In the afternoon, the sparkling river seems quite quiet, especially the shouts of vendors or the laughter of some children faintly from a distance from time to time, which sets off the tranquility and serenity of the environment on this side of the embankment.

Yuan Hong frowned slightly, and since Xu Changting said the four sentences of the horizontal canal, he thought without saying a word.

Xu Changting didn't bother, turned his head and quietly looked at the sparkling river.

In the clear water, silver fish can even be seen arrogantly jumping out of the water from time to time, provoking him, a rookie angler.

Wang Xianghe and Xue Wuxian, who were next to the carriage, stood not far away, and after Yuan Hong fell into contemplation, it seemed that even his breathing had become much more careful and cautious.

Wu Jiangnan at the wheel of the car, holding a white chin in one hand, his long eyelashes blinking from time to time, quietly looking into the distance, very much like an oil painting of a girl full of thoughts.

"Establish a heart for heaven and earth, establish a life for the people, continue to learn for the saints, and open peace for all generations."

Concise and macro-meaningful, Xu Changting believes that anyone who comes into contact with these four sentences for the first time will be involuntarily shocked by these four sentences, and involuntarily fall into contemplation, to think deeply about how much power and spirit are hidden behind these short words.

Buddhism was prevalent in the Wei State, and there was nothing wrong with it, but after Yuan Hong inherited the emperor's throne, especially after returning from the Southern Tang Dynasty in vain, Yuan Hong began to feel that his grand career and ideal ambition as a king seemed to be bound by something.

It's like being trapped in an endless and tearing web, and there is always a kind of powerlessness of the hero's uselessness, a kind of dilemma that is lost in the fog and cannot find an exit.

The laughter of children in the distance has disappeared at some point, and the cries of the vendors in the streets and alleys have come and gone, and after going back and forth several times, they are gradually ignored by the few people at the embankment of the small river.

Xu Changting turned his head to look at Yuan Hong, who also looked at him quietly.

Xu Changting sighed slightly: "Heaven and earth have no heart, but people have hearts." The human heart is also the heart of a benevolent person who enables the person to be born with fraternity and benevolence, and the heart of a saint who is a great duke. ”

Yuan Hong still looked at Xu Changting quietly and did not speak, his expression looked as if he was not satisfied with his explanation.

So Xu Changting sighed again and said, "That's it, let's put it bluntly." Since you came to me again today, it also means that you must know who I am, who my father and mother are, how many people in my family, and how many subordinates there are, right? I'm even thinking that it's possible that you know more about my family than I do these days.

For example...... Before I was born, what was my father and my mother like, my eldest sister, second sister and other trivial things, you must have done all the things, right? ”

Yuan Hong had a faint smile on his face, and said calmly: "Why do you say that? ”

At this time, he found that the sick boy in front of him was more and more interested in him, especially the cleverness of this guy, which really impressed him.

"What else do you need to say? Maybe the first time I met you in Banlong Village was an accident, but if there is a second or third time to meet in the same place, it must not be an accident or fate, someone must have done it deliberately, right? Xu Changting asked.

Yuan Hong nodded with a smile without speaking, and motioned for Xu Changting to continue.

"So you must know that compared to Confucianism, in fact, I am more favored by Buddhism, but now I am anti-Buddha and Confucian? That's counterintuitive, isn't it? Xu Changting asked.

Yuan Hong still nodded, and did not say whether he understood Xu Changting's background or not, nor did he answer whether Xu Changting's move made him suspect that he had any selfish purpose.

"Let me ask you another question, do you know how many farming households there are in Banlong Village and how many people there are in total?" Xu Changting asked.

Yuan Hong didn't nod again this time, but looked at Xu Changting quietly, thought for a while, and said, "I don't know, but after going there a few times, there must not be many people." ”

"Then do you know how many monks there are in Danfeng City?" Xu Changting asked.

"You know what?" Yuan Hong slowly leaned back in the chair, although it was not domineering, but it gave Xu Changting the feeling that Yuan Hong had finally found some superiority in front of him, and he almost clasped his hands on his chest to make an unfathomable look.

couldn't help but give Yuan Hong a roll of his eyes, but fortunately, Yuan Hong didn't care, and heard Xu Changting say honestly: "I don't know how many monks there are." ”

"Then I can tell you how many ...... there are in Danfeng City and even in the entire Great Wei Kingdom." Yuan Hong clasped his hands in front of his chest and began to look incomprehensibly superior.

"I didn't plan to know how many monks there were in Danfeng City or my Great Wei Kingdom, but I did know the fact that there were more monks and temples in the Great Wei Kingdom than in all dynasties. And...... Because they don't have the same pressure of paying taxes as the common people, more lazy people who like to cheat and cheat have also begun to join the ranks of monks. How much fertile land there is in Danfeng City, you may know, I don't know, but I know that the fertile fields outside Danfeng City are either in the hands of the gate valve families, powerful and wealthy families, or in the hands of temples such as Yongning Temple, Yaoguang Temple and so on. Who's planting? People who have lost their fields are planting. For what? Just to be able to eat a full stomach. ”

"Is it possible for them, through their own efforts, to have their own world again one day? It's impossible, because the land has been annexed, and no one wants to spit it out, including Pudu sentient beings who don't want to become Buddhists. Therefore, as long as the imperial court does not interfere, they will never own their own land again, and can only cultivate for others from generation to generation, just to be able to ...... Alive. Do you agree? Xu Changting's pale face, in the afternoon sun, looked very serious and serious.

