It rained heavily, and the entire city of Zhangye was shrouded in a curtain of rain. The rainwater dripped along the eaves like pillars in front of the corridor. The rising water vapor diffused in through the open windows, covering the side hall located in the corner of the middle hall of Yang Mansion. The saturation is pleasantly cool.
On the second floor, in the inner room partitioned by a screen with pictures of ladies, through the incense burner with birds and blue smoke rising, one can see three beautiful beauties sitting opposite each other across a square of chessboard, with the gentle gaze of Xiao Ying on top. Pei Shuying moved from the chessboard to holding a chess piece and thinking about it, and said with a smile: "Sister, when playing chess, some moves need to be considered carefully, otherwise haste will lead to waste. A truly good game of chess will not be completed in a short time. It ends hastily, but every step taken must be carefully considered to ensure there are no flaws."
"The same is true in life, you are upset!"
Pei Shuying held a black chess piece and placed it on the corner of the chess floor with a clatter. She raised her plump jade face and said sadly: "Sister, I miss my husband! I don't know when he will come back."
Yang Ji has the psychic power of the God and the Gyrfalcon, and writes letters from time to time to report that he is safe. Just half an hour ago, the sisters had just received a letter from their husband using the power of the God, saying that the elite divisions of the Sui Dynasty had conquered Fu this morning. Murong Fuyun, the Great Khan of Qicheng and Tuyuhun, had already committed suicide for his country, so they didn't have to worry. But then he changed his mind and said that Tuyuhun was in ruins and he would not be able to come back for the time being. But it was precisely because of this that Pei Shuying missed him so much.
In addition, she doesn’t know what happened to her. She has become the nanny of three children. The three children are very attached to her now. She is almost bored to death. Now she just wants to run away and hide from those three children. little things.
"Rumei and I also miss our husband, and we also want to go to Fuqi City!" Xiao Yingfang felt a surge of expectation in her heart. She had not seen each other for many days, and her heart was filled with longing. He placed the chess piece gently on the chessboard and said softly: "The children like you and can't live without you. You also like children very much. In my opinion, you can take care of the children in Zhangye."
"Ha!" Pei Shuying sneered: "Sister, I'm just kidding, how could I like them? I'm so fed up with them now."
Liu Rumei, who was watching them play chess, looked at Pei Shuying with a bright smile, her eyes fell on the abundant granary for a moment, and she said softly: "There is no way around this! Who can tolerate you?"
Pei Shuying: "..."
"It's a joke, but don't even think about it." Because of her husband, Xiao Ying pays great attention to the mountains and rivers related to military affairs. She knows that Zhangye City is not far from Fuqi City; if you really want to go, just go against the direction. The tributary of the Weoshui River flows southward to the Yuanchuan River, which is the Qilian Plain. From here, continue southward along the "Hargai River" to Qinghai Lake, and then turn west to reach Fuqi City. But they sisters must not cause trouble to their husbands.
After glancing at Pei Shuying, Xiao Ying changed the subject and said seriously: "My brother wrote that the officials in the court are quite critical of Lang Jun! And it is still in the war period. If we run to the battlefield, we will definitely Give people a handle.”
As various good news spread to Luoyang, some rumors inevitably appeared in the court. No one is saying that Yang Ji is self-reliant and intends to rebel. Instead, they say that since Tuyuhun has become the territory of the Sui Dynasty, the people of Tuyuhun are the Sui Dynasty. For the people of the Sui Dynasty, Yang Ji should not engage in the "Three Whatevers and Three Kills", let alone torture "their people".
Of course, they don't really think about "their people". First, they understand that after Tuyuhun is over, the Silk Road that runs from east to west will be unblocked and there will no longer be any security risks. As long as the Wei Wang clan headed by Yang Ji is forced away , they can do whatever they want, and they can sell all forbidden goods for huge profits.
Second, they understood that the early days of Tuyuhun's integration into the Sui Dynasty happened to be a period of collision between two cultures, two ideological trends, and two systems. Some Tuyuhun people could not even stand the constraints of the Sui Dynasty system, and then rebelled against the government. At this time , is often the time when political achievements can be best made; therefore, many people with "far-sightedness" hope that their nephews will serve as officials in this brand-new land, and by virtue of their "counter-rebellion" achievements, they will be coated with a layer of brilliance. aura for future promotion. But among their goals, the Weiwang faction headed by Yang Ji is still the biggest obstacle.
The combination of the two prompted many officials to tacitly impeach Yang Ji and impeach officials from the King Wei family. If things continue like this, Xiao Ying estimates that they will make a big fuss about "successful achievements".
Pei Shuying and Liu Rumei also knew about this. Pei Shuying dropped a chess piece on the chessboard and sighed: "The most terrifying thing about aristocratic families is not the big shots in the officialdom, nor the high-walled courtyards, but The invisible forces that permeate all walks of life. Those silent forces seem to be soft and weak trickles and drizzles, but once concentrated, they become a torrent that can destroy everything. According to me, Aye, the savings of the family members We have gained unimaginable wealth. This wealth is not only money, but also wealth closely related to people’s livelihood, people’s economy and people’s wisdom, and these are the most fundamental forces in this world!”
"For example, silkworm women, horsemen, farmers, boatmen, and porters may seem very humble, but there is always an invisible thread connecting them. This thread is the caravans, officials, and money in the hands of the family members. In order to live and survive, the lower class people need to compromise with the caravans, officials, and money of the aristocratic families. Therefore, they are called court subjects, but in fact they are controlled by the aristocratic families. The aristocratic families use this ubiquitous power to control all walks of life. The common people of the industry, and then use these common people to influence the court and blackmail the court."
