Chapter 294: Students who serve the people
Duke Min sat slumped in his armchair, sneering: "I am the fish on the chopping board, what else can I do?"

"Wash your neck clean and get ready to be slaughtered!"

Lady Minguogong was so shocked that she felt her legs go limp.

"How could it be? They have taken over all the salt mines, and they want to kill us?"

Duke Min sneered, his eyes full of sadness: "For those who are engaged, ask them to hurry up and get married, and use the nearest day."

This way, if something happens, they can still have a way to survive.

Lady Minguogong's eyes were filled with tears: "How could it become like this? Didn't they say everything was fine..."

Lady Min Guogong had just sent someone to deliver the invitation when Jiayu was sent back.

Then the imperial edict came.

Jiayu, the concubine daughter of Duke Min, had ulterior motives and attempted to assassinate the crown prince. Duke Min was to blame for not educating his daughter properly...

The entire Min family was confiscated and exiled...

After the imperial edict was read, everyone in Duke Min's mansion burst into tears.

Officers and soldiers filed in, drove out everyone in every yard, gathered them in the front yard, and counted and confirmed their identities one by one.

Then the officers and soldiers began to pack up and count the property.

The people never imagined that just after the New Year, another high-ranking official’s property would be confiscated.

Or it is the Min Guo Mansion, which is in charge of the salt mine and is envied by everyone.

Everyone was also curious: After managing the salt mine for so many years, how much silver did the Duke of Min Guo have?
However, as the inventory was taken, something unexpected happened to everyone.

There wasn't much property in the mansion of Duke Min, and all of it was worth no more than two or three hundred thousand taels of silver.

Compared to the unique salt mine in Tianwu Kingdom, what is this little bit of silver?
The people were very disappointed that they didn't get to eat the melons.

Duke Min suddenly knelt down and kowtowed, shouting repeatedly.

"Your Majesty, I have always been dedicated to the public and have never been partial to anyone! I beg Your Majesty to show some leniency and exempt me from exile and demote me to a commoner..."

The first time, everyone was still a little dazed. The second time, Lady Min Guogong had come to her senses and started shouting as well.

After a few more times, everyone in Duke Min's mansion shouted in unison.

The cries of fear mixed with sorrow filled the mansion with a sad atmosphere.

Seeing this, some students watching couldn't help but raise their arms and cheer.

"Duke Min is an honest man who has devoted himself to the country for many years. However, as the saying goes, a tree withers even when it is big. A concubine's daughter admires the prince and resorts to some tricks. Why should her property be confiscated and she be exiled?"

"Or is it that the prince is making things difficult for a girl from the Tianwu family just for a mere foreign merchant girl?"

"Is the court sure that the Duke of Min's mansion has signs of rebellion? Or are they trying to take advantage of the opportunity to unite and attack dissidents?"

"Why is it so?"

When one person stepped forward, ten others followed suit. Immediately, other students stood up and shouted.

The sounds quickly became uniform and loud, and gradually gained momentum.

The officers and soldiers remained unmoved. After counting the people one by one, they had everyone in the Duke Min's mansion locked up and put them in cells.

When the students saw that this shouting was useless, they became even more angry and stood up one after another.

The leading young man in a brocade robe was no more than fifteen or sixteen years old. He wore a jade crown on his head and leather boots. He stood on a rockery and gave an impassioned speech.

“To establish a mind for the world, to establish a destiny for the people, to carry on the lost knowledge of the past sages, and to bring peace to the world for all eternity is what we students aspire to do.”

"If we do not speak out for justice when we see injustice, then we have read the books of the sages in vain!"

"I, Chen Yangzu, make a vow today. If the emperor does not revoke his order, I will sit in front of the palace gate without eating or drinking until I die!"

After saying this, he jumped off the exquisite rockery and walked away.

Immediately, some curious people followed him, wanting to see if he was really going to sit in meditation.

The other students looked at each other, and some made excuses saying that they had something to do at home and turned away.

Some of them shook their sleeves and raised their chins high: "Brother Chen and I have the same aspirations and are willing to advance and retreat together! I am leaving..."

