It was a long night and he had nothing to do. In order to pass the time, Qin Feng looked at the hall by the firelight.
The main hall is extremely dilapidated, with cobwebs and dust everywhere. There is a clay statue enshrined on the high platform on the north side. It is extremely damaged and it is no longer possible to identify the immortal.
There is a stone pillar on the left and right, which is relatively complete. There is a couplet carved on it, which can still be vaguely recognized.
First couplet: Riding a horse to pursue a virtuous person and leaving a good story,
Second line: Anbang Yunzhi writes Dexin!
Okay, no more guessing!
Anyone with a little bit of culture will know who is enshrined in the temple through this couplet - one of the three heroes of the early Han Dynasty - Xiao He!
Xiao He was originally a minor official in Pei County. He later assisted Liu Bang in his uprising, overthrew the Qin Dynasty, defeated Xiang Yu, and established the Han Dynasty. He became one of the three heroes of the early Han Dynasty for his role in controlling the country, pacifying the people, providing military supplies, and providing food and wages.
Later generations admired Xiao He's talents, and many built temples to worship him. For example, the temple in front of you was built by later generations. It is at least several hundred years old. Unfortunately, it was not well maintained and became dilapidated like this.
Then again, Xiao He's greatest skill was not to ensure the logistical supply of the Han army, but to recognize people with a keen eye. He recommended Han Xin, who was humble and unknown at the time, to be the commander-in-chief of the Han army. Only then did he defeat the arrogant Chu. Overlord!
In life, if you want to rise from humble beginnings and achieve great things, you must have the help of noble people. There is no doubt that Xiao He is Han Xin's noble man!
Nowadays, we are in troubled times, and it is a good time for men to make contributions. I also want to be like Han Xin, who can win with an army of millions and conquer when he attacks. But where is my noble man?
…
While I was thinking wildly, I heard the sound of footsteps, and I saw the old man in blue robe walking over and sitting down cross-legged by the bonfire.
"Old sir, can't you sleep?"
"Yes, as we get older, we sleep less. Since my little friend can't sleep, how about we have a long night talk?"
"Haha, I'm glad you asked for it. The old gentleman comes from the capital and must be well-informed. The junior is just wanting to ask for advice!"
"Don't take it seriously, it's just chatting!"
…
Indeed, when the two met for the first time, they both wanted to chat at first and only talked about some relatively simple topics.
However, as time went by and the topic gradually unfolded, the two of them became more and more congenial and happy as they talked. There was a feeling that it was too late to meet each other.
Needless to say, Qin Feng has hundreds of years of knowledge that exceeds this era, and his knowledge is very broad, which is equivalent to an encyclopedia!
Unexpectedly, the old man in blue robe is also a knowledgeable person. He is very clear about astronomy, geography, poetry, music, chess, calligraphy and painting... He even knows military and national affairs very well, and can express many unique insights!
This makes people wonder, what does the old man in blue robe do? He is so knowledgeable and knows so many military and national affairs. Could he be an official?
After thinking about it, I thought it was impossible!
You know, the officials of the Ming Dynasty are particularly corrupt and very particular about ostentation. Even a seventh-grade county magistrate has to ride in a green-roofed sedan with dozens of followers, cheering in front and behind, sounding gongs to clear the way, and arranging Only when the official authority is sufficient.
Looking at this old gentleman again, not to mention his ordinary clothes, he was riding in a semi-old carriage, with only four people in his entourage, and he only had a few packages to salute... The possibility that he was an official was almost zero.
Perhaps the area around the capital is well-informed, and the old man in blue robe is an inquisitive person, so he knows many important military and national affairs!
Thinking of this, Qin Feng gave up his doubts and continued talking to the old man... As the two talked back and forth, they naturally came to a sensitive topic: the rebellion of the hungry people!
"My little friend has a good conversational style, which is really admirable. Regarding the civil uprising in the northwest, I still have some things that I don't understand. Please help me clarify my doubts!"
"I don't dare to take it seriously. Just ask me, old gentleman!"
