Hearing this name, Lu Jianxing wanted to laugh.

Defend the country?

Why do you have to hoard goods and make a fortune?

Lu Jianxing acted on orders, and he didn't ask much, and said concisely: "That's right, what we want to take is the father and son of the Qiao family." ”

As soon as these words came out, Qiao Sheng looked confused.

But the angry Jinyi guard had already wrapped his shoulders around him and forcibly escorted him to the prison in Bingzhou City.

According to the laws of the Ming Dynasty, Jin Yiwei has the right to handle cases in prisons in various places.

And the local judicial officials in the state were so silent that they didn't even dare to let out a fart.

"My lord, what do you think of me? Let me go, I'll give you money. ”

"Don't be verbose, give him a taste." Lu Jianxing ordered directly.

Let Jin Yiwei give this young brother a punishment.

In the dungeon, only Qiao Sheng's crying father and mother's screams were left.

Lu Jianxing saw that it was almost over, and the Jinyi Guard, who had retired from the torture, asked softly: "Your Qiao family's enemy Jiannu, can you have such a thing?" ”

"Huh? No, never. ”

"None? Hehe, it seems that the punishment is not enough. ”

"No, you are sinning with desire."

"Okay, then I'll give you something with a real hammer, in March last year, your Qiao family's caravan was transported to Jiannu's side, and a total of 12 million taels of silver was grabbed."

"At the beginning of spring this year, you sent iron ore and salt to Jiannu, totaling 1.2 million stones."

"This is Huang Taiji's letter of commendation to your father and son."

Lu Jianxing took out a letter from his cuff and placed it in front of Qiao Sheng.

Qiao Sheng was taken aback when he saw it.

This......

The secret correspondence between their father and son and Huang Taiji, especially the letters, has always been placed in the ancestral hall of their Qiao family.

He didn't even know where he was hiding.

Only his father knows.

But he had seen the letter.

In May this year, when Huang Taiji sent this commendation, his father deliberately showed off to him.

Now it's in the hands of Jinyiwei?

What the hell are these people?

Could it be that they have all opened their eyes?

Can you predict the prophet?

The more Qiao Sheng thought about it, the more he felt that his scalp was numb.

trembling and kneeling on the ground, he wailed and cried, "My lord, this is absolutely out of nowhere! ”

"Punishment." Lu Jianxing waved his hand.

Inevitably, another burst of sticks waited.

It wasn't until Qiao Sheng was dying that Lu Jianxing said slowly: "If you want to die, just hold on." If you want to live, you have to be honest. ”

"My lord, I said, I said it all."

Qiao Sheng was born with a golden key since he was a child.

As the only son of the Qiao family, the family grew up in the palm of his hand.

Over the years, he has been rampant in Bingzhou, which is to rely on the prestige of the family.

But it's really coming to this critical juncture.

He's just a complete softbone.

Lu Jianxing saw that there was no need to torture now.

Immediately, the accompanying master bookkeeper took out a pen, ink, paper, and inkstone, and began to record and write from the side.

"Besides, who are the merchants who are the enemy?"

With Lu Jianxing's inquiry, Qiao Sheng's words opened up and talked endlessly......

Early the next morning.

An urgent memo sealed by wax oil was transmitted from Bingzhou to Beijing City, and fell on the board of Zhou Xianri's chances.

Okay!

Qiao Sheng spit out the eight major merchant families in one breath.

Although over the years, Zhou Xian has heard of it.

But after really learning the actual situation of the matter from Qiao Sheng's mouth.

He was still a little dumbfounded and in a trance.

What's the situation?

The eight giant businessmen in the state have not been mentioned in recent years.

It was when Jiannu had not yet attacked the Ming Dynasty and Emperor Chongzhen had just ascended the throne.

That is, ten years ago, they funded 600,000 stone grain for Jiannu!

You must know that a stone in the Ming Dynasty is not the same thing as a stone in the Song Dynasty.

Ming Yishi is one hundred and fifty catties.

Song Yishi is thirty catties.

600,000 stone is equivalent to 90 million catties.

That's 45,000 tons.

According to historical records, the size of the army was only 30,000 at the beginning of Jiannu.

That food will keep them safe for two years.

Two years!

It was in those two years that Jiannu swept the borders of the Ming Dynasty.

Kidnapped many people from the border areas of the Ming Dynasty.

Later, the size of Jiannu's army was expanded.

That is, in the third year, Jiannu attacked Liaodong.

Began a fierce attack on the Jinzhou defense line.

However, the grain distributed by the imperial court to Liaodong was only 300,000 stones.

Such a comparison.

The anger in Zhou Xian's heart can be imagined.

Let's go to TM's!

If you want to say that it is difficult to make a fortune, it is just that.

This also directly starts to fund the enemy.

This is even more hateful than a businessman who has made a fortune.

It is no wonder that Jiannu entered the customs, and after the Manchu Emperor Taiji became the emperor, he would reward the eight merchants of the state with yellow coats.

Named them the Eight Great Emperor Merchants!

In Zhou Xian's view, they are pure traitors who should be cut off with a thousand knives.

The Ming Dynasty was looted by the Donglin Party, and the people had their gang of moths to look back and dig out.

It is no wonder that Emperor Chongzhen faced an empty mess when he ascended the throne.

That was just 10 years ago.

And now?

Just as Lu Jianxing found out.

It's just that last year and this spring, the Qiao family invested in Jiannu grain, salt mines and iron mines, totaling 2 million stones.

It's just them.

Eight families combined.

The grain sold to Jiannu was enough for Jiannu's 150,000 troops to eat in peace for three years.

The iron ore is already fully capable of supporting Jiannu to build 100,000 sets of armor and weapons.

What is it?

Simply those grains.

How many people of the Ming Dynasty can be saved?

Don't talk about the far, the nearest Shanxi and Zhou.

The people affected by the plague alone numbered 700,000.

If the grain is diluted into porridge for disaster relief, it will be enough for them to survive for two or three years.

At that time, Zhou Xian's new cultivation system authorized by Song Yingxing was also formed.

The people were able to eat fresher food.

But what about reality?

The reality is that the eight major merchants are not only enemies.

It also hoarded a large amount of grain and salt iron ore in the territory.

To see them starve to death is to watch them starve to death with a strip of water.

During this time, Zhou Xian had already received the evaluation level of the locust plague and the losses caused by the locust plague in Shanxi and Shaanxi.

Wealth is not counted.

Let's just talk about the population.

Half a year, one-third of Shaanxi and starvation are everywhere.

According to a rough count, 850,000 people died of starvation.

What about Shanxi?

In the most prosperous city of Bingzhou, more than 20 people starved to death a day on average.

In Yangzhou during the period of Emperor Zhu Yuanzhang of the Ming Dynasty, there was a human tragedy that changed children and ate them.

How many people did that emperor behead back then?

Hundreds of officials of the imperial court fell to the ground, and blood flowed like rivers.

Now, Daming's situation is even more serious than that of Zhu Yuanzhang at that time.

Can Zhou Xian not kill those moths?

Previously, Zhou Xian had already seen the information that Xu Xianchun brought back.

In the place where Li Zicheng rebelled before, the bark and weeds were gnawed away.

In the end, there was no way, so he angrily unveiled the rod.