Travel back in time and become Chongzhen, watch me turn the tide

On Dongguan Street, the tall gatehouse of the Wang family residence still stood majestically, like an old man who had experienced many vicissitudes of life, silently recounting the glory of the past. However, the plaque on the door of the Wang family residence, which once symbolized supreme honor and nobility, had long been ruthlessly removed. Today, the Wang family residence, with its deep courtyard, is no longer the same as it used to be. The former bustle and prosperity have disappeared like a passing cloud.

The fall of the Wang family of Puzhou was like a blockbuster bomb dropped into the seemingly calm water, instantly stirring up a thousand waves and causing a huge uproar among the Lianghuai salt merchants.

When the Wang family was raided this time, the amount of property seized was staggering.

In cash alone, a staggering eight million taels of silver were discovered. The mountains of silver seemed to silently reveal the Wang family's former extravagance. Beyond that, there were countless antiques, calligraphy, paintings, and gold and silver utensils. The dazzling array of treasures was truly dazzling. This didn't even include the Wang family's nationwide stores, mansions, and fertile farmland. The Wang family even had a fleet of ships for transportation!

The salt merchants were so rich that even knowledgeable people like Shi Kefa were stunned by the scene and were speechless for a long time.

The Xi'an Shen family and the Puzhou Zhang family, who had accompanied Wang Zheng to the Military Governor's Mansion that day, although they ultimately avoided the same fate as the Wang family, where their property was confiscated and their lives were executed, each of them paid a million taels of silver to temporarily secure their safety. While this sum of money wouldn't have caused them any serious damage, the sudden shock was like a nightmare, deeply etched in their hearts and lingering for a long time.

Just when the salt merchants were secretly rejoicing and thinking that the matter had come to an end, an imperial edict came, making these salt merchants uneasy - Emperor Chongzhen wanted to summon the salt merchants from Yangzhou to the Wang family's mansion.

After issuing the anti-rebellion manifesto, Emperor Chongzhen resolutely moved out of the Military Governor's Mansion and moved into the mansion vacated by the downfall of the Wang family. For these merchants, this should have been the highest honor; to be personally summoned by His Majesty the Emperor was an honor that many dreamed of.

However, at this special moment, these salt merchants could not be happy no matter how much the emperor "thought of them".

What they were worried about was that whether this visit to the emperor would bring blessing or disaster, life or death, or the tragedy of having their families destroyed or their clans exterminated, was unknown.

For a time, a cloud of gloom and despair hung over the salt merchants like a thick haze, lingering for a long time. Even the usually bustling Dongguan Street seemed to be infected by this depressing atmosphere and became deserted.

But the emperor's orders were hard to disobey. Even if it meant going through fire and water, they had no choice but to go. After all, in the face of the powerful state machinery, merchants like them, no matter how wealthy they were, were but a drop in the ocean and could only bow their heads.

Moreover, the tragic end of the Wang family was right before their eyes, like a mirror hanging high above, a constant warning to them. At this sensitive moment, who would dare to easily offend the emperor and provoke such an unprovoked disaster?

Since early morning, the salt merchants in Yangzhou who received the invitation rushed here in a hurry, feeling apprehensive, and waited in an orderly manner at the gate of Wang's house.

There are now hundreds of salt merchants in the Lianghuai area, but those who received the invitation this time are all the most powerful and wealthy among them.

Among these salt merchants, the most powerful ones are the Liang family of Sanyuan County, the Zhang family and the Guo family of Jingyang County, the Zhang family of Puzhou, the Shen family of Xi'an, the Zhang family of Lintong County, the Wang family and the Wu family of Huizhou Chamber of Commerce, and the Huang family of Ningbo.

These business tycoons with a net worth of tens of millions usually call the shots in the business world and enjoy unlimited glory, but at this moment, they can only wait outside the mansion gate honestly. The prestige of the past has long disappeared without a trace.

"Brother Wu, what is the purpose of His Majesty calling us salt merchants here this time?" Wang Wende, the head of the Wang family, leaned slightly sideways and approached Wu Tianquan, the head of the Wu family who was also a Huizhou merchant. He lowered his voice and asked, with a hint of uneasiness and confusion in his eyes.

"Brother Wang, what else could it be?" Wu Tianquan replied with a wry smile, his face full of helplessness. "It's nothing more than money. The court is short of money now, and the treasury is empty. If they don't try to find a way to get it from us merchants, where else can they get it?"

"This time it's all Wang Zheng's fault. Isn't it good for us merchants to earn money honestly? Why do we have to get involved in the affairs of the imperial court? Now, the family fortune that the Wang family has worked so hard to build has been wiped out in an instant!" Wang Wende looked up at Liang Wenbing, the head of the Liang family, who was not far away, and continued in a low voice, "The Liang family is lucky this time. We didn't get involved and avoided this disaster."

"Although the Liang family has escaped disaster, they are no longer as strong as before. The Shen family, on the other hand, has been catching up in recent years. However, the Shen family was fined one million silver coins this time, so they should be more stable in the short term." Wu Tianquan's mouth curled up slightly, revealing a hint of a sneer. "But this time, we are all on the same boat. No matter what, we all need to work together."

