Strange Tales from the Northern Qi Dynasty

Chapter 222 Purpose and Means

In the small study, Zu Ting knelt in front of the desk with a serious expression, tapping the wooden table in front of him with his hands.

The servant sat beside him and looked up at him from time to time.

He hadn't seen the head of the family look so solemn for a long time. Even when he was summoned and promoted by His Majesty before, he looked very happy. He was always like this, smiling, as if nothing could make him sad.

But at this moment, he was extremely serious and solemn.

The servant whispered, "Master, are we going back now?"

Zu Ting glanced at him and asked, "Where are you going back to?"

"I fled Yecheng on the pretext that my mother was seriously ill. If the emperor knew about this, he would definitely kill me."

The servant said, "Let's go back to our hometown in Fanyang and hide secretly."

"Oh, there is no other way out now. I know you dislike the wind and sand here, the cold and the broken, but once a person decides to achieve great things, he must go through these. Except for those who are born to inherit the throne, who can escape it?"

The servant was full of melancholy, "General Liu did not approve of your great plan, and we can't go back, so what should we do in the future?"

Zu Ting was immediately unhappy when he heard him say that, "It's not that he doesn't recognize it, he just doesn't take it that seriously."

"My strategy is fine, although it has flaws, but that's what the lord lacks. He has never had a guideline for future actions, and has always gone with the flow. This was possible when he was in a low position and had few followers, but if he wants to seize the world, how can he just go with the flow and go with the flow? There must be a strategy to push forward everything in the future."

"With a strategy in place, we can continue to refine it and work slowly to achieve great things."

"Then why doesn't the general take it seriously?"

The servant asked again.

Zu Ting was immediately speechless.

He stroked his beard gently and frowned. Yes, why?

If one wants to achieve great things, there is no better strategy than his. He had checked before coming here and found that there was no one around Liu Taozi who could come up with a grand strategy for him. Most of them were young people from the grassroots who could do things but could not take charge. Their vision had not reached that level yet.

Logically speaking, Liu Taozi shouldn't be so dismissive.

What went wrong?

Zu Ting fell into deep thought again.

The servant looked at him cautiously, but didn't dare to interrupt. Zu Ting suddenly turned his head and looked at the servant's small eyes, feeling a little upset. "Stop staring at me here. Go buy some things and prepare for the household. We may have to stay here in the future."

The servant did not dare to object, so he quickly stood up and said yes, then turned and left.

Zu Ting was still sitting in the study, frowning and lost in thought.

The servant walked out of the study and came to a simple courtyard.

In the courtyard were the confidants who had followed them. At the moment, most of them gathered together, talking about something. The servant waved his hand, called out a few of them, and led them out of the courtyard.

They did not live in Wuchuan City, but were arranged to live in a village outside the city.

This is already the largest township around Wuchuan, and it has a bit of the feel of a small town. The roads inside and outside are flat, the houses on both sides are tall, and there are soldiers patrolling.

The servant looked around and finally politely stopped a group of patrolling soldiers.

Judging from their hairstyles, these soldiers were clearly Han Chinese, but their steps were in unison, and they were much stronger than ordinary county soldiers.

The old slave smiled and said, "Excuse me for disturbing you all, but I just want to ask you, where is the city nearby?"

When the soldiers heard this, they suddenly laughed.

The leader turned around and glared at them, and the soldiers immediately stopped laughing.

There was an obvious gap between this leader and the rest of the soldiers. If I had to put it simply, it was like the difference between the Jinyang soldiers and the local troops. Whether in height, physique, or eyes, they were all completely different.

The man spoke with an accent from Boling, saying, "All the people living here are civilians. Food and clothing are distributed by the general's mansion. There is no market."

"Only military households are allowed to enter the city in Wuchuan. Outsiders are not allowed to go there."

"If you want to buy what you need, you have to go south to Beiheng or Beishuo, and you can buy it there."

The old slave was stunned. He asked, "Where is the nearest city?"

