Xie Yang, the chief civil affairs officer, did not receive any promotion in the new dynasty, not even a symbolic award. This is a danger signal.
Xie Guangkun has followed Emperor Wu Ding for nine years. Apart from Kang Yingqian, Qiao Yiqi and several other core members, Xie Yang is considered the most senior veteran of the Kaiyuan system.
However, Xie Yang's name was not included in the new cabinet, and Xie Guangkun was not even given the empty post of Minister of Household Affairs.
Although Xie Yang concentrated on civil affairs and was not interested in the struggle for power and profit at the top, the emperor was not what he used to be and was killing people again.
No one is safe in Shenyang City.
I heard that Kang Yingqian had been placed under house arrest or had been executed, and Qiao Yiqi was nowhere to be seen. Liu Zhaosun didn't even let these two people go, let alone Xie Guangkun?
One evening in early August, Xie Yang walked out of the Civil Affairs Office and got on a simple sliding sedan to go home. He asked the bearer to slow down so that he could concentrate on what happened during the day.
As the sedan approached home, it suddenly stopped.
"Why don't you leave?"
The bearer didn't say anything. Xie Yang thought that the road was blocked by soldiers - the Guards had been mobilized frequently in the past few days - and was about to lift the door curtain when a familiar cold voice came from outside.
"Director Xie, let's go with my brother."
The door curtain was opened from the outside, and a sinister and cold face peeked in.
Zhang Dong, the leader of the coir raincoat guards, looked at the limp civil affairs official, turned back to Li Zicheng and said:
"Someone, help Director Xie to the Zhenfu Department."
~~~~~~~
The great purge movement in the first year of Taichu was not the product of the emperor slapping his forehead.
In the words of later historians, the Great Purge was an effective form created by Emperor Wu Ding to strengthen political power. It was instrumental in improving the ideological and theoretical level of the subjects of the "Qi Dynasty Land Acquisition System", purifying the Qi subjects, and enhancing the combat effectiveness of the Qi army. and cohesion, all played a significant role.
This isn't the first time, nor the last.
The emperor’s original words were as follows:
"It is inadequate and arrogant to expect hypocritical morals or weak laws to maintain a huge empire. Without strong purges, corruption and laziness will continue to breed, and it will be impossible to prevent it, and our cause will fail. Therefore, we must fight at all times to fight against Internal and external wars cannot be stopped.
As early as the first year of Wuding when he was reorganizing Shandong, the emperor discovered:
As long as the edict leaves Linqing, it will change.
Local civil affairs officials and chamber of commerce bosses were in full compliance with the "New Economic Policy" and the "Qi Dynasty Land Acquisition System", and local newspapers showed no reaction to the "Inspection Report on the Peasant Movement in Shandong" issued by the emperor.
Liu Zhaosun was very dissatisfied with this.
In the face of internal and external troubles, whether the Qi Dynasty's land system can be resolutely implemented and whether the basic interests of the peasants can be safeguarded are key issues related to the security of the empire.
He suspected that during the rapid expansion of various prefectures and counties in Shandong, many gentry (or agents of this class) had mixed in. The existence of these moths would eat away at the totalitarian system designed by the travelers.
The problems existing in Shandong were even more serious in Liaodong. After assisting Liaodong and defeating the anti-Qi coalition forces, the Great Purge began in advance.
Before Zhang Dong was attacked, the Supreme Emperor extensively solicited the opinions of the gentry and businessmen, and asked local officials, civil affairs officials, and representatives of chambers of commerce to express their opinions on the shortcomings and errors of the "New Economic Policy" and the "Qi Dynasty Land Acquisition System."
Emperor Wu Ding issued an edict to introduce Da Qi's New Deal in Shandong to the people of Liaodong (time-occupying economic policy, abolition of private ownership), and pointed out that the New Deal had achieved remarkable results. In Shandong alone, 60,000 people were trained in six months. Soldiers, tens of thousands of grain and grass, and victory in the Battle of Liaoshen.
