The author of this chapter is not provided, so only the translated text is output.
After having the foul-smelling sock removed from his mouth, Gao Dajin, ignoring the nauseating taste, knelt on the ground with a plop and wailed, "Injustice! This commoner is wronged!"
After a brief wail, Gao Dajin did not hear the expected bang of the gavel, nor did he hear Zhu Jinsong ask him what injustice he had suffered. Gao Dajin felt that something was wrong.
Normally, shouldn't the gavel be struck, a cry of "Silence" be issued, and then Gao Dajin be asked what injustice he suffered, giving him a chance to plead his case?
This was not like what was written in the opera!
When Gao Dajin quieted down, he quietly raised his head and glanced at Zhu Jinsong, who was sitting in the main hall. He saw that Zhu Jinsong was also looking at him with a half-smile. Gao Dajin's heart was startled, and he quickly lowered his head again.
It was only then that Zhu Jinsong let out a cold laugh and looked at Gao Dajin, saying, "I truly did not expect you, Gao Dajin, to be so adept at this game!"
Gao Dajin quickly lowered his body and bowed, "Your Majesty, please show mercy. This commoner is truly wronged!"
Zhu Jinsong pointed to the account books in the hall and asked, "You are wronged? Are you saying that the Embroidered Uniform Guard fabricated these account books to frame you?"
Gao Dajin really wanted to say that the Embroidered Uniform Guard was framing him, but what use would such nonsense be? Let alone the people of the Great Ming now, even the people of the Great Ming before Chongzhen's suicide would not believe it – what right do you, a country bumpkin landlord, have to be noticed by the Embroidered Uniform Guard?
Seeing Gao Dajin's silence, Zhu Jinsong let out another cold laugh and said, "By offering double wages, you entice the workers to increase their working hours, under the guise of letting them earn more money. But tell me, once all the workers get used to overtime, will you still give them double wages?"
Speaking of this, Zhu Jinsong picked up a letter from the table and threw it at Gao Dajin, "What does this letter say? Come, read it aloud so everyone can hear!"
Gao Dajin's body was even lower.
Gao Dajin knew very well what was written in the letter Zhu Jinsong threw at him. However, Gao Dajin never expected that the Embroidered Uniform Guard could find the letter he had secretly hidden.
Ke Zhiming, standing beside Gao Dajin, saw that Gao Dajin seemed to have gone limp. He walked over, picked up the letter, unfolded the paper, and read loudly, "To my esteemed brother Dajin: I also believe that currently in the workshops, labor unions are rampant... Your proposal to increase wages to extend working hours... can save ten thousand taels in labor costs and also divide the workers and labor unions. I truly admire you... I will comply with your instructions and will not violate them..."
After finishing reading, Ke Zhiming refolded the letter and placed it back on the table in front of Zhu Jinsong.
Zhu Jinsong said, "Come, explain to me what this letter is about."
Before Gao Dajin could answer, Xu Yaozong rushed forward and began to punch Gao Dajin, "You scoundrel! What did you tell me! You said you could let the people earn more money, you said I could earn merit for the Great Commander, and this is what you said? You old bastard, you even set up your own son-in-law!"
As Xu Yaozong began to strike, the crowd of onlookers outside the hall also became excited, shouting, "Beat him to death! Beat him to death!"
Many of them worked in the Gao family's workshops and had heard that Gao Dajin wanted to use double wages to increase working hours. Some of them were even looking forward to this day.
But who would have thought that there was such a deep plan behind it?
Workers no longer trusted labor unions, labor unions lost their prestige, workers despised and targeted each other, and then Gao Dajin would slowly reduce wages with various excuses, and finally find ways to take away the last copper coin from the pockets of workers and common people...
Thinking about the outcome described in the letter, the onlookers felt a chill down their spines. Then, some more impulsive people wanted to rush into the hall and beat Gao Dajin together with Xu Yaozong to vent their anger.
Seeing that trouble was about to erupt, Zhu Jinsong slammed the gavel and shouted, "Silence!"
While the crowd was stunned, Zhu Jinsong loudly declared, "With me here, do you think I will let these clowns have it easy?"
Only then did the crowd realize that the person sitting in the main hall was the current Emperor.
Then, the crowd was relieved. If someone else were sitting here, the crowd might have been suspicious, but with Zhu Jinsong, the Emperor of the Great Ming, the people had no doubts at all.
After the crowd had completely quieted down, Zhu Jinsong could not help but rub his forehead and instructed Ke Zhiming, "Pull this idiot away!"
The idiot Zhu Jinsong was referring to was Xu Yaozong, who was beating Gao Dajin.
Xu Yaozong had been in the army before and knew how to hit people to cause the most pain. Although he deliberately avoided vital points, when Ke Zhiming pulled Xu Yaozong away, Gao Dajin had already been beaten into a pulp. His face was like a dyeing workshop, with all sorts of colors – black, red, blue, and purple.
But Gao Dajin, after being beaten, acted as if he were possessed and suddenly pointed at Zhu Jinsong and laughed wildly, "How about it? Can such a stratagem of mine be devised by ordinary people?"