The sergeant pulled him over and pointed to the road in the distance, "Go forward along this road, don't turn, just go straight for 20 miles."

"Twenty miles?"

The old slave pursed his lips, bowed to the soldier and thanked him, then led everyone forward.

The sergeant reminded: "Remember to prepare for the crossing, otherwise you will be detained along the way. You also have to worry about the road to the north. Recently, Turkic cavalry often appear there."

The old slave stopped immediately, his face conflicted. After hesitating for a moment, he rode away on horseback.

I don't know how much time had passed, but it was already pitch dark when the old servant led these people back to the mansion.

He hurried to pay a visit to Zu Ting.

Zu Ting was annoyed. "I haven't seen you for a whole day. I thought you ran to Yecheng to report me!"

The study was extremely messy, and the books that Zu Ting had brought were thrown casually on the ground.

Zu Ting's hair was a little messy, and it was obvious that he was not in a good mood.

The old slave's face was full of grievances, and he quickly complained:
"Master, the city is too far away!"

"Besides, there aren't many merchants in this city! If you want to buy something, you have to go outside the Great Wall!"

“Merchants go there to do business.”

"The goods are so few and so expensive. They dare to sell a broken bowl for a thousand coins! They are simply crazy!!"

Zu Ting listened to the old slave's crying, and suddenly, his eyes lit up.

He walked back and forth for a few steps and then stopped again. "Prepare the car! I'm going to Wuchuan!"

"what??"

The old servant did not dare to dissuade him, as the master's ideas were always changeable.

Soon, the carriage set off hurriedly towards Wuchuan.

Fortunately, most of the people in Wuchuan were military households, and there were frequent knights and scouts coming and going, so there was no curfew or closing the city. Zu Ting came to the door of the government office again and asked the officials to report on his behalf.

Zu Ting met Liu Taozi for the second time.

Liu Taozi had not rested yet. He was still sitting in that familiar house. There was a flickering candle in front of him. Through the light of the candle, he could see many maps in front of him. All of them were densely packed with the defense deployment of various garrisons. Zu Ting did not dare to take another look at them, for fear that he would remember them.

"General!!"

Liu Taozi was still indifferent and calm. "What's the matter?"

Zu Ting looked up and said, "General, I have settled down outside the city. I want to buy some things for my family, but I find that the city is very far away from here. There are only a few small markets in the entire border states, and the prices are high. It is simply not affordable for the people. Many merchants are even willing to go to the market outside the border, and are unwilling to trade in the city. Goods are becoming more and more scarce, and prices are getting more and more expensive."

"It is difficult for the people in the border areas to support themselves by farming alone. Many people grow mulberry trees and many herd sheep. They need to trade. The rest of the people also need to trade for what they need."

"The border has many specialties and there are many neighboring areas, so the business should be prosperous."

Liu Taozi put away the maps and slowly looked at Zu Ting with a serious expression.

"So what do you think is the reason?"

Zu Ting was overjoyed and said quickly: "I think there are three problems at the moment. The first is the thieves. There are too many thieves along the way, and too few merchants dare to come here."

"However, since the general took office, there have been fewer and fewer thieves, and the garrisons no longer dare to openly commit thieves."

"And the second point is the customs tax."

"At the end of the Han Dynasty, the princes privately set up tariffs to collect materials. The Wei Dynasty set up a ten-tenth tax, which was followed by successive dynasties. Today, the taxes at the ferry crossings are extremely high. Merchants have to pay most of the tax at each crossing. Before they reach their destination, all the goods have been paid." "The third point is the market tax. The market tax was originally set at one cent for entering the market. According to the size of the store, there were five levels of tax, and each store was taxed separately. But now, there is no tax. Each city has its own market tax. Once you enter the market, you have to pay 40% to 50% of the goods. Who is willing to enter the market?"

"They say that agriculture should be emphasized and commerce should be suppressed, but here there is no commerce at all. It's ok for the peasants, but what about the common people?"

