On Dawang Mountain in the northeast of Yan'an, Liu Chengyun walked forward carrying a book box.
After passing through the long stretches of barren mountains and dry forests, and going deep into the ravine, the view finally opened up. There were gurgling streams in the valleys, and several newly opened cave dwellings were lined up along the loess mountain walls.
Chengyun finally put down the book box, wiped his sweat, raised a smile, stretched out his arms, and pointed around: "Brother Lion, how is this place?"
The small valley is not bad. There are highlands and highlands, valleys and valleys. There are several mountain roads extending in all directions. Liu Chengzong nodded and said: "It's very good. How did you find a place like this?"
After saying that, he turned around and waved to Cao Yao, Yang Yao and others, and the five sentry commanders each led their teams to pull the mules and horses, and each occupied their own territory.
Liu Chengzong came back two days earlier than the team. He met with his family at Zhuantianmao, where they had temporarily taken refuge, to understand the situation, and then led the team into Fushi County.
Liu Chengyun sat on the box and said, "I didn't find it. My second uncle used to be a tax collector. He knows where the people have fled. We will hide in these places after you leave."
He turned back and pointed to the cave not far away: "That was originally a grain cellar. After my second uncle explored the terrain, he had someone dig it out. He set up a stove inside and the flue was a hundred steps long, leading to the cliff on the other side of the mountain. Come on, cook the food and water here, and the smoke will go out over there.”
Liu Chengzong dismounted and handed the reins to Guo Zashi who was following him. He looked around and nodded secretly.
My father found this place to be an excellent place. It was not suitable for farming, but it was perfect as a temporary camp to escape the winter.
He asked: "Is there still food in the mountains?"
Liu Chengyun nodded and said: "Ever since I received the news that you were back, my second uncle started transporting food, and it didn't stop when you came home. Now I have more than a hundred stones, but I have to find a way to get more. There is no food at home."
With that said, Liu Chengyun stood up and opened the book box, and while rummaging around, he said: "Actually, you should stay at home for a few more days. During this time when you are away, your second uncle, second aunt, and eldest brother are all worried about you. Don't worry about you going home." The second uncle and the eldest brother didn't say anything on the surface for two days, but they couldn't tell how happy they were."
Hearing this, Liu Chengzong pursed his lips and looked up at the sky, sighing softly: "Why don't I want to stay at home for a longer time, and I can't even go back to Black Dragon Mountain... You didn't tell me, Chengyun, there is no way for Fucheng Saoko to be our enemy at the moment. People, why don’t you go back to live in Black Dragon Mountain?”
At present, Dawang Mountain is more than ten miles south of Heilong Mountain, while Liu Xiangyu and the others are in Zhuantianmao, more than ten miles away to the east.
Nowhere is their home.
Cheng Yun paused in turning the pages of the book and said in a dull tone: "Wherever everyone is, that's our home. Don't go back to Black Dragon Mountain yet."
After that, he rummaged in the book box again, and after a while he took out four thick notebooks, handed them to Liu Chengzong and said: "Brother, my family has been waiting for you to come back these days. These three books, one is Compiled by the second uncle and Mr. Yang, it contains a topographic map of Yan'an Prefecture, information on large families, royal villages, pastures, and mines in various places, as well as information on the financial resources, clans, officials, and patrons of various ethnic groups, with the most detailed information on nearby Fushi, Ansai, and Ganquan. "
A thick book was handed into the hands of Liu Chengzong.
Later, Liu Chengyun took out a second book: "This was compiled by my second uncle and my eldest brother together. I flipped through a few pages. There were excerpts from military books, treatment of war wounds, training of soldiers, and daily baggage calculations. I I can’t quite understand it, you can read it yourself later.”
Another thick book was handed into the hands of Liu Chengzong.
Finally, Chengyun took out two big books, raised his face and said with a smile: "It's finally my turn. This book is my idea. Together with my father-in-law, I will collect all my godson and goddaughters from all over the world over the years." Keep a record of the people you know.”
He handed it over and said: "Father-in-law has also figured it out. Anyway, with me as a virtuous son-in-law, if we make a big fuss outside, he will be safe in the city. When we are caught and killed by the government, his family will be implicated and finished... …This volume may not necessarily be useful, but it can still be used for smuggling and gathering information, and it may come in handy at some point.”
Liu Chengyun turned to the last book with emotion, with a serious expression on his face, and said: "After you leave, Song Shouzhen and I will register the creation of everyone in the Lion Camp, Monk Wang, Zhang Tianlin, and Chuangtaotian tribes." Now, in addition to Zhuantianmao and Yan'anwei, there are also strong men from various townships who are helping people fight against taxes, and large households who are willing to provide food, a total of more than 1,900 people, all on it."
The four booklets held in Liu Chengzong's hands made his heart heavy.
This is not a four-volume book, but the key to holding Yan'an Mansion in hand.
