Brother Song Taizu

Chapter 127: Can mutiny be a joke?

"Your Highness, all the rebels have been killed. There are more than 140 people in total, 37 pieces of armor, 55 crossbows, and six siege crossbows. There are 71 people left alive. I guarantee that I will have a result before you have lunch."

When Zhao Guangmei heard this, she was speechless. She persisted in standing there holding the Hidden Dragon Sword and posing, thinking about something in her mind.

'Are these people going to have a falling out?It's so sudden. If this matter didn't involve the Yangzhou government office, it would definitely be impossible. But after such a big charter, this is it? '

'There is no doubt that I have pushed those people into a panic, but after pushing them into a hurry, do these people actually have only such a little ability?Assassination?This is too boring. There should be a backup plan. '

'Damn it, I behaved so badly in the face of the assassination just now. How could I squat down with my head in my hands?Wouldn't it be cool if he could stand and pose all the time, while talking and laughing, the oars and oars were wiped out into ashes? '

'It's okay, it's not a big problem. There shouldn't be many people who saw it. Anyway, when the time comes, this matter will be written in the history books, and I must highlight my fearlessness in the face of danger. '

"Hmm... I'd better pose for a while. Doesn't this angle look good? Tsk, why doesn't anyone have the sense to put a cape on me? If there was a cape, it would be so handsome when the wind blows."

'Yi~ There's a lot of blood on the road. Isn't it difficult to clean up? '

'What are you going to have for dinner later?I kind of want to eat blood sausage. Do I want to stew sauerkraut?Or should we stew vermicelli?There were no vermicelli in the Song Dynasty because there were no potatoes, sweet potatoes and corn, but there were peas, and the vermicelli made from peas was more delicious. '

'Yes, here in Huainan we can reorganize some land, plant some peas, and then specialize in making vermicelli to sell. It is also a light industry path, which should be able to make money for the business in one or two years. '

"Your Highness, Your Highness?"

"Ah, ah?"

It took a while for Zhao Guangmei to recover from her escape, and then she first glanced at Yangzhou Magistrate Li Pingjun.

He was a bachelor, so he knelt down in the tunnel and said, "The assassins actually openly arranged siege crossbows on the main street of Yangzhou. I am willing to accept the punishment for my oversight."

Zhao Guangmei smiled half-heartedly: "Is it just an oversight?"

Li Pingjun, on the other hand, was neither humble nor overbearing: "If Your Highness wants to investigate my other crimes, I am willing to accept the punishment and will definitely cooperate with the investigation. But the top priority at this time is, should we impose martial law in Yangzhou and arrest my comrades?"

Zhao Guangmei curled her lips: "No need, let the people do whatever they are supposed to do. What qualifications do a few rats have to let me raid the whole city? We can just do whatever we are supposed to do."

After that, he was escorted by the guards to the Yangzhou government office to have a rest.

Gao Huaide said in a low voice: "Your Highness, this matter is strange."

"I know, let's take a look first and see what kind of medicine they are selling in the gourd."

At noon that day, the banquet in Yangzhou was as usual. Zhao Guangmei participated in the so-called reception banquet as if nothing happened. She even wanted to watch the dance of the Yangzhou girl with great interest. She praised the Yangzhou singer for her unique flavor, but declined. He asked these women to drink with him.

After all, these so-called Yangzhou singers are all younger than my wife Zhang Ling'er. They are all in their mid-twenties. Watching them dance is like watching elementary school students doing radio gymnastics, but every one of them is wearing heavy makeup and posing. , this feeling was so inconsistent that even after reading it, he felt that his soul was filthy.

He quickly ordered them to find two beautiful elder sisters over 20 years old to calm him down. Afterwards, he took them to his room to help him sober up.

So a few days later, there was an inexplicable rumor that the King of Qin liked a mature woman. A few days later, the inexplicable rumor spread that she was a good wife of the King of Qin. The people of the Song Dynasty were particularly enthusiastic about this kind of news. And there is a saying that this is indeed not groundless.

