If Oara withdraws its feudal vassals and establishes counties and merges with Daxia, Qin and Jin provinces will be strategic points connecting Oara, Tatar and Daxia.
Among them, Datong and Yansui towns are the most critical. As the rear area of Datong Town, it can be said that it was heavily guarded at the beginning of the founding of the People's Republic of China. Almost all state capitals in Shanxi, including Taiyuan Prefecture, had standing armies everywhere. They were divided between the Prince's Palace of Beijing County and Ningguo Duke's Palace, one of the four founding kings. Lead the army to guard it.
Of course, as time went by, the three generations of emperors of the Xia Dynasty successively conquered the desert. Especially during the Zhaowu period, the Tatars cried for their fathers and mothers during the five northern expeditions. The pressure faced by Datong Town suddenly decreased.
In addition, the Beijing County Prince's Palace made a big mistake during the war, and surrendered military power in exchange for the emperor's forgiveness, which was regarded as an apparent withdrawal from Shanxi.
However, a skinny camel is bigger than a horse. The Shui family has been operating in Shanxi for many years and has complex powers. The Lu family is one of the secret chessmen buried in Shanxi by the Beijing County Prince's Palace.
The backyard of the Chief Envoy had been requisitioned by Liu Huai. He called Jia Cong and Zhang Zhengju to his study and handed them Lu's confession.
"The Kingdom of Nanyue was destroyed, and Shui Rong is still missing. I didn't expect that after such a long time, there are still people from the Shui family in Shanxi who are stirring things up behind the scenes."
"A member of the Shui family?"
If Liu Huai hadn't mentioned it, Jia Cong would have almost forgotten about the existence of Beijing County Prince's Palace.
Water-soluble, such a long-standing name...
Liu Huai nodded: "We still don't know who the Shui family is standing behind the Lu family in Pingyang. After all, the Lu family is just a substitute for the Lu family's legitimate daughter, and not much is known. But since it involves the Beijing County Prince's Mansion , Brother Cong, you must be careful."
Damn, the Shui family is really haunted!
From the first generation of King Beijing to Shui Rong, there is no simple character, they are all the masters of Yin people.
"How does the prince plan to deal with this matter? Catch him? Or investigate secretly?"
After reading Lu's confession, Zhang Zhengju already had a rough plan in mind. However, this matter not only involves a royal scandal, but is also related to the only remaining king of a different surname in the country, which makes it a bit difficult to handle.
As the old Zongzheng of Zongzheng Temple, Liu Huai has a high status, so it is he who makes the decision.
But Liu Huai is also a little worried now. He is good at eating, drinking and having fun, and dealing with such troublesome things...
"Boy Zhang, since you have an idea, just say it. We are all our own people, so there is no need to hesitate."
"My idea is simple, lure the snake out of its hole!"
Zhang Zhengju looked at Jia Cong and winked at him: "Since the Pingyang Lu family likes to hide behind their backs, let's use our tricks to let them continue to make trouble. The more violent the trouble, the more people will jump out. Uncle Yongfeng You might as well be reckless and push the Lu family a little harder to see how many people Lu Huan can incite to fight against the imperial court. It would be best to fish out the Shui family hiding behind them and catch them all."
Snapped!
Jia Cong clapped his hands vigorously and shouted excitedly: "This is good, I am almost suffocated these days. I will take people to Pingyang to search the house..."
Liu Huai grabbed the agitated Jia Cong and said comfortingly: "Don't be impatient yet, listen to what Mr. Zhang has to say."
Zhang Zhengju narrowed his eyes and said with a smile: "It is indeed difficult for Uncle Yongfeng these days. Now Lu Huan has screened the gentry in Shanxi for the court. In order to thank him for his contribution to the court, Uncle Yongfeng might as well send a plaque. Go to Pingyang Lu’s house..."
…
A plaque was custom-made at the imperial envoy's office, with the words "Three Jin Magi" written on it.
