Destroy Jin and conquer Song, and carry the Northern Expedition through to the end

Chapter 599 A Far-Reaching Plan

The powerful families of Dongping Prefecture are about to do something big.

However, in contrast, the powerful families of Jinan Prefecture generally suffered.

After the manor on the east side suffered a devastating blow, the powerful families in the surrounding areas also received the news and began to coordinate their efforts.

They generally believed that the Jingnan army's one-hour persuasion period was far too short, and that more time was needed for preparation.

However, the old powerful families of Jinan Prefecture were basically destroyed by Wanyan Liang's strategy of relocating the Meng'an Mouke households from the Central Plains. The current powerful families of Jinan Prefecture are mostly local tyrants who rose to prominence in recent years, or even last year, amidst the chaos.

What experience did they have in confronting the government?
Especially after Liu Huai displayed a tough stance, clearly stating that they either surrendered or died, these local tyrants became even more panicked.

After all the preparations, it all boils down to two choices: fight or surrender.

If we surrender, we will lose all our estates, land, tenants, servants, and private soldiers. The proclamation makes it very clear that the Han army has come to comfort the people and punish the guilty, to relieve the suffering of the people. The Han army does not covet these lands and riches, but needs them to settle the people.

Even if they resist, the powerful local lords simply cannot withstand the attack of regular troops. In the end, what they could not protect will still be lost, and they might even lose their heads.

Moreover, the proclamation clearly defines "people" as follows: if they do not resist, then the farmers, private soldiers, servants, and even the collateral relatives of powerful families in the manor can all be considered "people" and are all objects to be saved by the Han army.

But if they resist, then it will be a crime that the army will punish.

On one side, there's the struggle to survive, risking everything to protect the happiness of their "master"; on the other, there's the ownership of land and property. The choice is yours.

As the saying goes, a proclamation is like a knife. With this proclamation in place, almost all the local tyrants in Jinan Prefecture were disloyal, and even the collateral relatives had different thoughts. Some manors even broke out into civil unrest, and the heads of the manor owners were cut off and presented to the army.

At this point, the wealthy could only seek support from the Jin Dynasty.

However, Pusanhuntan fully demonstrated the colonial nature of a 'foreign ruler'.

My Jurchen soldiers are struggling to even defend Licheng. Why would they risk their lives against Fei Hu Zi's troops for the sake of you Han tyrants? Is it because you've become a Jurchen, or because I've gone mad?
Not only did Pusanhuntan refuse to send troops to rescue the city, he also brought the private armies of the surrounding powerful clans into Licheng, determined to defend it to the death.

This guy is now hoping that the huge number of refugees can cause Liu Huai some more trouble and delay things for a while longer.

Of course, the idea of ​​Pusanhuntan was pure wishful thinking.

The Jingnan Army and the Loyal Army were no longer just two military forces; behind them was a complete administrative system.

Lu You commanded seventy-nine land distribution groups, which, under the escort of the army, began to form an administrative team on the spot. They held grievance meetings and public trials to crack down on local tyrants and evil gentry, select officials, measure land, register households, distribute grain and winter clothing, and quickly and decisively distribute land to stabilize the local area.

It can be said that the army advanced in unison in Jinan Prefecture, like a spreading fire line, burning across the entire prefecture from east to west. However, what lay beyond the fire line was not a scene of ashes and utter devastation, but rather a vibrant and lush landscape.

From this perspective, Liu Huai should even thank Pu Sanhuntangdao and Deng Yu. If it weren't for their perverse actions, how could Liu Huai have dealt with Jinan Prefecture so swiftly and decisively?
In that case, we might have to resort to political means to resolve it.

Faced with this situation, even the wealthy people around Licheng were completely bewildered.

They had to hold the party again and again over the next few days, trying to come up with a solution.
On November 20th, after another hasty meeting and yet another unpleasant ending, Lin Fanrong, the current head of the Lin family in Shandong, returned to his family manor with a sigh.

Furthermore, the Lin family of Shandong were no ordinary people; they were fundamentally different from those powerful figures in chaotic times.

