The next morning, when Zhang Han got up, Dian Wei and Gao Shun were already waiting outside the door. The three of them went with a group of guards to the government office.
One morning, Cao Cao sat in Tancheng and ordered to collect cities from various places and take the whole territory of Xuzhou into his pocket. By noon, Bao Xin led his troops to join forces. The two armies from the north and south of Yanzhou gathered in Xuzhou.
Bao Xin's style remains the same, he is lean and lean, with bright eyes. A few strands of hair are scattered in front of his forehead, and the rest of his long hair is tied up in a crown. He is wearing a smart robe, his left hand is on his sword, and he walks up the steps into the lobby.
Cao Cao and Zhang Han greeted him at the door.
"Bo Chang, long time no see. How are you?" After Bao Xin greeted Cao Cao, he looked at Zhang Han with relief.
When he was confronting Zang Ba near Kaiyang, he heard news of Zhang Han's meritorious service several times. Wenzhi had contributed to preventing the severe drought in Yanzhou, while Wu Lue had singled out Lu Bu's generals, which was a great success.
"Thank you for your concern, Mr. Bao. I'm fine."
Cao Cao snorted and said, "Don't worry about Bo Chang. The calamity will last for thousands of years. This kid won't die so easily."
"On the contrary, Yuncheng, from today on, I'm afraid I'll have to call him Bao Xuzhou."
"What does Meng De mean?" Bao Xin was suddenly surprised and looked at him with burning eyes.
Cao Cao put his hands behind his back and nodded solemnly: "Yes, I plan to entrust Xuzhou to Yuncheng. I can't trust anyone else."
"Those who are trustworthy, but don't have the ability. After thinking about it, you are the only one who is most suitable." Bao Xin once ran away and returned to Mount Tai, and gathered three thousand warriors overnight to go to Luoyang. If Yuan Shao dared to go to war with Dong Zhuo, then what would happen to him? At that time, Dong Zhuo's old army only had more than 5,000 people in Luoyang, and the outcome was unknown.
Unfortunately, Yuan Shao did not dare, so Bao Xin had no choice but to lead the crowd back. After returning to Mount Tai, he raised his arms and gathered another 20,000 people to camp nearby.
Dong Zhuo was afraid of gaining power, so he immediately went to the emperor and asked the emperor to appoint Bao Xin as the prime minister of Jibei, so as to stabilize people's hearts first.
Prime Minister Bao's majesty and connections were admirable at least in the Taishan area. Cao Cao knew that his family's wealth was substantial, and he himself had the demeanor of a heroic hero. In addition, Yuncheng knew people well and was well-versed in both internal and external affairs. You can defend Xuzhou.
Hearing these words in person, Bao Xin was still a little confused, but he smiled and nodded gently, "Since Meng De has decided, Xin will fulfill his mission and guard Xuzhou for you."
"Hehehehe, haha!" Cao Cao put his arms around his shoulders and invited him into the lobby. At the same time, he continued: "That's right! If there are still people who are trustworthy and can defend the city, Cao Ren is among them, but I Why not entrust Xuzhou to him? The reason is simple. Cao Ren is not good at internal governance, and Yuncheng has many connections and is popular among the people. I am afraid that the people in Taishan will be more convinced of you."
"Yu Jin, who is under your command, is really a good military and political expert. I have inspected the area where he farms, and there is more fertile land than in Yanzhou. With such a capable person helping me, Xuzhou will definitely become my big granary!"
There is the Taishan Mountains to the north, a natural barrier that can block the invasion of Qingzhou. The coast to the east will allow ships to transport goods in the future, making the whole territory accessible from the north to the south. It is adjacent to Yanzhou to the west, which means it has its own powerful barrier protection.
The only place that needs to be strictly guarded is the south. Yuzhou and Yangzhou Huainan can both go north. They may be attacked by Yuan Shu at any time, plundering and destroying the land. Therefore, it is necessary to move the food-growing farming area closer to the hinterland. As for how to completely solve the threat, This depends on Yuan Shu.
After a few people sat down, they talked for a long time. They roughly divided their achievements verbally, and then talked about the current difficulties. Liu Bei listened at the guest seat. He only occasionally smiled with Bao Xin about the battles and achievements just now. , to show respect.
