The most troublesome thing Zhu Youlang has after taking Yangzhou is how to deal with these wealthy businessmen.

Yangzhou is richest in the world, and these merchants are all rich enough to rival a country.

Zhu Youlang was still half-believing and half-doubted about this before, but now he is completely convinced.

Any mansion of these merchants who took out any mansions were worth tens of thousands of taels of silver. The house of Zhou Yuanzhao, the richest man in Yangzhou, occupied a huge area. It is not an exaggeration to say that it is a miniature version of the Forbidden City.

Compared with it, Zhu Youlang's palaces in Kunming and Chengdu seem a little shabby.

These wealthy merchants and tycoons in Yangzhou City must have a few million taels of property together, but they may not be able to get ten million taels of property.

Even for the Ming army, this was a huge sum of money.

These silvers are enough for the Ming army to spend a year or even longer.

However, as the righteous emperor of the Ming Dynasty, Zhu Youlang could not directly search the merchants' homes without any scruples.

Everything must have a reason.

Zhu Youlang can pick one typical example at most, kill the chicken to warn the monkey to attack those businessmen who don’t understand the rules.

It would be better if these businessmen could hand over the money and be filial to them.

If Zhu Youlang blindly uses strong money, he will definitely be able to get the money, but it is tantamount to killing a chicken to get eggs.

This will greatly stimulate the business people.

After hearing the news, the merchants under the Qing army would definitely try their best to fund the Qing army. Because they knew that once the city was broken, their destiny would be slaughtered like these Yangzhou merchants.

This is something Zhu Youlang never wants to see.

After all, the Ming Dynasty court was in a formal state and could not ask for it at will like the scrimmage team.

In the end, Zhu Youlang decided to set up a banquet to host the wealthy merchants and tycoons in Yangzhou City.

This banquet can be regarded as a Hongmen banquet.

Zhu Youlang could beat him at the banquet and imply that the merchants took the initiative to donate silver.

I believe that as long as some politically conscious people will donate money immediately to ensure safety.

Of course it’s okay to pretend to be dead and stupid, then no wonder Zhu Youlang is cruel and ruthless.

Zhu Youlang was not Chongzhen and could not tolerate the bullying of merchants.

After several weighing, the place where the banquet was held was chosen at Yangzhou Prefecture School.

The reason I chose this place is mainly because the Fuxue is an education center in Yangzhou, and holding a banquet here is full of political significance.

In addition, Yangzhou Prefecture School is also a top Jiangnan garden.

Among them, there are pavilions, towers, rockery, mountains, waterfronts, and banquets are full of elegant style.

Another point is that this school was built by Yangzhou merchants. Zhu Youlang asked them to come here to hint that they would take out the money.

Zhu Youlang wanted to turn this banquet into a clever way of releasing military power with a large cup of wine, and it was not certain that it could be passed down in history in the future.

It is most appropriate to choose to hold a banquet at the Mansion School after comprehensive consideration.

As the promulgator of the imperial edict, the Hu Ben Army was responsible for passing the emperor's will to the streets and alleys of Yangzhou City.

All well-known merchants have basically received the order.

Dozens of wealthy merchants were shocked after receiving the imperial edict.

After all, they are low-ranking merchants. Although they are rich, they never thought of attending a royal banquet in their lives.

This kind of transcendence in identity was something I never dared to think about before.

But it really happened.

Although they also knew that there was nothing good about being targeted by the Emperor of Ming Dynasty at this time, they had to deal with it, right?

Almost all merchants thought of Zhou Yuanzhao at the first time.

As the richest man in Yangzhou, Zhou Laowai plays an important role in Yangzhou City, and every word can influence the behavior of group businessmen.

However, Zhou Yuanzhao was unable to protect himself, so he sighed so much that he learned that the group of merchants came to pay a visit and secretly complained that something was wrong.

It wouldn't be so obvious if he was the only one who didn't go to the banquet, and finding a reason for getting sick might make you confused.

But if he speaks now, all the merchants will definitely make excuses to follow the Zhou family's intentions, and then Zhou Yuanzhao will take the blame.

That turned out to Zhou Yuanzhao instigating and inciting group merchants to fight against the emperor, and the nature completely changed.

Zhou Yuanzhao sighed, looking helpless.

Now there is only one choice left before him, that is, to go to the banquet.

I am a fish and meat when I am a knife and a slaughter, but I can’t help it if it’s life or death.

Zhou Yuanzhao could only obediently hand over his life. He had to go to the Hongmen Banquet or the slaughtered banquet.

Fortunately, Zhou Yuanzhao expected this situation in advance and had arranged for his son Zhou Yuji to transfer his assets to the north through sea route.

In this way, he has some shortcomings, and the Zhou family's huge business will not be completely cheaper.

On the day of the banquet, the wealthy merchants and tycoons in Yangzhou came to the palace school to attend the banquet in a very low-key manner.

They changed their usual clothes and wore small hats with blue leather.

This is naturally to conceal their wealth, but how can this little trick deceive the emperor?

Zhu Youlang has already eaten them, and even if they dress up, Zhu Youlang will not let them go.

The merchants were inspected by the Hu Ben Army at the gate of the government office. Not to mention that they wanted to carry swords, it was impossible to even daggers.

The safety of the emperor is the first thing the Hu Ben Army must consider. There is absolutely no mistake to be allowed in this regard.

A number of wealthy Yangzhou businessmen, including Zhou Yuanzhao, are familiar with the school. In fact, many of their nephews study here.

The official school at this time was completely different from the early Ming Dynasty. At that time, if you want to get into the official school, you must pass the mistress examination, namely the county examination, the government examination, and the college examination.

Those who pass the exam are scholars, which means that only scholars can enter the school.

However, starting from the middle and late Ming Dynasty, the trend gradually changed. The trend of extravagance and pleasure prevailed.

Even the imperial examinations are involved in this trend.

There is one more hyperplasia in the scholar, epiphyseal.

I can’t understand the meaning very well, as long as my family has money to donate a student, it’s not impossible.

This is still the case in poor places, not to mention a wealthy place like Yangzhou where every inch of land is worth every fortune.

The school official in Yangzhou Prefecture was an art-like person. He despised the construction of the previous prefecture school was too rigid and shabby, so he hinted that the merchants in the city donated money to build the prefecture school.

Those who donate 1,000 taels can ask for fame and honor for their nephews, and those who donate 10,000 taels can recommend a tribute to students.

This is a clear price tag, and it is perfect for the same person to be honest.

What these wealthy businessmen lack the least is naturally money.

For a time, countless silver donors even competed.

The official of the Ministry of Education was so happy that he couldn't stop talking about this.

He didn't expect that he had symbolic expressions, and these merchants were just like this.

The official of the Prefecture School narrowed most of the money he had gained, leaving a small part of the building of the Prefecture School.

Even so, the palace was built by him, with magnificent scenery in it, which was a very exquisite garden.

Most of these merchants have been invited to visit the prefectures, after all, they are investors.

But now when I see the scene again, I feel very nervous.

It shouldn't be that easy for His Majesty the Emperor to ask them to come here to have a banquet?

Does His Majesty the Emperor already know that they donated money to the school and intend to use this to hint that they donated money?
Chapter completed!