Hearing what Dai Jingbin said, Zhang Xueyi, Zhang Wenqi, Jiang Hongzhi, and Huang Rixun were all stunned for a moment. There was also a chill in my heart. The situation where Liu Yan suppressed the rebels who were fighting for pay was now vivid in his mind.
Only then did they remember Liu Yan's strength. Not to mention his musketry, just by his spearmen, if they charged forward, everyone's servants would suffer heavy losses. Regardless of the exchange ratio of two to one or one to one, they couldn't afford to exchange just a dozen servants.
Moreover, Liu Yan can train a large number of soldiers in just a few months. In such a situation, what can everyone do to compete with Liu Yan?
Jiang Hongzhi was the calmest among the people, and his thoughts were also the most prudent. He thought for a while and said: "It seems that you must never do anything to make a fuss about pay. This is still against military discipline. Even if we are killed by the defense master, we There is no place to cry out for injustice, and your life is wasted."
"Actually, I don't expect any food or salary from the defense master. After so many years, how could we ever expect any food or salary from the court or the garrison? Aren't we all relying on our own land to support our troops? What I'm most worried about is, listen. Bad news has arrived.”
Zhang Xueyi and Zhang Wenqi both asked: "What news? What other bad news!"
Jiang Hongzhi said: "I heard that the defense master has the intention to disperse all our servants in the next few days, or to reorganize a few new troops, or to demobilize them on the spot. Anyway, when the time comes, , I’m afraid your servants are no longer under your control.”
Zhang Xueyi was furious and shouted: "Without these servants, what are we? These servants have been raised by us through hard work. The defense master is doing this to cut off our roots."
Even Dai Jingbin looked solemn and lowered his head in thought.
Zhang Xueyi muttered for a while, and then he said to Dai Jingbin: "Master Dai, this is a major matter related to our life and death. What do you think?"
Dai Jingbin muttered: "This may be a rumor. I'm going to confirm it with your Excellency."
After a while, he raised his head: "If this is serious..."
Dai Jingbin hesitated for a moment, and then did not say anything. He just asked Zhang Xueyi, Zhang Wenqi, Jiang Hongzhi, and Huang Rixun to go back and wait for his news. Without his own reply, no one should act rashly.
Seeing this, the four people had no choice but to return angrily. On the way back, a few of them kept muttering angrily, like four resentful women.
When Dai Jingbin heard that Liu Yan was going to lay off his servants, he was in a bad mood. He weighed it carefully when he returned home, and then went straight to the Qianhu Government Hall. After seeing Liu Yan, he said a few words with an ugly face. sentence.
When Liu Yan saw this, he understood something and said, "Old Dai, if you have something to do, just tell me directly. There is no need to go around the bush between us."
When Dai Jingbin saw this, he got straight to the point, clasped his fists and asked, "Sir, my subordinates heard that your Excellency is planning to lay off the officers and officials' servants in various ministries? I wonder if this is possible!"
Liu Yan nodded with a smile and said, "It is true."
"My lord, this must never be done!"
Liu Yan asked Dai Jingbin to sit down first, and then asked, "Why not?"
"Your Excellency, you should know that the servants are all trained by everyone with their own money and food. They are all our private soldiers. They are not the soldiers of the court in the first place, and you have no right to interfere. Now you want to abolish the servants. Isn't this bad? Has it destroyed everyone’s fundamentals? What do you think?”
Liu Yan didn't expect Dai Jingbin's reaction to the dismissal of servants to be so big, so he was a little dissatisfied and said, "The foundation? Your foundation should be military merit, not the servants!"
Liu Yan frowned slightly and said in a bad tone: "I know that all the servants under your command spend money and food, and they are your private soldiers. But you, Dai Qianhu, ask yourself, how much of the money and food you spend on the servants is Of those that can withstand inspection, how much of it is due to embezzlement from military household soldiers, and how much of it is earned by you yourself through legitimate means!"
"The bottom line is that all of your servants are trained with money and food from the greedy court. What kind of private soldiers are they!"
At this time, Dai Jingbin's face turned pale and red. Faced with Liu Yan's questioning, he had originally prepared a speech, but now he couldn't say a word. He sat on the chair speechless, feeling very uncomfortable.
"snort!"
Liu Yan continued to say in a cold voice: "I won't say much about those big principles today. I believe that Deputy Dai Qianhu understands them all. Today, I will only say one thing: all officers from Qianhu Station in front of Xiahe Village, Civil servants, no one is allowed to train servants. This is an iron law established by this official. Your existing servants will also be dismissed on the spot within ten days. This matter cannot be tampered with!"
"The documents related to the abolition of servants will be posted today, and all the camps will receive the documents within a day, and they will be followed accordingly! If there are still servants who have not been axed after ten days, don't worry about the official's rebellion by then. It’s heartless!”
Seeing Liu Yan being so tough, Dai Jingbin was heartbroken and stood up abruptly. His face was full of reluctance, but he didn't say a word. He just stubbornly remained in a stalemate for a while, then he clasped his fists in salute, turned around and left. .
Liu Yan looked at Dai Jingbin's back, and his face darkened. He had expected that once the servants were laid off, many people would jump out to criticize him, but he didn't expect that the first one to jump out would be Deputy Qianhu. Dai Jingbin.
Liu Yan thought for a while, then called Miao Shao from Baihu and whispered something to Miao Shao.
Miao Shao's expression changed instantly, and then he clasped his fists to accept the order, and hurried to execute it.
