Chapter 232: Favor
Shu Lubu was the first leader to respond to Master Zhu's order to fight back, but he was certainly not the only one. After Zhu Xieyuan's proclamation was released, Pingzhou Liudong Division, Fengning Division, Lixi Heizhai, Mu Kuazhai and other leaders who were mostly coerced by Anbangyan's forces successively led their troops to surrender.
Among them, the most advertising effect is Ninggu Village. Remember, this is an extremely small village with no more than a hundred young people. When the An'an chaos broke out, the wily and scheming leader of Zhe Mani Village sent his youngest son Zhe Mengtang to report to the officials of Anshun Prefecture in advance to avoid danger. He also asked his eldest son Zhe Donggen to lead more than a dozen people to join Elder An's team. It is not a sin to step on both ends of two boats. Zhe Mengtang had buried the chess piece in advance. Seeing that the imperial court's menacing attack had shaken Zhen Zhenzhen, Zhe Mani asked people to find his youngest son. He expressed Ning Gu's feelings to Lord Zhu through several state officials who had been tipped off by him and saved their lives. Zhai always followed the wishes of the imperial court. Without saying a word, Zhu Xieyuan awarded the old village leader Ning Gu, who had few tribesmen subordinates, the position of chief of the lawsuit on the spot!
When the news spread, it immediately created a sensation-don't look at it, Zhe Donggen only led a dozen people to join Elder An's team. Don't forget, they had caused thousands of casualties to Zhang Fang and Huang Yunqing's Ming army! He caused such a "catastrophic" incident and his village was so small that it was not worth mentioning. How could he get a long lawsuit? Except for a handful of buddies who have followed the She'an family for generations, most of the leaders have moved under the tremendous political and military pressure. Zazuosi, Kangzuosi, Maxiangsi, Papaguasi, Gouchangzhai, Downstairs Village, Jigongbei Village... In just over a month, the heads of the big and small headman villages came to Master Zhu. As many as fifty or sixty people were sent by the Guizhu Division in Jie. For these people, Zhu Xieyuan would not refuse anyone who came, and he would give them all great rewards, such as the recruitment department, the appeasement department, the chief lawsuit department... all kinds of positions were handed out like water.
Although his relationship is not as good as that of Sun Jie, Lao Shun, who has been promoted to the rank of Sichuan Commander and Tongzhi due to his merits, can be regarded as half of Zhu Xieyuan's confidant. Moreover, Chengdu Zhongwei himself had been bullied by civil servants at all levels before and had rich experience in being punished. Seeing Mr. Zhu keep appointing officials like this, Lao Shun couldn't help but worry: "Sir, you... With so many people in the court, I’m afraid some people will chew their tongues..."
Zhu Xieyuan chuckled: "I'm not afraid, I'm not afraid. Do you think I'm just on a whim? I thought of this method on the way to Sichuan Province to find you and Sun Shuai. You think, in these years of Miao chaos in the southwest, Sichuan and Guizhou provinces are certainly a hot spot. of yam, but the title of Supervisor of the Five Provinces is too ostentatious, and there must be some people who are unhappy and unconvinced. No matter what I do, there will be people who will gossip, and it is difficult to reconcile the opinions of others. Don't worry, I did it on purpose. If you expose a flaw first and make them cause trouble, I have a backup plan! Otherwise, if the seedlings are in chaos and easy to quell, it will never be stable for a long time. It won't be long before chaos will break out again." As he spoke, a trace of worry came over Zhu Xieyuan's old face, and he sighed He took a breath and continued, "Oh. How many more years can I live at my age? Sun Shuai, you, Liu Chao and others will not talk about the matter of eating the emperor's salary and being loyal to the emperor. Let's talk about your subordinates. Bing, who is not the one whose parents pooped and peeed hard and worked hard to grow up? When the baby was born, a male was added to the family. No matter how poor or difficult the life was, the parents and elders would smile and be overjoyed, even if they were borrowing money. , I also want to invite the neighbors and folks to have two cups of wedding wine, so that the family's incense can continue! But what happens next? Many people will die in one riot, and after finally growing up, do they have to die silently in a big ravine? ? It’s always good to save this old man from getting scolded a few times. Besides, I’m confident that when the Miao chaos is over this time, this move can save me from the Ming Dynasty’s southwest for decades. of peace!"
