Chapter 125

Chapter 125

"Have you heard?"

"Is that what you are talking about?"

Two teams of merchants who were about to enter Zhennan Pass were talking in a low voice.

"The governor of Zhennan Pass has been replaced!"

"Yes, yes, that's it!"

Why?

Someone in the caravan immediately explained the whole story.

The local General Zhennan was relying on his ancestors' wealth and taking advantage of the remoteness of his place to bully the new governor of the neighboring Ning'an Prefecture, Ji Zhuangyuan.

Then there was the story of the general seizing Ji Zhuangyuan's goods twice.

One is rubber and the other is cattle.

The former involved a wide range of people, and many forces came to help.

The second one is Ning Anzhou’s own business.

Even the officials sent by the imperial court tried to smooth things over.

After all, General Zhennan is well-known, and the glory of his ancestors can intimidate many villains.

But what?

But the prefect of Ning'an Prefecture, Ji Zhuangyuan, directly exposed all his past.

From the things that happened to him in Zhennan Pass.

Then there was the battle on which General Zhennan established his career, and all was revealed.

To be honest, there are cases of people drawing salaries without working everywhere.

But this is the first time I've seen it eaten like this.

Just eat it.

All the old soldiers who had followed his uncle in those days actually abandoned him.

This is too much.

You know, the court allowed him to succeed his uncle at Zhennan Pass, and his current reputation outside is all based on his merits in guarding the border.

Tell them now.

What a credit.

He is just resting on his laurels.

Ji Yuan brought all these things to light.

As well as this person's dirty deeds of embezzling money, etc., not to mention his tyranny and bullying of men and women.

Those former veterans were all subordinates of General Zhennan, and their lives were extremely miserable.

General Zhennan himself had countless gold, silver and treasures at home.

When he heard that Lord Xu had come from the capital, he was so angry that he could hardly stand.

It’s hard for the old man to come all the way here, but end up being so angry.

“Anyway, it’s wonderful.”

"It is said that General Zhennan has been captured."

"Then why is Zhennan Pass under the jurisdiction of Ji Zhuangyuan?"

"He was an official sent from the capital. He thought that Ji Zhuangyuan was doing a good job in managing Ning'an Prefecture, and since the two places are so close, he decided to take over the prefecture."

"Where is the original governor?"

"That prefect was also involved, so he must be taken to the capital for trial as well."

"Anyway, basically all the officials in Zhennan Pass are involved in this, and the important ones have been brought to the capital for interrogation."

ah?

Things have changed in Zhennan Pass.

Such a big thing, how come it sounds so quiet?

Generally speaking, it should cause a big uproar in the city.

Now that things are almost over, you are telling everyone?

At this moment in the Zhennan Prefecture, Lord Xu, the prefect of Dianzhou Prefecture, came to his senses and realized how well Ji Yuan had done.

He found a good opportunity, took advantage of General Zhennan's inattention, and also took advantage of the inspector from above to come and uncover all the other party's secrets in one go.

Moreover, the incident happened suddenly and was a direct attack.

Even General Zhennanguan himself did not expect that Ji Yuan would start from another place.

Is Ji Yuan a little too patient?

The prefect of Dianzhou felt terrified.

Lord Xu, however, admired it very much.

It can handle cases impartially without leaving any evidence.

Not everyone has this ability.

Anyway.

This matter has come to an end.

Do you want to say it’s refreshing?

Neither do I.

Because this matter involves a wide range of issues.

It seems to be solved, but it also seems not to be solved.

The General of Zhennan Pass is, after all, a high-ranking official stationed in a certain area.

Even if we temporarily withhold it now, it is inevitable that there will be complications.

After the incident, everyone was busy.

Lord Xu is looking for more evidence, preferably to make Lai Kunshun's guilt more certain.

The prefect of Dianzhou Prefecture was communicating with the commander of the troops he brought, meaning that the troops he led were no longer on alert and could rest temporarily.

Just block a few important intersections and tie down the local soldiers.

Don't worry about anything else.

Inspector Xu has come here on orders to investigate a general. How could it be possible that he has no soldiers under his command?

Therefore, when he came from the capital, he did not go to the more convenient Wuxin Prefecture, but took a detour to the real capital of Dianzhou Prefecture.

After dispatching troops and personnel from there, they rushed to Zhennan Pass.

The fact that the prefect of Dianzhou Prefecture came here in person also represents the local opinion.

This is also the time when General Zhennan Pass can talk to them reasonably.

What about the era?

Does Ji Yuan know this?

He knew all this, so he forced his way over.

