novelraw Chapter 1310 - 487: Palace Intrigue or Rebellion (Part 24)_3
Chapter 1310 - 487: Palace Intrigue or Rebellion (Part 24)_3
It was just a pity that reality didn’t give Zheng Nianer this chance!
Or rather, those noble families were not nearly as "kind and benevolent" as Zheng Nianer had once imagined.
Emperor Yongcheng had just obtained the detailed method of salt-making from Zheng Nianer and was preparing to send trusted aides to the seaside to cordon off beaches and dry sea salt, when chaos broke out in the Capital Region.
"Bad news! In the Capital City and the surrounding dozen or so commanderies, all the salt merchants’ shops have shut their doors!"
"The Magistrate Mansion arrested dozens of disputes caused by salt in just one day!"
"...Your Majesty, there’s no salt in the palace either!"
"And in the South Camp and North Camp, the soldiers can’t get salt. They’ve already started making a fuss. If this isn’t handled in time, the camps might explode into mutiny!"
One official after another jumped out in the Imperial court to report the situation.
The first few matters didn’t sound that urgent.
Although Emperor Yongcheng’s expression changed, he wasn’t panicking yet.
But when he heard that the two major garrisons guarding the Capital City were both about to erupt, his heartbeat instantly sped up.
Right after that, the noble-family faction officials, led by Wang Yuan, began submitting petitions one after another.
Their petitions were written in sharp, forceful language, striking directly at the core of this incident—reform of the salt policy!
Why did the salt merchants’ shops close?
Of course it wasn’t because they were "wielding salt as leverage." They were small-time businessmen. Suddenly slapped with harsh new taxes, they simply couldn’t bear it and had no choice but to close.
They were just "unable to afford offending" anyone, so they all scurried into hiding.
Why were the commoners falling into disputes?
Because they couldn’t buy salt, what else?
People can go without meat, but they absolutely can’t go without salt.
Without salt, people lose strength and start coming down with strange illnesses.
When commoners can’t buy salt, panic is easily stirred up among the populace.
Right now it’s still just some civil disputes, but if the salt problem isn’t resolved soon, an uprising among the people isn’t impossible.
As for the Imperial Palace—
Ahem, trouble caused by the Emperor himself; if he can’t eat salt, that serves him right!
Only once he himself suffers will Emperor Yongcheng understand what hardships those noble families have borne for the sake of the realm’s stability, for the sake of supplying salt to everyone from the Emperor above to the commoners below!
The noble families weren’t even asking Emperor Yongcheng to be grateful; they only hoped he wouldn’t keep taking a knife to the salt merchants every time something happened!
And the salt crisis in the South Camp and North Camp was the most urgent of all.
Even those noble families were afraid they’d played the situation too far.
If they really forced those rough soldiers into mutiny, they themselves, living in the Capital City, would also be in danger.
So it was best to hurry up and "remonstrate" Emperor Yongcheng into backing down.
Admit he was wrong, cancel that so-called "salt policy reform," restore everything back to the way it was—then it’d be you good, me good, everyone good!
Emperor Yongcheng: ...All of you are good, and I’m the only one who’s not!
He sat high on the Dragon Throne, looking down loftily at that group of impassioned courtiers.
They were spitting foam as they argued, their words pouring out in torrents.
From their mouths, he, Zhao Gui, had already become a tyrant who brought ruin to the country and misery to the people, a despot forcing the people into rebellion!
He seemed to be standing alone in opposition to everyone.
Instinctively, Emperor Yongcheng felt panic and helplessness.
Very quickly he calmed himself, and his chest was filled only with endless anger and irritability.
Give him another three months—no, even just one month—he, he would be able to bring in better and cheaper sea salt.
By then, he wouldn’t fear those profiteers hoarding goods and manipulating the salt market at all.
However, these people in front of him, never mind one month, probably weren’t even willing to give him three days.
"Forcing me! Each and every one of you is forcing me!"
Emperor Yongcheng was filled with grief and indignation, and he even discovered in despair—
When he became the target of the ministers’ collective attack, not a single person in the whole court stood up to speak for him.
Feng Shou, his Master Feng, actually closed his eyes and pretended to be uninvolved!
Tao Yong, his father-in-law, actually kept his head down, hiding among the crowd, as if terrified someone might call his name.
And the fathers and brothers of Consort Shu and Consort De... they, they were all either dodging or playing dumb!
Utterly isolated!
Emperor Yongcheng was suddenly overcome by a lonely sense of despair.
"Who will help me! I don’t want my very first policy to die stillborn like this!"
His young face was filled with anxiety and urgency, a fine sheen of cold sweat breaking out on his forehead.
The courtiers were still "remonstrating" in fiery, righteous tones, and Emperor Yongcheng felt as if he could barely breathe.
At this critical moment, a little eunuch’s announcing voice suddenly came from outside the hall: "Scholar Wang Shijiu of the Bowen Academy, bearing the Empress Dowager’s decree, has a memorial to present!"
What?
Bowen Academy?
Oh right, that was the "new government office" Empress Dowager He had cobbled together.
Scholar Wang Shijiu?
Who... who was that again?
Seemed to be a woman—
Bang!
In the Imperial court, the civil and military officials, including Wang Yuan, all showed expressions of astonishment...