Long live the general

Zhou Zhenzhen sat down and said amiably: "If you have no money, then find a way. No matter what, the construction of the two counties of Hetao cannot be delayed. If it is completed? The earliest, the sooner the cost will be recovered, up to five years , When grain grows in the Hetao area, you can breathe a sigh of relief."

Huo Yi was silent at the side, he couldn't help but think about the future.

They? There is a significant difference in terms of income between fighting back against the Huns and attacking Dai Viet by the Huns?.Sending troops from Dai Viet requires a lot of investment, and actually won't gain much if you win the battle.And the Huns came in to steal money? No matter how much or how little, if you grab it, you will earn it.

Just like a hard-working farmer? The farmer and his neighbor are hiding in the mountains and robbing everywhere. As long as the robbers come and make trouble, they can destroy the farmer's farmland, damage the house, and rob food. It is extremely destructive. .But if the farmer wants to fight back, he has to protect his own field first, and then venture into the mountains. Even if he defeats the robber, he will not gain anything, because the robber himself has nothing.

But you have to fight, otherwise the farmer will never have peace. Once he shows weakness, the robber will be like a dog who smells fish, and will rush to bite a piece of meat.

It's not like being entangled by a vicious dog.

The only way to do this is to occupy the bandit's mountain so that he has nowhere to hide.

The Hetao area is still a good place with fertile soil, where horses can be raised and food can be grown. Occupying this place is beneficial both in terms of military affairs and people's livelihood.But outside the Hetao area, there is a throat area, deep into the desert, which is very important in military affairs, but it can no longer grow food.

Zhou Zhen looked at Zhang Laiqian and said, "Let's think of a way, Da Sinong."

Zhang Laiqian simply sat down, pondered for a long time, and suddenly said: "Purchase an official."

Zhou Zhenxue frowned: "Isn't that good, I'm afraid the ministers won't agree?"

Zhang Laiqian glanced at him and said, "Your Majesty, Emperor Yuewen has already done this. It's just that Emperor Yuewen exchanged his title for food, so you can naturally exchange his title for money. Your Majesty inherits the ancient system." , won’t anyone say anything?”

It is recorded in the history books that Emperor Wen? ordered the people to enter millet on the side of the mountain according to the wrong words. Six hundred stones were built by the nobles; four thousand stones were for the five great officials;

This official position does not have any real power? It just sounds nice and can be exempted from a symbolic poll tax. Apart from that, there is nothing else.

Or? There are many big businessmen who are willing to buy this title, and when they go out, they can introduce themselves as a fifth doctor, a grand master, etc., which sounds good and saves face.

In the eyes of the Yue Wen Emperor, the money for selling officials and nobles was already a huge sum of money. For Zhou Zhenyan now, it is not even enough to pay rewards to soldiers who fought.

Zhou Zhenzhen thought about it for a while, and said, "You can't make much money by selling it like this. It's a business deal."

Huo Yi whispered next to him: "During the Xia Dynasty, there was a military merit system. There are a total of [-] ranks of martial arts titles. As long as you have enough military achievements, you can go all the way up."

For example, the twentieth level martial arts master needs one head, the second level needs five heads, and the third level needs twenty heads.

The rights enjoyed by different levels are not the same.

During the Xia Dynasty, the common people had to have military merits if they wanted to obtain titles. Now what Zhou Zhen wants? Not military merits, but money.

So it doesn't matter if you have military merit or not, as long as you have money.

For businessmen, this is a very tempting thing.After all, no matter how rich he is, the landlord and big businessman are still just commoners.Of course, if you have a good relationship with the local sheriff, you can naturally run rampant within a county, and the officials below will also have to see their faces.But no matter what, after all, he is still a commoner with no official position or title.

Instead of asking them to bribe the sheriff, it is better to give it directly to the court.

Zhou Zhenyan's eyes lighted up slightly. He could combine these two things, dismantle the titles, and create a progressive system of titles. Every time he goes up to a higher level, he has to pay more money.

This is not a one-off deal.

His mind turned quickly, and when he shared this idea with Zhang Laiqian, Zhang Laiqian was stunned.

