General Constitution of Ming Dynasty

Chapter 216 Four Two Meters

"Your Highness, the situation is urgent. There are four piers and twelve weaving farms in Jinling alone, with a total of nearly [-] baht. I don't know how many of Ning Ni's accomplices are there..."

"To shut up!"

Zhu Zaiyan pulled down the saber hanging on the wall, and put it on Mai Fu's neck.

"Throughout the ages, has Eunuch Mai ever seen a rebellious minister against Fu Que?!"

Mai Fu fell to his knees with a "plop".

"Your Highness, the son of a thousand gold does not build a dangerous wall. No matter what the details are, His Highness should still avoid Yangzhou temporarily. As long as there is nothing wrong with Yangzhou, no matter how big the waves are in the south of the Yangtze River!"

Zhu Zaishun raised his head and looked at Zhang Juzheng and Gao Gong at the palace gate.

"The two gentlemen also think that Master Ning will commit treason?"

Zhang Juzheng opened his mouth, and after pondering for a moment, he opened his mouth.

"Your Highness, what is the reason for Brother Ning's matter? I can't find out now. The most urgent thing is to cross the river."

Zhu Zaiyu walked into the hall and asked, "How many people are making trouble now?"

Gao Gong cupped his hands and said: "All the four wharves have laborers rioting. The earliest one was just last night. The six weaving farms near Taiping Wharf were also making trouble. I really can’t think of any other reason.”

Sudden great changes, the imperial court has no corresponding yamen to deal with it, and Gao Gong and others can only guess wildly based on experience.

Different locations, different groups, and incidents at the same time.

It is difficult not to connect this matter with the so-called "White Lotus Sect" and "Ming Jiao" earlier.

After all, that's how Daming came from.

"Then how many people are making trouble?"

"About a thousand in total." Gao Gong bowed his head and said.

"Only a thousand people, is Gu going to cross the north?"

Hearing this, Gao Gong immediately said: "Your Highness, civil unrest can't be counted that way. This fire will start a prairie fire. It will only take a while for it to be overwhelmed, but it will be overnight."

How much food is lacking in the south of the Yangtze River, and how many people can't even eat enough to eat, this number is still well known in the imperial court.

This is a proper explosive barrel, no one knows how powerful it is.

Zhu Zaiyu said firmly: "Then rush down first! There are more than [-] elite soldiers in the Zhenwu, Zhaowu, and Xuanwu battalions, nearly [-] defenders in Nandu, and thousands of Guanggong officials. They were scared away by thousands of rioters. , wouldn't it make you laugh?"

"Which pier is Master Ning at?"

Gao Gong blurted out: "Taiping..."

"Secretary Gao!"

Mai Fu interrupted Gao Gong with a loud shout, but Gao Gong had already finished speaking.

Zhu Zailong took a deep breath.

"Call Cheng Guogong and General Liu of the Zhenwu Camp to come. Even if Master Ning really planned this treason, he should be bound by his own hands!"

Mai Fu looked at Zhu Zaiyu in panic.

"Your Highness, let's discuss it again. If you don't cross the river, you can stay in the palace and not go out."

There was a strange atmosphere over Jinling, and Jin Yiwei vigilantly watched every hungry person on the street.

So far, at least from the perspective of the court, this civil unrest is not much different from any previous White Lotus Sect uprising.

It's just that Lu Bing always felt that something was wrong.
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The restaurant is close to the river, and the laborers and Ning Jue who made trouble on the dock only occupied the restaurant and an open space near the restaurant.

After seeing Ning Jue clearly, the guarding eunuch surrounded the restaurant instead of attacking by force, and several old naval warships appeared on the river.

In the restaurant, there is smoke from cooking.

"Brother Zhang, this rice is really delicious!"

Zhang Quan ran out from the back kitchen with a few people, cursing: "If you are a ghost, you are also a hungry ghost. This guy surnamed Ruan has stockpiled two hundred shi rice here, enough for us to eat for a few days."