This plaque, with a red background and gold paint, covered with red silk, and a gong to clear the way, was carried around Taiyuan City by the Imperial Guards.
Soon, the officials and people of Taiyuan Prefecture knew one thing. The imperial envoy could find many corrupt officials and unscrupulous gentry and wealthy businessmen so quickly, and that was all on the list given by the famous Lu family of Pingyang in the Three Jin Dynasties.
Do not believe? You see, Shanxi has been in chaos for so long. The gentry and wealthy families in Shanxi have united to fight against the imperial envoys. Has anyone from the Lu family ever stood up?
No, that's right. The Pingyang Lu family had long been on the same side as the Jia family's children, and even personally encouraged the Shanxi gentry to make trouble in order to exchange titles, so that the court would have reason to take action.
The originally noisy Taiyuan Mansion suddenly became quiet. Those who had gathered to fight against the Imperial Envoy's march stopped as if they had been strangled by the neck.
Most people could no longer tell the truth from the false, but they had to cautiously stop going to the Chief Envoy's Yamen to clamor and make trouble, and planned to wait and see what would happen.
It wasn't until Liu Huai sent accompanying officials to take the plaque with him and beat gongs and drums to go south from Taiyuan Mansion that the gentry gathered in Taiyuan Mansion finally exploded.
No one doubts that the "Three Jin Magi" written by the King of Ji and stamped with the seal of the Imperial Envoy will be a lie. Their only thought now is to scold their mother.
"Damn it, we were all deceived by this old thief Lu Huan!"
"I just said that this old dog has never been willing to stand up. It turns out that he used us as a proxy."
"I have said before that the Lu family's daughter is the acting royal concubine. Even if the prince's nephew is gone now, as long as the Lu family's daughter is still there, the Pingyang Lu family is a relative of the emperor. They are not of the same mind as us."
In fact, many of the gentry who made trouble in Taiyuan City had been to Pingyang Mansion before coming to Taiyuan.
Things like this kind of gathering together to fight against the imperial court often require someone who can take the lead. And Lu Huan is the person who leads all of this from behind.
It's not that no one has doubted Lu Huan, why is Pingyang Lu always hiding in the dark and unwilling to come forward. Previously, the Lu family was worried about implicating Princess Dai, but now this reason has become one of the reasons for him to defect to the court.
For a time, the originally noisy anti-French rally seemed to have lost its backbone, and it was weak even when shouting slogans.
When Jia Cong walked out of the Chief Envoy's Yamen with a smile and pulled out half of the Yanling sword, the "righteous and upright" gentry all closed their mouths and dispersed in a crowd.
The new admiral of Shanxi's academic affairs, Wang Jingzi, took office and began to conduct an inventory of the prefectures and counties under Shanxi's governance. All the scholars and scholars who participated in the rally to resist the imperial court were recorded in the book.
Those with serious crimes will be deprived of their honors, while those with minor crimes will not be allowed to take the exam within three years. This alone put an end to most of the chaos in Shanxi.
Zhang Zhengju, the humanoid "Daxia Law", had already thoroughly studied various laws and regulations, and in just three days, he had charged those who made trouble with various crimes.
The Long Guards were dispatched again, and 361 gentry in the entire Taiyuan Prefecture were deprived of their honors. Most of the government schools and county schools were empty, and the so-called tax-free land amounted to more than 13,000 acres.
This does not include other prefectures and counties in Shanxi. After receiving Liu Huai's order, Wang Jingzi led 500 imperial troops and began to patrol around Taiyuan Prefecture. When the news came out, the whole Shanxi was in turmoil. Those who were famous or from gentry families, After the fear, the first reaction was not to gather for a confrontation, but to run to the county government office one by one with the money.
Those who pay taxes will pay taxes, and those who will return their fields will return their fields.
Most of the properties that exceeded the tax exemption regulations set by the imperial court had their names changed. The officials in the county government offices were almost paralyzed from exhaustion. The most powerful one wrote hundreds of new land deeds in one day.
