In Hongwu, we started as rebels

Chapter 684 The world is changing, and so are people.
On the second day of the second month of the twenty-third year, the dragon raised its head.

Thirteen thousand soldiers and one thousand carts set off from the east gate of Tianjin.

He led two thousand laborers to Liaodong.

The large procession completely blocked the east gate.

The common people stood on both sides of the road, quietly watching the soldiers leave.

They had already learned from the notices at the city gates that the military command had provided expenses for 6,000 people in Tianjin, and that the money for this was drawn from the funds allocated for road repairs.

Many people were filled with resentment and cursed loudly.

A full fifty thousand taels of silver is enough to support tens of thousands of people for several years.

Now, however, outsiders have benefited unjustly, and the people are dissatisfied.

Some people even pointed and muttered unpleasant words.

In the group, Huang Yingzhi was clad in armor, with a long sword at his waist, and his aged face showed signs of fatigue.

At that moment, the gossip from both sides of the road reached his ears, making the wrinkles on his face even deeper.

Beside him, Vice General Yao Xiujie leaned closer:
"My lord, I think the commander did it on purpose."

Why post notices about this and inform the public? Doesn't that put us at a disadvantage?

Huang Yingzhi let out a long sigh of relief, and white mist billowed upwards:

"This time, you're really wrong."
I saw Shi Yu in the morning.

He told me that since last year, the city has been posting notices about major events and the decisions of the military command.

Road construction has now become the top priority in Daning City.

All the people are watching this closely; there's no reason for the military commander not to issue a notice.

"Is that so? Isn't this just asking for trouble?"
How can the logic of the government be explained to the common people?

Yao Xiujie's expression was strange, and his voice was filled with doubt.

Government offices often prioritize long-term interests in their actions.

However, very few ordinary people in the Ming Dynasty were literate, and they could only see short-term benefits.

However, long-term interests and short-term interests will inevitably lead to strong conflicts.

Therefore, in the Ming Dynasty today, the relationship between the government and the people is poor everywhere.

Moreover, Daning, located outside the Great Wall, has many grassland people who don't even know how to read.

"trouble?"

Huang Yingzhi chuckled, shook his head, and said:

"This Lord Lu has mastered the art of using the carrot and stick approach."

The commander opened up many avenues for revenue and found work for the people in the city, which was a good deed, but he was equally ruthless in arresting people.

According to Shi Yu, whenever there are rumors or gossip in the city questioning the decisions of the military command,
He arrested the person without hesitation.

Moreover, his attitude was very clear: the commander didn't need others to tell him what to do.

Even those within the city who harbor resentment towards the Commander-in-Chief have to keep it to themselves.

In this way, at least on the surface, the city appeared to be in harmony.

"Won't there be any hidden dangers in doing this?"

"I've heard that these grassland people are all known for their fiery tempers."

Yao Xiujie was shocked; this was the first time he had ever heard of a business that could arrest people just by talking.

"Even if there are hidden dangers, it's better than causing trouble everywhere all day long," Huang Yingzhi said.
"Lord Zhou is right, he has been causing trouble in the city for too long."
The government affairs were not handled well, and the city was unstable, resulting in a great deal of wasted energy.

Now, I think it's excellent; at least it resembles a stable city.

Huang Yingzhi looked at the people around him pointing and whispering, but instead of getting angry, he smiled even more brightly.

"Do you know what Lord Lu just said to me?"

Yao Xiujie shook his head.

"He said to be extremely careful when going to Liaodong, and if the situation is unclear, you can ask someone for advice."

As he spoke, Huang Yingzhi took out a jade pendant.
"Look, this is the keepsake he gave me."

This proves we can trust them and also allows us to see the situation in Liaodong more clearly.

Yao Xiujie's brows furrowed immediately:

"My lord, what does he mean by this?"

Huang Yingzhi shook his head and put the jade pendant away.
I don't know what he's trying to tell us.

However, it can be concluded that the situation in Liaodong is not as simple as we imagine.

Thinking we can just raid everything and leave quickly is wishful thinking. It might be a tough battle, so we need to be prepared.

Yao Xiujie fell into deep thought.
From the moment they received their transfer orders, one mystery after another began to shroud them.

Now, receiving such an ambiguous message in Daning City made his eyelids twitch.

"Sir, is this person reliable? Could it be a trap?" he asked.

"We currently know nothing about the situation in Liaodong."
Whether it's reliable or not, I don't know; we can only take it one step at a time.

Huang Yingzhi's expression was serious. Leaving this city meant facing a bloodbath.

Fortunately, the goodwill shown by the city of Daning...
This calmed him down a little.

More than 10,000 soldiers from Tianjin began leaving the city in the morning.
They didn't completely leave the city until noon, and headed northeast towards Liaodong.

After they left, the people were surprised to find that...

The east gate was quickly occupied by new soldiers, as was the north gate.

After making some inquiries, the people learned that this was a group that had gone to attack Longwei Mountain.