Lao Shun was moved by his heartfelt words and bowed deeply.
Sure enough, in response to Lao Shun's worries and Zhu Xieyuan's expectations, the news reached the capital, and the court exploded again.
First of all, Li Ruoshui's song "Catching a Robber" at the turn of the Song Dynasty was constantly mentioned and copied among officials:
Last year, Song Jiang came from Shandong and invaded the city wall during the day.
Killings are happening one after another, and Jiuchong is unhappy to hear about it.
The big book and yellow paper came flying, and thirty-six people paid homage together.
The ferocious soldiers are fat and arrogant, while the ladies look at them sideways and are astonished.
…
I heard that official positions require virtuous people, so it would be a mistake to try this Cao Wu.
…
I have no way to reach the sky, but I have to write wild words to help the temple!
It is a habit of the Ming Dynasty officialdom that every major disturbance always arises from a small and seemingly unrelated matter, then brews, ferments, then breaks out, and finally spreads into a mess. This poem clearly talks about the Northern Song Dynasty's recruitment of Song Jiang (don't be fooled by the novel, the so-called "108 heroes in Liangshan" is actually Song Jiang and 36 others toiling in a place as big as a palm), but anyone can From the poem, we can read the anger and dissatisfaction of many officials at that time towards this move: After ten years of hard work and selfless dedication to the court, the outcome was not as good as that of the rebellious officials and thieves who committed murder and swindled goods - "Big Book Yellow Paper Flying Edict" " Under this situation, he actually became an official in the same court as those guys (Song Heizi's rank was even higher than that of many officials)!
Obviously, this was a raging undercurrent, a dissatisfaction and protest against Zhu Xieyuan's move to appoint local officials. It's no wonder that although Zhu Xieyuan's policies achieved very good results in a short period of time, and She'an's wings were cut off at once, the officials who had previously regarded the southwest as a dead end were not convinced. Everyone felt that They all feel extremely depressed - isn't it just a matter of being appointed official? If this can be considered a credit, who wouldn’t!
There are many people who agree. Soon, the cabinet received contributions from various commentators, some of whom pointed out that doing so was short-sighted and would have endless consequences: as long as rebellion can be exchanged for recruitment and conferment, wouldn't everyone follow suit and rebel in the future? Some people say that official positions are a famous weapon of the imperial court and should not be taken lightly for the Ming Dynasty - take Ninggu Village as an example. Even if the people are less than a thousand people, they can get a long-term lawsuit of the sixth rank. It is simply that they do not take the official positions of the imperial court seriously. ; Of course, there are more than a dozen letters that swore that Zhu Xieyuan was recruiting the native chiefs, but they actually had evil intentions!
Logically speaking, for such a major matter, the cabinet, as the emperor's secretarial team, should first come up with opinions, draft a vote, and then hand it over to the emperor for adjudication. However, several pavilion elders just exchanged glances with each other, and then tacitly compiled a few representative letters and sent them to the Holy Emperor without saying a word about what was right or wrong. Support Zhu Xieyuan and use his good body to block the arrows of dozens of "gentlemen"? Or should we all accuse Lao Zhu of doing something wrong? So... what is the right thing to do? Including Cai Fuyi, who died of illness in the army not long after he was dismissed, three governors, four or five generals, and more than a hundred civil and military officials were buried in that barren land! After all these years, you have just made some progress and are you going to cause trouble and commit suicide? The old fox-like elders who are so fine that their hair is all white will not bear these responsibilities: Leave them all to the Holy Emperor, everything you say is right!
Of course Lord Zhu also had a lot of secret aid in the court, and he knew the direction of the capital very well through the post horses that conveyed military information between the two places at all times. Guessing that the fire was almost over, Mr. Zhu sent out the first memorial: "Fanzhou, only small states. However, the country has not heard of any rebels for two hundred years, so why? The loyalty and obedience of all the people are solid. However, all the ministers like to rebel? The ministers in their territory are not as good as the land of a county. There are ten and seven people who have been granted the title of chief official by Taizu. Even if they have the intention of disloyalty, how can the mantis arm be used as a chariot? The court does not With one soldier and one arrow, all the strongholds that coveted this land have been destroyed!"
