The afterglow of the setting sun made the whole sky look a little yellow. There were not many pedestrians on the street. The curfew order prevented them from stopping to watch this extremely charming scenery. Cao Cao was different. Surrounded by his guards, Cao Cao
Riding a horse, driving slowly, the horse's hooves made a crisp sound. Cao Cao raised his head and looked at the setting sun on the horizon.
Cao Cao dismounted his horse, looked at the mansion in front of him, and smiled. When he was a child, he had played here countless times. He and his two friends would play around all day long. When something happened, he would hide in the mansion. This is the Yuan Mansion.
, however, it is not the Sikong Yuan Shu Mansion, but the former Sikong Yuan Fengzhi's Mansion. Compared with the newly built Sikong Mansion, the Yuan Mansion is still more refined, as can be seen from the yellowish copper handle on the door, which makes the Yuan Mansion
It looks more like an ancient vicissitude.
The soldiers stepped forward to knock on the door, and soon a slave came out.
Most of the slaves here have been with Yuan Feng for a long time and are some of them old.
"You are..." The old man looked at Cao Cao in front of him. He looked familiar, but he didn't recognize him.
"Hahaha, Mr. Chen, I am Ah Man, Cao Ah Man!"
"Aha!!" The old man suddenly remembered and couldn't help but grinned, "Haha, you guy has a beard. Come to see my young master, he's not here..."
"I came here to pay homage to Mr. Yuan."
"Come to see the master of the family...Okay, I'll go and report..."
Not long after, the old man came out again and took Cao Cao in. The soldiers stayed around and did not go in together. Cao Cao led him to the study room in the inner courtyard and let Cao Cao go in alone.
After entering the house, he saw Yuan Feng lying on the bed with a soft mat as his pillow, and a servant standing beside him.
"Cao pays homage to Mr. Yuan!"
Yuan Feng woke up and struggled to get up. The servants on the side quickly stepped forward to support him. Cao Cao said: "Mr. Yuan, there is no need to get up... just lie down!" Yuan Feng reluctantly sat up and looked at him, "It's not polite.
Waste..." He wanted to kneel on the ground, but Cao Cao refused. Finally, he sat on the bed, and Cao Cao knelt in front of him.
"Ah Ma, you're here...how is your father?"
"Go back to Mr. Yuan, my father is fine."
"Well, that's right... These days, I heard Erlang say that you have tormented all the officials in the court. How come, after tormenting them, you come to cause trouble for me?"
"Don't dare, don't dare."
"Speaking of which, why do you want to see me?"
"Mr. Yuan, there is no need for me to say more about the New Deal. Mr. Yuan knows it in his heart. When I implement the New Deal, there is a lot of resistance. The local big families are particularly resistant. Officials from all over the country should not follow. I sent the capital to go there, and most of them talked with the officials.
They are arguing, so they cannot implement it. Mr. Yuan is highly respected... The disciples of the Yuan family are old officials, and they are all over the world. If Mr. Yuan can help me... I will be very grateful!"
Duke Yuan raised his head, looked at Cao Cao in front of him, looked at it for a long time, and asked in surprise: "Everyone in the Yuan family is opposed to your new policy, but you actually asked me to help? Don't you think I'm old and confused?"
"That's not the case. Mr. Yuan will definitely help me!"
Cao Cao said solemnly.
Yuan Feng chuckled, shook his head, and asked: "Why do you think I will help you?"
"Just because... Mr. Yuan was appointed by the prince!"
"The prince is an extremely capable minister. In his life, he is the only one who has recommended Mr. Yuan."
"Whether the New Deal is good or bad, Mr. Yuan can see through it..."
As Cao Cao spoke, Yuan Feng's face gradually became serious. He closed his eyes and said nothing. Cao Cao did not ask further questions, but just looked at him calmly. Yuan Feng said slowly: "Your main purpose is not to increase the source of taxes.
