Secret memorial (6000)

Today was a day off, Xu Erlang originally came to visit his fiancée.

But the two never married, and they could not spend more than 15 minutes alone together in private; if they spent more, they had to go to the hall to talk.

Being alone doesn't mean being truly alone with someone; a maid must be present.

After all, what young men and women fear most is losing control of their feelings and then enthusiastically trying to soothe each other's itch.

After marriage, the husband's family usually checks the new bride's virginity; if there is no virginity, it's considered a huge loss of face.

Although the Wang family trusted Xu Erlang's character, they still had to abide by the rules and would not back down an inch.

After a quarter of an hour, Wang Simu reluctantly bid farewell to her fiancé and watched him go to her father's study to discuss matters.

"Your Excellency is putting me in a difficult position!"

Xu Xinnian gave a wry smile, but did not leave. If it were an ordinary elder saying this, he would definitely get up to take his leave, but since Chief Minister Wang was his future father-in-law, Xu Erlang's attitude was much more casual.

In fact, the solution to the bandit problem is quite simple. The imperial court's attitude towards displaced people and bandits who occupy mountains has always been to suppress them and offer them amnesty, using both carrot and stick.

The current situation is that bandits are rampant, and suppressing them is extremely difficult. The imperial court also lacks the financial resources and materials to continue disaster relief.

Therefore, this is an unsolvable problem.

The saying "Fortune favors the bold" isn't entirely accurate here, but the principle remains the same. Only by doing what others can't do can you occupy a position others can't hold.

The Grand Secretary Wang didn't force him to leave, but pushed the memorial to him. "Take a look. After His Majesty called for donations, the situation improved considerably; otherwise, it would have been much worse."

He paused for a moment, then spoke in a casual tone:

"I heard he's been spending a lot of time with the Princess lately?"

Xu Erlang picked up the document and flipped through it, then said casually:

"I occasionally discuss academic matters with Her Highness the Eldest Princess."

The Grand Secretary nodded, saying expressionlessly, "The Princess is exceptionally talented and intelligent, surpassing most men. If she were a man, she would surely be able to devise a solution to such a difficult problem."

He was hinting that I should consult with the eldest princess. Xu Xinnian smiled and said:

"The eldest princess's talent is truly admirable."

Now that the conversation had begun, Chief Minister Wang poured himself another cup of tea and blew on the scalding hot water.

"Have you heard about the Jianzhou Martial Arts Alliance?"

"I've heard a little about it." Xu Erlang nodded.

"Detailed intelligence should be arriving soon. Whether this matter is made public depends on its severity. If it's a major event, then we should postpone it."

Chief Minister Wang's idea was that if the results were fruitful, they should not be made public yet, but rather used only when drastic measures were needed.

"Xu Ningyan is at the height of his power, which is good, but it's just too good." The Grand Secretary Wang glanced at his future son-in-law and sighed.

"Your elder brother's brilliance is so dazzling that it makes you appear dim and insignificant. Others will not allow you to shine."

Xu Erlang was proud. He was about to say that his elder brother was indeed his elder brother, and that his own achievements and abilities never needed to be compared to his elder brother, nor would he feel inferior because of him.

But Xu Erlang was also clever; he immediately realized that Chief Minister Wang was not "stirring things up," but had a deeper meaning.

"Does the Grand Secretary mean that my elder brother cannot return to the imperial court?" Xu Erlang pondered.

"Giving him the empty title of the chief Nightwatchers is the limit His Majesty and the officials can accept. If he wants to return to the court, then you should be prepared to sit on the sidelines for the rest of your life."

The Prime Minister took a sip of tea and said slowly, "You two brothers need to coordinate things well."

The art of rulership always revolves around the concept of checks and balances.

If Xu Qi'an truly controlled the Nightwatchers's office, then Xu Xinnian would not be able to take over the Wang faction; the emperor would not allow it, nor would the officials.

Xu Xinnian hummed in agreement but offered no comment.

With his photographic memory, a Confucian School skill at the Aperture Opening Realm, he quickly read through the memorial and gained a detailed understanding of the severely affected areas.

"The students have finished reading; they can go back now."

Xu Erlang rose and bowed. He walked to the door, then suddenly turned back and said:

"Actually, they're not contradictory. My older brother represents the present, and I represent the future!"

He pushed open the door and left.

"Erlang, why are you so distracted?"

At the dinner table, the aunt ladled a bowl of chicken soup for her son and complained:

"You should drink some! The chicken soup Mom had the kitchen make for you all ended up in Lingyin and Lina's stomachs. All the good stuff went to those gluttons, don't you feel bad about it?"

