Liangcheng
Standing on the city wall and looking north with clairvoyance, I can vaguely see the camp that stretches like a hill more than twenty miles away. The Flying Lion Army under Xiahou Baichuan, the vanguard of the Black Banner Army, had been to the north of Liangcheng for four or five days. Although they hadn't attacked, they would send scouts to surround Liangcheng every day. The guards on the city wall looked terrified. Having not fought a war for so many years, these county soldiers have never been familiar with the smell of blood.
Zhong Xin, governor of Beihui Province, put down his clairvoyant eyes, his eyes full of worry.
On the day he received Fang Jie's autographed letter, he set off from Beihui Daozhi Jianshe City. In fact, it wasn't Niu Han who came with his autographed letter at all, he was waiting for the news in Liangcheng. Zhong Xin didn't expect the Black Banner Army to move so quickly. He set off immediately after receiving Fang Jie's letter. When he arrived in Liangcheng, he found that a part of the Black Banner Army had already camped in the north of Liangcheng.
Every day, cavalrymen in black battle armor can be seen flitting past the outside of Liangcheng flaunting their might, and they seem to have no fear of the strong bows and crossbows in the hands of the city wall county soldiers.
"This solution..."
Zhong Xin sighed: "It is said that heroes come out of troubled times. This is true. If the world of the Sui Dynasty was peaceful and stable, how could this junior come out so quickly. Although he was praised by the emperor in the Academy of Martial Arts What is the second person in the Sui century, but you must know that it is just that His Majesty needs such a model. Times make heroes... I am afraid that the emperor did not expect that the person he picked up with one hand would become the gravedigger of the Sui one."
Chen Yongfu, who came with him, didn't seem too worried, he smiled and said: "It's just a brat who smells like milk, he won tens of thousands of horses by chance, and he didn't know the heights of heaven and earth, thinking that this world is just a random person. What can be fought for can be grabbed... Looking at the history of the Central Plains Dynasty for thousands of years, is there a person from a poor family who finally sat on that dragon chair? Wanting to control the world is nothing but a dream."
"Your Excellency also knows that every time the dynasty changes, many people who can be called heroes from poor families will emerge and become princes who occupy one side, but in the end, they will either be defeated or die or become someone else's subordinate. Has it become a major event? Fighting for the world has never been a game for people from poor families, they are just pawns. The more you think too highly of yourself, the more miserable and pitiful your end will be."
The Chen family was a prominent family in Northern Huizhou, and it could also be regarded as a famous family in the Sui Dynasty.
There are several aristocratic families in Beihui Road that have lasted for hundreds of years, the most famous one is the Shengtu family in Lukou, followed by the Chen family in Jianshe City and the Niu family in Hui'an.
Because the Chen family was building the city, Zhong Xin sent someone to invite Chen Yongfu when he set off. After all, if Zhong Xin wants to keep Beihui Road in his hands, he cannot do without the support of these aristocratic families. For the Chen family, which was second only to the Shengtu family in terms of power in Beihui Road, Zhong Xin naturally couldn't take it lightly.
In particular, the Chen family is in the Daozhi city of Beihui, and they have the closest contacts with Zhong Xin.
"You can't say that either."
Zhong Xin looked at another group of Black Banner Army scouts galloping past outside and said: "Guard the soldiers, look at these cavalry, they are skilled at controlling horses, and they are not afraid of bows and arrows on the city wall. A man who knows how to run an army. And don't underestimate his young age. Since ancient times, there have been many young heroes... Emperor Taizu of the Sui Dynasty was only 30 years old when he raised his army, and Taizong was only 17 years old when he succeeded to the throne..."
"Compare him with Emperor Taizu?"
Chen Yongfu smiled and said: "My lord thinks highly of him."
