Zhu Yuanzhang in the cellar

Chapter 213 I, Zheng Zhilong, want to have a fight with Taizu

"The grass and trees here will definitely be lush next year."

Zhejiang, at the foot of Laohe Mountain northwest of West Lake in Hangzhou, located at the foot of the west side of Zhejiang University in later generations, Mao Xiang also sighed as he looked at the mass grave.

The decree sent by Your Majesty was written by Shi Kefa, the current Grand Secretary of the Cabinet, but the content was requested by His Royal Highness the Prince of Wu.

His Royal Highness the King of Wu said that killing too many people would cause an epidemic, so it must be dealt with.

If burned, there will be smoke and a foul stench, and the area within a radius of dozens of miles will be polluted.

Therefore, the best way is to bury them in batches, just like the Qin army killed 400,000 Zhao surrendered soldiers after the Battle of Changping.

However, the pit has to be deep, otherwise if it is dug out by wild dogs, it will rot and stink, and there is still a risk of infection.

So Mao Xiang was just like Jiang Li, hiring people to dig pits and bury people.

As for the cost of hiring people, it would naturally come from the proceeds from confiscating the bodies of those buried.

Compared with Jiangxi, the corrupt officials, landlords and businessmen in Jiangsu and Zhejiang are all very rich.

For example, in the Ming Dynasty, salt and tea merchants in Jiangnan claimed that one was not considered rich if he did not have hundreds of thousands of taels of silver, while the wealthy generally had assets of millions of taels of silver.

It’s just that compared to Jiangxi, Zhejiang kills fewer people.

Firstly, Zhejiang was well controlled, and under Zuo Guangxian's strategy, all rebellions were small-scale.

Secondly, it is still a problem of Jiangxi clans. If implicated, the entire clan will often be executed, while the number of lower-level tenants and slaves is relatively small.

Zhejiang was a province with many low-level tenants and slaves. According to Zhu Yuanzhang's order, unless these people participated voluntarily, they would be released and even given land to cultivate.

But in terms of the money confiscated, Zhejiang had almost as much as Jiangxi. By finding a reason for treason to kill a salt or tea merchant, one could get millions of taels of silver, which was faster than doing business honestly.

"grown ups."

The newly appointed Zhejiang Provincial Governor Peng Yuying was the main force in the house confiscation and he was in charge of the house confiscation and family extermination.

At this moment, he brought the accounts to Mao Xiang and said, "All the assets of the Wen family in Haining have been checked out. They are 2.76 million taels, more than 10,000 acres of salt fields, more than 10,000 acres of paddy fields, and mansions. They have all been nationalized."

"There is also the Ningbo Jiang family, who found 3.46 million taels of silver, 20,000 mu of salt fields, and more than 20,000 mu of paddy fields. The Yuyao Liu family found 6.87 million taels of silver, 20,000 mu of salt fields, and 50,000 mu of tea fields."

The names of the top wealthy business families in Jiangsu and Zhejiang were announced one by one. Each family and surname represented a large business family with all the members of the family being executed, ranging from thousands to hundreds.

Naturally, Mao Xiang came to Zhejiang this time with a mission.

The richest place during the Ming Dynasty was Nanjing Yingtian Prefecture, whose jurisdiction included Nanjing, Suzhou, Changzhou, Zhenjiang, Shanghai and other places in later generations, and was supervised by Zhu Yuanzhang himself.

And Zhejiang came from Mao Xiang.

What he wanted to do was to reshuffle the land, money and grain in these places, and in the name of treason, implicate large landowners, big businessmen and various treasonous officials to achieve the goal of redistributing the land and money and grain.

The overall process is similar to that of the four major cases during the Hongwu period.

Under normal circumstances, it would be difficult for other emperors to do this except for founding emperors like Zhu Yuanzhang, or people with great political skills like Emperor Wu of Han and Emperor Yongle.

Because ancient society was a society based on personal relationships, no one could tell whether the imperial envoy you sent had any connections with the local people.

Moreover, the imperial envoy is away, so there is a lot of room for maneuver. If you really work hard, you will either come to the conclusion that nothing can be found.

Either they would kill a group of people without any background or find some local corrupt officials and ask them to be less corrupt this year so that they could collect some money to report to the emperor.

For example, Yan Maoqing in "The Ming Dynasty 1566" went to inspect the salt.

Normally, the Imperial Inspector of Salt could only bring back more than one million taels of silver for Jiajing in a year, but Yan Maoqing was able to bring back more than three million taels.

