Ouyang Xiu was confused by Su Jin. He didn't know how many tricks this kid had. He had been in the court for more than ten years and had encountered too many difficult things. None of them were based on his own ability.
The resolution was complete, but why did he appear so weak-minded in front of Su Jin today? It seemed as if he was falling into the traps set by this person. He was unwilling but helpless.
"Which two major cases?" Ouyang Xiu blurted out, wishing he could slap himself twice. He wanted to say: "I work hard on errands and think about the country. When the matter is over, I just walk away and hide my merit and fame."
I just can't say it out loud.
"I have fallen. I have fallen." Ouyang Xiu sighed in his heart.
Su Jin smiled and said mysteriously: "Lord Zhongcheng, do you know why I want to fight to the death to wipe out the bandits in Bagong Mountain?"
Ouyang Xiu rolled his eyes and said, "What's the reason? Bandits cause trouble and cause trouble, and they always have to be wiped out. Besides, the bandits have taken away the food you provided to Yangzhou, so of course you have to take it back."
Su Jin smiled and said: "Master Zhongcheng is only half right. I am not afraid that Master Zhongcheng will look down upon me. To tell you the truth, eradicating bandits is not what I, an unworthy food envoy, should do."
The matter is the responsibility of the state governments on nearby Huainan Road, and I don’t want to go through this muddy water."
Ouyang Xiudao: "Although what you said is selfish, it is also true. Suppressing banditry is a matter for the local state government to garrison. But when you attacked the mountain, why did you refuse the assistance of Shouzhou and Luzhou Xiang soldiers? With help, wouldn't it be unnecessary?
Do you want to take such a big risk?"
Su Jin smiled and said: "Do you think I am a fool? Don't I know that these bandits are so fierce that they have killed thousands of people in various states and defeated them several times? I am a person who has never led an army in a war.
, taking more than a thousand people to fight these bandits, what is the chance of winning? I'm afraid it's less than half."
Ouyang Xiudao: "Yes, I am also very confused as to why you refuse assistance. Is it really just to take the credit?"
Su Jin spat and said, "This evil is just trying to trick fools. Even if you think about it, you will know that these words are clearly framed by the official."
Ouyang Xiu scolded: "Watch your words, are you talking to me? Do you mean that the emperor sent me to investigate this matter out of mind? You are too courageous."
Su Jin said: "I didn't say that. The emperor was deceived. It is understandable that the emperor was in the stable palace and did not know the ferocity of the Bagong Mountain bandits. However, those people in the court were all smarter than ghosts. They were more powerful.
If they say they don't understand this truth, I won't believe it even if they beat them to death; if they make it clear that they want to punish them, I feel like I'm in the clear mirror."
Ouyang Xiu said calmly: "It's not up to you to decide whether you want to persecute someone or not. One of the purposes of my coming here is to find out the truth. If you are really unjust, wouldn't finding out the truth just be enough to clear your name?"
Su Jin shook his head and said: "There is no need to check at all. The evidence is in my hands. I just need to tell Master Zhongcheng and you will understand everything."
Ouyang Xiudao: "Then what are you talking about? Since you have evidence to prove your innocence, why didn't you show it to me earlier? Do you want to hide something?"
Su Jin said: "It's not that I don't want to show it, but it's too big a matter. I'm afraid that if I tell it, there will be another big trap."
Ouyang Xiu suddenly laughed, looked sideways at Su Jin and said with a sneer: "Are you afraid of trouble? Although I don't have much contact with you, judging from the things you have done, you are a master who finds trouble in small things and makes big troubles.
Don't think that I don't know your thoughts, you just can't make a move now, and once you do, it would be weird if you don't do it."
Su Jin chuckled and said: "Your Majesty is really a confidant of the lower official, so I know that I can't hide it from your discernment. I am really too busy to get away from it, and you also know that I can't protect myself, and I don't have the time to do it. Another reason
I estimate that this matter will cause a big shock, and I really can’t handle it based on my ability, so I won’t say anything about it. But now it’s better, with Mr. Zhongcheng here, I have nothing to fear.”
Ouyang Xiu scolded: "Who is your best friend? Don't interrupt. If you know the truth but don't tell it, you are the same as the criminal..." Ouyang Xiu suddenly stopped. He couldn't say this anymore. Isn't he just trying to know the truth but not telling the truth?
Words can no longer be used in a high-sounding way to scare people.
Su Jin pretended not to hear and whispered: "This matter started when I left the stable. At that time, the situation in Yangzhou Prefecture was critical and time was tight, so I and the deputy commander of the Ma Army, Long Zhen, took action separately; I
After arriving in Yangzhou, I found that the situation in Yangzhou city was even more unbearable than I imagined. Every household was closed, the shops on the street were also closed, and the people on the street were all soldiers under curfew. It can be said that it is a... dead place.
city."
Ouyang Xiu sighed: "How could Yangzhou, a prosperous and prosperous place like the Song Dynasty, become like this?"
Su Jindao: "This is not the main thing. What is more important is that the food in the city has been exhausted. Most of the people have no food at home and are forced by hunger. Some of them fled with their families, and some gathered to cause chaos, smashing and looting the rich.
