"My eldest son, Gao Yi, I will be generous today and give you all a hot soup." Just when everyone in the room was in high spirits, Lao Sheren shouted loudly.
"color!"
There was cheering in the room.
"Old man, remember to add more oil and salt." Someone said around him.
Lao Sheren rolled his eyes and said angrily: "You don't need money for oil and salt. Just take advantage if you can. If it hadn't been for the eldest son's righteousness this time, you would never have had the slightest advantage."
There was laughter all around again.
Just when Lao Sheren went to the kitchen to prepare hot soup, to everyone's surprise, another man ran in. He said loudly: "There is another notice under the city wall today. The eldest son said that it will be posted in three days." Officially announce the results of the shipwreck treatment in Huai County, and at the same time announce new salt and iron standards and officially start recruiting people to help."
"also."
"The officials under the city wall were even more excited and said that they had something to announce that day."
“But I didn’t say what it was exactly!”
Hear the words.
Everyone in the room looked surprised.
They already couldn't understand the eldest son's thoughts.
Didn’t the previous three notices explain the matter almost completely? Why choose another day? Is there anything important that day?
But what else matters?
Just when everyone was suspicious, Zhang Liang and He Yao looked at each other with seriousness in their eyes.
They know.
The announcement three days later is the real purpose.
It's just that they also looked puzzled. The matter related to salt and iron has been almost settled. The merchants and officials have been dealt with accordingly. The lack of salt and iron has also been properly resolved. The matter should have come to an end. Why? Still need to do more?
What exactly is in the Fusu gourd?
What is he planning?
They couldn't figure it out.
Zhang Liang lowered his head and thought about it in his mind without any clue.
He actually guessed that Fusu had other measures, because although the previous three notices were relatively complete, the impact of the Guanzhong incident this time was so great, and the government had arranged it for so long, and it ended like this, which was actually a bit of an anticlimax. But in the end, he couldn't even think of what else to do.
Zhang Liang took a deep breath.
Looking at the hot soup sent by Toneri, he looked around coldly, his eyes full of solemnity and fear.
He only felt deep powerlessness and passivity.
They know too little about Qin Ting.
It was exciting all around.
But when it fell into the ears of Zhang Liang and He Yao, they only felt noisy.
Zhang Liang put the hot soup on the table and looked at the little oil and green onion floating on it. Like everyone else around him, he drank the bowl of hot soup in one gulp. It was called hot soup, but it was not very hot.
Finished.
Zhang Liang got up and returned to his house.
Seeing this, He Yao followed Zhang Liang and drank the hot soup in order to avoid being noticed by the surrounding people. He returned to the house unhurriedly with a smile on his face.
There were still cheers all around.
Entering the room, He Yao's face immediately darkened, he punched the table and said angrily: "Brother Zifang, what should we do now?"
"Bao Qin is so good at deceiving people."
"Just three notices have turned these stupid Qin people around. Now the uneasiness in the city may have dissipated. If we don't do something, I'm afraid this salt and iron incident will not only fail to disrupt the violent Qin's rule in Guanzhong will actually make Qin people trust Qin even more."
"What should I do?"
Zhang Liang stood with his hands behind his back and said nothing.
However, He Yao could no longer suppress the fear in his heart, and said with crazy eyes: "Bao Qin seems to have handled the matter perfectly this time, but too much information was exposed."
"The violent Qin targeted those salt merchants and iron merchants. How could those merchants not be resentful of the Qin court?"
"The merchants suffered heavy losses this time, and they have been targeted like this by Bao Qin. I'm afraid they already hate Qin to the core. We may be able to use this to let the merchants expose Bao Qin's lies."
"How will the people of Qin believe in violent Qin again?"
"There are also officials."
"There are so many officials involved this time. How can they be willing to give in? How can their families be willing to do so? We may be able to instigate them and spread some rumors through their mouths to reveal the true face of Bao Qin and let them The violent Qin Dynasty will never have peace."
