Magistrate Xu held his hand on the parapet and faced the north, looking far into the distance. In front of him, the sun was born, gradually dispelling the fog in the distance, and the trees, houses, farmland, official roads, etc. hidden in the thick fog appeared one by one.

Jian Qinwen saw that he was looking at him in a trance, and there seemed to be a lingering sadness between his brows. He didn't know what he was thinking about, so he didn't dare to disturb him, so he stood quietly and waited.

After a long time, Xu Shirou suddenly sighed, withdrew his gaze, turned to look at Jian Qinwen, who was standing by his side, and said with some emotion: "Master Jian, what do you think these rogues are thinking? They can't be honest.

Is my family living well? Even if they have any grievances, the government will naturally redress their grievances, and they will not run around, and eventually be surrounded and annihilated by officers and soldiers, and their bodies and families will be destroyed!"

This question is not easy to answer, because this question is like the lice on the monk's head. It is obvious, but this cannot be said clearly to Xu Shirou. Moreover, what Xu Shirou wants to hear is not the truth. Jian Qinwen thought for a long time, but there was no answer.

When I come up with some witty words, I can only mumble and mumble.

Xu Shirou did not embarrass him, and sighed again, then turned around and walked down the city. At the same time, he ordered Jian Qinwen behind him: "Master Jian, how much food and grass are there in Nanyang City? How many soldiers and armor are there?"

"Currently, there are still 430,000 shi of grain, 1,140,000 bundles of fodder, 240,000 taels of silver, and very few soldiers and armor left in Nanyang City." These matters are all under the jurisdiction of Jian Qinwen, the general judge.

, Jian Qinwen has a good memory, at least he remembers these numbers clearly. As for how much water is in them, Xu Shirou didn't ask, and he didn't tell either.

"Why is there so little food?" Xu Shirou couldn't help but ask. He knew about the lack of money. The Ming Dynasty had its own national conditions. Everyone in the court followed the Confucian virtues of diligence and frugality, and there was not much space.

Flowers, and in order to prevent the higher-ups from being able to control themselves, the officials at the bottom simply stopped collecting the taxes they should collect and hid them directly from the people.

Of course, officials’ understanding of who is the people who hide wealth among the people is slightly different from normal people’s understanding. According to their understanding, the people specifically refer to the gentry with fame and fame, and those ordinary people who have nothing are naturally not here.

List.

"Sir, this year is strange. Last year, floods in Henan Province flooded many states and counties. This year, it's just the opposite. It's already May, and there's almost no rain. The crops in the fields have all died. Taxes are really being collected.

I won’t come up.” Jian Qinwen wondered.

"Can't they collect it? Can Nanyang City still be defended? When the food and grass are insufficient, the soldiers will mutiny. Sir Jian, do you know the consequences?" Xu Shirou's tone increased.

This... you can't blame me. In the year of great disaster, if we continue to levy and plunder as we did in previous years, what if the government forces the people to rebel and the result will be different? But Jian Qinwen could only mutter this in his heart, but did not dare to say it out.

Looking at Jian Qinwen's appearance of a dead pig that is not afraid of being scalded by boiling water, Xu Shirou was a little annoyed, "Can't you think of a way?"

"You are incompetent in your humble position. Please show me, the prefect."

"You..." Xu Shirou almost choked to death. After a while, he calmed down and said helplessly: "Can't you ask the big families in the city to raise donations?"

"Sir, don't you know the temperament of the big families in the city? If you want them to pay a share, it would be easier to just kill them," Jian Qinwen said.

Xu Shirou had never known that this person was so stupid and couldn't even do this well. If his power of appointment and dismissal was not in his hands, he would have sent him away long ago. Why would he need it now?

"Why don't you make some changes and let the big households raise money first? Only after the big households have done so can you attract the small households and ordinary people to raise donations. After the common people have raised funds, can you return the money from the big households. In this way, it will not be possible to raise food.

Are you here?" Xu Shirou no longer wanted to talk to such stupid people, so she walked away after saying that.

"Can it still be like this?" Jian Qinwen acted as if he had discovered a new world. His eyes lit up at first, and then he took a few steps to catch up with Xu Shirou and praised him, "Master Xu, this is a wonderful idea. Otherwise, I would say that you are a superior official and have a humble position."

It’s just a small general judgment.”

"Okay, okay, let's do it quickly!" Xu Shirou waved his hand somewhat complacently, asking Jian Qinwen to follow his own intentions. Then, as if he thought of something, his expression returned to the posture of caring about the country and the people, and sighed,

"That's all, that's all. Let's suffer for the people for a few more days. When the bandits are beaten away in the future, we can compensate the people."

Jian Qinwen left, and after leaving Xu Shirou, his originally curved waist slightly leaned back, regaining his official authority as a fifth-rank official.

Xu Shirou scolded him for being stupid, but he didn't scold him for being stupid behind his back. Whoever brought up such a thing would be the one who would bear the infamy. He, Jian Qinwen, was still young, so naturally he didn't want to take advantage of his reputation.

And being used, sometimes it is impossible to tell clearly.

The ninth day of the fifth lunar month in the sixth year of Chongzhen.

The Pei family's army, the Dingguo army, the cavalry battalion, and the artillery battalion, totaling more than 40,000 troops, arrived at the foot of Nanyang City. Under the command of Pei Xiaoer, the Pei family army was divided into three, and surrounded Nanyang City from the east, north, and west.

The south gate allowed the defenders in the city to escape. When there was no hope of escape, the defenders desperately defended the city, which in vain increased the difficulty of siege.

After arriving at the city, it was already afternoon. Seeing that the sky was about to get dark, it seemed that we could not attack the city today. Just as the army was marching all the way, it was time to take a good rest. Pei Xiaoer gave the order, just outside Nanyang City.

Set up camp on the spot and prepare to attack the city tomorrow.

Taking advantage of this gap, Pei Xiaoer took Qiao Chun, Liu Changle, Song Meng, Hu Shi'an and other soldiers and walked towards Nanyang City from a distance.

Nanyang City is indeed a famous city in southern Henan. Sure enough, Tangchi Iron City looks like iron struck with copper. Nanyang City is ten feet high, with towering towers built on it. The city wall is so thick that it can accommodate two horses walking side by side.

The city wall has an overall brick wall structure on the outside and rammed earth on the inside. It is so strong that even cannons cannot do anything to this strong city in a short period of time.

Looking at the standing city wall, Pei Xiaoer was a little worried. It would not be easy for this strong city to break the turtle shell from the outside. However, no matter how strong the fortress was, it could not withstand the attack by internal forces. When he thought about himself

With the last move, Pei Xiaoer felt a little confident in his heart.

Suddenly, a voice came from the top of Nanyang City, "Listen to the thieves below the city, our Nanyang Mansion is not a place for you to run wild, leave quickly, our Nanyang Mansion can still pretend that it does not exist at this time, otherwise our Nanyang Mansion army will

If you attack, you will be wiped out."

Hearing this, Pei Xiaoer snorted coldly and ordered: "Go and tell them to surrender as soon as possible. I can consider letting him live. Otherwise, when I break the city, they will not be left alive."

After Pei Xiaoer finished speaking, some of his own soldiers shouted Pei Xiaoer's words to the people on the top of the city.

Such a shouting is not meaningless. At least, the actions of the officers and soldiers trying to ask the Pei Jiajun to leave through shouting show that the confidence of the officers and soldiers in the city is not as strong as they appear. Otherwise, they would have sent troops out of the city to fight with the Pei Jiajun for three hundred years.
Chapter completed!