Is that all the salt tax in the Ming Dynasty?

Naturally not.

During the Yongle period, the salt tax peaked at more than 10 million taels of silver, but now it has dropped by more than ten times.

But Yan Maoqing was able to collect more than two million taels more than in previous years.

Where is the root cause?
Isn't it just a trip? This year, the corrupt officials, both big and small, will be less corrupt and pay more tribute to the emperor to do their job?

Therefore, it is almost impossible for a normal dynasty to reshuffle the Jiangnan region.

But now it is the late Ming Dynasty for Zhu.

Old Zhu is here.

Then, once the news of his coming spreads, naturally, countless people who are impressed by Taizu's prestige will be willing to follow him.

A large number of loyal ministers who later died for their country would follow him, and many people would also look forward to his coming.

The people sent by Zhu were all his trusted confidants during the Hongwu Dynasty. They had no disputes or interests with the local people, so Mao Xiang and Jiang Li did not dare to engage in corruption.

In this way, the originally complex local forces were directly divided by the local clean officials, people and the army sent by Zhu Yuanzhang. They were unable to unite to fight against the court, so they could only wait for death.

It can be said that this is the embodiment of Zhu Yuanzhang’s prestige in the Ming Dynasty.

Now Mao Xiang has dealt with a large number of businessmen, landlords, and corrupt officials in Jiangsu and Zhejiang. In the past ten days, the number of people killed has reached as many as 40,000 to 50,000, and the number is still ongoing.

But he had other things on his mind.

After listening to Peng Yuying's report, Mao Xiang nodded and said, "Well, very good. His Majesty will be very satisfied to hear this news. I heard that many people came to you to ask for mercy, but you arrested them all. You did a good job this time. I will report your contribution to His Majesty truthfully."

Peng Yuying did not get complacent, but bowed his hands earnestly and said: "Thank you for the compliment, sir. This is all my duty."

"The chaos in Jiangsu and Zhejiang has been resolved. What remains is for the government to continue arresting and torturing people. These parasites are causing trouble for the people. They do not pay taxes to the court and transfer the taxes that should have been paid to the people. Your Majesty is very angry."

Mao Xiang continued, "But I still have to go south to Fujian. Zheng Zhilong has more than 100,000 soldiers. Fujian alone may not be able to compete with him. I will take 300 people with me. If Zheng Zhilong is sensible, he will follow me back to Nanjing. If he is not, I don't mind killing him. You continue to stay in Zhejiang and deal with the aftermath with Zuo Guangxian. You must distribute the land to the landless people and do a good job of spring plowing this year. Don't make any mistakes that will make His Majesty angry."

"Please rest assured, I will do my best to satisfy His Majesty the Great Ancestor."

Peng Yuying bowed solemnly again.

If it were in the past, when he heard that someone led 300 people to kill more than 100,000 people, he would just think it was ridiculous, as if he was telling a ghost story.

However, during the Zhejiang rebellion suppression, although Zuo Guangxian was not as embarrassed as Kuang Zhao, he also continued to attack everywhere and the situation was in a stalemate.

But when Mao Xiang arrived, dozens of Zhejiang troops that had not yet assembled, with the larger ones having thousands of people and the smaller ones having only a few hundred, were almost completely wiped out by him by dividing them into more than thirty groups.

Three hundred people.

The troops were divided into more than thirty groups.

With seven or eight people in each group, they wiped out the enemy's troops of hundreds or thousands of people.

What an exaggerated fighting power this is?

The soldiers of the Hongwu Dynasty were like heavenly soldiers and generals. Wherever they went, even from a very long distance away, the rebels were bombed and shot, leaving them with almost no room to fight back.

So after seeing how powerful they were with his own eyes, Peng Yuying swore that even if his own father came to plead for mercy for those corrupt officials, he would be tied up and sent to the yamen.

After all, tying up his biological father would only kill his father.

And if he listened to his father and really went against Emperor Taizu, then his entire family would die.

None of his wife, children, brothers, sisters, relatives and friends can escape.

"Ah."

After hearing Peng Yuying's answer, Mao Xiang said calmly: "In that case, Zhejiang is handed over to you. I will go south to Fujian immediately." Fujian was also investigating corrupt officials and traitorous officials, but the movement was far less serious than that in Yingtian, Zhejiang and Jiangxi.

There are few people and little land there, and the economy is mainly concentrated in Fuzhou and Quanzhou. Most of the people there are big businessmen engaged in foreign trade, and Zheng Zhilong is one of the largest forces among them.