The first blow of the wily Master Zhu was really beautiful! There are ready-made examples there. Fanzhou, which is not as big as a county, actually established seventeen long lawsuits! In the past two hundred years, has anyone heard of anyone there wanting to rebel? not a single one! why? Is it because the chieftains there have been loyal and obedient for generations, while in other places they are all born rebels? I bother! It's because these villages are scattered and restrict each other. Anyone who has a disobedient heart will be immediately destroyed by the neighbors who want to expand their power. The court does not need to send a single soldier! Besides, who did it to slap seventeen long lawsuits in one go? Great Grandfather! I, Lao Zhu, have only banned a few, and I learned it from Grandpa Taizu - whoever says this is wrong, stand up, take two steps, um, walk in the direction of the execution ground where the head is chopped off!
The court hall suddenly became quiet. It is certainly the nature of a lot of elites to find fault with others and strive for fame, but who dares to criticize the Great Grand Ancestor's fault on his own head? Everyone was itching with hatred: Why did this old fox carry out the great ancestor as a shield... Oh no, he was not a shield, he was just a trapkeeper. How could he have forgotten this incident!
Immediately afterwards, Zhu Xieyuan's second bullet came again. This time he told a story first. Liu Bang, the emperor of the Han Dynasty, granted a bunch of vassal kings. In the Jingdi Dynasty, under the instigation of Wu King Liu Bi, the Seven Kingdoms Rebellion finally broke out. The imperial court finally suppressed it after paying a huge price, but the hidden dangers still existed: larger vassal kings often surrounded the city with dozens of people, and they still posed a great threat to the emperor on the dragon throne at all times. In Emperor Wu's dynasty, a guy named Zhu Fuyan appeared. In his early years, this guy had traveled among the vassal states. Of course he wanted to live in glory and wealth, but he was always on the sidelines and no one wanted to see him. So he made up his mind and went directly to Chang'an to find Liu Che directly. Although Liu Che is a bastard, he has some merits - he summoned this penniless white man on the same day! Whether he wanted to avenge his personal revenge or he was bent on pursuing the country (anyway, his ending was that Liu Che had his whole family wiped out because of major corruption issues. You can judge for yourself whether he was dedicated to serving the country). He gave Liu Che a good idea: the former vassal king died. , both the kingship and the fiefdom are inherited by the eldest son. In order to show the great love and brotherhood in the world, we will change it in the future! After the death of the old prince, the eldest, second, and third eldest son... will divide the family property together, and everyone will have a share. After a few generations, Fengzi, dragons, and grandsons will all become village chiefs for me. Let's see who has the ability to rebel! As soon as the policy came out, it won the enthusiastic support of everyone except the eldest son of the vassal king. The Han Dynasty was forever freed from the worry of the vassal king who could not lose his head...
Later, Mr. Zhu further elaborated on his thoughts: "The big clans in Gedi will inevitably rely on their domineering talents, while the weak and the few will definitely use loyalty and obedience as their way to protect the world. The ministers' will can be divided and transformed. If the land of Luxury and An is widely sealed, the people in all directions inside and outside will feel the mighty grace of the Holy Spirit, and they will hate the troubles brought by thieves. They will fight to be the first to protect their lives and gain wealth. Why worry about the unrest in the Miao atmosphere? !”
Capitalized service!
Speaking of this, the cabinet vote was drawn up: "This is a mature statement for the country. I would like to congratulate you!"
The cannonballers who wanted to make a splash were left disgraced, but there was nothing they could do. Zhu Xieyuan first promoted Zhu Yuanzhang to put himself in an invincible position, and then used the example of pushing the grace order to demonstrate the facts and reason. There is no doubt about the effects that the policy has achieved and will achieve in the future. If he makes trouble for nothing, he will only get what he deserves. Humiliated.
However, after the Qingliu people searched carefully with their wide eyes, they still found a small braid that looked like they could pull it: the Miao chaos in the past few years had already spent so much money to adjust it. There are so many soldiers and so much food. We don’t care who spends the money and whose people die. Anyway, this matter is now yours to take care of! Aren't you capable? I don’t have money, people, or food. You surnamed Zhu are very capable, so you can find a way to deal with it yourself!