Specifically, the Lin family of Jinan Hall originated from Lin Zun, a scholar during the reign of Emperor Xuan of the Western Han Dynasty. He served as the Grand Tutor to the Crown Prince, had five sons, and lived in Jinan for generations, thus becoming a prominent family in Shandong.

To exaggerate a bit, the gap between the Lin family of Jinan and other local tyrants was somewhat similar to the gap between aristocratic families and powerful clans at the end of the Han Dynasty.

In Lin Fanrong's eyes, Deng Yu was much the same as in Yuan Shao's eyes—just a country bumpkin with nothing but martial prowess.

However, just as the Yuan family faced during the chaotic Three Kingdoms period, the title of a noble family with four generations of high-ranking officials was not as secure as a thousand armored soldiers; a slight misstep could lead to death and the extermination of one's clan. The Lin family, a scholar-official family, was no exception.
When the Jin dynasty abolished the puppet Qi regime and took control of Shandong, the Lin family of Jinan did not take it seriously and even wanted to use the experience of the former Song dynasty to deal with the Jin government.

But Wanyan Liang didn't care about this or that. Those who obeyed him prospered, and those who defied him perished. If he didn't share the profits with the Meng'an and Mouke households, he would take everything from their entire families!

Faced with the iron fist of the Jin Kingdom's garrison, the Lin family outwardly submitted, but secretly they always wanted to get revenge.

During this period, Lin Fanrong keenly realized that the peaceful days of the Jin Kingdom over the past ten years were coming to an end. Their Jinan Hall could no longer maintain the attitude of passing down the family tradition of farming and studying. In any case, they had to learn from those powerful families, control the villagers, and organize private armies.

As Lin Fanrong had predicted, under Wanyan Liang's exploitation, the Jin Dynasty indeed saw uprisings and widespread chaos.

The Lin family seized the opportunity and secretly expanded their influence once again.

The Lin family had some influence behind the militia that swept through Meng'an Mouke households in northwestern Shandong last year.

Of course, scholar-officials like the Lin family, who combined the characteristics of a prestigious family and a powerful clan, naturally had to cooperate with the government. This is the principle behind the saying "struggle for unity".

In fact, Lin Fanrong was one of the driving forces behind the alliance between the powerful families of Jinan Prefecture and the Jin Kingdom. Otherwise, even if these powerful families feared the Loyal Army system, they would not have gone to this extent.

The reason why Lin Fanrong did not want to join Liu Huai was also very simple.

Like all aristocratic families, Lin Fanrong was never afraid of Cao Cao or Dong Zhuo, because they ultimately had to cooperate with powerful clans. What he feared was someone like Huang Chao, who was willing to trample the bones of nobles and officials indiscriminately.

Now it seems that Liu Huai is just another Huang Chao.

Thinking of this, Lin Fanrong felt uneasy again. He couldn't help but get up and pace back and forth in the hall, pondering the matter.

The elders and clansmen had all been sent away, so he wasn't afraid to show his weakness. However, this also meant that he didn't know who to discuss this matter with.

Thinking of her clansmen's greedy, cowardly, and timid appearance, Lin Fanrong felt utterly exhausted.

If you were even slightly more reasonable and dared to fight to the death, our Lin family would have already raised an army to seize the world. Why should I be jumping back and forth between different forces?
"Go, go and invite Mr. Dang here..." After a long while, Lin Fanrong finally remembered someone. He had just finished instructing the servants when he immediately realized something and waved his hand: "No need, I'll go myself!"

With that, Lin Fanrong strode towards the south side of the manor.

This is a guest room, but it is not a place for ordinary guests. Only those who seek refuge with the Lin family and live permanently in the Lin family manor will be arranged here.

Such people were actually quite common in Shandong at this time, because the situation was too chaotic. The situation in eastern Shandong was somewhat better, but the prefectures in western Shandong were constantly in turmoil, with the Jin Dynasty causing trouble, the rebel army causing trouble, and Geng Jing causing trouble.

Those who wanted to serve in government naturally had places to go, while those who did not want to serve, or were unable to serve for various reasons, either went into seclusion in the mountains or sought refuge with powerful figures.