Or do you still not know these, is it just a coincidence?

The prefect of Dianzhou observed the young man in front of him and found that he was still as indescribably calm as before.

If, all this was within his calculations.

Isn't that a bit scary?

Ji Yuan didn't say much.

Starting from the rubber incident, he united forces that needed rubber and spread the news to the capital.

But if someone from the capital were to come, at most they could restrain General Zhennan.

If we really want him to leave, we need more evidence.

I thought that the tax revenue that Ning'an Prefecture gave to the Zhennan Pass Yamen was taken away by General Zhennan, which was already a serious crime.

But later I felt that something was wrong.

The contributions of the former General Zhennan in expanding the territory can never be erased.

In that case, simply misappropriating tax revenue would not have crucified his sin.

You have to find another way.

Ji Yuan did not act like a headless fly and directly check all the evidence.

But I wonder if this person will really treat the soldiers well.

The result speaks for itself.

Rather than saying that he broke the game, it would be more accurate to say that he understood the general.

Treat the soldiers harshly, or treat the meritorious soldiers harshly.

How much crime do you want to charge?

That’s hard to say.

But as to whether it will disappoint his subordinates, it will definitely do so.

As long as I feel this chill in my heart, I will not follow General Zhennan and do desperate things.

After all, there is a rubber deal waiting ahead.

Anyone who wants to live a good life will not follow General Zhennan Lai Kunshun to start a rebellion.

Ji Yuan was calm and composed, everything was going according to plan.

The prefect of Dianzhou Prefecture could no longer hold back and asked in a low voice, "Aren't you afraid that he will rebel if you do this?"

He was so scared that he brought a lot of people with him.

Ji Yuan shook his head: "Where can he go?"

Where to go?

There are so many small countries in the south. You can just pick any one and attack it and occupy the place.

Although the prefect of Dianzhou Prefecture did not say anything, his eyes made it clear.

Ji Yuan smiled, answered with his eyes, and made some lip movements.

Jing country.

There are dozens of small countries in the south.

Who is the best.

Jing country.

Jing State cannot be compared with Tianqi State, but it can also crush other small countries.

If General Zhennan separated from Tianqi State and became King Lai Kunshun of Lai State, he would definitely be attacked by Jing State within three months.

You can even use this matter to show your favor to the Tianqi Kingdom.

So the era concluded.

General Zhennan will not run away, nor does he dare to run away.

At most, he could flee with his valuables.

Or flee to Tianqi country.

There are so many mountains in Dianzhou Prefecture. You can hide in any one of them and come out after a few years to be a rich and idle person again.

The prefect of Dianzhou Prefecture's pupils trembled, and he looked around Ji Yuan again.

Why? !

Where is that strongman Wu Renhao? !

Where did he go?!

I was so focused on looking at Ji Zhuangyuan that I didn't even notice this incident!

At this moment, General Zhennan Lai Kunshun had changed out of his usual official uniform and was rarely wearing low-key clothes, but his big belly was still very conspicuous.

Lai Kunshun cursed: "What a jerk! He caught me off guard and took advantage of the fact that officials from the capital were here to expose my shortcomings. How could there be such a hateful person?"

Then I wondered how he got to this point step by step?

Before the Mingming era came into being, his life was easy.

Maybe, I shouldn't provoke him.

Lai Kunshun scolded again: "Is it really that bad for him? After so many years at the border, who wouldn't suffer? He is a top scholar but he has been sent to this place. Does he think the emperor really values ​​him?"

Having said that, Lai Kunshun had already packed up his things, all of which were gold and silver jewelry that were easy to carry.

He didn't care about his wife and children anymore and left with his personal bodyguards.

From Shu to Dianzhou Prefecture, there were no mountains big enough for him to hide.

A cunning rabbit has three burrows. If he hides from the limelight, he can still be a rich man.

The guards around Lai Kunshun also said: "General, let's raise an army and fight. We have at least 3,000 brothers who will listen to you."

Lai Kun thought to himself that it was shabby enough that an army of 30,000 was reduced to 3,000. Where could so many people go?

Proclaim yourself king?

Don’t the people around him know how much he weighs?

Not to mention Tianqi Kingdom, even Jing Kingdom will not let him go.

The best option is to escape quietly.

Just as it was getting dark, a few people came out of the secret passage, hating Ji Yuan to death.

Until they saw a burly man in the secret passage, all their hatred disappeared. Several people's legs were shaking and they didn't dare to move.

Normally, Wu Renhao gives people a strong sense of oppression.

At this moment, he was alone guarding the pass with a big knife in his hand. He looked so handsome that anyone who saw him would be pissing and shitting.

