After entering the twelfth lunar month, the situation in various places became slightly calmer.
Maybe it's because the suppression is almost complete, or maybe it's because the weather is too cold and the refugees don't want to run around anymore.
On the day of Laba, Shao Xun invited the generals Si Lu Zhi of the right army, Pei Shao of the left army, Chen Yougen of the left army, Yang Chen of the right army, Yu Chen, the prime minister of Liang, Pan Tao, the imperial censor, Cui Yu, the censor Zhongcheng, and Pei Miao, the minister.
Su Shuyan, the chief of the barbarian guards, Wang Queer, the general of the left army, and others went to Lichuntai to have a banquet and eat Laba porridge.
Before leaving the house, Shao Xun yawned, and Mrs. Yin stood up to serve him with a blushing face.
After returning home, the first shot was to open the door to the concubine Yin Shi, and all the stocks were poured into her.
After washing and dressing up, Shao Xun pinched the concubine's face and said, "Let's sleep a little longer."
Then he got up and went to the main hall.
Chen Yougen, Su Shuyan, and Wang Queer gathered together and chatted in the courtyard at the door. After seeing Shao Xun, they all saluted.
Shao Xun returned the salute and looked around. Lu Zhi, Yu Chen and others were sitting idle in the side hall on the left. After seeing Shao Xun, they also came out to salute.
Shao Xun smiled. It was clear that civil and military affairs were the status quo at this time, but it was not naturally the case.
It can only be said that scholars are very discriminatory against all military professions. There are still very few gentry children who become warriors, and they will lose face if they do.
But the mud-legged people at the bottom are not so particular. Military positions are also officials. They have no right to choose. They have only this way out.
"Let's have some porridge." Shao Xun took the lead and led everyone to the main hall and ate red bean porridge.
No one spoke during the meal. Everyone looked serious, as if they were thinking about something important.
Maybe they are really thinking.
After breakfast in silence, the palace servants served tea for everyone to rinse their mouths with.
After everything was settled, Shao Xun pondered for a while and said: "I've called you all here today for several important events."
When the conversation got to the point, everyone looked stern and listened attentively.
"First, the consumption of resources this year has been extremely large, and next year only one acre of land will be harvested in each county, so rest and recuperation will support the people's strength." Shao Xun said.
Yu Chen secretly breathed a sigh of relief.
He has mentioned this matter more than once, the most recent time was two days ago. But the last time he mentioned it, it actually had something else to say: 6.5 million grains and grasses have been collected around this year. Who got most of them for you?
Coming?
To be honest, it is not unreasonable for the nobles to think so.
So far, the wealthy people in Henan have really supported him. They don't feel sorry for him. They send women to sleep with, food, weapons, livestock to supply military supplies, and even directly send troops to fight for you. It's quite interesting.
Even if you go to provide disaster relief to save the people of Qingzhou, Hebei, and the Yuyan gentry, don’t you agree? Using food from Yuzhou and Yanzhou to save people in other places is naturally contradictory from a human perspective, but in the end it is still for your sake.
, reluctantly agreed.
What else do you want?
How can you be so honest and powerful as a nobleman, how can you be willing to be ruthless?
Next year is said to be about recuperation, but in fact there are still many things to do, such as resettling the refugees. This will cost a lot of food, farm tools, and seeds. Who do you plan to let out?
Although Yu Chen had many choices, and his grandson was likely to become the heir apparent, he could not just obey. How could he assume the position of leader of the scholars in Yingchuan and even Yuzhou?
You don’t fight for the interests of others, so you still want others to support you?
After all, Yu Chen also had to compromise, find a balance between Liang Gong and the nobles, and try to reconcile the two parties. This was his most important job.
"It will cost a lot of money and food to resettle the refugees." Shao Xun continued: "The counties should try their best to collect some."
Lu Zhi hesitated to speak, but in the end he said nothing.
Perhaps, he feels that in some things, no matter how superb his skills are, they no longer work.
Yu Chen was silent for a while, then cupped his hands and said, "Where will the refugees be resettled?"
"The four counties of Xingyang, Ji, Dunqiu and Hanoi."