"Mom, what's a glutton?"

Xu Lingyin gulped down the chicken soup and then asked.

"You're such a good-for-nothing!" Auntie turned and scolded.

"Huh? Aren't I Xu Lingyin?" The little boy was taken aback.

"The Spring Festival is almost here again. A whole year has passed and you haven't made any progress. Did you waste your time studying? You've only gained weight this year, not brains!"

The aunt was incredulous and heartbroken.

"But you still need to be able to read books," Second Uncle Xu and the others thought to themselves, but they were used to it and continued eating their meals.

After scolding her daughter, the aunt turned to her second uncle and said:

"Yesterday, Princess Lin'an sent a lot of jewelry and fabrics. Master, do you think that because she's been so kind to our family, she might marry Ningyan in the future?"

My aunt used to think that the two princes favored the Xu Household because they had taken a liking to her son, who was as handsome as an angel.

She later learned from her husband's explanation that she had taken a liking to her nephew, who was exceptionally skilled in martial arts.

Second Uncle Xu said with satisfaction:

"Given Ningyan's current status and position, marrying a princess is a piece of cake. Once she enters the Xu Residence, she'll even have to serve you tea. You can train her as much as you want."

Xu Erlang glanced at his father's wine pot, but didn't drink much.

Aunt said worriedly:

"While I may not be afraid of infighting within the household, she is, after all, a princess, pampered and delicate, not someone I can easily discipline."

My aunt's skills in the power struggles within the Xu Residence are unparalleled; she has always been invincible.

Xu Lingyue said softly:

"Mother, my elder brother is free-spirited and unrestrained; he's not suited to marry a princess. It's better that he doesn't become the prince consort. I've met both princesses, and they're not a good match for him."

Lina looked up, chewing her rice, and mumbled:

"I think Xu Ningyan and the princesses are a good match."

Xu Lingyue paused for a moment, looked at the little boy, and said in a soft voice:

"Mother, Lingyin is doing very well. She practices martial arts with Lina every day, and the two of them are happy and carefree."

Lina smiled proudly, then noticed that the Xu Household matriarch's gaze towards her had become more wary and hostile.

Yes, it was this silly girl who corrupted my Aunt Lingyin.

Lina: "???"

Xu Xinnian put down his chopsticks, took a sip of the chicken soup, and said:

"Recently, martial arts practitioners have gathered refugees and turned into bandits. As a result, banditry has become serious in various places, and in some areas, mountain bandits have even threatened county towns."

"Chief Minister Wang asked me if I had any good ideas; I'm precisely troubled by this matter."

The aunt said with an air of absolute confidence, "Let Ningyan wipe them out."

"The Central Plains are so vast, do you want Ningyan to be exhausted?" Second Uncle Xu said irritably, "Besides, he's still eyeing us covetously from the sidelines."

He refers to the eldest brother, Xu Pingfeng.

"Can we offer them amnesty?" Xu Lingyue was a well-educated and reasonable woman with a high level of cultural literacy.

"Offering amnesty can only be used in ordinary times. Bandits are mostly composed of displaced people; you can recruit some, but not all. Ultimately, it's still a matter of insufficient funds and supplies. If there were enough funds and supplies, the disaster would have been under control long ago."

Xu Erlang shook his head.

The problems left over from the reign of the late Emperor Yuanjing all erupted during this cold disaster.

My second uncle was a soldier and knew the ropes well. Looking at my aunt, he said:

"Alright, then don't bother letting Lingyin learn to read and write. Let her join the army. Maybe in three to five years, she'll come back as a marquis with ten thousand households, bringing glory to the family and making you a noblewoman."

The aunt was so angry she almost fought with her husband, feeling that of the whole family, only she had the most normal parenting views.

I will never abandon or give up on Lingyin.

Seeing that his wife was Qi Ingestion, Second Uncle Xu asked the little boy:

"Lingyin, what would you do if someone tried to bully you?"

"Fight back!" the little boy declared confidently.

"What if we can't beat them?" Second Uncle Xu asked.

Xu Lingyin thought for a moment and said, "Then if I become friends with them, they won't bully me anymore."

"You kid, your ideological awareness is lacking. If you lose a battle, you'll most likely become a traitor, "Second Uncle Xu thought to himself.

After finishing his meal, Xu Erlang returned to his study, deep in thought.

He lit a candle, leaned back in his chair, and began to ponder.

