From realizing the seriousness of the problem of soaring food prices to finally making up his mind to adopt Ning Yi's proposal, during this period, as the leader, Qin Siyuan had to do no less psychological construction than he knew people. When it was decided to do something, everything went to the point of no return. In August, when the first batch of officials questioned Qin Siyuan's decision, the Prime Minister's manor even made a clear response.
Since the officials who were assigned to several business routes this time had some relationship with the prime minister's mansion, Qin Siyuan first sent a relatively simple letter, describing the number of people affected by the disaster, expectations for food prices, and the impact of the disaster. As expected, the rest will not be talked about. If the order has not been carried out within three days, the notice of resignation will be immediately issued from the Ministry of Officials, and the succeeding official will directly bring it to the local area, and remove the person on the spot for investigation.
This is nothing new. Every time a high-ranking court official does something, he almost always has a procedure for Liwei. Even if the means are a little more bossy, and the positions of some non-local officials are removed, it will not cause trouble in the court. However, the chilling atmosphere was already brewing, and the few people who had noticed the inside story were waiting for someone to come out and impeach Qin Siyuan and others for their outrageous practices. However, the fuse of the chaos that followed was started by a comb at the end of August.
It was a book handed over by a sixth-grade chief named Xue Deyi in the household department: "On Business and Benefit the Country".
Since the establishment of the Wu Dynasty more than two hundred years ago, business has developed rapidly. In recent decades, some big businessmen have begun to intervene in political affairs after becoming rich. The so-called know the honor and disgrace with enough food and clothing, since I can reach out to this side, of course I also want a level of advancement. During this period. The right way is naturally to increase the background of one's own family and cultivate scholars. On the other hand, over the years, some people have gradually promoted the importance of business in the imperial court. Some people have handed over a few small and large discounts, and some were beaten on the spot. Later, there were also a small storm or two.
In the end, the attitude of Guochao seems to be clear: business is of course important, but businessmen want status, don't think about it!
certainly. The status of a class changes. Always a long process. If someone with discerning eyes can find out, this kind of unbreakable situation has actually loosened over the years.
But want to really put things on the table to discuss. Not yet.
And this time. The head of the household, named Xue Deyi, is very old. On the verge of going to work, compared to Li Pin who jumped to the position of the fifth grade in his early thirties not long ago, this old gentleman has been in the officialdom all his life with trepidation. At this time, it was only a sixth grade. He didn't know if it was someone else's instructions or he felt that he couldn't do anything in the officialdom, and he suddenly gave up and wanted to leave something behind. In short, this document undoubtedly gave Qin Siyuan the best buffer point.
After the book went up, it was not immediately dismissed because of its rebelliousness. The two prime ministers handed the book to the emperor, and then used their influence to suppress the stay, and asked the ministers to "take a look at it and discuss it."
After that, everything broke out. The officials said that the book was rebellious. Xue Deyi was called to the Golden Temple, and some people cursed on the spot: "How much money did you collect from those crickets!" Xue Deyi was originally trembling, but he was also old. How can I bear this kind of scolding, and argue with people hard. Then someone started to say: "Some of the words in this are also reasonable."
Although it is said that due to the limitations of the times, the people of the Wu Dynasty may not be sensitive to economic theories, but Xue Deyi has indeed stayed in the Ministry of Household all his life. This thesis, which embodies his life's efforts, is detailed and logical, and it is very easy to take out a paragraph. Can cause discussion. For a time, there were discussions in the court about "rebelliousness" and "some of them are justified", and there were endless quarrels.
The next day, the Censor's official impeached Xue Deyi, colluded with the big merchants, wanted to overturn the sage's words, lead people to seek profit, shake the country's foundation, and be a rebel. On the spot, some people came out to impeach these officials, and they were always alarmist. They seemed to be upright and selfless, but in fact they were blocking the way of speech. Then someone handed in some other impeachment memorandums, using real evidence to impeach some of the officials for being uncorrupted and taking bribes in private for others to control.
The situation began to become chaotic, and the hall above the hall was like a kerosene that had been lit. In the days that followed, there would either be verbal abuse of each other, or some officials were caught in the wrong place, corrupted and perverted the law and offered bribes. Taking bribes, and then, some businessmen took advantage of the disaster to stockpile grain, the minister's government used the government for private use, the wealth of Wu Min's family behind Wu Min, Cai Taishi forming a party for personal gain, all kinds of things were brought to the table, seeing This is the prelude to another round of party struggle.
