Lu Ming

Chapter 408

The big drama that happened at the gate of Jiading County Yamen spread the incident of the Lake Bandits even more forcefully.And every dissemination of information is a harm to the Land Deed Alliance—there is no impenetrable wall in the world, not to mention the fact that the truth will be spread intentionally.

At the same time, the Land Deed Alliance has already turned against Yingtian.

The news of the lake bandit's disastrous defeat was passed back by the spies arranged last night.By noon, some scattered lake bandits were also brought before the fidgeting gentlemen, and then the details of what happened last night were clarified.

Within the title deed alliance, a wave of violent quarrels erupted immediately.

This is true of any war. When the front suffers a disastrous defeat, the rear will inevitably usher in a series of actions of accusation, division, and reshuffle.

The problem the league is facing now is that some people have retreated.

The reason is simple: the means are exhausted.

As far as the traditional gentry is concerned, even if all the tricks are counted, then using the lake bandits, a method with strong side effects, is already a top-level move.This is the last resort that can be used under the table, and it has already stepped on the bottom line of the rules.

This kind of method that can barely be called "private" will inevitably call for some impeachment and official crackdown afterwards. The only difference is that the regional alliance is strong enough to be free from fear of backlash.

However, the same is true for Xiong Dao.Yes, you can invite the Lake Bandits, and I can also secretly send people to set fires. Even if everyone knows who did these things, both sides have fig leafs that can make the government pretend to be deaf and dumb, and they are nothing more than hurting each other.

The problem now is: Xiongdao and his port are like a thorny copper pea, not only to resolve all the secret means of the regional alliance one by one, but also Xiongdao is also constantly "returning" in "private" to make the lords It's hard to get off a tiger, and it hurts so much.

Just from the point of hurting each other, the gentlemen have lost a lot.

So naturally some people backed down.

The part of the gentry who planned to back down could see clearly: Since the previous methods were useless, if they wanted to confront Xiong Dao again, they could only use the power of the "system".

To put it bluntly, this kind of institutional power is the official army-no matter how you go around, the last one to come forward must be the official army, and only the official army.

And where is the official army so easy to use?This is not the private use of bandits. If you want to mobilize the army, you must go through a series of bureaucratic systems such as the governor's office of a province, the military preparation department, and so on.

The price spent in this process is beyond the psychological capacity of some people.You must know that the Lake Bandits will be wiped out as soon as they are wiped out. To be honest, the Land Deed Alliance has not paid a big price so far.

But if the official army is used, it will be necessary to use the power of the respective families in the court to calm the situation-no matter what the outcome is.

In other words, if the means of confrontation are upgraded again, it will turn from darkness to light, and all participants should pay "their own blood."This price is not only huge, but if it is not done well, it will be a major crime of rebellion, which will be ransacked and beheaded!

Is it worth it for the money in Xiong Dao's hands?
The most important thing is that the official army needs to be well-known.To put it simply, the Land Deed Alliance must publicly label Xiong Daoxian as a "rebel" or "bandit" before they can carry out follow-up actions.

There are too many variables in the middle, the price paid is not proportional to what you get, and the risk is extremely high, and the backlash is huge, so some people shrink back.

In fact, after a night of deep thinking, the number of people who expressed their retreat the next day increased by a few more, so the number of "peacemakers" soon exceeded the number of "battle factions".

At the same time, the heads of the lake bandits were sent to the Songjiang government office with gongs and drums.

After receiving the head, the government office was much more motivated than the county office.The old man Fang Yuegong not only publicized the feat of "resisting the bandits", but also issued an official document clamoring for "poor governance" of the matter.

Feeling that the external environment is becoming more and more unfavorable, the peace-seeking lords have strengthened their original idea: take a step back and see peace as the most important thing.

During the heated debate between the two factions, another night passed, and then everyone shut up.Even the most stubborn Xu family and the most ferocious dancer Mr. Huang have begun to express their support for the truce between the two sides. Last night, the mulberry garden was burned and the fish pond was poisoned.

This time the garden burning incident directly drove the main fighters into the abyss: the burned Zhuangzi were not in the blockade around the port, but in other places far away from the port.

In addition, some cotton stalks used to keep warm in winter were burned at the same time.

Xiong Dao made a move this time, blatantly expressing an attitude: from now on, all the masters and villages all over the south of the Yangtze River can close their doors and go out of business.Because the meaning of the step of burning cotton stalks is very clear: when the cotton matures in the coming year, there will be surprises for all the masters
The stunned main fighters were completely wilted this time.They can't gather internal strength, and they can't do anything about the enemy's upgraded full-screen strike method.Considering the imminent huge loss, the gentlemen who were on a roller coaster finally realized the reality and decided to seek peace and withdraw their troops.

