Early Tang Dynasty: forge ahead

Chapter 252 Talented but Unvirtuous
  Xiong Lianghong looked at the rivalry between the two families in front of him and felt quite contented.

All this is partly due to him.

When Xiong Lianghong took office, he secretly complained.

The land of Xiazhou is full of powerful people. They occupy the fertile land on both sides of the Yellow River and have a large number of farmers working for them.

The key is that these powerful men don't respect the newly appointed governors like him.

After Xiong Lianghong learned about it, he found that the place was located in a remote area and the imperial authority was not intimidating. The previous governors relied on currying favor with local powerful people to stabilize Xiazhou's situation.

Those who can be arranged to serve as officials in a place like Xiazhou basically have no big background, and they even came here because they offended someone.

This is the case for Xiong Lianghong, who was Liu Ji's disciple and was driven here because he offended Chu Suiliang.

Liu Ji was framed and killed by Chu Suiliang. Xiong Lianghong had no one to rely on in the court, and he had to rely on himself for everything.

Xiong Lianghong secretly learned the details of the powerful people in Xiazhou and discovered that several powerful people in Xiazhou were fighting among themselves.

Especially the most powerful Yuan family and the second-ranked Liu family.

The feud between the Yuan family and the Liu family can be traced back hundreds of years.

The ancestors of the Xiazhou Yuan family came from the Tuoba tribe of the Northern Wei Dynasty during the Northern and Southern Dynasties. Emperor Xiaowen of Wei, Tuoba Hong, vigorously promoted the policy of Sinicization reform and issued an edict to change the Han surname to Yuan in the [-]th year of Taihe in the Northern Wei Dynasty. After that, all the Tuoba clan of Xianbei people were changed to Yuan clan.

After the fall of the Northern Wei Dynasty, some of them fled to Tuyuhun, while others came to settle in Xiazhou and became local powerful men.

As for the Liu family, they are not the orthodox Han surname Liu. Their ancestors are descendants of the local Xiongnu Helian family.

During the Five Hu and Sixteen Kingdoms period, Liu Bobo, the son of the Xiongnu Zuoxian King Liu Weichen, established the Huxia. This Hu Xia also had a glorious moment, attacking Nanliang and defeating Bald Latan. Attacked the Later Qin Dynasty, destroyed Wang Xi, and surrendered Wang Maide and others. Attacked the Eastern Jin Dynasty, annihilated the famous Eastern Jin generals Kuai En, Fu Hongzhi, Mao Xiuzhi, Zhu Lingshi, Zhu Chaoshi and others, and occupied all the land in Guanzhong, but finally perished in the Northern Wei Dynasty, which was the ancestor of the Yuan family.

After Liu Bobo became emperor, he changed his name to Helian Bobo. However, with the fall of Hu Xia, the Helian family was ultimately inferior to the Liu family in order to live in China, and later generations changed it back.

Therefore, the two powerful ancestors of Xiazhou, the Yuan family and the Liu family, one Xianbei and the other Xiongnu, were both defeated dogs in history, and their ancestors had deep grievances.

Xiong Lianghong secretly stirred up the relationship between them, and then stepped forward to act as a peacemaker, using the power in his hands to issue corresponding policies. Whoever he favored would benefit, and through checks and balances, Xiazhou's powerful people were governed obediently.

The more they compete with each other, the more they are hostile to each other, and the more they need the support of his state governor.

To this day, Xiong Lianghong thinks that he has mastered them. When he sees them meeting, he becomes red-faced and feels proud of himself.

At this moment, Xiong Lianghong got the news of Chen Qingsi's arrival.

Xiong Lianghong was startled and said, "Brother Yuan and Brother Liu, distinguished guests are here. Please help yourself."

As he spoke, he arranged his clothes and came to the governor's office hall.

"Ambassador Chen!"

Xiong Lianghong suppressed the uneasiness in his heart and said with a smile on his face: "You have come a long way, why didn't you tell me in advance? I would like to greet you personally..."

Chen Qingsi did not give Xiong Lianghong a good look, but said lightly: "I am here for official business, so Governor Xiong doesn't have to be polite."

