Jiajing Chengming

"Lord, the Suzhou government office reported that last night, righteous people escorted the former Imperial Household Department Junior Secretary Jiang Qing and his family to surrender, and presented the deed of the private adoption of Qian Wu's daughter by Jiang's second son, and the deed of commitment that Qian Wu had conspired with the Jiang family to resist the Qingtian incident, which was seized from Qian Wu's daughter."

Gui E received a report from the Suzhou prefect on the same day.

Gui E nodded and smiled: "Very good, as expected there are still truly loyal people in Suzhou. Then let the Fuyuan continue to interrogate Qian Wu."

"Qian Wu, the evidence is irrefutable, and you still say you didn't mastermind?"

When Xiong Jia interrogated Qian Wu for the second time, he showed Qian Wu the evidence of his crimes brought by the Suzhou righteous citizens.

After hearing this, Qian Wu only looked at Gui E who was sitting above Xiong Jia: "You dog official! You are so despicable! You forced my benefactor out in this way!"

Qian Wu closed his eyes and sighed, "You can kill me or chop me up as you wish."

"Jiang Qing, you are really sorry to the court!"

Gui E still ignored Qian Wu and started talking to Jiang Qing.

Jiang Qing couldn't help but close his eyes and sighed, "I lost, I lost to my fellow villagers!"

"You deserve to be slaughtered at will next!"

At this time, Jiang Qing turned around and scolded Gu Ning and other Suzhou gentry who came to the yamen with him.

Gu Ning and others ignored Jiang Qing.

Gu Ning even respectfully begged Gui E, "Now that the mastermind has been identified, please do not impose punitive taxes on the people of Suzhou and give them a way to survive."

"It's OK to give the people of Suzhou a chance to survive."

"But I cannot give the traitor a chance to live."

"We can avoid collecting punitive taxes, but this traitor must still be brought to justice and punished!"

Gui E spoke at this time.

When Gui E said that the punitive tax increase would no longer be implemented, the gentry and dignitaries in Suzhou all breathed a sigh of relief.

But when Gui E said that the rebels still had to be captured, meaning that the Suzhou prefect still had to complete the target of capturing rebels, many gentry and dignitaries still became uneasy.

Especially those big local officials.

Gu Ning knelt down with a plop. "Lord, you know our Gu family. We are a noble family with a long tradition of loyalty and righteousness. We will never do anything to offend the court. We stood up for the traitor Qian Wu before because we were misled."

"Mr. Gu, please don't kneel down in such a hurry. I haven't finished what I want to say yet."

"The reason why I said that the punitive tax increase can be waived, but this rebellion must still be brought to justice is because I believe that the Suzhou traitors who are disloyal to the court are definitely not just the Jiang family."

"Because if only the Jiang family was a traitor, they wouldn't have caused such a big commotion! But for the whole Suzhou to justify Qian Wu, a traitor, and even turn black into white, and portray him as a righteous hero, there must be a lot of traitors instigating this."

"That's why I said that. I also mean that we need to bring all the Suzhou rebels to justice before we can talk about exempting the punitive tax increase."

"If all the reactionaries and traitors are not eliminated, then continue to increase taxes! To punish all the scholars and people in Suzhou for not distinguishing right from wrong and not cooperating with the court's determination to eliminate traitors and arrest traitors!"

After Gui E said this, many middle and lower class gentry and wealthy families could no longer sit still.

then.

At this time, Zhou Zhuan, a scholar, came to Gui E and said:
"Please allow me to report. If there are really disloyal wealthy families in Suzhou, then the Jiang family will naturally be the first to bear the brunt. The Gu family is also one of them, because they have hidden armor in order to pretend to be Japanese pirates and seize the land of the people. There is also the Qin family. When their head was an official in the Ministry of Revenue, he once joined forces with local prefectures and counties to privately divide the silver for capitation."

"Lord, there is also Sun Hanlin's family..."

"My Lord, there is also the family of Lord Wang..." At that moment, many middle and lower class gentry and wealthy families began to spill all the crimes they knew about the big local officials in Suzhou.