How could this person be in front of them?

Wait a minute.

At this moment, Lai Kunshun's mind was working fast.

The general's residence was not well guarded.

Ji Yuan deliberately made the matter sound serious.

And the anger shown by Lord Xu's temper.

This prompted him to leave.

It’s an era.

It's him again.

Step by step, he pushed himself to this point!

Lai Kunshun's legs were really weak this time. His eyes were not on Wu Renhao in front of him at all, and his mind was full of Ji Yuan.

Era, ah, era.

I thought there was a lot of thunder but little rain yesterday because he did things without any consideration.

But I just found out now.

He did it on purpose.

Deliberately reveal flaws and deliberately act anxious.

In fact, just waiting for him to escape.

Lai Kunshun just wanted to ask one question.

Why!

Why do you treat him like this!

Ji Yuan could not answer him, but he could answer the prefect of Dianzhou Prefecture, who was his real superior.

Ji Yuan said: "Because he doesn't allow the oxen to come in."

That’s it?

That’s it?

ah?

Ji Yuan explained seriously: "Ning'an Prefecture wants to develop, and the current oxen are only one aspect."

"There are a lot of farm tools in the back, a lot of foreign seeds, and all kinds of things needed locally."

"All of them need to pass through Zhennan Pass."

"We can't rely on each other's moods to act."

As he spoke, Ji Yuan even took out the simple map in his arms.

This is a part copied from the map given to him by Prime Minister Li. Ji Yuan pointed to another road and said, "Even if this person leaves, I want to build another road."

Ji Yuan diligently explained the road he had drawn.

I would like to ask the prefect for help in finding a suitable craftsman.

Another road can be built from Ning'an Prefecture to other places in Dianzhou Prefecture.

Seeing this, the prefect really understood.

The era is for the development of Ning'an Prefecture!

Then solve the poverty problem of veterans at the same time.

If Lai Kunshun had not used the development of Ning'an Prefecture to threaten Ji Yuan, he would never have done this.

The prefect had a lot to say but couldn't say it.

Chai Feng, the minor official beside Ji Yuan, and the staff behind the prefect, always felt that Ji Yuan was glowing when they looked at him.

Others thought his reasons might be outrageous.

But everyone saw it.

That's what he did.

Hinder his development?

Then kill the Buddha if he stands in your way!

Ji Yuan said faintly: "Do you know how long they were delayed?"

"It's September now. Normally, our local people can buy or rent cattle, which saves a lot of trouble."

“Maybe we can open up some more terraced fields.”

Chai Feng nodded vigorously.

That’s right, Lord Ji is right!

"My lord! My lord! General Zhennan tried to escape! He has been caught by Wu Zhuangshi and the garrison troops of Dianzhou Prefecture!"

To be precise, Wu Renhao picked up one in each hand and threw it directly at the feet of the garrison.

The garrison went to drag back the person who was lying on the ground screaming.

These dozen people attempted to escape, but were all defeated by Wu Renhao.

The more the garrison commander looked at Wu Renhao, the more he admired him.

This size, this skill, this brains.

Wait, how did Wu Renhao know that they would escape? And how did he know the other party's secret passage?

The answer is self-evident.

Lord Xu, who was still interrogating other people, came over overnight, and his brows actually relaxed a little.

Before, I was afraid that he might go too far by bringing Lai Kunshun to the capital.

It will make those generals dissatisfied.

It's ok now.

Escape with valuables.

It's okay to say he's a traitor.

One thing after another, this villain who bore the glory of our ancestors was finally brought down.

It's like peeling off silk from a cocoon, or like letting blood out with a knife.

Watch a little bit at a time.

But by the time the other party reacted, it was already too late to retreat.

If Prime Minister Li knew about this, he would probably sigh and say that Ji Yuan has become smarter and more cautious than when he was in the capital.

If Mr. Chu knew about this, he would definitely say it was cunning.

It's a pity that things are finally settled now.

Ji Yuan was afraid that he would follow him to the capital obediently.

The prefect of Dianzhou Prefecture smiled and shook his head, saying, "Do you think this is the end?"

The prefect no longer considered himself an outsider. He took the pipe from the servant, looked at the dark night of Zhennan Pass, and said slowly, "You will take charge of Zhennan Pass."

"Do you know how many bad debts there are in Zhennan Pass?"

"Do you know how to appease the descendants of those soldiers?"

"Also, if you want to build a road, I can certainly approve it, but do you think this mountain road is easy to build?"

The prefect's series of questions made Ji Yuan smile, and then he dimmed the candle a little.

