Accompanied by the guards, Yang Ling visited the barracks and summoned the local officials. He also walked around the nearby villages and farms to experience the local customs. Everywhere he went, the officials who heard that imperial envoy Yang Ling had a son and that the Emperor had taken him in as an adopted son couldn't help but flatter him. When Yang Ling heard the words' Mister Yang ', he felt uncomfortable all over. Presumably, Young-niang was also laughing at home.
The most creative was the congratulatory words of the Wolf Army Commander Song Ai, "Congratulations to Mister Yang for having a son, Mister Yang." It made Yang Ling relax and roar with laughter.
After two days of understanding, Yang Ling, who never played his cards according to common sense, had a plan for pacifying the rebellion. When he had just arrived in Xuzhou, he had already arranged for the local merchants who had dealings with the Barbarian Duzhang to send a message into the mountains, asking the Barbarian Duzhang to send people to discuss with the court. Up until now, there had been no news. Now it seemed that the possibility of mobilizing troops had greatly increased. Yang Ling prepared to summon the civil and military officials to discuss matters. He had to first unify the internal order before anything else.
Yang Ling had just returned to the barracks. Before he could give the order to gather the generals into the tent, Wu Hanchao hurried over. He raised his hands and said, "Daren, please return to the tent quickly. Official Liu has an important matter to report."
Song Ai was also mixed in with Yang Ling's personal army. Seeing Wu Hanchao's eyes sweep towards her as he spoke, she raised her chin and gave him a cold stare. Wu Hanchao couldn't help but smile awkwardly.
These two days, Yang Ling had been happy to have a son and did not need to be secretive like when Lian'er gave birth. So he was in a good mood and extremely happy. Seeing these two little enemies acting like they were not happy, he couldn't help but find it funny. These two days, Wu Wending had been busy supervising the transport of provisions and hadn't had any free time. He prepared to find some time to talk with this stubborn official.
While Xiao Wu and Xiao Ai were in a bad mood, it was clear that their love for each other had not decreased. Occasionally throwing a little tantrum was a kind of fun. He was too lazy to mediate. Since the crux of the matter was with Wu Wending, he had to deal with this old fellow first.
Yang Ling dismounted and threw the horsewhip to his personal guard. He said to Wu Hanchao, "Understood. Tell the civil and military officials to come to my tent immediately. I want to gather and discuss matters." Finishing, he took Song Ai with him and walked quickly to his tent. Liu Biao saw Yang Ling and hurriedly raised his hands. "Congratulations …"
Yang Ling hurriedly interrupted. "Congratulations …" Did you hear anything important about the Barbarian Leader? "
Liu Biao shook his head and said, "This lowly servant rushed over because I heard some unfavorable news for daren. If the news has already spread to the mountains, I'm afraid it will be very disadvantageous for the heir."
Yang Ling's expression tightened. "What happened?" he asked hurriedly.
Liu Biao said, "There are rumors everywhere that the murderous Yang Zhitou has come to Sichuan. He has placed the King of Shu under house arrest and stripped him of his military and political power. He wants to use force against the Barbarians and even massacre the entire clan. I have secretly arrested a few people. After interrogating them, the source of the rumors could not be found. These people are just spreading rumors. I have released them. "
Yang Ling frowned. "Who is spreading this rumor? Isn't this forcing the Crown Prince to die? Once the news reaches the mountains … "
Yang Ling paced around the room with a gloomy expression. He raised his head and thought for a while. Slowly, he said, "Continue to investigate and see if you can find any clues. The Barbarians must have sent spies everywhere. The news must have reached the mountains long ago. If the Crown Prince is in danger, we are too far away to help. We can only wait for the situation to develop. You go first. I will immediately discuss with the civil and military officials. "
"Yes!" Liu Biao saluted and left in a flash.
Yang Ling sat back at the table. He held the teacup and thought for a long time. Song Ai sat obediently at the side. She blinked her big eyes and looked at him quietly. After a long time, Wu Hanchao quietly opened the door and said, "Sir, all the officials are here."
Yang Ling nodded. Seeing that he was looking at Song Ai, he said, "You stay. I will go to the front hall to discuss matters."
※ ※ ※
The civil and military officials were gathered in the Marshal's tent, whispering to each other. Yang Ling walked in from the back with two bodyguards. The tent suddenly became quiet.
Yang Ling sat down in the hall and slowly swept his gaze across the crowd. He said, "Everyone, there has been no news from the mountains, but rumors have already spread here. Now the people are saying that I came to Xuzhou with the purpose of a battle, and that I want to slaughter the entire tribe of the Barbarians. The Crown Prince … is in danger."
The Xuzhou Zhizhou Feng Jianchun heard this and hurriedly said, "Don't worry, Sir. This is just the usual trick of the Barbarians. They attack the surrounding areas, cause trouble, and never obey the law. Every time the court uses troops to punish them, they will spread similar rumors to arouse the fear and indignation of the various tribes in Shu. This will put pressure on the court so that the court does not dare to use troops. "
When Yang Ling heard this, he understood that it was the Barbarians' psychological attack. It seemed that these primitive tribes did not lack intelligence. Yang Ling was slightly relieved. He looked at the crowd and said, "No matter what, now the Crown Prince is in the hands of the Barbarians. We have to pay our respects first.
