Gu Xianxiong understood that Zhao Shan's words were deliberate.
Before Zhao Gou and Zhao Shan went to war and the power of the big family had not been defeated, Gu Xianxiong would definitely have to put up a show. Now that he has seen how powerful Zhao Shan is, and the power of his big family was lost in the battle on the river, Gu Xianxiong no longer has the confidence to stand up.
Gu Xianxiong bent down and explained: "Your Majesty, the prime minister in your body was forcibly arranged by Zhao Gou. It cannot be taken seriously."
Zhao Shan continued: "So, you are against Zhao Gou?"
"yes!"
Gu Xianxiong answered without hesitation.
Zhao Shan took advantage of the situation and said: "You are against Zhao Gou, why are you colluding with Zhao Gouchang? You are also Zhao Gou's prime minister and you are Zhao Gou's absolute confidant."
Gu Xianxiong thought about many answers.
Have you been bewitched by Zhao Gou!
Have been kidnapped by Zhao Gou!
Have been seduced by power!
…
Gu Xianxiong pondered various reasons, chose the most fundamental reason, and solemnly said: "Reporting to Your Majesty, the reason why I colluded with Zhao Gouhang is because of Zhao Gou's promise."
"Zhao Gou said that he governed the place by doing nothing, leaving the place to the big clans, and jointly governing Yangzhou with the big clans of Yangzhou."
"This policy has made countless benefits to Yangzhou's wealthy families, and the Gu family has also benefited."
"That's right. If the Yangzhou clan is on Zhao Gou's side, then the subordinates will be complicit."
Gu Xianxiong solemnly said: "Your Majesty, the Holy Ming Zhuzhao, must know Zhao Gou's arrangements. Please tell me clearly."
Zhao Shan said: "Since Zhao Gou has given benefits to the big family, why are you now representing the Yangzhou big family to abandon the dark side and join the bright side?"
Gu Xianxiong gritted his teeth and said: "In order to resist His Majesty's army, Zhao Gou accepted the Japanese army into Wu County. That's all. However, Zhao Gou allowed the Japanese Japanese to insult the people and defile their women."
"I went to Prince Wu's Mansion to persuade Zhao Gou to restrain the Japanese people. Instead, Zhao Gou scolded him and asked the big families to endure it and continue to suffer the people."
"I have no choice but to surrender to His Majesty."
Gu Xianxiong said: "The fight between Zhao Gou and His Majesty is just an internal fight. Now Zhao Gou has introduced Japanese people, ravaged Wu County, and affected the people. I can't tolerate it, and the Yangzhou clan can't tolerate it."
His words are both true and false.
Almost entirely true.
The only falsehood was that Gu Xianxiong never cared about ordinary people and always wanted to follow Zhao Gou to protect the family's interests.
Zhao Gou didn't care and kept the families in lockdown. Only then did Gu Xianxiong come out to find Zhao Shan.
Zhao Shan didn't know what Gu Xianxiong said, so he said with a smile: "Zhao Gou can give you benefits, but with me, you have no benefits at all. I even have to detect lawlessness, and I will deal with anyone who violates laws and disciplines."
"The big families in Yangzhou cannot be above the national law. The big families in Yangzhou are not a place outside the law. You are lawless under Zhao Gou, and you must be restrained everywhere by me."
"You are all willing to do this?"
A cold light flashed across Zhao Shan's eyes.
The good days of Yangzhou's wealthy families have come to an end. He does not object to the pursuit of interests by the large families, nor does he object to the large families becoming rich.
You are capable, reasonable and legal, and Zhao Shan will encourage you.
However, Zhao Shan could not agree to live by squeezing the people, relying on the enjoyment of fish and meat, and even wanted to be a worm in the country, and even wanted to suppress it on a large scale.
As soon as Gu Xianxiong heard Zhao Shan's words, he immediately understood the differences between the local wealthy families and the emperor. The emperor wanted to control and weaken the aristocratic families, and the Yangzhou clan wanted to control local power.