However, whether the Shandong model is suitable for Liaodong and whether the new policy still has flaws, I would like to ask knowledgeable people in Liaodong to correct and verify it.
Emperor Wu Ding's wishes were sincere, his policy was clear, and his confidence was sufficient.
According to historical records, in mid-May of the first year of Taichu, Liu Zhaosun revealed to Zhang Dong and Deng Changxiong that he was determined to abdicate the throne.
"Liaodong is pacified, the capital is recovered, and the people are happy. It's time for me to rest."
However, what happened next shocked Emperor Wuding, who was about to abdicate.
In the newspapers and memorials submitted to Shenyang from various places, civil affairs officials, chamber of commerce representatives, and garrison chiefs all expressed the same argument:
It seems that the new policies implemented by Emperor Daqi in Shandong were all wrong. The imperial court's indiscriminate killing of innocent people has violated its original intention of converting Xia to barbarians and taking the high road.
Local Jin gentry said that the New Deal officials sent by the imperial court to various places were corrupt and derelict in their duties, and then abolished the name of private property, amassed money wantonly, and did all kinds of evil. The root cause was that the "Qi Dynasty Land Acquisition System" was bad governance; it was like the Qi imperial court in Liaodong The rule has experienced a crisis and is unsustainable. It needs to make a U-turn again, change course, and return to the benevolent government of the past.
Scholars from all over Liaodong openly gave speeches in schools everywhere, attacking the New Deal and the land ownership system, and incited workers in factories and households in villages to go on strike.
Liu Zhaosun was shocked and soon realized that there must be someone behind the chaos to instigate and support him.
The supporters were not only the fallen gentry, but also people within the empire.
The emperor had to take measures to defend the empire and the interests of the majority of people on this land.
~~~~~~
Zhenfusi ordered prison.
The bruised Xie Yang was tied to the bed where Du Du was tortured. In front of the bed stood Zhang Dong, who looked like a stone.
Under the pale yellow whale oil lamp, Zhang Mazi showed an expression of compassion that could only be seen in a Taoist monk or a priest, as if he only wanted to explain and persuade rather than punish his colleagues.
"Director Xie, you should know very well why you are here." Zhang Dong said, "The Holy One hasn't killed you yet because you can still be saved."
"You know what crime you have committed, but you just refuse to admit it. You have been following the Holy Emperor for nine years, right? When the Emperor implemented the strategy of "converting Xia to barbarians" in Kaiyuan, you followed it wholeheartedly. That was because you believed it could save people. Liaodong, save the people of the world; now that you have become a powerful official, you have many things to think about, and you don’t remember the things you really should remember. But you have to believe those treasonous things.”
Zhang Dong paused for a moment, took a cup of hot tea from Li Zicheng's hand, and drank it in one gulp.
"Fortunately, Director Xie is not hopeless. The emperor ordered me to ask you, are you willing to change your ways?"
Like Du Du, Xie Yang had been tortured by Dongfang Zhu for several days before meeting Zhang Dong. He had already suffered a mental breakdown. When he heard Zhang Dong's words, he felt as if he had grabbed a life-saving straw and hurriedly struggled and shouted:
"I am willing! I support the new deal!"
Zhang Dong gently shook his finger, handed the tea cup to Li Zicheng, and took the stick from his younger brother's hand.
"Director Xie, I think you haven't realized your mistake yet. You clearly know what is right, but you just refuse to do it. You just say it on the surface. The emperor has been implementing the New Deal for a long time, and you are still thinking about the great road and the future. Xia Bianyi thinks that is benevolent government. You are dizzy. I need to wake you up before you can reply to the edict."
"Director Xie, let me ask you, who is Daqi's current enemy?"
"Yes, they are the four European countries, Japan, Korea, and Nanming..."
"Okay. Daqi has enemies on all sides, right?"
Xie Yang took a breath and opened his mouth to speak, but didn't.
He stared intently at the clamp stick in his ankle. Li Zicheng was slowly exerting force on it.
"Director Xie, your Majesty knows everything. If you want to tell the truth, which are the four European countries?"