But when he mentioned the current difficulties, he became more interested. After all, people under the roof always received a lot of favors. If he could effectively solve some problems for Cao Cao and make achievements, even if he left him in the future, he would not I feel guilty.
"At present, the autumn harvest has arrived, and people everywhere are busy cutting wheat and threshing. However, the fertile fields in Xuzhou have been severely damaged. When I came yesterday, I had already read the memorials sent by counties and counties. This winter, Xuzhou will There is a food shortage.”
Cao Cao said with a cold face.
This is a crime of war. The war itself consumes a lot of money. Most of the food and grass were forcibly taken away by Lu Bu during the food collection. Then the war continued for several months and the fertile fields were destroyed. Guangling and other places have been occupied by Yuan Shu. Those in the south under Tao Qian's command The prefects' intrigues with each other were defeated one by one by Yuan Shu.
Now from the south of the Huai River, almost all of them are under Yuan Shu's forces. He doesn't know how many Chen soldiers are in Huai Ling and Guang Ling.
To accept the reality, Yuan Shu is really insidious. Not only is he taking advantage of the Jiangdong territory, he is also taking advantage of the war in Xuzhou to expand to the south of Xuzhou. He has indeed gained many fishermen's benefits and attracted many people to defect to him.
Cao Cao knew it, and so did Lu Bu, but there was nothing they could do against him. This was Yuan Shu's skill. Not only did he have the privilege of a false ax, but he also had the military talisman and signaling order of the Han Dynasty. The power of the princes must be greater, that is, the fox pretends to be the tiger's power.
"Everyone, if you have any good ideas, you can speak freely."
Liu Bei quickly withdrew and expressed his helplessness. If he had ten million shi of food, he would certainly give Cao Cao one million as a thank you for taking him in and appointing him. But if he had 5,000 shi, he could not give it to Cao Cao. Cao Cao has five hundred, because he really has five thousand.
All in all, a poor man is not qualified to discuss this matter. He is not familiar with the wealthy families in Yan and Xuzhou, so he can only listen to it.
Xi Zhicai immediately shook his head and said: "I don't have a good plan. This is a disaster of war... and a natural disaster. Xuzhou did not prevent the severe drought in advance, resulting in a poor harvest. This year, I am afraid it is inevitable. All I can think of is that it will be like Yanzhou." The grain will be transferred to Xuzhou so that the people can receive it for the winter. After the fertile fields are cultivated next year, taxes will be levied during the autumn harvest to replenish our army's grain and grass reserves."
"However, taxation will hurt people's hearts, and saving people this year may not bring tears of gratitude. It is still unclear what the hearts of the people will be..."
Xi Zhicai comes from the people, which is equivalent to being born in Baiding. Although he has talent and is taught by good teachers and friends, he understands the mentality of the people. They hate taxation deeply. No matter what the reason, once it comes to taxation, they will complain.
Even if you received a large amount of relief food due to disaster relief the previous year, you will still feel resentment.
And if this standard falls on a "benevolent and righteous king", it will be infinitely magnified.
The civil servants present were all talking and expressing their opinions. They all talked about the current situation. Some even mentioned Liu Yu. Didn't Liu Yu carry grain and grass, open warehouses and put porridge in the disaster relief work in the same way, and spent the time with the army and the people working together to earn money? A great deal of fame and merit.
But as soon as he mentioned this name, Xi Zhicai immediately sneered at him. He turned around and looked coldly: "What you said cannot be compared. Who is Liu Yu? He is Zongzheng of the Han Dynasty. He went to Youzhou to work as a shepherd. He came from the jade steps of the grand hall. Those who came down, after arriving in Youzhou, the governors from all over the country rushed to make friends, and merchants, gentry, and nobles all obeyed his orders. If he wanted to provide disaster relief, others would rush to send money."
"How can the current situation in Yanzhou and Xuzhou persuade the big families in the territory? They are not the same. This situation should be discussed separately."
What he said was very reasonable, and the scene became cold again.
Liu Yu could solve it back then, but that doesn't mean Cao Cao could.
