"The imperial court exempted taxes for three years, how could the Governor's Office not make money?" Qin Mu said irritably.
"You're not thinking of collecting taxes privately, are you? That's absolutely unacceptable!" Zhang Gongjin said sternly.
"Of course not. The imperial court may exempt us from taxes, but we can still create valuable wealth," Qin Mu said confidently.
"That's good. Since you're willing to lend the money, I certainly have no reason to disagree. Let's do it this way. The Governor's Office will order all counties to cooperate." Upon hearing this, Zhang Gongjin's expression relaxed. He thought Qin Mu wouldn't lie about such a matter, and if there were any problems with the loan, he could simply terminate the policy; the Governor's Office wouldn't be the one to suffer the loss.
"The second step is to have the soldiers marry local widows. Any soldier who is not married can marry a widowed woman, of course! This requires both parties to be willing. When relocating the population, we can also take stock of this information," Qin Mu added.
“Soldiers guarding the border are already working hard, so it would be best if they could settle down and start families in the nearest place; moreover, this is the best way to increase the population, so there is no problem with it,” Zhang Gongjin agreed.
As a commander, Zhang Gongjin naturally understood the soldiers' hardships and agreed without hesitation. In this world, there is no such thing as being unable to remarry, and for women, being able to form a family for a better life is something they long for. After all, the soldiers were all strong and healthy, much better than the ugly and deformed men in their hometown.
"The other details are all in this document. Commander, please take a look, and then we can discuss it further," Qin Mu said, rubbing his forehead.
“I’ve already looked at it. Why don’t you have anything about commercial development here?” Zhang Gongjin asked, pointing to the documents in his hand.
Seeing that he had only glanced at it briefly, Qin Mu knew that Zhang Gongjin hadn't looked at it carefully, so he patiently said, "The people are not yet at peace, so how can we talk about great order after great chaos in commerce? This relocation and resettlement will inevitably lead to many problems. I think we should first stabilize the situation before discussing commerce. Next, it's time for the Six Doors to take action."
At this point, Zhang Gongjin's expression also turned serious, and he nodded slightly, saying, "That's how it should be. The guards of the Governor's Office can only ensure the safety of the city. As for the affairs inside the city, they don't have the energy to take care of them. The local government offices have only just begun to be rebuilt. Only your Six Doors are the most suitable for this matter."
“Yes! There have been quite a few petty thieves in Shuofang City lately. If it’s like this in Shuofang, you can imagine how it is in other places. But it’s good, I was just worried about not being able to find people to do the work.” Qin Mu said with a smile.
“That’s right, arrest them all. They’ll fill the gap left by the land reclamation.” Zhang Gongjin agreed. He had seen the labor reform policy in the documents and, after thinking about it, he was quite impressed.
"Don't worry! We're professionals!" Qin Mu grinned.
The next day, the Six Doors, which had been in Shuofang for more than half a month, finally took action. Originally 300 people, plus another 300 they got from Zhang Gongjin, totaling 600 people, began to arrest people in Shuofang.
For the past two weeks, the Six Doors certainly couldn't have been idle. On the surface, they were just repairing the government office, but in reality, spies were sent out on the very first day they arrived.
Even in a very poor place, there are still a small number of wealthy people. These wealthy people stand out in a poor place, and the source of their wealth is certainly not legitimate.
When the Tang Dynasty recovered Shuozhou, it made a public announcement that those who surrendered to the Tang Dynasty would not be punished for their past actions. Of course, it was not appropriate to bring up the past, but several months had passed, and those who were still engaging in illegal activities should be dealt with accordingly.
For example, if a brothel is still open, then it should definitely be investigated whether it is forcing women into prostitution; and if a gambling den dares to operate, then its past debts can be settled.
It's no wonder Qin Mu is fixated on these two professions; the key is that they are the most common forms of entertainment in this world, so naturally, many people want to get involved and make money from them. In any city, how could someone run a brothel or gambling den without connections?
There were also local thugs and hooligans; they'd been thoroughly investigated over the past two weeks. Arrest them! Seize the area! Flying Fish uniforms appeared on the streets and alleys of Shuofang.
On the third day, after an emergency interrogation, a notice was posted, and the people learned the reason for the arrest. Qin Mu then ordered the constables of the Six Doors to spread the word throughout the city, welcoming the people to report crimes and offering a reward for truthful reports.
As the Six Doors (a government agency) took action, the people of Shuofang gradually began to trust the government. In this damned world, officials who didn't relentlessly embezzle and exploit the people were considered good officials. Even if the poor had a valid complaint, they rarely received true justice.
