Chapter 208 The Blood Letter Was Destroyed
Xu Zhenying's words were truly a critical hit.
Everyone knows that the natives almost all live in the mountains and forests, relying on slash-and-burn farming and hunting for a living. The conditions in the mountains are harsh. Not only are the mountains barren, but most of the terrain is karst, making it impossible to farm.
I'm afraid they still don't know how to farm.
Sure enough, as soon as this question was asked, the Miao people who had been emotional before fell silent.
One chieftain said, "We should continue to farm the same way we did before. Why not just arrest the Han people who used to farm the land and have them teach us how to farm?"
Xu Zhenying laughed and said, "The grain yield per acre in Qianzhou is already the lowest in the Great Zhou Dynasty, and it's even difficult to be self-sufficient. The Han people here have to rely on the Great Zhou Dynasty to exempt some taxes every year to barely survive. Not to mention that after you occupied Qianzhou Prefecture, you still want to use this fixed fertile land to support more people. Why, are you going through so much trouble to occupy Qianzhou just to make more people suffer together?"
This is a bit vicious.
Wang Sanniang almost laughed out loud.
If it weren't for the seriousness of the occasion, she really wanted to laugh out loud!
Some Miao people below were very angry, but they couldn't find any words to refute, and they were so anxious that sweat broke out on their foreheads.
"Third question, who will be the king of Qianzhou Prefecture? How will you distribute power among the various counties and villages?"
This question instantly hit the nail on the head.
Those who reacted quickly, such as Jiang Yongkang, Wang Sanniang and others, immediately curled their lips and smiled.
When the city lord said this, he gave the natives a heavy punch.
The natives who had previously united against the outside world would probably start quarreling immediately when their own interests were involved.
The room was dead silent.
Several elder representatives immediately understood Xu Zhenying's heartbreaking words! They looked at each other, each with their own thoughts. Those who had previously firmly supported the occupation of Qianzhou Prefecture began to waver.
The way they are now, they will probably have to fight a few more times to compete for the throne of Qianzhou, and some brothers will die. In the end, it will be the chieftain of the largest village here who will benefit.
It is no wonder that the chieftain of the village strongly encouraged them to occupy Qianzhou Prefecture.
With this suspicion, the forces immediately became less close than before.
Xu Zhenying laughed: "So I say, instead of fighting among yourselves over a regime that is impossible to suppress, why not listen to my advice?"
This time the old man from the village remained silent.
The youngest, Demao Tusi, immediately became interested and said, "You go ahead."
Demao is the smallest chieftain among them. If a fight really breaks out, they may not even be able to divide up a city. A chieftain as big as Zhaifang will definitely become stronger, and a small tribe like theirs will face a greater risk of annexation.
Instead of this, it would be better to keep it as it is.
After figuring this out, Chief Demao's heart unconsciously leaned slightly towards Xu Zhenying.
"What I mean is that the Han people govern the Han, the Miao people govern the Miao, and the Dong people govern the Dong. We do not interfere with each other's political power, but cooperate with each other for mutual benefit."
“How can we achieve win-win cooperation?”
"It's very simple. If I, Xu Zhenying, take over Qianzhou Prefecture, I will treat you as brothers. Not interfering in your internal political affairs is the most basic principle. Sending troops to wipe you out or exploiting you is even more impossible. We will cooperate in a friendly manner and benefit each other. For example, if you have batik and I have trade routes, you can give us your batik and we will help you sell it all over the country. If you don't know how to farm, I will send the best masters to teach you how to farm. I will also survey your land, mountains, and rivers to find the location of fertile fields and help you with land reclamation, composting, seed selection, and cultivation. Qianzhou has a mild climate and is suitable for growing medicinal herbs. I will invite herbal medicine merchants to come and investigate, cultivate good varieties, and let Miao medicine reach thousands of households. To put it more simply, I, Xu Zhenying, will bring you along on any good cause and do my best to help you!"
These words immediately set the room ablaze.
The Miao people were whispering to each other, and those who did not understand Chinese hurriedly pulled their companions to explain. Jiang Yongkang and Wang Sanniang, a group of people with higher political sensitivity, had already begun to think about how to alleviate poverty according to local conditions, or wondering who would become the governor of Qianzhou Prefecture?
