Daming Jingtai: I am the eternal benevolent king

Chapter 278 Wang Hong’s second sword kills the gentry! (1.35 big chapters)
Xue Xuan is much thinner, comforting the new immigrants, still teaching classes, and studying in his spare time.

Reading is his biggest interest. If he doesn't study for a day, he will feel unhappy all over.

People are busy, but the greetings between officials are much less polite, because there is no time.

The atmosphere of Guangxi's officialdom has changed.

From the original greetings and greetings with false politeness, roundabout conversations, and endless relationships, it has now become straight forward, with each government office performing its own duties and doing practical things.

Those villains who were good at flattery were kicked out of the government, leaving only those who were capable and willing to do practical things.

Talk less empty words and do more practical things.

The court has just issued an imperial edict, allowing the government to recruit scholars and appoint people for the use of the court, so as to better appease the refugees.

This move is exactly what Xue Xuan likes.

He eliminated many sycophants, and the government was short of manpower, waiting for Jinshi to replenish it, but it was a long time coming.

It is the best and fastest way to supplement it with talents and talents.

Those students who came to Jingxuan Academy to study were all recruited by him as officials.

The newly immigrated gentry are all treasures, and each of them must be settled and allowed to flourish and form new Guangxi people.

One hundred thousand nobles were planted on the land of Guangxi like seeds.

In less than ten years, Guangxi will become a Han region and a place as prosperous as Jiangxi.

Every night he had to write a secret memorial to the emperor, detailing everything in Guangxi and asking the emperor for help.

Every memorial he wrote would get a reply.

The emperor would do his best to help him overcome almost all difficulties, with manpower, material and financial resources, and strong support from the central government.

In the more than a year since Xue Xuan supervised Guangxi, more than 700 million taels of silver were allocated from Jiangxi.

He recruited more than 10,000 civilians to dig roads to Guizhou, Hunan, Jiangxi, Guangdong, and Yunnan, expand Chidao, and connect water systems.

Xue Xuan spent 300 million taels of silver just to dig roads connecting various provinces.

It is estimated that it will cost more than 2000 million taels to dig all the roads in Guangxi, and this amount of money has received a positive answer from the emperor.

This was simply unthinkable in the past.

For this kind of infrastructure construction, the court will completely lose money, and no results will be seen in a short period of time. A man who is eager for quick success and quick profit will not do these small things at all.

The emperor was willing to start with small things, regardless of the cost, just to make the people's lives easier.

Even if the emperor is willing to do things such as digging roads, it is still conscripting men into labor, forcing people to work, regardless of life or death, and squeezing people's strength to death.

This was also the first year that Xue Xuan was in Jingtai. He wrote several times and said: "The ethnic minority people have exhausted their strength and financial resources. Only by reducing tribute can we avoid accidents."

However, he was never accepted by the central government, so he requested to become an official.

Until the ninth year of Jingtai, the emperor made drastic reforms and allocated a large amount of wealth to Guangxi. He ordered Guangxi to recruit civilians and gave them money to mobilize their enthusiasm.

And this is based on the central bank’s strong financial resources.

It turns out that the emperor's few melons and two dates were not enough to reward the ministers. Where would the money come from to give to the people?
Now that the emperor has money, he is willing to use internal funds to subsidize the local area, first build local infrastructure, and then slowly immigrate to build a new Guangxi.

The emperor supported more than just infrastructure.

After the chieftains were wiped out in Guangxi, the central government changed the normal situation and gave many rewards to natives regardless of their work. They all earned wages for their work. They also taught the natives to weave, gave mulberry seedlings, and knitted sweaters, and allowed merchants to come to Guangxi to purchase them.

It also set up a porcelain factory in Guangxi, fired porcelain, and selected land to grow tea.

Let businessmen come to Guangxi to open factories.

The central government ordered Guangxi to plant fruit trees and fruits, and the palace also spread the practice of canning fruits. Guangxi fruits were made into canned fruits and sold to the north.

The central government’s policies have made Guangxi prosperous.

As for those native families, their lives are getting better now that they no longer have the oppression of the chieftain above their heads. They are also willing to go out of the mountains to work as slaves to make money, and they also want to learn crafts.

Even more people went into the mountains to work as tree fellers.

The root of Guangxi's prosperous trade is wood. With the massive construction in the north, wood is scarce, and Guangxi is covered with forests.

The central government made the north and south complementary. After Guangxi was pacified, there was an urgent need to open mountains and build roads to connect the north. Coupled with the central policy favoring Guangxi, Guangxi prospered instantly.

There is another factor, which is Annan. Business travelers going to Annan to purchase goods pass through Guangxi, which makes Guangxi very prosperous.

Xue Xuan still remembers the desolation when he first came to Guangxi.

Today's Guangxi gives him the illusion of being in the capital, with business travelers from all over the world doing business in Guangxi.

Business is easy to do in Guangxi, but it is stuck on the road.

There are already local gentry and business gangs raising funds from the private sector to repair waterways and connect water systems.

Today, Guangxi's prosperity, even the "Along the River During the Qingming Festival", can only glimpse the tip of the iceberg.

Guangxi's developed commerce has also contributed to an industry, the shipbuilding industry. Commerce across the country requires a large number of ships.

The most indispensable thing in Guangxi is wood, and the tung oil that is abundant in Guizhou is close at hand, forming a huge shipbuilding base in Qingyuan Mansion.

Everything is stimulated by private capital and formed spontaneously.

Because Qingyuan Mansion was going to be included in Guizhou, Xue Xuan just let it go.

The Central Committee wants to transfer the administrative seat of Guangxi from Guilin to Nanning, and all of Guishun Prefecture, Zhen'an Prefecture, Dukangzhou, Xiangwu Prefecture, Taiping Prefecture, and Jiangzhou will be included in Nanning Prefecture.

Make Xuanhua (Nanning) a new province.

The emperor wanted to change Xuanhua to Shenfeng, which was the sixth reign title used by Sun Quan, but Sun Quan died after only three months.

The courtiers believe that the divine phoenix is ​​unknown and are still being debated.

