After coming out of the mansion, Zhuge Liang and Xu Shu walked slowly with Shen Chen.
Liu Bei had just received the seal of Jingzhou today, so naturally he couldn't issue orders right away. Now he has been accompanying Liu Qi and caring about his physical illness. The three of them had a free day and went out to take a look.
The three of them did not ride in a carriage, but just walked along the street. Unknowingly, they arrived at the door of a restaurant.
It just so happened that this restaurant was opened by Deng Hong. It was here that Shen Chen and Xu Shu and Pang Tong met for the first time. At that time, they had a debate with Wang Can, Xu Shu, Pang Tong and others.
"I'm hungry and a little tired."
Xu Shu looked at the restaurant, stretched out and said, "Xiaoqing, don't you invite us in?"
Shen Chen said in surprise: "The eldest son hosted a banquet for General Zuo in the mansion just now. The banquet was rich. Didn't Brother Yuanzhi have enough to eat?"
Xu Shu pouted: "The food on that table tastes like chewing wax, how can it be as delicious as yours? Besides, when the eldest son suddenly said those words, I was shocked and didn't dare to move my chopsticks."
Shen Chen smiled and said: "I'm afraid it's not that I don't dare to use the chopsticks, but that the food is not to Brother Yuanzhi's taste. Brother Yuanzhi is used to eating, and he only stares at me as he eats."
But no matter what method he uses, he can engage in internal affairs in Yizhou, but not in Jingzhou.
"Um."
At the same time, we must deal with aristocratic families with great violence, reduce farmland, investigate hidden households, and free slaves.
However, the common people are still living a very poor life. For example, the farmers in Nanyang currently have only enough food and clothing. When encountering famine or war, their ten houses are empty. The people in other places are also similar. They will not die of hunger in a good harvest year, let alone I still want to have plenty.
Jingzhou is quite different.
"Really?"
However, if there is no restructuring, under the old order, it would be unrealistic for Liu Bei to make Jingzhou prosperous and strong and have a group of elite soldiers in his hands to attack Cao Cao in the north.
Shen Chen smiled and said: "Brother, this is easy first and then difficult. The direction is right, but this difficulty is also the most important point. People need good land to survive, but these lands are occupied by aristocratic families. If we attack them, brother I will ostracize myself from my fellow countrymen."
When Cheng Yu plundered his hometown, it was not the powerful families but the people at the bottom who were harmed.
This is the biggest problem.
Just like Zhuge Liang's internal affairs in Yizhou in history, he had to deal with the internal affairs first, stabilize the people's hearts, fill the treasury, have sufficient finances, and train the soldiers before he can leave Qishan and revive the Han Dynasty.
Even Xu Shu looked at him with suspicion.
Zhuge Liang smiled bitterly and said: "If we don't do this, how can we strengthen the army and strengthen the state? Although Cao Cao returned with a great defeat, my lord has newly conquered Jingzhou. There are insufficient troops and horses, and the people's hearts are unstable. If we can't change the system, we can give the state a new look. How can we defeat Cao Cao in this situation?"
Therefore, seeing that neither Shen Chen nor Xu Shu could come up with any good ideas, Zhuge Liang planned to change the system himself.
certainly.
Liu Bei has just taken over the power of the state capital. If he wants to make a difference, he must not only solve external conflicts, but also solve internal problems, such as the food and clothing of the people, the strength of the troops and horses, sufficient food and grass, and the unity of the superiors and so on.
Although Zhuge Liang is not from Jingzhou, he now belongs to a large family in Jingzhou.
Therefore, it is by no means a simple matter to handle these internal affairs issues well.
Brother Xindao is indeed so smart that he can actually discern some clues through some clues.
Therefore, if Zhuge Liang thought that Shen Chen secretly poisoned Liu Biao and Liu Qi, then he was really wronged. He only knew the history and was not crazy enough to poison Liu Biao and Liu Qi.
Nothing here is easy to deal with.
"Hahahahaha."
As the first restaurant in Xiangyang City to start cooking stir-fries, Xu Shu never wanted to leave. Whenever he had the opportunity, he invited Shen Chen to cook a meal for him, and he knew the menu by heart.
Therefore, Zhuge Liang will be under great pressure when engaging in internal affairs in Jingzhou.
However, the internal affairs issues are extremely complicated and cannot be explained clearly in a few sentences. They include class conflicts, land issues, official issues, military issues, and powerful family issues, etc., which makes Jingzhou feel like it is dying. The old man exudes an air of age.
"Hmm."
Therefore, if Zhuge Liang and Shen Chen handle this matter, it will be very troublesome, even counterproductive, and cause unpredictable results.