These two days, I have gone out and walked around. I have some understanding of the people nearby. It seems that the Han people and the Barbarians have been enemies for a long time. They really hate each other. It is not difficult to fight a war, and it is also not difficult to win a war.
But the Barbarians are the most difficult tribe to educate. How to deal with the aftermath is the problem. Among you, there are many local officials in Xuzhou. Your understanding of this place is far better than those of us who live in the prefectures and the capital. What do you think? Why don't you say it?
The Barbarian Governor wants our government and the Han people to leave Xuzhou and turn this place into a country within a country. This is a fantasy. No court would agree to such a ridiculous condition. If we bargain, we will have to give up some benefits. How can we satisfy them and make them willing to lay down their weapons and submit to the court? "
The Chief Minister Feng stroked his beard and said with pity, "Your Excellency, the Barbarians are swift and fierce. They are fierce and brave. In addition, they live in the mountains and scattered in the villages. Their customs are primitive and their economy is backward. It is indeed difficult to educate them. In the past, they 'changed the land and returned to the stream'. They built barracks here and set up schools. They wanted to educate them. "
"Unfortunately..." Feng sighed, "The officials do not speak the language. It is difficult to communicate with the local people. Some of the officials that were sent were unreasonable and greedy. They ruined the court's reputation and caused the Barbarians to be extremely dissatisfied. Not long after, the two sides met in arms. This is the origin of the conflict between the Han and the Barbarians.
After that, the court changed its policy. They drew out the Barbarians and set up a chieftain. The barbarians ruled the barbarians. Only then did the conflict lessen. But after the Han people moved here, they could not tolerate each other. They often had disputes because of family trifles and transactions.
When one of them was bullied, the whole tribe would be enraged. When they couldn't solve the problem in time, they would fight each other in private and resort to violence. As the conflicts accumulated, every eight to ten years, there would be a big conflict.
Moreover, the Crown Prince is now in the hands of the Barbarians. I think peace is the most important thing. His Highness has already agreed to the Shu King's Mansion to redeem the Crown Prince. The taxes that the Xuzhou Barbarian Tribe should bear are not much. They can be distributed to other Han areas to lessen the anger of the Barbarians. As for their rights and interests in the areas under their jurisdiction, we will give them some leeway. The barbarians are happy at the sight of profit. This war will disappear without a trace. "
The Sichuan Imperial Envoy Su Ke nodded and said, "If we can avoid using troops, it is better not to. Shu is an important area in the southwest. If we do not quickly quell the rebellion of the Barbarians, the other tribes will rise up. Can Sichuan be peaceful? If Sichuan is not peaceful, my Ming Destiny's country will also be shaken. In the past, we used two hundred thousand troops, but after four years, we were unable to conquer even an inch of land. Learning from the mistakes of the past, I also think that other than the Han officials and Han people withdrawing from Xuzhou, we can give them as many benefits as possible, and turn hostility into friendship. "
Yang Ling slowly looked at the people and finally his eyes fell on Zhu Rangjin. He cupped his hands and said, "Second Prince, what do you think?"
Zhu Rangjin sighed and said, "The difficulty of Shu is ten times that of Huaixi and the Northern Frontier. Using troops is not the best strategy. I think it is better to appease them. Even if it does not work, we should pretend to be courteous and save my brother first. I have brought a good friend with me. He is familiar with the roads of the Barbarian Fortress. If peace talks do not work, I hope that Your Excellency will give me a group of elite soldiers. I am willing to go into the mountains with my good friend and save my brother. "
Zhu Rangjin's words were full of heroic spirit and the officials were moved. The King of Shu is indeed a family with a loving father and a filial son.
Yang Ling slowly shook his head. Now that the rumors about Yang Zhantou are against the Crown Prince, there is no guarantee that no one will suspect that Zhu Rangjin is taking advantage of the situation. This Second Prince is in an awkward situation. By volunteering himself, he is risking his life to show his sincerity. But if he cannot save the Crown Prince, it is fine. If he also leaves the second son of the King of Shu in the mountains, won't he become a jinx?
But from Zhu Rangjin's words, it is obvious that he is in favor of appeasing the Crown Prince. Yang Ling looked around at the officials and looked forward. His eyes narrowed as he stared at the corner of a green robe near the door. Looking at the color of the robe, the official should be a seventh-ranked official. All the officials in the tent are ranked higher than him and pushed him to the door.
The curtains were lifted, and sunlight shone in, shining on his robe. He saw that the green official's robe was wrinkled, and the boots on his feet were patched. Yang Ling could not help but have a thought. Even though the salary of an official in the Great Ming Dynasty was low, who didn't have a little bit of work to do? For him to be in such a miserable state, at least his reputation was not bad. No matter what, he was an upright official. Perhaps he had his own views.
Due to the strong light at the door, Yang Ling could not see his face clearly. He pointed and said, "You are a local official, right? Come forward and answer the question."
Yang Ling could not see the person clearly and the person did not look at Yang Ling. In this kind of meeting, a high official like him is basically a decoration. Even if he came, he would not be able to interrupt. The man's eyes were fixed on a pair of flies flying in the light and he was lost in thought. As soon as Yang Ling called him, all the officials turned their gazes to him.
Only when an official next to him nudged him with his elbow did this friend realize that the inside of the tent was completely silent. A large group of officials were paying their respects to him with their gazes. This gave him a fright and he hurriedly stood up and saluted, "This lowly official greets Imperial Envoy daren."
