Chapter 639 Coping with child's play (Happy New Year's Eve, good luck in the Year of the Tiger
July twenty-four.
It's just dawn.
Northwest side of Putian County.
A valley mouth at the junction with Youfu County.
Three rows of horses were placed side by side.
There were fifty soldiers at each end of the three columns of horseback, fully armed and silently arrayed.
The intersection that could accommodate more than ten horses galloping through only left a narrow lane in the middle for people and horses to pass.
On the empty land less than ten feet away from each other, dozens of military tents have been set up.
At first glance, it can be seen that there are at least three hundred soldiers camped here.
There are also many soldiers standing guard in groups within a three-mile radius nearby.
Roughly every two hours, thirty or forty Jianghu people would enter Putian County from between the three lines of resisting horses and the ten lines of soldiers who were killing them.
Since last night, this has been the scene at more than ten land entrances to Putian County.
A team of twenty-seven people had just led their horses through this temporary checkpoint.
Everyone had just a lot more luggage on their horses, but they did not encounter any difficulties from the five soldiers at the checkpoint. They only made a simple registration and were released.
After passing the customs, the leader of the group counted the number of people again and led everyone deeper into Putian County.
This group of people is a team formed by twelve Hongchen Inn members including Gu Xinhun and Su Shou after being screened in the town yesterday.
Everyone at Hongchen Inn came with invitations and tasks.
The other thirteen Jianghu people include members from small gangs and wanderers.
Maybe I came here to pursue fame, profit, or simply want to try my luck, and finally have a chance to exchange for some money.
After witnessing a series of measures such as the imperial court announcing the lifting of military restrictions in Fujian, issuing reward orders, and setting up checkpoints, those who came late to join in the fun had given up the idea of risking their lives and were still determined to enter Putian.
Those who need it must have something to ask for.
There may be many people who can smell the existential crisis of Zhongzhou created by the Southern Shaolin Fire and Tu Wanfang's appearance, but this is undoubtedly a good opportunity for countless ambitious people to change their destiny.
Not long after, the team of twenty-seven people had walked out of the patrol circle.
The two riders, Gu Xinhun and Luo Bo, slowly moved from the middle to the end of the team.
Luobo said: "Master, do you think the court's response this time is too childish?"
"Child's play?" Gu Xinhun, who specially accompanied the horse to drive slowly, did not answer directly, but asked instead, "Why do you ask this?"
Luobo said without any concealment: "After seeing the military formation, I thought of the bitter water we poured out in the restaurant yesterday."
Gu Xinhun asked strangely: "Oh? Is there any connection between the deployment of the army and the breaking of salt?"
Luobo shook his head and said, "No, it's just that the salt ban in Fujian reminds me of an old thing my husband said."
Lonely Heart and Soul put on a posture of willing to hear the details.
Luobo said: "Sir, you said that in the fifth year after Emperor Jing took office, in order to prevent serious corruption by salt merchants and salt officials from all over the country, a new salt policy was introduced, which opened the way for people to make salt.
Son, 90% of the salt was still controlled by the government, and 10% was allowed to be controlled by the people. Although this salt policy was quite effective at first, the production and reserves of salt increased, and the price of salt soon dropped, but it also made it possible for the Red Sect to reach out later.
Zhongzhou's economic lifeline provides the greatest convenience, but now it seems that the salt policy reform at that time was just child's play?"
Gu Xinhun thought for a while and then said: "It can't be said that. At that time, the official salt supply in Zhongzhou was in short supply, private salt was rampant, salt merchants were extremely rich, officials at all levels were lining their pockets, and the people at the bottom were left in unspeakable misery.
, when it is impossible to completely eliminate process corruption from top to bottom, breaking the monopoly of salt sales by increasing the salt production in Zhongzhou can be said to be a very effective emergency measure. However, it does not fundamentally solve the problem, which nourishes the
A new monopoly layer.”
After pecking at the radish carefully, Gu Xinhun continued: "As for the childishness you mentioned, it must be that in the face of the fire in Southern Shaolin, the local officials have been slow to enter the scene to control the fire, investigate the cause, and protect the people; Tu Wanfang appears to be like this
The imperial court failed to dispatch troops to encircle and suppress the monster with a thirst for blood; it reneged on the military restriction order and issued a meaningless reward order. It only wanted to use the hands of Jianghu people to settle major issues that affected the safety of the people and endangered the stability of Zhongzhou.
For important matters, all the above are child's play."
Carrot responded: "Yeah."
"Listen to my summary, the imperial court is indeed a bastard and a child's play. However, as the saying goes, regardless of black or white cats, the one that can catch mice is a good cat. Looking at it from another angle, at least we can see the current situation in the court.
It’s not completely hopeless, especially in this special period.”
