Chongzhen Daming: Starting from Coal Mountain

Chapter 331

"Wei Guogong, Baoguo Gong, and you marquis and earls."

Chongzhen's eyes turned cold, he stared at Xu Hongji and other old nobles and said, "What have you done and what are you thinking in your heart, I am like a bright mirror."

Xu Hongji really wanted to say a few hard words at this time.

But the words came to his mouth, but he couldn't get them out anyway.

Even the whole body trembled uncontrollably.

From the Xu family to Xu Hongji's generation, they have long lost the martial arts and courage of their ancestors.

Zhu Guobi, Chang Yanling and the others were similar, each of them was frightened like a quail.

At this time, they were really afraid that Chongzhen would ransack their homes and exterminate their families in a fit of anger.

After a pause, Chongzhen said again: "If Emperor Taizu Gao is still alive, it depends on what you people have done, not to mention confiscation of titles, the Yi people are all light! Especially you Liu Kongzhao!"

"The minister is guilty, the minister is guilty." Liu Kongzhao repeatedly kowtowed.

Chongzhen said again: "But I am not Emperor Taizu Gao."

"Emperor Taizu Gao doesn't rub sand in his eyes, I don't."

Hearing this, Xu Hongji and others could not help feeling a glimmer of hope.

Even Liu Kongzhao couldn't help thinking that maybe this time he still had a chance to save the dog's life.

After all, he was only involved in the regicide case and was fooled by the Donglin Party.

"I actually don't like killing people very much. Even in the regicide case, I just killed the first offender, and did not offend the clansmen or even the family members of these offenders." Chongzhen said, "I don't want to use the knife even more for you nobles. After all, your ancestors have made great contributions to Daming, and I really don't want to bear the infamy of killing the descendants of heroes."

"Thank you, Your Majesty." Xu Hongji couldn't help being overjoyed when he heard the words.

"The Holy Majesty is truly a benevolent monarch that has never been seen in ancient times. It is really a blessing for all the people to have such a benevolent monarch like the Holy Majesty."

"Hey, don't rush to thank you first." Chongzhen waved his hands and said again, "I can promise not to kill you, or not to deprive you of your titles, but it is impossible for you to go completely unpunished."

"Your Majesty, I am willing to accept the punishment." Xu Hongji kowtowed repeatedly.

Liu Kongzhao was even more grateful and said: "Any punishing officials are willing."

"Okay, this is what you said yourself." Chongzhen said, "That's right, I just promised Duke Min that I will build a powerful navy that far surpasses Zheng He's fleet."

"But building a navy requires a huge sum of money."

"But I can't afford this sum of money with my internal funds."

After a pause, he added: "So, I hope you will be generous."

Hearing this, Xu Hongji and other nobles couldn't help but slander, Your Majesty, what you said is too hypocritical. Now you have at least [-] million taels of internal money, but you can't afford the money to build a navy?

But I only dare to say this in my stomach, I dare not say it clearly.

Who let them be caught by the sage, so they can only spend money and eliminate disasters.

It's just that they underestimated Chongzhen's appetite, and what Chongzhen wanted was not just to make them bankrupt.

At that moment Xu Hongji said: "Your Majesty, I am willing to help one hundred thousand taels, no, two hundred thousand taels! I am willing to help two hundred thousand taels of color silver to build a navy!"

Duke Bao Zhu Guobi said: "Your Majesty, I am also willing to help two hundred thousand taels!"

Chang Yanling, Tang Guozuo and other nobles also donated generously, and Guo Zuoyong, the least Cheng Anbo, also gave [-] yuan.

Because Liu Kongzhao was involved in the regicide case, he went all out, and said with emotion: "My lord, I help you with five hundred thousand taels!"

"Hehe, five hundred thousand? That's a lot." Chongzhen also had a smile on his face, as if he was quite satisfied with the result. In any case, he raised more than one million taels of silver with just one drink. not enough.

However, just when Xu Hongji and the others thought that the catastrophe was finally over, Chongzhen suddenly turned his face.

Chongzhen sternly said: "It's just such a small amount of scattered silver taels, are you sending beggars away? Oh?"

"Eh?" Xu Hongji, Zhu Guobi, Liu Kongzhao and other ten nobles looked at each other in blank dismay. It's almost [-] million. Which beggar wants so much?Great grandfather?

Zheng Zhilong, Huang Degong and others were also dumbfounded.

They actually felt that [-] million taels of silver was a lot.

But the Holy Majesty didn't seem to like it at all. One and a half million taels still dislikes it as scattered silver taels?
Xu Hongji and Zhu Guobi looked at each other, and said helplessly: "Your Majesty, why don't you give me a charter, how much do you think I should donate?"

Chongzhen said: "Let me decide the regulations, isn't it appropriate?"

"It's suitable, and it's up to you, Your Majesty." Xu Hongji said hastily.

Zhu Guobi, Tang Guozuo, Liu Kongzhao and other dignitaries also echoed.

"That's good, then I won't be polite." Chongzhen chuckled and said with a straight face, "Thirty million taels!"

"How much?" Xu Hongji, Zhu Guobi and other old nobles were stunned for a moment, as if they couldn't believe their ears, Zheng Zhilong, Huang Degong and other new nobles also looked at each other in blank dismay.