In such a chaotic officialdom situation, everyone was in danger for a while. The prime minister's side is also trying to protect itself, but in a sense, the big businessmen have wanted to have the right to speak for a long time, and suddenly there is such an opportunity - in fact, at the beginning, I don't know if they will be the lead - The Prime Minister's Mansion and some officials with businessmen behind them got closer. Although the courtroom was chaotic, and the Censor's Office was upright and fired guns everywhere, the whole situation maintained a kind of delicate balance amid the chaos.
In such a situation, there is only one person who really maintains the attitude of sitting firmly on the platform, watching all this with joy. But it was Zhou Zhe, who should have been restless.
Although everyone started to impeach each other, there were always some corrupt officials in the periphery who were found out, so he couldn't help throwing the memorial on the ground and yelling: "Kill him! These guys are touching our roots!" But for the whole situation , but he could see that he was unexpectedly happy. Once when he was reading the memorial, he was so excited that he talked to the eunuch next to him on a whim: "Du Chengxi, look at you, hahahaha... These old things are getting old. , these things done in front of me, haha, really... it's so tiring to act!"
Du Chengxi couldn't see whether the emperor was really happy or fake for a while: "Is the Holy One talking about what happened in the court recently?"
"Of course, this court has been really lively recently. I haven't seen such a lively thing for a long time, haha, it's interesting..."
"The slaves have heard that there has been a terrifying quarrel in the court recently. Your Majesty... Is that what... Party disputes..."
Du Chengxi hesitated a bit, but Zhou Zhe restrained his smile a little: "Party struggle." He thought about these two words. Then someone laughed, "What kind of party dispute, what kind of party dispute is it. Du Chengxi, you are still too young, can't you see it, the Censor has been busy recently, seeing who to impeach who, if it really is a party dispute, where would it be? It's like this. I've said it a long time ago, this old Qin. The most in my heart. "
"The Holy Master said... Qin Zhongcheng?"
"Well. Qin Huizhi, he was kidnapped by the Liao people and fled back. I knew long ago that he is not afraid of anyone." He smiled. He shook his head happily. "You talk about party disputes. I tell you, only the faint-hearted rulers are afraid of party disputes, but I am not afraid. As long as the world returns to one's heart, party disputes can cut the old and establish the new, but now we are still doing big things. I still want to protect it. The Censor's platform is so upright, but it saves me a lot of trouble."
Knowing that Zhou Zhe was already talking to himself at this time, Du Chengxi didn't continue. After a while, Zhou Zhe smiled happily again.
"Tsk, I need to give him a reward... but not now..."
****************
The business storm in the imperial court had already affected dozens of officials by September. This was Qin Siyuan's domain, and Ning Yi was not involved in it, but if you look at it from the back, this seemingly shocking official chaos was just the trigger for further conflicts of interest. And if you look at it from a larger perspective, whether this party dispute or famine in the Wu Dynasty is not a major event that attracts attention. In the realm of the so-called world, several things happened in September.
Above the northern land, Zhang Jue led 50,000 troops and horses to surrender to the Wu Dynasty. He stationed the troops and horses in the suburbs of Runzhou, and at the same time coerced the nearby four states of Qian, Lai, Run and Xi. Although Zhang Jue surrendered to the Jin people when they came south, his Pingzhou army was strong and strong, and his vitality was not damaged. This time, within the sixteen states of Yanyun, the forces of Wu and Jin have completed the reversal for a while. It is said that Guo Yaoshi applauded and laughed in the military camp, saying that he had finally found a brother he could rely on. And among the sixteen states, officials from other places have temporarily expressed their intention to take refuge.
Compared with the disaster relief that the Right Prime Minister's Mansion was preparing for at this time, in the eyes of most people, recruiting Zhang Jue to surrender is the more dazzling thing that the Secret Investigation Division has done. Emperor Jinghan Zhou Zhe was originally quite unhappy about the Jinren's refusal to return the sixteen states, but this time he finally gave the other party a disapproval. It's just that the court was fighting fiercely during this time, and the reward for Zhang Jue has not yet been decided - this is also the reaction of the court waiting for the Jinren with bated breath.
The golden man is furious! They sent people to negotiate solemnly with the Wu Dynasty—actually, this is more pleasing. In the past, the Wu Dynasty sent people to talk to the other party about the sixteen states, but the other party was simply too lazy to deal with it. Now: You finally have to talk to me. Bar.
So Wang Anzhong from the Wu Dynasty took the opportunity to discuss the sixteen states with the other party.
And at this time, on the prairie to the northwest, there is something happening out of everyone's sight...
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If you want to choose a few Khitan "heroes" in the last years of the Liao Kingdom, Xiao Qian is one of them, and Yelu Dashi will definitely be among them.