Zhang Laiqian calculated carefully: "It's really feasible. Every time you go up a level, you have to spend double the money. You can also add a time limit to the title. If you want to continue to maintain this title, you have to set a certain time limit." Spend the money to continue..."

He and Zhou Zhenzhen were in full swing and discussed for a while, and gradually the whole system became clear. In the final analysis, it was just two words, making money, making money frantically.

The imperial court cannot blatantly steal money from the people. Taxes are the most important income. If you want to earn more money, you have to find ways to increase tax items, or collect next year's taxes in advance, and have been receiving them 30 years later ? There are.

In short, you still need to have a name.The common people obey the imperial court because they believe and expect that the imperial court can provide them with a stable living environment.

If you forcibly rob money without a reputation, you can't survive? The people have no choice but to rise up and find another way to survive.

Zhou Zhenyan was unwilling to raise taxes for the common people, and he didn't want to advance future taxes.

He is targeting powerful landlords and powerful businessmen, so the means of making money must be more refined.

A big businessman is someone who has mastered the means of production such as iron ore coinage and field saltworks. Ordinary handicraftsmen are not counted among them.

The people at the bottom of Da Viet served corvee for the Northern Expedition, contributed their family’s food, or went to battle to kill the enemy, but these tyrants were unwilling to do anything. Some of them had interests with the Xiongnu and even obstructed them.Or is that the same sentence, as long as the Huns don't snatch his house, he is even willing to hand the knife to the Huns.

Huo Yi listened to it for a long time and said, "Although the idea is good, they are not being taken advantage of."

Zhou Zhenyan said calmly, "Let's try first."

He looked confident, and Huo Yi guessed that he had his own ideas in mind.

In the next few days, Huo Yi was free again.

Zhou Zhenzhen said that there is no plan to fight for the next two years. The training of the Northern Army is much less intensive than before. Huo Yi has nothing to do in the court.He himself distributed all the "gold and silver" rewarded by the court to his "soldiers", and rewarded them by cooking cattle and slaughtering sheep, and his reputation was widely spread among the three armies.

Zhou Zhenqian once granted him a position as a minister in the palace. He had no power, but it was convenient for him to enter the inner palace at any time.Zhou Zhenzhen would always ask him for his thoughts when something happened.What surprised Huo Yi the most was that he found that His Majesty really valued his point of view, rather than just listening to it.

A few days later, Li Yi finally returned to Chang'an City with Li Hai.

This time came back? Li Yi, a little different than before.Zhou Zhenxie made him Marquis of Anding and gave him many rewards, including Li Hai who also made him Marquis.Li Yi cried bitterly in court, and after crying, she asked His Majesty to be dismissed and returned to the field on the grounds of being old and weak.

Zhou Zhenyan refused.

Dai Viet now has a lot of middle-level generals who can lead thousands of people to fight. After several battles with the Huns, he has honed his blood and ability.But Huo Yi is the only top-ranking general, and Li Yi is the next one. Qiu Hongguang is still too young, because Zhou Zhenzhen can't let Li Yi go.

He gave Li Yi another reward, and even granted him a long vacation to appease him to recuperate at home and relax.

Anyway, I don't plan to go to war for the past two years, but after two years, I still have to come out to work.

Huo Yi originally planned to become an official, but now the situation has stabilized, and two years is enough for Qiu Hongguang to grow up. He thinks that after he leaves, Qiu Hongguang can take over this class.

But Li Yi raised it first, and the emperor refused it without hesitation, so there was no chance for him to speak again.

"I also want to take a long vacation like General Li." Huo Yi slumped on the rattan chair, and Tao Jiamu next to him was reading? An extremely thick? Dossier, stopping to record something from time to time.

Huo Lingyue stared at Tao Jiamu's handwriting curiously. She wrote the handwriting herself. She was very envious of Tao Jiamu's graceful, elegant and proud handwriting.