Yu Chen nodded slightly and said, "I will do my best to raise the funds."
Shao Xun looked at Lu Zhi, Pei Shao and others again. They didn't say anything and only responded.
Chen Yougen observed silently.
He found that the atmosphere of today's meeting was different from before. It was slightly stagnant. Everyone had something on their mind. They were talking about this thing and thinking about another thing. Overall, they seemed a little absent-minded.
"The second thing is to clear the land and household registration in the fifteen counties of the Liang Kingdom. This matter is absolutely merciless." Shao Xun said: "The area around Bianliang, dozens of miles away, has not been cleared. Is it ridiculous?
In the past twenty years, the wealthy families have absorbed too many bankers and customers, and many ordinary households have been forced to become bankers. It was understandable in the past, but now that the chaos has been calmed down and the counties are rough, it is time to let go of some people."
This matter required the coordination of multiple departments, so Yu Chen, Pei Miao, and Pan Tao all agreed.
In the past, Liang Gong only cleared land and household registration within the territory of Liang State. This year, he extended it to the outside and cleaned up all the counties in Qingzhou. There must be some criticism, and they are constantly appeasing them and striving for stability.
The household registration sent by Qingzhou was discounted: 80,000 households. The reason was the rebellion of Tianshi Dao after the locust plague.
Everyone knows that this number is false, and the real number may never be known, but because it reached the bottom line set by Liang Gong (100,000 households), it was barely passed.
Speaking of which, Qingzhou's wealthy families are both honest and dishonest.
The honest aspect is that no matter what Liang Gong said, that is how much it is.
The dishonest side is to stick to the lower limit stated by Liang Gong and give you a discount due to famine and military chaos.
These slick guys!
"The third thing." Shao Xun looked at Chen Yougen and said, "Chen Qing will tell you."
"Yes." Chen Yougen cleared his throat and said, "Some people say that they want to take back the privilege of exempting soldiers from taxation. What a bastard!"
Vulgar! This is probably the unanimous thought of the noble officials here.
However, this was not the first day they had come into contact with someone like Chen Yougen, and they had already become accustomed to his way of speaking.
"They are not exempt from taxes and servitude. How are they different from young farmers and soldiers? How can the government soldiers have the resources to hone their martial arts and buy equipment?" Chen Yougen said: "Without these, you will collapse at the first touch of battle. The Huns will rush over and kill you one by one. Don't cry then.
.”
The civil servants looked at me and I looked at you. Finally, Cui Yu, the censor Zhongcheng, came forward and said: "Lieutenant Chen's words are wrong. The Ming Dynasty wants to establish honorary officers, and it is clearly stated that sergeants can be exempted from tax and service based on military merit. The soldiers of the government have no tax to begin with, so what?
Reduction?”
"Can't the soldiers exchange their military exploits for other things?" Chen Yougen said dissatisfied: "The country is based on filial piety, and I think many people are willing to use their meritorious service to exchange titles for their parents. There are so many things that can be exchanged..."
"Lieutenant, don't be anxious." Cui Yu said after he had a good time: "I heard that war merit can be exchanged for land. Is this land public or private? The land for the government soldiers is public land. It was originally granted by Liang Gong himself. It was only for the government soldiers. After death, it will be recovered.
If the land exchanged for military merit is still public land, then do the soldiers of the government have to pay back the debt first? When Duke Liang granted him 150 acres of land, he did not let them exchange for merit."
"What a mess!" Chen Yougen patted the table and said, "If we don't have sons and daughters holding their heads high and fighting for their lives, how can I sit here in peace? It's really a loss of conscience."
"How can a distinguished officer be transferred to an official position?" Cui Yu asked again: "If you don't know a single big character, how can you be an official? Isn't that harmful to people? How important are officials such as Bailihou and Fujun? Military occupation
Officer, do you have to rely on divination and wrestling to decide the case? How dignified is that?"
Chen Yougen choked.
Cui Yu no longer looked at Chen Yougen, but only raised his hand to Shao Xun and said: "Ming Gong, I am just asking the truth, and I have no selfish motives."
