Late Yuan Dynasty: I am the true emperor

Chapter 227: Fighting and Considering
"The road is hard, the road is hard, there are so many forks in the road, where are you now? There will be a time to ride on the wind and waves, and set sail to cross the vast ocean."

Wang Dayuan held a folding fan in his hand, looked at the inscription on it, muttered to himself, his heart was agitated, and he remained silent for a long time.

Although Wei Ziming did not personally admit to being a traitor, and only said that he was an elder in the family, the signature on the fan was already a clear indication of his identity.

'Written in Luzhou in the spring of the year Renchen, by Gongshu Jin.'

This year is the twelfth year of Zhizheng, which is the year of Renchen, and Luzhou has been occupied by rebels for half a year. So who else could have stayed in Luzhou this spring except the rebels?

Wang Dayuan is not a fool, on the contrary he is very smart, how could he not see it.

As for Gongshu Jin, this surname is very rare. Apart from the Gongshu Ban clan of the State of Lu during the Spring and Autumn Period, it seems that no one has ever heard of any descendants of the Gongshu family. This person is named Gongshu. Is he really a descendant of Gongshu, or is he simply trying to cover up his identity?

And the promise of being granted a title of nobility also sounds ridiculous.
Of course, the title of marquis is valuable, but it depends on who asks. If the emperor of the Yuan court recruited him with the title of marquis, Wang Dayuan would definitely go without saying a word. But now it was a rebel who recruited him, which made it very difficult for him to accept.

If you become an emperor in the future, that would be fine, but if you can't become an emperor, wouldn't I become an accomplice?

Not only did he not achieve wealth and honor, but he was also labeled an accomplice of the rebels, which meant the execution of all nine generations of his clan. Who would dare to agree to this easily?

However, according to what Wei Ziming just said, the Luzhou Red Turbans have already become a force to be reckoned with. Although they are not as big as Liu Futong and Zhima Li, they also have an army of 100,000 and have seized control of the entire Luzhou Road. They have also captured parts of Anfeng and Yangzhou, and are now attacking Anqing. No one can say what will happen in the future. What if this guy really succeeds in changing the dynasty?

However, Wang Dayuan was still very confused. What did Gongshu Jin value about him?
When other people want to conquer the world, they may seek help from people like Xiao He, Zhang Liang, Zhuge Kongming, or brave generals like Han Xin, Guan Yu, Zhang Fei, and Qin Qiong.

And he, Wang, was not some famous dragon or phoenix, nor was he any expert at making the Longzhong Plan. He was not particularly talented, and knew nothing about military strategy. Although he was not weak, he was not a brave general either. The only thing that made people praise him was his experience of sailing thousands of miles away.

Could it be that the rebel leader wanted him to go out to sea? But firstly, Luzhou is not near the sea, and secondly, why would he go out to sea? It can't be that he is looking for elixir like Qin Shihuang did.
The most important thing is that Wang Dayuan is an orthodox Confucian scholar who simply disdains to associate with the evil cult's incense army, not to mention that this is a business that can result in death.

So he hesitated for a while and looked at the folding fan in his hand several times. Although he liked it very much, he finally closed the fan and handed it back to Wei Ziming.

Wei Ziming was a little surprised and asked, "Sir, what is this?"

Wang Dayuan took a sip of tea and said, "I appreciate the kindness of your elders, but I am used to reading books of saints and sages, and I know nothing about the Maitreya teachings. I am not good at preaching, and I am not used to the smell of cigarettes. Even if I go, I am afraid I will not get along well with your family.

"Wang is just a free-spirited person. When I was young, I went to sea out of personal curiosity. Now I have no ambition at all. Your elder is willing to be my mentor, but unfortunately Wang is not the thousand-mile horse he wants."

Wei Ziming was stunned when he heard this, then asked with a smile, "Sir, did you misunderstand something? My family is not religious or burn incense. Sir, please understand. Although I am not a famous scholar, I am also a Confucian disciple. Sir, you don't like to burn incense and worship Buddha, so how can I be in the same boat with you?"