"I believe that man can conquer nature."

At this time, the vendors who rushed into the city at the last minute wiped the sweat from their heads.

It was already night, and I almost couldn't get in.

"Sir, how much is the entrance fee?"

Those "military masters" were a little confused at the moment, and waved their hands casually: "No, let's go."

don't want! ?

Why? !

"The new local governor said that from now on, merchants will not have to pay the entrance fee when they pass through Zhennan Pass."

No entrance fee?!

H-is this true?!

The new governor is Jiyuan, right? If Jiyuan does this, how many people's interests will be affected? !

The soldiers in front of them were in panic.

Some of them wanted to run away, while others thought it would be better to confess quickly.

They are General Zhennan's subordinates and have really done too many things.

What if Ji Zhizhou brings up old issues?

What if they become pawns?

But at the same time, everyone knows Ji Zhizhou.

That’s right, the soldiers at Zhennan Pass all knew Ji Zhizhou’s character.

He is not a bully.

He was kind to everyone, merchants, civilians, soldiers, all of them were very friendly, completely different from those with a bad reputation.

Even the lower-level soldiers have more trust.

Who made me remember everything that happened in Ning'an Prefecture so vividly?

Moreover, on the day when General Zhennan was captured, Ji Zhizhou said that he wanted to take the people from Zhennan Pass with him to make money from rubber.

Everyone was feeling very conflicted.

On the one hand, I don’t believe what officials say.

On the other hand, he felt that this man was Ji Zhizhou, who made Ning'an Prefecture rich.

On the one hand, he wanted to run away with a few troublemakers, or just cause trouble.

But on the other hand, I feel that maybe life will get better if I follow Ji Zhizhou?

This kind of pulling and shaking is enough to tear Lai Kunshun's people apart.

Some people also asked why they would trust officials from other places.

Needless to say, this is Ji Zhuangyuan.

As for exemption of city entry fee.

What's the big deal? The money won't reach them.

As all parties were struggling, Ji Yuan did not say anything, but asked his men to go to the army to compile a list of names.

He wanted to count the soldiers who were injured or sick while guarding the border, and mentioned in passing that a second list also needed to be prepared.

The second group to be counted are the descendants of soldiers who were left alone and helpless because their fathers died.

“What’s the point of counting these?”

A soldier asked.

"Divide the land." Chai Feng answered directly, "Teach you to cultivate the land carefully and develop the rice-duck-fish model. Do you want to do it?"

"Teach them in batches."

"Alas, there is nothing we can do. We are too short of manpower. Otherwise, it would be best if we all learn together."

Learn together?

Soldiers who are not on the list, look here.

Can they learn too?

Even the people passing by were sticking their heads out to listen.

"Learn. Learn everything."

"Our Lord the Prefect wishes that everyone could learn it overnight."

Treasure your own possessions?

Does not exist.

Their Lord Ji said that they wanted to let the people of Zhennan Pass learn better farming methods, and also let the local people work together to produce rubber and develop a dyeing association.

In short.

There are some in Ning'an Prefecture.

You all will have it.

It's a matter of time.

Don't believe it?

If you don’t believe it, forget it.

But do the soldiers and people at Zhennan Pass believe it?

I believe it too much.

They have witnessed the development of Ning'an Prefecture and met Ji Zhizhou himself.

They looked at the flowing goods in Ning'an Prefecture.

Lai Kunshun grabbed it directly because he was jealous.

Are they envious?

That's for sure.

Under such a prospect, no one is willing to rebel or cause trouble.

The few idiots who did exist were either held down by the people around them or by the garrison troops from Dianzhou Prefecture, and none of them were able to do anything.

When the news reached the prefect of Dianzhou Prefecture, he couldn't help but sigh: "It turns out that Jiyuan's confidence lies here."

He pledged his credibility.

But in the entire Dianzhou Prefecture, I'm afraid he is the only one who can be trusted by everyone.

Being an official has reached this point.

I have no regrets in this life.

The prefect began to wonder what would become of these two southernmost places of Tianqi Kingdom in Ji Yuan's hands.

After Lord Xu finished dealing with the matters at hand, he sent people to guard the prisoners strictly. Only then did he have time to communicate with the prefect of Dianzhou Prefecture.

Lord Xu said directly: "Prefect, you are also a Jinshi, have you heard such a saying?"

What?

"When the great way is practiced, the world will be shared by all."

The prefect naturally knew that this came from the Book of Rites, and one of its meanings was that as long as you practice the correct way, everyone and everything in the world will help you.

This is a very serious statement.