Is it Jiang Yongkang? Is it Ming Xiaoshuang? Or is it Wang Sanniang?
Wang Sanniang shook her head. She absolutely couldn't do that. She hadn't figured out the whole situation in Gaoxin County yet. The tens of thousands of people were enough to make her overwhelmed. She had been away for a few days, and her mind was full of the situation in Gaoxin County. If she had to take care of hundreds of thousands of people again, she might as well be killed.
The chieftain of the village remained silent. Xu Zhenying also knew that it was hard to give up power, especially since the chieftain of the village had finally made it to Shunyuan Mansion. It was definitely impossible for him to give up the fat meat he had obtained.
However, several chieftains below were eager to make a move. "Do we have to pay tribute to you or pay tribute every year?"
Xu Zhenying laughed. "Pay tribute? We don't have that term here. Just pay taxes on time."
The faces of the chieftains immediately turned ugly. But Chief Demao asked, "How much is the tax?"
"The people of Lan County who have just been allocated land don't have to pay taxes in the first year. The second year, they'll pay 10%, the third year, and 20%, with a maximum tax of 20%. However, considering your small population, limited arable land, and limited planting capabilities, if you are willing to sincerely cooperate with me, I can assure you that in Qianzhou, there will be no tax on the grain grown in the fields. Only commercial taxes will be collected. For example, the tobacco, herbs, fruits, batiks, etc. you sell will be clearly marked with prices and will be uniform across the country. In addition, I will build roads and bridges for you, and establish schools—"
"Wait..." The elders seemed confused and wary. "Why...why are you doing this? What are you trying to achieve?"
Xu Zhenying held her forehead with her hand. Why did no one understand her lofty ambitions?
Xu Zhenying smiled and said, "Human development doesn't necessarily have to be achieved through war. Why do we have to fight? It's simply because there are not enough resources and food. If I create more food and wealth now, can't I slowly eliminate war? Or are you born to love war, love bloodshed, love plunder, and love slavery? I believe that you are all born by your parents, and you all need brothers and sisters, and you all have loved ones. No one wants to lose their loved ones. In this battle with the Great Zhou Dynasty, you lost tens of thousands of young and strong people. On the one hand, they plundered resources and food, and on the other hand, they satisfied the power-hungry desires of those in power. As ordinary people like you, there is really no need for this. Living a good life is better than anything else."
Upon hearing this, the village elder's face darkened and his eyes flashed.
Chieftain Na Demao was shocked, as if he couldn't believe that such a person existed in the world. If such a person really existed, he would no longer be a human being, but a god or Buddha who saved all living beings.
How is that possible?
Who in this world wouldn’t fight for a bag of rice?
Who wouldn’t fight to the death for an acre of land?
He really didn't want to believe it. Could it be that God saw that they were living too hard, so he sent down a kind-hearted god?
"Your words are nice, but the Han people are cunning and dishonest. How can we trust you? What if you occupy Qianzhou Prefecture and send troops to attack us?"
Wang Sanniang couldn't help but scold, "What's so good about your little piece of land? First, it's infertile, second, it's not good farmland, third, it's full of miasma, and fourth, the environment is terrible. Why would we prepare hundreds of thousands of grain and fodder to attack your land? Don't you know if your land has any practical value? If your land is really that good, why would you come out to attack Shunyuan Mansion?"
The Miao people's expressions changed after hearing Wang Sanniang's roar.
Xu Zhenying coughed softly and said, "Sanniang's words are quite reasonable. You should be familiar with the topography of your area. There's really no need to attack."
Ming Xiaoshuang also pretended to speak, "You say the Han people are cunning, but they are the people of the Great Zhou Dynasty. Our city lord always keeps his word. Take our Lan County for example. You know Lan County, it's not far from here. You can go there and back in ten days. You can go there and see what the situation is like. I won't hide it from you. What our city lord has done since occupying Lan County will scare you to death!"
Everyone was momentarily drawn to Ming Xiaoshuang, who chuckled, "After our city lord occupied Lan County, he did three major things. The first was distributing land. Every citizen of Lan County was given a piece of land! The second was raising pigs. You may not have raised pigs before, but the city lord's pig raising is different from ours. Ordinary pigs take two or three years to grow, but the city lord's pigs can grow to 200 kilograms in half a year! We held a breeding tour last month, and many of you people from Qianzhou went to join in the fun!"