Shen Chen said with a smile: "It was my sixth maternal ancestor who understood the great righteousness, and for the sake of the eldest grandson of the King of Chu and the second and third sons, he urged the eldest son to hand over the state affairs to General Zuo. Besides, the eldest son was seriously ill and could not survive, so it was helpless. Lift.
Reform is necessary.
It's not that he's lazy, it's that he doesn't need to plan at all.
He suspected it was Shen Chen.
"That's not true."
The two sisters married the Kuai family and the Pang family, and he married a daughter of the Huang family. If he wanted to take advantage of those who had vested interests, he would first have to attack the two brothers-in-law's families and his own father-in-law's family. His reputation would probably be overnight. It's going to stink up the streets.
And if there is to be reform, a bold person must stand up, act decisively, and take control of the entire situation.
Zhuge Liang narrowed his eyes, his eyes were as cunning as a fox, as if he had the ability to see into people's hearts.
So Zhuge Liang became suspicious. Could there be an invisible hand behind this?
Xu Shu said with a sly smile.
Shen Chen smiled and said: "Brother, don't accuse someone of innocence out of thin air. This is something the eldest son has realized. He knows that only Duke Xuande can make the decision in Jingzhou. How can you say it was me who planned it?"
After Shen Chen came in, the shopkeeper broke into a cold sweat when he saw him. He hurriedly walked over and lowered his head and said, "The young master's family is here."
"But why is Xiaoqing so sure that the day when the King of Chu proclaims himself emperor is when the Lord conquers Jingzhou? How does he know that after the King of Chu proclaims himself emperor, he will suffer a series of blows and die?"
Zhuge Liang asked.
"Can't do it."
However, precisely because the planning was very rough and the previous words were too firm, everything developed too smoothly. It has been less than three years since Liu Biao proclaimed himself emperor, and Liu Bei really won Jingzhou as Shen Chen said.
Once Liu Biao dies, all he needs to do is unite with Liu Qi to defeat Liu Cong and seize Jingzhou. After Liu Qi dies of illness, it will be a matter of course for Liu Bei to capture Jingzhou.
Shen Chen asked: "How long does brother plan to take to govern?"
"Then will Xiaoqing let me eat it?"
"That won't work either."
Shen Chen naturally couldn't admit it and argued sophistry: "Brother, don't suspect that I am behind the instigation. Everyone knows that I have been favored by the King of Chu, and I have a good relationship with the eldest son, and I have lived and died for the great cause of the King of Chu. How can I have the intention to betray the Lord?" ?”
Zhuge Liang smiled and said, "I just thought there was something fishy in it. When my lord came to Longzhong to look for me, he told me that Xiaoqing was planning for him. When the King of Chu proclaims himself emperor, my lord can get Jingzhou. I was thinking at that time, King Chu Even if he was powerful and proclaimed emperor, how could his lord conquer Jingzhou? As a result, in less than two years, the King of Chu passed away, the great foundation fell into pieces, and my lord won in the chaos."
At the local level, barbarians should be appeased and land should be distributed to the landless people.
Shen Chen poured himself a glass of water to cover up his guilty conscience.
Xu Shu looked at Zhuge Liang, then at Shen Chen, and then asked: "Kong Ming, you said this was Xiaoqing's plan. What evidence do you have?"
"Of course it is"
However, he maintained a calm expression on his face, but his heart was extremely shocked.
For example, those traffickers abducted women and sold them to remote mountainous areas, where they were bought as wives by people in mountain villages. The police learned the news and went to rescue them, but the whole village came out to confront the police.
Fortunately, Zhuge Liang just felt that the matter was too coincidental, so he asked tentatively, but there was no evidence.
Deng Hong was lobbying behind Liu Qi, so who was behind Deng Hong?
It’s not you Shen Chen yet.
They also found people hiding in the mountains, persuaded them to come down from the mountains, compiled household registrations, distributed land, and solved poverty.
Because he is not a native of Yizhou, there is no need to care about the interests of these powerful Yizhou families. If he offends him, he will be offended. Those people can't make any trouble.
Shen Chen shrugged: "One day you can make me poor."
Even if we get the entire south, there is still a big gap compared with the entire north in terms of population and productivity.
Xu Shu also saw something was wrong at this time. Zhuge Liang stared at Shen Chen, so he asked: "Brother, is there something on my face?"
Otherwise, he might really reveal something.
The local atmosphere in the Han Dynasty was extremely strong. Fellow villagers would gather together in other places to keep warm, and they were called township parties. In the local area, they would exclude outsiders together and help their relatives but not take care of them.
The same will be true once he comes to preside over reforms.
Xu Shu ordered some of the restaurant's specialties as she recalled her treasures.