Since Tao Jiamu returned to Chang'an, Huo Lingyue became familiar with him unconsciously.Tao Jiamu has a heart of being a teacher, and he can't help but tell Huo Lingyue his own ideas of mixing Confucianism and Legalism.The same thing, what the master in the academy said was obscure and boring, but Tao Jiamu could tell it full of wit and wit.He has a very broad perspective, knowledgeable and talented, and can connect many things together. After being with him for a long time, Huo Lingyue feels that her mind has become clearer.

Tao Jiamu often told Huo Lingyue that the same thing is seen differently by different people, and they should look at problems from different angles.He often raises a question and provides two?different?points of view to debate with Huo Lingyue, guiding her to develop her own thinking.

At this age? The little girl grew up very fast. Huo Yi felt that he went out to fight a few times. When he came back, Huo Lingyue jumped up a few inches.She is now a little heavier than before, no longer bluffing?, and her strength has also increased.

Huo Lingyue definitely can't say that she wants to fight with others now. Under the influence of Tao Jiamu, she has become a lot more restrained.

Tao Jiamu's gaze still fell on the case file, and he said, "You're not busy now, you can lie here and waste your time."

Huo Yi shook his head: "Who knows when His Majesty will call me into the palace."

Tao Jiamu put down the case with a slap, and said, "Your words are going too far!"

Huo Yi turned his head in confusion, Tao Jiamu clenched his fists: "I suspect His Majesty has something against me."

"Why?" Huo Lingyue asked crisply.

"Your Majesty discusses matters, and many people will put forward their own? Ideas, and His Majesty will weigh them." Tao Jiamu explained: "Now His Majesty likes to ask three people? Opinions, you Uncle Huo, Shangshu Linggong, Sun Yang And me, oh, and Zhao Cheng."

Huo Lingyue opened her eyes wide: "But looking at it this way, His Majesty trusts you very much."

"No way. As long as it is proposed by Huo Yi, His Majesty will basically listen to it, and the opinion of Gong?

This is where Tao Jiamu was extremely depressed.

The emperor would really ask his opinion on every detail, but after asking, he would never accept his opinion.After a long time, Tao Jiamu gradually developed doubts about himself, and even felt uneasy.

He really doesn't understand what the emperor means, does he have a problem with him?Since it's like this, it's better to just send it out, why do you have to stay by your side like this.But if you say you value him, what do you think? It doesn't look like it, he has been denied all the time.

Tao Jiamu was very confused about his position around the emperor.

Huo Yi sat up straight, and said: "Why didn't you tell me earlier, why did His Majesty have any objections to you? Those who were dismissed back then? Doctors, they were almost beheaded, so it was His Majesty who had objections? end."

"Then he tortured me for fun?" Tao Jiamu sighed.

"That's definitely not it." Huo Yi quickly said: "Because we have different ideas from Gong? From the imperial court's point of view..."

"Who is a Confucianist? Don't talk nonsense. I am not." Tao Jiamu said, "I am not at the same level now. Both Confucianism and Legalism are scolding me."

"You don't follow them? Hold together, they? Surely don't want to see you."

Tao Jiamu smiled and said: "Who wants to hang out with them? Don't look at them? What else can they do other than gossip. Those people are stuck in their old ways, holding books from a hundred years ago and reading them to death. People with ideas They are all pushed away by them. Do they care about the life and death of the common people? Do they know how food grows? Confucianism itself is powerful, tolerant, and full of vitality. But in the hands of those people, they? It's a circle."

Only by absorbing and integrating the advantages of other schools can Confucianism develop better, Tao Jiamu thinks so.

"Don't offend people by talking nonsense, there are still a few great Confucian scholars in the contemporary era..." Huo Yi waved his hand: "It's far away, I just wanted to tell you about His Majesty. His Majesty just wanted to learn from us. I learned about aspects that he couldn't consider, and my identity represents the army, so I always stand on the same side as him."

"He didn't refer to your opinion, which means that he is still planning to govern the country with Legalism, Confucianism and internal law." Huo Yi said, "It will definitely change in the future. When the Northern Expedition is over, we need to Govern the people with Confucianism and law, and the punishment will not be so harsh..."

Today's punishment of Dayue is a continuation of the Xia Dynasty's torture, beheading at every turn, very severe.

