When it comes to the art of manipulating public opinion, Cui Weizhen's methods are no worse than Ye Zhenzhen's. The reason why Ye Zhenzhen figured it out earlier than him is because she has more experience in life in later generations.
Next, there was no need for Ye Zhenzhen to intervene. Cui Weizhen just made the decision and immediately arranged the relevant matters. The county magistrate and the county lieutenant obeyed the instructions and quickly dispatched people to transport food to the countryside for publicity. As for the hype, he naturally left it to himself
People.
As a local leader in Mingzhou Prefecture, Wu San knew a lot of people from all walks of life. Without spending too much effort, he quickly found the right people to spread the news.
By the next day, everyone in the streets and even the children knew the news - the prefect came to Feng County to inspect official affairs.
"I heard that the prefect got furious at the county government office yesterday, scaring the county magistrate and county captain to the point where they cried for father and mother."
The storyteller at the tea stall mysteriously revealed the news, which made the tea drinkers and pedestrians around him look bright. The fire of gossip was ignited. Now the tea drinkers stopped drinking tea and pedestrians stopped going to the market. They gathered around one after another.
The storyteller stood beside him, urging him to continue speaking.
"Mr. Ming, tell us quickly why the prefect is angry?"
"Is the magistrate going to remove the county magistrate and the county captain from their offices?"
…
The tea patrons asked all kinds of questions, and the storyteller deliberately kept his mouth shut. The tea stall owner was happy to solicit customers from all over the place. After everyone ordered tea and sat down at the tea table, the storyteller, who had finally been quiet enough, finally spoke.
.
"You all know that the county government has been borrowing and delivering food recently, right?"
"I know, I know, people from the yamen went to my village to beat gongs and drums to promote propaganda. But guess what? My old uncle thought that the yamen had arrested young men to dig river channels, so he hurried to the mountains to take refuge. As a result, he broke his leg and is still lying there today.
He's on the hospital bed. I went to the city today to get him some medicine."
"Then why don't you hurry up and get some medicine for your uncle?" a kind person reminded.
Unexpectedly, the man grabbed a handful of melon seeds, gnawed on them, and waved his hand: "No hurry, no rush, I want to listen to Mr. Ming's story. Go back and teach my old uncle a lesson, and let him lie on the hospital bed and take a good rest."
Happy, happy."
"It's true. Last time I went to the city to go to the market, I happened to meet Mr. Ming telling the story of 'Qing Zhifu's Cure of Corrupt Officials'. It was really satisfying. I went back and listened to the folks in the village. They are still listening to it.
.”
Everyone agreed and praised the magistrate as a good official. He spared no effort to cure the flood in Mingzhou Prefecture last year.
Mr. Ming saw that the people around him were spontaneously singing praises to the magistrate before the child he arranged had spoken. He couldn't help but secretly sighed, thinking that this must be what the book said about the aspirations of the people.
When he spoke again, his tone was particularly passionate: "Zhifu Cui is a good official who loves the people like his own son. He walked all the way from the capital and saw the suffering of the people and their families being separated. He couldn't bear it, and that's why he established the governors of each county.
The strategy of borrowing grain. Government grain is a reserve grain. Needless to say, its importance. The prefect lends grain with great significance, just to enable the villagers to have enough to eat. Folks, please don’t let down the prefect.
It’s such a painstaking effort.”
"It turns out that the idea of borrowing grain was the idea of the prefect. I thought it was the idea of the county officials."
"Isn't it? We are extremely poor. Our whole family only relies on a few acres of land to make a living. But the poor boss said that we need to use the land deed to borrow food. Who is not afraid of this! If the food is not paid in the end, wouldn't it mean that the land deed must be used?
Do you have to pay for everything?"
Mr. Ming interjected at the right time: "You have misunderstood. The land deed is not used as a mortgage, but the yamen evaluates your repayment ability based on the land deed, and then rents food accordingly. Even if you cannot repay the food in the future,
The government will not ask for your land deeds."
"How can there be such a cheap thing in the world? What if everyone doesn't pay back the food?"
Mr. Ming smiled and said: "You can tell at a glance how much food is grown in the ground. If there are people who deliberately do not return food, wouldn't it bring shame to the ancestors? Besides, how dare you owe the government food?"
"
Everyone shook their heads. How could they, a group of honest people, dare not pay back the food they owed the government? They didn't even dare to borrow it.
The fellow whose uncle broke his leg said: "But the food growth this year is not good. I think we may not have a good harvest this year. We have returned the government's food and will still be hungry in the winter. It is better to suffer now."
Well. If you don't have enough food and clothing to keep warm in winter, it will kill you."
This statement has been unanimously agreed by everyone. The feeling of starvation in winter is so uncomfortable that they don't want to experience it at all.
Mr. Ming smiled slightly and said: "If you don't believe in the county government, don't you still believe in the prefect? The prefect is reluctant to let the people starve now, let alone in the middle of winter. I will always find a way to let you have a good year.
of."
Everyone has been somewhat convinced.
Seeing this, Mr. Ming continued: "Our prefect is not an ordinary person. Mr. Cui comes from a wealthy family and is your majesty's favorite. He is already Uncle Jing Ning at a young age. The prefect is capable and loves the people like a son.
, we have such a prefect, what else do we have to worry about?"
Under Mr. Ming's repeated compliments, everyone gradually calmed down. Some people whose families were struggling to make ends meet already planned to go to the Yamen to borrow food. Even if they didn't need it, they planned to talk to the villagers when they returned.
There are many, many people like Mr. Ming. They may be storytellers in teahouses and taverns, they may be wandering magicians, they may be salesmen walking around the streets... They popularize in various ways
We analyzed the pros and cons of the policy to the people. Gradually, more and more people came to the Yamen to borrow food.
When Ye Zhenzhen saw this plot, she couldn't help but praise: "Zhou Wu, Wu San, you have done a good job. It has only been one day, but the effect is so obvious. If you wait a few more days, the people who come to borrow food will be
More.”
Zhou Wu quickly said: "Thanks to Brother Wu for this matter, and thanks to the many people he knows, we have such a good effect."
Cui Weizhen also praised Wu San very much.
Wu San was very embarrassed by the praise: "We just found someone to spread the word, it's not that difficult. The reason why it's so effective is entirely because of what the people want, Mr. Lang."
As a former ordinary citizen, Wu San knows everyone's thoughts best.
Even the common people who have no experience have their own scales in their hearts. If there is another prefect, even if he is praised to the fullest, as long as he has no common people in his heart, no one will be willing to believe him.
As for their husband, the people are willing to believe in him, this is the prerequisite.
