Man Tang Huacai

Chapter 615 Intensification

Li He had frequent dealings with prominent families for many years and he boasted that he knew Zheng Ciming very well. He believed that Zheng Ciming was an elegant man who never talked about mundane things like money. He had a noble character and it was impossible for him to be corrupt.

But when he looked down, he saw Xue Bai opening the box, taking out a pile of deeds, and placing them on the table one by one.

"Zheng Ciming is not greedy, but once he is greedy he will take thousands of hectares." Xue Bai said as he put down one of the pages.

This is just one page.

The deeds, gift lists, and account books in this box were evidence of Zheng Ciming's embezzlement of land and taxes on behalf of his clansmen, relatives, and friends, involving tens of thousands of hectares of land in three states.

Li He looked at it with eyes full of disbelief.

Xue Bai, on the other hand, could understand Zheng Ciming very well. He sighed and said, "Don't blame him. He must have been coerced by his clansmen. This is human nature. Large families have the power. If they can't control their desires, they will annex lands, like hundreds of rivers flowing into the sea."

He was not angry. In his opinion, these things happened not because of Zheng Ciming's bad character, but because of the imperfection and even connivance of the system.

Li He finally heaved a long sigh, lowered his noble head, and said: "My crime is extremely serious, please punish me severely, Your Majesty."

"What are you guilty of?"

"I have a private relationship with Zheng Ciming."

"This is not a crime. There is no such crime in Tang law." Xue Bai put his hands on Li He's shoulders and said, "Help me to eliminate the accumulated abuses."

Since the reform, he always felt that there were few supporters and great resistance, so he had to strive for every bit of support. So he gave another piece of advice in a very sincere tone, thinking that he could impress Li He.

"We should give Datang a brand new look."

Li He was touched and nodded, then asked, "Your Majesty, how do you want to deal with Zheng Ciming?"

Faced with this question, Xue Bai made a decision after a little thought and uttered a word neatly.

"cut!"

He knew very well that for the reform to succeed there would be bloodshed, and if it wasn't the blood of the opposition, then the blood of his own people would have to be shed.

Li He opened his lips to persuade him, but seeing how determined he was, he knew he couldn't persuade him, so he buried his deep worry in his heart.

~~
The weather suddenly turned cold and a light snow fell in Jianghuai.

Fortunately, the autumn taxes from various counties and prefectures have been escorted to Luoyang, and the amount is mostly slightly more than 10% over previous years.

In the eyes of many local officials, this probably means that the reform has been successful.

Regardless of whether the imperial court agrees or not, this is the result. They have been busy this year, and as the farming season approaches, it is time to relax.

However, in the early winter of that year, a piece of news spread like a sudden thunder, shocking the Jianghuai area.

"The saint personally toured the south and beheaded Zheng Ciming, the governor of Songzhou!"

"Why?"

When the news reached Suzhou, the Suzhou governor Nan Jiyun was greatly alarmed and immediately asked questions.

A newspaper was handed to him.

He now had no problem learning to read and write newspapers. After reading it carefully, he found that in addition to the charges against Zheng Ciming, there was also the emperor's statement at the time of his beheading. Any officials who shielded local gentry from occupying farmland and concealing the population would not be tolerated!
A sense of sharpness and oppression hits you in the face.

Nan Jiyun's face suddenly turned bitter.

He was originally a military general, and only began to learn some governance from Zhang Xun during the process of suppressing the war, and learned to read and write. He was not talented, but he worked hard, and in short, he passed the examination of the Ministry of Personnel and was appointed as a governor.

After taking office, he boasted of no achievements. After the new law was promulgated, he followed it rigidly, but things were not going well. He did not measure the fields clearly, nor did he persuade many farmers to return home.

The agricultural promotion envoys sent by the imperial court would shake their heads and sigh every time they saw him.

Compared to Zheng Ciming, the governor of Songzhou, who was doing a great job, Nan Jiyun felt that he was a low-ranking official.

Now that such an outstanding person as Zheng Ciming has been beheaded, he feels that he is also doomed.

Sure enough, when Nan Jiyun went out of the city to welcome the emperor, he came to nothing. In fact, when he got the news, the emperor had already gone on a private visit and had been wandering around Suzhou for a long time.

"I heard that Zheng Ciming was brought down in this way." An official leaned close to Nan Jiyun's ear and whispered.

"Don't scare me."

When Nan Jiyun was suppressing the rebellion, he was fearless and did not even blink when one of his own fingers was cut off. But now that he is wearing an official robe, he has become timid.