"The so-called harm of donation can be seen in general. If you meet a kind person, you can indeed avoid the pain of heavy taxes after donating. But if you meet such a greedy person, after three to five years, the field will really change its owner. ”
Zhang Zhengju couldn't help but sigh when he remembered how the people around his hometown held Tian deeds in their hands and begged him to accept them after he won the election.
Tendering, to put it bluntly, means entrusting land in the name of the gentry to reduce taxes and servitude.
This kind of thing can be said to be commonplace in the imperial dynasty. Xu Jin had difficulty in advancing the Qingzhang acres in southern Zhili. A very important reason was that the trend of donating to the south of the Yangtze River was prevalent.
Not only did the gentry in the south of the Yangtze River collude to fight against the new law, but the people also did not want the court to inspect the land and abolish the dedication law.
Fortunately, potatoes and corn have become popular in Shanxi. According to the land tax currently implemented by the state, even if you continue to pay the imperial grain and national tax, you will not go hungry.
It's more secure to hold the land in your own hands. It's just a few extra kilograms of grain, and it's just a matter of a few potatoes...
Jia Cong was also very touched. After reading the news sent by Long Jinwei, he sighed: "There are only two ways to do this. One is to promote the cultivation of potatoes and corn in Jiangnan as soon as possible so that the people can have enough food to fill their pockets." Full stomach. Secondly, we need to reform the tax system, at least lower than the rent paid by the tenants."
Zhang Zhengju nodded and added these two items to the memorial to the emperor.
After writing the memorial, he raised his head and said to Jia Cong: "The things in Taiyuan are almost done. Uncle Yongfeng can leave for Pingyang."
Hey! This is good!
Jia Cong grinned, stood up and clasped his fists: "I will order my troops and set off immediately, Mr. Zhang can just wait for my good news!"
…
The team that went to Pingyang Mansion to deliver the plaque left Taiyuan Mansion and beat gongs and drums all the way. They walked slowly for about a day and then stopped.
According to Zhang Zhengju's plan, the plaque, which cost twenty taels of silver, was chopped into firewood that night and stuffed into the stove for cooking.
After Jia Cong left the city, he met up with this team, and the whole group rushed towards Pingyang Mansion.
In early April, the land of Sanjin is filled with warmth as spring flowers bloom.
Lan Jingwen, the prefect of Pingyang, welcomed Jia Cong out of the city early after receiving the letter and twenty miles north of the city.
Lan Jingwen was the same year as his father-in-law Lin Ruhai, but he did not have a high starting point as Mr. Lin. He was only a third-grade scholar at the beginning, and it took more than ten years to become a fourth-grade prefect, which is considered a good talent and learning.
The abnormality of the Pingyang Lu family was due to the letter that the prefect secretly sent after hearing that Jia Cong had come to Taiyuan.
So Jia Cong didn't hide it from him when he came this time, and sent his confidants to deliver a letter early, so that Lan Jingwen could arrange for people to keep an eye on the Lu family.
After the two met, they didn't exchange too many greetings. Jia Cong invited Lan Jingwen to board the carriage and asked about the situation of the Lu family.
"Uncle, Lu Zhen is not in Fucheng. The news I got is that Lu Zhen went to Datong a long time ago and has not come back yet."
This is surprising, Lu Zhen actually ran away to Datong. It seems that the gentry who caused trouble in Taiyuan said that Lu Huan was seriously ill and that all the descendants of the Lu family were at home to take care of his illness?
Jia Cong asked again: "Who is still staying in the Lu family now?"
"Back to my uncle, except for Lu Zhen and his two sons, the people from the second, fourth and sixth rooms of the Lu family are all in the Lu Mansion in the city. The third and fifth rooms are still in the Lu family's ancestral house in Xiangling, and Lu Qi from the seventh room is here. Hongdong Academy, and the rest of the general branch basically stay in Xiangling."