"We can also encourage some people to cause trouble and let the Qin Dynasty's conquest plan go to waste. Then the salt and iron crisis will still not be solved, and we can continue to reap the benefits."
"."
He Yao said a series of countermeasures.
Zhang Liang frowned and thought for a moment, then shook his head and said, "Brother He, don't act rashly."
"Haven't you found the problem yet?"
"What's the problem?" He Yao frowned, looking puzzled.
Zhang Liang said: "The merchants are too quiet."
"The government is too quiet."
"You know very well what merchants are like. These people can't afford to do anything early."
"How could they not complain when they were targeted by Qin Ting this time? But apart from closing their shops at the beginning, what else did they do?"
"No!"
"This time there is such a shortage of salt and iron in Guanzhong, they could have used this to make huge profits."
"But nothing got done."
"I'm afraid it's not that I don't want to, but that I don't dare."
"It's more likely that Qin Ting took control of it early and couldn't take any measures. They could only watch Qin Ting do whatever he wanted, but they were helpless."
"This is clearly stated in the notice this time."
"The merchants deliberately created unrest, trying to bargain with the government and force Qin Ting to make concessions. But so far, the merchants' intentions have not been achieved. Instead, Qin Ting used this to completely control them. Now the merchants are just afraid that everyone will How can you dare to have other thoughts again?"
He Yao was speechless for a moment.
Zhang Liang continued: "Officials are actually the same."
"Before we came to Xianyang, Qin Ting used some trivial matters to clean up the government. This time, there was another wave of salt and iron. Now I am afraid that everyone in the Qin Ting government has become cautious, how can it be done in the government? Are you going to stir up trouble with us now?"
"Besides, we haven't been in Xianyang for a short time."
“If we don’t know much about the specific situation of the government, how could we act in such a panic?”
"If someone is improper and alerts the government officials, not only will they not be able to cause trouble, but they may actually get themselves into trouble."
"Isn't this a small gain at a loss?"
"also."
"We were too slow to learn about these things."
"By the time we react, Qin Ting will be fully prepared. The current chaos in Guanzhong is like the fish on the river. It has been caught by Qin Ting's fishing boat, but there has been no way to catch it. Just collect the fishing nets."
"Now Qin Ting is just closing the net."
"By now."
"There's no need to get involved anymore."
"You have to endure it."
“The trees want to be still but the wind doesn’t stop.”
"Song Yu's "Feng Fu" said: "The wind is born in the earth, rises at the end of the green apple, invades the valley, rages in the mouth of the earth bag, comes from the Taishan Mountain, dances under the pines and cypresses, The waves are erratic, the hurricane is raging.'"
"The wind rises from the ground and changes almost, so that it can finally achieve the effect of 'whispering thunder, returning to its holes, tearing down trees, and killing the forest.'"
"Qin Ting is like that gust of wind that just rose from the ground. It needs to go through several changes before it can turn into a hurricane sweeping the world again. Why should we be anxious for a while?"
He Yao nodded slightly.
He said solemnly: "I understand the reason."
"It's just that the changes in Qin Ting are not known to us, and it is difficult for us to peep. If we continue to let it go, I may be like the end of the Green Ping, becoming a violent hurricane, with the power of violent Qin. Once it becomes popular, it will definitely not be me. Wait until we can stop it, that’s why we must take action in advance to block this green apple wave in advance.”
"When it is about to decline, it will be stripped away by its beauty, punched and moved, its beauty will be shining, and it will be scattered and transferred!"
Zhang Liang smiled bitterly.
How could he not know the reason?
It's just that it's really not the right time to act rashly. They know too little about Qin Ting.
Past experience is no longer useful.
I can only tolerate it for the time being.
And even if He Yao's suggestion is feasible, in Xianyang, under Ying Zheng's nose, nothing will happen, and it will only aggravate the Qin people's dissatisfaction with the Six Kingdoms.
