Han Shizu

Chapter 125

From Zhending to Tokyo, the distance is not too far, the straight-line distance is only about [-] miles, and the road is flat, the river canal is unobstructed, basically following the route Liu Chengyou used to chase the Liao army back to the south.

Except for the Fourth and Fifth Armies that were split by Liu Chengyou and stationed in Mo and Qi, the remaining nearly ten thousand soldiers were divided into two divisions of water and land to escort the goods to the south.Ma Quanyi was appointed by Liu Chengyou to deploy the waterway march. Together with Sun Li, he led the first and second armies to return first. After all, shipping saves time and effort compared to land transportation.

And Liu Chengyou himself, with Guo Rong and Xiang Xun, traveled by land, and the speed of marching was very slow. Going to Tokyo was only the purpose, and the process was what Liu Chengyou wanted to experience.Since the dispatch of troops from Jinyang, the army has spent four months in a state of embarrassment, focusing on military affairs, but Liu Chengyou has never taken a good look at this great river and mountain.

From Zhending to the south, passing Zhaozhou, entering Xingzhou, walking slowly all the way, and then feeling heavy all the way.The damage caused by the war to the country is too serious. The bones of the dead are exposed in the wild, and there is no rooster crowing for thousands of miles. This is probably the most true portrayal.What you can see along the way is full of devastation, barren villages and fields, ruined walls and ruins, famine and epidemics are rampant.In a large area of ​​uninhabited villages and towns, the poor gather together as bandits.
In a desolate and desolate environment, some common people can still be seen along the way, taking care of the fields lonely and even numbly.Farming is etched into the bones of Chinese people, no matter how difficult the environment is.

When entering Xingzhou and passing through Neiqiu County, I stayed overnight.This is a typical county with constant soldiers. There are less than [-] households in the entire county, and even less than [-] households in the city. It can be seen that the population is sparsely populated. The people are living in poverty, but there are not many miscellaneous taxes.

He ordered Guo Rong and Wei Renpu to visit again. The county magistrate was appointed by Xue Huairang, the Jiedu envoy of the Anguo Army. Those who are not as expected, even if the power is suppressed, and the prison is punished, it can be said that they have no scruples.

In this era, even a small magistrate has a lot of power, especially those appointed by the warlords of Jiezhen, who also hold the power of life and death.

The head of Neiqiu, who had only been in office for one month, decided to exempt the two taxes in summer and autumn on his own initiative. He didn't make the people of Neiqiu happy for a few days, and began to set up various names.It's nothing more than city tax, house tax, city entry and exit tax, and a bridge tax.You must know that the landform in the inner hills presents a three-dimensional structure, with mountains, hills, and plains each occupying one, and there is not a single larger river, let alone a bridge.
The most interesting thing is that other people apportion miscellaneous taxes and collect them on a case-by-case basis, but the Neiqiu county magistrate collects them on an annual basis, forcing the people in his jurisdiction to become "annual members" once.The problem is, how long he can serve as the county magistrate is a problem.However, the county magistrate has also achieved a certain degree of "fairness", the poor receive less, and the rich receive more.

In the station, after listening to the report, Liu Chengyou was silent, but his mood was a little complicated. After holding back for a while, he looked at the people in front of him: "What do you think?"

"From this we can see how difficult life is for the people!" Xiang Xun said with a sigh.

"Since the Tang Dynasty, the rites and music have collapsed, the rules and regulations have been lost, the legal system is missing, the feudal towns are self-defeating, the local government has been abolished, the warriors are in power, and the people are tyrannical. Decree, Fazhou County, to determine the world" Wei Renpu thought for a while and said calmly.

The expression on Guo Rong's face was richer, and his eyes were cold: "This Neiqiu chief should be killed."

On the contrary, Liu Chengyou calmed down, shook his head, and let out a long sigh, as if with infinite emotion: "This world has been in chaos for too long."

"It has been chaotic for too long, so the people's minds are settled. If the imperial court can sweep the world down and eliminate the chaos, the people's hearts will surely follow!" Wei Renpu said with certainty.