Just plunder the people in your hometown and make them into dried meat.
Friends who are familiar with history know that although history is written by the people, at least history books are not.
Zhuge Liang's brows suddenly furrowed, and Xu Shu also looked thoughtful.
Although Shen Chen followed Liu Qi and had different political positions from Liu Cong, because of the relationship between Deng Hong and Cai, the restaurant did not suffer any blow and continued to operate normally.
Therefore, in such an era with a strong atmosphere of the rural party, as a member of it, you often have to follow this subtle rule.
Zhuge Liang rolled his eyes, and then said: "Now General Zuo has captured Jingzhou, but Jingzhou is also in a state of turmoil, with various factions fighting each other, the military in the state is in ruins, the officials and soldiers are resentful, there is no wealth, and there are too many officials and soldiers. You guys What do you think it should be?”
The same goes for Shen Chen.
The reason why Shen Chen and Xu Shu hesitated was because forcing reforms would jeopardize the interests of those with vested interests. Officials at all levels and wealthy families in Jingzhou would definitely be resentful.
Zhuge Liang smiled and said: "It sounds easy, but you should come up with a practical plan."
Xu Shu pondered for a long time, gritted his teeth and said: "Then let me do this. I am not from Jingzhou and I have no clan in Jingzhou. I think it will be better."
Land and population reform will inevitably take food from their mouths.
"I hope so."
Zhuge Liang pondered: "Xiao Qing once said that warm water boils frogs. The current situation in Jingzhou is not suitable for radical changes. If the system is forced to change, the families will be separated and the people will not live. Therefore, I plan to start with the army and officials, abolish the old and weak soldiers, and investigate and deal with corrupt officials. , it may take three to five years, or even longer, to have elite soldiers and generals in the shilling's army, and the local government can be politically clear, and then the people's livelihood can be improved step by step."
Shen Chen also nodded and said: "Back then, I proposed a plan to the King of Chu. I took in the remnants of the Yellow Turbans and hundreds of thousands of refugees from Guanzhong, Henan and other places, reclaimed wasteland, and cultivated people's fields. In the past few years, the King of Chu's palace had a strong treasury and a lot of food and grass. The King of Chu conscripted troops aggressively for this purpose, and he felt that he could conquer the world with anger, but it was overturned in an instant, leaving many consequences, and it really needs to be rectified."
Zhuge Liang nodded slightly, then looked at Shen Chen and said, "But if you say that the eldest son can think of that, I don't believe it. There might be someone behind it."
But if we do this in Jingzhou, the resistance will be very great. The two sisters' husband's family, father-in-law's family, and all parties will come under pressure one after another.
Abolish the incompetent in the officialdom, combat corruption and promote integrity, and select and appoint talented people.
Therefore, when he gave Liu Bei advice, the content was very rough, with only a general direction and no detailed planning.
He was also very smart in the way he did things. He knew that the resistance was huge and he was afraid of causing a strong backlash and causing anger and resentment like many of Wang Mang's policies. Therefore, he did not choose a radical approach, but planned to proceed step by step, first difficult and then easy, and deal with it step by step.
Zhuge Liang said: "There are so many variables here that no one can guarantee. And it's not just the King of Chu, it's the same now. Seeing that the eldest son has retaken Jingzhou and our plan to conquer the south is about to fail, the son suddenly becomes seriously ill and has no choice but to return the power to the king." My lord, Xiaoqing seems to know when something will happen to the King of Chu and the eldest son, which makes me quite puzzled."
Xu Shu and Shen Chen looked at each other, slightly hesitant.
Xu Shu laughed and stepped into the restaurant: "You are a rich man who has to live in poverty. Even my son, my grandson, and his children and grandchildren will not be able to live in poverty for you for who knows how many generations."
This is actually about reforming internal affairs.
Although he doesn't have a sister or a wife, he does have a clan.
Learn from Cheng Yu.
"It's all just a coincidence."
But it’s not that easy to learn from Cheng Yu.
For example, in the military, we eliminate the old and the weak, retain the elite, and train soldiers.
Nanyang and Jiangxia are often at war, but Nanjun, Zhangling and Jingnan are relatively stable. There are many powerful families. The relationships inside are intricate and complex. It can be said that one move can affect the whole body.
And it's not just him.
It's just that things haven't been peaceful recently, and business hasn't been very good. There weren't many customers at noon, and the shopkeeper and the waiter were taking a nap there out of boredom.
Because of the township party issue.
Therefore, Shen Chen dissuaded Zhuge Liang from engaging in internal affairs in Jingzhou.