The emperor believed that Sun Quan could use Sun Quan's reign title to commemorate his contribution to regaining Jiaozhou. However, the court officials believed that it would be more appropriate to use Sun Quan's first reign title, Huang Wu.

Xue Xuan knew that after the new immigrants were resettled, the administrative office would be moved.

Because the central hub re-divided Guangxi.

Anqing Prefecture, Sicheng Prefecture, Anlongsi, and Shanglinsi were included in Guizhou, while the additional prefectures in Guangxi were still in Annan, and they were not yet justified.

And these four places also need an official to govern them.

Xue Xuan wrote a letter asking the emperor to appoint Li Kuang.

Li Kuang was a Jinshi in the second year of Xuande and the fifth year of Zhengtong. He played a vital role in the incident of overthrowing Yang (Yang Shiqi). Moreover, when he served as the inspector of Sichuan, he suppressed the uprising in Bozhou and other places and won consecutive battles and victories. His ability is beyond compare. Doubt it, he is Xing Yu, a great talent in charge of the army.

However, he was dismissed from office because of political disagreements with Jiang Yuan. Now that Jiang Yuan is dead and the government has become stable, it is just right for him to appoint Li Kuang.

The Central Committee approved the appointment of Li Kuang, appointed him as the governor of the three prefectures, and promoted him to the governor of Guizhou to oversee the three prefectures.

Anlong Division and Shanglin Division were merged and renamed Yinzhou Prefecture.

Nanyinzhou was the ancient name of Guizhou. The name of Guizhou was promoted to Guizhou in the ninth year of Zhenguan.

Sicheng Prefecture was promoted to Sichuan Prefecture.

So there are three prefectures, Anqing Prefecture, Sizhou Prefecture, and Yinzhou Prefecture.

On the way to his appointment, Li Kuang wrote a letter to Xue Xuan to learn about the situation in the three mansions.

Xue Xuan told the truth.

Li Kuang had a pretty good relationship with him, and he recommended him. The two of them formed a relationship in which they both prospered and suffered losses.

But Li Kuang was upright, fair and selfless, and ignored requests.

The two of them only talked about business matters and nothing else in their letters, and they understood each other.

After Li Kuang took office, he rectified the troops, appeased the immigrants, and kept everything in order.

Li Kuang ordered the government to occupy a share of the shipbuilding base of Anqing Prefecture. The shipbuilding base should provide the government with some ships on a regular basis and repair them free of charge.

Li Kuang combined the Han and native soldiers, reorganized the [-]-strong army, and continued to train.

He also wrote to Zhang Feng, asking Zhang Feng to send the refugees from South Zhili to the three prefectures for resettlement.

He also learned from Ou Xin and took the lead in clearing small villages, opening roads, moving natives to cities, re-measurement of land, and allocation of acres.

"Greetings to the Governor!" Bian Yong saluted.

Xue Xuan was still busy and waved his hand: "Son of Shiyuan (Bian Yong)? Don't worry about red tape. Guangxi is a wild land, different from Han Dynasty."

These words made the students of Jingxuan Academy burst into laughter.

Although Xue Xuan was a great master of Neo-Confucianism and a master of thought, he was humorous and informal.

"When students look at Guangxi, they see a prosperous place. Although it is far less prosperous than the capital, students see hope!"

Xue Xuan's eyes lit up: "The word hope is well used."

When it was almost time for dinner, I asked the gentleman to prepare the meal.

The food he eats is the dishes prescribed by the imperial doctor, and the nutritious meals prepared by the imperial doctor for him must be eaten according to the recipes no matter where he is.

Xue Xuan smiled and said: "Zi Yu (Yan Yuxi), what do you think is hope?"

Yan Yuxi and Liu Jian were from the same hometown. When Xue Xuan was working in Hedong (east of the Yellow River), he traveled thousands of miles to become a disciple, and was recognized by Xue Xuan and accepted into the family.

"Teacher, students think there are three hopes."

Yan Yuxi put down his chopsticks and said seriously: "In spring, the willow trees sprout buds, which means the reappearance of vitality. This is hope. Just like in Guangxi, after the chaos, great governance ushered in. This is hope."

"But the hope Mr. Kezhen talks about should be the light in the eyes of the people. It is the hope in the hearts of the people."

"Thirdly, the teacher and his disciples built this dining hall out of hope."

Xue Xuan looked at him in surprise.

Yan Yuxi smiled and said: "If we follow the red tape, how can the disciples eat at the same table as the teacher?"

"How can teachers, who follow red tape, go deep into the people and personally guide local officials to resettle the refugees?"

"And the atmosphere in this dining hall is free and lively. This is hope."

Bian Yong's eyes were slightly bright, and they all said that Xue Xuan created the Hedong School and was respected by thousands of people. The disciples he taught were also top-notch talents.

"The hope in the students' eyes is only the hope in the eyes of the common people, but they did not expect that the officials and the dining hall are also full of hope." Bian Yong bowed deeply.

Xue Xuan also put down her chopsticks and felt that she had indeed changed a lot.

In the past, he was a master respected by everyone. He taught as an official and founded the Hedong School. He had a large number of disciples all over Shanxi, Henan, and Shaanxi.

His teachings were magnificent and thought to be complete.

His poetry, which he considered to have reached its peak, became a chapter in his mouth, a poem in seven steps, and his name will go down in history.

however.

When he was deeply involved in the folk affairs and really did something practical for the people of Li, he could not recite a line of poetry. His teachings seemed to be from a high place, but they did not change the lives of the people at all.

This made him begin to doubt himself, his own doctrine, and even suspected that he had misled his disciples.

In the past, he liked to talk empty talk, and he always wrote some false and empty words when delivering memorials. He wrote the memorials in an extremely beautiful way, and every memorial was popular.

However, all the advice he gave was from a lofty position, and all the rhetoric he used, although gorgeous, was full of falsehoods. He was a master of Neo-Confucianism, a master of literature, and a giant of thought, but his true calling was that of an official!

He should not be pitiful in poems and books, but should go to the people, do a practical thing for the people, and realize his ambition!

After doubting herself countless times, Xue Xuan decided to change.

He put down his beloved books and his comfortable life. At the age of seventy, he began to move from the Governor's Mansion to the people, to see the real life of the people, and to do something practical that was useful to the people but would not be remembered forever. .