His Highness is only 14 years old, but he likes women over 20 years old. This is no secret among the powerful class of the Song Dynasty. But these days, how many girls are still unmarried after 20 years old?But aren’t they all wives?

Zhao Guangmei was also extremely depressed about this. Who knows what the unofficial histories of the future would write about him. The unofficial histories of the Song Dynasty never kept the truth, but they absolutely protected the wild affairs.

Of course, in fact, in the whole of Yangzhou and even the whole of Huainan, he may be the only one who still has the mind to think about these messy things. Whether it is the army, officials, officials or people in the city, the string in their hearts is because of this A stabbing and tense.

It is no exaggeration to say that at this wedding banquet, two of the local gentry were so frightened that they peed their pants at the dinner table.

"Your Highness, we found out that the mastermind behind this is Chuzhou Feng family, Feng Wei."

In the study, Zhao Guangmei drank apple juice to relieve her hangover while listening to the reports from her subordinates.

"Feng Wei?" Zhao Guangmei turned to look at Wang Pu.

Wang Pu knew that he couldn't hide the old matter between him and Feng, so he simply introduced him calmly and generously: "The Feng family is a wealthy family that has lived in Chuzhou for a long time. It has great influence. In the past, it was a guest of the royal family of the Southern Tang Dynasty. Feng Wei took the initiative to stand up in this matter, and he was the leader jointly recommended by the Huainan gentry. It was this person who planned the thousands of people who submitted letters."

"Oh~ you mean, he is the leader of the rebels?"

"You can say that, but I don't want to think that he is so audacious and dares to commit rebellion and assassination. But it just shows that His Highness has forced him into a desperate situation."

"Is it a desperate situation? Why didn't I feel it?" Then he turned to Gao Huaide and asked, "What do you think, brother-in-law?"

"This matter is strange."

"What's so strange?"

"They were recruited too quickly. Aren't those who do such things generally supposed to be dead soldiers? Why did the assassination attempt fail, but half of them were captured? These captives didn't even know that treason was a capital crime? And why are they all recruited in the first trial?"

Sun Liancheng said: "It has been confirmed that these people are indeed Feng's servants, slaves, family members, or local gangsters related to their families. With so many people, it is almost impossible to frame them under false names. . This... after all, this is not the time of the Tang Dynasty. The family clans have long declined and are no longer what they used to be. The so-called famous families in Chuzhou are actually just larger gentry. With their abilities... they are in danger. That's it, right?" Zhao Guangmei waved her hand and said: "Old Sun, you are from Kaifeng and don't know the situation here. Huainan has been generally stable since the end of the Tang Dynasty. Although the family members have also suffered Weakened but still more or less retained three points of foundation. Moreover, with successive years of war, the clans in the Central Plains became more and more chaotic, but the clans in Huainan were not necessarily the same. During the Northern and Southern Dynasties, didn't the southern clans become stronger as they became more chaotic? North and South , it’s still different.”

Gao Huaide also said: "Besides, the aristocratic families in Huainan must have united. If it is really a desperate fight, it cannot be just the Feng family. Your Highness, in my opinion, it is probably the Feng family that is responsible for this matter." Shi is laying bait."

Zhao Guangmei couldn't help laughing when she heard this: "Brother-in-law, you want to go with me. To be honest, I also think this is a bait, but I can't understand it. They have set the bait, but where is the hook?"

Wang Pu frowned and said: "The Feng family in Chuzhou is still quite powerful. Nowadays, there are countless officials in Huainan to cover it up. Rebels are rampant and they are always nervous. I am afraid that the Feng family has already started secretly. After recruiting troops and training the army, thinking about it, three to five thousand soldiers and horses can always be obtained. Since it has been planned for a long time, under the joint vertical and horizontal alliance, even if he is asked to pull up a troop of about 1 soldiers, it is not impossible"

Zhao Guangmei curled her lips and said: "What use can 1 new soldiers do? War is not a numbers game. If we really fight, this ragtag group of [-] people might not even be able to defeat the [-] forbidden troops. Isn't it just a waste of food?"

