The soldiers suddenly felt a little embarrassed. These humbled soldiers of the Shengjie Army finally realized that they too had to save face. Wen Zhengming reluctantly sat up from the stretcher. Zhang Ma had already woken up, surrounded by people.
Wen Zhengming quickly regained his former thick-skinned demeanor in the Shengjie Army: "My fellow villagers, defeating the enemy is our Shengjie Army's duty. Living by the emperor's salary and being loyal to him is the natural order! Today, my fellow villagers have prepared cattle, mutton, and wine. On behalf of the brothers of the Shengjie Army, I would like to thank you!"
The crowd cheered and applauded. Then an old man's voice rang out from the crowd: "Great! Great! Great!"
"It's Master Luo, Master Luo is here." The crowd murmured and made way for him.
The Luo family is a wealthy family in Chengdu Prefecture. Luo Jiazong is the head of the Luo family. He is an old man over sixty years old, and his stomping of feet can make the whole city tremble.
Zhang Ma woke up immediately after hearing the voice. He jumped off Lin Yuanzheng's back, walked over with a smile and clasped his fists: "Hey, Mr. Luo, what are you doing here?"
Even though Zhang Ma was the prefect, the highest official in Kaifeng Prefecture, he was still a powerful figure, and the Luo clan ignored him. The Luo family was wealthy and powerful, with members serving in the imperial court. And yet, a prefect of the fourth rank, he still had to curry favor with them.
Luo Jiazong was very enthusiastic at this time. He grabbed Zhang Ma's hand and said, "Well done! Well done! Master Zhang, you are a hero, a hero! You are the pillar of the Song Dynasty and the pride of Chengdu Prefecture!"
Zhang Ma was completely stunned by the sudden enthusiasm of these compliments. Normally, he couldn't even get a chance to see Mr. Luo, but today he was unexpectedly enthusiastic: "Mr. Luo, what are you talking about? This is what we, as officials, are supposed to do."
Luo Jiazong held Zhang Ma's hand tightly and said, "Master Zhang, you are so great! You are so great! If you have any problems in Chengdu Prefecture in the future, just come to me. Even with my old bones, my words are still effective."
Zhang Ma was overjoyed. Local affairs were complex, and friction often arose between the various ethnic groups in Chengdu Prefecture. As the prefect of Chengdu Prefecture, Zhang Ma naturally found it quite difficult to handle such situations. Sometimes he had to ask some respected figures to come forward to settle the matter. To this end, he went to the Luo Mansion several times with his name on his name, but the Luo family clan refused to see him.
I didn't expect Luo Jiazong to agree so readily today. This would make Chengdu Prefecture's affairs much easier. The prefectural governor was appointed by Kaifeng Prefecture. After Zhao Huan came to power, each prefecture had a prefect or prefect. The prefect and prefect were officials of the same rank, generally ranking fourth or fourth rank. In reality, they were similar to provincial governors, except that prefectural governments in the Song Dynasty were very small, typically governing three to five counties.
"Then it's Mr. Lao Luo!" Zhang Ma nodded in return.
Luo Jiazong, however, let go of his hand. He was looking for another person: "Where is General Wen? Where is General Wen?"
Since Wen Zhengming, he and the Luo clan had a history of conflict. The Xiang army was burdened with the demands of maintaining local security and cultivating the land. However, most of the best fertile land in Chengdu was in the hands of the Luo clan. Wen Zhengming once nearly came to blows with the Luo clan over over 2,000 acres of land in Hexi.
The Luo family was a wealthy and powerful clan. When Zhao Huan issued the Land Decree, which prohibited land annexation, over 2,000 mu of land in Chengdu Prefecture was put up for sale. Originally, this land was allocated to the Shengjie Army to appease local militias. However, the Luo clan eventually purchased these 2,000 mu of fertile land in Hexi at a high price. Since land annexation was prohibited, the Luo clan transferred the 2,000 mu of land to the Luo clan members, while retaining the land use rights. The imperial court was helpless, and the Shengjie Army naturally objected, nearly insurrecting.
The Luo family was a powerful clan in Chengdu Prefecture, and they immediately gathered the villagers to fight against the Shengjie Army. In the end, the court stepped in and compensated each member of the Shengjie Army with silver to settle the matter.
Wen Zhengming was sitting on a stretcher, panting. His impassioned speech had wasted a lot of his energy. At this time, Luo Jiazong, supported by his clansman, saw Wen Zhengming.
Wen Zhengming was already a bloody mess, his entire body wrapped in bandages, leaving no intact spot. Luo Jiazong walked over with trembling hands: "Commander Wen, Commander Wen!"
Luo Jiazong grabbed Wen Zhengming's hand, and Wen Zhengming grimaced in pain. Luo Jiazong burst into tears: "Commander Wen, you are a hero! You are so great! I am ashamed to see you in public."
As the saying goes, don't hit a smiling person. Although the Shengjie Army had conflicts with this old elder, Wen Zhengming didn't say anything at this time. He just smiled.
Luo Jiazong pointed at Wen Zhengming with trembling hands and said, "Commander Wen, the Shengjie Army is magnificent! Magnificent!" Then he patted his chest and said, "I am here to testify that the two thousand acres of land in Hexi will be given to the soldiers of the Shengjie Army!"
The words stunned the rest of the Shengjie Army, leaving their mouths agape. The civilians standing nearby were stunned. These two thousand acres of land, so close to the river and so fertile, was practically a granary. If the Shengjie Army had this land, they would never have to worry about having enough to eat.
The Luo family's housekeeper, standing nearby, could no longer sit still. He whispered something to Luo Jiazong, who was furious. "Why are you still talking about this at this hour?! This land in Hexi belongs to me, and I'll give it to anyone I want! Without the bloody battles of these three thousand Victory Army soldiers, there would be no Chengdu Prefecture today! How could our Luo family be stable and prosperous?"
This is the truth. If the enemy army breaks into the city, not only your Luo family's land and food, but your entire Luo family might be slaughtered.
The housekeeper and several people from the Luo family didn't dare to provoke Shi anymore. At this time, warm applause broke out in the crowd.
Zhang Ma came over after hearing this. He patted his chest and said with a smile, "Don't worry, Mr. Luo. I will report this to the court and will never let the Luo family suffer any loss."
If Zhang Mahjong reported this to the court, the Luo family would be willing to transfer the two thousand acres of land to the Shengjie Army. The court would certainly compensate the Luo family based on the value of the land. Even if the Luo family lost the two thousand acres of land, they would still receive a fair amount of money, making this a reasonable deal. Thus, some of the Luo family members who had been dissatisfied also agreed.
Land is the lifeblood of the people; it can't be sold simply for money. Many landowners wouldn't sell it no matter how much money was offered. This is why the Shengjie Army didn't receive the Hexi land, and why the soldiers weren't satisfied with the silver the court allocated. Silver is gone once it's spent, but land is tangible; if you cultivate it, you'll reap the harvest.
Zhao Huan had actually tried to address the issue of the treatment of the local garrison troops, but the Song Dynasty was vast. Furthermore, the government needed to build ships and go out to sea, as well as prepare for war against the Mongols, so the court was powerless.
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