As scholars, whenever we encounter a difficult problem, our first thought is to consult historical records.

Learn from history and draw lessons from the experiences of our ancestors.

"In historical records, each dynasty dealt with the chaos at the end of its reign in one of two ways: suppression or appeasement. Suppression was more common because by the end of each dynasty, the conflict between the court and the people had reached a point where war was the only solution."

"The prerequisite for accepting amnesty is having money and grain, and relinquishing some of the benefits. The imperial court can use amnesty to solve some bandit problems, but it cannot solve all bandit problems through amnesty."

"If we could have done that, the current chaos wouldn't exist."

Relying on his exceptional memory, Xu Erlang analyzed and recalled the contents of historical records, and his first conclusion was:

The Great Feng is not yet at its wits' end, unlike most dynasties that are corrupt at the end of their reigns.

It's not rotten enough yet.

This is a good thing.

"At this juncture, if the rebels in Yunzhou were to launch a rebellion, it would be the final straw that breaks the camel's back. How can we resolve this bandit problem?"

Xu Xinnian felt increasingly helpless as he thought about it, and his head began to ache more and more.

He finally understood why the Prime Minister Wang's health was deteriorating to the point that medicine was no longer effective.

Ultimately, it was exhaustion and overwork that led to illness.

At that moment, Lingyin's words suddenly flashed through his mind.

It was as if a beam of light had struck his mind.

"Let's be friends, let's be friends"

Xu Xinnian opened his eyes, his eyeballs bloodshot, but his expression was extremely excited. He spread out Xuan paper, ground the ink, and picked up his brush to write:

"The disaster is severe now, and bandits are rampant, causing havoc in the region. The court can use three strategies. One is to offer amnesty. For large-scale bandits, the strategy of offering amnesty should be adopted, and the surrendered bandits should be allowed to suppress other bandits."

"Secondly, we should send troops to annihilate them. For small-scale mobs, we should resolutely wipe them out and leave no future troubles."

"Third, emulate the martial arts world, send skilled fighters deep into the countryside, gather refugees, and establish themselves as mountain kings."

This was something that Lingyin's words inspired him to do.

Making the imperial court and the refugees "friends" would, of course, not be possible to gather all the refugees, but it would at least alleviate the current burden on the imperial court and greatly reduce the harm caused by bandits to the people.

Xu Erlang continued writing:

"This task must be undertaken by a loyal and righteous person; those with a bad reputation or bad character should not be appointed; their families must be closely monitored as hostages."

After finishing writing, Xu Erlang began to ponder, feeling that something was still missing, but after his initial enthusiasm dissipated, he began to feel mentally exhausted and somewhat powerless.

He glanced at the water drain and realized it was already 1:45 AM; he had been sitting at his desk for a full two hours.

early morning.

Xu Qi'an got up early to wash up, then spread out a map on the table. The merchant ship's destination was Yuzhou.

Upon arriving in Yuzhou, they would need to change to other modes of transportation.

"Once we arrive in Yuzhou, let's fly using the Floating Pagoda. As an aerial fortress, the Floating Pagoda's defenses are solid; its only problem is its limited range."

The energy of Law Treasure comes from its owner or is accumulated by itself.

Law Treasure that has lost its master's control usually has poor battery life.

Just like the Taiping Blade, you can accumulate blade energy on a daily basis, but it can only be used temporarily. Once it's used up, you have to accumulate it again.

This is the same principle as a warrior whose energy is exhausted and who is unable to fight anymore.

Therefore, Xu Qi'an usually doesn't use the Floating Pagoda for travel; he only takes it out as a shelter when he encounters danger and uses it to escape.

Suddenly, a feeling of palpitations came over me.

He naturally took out the fragment of the Earth Book and examined the message.

[One: I have a question for you all, concerning banditry in various regions.]

[Second: Suppressing bandits? I'm good at that. Organize an army, attack them one by one, and eradicate them completely. It's that simple.]

Li Miaozhen quickly sent a reply.

It seems the imperial court has also noticed this hidden danger. The end of every dynasty is marked by internal and external troubles, sometimes with internal troubles being far more terrifying than external threats. Xu Qi'an, currently troubled by the banditry, replied to the Holy Maiden of the Heavenly Sect:

[Three: Miaozhen, it's clearly not that simple. Although force can solve everything, it also needs sufficient financial backing. If the imperial court had the ability to eradicate all bandits, the influx of displaced people wouldn't be so rampant.]

[Two: So what should you do? Tell me.]

