Dafeng Night Watchman

Chapter 645 - 645 Secret Memorial

Today was a day off, and Xu Erlang had come to play with his fiancée.

But the two of them didn't get married after all, and they couldn't be alone for more than two quarters of an hour in private. If they were longer, they had to go to the hall to talk.

Being alone didn't mean they were really alone, they had to be accompanied by a maid.

After all, the most feared thing between young men and women is that they can't help themselves, and then they enthusiastically help each other relieve swelling and itching.

After marriage, the husband's family usually checks the new daughter-in-law's blood. If she doesn't, it's a big loss of face.

Although the Wang family is very confident in Xu Erlang's character, they still have to abide by the rules and won't give in.

So after two quarters of an hour, Wang Simu reluctantly said goodbye to her fiancée and watched him go to his father's study to discuss matters.

"The Prime Minister is making things difficult for me!"

Xu Xinnian smiled bitterly, but didn't leave. If an ordinary elder said this, he would definitely stand up and say goodbye, but Wang Shoufu is his future father-in-law, so Xu Erlang's attitude is much more casual.

In fact, the solution to the bandit problem is very simple. The attitude of the court to deal with refugees and bandits who occupy the mountains is to eliminate and recruit them, carrots and sticks. .

The current situation is that the bandit problem has become a disaster, and it is too difficult to eliminate the bandits. The court also does not have the financial resources and materials to continue disaster relief.

So this is an unsolvable problem.

"It's not quite accurate to say that wealth and honor are sought in danger, but the principle is the same. Only by doing what others cannot do can you sit in a position that others cannot sit."

Prime Minister Wang did not force him to leave, and pushed the memorial to him: "Take a look. After your majesty called for donations, the situation has improved a lot, otherwise it would be more serious."

After a pause, he said in a casual tone:

"I heard that you are getting closer to the princess recently?"

Xu Erlang picked up the memorial and flipped through it, and said:

"Occasionally, I discuss knowledge with Her Royal Highness the Princess."

Wang Shoufu nodded and said expressionlessly: "The eldest princess is talented and intelligent, better than most men. If she were a man, she would definitely be able to come up with a solution to such a problem."

He was hinting that I should consult with the eldest princess......Xu Xinnian smiled and said:

"The eldest princess's talent is indeed admirable."

Since the topic was opened, Wang Shoufu poured himself another cup of tea and blew a mouthful of the boiling tea:

"You have heard about the Jianzhou Wulin League."

"I have heard a little bit." Xu Erlang nodded.

"Detailed information should be sent back in the near future. Whether this matter is made public or not depends on the size of the incident. If it is a strong medicine, then hold it back."

Wang Shoufu meant that if the results of the battle are fruitful, it will not be made public first. Wait until the time when strong medicine is needed before using it.

"Xu Ningyan is in his prime, which is good, but too good." Wang Shoufu looked at his future son-in-law and sighed:

"Brother's brilliance is too dazzling, which makes you look dull. Others will not allow you to shine."

Xu Erlang was proud. He was about to say that his elder brother was his elder brother. His achievements and abilities never needed to be set off by his elder brother, and he would not feel inferior because of him.

But Xu Erlang was also smart. He immediately realized that Wang Shoufu was not "provoking" but had other intentions.

"Does the chief minister mean that the elder brother can no longer return to the government?" Xu Erlang pondered.

"Letting him hang on to the empty title of a night watchman is the limit that His Majesty and the other gentlemen can accept. If he wants to return to the government, then you, be prepared to sit on the bench for the rest of your life."

Wang Shoufu took a sip of tea and said slowly: "You two brothers should coordinate well."

The emperor's mind is always the word "check and balance".

If Xu Qian'an really controlled the night watchman's office, then Xu Xinnian would not be able to take over the Wang Party. The emperor would not allow it, and the officials would not allow it.

Xu Xinnian said "hmm" and did not express his opinion.

With the photographic memory ability of the Confucian awakening state, he quickly read the memorial and had a detailed understanding of the severely affected areas.

"The student has finished reading, and will go back first."

Xu Erlang stood up and bowed. He walked to the door and suddenly turned back and said:

"Actually, there is no conflict. Big brother is the present, and I am the future!"

Push the door and leave.

........

"Erlang, why are you absent-minded?"

