After Li Yan returned to Kaifeng, he inspected the defenders of Kaifeng. I also went to the surrounding fortresses to take a look, and the displaced people in the city were all resettled nearby and divided the fields.

And those big families are also seizing the time to transfer the white deed in their hands to the government and replace it with a red deed. Because the big family surnamed Huang has already come to Kaifeng to file a complaint, and Li Yan made it clear that the red deed is the title deed recognized by the government, and everything else is invalid. Moreover, it is said that those who cannot get the title deed are terra nullius, and they must be distributed to the people to raise food.

Now the big families have also figured it out, no matter whether Li Yan does it is in line with the will of the imperial court, there is nothing they can do. In Henan, Li Yan's power was the greatest, and even if the imperial court was not satisfied, it did not dare to deal with it harshly. Just like Zuo Liangyu, even if he robbed a place and didn't listen to the dispatch, he could only give a verbal warning. If he is punished, he is afraid that Zuo Liangyu will also be reversed.

So the first thing those officials and gentry should do now is not to impeach Li Yan - it is useless to impeach, but to find a way to reduce their losses. As for whether they were cooperating with Li Yan by doing this, they didn't care, in the face of Li Yan's soldiers, he really had no way to resist.

And those wealthy officials and gentry basically did not take the opportunity to occupy them, because Li Yan had already made it clear to them that the wasteland under their names would also be fined, and it would be levied according to 10% of the harvest of ordinary fields. They had seen Li Yan's efficiency, and as soon as they had finished the fish scale book here, there were soldiers over there who immediately took the book to inspect it on the spot.

In the past, thieves were rampant, and there were naturally many abandoned fields. However, Li Yan's people came to collect the fine the next day, and they could not delay at all. Those who have food pay their grain, and those who have no food pay their money. If you don't cooperate, you can go directly to the granary and cellar by yourself, and you can always find grain or gold and silver. They don't take much, how much is what they should be. Let me sign, draw a charge, and leave with my things. Don't forget to say: If you are not satisfied, you can go to the barracks to complain. Let those rich gentry scratch their heads.

Zhou Wangfu, outer study.

"Virtuous son-in-law," King Zhou looked at Li Yan who was drinking tea, frowned and asked, "What are you making a fuss about?" The whole Kaifeng city was full of chickens and dogs, and those rich gentry came to me to cry. ”

Li Yan said casually: "Don't worry about them." One by one, the barns are full of grain and silver, and they cry for their fathers and mothers before they collect a little tax. ”

King Zhou asked dissatisfiedly: "Why do you even have to check the grange of the county king's mansion?" Those are all given by the imperial court, and they don't pay taxes! ”

"Now is an extraordinary period," Li Yan still said casually: "In the whole of Henan, most of the fields are occupied by the royal family, and if we don't collect taxes from these fields, my soldiers will be hungry." ”

King Zhou slapped the table and shouted: "Don't use the thieves as a cover, they have already retreated far away!" You can take other people's land, even if it is in the name of my palace, you can collect taxes as much as you want. But the other royal clans, you can't move! They are all clansmen, and you, the guest of honor, always have to give the clansmen a way to live! ”

"They don't lack this little harvest." Li Yan still said casually: "I only collect one and a half percent, half a percent less than those rich gentry, and one and a half percent less than the common people, which is already the biggest preferential treatment." ”

King Zhou said angrily: "Although they have a large family business, they also have a large population, and the cost is naturally not a few!" If you make such a fuss, they will not be able to make ends meet in no time! ”

Li Yan shook his head and said, "Lord Wang, this is already the biggest concession I have made. ”

"What's going on in your head?!" King Zhou pointed at Li Yan and scolded: "If there is no support from this king, do you think you can enter Kaifeng?!" You think you can be promoted unusually?! If you don't have the identity of a guest of honor, do you think the imperial court just sent a eunuch to over? ! In the end, your ass is sitting on the side of those outsiders, you are ungrateful! ”

Li Yan stood up and said coldly: "You have never treated Wu Niang as a daughter, and Wu Niang has not regarded herself as a royal family. Farewell. ”

After Li Yan left, the prince came out of the cubicle and asked worriedly: "Father, Li Yan is determined to rebel, how can this be good?" ”

King Zhou sat there silently, and after a long time asked, "Do you think he can make it?" ”

"Huh?" Shizi's panicked question.

King Zhou himself analyzed: "With the backing of the Guide Mansion, he can repel the thieves." If you add the newly recovered places, then there is no opponent around Henan. I wonder what will happen when I meet the border army? ”

"Father, what are you thinking?" The prince hurriedly stopped King Zhou's self-talk.

King Zhou smiled and said, "What do you think?" Something you want to think about. After that, he suddenly became serious and asked, "If Li Yan really rebels, what will happen to us?" What will happen to us if the thieves gain power? ”

"This, this~" Shizi's brain broke out in a cold sweat, he had never thought about these things.

King Zhou leaned back in his chair, closed his eyes, and said in a low voice: "If you want to, the ancestral tombs of Fengyang have been flattened." Fighting against the thieves, except for Li Yan, everyone else was defeated. Guanwai and the Qing State were at war, and they couldn't fight, but they couldn't make peace. This is an internal and external dilemma, and it's really hard to say. ”

Li Yan stayed in Kaifeng for five days, so that the merchants could clean up their shops in Zhuxian Town. It promised to protect the safety of Zhuxian Town, but it was to collect commercial taxes from the merchants. Although the merchants knew that the tax rate was not high, they were still a little disappointed compared to the fact that they had almost no tax before. But Li Yan doesn't care about this, whether to make money by himself or watch others make money, let them decide for themselves.

After that, he continued to set off, passing through Xu, Weishi, Yanling, Fugou, Taikang, Huaiyang, Xiangcheng, Shenqiu, Dancheng and then entering Guide Mansion from Luyi. Looking at it along the way, it still looks like a guide to the German Mansion. After the ravages of Li Zicheng and others, as well as the final destruction before retreating, those newly recovered places had no people, no food, and almost all of them were just a lonely county town. If you want to restore the prosperity of the past, I don't know how many years will pass?

In addition to dispersing his forces, these new places have contributed almost nothing to him. Whether it is the soldiers or the food for the coming year, it is just chicken ribs. He regretted it a little, he shouldn't have given Li Zicheng so much time to prepare. But he can't help it, if he chases too quickly, and the court sends someone else to receive it, and he can't even eat these chicken ribs, then won't he be busy in vain?

When Li Yan entered the city of Guide, he received news that the Qing soldiers had once again bypassed the Shanhai Pass and destroyed the Great Wall Pass and entered Gyeonggi.

...