Therefore, the Fujian government was actually able to stabilize the situation, but it was unable to deal with Zheng Zhilong.

Mao Xiang then called Zuo Guangxian and the two newly appointed captains of the Embroidered Uniform Guard sent from Nanjing, gave them instructions on the follow-up matters, and left with his soldiers.

He did bring only 300 people with him when he went to Fujian this time, but they also brought 30 rapid-fire cannons, 30 mortars, more than 400 AKs, and more than 2,000 civilian laborers to escort food, artillery shells and bullets.

A few days later, in Anhai Town, Jinjiang County, Quanzhou Prefecture, Fujian.

This is the residence of Zheng Zhilong. The mansion covers an area of ​​138 acres. Historical records show that Zheng Mansion is located north of Anping Bridge, extending from Xidai to Xigang in the west, Xiyantou in the north, Anping Bridge in the south, and directly connected to Wugang Port.

The main structure is a hip-and-gable style with five bays and thirteen frames, three connecting doors, two fire lanes and five courtyards. The wing halls, pavilions and terraces on both sides face each other and form a circle as a screen.

There is the "Dunren Pavilion" in the east, the "Taiyun Building" in the west, the front hall is the "Catholic Hall", and the middle hall is the "Xiaosi Hall", which is grand in scale.

Behind the big house is the "Zhiyuan Garden", which is surrounded by a wall and dotted with hills and valleys, pavilions, houses, ponds, small bridges, winding paths, fine trees, and exotic flowers and plants.

It can be said that his mansion is the most luxurious in the whole of Fujian, and even the Governor of Fujian is not as majestic as him.

As early as the first year of Chongzhen, Zheng Zhilong had gone ashore to cleanse himself and was appointed as a coastal defense guerrilla by the court and served as one of the "Five Tiger Guerrilla Generals". At that time, he already had 30,000 troops under his command.

More than ten years later, he defeated the Dutch East India Company and occupied the entire East Ocean maritime trade.

The troops under his command include Han Chinese, Japanese, Koreans, Austronesians, African blacks and other ethnic groups, with a total force of 200,000. With a fleet of more than 3,000 large and small ships, he has become a powerful force in the maritime world of East and South China.

At this moment, in the Zheng family mansion.

Due to Zheng Zhilong's special status and Zheng Chenggong's later loyalty to the emperor and patriotism, Fujian Governor Zhang Kentang personally came from Fuzhou to Zheng's residence in Jinjiang, Quanzhou to negotiate with him.

The mansion was grand and majestic. Zheng Zhilong sat high in the main seat, with Fujian Governor Zhang Kentang, Fujian Provincial Inspector Lu Qingyuan, Fujian Censor Mi Zuguo, Fujian Provincial Surveillance Commissioner Xiong Ruolin and others on both sides.

Zheng Zhilong's eldest son, Zheng Chenggong, who was 19 years old this year, was wearing Confucian clothes and standing behind his father. He had a dignified appearance and won the favor of Zhang Kentang and others.

"Brother Zhilong."

Zhang Kentang said, "I have explained the whole story in detail. You should also know the character of His Majesty Taizu. You surrendered to the Qing Dynasty and were killed by them. It is good that His Majesty did not sentence you to death. Fortunately, you have a good son like the Marquis of Zhenhai. Otherwise, it would not be us who came here, but His Majesty's heavenly army. We came to talk to you in person this time because we hope you can listen to our advice and not act on impulse."

"Yes, your Majesty's attitude is indeed unfriendly, but this is your Majesty Taizu himself, not the emperor in Beijing."

Lu Qingyuan also bowed his hands in the direction of Nanjing with full reverence and said, "According to the words of His Majesty Taizu, it is good enough for traitors to avoid the death penalty. I know you may feel a little resentful, but heroes know the times and follow His Majesty Taizu. Even if you are humiliated by His Majesty, it is nothing. After all, you did surrender to the Qing Dynasty in the future."

Zheng Zhilong, who just turned 40 this year, is actually already a little hot.

The other party keeps saying that you surrendered to the Qing Dynasty, but your own son is loyal to the emperor and patriotic, and nails him to the pillar of shame. Who can be happy in this situation?

But Zhang Kentang and his people actually had no other choice.

Because Zhu Yuanzhang directly conferred the title of "Unfaithful Earl" on Zheng Zhilong, which was such an undisguised humiliation that they couldn't be tactful even if they wanted to.

So they could only come together to show their sincerity, hoping to persuade Zheng Zhilong to obey them.