"special period?"
"Mr. I should have taught you that it is empty talk to comment on individual or collective behavior without relevant background."
When Luo Bo heard this, he seemed to have some realization. He looked ashamed, nodded and said, "Yes, sir, he said it."
Gu Xinhun continued to guide: "So, the salt policy reform at that time was due to the background of the times. With the court's current layout, we should look at the current situation Zhongzhou is facing."
Luobo frowned and said seriously: "Zhongzhou is currently experiencing internal and external troubles."
Gu Xinhun said: "That's right. Although the Wala Kengguan Xing'an Realm has not gone any further, it is still the same hand caressing the back of the cat's neck. You must always prevent the other party from exerting force, otherwise you will only be strangled by the neck and easily manipulated by others.
.”
Luobo said: "For now, Putian County can only have internal troubles, while Xing'an Territory has external troubles. One is in the south and the other is in the north. And the latter is closer to Youjing. It's obvious which one is more serious."
Gu Xinhun said: "Then it is natural for the imperial court to focus on the north."
Luobo said: "The most important thing is that there is more than one voice in the court. The Fifth Marquis and Yu Tian have the loudest voices, and the nine families also have their own agendas."
Gu Xinhun said: "The further the distance, the closer their voices become to unity, but their control becomes weaker and weaker."
Luo Bao admitted: "Indeed, aside from the imperial court's selfish motives for uniting with the Red Sect to weaken the power of the Jianghu in Zhongzhou, over the past few days, the governments of Fujian and Zhejiang have not ignored the massacre of Wanfang, but they have suffered heavy losses. I am afraid that a massacre by thousands of troops may not be effective.
, it would be better to spend a lot of money to encourage Jianghu people to find a way to solve it first."
Gu Xinhun said: "So, in my opinion, the local government's indifference to the Southern Shaolin Fire must have received secret instructions from the court in advance, dispatching troops to block the land entrances and exits of Putian County, and leaving the Jianghu people to their own devices.
After the Duanjianghu incident, they only controlled the overall situation and did not let the Red Sect burn the fire out of control. This is a good response."
Luo Bo said bitterly: "The people who suffer are the innocent people who were involved."
Gu Xinhun said calmly: "To slaughter Wanfang, one life is worth ten thousand taels of gold, and for ordinary people, one life is worth ten thousand taels of silver. In comparison, the lives of ordinary people are as insignificant as grass and mustard."
Luo Bao said bluntly: "What I am most worried about is that the court's response to Putian County will be like the salt policy reform in the past, which will subvert the fundamentals of the country, and this time it will be effective soon."
Gu Xinhun was silent for a while and affirmed: "The most worrying things now are two things. One is how to deal with Tu Wanfang, and the other is whether these Zhongzhou soldiers can do it clean? In other words, the population of this land of Fujian is already thin.
How many Japanese people have been infiltrated into the guard station, and will they jump out at a critical moment to surprise us?"
Luobo said: "Judging from the latest information sent by the Dark Palace last night, except for Putian County, ten of the eighteen guards in the other seven counties have sent 300 to 500 troops respectively. Funing Guard, Dinghai Guard,
The Zhendong Guards were all reorganizing their guard posts, and the dispatch of these personnel was not a problem. However, for small guard posts such as Xinghua Guard and Ludao Guard, one-third of the troops were taken away at once, even if they were among all the guards in Fujian.
There is no problem with the soldiers in Zhongzhou, but once chaos breaks out in Putian, it will not be difficult for the Japanese to smash the Fujian defense line into pieces."
Gu Xinhun said: "There is nothing that can be done about it. The so-called mountain is high, uh, well, on the one hand, the emperor is far away from the mountain, and the court deliberately indulges it. On the other hand, the Japanese have worked hard to spread their branches and leaves. Compared to the place, it is more remote and sparsely populated.
The Northland and Kunlun Territory, and the Fujian Territory seem to be living under the eyes of the stepmother, but they are turned a blind eye. The military and political system within the territory has long been overpowered by external forces, and no one can withstand it for long. If Putian County was deep inland, it would still be able to
A comprehensive blockade was carried out. However, Putian County not only has a peninsula in the east, but also sits on a dozen islands of different sizes. It is very convenient for Japan to advance or retreat. If not, Hongshang would also
Putian County will not be designated as a difficult point just because Southern Shaolin is here."
Luobo said: "It seems that Master also believes that no matter whether the Red Sect can inflict heavy damage on Zhongzhou Jianghu this time, Japan will not give up."
Gu Xinhun sighed and said: "If I didn't have the information from Andian, I wouldn't be so pessimistic."
At this point, the team walking in front of the two people slowed down for some reason.
Sushou reined in his horse and came closer, saying, "I found the mark they left before me."