Yang Ling's face showed displeasure and he said, "I have gathered people here to discuss business. Looking at you, do you think you are a local official? Why do you look like you have nothing to do with this? Where are you going? "
The official looked young, around 30 or so, but he did not grow a beard. He should not be 28 yet. His face was slightly yellow and his features were clear. The man was rebuked and became even more flustered. He hurriedly bowed deeply and said, "This lowly official is the local magistrate, Yan Gaocai. Because this lowly official's words do not carry much weight, so … so …"
"So what? Is there a need to belittle yourself? Magistrate Yan … Yan … "Yang Ling suddenly remembered that he had been traveling around for the past two days, observing the terrain. He had dismounted from his horse and conversed with the villagers. Because he was not wearing his official robes and had an amiable demeanor, the villagers could tell that he was a noble young master. Judging from his accent, he seemed to be a foreigner. However, no one could guess that he was the Great Demon Yang Beitou who was described as having eyes like copper bells, a mouth as big as a sacrificial bowl, and a merciless killer.
Therefore, not only did Yang Ling ask them about local affairs, he also heard some unspoken words about the local officials from their expressions and tone of voice. After asking Liu Biao, Yang Ling found out that this Yan Gaocai was simply a nuisance to the locals. His reputation was extremely bad.
The Han people hated him, the Duzhang Barbarians hated him. The Tibetans, Yi, Miao, Qiang and others who lived in the area all hated him. This dear friend's government orders did not leave the district headquarters. In other words, once it left the magistrate's yamen, it would not be effective.
The local people liked to stir up trouble and the yamen runners did not dare to enforce it. In the end, Yan Gaocai became the Earth Temple's Bodhisattva. He was like a clay puppet and did not have any achievements to speak of. Therefore, the people gave him a bunch of nicknames: Great God Yan, Bad Water Yan, Yan Wucai … Yan Qi Bag and so on.
Yang Ling had come this time to suppress the Governor of the Barbarians, and had no intention of interfering in the affairs of the local government by pretending to be Justice Bao. That was why he had not taken it to heart when he heard it. Now that he had seen him, and realized that he, as the local district magistrate, had incited the rebellion of the Governor of the Barbarians, he could be said to bear a great responsibility. Yet he was so unconcerned about suppressing the rebellion. Yang Ling could not help but feel angry.
Yang Ling suddenly slapped the gavel and shouted, "Yan Gaocai, you are the local official. You cannot mediate and pacify the disputes among the common people. The Duzhang Barbarians are harassing the surrounding counties. This official is here to inquire about the matter and cannot offer any advice. Your rule is like a barren and desolate grave. The common people are left to fend for themselves. The imperial court's prestige has been lost. Do you know your crime?"
Yan Gaocai fell to his knees in shock. With a pale face he said, "Daren, please calm down. This lowly official knows his crime. This lowly official knows his crime!"
Yang Ling laughed coldly and said, "Since you know your crime, this official will not go too far. Come, take off your black gauze official robe. Go to the Nanjing Ministry of Appointments and listen to the report! "
Seeing the Imperial Envoy was so angry, the officials were so shocked that they did not dare to make any noise. Yan Gaocai's countenance was ashen. Two menacing Imperial Bodyguards rushed in and removed the black muslin from his official robe, revealing a set of patched white clothes on his body. He was still standing there in a daze.
Yang Ling flicked his sleeve in disgust. "Leave!" he scolded. Yan Gaocai slowly turned around. His footsteps were sluggish as he walked out step by step. Seeing this, Yang Ling was even angrier. With hatred in his voice he said, "No wonder people call you the Great Yan Shen'er. You are a clay sculpture made of wood. You have harmed the country and harmed the people!"
As soon as he finished speaking, Yan Gaocai's body suddenly shook, like a dead leaf in the wind. He turned around, his face was as red as chicken blood. With a trembling voice he said, "Daren, how can you … how can you humiliate the refined like this?"
In a cold voice Yang Ling said, "When did this official humiliate you? You stay at home and read your sage books, no matter what, this official will not be able to disgrace your head. But since you have become an official, any parent should do something for the official surname. But have you ever achieved even the slightest political achievement in this place? Mediocre and inaction, a corpse eating a plain position, it is harming the people and harming the people. Could it be that what this official said is wrong? "
The blue veins on Yan Gaocai's forehead were bulging. His originally clear and bright face was a bit frightening. He suddenly took several steps forward. The Imperial Bodyguards on both sides were worried that he would hurt Daren in his anger, so they immediately leaped forward to block his way.
They saw Yan Gaocai's sleeves were shaking, his eyes were red, his hands were bent like eagle claws, his arms trembling as he said, "I studied hard for ten years, I achieved the imperial examinations twice. In this barren mountain and unruly river, I have no relatives. The superior official only knows about money, grain and taxes, the unruly people under my rule are like tigers and wolves. The three groups of yamen runners are like mice in the barn, the county magistrate and the official registrar are like fish swimming in the sea of officials.