Just then, Guo Zashi came back after tying up the mules and horses and told them that the house had been tidied up.
Liu Chengzong put the books back into the box, held the box and took Chengyun to the cave dwelling. As he walked, he asked, "How do you specifically resist taxes around the world?"
"It's mainly from two aspects. The local grain chief relies on intimidation to mobilize villagers to resist taxes. When we need manpower, we go out and sit at the grain chief's house. We don't let the people pay taxes to the grain chief, and we don't let the grain chief go to the county government to pay taxes. The government has to rely on running."
Cheng Yun said in detail: "The three gates of Yan'an Fucheng and the small west gate are all equipped with spies, as well as yamen. After what happened last time, all the yamen in Fuya and county yamen were killed. Many of the new recruits are our people." , Sometimes the news has just spread from the government office to the county government, and our people have already taken the news on the road, and they can only get there in vain."
He laughed and concluded: "Many villages along the river have lost their households in the county government. In fact, the people are still living there. The eldest brother led people to destroy the big households, and every family has a surplus of food. This year in Fushi County I should only receive more than seventy taels of autumn grain and distribution."
After entering the house, Liu Chengzong looked at the furnishings in the cave. They all had Kangs and tables and chairs, which were not bad. He pulled up a stool and sat down and asked, "This is not enough money for the work and food of the government servants and subordinates. What can they do?"
"They don't have any money, but we do! Yang Yanchang alone gave us five hundred taels. After you left, Brother Chengzu led people to resist the tax. He beat up nine grain chiefs, landlords and squires who insisted on collecting grain, and took away all the gold and silver every time. , leaving half of the food for the people."
Speaking of this, Chengyun said mysteriously: "Brother Lion, when we enter Fucheng again, we can't grab any more grain stores."
Liu Chengzong frowned and said, "Why did you suddenly mention the grain store?"
"Because our family has opened a grain store." Liu Chengyun couldn't hold back when he said this. He laughed and said: "My father-in-law has a son. I don't know why he has so many sons. If he wants to sell grain, my father-in-law will follow him." After the second uncle discussed it, he took three hundred taels as a book and collected grain from both sides of the river, as well as a little grain from us."
Liu Chengzong's brows furrowed even more tightly: "You don't even have enough food to eat yourself, so why do you sell it outside?"
Chengyun quickly shook his head: "We don't sell the grain, we give it away. You know the secretary Zhang and the county magistrate Meng from the county government office, and there are several clerks who go to the grain store every month to get a stone of millet, and also The same goes for the government and county government officials who work for us. They receive our food and handle our affairs. A few squires went to complain and were beaten out of the city by the government officials."
Liu Chengzong's brows relaxed. Do all the clerks and government officials in the county now receive salaries from the Liu family?
What is this, early penetration?
Anyway, if this situation continues, the Yan'an Mansion of the imperial court will be just a city and will soon be unable to play a ruling role.
He asked: "Is this all my big idea?"
"Yes, after you leave, my second uncle will discuss these matters with Mr. Yang and arrange for us to handle them."
Chengyun nodded and said: "Brother, let me ask you something...how to ask, let me think about it."
He scratched his head to organize his words, and finally asked cautiously and expectantly: "Can we really cause the imperial court to rebel? I don't mean fighting back and forth with the government and the army like we are now, I want to ask, can we really win?"
"Killing the officials also turned against them. The only way to completely overthrow the Ming Dynasty is to completely overthrow the Ming Dynasty." Liu Chengzong looked directly at Chengyun and asked: "Why do you ask?"
Cheng Yun shook his head first, then sat upright and said, "I don't know. I've done a lot of things recently. I've been traveling around the city and various villages. I've seen more and thought more... I'm telling you. Don't worry about this, my second uncle said you are impulsive and irritable, and if he knows this, he will definitely kill someone."
"Hey, am I still impulsive and irritable?"
Liu Chengzong pointed to the door and said with a casual smile: "Who doesn't know that I, Liu Shizi, have always been elegant and easy-going, just say so."
Liu Chengyun nodded. He also felt that Brother Shizi had a good personality, so he said, "The old house in Black Dragon Mountain is really domineering."
Liu Chengzong didn't speak, his face relaxed and his breathing became heavier. He sat on the bench and leaned back. His thumbs were inserted into the leather belt around his waist, and he smoothed his clothes.
Chengyun didn't speak for a long time, watching his face carefully and not daring to say anything further. In the end, he felt that it was really inappropriate to say even half a sentence, so he said: "The concubine of the prefect Zhang Nian has a brother who moved into Heilongshan University...Brother, you Why go!"
Before he finished speaking, Liu Chengzong had already stood up, but instead of going out to greet Cao Yao to join the artillery team as Chengyun thought, he went around behind Chengyun and patted him on the shoulder.
Liu Chengzong's tone was calm: "My eldest brother and I didn't even live in the mansion built by the clan for a few days. A few days ago, I regretted not killing Zhang Nian. You see, damned people will die sooner or later. Then he said, why eldest brother?" Don’t kill him.”
