As 800 heads fell to the ground, Li Xiao's reputation reached its peak for a while. All the remarks that were originally planned for the imperial court disappeared. People in the streets and lanes all liked to talk about the imperial court's killing of Javanese after dinner.

No one sympathized with the Javanese who had their heads chopped off, but talked enthusiastically about the killing process and the power of the Ming Empire.

"This thing was done well. It not only improved the national consciousness of the people, but also tested the minds of the officials. It killed two birds with one stone!" Zhang Huangyan was very excited as he sat on the chair.

Li Xiao didn't even have to think about it. The person below who took the lead in calling him long live must have been arranged by him.

For the sake of his own glory and wealth, this old guy decisively betrayed his nephew who was sitting on the dragon throne.

"What you are talking about is just gossip. The most important thing about this matter is to combat the rumors that have framed the imperial court. Let the people trust the imperial court again! And this model is very good. In the future, if we can solve it with money, we must not easily ask for it.

Send troops overseas.

The war is fierce and dangerous! In the past, our Liao army could still take advantage by virtue of its superior weapons, but as the enemy advances, our advantage is getting smaller and smaller. Plus...!" Sun Chengzong gave Li Xiao a sideways look.

Although Xiaoyu died, the aftermath of this incident was too great. The secret recipe of gunpowder was leaked. Li Xiao was almost killed in the Shanhaiguan bombing, and Yang Sichang was almost killed in the Suzhou bombing. But death is like a light going out, Li Xiao

I don’t plan to pursue the case any further. Sun Chengzong has no choice!

"The secret recipe of gunpowder has been leaked. Our enemies are such as Baturhun Khan, or the English and Dutch. They may have obtained the secret recipe of gunpowder. It is estimated that future battles will not be so easy to fight."

"I also believe that the most important thing right now is to revitalize the domestic economy and the railway! The first thing is to speed up the laying of railways. As long as the railways are spread all over the land of China, both the flow of people and the flow of goods will be greatly improved.

Coupled with the large number of newly built factories, the production capacity of various industrial products is increasing day by day. And the maritime merchants with our support sell various industrial manufactured products of Ming Dynasty overseas. We can make a lot of money every day

money, if we live like this for ten more years, my Ming Dynasty will be extremely rich.

A rich country can only have a strong army, and a rich country must first enrich its people."

"Brother Xiao is right. The most important thing is to let the people live a good life. As long as the people are fed, clothed and live a prosperous life, even if they are forced to rebel, no one will participate. No farmers will participate.

Rebellion, it only deserves to be called a rebellion." Sun Chengzong glanced at Li Xiao appreciatively, and he agreed with Li Xiao's theory of enriching the country before enriching the people.

"If material resources were extremely abundant, commercial taxes alone could support the entire imperial finance. I would cut off the national tax on imperial grain that has been passed down for thousands of years, and the poor farmers would no longer pay any taxes." Li Xiao just said this.

After saying that, I saw several pairs of extremely excited eyes.

Sun Chengzong even forgot to put on his shoes, ran to the ground barefoot, and took Li Xiao's hand. His hands were shaking like Parkinson's disease, and he looked at Li Xiao like a gambler who won a five million lottery ticket.

"You're old! You're always sitting down and saying." At this age, you are still so excited. Li Xiao is very worried that Sun Chengzong will burst a blood vessel.

"I'm not wrong about the person! I'm not wrong about the person. Based on what you said, it doesn't matter if I, Sun Chengzong, sell you this old bone. Haha! Hahaha!" Sun Chengzong waved his claws as if they were cramping.

Li Xiao hurriedly pulled the old guy to sit down and looked at Sun Chengzong worriedly. If this guy got excited and had a heart attack, it would be too much of a loss.

Zhang Huangyan came over and helped Sun Chengzong comb his back.

"No wonder Mr. Sun is like this! In all dynasties, imperial grain and state taxes have been the heaviest burden on farmers. In China, dynasty changes occur every few hundred years. The reason is that taxes are too heavy and the people are overwhelmed.

In addition, whenever the imperial court is in its final years, the officialdom will always collapse. If the imperial court takes one point, the officials in the prefectures and counties below dare to take three points. As a result, the people are even more miserable. Life becomes a luxury.

When the time comes, it becomes inevitable to rise up.

The civil unrest that broke out in Shaanxi a few years ago was caused by the fact that the people had to eat and the tax collectors were forcing them to pay taxes."

"Every time China changes dynasties, mountains of corpses will be added to the body of China. The population has dropped sharply and the national power has declined. Then there are invasions by foreigners, and the Han people are slaughtered like lambs by the foreigners.

