These powerful families in Shandong are very different in terms of their origins.
For example, Xu Ruxian's ancestors had been living together in villages for several generations and gathering crowds to protect themselves. However, in his generation, he obtained an official position, thus taking advantage of both black and white. The entire Xu clan occupies a large amount of land, tenants, and private soldiers between Ye County and Laiyang, and is no different from the Tu emperor.
The man with the surname Gao was called Brother Gaoyang. His father and ancestors were in ruins due to war. During Taihe's campaign against the Song Dynasty, Gao Yangge was sent south by an army. During the siege of Chuzhou, he plundered the place and gained some money. Later, he returned to his hometown with dozens of subordinates and occupied some acres of land. Although he was considered a powerful man, he was still a powerful man. He couldn't change his character as a scoundrel. He worked for others every day and made some side projects. His status was far different from that of Xu Ruxian.
Xu Ruxian naturally didn't take Brother Gao Yang seriously, and didn't even bother to talk to him. After a slight hint, someone close to him came out with a strange expression, meaning that even though Brother Gao Yang was used to being a dog, he could only eat shit. The powerful people present Characters cannot imitate him.
Brother Gao Yang was humiliated in front of everyone, how could he endure it? He immediately rolled up his sleeves, pulled open his shirt, exposed his fluffy chest, and moved forward violently, shouting that he wanted to fight the man who said he was eating shit.
Immediately the two of them started fighting each other with fists and kicks. Some people in the hall sneered, some pretended to persuade, and there was confusion for a while.
In the noisy crowd, someone could be heard shouting and cursing: "Brother Gao Yang, you are such a killer. Brother Xu invited you here to give you face. How dare you talk nonsense and shake people's hearts! We Laizhou powerful people are united with each other." As one body, if you want the wind and the rain here, why have you ever surrendered to outsiders! But you have to surrender to outsiders! Isn’t that dog food easy to eat!"
Someone else said sternly: "In the past few years, we have managed a great situation. Once we succumb to outsiders, we will be gone! By then, will we all farm the land honestly? People are killed by swords, and I am fish and meat. Don't you? Do you understand? Your nonsense is meant to harm people!"
If the powerful were not unruly, they would not be powerful. What's more, most of these powerful people were bandits from the mountains.
Many people originally felt that it was very harsh for Gao Yangge to open his mouth and kneel down to beg for mercy. Now I heard the yelling and scolding, which made me even more angry.
Brother Gao Yang is another rogue who has never been popular. So several people also went up to kick and beat him, and they continued to make noise for a while.
Seeing that everyone's emotions were about to be aroused and people were shouting and shouting, saying that they would never give in easily, there were a few people in the corner of the hall who were still sitting still.
No matter how many others shouted that they wanted to unite and that they wanted to make the decision, these people ignored them.
Until Brother Gao Yang was kicked to the ground and screamed like a slaughtering pig, one of them slammed the teacup in his hand on the table: "That's enough! Brother Xu, we didn't say anything, why did you arrange for someone to act like this?" How about we choreograph every word of the play? That’s almost enough!”
As soon as he said this, at least half of the people in the hall turned to look at him.
When I came back in the blink of an eye, I realized that Brother Gao Yang and the other person who had been fighting seemed to have punched hard to the flesh, but in fact there was not even a bruise on their faces, which was ridiculously fake. Some people, who were originally excited, had their eyes rolling around and suddenly turned around and sat down.
The hall fell silent instantly.
Among the people watching the excitement in the outer circle, there were still people shouting with righteous indignation. After yelling a few times, I suddenly felt something was wrong, so I shut up angrily.
Xu Ruxian frowned, then laughed.
He is also an old man. Although he was exposed outright, his face was not red at all, and he could not see the shame of having his plan exposed:
"I invite a few friends to have a little fun. I just want to make some sense and remind you not to give in to outsiders. I can encourage you, but I can't arrange it for Brother Zhou."
The man sitting in the corner shook his head.
He stood up and moved forward, stood in the center of the hall, looked around at everyone first, and then at Xu Ruxian: "Brother Xu said that we Laizhou powerful people are united with each other and will not be insulted by outsiders. That is right. But when it comes to surrendering to outsiders, … When Wanyan Chenghui came out to appease the bandits, didn’t you all get official positions of various sizes before coming out of the mountains? Isn’t this surrender? Later, when Wanyan Sala was begging for money and food on Shandong East Road, I think you were also careful to serve him. Wait...isn't this surrender?"
He looked around the crowd, frowned and said: "Perhaps I, Zhou, have little knowledge. I really don't understand. Wouldn't it be better to have a Jiedushi who was born in Han'er in Northern Xinjiang than to have a Jurchen from a high family? Why can't you guys? Did you give in?"