Gao Huaide said: "But it is enough to distract our energy and attention. The Feng family has been operating in Chuzhou for a long time. If we do not send the main force of the Forbidden Army, even if we can win, I am afraid it will be delayed. His Highness was suddenly assassinated." , in anger, he had no choice but to go to Chuzhou to kill him personally, and Chuzhou, after all, is adjacent to the Yangtze River and borders the Southern Tang Dynasty."

Zhao Guangmei frowned and said: "Nantang? Li Yu has the courage? Does he still dare to provoke me?"

"Li Yu himself may not have the courage, but he may not be able to let it go if he says it. After all, the national conditions of the Southern Tang Dynasty are different from those of the Central Plains. The Forbidden Army has always had the final say on matters in the Central Plains. It goes without saying that, but the Southern Tang Dynasty's However, it is the wealthy and powerful landlords who have the final say. His Highness is making this reform in Huainan. Wouldn’t those landlords and gentry in Jiangnan be worried about their gains and losses because of this, and even cannot sleep? This flood is not just in Huainan. When it comes to flooding, the situation in Jiangnan is probably not much better than ours."

Wang Pu was also thoughtful and said: "I heard that since the disaster, there have indeed been some refugees from Jiangnan looking for a way to survive in Huainan."

"Oh~ I see. Haha, people from the Central Plains have always been running to the south, and now they are actually running back."

In this way, the last piece of the puzzle in Zhao Guangmei's mind was finally completed.

Did I say that? How could Li Yu have such courage?

The big landowners of the Southern Tang Dynasty were very powerful. Historically, when Li Yu was in power, he even initiated the restoration of the well-field system, which made scholars all over the world applaud and praise the ancient system in the style of Yao and Shun.

In ancient history, the better off the landlords were, the weaker the country was, and vice versa. There were almost no exceptions in the 5000-year history. The armies of the Southern Tang Dynasty were so bad at fighting, so what about their landlords’ armed forces? It must be very strong.

Jiangnan was also hit by floods this time, and the people who provided relief were far worse than Wang Pu. The people heard that at least no one in Huainan would starve to death, and even Zhao Guangmei made Suzhou look like heaven and earth. Ordinary poor people in Guizhou Being able to eat meat every meal, many people started to run away, which greatly harmed their interests.

It’s hard to see it now, but once Zhao Guangmei’s New Deal is rolled out throughout Huainan, smuggling will inevitably become a trend throughout Jiangnan. In addition, Li Yu has just come to power. In fact, there is still some idea of ​​​​working hard to govern, not the later one. What should we do if young literary and artistic people who only know how to recite poems and compose poems correctly should follow the example of the Southern Tang Dynasty in the future and follow the example of Huainan?
What a coincidence. Just last year, Li Yu announced the disbandment of the villages. With this dispersal, the original soldiers of the villages naturally fell into the hands of these powerful landlords. After all, they had just disbanded a year ago. In fact, they could still Can be glued back together.

This is not a ragtag group of landlords armed, but an out-and-out regular army of the Southern Tang Dynasty. In other words, the landlords of the Southern Tang Dynasty at this time really have a certain strength. If they join forces to catch them by surprise and attack them unprepared, this group of people is You can really cross the Yangtze River.

To defend the river, you must defend the Huaihe River. In fact, it is the same for the north and the south. It doesn't matter where you cross the river. Even the Song Dynasty always had an offensive attitude towards the Southern Tang Dynasty. It never thought about the possibility of their counterattack, and they had no defensive capabilities at all. No, if the Southern Tang Dynasty really wants to counterattack, the Song army may not even be able to defend, and crossing the river will be particularly easy.

