Crown Prince of the Empire, I quit!

Chapter 1126 Despicable means, forced prohibition

The cold words on the notice pierced his eyes like needles.

"Seal it up... take it over to the government and order it to return to its original workshop..." His eyes went dark and his wife's terrified crying could be heard from the house.

"No, sir! I borrowed the money and bought the spinning wheel. I... I didn't break any law!"

Wang Laowu fell to his knees and hugged Scarface's legs.

"Please, have mercy! My wife is too weak to endure the hardship of working in the weaving workshop..."

"Go away!"

Scarface kicked him away and nodded at his men.

"Smashed!"

Two men as ferocious as wolves and tigers rushed into the house, amid the screams of the bachelor's wife.

He swung the stick and smashed it at the brand new spinning wheel!

Sawdust flew everywhere, the delicate spinning wheel was twisted and deformed, and the creaking music instantly turned into a shrill whine.

"My spinning wheel! My money!"

Wang Laowu's eyes were bloodshot and he wanted to pounce on him, but Scarface stepped on his back.

"Money? You don't have to pay it back!"

Scarface grinned, "The court has forgiven your debt by grace! But..."

He bent down, lowered his voice, and spoke with a foul smell.

"Master Du said that your wife should go back to the Yongfeng Weaving Workshop to work early tomorrow morning! If you're late for even a moment, I'll break your legs!"

Similar scenes occurred in all prefectures, counties, and towns of Shenmu Country, spreading like ripples on the surface of water after a stone was thrown into it.

The newly-emerged small workshop was roughly sealed, the brand new waterwheel was smashed with an axe by the yamen runners, and the farmer who had just borrowed money to buy a new plowshare was ordered to hand it over.

Exchange it for the old plow that had been used for three generations and had long since worn out its sharp corners.

The air smelled of despair and rust.

Tongbao Pavilion, a branch of Shenmu Kingdom.

The atmosphere was as heavy as lead.

On the huge sand table, the symbols representing the various provincial capitals of Shenmu Kingdom were rapidly changing from green, representing activity, to a glaring scarlet, representing blockade and suppression, at a speed visible to the naked eye.

Sun Jinshan stood in front of the sand table, his face so gloomy that water could drip out of it.

He held a secret report in his hand, his knuckles turning white from the strain.

"Du Zi...this mad dog of Hua Yunhong!"

He gritted his teeth and squeezed out the sound.

"Last night in Linjiang County, his casual laborers poured concentrated salt water into the bearings of three newly purchased waterwheels! They even left a note: If you dare use these tricks again, you'll be doused with kerosene next time!"

The voice of a manager in charge of intelligence nearby trembled.

"It's not just... Director Fang. Similar incidents have occurred in Qingzhou, Yunzhou, Dingzhou... and many other places. Several small weaving and dyeing workshops we just supported had their machines smashed and their warehouses burned overnight. The perpetrators were all well-known local thugs, but behind them were the shadows of Du Zi's casual workers. The government didn't care at all, and some even saw yamen runners watching from a distance!"

"Hua Yunhong is trying to cut off the source of the trouble!"

Sun Jinshan punched the edge of the sand table hard, causing the mark to shake.

"He not only wants to cut off our trade routes, but he also wants to completely extinguish these newly ignited sparks! He wants to turn those people back into animals, only able to plow the fields and be driven by others!"

He took a deep breath, forcing himself to calm down, with a determined glint in his eyes.

"We can't just sit there and wait for death! Send a message back to His Majesty immediately and inform him of the situation in Shenmu Country! Activate the secret passage of flying money. No matter the cost, we must break down the subsequent Fumin Loan funds into small amounts and infiltrate them! Hua Yunhong can block the main roads, but he can't block the people's hearts! Those people who have tasted a little sweetness will not surrender so easily!"

"But... Manager Sun, doing this is too risky!"

The steward was worried.

"That mad dog Du Zi is staring at us, and those local tyrants, with Hua Yunhong's tacit approval, are like sharks smelling blood..."

"risk?"

Sun Jinshan sneered, his eyes as sharp as a knife.

"From the day we set foot in Shenmu Country, every step we took was like dancing on the edge of a knife. Your Majesty wants to pry open the foundation of this iron plate! Tell the people below to proceed with caution, but do not stop at anything that needs to be done! Hua Yunhong wants to crush people's hearts with fear? We will use our actions to tell them that Tongbao Pavilion stands with them!"

Shenmu Capital, Imperial Palace.

Hua Yunhong seemed to be in a much better mood. He was leisurely admiring the chrysanthemums in the imperial garden, listening to the eunuchs whispering about the good news coming from all over the country.

"Du Zi is quite capable in his work."

He casually picked a golden chrysanthemum in full bloom, put it to the tip of his nose and sniffed it, with a hint of cruel pleasure on the corner of his mouth.

"Those peasants will behave themselves if they are taught a lesson. Spinning wheels and water wheels are just the source of their extravagant desires. They should be destroyed."

"Your Majesty is holy."

The eunuch bowed obsequiously.

"According to reports, many small workshops have closed down. Most of the people who borrowed from the Fumin Loan have become panicked and have voluntarily surrendered their machinery, expressing their willingness to return to their original places of work. Our soldiers have intercepted several Tongbao Pavilion caravans at the border. The contraband ironware blueprints they seized have been publicly burned according to Your Majesty's order."

"Ah."

Hua Yunhong nodded with satisfaction and crushed the chrysanthemum in his hand.

The golden juice stained his well-maintained fingers.

"Qin Ming, you little brat, think you can shake my kingdom with these petty tricks? You're dreaming. Tell Du Zi to work harder. Those who are stubborn and unyielding should be arrested and beaten. We must make everyone understand that in Shenmu Country, only my rules are the rules! The only way to survive is the way I grant them!"

He looked towards the north, the direction of the Qinming Empire, with a look of contempt and coldness in his eyes.

"Want to play with fire? I want to see if the money you've thrown out can burn through this iron wall of mine!"

Linjiang County, dyeing workshop in the west of the city.

The strong smell of indigo dye filled the air.

This was originally a small dyeing workshop affiliated with the "Yongfeng Weaving Workshop".

But a few days ago, several skilled dyers received support from Tongbao Pavilion's Fumin Loan.

They secretly partnered up to buy an abandoned courtyard nearby and purchased new dye vats and purification tools.

Prepare to start your own business and dye fabrics that are brighter and less prone to fading.

This is their hope to escape the exploitation of the foreman and earn more hard-earned money.

The night was dark.

Several dark shadows silently climbed over the low wall and slipped into the courtyard.

The leading black figure made a gesture, and the others immediately dispersed. Some took out tinderboxes, while others carried wooden barrels filled with sticky, pungent kerosene.

"Hurry up! Master Du said that those who lead the trouble must be killed as a warning to others!"

The leading dark figure lowered his voice and spoke in a fierce tone.

At this moment, a man suddenly stood up from the shadow of a pile of cloth in the corner!

He was the old accountant of the dyeing factory. He noticed someone snooping during the day and was worried, so he sneaked back to keep watch at night.

"What are you doing?!"

The old accountant shouted sternly, grabbing a long wooden stick nearby for stirring dye.

The dark shadows were startled and then showed their vicious looks.

"You old man is looking for death!"