By the afternoon of the next day, half of the shops in Hangzhou had closed. Many storefronts displayed banners with slogans such as "Scholar Zhu, please uphold justice for merchants," "Merchants are immoral, they deserve to die," and "Severely punish the perpetrator slave" and the like.
The entire city was immediately shrouded in a bizarre and terrifying atmosphere. Everyone hurried about, their faces filled with panic, and went home to hide early before nightfall.
It should be known that
At this time, the Ming Dynasty's commercial world had more tightly organized guilds than in previous dynasties, referred to as "Tuan Hang" or "Hui Guan," led by "Hang Zong." These leaders were not necessarily the biggest magnates in the industry but often brokers. When the government levied taxes, it generally approached these Hang Zong, who then distributed the burden.
This presented a problem, much like with agricultural taxes—
The Hang Zong did not distribute taxes equitably but rather based on relationships. If a farmer was troublesome, the government would impose taxes on him, and with various other levies, he would be driven to bankruptcy. This is why farmers sought patronage, attaching themselves to gentry to avoid being taxed to death. Merchants were no different; those who did not have good relationships with their Hang Zong would be taxed to death, even if they had some wealth. Their assets, land, and homes would be mortgaged, followed by bankruptcy and acquisition, turning them into employees of others.
Ordinary merchants could not afford to offend these Hang Zong. This was because they frequently dealt with government offices, were well-versed in the ways of the Ming bureaucracy, often had backing from the Yan faction, and daring merchants would not only face bankruptcy but also potential lawsuits and imprisonment.
Therefore, merchants greatly feared the Hang Zong and did as they were told. Of course, just as farmers could seek patronage, merchants could join guilds. By paying regular protection fees, they were spared these unwarranted disasters.
As Zhu Mo inspected, he pondered these matters.
Hangzhou was a major port with hundreds of thousands of businesses. The fact that so many had closed indicated that the Hang Zong were orchestrating this. According to the investigations of Wu Ming and Wu Liang, these Hang Zong were backed by several gentry, who in turn were supported by several of the Yan family's confidantes. For instance, Xu Yang, though not a Hang Zong himself, was a man of absolute authority in the silk industry. By informing the silk guild leader, he could easily have smaller silk merchants remain silent. The losses from closing their shops for a few days were far less significant than the consequences of offending the Hang Zong.
He always conducted his work with on-site research; it was a habit from his previous work in markets. Without understanding the situation or conducting interviews, he felt ill-informed.
But now, there was a problem—
He had become famous. Many people on the streets had seen him. When he asked several merchants and pedestrians, none dared to speak the truth.
Zhu Mo had to ask Lü Kun and Li Zhi, along with some academy students, to inquire. By evening, a summary was compiled. It was as he had expected: out of ten merchants who had closed their shops, three had very good relationships with their Hang Zong, while the other seven were forced to close due to fear of retaliation. The industries affected were mainly silk, tea, salt, jewelry, restaurants, and inns. Those still open were various small businesses, and indications suggested that some thugs were already exerting covert pressure. Within a few days, it was likely that two-thirds of the shops in Hangzhou would be closed.
The closure of shops had no immediate impact on the government, but it had a significant impact on the people.
Firstly, it caused great inconvenience. Then came shock, followed by confusion. Most importantly, the common people always envied merchants, believing they too could become merchants if given the opportunity.
It should be noted that since the Jiajing reign of the Great Ming, people across the land were insatiable. Wherever desire extended, everyone wished for fine silks, multiple wives, and concubines. Therefore, the sudden display of such resentment and peculiar actions by the merchants aroused suspicion among the populace.
As he walked through Hangzhou, he overheard numerous conversations, some quite outrageous—
"Does Zhu Mo really have a problem?"
"Did he really allow the slave laborers to burn Boss Xu's workshop?"
"When he first arrived in Jiangnan, he raised funds from merchants. Now that he's encountered trouble, he naturally has to find ways to get money from merchants..."
"It's not right to let those who came from the ranks of wicked servants bully small merchants..."
"Boss Xu and the others deserve to be disciplined, but are the small merchants in the city innocent?"
"Blindly robbing the rich to help the poor is not a solution either."
"I heard he really wants to become emperor?"
"Didn't the founding emperor also discipline the merchants of Jiangnan?"
"Although he is a talented person, I think it's too much for him to want to become emperor..."
"The Emperor sent him to enact reforms, but the reforms have gone astray..."
"The founding emperor, he was good at everything, except he didn't want people to get rich."
"..."
Such thoughts and rumors had gradually spread among the public.
The notion of Zhu Mo wanting to claim the throne in Jiangnan was, of course, spread by Yan Maoqing and Luo Longwen. Most people merely gossiped, and no one truly believed it. However, some remarks were quite dangerous, such as "disciplining small merchants" and "the founding emperor did not want people to get rich." This indicated that the small merchants genuinely harbored doubts.
Zhu Mo spent a day at the Ci Ren Ci, reviewing the compiled information, and felt that the matter was quite thorny. To handle it, he had to start with Xu Yang. But currently, the cause of the fire was difficult to ascertain, the leader of the slave laborers denied everything, and the crowd was enraged. How could he proceed?
Even though he had weathered numerous rumor campaigns, this time he felt truly at a loss...
...
The next day,
The situation changed again.
Early in the morning, two to three thousand merchants surrounded the Ci Ren Ci, displaying incredibly bizarre banners—
"Those who offend the Great Ming shall be punished, however distant!"
"The merchants of Jiangnan wish to contribute their humble efforts to the Great Ming's integrity."
"Stop reforms, unite against the enemy!"
"First secure the interior before confronting the exterior!"
"Jiangnan reforms are good, good, good, but the territory lost is a sigh, a sigh, a sigh!"
"The merchants and travelers of Jiangnan implore the engagement of Elder Yan!"
"..."
Not only that,
The merchants, along with countless employees and apprentices, paraded through the city, all carrying banners with the general sentiment of halting reforms and uniting against external threats.
In one day,
The entire city of Hangzhou erupted, and countless citizens were infected by the emotion. Thinking of the external enemy's pressure, the lurking Japanese pirates, and the provocations from various smaller nations, naturally, their blood boiled with passion!
And this time, the momentum was even greater than before. Previously, it was merely scholars causing a stir, but now, the entire populace was in an uproar.
Some seasoned elders remained cautious, but how could they withstand such a fervor? Those who dared to utter a few words were immediately cursed as traitors, leaving them no choice but to smile wryly and remain silent!
Thus,
A true storm, in just a few short days, swept through the four provinces of Jiangnan.
The slogans of stopping reforms and uniting against external threats echoed across the Great Ming. If it weren't for the fact that the common people were well aware of Zhu Mo's capabilities and dared not openly target him, Zhu Mo would have been reviled and perished long ago.