Isn’t this worth the loss?
Zhang Liang said: "Let's just wait and see what happens."
"The wind of Qin Ting has arisen from the ground. If it wants to continue to sweep the world, there will inevitably be follow-up actions. We can observe it for a while to find out the changes in Qin Ting, and we may not be able to respond accordingly."
He Yao's face turned red and he could only nod helplessly.
He hammered the case hard again and said angrily: "The noise in the city is so noisy now that I really can't calm down. I remember that there were several nobles from South Korea who were moved to Xianyang. I have been going privately these days. Let’s get in touch and see if we can find out anything.”
"We know too little about the current situation in Xianyang, and it is too disadvantageous for us."
Zhang Liang hesitated for a moment, then nodded, and just reminded: "After all, these families have been away from Han for a long time, and they may not be with us. You should be careful not to let others notice your identity."
He Yao nodded and said, "I know."
The room gradually became quiet.
There were still cheers outside the city.
He Yao's face was as dark as water.
Zhang Liang closed his eyes, thought about something, and whispered: "Three people become tigers, look at the source."
"The wind will advance and retreat, but who knows where the wind will blow."
“Hone your animal’s strength and dance with the wolves.”
"It moves when it hears the wind, and spins again and again."
"With the tools of fortune, the door to all wonders"
the other side.
The excited cheers in the city had already spread throughout the city.
It also spread to the streets and alleys.
Even if the door is closed, the sound is still heard, and even people who are not familiar with the news are aware of the situation.
Feng.
Feng Dong sat under a peach tree.
A few flower buds have been added to the originally tender green leaves.
Feng Ce stood aside and informed Feng Dong in detail about what happened in the city.
Hear the words.
Feng Dong just nodded.
Then he continued to look at the vibrant peach tree above his head.
Feng Ce was a little anxious.
He said anxiously: "Father, do you really have nothing to say? The government is bullying people too much. We have suffered heavy losses this time, and we have to be targeted like this by the government. This is too much."
"My brother and others are still being held captive, and we don't know when they will be released."
"Father, are you not in a hurry at all?"
"The government is just kicking their noses in the face."
Feng Dong glanced at Feng Ce coldly, but then coughed lightly.
His health was getting worse.
He said coldly: "Are you worried now? What did you do before?"
Feng Ce's expression froze.
Feng Dong snorted coldly: "It's good for your brother to stay in prison. We businessmen are all cheap, and such a big thing happened again this time. Do you really think you can just admit your mistake and let it go?" ?”
"Want to live"
"You must die first!"
"You think our Feng family has suffered enough losses this time, but in the eyes of the government, my Feng family's losses are not much at all, and we have brought all the blame on ourselves. If it weren't for the fact that my family, Feng family, is not in good health now and has too many bastards. Do you really think the government will tolerate us?"
"It would be nice to save a life!"
"If you don't compromise and give in, not only the Cao Bing family will be exterminated, but also my Feng family. You can't stand this? When the government announces something in the future, won't you be so anxious? "
"If you lose, admit defeat!"
"Don't look like you can't afford to lose."
"I, Feng, can afford to lose."
Feng Dong looked at Feng Ce coldly, his eyes full of dissatisfaction.
Feng Ce lowered his head and did not dare to refute.
He was also very surprised. According to his father's words, after the original agreement with the government, the Feng family made even greater concessions.
He asked curiously: "Father, what exactly did you achieve in the government office?"
"Father, why are you so taboo?"
"I, Mr. Feng, have experienced many storms over the years, but I have never seen my father become a completely different person like during this period. He completely swallowed his anger and accepted everything. Father, what exactly happened to you in the government office?"
Hear the words.
Feng Dong frowned.
There was an unconcealable look of fear in his eyes.