Tao Jiamu: "Really? Fake?"

"I see? Your? face is very elegant like the face of a country."

"You still know how to look?"

"I'm very talented. There was a priest who wanted to accept me as a disciple." Huo Yi said.

The two walked away, and after a while, Tao Jiamu pulled him back and said, "You know your Majesty's thoughts very well."

Huo Yi chuckled: "A person like me will definitely be written as a sycophant in the future. I will only agree with Your Majesty, and I have no such thing as a courtier."

Tao Jiamu glanced at him: "Isn't it right?"

"But I do have the same idea as him." Huo Yi said sincerely, "Sometimes he thinks more deeply than me, and I admire him very much."

Of course, Huo Yi also had objections to some of Zhou Zhenyan’s decisions. For example, when Zhou Zhenyan wanted to kill Gao Gongzhi, Huo Yi analyzed it and said that Gao Gongzhi couldn’t kill them.For example, Zhou Zhenyan didn't want to reward Li Yi heavily, but Huo Yi analyzed it and thought that he should be rewarded.

Tao Jiamu said: "Do you also agree with the two counties in the Hetao area?"

Huo Yi nodded slowly.

Tao Jiamu sighed: "I also have my own limitations. Maybe it is right to use the power of the whole country to build these two counties at the risk of emptying the treasury."

Huo Yi: "What did you say? I am very unconvinced."

"Then you have to pray that there won't be any troubles in the future, otherwise the economy of Dai Viet will be worse." Tao Jiamu said: "Your Majesty has issued a commercial tax and a sharp increase in property, which has developed a hundred years of prosperity? Business has suddenly been hit. I don’t know how many years it will take to recover. At that time, it doesn’t matter whether it is Dai Viet or not.”

Huo Lingyue looked at them thoughtfully.

Big Viet soon had a little trouble.

At the beginning of the discussion between Zhou Zhenzhen and Zhang Laiqian, the Gongjue system came out. Zhou Zhenyan divided the martial arts into eleven levels. It takes 17 copper coins to upgrade to the top level, and it takes more than 30 catties to upgrade to the top level. gold.It's like a lion opening its mouth. The most important thing is that this title is useless except for its good name.

Even so, there are many merchants who buy knight titles. It is a lucrative business for big merchants to smelt, cast and cook salt. There is no problem with accumulating tens of thousands of gold in family wealth, so many merchants have bought knight titles. According to the information from Zhang Laiqian, This wave of income was as high as more than [-] gold.

In the palace, Zhou Zhenzhen lamented how the big businessman was so rich.

Then the more than [-] gold was thrown into the construction of the two counties of Hetao and the training of cavalry, and it evaporated instantly.

At this time, there will be fewer big businessmen buying titles at higher prices, because they also realize that no matter how nice this thing sounds, it is of no practical use.

They? Want to get some real? Benefits after investing tens of thousands of dollars.

Zhou Zhenxie first announced that people with martial arts titles can be exempted from hard labor, and a few days later, he was granted immunity from criminal law.

That is to say, as long as you buy this title, you can be exempted from misdemeanors and reduce felonies according to the rank of martial arts, provided that you pay a huge fine.

This immediately caused an uproar.

The fact that money can get rid of crimes actually existed before martial arts masters.Everyone knows that a felony can be turned into a misdemeanor, and a misdemeanor can be turned into an innocence by giving some money to the county magistrate and officials who are in charge of affairs.

But everyone also knows that this is something that cannot be said on the table?

The prince breaks the law and commits the same crime as the common people. This is the slogan that is shouted every day.

The emperor's announcement of the right to immunity from punishment is simply a slap in the face of the judicial system.

The people do not suffer from scarcity but from inequality, so the people are naturally dissatisfied with such differential treatment.

But the public's dissatisfaction didn't cause any disturbances. After all, this kind of thing happened before, but now it's being laid out openly.

After the price is clearly marked, it looks extraordinarily clear.There was a businessman in Linqiong who was imprisoned for committing a felony. He thought he would be able to come out safe and sound as long as he paid some money, but the local officials gave him a price list. The felony-to-misdemeanor money?

