In Guzang County in May, the weather is not too hot, and the weather is just right, neither cold nor hot.
Lin Feng spent most of his time in the county government office and was mainly in charge of the overall situation. The more detailed matter of the salt well was the connection between Huan Suzhi and Zhang Fengfu and others. Cui Yuantu is now in charge of the promotion and implementation of the policy of sharing tenants with farmers.
So far, the salt well has been finalized, and a large number of craftsmen have been recruited to build the road. After all, the road is planned and only the mountain road needs to be dug. The most important thing is that this is paid labor. To work is not only a meal at noon, but also 20 yuan of wages a day.
To the common people, this is extremely attractive.
The major families have also been keeping an eye on this matter, eager to open the mountain road quickly.
At the same time, salt boiling was also carried out on a large scale.
Just like this, for the big family headed by Zhang Fengfu, they saw the quality of the salt and it was impossible to betray Lin Feng. Because only by following Lin Feng will there be more benefits.
Under this premise, because of the support of Zhang Feng Mansion and other major families, the policy of sharing the land from one person to another was promulgated. Although it caused a lot of discussion and even many people from small families wanted to boycott it, with the support of Zhang Feng Mansion and other big families, no one dared to object.
Everything proceeds in an orderly manner.
Lin Feng was quite satisfied with the current situation.
But even so, some small families in Guzang County are becoming more and more dissatisfied.
In the south of the city, in a house.
There were six people gathered together, and the expressions on their faces were solemn.
They are all small families in Guzang County. What these small families rely on to survive is to rely on their own privacy and make money from the land they control to ensure that the family can continue to pass on. Unlike big families such as the Zhang family, they all have their own industries and their own channels for making money.
For the Zhang Feng Mansion and other major families, the impact of the policy of allocating land from one digit to one acre may be said to be significant, but in reality it is not significant. After all, the main source of income comes from family operations.
These small families are different. They have no property. According to the strategy of dividing a small family into an entire family, they are bound to be stabbed.
These people gathered together to discuss strategies to deal with the situation.
The leader is named Ma Sanjin.
He is a small landowner in Guzang County, with more than 2,000 acres of land. Because the family has never had enough resources and there are no clan members who can serve as officials. So the Ma family wants to squeeze into the big family, but they can't do it for the time being.
The same is true for the rest of the people. Everyone doesn't want the family's interests to be harmed, so they gather together.
Ma Sanjin, who was over forty years old and in the prime of life, said: "Everyone, Zhang Fengfu and others have interests in dealings with Lin Feng. They would rather get stabbed than do business with Lin Feng. Zhang Fengfu and others There is money to be made, but we have no money to make.”
"We can't do this. If we continue, we will be cut with blunt knives and sooner or later we will be wiped out."
“Today, there have to be strategies to deal with it.”
"Without a strategy to deal with it and without a way to solve the problem, we are just the meat on the chopping board. If we are to be slaughtered by Lin Feng, the family will definitely suffer huge losses. This time, you can speak freely about your opinions."
Ma Sanjin had expectations in his eyes.
Six people get together and brainstorm. If they can come up with a solution, everything will be easier to handle.
"Brother Ma, everyone knows that Lin Feng is ruthless. We can't stop him if he chops down this group of people. Especially since Lin Feng has the support of the big family, we have no way to resist him now."
Ling Feiming looked bitter.
He belongs to a small family in Guzang County and has never lived in Guzang County. Because the policy of dividing one person into another was implemented, Ling Feiming also came. He knew Ma Sanjin and took the initiative to find Ma Sanjin for testing.
After some testing, I learned that Ma Sanjin was also unhappy in his heart, so they got together.
In fact, the same goes for everyone else.
None of these people wanted to be exploited by Lin Feng, so they gathered together.
Ma Sanjin sighed: "In terms of Lin Feng's strength, he is indeed powerful. In martial arts, he is a master at the master level. It is impossible to kill him. He is even more valued by the emperor, and it is said that he has the tiger talisman given by the emperor to mobilize troops. , can mobilize Meng'ao's army at any time. In addition, he is also the censor Zhongcheng and the prince of the country. Such a person is full of thorns. It is difficult for us to deal with Lin Feng. We can't even stop him. What should we do? "
Ling Feiming also sighed.
what to do?
He had no solution.
"I have an idea."
Among the people, a middle-aged man in his thirties spoke.