Two years earlier, when the Jin people invaded and conquered Zhongjing, the then Tianzuo Emperor did not dare to resist and took the lead in fleeing. In order to reassure people, Yelu Dashi and others supported Yeluchun as Emperor of Tianxi and resisted Jurchen.
At this time, Yelu Dashi was the most powerful force in the Liao Kingdom to lead the coalition against the Jin Dynasty. Unfortunately, the Liao Kingdom's warm face was attached to the cold buttocks of the Wu Dynasty. After that, the Wu Dynasty attacked Yanjing twice, and Tong Guan led an army of 200,000 people. The first time he came over, he led his troops to defeat the opponent at Baigouhe. The second time Guo Yaoshi led his army to surprise Yanjing City, the resistance in the city was also organized by him and Xiao Defei.
It is a pity that such resistance did not last long. After that, Tong Guan and others paid Jurchen to send troops to conquer Yanjing, and he was captured by Jurchen. But he took the opportunity to escape after being captured, and joined Emperor Tianzuo together with Concubine Xiao De. It is a pity that Emperor Tianzuo couldn't forgive him for supporting the new emperor, and he no longer trusted him. So on the eve of Emperor Tianzuo's preparation for a decisive battle with the Jinren, he killed the supervisor and led more than 200 personal guards to the northwest. course of action.
In another history, this journey of Yelu Dashi was called the Great Western Expedition. He traveled to Central Asia with more than two hundred people. In the following decades, he fought east and west to establish the Western Liao Empire, whose territory reached Gaochang in the east and the Caspian Sea in the west, and became the overlord of Central Asia. More than ten years later, he once led an army to the east in an attempt to restore the country. The people of the Jin country were strong and clear, and finally defeated him. After that, the Jin people tried to expedition, but they were also defeated by Yelu Dashi in the desert of Central Asia. This war became the final confrontation between Jin and Liao.
At this time, he led this group of the most elite men into the Mongolian steppe, which is the original northern border of the Liao Kingdom, with a vast territory. Because the Liao people did not like the grassland people very much, after the Jin people defeated the Liao people, there were many rebellions in these places, but compared with the Jurchens, the situation here was a little drizzle.
Yelu Dashi was originally quite prestigious in the Liao Kingdom. After leaving Emperor Tianzuo, his team had already brought a lot of food and supplies. For him, once he decides to go, the road in front of him will be vast, but his heart is still somewhat uncertain and lonely. After walking for a while this day, a Mongolian cavalry appeared in front of the field of vision. After seeing them, they stopped and put up a formation that seemed to be defensive.
Eagle flying in the sky.
"Who is that?" Yelu Dashi frowned and asked his deputy.
"It seems that the intention is not good. After the civil unrest, these barbarians on the grasslands also took the opportunity to turn upside down. There are several tribes, I heard that the scale is not small."
The Liao people have always looked down on the Mongols. Although they are good at equestrianism and good bows and arrows, they have always been poor in materials, and in terms of character... In some aspects, they are even more savage than the Jurchens. At this time, the more than 200 elite riders on his side are all elites who have followed him for a long time, and the other party seems to be no more than himself. He frowned and looked at the tall black horse headed in the distance.
"It's really tigers falling and Pingyang being bullied by dogs..." he said, "Put out a battle and let them get out of the way!"
The knights took up their positions and walked over there. The dignified Liao Empire was bullied by the Jurchens and the people of the Wu Dynasty. Now these things have come to watch them, and everyone's hearts are on fire.
Clouds floated on the high grassland, and soon after, iron hooves roared and stepped across the blood-stained grassland. The last hero of the Liao Kingdom burned out his afterglow in the struggle, and a historical thread quietly broke.
There is a terrifying name named Boer Jijin Tiemuzhen, which is gradually becoming clear in the rolling tide...
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History Taotao, and the people who are in it can often only see and control the things around them. In mid-September, in the courtyard of the Right Prime Minister's Mansion, the sun was gradually losing its strength as the fallen leaves piled up. Ning Yi walked in. A room, rubbed his palms in front of the desk.
"Next, it's time for me to perform..."
On this day, the first batch of prepared food began to enter various disaster areas. For a long time after that, this will be the place where he sits in the center. After all, only he knows the law of prices. In another courtyard, an old man named Qin Siyuan was dealing with the turbulent materialism in the court and official circles, and paved the way for all this on a political level.
And it is conceivable that next, when the interests are put on the table, the prelude is over, and the really huge danger and maliciousness will come to this side.
All the landlords, gentry, and merchants whose interests have been harmed will become enemies at this moment.
Ning Yi sat down. (...)
ps: After Chapter 504 was published, I revised the ending a bit, adding one or two hundred words. After subscribing, you can read it elsewhere. You can look back.