The cell where Song Che was imprisoned was not even locked, and the jailer was very polite, serving him tea and water.
As for the prison food, it was all good wine and meat, which made the prisoners in other cells salivate.
Song Che simply shared the food and wine with everyone, and sat down to chat and brag with the prisoners.
Not to mention, everyone in this cell is really talented and well-spoken. There is not much labor to do in Suzhou City. The prisoners just eat and sleep all day long, and they are more comfortable than the refugees outside the city. too much.
Song Che spent the night in the cell comfortably.
It was not until noon on the second day that Xu Xiaolai woke him up: "It seems that Brother Song is very suitable for prison. He eats well and sleeps soundly."
Song Che got up, stretched his waist, and asked with a smile: "Who is here?"
Xu Xiao said: "The horse and infantry commander Feng Tao."
"You mean I can go out?"
"I'm just waiting for the Suzhou government office to tell me."
The dungeon is not far from the government office and can be reached within a few steps.
In the lobby of the government office, good tea has been prepared. In addition to He Qiu, there are also three generals in armor sitting, two of whom are acquaintances.
"Uncle Song!"
The young general rushed out of the door.
Young Lang Fangqi.
Another young general is Navy Centurion Wu You who previously helped capture Niu Er in Qingping Bay.
The burly, middle-aged general wearing golden armor should be Feng Tao, the commander of the horse infantry.
"Brother Fang, is this armor of yours a promotion?" Song Che asked with a smile.
Ordinary soldiers cannot wear armor.
Fang Qi rubbed his nose and smiled: "Yes, that night in Hangzhou, I killed eighteen Japanese pirates in one go, and then I was promoted. Now I have taken over Brother Wu's position and become the commander of the new soldiers."
When you are a soldier at the age of sixteen, your future is limitless.
"I've heard about Mr. Song for a long time, but when I saw him today, he was really extraordinary!" Feng Tao laughed boldly, and stood up politely with Wu You at the same time.
Only He Qiu sat motionless on his chair, his face not very pretty.
"General Feng is ridiculous. Song is just a businessman with a false reputation... Two generals, please sit down quickly." Song Che invited the three visitors from Hangzhou to sit down and exchanged greetings: "How is the construction of the Hangzhou Navy now? ?”
Feng Tao waved his hands and sighed: "Forget it. Since the last time the coastal defense line was broken up by the Japanese pirates, the navy of more than 10,000 people has only less than 4,000 people left. General Wang died in the battle at Zhoutou, and almost all the warships were lost. Lin'an Mansion is really I had no choice but to transfer me back from Huainan to defend the city, but I am a land warfare general of the Ma Bu Army and am not familiar with maritime warfare. Alas...it's embarrassing to say it!"
Song Che smiled and said, "Don't be anxious, General Feng. I invited you to Suzhou Mansion today to resolve this matter."
Feng Tao laughed again: "No wonder Master Jinglue found me overnight without even wearing his belt as soon as he received the letter from Aunt Song, and urged me to go to Suzhou before dawn. It turns out that Aunt Song had a great plan, hahaha... "
Sure enough, he was a man who fought on the battlefield. This laughter was like thunder, echoing in the lobby.
The more Song Che and Feng Tao talked, the more serious He Qiu's face became. He said in a deep voice: "Suzhou has always been a trade capital, and it is not close to the sea. How can we make up for Hangzhou's coastal defense?"
Song Che pointed to the outside of the gate: "The key lies outside Suzhou City."
He Qiu said in a deep voice: "There are rebellious refugees outside Suzhou City."
"No, no," Song Che stood up and said, "I went out of the city yesterday just to observe the sentiments of the people - the Stick Gang has no banditry, let alone any rebellious intentions. They were just forced to rob. food;
Many of the members of the Jigang Gang were sailors who had retired from Fujian, Guangzhou and coastal areas. They were proficient in water warfare and were suitable for filling the shortcomings of the two naval divisions of Zhejiang;
Therefore, my strategy is to recruit troops first and then establish farming.
Recruit young and strong refugees as sailors and advance military pay to provide for their families to live and settle down; allocate land to the old, weak, women and children for farming so that they can be self-sufficient. "
"It's easy for you to say that," He Qiu stood up and retorted: "Recently, gangs have caused chaos and caused a lot of lives. The intention of uprising is obvious. What's more, there are tens of thousands of refugees outside Suzhou. Now the court has increased taxes and the government's public funds have been reduced. Given the financial constraints, how can we accommodate them?"
Song Che narrowed his eyes, "Then what should I do, Mr. He?"
He Qiu said: "Of course we must first eliminate the rebels and then drive the refugees out of Suzhou!"
"That's not right," Song Che retorted: "In recent times, Suzhou has sent troops to suppress the Gun Gang one after another, but they have never won a single victory. Not only that, it has deepened public resentment, and the number of Gun Gang members has increased. If you continue Wouldn't suppressing them with force push them to a dead end? Dogs will jump over walls when they are anxious, and people will kill people when they are anxious! Throughout the ages, how many dynasties have been destroyed by officials forcing people to rebel and peasant uprisings? "
"Bold!" He Qiu yelled angrily: "You, a profit-seeking businessman, have no right to speculate on the destiny of the country, and who have the right to question my policies!"
Song Che asked in a low voice: "According to the laws of Daliang, the local people should try their best to comfort and show sympathy to the refugees who are displaced by the war. But Mr. He wants to drive them away. Isn't this a violation of the law?"
"Song Che, you——"
"Master He, I almost forgot. My husband has a letter and I want you to open it personally." Feng Tao took out a letter from his arms and handed it to He Qiu.
He Qiu took the letter and checked it quickly. He gritted his teeth and clenched his fists in anger. Finally, he sighed and sat back: "Then... let's do what you want."
"If you can fight without bloodshed, why do you need to bury the bones of soldiers? Mr. He did it for the prosperity of Suzhou, while Mr. Song did it for his own business. Fraternity and selfishness cannot be compared."
Song Che first praised He Qiu. After all, they would have to get along with each other for a long time in the future. They lived in the same city and could not see each other when they looked up and looked down. If they could not make enemies, they would not make enemies.
Then he added: "As for the resettlement of the refugees, I have already thought of three areas: one is the Xiangming Mountain area, the other is the Yangtze River Basin north of Suzhou, and the third is Zaoxian County;
We rely on mountains to eat mountains and water to drink water. The south of the Yangtze River is rich in products. The mountains and rivers are enough to guarantee basic livelihood. Zaoxian County is the most barren county in Suzhou, with a declining population and mostly wasteland. The refugees are asked to help open up wasteland for planting. "
"What about the money?" He Qiu asked: "There are an estimated 80,000 refugees outside Suzhou. Even if they can find a place to live, how will they provide for their initial basic necessities? Even if one person has one tael of silver per person, 80,000 people will have to pay a living. It is impossible for the imperial court to allocate 80,000 taels."
Song Che smiled confidently: "Master He, there is no need to worry. I have a way to raise the 80,000 taels of disaster relief silver in large portions. You just need to stay in Suzhou Mansion and wait for the merits to come."