The middle-aged man's name was Lu Xian. He said seriously: "We have to deal with Lin Feng. With our own strength, we will definitely not be able to win. The only way to solve the current predicament is to invite foreign aid and ask outsiders to suppress Lin Feng." rich."
Ma Sanjin smiled bitterly and said: "Shen Quan, the governor of the state, can be regarded as an outsider and a person from the upper class. Strictly speaking, Shen Quan is not from Guzang County. However, the governor of the state like Shen Quan is powerful. It has been captured by Lin Feng. Who do you think can defeat Lin Feng? Lu Xian, this direction is unworkable."
"No, the person I mentioned is different."
Lu Xian shook his head.
There was a touch of confidence in the look on his face, and he said: "The person I mentioned is named Lu Zhou. This person is not in Guzang County, but in Xiutu County. He is already seventy-eight years old. He once served as the Minister of the Ministry of Personnel in the imperial court. He was discharged from the official position due to illness more than ten years ago and went home to recuperate."
"Back then, Lu Zhou was a prominent minister in the court. And Lu Zhou himself also had great influence. As long as Lu Zhou came forward, would Lin Feng dare to do anything to Lu Zhou? After all, Lu Zhou himself was also a member of the imperial court. Duke of the country, he will become an official with the title of Duke An."
"In addition, His Majesty also granted Situ the position of a casual official. As long as Lu Zhou comes forward, there will be a chance."
Lu Xian said: "Although I also know that it is difficult to deal with Lin Feng with the help of Lu Zhou. But if you don't give it a try, how do you know it won't work? If you try it but still fail in the end, then there is nothing to say. "
Ma Sanjin thought for a while and suddenly said: "You are Lu Xian, and the other party is Lu Zhou. They both have the same surname. Could it be that you are a member of Lu Zhou's tribe?"
"Yes, but it's a little far away."
Lu Xian said: "I am also from the Lu family in Xiutu County. The problem is that we have been together for more than ten generations and we are not close to each other. In fact, there has been almost no contact in the past few decades. After all, Xiutu The Lu family in the county has great influence and is a big family."
"My lineage is just a small landowner."
"In such a situation, it is not good to visit casually. If you go to visit, you are climbing a high branch, and you will be looked down upon. But now, we have reached a critical moment of life and death, so even if I have to show my face, I must ask Lu Zhou to come forward. "
"He is highly respected and capable. Most importantly, he has enough influence in Da Qin."
"It can be said that although Shen Quan is the governor of the state, he is afraid from the bottom of his heart when he sees Lu Zhou. Even many of the officials in the imperial court today were promoted by Lu Zhou in the past. I think if Lu Zhou is invited to come forward, this is There is a certain chance.”
Lu Xian asked: "What do you think?"
Ma Sanjin said solemnly: "In that case, I agree. However, the invitation to Lu Zhou can only be left to you. What do you think?"
Lu Xian said: "No problem, I'll go ask someone."
The rest of the people also expressed their opinions.
Everyone supports Lu Xian.
After all, the situation is not good, and they can only act as doctors. What if there is a chance?
Ma Sanjin said seriously: "Brother Lu Xian, as long as this thing is done, then all the big families like us will survive because of you. Even the big families in the world will benefit from you. This time, we must win. Once it is Failure will have disastrous consequences.”
"I see!"
Lu Xian nodded.
Ma Sanjin looked around at the others and continued: "It's up to you now. Is there anything we can do for you?"
"Not yet!"
Lu Xian shook his head and answered.
Ma Sanjin said, "In this case, we are waiting for your good news in Guzang County."
"I'll do it right away."
Lu Xian didn't stay any longer, so he got up and left Ma Sanjin's mansion. He returned to his house, tidied up, and rode to Xiutu County instead of taking a carriage. Guzang County and Xiutu County are bordering each other, so they are not far apart.
Lu Xian rode on horseback and didn't waste much time on the way. It only took him a day and a half to reach Xiutu County in the northwest.
After Lu Xian entered the city, he came to the gate of the Lu family in a hurry. He handed the concierge a bag of money and said, "Lu Xian of the Lu family in Guzang County wants to come to visit Duke An Guo. Please let me know."
An Guogong is the title of Lu Zhou.
Generally speaking, the title of Duke is already a highly respected title.
