Follow Zhu Yuanzhang to conquer the country

Chapter 50: The officials and gentry were impressed by the combination of kindness and power.

When Zhang Cheng asked this, Ren Qiande and other officials suddenly remembered that the rebels in front of them were the rebels who had just revolted. Their faces turned pale, and they immediately stood up and knelt in the hall.

"Don't dare!"

"Please, Mr. Zhou Mu, forgive me for waiting for the common people to commit the death penalty!"

Zhu Yuanzhang couldn't help but widen his eyes when he saw Zhang Cheng suddenly getting angry and seeing these officials and gentry kneeling down in unison: "Isn't Zhang Cheng prepared to treat these people with courtesy?"

Zhang Cheng smiled contemptuously.

"It's good if you know you don't dare."

"Those whose homes were confiscated are all traitors who want to cause trouble when our rebel army regains Chuzhou City."

"In order to protect the environment and the people, and to maintain good morals, the government had to raid their homes."

"If you speak for them, it will only make me wonder whether you are connected with them or whether you are supporting them in their rebellion!"

"That's why I am so angry, thinking that although you are gentry, you are ignorant and ignorant, and are just like those traitors who want to cause trouble!"

Zhang Cheng continued to speak, and his tone was very stern.

Ren Qiande hurriedly kowtowed and said: "Master Zhou Mu clearly knows that the common people have no such intention! The common people are just uneasy because they saw the scene of ransacking our homes for the first time, and they are worried that the soldiers will not be able to control it and will also search our homes." ah."

"Yes, those traitors who were robbed certainly deserved their punishment, but it did make the good family uneasy! That's why we came to ask."

"Master Zhou Mu, please calm down. We are rude because we are scared. After all, we heard that the houses that were raided have left no grass behind. Although we don't believe such rumors, we still have to ask, and The people of the An’an tribe are so kind to their neighbors!”

Zhang Cheng looked at these, and the Chuzhou officials and gentry who just now spoke with a questioning tone because of his polite words were all weak in the legs, sweating, and shaking like chaff, so they laughed secretly and said in a deep voice:
  "You are too unfounded! How can our rebel army be the same as the Yuan soldiers?"

"During this period, haven't you seen that the people in the market praise our rebel army for not committing any crimes in autumn, which is the style of the king's master? You have also set up a memorial tablet for the obedient people, so what should you worry about!"

"How could our rebels seize the Good House without any reason?!"

"Anyone who seizes the money can only be a traitor, and you must have the consciousness to think so!"

"Yes!"

"We are too worried. The great master has a clear conscience. We should rest assured and help the government to appease the common people. How can we follow the ignorant people and make noise."

Ren Qiande started talking at this time.

Zhang Chengze added: "Since you all understand, then just stand up and sit down, no need to kneel,"

"Yes!"

"Thank you, sir, for sitting down."

The officials and gentry all sat back down respectfully.

Zhang Cheng also became friendly again at this time and said: "You have to believe in the rebels and yourselves, and don't follow what others say. In short, we, Manager Zhu's rebels, will not find good homes when they raid homes."

"Of course we believe it."

At this moment, Zhu Wenzheng came to Zhang Cheng and said that Zhu Yuanzhang wanted to see him.

Zhang Cheng was startled after hearing this.

Afterwards, Zhang Cheng laughed happily, stood up and cupped his hands towards these people and said, "Excuse me!"

then.

Zhang Cheng came inside.

Suddenly.

Zhang Cheng was sure that Zhu Yuanzhang was here.

"Sir, when did you come?"

Zhang Cheng then asked.

Zhu Yuanzhang took Zhang Cheng to one side and sat down: "Come, come, tell me, didn't you treat them politely at first? Why did you suddenly change your attitude and make them all kneel down in fear?"

talking.

Zhu Yuanzhang smiled and said: "Don't tell me, the way you acted just now looked a bit like the official I had seen before. But we didn't expect that not only would the common people's legs weaken when they saw the official show his power, but they would also be so weak that they had to kneel down. , thank you for stopping us from ransacking all their homes, they are so weak, what are they afraid of!"

"On top!" "That's what they do."

"As long as their interests are not taken away, they will be more submissive to those in power than dogs, and the more ferocious they are, the more they will be intimidated."

"However, because I want to win over some people with integrity among them, I still have to do something on the surface. Since I should show courtesy to them when I should do so, I have to show them courtesy. Anyway, it is a combination of kindness and power."

"Besides, I actually hope they can have more backbone and not be so frightened that they kneel down and kowtow when the people in power get angry."

Zhang Cheng spoke at this time.

"How do you say this?"

Zhu Yuanzhang asked.

Zhang Cheng said: "Think about it, superiors, if they are so scared in front of me today, they were too scared in front of the Tatar nobles before. In the future, if foreigners come to dominate and bring trouble, will they just Will you bow down and kneel down to welcome him?"