"Oh?" This time it was Wang Dayuan's turn to be surprised.

Wei Ziming looked at his reaction and asked tentatively, "Sir, do you have a quiet room at home? Can I borrow it to talk?"

Wang Dayuan thought about it and decided that this was his home anyway, and the other party wouldn't be able to do anything tricky. As Wei Ziming claimed to be a Confucian disciple, it would be fine to talk to him as long as he was not a cult. So he nodded, took Wei Ziming to the study, and told the servants not to get close.

When the two of them arrived at the study, Wei Ziming began to speak more freely.

"Sir, how much do you know about my family? Why do you think my family is also a group of people who burn incense?"

Wang Dayuan was also relaxed now, and said simply, "I also heard about it last year. Speaking of incense burners, you should know the monk Peng who was wanted by the court, right? He rebelled in our Jiangxi more than ten years ago, but failed and hid in Jianghuai.

"I heard that in the middle of last summer, he started an uprising in Luzhou Road, but failed again. He fled to Huangzhou, Huguang, and started another uprising with Xu Shouhui, a follower of Huanggang. I heard that the remaining troops in Luzhou were led by his disciples. Could it be that what I heard was wrong?"

"No, although what you said was not detailed, every word is true." Wei Ziming nodded and admitted.

"Then what do you have to say in rebuttal?"

Wei Ziming continued, "What you know, sir, is the situation before September last year. In July last year, Monk Peng led three disciples to call on the followers to start an uprising in Luzhou. The uprising failed that month, and the leading female disciple was beheaded by the government troops. The two male disciples, Li Pusheng and Zhao Pusheng, each led a remnant to build a stronghold in Wuwei and Hanshan to protect themselves. There was also a Chaoxian righteous army composed mainly of Chaohu boatmen and fishermen, who built a water stronghold in Chaohu alone.

"Chaohu Lake is too close to Luzhou, where there are thousands of government troops under Zuo Junbi. The rebels were forced to retreat into the lake and dare not go ashore.

"And the two disciples of Monk Peng had already been frightened by the government troops and dared not to stay in Chaohu. They hid in Hanshan and Wuwei along the river and early on stationed in three places with the Chaohu navy.

"However, Zuo Junbi of Luzhou was not a good person either. He had no ships and could do nothing about the Chaohu navy, so he robbed the people everywhere and killed innocent people to gain credit.

"My master returned from overseas travels. When he passed through Luzhou, he happened to encounter government troops committing crimes. In a rage, he killed a soldier and recruited 800 young men from the village with the two families who had been killed. In mid-August last year, he joined the Chaohu Navy.

"My master is a direct descendant of the Gongshu clan. He has been familiar with military books since he was young and is good at using strange strategies. When he first joined the army, he showed his talent and became one of the eight thousand households in Chaohu. Later, he devised a clever plan to lure the main force of Zuo Junbi's government army out of the city, but was annihilated by my master outside the city. After that, he fought three more battles and won three more victories. That's how he got the three cities of Luzhou, Liangxian, and Lu'an, and was elected as the leader by the generals of Chaohu."

After listening to this, Wang Dayuan finally knew the details of the development of the Red Scarf in Luzhou. "So, your elders are not in the same group as Peng Yingyu?"

"That's right!" Wei Ziming nodded affirmatively.

"What about the two disciples that Peng Yingyu left in Luzhou?"

Wei Ziming explained, "The lord first killed Zuo Junbi, captured Lu'an Zhu Liangzu, and took over three cities. The only enemy left was Kang Maocai, the Huaixi envoy of Hezhou. Kang Maocai had 30,000 soldiers and was closer to Hanshan. When he heard that Luzhou was taken by the rebels, he was worried that he would not be able to explain to the court, so he attacked Zhao Pusheng who was stationed in Hanshan and beheaded him to report to the court.

