"What makes me even more angry is that Liu Laoqi, who was guarding the gate of the fortress, let them in as Zhang Dalang's people without asking any questions."
"These people have knives and bows and arrows in their hands. How can I say anything? I can only let them stay in the castle for one night and wait until the day comes."
Rich Man Wang also knew that his son did not make a mistake in handling the matter, and this would have been the result for anyone else.
But I was just upset and coughing more and more.
In the end, all he could do was stamp his feet and sigh.
"Oh, God won't help me wait!"
Hearing this, Young Master Wang smiled bitterly and said:
"Dad, what will happen now? Are we really going to kill officials and rebel?"
"Based on the fact that Zhou is Xiu, how can the few volunteers gathered by Zhang Dalang be worth the thousands of troops of the Yan army?"
After hearing this, Rich Man Wang remained silent.
Although he is not in good health, his mind is clear and he is not an old fool.
After a while, Rich Man Wang said: "Have you ever thought about whether those refugees will betray us and go to the army to inform us?"
"The child is also worried, but Liu Laoqi is not. He is afraid of other people, so it's hard to say."
"But once exposed, the crime of treason is a major crime that will destroy the nine clans."
Thinking of this, Mr. Wang was very depressed and fell down on the wet mud, dejected.
If things change today, there is a possibility of being exposed.
Executing the nine clans will involve thousands of people in the Wang clan, who will become sinners through the ages.
How could the father and son afford this?
"These refugees seek our asylum for two main reasons."
Young Master Wang analyzed:
"First of all, at the beginning of last year, the Yan army suddenly marched straight into the Yangtze River. The main force of the elite troops was overwhelming. However, the local tycoons and common people in Shandong, because they participated in the two major battles of Jinanfu and Dongchang, were afraid of the Yan army's settlement in the future, and they gave up their land. The refugees came to Nanzhili."
"The second reason is that the corvee service in the Jianwen Dynasty was originally very heavy, and the people of Lu were afraid of the corvee as much as they were afraid of tigers and wolves, so they fled."
"But who would have thought that the Yongle New Dynasty actually introduced the concept of working in the countryside and abolished corvee service... Alas!"
Young Master Wang looked frustrated, "Once these refugees understand that the New Deal is very beneficial to them, they will abandon us without hesitation."
"I don't know who came up with this method of 'sharing the labor into the farm and abolishing the corvee'. It is simply a unique trick!"
Rich Man Wang coughed and shook his head with a wry smile.
For local tycoons like them, who are structured around clans, "dividing the peasants into acres and abolishing the corvee" is a unique strategy to combat the tyrants of the landlords.
Think about it too.
The small landowners and homesteaders scattered in various villages are fine, and the new policy will not have much impact on them.
In the past, people did not do corvee labor and only contributed money.
Now there is no need to pay corvee money, just taxes according to the number of acres.
There is nothing wrong with them, they can just continue to work on the fields.
But it's different for powerful clans like the Wang family.
They took in many refugees and outsiders and became invisible tenant farmers or long-term slaves.
it's good now.
Taxes are paid according to the number of acres of land, and it must not be left unused.
The corvee has also been cancelled!
Without corvee oppression, why don't these refugees go back to farm their own land and become tenant farmers for you?
In the same way, without the cheap labor force of refugees, personal control rights and property management rights, powerful people still have to pay taxes per acre.
Why do these local tyrants dominate the countryside?
At best they are just landlords.
Young Master Wang sighed:
"This trick is equivalent to destroying the roots of our big families!"
"Far from it!"
Rich Man Wang was startled and said:
"After this round of new policies in Southern Zhili vigorously implemented the idea of 'sharing the land and abolition of corvee', the people's hearts will gradually return to the new Emperor Yongle."
"The big things that Zhou Shixiu and the Jianwen Party want to do will probably be blown away by a stream of cold water."
"Sigh... With the general trend and the people's will, it is really impossible for Emperor Jianwen to come back."
"Son, you go to the mountain overnight to see Zhou Shixiu and see if he has any clever tricks to tide over the difficulties."
"In addition, you must remember that our Wang family is a major branch of the Langya Wang family. It has been inherited for more than a thousand years and has lush branches and leaves. The Wang family cannot be destroyed at the hands of our father and son."
Facing his father's earnest instructions, Mr. Wang couldn't help but shudder.
He felt an extremely terrifying pressure.
Young Master Wang knelt down and bowed to his father three times, stood up and walked out of the cellar, then disappeared into the dark night through the back door.
…
Under the cover of night, hundreds of elite cavalry were slowly approaching the Wangzhuang Castle.
The order they received was to lurk around the earthen fort and wait for the signal to attack from within the fort.
"Li Xiaoqi!"
The exhausted flag officer was waiting at the contact point outside the fort when he heard the shouting and turned around.
"It's Mr. Qianhu, oh... Mr. Yang is here too."
The officers who led the team were a Qianhu from Yilinwei, and Yang Shiqi, who was ordered to report on the work.
"What's going on in the fort? Is Mr. Xu in danger?"
Qian Huguan and Yang Shiqi are both very concerned about this issue.
When he came, Zhang Fu specially told him to ensure Xu Qin's safety.
Hearing that he had gone "deep into the tiger's den", several courtiers in the command center were frightened.
If a superior officer fails to protect him on the battlefield, he will be punished by law and sentenced to prison or beheaded.
This is why Li Xiaoqi has been nervous.
"It's not a big deal. The troops here are poorly armed. They are all local farmers and have not received formal training. The eleven of us plus Mr. Xu's bodyguards are more than enough to equal ten."
"If there is really something going on inside, sound the horn as soon as possible, and you will rush in with your horses."
"In order not to disturb the residents of the village, try to prevent the cavalry from charging the fort. Your main purpose is to prevent foreign aid from outside."
Li Xiaoqi said confidently
"good."
The thousands of households were relieved after hearing this.
He nodded, turned around and asked several messengers to deliver the message to each flag officer.
Li Xiaoqi cupped his hands and said:
"My two lords, I will go back and resume my duties first. Please note that there is no sound of dysprosium inside. Please do not rush your horse to charge into the fort."
"Um."
Official Qianhu nodded in agreement.
Li Xiaoqi immediately sneaked back into the fort.
At the same time, Mr. Wang hurriedly climbed up the back mountain with only two bodyguards.
Now there are imperial troops everywhere outside, and refugees without household registration are all detained and sent back to their hometowns in groups.
And Zhou Shixiu is a prisoner of the Yongle court who is absconding. Once he is found out, the consequences will be disastrous.
Their entire clan faces the risk of being implicated.
The safest plan is to hide Zhou Shixiu and others in the mountains.
As long as we avoid the limelight of the army dispatching to enforce the idea of "sharing the land between farmers and abolition of corvee", we can make arrangements calmly.
But…
Xu Qin's shadow flashed in Young Master Wang's eyes.
This group of officers and soldiers who made a temporary visit to the earthen fort in the afternoon saw at first glance that they were elite soldiers who had rolled swords and shed blood on the battlefield.
They also conducted a survey of the entire castle, and it was clear that the visitor was evil.
Discuss with Zhou Shixiu whether to use mountain armed forces to kill these dozen people. Young Master Wang was thinking secretly.