"If the imperial court issues a decree that is not conducive to the family, the family will first use the officials and critics they have cultivated to oppose it. If the emperor is unwilling to change and compromise, then through the fluctuation of food prices, food shortages, farmers unable to sell food, and workshops The workers were unable to buy clothes and food, etc., which caused unrest in the world. As a result, the emperor had no choice but to compromise for the sake of stability."
"Especially food, that is the top priority, and aristocratic families often use food to kidnap local officials."
Hearing this, Liu Rumei couldn't help but ask: "Kidnapping local officials? What if we kidnap local officials?"
Pei Shuying said: "Family members buy grain at low prices in good years and sell it at high prices in bad years. If it is unprofitable, they hoard it. Once a food shortage or natural disaster occurs in a certain place, the local government will immediately consider It is food. The higher-level government may have food, but even if there is no blame-shifting or corruption, the efficiency of the higher-level government is not as simple as that of the aristocratic family, nor as fast as that of the aristocratic family. Faced with this serious situation where hungry people may rebel, The only people in the disaster-stricken areas that the officials in the disaster-stricken areas can rely on are the aristocratic families with large amounts of food."
"Whether they are honest officials or corrupt officials, they are all in a disadvantaged position of asking for help in order to meet their urgent needs. When the aristocratic family takes advantage of the situation and puts forward harsh conditions, how can the officials dare not compromise? Even if there is no natural disaster, the aristocratic family will Family members can also prevent local specialties from being sold and urgently needed items from being purchased. Therefore, for local officials who want to secure their official positions and be promoted, family members are indispensable and cannot be offended, even more so than the imperial court. It must be powerful, terrifying, and unoffensive.”
At this point, Pei Shuying paused and continued: "Because the people of Li and local officials all need aristocratic families, the emperor and the court can only give in. This is the general trend and the most terrifying thing about aristocratic families. As long as it does not affect the people's livelihood. Under the premise of planning and keeping the world in chaos, the only ones who have the ability to deal with thousand-year-old families and century-old wealthy families are each other."
Liu Rumei asked again: "Besides, is there no other power that can deal with the noble families?"
"War! War power can do it." Pei Shuying was raised as a man by Pei Ju since she was a child. Pei Ju studied according to her interests and hobbies, and did not prohibit her from studying history, so she knew national history and war history very well: "But broken down, This can only be done in the early stage of a war. Because in the early stage of a war, people who cannot survive are often the first to rebel. These people usually focus on killing and looting. The targets of the struggle are often local wealthy people, so the first to be unlucky are the local aristocratic families. , local wealthy families."
"In the middle of the war, the rebel kings who emerged victorious had a long-term vision. They knew how to let the water go to fish. They usually replaced killing with appeasement and governance, and used food and manpower to maintain their rule."
"In the middle and late stages of the war, the aristocratic families or the people they supported began to enter the scene. They were more far-sighted and better at winning over people than the civilians who emerged victorious to rebel against the king, and the people they first attracted were often those with whom they had complicated relationships. Every time a new dynasty appears, the families with the power of Conglong will not be weak but become strong. This has been true from the Shang, Zhou, Qin, and Han Dynasties to the present."
"Why did Mr. Lang say that the Wei, Jin, Southern and Northern Dynasties were the mature period for aristocratic families? It's because the Wei, Jin, Southern and Northern Dynasties were particularly chaotic, with many local courts and many wars. In order to unify the world, each court turned to the wealthy, influential, and talented aristocratic families. Compromise, and the aristocratic families grew rapidly because of the generous rewards and lavish gifts from the emperors of each court and turned a blind eye. Of course, there were also some imperial courts that were in trouble and were replaced by the aristocratic families and military tycoons who had been raised. !”
When Xiao Ying heard the last sentence, she felt a little uncomfortable for a moment, and said coquettishly: "It's so easy to talk, don't make insinuations!"
Pei Shuying was stunned for a moment, and suddenly realized that the eldest sister's natal family was first plagued by tigers, and then raised tigers, and their husband's family was also plagued by tigers. She said anxiously: "Sister, I didn't talk about you."
Xiao Ying touched her forehead and sighed: "You might as well not say this!"
Pei Shuying said: "Sister, I am stupid!"
"Pfft" Liu Rumei couldn't help but laugh, thinking in her heart that if you can say that, that is the smartest way to show yourself. Who dares to say that you are stupid?
"It doesn't matter if we say this. Besides, it's all the seniors' business, so what does it have to do with us." Xiao Ying picked up the tea cup on the side, took a sip of tea, and then raised her eyes to look at Pei Shuying, who had a beautiful face. , chuckled: "My sister's theory about aristocratic families is correct, but for us, it's not scary at all."
Pei Shuying was quite puzzled and asked: "But why?"
"The saints are very afraid of the noble family. The bigger they make trouble and the more they slander the husband. The more the saints fear and resent them, and the more they trust and rely on the husband. So we have to be grateful to them and hope that they will increase the intensity of their slander." said. Here, Xiao Ying said to her again: "The war is over, and Lang Jun doesn't like to deal with government affairs. He will be back soon. There is no need for us to look for him. Maybe it won't be long before we go to Beijing together." ”
Pei Shuying pondered for a long time and suddenly said: "Sister, are you referring to the Sage's Northern Tour?"
"Yes!" Xiao Ying nodded: "Lang Jun ended the battle before the saint set off. I think the saint will let Lang Jun accompany him on the northern tour."
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