At the dining table, the aunt scooped a bowl of chicken soup for her son and complained:

"You should drink some. The chicken soup that mother asked the kitchen to cook for you went into Lingyin and Lina's stomachs. All the good things were eaten by the glutton. Don't you feel sorry?"

"Mom, what is a glutton?"

Xu Lingyin drank the chicken soup and asked.

"You are the good-for-nothing!" Auntie turned around and scolded.

"Ah? Am I not Xu Lingyin?" The little kid was shocked.

"It's almost the Spring Festival again. I haven't made any progress in a year. Did I read books in vain? You only grew flesh but not brains this year?"

Auntie couldn't believe it and was heartbroken.

You have to read books to get into it... Xu Ershu and others complained in their hearts, got used to it, and continued to eat their own meals.

After scolding her daughter, Auntie turned to her second uncle and said:

"Yesterday, His Highness Lin'an sent a lot of jewelry and cloth. Master, do you think she will marry Ning Yan in the future if she takes care of our family so much?"

Auntie used to think that the two princes took care of the Xu family because they were attracted to their beautiful son.

Later, after her husband explained, she realized that they were attracted to her nephew who was outstanding in martial arts.

Uncle Xu said with relief:

"With Ning Yan's current status and position, marrying a princess is easy. When she enters the Xu Mansion in the future, she will have to serve you tea, so you can train her as much as you can."

Xu Erlang glanced at his father's wine pot and didn't drink much...

Aunt said worriedly:

"Although I am not afraid of fighting in the house, she is a princess after all, and she is delicate. How can I train her at will?"

Aunt's ability to fight in the Xu Mansion is so good that no one dares to compete with her. She has always been invincible.

Xu Lingyue said softly:

"Mother, my elder brother is free and unrestrained, and he is not suitable to marry a princess. It is better not to be a consort. I have seen those two princesses, and they are not suitable for my elder brother."

Lina raised her head, chewed rice, and said vaguely:

"I think Xu Ningyan and the princesses are quite suitable."

Xu Lingyue was silent for a while, looked at the little kid, and said softly:

"Mother, Lingyin is good like this. She practices martial arts with Lina every day, and the master and apprentice are happy and worry-free."

Lina smiled proudly, and then found that the eyes of the mistress of the Xu family looked at her with more vigilance and hostility.

Yes, it was this stupid girl who led my Lingyin astray... Auntie gnashed her teeth.

Lina: "???"

Xu Xinnian put down his chopsticks, took a sip of the chicken soup, and said:

"Recently, martial artists have gathered refugees and become bandits. As a result, banditry is serious in various places, and mountain bandits in some areas have threatened the county.

"Minister Wang asked me if I had any good ideas. I am worried about this matter."

Aunt said confidently: "Let Ning Yan wipe them out."

"The Central Plains is so big, do you want Ning Yan to die of exhaustion?" Second Uncle Xu said unhappily: "Besides, he, he is still eyeing us covetously."

He refers to the eldest brother Xu Pingfeng.

"Can we recruit them?" Xu Lingyue is well-educated and has always had a good cultural level.

"Recruiting can only be used in normal times. Banditry is mostly composed of refugees. We can recruit some of them, but not all of them. In the final analysis, it is still because of insufficient money and food. But if there was enough money and food, the disaster would have been under control long ago. "

Xu Erlang shook his head.

The problems left over from the previous emperor Yuan Jingshi all erupted in this cold disaster.

The second uncle was a soldier and knew the situation well. He looked at his aunt and said:

"Well, don't let Lingyin learn to read and study. Let her join the army. Maybe in three or five years, she will be granted a title of a marquis and come back to see you, bringing honor to the family and making you a lady of honor."

The aunt was so angry that she almost wanted to fight with her husband. She felt that in this family, her parenting concept was the most normal.

She didn't abandon or give up Lingyin.

Seeing that his wife was not convinced, the second uncle Xu asked the little kid:

"Lingyin, what will you do if someone wants to bully you?"

"Fight back!" The little kid said confidently.

"What if I can't beat them?" said the second uncle Xu.

Xu Lingyin thought for a while: "Then I will make friends with them, and they won't bully me. "

You kid, your ideological awareness is not good. If you lose the war, you will become a traitor in nine out of ten cases...... Uncle Xu thought.

After dinner, Xu Erlang returned to the study with a heavy heart.

