A son who doesn't resemble his father? Love you, old man, see you at Xuanwu Gate!

Chapter 131 Burrowing filth
"The chieftain said that he would never do anything that would be treacherous and condemned by everyone. He ordered you to return immediately and give up any wishful thinking!"

When Dong Zhongshu stepped forward and they exchanged greetings, the messenger suddenly received a piece of gold.

"Please inform them again that the Han envoy, Dong Zhongshu, requests an audience!"

"Alas... well, never mind, please wait, Doctor." The messenger felt the weight of the gold, sighed, and turned away.

Soon.

Another messenger arrived, and his words remained unchanged. Through the influence of the gold, he once again received the word "wait".

"waiting!"

"Please come with me, Doctor."

Dong Zhongshu followed the thief through a narrow path. After about a hundred paces, the path suddenly opened up.

Although he didn't look up, Dong Zhongshu could still sense that the rocks on the mountain wall above the narrow path were movable. If an irresistible event occurred, rocks could fall and block the mountain path. There must also be secret passages or tunnels in the mountain connecting the inside and outside, allowing one to escape.

In these mountains, Dong Zhongshu saw houses built of stone and wood, including dwellings and granaries. The sounds of chisels and hammers he heard indicated the presence of blacksmith shops and pharmacies. The presence of spring water from the mountaintop proved that the area could be sealed off even for a short period.

The leaders of the mountain stronghold were all sizing up Dong Zhongshu, but Dong Zhongshu was quite at ease, enjoying the feeling of being the center of attention, until he met Mei Mian.

"Greetings, Chief Plum."

"The Han envoy Dong Zhongshu has sent people to report to you several times. What exactly do you want?" Mei Mian leaned back on the mat, not even glancing at him.

"Recruit them to serve the imperial court."

Dong Zhongshu did not get angry, but went straight to the point and said: "In the past, most of the prefects were greedy and cruel, which made you angry and gathered people to become bandits. Now, His Majesty is benevolent and wise, and does not want to punish you. He is prepared to eliminate the rebellion with kindness. Therefore, he sent me to bestow official positions on you and make you rich and honorable."

The art of persuasion is a tactic employed by strategists, and Dong Zhongshu was somewhat familiar with it. The most important technique is the use of incentives. Without incentives, nothing can be accomplished. To persuade others, you must show them a bright future. Without a promising future, who would give up their comfortable life?

Offering incentives is one of the two wings of persuasion.

"The emperor doesn't care that I wanted to plunder him and even killed his men?" Mei Mian asked, somewhat surprised.

"The southern inspection team had no markings, and Meizhai took the initiative to plunder. Ignorance is no excuse. However, His Majesty cannot be indifferent to the deaths of Qimenlang and Nanyang soldiers. In His Majesty's heart, even if Meizhai Chief is executed three times, it will not be enough to quell his hatred," Dong Zhongshu said without reservation.

Assassinating the king is always a crime of motive, not a crime of fact. According to the laws of the Han Dynasty, it should result in death and extermination of the entire clan.

"However, Chief Mei and most of the people here do not have the ability to communicate with the imperial court. They cannot bear the persecution of the cruel laws, so they have gathered together to live a life of ignominy, like fish swimming in a pot, barely surviving. His Majesty has always been benevolent and forgiving, and is willing to overlook the past and give Chief Mei and everyone else a chance."

Let bygones be bygones.

Mei finally heard what she wanted to hear, and her expression clearly changed.

At this moment, Dong Zhongshu's tone suddenly turned serious, "This is a great opportunity for you to turn misfortune into fortune, but if you do not cherish it and still refuse to submit to the court, His Majesty will be furious and will summon the armies of Hanzhong, Nan, Jiangxia, Runan, Yingchuan, Henan, and Hongnong to this place. In an instant, you will all be beheaded and your descendants will be wiped out. Please consider the pros and cons carefully, Chief Mei."

Persuasion techniques, even with bait alone, are insufficient. Human nature dictates that people seek advantage and avoid harm. By first showcasing the benefits and then threatening the drawbacks, presenting both sides allows for a clearer understanding. Threats and intimidation are also one of the two wings of persuasion.

Mei Mian's expression changed drastically, and he stared intently at Dong Zhongshu. "Isn't that a bit odd? It seems that the current court isn't entirely under the emperor's control. Can the emperor still mobilize the armies of the various prefectures?"

"Chief Mei knows quite a lot."

Dong Zhongshu praised him and then said, "But within the territory of the Great Han, no matter how weak His Majesty is, he is still the Son of Heaven, and no matter how strong the Crown Prince is, he is still the heir apparent. The dynasty governs the world with filial piety. Once His Majesty's edict and tiger tally are issued, even the Crown Prince will not openly disobey. No matter how unwilling the prefects and commanders of several prefectures are, they will lead their people here. At that time, how will Chief Mei deal with himself?"

Even today, the situation of the three emperors ruling the Han Dynasty remains unchanged, and the orders of the emperor, empress, and crown prince can be disseminated throughout the world in the form of imperial edicts.

Since it concerns the authority and dignity of the emperor, if any one of them openly uses the imperial edict or the tiger tally to mobilize the troops of the local counties, the other two will not openly oppose it. They will only secretly order the prefects and captains who obey their orders to do nothing.

Your Majesty has ruled for twenty years. Not everyone in the world is a member of the Crown Prince's faction. There are quite a few people like Wang Wenshu. If the troops of the counties near Nanyang Prefecture were to be mobilized, the response would not be overwhelming, but the troops of two or three prefectures could be mobilized. If they were to besiege the bandits of Nanyang Prefecture, not many bandits would be able to escape.

However, unless absolutely necessary, His Majesty will not issue edicts or tiger tallies to mobilize the troops of the prefectures and counties. The Crown Prince is a sensitive person, and military power is what the Crown Prince values ​​most. If the Emperor is provoked and another major upheaval occurs, His Majesty may lose his freedom or even his life.

Dong Zhongshu looked at Mei Mian, and Mei Mian looked at Dong Zhongshu. In the clash of momentum and will, Mei Mian was clearly at a disadvantage. In this game of fighting a wolf with a straw, both sides were afraid. Whoever was determined to die had already won.

"Then why should we accept His Majesty's offer of amnesty instead of the Emperor's offer?" Bai Zheng emerged from the back room, breaking the deadlock.

Dong Zhongshu smiled, as if he had been waiting for this question, "Chief Bai?"

"Exactly."

"Do you have any understanding of the political situation?"

"not much."

"Do you know what kind of person the ruler is?"

"This...I don't know."

"Let me tell the two chieftains that the Lord has overcome countless obstacles on his journey, and as for his character, he is one of righteous indignation!"

That was a monarch who rose from the ashes of the harsh criticism that "the son is not like his father."

"The Lord may forgive the vast majority of the people in the two strongholds, but there is absolutely no way he will forgive the two chieftains. Having been bandits for many years, the two chieftains have probably lost count of the blood on their hands. Their crimes are so numerous that even if the waters of the East Sea were poured out or the bamboo of the South Mountain were felled, it would be difficult to wash away their sins. I wonder if the two chieftains have the heart to sacrifice their own interests for the greater good?" Dong Zhongshu's imposing manner overwhelmed Mei Mian and Bai Zheng.

Your Majesty is not one to tolerate filth and corruption.

If we forgive Mei Mian and Bai Zheng, how can we explain this to the two million people of Nanyang County?
"According to the doctor's opinion, what should we do?"

"Only His Majesty will protect you!"

(End of this chapter)