Shao Xun glanced at Chen Yougen. Old Chen's fighting power was still too weak, but he was the old man Yuancong, a confidant he trusted very much, and one of the representatives of the martial arts. It was impossible not to let him come.
He looked at Wang Queer, the general of the left army, and asked: "How is the situation in the army today?"
Wang Que'er was silent for a moment and said: "When they heard that they were honored as officers, all the men and women congratulated each other. They were all gearing up to get a wife and son, and to gain a field of merit. If this matter is abandoned, it may damage the morale of the army."
Compared with Kim Jong, Chen Yougen, Wang Queer, and Hou Feihu, they are actually considered "moderate" military figures.
They do not advocate a complete break with the wealthy family, because that would be a lose-lose situation.
But at this time, he still stood firmly on Shao Xun's position. As soon as Master Shao asked, he knew what to say.
Others may not understand what he said, but Yu Chen, Lu Zhi and others who are not good people can hear the underlying meaning: Is it just hurting morale?
Thinking back to Lijiawu, which was recently captured, it was truly merciless and very determined. No matter how heavy the casualties were, they would still conquer it.
It is true that with Liang Gong's military strength, he could not actually capture too many Wubao, and he could not use his precious recruited soldiers and government troops to attack the city, because they simply could not withstand the consumption.
But what if your home is one of the few Wubao that has been breached?
In this world, no one can wipe out the noble clan as a whole, but it is still possible to wipe out some of the families. This is what I am afraid of.
Because the noble clan is not a whole, they have too many thoughts and their strength is scattered. If they were a whole, then people like Liu Cong and Shao Xun would be kneeling in front of them and obeying orders, so it would be impossible for them to gain momentum.
"After the spring begins, the Yinqiang Middle Battalion returns to Bianliang. The three battalions will gather together and have to do a good inspection." Shao Xun looked at Wang Que'er and said with a smile.
"No." Wang Queer stood up and answered the order.
There was a moment of solemnity in the venue.
Shao Xun turned his attention to Yu Chen and Lu Zhi again.
Yu Chen hesitated for a moment and sighed: "Ming Gong said several times that 'tolerance serves the country', and I deeply agree with it. The word "tolerance" applies not only to scholars, but also to warriors. On this occasion, it is even more important to tolerate each other, why not
Let’s each take a step back and discuss the details carefully.”
Lu Zhi raised a very practical question: "Ming Gong should know about Jizhou and how Youzhou came to be. This matter needs to be done with caution and not to be too radical."
When attacking Jizhou, it was true that Shao Xun defeated Shi Le's main force, but it is also true that the wealthy families in various counties turned against him. Especially in the second year after Shi Le's remnants were wiped out, most of the troops were provided by wealthy families.
Not to mention Youzhou, it was peacefully taken over and the power structure remained largely unchanged.
In fact, Qingzhou also had factors of rebellion among the gentry.
To take a step back, how did Shao Xun get Yuzhou in the first place? He didn't win it, but he was appointed by the imperial court and accepted it legitimately as General Pingdong.
Lu Zhi was worried that some people could not think clearly and felt that Liang Gong was not interesting enough, so he reminded him.
But whether it was Yu Chen or Lu Zhi, their words actually meant "can be discussed" both inside and outside.
If there is some discussion, the table will not be turned over and a civil war will begin.
But judging from the historical process, the gentry actually gave in.
Once this hole is opened, it will inevitably expand slowly in the future. They should be able to see this, but for various reasons, they are unable to do anything.
From a more macro perspective, this is actually the distribution of interests within the military and political group established by Shao Xun.
Just like the Jingkou Warriors Group in the Eastern Jin Dynasty, as their power gradually grew, they would confidently demand more resources and higher status.
Shao Xun is the warrior and the arbiter recognized by the noble clan group, but he is slightly leaning towards the warrior side.
There is nothing new in the world.
The words "can be discussed" came from the mouth of the scholar representative, which actually reflected the rise of the martial arts group from the side - the opponent's certification.
Shao Xun also likes everyone's attitude towards talking to each other. In particular, warriors must develop the habit of being willing to negotiate, because he does not want to see warriors breaking the rules and speaking violently. That is not a good thing for him and means the order is out of control.
Chapter completed!