After all, those who break the law are a minority, and most people are still living in peace and security.

But because of this clearly marked "exemption from punishment", there are still many "big businessmen" who are willing to spend huge sums of money to buy a higher-level "title".After all, they? Many people have committed some crimes, and they are easy to be targeted by the court.

Then the emperor's "coquettish operation" came.

Since the promotion of Zhao Cheng as a court officer, Zhao Cheng has cultivated a group of tough and resolute? Cruel officials for Dayue.Zhou Zhenxie sent all these cruel officials to the local area, and asked them to strictly stare at the actions of those powerful landlords.

These big businessmen who spend money to buy titles will naturally try to find ways to get the money back. Once they commit crimes, the court will use excuses to clean up these people.

The money finally filled the state treasury, which spends money like water. However, the person who was most dissatisfied with this behavior was Ting Wei Zhao Cheng.

He went to Ziwei Palace to pay respects to the emperor that day. Zhou Zhenyan met him, but Zhao Cheng knelt down and said: "I am a Zhengqing Tingwei, but I can't carry forward the late emperor's achievements? I can't stop the world with my subordinates." People's evil deeds have made the prison empty of criminals, and nothing has been done so far. On the contrary, I will follow your order to reduce the punishment for criminals and destroy the laws and regulations of the country."

Zhou Zhenyan asked blankly, "Are you against immunity from punishment?"

"I object." Zhao Cheng's tone was cold, suppressing his strong anger: "I was born to abide by the laws of the country. The sinners kill their deeds, and the righteous defend their way. I can't ignore the laws of the country, break laws, and change judgments." , in order to achieve their own career."

Zhou Zhenxie said: "You are quite courageous."

Zhao Cheng: "Is it because the Son of Heaven set up ministers and ministers who are assistants like officials and ministers? Is it to make them blindly submit, flatter and flatter, and put the monarch in a predicament that violates the righteous way?"

He glanced at Huo Yi next to him.

Huo Yi thought to himself, I knew that someone would say that I was charming? Chengchen, I didn't expect the first one to mention it? It was Zhao Cheng.

Zhou Zhenyan didn't say a word.

Zhao Cheng knelt down and touched the cold ground with his forehead: "Please resign your Majesty as a court lieutenant, and punish the crime of disrespect."

Zhou Zhenyan stood up and sneered: "You are stubborn." He turned around and strode away, leaving only Huo Yi and Zhao Cheng behind.

Huo Yi glanced at the emperor's back, stood up and walked to Zhao Cheng, and said softly, "Get up, Your Majesty will not dismiss you."

Zhao Cheng didn't move, his dark eyes were fixed on the front, his thin body was even a bit out of shape.

"At the beginning, you were still the one I recommended to His Majesty." Huo Yi sighed.

Zhao Cheng said softly: "Are you regretting it? Are you afraid that I will hurt you?" His voice sounded chilly like the increasingly cold wind.

"Do you think I'm that kind of person?" Huo Yi asked back.

Zhao Cheng lowered his head, he was a court lieutenant at that time, he had many eyes to help him keep an eye on the court minister, he knew Huo Yi very well.

Huo Yi is not that kind of person, but beneath the endless anger in his heart is pervasive bitterness.

"Why didn't you stop Your Majesty?" Zhao Cheng asked, "Immunity from punishment is playing with the laws of the country."

Huo Yi simply sat cross-legged in front of him, stared into his eyes, and said, "Didn't you play with the laws of the country?"

Zhao Cheng hesitated.

"Two years ago, when you were in Xihebian County, in order to punish the Zhang family, you tortured the Zhang family to extract a confession, tortured them into tricks, and embellished them with crimes. Didn't innocent people die at your hands?" Huo Yi's? The tone is soft but deep: "What is the difference between what you?

"Of course it's different!" Zhao Cheng subconsciously retorted, his eyes swept across Huo Yi's face, and subconsciously avoided it.

Damn it, he cursed secretly in his heart, and he didn't know who he was scolding.

