Chapter 650 Identity and Status
Before Feng Yong could figure it out, Li Yi sighed again, "Liu Yan is the only remaining veteran minister. I didn't expect to end up in such a situation."
Logically speaking, as long as veteran ministers like Liu Yan did not break any taboos or were defeated in a political struggle, the court would still have to maintain a minimum of respect for them.
This is something that Li Yi doesn't understand. His brother doesn't seem to have deliberately targeted it, but he can restrain Liu Yan. It's really strange.
Feng Yong smiled slightly when he heard this, "This is his own fault. If he fails to keep up with the trend of the times, he will eventually be eliminated by the times."
“Just like those aristocratic families in Sichuan who want to raise food prices this year, they still look at the problem from the previous perspective and are unwilling to make changes, so they can only be treated as leeks.”
Capital is greedy.
When Feng Yong opened his first workshop, he had already released the monster of capital.
Although this monster was extremely weak and deformed compared to later generations, its impact was still huge for the Han people who only had one state.
This was still when Feng Yong tightened the rope as much as possible.
Otherwise, maybe just issuing tickets can give the big man another inflationary baptism after Liu Bei's hundreds of money incident.
But there are differences between cloth tickets and straight money, because they are supported by a certain foundation.
This foundation is the expansionary recovery and development of the Han economy.
ˆ Improvements in farming tools and farming methods, increased grain production, north-south exchanges of labor (ahem), new production materials (wool), new production relations (employees in the workshops have nothing and can only survive by selling their labor force), etc.
In Feng Yong’s view, although the upstart interest groups still belong to the production relations of feudal society, they are not even considered the germ of capitalism.
But it is also somewhat different from the production relationship of the old aristocratic families that completely tied farmers to the land.
So there must be a conflict between the two.
Those who hang themselves from rivers and city walls are just victims of the conflict, minor players, not worth mentioning.
Now this situation is about to usher in explosive development again. Regardless of whether they are passive or active, Shuzhong aristocratic families have to accept this production relationship when they participate in the production of the workshop.
In the era of unification when aristocratic families were in power, this kind of production relationship would be almost 100% sure to be strangled to death by the aristocratic families who had cultivated and studied their heirlooms.
But today's Han Dynasty is different. The right time, place, people and people are all on Feng Yong's side.
More importantly, because the Han Dynasty was a small country and the people were small, the new production relations represented by Nanxiang had easily kidnapped the Han Dynasty.
Struggling it to death will not only severely injure the man's vitality, but may even cause great turmoil.
So whoever dares to take action will be strangled to death by the Prime Minister of the Han Dynasty first.
Liu Yan was actually dragged forward because he couldn't keep up with this change and still held on to old ideas. He looked embarrassed.
"However, since the prime minister is willing to help Liu Yan, there must be some reason. Liu Liang has suffered enough. Please tell the brothers in the meeting not to deliberately embarrass Liu Liang in the future."
While Feng Yong said this, he kept muttering in his heart, what exactly does the old demon Zhuge want to do?
As for Liu Liang, if Li Yi hadn't mentioned him, he would have forgotten about him.
“Brother, do you want to meet Liu Yan?”
Li Yi asked again.
"Why are I meeting him? Is it worth meeting him for this nonsense?" Feng Yongdisdain said, "If I have this time, I might as well build one more waterwheel to benefit the people."
“That’s what my brother said.”
Li Yi was secretly speechless while agreeing.
With my brother’s current identity and status, his vision is indeed different from before.
This thought just crossed his mind when he heard a sudden noise in the distance.
Feng Yong first carefully covered the bowl from which he drank water with a cloth, and then he stood up and cursed, "These rogue people!"
Li Yi was a little confused and stood up.
I saw two groups of people arguing about something in the distance, and many of them were waving farm tools in their hands.
“Brother, this is...”
“They are grabbing water.” Feng Yong looked ugly. “Some people want to swallow the water pumped out from the Wei River.”
As soon as he finished speaking, two groups of people began to push each other, and some even threatened each other with farm tools.
Li Yi couldn't help but frowned when he heard this, "I'm afraid I have to find a village elder to mediate this matter quickly."
“Hometown elder?” Feng Yong sneered, “I’m afraid all the people from my hometown are there.”
The food in the fields is the lifeblood. In the past, there was no water in the canals, so everyone had to pick it by themselves. It was up to their own family to pick as much as they could.
But in times of drought, when water comes from the canals, it is inevitable to grab water.
Hown old man? Don't you farm any more in your hometown?
I'm just afraid of planting more than anyone else.
Seeing that the two groups were about to fight, they suddenly heard another rumble. At some point, a group of cavalry rushed out from the other direction.
Li Yi's expression changed, "Barbarian! Brother, leave quickly!"
Feng Yong waved his hand, "There's no hurry."
The barbarian cavalry rushed straight towards the two groups, shouting nonsense that no one could understand.
Two groups of people who were about to grab water saw the barbarians rushing towards them and were so frightened that they ran away quickly.
How can two legs outrun four?
Some of them ran too slowly and were whipped several times by the barbarians until their skin and flesh were torn apart, making them cry for their fathers and mothers.
