A red sun slowly rose from the horizon, coating the tall and majestic Yijing City with a layer of golden light. Hundreds of cavalry galloped from the east. The soldiers guarding the city were about to step forward to interrogate, but they just listened. Someone on the cavalry shouted:
"We are the Guards Battalion, let's get out of the way..."
Upon hearing that it was the Guards Battalion and looking at the black dragon flag held high by the cavalry, the soldiers guarding the city immediately understood that the visitor was personally accompanied by the Governor, and they immediately did not dare to neglect to open the city gate in a marching salute and watch the Guards Battalion enter the city.
Under the escort of the guard camp, Ye Mingsheng returned to his residence in Yijing unimpeded. Because he rested in the wild last night, Ye Mingsheng did not sleep very well. Now that he is back in the mansion, Ye Mingsheng plans to have a good sleep. Take a nap and deal with the government affairs accumulated in the past few days since you left.
But unfortunately, he had just entered the mansion and had not even had time to burn incense. Gu Sansi, who got the news, came over to report on work. For work, Ye Mingsheng could only hold on to his tired body to meet Gu Sansi. .
After greeting Ye Mingsheng, Gu Sansi opened his mouth and reported to Ye Mingsheng:
"Sir, during the time you returned to Dongning, I met with all parties including the Ma family in Dai County, the Song family in Jizhou, the Wang family in Yanmen, etc., and promoted our Fengwu Army policy to them. The contacts made great progress at the beginning. It went smoothly, but now we are encountering some resistance..."
Although Gu Sansi didn't say it directly, Ye Mingsheng was probably aware of something and said without thinking:
"Is it a matter of public-private partnership?"
Seeing that Ye Mingsheng had understood, Gu Sansi nodded without trying to hide it and said:
"Yes, my lord, these representatives of the gentry are willing to donate money to our army, but they are all opposed to our army's public-private partnership policy, and their attitude is very firm and negative. I dare not make the decision without authorization when it comes to the overall situation. Please give me your permission!"
Hearing this, a sneer appeared on Ye Mingsheng's face. These squires have not yet understood the situation. They think that Mr. Ye is just another Zhao Fuqu. They can get through safely by paying some protection fees. He has not re-measured the land now and has redeemed the land. It's enough to give them face. Now they dare to oppose the public-private partnership. Is this really a disadvantage to me?
Ye Mingsheng pondered for a while and asked:
"Who has the most negative attitude and strongest resistance to this matter right now?"
Facing Ye Mingsheng's inquiry, Gu Sansi said directly without any hesitation:
"This should be the Ma family in Dai County. Guangtai Heng, the largest bank in the north of Youyan, is the largest owner. There is also Jiahexing, a company that occupies 50% of Youyan's grain market share. They also have 30% of the shares. In addition, in They also have considerable influence in the salt industry, cloth and other industries!"
"The Ma family has three mansions covering an area of 100 acres in Dai County. They also own half of the fertile farmland in Dai County. It is said that the Ma family previously donated 300,000 taels of silver and 200,000 shi of grain to the Yan army every year. , Countless pieces of salt, iron and cloth..."
After hearing this, Ye Mingsheng rubbed his Qingming point and asked lightly:
"So their family is very rich?"
Gu Sansi nodded and said:
"The Ma family's treasury is conservatively estimated to have half a million taels of silver. I have met with their representative Ma Hongde before. Ma Hongde said that as long as our army stops public-private joint ventures, the Ma family is willing to fully cooperate with our army's work, and Donate 200,000 taels of silver, 100,000 shi of grain, 10,000 jins of salt, and 50,000 pieces of cloth to our army!"
At this point, Gu Sansi took out a pair of jade bracelets from his arms and presented them to Ye Mingsheng and said:
"This is a gadget given to me by Ma Hongde. I didn't want to accept it originally, but Ma Hongde was very determined. In order not to affect your plan, I can only reluctantly accept it. Please be aware of it!"
When Ye Mingsheng heard this, he picked up the pair of jade bracelets with great interest and looked at them carefully. He saw that the texture of the jade bracelets was transparent and the craftsmanship was exquisite. They were absolutely extraordinary at first glance. They would cost thousands at least if they were put on the market. Two silver coins and returned the jade bracelet to Gu Sansi. Ye Mingsheng said with a smile:
"This Ma Hongde is really generous!"
Listening to Ye Mingsheng's words, Gu Sansi felt that the valuable jade bracelet in his hand became extremely hot in an instant. Just when he didn't know that he didn't know what to do, Ye Mingsheng said:
"Return this jade bracelet to Ma Hongde! If he is a smart man, he should know what to do..."
