Kong Ming and Jia Xu also made secret visits to nearby counties and counties. After returning, Kong Ming sighed: "Gongsun Zan will be gone soon."
Xu Yin smiled and said, "Is it because this man is a militant? Although he has made great achievements in fighting against Wu Heng and Xianbei, he has a strong warlord style. Whether it is the common people or the powerful nobles, he is waiting for him?"
Jia Xu said with a smile: "It's just a matter of waiting and waiting. We are expropriating grain and taxing together without any distinction. It is indeed fair, haha."
Kong Ming said helplessly: "This is not a good thing. He can defend it for a while with strong force, but the hearts of the people and the common people are lost, and defeat will happen sooner or later.
Especially when he killed Liu Bo'an, the former shepherd of Youzhou, a clan member of the Han Dynasty. Liu Bo'an was an upright official, treated the people with benevolence and righteousness, and was obeyed by both scholars and common people. He was a frightened foreign minister like Xianbei, Wuhuan, Fuyu, and Haoqi. He never paid tribute at all times, and his prestige was extremely high.
.
Gongsun Zan killed him and did not appease the common people, so the foundation has already been shaken."
Jia Xu snorted coldly, "Liu Bei and Liu Shijun are not simple. Gongsun Zan's side is aggressive and aggressive, and conquests are violent. Liu Shijun broadcasts benevolence and righteousness in Zhuozhou, rests with the people, and people's hearts gradually return. If there is no chaos in Jizhou, I'm afraid Youzhou
Sooner or later there will be chaos."
Kong Ming said: "It will be hard to tell when Gongsun Zan officially sends troops to Jizhou."
Xu Yin smiled mysteriously and said: "The powerful nobles in the rear have been wiped out. Wouldn't it be more conducive to starting from scratch?"
Kong Ming and Jia Xu first frowned upon hearing this, and then looked at Xu Yin in horror.
Xu Yin said coldly: "Crying all the way is like crying as a family."
At this time, Gongsun Zan had gathered an army of 40,000 troops, which left Jixian and passed through Fanyang County.
Liu Bei immediately led a group of troops out of the city to greet him.
Gongsun Zan temporarily stationed outside Zhuoxian County and collected some grain and grass from Liu Bei, but did not agree to Liu Bei's request to accompany the army to the battle.
Xu Yin did not go out to see Gongsun Zan, as he was not interested in this person.
Instead, Kong Ming and Jia Xu had a bet in the county government office.
Jia Xu said: "Let's guess what Gongsun Zan's purpose is for staying here. Hey, don't tell us yet, write it down, and then exchange it with each other."
Kong Ming smiled, took a piece of bamboo and started writing on it, then frowned and looked up at Xu Yin.
"Teacher, why don't you let the Lianghuai Chamber of Commerce increase the production of paper, so that you won't still use bamboo pieces to write."
In this world, just like the original history, papermaking also appeared during the Eastern Han Dynasty.
However, the technology is not developed, and the quality of the paper produced is very poor. The better paper can even be used directly as currency, and most aristocratic families will accept it.
Jia Xu had finished writing and raised his head and asked doubtfully: "The Lianghuai Chamber of Commerce knows how to make paper? Will they listen to you?"
Xu Yin smiled and did not answer Jia Xu. He only said: "It's not yet time. By controlling production now, we can harvest the wealth of other local aristocratic families to the maximum extent. When our efforts are needed, we will naturally increase the intensity of production."
Jia Xu looked around and asked: "What are you plotting? Paper can be used directly as money. Papermaking is generally in the hands of wealthy families. Are you not afraid of being swallowed up by others?"
Kong Ming said: "The Huaihe and Huaihe chambers of commerce also have their own strongholds and strength. Otherwise, how can they do business in troubled times?"
"Tsk, tsk, why don't you fight for the world on your own and insist on borrowing others' shells to lay eggs?"