After waiting for two days, he became increasingly anxious and guilty. When he arrived at the provincial government office that day, he saw the guards standing outside the gate in an orderly manner.

He seemed to have sensed something and walked in quickly, and saw Xue Bai sitting behind his desk, reading a copy of "Spring and Autumn Annals" which he usually read.

"Your Majesty...I pay my respects to Your Majesty."

“When a scholar has been away for three days, he should be looked at with new eyes. Now you can even write annotations on the Spring and Autumn Annals.” Xue Bai noticed that because Nan Jiyun was missing a few fingers, he usually wrote with his left hand, and his handwriting was crooked.

He then took out a pen he usually used and placed it on the table, saying, "This is for you."

Nan Jiyun was stunned for a moment before he reacted. He originally thought that he would be severely punished, but now he was greatly surprised and hurriedly said, "Thank you, Your Majesty, for your reward!"

Xue Bai asked: "Is the new law being implemented smoothly?"

"I am ashamed." Nan Jiyun said, "I have failed your majesty's trust."

"Well, I visited Suzhou these days. Although you didn't do a good job, you did your best."

Nan Jiyun said: "I am incompetent. Those wealthy people who own a large amount of land have endless tricks. I am always led by the nose and have not been able to measure the land on time. The requirements of the inspection have never been met."

He spoke dejectedly for a while, then thought that he was in front of the emperor at this moment, so he finally summoned the spirit and vigor he had shown in the wars and raised his voice.

"But if Your Majesty can give me another chance, I will do my best!"

Xue Bai didn't expect a military man to learn sophisticated political skills in a short period of time. As long as he had an attitude of fearlessness of difficulties and ensured that the general direction of Suzhou would not be led astray, there would always be no shortage of smart people who could do things.

"Well, I will arrange some people to assist you. In a few days, Liu Yan, the farming envoy of Henan, Hebei, Jianghuai and other provinces, will come from Songzhou to help you sort out these matters."

"Great!"

Nan Jiyun did not reject jealousy.

He is a very self-aware person. He knows that his strengths do not lie in these areas. He is not worried about unimportant issues such as Liu Yan stealing his limelight. He is happy that this matter can be resolved.

Xue Bai was originally worried that Nan Jiyun had changed in the past few years, but he was relieved to see that he was still so sincere. Then, he told him another important matter.

"How many troops does Suzhou have? I'm talking about the real elite troops."

"Your Majesty, there are soldiers guarding the city and the canal. They are quite good and number over 500."

Xue Bai nodded and said, "I heard someone report that Liu Zhan, the pacification envoy of Jiangdong, has rebellious intentions. He has come to Sizhou to see the emperor. I did not bring anyone with me in a big way for fear of alerting the enemy. If something unexpected happens, you will lead 500 people to capture Liu Zhan."

This time he really learned Liu Bang's strategy of "fake visit to Yunmeng" to capture Han Xin.

Simply put, while Liu Zhan was not yet ready to rebel, he traveled light and went on a tour to the south, acting as if he was unaware of Liu Zhan's ulterior motives, and then suddenly summoned Liu Zhan away from Suzhou.

Of course there are risks. Liu Bang's fake visit to Yunmeng was successful because Han Xin did not raise an army to assassinate him. Liu Zhan might have made a completely different choice from Han Xin.

If Xue Bairuo told this matter to other officials, they would inevitably receive some nagging dissuasion.

Nan Jiyun was born as a transporter, so he didn't have to deal with so many rules and regulations. He simply said, "Yes! Your Majesty, rest assured, I will definitely get it done!"

He had no confidence in governing the local area, but he was very excited about fighting and capturing thieves.

"He is just Liu Zhan. Even if he doesn't bring any soldiers with him, I can take him down alone!"

~~
After making all the arrangements in Suzhou, Xue Bai quickly headed south to Sizhou.

For the time being, he did not go on a secret visit to investigate the implementation of the new law by officials in various places, because the deterrent effect of the execution of Zheng Ciming was at its strongest at that time, and the more important issue at the moment was to deal with the possibility of Liu Zhan's rebellion.

When they arrived in Sizhou, Liu Zhan had not arrived yet, but another official involved in the case had already rushed to see the emperor.

"I, Li Zangyong, the transport commissioner of the Jiangnan East Road, come to see the sage." Li Zangyong said impatiently, "I ask you to dismiss the attendants. I have something extremely urgent to report."

"You go down first."