He lit a candle, leaned on the chair, and began to ponder.

As a scholar, whenever he encountered a problem, the first thing he thought of was to refer to history books.

Learn from history and learn from the experience of our ancestors.

"In the history books, the dynasties adopted two methods to deal with the chaos at the end: annihilation and recruitment. Most of them took the attitude of annihilation, because at the end of each dynasty, the contradiction between the court and the people had reached the point where war had to be used to resolve it.

"The premise of recruitment is to have money and food, and to give up some interests. The court can solve some of the bandit problems by recruiting, but it is impossible to solve all the bandit problems by recruiting.

"If this step can be achieved, there will be no chaos today. "

Xu Erlang relied on his powerful memory to analyze and recall the contents of the history books, and the first conclusion he came to was:

Today's Dafeng has not reached the point of being at the end of its rope, unlike the corruption of most dynasties at the end of their reign.

It is not rotten enough.

This is a good thing.

"At this time, if the rebels in Yunzhou launch a rebellion, it will be the last straw that breaks the camel's back. How to solve the bandit problem? "

The more Xu Xinnian thought about it, the more he felt helpless, and the more his head hurt.

He finally understood why Wang Shoufu's health was getting worse and worse, so that no medicine could work.

In the final analysis, it was because of exhaustion and overwork.

At this moment, Lingyin's words suddenly flashed through his mind.

It was as if a ray of light struck his mind.

"Become friends, become friends..."

Xu Xinnian opened his eyes, his eyeballs were bloodshot, but his expression was extremely excited. He spread out the rice paper, ground it, and picked up the pen to write:

"Now the disaster is serious, and bandits are everywhere, causing trouble to one side. The court can use three strategies. One is to recruit them. For large-scale bandits, adopt a recruitment strategy, and let the surrendered bandits suppress other bandits...

"The second is to send troops to eliminate them. For small-scale mobs, resolutely eliminate them and leave no future troubles...

"Third, follow the example of people in the rivers and lakes, send masters to go deep into the people, gather refugees, and occupy the mountains as kings. "

This point was inspired by Lingyin's words.

Letting the court and the refugees become "friends", of course, it is impossible to gather all the refugees, but at least it can reduce the current burden of the court and greatly reduce the harm of banditry to the people.

Xu Erlang continued to write:

"Loyal and righteous people need to be appointed to take on this task, and those with bad reputations should not be used; their families need to be closely monitored as hostages."

After writing, Xu Erlang began to ponder and felt that something was still missing, but after the energy was exhausted, his spirit began to be tired. Somewhat overwhelmed.

He turned his head to look at the water leak, only to find that it was already two quarters after midnight, and he had been working at the desk for two full hours.

........

Early morning.

Xu Qian'an got up early to wash, and then spread out the map on the table. The destination of the merchant ship was Yuzhou.

When they arrived in Yuzhou, they would change to other means of transportation.

"After arriving in Yuzhou, let's fly the pagoda. As an aerial fortress, the defense of the pagoda is fine, but its endurance is a bit poor. "

The energy of a magic weapon comes from its owner or its own accumulation.

The endurance of a magic weapon without its owner is usually not good.

Just like the Taiping sword, it usually accumulates sword energy, but it can only be used temporarily. Once it is used up, it must be accumulated again.

This is the same as a warrior who is exhausted and unable to fight again.

So Xu Qian'an usually does not take the initiative to use the pagoda to travel. When he encounters danger, he takes it out as a shelter and drives it to escape.

Suddenly, a palpitation came.

He naturally took out the fragments of the Earth Book and checked the message.

[One: I have something to ask you, it is about the banditry in various places. ]

[Two: Suppress the bandits? I am good at this, organize the army, break through one by one, and eradicate them completely. What a simple thing. ]

Li Miaozhen quickly sent a message to reply.

It seems that the court has also noticed this hidden danger. At the end of every dynasty, there are internal and external troubles. Sometimes internal troubles are far more terrible than external troubles....... Xu Qian'an, who was worried about the banditry, replied to the Saint of Tianzong:

[Three: Miaozhen, it is obviously not that simple. Although force can solve everything, force also needs enough silver as a backing. If the court has the ability to eliminate all banditry, refugees will not be flooded. ]

[Two: What should you do, tell me. ]

The Saint's emotional message appeared on the Earth Book of the Tiandihui members.