For example, in a fight, the poor person is maimed while the rich person is injured. The rich person can use money and connections to influence the verdict, potentially resulting in a 50/50 split between the two. On the surface, this seems fair, but in reality, the rich person's injuries can be slightly exaggerated, and they have the money for treatment, while the poor person has no choice but to wait for death.
Ordinary people have always kept their distance from the government. Unless it involves a life-or-death matter, who would want to go after them? If they are bullied by local thugs, they can only swallow their anger. It's like a school bully harassing an honest student. The honest student certainly wouldn't dare to tell the teacher, because he's afraid of being bullied again.
The Six Doors (a government agency) are known for their swift and decisive action. If they say they'll crack down on crime, they mean it. Even something as simple as eating and dashing will get you arrested! If you have no prior record, you'll get three months of labor camp; if you do, the punishment will be more severe. Want revenge later? Let me tell you clearly, next time you'll be arrested for at least a year.
After his time in the labor camp, Qin Mu believed that those lazy, good-for-nothing guys would definitely not want to fall into the hands of the Six Doors again.
Without Ma Zhou, Qin Mu felt very uncomfortable. At this moment, he especially missed Princess Changning and her subordinates.
"I miscalculated!" Qin Mu sighed. He had thought things through carefully, but he forgot to bring the clerk. He originally thought that Shuozhou should have one and he could borrow it, but who knew that Zhang Gongjin was even busier than him and wished he could be divided into several people.
However, Qin Mu was not averse to copywriting work. After all, he was a Confucian scholar, and writing was also a form of cultivation for him.
I don't dislike it, but I'm really annoyed. A chief constable spending four hours a day writing proposals, what kind of job is that?
"Chief Constable! The army has returned!" A constable entered the temporary yamen and greeted the officers with clasped hands.
"Oh! You've returned to the capital. Have you entered the city yet?" Qin Mu's eyes lit up, and he stood up to ask.
"No, it was a scout who just reported that the governor has already gone to the city gate to greet him," the constable replied.
"Let's go! We'll go too!" Qin Mu said, his eyes darting around.
When Qin Mu arrived at the city gate, the army in the distance had already stopped and begun to set up camp. A group of people on horseback were heading towards the city gate, and the person leading them, wearing a white cloak, was none other than Li Jing.
After meeting, they naturally exchanged pleasantries for a while before entering the city.
"Uncle! Where is my father?" Qin Mu asked in a low voice.
"Your father has gone to Longyou Road." Luo Cheng, with his flat-top hair, stood out in the crowd. His handsome face attracted the attention of the young wives in the city, especially when Han Chen, Qin Mu, and Luo Cheng walked together. The three handsome men were so striking that it was hard to keep one's legs apart.
"Why did you go to Longyou? Could something have happened in the Northwest?" Qin Mu asked, his expression changing slightly.
"No, it's just that Qiao Shiwang doesn't have many experts, which makes me uneasy," Luo Cheng said, shaking his head slightly.
Hearing that everything was alright, Qin Mu was relieved and then curiously inquired about the situation at the front lines.
"Has the wolf clan not sent troops? Who is currently guarding Shengzhou?"
"Wolf Clan, humph! A bunch of cowards, they came, wandered around, and ran away. Now Niu Jinda is in Fengzhou, and Li Daliang is in Shengzhou, with 50,000 men guarding the front lines. Don't worry," Luo Cheng sneered, explaining with a hint of disdain.
"Uncle, are you going back to Beijing?"
“Yes! We’ve been out for so long, it’s time to go back. After the Duke of Wei and the Governor’s Office have finished their briefings today, we’ll set off tomorrow,” Luo Cheng nodded.
Qin Mu understood this; the soldiers of the Twelve Guards could return in time for spring plowing, and Li Jing would certainly not delay them.
Knowing that Li Jing was leaving, Qin Mu didn't care about disturbing him and hurriedly went to find him. He knew that there were still more than a thousand spots left in the Six Doors, and they were all going to be filled by him.
More than a thousand people was a small problem for an army of fifty thousand, so Li Jing readily agreed.
"Duke of Wei, I have another request," Qin Mu said with a smile.
"Huai Dao, don't be so polite. Just tell me what you need, and I'll do my best to help you if it's within my power," Li Jing said with a smile.
Upon hearing this, Qin Mu couldn't help but want to complain. This was clearly a way to save face; if the demands were too high, they'd just say they couldn't do it. A typical old fox's tactic.
"It's a small thing, nothing more than a simple matter for you, old man."
