Chapter 942 Confiscating the house
According to Wang Qing's analysis, the feedback from all parts of the Ming Dynasty at this moment made Emperor Jiajing and Jiang Qingzhi extremely anxious.
If Jiang Qingzhi took forceful action against Wang, it would inevitably trigger a backlash from the scholars in the capital. At a time when public sentiment was surging, the scholars in the capital took the lead in launching an uprising, followed by the scholars in the capital, the scholars in the north, and the scholars in the whole country...
This is a huge wave, and Confucian disciples will be unprecedentedly united.
They gathered together and fought for their own interests.
Wang Qing firmly believed that even if Emperor Taizu and Emperor Chengzu were reborn, they would have no choice but to bow their heads and compromise in the face of such a crisis.
But what was unexpected was that Jiang Qingzhi actually came on the last day of the 30th year of Jiajing.
He came in by breaking down Wang's door.
The front door is the dignity of a family, especially a wealthy family.
When the door is knocked down, it is like having your face torn.
Wang Qing subconsciously shouted: "What do you want to do, boy?"
Dozens of men with knives rushed in from outside the door.
"Dad, it's the people from the Eastern Depot!" Wang Shen's face changed drastically.
"Chang Wei Bo, is this the home of the great scholar you mentioned?"
Following this voice, Rui Jingxian walked in.
Jiang Qingzhi pointed at the wooden plates of the servants and said, "Bring them here for me to see."
Several servants did not dare to move. Sun Bu Tong went over and picked up a brocade bag. He opened it and took a look. He took out the gold ingot and said, "Master, this is a custom-made gold ingot."
"Is it a gold ingot?"
"Yes."
"But what Ben Bo saw was the blood and tears of the people!"
Wang Qing sneered. "Chang Wei Bo is so arrogant. I wonder what Wang Shi has done wrong..."
"Paying taxes according to the law is the honor and obligation of every Ming citizen." Jiang Qingzhi said calmly: "How much land does the Wang family have? How many years have you not paid taxes? You are a great scholar, you should set an example for the scholars... We must abide by the law, right?"
“……” Wang Qing was stunned. The privileges of scholars have lasted for many years and have long been regarded as equivalent to the law.
That's why Wang Qing is so confident.
But Jiang Qingzhi's words revealed the truth of the matter.
——Everyone should pay taxes according to the law! You, Wang, are no exception.
Wang Qing is a great scholar, and his Confucianism is well-known throughout the world. In his early years, he was able to debate with others eloquently, and he could be said to be unrivaled. He taught his children and grandchildren to quote from the classics, making them convinced...
But at this moment he was speechless.
Yes!
Paying taxes according to the law is only natural.
Wang Yu suddenly exploded. "Wang is a scholar!"
“How can the seeds of reading be the same?”
"..."
Wang Qing's children and grandchildren all began to attack Jiang Qingzhi.
Jiang Qingzhi watched coldly.
He took out the medicine cigarette, lit it with the firewood handed to him by Boll, and then said slowly: "Why is it different?"
"Chang Wei Bo is so patient!" The eunuch from the East Factory beside Rui Jingxian said disapprovingly.
"This is the first blow of the new policy to the scholars in the capital. Executing without teaching... that is giving them an excuse!" Rui Jingxian laughed, "We need to make Wang convinced and submit the application. Then everything will go smoothly from now on."
Wang Yu said: "My generation studies so that we can assist the emperor and help the government govern the local areas..."
"And then?" Jiang Qingzhi took a puff of medicinal smoke.
“This…” Wang Yu hesitated, “My generation…my generation…”
"Then what?" Jiang Qingzhi continued to ask.
At this time, many people came outside, among whom dozens of scholars were quite conspicuous.
"Brother Li, why are you here?"
"Brother Ma is here too."
"Didn't someone say that the prince wanted to block the new policy today? Let us come to support him."
"Someone sent me a message saying that the prince wants to accept a disciple today..."
Dozens of people looked at each other.
"Let's take a look first and then talk."
Outside the gate, the guards from the Eastern Depot were blocking the way with their swords drawn.
"Let them in." Rui Jingxian said sinisterly, "This is an opportunity given by Chang Wei Bo. Let them see the true faces of these people."
Dozens of scholars poured in, and then those who were watching the fun saw that no one was stopping them and followed in.
"Then what?" Jiang Qingzhi asked.
Wang Yu had sweat stains on his forehead. "We are the backbone of the Ming Dynasty..."
"and then?"
Wang Yu: "..."
Wang Yu turned around and glanced at Wang Qing.
He was at a loss for words.
"Then you can wantonly annex farmland and take in people. Use low taxes to lure farmers to donate their land?"
Jiang Qingzhi's voice was very calm, but it was faintly charged with thunder and lightning. "You are said to be a great scholar, you are said to have passed down farming and reading from generation to generation, you are said to be the backbone of the Ming Dynasty. I want to ask, which sage said that scholars can be exempted from taxes? Which sage taught you to suck blood from the Ming Dynasty?
Who taught you to annex land and take in people? Who made you so self-righteous? Who taught you to disregard the law? Who taught you to be so... shameless? "
At the end, Jiang Qingzhi pointed at Wang Qing with his cigarette, "Who told you to ignore the majesty of the court and regard the Ministry of Revenue's repeated kindness as weakness?"
Wang Qing sneered, "Is Lord Changwei going to break up with the Wang family today? Lord Changwei said that the Wang family annexed land. The Wang family has a good reputation in the capital, so how could there be any annexation?
As for not paying taxes, this is a tacit agreement between the emperors of all dynasties and us scholars, and it is an unwritten law. How can we ignore it? How can we act recklessly? "
Jiang Qingzhi chuckled, "Unwritten law? Tacit understanding... who said that?"