They are not from the same class. The nobles and merchants will contribute money and efforts to earn Liu Yu's reputation and provide disaster relief in the country, and even those who are slaves. This is to lick Liu Yu, and he will be appreciated in the future, and he will prosper from now on. .
But the gentry in Yanzhou did not want to lick Cao Cao. They were gentry after all. Once they betrayed their class, their foundation would be destroyed in the future.
Of course it's different.
The most cruel decree was to plunder the money and grain of merchant families to provide the people with food shortages, but the price was that from now on, no common people or scholars would follow him, and they would not do anything for Cao Cao unless they had a knife to their necks.
The most benevolent government order is to sacrifice one's own military grain reserves, take out all the grain from the granaries in various places in Yanzhou, and give it to the people of Xuzhou. However, once the news spreads, the surrounding princes and bandits will quickly attack Yanzhou and Xu. Increase Cao Cao's internal and external troubles.
We can't take either path, we can only make a compromise. How to make a compromise has become the subject of discussion.
At this time, Zhang Han, who was about to fall asleep after hearing this, was nudged by Dian Wei and whispered: "How about you say a few words?"
"I don't know," Zhang Han whispered. His mind has been so tired recently and he doesn't want to think.
Thinking about the layout and government orders is slow, and it is far less enjoyable than drinking and chatting about mountains. Anyway, you don't have to be responsible for talking. You can also copy poems and show yourself to others, and after the performance, you can watch Qingqing swordsmanship. Wouldn't it be fun?
"I've done the math recently and found that our merits are almost exhausted. Your merits and demerits are roughly equal, so we need to add some merits." Dian Wei felt that the merit of capturing Lu Bu alive alone was equivalent to half a month of drinking in private.
No matter how much I do, I will definitely get scolded. I was scolded by Mr. Cao just last night.
"That's right." Zhang Han thought for a moment, stood in the middle of the counselor on the left, and stood further back. He suddenly stood on tiptoes, straightened his neck, and said loudly: "It's not easy to give food directly, so let's borrow food. How about handing out food and grass!"
After he shouted this, he immediately stood back and waited for the counselors to discuss among themselves. He just made such a suggestion and did not say that he had to do it.
Cao Cao looked up and clearly heard Zhang Han's voice, but did not see his figure, so he shouted: "Zhang Bochang, stand up and speak!"
Zhang Han squeezed out from two older Xuzhou officials, cupped his hands and said, "My lord."
"Tell me, what is the reason for borrowing food? Tell me everything."
Cao Cao said in a deep voice. At this time, many people raised their eyes and stared at Zhang Han, as did Liu Bei and others.
This person's thoughts are different from ordinary people, so he can think of borrowing food, but how to borrow it, who to borrow it from, how much to borrow and how much to pay back, are all things that need to be explained in detail, Liu Bei thought to himself.
He only felt that the so-called borrowing food meant borrowing some food and grass from the surrounding princes to relieve disasters and rescuing the people, and waiting to repay it next year. However, the advisers under other princes would also consider it, and they may not borrow it after discussion. After all, no one wanted to see Cao Cao. Sitting on Yanzhou and Xuzhou, it grew stronger.
Moreover, isn't the nearest prince Yuan Shu?
Yuan Shu had collected a lot of food through extortionate levies. He feared that there were hundreds of thousands of army grain in the warehouse. If he borrowed it, would he be willing?
Liu Bei's thoughts generally represent many people, but everyone knows that Zhang Bochang will not talk nonsense. There should be a reason for him to say this. After all, when it comes to farming and corresponding farming policies, everyone present should not be able to compare with Zhang Han's achievements. .
Including Chen Deng and Chen Gui who are standing in third place.
Zhang Han prepared the manuscript for a moment, carefully considering the words and sentences. After he felt that everything was safe, he handed over his hand and said: "I think that people with outstanding conduct and good reputation can be found in various pavilions, villages and counties to be promoted as grain officials, and then the loan coupons will be issued. If there is no one in the family, Grain holders can use this coupon to borrow grain."
"Food will be distributed by Yanzhou and Xuzhou, and will be returned after the grain is harvested from farming in the coming year. At the same time, local merchants, nobles, and wealthy families can also be invited. Those who are not officials can be returned with a 10% increase in interest. This interest will be paid by We pay the merchants on behalf of the people."