The people have no wealth, this is the dream of many generations. If you can really realize it, then the world will be eternal." Sun Chengzong's mood quickly calmed down, after all, he has accumulated profound self-cultivation through years of cultivation.

Li Xiao scratched his head, as if it was not too difficult to ensure that the people had no wealth. If the disasters in Shaanxi, Henan, Anhui, Northern Jiangsu and other places were not too severe, Li Xiao felt that it could be implemented now.

What's the use of the imperial court asking for so much grain from farmers? It might as well just collect commercial taxes from merchants. From ancient times to the present, we have only heard of peasants revolting, but never heard of merchants revolting.

"This matter needs to be considered in the long term. Sichuan is still fighting the rebellion, and the Central Plains has just ended and the civil strife is still recovering. There are Jungar Mongols in the northwest, and the remnants of Donglin in the south of the Yangtze River are still operating secretly. After many years of management, they have been supporting them openly and covertly.

There are many people.

In Guangdong, Guangxi and Fujian, the government's control is far inferior to that of the local clans. Many county officials even rely on the faces of the elders of the rich clans to act." Sun Chengzong patted Li Xiao on the shoulder and advised others not to be too anxious.

"Since Emperor Wanli did not go to court for twenty years, he has experienced the Apocalypse and the Chongzhen Dynasty. There were Wei Zhongxian's eunuchs and the Donglin Party who made trouble. The Ming Dynasty can be said to have a mountain of evils. Now it is really full of waste.

!" Zhang Huangyan sighed.

Li Xiao was equally depressed. Today's imperial court seems to be built on a pile of broken bricks.

In the north, except for Liaodong, the influence of the imperial court can generally only reach counties. Government orders do not enter the villages. This is the underlying political ecology.

If it's a small family, that's fine! Some families have been multiplying for generations, and their population has reached more than 10,000 people. The elders of the clan have suddenly become influential figures in the local area. When there are local issues, the county magistrate has to discuss them with them. Otherwise, the government decree

You won't be able to push it forward.

When the relationship is at a standstill, they simply incite the villagers to cause trouble. They fabricate rumors that the government is forcing the people to rebel, and then gather thousands of people. Usually at this time, the county magistrate can only admit defeat. There is a government-forced rebellion during his term.

The imperial court will definitely not bypass him for matters concerning him. Dismissal from office is the least serious matter!

"Eat food one bite at a time, and deal with things one by one. It will always get better, and it will never be like this forever."

************************************************************************ ＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊

Sun Chuanting was sitting on a chair, playing with a piece of agate as big as a human head. There were large pieces of ice in the study. The sky outside seemed to be burning, but the room was very cold.

"What does Li Zicheng mean by giving me this? My official salary is a bit thin, but I won't be moved by a mere favor." After picking at it a few times, Sun Chuanting lost interest in the agate. He was in the northwest, and caravans far and near

There are so many. It's just a large piece of agate, which can't be considered a rare item.

The muscles on Liu Zongmin's face twitched a few times, and Li Yan next to him quickly grabbed Liu Zongmin's arm.

"Sir Governor! This is just a small gift from my eldest brother. In addition to this agate, there is also a piece of mutton-fat white jade from Hotan. Here is the gift list." Li Yan quickly took the gift list out of his arms. Fortunately, he came

When I arrived, I made two preparations.

Sun Chuanting just glanced at the gift list and threw it on the table casually: "I accepted it. If you have anything to say, just say it. If you can be thorough, I will try to be thorough within the scope of my authority. But there is one thing, I will never let go. That is

Let Li Zicheng come to Xi'an on his own and accept the imperial court's offer.

Otherwise... I, the governor, cannot explain to the court that your eldest brother is registered with the court, and even the commander-in-chief often asks about him. Although the wealth is good, he must not bring trouble to himself.

.”

Li Yan felt cold. The officialdom of the Ming Dynasty was like a meat grinder. If people like Li Zicheng were put into this meat grinder, they would definitely be minced to the bone.

To put it nicely, "recruiting" means grinding you to death with a soft knife. You can't be recruited, and you can't be recruited by beating you to death. This is what Li Zicheng meant, and what Li Yan was thinking.

"Master Governor, we brothers are all used to being wild. There are many restrictions in the officialdom. Moreover, when the uprising first started, we did many wrong things. We have many grudges with people in the government. My eldest brother also doesn't want to make things difficult for the Governor.