"There's still some wine and meat in the back, we'll bring it up later and we'll eat it all for him."

"Mr. Ning, do you want a bowl of rice?"

Zhang Quan didn't forget to look at Ning Jue, but Ning Jue pointed at Hu Shan and said, "I'm not hungry, let Master Hu eat."

Hu Shan hurriedly kowtowed and said, "Qian Xian, if you don't eat it, how dare you eat it?"

"Is there anything in this world that Mr. Hu dare not do? The court refused to repair the pier, so you joined hands and forced the people to make trouble. It is unheard of in the history books."

Hu Shan hurriedly knelt on the ground and begged for mercy.

"Qian Xian Mingjian, how long has the young one been locked up in the Metropolitan Procuratorate, you know best, we both left the gate of the Metropolitan Procuratorate one after the other."

Ning Jue didn't talk to Hu Shan, but looked up at Zhang Quan behind him.

"Brother Zhang, this place is not far from the river, do you want to take a brother who is good at water to walk on the river later?"

Zhang Quan frowned and said, "Sir, are you going? I'm good at swimming, so it's no problem to carry you out. I have a relative in Yanziji. If all goes well, we can reach Jiangbei in at most five hours."

"Someone has to stay."

This time it was Zhang Quan's turn to not understand.

In Zhang Quan's eyes, there was no difference between staying and jumping headfirst from the restaurant.

"Sir, do you want to stop thinking about it?"

"Let's go, I won't go."

"If I leave, will the imperial court repair the pier? If this tax system doesn't change, sooner or later there will be bigger troubles and more people will die. I might as well stay and wake up the imperial court."

Before Ning Jue could finish speaking, tears welled up in the corners of Hu Shan's eyes.

"Qian Xian's high righteousness is unheard of, and the small one is simply ashamed!"

Before Hu Shan could finish speaking, Ning Jue patted Hu Shan on the shoulder and said, "It's nothing to feel ashamed of. In the future, people will remember you, Master Hu, and the strength you and I put together."

Hu Shan's expression immediately stiffened.

"Qian Xian...Actually, I can also water."

"No, you won't."

Hundreds of laborers in the restaurant ate and took, and soon emptied the original warehouse of the restaurant, and outside the restaurant, there were also bright yellow banners.

"Run first, run as much as you can, if you can't run, just surrender, and then I will think of a way."

Zhang Quan cupped his fists at Ning Jue.

"Sir take care."

After all, Zhang Quanxuan even brought more than 20 good water mechanics and touched the surface of the river.

It's just that this scene obviously couldn't be hidden from Liu Xian's eyes.

"Your Highness, there are rioters running away on the river."

Zhu Xizhong clasped his fists and said, "Your Highness, I'm going to capture Ning Jue right now."

"Wait a minute, Mr. Cheng. I brought Mr. Cheng here alone. I didn't want Mr. Cheng to charge forward." Zhu Xizhong, who had already taken a leg, froze in place immediately.

"Here."

Zhu Zaiyu looked at Liu Xian and bowed, and said: "General Liu, please come back for Gu General Ning."

"Here!"

After all, Liu Xian was a famous general in the southeast, so it was more than enough to take care of the laborers guarding the restaurant.

In less than a quarter of an hour, Ning Jue heard Liu Xian's voice.

"Ning Qianxian, Your Highness, please don't make things difficult for the last general."

Hu Shan looked at Ning Jue with a sad face and said: "Qian Xian, I can't stand it anymore, let's go... let's go, hide our names, I have someone in the court who can protect us."

Ning Jue looked at Hu Shan in confusion.

"Will you be safe if you run away?"

Hu Shan was overjoyed when he heard the words.

"Could it be that Mr. has another clever plan?"

Ning Jue was noncommittal.

Hu Shan just watched Liu Xian rush into the lobby of the restaurant. These laborers had no power to fight back, and soon gave up their resistance.