"This young man is not simple. He went to Yongzhou as an imperial envoy, saying that he wanted to investigate the local conditions and customs of Yongzhou for the wedding of His Royal Highness, but after he came, he somehow managed to get a battalion of troops from Luo Yao. Then he fled with this battalion. In the harsh and difficult environment in the northwest, instead of becoming pawns of all parties, he used this battalion as capital to grow bigger and bigger. Now he has occupied the entire Huangyang Road, with ten soldiers. Tens of thousands, it's not easy... If you don't have some skills, how can you take a battalion of soldiers from Luo Yao, and if you don't have skills, how can you escape with Luo Yao's soldiers?"
Chen Yongfu was stunned, nodded and said: "That's right, it's not easy to cheat Luo Yao away. You can cheat him, and you can make that battalion of soldiers follow him wholeheartedly. You can do it in a short period of time." It’s really impressive up to that point.”
While the two were talking, they saw a group of people coming back in a hurry outside. Zhong Xin saw with his clairvoyance that it was the Niu Bang he had sent back with people.
Not long after, Niu Bang with a bruised nose and a swollen face was helped up the city wall. Seeing Zhong Xin salute quickly, Chen Yongfu couldn't help laughing when he saw him being beaten like this, because it was not unexpected, so he Not angry. Besides, it wasn't his people who were beaten.
"grown ups."
Niu Bang didn't dare to pay attention to Chen Yongfu's smile, and lowered his head and let out a cry.
Seeing how swollen his face was, Zhong Xin couldn't help frowning: "Why was he beaten like this?"
Niu Bang told the whole story, and Chen Yongfu, who was still smiling before, immediately changed his face: "What is this Fangjie! You don't know what to do! A few years ago, the benefits to Pei Yan were only 30,000 a year. It’s nothing more than two taels of silver, but this time I sent him something worth at least 60,000 to 70,000 taels of silver, and he dared to speak up!”
Niu Bang said: "Although the humble official has been beaten, but the humble official has almost seen it clearly. Fang Xie probably didn't have the intention to mobilize troops on Beihui Road. Most likely he wanted to blackmail more money and food. His subordinates are in Zhuqueshan University. I saw a lot of recruits in the battalion, they didn't even have a decent armor on them, and the weapons in their hands were also very simple. When they passed the school grounds, they saw that the recruits were training with bamboo bows... The humble job analysis, this solution is because His troops expanded too fast, and he didn't have enough money, food and equipment, so attacking Beihui Road was just an excuse for him to blackmail him, and he probably just wanted to blackmail more things."
How did Niu Bang know that what he saw was what Fang Jie deliberately let him see.
Knowing that Zhong Xin sent someone, Fang Jie specially asked the recruits to wear shabby clothes and hold a bamboo bow for training in the school grounds.
"He will give it to me if he blackmails me?!"
Chen Yongfu said angrily: "I don't know the heights of the sky and the depth of the earth, I really think that he has the final say on the Southwest!"
"Calm down."
Zhong Xin glanced at Chen Yongfu and said after a while of silence: "If Fang Jie really has such thoughts, there is nothing to worry about. If he only asks for money, it is not impossible for us to give him some charity. What I am worried about is... is he Deliberately putting on a money-greedy stance, but actually wanting to launch troops against Beihui Road."
"Then what to do?"
Chen Yongfu asked.
"I have already sent people to inform each family, and each family will send people to Liangcheng in a short time, and we will discuss it later."
Zhong Xin thought for a while and said, "However... if Fang Jie was just trying to blackmail money and food, he would send someone to hurry up on the matter. If he was just waiting for news from us, it's probably a fake."
"In any case, we must be prepared with both hands. Let the soldiers work an extra shift at night. Don't slack off!"
…
…
Fang Jie summoned all the civil servants in charge of the village to discuss the governance of the area in the conference hall. He never regarded himself as a passerby of Huang Yangdao, but really wanted to regard this place as his foundation, so he had to treat it, and how to cure it to convince the people was also Fang Xie's reliance on whether he could make a fortune in the future.
