Spending such a long time together was enough for Cui Daru to understand Xiao Heng's character. He stroked his beard and looked at Xiao Heng with a smile, waiting for Xiao Heng's answer.
Xiao Heng did not disappoint him. Xiao Heng's personality was cautious and steady. When he did things, he always liked to consider all possibilities. This time was no exception. As soon as Cui Daru mentioned Lion Mountain, he already knew the purpose of Miss Mu San and Mu Qinglu going to Lion Mountain.
"I heard that the people of Yunnan all hold the Mu Mansion in high esteem, and every chieftain of the Mu Mansion needs to go through a ceremony presided over by the Council of Elders in the Mu Mansion. However, Mu Tong has not been recognized by the Council of Elders because he is not the successor designated by the previous chieftain." Xiao Heng took a look at this place where one almost wishes the tea tables were made of gold, and he understood why Mu Tong was so crazy about the position of chieftain.
Yes, the chieftain of Mu Mansion is actually no different from the emperor of Da Zhou.
All the wealth in Yunnan belongs to them, and the people listen to them. Who would be willing to give up this feeling of being in control
Mu Tong refused, and Miss Mu San naturally refused too.
The reason they went to the capital to ask for help was only because the two sides were fighting and Miss Mu San's side was at a disadvantage. At that time, they had already received news about Mu Qinglu from Duke Chengguo, so naturally they had to go to the capital to give it a try.
After all, power is what is most attractive.
In fact, he couldn't say that he was disappointed. After all, the choice made by Miss Mu San was not difficult to understand. However, his standpoints were different. Understanding Miss Mu San's actions was one thing, but whether he was happy or not was another.
Sitting on a chair made of sandalwood, Xiao Heng twitched his nose, glanced at the incense burner, and said with a sigh: "Look at this fine ambergris, and you will know how comfortable it is to be a chieftain. No wonder the court has sent batches of people but has never been able to solve the Yunnan issue." Xiao Heng poured a cup of tea for Cui Daru, looked at the tea leaves floating in his teacup, and raised his eyebrows: "Sir, I think the chieftain system should have been abolished long ago, but before I thought of using a gentler way."
It would be best to have the help of Miss Mu San and Mu Qinglu, then things would be much simpler.
But now it seems that Miss Mu San obviously doesn't think so.
Then, things will be much more complicated.
He tapped his fingers on the table, and seeing that Cui Daru was staring at him, he continued his previous words softly: "How about changing the land system to a government-run system?"
Mr. Cui's eyes lit up.
The admiration in his eyes was undisguised, nor did it need to be concealed. He smiled and said, "Your Highness is the smartest. There is no need for Tusi anymore. In my opinion, it is urgent to change Tusi into officials. It is imperative to change Tusi from permanent to temporary. That is what should be done."
The reason why chieftains are troublesome is that they are a hereditary system and they hold all the power. However, as long as the chieftains are abolished and prefects are set up in accordance with the settings of other prefectures of the court, each with their own duties, then power will be dispersed and chieftains will naturally have no need to exist.
And what about officials such as prefects and governors
Naturally, it was selected by the imperial court.
In this way, Yunnan will naturally become like other provincial capitals.
However, if this is the case, the chieftain system must be abolished.
How to abolish toast
Xiao Heng and Cui Daru looked at each other, with a murderous look in their eyes.
Miss Mu San is really smart all her life, but stupid for a moment.
This is no longer the time when Mu Tong was here, so what can it do even if the Elders come out
The people may indeed be more inclined towards the child designated by the old chieftain, and the customs and rules passed down for hundreds of years may indeed be more favorable to Mu Qinglu, but the most important thing has changed.
That is strength.
Not to mention that Dali has no soldiers available now, even the soldiers who had eaten the poisoned food before also need medicinal herbs and need to recuperate.
At this point, no matter who you are, you already know what to choose.
Xiao Heng narrowed his eyes, looked at the list of Mu Mansion's treasures piled up in front of him, and sighed softly: "Sir, I often wonder how many people I will have to kill and how many lives I will have to take if I embark on this path."
Cui Daru frowned, and was about to persuade Xiao Heng not to be too sentimental. After all, who can tell clearly about this kind of thing, and who can calculate it accurately? To accomplish great things, there must be sacrifices. Besides, righteousness does not control wealth, and kindness does not control the army. If you embark on this path, you must not be soft-hearted.
However, Xiao Heng has already said it himself: "But at the same time, I also know that behind me are countless people who are supporting me with all their strength. If I can't make it to the end of this road, my relatives and friends will die. Therefore, I will not regret it, and I will never look back."
Cui Daru had a smile on his face. He was very happy that Xiao Heng could figure this out.
Then he nodded to Xiao Heng: "Your Highness is right. Miss Mu San actually made her own choice. Life and death are determined by fate. She can't blame anyone."
The two talked for a few more words, and then Xiao Heng got up and went to the warehouse.
The warehouse of the Mu Mansion is so huge that it is unimaginable. The things that Councillor Yang and General Fu had in the past are simply incomparable to those in the Mu Mansion. After hundreds of years of accumulation and Mu Tong's extortion, the warehouse of the Mu Mansion is filled with countless rare treasures. Among them, there are more than 200 fist-sized pearls.
The generals who followed him in were all stunned and couldn't help cursing: "No wonder he is so desperate. How can he bear to guard such a mountain of gold? Damn it!"
Several other generals couldn't help but sigh.
Tang Qingfeng didn't know about Mu Qinglu yet. He asked Xiao Heng hesitantly, "Your Highness, have all these things really been divided?"
The properties of Councillor Yang and General Fu were divided before, so is this also being divided now
There are more than ten times more things here than they have!
Xiao Heng nodded as a matter of course, and patted his shoulder with a smile: "Divide, divide it all. I will only take 30% back to the court. For the rest, you can discuss with General Liu and divide it among the brothers. They have worked so hard, we can't let them work in vain."
Several generals couldn't help showing joy on their faces, and laughed as they thanked Xiao Heng.
Tang Qingfeng felt a little heartbroken, but thinking that Xiao Heng must have his reasons for doing so, he said no more and just turned around to get back to work.
Cui Daru and his group followed Xiao Heng out. When they left the house, it was already dark. He asked in a low voice, "Your Highness, is it Lord Song who is going to Lion Mountain?"
To do something like this, it must be someone Xiao Heng trusts very much. From this point of view, there is really no one more suitable than Song Xiangyu.
As expected, Xiao Heng nodded: "It should be here by now."