"So what do you think we should do?"

"I have been to many places and have many good friends. I think the southern method is very good."

"Although the South also levies customs duties and market taxes, they have clear regulations. They call them market assessments and transport assessments."

"The so-called market and trade valuation is not like the north where they take your things when you enter the market without distinction, but they collect taxes based on the value of the goods and the amount of transactions. The goods are divided into many categories and the taxes are collected based on the profits. I think it is more appropriate than the north."

"Since ancient times, the prosperity of border areas has been inseparable from business. The general is currently in charge of the four states in the border area. The two checkpoints along the road are under the rule of Your Majesty. Why don't you follow your example and change the collection method and set new rules? In this way, merchants who go to the border areas, You, An and other places will come to Hengshuo. The increase in merchants will benefit the people and even more benefit us!"

"Increasing commercial taxes will allow us to get what we need and gradually get rid of the restrictions of the government!"

"The general now has elite troops under his command, but the only problem is that the government has to pay for food expenses. However, the government had already started to withhold supplies in the winter of last year."

"Gao Zhan wants to weaken the general's power step by step by restricting transportation."

"If the issue of money and grain cannot be resolved, the general will be controlled by the government. Only by adopting new methods suitable for the border areas can we get rid of this predicament."

"When you have enough money and food, you can lead your troops to attack the place where Yuwen Hu's confidants are. There is internal discord among them. At the beginning, all the people under Dugu Xin were neglected. Yuwen Hu replaced them with his confidants. If you attack Yuwen Hu's confidants, Yang Zhong and others will not help. If you attack Yang Zhong and others' confidants, Yuwen Hu will not help."

"This is a God-given opportunity for the general!"

"General, do not hesitate!"

"Yang Zhong and other bandits have tried several times to test the general and want to fight him. Is this because they are loyal to the emperor?"

"wrong!"

Zu Ting said angrily: "Their situation is now similar to that of the general. Yuwen Hu keeps sending people like Gao Anagong to replace them. The people sent by Yuwen Hu are loyal and he can trust them, but there is one thing: they can't fight and have no ability!"

"Therefore, Yang Zhong and others do not want their power to be weakened, so they can only use war to force Yuwen Hu to stop such behavior. Frequent battles have caused instability on the border, so Yuwen Hu dare not take action against these people!"

"The same principle applies to the general. The general and Yang Zhong can even cooperate. You help him get rid of Yuwen Hu's confidants, and he helps you get rid of Gao Zhan's confidants."

In the small study.

The old slave watched the soldiers piling up supplies into the courtyard, and excitedly looked at Zu Ting who was sitting beside them holding the official seal.

"Master!! You convinced him!"

Zu Ting shook his head bitterly.

"No. It's much better than the first time. He gave my family everything they needed and gave me an official position. But he still didn't recognize me."

The old servant whispered, "Master, after all, you just arrived. I think it's already very good."

Zu Ting gritted his teeth, shook his head continuously, and pulled his hair again. As an extremely confident genius, Zu Ting still felt that there was nothing wrong with his idea.

To achieve great things, is there any strategy more perfect and convenient than my own? ?

He had considered all factors and could achieve the greatest cause at the smallest cost. He wanted to rule the people. When he became emperor, what couldn't he rule? Wouldn't it be more natural than now?

The old servant looked at the master who was deep in thought, but did not bother him and went out to put those things away.

In the next few days, Zu Ting did not go out and stayed in the study the whole time. He only went out to go to the toilet. The rest of the time, he was alone and did not see anyone, not even General Anxi.

The old slave is not too worried about this.

Zu Ting has always been such a person. I grew up with him. He has had this character since he was young. No matter what he learns, he will not give up until he has mastered it. He will work day and night until he has done it well and has been recognized. Over the years, the servants have watched him learn countless things. The servants do not know what their master can do. He seems to know everything.
On this day, the old servant was leading people to clean up the courtyard as usual, preparing to raise some poultry in the yard, when there was a knock on the door.

