Chapter 10: Ancient and Today

Sometimes, Xiao Mo didn't know how he should face Zhang Yansheng, because he didn't even know what the relationship between himself and Zhang Yansheng was, whether he was friend or foe. [No pop-up novel network]

If the two are enemies, Zhang Yansheng has shown favor to him many times, and he has never taken the initiative to do anything unfavorable to him. Even, Zhang Yansheng often cooperates with Xiao Mo in various ways, such as exchanging news, such as resisting the grassland barbarians together, and distributing benefits after the war.

In fact, whether it is knowledge, vision, talent, or character, if Xiao Mo and Zhang Yansheng are sincere, they are actually a match.

But to say that the two are friends, but it is not suitable, Zhang Qian has always had a faint hostility towards Xiao Mo, but Zhang Yansheng is Zhang Qian's grandson. Even putting aside this layer of relationship, with the expansion of the power of the two in the future, there will inevitably be various conflicts of interest.

Some people say that between temples, either friends or enemies; It is also said that there are no permanent friends and no permanent enemies in politics. But in Xiao Mo's view, the relationship between politicians is only divided into two kinds, either immediate opponents or future opponents, and the so-called party is just uniting future opponents and dealing with immediate opponents.

Whether they are voluntary or bi, Xiao Mo and Zhang Yansheng have already become politicians.

So Xiao Mo would not expect that there would really be something like "friendship" between him and Zhang Yansheng.

But for Zhang Yansheng, Xiao Mo couldn't even tell whether he was his "current opponent" or his "future opponent".

Therefore, Xiao Mo didn't know how he should face Zhang Yansheng, he got along with each other, he was cautious, and he believed and doubted Zhang Yansheng's words and deeds.

Sometimes, Xiao Mo felt that the fundamental reason why he felt that Zhang Yansheng had a sense of danger was because he had never been able to see through him.

The Prime Minister's grandson? Merry genius? Unwilling to be controlled? Worried about the country and the people?

Perhaps these are just appearances and masks of him.

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Xiao Mo also often wears a mask, especially when socializing with others.

For example, now, although he has doubts about Zhang Yansheng's heart, listening to Zhang Yansheng's confession, even if he only believes five points, Xiao Mo's expression is still friendly and cordial, and there is implicit sympathy.

"Actually, the Prime Minister just hasn't been able to figure it out yet, and he attaches too much importance to the role of the cardinal." Seeing that Zhang Yansheng was upset, couldn't stop drinking, and had no previous elegance and ease, Xiao Mo couldn't help but persuade after all: "I promoted officials to the cabinet, although I don't attach much importance to the experience of governing the place, but it's better than nothing, not to mention that my dynasty will be rewarded for meritorious service, and it is also a place where it is easy to make political achievements, and if you have more political achievements, your career will be smoother in the future, if the prime minister can take this into account, you may not agree to be sent to the north as an official." ”

Zhang Yansheng sighed, a trace of helplessness flashed between the gods, and said: "I have also told my grandfather these truths, but unfortunately my grandfather does not agree...... After all, he only valued my career, but he didn't care about anything else. ”

Hearing Zhang Yansheng say this, Xiao Moshen also flashed a trace of solemnity, nodded, expressed understanding, and continued to comfort: "Now that the northern states have been fighting for the first time, the situation is indeed not very stable, and the ability and experience of the relocated officials are a little insufficient, I am afraid that it will be another big an, although Zijia you are full of poetry and books, and your talent is there, but after all, the experience is still shallow, your grandfather's consideration is not necessarily just for your career, I am afraid it is also for the sake of the overall situation, Zijia, you still don't have to think too much." What's more, whether it is based on the pivot or released as an official, everywhere is doing things for the people, so why bother to study it carefully? ”

At that time, they didn't expect that the army of the Chu Dynasty was already so weak, they just wanted to loot the border, and they didn't have the intention of changing the dynasty later, so they took advantage of the autumn harvest to send troops. However, because the Chu Dynasty had been prepared for a long time, and according to Xiao Mo's suggestion, all the grain and grass accumulated in the northern states were transferred to the south, and those that were not harvested or transferred were all burned, and the walls were cleared, so that the grain and grass plundered by the grassland coalition army were insufficient, and the stamina was weak, which was also the fundamental reason for the failure of their invasion.

However, as the saying goes, "kill a thousand enemies, lose 800 yourself", although the Chu Dynasty finally repelled the grassland coalition army and forced them to surrender and become vassals, but it also left a great hidden danger, and the destruction of several northern states is only a superficial phenomenon, and what really worries people is that there are too many displaced people, and the second is that there is a shortage of food.

In the Chu Dynasty, although the prosperity of the northern land was slightly inferior to that of the south, the population was much larger, and after this war, the homes of the people in the north were dilapidated, in ruins everywhere, and they had no food and no wealth, so they had to be displaced in order to live in peace.

According to the information obtained by Xiao Mo, the number of displaced people in the north is now no less than 300,000.

Since ancient times, all the great ans have arisen because of the displaced people, and for this situation, the center has attached great importance to it, but it is also powerless.

Without him, it is necessary to release grain to appease the displaced people, but the Chu Dynasty does not have so much surplus grain now.

When the grassland coalition invaded, the late autumn and winter solstice was the time of shortage of grain, and the grain that was about to be harvested was either burned or looted, and it was all reduced to nothingness, which was undoubtedly a big blow to the Chu Dynasty. Subsequently, the conscription and transfer of troops was a huge consumption of food and grass; When negotiating peace with the grassland coalition forces, considering the disaster of the grassland, in order to prevent them from jumping over the wall in a hurry, they also paid a large amount of grain and grass materials.