Xiong Lianghong was startled and hurriedly asked: "Do you have any instructions from Ambassador Chen?"

Chen Qingsi said: "Troublesome Xiong, the governor, has come forward and called the leaders of the seven squire surnames Yuan, Liu, Yan, Wang, Yang, Chigan and Yao here. I have something to ask them."

Xiong Lianghong was even more frightened and said, "Envoy Chen comforts you, but I don't know what happened?" "What? I can't see them?"

Chen Qingsi looked at Xiong Lianghong calmly.

Xiong Lianghong gritted his teeth and said: "Of course you can see it, but the pacifiers don't know. Xiazhou is no better than other places. The folk customs here are fierce and the villagers are barbaric and disobedient to the king. You have no reason to call them all indiscriminately." One place, I’m afraid it will cause unpredictable things.”

"Unpredictable?" Chen Qingsi said: "Do you still dare to rebel? My Chen Qingsi's head is here. Let me see who dares to come and take it! Go quickly! I want to see all of them before noon. You have been the governor here for so many years. , If you can't do this, I can only tell you that the imperial court does not support idle people."

"Yes, I'll do it now!"

Xiong Lianghong did not dare to say anything. In terms of official position, his position as governor was much higher than that of Chen Qingsi, but his actual power was incomparable.

Chen Qingsi watched Xiong Lianghong leave with a trace of pity in his eyes: He had heard about what Xiong Lianghong did in Xiazhou.

His political methods are extremely clever, and he takes advantage of the situation to control all the wealthy gentry in Xiazhou.

He was still the deposed envoy at that time, and even thought of recommending him to Li Zhi. He was worthy of being Liu Ji's most valued disciple in the past.

It's a pity that this happened.

As long as Xiong Lianghong had a little bit of common people in his heart, put some restraints on the gentry, and gave the people downstream of Sheyan River a little way to survive, the trouble would not have reached the level it is today.

This kind of person is the most hateful.

It's not that he doesn't have this ability, he's just immersed in his own unpredictable political methods and completely ignores the life and death of the people at the bottom.

Xiong Lianghong stopped Yuan Feng and Liu Chuang, and they left together, walking on the same street, one to the left and one to the right, clearly separated.

It wasn't until Xiong Lianghong appeared that the two of them came to Xiong Lianghong.

Xiong Lianghong said solemnly: "This is not the place to talk. Go quickly and tell Yan Dan, Wang Yan, Yang Yanying, Chi Ganbo, and Yao Hai to go to Qi Sima's residence to discuss matters immediately."

Xiong Lianghong said, ignoring the two of them, and went straight to the direction of Qi Sima's residence.

Yuan Feng and Liu Chuang looked at each other and knew that the situation had changed and now was not the time to be vindictive.

Yuan Feng said: "I'll call Brother Chigan, Brother Yao, and Brother Yan!"

Liu Chuang also said, "I'll call Brother Wang and Brother Yang."

Xiong Lianghong arrived at Sima Qiwei's mansion in the state capital without stopping.

Qi Wei is Xiong Lianghong's confidant who was personally selected and trained from the state's subordinate officials, and is also his most trusted subordinate.

When Qi Wei learned everything, he didn't panic much, but said calmly: "What are your plans now?"

Xiong Lianghong suppressed the irritability in his heart and cursed: "A foolish boy who doesn't know the heights of heaven and earth, really thinks that he can be lawless and do whatever he wants with the favor of the Sacred Heart? If he comes to trouble me like this, don't blame me for letting him know that there are some things Matters cannot be settled by pretending to be powerful."

Qi Wei said: "Do you want to force him to do something?"

Xiong Lianghong said: "I don't know what that kid has mastered at the moment, and why he came here. But seeing that he summoned all the gentry in the city together at once, it must be quite big. This group of people is not a good person, and there is nothing they dare not do. . As long as we pay attention to the situation and don't make things bigger, just drive Chen Qingsi away. He is young and energetic, and he will not go around talking about his scandal."

(End of this chapter)