[One: Ladies and Gentlemen, I have three strategies. Let me finish. ]

After a while, Huaiqing's letter came one by one, with a total of three strategies, with about two hundred words.

[Three: Is this your Highness's strategy? Great. ]

Xu Qian'an didn't say anything and flattered him first.

[One: These are Xu Erlang's three strategies. He came to the palace to visit me this morning and asked me for advice to fill in the gaps. ]

Erlang's strategy? Xu Qian'an was stunned.

When did Erlang get so close to Huaiqing, he thought sourly.

[Two: These three strategies are very good. I dare not say that they will definitely solve the bandit problem, but they can greatly curb the trend of refugees becoming a disaster. ]

Li Miaozhen's ideas are not good, but his vision is still good.

[Four: The third strategy is not good! ]

At this time, Chu Yuanzhen jumped out to express his opinion.

[One: Brother Chu, please speak. ]

Others also quieted down and did not interrupt. Chu Yuanzhen was the top scholar, talented, and experienced. He was one of the smartest people in the Tiandihui.

[Four: What do you rely on to gather refugees? One is military force, and the other is money and food. These two are indispensable. If you don't have enough military force, you can't become powerful. If you don't have enough money and food, no one will be willing to follow you.

[So where do you get the money and food? But the four words "robbery". The court sent experts to gather refugees, so it is naturally impossible to give money and food. With this financial resources, wouldn't it be more appropriate to directly provide disaster relief?

[A good cook can't cook without rice, so she can only rob houses, which will only aggravate the disaster and make the situation worse. ]

[One: What's your opinion, brother Chu? ]

Xu Erlang came to her because of this problem.

She couldn't give an answer, so she wanted to ask the members of the Tiandihui. Except for Lina, everyone was smart.

Chu Yuanzhen did not disappoint her, and immediately saw the flaw in the third strategy.

And the third strategy is the top priority to solve the bandit problem.

[Four: Your Highness, this is difficult for me. ]

In a short period of time, Chu Yuanzhen really couldn't think of a countermeasure.

[Two: How about fighting to support the war? ]

Li Miaozhen gave a countermeasure based on his own experience.

[Seven: Foolish Li Miaozhen, for refugees, it is much easier and simpler to rob the people's money and food than to travel a long distance to deal with an armed force that is also a refugee organization.

[No one is a fool, it is human nature to seek benefits and avoid harm. If you force the refugees under your command to do this, within two times, they will be deserted by everyone. ]

Li Lingsu jumped out.

Although he is dead in reality, he can still strike hard on the "Internet".

Li Miaozhen was furious: [Two: Then tell me, what method do you have. ]

The Holy Son went into hiding, and he had no choice.

[One: Actually, Li Miaozhen's idea is feasible. It can let the people of the court, under the pretext of robbing money and grain, encircle and suppress another bandit force. But this kind of thing cannot be done often, and it is impossible to make a living from it.

[How can the forces supported by the court get started? How to make a living? They can only rob the people, but this will make the situation worse as Brother Chu said. Xu Ningyan, what do you think? ]

Xu Qi'an hesitated to speak, forcing Huaiqing to take the initiative to "@ him".

What can I do? I have donated the proceeds of chicken essence to disaster relief. I am good at fighting and solving cases, but don't ask me to govern the country... Xu Qi'an complained in his heart while actively thinking.

His biggest advantage is the knowledge of his previous life.

For example, work-for-relief, but this strategy is not suitable for Dafeng at this time.

It's OK for small-scale use, unless the Dafeng court wants to build roads to the countryside...

Wait, there seems to be a way...Xu Qiyan's mind moved, and he thought of a bold idea.

But he didn't speak, his face was a little tangled and hesitant.

[One: Xu Ningyan? ]

Huai Qing urged again.

[Three: Robbery is the only way out, but the target of robbery is not ordinary people. It's the landlords, the gentry, the merchants who are rich and unkind, and the scholar-official class. ]

The Tiandihui suddenly became quiet.

Is he crazy? ! This thought flashed through everyone's mind.

Even Li Miaozhen, who robbed the rich to help the poor, felt that Xu Qiyan was a broken jar and a bad idea.

[Four: Without the maintenance of the gentry, this will only exacerbate the chaos. ]

In this era, the imperial power does not go to the countryside, and the gentry and prominent families play an important role in maintaining stability at the bottom.