It is a sage saying that can be put aside.

After all, when ordinary people recite this sentence, they just think it sounds nice.

But I don't feel that I have to act according to such moral standards.

This is a sentence that all educated people can memorize, but few people put it into practice.

The elderly Lord Xu was exhausted both physically and mentally after dealing with this exhausting matter, but he was still in good spirits at the moment.

"The way of the era is that the world is for all."

Lord Xu rarely speaks like this.

But this sentence comes from the heart.

Lord Xu patted the Dianzhou prefect on the shoulder and said, "Take good care of him. Later, you and I may be taken care of by him again."

After Lord Xu finishes dealing with these matters, he will basically return to Beijing.

He had to return to Beijing as soon as possible to report, so as to avoid any further complications.

If Ji Yuan had not collected sufficient evidence, and Lai Kunshun had tried to escape again, his trip would most likely have been in vain.

Anyway, no matter what, the most important thing is to get this matter over with as soon as possible.

Lord Xu said this in order to ask the prefect of Dianzhou Prefecture to give some help secretly.

After all, he is the prefect of a provincial capital, and he has a lot of power at his disposal.

The prefect of Dianzhou Prefecture said leisurely: "Do you still remember where I am from?"

"where?"

The prefect laughed and said, "I am from Fujian."

In the era of Ji Yuan, someone wrote the "Manual for the Construction of Terraces and Canals" and sent it to Yunnan, Guizhou, Fujian, Sichuan and other places.

He had a good impression of Ji Yuan.

His hometown also has many mountains and a lot of water.

But there is no good way to do this.

Ji Yuan led the people of Ning'an Prefecture to develop a method, summarize the experience, and share it with everyone.

As a prefect who came from the mountains, Ji Yuan was already one of his own in his eyes.

The prefect's smile suddenly stopped.

When great virtue is practiced, the world becomes common to all.

When Ji Yuan was walking his own path, even people like him who were not familiar with Ji Yuan would consciously help him clear the way.

What a great idea that the world belongs to all.

It would be great if everyone in the world could help.

Those holy books kept turning over in my mind.

It really makes it come true.

The prefect of Dianzhou Prefecture and Lord Xu smiled at each other.

They volunteered to "escort" the era.

Be able to become a part of the world for all.

It's also an honor.

On September 28th, Ji Yuan and others saw Lord Xu off.

This time, Lord Xu will no longer take a detour via Dianzhou Prefecture, but will set out directly from the closer Wuxin Prefecture and then take a boat back to the capital.

Of course it is for greater safety, and taking a boat here is much faster than taking the mountain road.

The prefect of Dianzhou Prefecture did not leave immediately, but instead transferred many of his capable subordinates over.

On the one hand, there is Ji Yuan’s appeal, and on the other hand, there is the prefect’s confidant.

He wanted to see who dared to stop Ji Yuan from changing Zhennan Pass.

The power struggle at Zhennan Pass was apparently not too turbulent.

But secretly, many people have changed their minds about Ji Zhuangyuan.

The consensus is.

This person is not easy to mess with.

It is said that those who are good at fighting do not have great achievements.

The same is true for those who are good at fighting.

Everyone thought that the fight between Ji Yuan and General Zhennan would be a life-and-death battle.

Actually?

In fact, they are sitting on the Diaoyutai.

This is naturally good for the partners.

Fortunately, most of the merchants in Dianzhou Prefecture were his partners.

The common people, on the other hand, were completely unaware of all this.

In their view, it was the General of Zhennan Pass who made the mistake and the court was dissatisfied.

That's actually not wrong.

The only thing missing was that Ji Yuan took advantage of the emperor's slight dissatisfaction and made a fuss about it and drove the person away.

In fact, even if you know.

Does anyone care?

Don't care.

What everyone cares about is that the oxen detained at Zhennan Pass can finally be pulled back!

The six farms went from being in tears to being heartbroken and even regretting coming to Ning'an Prefecture to do business.

Now what?

No regrets!

Their cattle are back!

I thought this batch of livestock would die here.

They have all been detained by the general, how can there be a good outcome?

The answer is.

some!

That’s right!

Ji Zhizhou is really reliable. There will be absolutely no problem doing business with him.

However, the people of Ning'an Prefecture looked at the cows while looking to the back of the team.

Where is their Lord Xiao Ji?

Why haven’t you come back yet?

He won't stay in Zhennanguan permanently, right? !

Thinking of this possibility, everyone shook their heads.

Ji Zhizhou is the governor of Ning'an Prefecture, not the governor of Zhennan Pass! Really not!