Chapter 288: The Scholar Clan Collapses

That night, Wu Shi also rushed back to Wuzhong, and heard that Yingbu was only willing to give fifty scholars, so Xiang Zhuang hurriedly sent people to summon Fan Zeng, Xiang He, Xiang Tuo, Bai Lixian and others into the palace to discuss countermeasures.

After listening to Wu She's introduction, Xiang Tuohuo said: "Yingbu is really stingy. ”

Bai Lixian shook the feather fan and said indifferently: "This is also expected. ”

Fan Zeng suddenly asked Wu She: "Wu She, when will these fifty scholars be able to cross the river?" ”

Wu Shi hurriedly said: "Back to the old military division, I have already talked to these fifty scholars, they are all willing to go back to Jiangdong, if everything goes well, they will be able to cross the river in three days at most." ”

Fan Zeng said again: "In this way, immediately send troops to cross the river to protect these fifty scholars, and then let them cross the river in batches, the first batch of ten scholars, the second batch of ten scholars, and then the third and fourth batches, after these scholars cross the river, they are all arranged in the palace, and do not let them contact with the outside world." ”

"This ......" Wu Shi said, "Old military division, is this inappropriate?" ”

It's nothing to send troops across the river to protect the Huainan scholars, but after crossing the river, they are arranged in the palace and forbidden to contact the outside world, which is a disguised house arrest.

Fan Zeng didn't bother to explain, but Xiang Zhuang said: "Wu She, you just do it." ”

"Whoa!" Wu Shi rushed to Xiang Zhuang and Fan Zeng, turned around and took the order.

Seeing Wu She's figure go away, Xiang Zhuang turned his head to Fan Zeng and said: "Father, you are a suspicious tactic, but the Huainan Kingdom provides us with only fifty scholars, and a batch of them can only last for five days a day, and once the five days are over, if we can't shake the determination of the Jiangdong scholars, we will give up all our efforts." ”

"Ji'er, you're overestimating their determination." Fan Zeng waved his hand and said in an extremely determined tone, "As long as we make enough momentum first, and then let out the rumor that Huainan Kingdom will continue to send scholars to cross the river to the south, within five days, the Jiangdong Shi clan will inevitably collapse, and when the time comes, they will turn around and stammer." ”

"Okay." Xiang Zhuang nodded happily and said, "With the words of the father, the child will rest assured!" ”

For Fan Zeng, Xiang Zhuang really has an inexplicable confidence, this old man's reputation in history is too loud, and Zhang Liang, one of the three heroes of the early Han Dynasty, is not his opponent!

##########

The next day, Xiang Zhuang, the king of Chu, issued an edict, ordering all the scholars who had resigned from their official positions at home to go to the Yin Mansion to hand over the list, and made it clear that if the Yin Mansion did not receive their list within five days, they would be stripped of their titles and titles, and the Yin Mansion would appoint someone else to take over their positions.

At this time, almost all the scholars who resigned were concentrated in Wuzhong City.

However, for Xiang Zhuang's edict, the more than 400 scholars who resigned were indifferent at all, and a certain "highly respected" old man swore that Xiang Wang's move was a bluff, so that everyone did not have to care, and once again threatened that if Xiang Wang did not take back his sincere life and abandon the Xintian Endowment, they would fight to the end.

However, what made Jiangdong scholars feel uneasy was that in the afternoon of the same day, a group of scholars from Jiangbei entered Wuzhong City with great fanfare, and arranged to enter the palace, Xiang Zhuang even set up a banquet in the palace hall to entertain the scholars from Jiangbei, and the court said that they would recruit Jiangbei scholars and entrust them with important responsibilities for those who have both ability and political integrity.

Early the next morning, another thing happened that made Jiangdong scholars feel uneasy, Xiang Zhuang, the king of Chu, and Ling Yin Xiang successively summoned more than 200 students in Taixue, and asked them to step up their study of Qin Law and familiarize themselves with the new law. ..., on the afternoon of the third day, another group of Jiangbei scholars arrived in Wuzhong.

Now, the scholars in Jiangdong are really busy, and this situation is a little wrong!

##########

That night, Huan Yuan's Mansion was full of friends, but the atmosphere was a little not harmonious.

"Gong Huan, this situation has been a little wrong recently." A middle-aged scholar wearing a crown and white clothes, but with thief eyebrows and rat eyes, said, "Not to mention two groups of scholars from Jiangbei in a row, there is also news from Taixue, saying that Xiang Zhuang and Xiang He intend to let them go down to the local post in advance!" ”

"Yes, Gong Huan." Someone immediately chimed in, "It's not a game to go on like this, if you really wait until the scholars and students from Jiangbei point out the positions of each county and county, then we will really steal chickens and lose a handful of rice, and when the time comes, we will be nothing." ”

"Brother Wang is too worried, although Jiangbei said that there are two groups of scholars, but the total is only twenty people, what can be helped? As for the students who are too learned, they haven't grown up yet, so they want to go down to the local government to become officials, and dream! If Xiang Zhuang really dares to mess around like this, then wait for the Jiangdong chaos and the defeat of the Chu State, hum! ”