"Of course." Wang Wende nodded slightly in agreement.

At this time, Liang Wenbing was also speaking seriously to the salt merchants from the Shanxi and Shaanxi Guild Hall: "My fellow countrymen, this incident with the Wang family will inevitably implicate us. His Majesty has summoned us this time, so everyone must remember not to be stingy with money. After all, money is something external to the body, and we can earn it again if we lose it. But if we lose our lives, then everything is truly lost, and there is no point in talking about anything else."

"Mr. Liang is absolutely right. I don't know what has bewitched Wang Zheng this time, causing Brother Shen and I to bleed profusely." Zhang Yongyi, the head of the Zhang family in Puzhou, said with lingering fear. Thinking of how he almost ended up as an accomplice because he accompanied Wang Zheng to the Governor's Mansion, he couldn't help but feel a sense of fear.

Shen Shiguang, the head of the Shen family, also had a bitter face and said helplessly, "Who could have thought he would do something like this? I was just trying to help him out of friendship with my fellow townsman, but I never expected it to turn into such a disaster."

"Due to his family background, Wang Zheng acts too arrogantly. He usually doesn't even take Supervisor Shi seriously. That's why I didn't go with him that day," Liang Wenbing sighed deeply and said with a worried look on his face. "Nowadays, with wars raging, merchants like us are like pieces of fat meat in the eyes of the court. We should be more cautious in the future. This time, no matter what His Majesty the Emperor asks us to do, we must obey, but we can still maintain a proper sense of proportion in the process..."

"Mr. Liang has a great idea!" everyone echoed.

Meanwhile, in Wang's residence, Shi Kefa was advising Chongzhen with a worried look on his face: "Your Majesty, these merchants are just lowly people. Why do you need to come in person?"

"Xianzhi, please don't look down on these merchants." Chongzhen knew that scholars like Shi Kefa still harbored deep-seated prejudices against the salt merchants. He shook his head and said, "Agriculture is undoubtedly the foundation of a country, but if we want to truly prosper and become strong, we cannot do it without the participation and support of merchants. Back then, Taizu set the commercial tax at 1/30, which was not high to begin with, but more importantly, in actual collection, many of these taxes could not be collected. Do you know what kind of situation this ultimately led to?"

"I... don't know..." Shi Kefa replied with a look of shame on his face.

"Most of the taxes and profits from these businesses flow into the pockets of bureaucrats at all levels. Our ministers are all lavishly wealthy, while my treasury is completely empty!" Chongzhen shook his head helplessly and said with deep sorrow, "If we want to increase the revenue and fill the treasury, we must make a big splash in business. So today I must meet these wealthy tycoons!"

The salt merchants waited in agony under the scorching sun for who knows how long. The blazing sun mercilessly baked the earth, and they felt as if they were trapped in a steamer, the heat unbearable. Just when they felt they were about to faint from the sun, the imperial decree finally arrived, summoning the salt merchants to the palace to see the emperor.

The salt merchants had visited Wang Zheng's mansion countless times before. Each time they came, whether to discuss business or attend a party, the atmosphere was always relaxed and joyful. But this time, entering the mansion, they had a completely different feeling.

Upon entering the gate, one could see soldiers in gleaming helmets and armor standing guard on either side. They stood tall and straight, their expressions stern, like majestic statues. From time to time, teams of soldiers patrolled the courtyard, their measured footsteps echoing through the silent courtyard, inspiring awe. Gone were the servants in their blue robes and caps, bustling about in front of each house. In their place were soldiers in full armor.

You can tell at first glance that these soldiers are definitely not just "showpieces" with a pretty face. Each of them exudes a murderous aura that's overwhelming. It's a unique aura left behind after experiencing countless battles and hovering on the brink of life and death. They are definitely veterans who have experienced hundreds of battles.

Led by the eunuchs, the salt merchants trembled and came to the reception room of the palace. They saw Emperor Chongzhen, dressed in simple casual clothes and smiling, standing in the hall early, as if waiting for their arrival.

"Long live our emperor, long live him, long live his!" Upon seeing this, the salt merchants hurriedly knelt on the ground and shouted "Long live the emperor", with a hint of trembling and fear in their voices.

"Everyone, please stand up!" Chongzhen smiled and waved his hand gently, saying softly, "My dear companion, please take a seat!"

This reception room was originally used by the Wang family for family gatherings, and it was very spacious. Although there were more than a hundred salt merchants present, after everyone took their seats, it did not seem crowded at all.

Wang Chengen directed his eunuchs to quickly and neatly place the round stools in front of the salt merchants. These merchants cautiously sat on them, leaning forward slightly, their hands nervously placed on their knees, their hearts pounding with anxiety.

They secretly thought that the Emperor was so kind and amiable to them, but the more so, the more they felt that what would happen next would be even more difficult to deal with and it would be difficult to agree. When the salt merchants thought of this, they became even more panicked, as if an invisible hand was tightly grasping their hearts.

"Businessmen connect the rich and the poor and help the people. They are the most important tools of a country..." Chongzhen said slowly, his voice steady and powerful.

As soon as these words came out, the salt merchants looked at each other in surprise and confusion. Emperor Chongzhen's evaluation was truly too high...