After taking Ligong into custody one after another, Liu Xian also went to the top floor.

"Mr. Ning, Your Highness the Crown Prince welcomes you."

Hu Shan looked at Ning Jue dumbfounded.

"Sir, is this your trick?"

"Ah."

Not long after, Ning Jue saw Zhu Zaiyu who was guarding outside the restaurant, and Zhu Zaiyu just said dumbfoundedly when they met, "Master Ning, why is this?"

Hearing this, Hu Shan finally understood, and whispered in Ning Jue's ear, "Is His Highness the Crown Prince one of us? You should have said it earlier, this scared me to death."

Hu Shan hurriedly said: "Your Highness, the grassroots can testify that Ning Qianxian is really playing with you, and they are all for the court. You..."

Before Hu Shan could finish speaking, Ning Jue's voice sounded behind Hu Shan.

"It's rebellion, why is rebellion?"

Hu Shan froze in place.

"Your Highness, no, Ning Qianxian, why are you..."

Zhu Zaiyi winked at Feng Bao impatiently, and Feng Bao immediately stepped forward and carried Hu Shan out.

"Gu Shi asked, why did Master Ning rebel?"

Before Zhu Zaihan finished asking, Ning Jue casually threw the notice from the dock in front of Zhu Zaihan.

"Ten cents a day! Eight cents a catty of rice, and ten cents is only four or two meters per catty. For a family of five, each person is worth four or two meters. Is four or two meters a day enough for you? What if you don't?" "

Zhu Zaiyu was startled when he heard the words: "Four or two meters?"

"Isn't this a part-time job? A part-time job should just supplement the family..."

"We have fired long-term workers and recruited part-time workers, but they don't want to be part-time workers! Do they have any choice?"

Zhu Zaiyu stared at the notice in his hand, his expression became more and more ugly.

"Taking advantage and plundering...why don't they report it to the official..."

"When your ancestor raised troops, why didn't you think of reporting to the officials?!"

"Ning Kezhu, you are so bold! You are..." Mai Fu couldn't even think of how to evaluate Ning Jue's words for a moment: "You are so disrespectful!"

"Am I wrong? Your Eunuch Mai is enough for four or two meters a day?"

Even though Mai Fuxuan was choked up, he had nothing to say.

Zhu Zaiyu waved his hand towards Zhu Xizhong tremblingly and said, "Please Cheng, Cheng Guogong will take Master Ning back first, and call this Ruan over here."

"Here!"

Not long after, Ruan Bi was brought in front of Zhu Zaishun.

"Your Highness, Your Highness."

Four liang was made in the Ming Dynasty, but about 150 grams.

Zhu Zailong stretched out the notice in his hand in front of Ruan Bi.

"Mr. Ruan, each person in your house eats four taels of rice every day, right?"

"Your Highness, this is a part-time job. I have raised the regular wages for the long-term workers. It is higher than before..."

"Then tell Gu, how many permanent workers are there on your dock?!"

Ruan Bixuan even lowered his head.

"It's the same as...it's the same as before, but I'm not violating the king's law."

Zhu Zaisheng nodded in a daze: "Indeed, I didn't expect Yuanwai Ruan to be familiar with "Law of the Ming Dynasty"."

"I have been in business all year round, so I should be familiar with the laws."

"Did the lone general Ruan Yuanwai ransack his home and violate the "Law of the Ming Dynasty"?"

Ruan Bixuan froze in place.

"Your Highness... Your Highness, please forgive me..."

Zhu Zaiyu raised his head with difficulty, pointed to Ruan Bi who was kneeling on the ground, and said, "Every day, I only feed him four or two meters. If Ruan Yuanwai is still there after a month, I will come to the door alone to apologize."

Ruan Bi opened his mouth but didn't know what to say.

"Your Highness, four or two meters is not enough, I'm going up, I'm going up... Your Highness!"

(End of this chapter)