From ancient times to the present, talents who do practical things will not be remembered in history books. On the contrary, those who can only talk empty words and write a few poems will be remembered by future generations.

Xue Xuan Youran remembered the first time when his hands were covered with blood blisters because of farm work. When he pricked them, he didn't feel any pain, but was surprised.

This is the real folk life, which does not exist in poems and books, but is real folk life with flesh and blood.

He wrote many poems, many fables, and even participated in operas.

At this moment, he thought that what he had written before were just plaintive moans about the suffering of the people. After a day of farm work, he realized that what he had written was worse than bullshit.

From that moment on, Xue Xuan discovered that his theory had many shortcomings.

Once upon a time, he believed that his theory of "restoration of nature" had become increasingly perfect. His "nature" was "reason" and was mainly formed in the day after tomorrow.

Reason, on the other hand, needs to be tempered and formed.

Similarly, we need to do folk work and understand the Tao from these "principles".

He found a new path.

He abandoned his previous empty talk, idle talk, and unrealism. He once devoted himself to joining the cabinet, thinking that only by joining the cabinet can he do things for the people of the world.

However, he only now discovered that fulfilling the responsibilities of an official and doing things for the people does not depend on the position, nor does it depend on the prominence of the doctrine. As long as he is willing, he can realize his "reason" no matter which position he holds.

"Teacher, what the student said is wrong?" Yan Yuxi asked when he saw Xue Xuan was stunned.

Yan Yuxi's "Guarding the Mother's Tomb" is famous in history.

And he is not made to be an official. He is too upright, speaks too directly, and easily offends people.

But he was the one who carried forward the Hadong theory.

"Exactly."

Xue Xuan smiled and said: "Although I am over seventy years old as a teacher, I am still full of hope. Ke Zhen, I hope my second son will use it well."

He felt like he was on the verge of enlightenment.

Perhaps, Ming Dynasty will have one more saint.

With Xue Xuan's ability, he is qualified enough to accompany the Confucius Temple.

But after all, he was still a little short of becoming a saint, and this line was like a chasm.

After all, his theory was to inherit and improve Zhu Xi, but not to blaze a path that was entirely his own!
After working as a local official for more than a year, he gained many insights from being a local official. He discovered that his future path might lie among the people!
If he can find his own way.

He can become the first saint in the Ming Dynasty!
I dare not say that he surpassed Cheng Zhu, but he was also an epoch-making saint.

"Teacher, do you have new insights?" Many students looked at Xue Xuan in surprise.

Xue Xuan smiled naively: "There is nothing yet, which means that I have not done much for my teacher. Everyone, the reason for being a teacher is not in the mind, but in things!"

He is a master of psychology. Although he upholds Zhu Xi's Neo-Confucianism, it is different from Zhu Xi's Neo-Confucianism. What he believes in "restoration" is to see, listen, speak and move according to the principles.

This is to improve and enrich Zhu Xi's Neo-Confucianism.

But he has yet to come up with his own "reason". This "reason" may be right under his feet!

Thinking about it, he stood up excitedly.

"Teacher, you haven't finished your meal yet!" Zhang Ding stood up and said.

Xue Xuan joked that the meal prescribed by the imperial doctor must not be delicious and difficult to swallow, so he took the opportunity not to eat it.

Zhang Ding, however, was not going to let him go: "Teacher, this is the meal prepared for you by the imperial physician. It is for your health and His Majesty's wishes. How can you live up to it?"

"Ahem, I need a sip of tea, master, and I'll eat later." Xue Xuan made an excuse.

Zhang Ding put down his chopsticks, ran out quickly, and came in with tea: "Teacher, please use it slowly."

Xue Xuan looked bitter, picked up a piece of green vegetables with chopsticks and put it into her mouth.

This kind of boiled food is really hard to swallow.

He likes to eat mutton, but the imperial doctor thought that greasy food hurt his stomach, which is why he got sick, and told him to eat more seasonal vegetables and less meat. Since the weather in Guangxi is hot, he should avoid greasy food.

After using the imperial doctor's medicated diet prescription, he lost a lot of weight, but his energy was much better than before.

Bian Yong looked interesting. He was a master of Neo-Confucianism, but he was tightly controlled by his students when it came to meals. It was really interesting.

Xue Xuan was not angry and ate up the food with a sullen expression, accepting the supervision of the students.

The students respected Xue Xuan very much, because the emperor specially sent an imperial doctor to nurse Xue Xuan's body, so they stopped scolding the emperor and started talking about the emperor's benefits.

In the afternoon, Xue Xuan rushed to various government offices again.

There are fewer new immigrants resettled in Guilin Prefecture because Guilin Prefecture has relatively good Chinese culture.

Most of them were placed in Xunzhou Prefecture, Wuming Prefecture, and Lianzhou Prefecture.

Wuming Mansion is the new name after the merger of the original Sien Mansion and Tianzhou.

Xunzhou Prefecture obtained the western land of Yulin Prefecture from the original Wuzhou Prefecture and was able to expand. These places were suitable for settling new immigrants.

In the evening, Xue Xuan called Bian Yong for questioning and tested Bian Yong's classics and meanings. He was very satisfied with Bian Yong.

I was a little disappointed when I heard that Bian Yong became a disciple of Nianfu.

When he opened a school, he naturally hoped that as many students as possible would learn his teachings.

Because the Annan rainy season has not yet passed.

Bian Yong was recruited by Xue Xuan to resettle new immigrants in Xunzhou Prefecture.

This is also the first time that Bian Yong has participated in actual government affairs.

And South Zhili in July.

The weather is scorching hot and people's hearts are freezing.

Wang Hong beheaded the important ministers Cheng Tong, Cheng Xian and others, which made the people of Southern Zhili tremble.

Southern Zhili officials complained to the Central Committee.

However, an imperial edict came from the center. Not only was Wang Hong innocent, but Cheng Tong, Cheng Xian and others were thrown into the Nine Netherworld, and their clan was exiled to Guangxi.

The Yin family was heavily punished by the court, and the direct line was executed, while the side lines were exiled to Qiongzhou Prefecture.