Yuan Hong took a sip of tea, glanced down at Xu Changting, who secretly pursed his dry lips, took a deep breath and said, "You want to tell me the story of the stocking again, but today you have become a common man who has lost his field." ”

"There are more sheep grazing, more people have lost their fields, what will happen in the long run, have you ever thought about it?" Xu Changting ignored the faint hint of sarcasm in Yuan Hong's tone.

"When someone rises and shouts, they will rebel, right?" Yuan Hong chuckled.

"It's just a possibility." The corners of Xu Changting's mouth gradually showed a touch of disdain for Yuan Hong, but after Yuan Hong noticed and glared at him, Xu Changting took it back with a weak heart for some reason.

At that moment, he even felt that perhaps the wildest guess in his heart seemed to be the most correct answer.

But it's impossible, a dignified emperor of the Great Wei State would come over and talk to him here so unobtrusively?

Even if your life has been open since birth, it shouldn't be like this.

However, looking at the white-faced and beardless Wang Xianghe in the distance, and then thinking about what Huo Nuer told him that day, Wang Xianghe may be a eunuch's words, but it made Xu Changting feel that who else could take a eunuch with him every day except the current emperor?

Prince? No way! The crown prince couldn't be that old.

If you were still a prince at such an old age, I'm afraid you wouldn't be able to resist rebelling a long time ago, right?

After all, the crown prince is so old, how old is the emperor, he must not be in a hurry.

"Why are you stunned?" Yuan Hong raised his foot and kicked Xu Changting's calf, pulling Xu Changting back from his trance: "Tell me what you think is the second possibility, it's not a rebellion, what else can it be?" ”

Xu Changting, who was lightly kicked, just wanted to glare at Yuan Hong dissatisfied, and then thought about his terrible guess just now, so he had to endure it first.

Then he said: "There are several conditions that need to be met for rebellion, and yes, land annexation is one of the main conditions. Of course, the current Great Wei State has not yet reached the time when someone wants to rebel, but it ....... ”

Xu Changting's eyes rolled, and then he asked tentatively: "Why do you think my Great Wei's use of troops against the Southern Tang Dynasty ended in failure?" ”

Yuan Hong slowly squinted his eyes and looked at Xu Changting, and for a moment he couldn't guess what this little profiteer was up to.

But he still said quietly: "I'm afraid the reason is very complicated, and it can't be explained in one or two sentences." ”

"Wrong."

"Wrong?" Yuan Hong was stunned, and instantly had an unbelievable feeling, as a real party, could he still make a mistake?

For a while, Yuan Hong even lost interest in continuing to talk with the little profiteer in front of him, because at this moment he suddenly felt that he was crazy about gains and losses, how could he come over to talk to a seventeen-year-old boy about military affairs.

But as the emperor's forbearance and the city government, Xu Changting didn't realize that Yuan Hong was re-examining his own actions to leave the palace this time, whether it was a little too ridiculous.

"In fact, it is very simple, the grain and grass are unsustainable, and the imperial court's system of stipends has also encountered resistance, so that the imperial court finally has to withdraw its troops. But why is there no sustainability in grain and grass, and why is there resistance to the system of sufficiency? Xu Changting also wanted to learn from Yuan Hong's appearance, holding his hands on his chest and leaning back, but the fish basket under his buttocks flickered, if Yuan Hong hadn't pulled him quickly, I am afraid that Xu Changting would have to lie on his back on the ground.

"Thank you, uncle." Xu Changting said with palpitations.

"Then you go on." Yuan Hong took a deep breath, and felt as if what this kid said was right.

"The bystanders are clear, and the authorities are confused. The reason for the failure of the use of troops against the Southern Tang Dynasty was precisely because of the annexation of the land and the prevalence of Buddhist temples that the imperial court felt the real reason for the inability to continue after nearly four years of using troops against the Southern Tang Dynasty. The fertile land is in the hands of the gate valve families and wealthy nobles, which naturally means that the grain is controlled in their hands. The fertile land in the hands of the temple, after the people worked hard to cultivate it, was all bought by the imperial court at a high price, because the temple monks were noble and special in the Great Wei Kingdom, so they naturally did not need to pay taxes to the imperial court, which meant that after a large amount of grain was resold by the temple, it was more than the silver money earned from buying and selling from other places. It is conceivable how much profit can be made from the secret transactions between the gate valve family and various temples. Of course, like I just said, do you know how many monks there are in Danfeng City? A large number of young and strong laborers ....... ”

Yuan Hong interrupted Xu Changting's words at this time, and said in a deep voice: "A large number of young and strong laborers have also joined the ranks of the monks, thus exempting their fields from taxation, and even receiving great benefits from the temple. In this way, it not only weakened the grain of the imperial court, but also weakened the taxation of the imperial court. As for the ...... The people's hearts are insatiable, no matter how much money they give to officials every month, but land and grain are also an income that the family and the wealthy nobles are unwilling to give up. ”

"I didn't say that, you said it." Xu Changting looked at Yuan Hong's gloomy face, and hurriedly shook the pot.

Yuan Hong looked at Xu Changting quietly for a long time, and he had no interest in continuing to talk, he slowly got up, tapped his fingers on the table, and said, "Tomorrow is still this time, and I am still waiting for me here, if you dare not come......." ”

"Who the hell are you?" Xu Changting asked cautiously.

"Sooner or later, we'll know." Yuan Hong said without looking back, and then got into the carriage.

Wu Jiangnan, who was originally sitting on the wheel, hurriedly jumped down, followed Xu Changting, who was holding the fish basket, and watched the carriage slowly leave.

"Who is he?" Wu Jiangnan asked.

"Probably the emperor of the Great Wei Kingdom." Xu Changting turned his head with difficulty and looked at the desk and the chair that had not been taken away under the willow tree.

Wu Jiangnan next to him widened his eyes and couldn't believe it.