Two years ago, Wang Muzhi came to Liyang County, an important place in the north of the Yangtze River, to be the county governor, which was actually a risky move. In addition to the confrontation between the aristocratic families, the reason why he was able to get this position was because the previous county governor failed to do so.
Solve the problem of bandits in Xiaojuhu Lake in Juchao County.
The former county governor not only failed in several encirclement and suppression campaigns, but also suffered heavy losses. The situation in Juchao County was seriously out of control, and he had to adopt a strategy of sealing off the county borders. Because of this, during the Zhongzheng review three years ago, the former county governor was demoted and demoted.
Only then did Wang Muzhi have the opportunity to get this position.
However, when he came to Liyang County to serve as the county governor, he had to face the problems of Juchao County. Although Juchao County has been abandoned, covering one's ears and stealing the bell is not a solution after all, and one cannot ignore what happened here. And Wang Muzhi must solve Juchao County during his term of office.
The county's problems, otherwise, he will pack up his bags and face the fate of being demoted by Zhongzheng.
It's not that Wang Muzhi didn't think of ways. When he first took office, he also formulated a strategy to encircle and suppress the bandits in the lake. However, thinking is one thing and doing it is another. When he heard that he was going to Juchao County to suppress the bandits, he
The subordinate officials expressed their opposition one after another. The soldiers and uncles under his command also opposed it one after another.
After all, Yin Jian is not far away, how can we make the same mistakes again?
Wang Muzhi looked through the files and after assessing the gains and losses, he felt that it was indeed difficult to do. With the strength of Liyang County's less than a thousand soldiers and the rudimentary weapons and equipment, it would be wishful thinking to wipe out the Feng Heizi gang.
To exterminate the lake bandits, at least a few warships are needed. With this alone, there is nothing he can do.
It is unrealistic to turn to the Yangzhou Dudu Mansion for help. Huan Wen leads the Yangzhou shepherds and the Yangzhou soldiers and horses. He, Wang Muzhi, is from the Langya Wang family. Together with other northern clans, the confrontation with the Huan family is particularly fierce. Huan Wen will never do it.
Agree to send troops or allocate war supplies to him to destroy the lake bandits.
From the Huan family's point of view, they hoped that Wang Muzhi would be resigned because he could not solve the lake bandit problem in Juchao County, so that the Huan family could put one of their own in this position.
Nowadays, among the official positions in the Jin Dynasty, the competition for the official positions at the county guard level is extremely fierce. Once Wang Muzhi loses this position, the Huan family will definitely fill it. This is definitely not the result that the other big families of the Langya Wang family want to see.
In view of this situation, Wang Muzhi was actually extremely anxious and wanted to resolve the matter in Juchao County, but he was unable to do so.
For this reason, Wang Muzhi wrote a letter to his clan uncle Wang Biaozhi to ask for advice on how to solve the current dilemma he was facing.
Wang Biaozhi told him that if he was really unable to solve the mess in Juchao County, he should not try it easily. Not asking for merit, but seeking no faults is also a way. Control the situation around Juchao County and prevent Juchao County from letting go.
It is acceptable for the harm caused by rotten scars to spill over to other areas of Liyang County.
When the three-year term is over and the Zhongzheng review is held, there will be room for explanation. After all, the situation in Juchao County was not caused by Wang Muzhi's tenure. The mess left by the predecessor cannot be completely thrown to the current one. Liyang can be stabilized.
If the overall situation of the county is maintained, there won't be any big problems.
Moreover, even if he has to be demoted in the end, holding on to the position of Liyang County Sheriff for at least these three years will be a delay that is beneficial to the overall situation. Maybe in these three years, there will be a turn for the better in the overall situation, or
There have been other improvements.
Wang Muzhi had no choice but to accept his uncle's suggestion, because he really did not have the courage and strength to take risks. In this case, it is better to seek stability. Although this matter will definitely be brought up during the review in the future, this
There is absolutely no room for explanation.
Therefore, he strengthened the blockade around Juchao County and sent a large number of government troops to blockade the official roads and Ruxu River waterway. As Wang Biaozhi said, since Juchao County is a rotten scar, he must control it and prevent it from festering and spilling over.
It can be regarded as a way to maintain the situation.
He learned about the news that the imperial court was relocating Juchao County at the end of October. After the official documents from the Ministry of Personnel arrived, Wang Muzhi was a little confused about what the imperial court meant. Didn't the imperial court know about Juchao County? It actually sent officials to take up the post. This
Aren't you looking for death?
But soon, a secret letter written by his uncle Wang Biaozhi explained everything. Wang Biaozhi told Wang Muzhi that the magistrate and county magistrate of Juchao County who were sent to take office this time were descendants of the Lu family and the Gu family of Wu County.
The Wujun gentry collectively turned to the Huan clan, trying to cling to Huan Wen to seek a breakthrough and fight against the Wang and Xie clan. Now that Huan Wen's Northern Expedition failed and his arrogance was low, it was time to take action on the Wujun gentry and punish them.
Unless the Lu family and the Gu family in Wu County refuse to accept the appointment from the Ministry of Civil Affairs and refuse the appointment at the cost of losing the qualifications for the subsequent Zhongzheng appointment, they will have to pay the price. Knowing that going to Juchao County to serve is a dead end, they have to
Send people here. This is the punishment and revenge given to them. The nobles of Wu County will suffer the loss of being dumb and unable to tell the story of their suffering.