Just after all those people fled in all directions, the barbarian roared and ran away on horseback.
Li Yi stared blankly at what was happening in front of him, "This...this barbarian..."
"I asked them to do this." Feng Yong sat down again, with a look of helplessness on his face, "There is a severe drought in Longyou, and the problem of water grabbing is getting more and more serious."
"But Longyou is a newly settled place. The Han Dynasty hasn't had time to sort it out. Some of the wealthy families in this place are relying on their power, some are deliberately making things difficult for the Han Dynasty, and some are maliciously trying to steal all the water from their homes. go…"
"Anyway, there are various reasons. This water grabbing thing happens every day. If you don't care, if you really get angry, there will be casualties. You have to take care of it. The big man just took over Longyou. The place is dark, how can you take care of it? "
"So I recruited a group of barbarians. As long as I know where there are people grabbing water, I will send them directly there and disperse first."
Li Yi understood it as soon as he heard it. He couldn't laugh or cry at first, and then he was a little worried, "Longyou is newly settled, and the big man needs to appease the place. My brother is doing this, isn't it true? What will happen if it causes dissatisfaction?"
"What's the excuse?" Feng Yong laughed, with a very cunning look on his face, "They were unlucky and encountered barbarians who were looting everywhere. What does it have to do with me?"
"They still dare to be dissatisfied? I am even more dissatisfied than them!" Feng Yong said, and then cursed triumphantly, "They say there are three things that make new officials take office. Some people in Longyou also want to take advantage of this. The opportunity of severe drought is showing us."
Since ancient times, fights between villagers in this kind of place have been a stubborn disease that is difficult to control.
Coupled with the severe drought, who wouldn’t want to put more water into their fields?
And I am afraid that many wealthy families are also testing the bottom line of the Han Dynasty, so these vicious incidents of water grabbing are particularly common.
Anyway, the law does not punish everyone!
According to their thinking, the big man just took over Longyou, isn't it the time when they are needed the most?
They just took the opportunity to show their muscles to the big men in order to gain a greater say in local governance in the future.
Kill two birds with one stone.
It's just that information spreads too slowly in this era. They may have heard of the titles of Feng Langjun, a clever talker and a ruthless Xiao Wenhe, but they don't know much about them.
So the Longyou aristocratic families tasted the sour and refreshing taste that the Shuzhong aristocratic families had tasted for the first time.
Feng Yong directly recruited a group of barbarians to serve as black gloves, specifically to hide in secret and carry out dirty tricks.
Once someone is found daring to grab water, he will not distinguish between the right and wrong, and he will be beaten on the head and face with a riding whip.
It’s so exciting to run away after smoking!
Just as those local wealthy people thought, if you have the ability, arrest everyone.
Feng Turtle also thought the same thing: If you have the ability, you two legs will chase four legs and catch them all?
Of course, it’s not that no one complained in tears, but Governor Zhao said: The war in Longyou has just subsided, and it is normal for barbarians to take the opportunity to cause trouble.
If you want to send out a large army to destroy the barbarians, you must have food, right?
How about you all chip in and collect some food?
What? You said someone deliberately instigated it? This countryman, don’t talk nonsense. Where is the evidence? If you make such nonsense without evidence, you will be held legally responsible! Are the rumors confusing the public?
After hearing what Feng Yong said about the causes and consequences, Li Yi almost spat out a mouthful of water, laughed so hard that he could only give a thumbs up.
“Brother, this trick of yours is perfect!”
The barbarians take advantage of the opportunity to cause trouble and like to use horse whips to whip unruly people who grab water. What does it have to do with me? I didn’t instigate it!
"It's just a small trick, it can't be put on the stage." Feng Yong didn't think there was anything worth bragging about. "It's all **** anyway..."
Li Yi's face twitched and he coughed, "Since brother thinks these things are not worth mentioning, I have something I want to ask my brother for."
"What's the matter?" Feng Yong looked at Li Yi strangely, "What else can't be said between you and me?"
Li Yi lowered his voice and asked, "Xinhou (Li Qiu) has moved to Hanzhong this time for a long time. Doesn't my brother think it's a little too fast?"
Hearing this, Feng Yong looked at Li Yi thoughtfully and asked, "What do you think is wrong with this?"
Li Yi looked around and then said, "It would be nothing if Xinhou was transferred to a remote county to be the chief historian. But this is Hanzhong County, one of the most important places in the Han Dynasty."
“It’s not that I’m belittling Nobu Hou, but that Nobu Hou’s qualifications are indeed too low.”
Feng Yong nodded and sighed, "According to my estimation, Nanxiang's actions in the past six months should have irritated the Prime Minister."
The series of personnel changes made by Old Demon Zhuge after he returned to Hanzhong, not to mention others, even Feng Yong were a little confused.
Taking Li Yan's transfer as an example, asking Li Yan to take charge of the affairs of the Prime Minister's Office as the Central Protector, I don't know whether it is giving Li Yan a last chance to reform, or whether he is going to kill him as a sap?
The reason why Xu Ci was appointed as Da Changqiu Cheng is that he is a scholar. Yes, yes, he is indeed a scholar, but his virtue... is hard to describe.
