In Hongwu, we started as rebels

Chapter 849 Confess and be treated leniently; resist and be punished severely.
Night fell as dark as ink, heavily enveloping the north of the city.

The once bustling streets were now eerily quiet.
Only the occasional bark of a dog broke the silence.

Inside a secluded mansion

A dozen or so shopkeepers sat together, each with anxiety written all over their faces.

The dim candlelight flickered on the walls.
Their shadows stretched long and eerily.

The government's forceful acquisition of the workshops today,
Like a heavy hammer, it struck them hard in the heart, catching them completely off guard.

They have gathered here to discuss a solution.

"This Lu Yunyi is simply outrageous! He's forcing people to buy and sell; is there no law left?!"

A slightly overweight shopkeeper with a face full of fat slammed his hand on the table and roared, his fat face trembling with the movement.

"I'm not reconciled to this hard-earned family business being so easily taken away by him!"

The other shopkeeper echoed him, his voice filled with resentment.

Everyone chimed in with their own opinions.
They all vented their dissatisfaction, and the atmosphere inside the room became increasingly tense.

Mi Chen sat quietly to the side, his eyes slightly narrowed.

Seeing the angry looks on everyone's faces, he had his own plans in mind, as if none of this concerned him.

Hu Chongyi sat next to Mi Chen, his brows furrowed and his eyes revealing apprehension.

He learned some secrets from Zhang Bin.
Knowing that things were heading in the worst possible direction,

He's currently hesitating about whether to continue.

It would be too much of a waste to sacrifice your entire life's work.

"Manager Mi, please say something! We'll all listen to you!"

One of the shopkeepers suddenly turned his gaze to Mi Chen and said loudly.

Everyone's attention turned to Mi Chen.

Mi Chen sighed inwardly, knowing that he could no longer remain silent.

He gently pressed his hands down, signaling everyone to be quiet.

"Everyone, please calm down."

Mi Chen's voice was steady and powerful, echoing in the room.

"What happened today has indeed taken us by surprise."

Since the government dares to act in this way, it must have something to rely on.

It's also our fault for not reading the documents that were issued at the time and not calculating the taxes involved, which led to us being at a disadvantage.

At this moment, simply reacting with anger and resistance would likely backfire.

"Mi Chen, do you mean we should compromise?"

Wang Ze stared wide-eyed at Mi Chen, his face filled with disappointment.

"Compromise? Hmph, I, Li Zening, would rather die than compromise with that Lu Yunyi!" A tall, thin shopkeeper with a fierce expression suddenly stood up and shouted loudly.

"At worst, we'll fight him to the death!"

"Yes, let's fight! We're not to be trifled with!"

Everyone responded enthusiastically, and the atmosphere inside the room became lively once again.

Mi Chen looked at the excited crowd and sneered inwardly.
He raised his voice again:

"Everyone, please hear me out!"

Upon hearing Mi Chen's voice, the crowd gradually quieted down and refocused their attention on him.

Mi Chen scanned the crowd and slowly said:

"I understand everyone's feelings. No one wants to give up their hard-earned business easily."

But have you ever thought about this?

As the Commander-in-Chief, Lu Yunyi wielded military power, a position far beyond that of an ordinary local governor.

If we confront him head-on, what are our chances of winning?

Upon hearing Mi Chen's words, everyone fell into deep thought.

Lu Yunyi commands a large army, and although these merchants have some wealth, they are utterly powerless in the face of force.

If it were the old Lord Zhou Xing, he might have hesitated to give them a second thought.

But Lu Yunyi was ruthless and didn't care about anything, and he didn't take them seriously at all.

This gave them a major headache, and some of the merchant's methods simply couldn't be used.
Because you can fool others, but to fool this person would only bring shame upon yourself.

"What should we do then? Just give up like this?"

Wang Ze looked up at Mi Chen, his eyes filled with helplessness.

Mi Chen smiled slightly and said:

"Of course not, I advocate compromise, and..."

It wasn't a genuine submission to Lu Yunyi, but rather a stopgap measure.

We can pretend to agree to his request and hand over the workshop to keep him calm.

At the same time, they secretly joined forces with more officials to put pressure on the imperial court.
"As long as the imperial court intervenes, Lu Yunyi will definitely have some reservations. Then we can figure out a way to take back our family business."

Upon hearing Mi Chen's words, everyone showed thoughtful expressions.

Upon hearing this, Hu Chongyi's expression changed drastically, and he immediately launched into a tirade of curses:
"Mi Chen, you bastard, what kind of terrible idea did you come up with?"

Is Lu Yunyi a kind person? Would he spit out the meat that was already in his mouth?
This place is a hundred and eight thousand miles away from the imperial court.
Even if someone in the court speaks for us, can they shake his authority?
Your idea is most likely to be...
"We've wasted our time looking for people! We've even given away the workshop for nothing!"