This is a contradiction.
Now that things have happened, the Yangzhou clan has no way out, otherwise if they die together with Zhao Gou, the family will be uprooted.
Gu Xianxiong said without hesitation: "On behalf of the Yangzhou clan, I surrender to the imperial court, submit to His Majesty, and obey His Majesty's arrangements. We sincerely ask Your Majesty to give you a chance to reform."
Zhao Shan asked: "How can I change my ways?"
Gu Xianxiong replied: "All of us, the Yangzhou clan, have raised three million taels of silver to donate to the court. Please be lenient. From now on, the Yangzhou clan will do everything in accordance with the law, and everything will be carried out in accordance with the laws of the imperial court. Please ask your majesty for past events." Let bygones be bygones."
"no!"
Zhao Shan refused without hesitation.
Gu Xianxiong frowned slightly and asked, "What does Your Majesty want to do?"
Zhao Shan picked up the tea bowl in front of him, took a sip, and said: "First, I allow the Yangzhou rich family to pay for atonement, not three million taels of silver, but five million taels of silver."
Gu Xianxiong said: "No problem!"
Five million taels of silver is indeed a bit difficult for a single family. But for all the big families in Yangzhou, this is a small problem.
Each family can just squeeze together and get it together.
Zhao Shan continued: "Second, all hidden households controlled by Yangzhou's big families must be released, and common people's household registrations can no longer be hidden. All people must be registered and re-registered."
Population is key.
Once the court knew the local population, it could determine the tax collection situation.
If the court didn't know about the big local families, it wouldn't be able to collect taxes. For example, in Wu County, if the Yangzhou clan hid 10,000 households, the imperial court would lose taxes for 10,000 households.
On the other hand, the big family hides the people and gives all the people's harvest to the big family. They rely on the big family in all aspects, thereby binding the people and making them have to work for the big family.
As a result, the common people became the private products of the big families, and even became private soldiers.
Just like this, Zhao Shan has been attacking the rich families.
However, Zhao Shan did not promulgate a policy to weaken the big families, and only arranged for Du Gangfeng to target the big families in an anti-corruption manner.
Many people who serve as officials come from wealthy families.
Once they are investigated and dealt with, they will take the opportunity to investigate the wrongdoers and deal with them together with the family, thereby weakening the power of the big family.
When Gu Xianxiong heard Zhao Shan's words, he frowned slightly, but when he thought of people being slaves and fish, he couldn't resist. He nodded and said, "Your Majesty, please rest assured. The whole family agrees with the issue of hiding the population."
Speaking of this, Gu Xianxiong couldn't wait to say: "If Your Majesty has nothing else to do, I will go back and make arrangements immediately. After the operation tonight, tomorrow morning we will unite the power of the big family and open the city gate to welcome His Majesty into the city."
Zhao Shan said calmly: "What's the rush? I just said two things, and that's just the beginning."
brush!
Gu Xianxiong's expression changed drastically.
Are there any conditions?
Gu Xianxiong smiled and said: "What other conditions does your Majesty have?"
Zhao Shan said in a deep voice: "Third, the upper limit of the land of each family in Yangzhou is three thousand acres, and all excess land will be handed over to the court."
Gu Xianxiong's head felt like it was exploding and his scalp was numb.
A family's three thousand acres of land is equivalent to pressing the family to the ground and rubbing it. Among the real aristocratic families in Yangzhou, such as the Gu family, the Zhang family, the Yu family, etc., which one does not have tens of thousands of acres?
When the family was at its peak, there were even more. At one time, a large family occupied an area of more than 100,000 acres, which was even bigger.
Land is the true foundation of the family.
Where there is land, there is everything.
Every family has a time when it is prosperous. When it is prosperous, the children of the family are talented, can make money, and can bring money from many sources. But with the ebb and flow, there will always be times of decline. Once a family declines, the family's land is the foundation and the foundation for prosperity again.
With land, you don't need to worry about money and income, you won't have to worry about three meals a day, and you can study without hearing what's going on outside the window. As long as the family has talents again, it will rise quickly.
