Manpower is a hard target and cannot be compensated by money and food.
Although Fang Jun's family has a great business and his navy has opened up a way of making money by "robbery on orders", in terms of population, he can only be helpless and helpless.
In fact, as the leader of the Three Wus, there is no doubt about Wu Jun's strength and potential. The county governs ten counties, with more than 100,000 hectares of cultivated land and more than 40,000 registered households. But these are registered civilians. If some civilians whose families have little or no land voluntarily give up renting land and come to Huating Town to work for a living, they will naturally be fine. But there is no stability without farmers. If Fang Jun forces these civilians to give up cultivating the land, it will be a big deal.
It was all because His Majesty Li Er was worried about him, even if the taxes from Jiangnan were actually in the hands of His Majesty Li Er...
"There are still people in the reed marsh?" Fang Jun became more and more surprised: "Not to mention that the reed marsh is dark and damp, full of snakes, insects, rats, and ants, and it is impossible to live in it. Even if there are people, they are probably the people harvesting the reeds from each family. How can there be people there? several?"
Pei Xingjian's face was solemn: "According to what I heard recently, the reed marshes stretch for hundreds of miles, and harvesting them only requires a large number of manpower. Every family in the Jiangnan gentry has hidden a large number of refugees in the reed marshes to harvest reeds and cook salt. Among them is the Gu family in Jiangdong. Worst of all, it is said that his family plundered a large number of civilians along the coast, captured or deceived them, and imprisoned them in the reeds. There were even dead soldiers to guard them, and the number of civilians they imprisoned was no less than three thousand!"
Fang Jun took a breath: "Isn't this nonsense?"
Three thousand people?
The registered population of Wu County was less than 50,000. In the 13th year of Zhenguan, the registered population of the whole country did not exceed 20 million. How could there be 3,000 people in such a swamp of reeds?
Su Dingfang sighed: "It's really not impossible. There are 358 states in ten states across the country, and there are places hit by disasters almost every year. If people can't survive there, they will become refugees, especially in Jiangnan East Road, Jiangnan West Road is a vast expanse of barren mountains and barren mountains, with frequent floods and countless civilians who are absent from the country. Once these people cannot survive there, they will spontaneously go to the prosperous land of Sanwu and become slaves of wealthy families. They will take three thousand people with them. It’s really not too difficult for people to hide in the reeds.”
In terms of literary talent, Su Dingfang was not as good as Pei Xingjian; in terms of martial arts, he was not as good as Liu Renyuan and Xi Junmai. But when it comes to military strategy, experience and insight, these people are far behind Su Dingfang.
After so many years of following Li Jing on his expeditions to the north and south, what has he never seen before?
Three thousand people were imprisoned in a dark, damp reed marsh full of snakes and insects. They cut reeds and boiled sea salt for the Gu family. On the one hand, they created huge wealth for them, but on the other hand, they were treated worse than pigs and dogs...
Fang Jun immediately slapped the table: "Then let these beasts in costumes spit out all the people in my mouth!"
Pei Xingjian was startled, but when he remembered what Fang Jun said on the warship, he felt relieved again, knowing that Fang Jun must have something in mind and would not force himself.
Su Dingfang didn't know this, and quickly dissuaded him: "General manager, don't be reckless! Even if you want to send troops to get all these reed marshes back, you must make a detailed layout and careful planning, otherwise you will rashly arouse a backlash from the Jiangdong nobles. It can easily lead to a situation that is corrupted and the gains outweigh the losses.”
Liu Renyuan also said: "The governor is right. The general manager only needs to think about how to deal with the aftermath. The dead soldiers raised by a mere aristocratic family are like trash like dolphins and dogs in front of our elite navy soldiers. It's just a waste of time." Just killing!"
Pei Xingjian put his hand on his forehead. Why are they all a group of violent men?
You are still raising dead soldiers. Weren’t the soldiers under your command also the generals raised by various families in Guanzhong not long ago? Is there any difference? How dare you treat others so arrogantly that they are like dogs?
Fang Jun laughed and said with confidence: "If everything has to be solved by violent means, wouldn't it be too unskilled? I am a man who aspires to surpass Mizhouro. He can deal with those wealthy families in a matter of seconds! "
Hearing this, everyone here rolled their eyes...
Do you really think that you can compare to Zhou Gongjin by saying, "When we were talking and laughing, the boats and oars were turned into ashes"? Not to mention that Zhou Gongjin is extremely talented, but just the words "Mei Zhoulang" make you feel embarrassed, right?
*****
The Xiao family's mansion in Haiyu City was built in the center of the city, not far from the county government office.
The courtyard wall is high, and it looks ordinary from the outside, but there is something special inside. Not to mention the breathtakingly beautiful garden scenery, there is also a double-walled corridor behind the wall. In times of crisis, hundreds of servants can guard by this, which can keep a large group of thousands of people away from the wall and wait for help.