"The people are all farmers, and farming in Xuzhou has been ruined and is waiting to be revitalized. Therefore, this method should be used to encourage the people to cultivate and reclaim unowned fields to repay their grain debts on the bonds. Such a policy will help the gentry families to hoard grain. It can increase income and alleviate our difficulties, and it can also be regarded as a merit; the people can borrow food, and the land will be doubled in the coming year."
"In this way, disaster relief is not about stretching out hands and waiting for death, but about them taking action with their own hands."
After Zhang Han finished speaking, the hall fell into a long silence. Everyone was thinking about the feasibility of this strategy, as well as the concept that Zhang Han mentioned just now, that the people would double their farming in the coming year.
These farmers just want to survive, and they don't seem to notice the hardship, because most people need to support their families, and filial piety is the first priority in a small family. If we look at it from this perspective, if we can provide them with food to survive, that is Great idea.
Moreover, with 10% of the loan interest to make up for it, it can be regarded as their merit to attract merchants and nobles to save the people. How can it not reduce the burden of Cao's regime? Cao's camp will not lend out all the grain stored in Xuzhou. If you belong to a wealthy family, you can pay half of it.
Then there is only an issue of trust.
At this time, Chen Deng looked at Zhang Han with confusion and asked: "Master Zhang, I have a question. What should I do if the people who borrowed food still can't pay back the food?"
"In other words, there will be no bumper harvest next year and the harvest will still be poor. We will only have food for the winter. What should we do?"
Zhang Han cupped his hands and said: "Then pay it in installments and pay it back the next year. You can always pay it off."
"Then what if the person who borrowed the food is too lazy to eat and only asks for it but cannot afford to pay it back??" Chen Deng felt a little sulky in his heart. He always felt that Zhang Han's policy was too soft and kind, and he would never be able to control it when he encountered rogues. And one rogue is likely to breed a lot, which will trigger a mutiny and cause all the people who borrowed food to fail to pay it back.
Ultimately, it was civil unrest.
This is completely predictable.
"If you can't pay back the debt for two consecutive years, you will be immediately arrested in a military camp and your family property will be confiscated." Zhang Han still smiled very kindly.
Chen Deng frowned, and suddenly felt that it was not simple, "What if he dies?"
“The debts of fathers are repaid by sons, and the debts of sons and grandsons are repaid, and the debts of sons and grandsons are endless.”
"I……"
Chen Deng had nothing to say, I'm sorry, I misjudged you just now, I actually thought you were kind.
Isn't this just signing a slave bond? !
And once it’s sold, it’s the whole family, no… as long as they can pay it back. I have to admit that Zhang Han still retains a bit of a human face despite his ruthlessness.
Cao Ying’s Heavenly Group of Advisors, I’ve heard about you a long time ago. You are ruthless, unrighteous, drunk, lustful and wealthy.
So right, well deserved.
"I have another question," Chen Deng sighed and said, "This method can indeed reduce the food burden of our army and allow the people to have food for the winter. It can also encourage the people to protect the soil and cultivate it extensively in the coming year, but , but it involves trust.”
"How can the local gentry and gentry in Xuzhou trust this government without reservation?"
Zhang Han immediately beamed and said: "I have met a few noble men. I was also riding in Xuzhou, named Sun Qian. He has two friends named Mi Zhu and Mi Fang. They can be trusted first. If the other nobles refuse, I will let them They went to call their friends and help each other."
Chen Deng was so shocked that he took a deep breath and was speechless for a long time.
Cao Cao, who was on the main seat, and Bao Xin, who was beside him, both their eyes lit up at the same time. They turned to look at each other at the same time, and then looked strangely half-smiling. For a moment, they didn't think that they should feel pain on the spot. Scold or praise.
After working on it for a long time, it turns out that your kid is waiting here! ?
You are really like an old sow wearing bad omens, doing one thing after another.
I, Chen Deng, still have a very critical question right now. Can I get back the money and food that you stole from my family... so that I can get involved.
In order for you to watch the game at four o'clock, I will update it early. I will write another chapter before four o'clock. Oh, I am so good to you, so touched.
(End of chapter)