Li Zangyong waited for everyone to leave and then said, "Your Majesty has not received the secret report I sent you. Liu Zhan is plotting treason. How can Your Majesty still go south?"

"I saw it all."

"Your Majesty, do you not believe what I say?" Li Zangyong said, "I guarantee with my life that Liu Zhan is the adopted son of Liu Puhui, the rebel of the East Capital. He has a group of loyal soldiers under his command, who still believe in the prophecy of the golden sword that 'the one who cultivates virtue will become the emperor'."

Xue Bai did not take this matter seriously and said, "That is why I summoned Liu Zhan to come to Sizhou to see me."

"Your Majesty, why don't you send people to Suzhou to kill this evil man to prevent future troubles?" Li Zang said in a sonorous tone.

"How can you punish someone without asking?" Xue Bai said, "A while ago, I heard an important minister advise me that the most important thing in governing a country is to have rules."

Li Zangyong was very worried about this, thinking that the emperor's move was a stupid one and might directly force Liu Zhan to rebel.

He speculated that there were only two possibilities. One was that Liu Zhan stayed in Suzhou and took the time to recruit soldiers and prepare for rebellion. The other was that Liu Zhan simply made up his mind and led his confidants to Sizhou to get rid of this overly adventurous emperor.

However, to his surprise, the next day, a messenger came on horseback, presenting Liu Zhan's memorial, saying that Liu Zhan had already rushed to Sizhou to see the emperor.

Li Zangyong was very surprised by this.

Because he knew that he had not wronged Liu Zhan, who was a rebellious adopted son, a daring and evil-minded rebel.

"Mao Jin Dao? Do you believe in this prophecy?"

Xue Bai read the memorial and saw the expression on Li Zangyong's face, so he asked.

"Of course I don't believe it." Li Zangyong replied.

"If that's the case, why can this prophecy inspire so many people to rebel against the Tang Dynasty?" Xue Bai asked, "Is it more about the prophecy, or are they starving?"

As he spoke, he handed Liu Zhan's memorial to Li Zangyong.

"I believe what you said. Liu Zhan is Liu Puhui's adopted son. He has been bewitched by the Golden Knife prophecy since he was a child. But today I read his memorial and saw between the lines his support for the new law and his understanding of the peasants... I am very pleased. Since I went on tour, I have not seen many local officials as enthusiastic as him in implementing the new law."

"Your Majesty!" Li Zangyong said, "Do you want only a flatterer who agrees with you in everything? He is a traitor." "Have you seen it?"

Xue Bai pointed at the memorial in Li Zang's hand and said, "How do you know that he is not protesting against the corruption and greed of Emperor Xuanzong's reign? How do you know that he is not protesting against the long-standing abuses of land annexation and the oppression of the common people by the upper classes?"

After hearing this, Li Zangyong's eyes widened, thinking that this emperor was really crazy.

How is it possible that someone in the world who assassinated Emperor Xuanzong did not rebel against the current emperor of the Tang Dynasty? What nonsense are you talking about, Your Majesty?
Li Zangyong thought to himself and said, "Liu Zhan once organized the assassination of Emperor Xuanzong. That is an unforgivable crime that cannot be punished!"

"Don't get excited. Now that he's here, we'll know when we ask him."

Xue Bai did not tell Li Zangyong that he had arranged 500 elite soldiers as a backup. Since this matter was top secret, he would not tell anyone.

~~
At this time, the news that the emperor first executed Yan Zhuang and then Zheng Ciming spread throughout the Tang Dynasty. The emperor's resolute attitude towards reform and harsh means made officials all over the world panic and there was a hidden trend of turmoil.

However, he insisted on his own way, leaving behind his carriage and guards, and traveled south with a light luggage, leaving the young prince in the care of his foreign relatives and ministers to supervise the country in the Eastern Capital.

He seemed to be completely unaware of the resentment of the nobles and officials throughout the world, and was unaware of the dangerous situation he was in.

If someone plans to rebel or kill the king, now is the best time, like...Liu Zhan.

"Da da da."

The rhythm of the horse's hooves was very even. Liu Zhan was riding his horse galloping along the official road beside the canal, anxious to meet the emperor in Sizhou.

He was tall, with a square face, long eyebrows, bright eyes, and an awe-inspiring look.

Not long after he was born, his parents passed away, and he was raised by his cousin Liu Puhui.

"Our last name is Liu. Do you know who our ancestors were?"