The Holy Maiden's emotionally charged message appeared on the Earth Book belonging to the members of the Heaven and Earth Society.

[First: Gentlemen, I have three plans. Please allow me to finish.]

After a while, Huaiqing's message arrived in segments, containing three strategies in total, totaling about two hundred words.

[Three: Is this His Highness's plan? Brilliant!]

Without saying a word, Xu Qi'an immediately started flattering him.

[One: These are Xu Erlang's three plans. This morning he came to the palace to visit me, seeking my advice and suggestions to fill in any gaps.]

Erlang's plan? Xu Qi'an was taken aback.

He thought sourly, "When did Erlang get so close to Huaiqing?"

[Second: These three strategies are excellent. I dare not say they will definitely solve the bandit problem, but they can greatly curb the trend of displaced people becoming a disaster.]

Li Miaozhen may not be good at coming up with ideas, but she has a good eye for talent.

[Four: The third plan won't work!]

At this moment, Chu Yuanzhen stepped forward to express his opinion.

[One: Brother Chu, please speak.]

The others also quieted down and didn't interrupt. Chu Yuanzhen was the top scholar in the imperial examination, exceptionally talented, and had a wealth of experience. He was one of the intellectual leaders of the Heaven and Earth Society.

[Four: What do we rely on to gather refugees? First, military force; second, money and provisions. Both are indispensable. Without sufficient military force, we cannot gain power. Without sufficient money and provisions, no one will be willing to follow us.]

[So where will the money and food come from? But the phrase "robbery and plunder" is too much. The court sent experts to gather refugees, so it's impossible for them to give money and food. Wouldn't it be more appropriate to use that money for disaster relief?]

Even a skilled cook can't cook without rice, so they can only resort to robbery and looting, which will only exacerbate the disaster and make the situation worse.

[One: Brother Chu, what are your thoughts?]

Xu Erlang came to see her because of this issue.

Unable to provide an answer, she decided to consult the members of the Heaven and Earth Society, who, apart from Lina, were all intelligent people.

Chu Yuanzhen did not disappoint her; he immediately saw the flaw in the third strategy.

The third strategy is of paramount importance in resolving the bandit problem.

[Four: Your Highness, this has stumped me.]

Chu Yuanzhen couldn't think of a solution in a short time.

[Part Two: How about using war to sustain war?]

Based on her own experience, Li Miaozhen offered a solution.

[Seven: The foolish Li Miaozhen, for the refugees, robbing the people's money and food is far easier and simpler than going on a long journey to deal with an armed force that is also a refugee organization.]

Nobody's a fool; it's human nature to seek advantage and avoid harm. If you force your subordinates to do that, they'll turn against you within two tries.

Li Lingsu jumped out.

Although he is dead in reality, he can still strike hard online.

Li Miaozhen was furious: [Second: Then tell me, what's your plan?]

The Holy Son went diving, and there was nothing he could do.

[1: Actually, Li Miaozhen's idea has some merit. She could have the imperial court use the pretext of robbing money and grain to suppress another bandit group. However, this kind of thing cannot be done frequently, and it is impossible to make a living from it.]

[How will the forces supported by the imperial court rise to power? How will they make a living? Will they only be able to plunder the people? But that, as Brother Chu said, will only make the situation worse. Xu Ningyan, what are your thoughts?]

Xu Qi'an remained silent for a long time, forcing Huaiqing to take the initiative to "@ him".

What can I do? I've already donated all the profits from the chicken essence to disaster relief. I'm good at fighting and solving cases, but don't ask me to handle matters of governance. Xu Qi'an thought to himself as he racked his brains.

His greatest advantage lies in his knowledge gained from his previous life.

For example, the strategy of providing work relief, but this strategy was not suitable for the Great Feng at that time.

Small-scale use is fine, unless the Great Feng Dynasty wants to extend the roads to the countryside.

Wait a minute, it seems there really is a way. Xu Qi'an's heart stirred, and he thought of a bold idea.

But he didn't speak; his expression was conflicted and hesitant.

[Part 1: Xu Ningyan?]

Huaiqing urged him again.

[Three: Robbery is the only way out, but the targets are not ordinary people. They are landlords, gentry, wealthy and unscrupulous merchants, and the scholar-official class.]

A sudden silence fell over the Heaven and Earth Society.

"Is he insane?!" The thought flashed through everyone's minds.

Even Li Miaozhen, who robbed the rich to help the poor, thought Xu Qi'an was reckless and had come up with a terrible idea.