He sighed softly, shook his head and said: "You will know by then that arms cannot twist thighs. I, Mrs. Feng, am not even an arm in the eyes of the government. I still try to bargain with the government. How ridiculous."
"hehe."
"Don't blame me either."
"I, Mr. Feng, value profit the most."
"Everything right now is my, Feng's, best choice."
"only."
"Alas." Feng Dong sighed and was unwilling to speak any more. His whole mood was very low.
See this.
Feng Ce didn't dare to say anything anymore.
Being disturbed by Feng Ce, Feng Dong lost his elegance.
He stood up shakily, returned to the house, and covered his knees with a blanket.
He has been thinking about one thing during this time.
Feng's future.
He is old and cannot survive a few more years.
But Feng still exists.
He had to find a safe way out for Feng before he was still conscious. He thought about breaking up with the government, but in the end he didn't dare to think too much.
He was completely shocked by Mr. Zhong.
This man is too scary.
He even felt that if he dared to make another move, this person would dare to uproot the Feng family and even rectify the merchants.
This man's mind is too outrageous.
He really didn't want to provoke such a being.
But without Yanchi and Salt Well, Feng’s foundation is now too weak.
It all depends on the official’s face.
Once they offend the government one day, they may be kicked by the government, but the current situation of the Feng family is like this. Either they will completely fall to the government, or they can only hope that the Qin court will collapse and they can survive in the chaos. Fight for some foothold.
But it's very difficult.
The Feng family has too few roads to take.
Even he felt helpless.
Normally speaking.
It would be best to completely turn to the government.
But with Mr. Zhong around, he kept beating drums in his heart.
He didn't believe that this person would let the merchant go so easily. He was probably already secretly planning the next attack. This person was not friendly to the merchant and seemed determined to completely control the merchant.
Is this what Feng wants?
But now it is really a dilemma for Feng.
Disaster! ! !
Xicheng.
Fusu had stood up from the table.
He stood with his hands behind his hands, listening to the cheers coming from outside from time to time, but his brows were furrowed.
He sighed and said: "In the past, when I faced the courtiers, I was always kind and friendly, but when I was really in the whirlpool of the court, I realized how ridiculous all this was. If it were normal, I probably wouldn't think so much about it, but now I'm starting to look forward and backward. Well, this matter has not been notified to other government agencies, I am afraid that many officials will be impeached in the next few days."
Fusu shook his head.
Ji Heng glanced at Fusu calmly.
Fusu has obviously not adjusted from the past "quiet years". The court is the center of power in the world. Even a word may cause disputes among the courtiers. How can they always live in peace and harmony?
politics.
It's always been a life-and-death struggle.
Trying to keep a thin line in life, trying to be good to you and me, in the end nothing can be done, nothing can be done, and it will only leave people with a feeling of weakness and incompetence.
Fusu still has a long way to go.
Fusu raised his head, looked at the darkening sky, and said in a deep voice: "Sir, I came here this time because I have one more thing I want to ask you."
"How to balance the forces of the Chu family and the forces of the Old Qin people."
"Due to my background, I am very close to the Chu family. In the past, Lord Yangquan, Mi Chen of the Mi family, Lord Gangcheng, Cai Ze, and others were all close to me. They were all from the Chu family. It was precisely because of them With your help, I can always have a place in the court even if my father doesn't like it."
"Right now, both Yangquan-kun and Gangcheng-jun have passed away."
"But they have been operating in the court for many years, and many officials have been favored by them. These officials have always valued me because of them. However, with the changes in the court some time ago, the Yan family, Hua family and other old Qin people returned to The court, and this time I made great use of them, but it caused dissatisfaction among the Chu family."
"The reason why I came here this time is probably because I wanted to avoid the dispute."
"It's just that some things can't be avoided."
"The old Qin people and the Chu clan are destined to face each other."
"It's just that the situation in Da Qin is not stable now. I really don't want to get involved in these disputes, and I don't want the court to increase internal friction. Not only will it not solve the country's crisis, but it will intensify the turmoil."
