When the decree was issued,
The Commissioner of Administration, Wan Cai, took the lead. A Deputy Commissioner of Justice named Yang Wei was extremely zealous, quickly contacting the previously dismissed Yan family faction and efficiently organizing a household guard force.
These Yan family partisans, such as Yang Hengchang and Wang Taiyun, had been investigated for colluding with the Japanese pirates by Zhu Mo on a previous occasion and were all dismissed from office and at home. Seeing an opportunity for a comeback, they were naturally exceptionally diligent. Meanwhile, magnates like Xu Yang and Shen Yishi, along with the district supervisors replaced by Zhu Mo, also all mobilized.
Within just five or six days, a three-thousand-strong reform vanguard corps had been formed. Their first order of business was to go to the salt fields, tea mountains, pottery workshops, and weaving workshops, ordering the indentured laborers to immediately return to their masters. Those who did not return within five days would have their buy-out money reclaimed. With a single decree, the indentured laborers, in a panic, had no choice but to obediently return to their masters.
The reform vanguard corps was also dispatched to prefectures and counties, led by Yan family gentry. Prefecture and county reform vanguard corps were quickly established, each numbering between three hundred and five hundred men, with personnel also composed of household guards. Zhang Yu and Wan Cai, under the guise of "Righteous Warriors," equipped the reform vanguard corps with "Righteous Warrior" uniforms.
Suddenly, parading through the streets and alleys, seizing cattle and chickens, the four provinces of Jiangnan were immediately enveloped in an atmosphere of terror.
Concurrently,
Xu Yang and Shen Yishi led over thirty major weaving households, each sending people to merge small workshops in various counties and townships.
This naturally encountered significant resistance. Thus, Zhang Yu immediately thought of "revisiting taxes." Each workshop was ordered to pay back taxes based on two years of production, amounting to over a hundred taels of silver for each household. Only then did the small workshops abandon their resistance, signing agreements, with some selling out directly at a low price. For those who still refused to merge, elderly gentry would step forward and force them to kneel in the ancestral halls, with some even being punished according to family law and clan rules. Those who still refused were arrested by the reform vanguard corps, and the yamen prosecuted them for resisting the law. Within less than a month, the four provinces of Jiangnan were thrown into chaos, terror descended, and Zhang Yu became a demonic figure. Although Zhao Zhenji opposed the reform vanguard corps and had already submitted a memorial to the imperial court, he had also signed off on all items except for the reform vanguard corps, and thus was also subjected to vicious curses.
...
Deep in the night,
The North Training Ground in Hangzhou.
Under strict guard, no one came to disturb them. In a large warehouse, Zhu Mo finally waited for Zhang Han and Liu Yingjie.
This was Zhu Mo's first reunion since his return. With only a few individuals, seeing each other again, the situation had completely reversed. It now felt like a dream.
Zhu Mo pulled the two to sit down and said with emotion:
"Your willingness to come demonstrates great integrity. Zhu Mo thanks you first!"
Saying this,
He stood up and bowed deeply.
Zhang Han forced a smile:
"Heaven's winds are unpredictable, and people have fortunes and misfortunes that change from day to day. Who could have foreseen this upheaval? If Scholar Zhu can sneak back to Hangzhou, how can we two pretend to be deaf and mute?"
Liu Yingjie, always profound and wise, also said gently at this moment:
"Zixuan, you could have gone into hiding... Since you've come to take charge, we will naturally obey. You are, after all, a Grand Secretary. With Zhang Juzheng gone, you are still the highest-ranking official in this Jiangnan region."
Heh heh,
Zhu Mo shook his head and smiled, saying:
"My official position is all in name. What use is it? Now Zhang Yu is acting perversely. I believe within ten days, the reform will be completely reversed. The people will surely curse me for starting something and not finishing it, needlessly creating karma, and instead causing the people to suffer..."
Upon saying this,
The atmosphere immediately became tense again.
Lü Kun was very anxious and stated directly:
"Your Excellencies, these past few days, the reform vanguard has been rushing everywhere, collecting back taxes of a hundred taels per household. How can those small workshops afford it? Those with some savings have simply resigned themselves to losses to protect their lives. What about those without money? Most will conflict with the reform vanguard. It's hard to guarantee there won't be bloodshed. By then, it will be too late to deal with it..."
He had met Zhang Han and Liu Yingjie before. They had initially thought of him as merely a scholar. However, after observing him investigate the Directorate of Weaving during this period, seeing how meticulous and thorough he was in his work, and how he could grasp the overall picture despite the myriad of details, they truly considered him a talent and now showed him more respect.
Zhang Han said:
"Shujian, they are holding the Crown Prince's decree for regent. What can we do? Although I am the Governor, can I send yamen runners to stop the reform vanguard? You can see that the matter is difficult and requires careful planning. Otherwise, it will be impossible to stop."