"Humph!"

"So, they will only show off their power in front of the people?"

Zhu Yuanzhang then lowered his face and looked at the restless officials, gentry and Confucian scholars outside. He unconsciously remembered the way he had seen the officials and gentry shouting and drinking around common people like him in the past.

Zhang Cheng also looked at the officials, gentry and Confucian scholars outside, and said to Zhu Yuanzhang: "So, if we want to rebuild the Huayi etiquette, we have to force them to stand up. The reason why we say forcing is because they I don’t want to stand upright in front of foreign invaders!”

"But they are the most cultured and advanced people in our land who know how to calm the people and increase production. If they are so soft, how can we expect the whole of China to defeat foreign aggression? On the contrary, they will only follow the foreigners and intensify their efforts. Oppressing the people will only make more people starve to death."

"In other words, we have to make them harden their bones and prevent them from kneeling easily?"

Zhu Yuanzhang looked back at Zhang Cheng in astonishment and asked in a low voice.

Zhang Cheng nodded.

Zhu Yuanzhang hurriedly shook his head: "This is too difficult. Their own bones are weak, how can we do anything about it?"

"Either we lower ourselves to a lower level first and beg them not to be soft, but in that case we will be humbled first!"

"Either we use the knife to force them, but if we use the knife to force them to be weak, if we succeed, won't they still be weak?"

Zhu Yuanzhang did feel embarrassed about this.

"But if they are too soft and mean, and there is no bottom line for being so mean, it will be us people who will suffer in the end."

Zhang Cheng added at this time.

After a while, Zhu Yuanzhang nodded: "We know what to do."

then.

Zhu Yuanzhang said to Zhang Cheng again: "I have personally written the notices to recruit talents and stabilize the people, and to state the military discipline, and have them posted! In addition, I have also asked Xu Da to lead people to strengthen military discipline, protect the Jin gentry's family property, and also send people Go and warn Li Shanchang and the others not to tell others about the confiscation of their homes. You are right, we cannot confiscate them all, we have to win over them."

After hearing this, Zhang Cheng smiled and sighed to himself. After all, Zhu Yuanzhang was Zhu Yuanzhang, and he still listened to persuasion. Just like in history, after he became the emperor, although he was particularly disgusted with the nonsense of some civil servants' memorials, he would still read the contents of their memorials carefully. And the good opinions will still be taken seriously.

Zhu Yuanzhang also grinned here, then walked out, raised his hands to Ren Qiande and other officials and said with a smile: "You gentlemen have been waiting for a long time. I have wanted to talk to you for a long time, but I never thought that you would take the initiative to come first." I’m looking for you.”

"The general regained the city of Chuzhou, pacified the people and punished the evil. He was wise and upright, and did not accept the feedback of the people. We all respected him very much. We came to harass the general, firstly to pay tribute to the general's heroic appearance, and secondly to ask for the general's good training, so that I will go back and tell my neighbors soon to reassure people."

"Yes, Hu Yuan is innocent. We look forward to the general just as we look forward to the rain after a long drought! Because we heard about the confiscation of the house, we were worried about another military disaster. Now that we can see the general, we no longer have such worries."

When Ren Qiande and other officials saw Zhu Yuanzhang's appearance, they were so frightened that they stood up and wanted to kneel down and kowtow. However, after seeing Zhu Yuanzhang's appearance, they did not look at them with a sinister look on their faces. As if they were bathed in the spring breeze, they straightened their knees and started talking with a smile.

Zhu Yuanzhang nodded: "Everyone, please rest assured. Since the rebel army has restored Chuzhou City, it will protect the territory and the people, and will also recruit talented people. Even if the homes are searched, they will only target the treacherous and evil ones with solid evidence, and then punish them according to the canon. They will not be implicated." Innocent, framed good.”

"Now, Chuzhou is newly restored, and everything is ready to be done. There are vacancies for all positions. I also invite you and your children to apply for office and work together to benefit the people of Chuzhou."

As Zhu Yuanzhang spoke, he stood up, bowed his hands to these people, and said, "We have asked people to post the recruitment notice. You can go and take a look."

"If you dare not disobey orders, you should try your best."

These officials, gentry and Confucian scholars were all reassured by this, and after they left, they all praised him and said, "This General Manager Zhu is also polite to the people!"

"Yes, this is more reassuring. Manager Zhu and Zhang Zhizhou are more polite than other bandit leaders, but they are also more capable."

"That's right! The combination of kindness and power is terrifying. This time they had a reason to raid their homes. I heard that it was because they caught some wealthy gentry members who were immoral and corrupt! But I don't know how they deal with those people who want to be loyal to the Yuan Dynasty. Is it Shi Ren or Li Wei?"

(End of this chapter)