The people of the Xiao clan, who have experienced numerous turmoils and crises, know best how to be cautious and safe.
The buildings in the courtyard are also very distinctive. Each of the four watchtowers occupies a corner, allowing you to have a panoramic view of the movement inside and outside. Especially the watchtower in the northwest corner puts the entire county government under your sight...
Xiao Ming sat in the flower hall with a dejected expression, wandering around in silence.
The blow of the termination of his official career almost made him collapse. A person's lifelong ideal fell short because of a completely unnecessary negligence. Thinking about it is unacceptable frustration and regret...
Xiao Ban looked at the young man he had grown up with, smoothed his gray beard, and sighed. After receiving a summons from Beijing and being warned not to go against Fang Jun, he sternly informed Xiao Ming, but he refused to listen, so he couldn't really complain about Fang Jun. Xiao Ming was completely responsible for it. Who is coming?
Xiao Ban naturally had a bad look on the brothers Zhu Jian and Zhu Qu in the hall.
The reason why Xiao Ming persisted in persisting in his own way despite constant dissuasion was because he was bewitched and instigated by Zhu Qu? This person is greedy for money and has no character. I don’t know how Xiao Ming, who has always been arrogant and arrogant, got along with him and became a close friend. He is really not a kind person...
The breeze outside the window is soothing and the aroma of tea overflows in the hall.
Xiao Ban just made a slight gesture with his hands, asking the Zhu brothers to help themselves, then he picked up a cup of tea, sat on the floor mat with drooped eyelids, drank slowly, and savored the fragrance of the tea.
The Zhu brothers smiled awkwardly. They were not thirsty in the first place, but Xiao Ban ignored them. Xiao Mingyou looked gloomy. Sitting like this was really embarrassing, so they each poured a cup of tea and held it in their hands without using it. I looked at the surrounding decorations boredly, feeling anxious.
The interior decoration of the flower hall fully reflects the wealth and nobility of the Xiao family. The hanging beams and colorful walls are exquisitely decorated, and the utensils and furnishings are inlaid with gold and silver. The blood-red and jade-like coral placed in front of the red sandalwood screen is several feet high. It is decorated with jade leaves, beads and fruits, and is supported by a white jade bucket. If there is a breeze, the precious light will flow, like a fairy. Even the Zhu brothers, who had seen countless luxurious and rare things, couldn't help but look at them frequently and secretly wondered.
Silence continues...
Xiao Ban was a kind person after all. Although he was not angry at Zhu Qu for dragging Xiao Ming down to this point, he was a guest when he came to the door. Treating someone so coldly was not the Xiao family's way of hospitality.
After pondering for a while, Xiao Ban said: "Do you know what happened when Fang Jun made an appointment with Xian Kunzhong to meet at my Xiao's house?"
Zhu Jian quickly raised his hands and said, "I don't know. I just received a letter from Fang Jun yesterday, saying that he had important matters to discuss with the Zhu family and the Xiao family. However, he was busy with work and couldn't spare the time to visit them one by one. Yes." I want my brother to come to the Xiao family and discuss it together."
Xiao Ban said "Oh" and already knew it in his heart.
Why are you so busy that you can't spare time to visit them one by one? It was basically the Xiao family that Fang Jun wanted to meet, and the Zhu family was just passing by. This is Fang Jun's respect for Song Guogong Xiao Yu, and it can also be regarded as a signal - if I respect you a foot, you have to give me a foot back! Everyone carries the sedan chair, and everyone gives face to each other.
If it were just the Zhu family, Fang Jun could just send someone to call their brothers and come to visit them?
Who do you think you are...
However, Xiao Ban was secretly wary. Judging from his past behavior, Fang Jun was also an extremely unruly and arrogant playboy. In fact, even if the Xiao family had a high status, the only one who could overpower Fang Jun was Xiao Yu. The dukedom of the Song Dynasty, as for the name of the Lanling Xiao family, will that boy take it seriously? If Xiao Yu still hasn't returned to the capital, Fang Jun will certainly come to visit him, but now that Xiao Yu is no longer here, he could have summoned himself to the navy camp or some other "town office", but now he has to personally lower the The identity comes to the door, which means that if the Xiao family refuses Fang Jun's proposal this time, then he will fall out on the spot!
I came here in person, but you don’t give me face. Don’t get along well with me in the future...
Although Xiao Ban felt uneasy, he didn't know what Fang Jun was doing, so it was certainly not that difficult to expend such effort. However, thinking of the instructions that the seventh brother had given to him before leaving, he secretly calmed down.
No matter what, just agree.
Could it be that Fang Jun could still let himself go to the oil pan at the foot of the mountain and raise the banner of rebellion?