He turned to Xu Ruxian again: "Brother Xu, you have always been thoughtful and versatile. I believe that you have thousands of ways to deal with a new Jiedu envoy. If it weren't for your dealings and care in the past few years, My private port on Fushan Island definitely doesn’t have that many financial resources.”
Having said this, he bowed to Xu Ruxian.
Xu Ruxian came up to support him and said with a smile: "That's because Brother Zhou manages the business well. We all rely on Brother Zhou to make money. However, Brother Zhou, you rely on the sea to make your fortune. You don't understand the thoughts of us Tu people in the countryside... We are not like you, we can escape by boat as soon as we see something is wrong, hahahaha..."
The man called Brother Zhou is about thirty years old, with a thin build, dark complexion, and rough calluses on his hands. However, he is very luxuriously dressed, with a jade belt wrapped around his waist and a jade pendant hanging on his waist.
This person's name is Zhou Keshan, and he is also a local powerful family in Laizhou, but he is not a powerful man with a background of bandits in the mountains, but a maritime business group entrenched in the private port of Fushan Island at the foot of Lao Mountain on the east coast of Laizhou.
The people around him were all maritime merchants, some selling smuggled salt, some selling cloth and grain, and some selling ironware.
Zhou Keshan held Xu Ruxian's forearm with his backhand: "What do the Tu people in the village think? I originally understood it, but now that I hear Brother Xu talk about it, I really don't understand it."
"What don't you understand?"
"Shouldn't the Tu people in the countryside seek stability? How can anyone take the initiative to stir up trouble, lest the situation remains chaotic? Brother Xu, you have the means, money and food, and local influence. It's very difficult to deal with Guo Jiedu. Is it difficult? If he wants money, food and materials, we have plenty of them; if he wants us to obey him...as long as he doesn't go too far, it doesn't matter. Why does he have to make such a fuss?"
Xu Ruxian reluctantly said: "After all, it is for everyone's benefit, and we have to fight..."
Zhou Keshan raised his voice and said loudly: "That Guo Ning kills people at every turn and is extremely ferocious. Everyone has seen it. When he was in Zhongdu, he was ten times more ferocious than here! Why do we have to fight with such a person? Fight against him? Yesterday, Brother Xu, when your subordinates came back from visiting Haicang Town, didn't you originally say that they would never fight against him? Why, after one night, not only did they still have to fight, but they seemed to be fighting to the death?"
He stared at Xu Ruxian, laughed hoarsely, and then asked everyone: "This Guo Ning came across the sea with an army of five thousand. Is his strength strong enough?"
"Enough, enough, really strong." Someone replied.
"Did Guo Ning offend us when he first arrived in Laizhou? Did he rob our land? Kill our people? Captivated our wives and concubines? Or did he seize the manor and fields without compensation?"
Everyone shook their heads.
"Such a powerful Jiedu envoy has just arrived and hasn't done anything yet..." At this point, Zhou Keshan paused: "Oh, he killed someone, but he killed an imperial envoy. What does he have to do with us? relation?"
"That's right, that's right."
"Then, why do we have to fight against it? When Lu Jun saw that something was wrong, he took the officials from Jie Zhenzhou and went to Haicang Town. When the officials from the five counties saw that Lu Jun Set off, bring the supplies that should be given to Jiedushi, and follow them day and night. We people have been gathering in Qutai City for three or five days. Looking at this situation, we are going to fight to the end with Guo Jiedu? "
Zhou Keshan asked again in a deep voice: "What are we planning for? In other words, Brother Xu, what are you planning for?"
Xu Ruxian was silent for a long time, and finally sighed: "Brother Zhou, you are still wrong."
"What's wrong?"
"Over the years, we have been in Laizhou and have handled the court officials well, and our lives have been comfortable. Do you really think we are good at flattering? Those Jurchen officials all have big mouths that can't be filled. , if we are not careful, they will swallow us whole, even the bones and dregs will be left! The reason why they dare not touch us is because they are afraid that the bandit rebellion in Shandong will happen again! "
Zhou Keshan's expression changed: "Brother Xu means..."
Xu Ruxian said coldly: "Marshal Yang An'er is fighting in Juzhou and Yizhou, while Liu Erzu is ruling the roost in the mountains of Zizhou and Tai'an. These officials in Laizhou are afraid that we will follow the rebellion and affect their promotion and wealth, so they indulge us. Meat! And what about us? Relying on the majesty of Marshal Yang and Second Ancestor Liu to eat enough meat, shouldn’t we get something in return?”
7017k