[Three: No, Brother Chu, you are wrong. The interests of the group outweigh the interests of one person. The interests of most people outweigh the interests of a small part. As long as you can satisfy the interests of the vast majority of people, you will be supported and you will never fail.

[The predicament that Dafeng is facing now is caused by refugees. As long as the people's stomachs can be fed, the chaos will only ease, not intensify. In addition, for the gentry and landlords, the survival of the court has nothing to do with them. In the year of disaster, they will increasingly exploit the value of the poor people. They who hold the land are the enemies of the court and the people.

[The key is that all this is done by refugees and bandits. What does it have to do with the court? It will not intensify the contradiction between the court and the scholar-official class. On the contrary, it will allow those classes with huge resources to participate in the suppression of bandits.

[Or donate money and organize militia to resist. No matter which one, they are willing to pay silver and food, which can ease the current food shortage. There are always people who benefit from it, and therefore earn silver and food. ]

Mobilize the proletariat!

There was silence inside the Tiandihui, and no one spoke for a long time.

After a long while, Chu Yuanzhen sent a letter:

[But don't forget that most of the people in the court are the literati class you mentioned, and those officials who retired and returned to their hometowns are the gentry class. ]

[Three: So this matter must be classified as confidential, and even the officials in the court cannot know it. The masters sent out must be of common origin and loyal to the royal family.

[Or, chivalrous people like Li Miaozhen. In addition, the character of these masters sent out must be guaranteed. Innocent people cannot be killed indiscriminately, and it is best to only rob but not kill. ]

You can only try your best... He added in his heart.

Xu Qian'an knew that when his strategy was adopted, even if he was careful and cautious, innocent people would still be affected.

This was the reason for his hesitation just now.

But his experience in his previous life told him that once the overall situation is raised to the whole country and the whole society, when dealing with problems, it is not possible to judge them simply by good and evil.

Today, the disaster is raging, refugees are everywhere, and people are dying every day.

More people will die in the future.

Those in power should stabilize social order as soon as possible, rather than being timid because of the possibility of innocent people being sacrificed.

Kindness does not rule the army, and similarly, kindness does not rule the government.

The Dishu chat group fell silent again. Although separated by thousands of mountains and rivers, Xu Qian'an seemed to hear their heavy breathing.

Or, there were trembling hands.

[Four: Xu Ningyan, you are really crazy! ]

As a traditional scholar, Chu Yuanzhen could not accept it.

No one spoke. After a long time, Chu Yuanzhen sent a letter again: [But we have to admit that this is a feasible way, although it has huge hidden dangers. ]

Li Miaozhen suddenly sent a letter: [If it must be this way, I hope that the person who robbed the gentry is me. ]

Because in this way, we can try to avoid indiscriminate killing.

[Four: I will try to gather a group of refugees, but it is not easy to rob the gentry, they usually live in the city. ]

[One: You have fragments of the Earth Book and can fly with swords, these are not a problem. ]

Huaiqing's heart is more cruel than them. She has agreed and accepted Xu Qian'an's suggestion.

[Six: Amitabha, I don't know how to choose. ]

[Seven: Count me in. ]

Li Lingsu spoke.

[Two: You? Li Lingsu, this is not in line with your style. Shouldn't you think that the world is great, and the woman you sleep with is the greatest? ]

Li Lingsu sent a letter angrily: [In your eyes, am I so bad? Li Miaozhen, we are brothers and sisters from the same sect after all, can you hope for me? ]

[Two: No, sorry! ]

"....."

Li Lingsu took a deep breath and sent a letter:

[This is the Supreme Forgetfulness of Emotions, not trapped by emotions, not disturbed by emotions. It is beneficial to the overall situation and the common people, and will not be swayed by temporary pity and sympathy, and perfectly control emotions. Isn't this the realm that Master wants us to achieve? ]

This time, Li Miaozhen did not argue.

At this point, no one spoke.

........

On that day, Emperor Yongxing received a secret memorial submitted to the palace by Xu Xinnian, a scholar of the Hanlin Academy.

The so-called secret memorial is a memorial that is submitted directly to the emperor without going through the cabinet.

Emperor Yongxing sat behind the big desk, looking at the secret memorial spread out on the table, and remained silent for a long time.