Red Mansion: Bastards rule the roost

Feng Yuan frowned and said to himself: "It would be great if it could be shaved off. How much money will it cost me a year to feed these bastards who can't get enough to eat? I'm afraid something unexpected might happen if I act suddenly."

Jia Cong said with a smile: "I think the Holy Master will inquire about it someday. I'll just tell you if you have any clever plans."

Feng Yuan said with stern eyebrows: "If Zilong doesn't tell me the Holy intention first, how can he speak to the Holy Heart? If what he says is completely opposite to what the Holy One thinks, wouldn't it be terrible?"

Jia Cong said in a low voice: "It's not convenient to go into details here. Brother, just remember the four words "Jiu Fan must be cut". Don't go against the current, use your name to show your integrity, and only provoke the wrath of Thunder."

Feng Yuan said hurriedly: "Zilong, don't worry, I'm not one of those officials who rely on their mouth to make a living. How could I be so ignorant?"

Jia Cong nodded and said goodbye to him. Judging from today's situation, the first step of persuading the feudal lord seems to have gone smoothly.

If the kings surrender, it will be easy, just rely on a few young princes to help them.

If the kings are unable to evade, then the strategy of threatening the vassal and warning the vassal will be logical.
-
Early the next morning, Jia Cong finished practicing his martial arts, had dinner, and was about to go out when he saw Yuanyang bringing two little girls over.

Jia Cong raised his eyebrows, looked at the sky exaggeratedly, and said with a smile, "Sister seems to have arrived a little early."

Yuanyang blushed, rolled her eyes at him, and said happily, "Old lady, please come over."

Jia Cong frowned slightly. He had been busy preparing for the reduction of the vassalage these days. He had no time to chat with the old lady, so he waved his hand and said: "Just say that I am busy with official duties. We will talk about it after I leave the office."

Yuanyang blushed and begged: "Master, the old lady said that today is not a court meeting, so she must ask you to go over and say a few words first, otherwise I will not be able to do my job."

Qingwen next to her laughed and said, "It's rare for Sister Yuanyang to beg you so softly, so I just agreed."

Qianxue also smiled and said: "Sister Yuanyang and I grew up together, but I have never seen her begging for help like this."

"You two Yamen officials are here to bully me," Yuanyang spat.

The two of them covered their mouths and chuckled, saying: "How come we are wrong when we speak for our sister? We need to ask her to punish us."

"You...I will ignore you, Master..." Yuanyang looked at Jia Cong pitifully.

Jia Cong shook his head helplessly: "Okay, I'll go with you first." After saying that, he got up and took Yuanyang's hand and left.

"This time, for my sister's sake, I will abolish my official position for personal reasons. Next time, my sister will have to...what about?" Jia Cong tilted his head and smiled in Yuanyang's ear.

Yuanyang's face turned red, he hummed slightly and nodded.

Jia Cong was very happy, but he didn't expect that the fierce and fierce Yuanyang was quite shy.

Suddenly, we arrived at Rongqing Hall.

Everyone hurriedly offered their seats to him.

Jia Cong nodded with a smile and said, "Greetings to the old lady and the other two madams. I wonder what the old lady's orders were when summoned?"

Jia Mu handed over a brochure and said, "This is the newspaper that the master brought back yesterday. The court is going to implement a new law. The gentry and nobles will be responsible for paying the food. What do you think we should do?"

"What else can we do? Just act in accordance with the law." Jia Cong shook his head and laughed. Is this the reason?
Jia's mother spat: "You have a rush of light in your mouth, and you put it lightly. I just paid the deficit a while ago, and now I have to implement a new law. How much wealth does your noble family have, can you withstand this?"

Lian'er asked the accountant to do the math. You don't care about Zhuangzi in Liaodong. The land in Duzhong alone will have to pay taxes of at least tens of thousands of taels of silver a year. How can our family have this money? "

Jia Cong waved his hands nonchalantly and said, "Old lady, you're too worried. Our family has a big business, so we can't afford this little money? Your hair is thicker than Cong's waist, and I still pay taxes."

All the sisters couldn't help but smile when they heard what he said was interesting. If they hadn't seen the old lady's hesitant expression, they would have almost laughed out loud.