"You are adding crimes, Your Majesty is reducing crimes. The laws of the country are tools in your hands." Huo Yi said slowly: "Zhao Cheng, ask yourself, what exactly do you want?"

Zhao Cheng quickly replied: "The guilty will be punished."

"It's for punishment." Huo Yi nodded: "Will anyone be punished for any crime?"

"Of course. The intensity of the punishment must scare everyone so that they don't dare to break the law again."

Huo Yi: "The Xia Dynasty is more severe than the current one. Have you ever reduced crimes? You have been a court captain for so long, and the criminal law is strict. Have you ever made there no more villains in this world?"

If so, Zhao Cheng would not have said that kind of thing just now.

"There was a couple who massacred more than 20 people from the same village in order to rob [-] yuan." Huo Yi said: "Faced with such a small? benefit, they? Even without scruple? Murder and arson. When the benefit reaches a certain? Some people can without hesitation? Treason and kill relatives."

"Evil itself exists." Huo Yi helped him up and patted his neckline: "Severe? Punishment shocks? Ordinary people with kind thoughts."

"What is the law of the country?" Huo Yi asked him.

Zhao Cheng looked at him in confusion.

"Isn't it good to use it as a tool?" Huo Yi smiled and said, "Your Majesty has no choice but to correct this path after everything is over."

He turned to leave, but Zhao Cheng grabbed his wrist.

The heat was transmitted along with the skin, Huo Yi thought that someone like Zhao Cheng should be cool, but Zhao Cheng's hands were very hot.

"Killing people to pay for their lives, debts to pay back money, it's a matter of course." Zhao Cheng's hand was so hard that Huo Yi could almost feel his sudden joints: "General Huo, the criminal should get what he deserves." Punishment, this cannot be changed no matter what the circumstances are. In the past, it was true that there would be money to pass through ghosts and gods and avoid disasters. It will happen in the future, but no matter at any time, everyone knows that this is wrong."

"Your Majesty turned a wrong thing into a correct and feasible thing."

"Can crimes be laundered with money? Even if the money is used? When it reaches the common people, can he act as if he has done nothing wrong just because he has paid the money?"

"I understand His Majesty's difficulty, but I still think it's wrong."

He took a step forward and was very close to Huo Yi. He could see the light blue blood vessels spreading under the cold white skin of the other party, as well as the faint breath like the cold wind in the desert.

Zhao Cheng slowly let go of Huo Yi's hand, and said, "General Huo, do you also know that His Majesty's actions are wrong? Some things can never be put on the table and become a matter of course."

Huo Yi turned his head and saluted: "Master Ting Wei, you are a blessing to Da Yue for your dedication."

After Zhao Cheng met with the emperor, there was no change in his position?He was still conscientious, working day and night, and the emperor did not take back his order.

The entire Chang'an City was frozen in a cold atmosphere.

The author has something to say:

Emperor Wu of the Han Dynasty reigned for 50 years and fought for 47 years.

Kick the Xiongnu out of Monan, open up the Hexi Corridor, fight in Mobei, open the Western Regions expedition to Dawan, east to Korea, settle Guangdong and Guangxi in the south, and flatten the barbarians in the southwest.

Although it sounds cool, these wars require money, so Emperor Wu of the Han Dynasty developed many unprecedented methods to make money.

His political reforms and military pioneering achievements are juxtaposed (many things in the feudal dynasty started from him, all you can imagine and unimaginable, the more you check, the more shocking. Qin Shihuang built a foundation , Emperor Wu of the Han Dynasty established the skeleton of the feudal dynasty. After that, all emperors could only paint and modify this skeleton, and no one could move this skeleton.)

The people at that time must not be living very well, otherwise there would not be many displaced people in the last years of Emperor Wu of the Han Dynasty.

But 2000 years after Emperor Wu of the Han Dynasty, until now, we are still the beneficiaries of his expansion of territory, and we have truly established the self-confidence of a great country, calling ourselves Han.

Just like when the teacher decided to fight the Korean War, that generation suffered for five generations before they could have the national dignity they have now.

As for history, let’s look at it dialectically, some contradictions are unavoidable.