The servant hurried forward to open the door.

Standing outside the door was a young scholar. He was tall and had a dark complexion. One could tell at first glance that he was a scholar from a border area.

The old slave did not dare to look down on him. After all, there were two armored soldiers following him. They were not ordinary soldiers but real armored soldiers. It was obvious from their standards that they were not low-class people.

The man smiled and handed over his name card. "I am Cui Gang, the deputy governor of Hengzhou. I have come to pay my respects to my grandfather. This is my name card."

The old servant was horrified, "It turned out to be Mr. Cui! How neglectful! How neglectful!"

"Open the door quickly!"

The Cui family of Boling is a huge group.

The old servant hurried in to report, and a moment later, Zu Ting staggered out of the study to greet him.

Cui Gang took the initiative to bow and greet him. Zu Ting was not arrogant and returned the greeting with a smile and took him into the study.

The two of them were sitting in the study, and Cui Gang just said, "I have always heard of my grandfather's name in the past, but I never had the opportunity to make friends with him. I came to Wuchuan to report everything, and when I heard that you were here, I came to pay my respects. I am sorry for being so abrupt."

"How dare I, how dare I, our two families are quite friendly. I came to the border but didn't go to see you first. It's my fault."

Both of them were skilled in using the polite manner of the big families, and then began to build relationships. After some building, they found out that Zu Ting's father, the former General Zu Ying, and Cui Ang's father had once consulted the great Confucian Zhang Tianlong about "The Book of Documents". Therefore, Cui Gang called the other party "brother".

Zu Ting's family was not a small one. He was from the Zu clan of Fanyang. Zu Ti, who rose up and practiced martial arts upon hearing the cock-crow, was his ancestor.

The two chatted enthusiastically for a while, and Cui Gang asked, "I heard that you met the general twice and were awarded official positions, but you did not report back and stayed at home. What's the reason?"

"Did the general ask you to come?"

"No, the general is very busy right now, I came here on my own."

Zu Ting shook his head and said with emotion: "I came here not to get a small official position to make a living, but to assist the general and achieve great things. However, the countermeasures I offered were not recognized by the general, and I am still wondering why."

Cui Gang laughed and said, "When I went to see the general, the general told me about this."

"What did he say?!"

Zu Ting asked hurriedly.

Cui Gang replied calmly: "The general only mentioned your countermeasures but did not comment on them. However, I think you did two things wrong."

"Oh? I'd like to hear the details."

"My brother has always despised official titles and fame, and has cared more about the people. Your strategy is centered around how to quickly ascend the throne, but not on how to govern the people."

Zu Ting shook his head. "This is not a conflict. Only after we have accomplished great things can we govern the people."

"But I feel that's not right. Didn't the late emperor accomplish great things? Didn't Prime Minister Yang hold great power? And before that, how about Shenwu and Wenxiang?"

"Even if the general becomes the emperor, the people in this place will still be the same as before, officials, clerks, soldiers, what else is the difference except the emperor?"

"I think what my general wants is to turn the world upside down, to destroy and then rebuild, not to inherit a dynasty full of diseases."

Zu Ting suddenly figured something out. Although he still didn't quite agree with the other party's statement, he did grasp something: destruction and then construction, old and new, compromise and thoroughness.

He stood up suddenly, "Someone come! Prepare the carriages and horses!!"

Cui Gang watched him jump up and run out of the study, leaving him sitting here alone.

He looked at Zu Ting running out blankly, wanting to say something but stopping himself.

A moment later, Zu Ting ran in again and took his hand, "If you can achieve fame in the future, you must never forget what happened today!"

After saying that, he ran out again.

Cui Gang walked out of the door in a daze, and saw the old slave shouting, preparing the car, and rushing out with his master.

It is true that like master, like servant.

Strange.

Weird people, weird things.

(End of this chapter)