“Mr. Dang! I have neglected you these past few days, and I hope you will forgive me.”

Lin Fanrong stood at the door and, without saying a word, bowed respectfully like a guest.

The young man inside was serving an old woman a meal. Upon hearing this, he first apologized to his mother, then strode out and immediately bowed, saying, "Master Lin, you are too kind to me. I am but a humble scholar, how can I be worthy of being called 'Master'?"

"Alas... How can you call me 'excuse me'?! Mr. Dang is a distinguished figure from Shandong, as famous as Xin Qiji of the Tianping Army, so how can he not be called 'sir'?"

The young man was none other than Dang Huaiying, who had studied under the great Confucian scholar Liu Zhan alongside Xin Qiji and was once known as "Party Xin" alongside Xin Qiji.

He was originally from Tai'an Prefecture, but unlike Xin Qiji, he did not have a large family. His father was a military registrar in Tai'an during the Northern Song Dynasty, a low-ranking official, and his family was very poor from a young age.

Later, Dang Huaiying's father died in office, leaving behind an orphan and a widow to depend on each other. But Dang Huaiying was a studious child, and he was known as a child prodigy from an early age. He was also valued by the elders in the prefecture, which allowed him to study poetry and books under the tutelage of a great Confucian scholar.

However, just as Dang Huaiying was beginning to gain some recognition and had not yet found an opportunity to become an official, the Jin Dynasty was thrown into chaos. Left with no other choice, he took his elderly mother to Jinan Prefecture and sought refuge under the protection of the Lin family, hoping for a moment of peace.

At this moment, Dang Huaiying felt extremely strange when he heard Lin Fanrong address him as Mr. Dang.

He's only twenty-nine years old, while Lin Fanrong is over forty. They're from different generations! Has this old man lost his mind?
The next moment, Dang Huaiying quickly realized that the so-called humble and respectful manner must be for some reason. But what could Lin Fanrong possibly want from a scholar with no power or influence?

After the two sat down on the stone benches in the courtyard, Lin Fanrong didn't keep them in suspense: "Mr. Dang may have heard about the current situation. Is there anything you can teach me?" Dang Huaiying was even more speechless: "Master Lin, please don't joke. The Lin family of Jinan is large and powerful, with deep roots in Shandong. If even Master Lin is helpless in this major matter, what can I, a mere scholar, do?"

Lin Fanrong waved his hand and said, "Mr. Dang, please speak freely, and I will listen to you."

After pondering for a moment, Dang Huaiying sighed and said, "Master Lin may have misunderstood my relationship with Xin Youan. When we were both studying under Master Liu, we were called 'Dang Xin' by our fellow students, simply because we were the two most outstanding students under Master Liu at that time. Our friendship was not that deep; we were just strangers who met by chance."

As for later, when Xin You'an raised an army against the Jin, and I returned to my hometown to care for my elderly mother, we parted ways and hadn't been in contact for many years. I wanted to use this connection to contact Liu Dalang of the Jingnan Army, hoping he would show leniency…”

As he spoke, Dang Huaiying shook his head repeatedly.

Lin Fanrong laughed and said, "Mr. Dang has misunderstood. This is a matter of national importance, concerning the ownership of Jinan Prefecture. It would be strange if it could be changed by Mr. Dang's words."

I simply want to ask, Mr. Dang, how do you view the current situation? And what should the Lin family do next?

Dang Huaiying had just breathed a sigh of relief after hearing the first sentence, but upon hearing the second, her heart leaped into her throat again: "Master Lin, this is..."

Lin Fanrong sighed: "Now everyone has their own version of events, but they are all entangled in their own interests. I really want to hear what someone who has nothing to do with me has to say. Mr. Dang is of noble character and content with a simple life. I'm sure he wouldn't be like those short-sighted villains who would try to deceive me."

Seeing that Dang Huaiying was still hesitant, Lin Fanrong could only sigh and say, "Since Mr. Dang still has concerns, I cannot force him."