This was a question Liu Pu would often ask him when he was a child. Every time, little Liu Zhan would frown and answer with a resounding voice, "I am a descendant of the Han royal family, a descendant of Emperor Gaozu of Han, Liu Bang!"

"Yes, Mao Jin Xiude is the emperor. Our Liu family will revive the Han Dynasty sooner or later."

Every time the ragged Liu Puhui said this, he seemed very confident. At that time, Liu Zhan looked up at his adoptive father, always believing that his adoptive father could achieve great things.

Later, Liu Puhui really started a rebellion. He led a group of beggars, criminals, and refugees to set fire to the Eastern Capital and attack granaries, but they were quickly killed and were called a demon.

At that time, Liu Zhan still believed in what his adoptive father said and continued on the road of rebellion. In those years, the Tang court did give him some small opportunities. Officials dug canals, bought grain, and paid tribute, trying every way to please Emperor Xuanzong of Tang. The dignitaries in Chang'an reveled every night and praised the prosperous times. The banks of the Caohe River were full of blood and tears.

Liu Zhan infiltrated the imperial guards and took advantage of the opportunity of corrupt officials expanding the Huaqing Palace to lead people to assassinate Li Longji.

He was still very young that year, and his thoughts were very simple. Once Li Longji died and the world was in chaos, he would have the opportunity to fulfill the prophecy of the golden sword.

The assassination naturally ended in failure, and the crossbow arrow was still several feet away from Li Longji.

After that, Liu Zhan kept hanging around in the army, looking for opportunities. After the An-Shi Rebellion broke out, he was so excited that he couldn't sleep all night because he was too excited. He felt that the world was in chaos and the opportunity had come.

But gradually, he discovered that reviving the Han Dynasty and assassinating Li Longji were two completely different things. He was as small as a grain of sand in the troubled times. Most of those who followed him and shouted "cultivating virtue to become the emperor" just wanted to make a living.

There were thousands of miles of barren land in Hebei. Once he marched for half a month without finding anything to eat and almost starved to death.

The sight of bones scattered all over the ground made him realize that Liu Pu was actually a madman, and that restoring the Han Dynasty was just the fantasy of a poor madman.

When An Lushan proclaimed himself emperor in Luoyang, Liu Zhan was very disappointed because he knew that people in the world didn't care whether the emperor's surname was Liu, Li or An.

The rebellion that started with his surname could no longer give him any support for his beliefs.

At this time, he had been working hard for eighteen years and had many trusted generals and hundreds of soldiers who obeyed his orders. However, his rebellious intentions faded because he truly understood the rebellion and realized how difficult it was. In other words, "the Tang Dynasty has not yet run out of luck."

In the following years, he maintained his strength in the army to protect himself, carefully concealed his past crimes, and lived one step at a time.

During this imperial reform, he read a lot of relevant newspapers and official documents, and learned about the relationship between land, population, taxes and the rise and fall of dynasties. He also wanted to try to change the fate of the poor people who came from the same background as him.

This is also what his ancestor, Emperor Gaozu of Han, Liu Bang, did.

It was during this process that he began to consider issues from the perspectives of rebellion and governing the world, and he became increasingly awed by the current emperor.

Because he knew that if he did it himself, he would not be able to achieve even a fraction of what the other party could achieve. The current emperor controls the laws of the rise and fall of the dynasty, which is a much more powerful way than manipulating power.

With such mood, when Liu Zhan was summoned by the emperor, he rushed to Sizhou without stopping.

"Shut up!"

It was already dark that day. There was a posthouse ahead at the junction of Sihong and Xuyi. Liu Zheng reined in his horse and said to his followers and guards, "Rest here for one night and continue on our journey tomorrow."

He dismounted and went in first. He looked around and shouted, "Where are the people?"

After a while, a few servants came out hurriedly, tidying their clothes and leading them to their lodging.

Liu Zhan noticed that the other person's shoes did not fit him, and realized something was wrong. He became more cautious and winked at the guard.

After checking into the superior room, there was a knock on the door late at night. Liu Zhan immediately got up and took out the knife from under his pillow, and the guards who were staying in his room also stood up.

"Who?"

"Excuse me, is this General Liu Zhan Liu?"

"and who are you?"

"I am here to save the general's life. May I go in and tell the general a few words in private?"

Liu Zhan raised his head and asked the guard to open the door.

A middle-aged man bowed outside the door, came in, and asked, "General, could you please ask your attendants to leave?"

"You guys go down."

"General, you must not go to Sizhou to meet the emperor, otherwise you may be killed... uh..."