Upon hearing this, everyone felt that what he said made a lot of sense.

Mi Chen looked at Hu Chongyi, chuckled, and nodded indifferently:

"Manager Hu, I think you haven't learned your lesson yet."
Lu Yunyi was a general who had led armies into battle and killed countless people.

These kinds of people are mostly responsive to gentle persuasion but not to force.

If you keep pushing back like that, he won't back down; instead, he'll push back even harder.

After a few back and forths, we were finished.

Could it be that with our strength, we could possibly have any influence over the Commander?
If we could win by fighting head-on, we wouldn't be here.

Everyone looked thoughtful, and then nodded in agreement with what Mi Chen said.

Hu Chongyi spoke with unwavering certainty:
"The workshop must not be handed over, and it must not start work!"
Once a strategy is set, it must be implemented; a combination of firmness and flexibility is what makes it easier to fall into a trap.

He looked at some of the shopkeepers who had sold their workshops that day, and felt a sense of disappointment and frustration:
"If you guys were a little more assertive, would the government have bought up all the workshops?"

Upon hearing this, the shopkeepers all looked regretful.

"Manager Hu, they've brought troops with them today."

Behind us were yamen runners and armored soldiers; we were afraid we'd be arrested if we didn't agree.

"What are you afraid of? They're not going to arrest you all, are they?"

"Hey~" Mi Chen interjected sarcastically at this moment:
"That's hard to say. He's killed countless prisoners, so why would he be afraid of capturing people?"
Don't forget, without the support of the adults behind us, we're nothing!

Was the saying "A prefect who wipes out an entire family and a magistrate who ruins his family" just empty talk?
Moreover, this is a commander-in-chief.

The dim candlelight still flickered, illuminating the ever-changing faces of the crowd.

"Mi Chen, what are you saying? Isn't this just boosting the morale of others while diminishing our own?"

A burly shopkeeper with a full beard suddenly stood up, his eyes wide with anger, and roared loudly, spitting everywhere.

Another shopkeeper, dressed in a magnificent brocade robe, chimed in:
"Exactly. We're supposed to be respectable people. If we back down before even fighting, what will others think of us?"

However, some people nodded slightly, agreeing with Mi Chen's words.

"I think Manager Mi makes a good point."

Lu Yunyi commands a large army; if we confront him head-on, we certainly have no chance of winning.

"Staying calm with him first, then figuring out a solution, is also a viable strategy."

"Strategy? This is clearly retreating and admitting defeat!"

Hu Chongyi slammed his hand on the table, veins bulging on his forehead.
Mi Chen looked coldly at Hu Chongyi, a mocking smile on his face:

"Manager Hu, you have such backbone, so tell me, do you have a better solution?"
Should we lead everyone to fight the government to the death, or wait to be dealt with one by one?

You don't know what happened in the government office today?
Lord Zhang is barely able to protect himself, how do you have such ability! Hu Chongyi was momentarily speechless at Mi Chen's words, but quickly retorted, his neck stiff with arrogance:

"Although I don't have a foolproof plan for the time being, I can't give in so easily!"

"The situation is beyond our control right now, so we can only be patient for now and wait for a suitable opportunity to strike back."

"Endure? When will this end?" Hu Chongyi was furious.

"Are we supposed to just hand over our entire fortune to someone else and wait for them to give it to us?"

"Of course not!" Mi Chen raised his voice.

"We're just keeping Lu Yunyi calm and waiting for news from the grassland people."
If things change, a smaller boat is easier to turn around and will allow for more flexibility.

"I think you're just a coward who's afraid of death!" Hu Chongyi retorted mercilessly.

The two of them talked back and forth.
The argument grew increasingly heated, and the atmosphere inside the room became extremely tense.

The other shopkeepers tried to mediate, but neither of them listened and continued arguing fiercely.

"Okay, stop arguing!"

An older shopkeeper stood up and shouted loudly.

"Now is not the time for arguments; we need to unite and work together to find ways to overcome this predicament."

Continuing to argue like this will only cause pain to loved ones and pleasure to enemies.

However, the two men, enraged at the moment, were unwilling to listen to any advice.

Hu Chongyi snorted coldly and said:

"I have nothing to say to him; we're on different paths and can't work together!"

After saying that, he flicked his sleeve and turned to leave.

"Manager Hu, don't be impulsive!"

Several shopkeepers rushed forward to pull him back, trying to dissuade him.

Hu Chongyi forcefully broke free from their grasp and shouted:

"Don't stop me! I, Hu Chongyi, will not tolerate this humiliation!"

"Anyone who wants to compromise with that coward Mi Chen can go ahead, but I absolutely refuse!"

Mi Chen was also angered by Hu Chongyi's words, and he said angrily:

"Go, all of you go! I, Mi Chen, am not so helpless that I can't live without you!"