As he spoke, he made a move to get up and leave.

Thinking of the care she had received at the Lin family manor these past few days, and also of her own elderly mother who was indeed exhausted from all the travel, Dang Huaiying still got up and pulled Lin Fanrong aside, saying with difficulty, "Then I will analyze the situation for Master Lin. This is just nonsense, don't take it seriously."

Lin Fanrong nodded: "Mr. Dang, please speak."

After pondering for a moment, Dang Huaiying said solemnly, "These days, I have been looking at the proclamations and notices issued by Duke Wei and Liu Dalang over the past two years. At the same time, I have also inquired with merchants about the military policies and strategies of the Shandong East Road. I have discovered that Liu Dalang is very different from the Jin and Song states."

How did the State of Song govern its localities? For example, in a county, the magistrate and the assistant magistrate were usually appointed by the government, but the chief clerk was usually selected from the local area, and this was even more true for the lower-ranking officials.

Take Jinan Prefecture for example. If the government wanted to collect taxes or conscript labor, the people actually doing the work were all minor officials. And where did these minor officials come from? Weren't they all lackeys of the Lin family? Not to mention, many officials in the court were also from wealthy families who rose through the imperial examinations, so the Lin family naturally had connections in the court as well.

"Therefore, during the early Song Dynasty, the local powerful clans in Shandong and the government had a cooperative relationship. They were intertwined, and even if the Song government angered a particular family or clan, it was impossible for them to exterminate them."

"But the Jin Dynasty was different. The Jin Dynasty was a Jin Dynasty of the Jurchen people, not a Jin Dynasty of the gentry. The Jin ruler, Wanyan Liang, did not treat the local powerful families as his own people, but rather regarded the ethnic minorities in Liaodong as his confidants. It was in order to give benefits to his confidants that he caused a series of incidents such as the settlement of the Meng'an and Mouke households in the Central Plains."

Lin Fanrong was initially disappointed by Dang Huaiying's repetitive pronouncements, but upon hearing the analysis about the Jin Dynasty, he became serious and said, "However, the Jin bandits used us to settle the Meng'an Mouke households, which ultimately caused chaos in the Central Plains."

Dang Huaiying nodded, but then immediately shook his head: "How many Jurchens are there? With such a small number of people, it's almost impossible for them to drive away a wealthy family like Master Lin and thus occupy the Central Plains. In the end, the Meng'an Mouke people will naturally be wiped out."

But Liu Dalang was different.

As she spoke, Dang Huaiying looked into Lin Fanrong's eyes and said, "Liu Dalang has plenty of manpower. He has established a complete local administrative system based on his troops. To put it more clearly, he doesn't need to cooperate with local powerful families. His civil and legal officials will naturally take over the work of collecting grain taxes and mobilizing labor for the wealthy families."

"The local people will listen to Liu Dalang because he distributed land to them and was like a second parent to them."

His military merit system was essentially like dismantling the property of a large family and then distributing it among a hundred loyal smaller landowners. This ensured his decrees were carried out without obstruction, freeing him from the whims of local powerful families.

Hearing this, Lin Fanrong felt her mouth go dry, and even in the cold winter wind, sweat kept dripping from her forehead.

"So, Liu Dalang isn't Huang Chao, but... but Emperor Gaozu of Han?"

Dang Huaiying thought for a moment, then nodded: "Master Lin is truly insightful. Liu Dalang's move is similar to Emperor Gaozu of Han enfeoffing his sons and confidants in Guandong. Both are about letting one's own family members replace those disobedient nobles of the six states. Tsk, is the Liu family divinely inspired in political strategy?"

Lin Fanrong was now completely panicked.

Liu Dalang was truly the Lin family's greatest enemy, and an enemy they could not defeat.

They can neither influence him from above nor coerce him from below, and they can't defeat him militarily either. Isn't this a sure way to die?

“Mr. Dang! Mr. Dang!” Lin Fanrong stood up and stepped forward, grasping Dang Huaiying’s hands and saying, “Then what should the Lin family do? I hope Mr. Dang can point out a clear path.”