If we blindly develop the military and disregard civil affairs, Huang Yangdao will be squeezed dry in a short time, and the people will be full of complaints, and any talk of fighting for the world will be a joke.
Since ancient times, those who can achieve great things will not abandon the people. The reason why Li Yuanshan did not gain a firm foothold in the northwest was because he only cared about the future and not the immediate matters. He always thinks that the Northwest is exhausted, and he will squeeze out as much as he can, and he will think about treating the people kindly when he rules the world in the future. This has already forgotten the fundamentals, how can it be undefeated? There is nothing more ambitious than this, he simply forgot, if the people in other places know what he has done in the northwest, even if he can go out of the northwest, how can he get support
"I brought you here today to discuss local matters."
Fang Jie waved his hand to signal for everyone to sit down, and ordered tea to be served to these civil servants: "I have never been a person who only puts more emphasis on military affairs than civil affairs, because I know that if I want to achieve success, I cannot do without the support of the people. Marching and fighting depends on brave generals and soldiers who are willing to die, but it depends on you to govern the country and appease the people.”
"Conquest by military generals and stability by civil officials are indispensable... In a sense, you are more important than generals. Because the military generals and soldiers wear what they wear and hold in their hands, and they are all provided by you and the people. No Without you, no brave general can fight well.”
Everyone felt very comfortable after hearing this. The Great Sui Dynasty had always placed a little emphasis on martial arts and despise culture. Those who controlled one side seemed to be the feudal officials like the governors of various provinces, but in fact they were the generals of the guards who held the military power. In the imperial court, it seems that the civil servants are powerful, but in fact the emperor still favors the generals.
So many literati are dissatisfied, and they are quite excited when they hear Fang Jie say this.
"The general sees it clearly!"
The speaker was the county magistrate of Laishui County at the foot of Suzaku Mountain. He had a very good reputation as an official. His surname was Zhang and his first name was Xi.
"The general values us, how dare we not do our best for the general."
Fang Jie smiled and nodded: "Except for Xinyang City and Xinkou Cang, most of Huangyang Road is under the control of our Black Banner Army, with millions of people. It is not easy to manage. We must do it as soon as possible. The main thing is to make the place stable and the people to submit. I suddenly thought of something a while ago, you can see if it is feasible."
Fang Jie adjusted his wording and said: "If you want to get the people back to their hearts as soon as possible, you must let them see the benefits. If you get more benefits, then they will support my Black Banner Army more. I am thinking... The common people are more active. For example... Dividing fields into households?"
"Dividing fields into households?"
Dugu Wenxiu was stunned for a moment, then quickly shook her head: "General, this is impossible."
"oh?"
Fang Jie asked, "Talk about it, why not?"
Dugu Wenxiu said: "Most of the land is in the hands of the gentry, and the common people rent it out. If the general seizes the land from these big households and distributes it to the common people, it is equivalent to breaking the roots of these big households. Once the news spreads …”
He glanced at Fang Jie and said worriedly: "It's not just that all the big households in Huangyang Dao will oppose it. When troops are sent out in the future, the big households in other provinces will also rise up and rebel. It will be much more difficult for the general to conquer! Ju is indeed a kind deed to the common people. By distributing the land to the common people, the common people don’t have to pay rent to the big households. They only need to pay food to the Black Banner Army, which saves the middle link. This is not feasible... Nine out of ten of the world's wealth is in the hands of big households. Once the news spreads, it will not only be against the general, but all the big households in the world will be against the general! And the common people … I may not be on your side when the time comes…”
Everyone looked at each other in blank dismay, feeling that Fang Jie's words were too childish and too whimsical.
Fang Jie was slightly taken aback, and couldn't help but sighed inwardly.
Sure enough, it is still too difficult to want to do the same thing in a different era. However, this idea was only thought of by him by chance, and he knew it was not advisable.
"Then what do you think we should do?"
Fang Jie asked, quietly waiting for everyone to speak.