Every time someone beats the drum to complain, I am frightened and my flesh jumps. I do not ask about right or wrong, black or white, I first ask about the barbarians and foreigners, stirring up the muddy water to smooth the mud. In the end, I am partial to the barbarians, distant from the Han and distant from the Han, causing me to be bullied on both sides, squeezed on both sides. In vain I am upright and incorruptible, my heart is lofty, I have been an official for a long time. Who is more miserable than me? Who ~ ~ dares ~ ~ to ~ ~ be more miserable than ~ ~ me ~ ~ ah? "
Yang Ling was startled, this dear friend was gesticulating and crying as he spoke, as if there was a big secret behind this. Yang Ling was not an obstinate person, nor did he care about the dignity of an imperial envoy. He hurriedly said a few words of comfort and ordered someone to prepare a seat for this Great God Yan, wanting to hear him out.
County Magistrate Yan seemed to be throwing caution to the wind. He did not sit down, but stood in the main hall, gesticulating and speaking passionately. Although this person was a two-rank imperial examination scholar and was full of talent and knowledge, he was also incoherent in his speech when he was agitated. He spoke incoherently, saying whatever came to his mind. Yang Ling patiently listened for a long time and finally understood the gist of it. It turned out that this matter had to be told from the beginning when Ming Destiny founded the country. In the past, when Ming Destiny conquered the world, Zhu Yuanzhang enfeoffed his fifteenth son, Zhu Chun, to Sichuan. At that time, the vassals who were enfeoffed all over the country used the method of stationing troops and horses to suppress the resistance. There were many ethnic groups in the land of Shu. During the Yuan Dynasty, they had been bullied by force, so the leaders of the various tribes were in awe and fear of the new ruler of Shu.
However, when Zhu Chun, who was known as the 'Scholar of Shu', arrived in Sichuan, he did not mobilize troops but treated the various tribes generously with etiquette. He even invited the great Confucian scholar Fang Xiaoru to spread his teachings. This greatly surprised the leaders of the various tribes who were waiting for him. Influenced by him, many tribes accepted the rule of the King of Shu. The King of Shu also treated them generously. Not only did he delineate the jurisdiction of each tribe, he was also very tolerant of them in terms of law and economy. This was the fundamental policy for the stability of Shu.
However, this also sowed the seeds of disaster. Every generation of the King of Shu followed the example of his ancestors and treated the various tribes generously. In order to show his benevolence and love, he had become somewhat indulgent and overly tolerant. The first generation of tribal chiefs who had experienced the difference between the Yuan and Ming Dynasties had long passed away. These new successors were accustomed to the generosity and tolerance of the King of Shu since they were young. Not only were they not grateful, but they demanded more and more.
Among them, the most prominent were the Duzhang Barbarians, who were swift and fierce and rarely interacted with the Han people. For example, in the disaster years, due to the policy of Shu, the relief money, clothes and quilts allocated by the court could be distributed by them first. The Duzhang Barbarians did not have the habit of saving. They exchanged all the money and goods they received for wine and meat. When they were empty, they would boldly ask for more. This naturally caused dissatisfaction among the Han people who already had insufficient relief supplies.
As soon as the local officials took office, their superiors inculcated them to be gentle and appease them, not to cause any trouble. Knowing how the previous officials considered the overall situation and ensured the stability of the region, the subsequent officials were naturally cautious. As long as it involved the barbarians, they would be overcautious and swallow their anger.
The local Han barbarians traded in the market and collected different taxes. The Duzhang Barbarians paid little or no taxes. Most of the tax collectors also turned a blind eye to this and did not give a single cent to the Han people. When the Han and the barbarians had a dispute, once it was brought to the court, the officials would see that one of the parties involved was the Duzhang Barbarians. They would punish the Han people severely and punish the barbarians lightly, making the barbarians even more arrogant.
This kind of unconditional favoritism by the officials caused the Han people to have no security when trading with them. Naturally the merchants were unwilling to deal with the barbarians. Because of this, the barbarians thought that the Han people were looking down on them.
Although this country was ruled by the Han people, and the local officials were also Han people, but in this place, the Han people had become a minority. In addition, the officials were biased towards the barbarians, and the Han people's hearts were filled with more and more resentment, and they no longer had any trust in the government.
Although the barbarians received a lot of favoritism, they were still very hostile towards the Han officials. Moreover, they felt that the government and the Han people were weak and easy to bully, so their actions became more and more severe. As a result, the government did not have the support of any party and was unable to play its role. It became a useless decoration and the conflict between the two sides became more and more serious.
Hearing this, Yang Ling shook his head and said, "You are overcompensating! Using emotion to define the leniency of the law, using wealth to define the thickness of the tax and relief, it is only right and proper. I believe that no one can find a reason to oppose this. If we use race to define the leniency of the law and the thickness of the tax and relief, it seems that we are favoring the weak, but this kind of inequality will only cause mutual hatred and hatred. The more hatred accumulates, the more it will explode one day. "
"Wow!" As soon as County Magistrate Yan heard this, it was as if he had met a friend. He was so excited that his face turned red. He ran to Yang Ling and said, "This lowly official has written to the Ministry of Revenue in Nanjing about this matter, pointing out that the generous subsidies and education have become a form of privilege, bringing about endless harm.
Now the barbarians feel that they are above the government, and with a little bit of regulation, they will clamor and roar, not putting the imperial court in their eyes at all. This move has hurt the Han people who have settled here, causing them to either move to other places or settle their grievances in private. From then on, they will no longer put the imperial court in their eyes.