[Four: Without the support of the local gentry, the chaos will only worsen.]

In this era, imperial power did not extend to the countryside, and local gentry and prominent families played an important role in maintaining stability at the grassroots level.

[Three: No, Brother Chu, you are wrong. The interests of the group outweigh the interests of one person. The interests of the majority outweigh the interests of the minority. As long as you can satisfy the interests of the vast majority, you will gain their support and you will never lose.]

The current predicament of the Great Feng is caused by the refugees. As long as the people can be fed, the chaos will only ease, not worsen. In addition, the survival of the court is irrelevant to the gentry and landlords. In years of great disaster, they will exploit the poor even more. Those who hold the land are enemies of the court and enemies of the people.

The key point is that all of this was done by displaced people and bandits, so what does it have to do with the imperial court? It won't exacerbate the conflict between the imperial court and the scholar-official class. On the contrary, it will encourage those classes that control vast resources to participate in the suppression of bandits.

[Or they might donate money or organize a militia to resist. Whichever way, their willingness to contribute money and food can alleviate the current food shortage. Someone will always benefit from this, earning money and food.]

Mobilize the proletariat!

Silence fell within the Heaven and Earth Society; no one spoke for a long time.

After a while, Chu Yuanzhen sent a letter:

[But don't forget, most people in the court are what you call the scholar-official class, and those officials who retired to their hometowns were the gentry.]

[Three: Therefore, this matter must be classified as confidential, and even the officials of the court must not know about it. The experts sent out must be of commoner origin and be extremely loyal to the royal family.]

[Or, chivalrous individuals like Li Miaozhen. Furthermore, the character of these dispatched experts must be guaranteed. They must not indiscriminately kill innocent people; ideally, they should only rob, not kill, targeting the wealthy and ruthless, those with a bad reputation.]

He could only add a sentence in his mind.

Xu Qi'an knew that even if he was extremely careful and cautious when his plan was adopted, innocent people would still be affected.

That's why he hesitated just now.

But his past life's experience taught him that once he elevated his perspective to the level of the entire country and society, he could not judge problems based on simple good and evil.

The disaster is raging, with a massive influx of refugees and people dying every day.

More people will die in the future.

Those in power should strive to stabilize social order as quickly as possible, rather than hesitate and shirking responsibility due to the possibility of innocent casualties.

A kind heart cannot command an army; similarly, a kind heart cannot hold power.

The Earth Book chat group fell silent again. Despite being separated by thousands of miles, Xu Qi'an seemed to hear their heavy breathing.

Or, there are trembling hands.

[Part 4: Xu Ningyan, you've really gone mad!]

Chu Yuanzhen, a traditional scholar, found it somewhat unacceptable.

No one spoke. After a long while, Chu Yuanzhen sent another message: "[But I must admit, this is a feasible method, despite its huge hidden dangers.]"

Li Miaozhen suddenly sent a letter: [If it has to be this way, I hope that I am the one who robs the local gentry.]

This is the only way to minimize indiscriminate killing.

[Four: I will try to gather a group of refugees, but plundering the local gentry will not be easy; they usually live in the city.]

[One: You all possess fragments of the Earth Book and can fly on swords, so these are not problems.]

Huaiqing was even more ruthless than them; she had already agreed with and accepted Xu Qi'an's suggestion.

[Six: Amitabha Buddha, this humble monk does not know how to choose.]

[Seven: Count me in.]

Li Lingsu delivered a speech.

[Two: You? Li Lingsu, this isn't like you. Shouldn't you be all that matters, like sleeping with women is the most important thing in the world?]

Li Lingsu angrily sent a letter: [In your eyes, am I really that bad? Li Miaozhen, we are, after all, fellow disciples, can't you hope for something good about me?]

[Two: No, sorry!]

"."

Li Lingsu took a deep breath and sent the message:

[This is the essence of transcending emotions—not being bound or disturbed by them. It benefits the greater good and all living beings, preventing one from being swayed by momentary pity or sympathy, and perfectly controlling one's emotions. Isn't this the state our master wants us to reach?]

This time, Li Miaozhen didn't argue.

At this point, no one spoke.

On that day, Emperor Yongxing received a secret memorial submitted to the palace by Xu Xinnian, a junior compiler in the Hanlin Academy.

A secret memorial was a memorial submitted directly to the emperor without going through the cabinet.

Emperor Yongxing sat behind his large desk, gazing at the secret reports spread out on it, remaining silent for a long time.

PS: Updated first, revised later.