Lan Jingwen was able to secure the position of Pingyang magistrate with Lu's one-handed control, so he was naturally a man of some means.
He had already gathered a small group of people who were dissatisfied with the Lu family, had set up spies early on, and knew a lot about the Lu family.
"According to what I've found, the seven families of the Lu family seem to be united, but in fact they have their own plans. Lu Huan is old, and as the eldest son, Lu Zhen is not only untalented but also a greedy and lustful person. On the contrary, As the most talented and learned among the seven sons of the Lu family, Lu Qi from the seventh room was suppressed by Lu Zhen and was not allowed to go to Beijing to take the exam. He could only stay in the academy and work as a teacher. Uncle, this person may be useful..."
"No, I don't know how to use anyone from the Lu family!"
Jia Cong shook his head, looked at the city wall of Pingyang Mansion that was getting closer, and said indifferently: "The crimes committed by the Lu family in Pingyang are too numerous to describe. Whether Lu Zhen and Lu Qi were greedy for money, lust, or talented, they all enjoyed the Lu family." The wealth that was brought to them. As long as they spent the bloody silver, they should be punished by the law."
Lan Jingwen's throat moved and he didn't dare to say anything more.
This was the first time he met Lin Ruhai's son-in-law, who was of the same age, and he had a preliminary understanding of Jia Cong's character.
This man is indeed the son of Marquis Jia En, he is equally ruthless!
"What the uncle said is that the official had a different idea."
Jia Cong did not blame Lan Jingwen. If he was not strong enough, he might have followed this suggestion. It would be a good idea to divide it up.
But this time he came with an army of 5,000 people. He was not the Pingyang Lu family. What could a group of scholars do?
Even if the entire gentry family in Pingyang Prefecture is included, Jia Cong can conquer the entire Pingyang in one day with confidence.
"It doesn't matter, Senior Lan is also for the imperial court. Let's enter the city first. I still admire Lu Huan, a great scholar who is famous in the Three Jin Dynasties. I heard that he is the best at managing "Li". I just have some ethical questions that I would like to ask our " Three Jin Magi'!"
Jia Cong waved his hand and ordered the army to enter the city.
The entry of five thousand forbidden troops into the city could not be concealed. Lu Huan, who had already arranged spies around the city gate, quickly received the news.
Lu Huan's first reaction was that the Dongchuang Incident had happened. This feeling actually started when Jia Cong first entered Taiyuan.
But at that time, he still had a little bit of luck. After all, he, Lu Huan, could mobilize the entire gentry family in Shanxi. If the law does not punish everyone, could the court still massacre them all?
"Oh no, sir, Yongfeng Bo Jia Cong has led thousands of troops into the city!"
Bang!
After the maid who was giving Lu Huan medicine heard this exclamation, she shook her hand and the medicine bowl fell on the bed, soaking the silk quilt covering Lu Huan.
"This slave deserves to die, please forgive me..."
"Get off!"
Lu Huan was now much less sick, and his face turned strangely red.
He opened the quilt and kicked over the maid who was kneeling on the ground begging for mercy.
He called his confidants and said: "Immediately send someone to the government office to find out what the Jia family's children are doing here? Also, have people pack their things quickly..."
"I've sent people to inquire about the news. Master, I think Jia Cong's visit is not good. Master, it's better to leave the city first."
Lu Huan was moved by the advice of his confidant and old servant. He was about to arrange his escape, but he didn't expect that Jia Cong didn't give him a chance.
"Your Majesty, the officers and soldiers have surrounded our house! It is said that Uncle Yongfeng heard that our Majesty is in charge of the "Rites" and wants to invite him to go to the government office to discuss the study of Rites and Laws!"
Monthly ticket recommendation ticket
Thanks to book friend 4387 for the tip!
I’ll stop updating here tonight and continue tomorrow. Good night!
(End of chapter)