Wang Muzhi was stunned when he heard this. He was not surprised by this. The situation in the DPRK was becoming more and more anxious. Almost everyone knew about Huan Wen's ambitions. The Wang and Xie clans were trying their best to stop them. Although they did not openly break up with each other, they were
The competition in the periphery and in various aspects is actually already in full swing.
It can only be said that the Wujun gentry got involved at this time and stood on the opposite side of the Wang Xie Yu family. If they did not take warning and attack, how could they show the power of Wang Xie and other wealthy families? How could they alert others? With Zhongzheng conferring officials
The incident that caused Mr. Lu and Mr. Gu to be punished was just a small warning. If they persist in their persistence, there will be more means to deal with them in the future.
When it comes to important matters that have an impact on the fate and future of the Jin Dynasty, the aristocratic families show no mercy. Of course, it is also related to their own huge interests and the life and death of their own family.
Therefore, when Wang Muzhi met Lu Zhan and Li Hui in Liyang County, he said nothing about the matter in Juchao County. Moreover, refugees had gathered recently and there were armed refugees in Juchao County.
Not a word was mentioned. Because Lu Zhan and Li Hui were sent to die. It was even very possible that their own family also sent them to die.
This is not because Wang Muzhi is cruel, but because the camps are different, it can only be like this. Although he actually feels that this is unfair to Lu Zhan and Li Hui.
When the news of Lu Zhan's death came, Wang Mu was not surprised at all. It was something that was expected. He was just a little surprised at the time that Li Hui refused to escape and actually wanted to stay in Juchao County. That day in Liyang
When he was in the county, Li Hui got some information and wanted to escape. But now, when he could escape, he chose to stay. This surprised Wang Muzhi.
But it doesn't matter. This is his own death, and he doesn't do other people's business. It is absolutely impossible for him to send troops to rescue himself. Appointing Li Hui as an acting county magistrate is all Wang Muzhi can do
.
In fact, Wang Muzhi's appointment of Li Hui as acting county magistrate was based on some unrealistic expectations of treating a dead horse as a living horse doctor. Giving him some advantageous rights in his actions may be able to benefit him.
Help. He actually understood that his idea was impossible to realize, but he still did it.
On the other hand, after Li Hui's death, he could get slightly more generous pensions from the court. He also received some praises in the name of acting as county magistrate. Wang Muzhi also understood in his heart that Li Hui would definitely die if he stayed, and this might help.
This is the compensation that Wang Muzhi can give Li Hui. As a victim of the strife between the big families, Li Hui is actually innocent. Wang Muzhi can only do this.
Wang Muzhi was actually mentally prepared to hear the news of Li Hui's death, but who would have thought that the development of the matter was completely beyond his expectation.
When Wang Muzhi received a letter and a large number of official confessions from Li Hui a few days ago, reporting that the lake bandits in Juchao County had been wiped out, Wang Guangzu, the murderer of Lu Zhan, had been killed, and order had gradually been restored in Juchao County, Wang Muzhi
Mu Zhi couldn't believe it at all. After reading the official documents and letters several times, he still couldn't believe it.
He asked the messenger in detail what happened in Juchao County. He even asked someone to threaten the messenger, threatening to kill him if he did not tell the truth. The situation the messenger explained under the threat of death is basically the same as what Li Hui reported.
Consistent.
At this point, Wang Muzhi was willing to believe that maybe all of this was true.
Wang Muzhi immediately decided to verify it himself. This matter was too important. This was not only Li Hui's success, but also indirectly benefited himself. His term of office will expire next year, and his failure to solve the mess in Juchao County will become his
The stains and obstacles in his official career. Now that Li Hui has solved the problem, his troubles have been relieved. Therefore, he must come and check it out to understand the real situation.
On the way here, Wang Muzhi was actually in a very complicated mood. On the one hand, he was happy about this incident. On the other hand, Li Hui had done such a difficult thing and did not die in Juchao County as Wang Xie and others planned.
Credit has been achieved. Punishment seems to have turned into praise, danger seems to have become an opportunity for Li Hui, and the whole thing has become extremely embarrassing.
Moreover, there is another important reason why he had to come. That is, Li Hui is from the Gu family in Jiangnan, and the Gu family and the Huan family are together. Now Li Hui has completed an impossible reversal.
He may not be blamed on himself. If Li Hui not only failed to report any news in Liyang County, but also concealed the situation, he would not benefit from it, but would be questioned for it.
But things are not without improvement. Wang Muzhi remembers that when Li Hui was in Liyang County, he denied that he was a descendant of the Gu family of Wu County. In his words, he did not seem to be proud of being a Gu family of Wu County. If he really thought so.
, you can win over him and reach a tacit understanding with him.
In addition, the matter in Juchao County has not been publicized yet, and Huan Wen is not aware of it. If Huan Wen finds out, there may be other changes. For the sake of the official position of Liyang County Governor, will he send someone to ask Li Hui to follow the instructions?
What is his intention? Even if Li Hui said that he is not a descendant of the Gu family, if the Huan family sends someone to recruit him, will he fall to the Huan family?
These are all things that may happen. Whether it is from the perspective of the family confrontation or Wang Muzhi's personal perspective, he must go to Juchao County immediately to confirm the matter and confirm Li Hui's attitude and position in advance. It is necessary to
Arrange everything before the Huan family knows about it, and don't let things go into a situation you don't want to see.
Therefore, Wang Muzhi rushed to Juchao County as soon as possible.