"yes!"
After receiving Ye Mingsheng's order, Gu Sansi relaxed, but he hesitated and said:
"Sir, the Ma family is a typical representative of the collusion between officials and businessmen in Youyan's officialdom. Their family has very complex and close interest relationships with officials from various places. Many people act as a protective umbrella for them and protect their business. I think I’m afraid Ma Hongde won’t give in easily!”
Ye Mingsheng smiled slightly when he heard this and said:
"God has the virtue of good life. I, Mr. Ye, am not a person who kills indiscriminately. I gave him the opportunity. The rest depends on his own destiny. If he can't find his way back, he will still insist on going his own way and go to the dark side. , then this is the fate of their Ma family!"
As soon as he said these words, he couldn't help but think twice. Although Ye Mingsheng said these words lightly, the meaning behind them was full of murderous intent.
Taking a deep breath, Gu Sansi bowed to Ye Mingsheng and said:
"I will inform Ma Hongde of your lord's decision!"
"Well, think twice about what you're doing, I'll rest assured!" Ye Mingsheng encouraged with a smile:
After letting Ye Cheng send Gu Sansi away, Ye Mingsheng shook his head slightly in the room. He was already in prison. For the sake of his own image, he was not willing to commit more crimes, but there were always some people who didn't know how to appreciate others and were shameless. Face, I hope that after killing the chicken to scare the monkey, some people can understand the situation...
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Dongning, Murong Mansion
The faint fragrance rose from the incense burner in the study, and Murong Yuliang was sipping fragrant tea with a young man of about thirty years old.
He picked up the tea cup and took a sip, feeling the unique fragrance in his mouth. Murong Yuliang couldn't help but sigh and said:
“What a delicious tea! It’s been a long time since I’ve had such a delicious Yuqian Longjing tea!”
The young man beside him, Murong Hui, listened to Murong Yuliang's emotion and smiled and said:
"Father knows that my second uncle likes this. He asked me to come here this time because I brought two kilograms to give to my second uncle!"
Murong Yuliang shook his head and said:
"Your father is really stingy. He only asked you to bring me two kilograms. After all, it would be nice to have some drinks in this situation!"
Murong Hui heard this and explained:
"Second uncle, I don't know. Since the Luo'an Incident, the trade route from Jiangnan to Sichuan has also been greatly affected. Wu Guangdao, the governor of Jiangnan, specially sent these tea leaves to the emperor. The emperor rewarded him I gave some to the minister, and our family received a total of five kilograms..."
Upon hearing this, Murong Yuliang suddenly changed his tone and said with emotion:
"I see, my eldest brother is still thinking of me!"
Taking advantage of the time to enjoy tea, Murong Yuliang asked how his family in Sichuan and Sichuan were doing. As the saying goes, the war lasted for three months, and letters from home were worth ten thousand yuan. Since the Luo'an Incident, the world's roads have been bad. He and his family in Sichuan and Sichuan The exchange of letters between them also decreased. Murong Yuliang, who was in northern Xinjiang, also missed his family very much. Now that his nephew Murong Hui came from Sichuan, he naturally asked about it.
After hearing that her family had been well arranged by her eldest brother Murong Lun, Murong Yu's conscience relaxed and she asked Murong Hui directly:
"Your father asked you to travel thousands of miles to come here, but what do you think?"
Murong Hui nodded and said:
"Because my uncle, you, are in the Fengwu Army, my father has been paying close attention to the movements of the Fengwu Army in Sichuan. The Fengwu Army's entry into the Pass this time was like a swift and fierce offensive sweeping away fallen leaves in the wind, and they decisively defeated the tigers in the north. Zhao Fuqu captured Yi Jing, which gave them a lot of attention from the imperial court!"
"One of the reasons why Dad sent me here this time is to ask Second Uncle what you think about the prospects of the Fengwu Army and what you think of Governor Ye himself. Secondly, I also want Second Uncle to recommend you to me. Being able to meet Governor Ye on behalf of my father..."
Murong Hui's words had been expected by Murong Yuliang, so he pondered for a moment and said:
"At present, unless Shangguan Hongyuan can conquer Sichuan and Shu, or he gives up attacking Sichuan and Shu and shifts his strategic focus eastward to threaten Fengwu Army from Yunbin, I can't see anyone in the north who can stop Fengwu Army. The pace of military expansion!"
As soon as these words came out, Murong Hui was shocked and looked at his second uncle with some surprise. Although the current situation of Fengwu Army was indeed very good, he did not expect that Murong Yuliang would be so confident about the future of Fengwu Army. After all, In his impression, his second uncle has always been very prudent in his words and actions.