Li Jing smiled but remained silent in response to Qin Mu's words, simply looking at him.
"We need about a hundred people."
"That's it?" Li Jing asked, somewhat puzzled.
"That's it!" Qin Mu nodded.
"That's easy, I'll send you two hundred more men," Li Jing said with a wave of his hand.
"Thank you, Uncle! Thank you, Uncle!" Qin Mu repeatedly clasped his hands in thanks.
"It's nothing."
"But I need two hundred who can read," Qin Mu added.
"What!" Li Jing's smile froze on his face.
"Uncle, you don't know how miserable I am. There isn't a single civil servant in the Six Doors," Qin Mu complained.
"No!" Li Jing ignored Qin Mu's complaints and said with a straight face.
Only then did he realize why Qin Mu had specifically mentioned needing a hundred or so people. This wasn't something that could be accomplished simply by knowing a few characters; the entire army only had two or three hundred civil officials.
"No way! How could there not be? With an army of 50,000, surely you can find a hundred or so literate people?" Qin Mu was dumbfounded, not expecting Li Jing to refuse so decisively.
"What do you take this army for? They're all just a bunch of guys who only know how to use knives. There aren't any who can read or write," Li Jing said with a smile as he saw Qin Mu's discomfiture.
Qin Mu thought about it and realized that someone who was truly capable of being a civil official would not be a lowly soldier, which made him feel somewhat disheartened.
“You should write a memorial and ask the court for it!” Zhang Gongjin reminded him.
Qin Mu rolled his eyes at him and said, "Of course I know. The memorial was sent a long time ago, but we'll have to wait at least half a month to get the person."
"I can't help you with that. The military clerks have a lot of things to do," Li Jing said, picking up his teacup and taking a sip.
"Then please ask the Duke of Wei to assign one hundred young and quick-witted men to my nephew," Qin Mu said listlessly.
"Alright, I understand," Li Jing said, waving his hand.
"That brat, he calls me 'Uncle' when he needs something, but 'Duke of Wei' when he doesn't!" Li Jing muttered as soon as Qin Mu left.
Of course! He wasn't angry. He still liked Qin Mu very much. Not to mention that he had made a lot of money for the Li family, his son had also improved a lot because he had been hanging out with Qin Mu.
He has improved his skills and is not idle. He is either studying or busy with important matters every day. Compared to his father, he seems to be busier.
Hearing Li Jing's mutterings, Zhang Gongjin couldn't help but glance at him again. These words clearly indicated a good relationship between Li Jing and Qin Mu. It's worth noting that whenever Li Jing returned to the capital, aside from attending court, he practically stayed indoors and rarely interacted with others.
Qin Mu was troubled because he had to start teaching people to read and write again. Teaching adults to read and write was even more difficult than teaching children. Fortunately, his memory palace training method, combined with mental relaxation training, was quite effective.
In order to control hyperthymesia, Qin Mu learned a lot. Thinking of teaching, he remembered something else: hypnosis.
There is a saying that human memory is divided into surface memory and deep memory. Surface memory is the more profound memory that can be remembered clearly; while deep memory is that which has only been seen once or a few times and is not important to oneself, so it will be automatically blocked by memory and buried deep in the memory. Without careful recall, it cannot be recalled or may even be completely forgotten.
One characteristic of hyperthymesia is that the memory is not deep and is somewhat confused. Whenever a familiar object is seen, images that have been seen before will resurface, along with related things.
Therefore, Qin Mu once sought out a hypnotist to block his memories, and later he also studied hypnosis on his own.
Hypnosis is the process of using language, actions, and environmental cues to empty a person's mind and, based on those cues, to uncover deep memories or to introduce memories that surface into the surface.
The memory palace training method and surface memory do not conflict, because it is built on the surface of memory, or rather, it is more like creating a protruding point in memory, making the memories in the palace more obvious and easy to recall.
Two hundred more youths aged twelve to sixteen were recruited from Shuofang, along with one hundred others selected from Li Jing who knew a few characters. Qin Mu began instructing them morning and evening.
What pleased Qin Mu most was that using his powerful mental strength to perform his modified hypnosis technique was particularly effective. Unlike simple memory palaces, this training method did not affect their comprehension abilities; in fact, it allowed them to integrate and apply the knowledge Qin Mu explained.
Of course! It has to do with a person's natural talent; after all, only a minority of students can go from being a poor student to a top student.
However, Qin Mu's requirements were not high. As long as they could read, they only needed to do some rigid copywriting work. Therefore, he taught them only the basics, which were not a big problem for these teenagers and young people.
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