Sun Chengzong and Fang Shoushi didn't quite understand why Xiao Ruxun was absent-minded at this moment, but it didn't matter. They didn't care. They just treated it as a simple absent-mindedness.
However, for Xiao Ruxun, this was indeed a completely different feeling.
Returning to the Daming Dynasty, returning to this era, Xiao Ruxun saw many famous people, many loyal officials who had left their names in the annals of history. They were all active in their own fields, fighting for themselves or for the country.
Xiao Ruxun had a deep understanding of the shamelessness of the literati after the middle of the Ming Dynasty. In this era, he deeply felt the shamelessness of the landlords and gentry literati. It was to the extent that Xiao Ruxun didn't believe the commentaries on the history books they wrote, the unbridled flattery of certain people, the flattery that had no sincerity or reason, similar to mutual commercial flattery.
And the era he lived in had yet to reach the turbulent era between the Ming and Qing Dynasties. Many heroes and warriors had yet to step onto the stage of history. As the saying goes, one can only see when one is at the end of time. Heroes truly worthy of being remembered would always appear at the most critical moments.
The current chaos made it difficult for Xiao Ruxun to distinguish who were the true loyal subjects and who were just deceiving the world to gain fame.
It was only at the final moment that this kind of dividing line would be clearly revealed to everyone. The eunuch's faction was not as bad as the literati made it out to be, and the Donglin faction was not as good for the country and the people as they claimed to be.
The eunuch's faction had great evildoers, and naturally, there were also those who would die for the country. The Donglin faction was mostly made up of shameless people who deceived the world, and there were also those who were hesitant, but there were also those who would die for justice.
Among the great evildoers, there was no lack of those who were willing to die.
Among those who died for the country, there were also those who had committed treacherous and evil deeds.
Shameless people who betrayed the country might hide behind people and shed a few tears, cursing their own shamelessness.
At night, Shui Tailiang might toss and turn in bed, interrogating their own souls, touching their bald scalps, and slapping themselves a few times.
Those who were loyal to their principles might not be rewarded simply because of their actions. Before they died, they might have done something that would make their loved ones suffer and their enemies happy. They might have ruined the good situation they were in. They might have died for a good reputation, but they had harmed the entire nation and millions of people.
No one could say for sure.
It could only be said that human nature was so complicated that it was incredibly difficult to overturn a boat full of people. It was impossible to explain a person purely based on a few words in history books.
You don't know when a coward will suddenly become a hero, you don't know when a former hero will fall, and you don't know when you can cross the bottom line of a treacherous official, causing him to suddenly become violent and die for the country. You don't know when you can move a loyal official's heart with a sentence, and he will surrender.
How should these people be evaluated?
The more he understood this period of history, the more Xiao Ruxun was unwilling to judge a living person based on the words in his memory. Because he already understood very clearly that this was wrong and baseless. People were never based on appearances.
The more chaotic the era, the more complicated people were. During the change of dynasties, the complexity of people was far greater than any other period. Under such an environment, Xiao Ruxun had never doubted Sun Chengzong.
In his heart, Sun Chengzong was not only a hero, he was the backbone of the country. A hero might fall, but a backbone would rather break than bend. Sun Chengzong used his own life to practice this truth, telling the future generations that he would rather be a bright ghost than a pure slave.
Only under the leadership of such a backbone would the Sun clan shed their last drop of blood and transform into a moving and moving historical legend that would forever be remembered and sung by future generations.
Facing such a person, for some reason, Xiao Ruxun suddenly felt a little guilty.
Facing his clear eyes, Xiao Ruxun suddenly had a feeling that he didn't dare to look him in the eye.
Xiao Ruxun himself didn't know why he had this kind of mentality.
But perhaps, he also understood that he was no longer a simple anti-Japanese hero who wanted to fight on the battlefield for his country.
He suddenly didn't want to face this kind of thing.
So he took the initiative to change the topic.
"Lord Fang, the army is currently trapped in Hukou and lacks military equipment. We can't advance and fight the Northern Barbarians on the grasslands, and we can't retreat to repair the Great Wall to protect the Great Harmony. I wonder if Lord Fang has a good plan to help our army solve the predicament we are in?"
Xiao Ruxun opened up the conversation. With a gentle push of his hand, he sent Fang Shoushi into the spotlight, allowing him to speak freely.
Fang Shoushi, who had been in the bureaucracy for decades, was very clear about Xiao Ruxun's brilliant Taiji push.
"Governor's words are too much. What good plan do I have? I only have six hundred and thirty thousand taels of silver and some military equipment. I wonder if it can solve the Governor's urgent problem? "
To return the favor, Xiao Ruxun was so easy to talk to. If Fang Shoushi didn't understand Xiao Ruxun's intention of befriending him, then he would have wasted so many years in the bureaucracy. He, who was well-versed in frontier affairs and had actual combat experience, knew very well that the most important thing at the moment was not the civil and military struggle, but to defeat the Northern Barbarians and quickly resolve the war.
Without hesitation, he handed over the things he had in his hands to calm the army.
As expected, after the generals heard the clear instructions, they all broke into smiles.
Xiao Ruxun also heaved a sigh of relief and laughed.
"Lord Fang, please don't joke. This is a war, and it's all about military expenditure and logistics. I've been fighting here for several months and have long been at the end of my rope. If the military equipment and resources still don't come, I really won't be able to do anything!"
Fang Shoushi raised his hands in greeting.
"Governor Xiao is good at fighting. Everyone in the Daming knows this. Naturally, I believe that Governor Xiao will be able to achieve victory. I just don't know how many Northern Barbarians there are outside the border and how long it will take to defeat them. The court really can't handle this war.
Governor Xiao, you probably don't know that this silver was obtained from Minister Shen raiding the homes of corrupt officials found in the capital. He found some silver and gave it to me for me to bring. Right now, we need money. The court's treasury is empty and lacking in finances. If it can end as soon as possible, it should end as soon as possible! "
After Fang Shoushi said this, the entire tent quieted down.
The generals didn't speak. Instead, they all turned their gazes to Xiao Ruxun.
Raided?
The speed at which the Emperor acted exceeded Xiao Ruxun's imagination. However, considering the urgency of the war, it was not impossible for the court, which urgently needed silver, to use raiding to raise military expenditure. However, if this was the case, didn't this mean that his plan … had been put on hold?
Xiao Ruxun considered his words.
"Lord Fang, you also don't know that this war won't end so easily. Currently, only five hundred thousand Northern Barbarians have come. Over a hundred thousand soldiers have all been lured here by that bastard Lalik. We only see five hundred thousand, but according to what I know, there are even more Northern Barbarians stationed at Gui City."
"Ah?"
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