It can be described as very miserable.

Wang Hong became even more unscrupulous in his actions.

There are as many gentry as there are in Nanzhili, and there are as many powerful people as dogs. Even the top wealthy families are countless.

However, Wang Hong first operated on Jiangning Li.

The ancestors of the Li family can be traced back to Li Longxi, and in the Ming Dynasty, there were four Jinshi. The contemporary Jinshi Li Yuanzhong served as the right minister of the Ministry of Punishment in Nanjing.

The Li family in Jiangning had a good reputation for charity, but all the land in Jiangning was in the name of the Li family, and his family had so many tenants.

The leader of the Li family is Li Yuanzhong's younger brother, Li Yuanyi.

At this moment, Li Yuanyi knelt on the ground and shouted: "Master Imperial Envoy, do you want to drive out my Li family? Do you want to put all the gentry in South Zhili to death?"

"Li Yuanyi, do you take yourself too seriously?" Wang Hong sneered.

His brother Li Yuanzhong confessed that his family was involved in maritime trade and was willing to pay 24 taels of confession silver.

However, Wang Hong did not let go of his family.

"My family has already paid the confession money, but you have gone back on your word. Is it still my Li family's fault?"

In Li Yuanyi's eyes, the Li family was killed by Wang Hong to scare the monkeys. Because the Li family had no foundation in the central government, they were proposed to be beheaded.

The purpose is to deter other families and collect more confession money.

Wang Hong is the money-making tool sent by the emperor to Nanzhili. How can an emperor like this get the respect of the people in the world?

"Humph!"

Wang Hong snorted coldly: "In the third year of Zhengtong, the case of your family branch beating a tenant to death was finally settled."

"In the seventh year of orthodoxy, the Datong Mountain bandits rebelled. After the court suppressed it, the bandit leader confessed that your family seized the mines and exploited the miners, and the miners rebelled. The central government sent the censor to investigate the case, but in the end there was no evidence."

"In the 11th year of Zhengtong, Zhang Qiang, a good citizen, went to Yingtian Mansion to sue your family for seizing his family's land. During the lawsuit, Zhang Qiang disappeared without reason."

"Do you still want me to continue talking about all this?"

Wang Hong didn’t just pick one at random.

Instead, he would visit each house in person only after verifying the evidence.

The Li family still hides a big crime!
Li Yuanyi laughed miserably and said: "What big family doesn't do some shitty things?"

"If you harm the great clans because of this, then how many great clans in the world will you deserve?"

"Talking to your Wang family, can you guarantee that all of them are saints?"

"cannot!"

"There are only so many interests in the world. If I have more Li family, you will have less Wang family! Who can not be blinded by interests? Can you, Wang Hong?"

"Haha, you, Wang Hong, stepped on my Li family's bones and climbed up today, wasn't it just to fight for more benefits?"

"The only difference is that you, Wang Hong, fight in the court, while I, the Li family, can only fight with the people!"

Li Yuanyi roared, his face full of dissatisfaction.

He knew he was going to die and had no scruples.

Wang Hong looked cold and stern: "Li Yuanyi, you take your family too seriously!"

"If I want to kill someone to establish my authority, how could I choose your Li family?"

"Use your brain!"

"Think carefully about why I chose your Li family!"

Seeing Li Yuanyi's blank expression, Wang Hong sneered and said, "Then I will let you die with some understanding."

"Why are the refugees in Taiping Prefecture unwilling to be relocated?"

"They would rather hide in the mountains than live anywhere else."

"why?"

Wang Hong suddenly shouted: "Tell me!"

Li Yuanyi's eyes suddenly widened with a horrified expression: "Did Li Yuanzhong confess?"

"Won't I check it myself?" Wang Hong shouted.

That's right.

Not only Wang Cheng was comforting the refugees, Zhang Feng was also comforting the refugees near Yingtian Mansion.

But these refugees are unwilling to come out of the mountains, nor are they willing to move to Guangxi. They are even unwilling to be resettled back to their place of origin.

Zhang Feng believed that this was caused by the gentry.

Therefore, Wang Hong's second sword was to kill the gentry!

The gentry he picked were all gentry families that would hinder the refugees, not allowing them to settle down, and not allow them to move!
These gentry families have exploited tenants, ordinary households, and good people in the past. Even when these people have become black households, they are still unwilling to let them go.

What will the refugees who have no way out and lost hope do?
Of course he is rebelling!
If you dig up the roots of the Ming Dynasty, today I will patrol the sky and kill you!

"Li Yuanyi, do you still dare to keep saying justice?"

Wang Hong stared at him: "If your family just oppresses tenants, or if you commit any of the crimes, I can turn over the page and fine you!"

“But what did your family do?”

"Every living common person has been turned into a gangster, a miner, and your family's lackey by you! They work day and night for your family! Until they die!"

"If this is the limit, I will let your family survive!"

“But what else does your family do?”

"Inciting the refugees to oppose the imperial court is just to cover up your charges of privately occupying mines and opening sea trade. In fact, for the benefit of your family, you ignore the livelihood of tens of millions of people in South Zhili, let alone the losses caused by the central government's suppression of the rebellion! "

Wang Hong said coldly: "It would be a shame for your whole family to die!"

"Come on!"

"Drag Li Yuanyi out! Call everyone in the county to publicly announce Ling Chi at Caishikou!"

Wang Hong shouted: "All his direct clan members are Lingchi!"

"The tribesmen of their branches will be handed over to the local people for trial. The guilty ones will be killed, and the innocent ones will be exiled to Qiongzhou Prefecture! They will never be allowed to return to Nanzhili!"

Li Yuanyi roared: "Wang Hong, you can't drive out my entire Li family!"

"When Emperor Taizu conquered the world, my Li family paid for food for Emperor Taizu. I was the grain chief appointed by Emperor Taizu! I am a hero of the Ming Dynasty!"

"You can't drive out my entire family!"

Hero?

You deserve it too!

"Will the people who were tortured to death by you scream like you before they die?" Wang Hong asked him.

Immediately, Li Yuanyi felt like he was holding his neck.

He laughed foolishly: "Wang Hong, why are you pretending to be a saint? What your Wang family has done is not much less than my Li family!"