An enthusiastic look.

By the time Fu Zhonghai received the news, a dozen students were already sitting at the palace gate.

"Chen Yangzu and other students were invited by the young master of the Duke of Min's Mansion today to enjoy the flowers and taste wine. They happened to see the whole process, so they jumped out..." In other words: someone set a trap, and Chen Yangzu and others happily jumped into it.

In front of the palace gate.

The students, each with a thick cushion under their buttocks, a thick quilted cloak around their bodies, and a hot water bottle in their arms, sat by the palace gate in silence.

Not far away, the servants of the Chen family were quietly boiling water with charcoal fire in the carriage.

When the water boils, he fills a hot water bottle with it and replaces the cold hot water bottles in the arms of his young master and other students.

This posture is weird and eye-catching.

But anyone can see clearly: as an old and aristocratic family in the capital, the Chen family condones and even encourages the behavior of this young master.

If the head of the Chen family did not agree with such an act of blatant defiance of the imperial court, he would have sent a few strong servants to knock the man unconscious and take him home.

The Chen family is using this incident to force the court to back down and make a statement.

Lu Daban bowed slightly, waiting for the emperor's decision: "Your Majesty, how should we deal with these students who are sitting in silence?"

Emperor Tianwu was not in a hurry: "Let them sit for a night first."

These young children always think that when they are filled with passion, they are really establishing their hearts and minds for the world and their lives for the people.

It is better to let them experience it more deeply, so that they will know more clearly how stupid they are afterwards.

In the eyes of the major families, Emperor Tianwu's silence was a kind of "entanglement and embarrassment".

Being able to force an emperor into such a state of conflict and difficulty, the major families were bound to feel proud.

Do you think that as a butcher, you can take over the world and make everyone obey you in peace?

You can do whatever you want?

If you dare to touch our cakes, we won’t allow it!
At first glance, the drastic reduction of taxes for the people also seemed to provide convenience to the wealthy and powerful families, but this was not actually the case.

Many aristocratic families had concealed a lot of their land.

For families that owned a hundred hectares of fertile land, they only reported fifty hectares at most.

Some old-established families go even further, reporting only 40% or even 30%.

When paying taxes, they also paid 30% of the reported amount.

Now, many tenants no longer rent land on their own farms.

They applied to the imperial court for permission to reclaim wasteland and to fend for themselves.

So many tenants ran away that many fields were simply abandoned. Now that the spring plowing season is approaching, their large amounts of tax-free fields are left uncultivated!

The major families are worried!

This will force them to lower the rent for their tenants!

Otherwise, no one will be willing to rent the land!
The aristocratic families were not happy, and the balance in their hearts gradually tilted towards the two kings.

Only by restoring the old system can they continue to exploit the people...

If Emperor Tianwu does not want the major families to favor the two kings, he must give in.

The Hongwen Academy in the capital is the most respected by the old aristocratic families. The great scholars there are all recognized by various families, and their sons are often sent to Hongwen Academy.

In the annual imperial examinations, students from Hongwen Academy have the highest proportion of making the list.

Chen Yangzu was a student of Hongwen Academy.

He has a close relationship with the young master of the Duke of Min's Mansion and is at a passionate age.

He was very disgusted by the fact that Yingchun Academy recruited a large number of ordinary people and women to learn skills.

Reading is an extremely noble thing, how can it become a place for these people to embroider and saw wood? !
A butcher is a butcher! What he does is never presentable!

There has been a lot of accumulated dissatisfaction with Emperor Tianwu and his son, so it is not surprising that they jumped out to sing a different tune at this time.

Especially when he was sitting at the palace gate, his family not only did not scold him, but also asked the servants to bring hot water bottles and cotton cloaks to everyone.

Chen Yangzu understood immediately: his family very much supports his approach.

Thinking of his father's majesty and wisdom, Chen Yangzu instantly felt confident.

This time, he must make the court show an attitude!
We can’t let the Duke Min’s Mansion suffer an unjust accusation!
(End of this chapter)