The old lady spat: "What a dirty seed, don't ask for an advantage from me. You don't know what our family is like? We are all from poor families and have no money."

Jia Cong spread his hands and said, "What does the old lady mean?"

Mrs.

This was the original idea, Jia Cong said: "The eldest lady is well informed, but this matter has been decided by the Holy Will. Who dares to show favoritism? In my opinion, it is better to spend money to avoid disaster, or..."

"But is there a way?" Jia Mu asked hurriedly.

Jia Cong said with a bad smile: "There is a way. This is a government matter of the court and it is not good for Cong to interfere. How about the old lady inviting your old son-in-law Chenglong Kuai to come and ask him to say hello to his nephew-in-law. Now he It’s a heavenly official, who dares not to sell his face?”

When the girls heard this, they couldn't help but laugh out loud. They covered their mouths and stared at Jia Cong, you are the only one who can cause trouble.

Jia Mu was stunned by him, and after thinking about it, she realized that she asked herself to intercede with Lin Ruhai, because she scolded: "You bastard, you are getting more and more unruly.

My son-in-law Chenglong Kuai, isn't Ruhai your father-in-law? It's your turn to ask for favors. Do you want me to give up this old face? "

Jia Cong chuckled and said, "Old lady, please calm down. Is Cong just joking to make you happy?"

"I understand. If you don't get angry, I will burn incense." Jia Mu said angrily.

"It's useless to approach my father-in-law about this matter. Besides, with Cong's current status, it's not easy to owe favors casually, even if this person is Ru Haigong." Jia Cong said.

Mrs. Xing said: "Brother Cong, now our family is a judge begging for food, and we really have no money left to pay. What do you think is the best way to survive?"

Jia Cong asked curiously: "The new law levies about one-tenth of the tax. How can we not be able to pay the tax if we have so much land?"

The old lady glared at him and said, "You are not a householder and you don't know how expensive firewood and rice are. How can we earn as much as the grain grows in your local area?"

There are so many people in Zhuangzi and Mansion who eat horse chews for free? Doesn't it cost money to exchange favors, pay tribute and pay tribute? If you don’t save money throughout the year, I’m afraid it’s not enough. How can you have money to pay taxes? "

Jia Cong said with a smile: "This is easy, but I think you have to have a better army and simpler administration. The more children you have, the more children you have, and they all rely on those few pieces of land to eat, so naturally you are stretched.

Why not allocate some to farm in Liaodong? The land there is vast and sparsely populated. It’s time to employ people. Are you worried about not having enough to eat? As for household expenses, it's best to live within your means, and that's enough. "

Jia Mu was taught a lesson and was so angry that she couldn't speak. She sneered and said, "You know how to run a household, but what will you do this year? The tax collector will come to your door if you talk."

Jia Cong glanced at the mandarin duck behind Jia Mu and saw that she was winking anxiously, telling him not to make the old lady angry, so he smiled and said: "The house was caught off guard in the first year, and it is normal for some things to turn around.

In this way, Cong dares to show his filial piety to the old lady behind his back. This year, the tax office will pay half and I will pay half, which will be used as a betrothal gift to Sister Yuanyang. "

"Bah, you know how to speak glibly." Jia Mu was also amused by him and scolded: "My Yu'er is not like you. She only makes me angry. Don't backbite me."

Jia Cong smiled and said, "No matter how nice I am, I'm just your granddaughter. I'm your grandson. Why should I favor one over the other?"

"Screw you! I think it was Miss Feng who taught you to be smart. One sum of money is used for two purposes. She also said that she would be filial to me and that it was a gift from a mandarin duck. Do you think I am an old fool?" Jia Mu laughed and scolded. road.

Everyone laughed and looked at Yuanyang. Yuanyang's face was red and her ears were red, and she hurriedly took refuge in the back hall.

Jia Cong smiled and said, "What's the problem? Can't it be enough if Cong divides the money into two halves?" He still wants to extort my money, but there's no way.

"You don't need to put on your hair to pretend to be Sun Dasheng," Jia Mu rolled her eyes at him and said, "Just go away, we are old and ignorant, so we all do as you please."

