Take control of Wei Zhongxian at the start and confiscate 100 million from him!

Chapter 100 Thunder and Rain, All are Imperial Grace

The news spread like a boundless net, covering the entire Jiangnan region at the same time.

Almost all the rice shops reacted in the same way at the same time. The usually high-ranking shopkeepers were now ashen-faced and utterly terrified.

In an instant, the "market price" sign that was originally hanging in the most conspicuous position in the rice shop was frantically taken down, and some even kicked it to pieces, as if what was written on it was not a price but their death warrant.

Whether it's local grain warehouses in Suzhou or secret storage points in other places, all grain merchants dared not have any more thoughts of defying the rules. At least, not for the time being!
Affordable! Affordable prices must be restored immediately!
The real storm, however, was brewing in the mansions of wealthy merchants who usually treated the Chen family like brothers.

The Wang family of Suzhou.

The head of the family, Wang Zhengming, one of the major grain merchants in Suzhou, was pacing back and forth in his study, his inner robe already soaked with sweat, and at his feet lay a pile of shattered celadon shards.

Yesterday, he even sent someone to the Chen family to find out how Chen Wannian was dealing with the situation, still harboring a sliver of hope that the law would not punish the masses.

But now, the corpses scattered all over the Chen family's house and the notices from the government office were like two resounding slaps, shattering all his illusions.

Just a few days ago, he was at a banquet in the Chen family, drinking and laughing with Chen Wannian, talking about the unrealistic ambitions of the young emperor in the capital.

What did Chen Wannian say at the time?

"How could His Majesty, living deep within the palace, know anything about what's happening in Jiangnan? His imperial edict was nothing but a childish tantrum; let him wait a few days, and he'll forget about it himself."

It was this phrase, "childish temper," that led to the extermination of his entire clan.

Wang Zhengming felt a chill rise up from the soles of his feet.

He looked at the wall full of valuable calligraphy and paintings in his study, at the pavilions and towers outside the window, and at the mountains of gold, silver and grain piled up in the storeroom. These riches that had once made him extremely proud had now all turned into cold death warrants.

"Master! Master!" The butler rushed in, his face even more ashen than Wang Zhengming's. "That master sent someone to deliver a message!"

Wang Zhengming grabbed him: "What do you mean?!"

The butler was almost in tears: "Just...just eight words...the wrath of Heaven is unpredictable, take care of yourself!"

"Take care of yourself..." Wang Zhengming murmured, repeating these words, and nearly fell over.

He got it.

This is not a factional struggle in the imperial court, nor is it a game of interests that can be mediated.

This was the wrath of the emperor, a pure crushing defeat. He could even clearly imagine that Qian Longxi, Qian Qianyi, and those backers who usually exchanged poems and wine with them and considered themselves the supporters of the "Jiangnan Pure Stream" would not dare to mention the word "Jiangnan" at this moment, for fear of getting stained with a drop of blood.

Chen Wannian is dead.

Could Wang Zhengming be next?
Next up, it will definitely be Wang Zhengming!
The moment this thought arose, Wang Zhengming ruthlessly extinguished it. He suddenly realized a crucial point, a key that could give him a glimmer of hope in his desperate situation!

The extreme fear evaporated in an instant, replaced by a near-mad clarity and ruthlessness.

Wang Zhengming suddenly stopped in his tracks. The look in his bloodshot eyes was no longer one of fear, but rather the resolute determination of a gambler on the eve of losing everything, deciding to cut off his arm to survive.

He figured it out!
Why did the emperor's sword only kill Chen Wannian in Suzhou?
With the methods of the Embroidered Uniform Guard and the emperor's meticulously planned schemes, obtaining the list of all those involved in hoarding grain and the evidence of their crimes would be a piece of cake.

But why does the notice only mention the Chen family?
Why did Tian Ergeng's knife only land on the Chen family's neck?

This is not an oversight, nor is it kindness!
This is a bloody test deliberately left behind by that high and mighty young emperor!

He killed the fattest, most agile, and most conspicuous chicken, and then held the knife to the necks of all the monkeys, but didn't immediately strike.

He just wants to see it!
Let's see which monkey is the most pragmatic, which monkey is willing to cut off its own flesh and bleed, and which monkey can kneel down the fastest and most thoroughly, wagging its tail and begging for mercy!
Whether they lived or died, whether their entire family was exterminated or they had to pay a fine to avoid disaster, the initiative was temporarily returned to their own hands at this moment!

Having figured this out, Wang Zhengming felt as if his blood was flowing again.

As long as the green hills remain, there's no need to worry about running out of firewood!
A fortune can be earned back, connections can be rebuilt, but if you lose your head, everything is truly over! Since the emperor has given him the test, Wang Zhengming must deliver a perfect answer that the emperor cannot refuse.
Having figured this out, Wang Zhengming's initial sympathy for Chen Wannian was instantly replaced by the desire to survive and the cold-blooded calculation of a businessman.

