retaliate

The resistance of Deguang City was very weak. After the top of the city was captured, most of the defenders fled into the city.

Is this a street fight?

Li Xuan felt that the fighting spirit of the eastern border rebels was surprisingly tenacious.

"Get a few captives to question."

Not long after, Wang Lao Er came with a few rebels.

When several rebel soldiers saw Li Xuan, they knelt down and lowered their heads without scolding.

"Why did you flee to the city?" Li Xuan asked.

He worried that he had underestimated Shi Gongming.

When the two armies fight, the most fearful thing is to underestimate the opponent.

"The villain heard that His Highness refused to accept the surrender, so he ran away."

Uh!
Everyone looked at each other.

Li Xuan's face darkened, "That's the Southern Xinjiang rebels!"

"Ah!" The surrender looked up in astonishment, "But the above said that His Highness did not accept the surrender. Therefore, when we called for the surrender earlier, we thought it was a lie."

"This is the general playing tricks, trying to strengthen the defender's belief in resistance." He Lianrong said: "It's cunning, but before the general situation, it's like a mantis holding a car."

"Caught the guard."

The two sergeants happily dragged Shi Huan over.

"I have seen Your Highness."

Shi Huan knelt down and said fluently: "The villain has long wanted to surrender to His Highness, but Shi Gongming threatened him with his family members. There is an eighty-year-old mother on the villain, and a two-year-old child under him. He has no choice but to resist His Highness." Heavenly Soldiers deserve death!"

"You speak so fluently." Li Xuan felt a little familiar in a trance, and Suzaku said in his ear: "Isn't this what is often performed on TV?"

Yes!

Li Xuan smiled, "What is Shi Gongming's plan?"

When Shi Huan heard this, he knew that he would not die, so he cheered up and said, "After Shi Gongming came back, he was in a constant state of panic. When discussing matters, he could see that he was holding back his fear of His Highness..."

"Is there any arrangement?"

"Yes, he recruited warriors as soon as he came back, and even asked people to go to the big clan to ask for money and food."

"It's interesting that this Jiedushi became a beggar." Li Xuan said disdainfully: "At first I thought that Shi Gongming had some heroic air, but it turned out that he was Te Niang's bear."

"Hahahaha!"

Everyone laughed.

Along with laughter, a troop of cavalry came out of the city gate.

"Your Highness, the city has been cleaned up."

"Go in and have a look."

When Li Xuan entered the city, more than ten men were waiting on the street ahead.

"I have seen Your Highness."

A descendant introduced, "Your Highness, this is a local rich family."

The ten or so people looked at King Qin in fear, thinking of the methods he used against the tyrants in the northern border, they regretted it all.

If they had sent people to contact the northern border army when Shi Gongming raised his troops and told the rebels what was true, they would be considered meritorious ministers at this moment.

But this group of people was lucky, thinking that if Shi Gongming succeeded, they could also get a share in the new dynasty.

Now, a piece of the pie is gone, I just hope King Qin can forgive me.

"I know the troubles of the big family. There are so many people. Every person in charge is responsible for the big family. They eat and drink every day. You have to take care of everyone's future, everyone's happiness, anger, sorrow and joy. It's not easy!"

More than a dozen wealthy families burst into tears.

"Your Highness is really the caring person I've been waiting for!"

"Gu knows that conscience is a waste to you and others, but Gu still hopes that you will ask yourself before you act in the future: If this is the case, you can live up to your conscience."

Li Xuan pointed to his chest, "Only by keeping your conscience can you keep your glory and wealth."

He rode his horse up to more than ten people and looked down at them.

"Is there an annexation field? Is there any law?"

More than ten people bowed their heads.

"Gu originally thought there would be at least one good one, but now it seems that they are all the same!"

Li Xuan shook his head, "The local officials' indulgence is the main reason, but the source of the local officials' indulgence lies in Chang'an. The puppet emperor made deals with aristocratic families, and he did not hesitate to let go of land mergers. This trend has spread to the localities. You are overjoyed and follow suit."

More than a dozen people knelt down, trembling in their hearts.

"I am guilty!"