"Cong leave." Jia Cong smiled and left.
-
In the past few days, in accordance with Emperor Xifeng's instructions, the princes and the clan's descendants took turns entertaining the vassal princes to banquet in order to clear their doubts and reassure their minds.

The princes and princes gradually became intoxicated by the warm exchanges between their clan brothers and the flattery of congratulatory congratulations on their early accession to the title. There is no need to elaborate.

On this day, Emperor Xifeng summoned all the important ministers in the Yangxin Hall, and also solicited opinions from the top officials of the imperial court on the strategy of reducing the vassal state.

Jia Cong raised his eyes and glanced around. He saw six military aircraft, six ministers, Zuo Du Yushi, four princes, and three governors standing in separate classes, as well as Dai Quan, who was as wretched as an old dog in the corner, in a small room. , brought together the most powerful people in the entire court, and it was regarded as an enlarged cabinet meeting.

Emperor Xifeng pointed to the three envelopes on the case and said: "The day before yesterday, thinking of the feelings of my clan, I sent a message to the princes and princes to invite the kings of the nine frontier fortresses to come and live in the capital. Today, the three royal palaces closer to the capital have returned the envelopes. , dear friends, please take a guess at what they said."

Except for a few bachelors who knew the contents of the excerpt in advance, the others did not dare to speak lightly. For a while, the hall fell into silence and no birds were heard.

"Feng Aiqing, you are extremely intelligent and outstanding. Maybe you can guess a thing or two?"

Feng Yuan hurriedly came out of the class and said: "I am not worthy of the emperor's gold medal. I believe that the kings may have a guilty conscience, have false assumptions about their holy will, or are in love with power, so they may not dare to go to the capital calmly."

Everyone secretly nodded. The kings of Zhusai have become mature, and only a fool is willing to give up the power of the local bully and return to the capital to become an empty prince.

Emperor Xifeng said: "Feng Aiqing hit the mark, you all have a look."

Dai Quan hurriedly stepped forward and handed three copies of the booklet to everyone for circulation.

Meng Huacai, Minister of the Ministry of War, patted the paper and sneered: "What a King of Ji, how dare you rely on the bandits to respect yourself and disobey the king's orders."

Everyone was busy asking what was being played.

Meng Huacai thought: "I am the fourth generation of the king, and I love the emperor's palace. I only think that Beidi is unpredictable, so I don't dare to call for the withdrawal of troops. I recently heard that the Holy One has shown great kindness in providing relief and has issued a memorial ceremony for his return. Fu Nian The officers and soldiers under my command have been marching in the north for more than 20 years, and they have been withdrawn and put in place because of the emperor's benevolence."

The Prince of Nan'an County scolded: "As expected, they are rebellious officials and traitors. On the one hand, they say that Beidi is unpredictable and dare not stop their troops. On the other hand, they demand the withdrawal of troops. They are using this to blackmail the imperial court."

King Beijing said: "Youwang's poem also has the same purpose but different approaches.

He said, "I look up to you, the emperor, who is the emperor of heaven and the emperor. He is a powerful and powerful man. Although he is a saint and takes care of everything, he still thinks of his family members all the time. I receive heaven's favor from the world, but it is difficult to repay it by donating money. However, the place is not peaceful, and there are grass bandits from time to time." When barbarians invade the territory, how dare you ask for help?
Now that I heard that the Emperor has shown pity, he has allowed me to return to the capital and live in peace in my old age. I look up to Hongci, and I am willing to listen to you. Please withdraw the whole vassal and put it in place.'"

Li Meng said: "This is asking for directions and testing the court's intentions."

Everyone nodded in agreement.

Lin Ruhai said: "The story of the King of Jin is a little different, 'Fu Nianchen was mediocre and foolish, but he was lucky enough to be born in a holy world with a heavy responsibility. He encountered the masters of Yao and Shun, and lived in peace. He admired the emperor's holy grace and pretended to be a palace merchant. The sound is covered with red lacquer on the decayed matter. There is no reward, and I am vigilant day and night.

In recent years, the weather has been declining, and diseases have become more and more frequent. My waist and feet are sore and my muscles are exhausted. I have always wanted to beg for a retreat. I cannot bear the pain of trekking. Although I have been granted a favor, I cannot make a sudden journey. I sincerely ask for the emperor's favor and tolerate it for a long time, so that I can take care of my disabled body. , but we will set off as soon as things get better.'"