The next day, Liu Yan officially ordered the abolition of servants. All generals and civil servants in the thousands of households in front of Xiahe Village were not allowed to have servants, and all servants must be dismissed within ten days. Otherwise, no matter what status the officials are, they will be dismissed. All will be dismissed on the spot. 33
If any of these servants are willing to join the army, Liu Yan can select the best and recruit them into the army. If they are unwilling to join the army, their respective generals will pay severance pay and let them make a living on their own.
For a time, there were complaints both inside and outside the Qianhu House in front of Xiahe Village.
That night, the lights in Dai Jingbin's house were brightly lit. Zhang Xueyi, Zhang Wenqi, Jiang Hongzhi, and Huang Rixun all rushed over. Their faces were ugly. Everyone sat together, with a stove in the middle for heating. Everyone was Staring at the jumping flames, silent.
After a long time, Zhang Xueyi couldn't sit still when he saw that no one had the intention to speak, so he took the lead and said, "Master Dai, the master of defense has ordered the layoff of servants today. We can't wait any longer. Let's talk about it." ,What should I do?"
Zhang Wenqi also echoed: "On this day, many small flag officers and general flag officers in Qianhusuo City came over. Everyone was already crazy with anxiety. They asked me to wait over and asked Mr. Dai what his idea was. Mr. Dai How are you going to decide?"
Dai Jingbin looked around at everyone and said, "I've said it before, making money is a dead word, and you all know it."
Zhang Xueyi, Zhang Wenqi, Jiang Hongzhi, and Huang Rixun looked at Dai Jingbin dissatisfied. Jiang Hongzhi asked: "In this case, are you ready to dismiss your servants on the spot?"
"of course not!"
Dai Jingbin said coldly: "After I came back from the Qianhu Government Office, I also thought about it. If I want to resist the defense master's decision to lay off the servants, I can't go the old way of making money, but I have to find another way!"
Zhang Xueyi, Zhang Wenqi, Jiang Hongzhi, and Huang Rixun immediately became energetic when they heard this. Huang Rixun said with a smile: "Let me tell you, a dignified deputy Qianhu is not someone who can be manipulated by others!"
"Sir, please tell me, I will obey your orders!"
Dai Jingbin called a few people to come forward, and then gave instructions in a low voice.
After finishing speaking, the faces of Zhang Xueyi, Zhang Wenqi, Jiang Hongzhi, and Huang Rixun all became extremely ugly.
Zhang Xueyi said tremblingly: "My lord, think twice. If it's a payment scheme and it's hidden, we might not be in trouble. But if we want to surround and kill the defending lord, no matter whether it succeeds or not, we won't survive!"
Zhang Wenqi, Jiang Hongzhi, and Huang Rixun also nodded repeatedly. Dai Jingbin couldn't help but sneer when he looked at the looks of these people, and said: "You are the ones who came to me after knowing the news. Now I am preparing to fight, and you are the ones who are shrinking from the battle! Now you Now that you know my plan, you have no choice but to stop doing it."
After saying that, Dai Jingbin shouted loudly, and more than a dozen servants rushed in. All the servants held bright swords in their hands. Zhang Xueyi, Zhang Wenqi, Jiang Hongzhi, and Huang Rixun were immediately frightened, and they knelt on the ground and begged for mercy.
Upon seeing this, Dai Jingbin said: "Get up. If you follow me in this matter, you will benefit from it after it is completed. I am deputy Qianhu. Once Liu Yan dies, the Qianhu in front of Xiahe Village will be my world. You will all take one step further. If you don’t do it, I will kill you today.”
"Make a decision now!"
Faced with this situation, Zhang Xueyi, Zhang Wenqi, Jiang Hongzhi, and Huang Rixun had no other choice, so they immediately promised to follow Dai Jingbin.
"Okay! In two days, you have to contact as many small flag officers, chief flag officers and civil servants as possible inside and outside Qianhu Station. Anyone who has servants must be won over. As long as I take action here, You then summon all the servants and assemble towards the Zhaojiaying Hundred Households Hall!"
After saying that, Dai Jingbin ordered someone to get pen, ink, paper and inkstone, and then wrote a "meeting form" and asked Zhang Xueyi, Zhang Wenqi, Jiang Hongzhi, and Huang Rixun to sign on it.
After several people signed their names one after another, the fear in their hearts actually dissipated a little, replaced by a trace of determination.
Zhang Wenqi said: "Master Dai, since you want me to work together, why not tell me all the details of the plan, so that we can understand it and fully cooperate with your actions."
Dai Jingbin smiled and said, "As long as you know that I am planning to surround and kill Liu Yan, it will be at Zhaojiaying Baihu Residence. You don't need to know the rest."
Zhang Xueyi, Zhang Wenqi, Jiang Hongzhi, and Huang Rixun murmured in their hearts, "Could it be that Dai Jingbin is planning to use us as a scapegoat?"
Dai Jingbin seemed to have read through the thoughts of several people and said: "You don't have to think too much. Since this matter is going to be done, I have already thought of a way to deal with it from beginning to end. After the matter is completed, the person who will be used to convict has naturally been selected. , of course, it won’t be you.”
Zhang Xueyi, Zhang Wenqi, Jiang Hongzhi, and Huang Rixun looked at each other in confusion. Then they thought that this operation was in Zhaojiaying Baihu Residence. It is self-evident who the scapegoat is!
Some people died, but not completely...