The land is gone, which means the roots are cut off.
Gu Xianxiong said sarcastically: "Are your Majesty's conditions too harsh?"
Zhao Shan stretched out two fingers and said: "The upper limit of land for each family is two thousand acres, and all excess land will be handed over to the court."
hiss!
Gu Xianxiong couldn't help but take a breath.
He felt that all the fear, all the thrills, all the vacillation in his life had been spent on today.
It is too difficult to talk to the emperor.
Gu Xianxiong thought about Zhao Shan's strength. After making a difficult decision, he solemnly said: "I agree to your majesty's conditions. Our Yangzhou clan is willing to hand over our money. If there is nothing else..."
Zhao Shan flicked his sleeves and interrupted: "I still have conditions."
Gu Xianxiong's cheeks twitched and asked, "What other conditions does Your Majesty have?"
Zhao Shan replied: "The fourth condition is that the people of Yangzhou are in hardship and lack of food. The wealthy people of Yangzhou must raise another five million stones of food for the imperial court to help the people."
Gu Xianxiong swallowed his saliva.
He opened his mouth and asked for five million shi of grain. He really didn’t regard grain as grain.
Gu Xianxiong subconsciously wanted to bargain, but then he thought about how his family lost a thousand acres of fertile land just because of opening his mouth. Gu Xianxiong swallowed the words he spoke.
This time he learned the lesson and said, "Your Majesty, are there any conditions?"
Zhao Shan said: "The last one is a condition, not a condition, but a piece of advice. I have no objection to people from big families becoming officials. Whether they are children from big families or from poor families, as long as they are talented and capable, I will come. No one will refuse.”
"I don't like people who eat vegetarian food in their corpse position."
"Anyone who acts arbitrarily while in his position, abuses his power, oppresses the people, has no respect for the king's laws and respects the court, I will definitely deal with him."
Zhao Shan said: "In view of the willingness of the Yangzhou clan to cooperate, I will give you a chance. Those who are capable can stay, and those who are incompetent are best to resign. In the future, I will arrange for people to evaluate local officials. What I mean is, have you understood?"
"Understood!"
Gu Xianxiong answered helplessly.
The big families in Yangzhou and Zhao Gou jointly ruled the world. As a result, people from big families continued to fill the officialdom. No matter how good or bad your character is, whether you are capable or not, you can always find yourself in a trap.
When the imperial court takes over, the big family will no longer have these good things.
Under Zhao Shan's harsh conditions, Gu Xianxiong didn't even know how the major families would react after going back and talking about it.
Is it to bear the humiliation?
Or should we rise up and resist?
Gu Xianxiong thought for a while and said: "Your Majesty, this matter is so big that I dare not make the decision at will. Otherwise, if I agree to your Majesty but fail to do it, wouldn't I miss your Majesty's important event? I want to go back and discuss it with the major families. Please ask your Majesty permit."
Zhao Shan said: "Feel free to discuss it, I'm not in a hurry, I have plenty of time."
Gu Xianxiong saluted and then turned around and walked out of the welcoming tent.
But as soon as he reached the door of the camp, he heard Zhao Shan's voice from behind: "Gu Xianxiong!"
"exist!"
Gu Xianxiong turned around and answered.
He hunched his back slightly, fearing Zhao Shan as never before, because Zhao Shan was not like Zhao Gou. Zhao Gou was willing to delegate power to the big family, and it was Zhao Gou who had to rely on the big family. Zhao Shan is different.
Zhao Shan wants to take back power and will not delegate it at will.
Zhao Shan said calmly: "Since you are willing to come to talk, I would like to give you a final reminder. This is the last chance. If you miss this opportunity, anyone who continues to collude with Zhao Gou will be punished by the entire family."
Gu Xianxiong's heart suddenly became cold.
Zhao Shan's voice was not loud, but he felt an unprecedented chill.
Punish him to death!
It's not just two people, it's a huge family.