Uh!
This question was too sharp. Unless Wang Qing dug out the emperors of all dynasties from their mausoleums, he really couldn't prove himself.
As for the uncivilized laws... Jiang Qingzhi said coldly, "Laws should be written, so where do uncivilized laws come from? According to what you said, drifting, ice and charcoal, and even corruption are also tacit agreements, and are also uncivilized laws?"
Uh!
Wang Qing is at a loss for words!
Piaomo, Bing Jing and Tan Jing were all blatant bribery, and even the women in the capital knew about it.
Do you dare to say this is the law?
Who dares?
The so-called tax exemption for scholars with official titles was a privilege that was covered up and implemented spontaneously by both the upper and lower levels.
Does the emperor know?
know!
But the emperor was unable to compete with the behemoth of Confucianism, so he had no choice but to endure it.
If you are talking about tacit understanding... I'm sorry, even Emperor Wanli and Emperor Chongzhen had tried to change this privilege.
Emperor Wanli paid a heavy price. The people he sent to collect taxes were burned to death by so-called "righteous men". He wanted to take drastic measures and vowed to take revenge...
But in the end, all he could do was to fast for a few days, and then choose to swallow his anger. However, he did not attend court for decades.
——I feel sick when I see you waiting for me.
The emperor felt disgusted when he saw his subjects. The relationship between the emperor and his subjects had reached this point, which shows how deep the contradiction was.
So rather than saying there is a tacit understanding, it is better to say that Confucianism forced the emperor to bow his head.
Jiang Qingzhi uncovered this scar and exposed the contradiction between the monarch and his subjects to everyone.
"When did His Majesty ever give a nod? When did His Majesty ever promise that scholars could be exempted from tax? It's you and the others!"
Jiang Qingzhi's eyes were as cold as a knife, "What a giant Confucian! In order to continue sucking blood from the Ming Dynasty, you are not afraid to force the emperor!"
"Jiang Qingzhi, do you have any evidence? If not, you are slandering me, a Confucian disciple!" Wang Yu felt that he had caught Jiang Qingzhi's trick and could not help but be overjoyed.
"The dispute over the Great Ceremony was really about status?" Jiang Qingzhi said slowly, "At that time, your Majesty had just ascended the throne and was determined to reform. Your Majesty saw the crux of the crisis in the Ming Dynasty, which was you. Your Majesty wanted to take action against Confucian privileges... If he succeeded, why would the people of the world have to pay such high taxes? In this way, the people will be rich. A rich people means a strong country..."
The people watching were stunned.
"Is that so?"
"Isn't it for the sake of your Majesty's biological father's reputation?"
"Bullshit! Do you think the emperor would abandon his country and his people for fame and even retreat to the Western Garden?"
"Yes, when His Majesty ascended the throne, he said that the relatives of the emperor's wife did not work and wasted the people's money, and that the hereditary titles should be abolished..."
“This is taking advantage of privilege!”
“These people panicked.”
"It was Yang Ting and the others who panicked."
"Is that so?"
"Your Majesty is not the incompetent ruler they claim he is. You are a wise ruler."
"Your Majesty wants to make a decision for us. If all scholars pay taxes, the Ministry of Revenue will not be short of money. Your Majesty will naturally reduce corvée labor and taxes... Wouldn't our lives be better?"
"Damn it! It turns out they didn't want to."
Wang Qing's face turned pale when he heard these discussions. At this moment, a servant of the Wang family said loudly, "Everyone, just now, the Wang family was discussing the four classes of people in the world. They said that scholars are superior, and farmers, merchants and industrialists are lowly, like cattle and horses."
"What?"
"We are cattle and horses, and scholars are the superiors?"
"Fuck you!"
"He looks like a decent person, but he actually has such evil thoughts in his mind!"
"..."
If someone else had said this, it would have been fine, but Wang could make that person pay the price by just saying that it was slander.
But the person who spoke was Wang's servant.
This guy... is a traitor!
Wang Yu exploded instantly, grabbed the servant by the collar, and punched him so hard that his face was covered with red...
"How dare you, you little dog slave, talk nonsense!"
Jiang Qingzhi pointed at Wang Yu and said, "You are committing a crime in front of Uncle Ben. What are you waiting for? Old Rui!"
Rui Jingxian stepped forward and whispered, "Have you thought about the consequences of touching Wang's family, Lord Wei? We are following His Majesty's orders, we will do whatever you say..."
"The consequences? If we don't move them, the Ming Dynasty will be shaken! The earth will shake and the mountains will be shaken." Jiang Qingzhi smiled grimly, "Do it!"
"Okay!" Rui Jingxian turned around, "Search the house!"
"Leader!"
The guards from the Eastern Depot rushed forward.
Wang Yu stood in front, "Who dares?"
Bah!
A soldier kicked him down with a flying kick, grinning: "Even if he is a royal relative, he can be killed with just one order from His Majesty, let alone a pig like you!"
Xu Wei chuckled and said, "Most of these barbarians come from poor backgrounds, and Wang's words also angered them."
Wang Qingji pointed at Jiang Qingzhi and said, "How dare you, Jiang thief?"
"You dare to point at the young master?" Sun Chonglou strode over, grabbed Wang Qing's hand and flicked it hard.
"Ow!"
Wang Qing has a beautiful handwriting. In order to maintain his right hand, he plays with walnuts every day. But this well-maintained white and tender right hand is now bent 180 degrees from the junction of the fingers and palm...
Still an upward angle!
Rui Jingxian came over and asked, "Is that Wang family servant a secret agent of the Jinyiwei? That Lu Bing fellow is not bad."
Xu Wei smiled.
"As early as when he decided to clear the land, the uncle had someone bribe this man."
Rui Jingxian: “…”
(End of this chapter)
