"You don't want gold and copper, why?" Yan Hui was slightly stunned and asked with a look of surprise on his face.
Lin Ze looked solemn and replied calmly: "Wealth touches people's hearts. Two hundred thousand gold is not a small amount. If the compensation is gold and copper, I'm afraid someone will be jealous and try to play wrong with it."
"My brother is usually busy with things, and it is difficult to take care of the payment of every pension. If someone is greedy, even if they are found out afterwards and severely punished, the orphans and widowed mothers will suffer after all."
"Taking a step back, even if no one is greedy for ink, orphans and widowers with gold and copper in their hands will inevitably cause some trouble. The bullies in the countryside will not be like hungry wolves who smell blood and pounce on them and bite them."
"If the compensation is for some daily necessities, first of all, they are not worth a lot of money, and not many people will care about them. Secondly, orphans and widows don't have to worry about it. They can purchase it by themselves and kill two birds with one stone. Wouldn't it be better?"
Yan Hui glanced at Lin Ze meaningfully, with a solemn expression: "Brother Lin is interested."
A hint of humility appeared on Lin Ze's face as he replied: "Thank you very much, Yan Shengxian. I'm just doing what I have to do."
The above is all Lin Ze's nonsense. If there is really corruption, who will care if it is real money or grain and cloth? Just be greedy.
Lin Ze insisted on converting it into materials for other reasons.
As a hard currency, gold and copper are of course the more the better when the world is at peace. Money can make the world go round.
But once the world is in chaos and wars continue, social production will inevitably be destroyed. At this time, from the overall perspective, necessities such as food and cloth will definitely be more useful.
Money is a good thing, but at critical times, after all, money cannot be used as food, right?
Of course, the most important point is that the so-called orphans and widowers were made up by Lin Ze. In the Battle of Jinyang, the more than 2,000 people who died were basically Hu people.
Lin Ze never thought of paying pensions to the tribes on the grassland.
You may say that Lin Ze is cruel or heartless.
In his previous life, he had always hated the wild boar skin and the numerous crimes committed by the islanders.
People who are not from my race must have different hearts, which is almost engraved in Lin Ze’s bones.
For reasons of humanity and certain interests, it would not be possible for Lin Ze to implement a policy of genocide, but it would be absolutely impossible for him to treat foreigners well.
"As Brother Yilin said, two hundred thousand gold will be converted into various materials according to market prices and delivered on time every year," Yan Hui promised.
Lin Ze cupped his hands and said, "Thank you, Shengxian Yan, for your understanding."
Finally, Lin Ze continued: "This is the third one..."
"Wait a minute," Lin Ze just started, but Yan Hui immediately interrupted and said with a calm expression: "We are already first and second, and then we come to third. Don't you think it's a bit too much, little brother Lin?"
In Yan Hui's view, since Confucianism has bowed its head, the Taoist palace can just make two symbolic demands, but after one, two, three, it seems to be pushing the envelope a little bit.
He had a hunch that if he didn't stop it in time, today's incident might not end well.
Lin Ze's smile faded and he replied calmly: "The Confucian sage once said that if you know your mistakes, you can correct them, and there is no greater good. Since you have made a mistake, you have to admit it and correct it, right? Yan Shengxian's words are as if I made a mistake.
"
Yan Hui was speechless, knowing that he could not defeat Lin Ze, so he looked at Zhuang Zhou and said: "Brother Zhuang, although this matter is due to my Confucian fault, I failed to restrain the army under my command, which damaged the relationship between the two families."
"But I, the Confucian family, dared to act and take responsibility. We retreated when we should and compensated when we should. In addition, Daogong successively wiped out the Confucian army of 100,000 people. Instead of suffering a loss, we took advantage."
"The Taoist palace is so unyielding, it seems that there is a hint of bullying my Confucianism."
When Zhuang Zhou heard this, he said with a smile on his face: "Brother Yan is too worried. My junior brother doesn't mean this. Junior brother, you are right."