"Guards!" His roar carried a cruel, self-destructive edge. "Summon the eldest son! Go! Bring out all the movable cash, land deeds, and account books from the manor! Remember, all of them! Hurry! If we're even a second late, our Wang family will follow in the Chen family's footsteps!"

Sacrifice the pawn to save the king! Chen Wannian's "pawn" has already been overturned and smashed by the emperor. If Wang Zhengming wants to save his "king", he can't just sacrifice a few soldiers. He must also actively push his "pawn" out and smash it in front of the emperor, and smash it faster and louder than anyone else!
Before noon, an absurd yet incredibly real scene unfolded in front of the Suzhou government office.

Wang Zhengming, a wealthy merchant who was also a prominent figure in Suzhou and whom even the prefect usually treated with deference, personally led his eldest son and was followed by more than a dozen servants, carrying several heavy camphor wood chests as they practically tumbled and crawled over.

Under the watchful eyes of many people, a mixture of astonishment and schadenfreude, he did not hesitate to kneel on the cold bluestone slab in front of the government office in the most standard posture, and slammed his head down heavily with a dull thud.

"The criminal Wang Shizhengming, blinded by greed and utterly corrupt, has actually allied himself with the traitor Chen Wannian, defying the Emperor's decree. He deserves to die a thousand deaths!"

His voice was shrill and tearful, each word seemingly uttered with all his might. He didn't offer a single word in his own defense, but instead, before anyone else could, he labeled Chen Wannian a "traitor to the country."

This is the most ruthless act of dismemberment, using the corpses of dead allies to pave a way for one's own survival.

"Having heard of the Emperor's might, the sinners have been awakened and are filled with fear day and night! We are willing to offer all the grain stored in our homes, totaling 100,000 shi, and one million taels of silver to help the court suppress bandits and alleviate disasters!"

This kneeling and these words were like a thunderclap, waking up the Liu, Li, and Zhang families who were still watching from their homes, struggling in fear...

All the wealthy businessmen who participated in this grain hoarding alliance instantly understood the vicious scheme behind Wang Zhengming's kneeling!

He wasn't begging for mercy; he was bidding!

Damn it!
He used his substantial family fortune to set an unattainable price for the right to "survive"!
He seized the credit for the sudden awakening in the fastest and most humiliating way!
"Quick! Quick! That old fox Wang Zhengming!"

"Damn it, he's driven the price up so high, what are we going to do!"

Curses erupted simultaneously in countless luxurious mansions.

These usually shrewd and calculating businessmen instantly transformed into sharks that smelled blood. They knew that if they hesitated even a moment or offered less, they could be used by the Embroidered Uniform Guard as a typical example of stubbornness and become the next Chen Wannian!
Thus, the most peculiar scene in history appeared in front of the Suzhou government office.

One by one, the gentry and wealthy merchants who were used to living in luxury and looking down on others rushed out of their mansions, with their families carrying account books. Some even had their servants carry chests of gold and silver, and they knelt down one after another in front of the government office, afraid of being left behind.

"The criminal Liu is willing to donate 80,000 shi of grain and 500,000 taels of silver!"

"The criminal Li family is willing to offer two thousand mu of fertile land outside the city! In addition, they have four hundred thousand taels of silver in cash!"

"The Zhang family, criminals, wish..."

Cries, kowtows, and bids of loyalty mingled together, rising and falling in waves. The scene was less about repentance and more like a brutal auction for survival.

However, even at this moment, the same sentence was still echoing in the hearts of each of them:

Even if you lose money, as long as you're alive, there's always a way to earn it back. The blood you shed today will be sucked back a hundredfold or a thousandfold from elsewhere in the future!
……

The news reached Hangzhou.

The atmosphere in the back hall of the Zhejiang Provincial Governor's Office was so oppressive that it seemed as if water could drip from it.

Zhang Yandeng, the highest military and political official in the Liangzhe region, was holding a secret report that had been delivered from Suzhou at top speed, his hands trembling like leaves in the autumn wind.

He did not participate in hoarding grain, but this is a crime of oversight.

Although he and Chen Wannian were not close friends, they exchanged poems and essays several times, which raised suspicions of impropriety.

“Your Excellency…” A provincial inspector stood beside him, his voice hoarse, “Suzhou is already awash in blood. His Majesty is so ruthless, acting with overwhelming force and disregarding the consequences. If this continues, the people of Jiangnan… Jiangnan will likely become restless and unstable.”

These words were spoken very tactfully, yet they were also heartfelt.

In his view, the emperor's actions were too ruthless and hasty, not at all like the actions of a wise ruler, but rather like those of a tyrant.

Zhang Yandeng slowly put down the secret report. He didn't look at his subordinates, but instead turned his gaze to the window. After a long while, he slowly and deliberately said, word by word:

"Thunder and rain, all are the Emperor's grace!"

The provincial inspector was suddenly stunned. The words he had read countless times in the book now sounded like steel needles chilled to the bone, making him feel a chill run down his spine and break out in a cold sweat.

(End of this chapter)