After the conference, Zhao Ming returned to the Regent's Mansion by car.At this time, the news of Huang Zongxi's arrest had spread far and wide, and Nanjing City, and even the entire Jiangnan, were quickly informed.This made some of Huang Zongxi's henchmen, as well as the southeastern gentry, feel very uneasy.Many people immediately gathered and mobilized the forces at hand to prepare to rescue Huang Zongxi.Because the person who arrested Huang Zongxi was Yan Qiheng, the imperial history of the left capital of the Inspectorate, and Yan Qiheng was the first person from the Longwu family, they immediately pointed the finger at Yan Qiheng, as well as Gao Yinxi, thinking that they influenced the regent's decision.For a time, they began to organize people to impeach, and the newspapers controlled by Jiangnan merchants also began to attack.The workers who triggered the incident raised their wages and reduced their working hours became the key to the debate.The gentry in the southeast knew very well that after the fall of Huang Zongxi, there was a high probability that the imperial court would adopt policies that would harm their interests, so they put on a posture that they would not be able to do more than a year to publicize that after passing these policies, it would be harmful to the merchants and the imperial court.However, at this time, the low newspapers controlled by the imperial court, as well as the newspapers controlled by the government, were ordered by Zhao Ming to begin to publish the evidence of Jiangnan gentry and businessmen, colluding with Huang Zongxi, influencing the decision-making of the imperial court, and soliciting evidence of falsification at the meeting.This immediately made the newspapers controlled by the southeast gentry and businessmen suddenly silenced, and those corrupt Confucians who originally spoke for the gentry and Huang Zongxi also slapped their faces in the face of the evidence, and with the announcement of the evidence, the Jiangnan Chamber of Commerce and many others, the president of the Donglin Chamber of Commerce, were immediately arrested and imprisoned.Zhao Ming immediately published a letter in the government's low newspaper, speaking for the workers, demanding that the workers' treatment be improved, and denouncing the gentry and businessmen for interfering with the government by bribery, and expressing his attitude.If it is in the face of ministers such as Gu Yinxi, Jiangnan gentry and businessmen, and officials of the Jiangnan Department in the DPRK, they can still fight back and resist, but in the face of Zhao Ming's attitude, then they can only stop fighting.However, after all, the Jiangnan gentry were Zhao Ming's main supporters and important participants in his establishment of the great dynasty.After disposing of a group of businessmen who interfered with the government, Zhao Ming even invited Jiangnan gentry and businessmen to Nanjing to participate in an annual meeting to calm the hearts of gentry and businessmen.The twenty-fifth day of the lunar month, the lunar year.On this day, all the ministries of the Ming Dynasty have been sealed, except for a very small number of officials on duty to maintain the operation of the huge empire, most of the officials have gone home for the New Year.The regent Zhao Ming, however, was not allowed to rest, but was in the Guoshege Mansion to meet with merchants from all over the world.Although the time was in a hurry, there were still more than 1,000 gentry and businessmen who came to Nanjing to participate in the annual meeting, which verified the prosperity of the Jiangnan region in the Ming Dynasty.To entertain so many people at once, the imperial court could only hastily change the hall of the national society into a banquet hall, and set up more than 100 tables.In the evening, gentry and merchants from all over the south of the Yangtze River were ushered into the lobby and seated according to their names.At this time, each large table was already filled with more than a dozen dishes prepared by the imperial chef.Although these dishes may not be as delicious as their own homes, it is an honor for many people to be able to sit in the national community hall and participate in the state banquet.At this moment, the guard suddenly said aloud: "The regent has arrived!"
”More than 100 tables of gentry and businessmen immediately stood up and welcomed Zhao Ming in.Zhao Ming wore regular clothes and walked to the high platform, the original long table was moved, only a small table remained, and no stools were prepared.Zhao Ming walked to the table, raised his hand and pressed it down, motioned for everyone to sit down, then picked up the iron horn on the table, and said with a smile: "Recently, something has happened in the government and the opposition, which has made everyone feel uneasy and makes everyone very uneasy!"
”Everyone in the lobby was silent, and they all sat straight and looked at Zhao Ming, for fear of hearing a word.There is no doubt that the gentry and merchants in the southeast all supported Zhao Ming, and it was the regent who drove away the Manchus and opened the sea to lead them to make a fortune, and everyone supported Zhao Ming in their hearts.Therefore, Zhao Ming made a move against Huang Zongxi this time, and also arrested a group of businessmen and gentry, which made everyone very frightened, and some people didn't even know why the regent took such a move.To be honest, now it is the regent, to be the emperor, they all raise their hands in favor.Therefore, many people can't understand why the regent wants to engage them."
I invite you to the banquet today to take this opportunity to let everyone eat a reassuring pill!"
Zhao Ming continued: "Here, the widow must first emphasize that the imperial court's mercantile policy will not change, but businessmen must have an understanding of themselves when they enjoy the imperial court's policies and earn money.First of all, a merchant is a merchant, and if he strives to run a good trading company, abide by the state policy of the imperial court, earn wealth for himself, and make the livelihood of his workers and employees secure, he is a qualified merchant who deserves the respect of the widow and the common people. ”The ears of the people pricked up, and some of the wiser ones had already understood what the regent meant.A businessman should abide by his duties and not try to participate in and interfere in politics.Zhao Ming said in a deep voice: "The widow and the imperial court are not against businessmen making money, on the contrary, they also hope that businessmen can make more money.Only when you make money, the workers will have wages, and the court will have taxes, but the widow hopes that the money you earn will not be obtained by swaying the policies of the court and squeezing the people of the Ming Dynasty.Businessmen can participate in politics normally and put forward opinions to the imperial court, but if they bribe court officials, interfere with imperial court policies, and seek personal interests for themselves through improper means, then they will never be merciful!
”Although Zhao Ming's words were very harsh, some people had settled down, and the meaning of the regent was to hope that everyone would make money in peace and not try to interfere with the national policy.Zhao Ming was very disgusted with the participation of businessmen in politics, because businessmen pursued profits, and once they had the ability to interfere in politics, it would inevitably make the imperial court formulate more policies that benefited them, thereby harming the interests of ordinary people.This is the most obvious example of the Donglin Party, for the sake of the interests of the southeast, to the detriment of the interests of the Ming Dynasty, can only lead to the collapse of the imperial court.Therefore, Zhao Ming did not want businessmen to interfere in politics and create wealth for the court and society, so he just obeyed the arrangements of the imperial court.Just like raising the treatment of workers, this kind of thing, with the nature of businessmen, if the imperial court does not impose hard rules, the vast majority of businessmen will not be able to have the consciousness to take the initiative to improve the treatment of workers, and they will not hesitate to squeeze the last cent of value of clean workers.Everyone understands that if the landlord squeezes the tenants ruthlessly, the tenants will abandon the land and rebel, and the workers will be squeezed hard, which may also cause the same problem.However, it is one thing to understand the reason, and it is another thing to be able to change it, and history tells Zhao Ming that if you don't put a knife on your neck, you won't change it.Therefore, it is necessary to maintain strong government supervision, directly intervene and formulate policies, and prevent businessmen from acting too much.At this time, Zhao Ming said in a soothing tone: "I believe that everyone here is a good businessman who abides by the law.The next five-year plan of the imperial court will be launched soon, and there will be countless projects waiting for you to make money.Here, the widow hopes that everyone will treat the workers well and earn money reasonably and legally. ”Warm applause rang out, and the vast majority of businessmen were already at ease.()