"England, France, the Netherlands, Rakshasa Country——"
Zhang Dong waved his finger and told Xie Yang to stop.
"Wrong, there is no Rakshasa Kingdom. Da Qi has never been at war with Rakshasa Kingdom."
As a civil affairs officer, Xie Yang did not go to the front line in person and went to Sakhalin Island. However, he had heard from many people about the tragedy that happened in the north. He even saw with his own eyes Li Sanguang, whose arm was eaten by a Rakshasa ghost... ··
"It's the Rakshasa Kingdom!" Xie Yang shouted.
"No," Zhang Dong said.
Zhang Dong did not continue talking, but walked to the door of the prison and waved outside. Soon two guards dragged in a prisoner covered in blood.
From Xie Yang's position, he could see the man's bare forehead and cut off braids.
The prisoner who had lost his braid was like a puppet and was manipulated by Li Zicheng.
Li Zicheng pulled the prisoner's face up, and Xie Yang saw clearly that the man was Du Du.
Zhang Dong waved his hand, and Li Zicheng immediately let go.
"Who is Daqi's enemy?"
Du Du, like a clockwork robot, immediately gave Zhang Dong a military salute and shouted:
"England, France, Holland!"
"There are no Rakshasa ghosts," Zhang Dong said.
"Even this Tatar, who once colluded with the Rakshasa ghost, said there is no Rakshasa ghost."
"Change the question," Zhang Dong said.
"In the forty-seventh year of Wanli in the former Ming Dynasty, when my emperor was serving as the commander-in-chief of the army in Kaiyuan, what strategy did our emperor pursue towards Mongolia and Jianzhou? Tell me."
Xie Yang hesitated for a moment and said uneasily: "We will use the strategy of converting Xia into barbarians."
"wrong!"
Zhang Dong roared, and Li Zicheng tightened the clamp. Severe pain swept through Xie Guangkun's body, and beads of sweat oozed from the top of his head.
"You tell me!"
Like a clockwork robot, Emperor Kangqian made a military salute to Zhang Dong and shouted:
"My emperor ordered when he arrived in Kaiyuan that all barbarians with wheels or above should be put to death!"
Xie Yang's heart sank. If even Du Du is lying, there's nothing we can do about it.
"There has never been anything to change Xia into barbarians, only the Wheel Order!"
After Zhang Dong finished speaking, he looked at Xie Yang thoughtfully. It seems that the dedicated private school teacher is teaching Bumu Butai, who is not bad at heart but very playful.
"On the day when the emperor first arrived in Shenyang, he said an oracle," Zhang Dong said, "repeat it again."
"Whoever can control the past will control the future, and whoever can control the present will control the past." Xie Yang repeated obediently.
"I have a good memory, and I am indeed in charge of the accounts." There was a rare hint of approval in Zhang Dong's cold eyes.
"Then do you think the strategy of converting Xia to Yi has ever existed?"
Xie Yang hesitated, looking pleadingly at the clamping stick that was about to break his leg bone. Don't know how to reply.
"····No·······"
Zhang Dong said sharply:
"You are just doing this to avoid being punished! You don't mean what you say! The Holy One said that Daqi does not need two-faced people, you must believe it sincerely."
Li Zicheng increased his strength violently, and Xie Yang let out a howling sound.
"Yes! It existed!"
Zhang Dong continued to ask:
"Where does Yixia Bianyi exist?"
"In, in people's hearts."
Zhang Dong nodded and smiled: "Daqi wants to control everything, not only everyone, the past, present and future, but also people's hearts. Do you agree, Director Xie?"
"Agree! I agree!" Xie Yang screamed loudly.
Zhang Dong motioned to relax the stick.
"So, Daqi needs all its subjects to control their hearts. Do you agree with this statement?"
"Agree!"
Zhang Dong's face suddenly turned gloomy, and Li Zicheng began to execute him again.
"You don't agree!" Zhang Dong said, "You didn't control your heart, you didn't forget to use summer to change barbarians, you gave support to the schools on strike, and gave money to the merchants on strike, so you are here."