But Lao Zhu did go a bit too far.

of course.

From Lao Zhu's point of view, it is definitely not an exaggeration.

After all, you are a traitor who sold out his country for personal gain, a traitor who surrendered to the foreign Tartars. It's good enough that I didn't execute you. Do I still have to coax you?
That doesn't make sense.

Therefore, many things have nothing to do with personal grudges, but are actually just different positions.

Just standing in Zheng Zhilong's position, he would definitely feel unhappy.

After reading the imperial edict given by Zhu, he threw it on the table and said with great force, "My lords, I think you are confused. Does that person mean I am the Emperor? Does he mean I will surrender and sell out my country? You should know that the Emperor is in Beijing, not Nanjing. This guy must be a bandit pretending to be him. You are all loyal and patriotic people. How can you believe him so easily?"

"Brother Zhilong, if it is fake, how can we not tell it apart? But now, a large number of local officials from Huguang, Sichuan, Yingtian, Zhejiang, Jiangxi and other places have met Taizu, and many people have been taken by Taizu to go back in time to the Hongwu Dynasty."

Zhang Kentang smiled bitterly and said, "All of this has evidence, and the might of Taizu's heavenly soldiers and generals is unstoppable. His Majesty Taizong defeated Li Zicheng's army of hundreds of thousands with only 800 people. Even Sun Chuanting, the commander-in-chief, has been to the Hongwu Dynasty and confirmed that this is true. Don't make the mistake."

"It goes without saying."

Zheng Zhilong sneered and said, "This must be the evil plot of the thieves. They want to trick my father and me into going to Nanjing so as to seize Fujian. As the Fujian coastal defense guerrilla general appointed by the court, I have the responsibility to defend Fujian. I will not go to Nanjing to meet any traitors who usurp the throne. You gentlemen are all upright officials that I admire. Today, I will not embarrass you. I will ask His Majesty to make a decision. If His Majesty asks me to send troops to attack, I will do so. If the thieves in Nanjing want to invade Fujian, I am willing to fight them. Please go back."

"This"

Everyone looked at each other.

Zhang Kentang shook his head and stood up, saying, "In that case, we have tried to persuade you kindly. If you insist on doing it your own way, don't blame us for not reminding you. In fact, we have also heard that Taizu has sent the first Jinyiwei commander, Lord Mao Xiangmao, to Fujian with 300 elite soldiers. In name, they are to help us investigate the traitors in Fujian, but in fact, they are to intimidate you. You should be careful when the time comes. If they take action, tens of thousands of people will die in an instant."

"Then I will wait for them at sea."

Zheng Zhilong picked up the teacup and said calmly, "My lords, take care."

"Forget it, let's go."

"It's hard to persuade a damn ghost with good words."

"Pity."

Everyone stood up, said goodbye and left.

"boom!"

After they left, Zheng Zhilong threw the teacup in his hand to the ground, making a loud noise.

Zheng Chenggong frowned and said, "Father, why are you so angry?"

Zheng Zhilong actually loved his eldest son very much, otherwise he would not have given him such a large fortune.

But at this moment he couldn't help but tease: "Why, my good Sen'er is going to Nanjing with his father to receive the title of Zhenhai Marquis?"

"Father, you've lost your composure today."

Zheng Chenggong, who was still called Zheng Sen, said calmly, "Whether the other party is really His Majesty Taizu or not, many places in the south have already submitted to Nanjing, which shows that the other party is indeed powerful. We should not directly conflict with them. I think we should at least find a way to refuse, instead of being so reckless."

"All right."

Zheng Zhilong actually knew that his son was right, but he still couldn't suppress his anger and said, "I am your father who was humiliated. How can you be a son if you don't help me when my father is humiliated?"

Zheng Chenggong said helplessly: "My son is not unwilling to help, but I think we should not directly conflict with the other party. We can first ask the court for an order. With the imperial edict of the court, we will have a legitimate reason and it will be more convenient to act."

"Forehead"

Zheng Zhilong has now calmed down.

That's true if you think about it carefully.

After so many years of hard work, I finally cleared my name and became a real official.

If I were impeached for sending troops without authorization, it would be a waste of time.

But since he had already spoken, there was no room for taking it back, so he just said: "It doesn't matter, we will send people to ask for permission while fighting with them. I still don't believe that the fake Taizu can do anything to me!"

After saying this, he stood up, called the butler, and asked him to call his brothers Zheng Zhibao, Zheng Zhipeng, and other capable men to prepare to set sail.

(End of this chapter)