"There is also Li Pusheng's army in Wuwei. He was watching at first, but later he saw that our master annihilated Kang Maocai's main force of more than 10,000 in a battle in the suburbs of Chao County, captured several cities along the river, and almost took Luzhou Road into his pocket. Since he joined the army, he has been invincible and has not been defeated so far. "But his master Peng Yingyu failed repeatedly. Every time he failed, he used his apprentice to cover the rear, but he ran away quickly. Then he changed his allegiance and joined my master. Now he has turned over a new leaf and has no connection with Xu Song in Huguang. Therefore, although my family was founded by the evil cult, there is no one in the family who burns incense anymore."

"I see."

Wang Dayuan suddenly realized that if this was true, then Luzhou really had nothing to do with Peng Yingyu's evil cult.

However, having no connection with the Demon Cult is one thing, and how this person will act afterwards is another. Wang Dayuan never thought of rebelling, and he would not openly run thousands of miles away to join the bandits just because the other party is not on the same side as the Demon Cult.

At this time, Wei Ziming spoke again, "Sir, do you know how I, a Confucian disciple, came to serve under the lord?"

Wang Dayuan was a little curious. Wei Ziming was only twenty years old and didn't look like a talented person.

"Didn't you say your family is in Wuwei? Could it be that because the rebels have occupied the entire territory of Luzhou, your family was forced to serve the rebels?"

"No, how could he be forced? My master has always been known for his benevolence and righteousness. He was not used to seeing the government soldiers killing innocent people for merit, so he killed the people who joined the government in anger. How could he force a scholar to do anything?"

Wei Ziming shook his head and then talked about Lu Jin's governance measures.

"After my master occupied Luzhou, he posted a notice to pacify the people, which read: 'Eliminate the chaotic world, punish the tyrannical Yuan, expel the Tartars, restore our China, establish laws and disciplines, and save the people.' Everything my master did was reflected in these words.

"After the lord captured Luzhou, he immediately opened the granaries to release grain, provided relief to the people through work, and strengthened the defenses of various cities. He also issued orders to abolish slavery and loans. The Yuan court's tyranny of trafficking in human beings and official usury were all abolished by the lord.

"In recent years, Huaixi has suffered from successive disasters. The land has become barren, and the people have been displaced and in dire straits. The people have suffered from the tyranny of the Yuan court for a long time. My lord only needs to abolish usury, release slaves, and let the slaves who were forcibly bought by the government with usury return home, and countless people will follow him.

"The lord also recruited refugees, distributed land to the people, registered the people, reclaimed wasteland and controlled water, restored production, and opened mines in Lujiang and Chaoxian, mined coal and smelted iron, forged weapons, recruited soldiers, and trained them for war.

"My lord wants to get rid of the bad policies of the Yuan court, establish rules and regulations, and help the people. Naturally, he needs a large number of officials to work for him. So he posted recruitment notices in all counties under his jurisdiction, summoning knowledgeable people from all over the country to take the exam in Luzhou. Although it is not called the imperial examination, it is no different from the imperial examination. The selection of talents must be based on performance, and nepotism is never used."

Wei Ziming said so much and gave a brief account of Lu Jin's policies. Just from the abolition of usury and the abolition of human trafficking, we can know that Lu Jin is definitely not a bad person. His slogan of "expel the Tartars, restore China, establish rules and regulations, and save the people" also shows his position.

Recruiting refugees, distributing land for reclamation, restoring production, and opening warehouses to release grain to help the people were all acts of benevolence and righteousness. However, what interested Wang Dayuan the most was the small imperial examination organized by Lu Jin.

This is what Wang Dayuan thinks is the biggest difference between Lu Jin and other traitors.

The imperial examination! Which scholar who aspires to be an official would not care about it?
"Oh? Did you also take the imperial examination in Luzhou and pass it?"

"That's right." Wei Ziming nodded.

"It's a pity that there are too few cities under the rule of the lord now, only more than 20 prefectures and counties. Only more than 30 people were admitted in the initial examination. The first place was directly appointed as the prefect of Luzhou, which was very glorious. I am not talented and learned, so although I was not admitted, I was also kept in Chongwen Hall to study. While studying, I waited for a vacancy. The scholars in the hall all hoped to expand the territory and conquer more prefectures and counties as soon as possible.

