The think tanks continued to discuss at the meeting, trying to stabilize the people's hearts by using slogans that were the least costly but came from the perspective of the army of justice.

But just as Xing Lie thought, his mother was a rebel after all, and it was not tenable for the greater good.

It was the Lin Dynasty that forced Huangmoguan to be unable to survive, so they rebelled in anger. Now that your Huangmoguan is more prosperous than the Lin Dynasty's capital, you are holding high the banner to attack cities and seize land. Your wolfish ambition is obvious!

Xing Lie looked at Lin Rui, who was so calm and composed, and asked him, "Master Lin, do you have any advice?"

Lin Rui coughed lightly and said, "It's not a brilliant idea, but I have a question for you, my lord."

Xing Lie: "Master Lin, please feel free to speak."

"Between the support of the aristocratic families and the support of the common people, which one will the lord choose?" Lin Rui asked.

Xing Lie said without hesitation: "Of course it is the people. The people are the water that carries the king and overturns him."

Lin Rui clapped his hands and said, "That's it. The problem is easily solved."

Han Wenjing, Chen Zhidong, and Lin Pingyu looked at him with great interest: "Master Lin, please tell us in detail what you have planned."

As Xing Lie's most trusted aide, Lin Rui was of course well aware of the news from the front line. For example, he had long been dissatisfied with the aristocratic families in the Huainan Marquisate who had been causing trouble.

These powerful families were the parasites of feudal society. They took advantage of natural disasters and man-made calamities to buy up people's land, turning the common people and their children into slaves for generations. The common people were skinny, while they were as fat as pigs.

I should have been secretly happy that I didn't target them, but I ended up bringing the incident to the attention of the Xing family army. Isn't that courting death?

"Why can the aristocratic families under the jurisdiction of the Marquis of Huainan incite the people to serve as pawns to test the bottom line of the Xing family army? It's just food and clothing twice. They hold too much fertile land of the people, forcing the people to depend on them for survival. If they live, the people live, and if they die, the people die too. They are tied to the people with the same rope. Let me ask you, if you kill my master, I will not be able to live either. Will I fight with you, the enemy?" Lin Rui asked with empathy.

Xing Lie nodded: "That's true. We can't let these hateful aristocratic families go unpunished just because the common people are holding us back!"

Han Wenjing also nodded: "Indeed, they must be eliminated. Some of the clans have also accumulated a large number of private soldiers. This is against our Xing family army. If they were to face the forces of other princes, the other princes might not be able to do anything to them."

"So you see, the existence of aristocratic families will bring endless troubles. It also reminds us that if the lord really seizes the throne in the future, it is absolutely not advisable to divide the land and confer titles!" Lin Rui reminded him that this was how the Zhou Dynasty in the history of his time perished.

"Hey, Lord Lin, stop keeping us in suspense and tell us quickly!" Xu Shaoxuan kept urging.

Lin Rui smiled and said, "Actually, my method is simple. Since the obstacle to attacking the city is the common people, why don't we just pull the common people over and make them work with us?"

"I understand the principle, but what does it mean to be of one mind?" Han Wenjing couldn't help but ask.

Lin Rui: "That's simple. Eighty percent of the land controlled by the aristocratic families was originally cultivated by ordinary people. Natural disasters like droughts and floods have left ordinary people homeless and starving, forcing them to sell their land at extremely low prices. When the weather improves, even if they want to farm, they have no land left, so they have no choice but to rent the land from the wealthy families again and become tenant farmers."

"Then why not do the opposite? Starting tomorrow, we'll send our eloquent soldiers to persuade them to surrender. Once they put down their farm tools and stop hindering our siege, our Xing Army will guarantee the safety of the entire city's inhabitants. We'll also redistribute all the land that the wealthy families once purchased from them."

Han Wenjing's eyes lit up: "Great! This way, the common people will share our hatred for those aristocratic families."

Xing Lie also smiled and nodded: "Give it a try, I think it will work."

This was true. The next day, these people were really found in the military camp and made inciteful speeches in front of the people defending the city. With just a few words, they moved the people.

"Brother, look, if I really cared about you, how could I push you out as scapegoats? It's also because our general is kind-hearted and doesn't want to harm the lives of the people. Otherwise, just look at me. Any other prince who came here would have massacred the city directly."

"Young General, are you telling the truth? You can't lie to poor people like us. We just want to save our lives. Who would be willing to risk their lives to fight? We are forced to die."

"Don't worry, you can ask around about the reputation of our Xing Army. Last year, the foreign race occupied the Linchao capital, forcing countless people to flee their homes and starve along the way. Every territory the refugees passed through was driven away. Only our Huangmo Pass accepted these people, provided them with food and clothing, and allowed them to reproduce and thrive."

"Our general is a very kindhearted man. He used to guard Huangmo Pass to prevent invasions from foreign tribes in the north. Now, he has been forced into a desperate situation by the world. Fortunately, he rebelled and brought the soldiers at Huangmo Pass to give the people of the world a chance to survive. Brother, just listen to my advice. Don't treat your enemies as benefactors, and don't treat your benefactors as enemies. Think carefully about this!"

One day, two days, three days, the people were brainwashed every day with different words but the same meaning, and they finally wavered.

When the aristocratic families were sitting on the throne, they were stunned to learn that the people had all turned against them.

"What, what's going on?" An old man from a prominent family was originally very proud of himself, but he was frightened out of his wits by this news.

The people below said with a sad face: "They said that the Xing family army promised that as long as our family is overthrown, they will return the land to those untouchables. Now these untouchables are leading the Xing family army to attack us actively. Master, you must think of a solution quickly!"

“This, this, this…”

What else can I do now? I can only run fast!

It was too late to run away. All the aristocratic families in the territory of Huainan Marquis were blocked by the Xing family army. They broke down the gates and killed these parasites who were causing trouble to the area.

They also found the land deeds sold in various warehouses and accounting offices and burned them in front of the people.

From then on, these lands were waiting to be redistributed and allocated. In order to be fair, local people would draw lots again to choose.

Of course, these matters fell to the logistics department. Even Lin Rui, who was only responsible for raising money, was drafted by Han Wenjing, Xu Shaoxuan and others. He sat at the household registration office with a bitter face every day to register one by one.

Every time they conquered a place, the Xing family army would act in this way and return the land to the people. Over time, the Xing family army became a righteous army in the eyes of the people.

Wherever they went, they were warmly welcomed by the people. Even some soldiers defending the city were hit with rotten eggs and vegetable leaves by the people, who cursed them for being inhumane and told them to let the Xing family army enter the city as soon as possible.