He got up and wandered around the room for a few steps, looking lost.His real mood at the moment is only one sentence: The revolution has not yet succeeded, and comrades still need to work hard.To say that Liu Chengyou is worried about the world and caring about the common people is not necessarily true.However, looking at the broken mountains and rivers and the sinking of the country, the mood is always uncomfortable and a little sentimental.

"Master Neiqiu, it's nothing more than an unknown person, what's the use of killing, let's just go." After a while, Liu Chengyou raised his hand, and said in a cold voice, "Rather than killing a small evil, it's better to eliminate a big evil!"

They are all outstanding people, so they naturally heard Liu Chengyou's implication. Guo Rong looked at Liu Chengyou's back and asked, "Your Highness wants to deal with Xue Huairang?"

"From Wang Shouen in Luzhou, to Bai Zairong in Zhenzhou, to Xue Huairang in Xingzhou today, if you rely on such people to defend the town and maintain the country, this country will perish sooner or later!" Liu Chengyou said coldly.The words are very heavy!
Xue Huairang is also a martial artist with the characteristics of the times. He has been in the army for more than [-] years and fought bravely.

During the anti-Liao period, he successfully speculated and led the crowd to expel the Hu soldiers, occupy Mingzhou, and seek refuge with the Liu family.Then, things started to happen.Originally, Liu Duo, the general guard of Xingzhou, had already expressed his surrender to Liu Chengyou, but was killed by Xue Huairang leading the army northward to the city.At that time, although Liu Chengyou was angry, he temporarily appointed him as Xing and Ming inspectors for the sake of the overall situation.

However, this Xue Huairang probably heard some bad news, and while accepting Liu Chengyou's appointment, he sent someone to Kaifeng with a gift to express his surrender to Liu Zhiyuan.Then, after a certain minister's kind words, he was appointed as the Jiedu Envoy of the Anguo Army to Jiedu the three states of Xing, Ming, and Ci.
The emperor's appointment is much more effective than the appointment of the prince Liu Chengyou.Then, Xue Huairang let go, and started to play his usual style.

Gathering grain to raise money, and setting up various names by chance, one of which is the most unbearable for Liu Chengyou.Zhao Yanshou's Northern Expedition to Youyan, and Liu Chengyou's battle with the Liao Army, they fought to collect money and food in the name of supporting Liu Chengyou's Northern Expedition.

However, Liu Chengyou has never seen even a grain or a copper plate.Doing things under the banner of Liu Chengyou, his reputation has been ruined, and the benefits have not been seen at all. How can Liu Chengyou not be angry?
"However, this Xue Huairang is the Jiedu envoy appointed by the emperor. If he is taken down without authorization, there is no way to explain it to the court and His Majesty." Wei Renpu still said with some scruples.

"Since I came out of the east, haven't I done enough to make my own claims?" Liu Chengyou waved his hand: "You don't have to worry about debts, left and right. With the current public opinion in the court, if you go back, you will inevitably be admonished."

Although Liu Chengyou's eyes and ears are not yet sensitive at this time, he still has heard of the situation in Kaifeng City, and when he said this, the corner of his mouth could not help but sneer.

Turning his head to look at Wei Renpu, seeing that he hesitated to speak, Liu Chengyou raised his hand and said: "Xue Huairang committed such a serious crime, but in this world, we can only let it go? In the past, he was too tolerant of such people, so that Is it a crime to kill someone? Is it a crime to be corrupt? You can even save your life by rebelling! Blindly being gentle will only ruin and weaken the discipline of the court."

Liu Chengyou said coldly: "At the beginning of the Han Dynasty, the emperor and the ministers did the Huairou thing. I will establish this majesty, and I will do this villain! Let Xue Huairang do it!"

Seeing Liu Chengyou's expression, Wei Renpu opened his mouth, but he didn't try to persuade him anymore. He could feel that Liu Chengyou couldn't suppress it anymore.Sighing silently, he actually wanted to remind Liu Chengyou that killing Bai Zairong is not a big problem, but this Xue Huairang, no matter what he did, was a party, and was appointed by Liu Zhiyuan.
(End of this chapter)