.You want to restrict the big families and prevent them from annexing too much land, right... As long as the New Deal is implemented, the big families who continue to accumulate farmland will not be able to bear this serious tax..."
"indeed so."
"Then do you know that my Yuan family is the largest family in the land?"
"Of course we know that the fifth and third sons of the Yuan family have countless cultivated lands, many children, and old officials all over the world. Without the New Deal, after Da Lang and Erlang, the Yuan family would naturally be even bigger. It is impossible to say that this cultivated land can be comparable to the Tian family.
By then, the emperor will definitely be very happy. Seeing the Yuan family prospering so well, the emperor can't help but even give special rewards. What do you think?"
Yuan Feng's hands trembled and he glanced at Cao Cao.
"Yes, since the relationship between the emperor and Erlang is so close, and the eldest son of the emperor is Erlang's disciple, rewards are naturally indispensable..."
Cao Cao nodded and said: "Yes, Erlang is so close to the emperor, just like close relatives. In the future, he may be able to serve as a general, with golden armor and sword..."
"Okay... talk about it, how do you want me to help you?"
Cao Cao smiled and said: "I hope Mr. Yuan will speak up and support the new deal..."
Yuan Feng shook his head, "No, no, even if the local officials will no longer resist because of my thin face, they can't cure the root cause, they can just force it to last for a period of time..."
"Then..." Cao Cao frowned, obviously he didn't have a good plan.
Yuan Feng looked at him and said: "Mengde, one person cannot be the enemy of the world. If you want to implement the new policy, you need someone to support you. Just the support of the people is not enough. You have to find a way to make the family
I support you, even if it is only a small part of it... I know that you are arrogant and unwilling to compromise, but if you are too strong, you will be easily broken... The only way is to be strong and soft..."
“How can I get support?”
"There are only two kinds, fame or fortune."
Cao Cao wanted to ask more carefully, but Yuan Feng waved his hand and said: "I'm tired... there's no need to ask anymore..." He sighed and said: "You have been friends with Dalang Erlang since you were young...
..", he wanted to say something, but stopped. With the support of his servants, he lay on the bed again. Cao Cao stood up, bowed, and then left Yuan's Mansion.
Walking on the road, Cao Cao was still thinking hard. It was not easy to win over these big families. How should he start with the reputation? Should he be canonized and commended? No, if traitors like himself were commended, they would
He would not think this was a glorious thing, but would be insulted by it. Cao Cao knew this in his heart.
We still have to let the emperor do this.
As for benefits, it is much simpler, such as reducing some of their miscellaneous taxes, or even eliminating them. They will definitely be extremely happy. Or, as long as they exempt those who have passed the scientific achievements from taxes, a large number of people will come.
Support yourself, but if this is the case, it will be a huge harm to the big man if the number of officials who pass the scientific examination will gradually increase in the future.
Or, make disguised compensation?
The DPRK and China are still quarreling over this issue.
However, at this time, Liu Mo just arrived at Yinglou County in Jiaozhou. This is the administrative seat of Jiaozhou. The name Jiaozhou came recently. Before, it was called Jiaozhi. During the reign of Emperor Xiaokang, it was just established.
For the state, Liu Mo didn't even take a break after arriving in Yinglou County. He started to be busy and devoted himself wholeheartedly to the political affairs of Jiaozhou.
First of all, it is necessary to build roads so that Jiaozhou can have better communication and trade with surrounding states, counties and counties. Jiaozhou produces a large amount of wood, salt and iron, and everything else. Liu Mo personally led the people to start building roads.
He had countless plans in his mind for Jiaozhou. First, he would make it possible for Jiaozhou to communicate with surrounding counties, and then he would eliminate the ferocious beasts in the counties and develop the mountains and forests.
Build ports, build large ships, and start foreign trade just like Yangzhou.
He worked hard every day without a moment's rest. This appearance inspired many officials, and Jiaozhou seemed to be ushering in the dawn of revitalization!