Several evil incidents occur every day. In the face of hunger, the law cannot restrain people's desire for life; and the soldiers are going back and forth to put out the fire, and their only means is to suppress and arrest them, but how to suppress them? "
Ouyang Xiu twisted his beard and nodded: "The strategy of suppression is the last resort. The people are not a mob in the first place. They are just like this because they have no way to survive. At this time, we must quickly mobilize food for relief. This is the right way."
Su Jin cupped his hands and said: "Lord Zhong Cheng has learned clearly, and my subordinates also think so. Officers and soldiers suppress and arrest people every day, and houses are burned down and people die every day. Conflicts accumulate little by little and will eventually explode. Once there are people with ulterior motives,
Climb high and shout, and the common people will roar and gather into bandits. At that time, it will no longer be a simple relief thing, but a chaos in which the country is in trouble and wars are everywhere. The lower officials are afraid even thinking about it."
Ouyang Xiudao: "You are right. When the people are in dire straits, there will be chaos. There are precedents in all dynasties to follow, but was that when you decided to open warehouses to release military rations?"
Su Jin nodded and said: "The official wanted to stay up for a few days, waiting for Long Zhen to transport the relief food from Luzhou, so that everything could be temporarily calmed down. However, for some unknown reason, Long Zhen, a thief, stayed in Luzhou for a long time.
Without transporting food, I originally estimated that the food would be available in seven or eight days at most, but this guy actually kept delaying it for more than ten days. A heavy snowfall at the beginning of the month made the situation extremely unfavorable. The heavy snow caused the city of Yangzhou to freeze to death and starve to death.
The number of people has skyrocketed. The high-priced food on the black market has exhausted the last valuable possessions of the people. Tens of thousands of people have begun to flee Yangzhou City. Sir, that is fleeing. This is the home where their ancestors have lived for generations. Unless they have to, they will
How could you choose to flee your hometown? It is truly a human tragedy."
Ouyang Xiu's mind flashed to the scene of tens of thousands of people in ragged clothes and empty stomachs, supporting the elderly and the young, fleeing on the vast snow, and he couldn't help but sigh; it was really shocking that there would be such a miserable scene in the prosperous Yangzhou of the Song Dynasty.
It was hard to accept; but he believed that what Su Jin said was the truth. When he came to Yangzhou, he also asked local officials about the situation at that time, and some of them said things were even worse than Su Jin's.
"Xiaoguan knew that once the snow fell, it would be more difficult to walk on the official road, and the arrival time of Luzhou's relief grains would be extended indefinitely. At this time, Xiaguan learned that there were 100,000 shi of military grains stored in Yangzhou's official warehouse.
The news is gone, my lord, if you were me, what would you do?"
Facing Su Jin's inquiry, Ouyang Xiu remained silent. Should he keep the food that could not be transported and let the people starve to death, freeze to death, and be displaced? But this is military food. If it is touched, it will be a crime of beheading. This choice is really serious.
A dilemma.
Su Jin did not press Ouyang Xiu about his choice, and said to himself: "I don't know much about the court laws, but I know that unauthorized use of military rations is a serious crime of treason, but how can I watch the people starve to death in front of my eyes?
What's the use of fleeing from famine to other places? There is no food in Yangzhou. Other state capitals that are even more barren than Yangzhou will definitely encounter the same difficulties. These people who are fleeing from famine will not escape death in the end. After thinking about it, the official must not be so indifferent to the people.
Regarding life and death, Saint Kuang once said: The people are the most important, followed by the country; if the people cannot live, how can we talk about the stability of the country? So the official decided to risk his own life to use military supplies to help the people."
Ouyang Xiu didn't say anything, but he secretly raised his finger in his heart. This decision was not something he could make casually. This guy was indeed very courageous, and he seemed to be a good official who loved the people. He could have chosen not to act, and he would have had reasons to prevaricate afterwards.
, after all, natural disasters are fierce and manpower cannot resist them; not using military supplies is restricted by the law, and there is no way to blame him.
"But Magistrate Song didn't agree, so you used anesthetic to treat him and forged his official documents, right?"
"It seems that Magistrate Song explained things more carefully than I did." Su Jin teased.
Ouyang Xiudao: "It is understandable that the Song magistrate did this. Does he want to imitate you and conceal and deceive the officials?"
Su Jin bowed and said: "What you are reprimanding is that only 60,000 shi were sent out from the 100,000 shi, and the situation in the city immediately calmed down. The lower official knew that the 100,000 shi of food could not survive for a few days, so he sent people to the hut.
The state urged Long Zhen to transport grain, but he did not expect that what he brought back was the news that the grain had been robbed by bandits. This was like a bolt from the blue, and the official was immediately at a loss."
Ouyang Xiu frowned and said, "I also want to ask about several doubts here. Since you have mentioned this, you might as well clear up the doubts for me one by one."
Su Jin said: "You dare to disobey me, but I'm afraid you're still hungry. Why don't you ask your servants to prepare food and wine? How about we talk while we eat?"
Ouyang Xiu nodded helplessly. He was originally here to get this kid, but it turned into a situation of drinking and talking. This was something he didn't expect.dd