"That's it. It's been less than three months since the civil uprising occurred, and it has disrupted almost all the eight prefectures, twenty prefectures, and ninety-six counties under Shaanxi's rule. The situation has deteriorated so quickly, but I don't know why. ?”
…
"The civil uprising in the northwest is as fast as wind and fire. According to the younger generation, there are three reasons:
First, the northwest is a land of bitter cold. The people live a hard life and it is difficult to have savings at home. When a major disaster occurs, they are immediately helpless. As for the local government, instead of opening warehouses to help the hungry, they increase taxes indiscriminately, as much as a cow's hair. The hungry people Forced to have no choice, he took the risk and killed officials to rebel!
Secondly, in order to pacify Liaodong, the imperial court repeatedly deployed elite frontier troops from the northwest. However, the result was repeated defeats and loss of troops and generals. Within ten years, the elite troops and generals in the northwest were almost exhausted, so that when the hungry people rebelled, , unable to suppress it at all, can only sit back and watch the situation deteriorate day by day.
Third, after the civil commotion, the former governor Wu Zhiwang thought he was unworthy of the imperial court and actually committed suicide by hanging himself from a rafter... After Governor Wu died, no one was left to coordinate the overall situation. Officials acted independently, and military and political orders were chaotic. As a result, the civil commotion was further aggravated. .
Civil uprisings are now spread across the northwest, like sparks. We must seize the time and extinguish them immediately. Otherwise, once these sparks are allowed to burn and form a prairie fire, it will be too late! "
…
Having said this, Qin Feng sighed, took off a wine bag from his waist and drank a gulp of it.
Although this civil uprising in the northwest shocked the Ming Dynasty to a certain extent, it did not make Emperor Chongzhen, cabinet ministers, and the six ministries and nine ministers really pay attention to it.
These high-level rulers naively believed that the northwest civil uprising was just a scabies disease and would be put down soon... By the time they realized it, it would be too late!
It won't be long before the civil unrest will spread from one province in the northwest to five provinces in the Central Plains, and then spread to the entire world. Swordsmen will be everywhere, and people will be devastated... In the end, the Ming Dynasty will be destroyed, China will be in ruins, and the Jurchens will take advantage of the opportunity...
What followed was massacre, shaving, enslavement, literary inquisition, seclusion, and falling behind the rest of the world...until three hundred years later, the country was knocked open by Western guns and cannons, bringing countless disasters!
As a member of the Chinese nation, Qin Feng wants to do his best to do something for this troubled nation. Unfortunately, he is just a small official of a hundred households. He wants soldiers but no soldiers, and no power. There is a desire to serve the country, but no power to save the country!
I was in a depressed mood, so I drank to drown my sorrows. I drank all the wine in my pocket quickly, not a drop was left!
"Haha, I didn't expect that my little friend is a master of the wine country at such a young age. Come on, have a taste of my wine!"
While talking, the old man in blue robe took out a wine gourd, made of sterling silver. After opening it, the rich aroma of wine filled the air, refreshing!
Qin Feng took it with both hands and smelled it. His eyes lit up instantly. Then he drank half the gourd in one breath like a whale sucking water. Only then did he let out a sigh of relief: "Good wine, really good wine, mellow and sweet." , all four grades are complete!”
"Haha, of course. When I was leaving the capital, this was a gift from the emperor...ahem...a friend named Huang. There are still a few jars on the carriage. Since the little friend likes it, I can just give it to you. Quan should repay the kindness of saving you!"
"In this case, this junior is disrespectful!"
If it was a gift of gold, silver and jewelry, Qin Feng would definitely not accept it, but if it was a gift of vintage wine, that would be a different matter.
There was no way, among the wine, sex, and wealth, the other three things were nothing. Only the word "wine" made Qin Feng like it in his heart, and he immediately started drinking it happily.
Now that we have talked about the civil uprising, it is natural to talk about how to quell this civil uprising.
On this issue, the two have very similar views: they believe that they should first request the imperial court to exempt the people of the northwest from paying taxes for three years to appease people's hearts; at the same time, they will deploy troops to guard the transportation arteries of various prefectures and states to avoid rebellious hungry people. They joined forces, causing the situation to further deteriorate!