Some shopkeepers who favored Mi Chen's strategy looked at each other in bewilderment.
After hesitating for a moment, one of them stepped forward and said:

"Manager Mi, we trust you and are willing to follow you."

“Yes, we’ll follow Manager Mi!” Several other managers echoed.

Upon hearing this, Mi Chen's expression softened slightly.

He nodded and said:

"Okay, since everyone trusts me, let's get through this together."

Tomorrow, I will take everyone to the Military Commandery to make our stance clear.

Hu Chongyi looked at the group following Mi Chen and sneered:
"A bunch of spineless cowards, you'll regret this!"

After saying that, he strode out of the house.

Other shopkeepers who were unwilling to compromise also left.

The once lively house suddenly became deserted.

The next morning, the sun shone on the earth, bringing a touch of warmth to the north of the city.

Mi Chen, accompanied by a group of shopkeepers, arrived at the military headquarters early in the morning.

They looked nervous and uneasy.
Mi Chen took a deep breath, straightened his clothes, told everyone not to be nervous, and led them into the yamen.

In the reception room, they met Wu Su'an from the Department of Experience.

"Manager Mi, what brings you here?"

Mi Chen quickly bowed and said respectfully:

"Lord Wu, after careful consideration..."
"We have decided to follow the government's arrangements and begin work immediately, even if it means incurring losses, to provide a livelihood for the people of the city."

Wu Su'an was slightly taken aback upon hearing this:
"Manager Mi, what's going on here?"

Wu Su'an didn't give them a chance to answer and immediately said:

"It's good that you can understand. Lord Lu has always hoped that the city can develop steadily, and your cooperation is very important to the government."

"Lord Wu, we are also thinking of the people in the city."

Mi Chen said, "I only hope that Lord Lu can be lenient and forgive our previous foolish actions."

Wu Su'an smiled slightly and said:

"Don't worry, Manager Mi, Lord Lu always keeps his word."

As long as you work diligently, the authorities will not make things difficult for you, and past mistakes will be forgiven.

Mi Chen quickly bowed again:

"Thank you, Lord Wu. We will certainly work hard and live up to the expectations of the government."

Wu Su'an nodded and said:

"Alright, please wait here for a moment while I report to Lord Lu."

After saying that, he turned and left the room.

Mi Chen and the others stood inside the house, feeling both nervous and expectant.
After a while, Wu Su'an returned, and he said with a smile:

"Manager Mi, Lord Lu has agreed to see you. Please come with me."

Mi Chen and the others quickly followed Wu Su'an to Lu Yunyi's office.

Lu Yunyi sat behind the long table, his expression dignified.

Mi Chen and the others quickly bowed and said in unison:
"Greetings, Lord Lu."

Lu Yunyi nodded slightly and said:

"Mi Chen, I am very pleased that you have come to this understanding."

The development of Daning City is inseparable from the support of merchants like you.

As long as you are dedicated to the public good, I will certainly not treat you unfairly.

Mi Chen quickly said:

"Lord Lu, you flatter us. We were just doing what we were supposed to do. From now on, we will definitely follow the arrangements of the government."

Lu Yunyi nodded in satisfaction and said:
"Very good, I like people like you who know how to adapt to the times."

Don't worry, as long as you do your job well, the government will not treat you unfairly.

Once the matters concerning the grasslands are settled, I will consider providing you with some assistance to help your business flourish even more.

Upon hearing this, Mi Chen and the others were overjoyed and quickly bowed again.

"Thank you, Lord Lu."

Everything went smoothly, and Mi Chen led the group away from the Military Commandery in high spirits.

For them, not being purged was already a very good outcome!
But just as they reached the door,
A luxurious-looking carriage slowly came to a stop at the entrance of the yamen, and Hu Chongyi leaned out.

Upon seeing Mi Chen and the others emerge,

His body suddenly stiffened on the spot, and an awkward atmosphere began to spread.

Mi Chen froze on the spot, his expression immediately turning strange, and he said in a sarcastic tone:
"Oh, isn't this Manager Hu? Here at the yamen to cause trouble for Lord Lu?"

Mi Chen didn't lower his voice, and many people looked over.

Hu Chongyi felt his cheeks burning. He hurriedly jumped off the carriage and began to curse:
"Mi Chen, you bastard, don't make false accusations!"
"I'm here at the government office on business, what's it to you?"

Despite his tough exterior, Hu Chongyi felt a pang of sadness in his heart.

This morning, the Bureau of Investigation and Statistics launched another large-scale raid.
Nearly ten more merchant houses in the northern part of the city fell into the hands of the military commander.

The others were so frightened that they immediately started working.
No one mentioned resisting the government again.
This left him, the leader, in an awkward and uncomfortable position.
In addition, Zhang Bin had already given him a stern warning not to cause any more trouble.
He had no choice but to honestly come to the yamen to apologize.

But he never expected to run into such a group of people, which made him wish he could find a crack in the ground to crawl into!

(End of this chapter)