one was allowed to go out unless it was urgent. It didn't take long, just a day and a half."

"It rains a lot in Songjiang Prefecture, and most people don't have food stored. When a person is hungry, he only has one worry, and that is being hungry."

"Yao Guangqi himself was a vicious man with a scar on his face. He sat in front of the county government office, ate nothing but water, and starved along with all the people in Songjiang Prefecture."

"He published his birth date and spread the word: if anyone knows how to curse, just curse him to death, and the ban will naturally be lifted!"

County Magistrate Yao was a human being, not a god, and he didn't have any good solution. He had to use the intermittent fasting therapy and let everyone starve for a day and a half. Finally, he broke the evil spirit called soul magic.

"County Magistrate Yao must have been scolded badly." Zhu Yijun was stunned. Yao Guangqi could also come up with this kind of intermittent fasting therapy.

The scholars in the Ming Dynasty were truly vicious and had many tricks and methods.

As long as the emperor only looks at the results and still values ​​obedient officials, he will use any tricks he can get you. This is certainly good because it can get things done; but it also has a disadvantage because the power is too arbitrary.

Zhang Juzheng said with a strange expression: "No, Yao Guangqi was not scolded. In fact, everyone in Songjiang Prefecture was exhausted by this rumor. Even production and shipping were delayed."

"People were in a state of panic, and both the inside and outside of the country were in turmoil. Yao Guangqi did something extraordinary, proving the rumors were false. Now the country is completely at peace."

The emperor saw the capriciousness of power, the censors impeached Yao Guangqi for his misconduct, and the people in Songjiang Prefecture who made a living by spreading rumors hated him furiously. After all, with this happening, the business of warding off evil spirits would no longer be possible.

Most of the people in Songjiang Prefecture were grateful, as at least they didn't have to worry about being cursed to death by this soul-calling technique.

Everyone has different interests, so everyone looks at things from a different perspective. Songjiang Prefecture is where the world's wealth is concentrated. This rumor that made the whole nation uneasy could be used to fish in troubled waters and make a fortune. However, it was finally broken by Yao Guangqi at the cost of his own life.

Zhu Yijun tapped his fingers on the table a few times before saying, "Our kelp king and salt king are still very brave."

The Master does not speak of strange things, supernatural powers, or demons. This does not mean that the Master was against the idea of ​​ghosts and gods, but that he stayed away from them and did not discuss them. He did not say that they were false.

It is true that Yao Guangqi is a scholar, but this rumor has reached the point where everyone is in danger. Yao Guangqi, who is in the middle of it, has he ever wavered for a moment? Is there really such a soul-calling technique, such strange and supernatural magic, that took his life?

Yao Guangqi should have been afraid, but he still chose to be straightforward and used the most direct method to push himself to the forefront, directly challenging the evil magic, and finally breaking the chaos.

This is a kind of bravery. Yao Guangqi has never lacked bravery. There is a long scar on his face, which was caused by pirates when they were robbing kelp.

"If the Ming Dynasty were full of such honest officials, wouldn't I be able to rest easy?" Zhu Yijun said with a smile.

"Your Majesty is naturally wise and intelligent, and has great fortune. The king is the leader of his ministers, and billions of people look up to him and will certainly follow his example. The Ming Dynasty will naturally have a wise king and virtuous ministers, and the country will be prosperous and secure." Shen Li said calmly.

Hai Rui looked at Shen Li in surprise. As a loyal minister, Shen Li was fine if he just tried to clean up the mess for the Ministry of Rites, but he even learned Wan Shihe's flattery tactics?

Shen Li wanted to say something but hesitated, and finally said nothing. He was actually speaking the truth.

Yao Guangqi was a dandy young man in the capital. He used to be a reckless person who would kick poor laborers to the ground at Qianmen Tower, throw a handful of silver and leave casually. When he bought flower baskets at Taibai Tower, he would buy ten or a hundred of them.

It is a blessing from our ancestors that he does not appear in the notice of marine arrest.

Yao Guangqi's becoming what it is today is closely related to Your Majesty, and of course, to Yao Guangqi's own struggles.

Originally, Yao Guangqi might have appeared in the memorials of the Ministry of Justice, but now Yao Guangqi is the Kelp King, the Salt King, and the beloved minister and warrior in the eyes of His Majesty.

People's encounters are always so wonderful.

After Zhu Yijun picked up the memorials from Shen Shixing and Yao Guangqi and approved them, he sat up straight and said, "Although Songjiang Prefecture is changing with each passing day, in my opinion, the people of Songjiang Prefecture are not living a satisfactory life."

"It is always easier for the court to see the gathering population, the swallowed goods, the numerous handicraft workshops, the thousands of ships racing by, and the huge amount of silver flowing into the Ming Dynasty from Songjiang Prefecture."

"But the population is increasing rapidly, and the people of Songjiang Prefecture are troubled by road congestion, poor sanitation, fluctuating public security, and a widening gap between the rich and the poor."

"The people have always lived in anxiety and extreme tension, living in fear of the possibility of sliding down the social ladder. The strings in their hearts have always been taut, until the evil spell of calling souls came out, and they immediately broke, which led to this situation."

"Living in the capital is not easy, and living in Songjiang Prefecture is not easy either."

There are many contradictions in the Soul-Calling Case. The Soul-Calling Case brought out these contradictions, which led to the situation and shocked the emperor.

It was thanks to Yao Guangqi's proper handling of the matter, otherwise this rumor of soul magic would have spread along the river, with the flow of goods and business groups to every corner of the Ming Dynasty, causing untold harm.

Shen Li glanced at Hai Rui and smiled. This was why he was flattering him. It was really the truth.

Your Majesty is wise and enlightened, and you truly care about all the people in your eyes.

(End of this chapter)