The aristocratic family owns a large amount of land and population, hides its property, does not pay taxes, does not pay gifts, does not serve the state government, oppresses the people, hides clan soldiers, and becomes an internal disaster.
Seeing their hesitation, Zhuge Liang said softly: "I will do this."
Xu Shu scratched his head and said: "The King of Chu is already old. After he became emperor, he suffered repeated blows and suffered several defeats. It is normal for him to die suddenly."
When he was crowned with the crown, which aristocratic family didn’t send someone to give him a gift?
The people at the bottom are not considered human beings, so even if Cheng Yu did those things, no one would seek justice for them.
The only thing that is not a problem is that there is still some surplus in Xiangyang's treasury, and there is sufficient food and grass, so there will not be a food shortage.
Naturally, Shen Chen knew that he actually knew the death dates of Liu Biao and Liu Qi accurately, so he quietly waited for the opportunity.
If you believe Shen Chen's words, then you will be called a ghost.
Just like Shang Yang's reform, it touched the interests of the old aristocrats, and was eventually liquidated by the old aristocrats. The five horses were cut into pieces, and the chariot was torn apart and died.
At that time, after experiencing the Yellow Turban Rebellion and Dong Zhuo's Rebellion, there were no powerful families in Cheng Yu's hometown. The capable ones had already fled, leaving only some poor people who could not escape.
Because he knew that Liu Biao would die of illness last year and Liu Qi would die of illness this year.
Although they are not afraid of death, facing such a powerful old force, everyone will hesitate a little.
"The eldest son's actions today were planned by you, right?"
"That's natural."
In the Shen Dynasty, Zhuge Liang and Xu Shu all lived in the south for a long time, and they all knew how serious the internal problems in Jingzhou were.
Now that Jingzhou has just been pacified, it is in a mess internally and must be rectified to strengthen the army and the state so that Liu Bei has the strength to attack Cao Cao in the north.
Not to mention the Han Dynasty, this kind of thing is common in later generations and the new era.
After ordering the food, the three of them went to the attic private room. The door was closed. Zhuge Liang sat on the table and stared at Shen Chen with a smile. Xu Shu called him several times, but Zhuge Liang didn't respond.
Zhuge Liang smiled slightly, said nothing, and followed the two of them in.
Shen Chen shook his head and said: "At least it can't be done now, and it shouldn't be done by my brother."
Otherwise, if we continue to be so bad, even if we have 200,000 troops, we will still be a bunch of rabble.
Shen Chen shook his head and said: "Brother Yuan Zhi has been in Jingzhou for many years after all. Although he has no clan, he still has relatives and friends. If you preside over changes, it will be difficult for others to find me and Brother Kong Ming."
Shen Chen nodded, then turned to look at Xu Shu: "What to eat?"
In history, Zhuge Liang could manage the internal affairs of Yizhou, strictly enforce the law, appease the people, suppress aristocratic families, restrain officials, provide appropriate rewards and punishments, and keep Yizhou in order, and no one would scold him.
So this is a dilemma.
Xu Shu thought about it and said: "I'm afraid we need to reorganize our army, such as dismantling troops and horses, farming diligently, saving money and grain, and forging weapons. We will need to rest and recuperate for at least a few years."
Even if he suppresses him forcefully, he will offend a large number of all stakeholders, including relatives and friends. At that time, it is estimated that the entire Jingzhou gentry will call him a white-eyed wolf who eats both inside and outside.
Zhuge Liang looked at him with a smile.
Zhuge Liang frowned and said: "In the past, when we talked about these things, Xiaoqing had a lot of opinions. Such as class conflicts, insufficient productivity, defects in the talent selection system, corruption and incompetence of the government, etc. Why is it that today, when it is time to change, Xiaoqing instead Push three, block four?”
"Eat eat eat."
It's just that Jia Xu was secretly doing something inside. He turned a blind eye and remained silent. That's all. He didn't do anything to harm Liu Biao and Liu Qi at all.
Such as land and population restructuring.
Xu Shu looked at Shen Chen with some confusion and said: "Xiaoqing, when talking about national affairs in the past, you always said that the great chaos in the world was caused by both man-made disasters and natural disasters. Now that Kong Ming wants to change from man-made disasters to man-made rule, why do you oppose it?"
It’s okay not to comply.
My own clan is also a vested interest and is involved with many major families in Jingzhou.
Shen Chen explained: "I'm not trying to push back and forth, but I want to say that under the current situation, even if we implement it slowly with mild means, we will inevitably face pressure from many parties, so we must take other methods."
"What can I do?"
Zhuge Liang and Xu Shu both looked at him curiously.
Shen Chen smiled slightly, looked towards the west with a deep gaze, and said softly: "Kill with a borrowed knife!"