This is something that very few people can obtain, especially the great achievements of Great Qin. The higher you go, the harder it is to obtain. Therefore, the imperial court attaches great importance to the title of Duke. It is impossible for most ministers to get the title of Duke. Being able to reach the Marquis is already the limit.
"Wait."
The porter weighed the money bag, with a smile on his face, and hurried to report.
Not long after, the concierge came back.
There was a hint of a smile on the concierge's face, and he waved his hand and said, "Follow me, Mr. Guo has some free time."
After Lu Xian thanked him, he went to the study with the concierge. He entered the study and saw Lu Zhou who was reading. Seventy-eight-year-old Lu Zhou, his hair and beard have long been white, there are age spots on his face, and his hair is even thinner.
He was wearing a gray robe and was very thin, but sitting upright and reading, he felt as calm as a mountain. He is in good spirits and does not look like an eighty-year-old man, looking like he is in his twilight years.
Lu Xian calmed down and quickly stepped forward to salute, bowing and saying: "Lü Xian, pay your respects to Duke An Guo."
Lu Zhou put down his book, stroked his beard under his chin, and said seriously: "Lü Xian, which branch of the Lu family are you from?"
Lu Xian said: "Reporting to Duke An, the eleventh generation ancestor of my Lu family in Guzang County is Lu Boqiao. At that time, our ancestors moved from Xiutu County to Guzang County to live. My lineage has taken root in Guzang County since then."
"It turns out to be Bo Qiaogong."
After Lu Zhou heard this, he nodded. He did not dwell on the issue of Lu Xian's parentage anymore and said, "I heard that a new magistrate, Lin Feng, came to Guzang County. He destroyed the Yang family as soon as he took office. Is this possible?"
"have!"
Lu Xian nodded in reply.
He looked angrily and said: "Lin Feng is extremely ruthless. After he destroyed the Yang family and collected all the Yang family's money, land and food, he immediately started a conflict with Shen Quan, the governor of Liangzhou."
"After the conflict between Lin Feng and Shen Quan, the emperor arranged for people to come to Guzang County and directly capture Shen Quan for questioning. Lin Feng supervised and executed Shen Quan. Today, there is no Liangzhou governor in Liangzhou. The chief official, Li Dongshan, is temporarily Deal with everything.”
"Lin Feng is highly regarded by the emperor. In Lin Feng's hands, there is the tiger talisman for mobilizing troops given by the emperor, as well as the emperor's sword."
Lu Xian said: "Lin Feng is a man with strong martial arts skills and is trusted by the emperor. He is extremely difficult to deal with."
Lu Zhou was a little surprised when he heard this.
He knew about the capture of Yang Shanlong from the Yang family.
Unexpectedly, Shen Quan was captured.
Lu Zhou said: "What exactly is the conflict between Shen Quan and Lin Feng?"
Lu Xian explained: "Actually, the reason is very simple. It's just that Shen Quan was greedy for the Yang family's money and food, and wanted to take over everything in the Yang family, but Lin Feng blocked it, and a conflict broke out between the two parties. It is said that Shen Quan had nothing to do with Lin Feng. , wrote a letter to impeach Lin Feng, hoping that the emperor would remove Lin Feng. Unexpectedly, Lin Feng also wrote a letter to impeach Shen Quan. In the end, the emperor arranged for people from Heibingtai to pass the order to seize the person, and asked Lin Feng to oversee the execution, and Shen Quan was executed. "
Lu Zhou narrowed his eyes, stroking his beard and thinking.
Lin Feng is not simple.
This man is very powerful.
Shen Quan was the governor of Yizhou and a high official in the border area, but he was captured by Lin Feng.
Lu Zhou said slowly: "So, Lin Feng will definitely have a place in the court in the future, and he can win over and make friends."
"impossible"
Lu Xian answered directly.
Lu Zhou asked: "Why?"
Lu Xian said angrily: "Reporting to Duke An, after Lin Feng killed Shen Quan, he issued an order in Guzang County to abolish the existing capitation tax, reform the taxation, and change it to the method of dividing the land into acres, and calculating taxes based on land. That is to say, taxation will no longer be based on head count, but will be taxed based on the amount of land held by a household."
Lu Zhou's gray brows rose, and a look of surprise suddenly appeared on his old cheeks.
He once served as the Minister of the Ministry of Personnel, and he was very familiar with the operation of the imperial court. He also knew how much impact it would have if the poll tax was changed and the people were divided into acres. This arrangement will inevitably greatly weaken the power of the local big families and even cause damage to the big families.