The atmosphere in both the east and north of the city instantly became tense.

The people were filled with righteous indignation, clamoring to raze Dragon Tail Mountain to the ground.
Even the soldiers guarding the city sensed this strange atmosphere, and their eyes revealed envy.

They got the credit for nothing, but unfortunately it didn't go to them.

The troop assembly continued until the beginning of Shenshi (3 PM).

A thousand elite soldiers and two thousand warhorses gathered at each of the east and west city gates, standing there in a grand procession.

It gave those watching around a sense of security for no apparent reason.

With such elite troops, Daning City will surely continue to be stable.

At the north gate, Lu Yunyi, dressed in black armor and holding a long sword, sat astride a tall, chestnut-red horse, looking extremely heroic.

He looked at the group of military officials who had come to see him off and said in a deep voice:
"While I am away from the city, everything will continue as usual."
I urge all officials and clerks to shoulder their responsibilities and diligently develop the city of Daning.

"Yes!"

The officials clasped their hands in a fist salute, and a chilling, military atmosphere permeated the air.

The next moment, Lu Yunyi drew his longsword and raised it high above his head.

Looking at the empty city gate ahead, he shouted:
"All troops under the jurisdiction of Da Ning, leave the city!"

"Woo——"

A mournful bugle call suddenly rang out from the city wall.

Echoing the pale gray sky, a sense of oppression and desolation quietly permeated the air.

The common people seemed to sense something as well, their faces expressionless, their eyes narrowed, watching the soldiers leave the city in silence, their hearts filled with unease.

Although the enemy was Longwei Mountain, which had fewer than a thousand men.
But it was war after all, and bad memories welled up in their hearts.

After twenty years of continuous fighting, the corpses of the Ming and Yuan people could gather in mountains and seas.

Now that life is peaceful, a new war is about to begin.

Fortunately, the fighting was not in the city, but in the far north.

"Boom boom boom——"

When more than half of the troops had left the city, rapid and intense drumbeats suddenly resounded on the city walls.

In front of the four large vermilion drums stood four burly men holding drumsticks.
Wearing a red headscarf and bare-chested, he vigorously struck the drumhead with both hands.
The rhythmic, melodious drumbeats filled everyone's hearts.

Liu Heiying stood at the forefront of the group of officials, glanced at the onlookers, took the megaphone handed to him by Hu Xiaowu, and shouted at the top of his lungs:

"Fellow villagers, we must be mindful of potential dangers even in times of peace; the good days are just beginning."
But we must not forget the powerful enemy in the north.

We cannot allow those greedy, shameless bandits and enemies to destroy the homeland on which we depend for survival!

Whoever ruins our good days is the enemy of the Daning people.
The soldiers of Da Ning will trample them underfoot, turning them into bloody mud. Aren't you afraid?

The scene was completely silent.

A teenager stood at the very front of the police line and suddenly jumped up.
The child's innocent voice echoed throughout the entire north gate:

"Not afraid!"

This shout seemed to awaken the sleeping crowd.

Then came a deafening roar:

"Not afraid-"

The assembled people were filled with fervor, whether they were Ming people or nomadic people from the grasslands.

Against the backdrop of red slogans throughout the city, everyone transformed into a resident of Daning.

He raised his fist and shouted, "I'm not afraid!"

In the group, Yang Shiqi stared blankly at the scene before him, his voice soft and gentle:

"Brother Da Shen, is the Commander's condition better or worse now?"

The talented scholar Xie Jin looked at everything before him with a somewhat bewildered expression.
Even though he is intelligent, he is now unable to distinguish right from wrong.

How come the city looks so much better even though the military commander has done so many wrong things?

He shook his head blankly:

"I don't know either."

Liu Heiying climbed onto the prepared platform and shouted into a megaphone to the crowd:
"Fellow villagers, the construction of Daning City requires our joint efforts."
The first three-year plan for Beiping Commandery will be posted in various places tomorrow, and the local people can check it out wherever they are.

The military commander would arrange for his officials to continuously recite...

Until all the people in the city know our future goals.

Anyone who dares to misinterpret the Commander's intentions or deliberately oppose the government will be severely punished!

The rousing drumbeats gradually ceased, replaced by the melodious and solemn sound of horns.

The common people looked at each other, somewhat confused about what the dark-skinned official meant.
But it doesn't matter; most of the city's residents have now developed the habit of going to listen to the announcements.
I'll go listen to it tomorrow.

Yang Shiqi looked around blankly, then turned to Xie Jin, who was equally bewildered, and asked:
"Brother Da Shen, during the reign of Emperor Wu of Han, Sang Hongyang implemented policies such as state monopolies on salt and iron."
Sima Qian once said in his "Biographies of Merchants" that...

The best approach is to follow the path of goodness; the next best is to guide them for benefit; the next best is to teach and instruct them; the next best is to regulate them; and the worst approach is to contend with them.