What's more, he is not the only one who believes in learning, so why is he the only one to be promoted?
I always feel like there is some shady deal going on here.
As for Li Qiu's transfer, Feng Yong can make a rough guess.
After all, Nanxiang's reputation in the first half of the year has been further deteriorated in the eyes of the Shuzhong family.
The most representative one is Li Mu. I heard that some people have publicly accused her of being like a snake and a scorpion. She is a perfect match for the cruel and ruthless Xiao Wenhe!
Zhuge Laoyao transferred Li Qiu away to further strengthen his penetration into Nanxiang.
Because the county magistrate of Nanxiang is Luo Meng and the county captain is Jiang Bin, both of whom are from the prime minister's house.
So Li Qiu moved to Hanzhong and had a long history. Although it seemed that the promotion was a bit too high, there was actually some compensation in it.
Li Yi obviously thought of this, but he was a little unwilling to do so, "Brother, Nanxiang is our foundation."
Li Yi’s worries were also the worries of the Xinghan Hui.
Prime Minister...The Prime Minister can't rob everyone's foundation, right?
On weekdays, everyone looks up to their elder brother, but doesn’t it mean that he can support everyone at critical moments? So Li Yi took advantage of this opportunity and ran to find his brother.
“You guys are just thinking too much!” Feng Yong shook his head and said with a smile, “I just transferred Xinhou away. Isn’t the post of county magistrate still ours? Don’t worry, Nanxiang will not change easily.”
It seems that after the Prime Minister's victory in the Northern Expedition, his power has reached the point where some people feel that everything is under control.
Seeing that there was still some hesitation on Li Yi's face, Feng Yong had no choice but to further reveal the news, "Xiang Changshi has agreed to write an inscription for Nanxiang Academy."
Xiang Lang is already sixty-two years old and is considered a highly respected person in the Han Dynasty. He worked tirelessly this time to follow the Northern Expedition and coordinate the funeral arrangements for the Northern Expedition.
His name is not on the personnel transfer list this time. According to Feng Yong's estimation, it is unlikely that after returning, the emperor will personally pay homage to the minister and give him an honorary title.
After all, sixty-two years old is really very old in this era.
Such a person can write an inscription for Nanxiang Academy, which represents the direction of the wind.
Of course, Xiang Lang will never admit whether someone took advantage of saving Ma Di as a reward.
Li Yi's face lit up when he heard this.
Before he could speak, Feng Yong continued to release another important news, "This year, the Qiang school captain will oversee all Qiang and Hu affairs. Thirty percent of the collected wool will be handed over to the court, and the remaining 70% can be dealt with by oneself."
Li Yi couldn't bear the news and stood up suddenly. With a bang, he couldn't hold the bowl firmly and fell directly to the ground.
"Seven...seventy percent?" Li Yi's whole body was trembling, "Will it be the same every year in the future?"
“What a beautiful idea!” Feng Yong laughed and pointed at Li Yi, “Wen Xuan, you’ve lost your composure!”
Only then did Li Yi realize that he had been splashed with water. He smiled sheepishly and wiped it casually. After sitting down again, he reached down and wanted to grab the bowl, but found that his hands were still shaking and he couldn't pick it up at all. .
So he simply stopped taking it, stretched his neck, looked straight at Feng Yong, and asked with some disbelief, "Is this... decided by the Prime Minister?"
Feng Yong nodded, "Everyone has worked hard this year, so the Prime Minister asked us to eat 20% more. Starting from next year, we will share half with the court."
"Fifty percent is enough!" Li Yi got the exact answer and immediately said excitedly, "Everyone thinks that even if we divide it into 30%, it will be enough! How do you plan to set this price?"
“The wool that the prime minister asked the Qiang Colonel to distribute independently is used as military supplies, so I will distribute the shares according to everyone’s merit and sell them to you at a uniform price.”
"As for how you sell it and who you sell it to, I don't care. It's okay if you lose money, but the share that the Colonel Protecting Qiang deserves should not be less than a copper coin."
Feng Yong said half-jokingly.
“Prime Minister... Prime Minister really has nothing to say to my brother!”
As soon as Li Yi heard this, his face began to turn red. This was a sign that he couldn't control his emotions.
"How can there be any loss in this kind of thing? If we really want to say it is a loss, it means that we make less money!"
Li Yi first spoke loudly, and then suddenly muttered to himself, making it difficult to hear what he was saying.
If the prime minister treats his brother so kindly, what does the Xinghanhui have to fear?
No wonder my brother is not anxious at all!
"Wenxuan, you have many connections. You will find a way to spread this news to those families in Sichuan who have workshop quotas. Also, the looms in this workshop, and how to train weavers, etc., it is estimated that by then We still have to help.”
Help?
Li Yi looked at Feng Yong and was suddenly excited again, "Yes, help!"
This Northern Expedition is really making a lot of money, but I don’t know if the Xinghan Hui can eat them all?
Li Yi was a little scared now. He felt that after the Northern Expedition, his brother's identity and status made it difficult for him to adapt.
(End of this chapter)