Liu Zhan suddenly stretched out his hand, grabbed the man's neck, and asked, "How did you know that the emperor was in Sizhou, and how did you know that I wanted to see him?"

"I am an official from Sizhou. I accepted a huge bribe and I know I will be killed if I am caught. That is why I came to seek refuge with the general."

"Come to me?" Liu Zhan's expression remained unchanged, but there was a hint of uneasiness in his eyes.

He has realized that his identity and deeds may have been exposed.

really.

"General, you are the adopted son of Liu Puhui, the rebel who started the rebellion in Luoyang in the 23rd year of Kaiyuan. You planned the assassination of the emperor in Huaqing Palace in the 7th year of Tianbao. You have been raising private soldiers over the years. Are you preparing for a rebellion?"

Liu Zhan did not answer.

In his heart, he actually responded to this question in the negative. After all, he had only been transferred to Suzhou not long ago and it was impossible for him to rule the world by taking over Jiangnan.

But sometimes the situation is beyond our control. Most of the rebels started the rebellion not because they were confident that they could succeed, but because they were forced into a dead end. Now someone wants to force him to death too.

"I risked my life to come here to tell the general that the truth has been revealed. What the general did in Suzhou offended the local noble families. They investigated the general's background. Li Zangyong, the transport commissioner of Jiangnan East Road, pretended to be friendly with the general, but secretly obtained the evidence of the general's crime and submitted it to the court. He even went to see the emperor in person a few days ago. Now the emperor has set up a trap in Sizhou, waiting for the general to fall into it."

Liu Zhan's face was grim, and he asked, "If that's the case, why doesn't the emperor just kill me?"

"It's just that we don't want to alert the enemy."

"Are you cheating me?" Liu Zhan exerted force with his hands, as if he wanted to strangle the man to death.

"The general believes me... uh... I really want to surrender to the general..."

Liu Zhan thought for a long time, then let go of his hand and said, "What's the point of surrendering to me?"

"Let's start a rebellion."

"The emperor of this world has put down the An-Shi Rebellion, defeated Prince Zhong, annihilated Prince Yong, attacked Tubo, and conquered Nanzhao. How is your advice to me to start a rebellion any different from sending myself to death?"

"Does the general intend to tie himself up before the emperor, confess his crime of assassinating Emperor Xuanzong, and ask for his forgiveness?!"

Liu Zhan was silent.

"General, why don't you think about it? Now this emperor is determined to collect land and population, causing the whole country to boil. In the past, Emperor Xuanzong used Yuwen Rong to do this, and Yuwen Rong was disgraced. Emperor Xuanzong then neglected his duties. Why? This is an act that will incite resentment from the whole country."

Liu Zhan felt that the world was ridiculous. What he believed to be good policies turned out to be evidence of the emperor's guilt and the reason for his rebellion to save his life.

"I'm afraid the general doesn't know that after Yan Zhuang, Zheng Ciming and others were beheaded, the emperor has lost the support of the people. Many officials privately discussed that they hoped that he would die on the way to the tour, so that they could support the young prince and manipulate the government. In other words, if the general led an army to attack Sizhou, he would just follow the trend, and many people would secretly help him."

"Who sent you?" Liu Zhan suddenly asked.

"I just said that I am an official from Sizhou."

"Do you dare to say that there is no one behind you?"

"To be honest, General, I did have a detailed discussion with some of my colleagues before I came out. They are ready to open the city gates to welcome you."

Liu Zhan seemed to be able to imagine what the scene was like. It was the same thing when he was in Suzhou. Because he had touched the interests of the wealthy and powerful families, those people suddenly became enemies and attacked him at the same time.

Just like the officials in various places now are rebelling against the emperor.

It was like a pair of invisible hands pushing him to the opposite side of the emperor.

"General, rest assured. The emperor has some fatal weaknesses when he ascended the throne. As long as you raise an army, it will be smoother than expected."

In fact, Liu Zhan had no choice. If he did not rebel, he would die. If he did, there would be a glimmer of hope.

He stood up, called over two trusted men, and began to give them instructions in a low voice.

"You return to Suzhou overnight and find Fu Ziang. Have him take the two hundred most elite soldiers, each with three horses, and rush to Sizhou within two days."

"Here."

"You go back with him and tell Zong Xi to be ready and wait for my news. We are ready to occupy Suzhou at any time."

"Here."

Once he made up his mind, Liu Zhan's eyes became firm and he no longer had any hesitation.

(End of this chapter)