Kai Fu Han

Chapter 443 Knowing Current Affairs

The outcome of how things turned out was shocking.

Beizong Yan Shenggong did not respond to the call to see Liu Xinqi, but just replied to the person who sent the order: "The Xinghan League is cruel, good at killing loyal people, harming good gentlemen, seizing other people's property, unpopular with the people, and will not last long. Confucius is ashamed of it Together."

In addition to these, he also said some very unpleasant things, and finally said that if the Xinghan League released the imprisoned gentry and returned all their property, the Kong government would consider cooperating with the Xinghan League's rule in Jingdong.

"What makes him so confident?" Liu Xinqi didn't understand.

Anyone with brains in future generations will know that political power comes from the barrel of a gun. If he, Yan Shenggong, is so sure, the Xinghan League will not touch him?
"Maybe the Jurchen Tatars were more tolerant to them and gave Yan Shenggong blind confidence." By this time, Liu Xinang had understood that Liu Xinqi would definitely not let the Confucius family go or give the Confucius family special treatment.

"Have the field troops who recaptured Gong County and Zouxian County returned?" Liu Xinqi asked.

On June [-]th, Liu Zhijie and Wu Jin recovered Gong County, and Ye Jia and Wu Nan recovered Zouxian County. These battle reports had already been sent back.

"The ones from Zouxian County have returned, and Liu Zhijie and Wu Jinjun from Gongxian County have been arranged by me to continue their journey north to Fengfu County." Liu Xinang replied.

"How many troops can you mobilize now?" Liu Xinqi asked.

"Excluding the two regiments that went north to Fengfu and some troops stationed in Surabaya, Xianyuan, and Zouxian, I have 5000 available field troops on hand." Liu Xinang replied.

"enough."

Liu Xinqi stood up and walked back and forth in the room thinking.

"According to the information from Di Ting, there are more than 700 direct descendants of the Kong family in Qufu, and about 3000 confidant males who depend on the Kong family for survival."

There are about 10 tenants in the Kong family, but these people are just ordinary farmers.

"Yes." Liu Xinang responded: "These people are scattered throughout Yanzhou to maintain the Kong family's rule over these places and have not gathered together."

"We sent people to summon Yanshenggong before, which should have been enough to scare the snake. It is estimated that Yanshenggong is now summoning his cronies from all over the country to return to the Confucius Mansion." Liu Xinqi answered.

"Very likely." Liu Xinang said.

"So, it's better to do it sooner rather than later, and it's better to do it quickly than slowly." Liu Xinqi stood still.

……

July [-]th, a cloudy day, a rare cool weather since the beginning of summer.

Duke Yan Sheng had nothing to do and took his servants to inspect the fields of the Confucius Mansion to check the progress of collecting the land rent.

Seeing the tenants hauling bags of grain from their homes to the drying yard and handing it over to the servants of the Kong family to collect the grain, Yan Shenggong felt very comfortable.

In previous years, the Kong family would help the court collect grain taxes, and then add in the field rent, which would account for [-] to [-]% of the harvest.However, the Kong family basically never paid food taxes to the court, and kept all the food taxes in their own pockets.

Now that the Puppet Qi has been driven away by the Xinghan League, this year the Kong family still collects grain taxes from tenants according to the tax rate set by the Puppet Qi in previous years.

According to Yan Shenggong's plan, if he had to pay taxes to the Xinghan League in the end, he would only pay [-]% of the grain tax to the Xinghan League, or even less.

"Master! Master! Not good! Not good!"

Duke Yansheng, who was in a good mood, heard servants from the direction of Kong Mansion running towards him crying for their fathers and mothers, shouting as they ran.

"Weeping in mourning! If you have something to say, the sky will not fall." Yan Shenggong said.

"Master, what's wrong, a lot of soldiers came and surrounded Duke Yansheng's mansion." "What!!"

Yan Shenggong couldn't hold the tea cup in his hand and it fell to the ground and broke into pieces.

"Where did you get to be a soldier?"

"Those who prosper the Han League will prosper the army of the Han League!"

Before the Xinghan League attacked Xianyuan, most people in Xianyuan had seen the Xinghan League's army. The Xinghan League's army had uniform uniforms and was very conspicuous compared to the armies of other forces in this era.

"It's a disaster! It's a disaster!" Yan Shenggong was already panicking and murmured: "Why do these barbarians have no etiquette and patience at all? I didn't say that they would not pay the food!"

At this moment, Duke Yan Sheng had not yet figured out the situation, thinking that the crux of the problem was whether to pay taxes and grain. He never imagined that Liu Xinqi not only had to collect taxes, but also land.

"Master, let's run!"

"Bullshit! Why are we running? Where can we run? Can we outrun those cavalry?" Yan Shenggong was not completely confused.

Each regiment of the field regiment has a battalion of cavalry, equipped with excellent war horses. When entering the city, many people saw it.When the troops were heading from Xianyuan to Xia County, Yan Shenggong also saw them from a distance. They were indeed very elite. Even if they led the horses forward, they could maintain a certain order of formation.

"Let's go back. I want to see what they want to do." He said this, but he was already timid in his heart. He planned to pay this year's grain tax when he went back. Anyway, the old grain in the granary was almost uneatable.

I hurried back and walked outside the town. I found that the town where Kong's mansion was located had been completely surrounded by the troops of the Xinghan League.

A simple horse guard was set up at the entrance of the town. The simple wooden horse was put on a sharp steel sheath, which made the power of these simple horse guards seem very powerful.

There were cavalry patrolling back and forth around the town. From time to time, a clan member named Kong was tied up, put on a horse and carried towards the town.

What worried Duke Yan the most was that two artillery pieces were placed in front of the town gate.

This artillery weapon Yan Shenggong knew that the city gate tower in Xianyuan County was blown down by this kind of firearm. With just a few shots, in Yan Shenggong's concept, the indestructible city gate tower collapsed.

Justice Yansheng, who had already realized something was wrong, wanted to turn around and run away. As soon as he had the idea, he saw that the soldiers of the Xinghan League at the gate of the city had discovered him. Dozens of cavalry who were originally waiting at the gate immediately mounted their horses and headed this way. Rushed over.

Knowing that there was no possibility of escape, Yan Shenggong suppressed the fear in his heart and continued to advance against the cavalry.

Contrary to expectations, these soldiers did not embarrass Duke Yan, nor were they tied up and put on horses like the Kong clan members before.However, all his entourage were detained by the soldiers before entering, and only he was allowed to enter the town.

Seeing the cold expressions of the soldiers, Duke Yan lost the courage to argue with them on these matters and followed the soldiers into the town obediently.

……

Liu Xinqi was in the main lobby of Yanshenggong's residence, carefully looking at the luxurious house.

This house is one of the most luxurious houses Liu Xinqi has ever seen in his life.It is even more luxurious than the palace I saw in Qizhou before.

"Will the Yan Sheng Guild take the opportunity to escape?" Liu Xin'ang was a little worried.

It was unfortunate that we came today. Before the siege of the town, Duke Yan Sheng had already gone out to inspect the countryside. After interrogating several officials of the Kong family, Liu Xinang quickly sent out cavalry in several directions where Duke Yan might go, hoping to take down the town as soon as possible. Yan Shenggong captured him.

Unexpectedly, more than an hour had passed, and only a few minions of the Kong family were captured, but there was no trace of Yan Shenggong.

(End of this chapter)