Under such consumption, when the Chu Dynasty was ready to resettle the displaced people after the end of the war, they were surprised to find that the grain and grass they could mobilize was not much, not to mention the resettlement of 300,000 displaced people, even if it was only 100,000 displaced people, I am afraid it would be far behind. There is still a surplus of grain in the south, but if it is transferred to the northern states, I am afraid that the consumption on the road alone will eat up most of this surplus grain.

Therefore, in today's Chu Dynasty, although the temple seems to be calm, it is actually an undercurrent surging, and everyone is worried about this food.

For this, Xiao Mo knows very well, and has secretly thought of a way, these days finally have a little eyebrows, although it is not very useful, but it is better than nothing, and he intends to send Xiao Huan to the northern states to assist in disaster relief, which is also considered.

On the other side, hearing Xiao Mo's comfort, Zhang Yansheng's face was full of coldness, shook his head and sighed and said: "Zirou don't want to bully me, I don't believe you don't understand the truth of this, in the face of this great change that has not been encountered in a hundred years, those people are used to being peace officials, what experience do they have?" The experience of the past is used today, and I am afraid that it will be self-defeating. Zirou, you have read all the history books, and where do you not know that post-war reconstruction like this often only makes the rich richer and the poor poorer, and there are corrupt officials who go up and down their hands and take the sheep by hand, and so on, I am afraid that there will be no popular uprising, and there will also be a popular uprising. ”

After speaking, it was another glass of wine, and after drinking it, my heart was helpless and sad.

Xiao Moxin silently counted, not counting Zhang Yansheng's previous self-pouring, since the two of them sat down, Zhang Yansheng has been seven cups in a row.

However, Xiao Mo also understands the truth that Zhang Yansheng said.

In the post-war land, there are many things to be done, and it is easy to make mistakes, so let's not talk about it for the time being.

It is not easy for the people whose homes have been destroyed to survive, and where can the accumulated property be preserved? There is resentment in the heart. And most of their house deeds and land deeds may no longer exist, or they will be robbed or lost.

In this way, there will be countless "ownerless property", "ownerless fields", and "ownerless houses" in the post-war land, and these properties, fields, and houses are not really ownerless, but their owners are either dead or have no way to prove that these things are theirs.

According to the practice of all dynasties, these ownerless things must be confiscated and auctioned.

As a result, a large number of ownerless wealth began to gather in the hands of the big families who still had surplus wealth, and there were greedy people who joined forces with officials to tamper with the files and take advantage of the uan to seize the money, and the hard work of ordinary people in their lives suddenly turned into nothing, and the period was filthy and filthy, needless to mention.

And this is exactly what Zhang Yansheng meant when he said that "the rich get richer and the poor get poorer", and it is also the reason why Zhang Yansheng is reluctant to let other officials preside over all kinds of affairs in the north.

Zhang Yansheng understands that doing things according to the old rules will only make the people resentful, and most of them will be bad.

And these are things that Xiao Mo has never considered.

While Xiao Mo was thinking silently, Zhang Yansheng had already put down his wine glass, looked at Xiao Mo with blazing eyes, and said in a deep voice: "It is precisely because of these considerations that my grandfather did not agree to my release as an official, and I was so sad and helpless. But I have made up my mind to do it for the sake of the people, and I must personally do the pacification and relief matters of the Northland, and I cannot let the Northland be corrupted. Therefore, when the court meeting is concluded in a few days, I will ask His Majesty again to release me to the north as an official and take charge of the reconstruction of the north, Zirou, you know my thoughts, and when the time comes, my grandfather will definitely oppose it, but you will definitely help me. ”

After hearing Zhang Yansheng's words, Xiao Mo couldn't help frowning, and his heart suddenly became abrupt.

He finally knew what Zhang Yansheng's purpose was for looking for him this time.

It turned out that he wanted Xiao Mo to help him take over the right to rebuild the Northland after the war

The so-called post-war reconstruction is not only about the pacification of displaced people and the relief of grain and grass, but also the transfer of money and grain and the appointment of officials in several northern states.

It can be said that once Zhang Yansheng obtained the right to oversee the post-war reconstruction of the northern states, then he would immediately become a powerful local magistrate, and he could easily cultivate a large number of cronies -- cronies who belonged to Zhang Yansheng alone, not Zhang Qian's cronies.

Ideas with a great appetite.

Looking up, looking at Zhang Yansheng's sincere expression, Xiao Mo couldn't tell the difference again, what Zhang Yansheng did was really for the people of the world? Or is it just a means to expand the power of the EN?

Xiao Mo hopes that it is the former, otherwise, Zhang Yansheng will be too good at acting and too ambitious.

"Although Zijia's intentions are good, your qualifications and prestige are shallow, and you are young, and the post-war reconstruction of the Northland is too important, I am afraid that even if there is no opposition from the Prime Minister, Your Majesty will not approve of it."

Xiao Mo was silent for a moment and said slowly.

But there was no opposition.

Because no matter what Zhang Yansheng's real purpose is, all the worries he said are always true, and Xiao Mo is not optimistic that those pavilion elders who can only compose poems can bear such a heavy burden.

Xiao Mo didn't have such confidence in himself.

But does Zhang Yansheng have this ability?

Xiao Mo didn't know, so he didn't agree, but he didn't object, he waited, waited for Zhang Yansheng to convince himself, and waited for Zhang Yansheng to make his conditions.