Hehe, let’s see what you do!
The plan was decided and everyone started their performances. The Ministry of War reported to the minister that the military strength of each province was too stretched and it was impossible to send out another soldier. The Ministry of Household said that the Lord had exempted Sichuan Province from taxes for three years. If some people come to the court again to ask for money, Your Majesty, please use your own funds. Think of a way. Even the mice are starving to death in the granary of the Ministry of Industry. People from the Ministry of Works are also joining in the fun, saying that the officers and soldiers wearing iron armor are absolutely invincible in killing Miao barbarians. A set of twenty taels, Your Majesty, you are always ready to give it to Sun How much does Shuai allocate? How about 10,000 sets? If you take two hundred thousand taels of silver, I can get it all in less than a year. Oh, by the way, that’s the cost, not the transportation fee...
did not expect!
It's not that Zhu Xieyuan didn't think of it - Lao Zhu had already thought of these tricks.
Unexpectedly, it was these guys who miscalculated.
After they finished their quarrel, they did not expect that the Holy Emperor on the throne not only did not look worried, but also smiled, and asked Li Shizhong to take a memorial and circulate it to them.
Of course it was Zhu Xieyuan’s memorial, the third blow!
"My ministers, Chashe and An, are both Ni. Each of his tribesmen has no more than ten thousand soldiers. The rest are driving and threatening followers, just to show their momentum. Sincerely, make wise and courageous generals such as Jie, Shun, and Liu Chao, and control the tempered troops. Ten or twenty thousand people, in addition to the loyal and obedient people who have surrendered to the chieftain, will march forward bravely, and with a little benevolence and good strategy, they will spread the message and disperse the people who are attached to the bandits. The king's army will suppress the rebels. With the sound of thunder, the rebel leader will be captured and wiped out!"
"When Master Wang arrived, he split the soil and sealed it wide. On the first day, I frowned, and my power increased day by day. Those who followed were panicked and scattered like birds and beasts. It is expected that the envoys of Xuan comfort, recruitment envoys, and appeasement envoys were all native officials. If the central government is not burdened by salary and has the effect of collecting fences and screens, why bother setting them up in the forest? The chiefs are restraining each other, and the Miao territory will definitely be profitable! What is the benefit of changing the flow of poor mountains and rivers? Wasteful expenses will only increase and it is difficult to reap the benefits of a drop of baht. The customs of the Han and Miao people are very different, and their reaction is easy to provoke their change; tributes, horses, and objects are sent to the local officials, just like arms and fingers. I say that this is a strategy to use the barbarians to control the barbarians. I pray to the Holy Judge, and the minister bows his head."
This memorial was Zhu Xieyuan’s real killer move: Not only did he clearly tell the court that I, the old Zhu Ping Miao Chaos, Sun Jie and Liu Chao were enough, but without bothering you, my solution was to ban a bunch of local officials, big and small, and not Don’t force anyone to spend a dime from the imperial court. Most importantly, reforming the country and returning to the countryside is pure nonsense. It will serve no purpose other than causing chaos. I will shut your mouths from now on!
is that useful?
Very useful!
It works like a god.
Zhu Xieyuan firmly grasped the core of the incident: What the Qingliu people are best at is finding faults and raising questions and then spouting off one after another. Lao Zhu not only exposed the core of the root cause of the Miao chaos, but also fully explained his own strategy. It does not require any investment from the court, and at the same time, it depicts a bright future, and indirectly and permanently blocks the discussion of reforming the land and returning it to the local people, and clearly and thickly builds a huge iron plate - or kicks it. Either way, who dares to give it a try?
The court finally became completely quiet for a rare moment. However, a pair of blood-red eyes that were so full of hatred that they were about to burst out of fire were glaring at the southwest, waiting for Zhu Xieyuan and Sun Jie to be put together by She An, even if it was a small setback - this matter It can't be settled, we have to avenge this!
Now let’s see how Sun Jie performs on the battlefield.
Will they betray Master Zhu's trust?