"Don't think that the law does not blame the public." Li Xuan pointed to the dozen or so people, "First, all the land that was annexed illegally will be spit out, and the interest will be paid according to the time."

"Yes!"

This time, the nobles were about to vomit blood.

"Secondly, if there is a bloody case in hand, there is still a way out if you turn yourself in. If you hide it and don't report it, if you find out, you will be severely punished!"

"Your Highness, spare your life!"

Immediately, six people turned pale and begged for mercy.

Li Xuan waved his hand, someone went over to take down these six people.

Then he went to the official residence.

Han Ji followed in, "Your Highness, in fact, there are very few murderous cases in the hands of the world's powerful and powerful."

"What do you think?" Li Xuan asked lightly.

"The minister thinks that the past can never be blamed."

"Punishment for crimes in the future?"

"Yes!"

For some reason, Han Ji felt a little fever on his back.

Li Xuan sat down, Jiang He'er came in to tidy up.

"Does Your Highness want some tea?"

Li Xuan shook his head and said, "What you want to say is that Gu should win over the world's powerful and powerful instead of showing favor to the common people?"

Han Ji bowed his head, "After all, these people are the ones who control the region. If they are offended severely, the governance of the region will be very troublesome in the future."

Local officials and local clans are a complementary structure at present, and the number of local officials is not enough to manage their own jurisdiction.

But there is another key issue. At this time, the smallest governance unit is not a village or a county, but a clan.

The clan dominates everything, and the officials have no way to control it.

Therefore, the government simply left the power of local governance to the big clan, and just supervised it themselves.

From Han Ji's point of view, Li Xuan's goal of dealing with those tyrants in Northern Xinjiang has been achieved... The army and people in Northern Xinjiang regard him as a god.

But now he is facing the whole world.

If you use such ruthless methods to deal with powerful families, the gains will outweigh the losses.

"The so-called governing the world, the emperor is high above and conveys his intentions to his courtiers. The courtiers are down to officials from various places, and officials from various places join forces with local big clans..."

This is the governance pattern for millennia.

"I just want to ask, why govern the world?"

Li Xuan pointed at Han Ji, "Think carefully."

Han Ji resigned.

After going out, he found He Lianrong.

"Why govern the world?"

This question also stumped He Lianrong. He patted his bald head, "The purpose of governing the world... depends on the emperor's thoughts. If it is a hero, the purpose of governing the world is to accumulate money and food to prepare for expansion. If it is mediocre The king of the county, the purpose of governing the world is to avoid any chaos..."

Han Ji scratched his head and smiled wryly, "But what is His Highness's purpose?"

"The poor monk remembers His Highness once said that governing is for the people." He Lianrong rubbed his smoother head, "For the people?"

"Serving the people and being kind to the big clan are not contradictory!" Han Ji said, "The most important thing is to make the rules stricter so that the big clans don't want to abuse the people too much..."

"But His Highness's question is definitely not that simple."

Both of them were a little puzzled.

"I've met Headmaster Ning."

Ning Yayun is here, and wherever the handsome old man goes, he is a sight to behold.

"Why are you two so sad?"

Ning Yayun asked casually.

Han Ji's eyes lit up, "The teacher came just in time."

"What's the matter?" Ning Yayun just walked around the city, feeling refreshed.

Han Ji said what Li Xuan said before, and finally said: "Does the head teacher know what His Highness is thinking?"

Ning Yayun was startled, then smiled, "I don't know, but there is a way."

"Also ask for advice." Han Ji cupped his hands.

"Go and ask!"

Ning Yayun flicked her tail and left.

Han Ji smiled wryly, "Your Majesty's majesty is getting stronger and stronger. If he doesn't say anything, how dare I ask again."

What the emperor's ruling philosophy and goals are, these are the things that the ministers most want to know.

Then it is to do what it likes.

This is the instinct of a courtier, not limited by virtue or cunning.

And King Qin didn't have the habit of showing off, he didn't say anything, there was only one possibility, and that was that there was a big gap between his ruling philosophy and the current, and everyone's thinking.

……

"A bunch of clubs!"

Li Xuan is drinking tea.