"Isn't this a blessing for the imperial court?"
"Please teach me, sir."
Fusu bowed respectfully to Ji Heng.
He was deeply troubled by it during this period, but he didn't know how to face it.
Logically speaking.
The Chu lineage is a bit over the top.
But the Chu faction had been so supportive of me in the past, so how could I turn my back on them now?
Ji Heng nodded slightly and said calmly: "This is indeed your problem. Although you are the eldest son of the Qin Dynasty, your real position is with the Chu clan. This is one of the reasons why the First Emperor was dissatisfied with you in the past. .”
"Since the First Emperor came to power, he has been fighting for power with the Chu clan."
"Qin and Chu have been in contact for hundreds of years, and there have been many marriages between the two royal families. In particular, the Mi family has a profound influence on Qin. The distant Mi Bazi and the nearby Empress Dowager Huayang were both in power for a while and had countless supporters in the court. "
"Most of the four nobles during the reign of King Qin Zhaoxiang came from the Chu family."
"But something needs to be sorted out."
"Now the Chu lineage is no longer what it used to be. After the First Emperor came to power, he has been trying to eliminate the Chu lineage's influence on the court, purge Lu Buwei's lineage, and drive all Lu Buwei's disciples out of the court. The Huayang Queen Mother's lineage directly After moving away from Xianyang and Xiong Qi's rebellion, the relevant officials were suppressed again and again."
"even so."
"The Chu family is not really in despair, but has been trying to return to the court. Because of your mother, you are destined to get into trouble, so these people chose you."
"They are trying to help you get back into the court."
"It's all about profit!"
Fusu nodded.
He knew this too.
It's just that these people used to stand up for themselves in the past, and now that they are gradually gaining the respect of the First Emperor, they have begun to break away from these people. They may be known as ungrateful. Not only that, they will also make the Chu family angry. North Korea and China may be at odds with each other internally and externally.
It was precisely because of knowing this that Fusu found it difficult.
Ji Heng chuckled lightly, with a sneer flashing in his eyes, and said lightly: "This will test your personal ability. The huge court is destined to be divided into various factions. You are focusing on the Chu family and the Old Qin people. In the future, I may It will also be divided into Guanzhong and Guandong, and even north, south, east and west, etc."
"This is actually quite normal."
"But you don't actually need to care too much."
"You just need to remember that no matter what the factions are, they are all ministers of the Qin Dynasty and each performs his own duties."
"So-called factions are used to fight for power and gain."
"And you are the eldest son of Great Qin. The system of Great Qin is determined by unity."
"The rights they fight for are all given by the emperor."
"What you can do is actually to be fair and just. However, a bowl of water is not balanced, and it is impossible to balance it. In the end, it still comes down to the emperor's mind. In addition to mastering the balance, there is another way, that is, the minority obeys the majority, and individuals Obey the organization, subordinates obey superiors, and the court obeys the emperor.”
"Controversy is good."
"But what you have to do is try to balance it as much as possible."
"Don't trap yourself in it. If one party is really too strong and even makes you feel threatened or even pressured, then take action to beat it, or even take some control yourself."
“Don’t follow what other people think.”
"It's just that you still need their support now, so don't offend too much. Lower your head when it's time to bow your head, say more nice things, show more intimacy, but you have to keep doing things."
Hear the words.
A strange color appeared in Fusu's eyes.
He pondered for a moment, seemed to have thought more clearly, and said thoughtfully: "Sir, what you want is for me to verbally express my gratitude to the Chu family, but in reality, I should still do whatever I want."
Ji Heng nodded with a smile and said: "You have to give someone face. You are the eldest son. How dare they really fall out with you? It's just that you don't get confused about big things and pretend you don't see small things. But you need to distinguish the priorities. , if you can’t tell the difference, don’t blame it on being ruthless.”
(End of chapter)
