…
The frequent defeats made Honglin feel very irritable. He, who had always paid attention to health, could no longer control his emotions and started to get angry in the hall.
Facing Honglin's outburst, all the ministers did not dare to speak. Only Chang Yong directly remonstrated: "Your Majesty, as a slave, it is better to listen to Dongyi's conditions for the time being.
If we continue to fight like this, the fields in the northern states will be laid waste and the people's livelihood will be ruined. Even if we win, my strength will be greatly damaged. "
Honglin: "It's only been a few months? I, Dajin, am about to have a serious injury? Chang Yong, you are so brave!"
Chang Yong said: "Your Majesty, it's not that your slaves are making alarmist remarks, it's the fact that the daily food and fodder expenses of an army of more than 200,000 people need to be provided by various states and counties.
And where does the state and county food come from? We can only recruit from the people. Now that General Zhang is resisting the enemy and outside Xinzhou City, during the confrontation between the two armies, it is a good time for negotiation.
The emperor should ask people to confirm with the enemy camp whether there is any intention to change the terms of the negotiation. If it is suitable, stop the army and the people will be happy again. "
Honglin couldn't stand listening anymore and shouted directly: "Li Shen!"
"The slave is here!"
Hearing Honglin calling him, Li Shen immediately stepped out of the queue.
Honglin asked: "Chang Yong said that I, Daijin, cannot supply food and grass for hundreds of thousands of troops. Tell me, can we supply it? Is what he said true?"
Li Shen was startled, and then replied: "Your Majesty, it has been nearly three months since General Zhang led his troops out of the capital, and the money, food and weapons consumed has exceeded five million taels of silver.
From Huanglong Mansion to Xinzhou City, the people were miserable, and the slaves had never heard what Lord Chang said. "
Honglin narrowed his eyes: "Then according to your opinion, I should negotiate with Dongyi?"
Li Shen immediately knelt down and said, "I don't dare. I only supervise the provision of food for the frontline soldiers for the Emperor. I do my duty with all my heart and dare not make any mistakes. The current military salary raised is enough for the soldiers for half a year."
The fact is that Li Shen did not finish what he said. He still held the report of the defeat of Lucheng handed over by Zhang Gui and did not dare to submit it. The pension for tens of thousands of soldiers was more than 300,000 taels, not to mention those Ordnance losses amounted to millions of taels at least.
Hearing this, Honglin said to Chang Yong: "Did you hear that? Our army's food and fodder are still available for half a year. Why are you saying anything about surrender?"
Chang Yong asked back: "Then I dare to ask Mr. Li, what will happen if the enemy army has not retreated after half a year?"
Li Shen was stunned for a moment, then retorted: "Bold and Changyong, I, the righteous master of Dajinxing, can resist the enemy for half a year. How can I not retreat from the enemy?"
Even if it is as you said, the taxes will be collected in half a year and delivered to the front line to continue to defend against the enemy! How can Dongyi give in to his wolfish ambition?
At this time, the enemy's army will retreat if they run out of food and supplies. What is Master Chang's intention in saying this? "
Chang Yong said: "I don't agree with Mr. Li's words. Over time, I have learned the news from all sides.
Since Dongyi entered the country, they have done no harm to the common people. They even opened warehouses to release grain and help the poor people. They have won the hearts of the people.
What's more, when the whole city heard about Han's name, they directly killed the officials to welcome the thieves, and even more willingly provided supplies and equipment for Dongyi, not to mention half a year, even for another three or four years.
Does Mr. Li really want Dai Jin to drag on for three or four years and be trapped in the war forever? "
Li Shen was speechless. He never expected that Chang Yong would dare to speak frankly about Da Jin's current situation in front of the main hall.
Honglin was furious when he heard this: "You are a dog slave, and you are misleading the public with your monstrous words. I treat the people of Dajin well, how could they treat me like this? Chang Yong, if you dare to talk nonsense again, I will kill you!"
However, Chang Yong did not flinch at all, and directly replied proudly: "Your Majesty, do you want to listen to false words to maintain the current prosperity? If so, then just kill the slave!
But even so, the servant still wants to say, what kindness do you have to the people! ? What reason do the people have to be loyal to you? ! "
As soon as these words came out, the whole hall was noisy.
Li Shen said hurriedly: "Master Chang, don't talk nonsense, why don't you kneel down and confess to the emperor!?"
Honglin was also very angry. He stood up and said angrily: "You bitch! What nonsense are you talking about! How can I treat the people so well? Since I came to the throne, I have exempted a lot of taxes from the people. Don't you know!?"
Chang Yong stood with his hands behind his hands: "It is true that the emperor exempted the people from taxes. However, since the emperor came to the throne, the people have not been as happy as before. There are people dying of hunger everywhere. The practice of exchanging children and drowning babies among the people is the most common in all dynasties. Doesn't the emperor May I ask the reason for this?"
Li Shen hurriedly shouted: "Your Majesty, please kill Chang Yong and other unkind and unjust people for being unreasonable ministers!"
"No! Let him speak, I want him to continue speaking!" Honglin pointed at Chang Yong with a trembling voice.
Chang Yong: "It is true that your Majesty exempted you from taxation. However, the imperial power did not go to the countryside. Instead of reducing the taxes that the people had to pay, they became more onerous than before.
Local officials imposed excessive levies and exorbitant taxes, and even scholar families forcibly annexed land and abandoned the people, causing complaints from all over the world. I wonder if the emperor can understand this clearly? "
Honglin's face was gloomy and terrifying, and the murderous intent in his eyes was no longer hidden.
"In addition, there is constant collusion between officials and businessmen to oppress the people. Taking silver as an example, one tael of silver is exchanged for one thousand taels of silver in the official code, but in the local government it is 3,000 taels of silver for one tael of silver, thus squeezing the people's money. There are three times as many, so why are the people so happy?"
"The Diao family from Jiangnan teamed up with local aristocratic families and embezzled one hundred thousand hectares of people's land. They built six streets of shops. The people had no livelihood and had to sell themselves into slavery..."
One by one, one by one, Chang Yong displayed all the shortcomings of the government and the actions that harmed the country and the people in the main hall.
From exorbitant taxes to misappropriation of private land, from forced demolition of houses to forcing good girls into prostitution and so on.
From Chang Yong's mouth, Honglin heard the scene he least wanted to see: the so-called golden age was nothing more than a hole that could eat people.
"That's enough! Stop talking! That's enough!"
Honglin roared.
"How dare you, a dog slave, bark in the hall? No one can deny the great golden age that I have built with my own hands! I will leave a good name as a king in the history books for eternity!"
Chang Yong knew that he had offended Honglin today, so he simply said: "Justice lies in the hearts of the people. Whether a prosperous age or not should be decided by the people. It cannot be determined by one person's words!"
Even a king can't stop the mouths of all sentient beings, let alone you really don't know what Daikin's current situation is?
Speaking of which, the situation that Dajin is in today is all due to a foolish king who is stubborn and extravagant, and uses some flattering people to help him.
How can a country like this last long? "
Honglin was furious: "Come here, drag him down and put him in a prison!"
"Hahaha! Loyalty is offensive to your ears, you are so self-righteous! You are a fool, you are a fool~~"
Chang Yong was taken off his official robe and taken away, but his curses never stopped.
Honglin was furious when he heard this and shouted outside the door: "Yoke him and shackle him, and cut out his tongue!"
This time, the emperor really lost his grace, and the ministers were shocked to see him.