"My Wang family will never support a hundred thousand refugees for our own selfish purposes."

Wang Hong was dragged out and pointed at him: "Let him die last!"

To see his closest relatives die in front of him is the biggest punishment for Li Yuanyi.

The news that Li Yuanyi was Lingchi caused a sensation throughout Jiangning.

Fan Qing, who was following Wang Hong in handling the case, said, "Sir, that Li Yuanyi is just a first-timer. The person behind it hasn't been found out yet, so why not save his life first?"

"It's not necessary. Just kill whoever deserves to be killed. How can we scare the gentry without using blood?"

"As for the person behind it?"

"Just keep killing, and they will naturally surface!"

Wang Hong wants to use blood to water his road to the chief minister.

The Li family is really hateful.

But the people behind it are even more hateful, so kill them until they come out.

The reason why Wang Hong knew this was thanks to Fan Qing.

Zhang Feng comforted the refugees near Jiangning, but received little response.

Fan Qing was asked to investigate. The investigation found that there were about [-] refugees in Jiangning, hiding on the river and in the mountains. Zhang Feng tried to comfort them, but was resisted by the refugees, and many officers and soldiers died.

Fan Qing sent people to sneak in, only to learn that these refugees were controlled by local nobles.

Without the orders of the nobles, these refugees would not be able to move at all.

Therefore, Wang Hong went directly to the Li family in Jiangning and used the heads of the Li family to frighten the local gentry and release the refugees.

These refugees are like time bombs, which may blow up the best situation of Ming Dynasty to pieces at any time.

"Follow me!"

Wang Hong visits the next family.

In the small Jiangning, there are six big families, and small gentry families emerge one after another.

The second family was named Si. As soon as Wang Hong entered the courtyard, he saw everyone in the Si family kneeling on the ground, begging Wang Hong for mercy.

Wang Hong asked someone to move a chair and place it on the steps: "I ask, you answer, if you deceive me, I will give you an arrow."

Everyone in the Si family was frightened. Are you a scholar?This is the way factory guards behave!
"How many tenants does your family have?"

Tenants are the root of the Jiangnan gentry.

The head of the Si family heard that the Li family was being harassed by Caishikou. He was filled with horror and did not dare to hide it: "Sir, there are a total of [-] tenants."

This number is absolutely astonishing.

Fortunately, the people of Jiangnan are not good at fighting, otherwise the Ming Dynasty will never have peace. "Can it include hidden households?" Wang Hong asked again.

The head of the Si family twitched at the corner of his eye. Among these hidden households, there were refugees who had been sheltered, good people who had lost their household registration, soldiers who had abandoned their military households, and craftsmen who had abandoned their craftsmanship.

The head of the Si family answered too slowly.

Wang Hong pointed casually.

A man from Dongchang raised his crossbow and shot an arrow.

I saw Na Si's family members shot and killed on the spot.

The head of the Si family widened his eyes: "Sir..."

"Answer!" Wang Hong said coldly.

The head of the Si family looked at the heavily armed factory guards in shock. There were not many factory guards, but Wang Hong had the power to mobilize troops. He could mobilize the entire southern Zhili army.

"Not included."

really!

This astonishing number is only the recorded tenants. There are many unrecorded tenants. These people are the most dangerous.

"how many?"

The head of the Si family said cautiously: "There are still 1146 people!"

Fan Qing’s pupils shrank!

There are so many people, and this number is definitely on the small side!

The real situation is more.

"Who are they? How did they enter your home?" Wang Hong asked.

The head of the Si family said cautiously: "Sir, my family is kind-hearted and cannot bear to see the suffering of the people, so we have gathered some refugees...ah!"

Not finished.

The head of the Si family screamed, covering his shoulders and screaming.

Dongchang Xiaowuyi's arrow hit his shoulder socket, causing blood to drip from his body.

"Sir? Why are you shooting? I'm telling the truth!" The head of the Si family screamed, the arrow piercing into the bone, the pain was excruciating.

"Your family is kind? You are shameless!"

Wang Hong sneered: "To tell you the truth, what are the ingredients of your house?"

"They are all refugees!" the head of the Si family cried.

call out!
Another arrow hit his other shoulder.

The head of the Si family was lying on the ground, trembling with pain.

"Next time, I'll kill you!"

Wang Hong didn't believe a word he said.

If the landlords and wealthy people had good intentions, the world would not be in chaos!
The worst people in the world are the landlords and wealthy people, the capitalists!No matter how bad the politicians are, they will not harm the people, but this group of people specializes in harming the people.

"No shouting!"

Wang Hong was upset when he heard this: "I will ask you one last time, tell me!"

The head of the Si family gritted his teeth and did not dare to scream. However, the corner of his mouth was bitten by his teeth and blood overflowed. He trembled and said, "There are craftsmen, some of whom are shipbuilders..."

Fan Qing looked at Wang Hong in surprise.

Wang Hong and Zhang Feng's guess was correct. The Songjiang Prefecture shipwrights from the Yongle Dynasty disappeared with the treasure ship. Where did these people go?

It has always been a mystery in the court's files.

After Zhang Feng determined that the Yin family was hiding a sea ship, he guessed that the disappearance of the boatman was related to the local nobles.

As a result, an investigation actually found it.

These shipwrights were indeed divided among the local nobles!

In other words, they just took a sip of soup!
The bulk of it should go into the pockets of the rich and powerful.

"Is it just a shipbuilder? Isn't there a military household?" Wang Hong pointed casually.

Another Si family member was shot dead.

The head of the Si family looked at Wang Hong, who was like Yama, and lamented: "Sir, our Si family is loyal to the Ming Dynasty. Is this how the Ming Dynasty treats its loyal ministers? Although the common people are just ordinary people, they still have to appeal to His Majesty and ask for a favor. justice!"

"Faithful?"

Wang Hong sneered: "Don't use this insulting word. Are you loyal to your interests?"

"Do you still want to be fair?"

"Okay!"

"Go and complain to His Majesty and see if His Majesty wants to ask you why your family is harboring a shipwright? What are you doing?"

"There are still more than 1000 hidden households. Are your Si family going to rebel?"