If it were to be implemented everywhere, the Lu family in Xiutu County would also be inevitable.
Lu Zhou's eyes became brighter and brighter, and he asked, "Doesn't anyone from the big families in Guzang County object?"
"No!"
Lu Xian shook his head and explained: "The Yang family was the largest family in Guzang County, but they were directly wiped out by Lin Feng. Shen Quan was also killed. The other big families in Guzang County, who had had contacts with the Yang family, were killed by Lin Feng. Feng took advantage of it."
"Moreover, these families have benefited from Lin Feng and want to run the salt business together with the government. Therefore, the people of these major families are willing to suffer damage and do not come out to resist. We small families are powerless."
"That's why I came to Xiutu County and asked Duke An to come forward."
"Once Guzang County's policy of sharing land between tenants and farmers succeeds and is not resisted, the next step will probably be to promote it nationwide. We in Weiwu County and even Liangzhou will definitely not be able to avoid it."
Lu Xian said: "When the time comes, it will have a great impact on a big family like our Lu family. Please think again, Duke An."
Lu Zhou was also thinking in his heart.
A large family has a lot of land and a large population. According to the normal capitation tax, it has to pay a lot of taxes. In fact, big families have a lot of land, many connections, and certain privileges. Many of them even have no household registration and are classified as hidden households.
Ultimately, the extended families paid very little in taxes.
Most taxes are paid by ordinary people. Once the land is divided into acres, the hidden house of the big family is of no use, because the land is already there and it is impossible to push it out. This means that even if the big family has certain privileges, it still has to pay a large amount of taxes.
The Lu family where Lu Zhou belongs is the largest family in Xiutu County, so he naturally does not want to reform taxes. Lu Zhou thought for a while, nodded and said, "Are you the only small family in Guzang County this time?"
"yes!"
Lu Xian nodded in reply.
He looked regretful and said: "Now that things have happened, all the major families and Lin Feng are collaborating. To stop Lin Feng from this matter, we can only ask Duke An to come forward."
Lu Zhou nodded, stroking his beard and said, "Okay, I'll take a trip to Guzang County."
Lu Zhou can ignore Lu Xian's affairs, but the problem is that Xiutu County is adjacent to Guzang County. After Guzang County advances, Xiutu County will not be able to escape.
Therefore, Lu Zhou could only take action.
When Lu Xian heard this, he suddenly became excited and extremely happy.
It's done.
Lu Xian said seriously: "Dong An Guo, how to arrange it?"
Lu Zhou's eyes sharpened, and he said in a deep voice: "The easiest way to make Lin Feng change his mind is to make Lin Feng confused first, and then persuade him. I will go to Guzang County with you first, and then understand the local situation. Decide how to arrange it.”
"Listen to An Guogong in everything."
Lu Xian answered directly.
For Lu Xian, this is the best result.
Lu Zhou made some arrangements and took a carriage to Guzang County. Because of such a hurry, the speed was slower, and it took two and a half days to reach Guzang County. Lu Xian took Lu Zhou into Ma Sanjin's residence. After all, this was the place to stay in the city.
When Ma Sanjin saw Lu Zhou, he was extremely respectful and even flattering: "Ma Sanjin, pay your respects to Duke An Guo."
Lu Zhou nodded and said, "I need the current situation in Guzang County."
"yes!"
Ma Sanjin immediately called in information from all aspects.
All this information was compiled into volumes, involving Lin Feng's strategies for governing the place, including pacifying the people, surveying the land, and recruiting the people to do things.
Lu Zhou read all the news, frowned, and said in a deep voice: "This Lin Feng's methods are really impeccable. He has won over the major families, and appeased the people, and the people also paid for their work, which stabilized the people's hearts."
"I originally thought that I could incite people to cause trouble. But now it seems that it is impossible. This Lin Feng is not easy to deal with. That's all, I will go to the county government office in person and stop Lin Feng."
Lu Zhou looked confident.
He was the Duke of Anguo conferred by the emperor. He was a person who served as a Situ and had an unusual status.
Ma Sanjin smiled and said: "With Lu Gong coming forward, success will be immediate."
Lu Xiandao said: "Dong Anguo will definitely win."
Lu Zhou waved his hand and said, "Let's go, come with me."
He led the people out of Ma's house, took a carriage, and went straight to the county government office.
