Gu Xianxiong took a deep breath to calm his mind and said solemnly: "Don't worry, Your Majesty, I will convey it clearly."
Zhao Shan said: "Go."
Gu Xianxiong saluted Zhao Shan again before leaving the camp.
He walked all the way out of the camp, and it was already dark outside. Although there was a waning moon across the sky, the night was hazy. Gu Xianxiong stood in the darkness and felt a chill inexplicably.
Gu Xianxiong looked at the burning torches in the camp with an unprecedented seriousness in his eyes. I'm afraid it won't go well if I go back to discuss with Zhang Guangdao and others this time.
Zhao Shan's conditions are too harsh.
The big family relied on population, land and food, and Zhao Shan had to take them all. Not only that, Zhao Shan also had to assess and picket officials from various families in various places, which was an all-round attack.
In Yangzhou under the control of Zhao Gou, the top big families served as officials, and the small and medium-sized families served as officials, forming a stable structure.
Now Zhao Shan wants to break all this.
The situation becomes complicated.
Gu Xianxiong didn't know how the families would react, but he talked with Zhao Shan and knew Zhao Shan's determination. He also knew that if the families continued to get involved with Zhao Gou, they would really be punished in the future.
Gu Xianxiong let out a long sigh, turned around and left in a hurry. He returned along the original path and returned to the city smoothly. When he returned to Gu's house, he saw Zhang Guangdao, Yu Yong and Zhou Xin all arriving.
These three people are representatives of the big families in Yangzhou and influential people in Yangzhou.
Although Zhang Guangdao was old, he was more impatient and asked quickly: "Master Gu went to see Zhao Shan. How was the situation? How did Zhao Shan answer?"
Yu Yong and Zhou Xin both looked over, their eyes eager.
"well……"
Gu Xianxiong sighed.
Zhang Guangdao's heart skipped a beat and he asked anxiously: "Did Zhao Shan refuse our surrender? Our big families have already given up their secrets and pledged their support to serve him. What will he do?"
"This is our greatest sincerity."
"Yangzhou is inseparable from our big families, and the livelihoods of thousands of people in Yangzhou are on our shoulders. With our help, Zhao Shan, the Holy Emperor, can govern the place without having to manage it. What’s wrong with that?”
The more Zhang Guangdao talked, the angrier he became, and he said, "How dare he, Zhao Shan, refuse us?"
Gu Xianxiong glanced at Zhang Guangdao with a deep look.
Why?
Naturally, he relies on the knife in his hand.
However, Gu Xianxiong did not answer immediately. He sat quietly and observed the reactions of others.
Yu Yong snorted and said forcefully: "If Zhao Shan doesn't give us a way to survive, we will risk our lives and follow Zhao Gou to fight to the end. Even if we risk our family's heritage, we will not let Zhao Shan have an easy time. Our Yangzhou clan is on the river, although we are defeated. I have been around for a while, but I am not a person who can be slaughtered by others."
Zhou Xin said: "Lao Gu, don't be too tight-lipped. If you have any news, tell me immediately. How can we make a judgment if you don't tell us?"
Gu Xianxiong looked around at the people, hesitated for a moment and said, "Zhao Shan agreed."
Zhang Guangdao had a look of joy on his face and said: "Zhao Shan agreed to our surrender, why do you still look so sad..."
Having said this, Zhang Guangdao paused for a moment, suddenly enlightened, and asked: "Could it be that Zhao Shan has put forward harsh conditions and wants to target our Yangzhou family?"
Gu Xianxiong said: "Mr. Zhang is right, Zhao Shan is like a lion who wants to blackmail us to death."
Zhang Guangdao flicked his sleeves and scolded impatiently: "Gu Laoer, are you a fucking man or a woman for your mother-in-law and mother-in-law? I want you to stop showing off, and I want you to explain clearly in one breath why you are always dawdling. . You’re not looking for a woman, so why are you bothering?”
Zhou Xin urged: "Brother Gu, please make it clear."
Gu Xianxiong didn't hesitate anymore and explained Zhao Shan's conditions in detail.
From stripping off the hidden population of each family, to limiting the upper limit of two thousand acres of land controlled by each family, and to the large family having to raise five million taels of silver, as well as the food that needs to be raised, and finally, the local officials of each family have to Correct and self-examine.
After everything was said, Gu Xianxiong shrugged and said helplessly: "These are the emperor's conditions, which can be described as an all-round suppression of us."
boom!
Zhang Guangdao was completely angry.
He was furious, his eyes widened, and he slapped the desk hard. Although it was too hard and caused his hands to tremble slightly, it could not compare with the anger in his heart.
Zhang Guangdao blew his beard and said with a glare: "What is Zhao Shan thinking? Who does he think he is? I will never accept his conditions. I, the Zhang family, would rather live standing than die kneeling."
Yu Yong said angrily: "Zhao Shan won't give us a way to survive, so we will fight to the death with Zhao Shan. If we want to die, we will never let Zhao Shan have an easy time."
Zhou Xin couldn't help but rolled up her sleeves and said, "You're right, let's fight Zhao Shan."
Everyone was extremely angry.
Everyone had a look of refusal on their faces.
The Yangzhou family has been entrenched in Yangzhou for many years, and the family's strength has long been deeply rooted in the local area. Families, large and small, controlled local officials in Yangzhou, controlled local officials, and had the right to speak locally.
Over the years, Zhao Gou continued to provide benefits to the big family, causing the Yangzhou big family to expand rapidly and occupy many official positions.
From the Prefectural Mufu's Office, to the County Sheriff's Office, and down to the County Government Office, people from big families work.