In his ear, Suzaku said: "Your thoughts are very dangerous at this moment."

"I know alone."

"There are also emperors in that world who are too deviant, and they eventually become tragedies. I don't want you to become a coffee table."

"I can't die alone!"

"Your dream, I think it is very difficult to realize. There is too much resistance."

"One has to have a dream, isn't it? Otherwise, what's the difference between that and a salted fish?"

"Xiao Xuanzi, after so many years, you still haven't changed in your bones!"

"The country is easy to change, but the nature is hard to change."

"It's not a good road."

"I like to go where no one has walked. Besides, who said...there is no road in the world. When there are many people walking, it becomes a road."

"Tch! Mr. Lu's words."

Li Xuan put down his teacup, "It's not easy for people to live in this world, since that's the case, we must do something that will make future generations astonished."

……

"Shi Huan said that Deguang City can last at least ten days."

Shi Gongming encouraged his subordinates.

In the past two days, there have been some rumors outside, saying that the King of Qin led an army to attack Shi Gongming, and what did he say...

……

"Just take care of Shi Gongming's family, as well as those generals and senior officials. For the rest, forget the past."

"Really?"

"Of course it's true."

"Then I really have to find a way to pass a message to the second child in the army, telling him not to resist, and to kneel when he sees His Highness's army."

……

"The military has to isolate internal and external communication for a while."

Shi Gongming said murderously: "Whoever dares to send word in, kill him."

"Yes!"

Shi Gongming looked at the listless look of the soldiers under his command, patted the table and said: "Everyone, don't forget the pride I had when I was waiting for the army."

"Yes!"

Shi Gongming knew that this was a group of hobgoblins, "Go find out where Shi Zhongtang's reinforcements have gone, and if they come quickly, let them go to rescue Deguang City."

"Yes!"

Everyone leaves.

Shi Gongming sighed, drinking tea, thinking about the current situation... at some point, he fell asleep lying on the desk.

——Rebel, why don’t you kneel down?
In the dream, a general in golden armor pointed at Shi Gongming and shouted.

"King Qin?"

"It's Gu!"

"The old man is willing to surrender!"

"Gu can't tolerate you as a traitor! If you don't kill you, how can you convince the world? Come on!"

"exist!"

Li Xuan pointed at Shi Gongming and shouted: "Kill him!"

The knife flashed.

"what!"

Shi Gongming woke up suddenly, sweating profusely.

His eyes were red, and he looked out blankly.

There is no swordsman, no king of Qin, only the autumn sun shining on the steps outside.

There is still moss on the gaps in the steps...

Before starting the army, he remembered that there was no moss on the steps.

No, there is, but it was stepped back by the people who came and went.

How long has it been?

Shi Gongming covered his forehead, "Recently, there are so few people who come to see the old man?"

"Master!"

Xie Zhong is here.

His face was calm, and after he came in, he looked at Shi Gongming fixedly.

"Thank you, what's the matter?"

Shi Gongming rubbed the corners of his eyes.

Xie Zhong spoke.

"Deguang City has fallen."

……

"What did you say?"

Wei Ming, who was on his way, shouted and asked.

The scout who came to report wiped the dust from his face, "Deguang City was destroyed by the Northern Xinjiang Army."

Wei Ming's complexion was cloudy and uncertain.

"How long can Huizhou hold on?"

He posed a question, and the generals chattered about it.

Some people say half a month, some people say that it is a strong city after all, one month.

"enough!"

Wei Ming stopped his subordinates.

He is hesitating.

Whether to slow down and wait for the battle situation to be clear before launching, or to speed up...

It will take only a few days to rush to Huizhou from here, and within five days, you can reach the outskirts of Huizhou.

But he was worried... inexplicably worried.

So, just slow down?

But thinking that Shi Zhongtang might use this to dispose of himself, Wei Ming couldn't help sighing secretly.

"Hurry up!"

……

Under the city of Huizhou, a large army gathered.

Shi Gongming stood on the top of the wall and said with a smile, "Where did King Qin come from?"

"This man has a thick skin!" Jiang He'er muttered.

Li Xuan spoke.

"I will destroy you alone!"