This lowly official has endured and tolerated the barbarians. The result is that the barbarians look down on me, the Han people hate me to the bone, and the people of other races who have been bullied by the barbarians are also bitterly disappointed by the way I muddy the waters and try to smooth things over. The prestige of the county government has plummeted, and the people no longer go to the county government to complain. When the tax collectors go to the streets, they also harbor resentment and anger, and often cause trouble. But this lowly official … this lowly official has something to say. "
Yang Ling wiped off the saliva on his face without batting an eyelid. He suddenly recalled a fragmented memory from his previous life. He had forgotten about the past for a long time, but he suddenly remembered that memory clearly at that moment. That was when he had just started working. He had gone to a city by the borders for a vacation, and a fierce-looking, bearded local had forcefully sold him a piece of 'jade' the size of an egg. The price had been reduced from eight hundred dollars to eighty. Who could he reason with? The market manager and the police would only advise him to keep the peace, so he could only spend money to buy his peace.
Alas! If only he had loyal brothers like Wu Hanchao or Liu Bangchao with him at that time, he would not have suffered so much. Changing the preferential treatment for the underdeveloped areas into a privilege based on inequality and injustice for the other races would only make them constantly remind themselves of the differences and superiority of their own races, provoking the anger of those who were treated unfairly. As time went by, this contradiction would become more prominent. Although the policy of the King of Shu could ensure temporary peace, how could it last?
Yang Ling held his chin and sighed. Only then did he realize that County Magistrate Yan was staring at him. He hurriedly nodded and said, "Oh, I understand. Although you are responsible for this matter, it is also the malpractice of the bureaucracy here. It is not your fault alone. Alas, I was too impulsive just now. Please forgive me, Lord Yan. Please put on your official robes and sit down before replying. "
County Magistrate Yan cupped his hands and said, "Thank you, Lord. I was just about to talk about the cause of this incident."
Yang Ling became spirited and said, "Oh, do you know the cause of this dispute?"
County Magistrate Yan said, "Yes, there is a family here, surnamed Liu, who runs an oil workshop. One day, a few barbarians from the capital brought pheasants they hunted to exchange for oil. Seeing that the girl was pretty, they teased her a little. We Han people are strict and strict, so naturally they found it hard to accept. The boss was furious and wanted to chase them out, not wanting to exchange oil with them. In the end, the barbarians exchanged a few words with him and stabbed him to death with a knife.
Lowly official is ashamed, indeed I have done nothing in the county government, but human lives are at stake, I dare not act carelessly. Therefore, when I heard the news, I led the Yamachi to pursue that group of murderers. We caught up with them at Tonggu Ridge and captured three of them. On the way to the county town, the people from their village heard the news and rushed over. More than a hundred of them were armed with spears and machetes, looking menacing. Lowly official was incompetent and could only take the Yamachi and escape without a trace, while the people were captured and brought back.
Our county has three groups of bailiffs, Zhuang, and Kuai, plus the gatekeepers, guards, and sedan bearers, but there are no more than a hundred people in total. It is really difficult to deal with this group of murderers who have no respect for the law. There is no garrison in this county, so lowly official had to send a letter to Zhizhou daren for help. "
Zhizhou Feng Jianchun's face turned red, revealing a slightly uneasy expression. County Magistrate Yan had endured two or three years of grievance, and today he was ready to throw caution to the wind. The most taboo in officialdom was to criticize one's superior in public. If this reputation was made known, if he wanted to stay in officialdom in the future, there would not be many people who would be willing to support and cultivate him.
County Magistrate Yan did not mind, and said in a spurt of energy, "Zhizhou daren wanted lowly official to endure and calm things down, and to value peace. This is because if we capture one person, we will pull out the village to save them, and if we capture one village, we will raise the entire clan to help. The Barbarians do not know the law, and their wild nature is hard to tame. That is why Zhizhou daren allocated twenty taels of silver for this lowly official to appease the family surnamed Liu. "
County Magistrate Yan shook his head and sighed, "Doing this is no different from drinking poison to quench thirst. Think about killing someone in public, hiding in your own village, and everything will be fine. Seeing this scene, even if it was someone like this lowly official, who has read the books of sages, seeing that the law is completely undeterred, I am afraid I would also be unbridled and happy to take revenge.
After this incident, I am afraid that it will only encourage the arrogance of the Barbarians and chill the hearts of the Han people. Unfortunately, at this stage, the arrogance of the Barbarians has long been cultivated, like a dragon's reverse scale, it can only be stroked, not brushed, otherwise it will immediately cause trouble to threaten the government. This lowly official also has a selfish motive, and only hopes that during my term of office, there will be no trouble.
This family can bear it, after I persuaded them with kind words, they accepted the silver and no longer mentioned the matter of revenge. Who would have thought that two months after this incident, they would secretly find help from somewhere, and take advantage of the fact that the murderer had left the market after drinking and was walking to a remote place to kill him. Afterwards, they set fire to the oil workshop, and the whole family fled without a trace.
The Barbarian village came to our county to seek revenge, but the culprit had already escaped, so they vented their anger on the other Han people, wantonly burning, killing, and looting before swaggering off. This caused the Han people in the county to be furious, and they all said: 'The imperial court does not seek justice for the people, the law has already been abolished, we can only save ourselves!' Someone shouted, and in a flash, hundreds of people gathered and charged towards the Barbarian village.