After taking full power, Yangzhou's wealthy families also expanded like never before, and the mentality of the leaders of each family changed.
It has always been easy for people to go from frugality to luxury, but it is difficult to go from luxury to frugality.
When you are used to being a master, enjoying a life of majesty, and enjoying the days when you have clothes to wear, food to eat, and mouth to open, it is naturally impossible to give up these lives.
Gu Xianxiong remained silent, letting Zhang Guangdao, Yu Yong and Zhou Xin vent their curses.
After a long while, Zhang Guangdao and the other three stopped talking.
Everyone fell silent.
He said that he would fight to the death with Zhao Shan, but what should he fight with?
Zhao Shan is not Zhao Gou!
Zhao Shan is too strong.
Gu Xianxiong said leisurely: "When I left, Zhao Shan said one last word. He said that surrendering to the court now is the last chance. If you continue to collude with Zhao Gou and help Zhou Gou do evil, wait until the court has wiped out Zhao Gou, and then deal with the lawless ones one by one. At that time, all the big families involved will be punished."
Zhang Guangdao was stunned for a moment.
The next moment, he sat down directly.
If Zhao Gou was very strong and had never lost to Zhao Shan, they would naturally dare to fight Zhao Shan and even fight back immediately. The problem is that Zhao Gou has already declined and is about to lose. If he continues to quarrel with Zhao Gou, he will most likely be liquidated by Zhao Shan.
Yu Yong and Zhou Xin no longer had the courage to vent their curses just now, and their expressions were very solemn.
After switching to Zhao Shan, the family lost all benefits and became just a big and influential family. If you don't switch to Zhao Shan and are destroyed along with Zhao Gou, the family will be liquidated and killed. That is the risk of genocide.
No one can afford this.
The hall suddenly became quiet, and there was no more sound.
The atmosphere was extremely solemn.
Gu Xianxiong said again: "What do you mean, do you want to fight to the death with Zhao Shan? Would you rather the family be destroyed than start a war?"
"This, this, this..."
Zhang Guangdao spoke hesitantly, his brows furrowed.
After he vented his emotions, he lost the turbulent momentum just now and seemed a little hesitant. He looked at Gu Xianxiong and said, "Mr. Gu, you are very resourceful. What do you think we should do?"
Gu Xianxiong did not express his position and asked: "I don't know either. Mr. Zhang, you are our senior. What do you think we should do?"
Zhang Guangdao couldn't make up his mind, so he looked at Yu Yong and said, "Master Yu, you are an official in Prince Wu's Mansion, what do you think we should do?"
"I have no idea!"
Yu Yong did not give a reply.
Zhang Guangdao looked at Zhou Xin and said, "Nephew Zhou Xian, what do you think?"
"Come down, surrender."
After Zhou Xin vented his anger, the big family's instinctive ability to follow the heart was activated.
He licked his dry lips and said again: "You all know about Zhao Gou's situation. If you don't talk about it from afar, let's just say that Zhao Gou and Abe Nakahara are getting together like this, regardless of the life and death of the people."
"Even if we can block Zhao Shan, can we still secure the position of King of Wu in the future?"
"Zhao Shanben is sure to conquer every battle. Now that he has an absolute advantage and has Wu County trapped, how can he give Zhao Gou a chance?"
"I'm afraid it's unstoppable."
"Following Zhao Gou means that the family will be destroyed and the clan will be completely wiped out. There will be no chance at all."
week Just survive."
Zhang Guangdao said helplessly: "Zhao Shan's conditions are too harsh."
After Zhou Xin said he surrendered, he no longer had any worries and said again: "Does Mr. Zhang want to watch his children and grandchildren die one by one? Does Mr. Zhang think he can stop Zhao Shan?"
"well……"
Zhang Guangdao also sighed again.
He couldn't help but rub his old face, hesitated for a moment and made a decision, and said from the bottom of his heart: "What Nephew Zhou Xian said makes sense, I agree. We have no way to retreat and have no choice but to submit to Zhao Shan. "
Yu Yong followed: "I also agree. The Yu family is a big family that has been around for hundreds of years. It has been inherited in an orderly manner and cannot be allowed to be destroyed. Mr. Gu, you have to express your position. We have to talk about what we should do. "
Gu Xianxiong spread his hands and said helplessly: "What else can we do? You have all made your choice. Do I still want to fight to the death with Zhao Gou? I also agree to surrender."
The four people looked at each other with bitter expressions, but they reached a tacit agreement.
This is no choice.
The big family is so flexible, so conscientious, and we have to look ahead in everything.
Gu Xianxiong said in a deep voice: "Since we agree to surrender to Zhao Shan, let's discuss a strategy. Then I will leave the city overnight and make an agreement with Zhao Shan. When Zhao Shan attacks tomorrow, we can coordinate his army to enter the city."
Yu Yong said confidently: "This matter is very simple, I think so..."
Yu Yong came up with a plan for opening the city gate.
Zhang Guangdao and Zhou Xin also expressed their opinions one after another.
Gu Xianxiong combined the strategies of several people and made a final plan, asking the three of them to do work for each major family. For the Yangzhou clan to advance and retreat together, they must unify their opinions, and there are still many follow-up matters to be arranged.
Gu Xianxiong no longer hesitated and quietly left the city for Zhao Shan's camp.
Gu Xianxiong came to Zhao Shan's camp again. It was around early in the morning. After he bowed respectfully, he solemnly said: "Gu Xianxiong, a common man, pays homage to Your Majesty. I have discussed with the major families in Yangzhou and unanimously decided to surrender to Your Majesty."