"Although I didn't get in, the exam is still fresh in my memory. It was truly unique."

Wang Dayuan suddenly became curious, "What did your elders take the exam for?"

"There were more than 300 candidates taking the exam. The lord personally set the questions, which were divided into criminal law, mathematics and other subjects, all of which were practical subjects. At the end, there was also a policy essay question.

"When the lord first entered Luzhou, there were two palaces in Luzhou. The lord was determined to discipline himself. In order to prevent his generals from being self-indulgent and losing their will, he gave up the mansion and lived in the back house of the state government. He was diligent and simple in his daily life, strict with himself, and set an example. He treated the palace in the city as a tribute hall for the scholars to take examinations.

"On the day of the exam, the words of the master are still ringing in my ears. The first question is about criminal law. The master said that he would not test judgment, because judgment must be based on the law and cannot be made arbitrarily based on one's temper. However, the newly compiled Zhizheng Tiaoge of the Yuan court contains many tyrannical rules and cannot be used. It takes a long time to compile a new law, and it is not something that can be done overnight."

Wang Dayuan nodded repeatedly after hearing this. "Governing a big country is like cooking a small fish. You can't be too hasty. What your elders said makes sense. Then what? Since there is no law to rely on, how should we ask this criminal law question?"

At this point, Wei Ziming clapped his hands and said excitedly, "The question is really amazing. At that time, the lord told all the candidates that when Emperor Gaozu of Han first entered Xianyang, he found the Qin law too cruel and inadequate, so he made three laws with the people of Guanzhong: those who killed would be put to death, those who injured would be punished, and those who stole would be fined. Guanzhong was then settled, and the people were all happy.

"My lord, if you want to follow the example of Emperor Gaozu of the Han Dynasty and make a law with the people of Luzhou, you don't have to stick to the three chapters. Let the more than 300 candidates write down the 20 most important laws at the moment, and finally select the best 100 and compile them into a book. This is how we have the temporary laws that Luzhou is using now, so that officials from all over the country can have laws to follow when judging cases!

"When this policy was announced, all the people of Luzhou were convinced and believed that a sage had been born. The candidates for the imperial examinations also felt that they were facing a wise ruler and were willing to die for him."

Wang Dayuan was stunned after hearing this. He was stunned for a long time before exclaiming, "What a genius in governance. He first gathered candidates from all over the country in one place, and then asked them to state twenty laws and regulations themselves, and finally compiled them into a book. This law must be very suitable for the people of Luzhou. Why? It reflects the voices of the people from all over the country.

"Although this is an imitation of the wisdom of Emperor Gaozu of the Han Dynasty, it is not rigidly bound by a single pattern. Each candidate lists 20 of the most important laws and decrees at the time. This question seems to be easy and anyone can write it. However, the question setter can see the candidates' governance level from the importance and severity of the laws and decrees they list and the severity of the penalties.

"As far as this question is concerned, he not only won the hearts of the soldiers and civilians in Luzhou, but also obtained a temporary law that could be used. Thirdly, he could get a glimpse of the good and bad personalities of many candidates from the question and get the talents he really wanted. It can be said that he killed three birds with one stone, which really showed his wisdom.

"I now believe what you said before. This man does not live in the palace, but in the provincial government. He is diligent, simple, and strict with himself. From his bold words of 'expelling the Tartars, restoring China, establishing laws and disciplines, and saving the people', we can see that he has great ambitions.

"He also understands military strategy. He led the remnants of the Xiang army that had just suffered a defeat, but he was able to win battles again and again, grow stronger, and even remain calm and not impatient after winning. He was also able to maintain peace and order in the country. His governance methods are both intelligent and benevolent, and he is also very cunning. He has ability, ambition, means, and a benevolent heart. He can indeed be called a wise leader."

"I think so too! Hahahaha, what do you think, are you tempted?" Wei Ziming asked with a smile.

(End of this chapter)