When the Barbarian village was attacked, the tribal chief beat the bronze drum, and all the villages from all over the mountains and eight ridges came to help. First they killed the Han people in the county, and then in one spurt of energy, they plundered the surrounding counties, thus leading to this upheaval! "
County Magistrate Yan smiled bitterly, "Excessive favoritism, blind indulgence, unfair justice, to the extent that the lawless became even more arrogant, and the law-abiding officials forced the people to rebel. Now that things have reached this stage, who still wants to investigate the cause of the incident? Everyone says that everyone is right, everyone says that everyone is right, only I, this muddle-headed County Magistrate, am not right. "
Listening to this, Yang Ling's eyes narrowed, he said, "This official has received news that the Barbarians of Du Zhang, Yun Lian, and Qing Fu counties, slaughtered more than a thousand people in Chang Ning, set fire to Naxi, more than a thousand houses, and the county's public buildings were all burnt to ashes. Later on, the Barbarians claimed that the Han people attacked the Barbarians first, and all the counties said that the Barbarians robbed their counties first, but no one knew that this was the cause of the rebellion. Since you know so much, why didn't you say anything just now? "
County Magistrate Yan listlessly shook his head and said, "On one hand, this official has the thought of avoiding disaster by talking less, on the other hand, I am disheartened. If this goes on, even if this time we agree to the Barbarian's unreasonable request and pacify them, in a few years, they will definitely rebel again. For more than a hundred years, the Barbarians of Du Zhang have fallen and rebelled at other times, they are capricious, this is the reason. If the imperial court wants long-term peace, it will be difficult! "
Everyone in the tent was silent, Yang Ling was quiet for a long time before he slowly asked, "In your opinion, how can we make them surrender?"
County Magistrate Yan fixed his gaze on Yang Ling and then answered, "First, we must use force to break their spirit, so that they will surrender and not dare to resist again.
Second, we must use force to break their spirit and make them surrender, so that they will not dare to have the heart to resist again.
Second, we must build city walls, station troops, and maintain law and order.
Third, the Han people will be equal in taxes and labor, so that they will understand the imperial court's laws and will not be arrogant.
Fourth, right now the Barbarian stockade is the Barbarian stockade, the Han people are the Han people. It is said that they live together, but in fact, they are very strict, they do not interact with each other. Should force immigrants to live together, then after ten years, there will be interracial marriages, at the latest after a hundred years, they will be united.
Fifth, the Barbarian Chieftain will send his sons to Chengdu, and they will change every year. Not only will they be hostages, but they will also let the future Chieftain know Chinese characters, learn Chinese, and read the books of the sages.
Sixth, the Barbarians are ignorant and backward, they cultivate by fire, they will play when they are full, the government must support them, help them build houses, open up wasteland, teach them how to cultivate, so that they have houses and fields, so that they can live and work in peace and contentment.
Seventh, build a folk school, teach etiquette, and let the children of the Barbarians learn to be civilized.
Eighth, open up trade, let merchants from the north, south, west, and east come and go, the world will not be blocked by the flow of information, broaden their horizons, and broaden their knowledge. At that time, even if we use force to drive them away, I am afraid that they will not be willing to live in the deep mountains and forests, and be willing to live like savages. "
When Yang Ling heard the first two, he only nodded and listened quietly, but when he heard the third, he quickly waved his hand to let the clerk write them down one by one. After County Magistrate Yan's Eight Strategies to Pacify the Barbarians, Yang Ling happily stood up, crossed the official table, and held his hand, repeatedly praising: "Official Yan, you are indeed talented, a true godly person!"
County Magistrate Yan forced a smile and said: "This incident can be said to have arisen from my county, I am guilty, if Official does not describe me as a godly person, I will be satisfied. How can I dare to be called a godly person?"
Yang Ling laughed and said: "You deserve it, you deserve it. A ruler has talent but is unable to use it to its fullest potential, it is not the ruler's fault. Of course these Eight Strategies to Pacify the Barbarians are not applicable to all the tribes in Shu, but the Duzhang Barbarians are the most untamed, untamed, and even after hundreds of years, they have not tamed at all. They often harass other places and rebel. Moreover, the Duzhang Barbarians only live in a few counties, and their population is no more than thirty to twenty thousand. Their population is small, and the land is small, to use this strategy is as easy as turning one's hand. I believe the Shu King's Mansion can solve this problem. Although this tribe is small, once they start a rebellion, they will need to mobilize hundreds of thousands of troops, and spend a lot of money and rations. I believe the court will be willing to accept this method, and solve the problem once and for all. "
County Magistrate Yan was delighted, but his eyes flashed and he saw that all the officials present were not happy, and they were looking at him with complicated expressions. He could not help but feel his heart sink.
The King of Shu has a high prestige among the officials in Shu, and today's words are equivalent to criticizing the King of Shu for his improper governance. Even the various officials at all levels, in order to ensure their own safety during their term in office, to increase their personal achievements, and to sit idly by and watch the conflict arise and intensify, were all exposed. It was fine if no one stirred up this muddy water, but if they stirred it up today, their future official career …
Councilor Feng coughed twice and said: "Your Excellency, these Eight Strategies to Pacify the Barbarians are actually the Eight Strategies to Subdue the Barbarians, and we can discuss it later. The most difficult thing now is: how to rescue the Crown Prince? How to quell the rebellion? During the reign of Chenghua, the court mobilized more than two hundred thousand troops, and surrounded the mountains for four years, but still could not do anything to them. "
Yang Ling raised his eyebrows and said proudly: "Where there is a will, there will always be a way. Don't always be like the past, first set an insurmountable goal in your heart, then how can you surpass it?