Gu Ning and other high-ranking local officials were both frightened and angry.

Many of them even fell to the ground with weak legs.

As arrogant as they were before, they were in a state of disgrace now.

For this reason, Gu Ning looked at Zhou Zhuan and the others: "You are exposing us like this, are you really that clean?!"

"Lord, Zhou Zhuan is slandering me. He is just resentful that I did not agree to the marriage with his Zhou family. Now he is accusing us of being traitors."

Gu Ning then turned around, bowed to Gui E and continued speaking.

Zhou Zhuan also followed suit and bowed: "Lord, I am not that narrow-minded. I am just making a random guess about who in Suzhou Prefecture could be a traitor. No doubt his Gu family must be one of them!"

Jiang Qing also echoed, "I can testify that in the entire Suzhou Prefecture, only the Gu family deserves the name of traitors. They have done everything from deceiving the people to stealing the national treasury!"

Gu Ning looked at Jiang Qing and laughed: "What evidence do you have?"

Jiang Qing also laughed: "I don't have any evidence, but that doesn't mean that all the gentry in Suzhou don't know. Besides, since you first said that my Jiang family is a traitor, then is my Jiang family the only traitor in the whole Suzhou?"

"Just as the elder said, if I think the Jiang family is a traitor, I can't organize such a big momentum, but I can make all the people in Suzhou City recognize Qian Wu as a righteous citizen!"

Gui E watched these gentry fighting each other and could not help but sneer inwardly, secretly sighing at the emperor's wisdom.

"Okay!"

"Who is the traitor? This matter will be decided by the Fuyuan and the Suzhou prefect."

Gui E looked at Xiong Jia and Tang Shunzhi and said, "But you should listen more to the feedback from the people of Suzhou."

Xiong Jia and Tang Shunzhi nodded in agreement.

Then, Gui E looked at these nobles and sages again and said, "But I still have to be frank. If any of you are identified as traitors, you must honestly accept the punishment of the court. If anyone dares to rebel directly, you know that the consequences will be more serious! At that time, it will not be as simple as exiling your family members."

After Gui E said this, none of the gentry and dignitaries said much.

However, Gu Ning and other gentry and wise men had mixed feelings. They were helpless and furious about Gui E's overbearing behavior. At the same time, they were terrified and uneasy because they thought that more high-ranking officials in Suzhou would desperately expose the other party's crimes to protect themselves.

These days, many gentry have been trying to get close to Xiong Jia, Tang Shunzhi and even their families.

However, Xiong Jia and Tang Shunzhi both strictly ordered their families not to go out, and they themselves refused to see anyone. They asked their subordinates to mobilize the middle and lower-level gentry and scholars to launch a "public trial" movement.

The "public trial" was carried out by Gui E based on Zhu Houcong's reminder and was carried out by Xiong Jia and Tang Shunzhi.

One-tenth of the high-ranking local officials in Suzhou Prefecture must be identified as traitors. How should this standard be set? According to Zhu Houcong's idea, it should be done through a "public trial" in which the middle and lower-level gentry mobilize the people to conduct a "public trial" of the high-ranking local officials.

"Go to Gu's house!"

Zhou Zhuan brought people from the government office and a large group of scholars and civilians to Gu Ning's home.

In the past, people in the government office and the common people did not dare to make enemies with the Gu family, nor did they intend to make enemies with the Gu family directly. Even if they had grievances against the Gu family, they had no intention of breaking off relations with them.

But now the court's violent ruling machine has put them under tremendous pressure. The governor's office and Suzhou government office, which represent the court, have encouraged them to hold a "public trial." In order to avoid completely offending the court and being subject to punitive tax increases, they have gathered together, come to the Gu family, take the head of the Gu family, Gu Ning, out of their home, and then interrogate Gu Ning in the lobby of the government office.

In the end, Gu Ning could not withstand the criticism from tens of thousands of Suzhou citizens and had to admit his guilt.

The Minister of Works Qin Jin soon learned about this and was so frightened that he came to Zuo Shunmen that day and said, "I am guilty. Your Majesty, please punish me!" (End of this chapter)