"Hey, wait, two hundred kilograms in half a year?" A Miao man asked in stiff Chinese, "Is the Lanxiang pig from your county?"
"Lanxiang pig? What Lanxiang pig?" Ming Xiaoshuang read a few words, slapped his head, and suddenly realized, "It's not Lanxiang pig, it's Lanxian pig! How could it be spread as a rumor?"
"Hey, hey, hey, are your Lanxiang pigs really free of any fishy smell? The last time I went into the city, I heard people in Shunyuan City mention that there's a new Lanxiang pig in Jinzhou Prefecture, and it doesn't have any fishy smell at all!"
"Right, right, right!" Talking about the common topic, the distance between the two parties was instantly shortened. Ming Xiaoshuang nodded like a chicken pecking at rice, and faced with everyone's curious eyes, he explained, "That's right, there's no taste at all! That pig is also very obedient, unlike other pigs with violent temperaments. Every day, it eats and sleeps, sleeps and eats, and it doesn't go into heat randomly. It just grows meat every day!"
"That's why. We also hunt wild boars in the mountains to breed, but they are very fierce and can't be trapped at all."
"Why? Because of the third thing the city lord did."
"What is it?"
This time even the chieftains pricked up their ears to listen.
"The third major initiative is to promote universal education, forcing all citizens to read and write. This means more people will be educated, and more intelligent people will emerge. The city lord has also established a research institute. Do you know what the research institute researches?"
It must be said that Ming Xiaoshuang is the best storyteller. Everything he tells is full of ups and downs and grips the heart. As expected, the Miao people have lost their previous tense atmosphere and gathered around, asking in unison: "What are you researching?"
"There are so many things to research! For example, how to make pigs gain weight quickly, how to increase grain yields, how to build water conservancy projects to prevent floods next year, how to use the same amount of raw materials to produce more paper, there are all kinds of research. Look at this..." Ming Xiaoshuang was surrounded by the crowd. He calmly took out a pencil from his pocket, and then quickly wrote on the booklet.
"See? This is the latest pencil the research institute has developed. It's portable and won't smudge. It's so humid up here in the mountains, so pencils are much more practical than brushes. We've already mass-produced these pencils and are selling them all over the country. Demand is already outstripping supply. We've already hired a couple of hundred people just to make them, and the pay is ridiculously high—at least half a penny a month!"
"Huh!" The Miao people were very surprised and almost immediately got into a fight with Ming Xiaoshuang. They all took the pencil and fiddled with it, looking left and right, and said in a flurry, "This is better than a brush. I see they all carry it with them--"
"And this pencil is cheaper than a brush, right?"
Ming Xiaoshuang said a number, and everyone was shocked. The price was less than one-tenth of the brush.
"It's so cheap, I can buy one for my dog to help him learn to read!"
"What's the point of just buying a pen? We don't even know how to read in the mountains! Where can you find a teacher after buying a pen?"
Ming Xiaoshuang slapped his thigh and laughed again. "Oh, it's so easy without teachers. Don't we have teachers in the remote countryside over there? The city lord has a team of more than a hundred teachers sent out. The monthly salary of these teachers is not low. Every month they take turns going to the deep mountains and old forests to teach children to read. Not only children, but also boys and girls, old and young. Oh, you should get out of the mountains and take a look. The outside world has changed a lot now. Not to mention the outside world, just take our Lan County as an example. The literacy rate is now at least around 40%."
"Enough!" The village elder stood up and shouted, causing the Miao people who had gathered together to disperse immediately. "I can't make a decision on such a serious matter alone. I can only go back and ask the elders in the tribe. Let's stop here for today. We will discuss and give you an answer."
The village elders were about to leave, but the remaining chieftains didn't follow. The chieftain of Gelai even approached and asked Xu Zhenying, "City Lord Xu, you talk big, but if we agree to withdraw from Qianjiang Prefecture, how can you guarantee your promises about not paying grain taxes and pursuing joint development?"
Xu Zhenying knew that these little toasts were tempted.