Emperor Yongle went on five expeditions to the north, and defeated the Tartars. After the 'Tumu Fortress' incident, the officials in the court did not even allow the Emperor to leave the capital. What happened in the end? The Emperor personally went on an expedition to Datong, allied with the three Duoyan Guards, and defeated Boyan and Huo Zhe.
The Japanese Wokou harassed the sea for more than a hundred years, and now they have been annihilated in a flash. Although it is difficult to surpass the natural moat, I do not believe that it is impossible to cross this hurdle. "
He waved his hand and pointed outside the tent, saying: "Seventy thousand troops, set up camp for twenty miles, each person carrying a basket of soil, this valley can also be filled, and this dangerous peak can also be piled up. I do not believe that there is no way to deal with this group of barbarians."
※ ※ ※
After understanding the details of this incident, and the long-standing conflict with the local people, Yang Ling deeply felt that although suppressing the bandits and suppressing the rebellion was difficult, resolving the source of the conflict was even more difficult. Yan Gaocai's ideas may be chaotic for a while, but even if it was chaotic for ten years during his term, it could ensure peace for thousands of years. This was the way of an official and of the people.
He secretly had a plan in mind, and temporarily put this plan on the back burner. Just as he was about to discuss in detail with the other officials about the conditions for the recruitment of the Barbarian Commander, a guard outside the door hurriedly reported: "Reporting to the Imperial Envoy, the Great Chieftain of Nine Threads City has sent an envoy to see you!"
Yang Ling was very surprised. After waiting for so long, this time was the right time. He hurriedly straightened his posture and said: "Summon him in!"
Yang Ling glanced at County Magistrate Yan, who was still wearing a white robe, and said: "Official Yan, first change into your official robe, and then sit to the side."
"Yes!" Yan Gaocai replied and hurriedly put on his official robe. He turned back to the door and sat down. The official next to him quietly moved his chair inside. Although the movement was subtle, Yan Gaocai could feel it. He could not help but feel a burst of sadness in his heart: "The place is not peaceful, and the higher-ups only know how to suppress and punish me. I want to do something, but the higher-ups want to stop me. A useless official like me only said a few words from the heart, and you all despise me so much?"
After a while, two men walked in from the entrance of the commander's tent. These two men did not appear to be burly, but they were dressed in bulky clothes, and their bodies were covered with bits and pieces. Their messy hair was combed into a few small braids, and they had bronze faces. The most eye-catching thing was the thick silver necklaces around their necks. This place was rich in silver, and the silver necklaces around their necks looked to be at least seven or eight catties.
These two men were fluent in Mandarin, and swaggered into the commander's tent with an arrogant look on their faces. They looked around arrogantly, and stood with their hands on their hips: "The King of Shu did not come?"
"How dare you!" The guards on both sides suddenly pressed down on the hilts of their sabers, ready to stand up. Yang Ling waved his hand and smiled, saying: "Your Highness is a noble person, why would he come to a place like this? This official is the one in charge here, if your chieftain has anything to say, he can say it to me! "
The two barbarians laughed loudly, and one of them said: "So what if he is a prince, didn't your prince's eldest son still obediently come to us, begging us to return to the village, and even gave us a bunch of guarantees?"
The other barbarian pointed at him and said: "You are that Yang Zhantou? I heard that you want to fight with us Barbarian warriors, with just you? Even if I lend you a pair of wings, you won't be able to fly up to our Nine Threads City. "He looked Yang Ling up and down, and laughed awkwardly:" Yang Zhantou? Can you chop off my, Ahabei's, head in one stroke? "
Surnamed Ah? Then he must be a relative of the Barbarian chieftain. Yang Ling smiled slightly, saying: "When I chop off someone's head, I only use my mouth, not my saber!"
Without waiting for Ahabei to ask, he sternly said: "The heavens have the virtue of cherishing life, and the imperial court has the intention to appease. This official has stationed tens of thousands of troops, and has not offended anyone, is to give you a chance. This official wants to ask you, is the Crown Prince well? Is Ah Da willing to surrender? You have attacked and killed several districts, burned down countless residences, slaughtered and raped countless commoners. You can be said to have committed the most heinous crimes. If you are willing to put down your weapons, hand over the Crown Prince, and obediently accept the offer, this official can let bygones be bygones. This is the imperial court's magnanimity. Don't not know how to respect yourselves, and let down the imperial court's good intentions! "
Yang Ling's voice was stern, and the officials on both sides held their breath in shock, not daring to move. But the two barbarians did not even bat an eyelid, and continued to stare at him arrogantly, saying without a care in the world, "Your Crown Prince is in our hands, I don't think you will dare to make things difficult for our people. Yang Zhantou, our King has already issued the King's decree. We have lived here for generations, and this is our land. Your people immediately retreat from Xuzhou, and from now on, you are not allowed to interfere with our every move. You are not allowed to send any officials, and you are not allowed to collect grain. Give us another ten thousand loads of grain and five thousand cattle, and we will release your Crown Prince. "
Yang Ling's expression became cold, and with a faint smile, he said: "Do you know what is the imperial court, what is a country, and what is it that under the sky, all the land belongs to the King? According to your argument, all the tribes, prefectures, and Daoism in the world can claim the land where they have lived for generations as their own, and the common people within each tribe can do the same, dividing the big into the small, and occupying land autonomously? It seems to be righteous, but in fact, it is absurd! "
Ahabei's expression became fierce, and Minister Feng hurriedly tried to persuade him: "Lord Imperial Envoy, the barbarians do not know the rules, and their demands are endless. We can discuss this slowly, slowly. Since Great Chief Ahabei has sent people here, he must be sincere in making peace, we can … "
"Lord Feng, I think that this is to appease the rebellious tribes, and not to make peace between the two countries. We should be careful with our words, and we can't give in to this!" Great Prince Yan said, and then stood up.