"Director Xie, for your own selfish reasons, you refuse to forget your past and use outdated kindness and principles to obstruct His Majesty the Emperor's new policy. You are bewitched by those civil servants and gentry. You would rather go to jail than let me use a stick. You are trapped and refuse to repent. You deceive yourself and others, thinking that everyone thinks the same as you, and for your hypocritical and ridiculous morality, you ignore the safety of Daqi and do whatever you want. Daqi will control everything, including people's hearts! People's hearts will change, and Da Qi will not change. Whatever the emperor thinks is right is right, and only the emperor can understand everything. Director Xie, you have to dedicate everything you have, and you have to be reborn and reborn, so that you can be clear-headed and become a real person."
Zhang Dong paused for a while, waiting for Xie Yang to understand what the emperor had said.
"Do you remember?" Zhang Dong continued,
"What is the value of one plus one, Professor?"
Zhang Dong raised his left hand, with the back of his hand facing Xie Yang, his thumb retracted behind, and his two fingers stretched out in sequence.
"Director Xie, how many fingers am I raising?"
"two."
"If the emperor says, not two but three - then what do you say one plus one is?"
"two."
Li Zicheng stepped down hard on the stick.
"ah!"
Xie Yang was sweating profusely. Under the severe pain, his mouth opened and closed unconsciously, like a fish that was about to die of thirst.
Zhang Dong looked at him, his two fingers still stretched out.
"How many fingers, Director Xie?"
"two."
Li Zicheng stepped on the clamping stick with his other foot, and Xie Yang's fragile leg bones made an unsettling friction sound.
"How many fingers?"
"Three! Three!"
"Director Xie, you are lying. The Holy One doesn't like lying. How many of them are you?"
"Two! Three! Four! That's how many you name. Please stop!"
Xie Yang suddenly sat up, Zhang Dong's arms wrapped around his shoulders. He might have passed out for a second or two. The straps holding his body loosened. He felt very cold and could not help but shiver. His teeth chattered and tears rolled down his cheeks.
Xie Yang hugged Zhang Dong like a child, and the thick arms around his shoulders made him feel surprisingly comfortable.
At this moment, he deeply understood that the emperor was his patron.
Only His Majesty the Emperor would spare him the pain.
"The boy can be taught and will make progress." Zhang Dong said gently like a private school teacher.
Li Zicheng tied up Director Xie again, and the puppet-like old Songtou came in from the outside, took Xie Yang's pulse, opened his eyelids, and finally nodded to Zhang Dong.
"Come again," Zhang Dong said.
·····
Two hours later, the interrogation continued.
"How many fingers, Director Xie?"
"Two. I'd love to see three."
“I struggled to see three.”
"Director Xie, you have made progress. What do you hope for? Do you want me to believe you saw three, or do you really want to see three?"
“Three to really see.”
"Okay, come again," Zhang Dong said.
Xie Yang could clearly hear the sound of his leg being broken. The silent guard in the raincoat was still pulling on his calf, and an indescribable pain ripped through the Civil Affairs Officer's body.
"How many fingers have I raised now, Director Xie?"
"Three."
"Director Xie, you have to know that the emperor is not interested in killing traitors like you. What the Holy Emperor wants is not superficial surrender, but surrender from the inside out. Da Qi wants to defeat all enemies. The enemies are not only external, but also external. Internally, it’s in our hearts, so we must first transform ourselves and be reborn in Nirvana! Director Xie, can you understand the emperor’s difficulties?”
After Zhang Dong finished speaking, he leaned over to look at the dying Xie Yang, stretched out two fingers, and asked his colleagues for the last time:
"One finger plus one finger, how many fingers are there?"
Xie Yang opened his eyes wide and tried to distinguish, staring at Zhang Dong's outstretched fingers. He was not dazzled and did not say any more lies. He saw three fingers shaking under the whale oil lamp.
"Three."
"So, how many are one plus one?"
"It's three, I saw it, it's three."