With this kind of cooperation inside and outside, if he is completely unprepared, he will really be killed by them. When the time comes, these landlords will rise up and respond in groups. Under the fait accompli, Li Yu will inevitably break the boat, lead his troops to attack, and have a chaotic battle. Under this situation, maybe the Southern Tang Dynasty can really retake the Huaihe River defense line before the Song Dynasty reacts, and restore the world situation to the state before the Battle of Shouzhou.

As for whether Zhao Kuangyin will come back with crazy revenge afterwards, and whether Li Yu can hold on if there is another battle in Shouzhou, what does this have to do with the landowners in the north and south of the Yangtze River?
Even if Zhao Kuangyin is angry, he can only attack Li Yu. It is impossible to carry out massacres in Huainan and Jiangnan in the future, right?
In this way, even if the Song Dynasty regains Huainan afterwards, I am afraid that the new policy implemented by Zhao Guangmei will be abolished. No matter Zhao Kuangyin or other officials, I am afraid that they will not dare to continue it. In this way, the purpose of these landlords Naturally it has been achieved.

Whether Li Yu dies or not, or even if the Southern Tang Dynasty is destroyed, what does it have to do with them?
Show off your skills to show the power of the landlord class in the Song Dynasty. Even if the Southern Tang Dynasty is destroyed in the future, they will only live better under the rule of Zhao Song.

"Then what if I don't fall for the trick and go to Chuzhou to beat him myself?"

Gao Huaide thought for a moment, then shook his head and said: "That won't work. If I am Feng, you send troops to besiege me, and I build a wall and clear the country to delay time, and then let the powerful people from all over the country respond, causing the whole Huainan to be everywhere. Fengyan, when the time comes, for your safety, we can only shrink our troops and protect you in Yangzhou City. You must know that the civil governments everywhere may really miss the old system of the Southern Tang Dynasty. When the time comes, we will lose contact with the inside and outside. At least we Within half a month, contact with the outside world will be completely lost. If a few civil servants come out to lead the way, half a month will be enough for the soldiers and horses of the Southern Tang Dynasty to capture Shouzhou City and block our Song Dynasty imperial army north of the Huaihe River. ."

"What the hell? Skip Yangzhou and go straight to Shouzhou? So crazy? Aren't you going to go deep alone?"

Gao Huaide smiled bitterly: "Your Highness, the people's hearts are on the other side. Now that the situation is like this, once they can really take Shouzhou, I'm afraid we will really go deep alone."

Zhao Guangmei was stunned, but had to smile bitterly and shake her head.

Isn't it? In fact, in ancient times, the so-called "those who win the hearts of the people win the world" refer specifically to the landlord class.

"Why do I neither advance nor retreat? What do you think my brother-in-law should do?"

"I suggest that your Highness should remain unchanged in response to all changes and simply ignore him. Even if Feng Wei has the courage to rebel, does he have the courage to send troops to attack Yangzhou? As for other powerful landlords, who is going to cause trouble? Let him make trouble, and we will wait in Yangzhou. It will take at least a month for reinforcements from the Xiaoqi Army and the Crane Control Army to arrive. By then, no matter how many tricks they have, they may not be able to use them, and we will have to wait to die."

"You mean, let me pretend to be dead in Yangzhou and wait for Zhang Qiong and others to come over and clean up the mess for me?"

"This... is indeed the safest way at the moment."

Zhao Guangmei nodded: "It's safe. It's really safe. It's just that I don't like this strategy of being a coward. I, as a person, have never liked being safe."

"What does your Highness mean?"

"The plan is to follow the plan. Didn't they invite me to join the urn? Then I will join, follow me to Xiongzhou, and then help me give Liu Guangyi, the governor of Jiangning Army, and let him mutiny."

"The soldiers... mutiny... for a moment? Can such a thing be faked?"

"What can't be fake about this thing? Didn't Li Yun and I play it once? Let's cooperate. Let him declare his rebellion first, and I will declare him a rebel, and then let him accept the recruitment the next day. Become a military envoy again and go to the Southern Tang Dynasty together."

(End of this chapter)