"Will Your Majesty give you justice? Or will you punish the nine clans?"

Wang Hong’s question.

The head of the Si family widened his eyes: "Slander! This is slander! Our Si family is loyal to the Ming Dynasty and will never dare to have any different intentions? Ah!"

Suddenly there was a scream.

An arrow pierced his heart.

He looked at Wang Hong blankly, never expecting that Wang Hong would regard human life as nothing!
Feel free to kill him!No regard for the consequences!

"What's the use of keeping you with such a barking dog?"

Wang Hong sneered: "Facts speak louder than words. Your Si family harbors craftsmen and military households. You should have killed the nine tribes!"

"This pavilion sees that God has the virtue of a good life, and only punishes the first evildoer, the Jimo family property, and exiles the whole family."

Wang Hong cuts through the mess with a sharp sword.

Ignoring the wailings of the Si family, they directly sent Dongchang to search their homes. After counting the population, they dispersed and exiled them to Guangxi, Hunan, and Guizhou.

Fan Qing looked at Wang Hong. This Wang Hong really didn't look like a civil servant, but more like a factory guard.

Doing things hotly, regardless of reputation.

As everyone knows, this is a political deal between Wang Hong and the emperor. If Wang Hong cares about his reputation, he will not be able to become the chief minister or the official minister.

He knew very well that the emperor was coming to South Zhili soon.

The people he killed were just appetizers. When the emperor came, the gentry would realize how lucky they were.

The emperor would naturally help him cover up the truth of the murder.

Wang Hong killed many people in Jiangning.

At the same time, Li Zhen personally led his army to near Jiangning to appease the refugees.

Wang Hong rushed to Hezhou.

Zhang Feng sent people to count the number of refugees and recruited a large number of ships to load the refugees and transport them to Hunan.

Without the interference of the Jiangning gentry, the immigration would go smoothly.

The person responsible for transporting the refugees was Jin Zhaobo.

Jin Zhaobo was a Jinshi in the second year of Xuande's reign, with mediocre political achievements.

But he has a great father. His father's name is Jin Youzi. He was a famous official in the Yongle, Hongxi, and Xuande dynasties, and he had the merit of entering the Confucian Temple.

Zhang Feng chose his son Jin Zhaobo, which is meaningful.

Wang Hong killed many people in Jiangning and shocked the nobles. Strangely, the refugees in several nearby counties actually got on the boats and went to Hunan obediently.

They were unwilling in every possible way before, so why did they suddenly change their gender and become willing to be removed from South Zhili?

Zhang Feng estimates that a total of 17 refugees will be recruited this time.

Although there were many ships recruited, they still needed to be carried twice to transport them all. He first wrote to Han Yong, Xue Xuan and Li Kuang and asked them to be responsible for receiving them.

Shipping and shipping here.

Over there, they have to resettle, allocate acres of land, distribute seeds and farm tools, build houses, and provide them with loans for urgently needed food.

And Wang Hong has already arrived in Hezhou.

Hezhou is a prefecture directly under Nanjing.

Wang Hong first picked the Gan family, a large family in Hezhou.

There are also officials from the Gan family serving in Nanzhili. Their family has passed down poems and books and has a good reputation in the local area.

Hearing that Wang Hong was coming, the Gan family fled in all directions.

As for the people who climbed over the wall, they were thrown in from the outside as soon as they climbed out. If they were lucky enough to fall on the ground, they would not die. If they were not lucky enough to fall on the stone slab, they would fall to death directly.

Wang Hongze came in swaggeringly.

Have someone bring a chair and sit on the steps.

Gather everyone in the Gan family.

The head of the Gan family felt weak all over and trembled: "Sir, my Gan family has recruited everything!"

"What are you recruiting for?" Wang Hong asked with a smile.

"My family also has hidden households, but my family has been released, all of them have been released!" The head of the Gan family asked for help.

Wang Hong asked him instead: "How did you know about Jiang Ning?"

The head of the Gan family was stunned for a moment and looked at Wang Hong stupidly.

"It only took me one day to arrive at your home from Jiangning. I didn't rest along the way and my speed was faster than a gallop. How did you know what I was doing in Jiangning?"

Wang Hong originally spoke in a calm tone, but suddenly shouted: "Try it from the truth!"

The head of the Gan family trembled: "This, this!"

call out!
Xiao Wu fired a crossbow.

A Gan family member screamed in agony but did not die.

Xiao Wu smiled awkwardly at Wang Hong, and then shot a second crossbow arrow to kill the man.

The head of the Gan family was horrified: "The grass, the grass people got the news from the refugees. They spread it by word of mouth, faster than the boats!"

Wang Hong didn't believe it. Someone around him must have been bribed by the gentry to pass on the information in advance.

He didn't care either. He was just trying to frighten the gentry, not drive them away.

He doesn't have the ability and won't do it.

"I would like to ask you, how many people live in your hidden house?"

The head of the Gan family did not dare not answer: "There are 1426 people. Most of them are refugees, and there are a few craftsmen. But they concealed their identities. The common people didn't know it at the time. After they were found out, they all kicked out of my house."

Wang Hong did not dwell on the matter and continued to ask: "Why are you hiding in a hidden house?"

Isn't this nonsense?Who doesn’t hide it?
Of course it means paying less tax, and if you do some dirty things, hiding in a house is so useful.

"I would like to ask another question, does your family have any say over the refugees in Hezhou?"

The head of the Gan family didn't expect Wang Hong to be so direct.

He murmured: "Because the local area is close to Nanjing and trade is developed, a lot of farmland has been left uncultivated."

"The local food in Jiangnan is too cheap, and prices are high. Farmers who farm can't even afford to eat, and households have to pay taxes. Many people can't afford the taxes, so they take the initiative to become refugees."

"Although my family is a wealthy local family, we really have no say in the matter of refugees."

He was telling the truth.

Low grain hurts farmers.

Rice in the south of the Yangtze River is too cheap. If there is no water transportation, it can be transported to the north for sale, and the price will continue to drop. This will cause the people to abandon their land and the gentry to stop growing food and switch to mulberry trees to engage in the more profitable textile industry.