Next, appease the rebellious hungry people.
Most of the hungry people rebel out of helplessness. As long as the government sincerely appeases them, pardons their crimes, and properly resettles them back to their hometowns, I believe that the vast majority of hungry people will still be willing to accept it. If they can live in peace, who is willing to rebel with their heads in their hands?
Then again, the method of appeasement is indeed good, but it is not easy to implement it.
To recruit hungry people, we have to feed them. This requires a lot of food. Where does the food come from?
To allow the hungry people to return to their hometowns and produce in peace, they must be given land, cattle, and seeds. Where do these things come from?
The northwest is already barren, and with corrupt officials lining their pockets, the treasuries in various places are so empty that even mice can starve to death, and there is no way to get these things out.
If you can't come up with it, no matter how good the strategy for quelling the chaos is, it can only be done on paper!
In addition, the two people have basically the same views on quelling the rebellion, but there are also differences. The old man in blue robe believes that human nature is good and the benevolent are invincible. As long as we sincerely appease the rebels, it will be enough to quell the rebellion in the northwest!
Qin Feng believes that human nature is complex, with both good and evil sides. Therefore, we cannot just talk about benevolence and righteousness. We must also use thunderbolt methods. We must choose a good general and train an elite army!
Those hungry people who rebelled would be best if they were willing to be appeased. If there are those who are unwilling to be appeased, then we must not be polite. We should immediately send out troops to attack them and kill them all. No one will be left alive, so as not to spread poison everywhere!
"The hungry people rebelled out of helplessness. These people should be treated with kindness and righteousness. How can we kill them lightly?"
"Haha, what the old gentleman said is wrong. The way to govern a country is to have a bodhisattva heart and a butcher's method to make the people fear power and be virtuous. Only in this way can the world be peaceful; this is like a person born with a disease. When you have a sore, you must be ruthless, dig out the sore with a knife, and then apply medicine to cultivate your health. Only in this way can you regain your health. If you are not ruthless and refuse to cut the flesh and dig out the sore, and allow it to spread, By the time the poison attacks your heart, it will be too late to regret it!"
Regarding Qin Feng's words, the old man in blue robe thought for a long time and nodded.
"Having said that, it's probably not easy to train an elite army, right?"
"Haha, it's just troop training. What's the difficulty? If you leave it to me, you can train a victorious elite troop within half a year!"
"How old is my little friend?"
"Eighteen years old!"
"You're not that old, but your tone is quite strong!"
"Haha, Huo Qubing went out with the army at the age of seventeen. He led eight hundred cavalry across the grassland and killed thousands of enemies. His merits were ranked first in the army. Emperor Wu of the Han Dynasty named him a champion... This junior is eighteen years old this year. He is training a team. Elite soldiers are nothing, it’s a pity that they have the ambition to run a thousand li horse, but it’s hard to meet Bole!”
…
The two chatted all night until dawn the next day. After breakfast, they waved goodbye.
"Old sir, take care and say goodbye!"
"Take care, little friend, you and I are destined to be together, and we will definitely meet again in the future!"
…
Looking at the retreating figure, the old man in blue robe was very reluctant to leave. The feeling of admiration was probably the same as when Xiao He saw Han Xin for the first time. Talents are rare and should be recommended to the country!
At this time, a follower came over and said, "Sir, it's too unsafe on the road. Should I order the Suide Guard Commander to send a team of people to protect your safety?"
"In order to understand the sentiments of the people, I traveled in a simple carriage. If there was a large team of people escorting me, how could I understand the sentiments of the people?"
"What you say makes sense, sir, but the road is too dangerous. If you encounter wolves, bandits, etc. again, it doesn't matter if the little people lose their lives. If you make a mistake, wouldn't you be betraying the great trust of the Holy One?"
"Well...that's all, Wang Zhong, take my note and go and order the Suide Guard commander to send a team of troops over!"
"As you command!"
The commander of the Suide Guard is a high-ranking official of the third rank who is in charge of the troops and horses of the first guard. Now the old man in blue robe has written a letter to mobilize such a high-ranking official.
The true identity of the old man in blue robe...it’s terrifying to think about it!