"Didn't hear clearly? Then I'll say it again."

Chongzhen stared at Xu Hongji's eyes and said word by word: "I said, [-] million!"

Thirty million, this figure was estimated by Chongzhen, but basically there is no major problem.

Li Zicheng was chasing the stolen goods and paying him back in Beijing, and he actually got [-] million taels of money!As the capital, as the political, economic and commercial center of the south of the Yangtze River, Nanjing has a lot more wealth than Beijing.

And most of the wealth in Nanjing City was concentrated in the hands of nobles and gentry.

Especially for dignitaries like Wei Guogong, Bao Guogong, Huaiyuanhou, and Lingbihou, who have been handed down for more than two hundred years, how much family property will they accumulate?You open up your imagination.

So these ten nobles can really come up with [-] million.

However, after spending [-] million yuan, these ten honorable families basically went bankrupt.

In other words, you don't need to take away your titles, and you don't even need to kill people, but you can't keep a penny of all your family property accumulated from generation to generation, you must contribute it in full!
This is the correct way to open money and eliminate disasters.

"My lord, how can I get so much money?"

After confirming that it was really [-] million, Xu Hongji burst into tears.

Zhu Guobi, Tang Guozuo, Chang Yanling and others also kowtowed and wailed loudly.

However, Chongzhen was unmoved at all, and said coldly: "It doesn't matter if you don't have so much cash, you can use land to pay for it, you can also use antique calligraphy and paintings, jewelry, and even a house."

Having said this, Chongzhen stared at Xu Hongji again and said: "Wei Guogong's big house by the Qinhuai River, I think it can be paid for at least [-] yuan! In short, I don't choose, I can use any property to pay for it."

Hearing this, Xu Hongji and the others were suddenly ashamed, and they finally came to their senses.

The Holy One said that any property can be exchanged for cash, but no property will be left to them.

This is to steal the house, just change the name, so as to save them face, and he himself will not leave a reputation in the history books for being harsh to the nobles, it is really a good plan!
And they are very doubtful, can they still receive the salary of the title in the future?
Maybe a hundred years from now, their descendants will only be able to hold a broken bowl, beg along the street while bragging to others that their grandfather is a descendant of a certain Duke, a serious Duke of the Ming Dynasty!

Then a bunch of brats picked up stones and threw them over, beggars!

Thinking of this, Xu Hongji and the others are really determined to die. Your Majesty, you can kill us.

The family has been confiscated, and the money, fields, antiques, jewelry, and even the house have been filled up. The servants and maids in the house must have disappeared, and they can only live a hard life from now on.

But they were all born with golden keys in their mouths, how could they suffer so much?

At that moment Xu Hongji said with a bitter face: "My lord, [-] million is really too much."

"Thirty million, not a single copper is missing." Chongzhen said coldly, "If you really can't get it all together, you can ask the Royal Bank to borrow it temporarily."

"Ah? Temporary loan?!"

Xu Hongji and the others just stood there stupidly.

There is no need to doubt it now, it has directly become a reality.

You have to repay the money you borrowed, so what will you use to repay it?It can only be repaid with the salary of the title. Now their descendants can only beg for food. Your Majesty, you are too cruel.

This really doesn't give us a way out.

Seeing the reluctance on the faces of Xu Hongji and others, Chongzhen said with a straight face: "I have been very kind to you, and I might as well tell you that I just don't want to kill people, not that I can't kill people."

This is Chi Guoguo's threat. If you don't pay, you will pay with your life.

And after the murder, there is a high probability that the house will be ransacked, and the family members may not be able to keep it.

Xu Hongji sighed, cupped his hands and said, "I'm going back to the mansion to collect money, and get my share as soon as possible."

After finishing speaking, Xu Hongji turned around and was about to leave, but just as he took one foot, he was stopped by Chongzhen: "Wait!"

"Eh?" Xu Hongji turned around, looked innocently at Chongzhen and said, "My lord, I'm going back to collect money."

"You don't need Duke Wei to go in person for such a small matter as collecting money, just send a butler back." Chongzhen said, "As for you, Duke Wei, you will stay in Yuejiang Tower to accompany me to continue the banquet."

"When will your family collect the thirty million taels of silver, and you will go back to the mansion."

After this pause, Chongzhen went on to say: "Oh, by the way, the [-] million taels are not based on the head, each family is three million taels, but you are counted together to make up a total of [-] million taels of color silver."

Hearing this, Xu Hongji and Zhu Guobi couldn't help but let out a long sigh.

Guo Zuoyong, Fang Yiyuan and other nobles felt relieved. Fortunately, they didn’t need to pay three million yuan, or they would not be able to get all the salaries of the future eighteen generations of the Guo family and the Fang family. million.

At that moment, Xu Hongji, Zhu Guobi and other ten nobles summoned their housekeepers and asked the housekeepers to go back and collect money.

Chongzhen also said to the ten housekeepers very considerately: "If you need to use fields, antiques, calligraphy and paintings, jewelry, or houses to pay for money, you can go to the House of Internal Affairs to find Ma Mingtao. Deputy Ma is fair and will definitely give you a good deal." He will never maliciously lower the price."

(End of this chapter)