Soon, the person in charge of the peace talks set off to Zhang Sugang to ask to see Xiong Dao.

Xiong Dao didn't put on any airs, and greeted the middleman with a smile, which was the same as when Xu Jin met Du Yaren.

Then Xiong Dao's request was similar to Xu Jin's, the same understatement, and it was also about the land deed--use the land deeds in the box around the port as an apology first.

In addition, compared with the conditions proposed by Xu Jin at the beginning, Master Xiong is pressing every step of the way: Zhang Sugang's valuation is now 100 million taels of silver.Since the lords wanted to take 50% of the shares at the beginning, then on the basis of the land deed, and then brought [-] taels of compensation, this matter should be over, everyone thinks peace is the most important thing.

The news brought back by the middleman made the masters of the Land Deed Alliance hardly believe their ears.

"Has Xiong lost his mind and gone insane? How dare he be so mad?!" Everyone present was full of disbelief.

According to the meaning of the Land Deed Alliance, send someone over there to make peace, and then everyone sells the land around the "First Island Chain" to Xiongdao at a low price, and this matter is over.In the future, no one will hinder the development of Zhang Sugang. Isn't peace the most important thing?

What the masters didn't expect was that Xiong Dao would dare to open his mouth like a lion! ?How dare he make such a frenzied request! ?

Gentlemen who are used to opening their mouths to others can't stand this kind of rude behavior, it's a naked humiliation!

In addition, if the price offered by Xiong Dao is really followed, then it is better to mobilize officers and soldiers-the land deed plus 50 taels of silver, such a high price, is enough to settle all expenses and smooth the adverse effects afterwards.

At this moment, the mood of the gentlemen was on a roller coaster again: the hardliners were revived, especially a certain master surnamed Huang with bad legs and feet jumped the most fiercely.

So the wind direction within the alliance began to change again.The arguing gentlemen had no choice but to send middlemen to visit Xiongdao at the port the next day, hoping to get a "sincere" peace condition.

As a result, the middle-aged people couldn’t even see Mr. Xiong’s face this time. It was the old lady Yan Tiexia who came forward: “Now you know how to beg for mercy? The whole family goes begging!"

Accompanied by the words of extreme contempt, came a breathless blow: three Chuang Tzus of the capitulation faction were burned that night.

This kind of behavior is tantamount to forcibly kneading the alliance together again. The gentlemen can't retreat now, and there is no second way to go.

Therefore, the gentlemen who shouted "rise up and resist all oppression" finally united as one, gathered together, and vowed to fight Xiong's immortality, turning his eyes twice.

Two days later, December [-]th, a seemingly ordinary day.

On this day, two teams started to set off at the same time: one set off from Taijiang Port, and the other set off from Suzhou.

The team from Suzhou consisted of ten people.Everyone in this team rode good horses, wore flying fish uniforms, embroidered spring knives on their waists, fresh clothes and angry horses, and their expressions were haughty.

As one of the twelve guards of the pro-army, Jin Yiwei's headquarters is naturally in the capital.However, Jinyiwei, which is responsible for monitoring the vassal kings and officials in various places and collecting local public opinion, has branches all over the world.

Today's team of people is the team sent by the Jinyiwei Suzhou Qianhu Office on business.

Since the Susong area was the most prosperous and affluent area in the Ming Dynasty, Jinyiwei set up the highest-level Qianhusuo in Suzhou.Today's team is led by Jinyiwei Suzhou Baihu Ma Yaotang.

Ma Yaotang and his group set out from Suzhou under the order of Lord Qianhu, without stopping all the way, will arrive at the west gate of Shanghai County before noon.

At this time outside the west gate, there was already the captain in the flying fish uniform picking up the station.After seeing Ma Yaotang, the school captain hurriedly led Baihu adults to the Xu family's house in the south gate of the city.

In the afternoon, Ma Yaotang and his party came out of the house with blushing faces and golden sleeves.Then, under the leadership of the local fans, the group swaggered across the river to Zhangsu Port.

When the majestic cavalry broke into the compound of the Port Authority, the leading horse Baihu immediately reined in his horse, coolly took out his own badge and flashed it in front of the surrounding guards, and then shouted: "I am Suzhou Jinyiwei Baihu." You are here on business, quickly ask your shopkeeper, Xiong Dao, to come out and answer!"

Not long after, Xiong Dao in a brocade robe and Lu Cheng in cassock and shaved head came out of the stone building surrounded by a large group of guards and stood at the top of the steps.

After being identified by the local fan, Ma Baihu immediately got off the horse with his followers, exhaled and shouted loudly as he lined up, "Jin Yiwei is handling the case, arresting the thief Xiong Dao, idlers, etc., retreat quickly. Otherwise, you will be punished as an accomplice!"

(End of this chapter)