"You incompetent emperor! I clearly possess the talents of Guan and Yue, but you, the incompetent emperor, have not even opened the imperial examinations. I have a whole body of skills but nowhere to apply them. Is it not your fault?"
"As the saying goes, if a great man cannot feast on five tripods in life, he should be cooked in five tripods. Even if I die now, I will die a worthy death. Is that not enjoyable! Hahaha!"
However, as he was laughing, Gao Dajin suddenly could not laugh anymore because Zhu Jinsong was still staring at him expressionlessly.
Only when Gao Dajin quieted down did Zhu Jinsong let out a laugh and say, "What? Do you want to move me by saying that you are very talented and that I, an incompetent emperor, have kept your pearl hidden in the dust, thereby escaping this calamity today?"
Speaking of this, Zhu Jinsong could not help but shake his head and laugh, "Unfortunately, if it were another emperor here, this trick of yours might have been useful. Unfortunately, you happened to meet me."
Pearl hidden in the dust?
The Great Ming had over three hundred million people. There were more talented people than Gao Dajin, and an unknown number of them were also in a state of "pearl hidden in the dust." Why didn't others stir up trouble like Gao Dajin?
What right did Gao Dajin have?
Zhu Jinsong shook his head and asked the Censorate official standing in the hall, "According to the law, what crime should Gao Dajin be punished with?"
The Censorate official bowed and replied, "Reporting to Your Majesty, Gao Dajin has harmed the people, this is his first crime, and according to the law, he should be beheaded. Gao Dajin intended to sow discord between workers and labor unions, and to alienate the people from the court. This act is tantamount to rebellion, this is his second crime, and according to the law, he should be dismembered, his property confiscated, and his family executed. The two crimes will be punished by the heavier one. I believe he should be dismembered, his property confiscated, and his family executed!"
Zhu Jinsong nodded and tapped the table with his fingers before saying, "All of Gao Dajin's family, old and young, are to be imprisoned and escorted to the capital for a joint trial by the three judicial organs. Execution will be carried out in the autumn."
As Zhu Jinsong finished speaking, the crowd of onlookers below the hall cheered happily, "Well said!"
"The villain Gao deserves to die!"
"Serves him right!"
As they shouted, the slogans turned into a unified "His Majesty is wise!"
Of course, the imprisonment of Gao Dajin did not mean that the case was over. Next, the Embroidered Uniform Guard and the Police Guard would interrogate him to find out who else was colluding with Gao Dajin.
Zhu Jinsong then wrote an article and sent it back to the capital by express horse.
"What secrets are hidden behind using increased wages to guide workers to increase their working hours?"
This was the article written by Zhu Jinsong, and it was also Zhu Jinsong's first shot at the bourgeoisie. Based on a Gao Dajin who was hiding in Yongcheng County, could he come up with so many ideas and derive so many tricks from these ideas?
Therefore, rather than saying Gao Dajin was a bad seed, it would be more accurate to say he was both stupid and wicked.
...
After finally leaving Yongcheng County, Zhu Jinsong continued his journey south of the Yangtze River.
Zhu Jinsong's journey south of the Yangtze River overlapped with that of the old dog Qianlong, but it was also different. For example, when Zhu Jinsong traveled south of the Yangtze River, he had to go to Fengyang first.
Zhu Jinsong shook his head and asked the Censorate official standing in the hall, "According to the law, what crime should Gao Dajin be punished with?"
The Censorate official bowed and replied, "Reporting to Your Majesty, Gao Dajin has harmed the people, this is his first crime, and according to the law, he should be beheaded. Gao Dajin intended to sow discord between workers and labor unions, and to alienate the people from the court. This act is tantamount to rebellion, this is his second crime, and according to the law, he should be dismembered, his property confiscated, and his family executed. The two crimes will be punished by the heavier one. I believe he should be dismembered, his property confiscated, and his family executed!"
Zhu Jinsong nodded and tapped the table with his fingers before saying, "All of Gao Dajin's family, old and young, are to be imprisoned and escorted to the capital for a joint trial by the three judicial organs. Execution will be carried out in the autumn."
As Zhu Jinsong finished speaking, the crowd of onlookers below the hall cheered happily, "Well said!"
"The villain Gao deserves to die!"
"Serves him right!"
As they shouted, the slogans turned into a unified "His Majesty is wise!"
Of course, the imprisonment of Gao Dajin did not mean that the case was over. Next, the Embroidered Uniform Guard and the Police Guard would interrogate him to find out who else was colluding with Gao Dajin.
Zhu Jinsong then wrote an article and sent it back to the capital by express horse.
Therefore, rather than saying Gao Dajin was a bad seed, it would be more accurate to say he was both stupid and wicked.
...
After finally leaving Yongcheng County, Zhu Jinsong continued his journey south of the Yangtze River.
Zhu Jinsong's journey south of the Yangtze River overlapped with that of the old dog Qianlong, but it was also different. For example, when Zhu Jinsong traveled south of the Yangtze River, he had to go to Fengyang first.