These chieftains appear united, but once their own interests are involved, they will naturally consider themselves.
Xu Zhenying was right. They were weak and if they continued to fight, the Zhaifang clan would only benefit. Instead of that, it would be better for them to cooperate with Xu Zhenying. Apart from anything else, the abundant grain would be enough to make them excited.
The village chieftain walked alone at the door in awkwardness, not knowing whether to leave or stay.
Xu Zhenying smiled and asked, "What are your requests?"
"If we really do what you ask, why not agree to exchange hostages? That way, each of us will have leverage over the other and won't dare to act rashly."
Xu Zhenying raised his eyebrows.
Hostage exchange?
The Miao people did not trust them. If they could stabilize the rear first and then slowly make their move, exchanging hostages would not be a bad idea.
"I'll consider it, and you should also go back and think about it. We'll exchange the official documents in a few days."
After seeing off the elders, the Miao people gradually withdrew from the government office. Before the peace talks were concluded, Xu Zhenying couldn't stay in the government office any longer. Fortunately, Liu Pan'er was thoughtful and said immediately, "City Lord, we have prepared a courtyard for you to stay in. Please come with us."
On the way back, Xu Zhenying kept thinking. Based on their performance in the meeting just now, he estimated that the leading Yangzhai party would not agree to peace talks. It would depend on the ability of the other parties to join forces.
However, according to her estimation, there is still great potential for this matter. After all, there are more Han people in Shunyuan City. As the saying goes, a strong dragon cannot defeat a local snake. The Miao people simply have no ability to take over Qianzhou Prefecture.
It would be better to exchange some practical benefits with her.
Xu Zhenying thought more. If the peace talks were reached, who should she send to Miaojiang?
They were staying at an inn in Shunyuan City, completely under their control, with no outsiders allowed in or out. As soon as Xu Zhenying arrived, Mo Jinchun immediately deployed security measures. Fearing a sudden rebellion from the Miao people, Xu Zhenying's trip to Qianzhou was now at the highest risk level.
This resulted in Wang Sanniang, Zhang Wanjun, and Liu Pan'er being in the same inn, but all busy and having no time to meet each other.
Just as Xu Zhenying sat down, Jiang Yongkang reported another heavy bomb. It turned out that Xu Deyuan had come to Qianzhou Prefecture alone.
It is said that Jiang Yongkang and his men met Xu Deyuan on the official road. As soon as Xu Deyuan saw them, he acted stealthily and tried to escape, which naturally attracted their attention.
Originally, Xu Deyuan rarely went out when he was in Lan County. Most people in Lan County only knew that Xu Zhenying had a second uncle who didn't like to go out, but they didn't know what he looked like.
However, because Xu Deyuan was too nervous, his answers were full of loopholes and his whereabouts were sneaky. The team leader at that time arrested him out of caution and reported him one level at a time, and finally he fell into Jiang Yongkang's hands.
Jiang Yongkang also said that they searched Xu Deyuan's body and found a letter written in blood, which is now on Xu Zhenying's desk.
Xu Zhenying had only seen people writing blood letters on TV, but she didn't expect to see a real one today. She took a quick look, smiling the whole time, and even said at the end: "Good job, Sun Qingchen, he really is in Cao's camp but his heart is with Han!"
Jiang Yongkang thought Xu Zhenying would be furious. After all, Xu Deyuan was her second uncle. The betrayal of a close relative was something that ordinary people could not tolerate. However, Xu Zhenying seemed to have expected this to happen. She even sighed, "I really don't understand. Why did you have to write a blood oath? Doesn't it hurt to bite your finger?"
Jiang Yongkang was not in a position to interfere in Xu Zhenying's family affairs, so he just waited quietly by the side for Xu Zhenying to give the order to deal with it.
Jiang Yongkang had naturally seen the blood letter.
Sun Qingchen wrote to Bai Ci'en, saying that Jinzhou Prefecture was in imminent danger and asking him to send troops to support it.
The fact that Xu Deyuan was willing to take the risk of carrying the letter shows that Xu Deyuan and Xu Zhenying were not on the same page from the beginning to the end.
As for Jiang Yongkang, he really couldn't understand what Xu Deyuan was thinking.
Since being exiled, he has been against the city lord.
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