Since we were born in the grassland, let us stay on the grassland. I just ask the Governor not to send troops to suppress us. If the Governor orders us, my eldest brother will definitely die without mercy!"

"Asshole!

Today's Ming Dynasty is no longer the court when Lord Chongzhen was there. Under the rule of Marshal Li, the Ming Dynasty was politically clear and the people lived and worked in peace and contentment. Since you are descendants of the Chinese people, you do not want to reimburse the court. Instead, you linger on the grassland. According to the temper of this governor at that time, you have already

I will send troops to conquer you."

"Please calm down, Lord Governor!" Li Yan could only speak with a bow. Li Zicheng's men now only have more than 2,000 people left. The court divided the fields. Last year, there was a locust plague, and the court also purchased locusts for disaster relief. The days of the people in Guanzhong

Things are getting better and better. Who would be addicted to becoming a bandit after living a good life? Those who got the news from home put down their butcher knives and secretly walked back to Guanzhong.

Only those who have committed heinous crimes and have official lives on their bodies dare not return to Guanzhong.

Seeing Li Yan's humble attitude, Sun Chuanting's face improved: "But you did a good job last time, and I am not an unkind person. You are still aware of the general situation! The recruitment matter can be delayed for a while.

.

At the beginning of spring this year, the imperial court wiped out 20,000 elite cavalry of the Jungar Mongolian tribe in the Bayan Ulan Sea. Now that the Mongolian grasslands are in chaos, the imperial court does not want to interfere with matters there. However, this delay is not indefinite.

Go back and tell your elder brother and let him think carefully. Recruitment is a matter of great benefit and no harm to him.

Dragging it on like this on the grassland is not a way out after all. For the future of you brothers and the future of your descendants, this governor still advises you to surrender as soon as possible."

"Thank you very much, Governor. After I return, I will definitely report to my eldest brother to make an early decision." Li Yan knew that Sun Chuanting's attitude was all due to the gift list.

"Well! You must remember not to commit crimes within the Ming Dynasty. Otherwise, this governor will not be able to protect you. Master Zu Dashouzu has asked for war several times to annihilate you, but he has been suppressed by this governor."

Sun Chuanting kept tapping his hand on the gift list to show that he did not accept Li Yan's money in vain.

"Thank you, Governor, for your thoughtfulness!" Li Yan bowed and saluted again.

"Okay! I'm going to go shopping in Xi'an these days and buy some application stuff and go back. You guys are living on the grassland, and your life must be pretty hard."

"Thank you for your concern, Mr. Governor. I will take my leave." Li Yan pulled Liu Zongmin, and the two of them walked backwards out of Sun Chuanting's study.

"Old Sun! The few thousand people left by Li Zicheng are not enough for me to cook with a spoonful. What nonsense are you talking to them about? This agate is good. I will go back and play with it for a few days." Zu Dashou walked out from behind the screen and walked to the bookcase.

, pick up the piece of agate and look left and right.

"Bring it here, you are a glutton, so be careful not to pull it out because it's in your eyes." Sun Chuanting took the agate back and put it on the bookshelf solemnly.

"You're so stingy! Isn't it just the stolen goods from bribes? Damn Li Zicheng. He only knows how to give you gifts, but he doesn't have anything to do with me. If this doesn't work, I will send troops to the grassland tomorrow to take Li Zicheng's lair to him. Let's do it.

This bastard looks down on me!" Zu Dashou felt very humiliated when his treasure was taken away. He prepared a public weapon for personal use to kill Li Zicheng, a bastard.

In other words, Li Zicheng was able to give Sun Chuanting so many things. There should be more things in his lair. Damn it, you can't miss this opportunity to make a fortune.

"No need to bother, I have already sent people to Jungar secretly. I told Batur Hutaiji's important officials the news that the person who attacked Sengge was Li Zicheng. I believe that it won't be long before the Mongols will encircle and suppress them.

Li Zicheng.

Although Li Zicheng is known as a horse thief, he is nothing in front of the Mongols. Soon he will retreat to the border of the Ming Dynasty! When the time comes, you can handle him however you want. Eat him clean, break his bones and suck out his marrow. The governor will not care.

!”

"You scholars, you have a lot of crooked intestines in your stomach. Li Zicheng's people traveled thousands of miles to give you gifts, but you are thinking about how to harm them." Zu Dashou glanced at Sun Chuanting dissatisfied. The glory of the military comes from

Military merit, without military merit, soldiers have no sense of existence. Sun Chuanting said this, Zu Dashou's idea of ​​establishing military merit again was in vain.
Chapter completed!