Feng Yuan said with a smile: "I just heard a few days ago that King Jin got twins. How come he deceases so quickly? I'm afraid it's a scam."

Jin Duo, Prince of Xining County, sneered and said, "It's obvious that I'm using illness to evade this. The King of Jin and I are both in the same age group. We are forty-five years old this year. We are already too old to walk."

Everyone spoke in agreement.

Emperor Xifeng said: "The meanings of the three families are all understood. The ones who are close are so close, and those who are far away can be imagined. What should be done, each minister will tell you.

Everyone knew that what he was asking was whether they should insist on withdrawing the vassal state. Although they understood in their hearts, they did not dare to speak rashly. If such a big thing went wrong, they would be responsible. They knew Chao Cuo's story better than anyone else.

Duan Zhun saw that everyone did not dare to speak, so he went out to the squad and said: "Back to the emperor, I think that the vassals have the potential to break up the soil and seal the borders, and they have the heart to support their own troops. If we don't withdraw at this time, it will be a trouble in the future."

Hearing him speak, everyone was busy telling me what he said.

"I second the proposal. The kings are holding the vassal's self-respect on their own and are unable to push the blame. They clearly have treasonous and unethical intentions."

"I second my opinion. The kings heard the holy will but did not dare to enter the capital. They are obviously guilty of being thieves."

"I second my opinion, now the nine vassals cannot be removed, and the loss of money and food is getting heavier and heavier, and the border is stable, foreign enemies are not a concern, so the vassal should be withdrawn."

"I second my opinion. The imperial censor has long said that the officials have heard about the incident and said that the people at the border only know that there is a king, but not the emperor. Their disobedience is clearly revealed."

……

The ministers, you and I, all said that the vassal state should be withdrawn, and some even offered strategies on how to withdraw the vassal state.

Emperor Xifeng nodded and said: "Although the kings are somewhat rebellious and disobedient to the king's orders, but the rebellion has not been revealed, it is not convenient for them to be executed without teaching, so that the world will say that I have killed the hero.

He must be given a chance to rehabilitate himself in order to preserve the relationship between the clan and the clan. Therefore, no word should be revealed when speaking here today. "

"The ministers obey the order."

Emperor Xifeng said again: "However, it is imperative to withdraw the vassal. The ministers go down and prepare secretly, so as not to leak any news. From now on, things will be done according to the regulations of the Military Aircraft Department. If you don't move, it will be done. If you move, it will be like thunder. Do you understand?"

"The ministers obey the order."

"If we want to forcibly withdraw one vassal, we should withdraw one vassal first to shock all other vassals. Which vassal do you think we should withdraw first?" Emperor Xifeng said.

The ministers looked at each other in silence. They could speak freely when they were arguing about withdrawing the feudal vassal. After all, there was no specific target. Duan Zhun was once again the leader. Now he was designated to deal with a certain king. If he could not win, the backlash would be fatal.

Jiang Feng glanced at the ministers and said with a smile: "My colleagues Huang Gong are so humble and don't show off their talents. I am willing to offer you some advice.

I believe that the vassals that should be withdrawn first should not be too far away. If they are too far away, they will waste the people and damage the wealth. It is not a good strategy to use labor to attack the rest.

It is not advisable to get too close, because if you are too close, your lips will die and your teeth will be cold. If you are unable to defeat it, you will flee for your life and seek refuge with a distant vassal, which will make the powerful vassal even stronger.

It is not advisable to be too strong and forceful. If the master is unknown, each vassal will be frightened. In order to protect themselves, they must collude with each other to resist the king's master.

It is necessary to use one thing for multiple purposes. Not only can one vassal be withdrawn, but also several vassals can be controlled, and moreover, all vassals can be frightened. Only then can the move of cutting down the vassals be successful without any hindrance. "

Emperor Xifeng nodded in approval and said: "Jiang Aiqing's theory is a mature one for seeking the country. I deeply agree with it. According to your opinion, which vassal should be withdrawn first?"

Jiang Feng said in a deep voice: "I think we should take the King of Liao first." (End of this chapter)