Liu Yingjie, who was usually sharp-witted, nodded at this moment and said in a deep voice:
"I believe reversing this reform is not difficult. The reason Zhang Yu is making such a big show of the reform vanguard likely has a deeper meaning..."
He then glanced at Zhu Mo and continued:
"Although Scholar Zhu holds the highest rank and title, he has almost no real power. He only holds the substantive post of Chief of the Zhoushan Gong'an, but that is merely a fifth-rank yamen...
To dismiss the reform vanguard, it must be proposed by a Governor-General or a Grand Secretary, or a major upheaval must occur. Only then will there be sufficient reason to terminate it... Moreover, even if an intervention is made, it must be done by the regular army. The Governor and the Commissioner of Justice yamen can then issue a notice. This way, there will be no future repercussions."
Mm-hmm,
Zhu Mo deeply agreed.
He had also considered this in recent days. If a major disturbance occurred, it would naturally be the best reason. Just like in Datong, when Li Lai forced the old soldiers to death, if they were indeed killed, executing them on the spot would be acceptable. At that time, it was to protect the old soldiers that they acted preemptively, resulting in lingering troubles. The Yan family stubbornly argued that Li Lai had not received the death penalty, and the execution procedures were illegal, almost causing further incidents.
This time, the situation was even more serious. If there were procedural flaws, people would claim unauthorized deployment of official troops, and could even accuse Zhu Mo of rebellion. Liu Yingjie had not finished speaking earlier due to these concerns...
But if they did not act swiftly, those common people would inevitably suffer greatly. If some were unjustly killed, these high officials of the Great Ming might not see it as a big problem, but in Zhu Mo's heart, it was absolutely unacceptable. After all, if he truly acted that way, he would become a feudal official, and the subsequent reforms would be utterly meaningless...
With this thought,
Zhu Mo resolutely said:
"Old Liu, we cannot be like the Yan family! We absolutely cannot have bloodshed! Nor can we have a major disturbance!"
He had actually thought of a reason but felt it was not yet mature. Seeing the urgency of the situation, if these two saw that he had no solution, they would likely retreat again. Thus, he said, "I've thought about it. The only way forward is to target Zhang Yu and Wan Cai, and only these two..."
Oh?
This?
Zhang Han and Liu Yingjie, both accustomed to major events, were now somewhat surprised—
Zhang Yu was personally appointed by Yan Song, and Wan Cai was a confidant of the Yan family. How could they be apprehended? They were imperial envoys!
Zhang Han reminded him:
"Zixuan, Zhang Yu is an imperial envoy..."
Indeed!
Zhu Mo said decisively:
"He is an imperial envoy! But it is precisely by arresting an imperial envoy that the situation will gain sufficient deterrent effect!"
He paced a few steps and explained eloquently:
"Think about it, Zhao Zhenji actually has a rift with Zhang Yu. He was sent by Xu Jie, and Xu Jie, although compromising, is not someone who is cruel and unjust. Zhao Zhenji, for the sake of his future, does not want to get any deeper involved. As long as there is sufficient reason, he will step forward and clear his name... As long as he publicly opposes the reform vanguard, the official army can naturally halt it."
Liu Yingjie said:
"But we are talking about having no reason... In this Great Ming Dynasty, what reason is there to act against an imperial envoy? Are you perhaps referring to Zhang Juzheng? Will he explain things to the Crown Prince after returning to the capital?"
Zhu Mo shook his head:
"Old Liu, Zhang Juzheng's situation is no different from ours! Even if he meets the Crown Prince, what reason will he have to propose the abolition of the reform vanguard? What if Yan Song insists? If the Crown Prince sees no bloodshed, no major chaos, how will he pressure Yan Song?"
Alas...
The two immediately became dejected.
Zhang Han said:
"Zixuan, what excuse do you actually have? Stop being cryptic!"
Zhu Mo nodded and said:
"My reason still lies with the Crown Prince..."
He paused for a moment and continued:
"Think about it, what Zhang Yu is doing, in a deeper sense, is it not to pressure the Crown Prince? In my opinion, the Yan family has gone all out this time, directly intending to destroy the reform, and also to destroy the Crown Prince!"
Destroy the Crown Prince?
Zhang Han was truly dumbfounded and blurted out:
"Zixuan, what do you mean by that? Isn't that rebellion? How dare they?"
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Zhu Mo chuckled darkly and said:
"Dare not? Let alone the Crown Prince, even the Emperor, haven't they frequently tried to force their way in? They couldn't contend with the current Emperor, but what about Emperor Zhengde? Wasn't he brought down by them? That was openly done! What about the continuous rain in the capital for a month, they brought hundreds of people and rushed into the palace, demanding Emperor Zhengde reflect on his lack of virtue... Isn't that rebellion?"