Kong Ming said: "This is the secular concept. With Wang Mang's clear guidance in front, the Taiping Road in front and behind, and before the noble families are weakened, any common people who rise up to fight for the world will only lose."
Jia Xu smiled and said: "You are quite self-aware."
He glanced at Xu Yin and turned the bamboo piece over. It read: "Wealthy Family."
On Kong Ming's bamboo piece, there are two characters "Liu Yu" written on it.
The two looked at each other and smiled. They were both smart people, so there was no need to explain too much.
Xu Yin said: "We have already started to take action."
Outside the county government, soldiers and horses surged and blocked every street.
Not long after, Gongsun Zan's soldiers drove out the entire families of several well-known wealthy families living in the city.
"Gongsun is a thief! Gongsun is a thief! You and I are incompatible! You will be punished by God one day!"
"We are not guilty, so why are you facing each other with swords?"
From time to time, shouts and curses could be heard from the crowd who were being driven out and tied up.
There were also the frightened cries of old, weak, women and children.
However, Gongsun Zan was nowhere to be seen. A general came over on horseback, holding a silk book in his hand, and read: "The four families of Pang, Yu, Kou, and Chen in Zhuo County secretly communicated with Liu Yu's cronies and planned to launch a rebellion.
My lord has been ordered by the imperial court to attack the traitors in Jizhou. When fighting foreign forces, we must first pacify the domestic situation. We have issued special orders to deal with the rebels with military law!"
The detained crowd panicked, and someone shouted: "Gongsun is a thief who used the imperial decree to unjustly kill good people! Those people are traitors to the country! If you attack the nobles with swords, they will be wiped out!"
The general sneered, "Search your home! Exterminate your clan! Behead!"
The heads of several families and their direct descendants were executed on the spot, and the rest were taken away and imprisoned in dungeons to be left to their own devices. All the family property was confiscated and rewarded to the soldiers.
As for the manor outside the city, it was also seized as a public house, and all the stored grain was collected to provide military ration for this expedition.
After Gongsun Zan finished doing this, he led the army on the road.
At this time, Liu Bei returned to the county office with a gloomy face and said to Xu Yin: "Brother Bogui was too impulsive. Just because he didn't have enough food before the expedition, he turned against the nobles of Youzhou.
Under the guise of imperial orders, we forcefully borrow grain from the common people and gentry powerful men in Beiping, Yuyang, Jixian, and Zhuozhou counties. If we don't borrow, we will destroy the entire clan. It's really too cruel."
Xu Yin said: "What should Ambassador Liu do?"
Liu Bei nodded and said: "Bei really couldn't sit back and watch such cruel things happen, so he secretly sent people to rescue the families of various clans. Fortunately, General Zhao Yun and Zhao Zilong from the Black Mountain Army helped me, otherwise Brother Bogui would have discovered it.
.Well, this is the best I can do."
Xu Yin was a little surprised that Zhao Yun actually belonged to the Black Mountain Army at this time?!
Historically, the Black Mountain Army and Gongsun Zan often joined forces to fight against Yuan Shao. There must have been contact between the two forces. Maybe Zhao Yun was sent by Zhang Yan to temporarily serve under Gongsun Zan for liaison.
That's why Zhao Yun later chose to follow Liu Bei to start a business, because when he was in Gongsun Zan's army, Zhang Yan could no longer control him, and Gongsun Zan did not regard him as a direct descendant.
If you want to get ahead, it is obviously a better way for a warrior like Liu Bei who comes from a commoner background to follow you, a lord who believes in benevolence and righteousness in troubled times, is a clan member of the Han Dynasty, and is capable.
"Liu Shijun's move must have won the favor of the nobles from all over Youzhou, and the next thing will be much easier to handle."
Liu Bei looked at Xu Yin doubtfully, "What does the Immortal mean by this?"
Xu Yin threw a letter to Liu Bei. When Liu Bei opened it, his expression changed drastically.