Dang Huaiying looked at his hands being held and chuckled dryly, "I do have a solution, but I'm afraid it might offend Master Lin."

"Please speak, sir."

“Master Lin, now, you immediately take your trusted confidants to find that Liu Dalang and submit to him. Whatever he says goes. Whether it’s dividing up the Lin family or distributing the land, just go along with him.”

"Jinan Hall is a place of outstanding people and abundant resources, and the Lin family is a scholarly family. If we go there now and sincerely serve them, do our best to make contributions, how can we not get high-ranking official positions? If a prime minister comes along, it will naturally bring glory to our family!"

Sure enough, Lin Fanrong immediately hesitated: "This...this is all ancestral property. Wouldn't I become an unfilial descendant? This matter...this matter...we need to consider this carefully. Besides, it's not necessarily that Liu Dalang will win the world...No, no."

Dang Huaiying finally felt helpless.

Is now the time for you to haggle?

Now it's a matter of surrender or death. We're already being generous by finding you a future; what more do you want?

Are you suggesting that Liu Huai simply hand over the position of Commander-in-Chief of the Jingnan Army to you?
However, being dependent on others, Dang Huaiying could only keep these words to himself. He smiled and said, "Master Lin, I am ignorant and have offended you. I hope you can forgive me."

Lin Fanrong sighed repeatedly, then released Dang Huaiying's hands: "Mr. Dang, please rest early. As for my family's future... I'll think about it some more."

With that, Lin Fanrong shook her head and turned to leave.

Seeing this, Dang Huaiying could only sigh and then returned to the house, only to find that her mother had already put down her chopsticks and was looking up at her.

"Did Mother hear everything?"

The old woman nodded: "I heard everything, but I didn't understand it."

Dang Huaiying said gently, "It's alright. It's just a power struggle between important people, it won't bother Mother at all."

The old woman was silent for a moment before saying, "Aying, it's my fault for holding you back. If I weren't old and frail, and you were protecting me so I could live a peaceful life, you might have already gone off to do great things."

Dang Huaiying's smile froze, then she shook her head and said, "Mother, what are you saying? These important matters of the world ultimately require risking one's life; how can a scholar like me interfere?"

The old woman seemed not to hear: "Aying, don't lie to me. A few months ago, you looked at several documents with a dazed expression. Although I don't recognize many characters, I can still recognize the character 'Xin'. Is it because Xin Wulang, who is as famous as you, has accomplished something great?"

Dang Huaiying was slightly taken aback before sighing and saying, "I can't hide it from Mother. It is indeed something great that Xin Wulang has done, something that I admire greatly."

The old woman nodded again: "Ah Ying, you have been running around with your mother, trying to find a safe place, but where in this world is there peace?"

"As your mother, I'm not well-educated and have a limited perspective, so I don't know much. But since you just said that Liu Dalang can protect this area, why don't you take me and go to him, Aying? Then, I can enjoy my old age in peace, and you can get a government job and do great things. Wouldn't that be the best of both worlds?"

In front of her own mother, Dang Huaiying didn't hide anything, but nodded directly: "Mother is right, but that's a matter for later, right now there's chaos and turmoil..."

The old woman interrupted her son's persuasion and said seriously, "Let's go now. Don't we have a carriage? Let's go now. Your advice just now has already repaid some of Master Lin's kindness, but it seems that he is still determined to oppose Liu Dalang to the end. Don't you want to find a way to save Master Lin's life?"
This manor is unstable now. If the mutinous soldiers arrive, who knows where it will be more dangerous? You have a connection with Xin You'an, so as long as you find Liu Dalang's troops, they won't make things difficult for you."

Dang Huaiying was speechless, yet remained hesitant.

The old woman sighed, stepped forward, and cupped her son's face in her hands: "My son, your mother has reached this age, and has lived enough. Before your father died, he dreamed of bringing glory to our family. Now that we finally have this opportunity, you don't cherish it. Do you want your mother to be ashamed to face your father?"

Tears streaming down her face, Dang Huaiying nodded: "Your child will go and prepare right away!"

(End of this chapter)