"I don't think so, Jiangbei Shizi is menacing, you have to guard against it, Duke Huan, or let's forget it, right? Isn't it just a matter of paying taxes with the untouchables, it's a bit embarrassing to say it, but in any case, the tax rate of fifteen taxes and one can't hurt your roots, but if the titles and official positions are gone, we will really be finished. ”

"Cao Ji, are you fucking still not a man, so you flinch from this difficulty? People don't fight for face when they live, if we follow the untouched people to pay as one, then what kind of scholar is it? If you want to be soft, you can go to the Yin Mansion to submit the roster, but from today onwards, I, Wang Zhong, will no longer recognize you as a friend, hum! ”

"Wang Zhong, what do you call this? I, Cao Ji, are not doing this for myself, but for the sake of everyone's future, you Wang Zhong is alone, even if you are deprived of your title and official position, it is nothing, but others are old and young, and a large family is waiting to be fed, if you lose your title and official position, how will you live in the future? ”

"That's right, Cao Ji is right, if we are really deprived of our titles and official positions, we will have no power and powerlessness, and then we will really have to be with those untouchables, alas."

For a while, the scholars gathered in the lobby said everything, and it was as noisy as a vegetable market.

In the end, an old and serious scholar stood up and shouted: "Everyone, everyone, don't quarrel first, listen to what Duke Huan means, and then make a decision?" ”

The bustling lobby gradually quieted down.

It wasn't until everyone's eyes were focused on him that Huan Yuan, who was sitting on the chairman, cleared his throat and said: "Everyone, the old man has heard about the Jiangbei Shizi coming to Wuzhong, and the king and Ling Yin intend to let the Taixue students go down to the place, and the talented man already knows about it, but you don't have to worry, the king is bluffing." ”

Huan Yuan spoke, and finally ended this dispute, and the scholars gathered in Huan Mansion dispersed contentedly, but Huan Yuan had no bottom in his heart, and he actually arranged a carriage to go to the county guard mansion overnight, and discussed with Wu County's county guard uncle Sun Guan for half the night, and finally returned to Huan Mansion until the early hours of the morning.

No one knows what Uncle Sun Guan said to Huan Yuan, but on the fourth day, the general of Great Chu, Huan Chu, privately expressed his hope that his uncle Huan Yuan could take the lead in going to Ling Yin's Mansion to submit the roster, otherwise, once the Great King was angry and deprived him of his title and official position, he Huan Chu would never come forward for him to ask for an explanation.

Huan Chu's private statement soon spread throughout Wuzhong and caused a great shock among the scholars.

As everyone knows, Huan Chu is Xiang Zhuang's sworn friend, and he is also Xiang Zhuang's cronies, Huan Chu persuaded Huan Yuan in private, could he get some trust from Xiang Zhuang? Does it mean that Xiang Zhuang really wants to be ruthless to the Jiangdong Shi clan this time? If that were the case, then their insistence would be meaningless. ..., in the final analysis, the only bargaining chip of the Jiangdong Shi clan is that Xiang Zhuang does not have so many talents available, but once Xiang Zhuang solves this problem, once Xiang Zhuang has enough talents, the resistance of the Jiangdong Shi clan is very ridiculous and very self-sufficient.

Moreover, the results of self-indulgence are also catastrophic.

There are only four counties and more than 60 counties in the Chu State now, and there are only a few hundred radish pits that can arrange officials, but now there are more than one guy from Jiangbei and so many radishes from Taixue, these hundreds of pits are obviously not enough, if you don't go to Ling Yinfu to submit the roster, there will be no pit to place these radishes in them.

##########

Chu Palace, upper study.

Xiang He diligently handed a roster to Xiang Zhuang and said, "Your Majesty, before the ministers left for the palace, a total of more than two hundred scholars had submitted the roster, which was more than half of the troublemakers. ”

"Really? This is a good feeling. Xiang Zhuang happily took the roster, flipped through it casually, and turned his head to Fan Zeng and said, "Father, I really let you tell me, these guys are really convinced." ”

Fan Zeng stroked the silver beard under his chin and smiled: "This is also expected. ”

Xiang He said: "Great King, there are more than 200 scholars, counting the scholars from Jiangbei, plus the available materials selected from Taixue, it is almost enough to fill the vacancies in various counties and counties, you see, can the remaining scholars not be accepted?" If something so big happened this time, someone should be punished. ”

Without waiting for Xiang Zhuang to express his position, Fan Zeng said directly: "This is not necessary. ”

After saying this, Fan Zeng explained to Xiang Zhuang again: "Ji'er, our original intention in doing this is not really to deprive the Jiangdong clan of their titles, let alone to exterminate them, the reason why we borrowed people from Huainan and selected talents from Taixue is just to better implement the new law, so we ......"

Xiang Zhuang smiled slightly and said, "So, as long as the Jiangdong Shi clan is willing to change course and support the new law, we will not be blamed, right?" ”

Fan Zeng nodded happily and said, "Ji'er, you are really much stronger than Yu'er." ”