Especially in southern Zhili, where commerce and trade were developed, conflicts between commerce and agriculture naturally arose.

The Ming Dynasty tried its best to focus on agriculture and suppress business, because it was worried that people would engage in business and no one would be willing to farm.

The Central Committee tried its best to suppress Southern Zhili, which was also suppressing the business of Southern Zhili and easing the contradiction between merchants and farmers.

However, farmers are ultimately alone. In the face of capital, they can only let it go and be manipulated. If they occasionally resist, it is also violent resistance and rebellion.

In fact, farmers have never understood that it is not the court that oppresses them, but capital.

Maybe behind the capital are officials.

But the most effective way for farmers is to resist capital, rather than to resist the imperial court by hitting rocks with pebbles.

"I want to ask you, I want to move the refugees in Hezhou, as well as all the hermit households and tenants in Hezhou, out of Hezhou. Do you agree with the Gan family?"

The head of the Gan family is confused. Should I agree?
Of course I cannot agree!

Without the tenants, who will grow food for my family?

If we don’t grow food, what will happen to the agricultural taxes that the government wants to collect?If ordinary households cannot afford to pay, they can run away. If big households like them cannot afford to pay, they will confiscate their homes and exterminate their families!

This is a conflict between the landlords and the government.

"Sir, please spare my life!" The head of the Gan family cried and begged.

"Your family has hands and feet, why can't you plow the land yourself?"

Can the head of the Gan family tell?
One-third of the land in Hezhou is in the hands of my family. If all the tenants are taken away, even if all the hundreds of people in my family work on the land, they will not be able to finish farming in 100 years!
"Your Gan family will pay a confession fee according to the crime your family committed. For other crimes, you will wait for the local magistrate to sentence you."

Wang Hong was too lazy to talk nonsense.

Get up and go.

But the head of the Gan family cried and said: "Sir, if you move my tenants away, my farmland will be abandoned!"

"If we abandon the wasteland, how will we supply grain and rice to Beizhili?"

"If not..."

Suddenly!

Wang Hong stopped and slowly turned his head: "What did you say? Threaten this pavilion with the capital?"

"That's not what Caomin means, but..."

puff!
An arrow pierced through his chest.

Wang Hong shouted: "Anyone who dares to care about the safety of the capital will be killed!"

"A man without a king or a father, why should he waste rice?"

The Gan family was horrified.

You don’t even want to listen to it, so you just kill people!
I, the Gan family, can pay you to move Dingkou away, but you can't just kill people!Is there any more royal method!

There really isn’t any more!
The emperor sent Wang Hong to use banditry to deal with the gentry!
The gentry played rogue with the peasants and the refugees, but the court could not do anything about them.

This time the court and the gentry acted rogue.

See if the edge of my knife is sharp!
"Your family has hands and feet, so why can't you plow the land?"

"If you fail to pay the farm tax on time, just wait for the whole family to be executed!"

"The underworld is quite generous and can accommodate the souls of your nine races!"

Wang Hong asked again: "Do you understand?"

What do the Gan family dare to say?I can only kowtow to explain.

But the blood of the family master flowed before their eyes, and their hearts screamed.

Wang Hong doesn't care about the life or death of the Gan family at all. No, he doesn't care about the life or death of the gentry. This is a rebellion forced by the government and the people.

next one.

He is also a wealthy family in Hezhou, with the surname Mei.

The Mei family is different from the Gan family. There are women in his family who are concubines in the Duke Dingguo's mansion.

But when Wang Hong entered, he said directly: "Where is your concubine?"

The Mei family was shocked. Although Mei was a concubine, she was also the concubine of the Duke of Guo. No matter how high your official position is, Wang Hong, you can't be higher than the Duke of Guo, right?

"Sir, my wife naturally has to serve the Duke in the Duke's Mansion, how can she be at her parents' house?"

The head of the Mei family is Mei's father, who is quite rude.

He has no fame, but he does not kneel before officials.

Wang Hong sneered twice: "Ding Guogong is already in trouble. He is just a concubine. I can kill her with my bare hands!"

The head of the Mei family was shocked: "How could Duke Dingguo do this?"

"What? Are you still pretending to be my concubine?"

Wang Hong sneered: "Come here, whip him three times, and then talk to me!"

Dongchang Fanzi directly pressed the head of the Mei family, took off his clothes, and whipped him naked.

In front of his daughter-in-law!

The head of the Mei family is even more ashamed.

He is not allowed to call out yet.

Because Wang Hong didn't want to hear it.

"I heard that your family is good at weaving, but they are very stingy towards the weavers. The local weavers have revolted many times, all because of your family."

Wang Hong said quietly: "Is this possible?"

"Sir, these are all rumors. Although my family has several textile factories, we do business honestly and responsibly. We pay the weavers as much as they want. The prices are clearly marked without any deductions."

The head of the Mei family spoke eloquently and didn't finish talking for a long time.

"When I ask you, just say yes or no, that's all." Wang Hong told him.

The head of the Mei family hit a wall and said in a muffled voice: "No."

"How many weavers are there in your family?"

The head of the Mei family was surprised, are you here to investigate the case or the textile factory?How many weavers in my textile factory have nothing to do with you!

call out!
An arrow shot through a member of the Mei family.

"I'll ask you a question quickly, and you'll answer it quickly. I don't have time to waste at your house!" Wang Hong said coldly.

The head of the Mei family showed compassion in his eyes. The one who was shot was his son!

"A total of 761 people!"

Wang Hongque said: "There are more than 700 people and three large-scale textile factories. They can spin thousands of feet of cloth in one day?"

"What? Are all your weavers weaver girls?"

"Are they all gods?"

"Can you weave that much cloth in one day?"

"Do you think this pavilion doesn't know how to settle accounts? Or do you think that everyone in the world is a fool!"

Wang Hong didn't just come here casually, he had investigated every house.

During this period, Dongchang has been collecting criminal evidence from all the gentry in Southern Zhili.

The head of the Mei family was anxious: "Sir, my family occasionally gives work to the common people, so naturally we can spin so much cloth."

Wang Hong pointed to one person.

Xiao Wu took a bow and shot an arrow, and the man was shot dead in the blink of an eye.