Feeling Murong Hui's shock, Murong Yuliang smiled slightly and said:
"I am not bragging because I am now a member of the Fengwu Army, and Wang Po sells melons to sell melons. In my opinion, the Fengwu Army does have this strength! Our Governor Ye is indeed a majestic figure, capable of swallowing up mountains and rivers. Momentum! In my opinion, the Fengwu Army will capture Zhuoxian County by the end of this year at the latest and completely annihilate Zhao Fuqu’s participation in Youyan!"
After hearing this, Murong Hui thought for a moment, then tentatively asked Murong Yuliang:
"Second Uncle, do you know the Fengwu Army's battle plan?"
Murong Yuliang smiled and shook his head and said:
"The organizational structure of the Fengwu Army is not what you imagine. Except for Gu Sansi, the other civilian officials and military attachés in the Fengwu Army are very clear-cut. The only communication is about military expenditures. Other than that, they basically do not participate in each other's relations. It happened during this time! So it is impossible for me to know the battle plan of Fengwu Army. My judgment is based on my understanding of Governor Ye..."
"The only factor restricting the Fengwu Army's external expansion is logistical support. Now the strategic focus of the Fengwu Army has begun to shift to Youyan. Ye Mingsheng personally carried out reforms in Youyan and tried to integrate the manpower in the north of Youyan. Material resources, and when the integration is completed, it will be almost time for the proud soldiers and generals of the Fengwu Army to start again!"
"Gao Zongchang is old and now only wants to maintain success, but the more he wants to maintain success, the more chaotic he becomes. Although Cao Changping is younger, he is ambitious and capable, but his basic base is too weak and chaotic, and he has no Ye Mingsheng's combined courage and ability, if he can cooperate sincerely with Gao Zongchang, may be able to stop the Fengwu Army, but these two people are both people with evil intentions, and it is impossible for them to unite sincerely."
"So this year we capture Zhao Fuqu and occupy the entire territory of Youyan. If nothing else goes wrong, the Fengwu Army will invade Jiyu and Qilu and occupy the Central Plains in five to three years!"
Seeing Murong Yuliang praising Ye Mingsheng so much to Feng Wujun, Murong Hui seemed a little dissatisfied and asked:
"According to what you said, Second Uncle, then doesn't this Fengwu Army have no weaknesses? Isn't it only a matter of time that we conquer the world sooner or later?"
When Murong Yuliang heard this, he looked serious and said:
"Although the Fengwu Army is strong and Ye Mingsheng is very powerful, they are not without weaknesses. They even have a fatal weakness. If someone can overcome this weakness, the Fengwu Army will instantly fall apart..." ··”
This statement immediately aroused Murong Hui's interest, and he asked curiously:
"What is the weakness of Second Uncle Fengwu Army?"
Facing Murong Hui's inquiry, Murong Yuliang was silent for a while, then raised his head to meet Murong Hui's gaze and said word by word:
"Ye Mingsheng!"
"The weakness of the Fengwu Army is Ye Mingsheng?" Murong Hui asked in astonishment:
"Yes, Ye Mingsheng is the destiny of Fengwu Army!" Murong Yuliang nodded with certainty:
After finishing his words, Murong Yuliang organized his speech and said:
"Ye Mingsheng is good at playing tricks. Under his operation, no one in the Fengwu Army can threaten his position. Everyone is tightly united around him, but this also means that if something goes wrong with Ye Mingsheng, Then no one in the entire Fengwu Army can take his place, and the Fengwu Army will fall apart and even fight!"
"Ye Mingsheng has been very good at leveraging the power of aristocratic families since his rise in Fengzhou, but from what I can see, he is very wary and disgusted with aristocratic families deep in his heart. He promoted public-private partnerships, land redemption policies, etc. A series of reforms have only one core and purpose, and that is to attack the Yi family clan!"
"In Liaoyang, except for the Cui family, who was led by the old fox Cui Shao, they never gave Ye Mingsheng a suitable excuse. The rest of the Gongsun family and the Yun family basically had their backs broken by Ye Mingsheng. When Ye Mingsheng was there, they were powerful. Eyes, they can only hide in the corner and lick their wounds, but if something goes wrong with Ye Mingsheng, then the power of the family will definitely come back!"
"As for the army, only Ye Mingsheng has the prestige and ability to make those arrogant and brave generals obey. No one else has this ability at all. If Ye Mingsheng is gone, no one in the army can hold it down, and war will be a disaster if no one obeys. rise···················"