Cheng Yun felt that the second brother would be more stable if he took a trip east, but it would also be more scary.
He said: "Second uncle and Mr. Yang's intention is not to move, and they don't want to recruit officers and soldiers in the short term... That's it, my head is all messed up. I don't know how to describe it to you. Second uncle's plan is very clear. Sooner or later, the governor will send a large army to the east to suppress the attack, so he has cut off the communication between Yan'an City and the outside world and wants to delay this as long as possible."
Chengyun was very distressed, holding his head in his hands and sighing: "I hope that when the officers and soldiers come from Yanzhou, the city will be peaceful. When we go east to fight the rebels, there will be another sudden rise in the city, cutting off the officers and soldiers' retreat... But I think This won't work."
Liu Chengzong sat back on the bench, his anger gradually dissipating.
If you have a longer-term plan, it is not impossible to let that dog-like thing live in the old house for a few days.
He asked: "Why doesn't it work? Tell me."
Liu Chengyun suddenly said bitterly: "They are all just a loser, everyone is a loser!"
"What do you mean, everyone is a loser?"
"Those villagers said they wanted to resist the tax, but only two or three out of a hundred people came forward. When our people passed by, they all resisted the tax. When we left, some remained silent, and some went to the county government to complain. .”
"Those government officials receive our food, but their hearts are not with us. If we don't threaten them, they won't do their jobs well. If we threaten them, we are no different from thieves."
"There is also Yang Yanchang of Yan'an Guard. He is a member of the Provincial Government and became a high official thanks to us. The news of your return from Shanxi almost scared him to death. He was afraid that we would be caught and shake him out. He only thought about himself. !”
"Even the second uncle, the second uncle, Mr. Yang and the eldest brother..."
The little man Cheng Yun scolded everyone fiercely. When he talked about his family, his tone finally softened slightly. He took a deep breath and said, "They all have great talents, but I know they don't believe that we can overthrow the imperial court."
"I want to persuade them to believe, but the scholars and scholars sit together, and no one listens to me; the leaders of the rebellion sit together, and still no one listens to me; people will only let Chengyun do this and let Chengyun do that, they I don’t know what it’s like down there, but I’m still thinking about it when the officers and soldiers arrive, but those who can’t get up are just weeds on the wall!”
Liu Chengzong didn't know what kind of ideological changes the team at home had experienced during these days, but he knew that Chengyun must have been greatly stimulated.
However, he could more or less guess that it was simply that people found that the army did not arrive as expected, and life became stable again, and the energy for rebellion was discouraged.
Outlaws are those who have nowhere to go.
This is normal, otherwise the world would be such that those who are barefoot would be afraid of those who wear shoes, and those who wear shoes would be afraid of those who wear hats.
But in fact, porcelain is afraid of stones, and no one wants to live a stable life.
Living a subsistence life is more stable than rebelling, and rebelling and controlling a place is more stable than making bigger moves to attract the army.
He stood up and patted Chengyun: "Chengyun, you did a good job. My eldest brother, my eldest brother, and Mr. Yang also did a good job, even better than I imagined. You are right, people are just fagots. As long as Guyuan General Office can send a large number of officers and soldiers... people's hearts will be on the side of the imperial court and they will not be able to get up."
Liu Chengzong raised his head: "What should we do? You said that we can win if we destroy the rule of the imperial court."
"If you can't get up, you can get up slowly. People's hearts are on the side of the court because the government and the army are on the side. This can be easily solved."
Liu Chengzong said this matter as simply as going out to take a pee: "What the family has done will not be in vain. These are very important things, but there is one thing. We cannot annihilate the officers and soldiers in an organized manner. What can we do?" These are all useless efforts.”
He nodded his head: "Political power comes from the barrel of a gun."
This action means: These words were not said by me, but by the person in my mind.
Chengyun paused and thought for a while, then asked: "What does it mean when political power comes from the barrel of a gun?"
"I wasn't sure before whether we could win, but this time when I came back and you told me these things and what my family did, I knew we would win in the end."
Liu Chengzong said: "I have met many leaders in the east. Some have unparalleled arrogance, some lead the army, and some will bury every dead subordinate... This is too extravagant. You know that someone will die just by walking." If there is a lost team, he will dig holes and bury everyone."
"I admire each of them very much. Everyone has the barrel of a gun. But in them, it is difficult for me to find the confidence to defeat the court, because they only have the barrel of a gun. What does it mean to have political power from the barrel of a gun? To say this, you need to have political power. But there’s no gun barrel.”
As Liu Chengzong spoke, he raised his arms and hugged Liu Chengyun: "Our family is building a political power from scratch. This is difficult and will be very slow, but don't worry. The wallflower... hmph, the good thing is that it's the wallflower. , as long as my gun barrel sweeps away the officers and soldiers, you will see which way they fall!"