Who is right and who is wrong?

Xie Jin understood what he meant.

In the "Biographies of Merchants" in the Records of the Grand Historian, Sima Qian believed that...
We should allow private individuals to engage in spontaneous trade and commerce.
The worst thing is for the imperial court to personally intervene and compete with the people for profit.

but now.
Xie Jin was also somewhat bewildered; his expression was complex.

"I don't know who's right and who's wrong."

In his heart, he still believed that Sima Qian was absolutely right.

Moreover, "a low price indicates a high price, and a high price indicates a low price."
This emphasis on regional division of labor and commercial circulation was widespread in the Ming Dynasty, and it achieved considerable success.

However, Xie Jin could not understand what was happening in Daning City.

It was clearly a dilapidated city outside the Great Wall, a harsh and desolate place that should have needed continuous financial and logistical support from the imperial court to survive.

But now, he sees a vibrant scene of life and everything flourishing.

Yang Shiqi saw it more clearly.
He scratched his head, listened to the people's discussions, and said thoughtfully:

"I think the Dusi is now a huge trading company. In order to make a living, it will create work out of thin air even if there is no work."

Compared to when we first arrived, there are far fewer idle children loitering on the streets.

"yes."

Xie Jin looked at the bucket of paste in his hand.
"Now we can't even find kids to put up the slogans anymore, so we have to put them up ourselves."

"Ugh"

Speaking of slogans, Yang Shiqi weighed the basket on his back.
Feeling its heavy weight, he shook his head somewhat helplessly.

"Let's hurry up and finish the work today if we don't start pasting soon."

At this moment, Xie Jin stared blankly ahead and tugged at Yang Shiqi:
"Look, that's Mi's cart."

Yang Shiqi was stunned. He turned around and his eyes widened in surprise.

On the main road ahead,

More than a hundred handcarts emerged from various alleys.
Horses, donkeys, mules,
All kinds of livestock are available.

Unsurprisingly, the cart was fully loaded with goods.
It was covered with burlap, and the rough hemp rope was tightly bound, leaving marks on it.

The two of them, without prior agreement, thought of Mi's crazy behavior over the past month.
Shopping spree throughout the city
I want anything that's usable.

Yang Shiqi murmured:
"You guessed right, the Mi family is now selling not only sugar, but also other things."

"Bastard! Bastard!!"

Xie Jin's eyes instantly reddened as he stared intently at the carriages and horses.

"This is aiding the enemy! Aiding the enemy!"
"So much stuff is being sold to the steppe people, and the commander isn't doing anything about it?"

Yang Shiqi's expression was somewhat strange, and he whispered a reminder:

"These days, because of the Mi family's shopping spree..."
The workshops throughout the city were bustling with activity, but the commander probably wouldn't interfere.

Xie Jin also fell silent.

After struggling for these past few days, they've come to understand things a little better.
As long as the city's residents are given enough money, the military commander won't care who the goods are sold to or where they are sold.
They even encouraged it.

Especially the newly opened Daning Textile Trading Company,

Those ugly clothes made from scraps of cloth couldn't possibly be sold to people inside the Great Wall, could they?
Even the poorest people in the interior of the Great Wall had at least one decent set of clothes.
Then the only option is to sell them to the north or the northeast.

Regarding this matter, which is common knowledge, the commander...

Not only did they not stop it, they also provided two thousand taels of silver to help the business.
Let them hire more people and buy more items.

Yang Shiqi suddenly remembered something and turned to look at Xie Jin:

"Have you received a response to your memorial to the court?"

Xie Jin looked somewhat embarrassed; he didn't want to answer.

But seeing Yang Shiqi staring intently at him, he shook his head:

"Without a trace, like a stone sinking into the sea."

Yang Shiqi breathed a sigh of relief:
"Brother Da Shen, you should do less of this kind of thing."
This is known among ordinary people as "biting the hand that feeds them".
If it weren't for Lord Lu transferring you to Daning, you wouldn't have witnessed such a strange event.

Such matters cannot be determined from written records alone; only by actually seeing them can one know the truth.

I think we should take another look at what the commander has done.
Right and wrong cannot be judged in a simple, one-size-fits-all manner.

Xie Jin was already somewhat persuaded by him.
But thinking back to how arrogant I used to be...

They still didn't back down, only saying firmly:

"A mistake is a mistake, let's get to work."

As he spoke, he carried a basket on his back, a bucket of paste, and a small brush, and walked toward the north gate.

There was a strong wind yesterday, so the slogans on the sign need to be cleaned up and replaced.

Yang Shiqi stared blankly at his retreating figure, a smile playing on his lips.

He could see the change in Xie Jin, from his initial resistance to posting slogans to his current enjoyment of it.

It's not just Daning City that's changing rapidly,
Even scholars like them are changing.

Yang Shiqi stepped forward and followed, waving ahead:

"Brother Da Shen, wait for me."

(End of this chapter)