The head of the Mei family's eyes were red. Relying on the power of Dingguo's concubines, his family was the most powerful family in Hezhou. His family was the only one who bullied other families. How could he be bullied by others?

"grown ups!"

“My family has its share of responsibilities, I don’t owe a penny of business taxes, and I pay the most in grain every year!”

"Dedicate yourself to the Ming Dynasty!"

"What crime did my family commit? You raised your hand and wanted to kill a member of my family! Doesn't the Ming Dynasty have no royal laws?"

The head of the Mei family couldn't stand this anger.

He was used to being dignified and did not take court officials seriously at all.

After all, he is my concubine, and no official should give a certain amount of disrespect to Duke Ding. How could he dare to provoke him?
Wang Hong sneered: "There are indeed national laws, but they are only for good people."

"And you are worthy enough to discuss national law with this cabinet?"

"Umezawa, since I came to your house, I have already investigated your house thoroughly."

"You are still arguing with me. Do you mean that I, on behalf of the Heaven Patrol, want to talk nonsense with you?"

Umezawa looked unconvinced: "Sir, you are patrolling the sky, and killing people should always be a crime! What crime did my family commit? Let people know what they are doing!"

Wang Hong ignored him: "I will continue to ask..."

However, Mei Ze interrupted Wang Hong and asked fiercely: "Sir, you kill people indiscriminately, aren't you afraid that the gentry will fight back?"

"Gentleman?"

"You, a flatterer who relies on selling girls as concubines, are you worthy of being called a scholar?"

"How many Jinshi are there in your Mei family? Who is serving as an official in the court?"

Wang Hong shouted: "There is no one, how can we talk about being a gentleman? Are you worthy?"

"You are just a wealthy country landowner. You got the protection of Dingguo Duke by giving your daughter as a concubine, and you are doing all kinds of mischief in Hezhou!"

"I asked you, but you were vague. What did you say about leaving the work to the people?"

"But you asked me why you hurt people? If you answer me properly, will I kill your Mei family?"

"Hmph, you have committed a serious crime, but you ask me what crime you have committed?"

"Do you really think that I came to your house and didn't check anything?"

"Umezawa!"

"I am asking you to give you a chance to repent. Since you don't want it, don't regret it!"

"I will tell you directly that tens of thousands of women from your Mei family will be forced to become black households and imprison you in your textile factory to work for you!"

"The Hezhou weavers' rebellion in the fourth year of Jingtai started because of your family. The husbands of those women could not find their wives, their sons could not find their mothers, and they had no way to turn to. They had no choice but to launch an uprising and rebel against the court! They just wanted to lead Go back to your wife and mother!”

"And because you have the protection of Duke Dingguo, the central government did not find you. It only suppressed the uprising, but did not investigate the cause of the uprising!"

"That's why we let beasts like you get away with it!"

"What do these women deserve? What do their families deserve?"

"This pavilion is patrolling the sky on behalf of the hunter. Now that we have found out, we must give justice to these innocent people!"

Wang Hong shouted: "Come here!"

"Arrest all the nine Umezawa clans!"

"Go to Caishikou, Lingchi!"

Umezawa fell softly to the ground. He had no idea how this matter came to light.
He shouted: "Wang Hong! My daughter is the concubine of Duke Dingguo. How dare you insult me?"

"Since you know that my name is Wang Hong!"

"Then you should know that Ma Shun was so powerful back then that I dared to kill him!"

"He is nothing but Duke Dingguo! He is just a piece of trash relying on the merits of his ancestors!"

"Yet I protect beasts like you! You have committed a serious crime!"

"I have written to Your Majesty that Duke Ding will be severely punished!"

"As for your family, this pavilion has an imperial edict and the Emperor's Sword. With the Emperor's Sword, you can act on behalf of Heaven, killing ministers at the top and ordinary people at the bottom!"

"Today, I will provide justice to the people who have been wronged!"

"Come on! Do it!"

Wang Hong roared loudly.

Everyone in the East Factory agreed in unison and began to enter the mansion to arrest people. Anyone who encountered resistance would be stabbed first, not to death, and let them be tortured and enjoy the ultimate pain.

None of these beasts from the Mei family can escape.

Out of Mei Mansion.

Fan Qing felt that Wang Hong had gone too far and whispered: "Sir, are we here to scare the gentry, not to kill them all?"

Wang Hong glanced at him, as if he was a royal guard and he was a civil servant.

"What are you afraid of?"

"When I was in the Fengtian Palace, I dared to kill the powerful Ma Shun!"

"What do a few gentlemen mean?"

"If you are afraid, don't follow me!"

Wang Hong had someone prepare a meal. He simply ate a few bites and then went to the next restaurant.

Hezhou was going to be killed by him.

In Luzhou Prefecture, next door to Hezhou, Wang Cheng was in Chao County. Chao County was no more than one day away from Hezhou, with Hanshan County in between.

The fiefdom of Princess Hanshan is Hanshan.

When he learned about the death of Princess Hanshan, Wang Cheng realized that the opportunity had come to rectify the five mansions.

He first started cleaning up in Chao County, near Nanjing.

Chao County is on the edge of Chao Lake. River bandits are rampant on Chao Lake, and the county is not safe. Ou Xin is good at mountain warfare, but not good at water warfare.

The Guangxi wolf soldiers are indeed unable to fight a water battle.

Wang Cheng could only go to Jin Zhong to borrow people, but Jin Zhong didn't have enough manpower, so how could he lend him people to Wang Cheng?
Wang Cheng could only write to Song Wei.

Song Wei will lend his warrior Guo Xuan to Wang Cheng.

Wang Cheng asked Guo Xuan to lead the army to quell the river bandits in Chaohu Lake. He harvested nearly a thousand river bandits and formed a navy. Then he asked Guo Xuan to suppress the bandits along the river in Luzhou Prefecture.

Therefore, the purge of the gentry was delayed.

It wasn't until Wang Cheng had a navy of 500 men that he came to Chao County to take charge.

And the first thing he did was to kill the wealthy people in Chao County.

　There will be another big chapter tomorrow!Catch up on the plot of those two days!

　　
　
(End of this chapter)