Lin Ze said calmly: "I only want to mention three points, and the third point is also very simple. The Confucianists will withdraw the army that is still in Yanzhao. Yan Shengxian doesn't want them to come back, so let them stay in Yanzhao forever.
The land of Zhao is ready."
Yan Hui's face froze, and he chuckled: "I blame Brother Lin for my fault. For the third point, I agree with Pei Gong for my brother."
Lin Ze said without changing his expression: "Yan Shengxian did not blame me wrongly. I have changed my mind. 50,000 troops, 10 gold per head, total ransom of 500,000 gold, to be paid within three days."
"If I don't see this ransom within three days, I will have five heads chopped off and then sent over."
Yan Hui did not respond, but looked at Lin Ze with a dangerous light in his eyes.
Zhuang Zhou stood between the two of them at the right moment, coughed slightly and said, "Since my junior brother is here to seek justice and solve the problem, why should we cause trouble again?"
"The same goes for Brother Yan. Please be patient and listen to what my junior brother has to say. How can it cause new misunderstandings?"
Yan Hui looked at Zhuang Zhou, the dangerous look in his eyes instantly turned into fear, and then said with a smile: "Brother Zhuang is right, I judge the heart of a gentleman with a villain's heart, and I misunderstood little brother Lin, here
I would like to say sorry to little brother Lin, and hope that little brother Lin will be considerate."
Lin Ze was just about to reply, but Zhuang Zhou beat him to it and said, "I accept Brother Yan's apology on behalf of my junior fellow apprentice. This matter has been brought to light and there is no need to mention it again."
Lin Ze opened his mouth but didn't say anything in the end. Yan Hui was right. Strictly speaking, he had taken advantage and he should have taken advantage of him.
Just being threatened made Lin Ze a little unhappy.
Hearing Zhuang Zhou say that the matter had been revealed, the smile on Yan Hui's face suddenly brightened: "Now that the misunderstanding has been eliminated and the matter is settled, why don't Brother Zhuang and Brother Lin follow me into the city and have a drink?"
"We can take this opportunity to connect the two sects of Confucianism and Taoism. The family teacher and the Taoist sage are both teachers and friends. We, the juniors, cannot allow the relationship to become cold."
Zhuang Zhou turned his head and glanced at Lin Ze with a look of inquiry on his face.
Seeing this, Yan Hui continued to persuade: "Don't worry, you two, Pei Gong will also make arrangements for the army outside the city. Besides, it will take a lot of time to prepare materials worth two hundred thousand gold, and you two are not so quick.
Can walk."
"After the banquet, when you've had enough food and wine, wouldn't it be nice for you two to lead the army back with this year's compensation?"
Lin Ze thought for a while and said: "Let's not talk about the banquet for now. I have something that I hope Yan Shengxian will take care of now."
Yan Hui looked puzzled and asked, "I wonder what little brother Lin is referring to?"
Lin Ze said with a serious face: "Put down what the two parties discussed today on paper, with black and white words and clear seals, and consider it a covenant."
Yan Hui's face was slightly unkind: "Brother Lin, don't you believe in my Confucianism? Is it possible that my Confucianism will also betray our trust?"
Lin Ze replied calmly: "Confucianism will not break promises, but just signing a covenant, what does it mean to Confucianism? Only people who do not want to keep their promises will do everything possible not to sign a covenant."
Yan Hui's face froze, and he was speechless.
Although what Lin Ze said made some sense, Yan Hui still felt a little uncomfortable. He vaguely felt that by signing the covenant, he looked down on his Confucianism.
So Yan Hui once again set his sights on Zhuang Zhou.
This time Lin Ze was the first to speak: "If Yan Shengxian refuses to sign the covenant, it will only prove that Confucianism has no sincerity. In this case, there is no need to talk anymore. Let's see the truth, set up our battle, and fight."
Zhuang Zhou heard this and nodded in agreement.
Yan Hui's face turned ugly and he said word by word: "It's okay to sign a covenant."