He looked on coldly. He had already seen the situation in Xuzhou, and his future was over. These officials who only knew how to bully the weak and flatter the strong, and pretend to be peaceful, would never allow a seventh-ranked county like him, who did not know the 'rules', to live comfortably.
As the saying goes, a barefooted man is not afraid of a shoe-wearing man. Once people throw caution to the wind, there is nothing to be afraid of. He has been a coward for several years, and today, he will fight to his heart's content, and maybe he will be appreciated by the Imperial Envoy, who can take him out of this muddy river that will never see the light of day.
Therefore, as soon as Minister Feng's voice fell, this seventh-ranked county magistrate, who has always been cautious and timid, immediately jumped up as if he had taken a bullet. Even a rabbit will bite when it is cornered, not to mention he is a Jinshi.
Moreover, Yan Gaocai was not thinking about his own future. He had been here for a long time, and knew that even if he really compromised and appeased the Governor of the Barbarians today, their arrogance would be even more arrogant, and from then on, they would run amok, as if they had been pardoned by the imperial court, and there would be more chaos in the future. Only by beating him hard, and hurting him, would he be obedient.
But the Crown Prince of Shu was in their hands, and this was the biggest weakness of the imperial court. The Crown Prince was far away in the deep mountains, and how could they save him? Was he going to let them extort him for fear of harming the innocent?
County Magistrate Yan weighed the pros and cons again and again, and finally made up his mind. At this time, his expression and temperament were completely different from before. He strode in front of the two barbarians, who were much stronger than him, and sternly rebuked, "You have detained the Crown Prince and used him as a hostage, which is a great crime! Burning, killing, looting, and harassing the counties, which is even more evil! Wearing a yellow umbrella and python clothes, you have arrogantly called yourself a king, which is a great rebellion! You want to divide the country, divide the land, and establish yourselves, which is punishable by nine generations! Such treacherous, heinous, and heinous rebels, why don't you just surrender and beg for forgiveness from the imperial court, and you still dare to bargain? "
Hearing this, Zhizhou Feng Jianchun became anxious. Ah Da wore an official's python robe, and when he went out, he had a yellow umbrella over his head, imitating Ming Destiny's Son of Heaven. Overstepping his authority was equivalent to usurpation. It should be known that there were countless bandits and bandits in the world, and it was impossible for the imperial court to clean them all up. But Ah Da wore a yellow umbrella and python clothes, and arrogantly called himself a king, which was not something that any emperor could tolerate.
There could not be two suns in the sky, and there could not be two rulers in a country. If this news reached the capital, it was certain that hundreds of thousands of troops would fight a war for several years. The officials of Shu were now deliberately downplaying it, and when they mentioned this matter, they often used a joking tone to make people not pay attention to the fact that Ah Da had overstepped his authority, and treat it as a funny matter of a monkey wearing a crown.
Now that County Magistrate Yan had brought it up, and on such an occasion, no one dared to deliberately play dumb. Originally, it was only a tribal conflict that caused a dispute, but now that such a crime had fallen into the ears of the imperial envoy, the nature of the matter immediately escalated.
Feng Jianchun was anxious, but he could not find a reason to dodge the question, so he could only scold him, "Yan Gaocai, the imperial envoy has come to discuss business with the envoy, it is not your turn to come forward. Quickly leave!"
Yan Gaocai's face turned red, and before he could leave, Ahabe had already looked up to the sky and laughed, and said proudly, "You Han people are the most useless. Your first prince is in our hands. You speak very well, but I don't really understand, but today, if you do not agree to our king's demand of giving up land for ransom, your first prince will be beheaded."
"No!" All the civil and military officials were startled and stopped him.
Only Yan Gaocai clenched his fists and laughed to the sky, his laughter shaking the roof tiles. For a moment, the civil and military officials looked at each other, and even Ahabe and the two barbarians were stunned. Only Yang Ling held his chin and looked at him without batting an eyelid.
Although Yang Ling did not know what he had to say, he had heard and seen this kind of thing many times. Whenever a scholar laughed like this, he must have a card up his sleeve, and said every word with a heavy weight. It was rare for Yan Gaocai to show off, so of course he had to cooperate.
Sure enough, Yan Gaocai's laughter did not stop. Finally, he coughed twice and pointed at Ahabe, half laughing and half panting, and said loudly, "You want to use the Crown Prince's life to threaten the imperial court to give up land for ransom? Little barbarian, ignorant and inexperienced, have you ever heard of the 'Tumu Castle' incident in the fourteenth year of Ming Destiny's rule? "
When everyone heard this, they thought, "It's over. With Yan Gaocai 'er's words, the Crown Prince Zhu Rangxu can no longer be saved."
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