Prefects from various places, such as Gu Yong, Yuan Hui, Xu Jing, Cheng Bing, Liu Xi, Xu Ci and others, gave their full assistance.
Cao Cao's decree also reached him. There were not many aristocratic families in Jiaozhou, and the administration was in Jiaozhou, so there was little resistance. Liu Mo became the governor of the Han Dynasty and was the first to implement the New Deal. Jiaozhou's grain production was not originally
Gao, most of the poor people were very happy after learning that they did not have to pay taxes. Liu Mo then issued an order, and the people rushed to complete it.
After him, Ningzhou Governor Cheng Yu began to implement the New Deal.
First of all, it was resisted by most people, especially in the Sanhan area. The original nobles of Sanhan here owned a large amount of land. How could they allow Cheng Yu to take away their land? They launched a crazy counterattack and opposed the New Deal.
Cheng Yu was the first to take any measures against these opponents. He only advised them that this was an order from the temple and must be implemented. These people did not take Cheng Yu's words to heart and continued to resist. After a week, Cheng Yu
Yu personally led the county soldiers to the Sanhan area. In one night, he cooperated with Sanhan's order Tian Feng to arrest the opponents from above and below, confiscated their land and distributed it to the people.
Cheng Yu openly beheaded all these opponents, leaving no one behind.
Such behavior made the entire Ningzhou tremble in fear. No one thought that this pale-faced and weak scribe could be such a vicious person. Then, he went to Shangxiagao County and cooperated with the two prefects here.
Kuai Yue and Min Chun also managed the Shangxia Gaojun. As for Dongyi, he did not go there. Liu Bei managed it very well there.
As a result, with the efforts of this powerful governor, Ningzhou followed closely and became the second state to fully implement the New Deal.
In other states, several counties also appeared and began to implement the New Deal.
These areas can be implemented, but mostly because of the orders of the prefects here. The prefects are different from the governors. The prefects have military and political jurisdiction over the local areas. The prefects support it, and it is useless for other officials to oppose it. And these prefects who implemented the New Deal
, including Zang Hong, the prefect of Nanyang, Yuan Huan, the prefect of Beihai, Liang Mao, the prefect of Wuwei, Zhong Yao, the prefect of Hanzhong, Feng Ji, the prefect of Nanpi, Guo Tu, the prefect of Jiangxia, etc.
The reason why they are willing to implement it is not to support Cao Cao. They act like this because of the emperor's order. Since the emperor has ordered it, they are willing to implement it regardless of whether they support it in their hearts. This is obeying the emperor's order, not supporting it.
Cao Cao!
The implementation situation in other areas was not good, and there was chaos in many places. Officials did not know how to collect taxes, and the people did not know how to pay. The officials sent by Cao Cao were even more confused because of the prevarication of local officials.
It's difficult to move forward and can't do anything.
July, the twelfth year of Xiping
The emperor once again issued an order, requiring officials from various places to implement the new policy, collect taxes with the new policy, and cooperate with the officials dispatched by the temple. Those who disobey will be severely punished!
After receiving the warning from the emperor, no matter how dissatisfied the officials were, they could only grit their teeth and implement it. After all, if they disobeyed the order, it would be like rebellion. Before, it was Cao Cao who gave the order. They can say that Cao Cao
He was a treacherous minister, so he disobeyed, but now the emperor who gave the order did not respect the emperor's order. This was a serious crime, and they did not dare to try it.
Although the emperor's move was to force various places to implement the New Deal, it also put himself on the table. If something happened... it would be inappropriate to just deal with Cao Cao.
The emperor knows this very well, but he must act like this. If the officials continue to delay, this year's taxation will be completely chaotic, and there will even be a huge deficit in the national treasury. By then, even if the New Deal has completely failed, it will also be extremely harmful to the big man.
It was unfavorable, so he had no choice but to come forward in person, even if he wanted to let the New Deal go into effect. After waiting for a while, the first results of the New Deal would emerge, and then he could just hide it.