Griffin Commander in the Late Ming Dynasty

Yan Bo had trouble breathing.

Jiang Han didn't dare to say any more, for he was really afraid that the old man would faint on the spot.

"Brother Jiang, you know this is a serious matter, you must not joke about it!"

"Why am I kidding you? I've been dying trying to find this thing. Didn't you see that I didn't even take the credit for eliminating the bandits, just to find this thing? Why would I tease an old man like you when I have nothing else to do?"

Jiang Han was in a bad mood because he was being held and yelled at all times.

"Brother Jiang, please forgive me. I was too excited when I heard the news. I must find it at all costs. If I can find it earlier... where is it?"

The old man also felt that he had been too excited before. After apologizing, he hurriedly asked Jiang Han about it, and his voice was even choked with sobs.

Another person with a story... Jiang Han thought silently in his heart, hey, in the late Ming Dynasty, who doesn’t have a story?

"This thing should be in southern Fujian. It should be cultivated in the area of ​​the eight prefectures of Fuzhou. At present, I have too few channels and don't know the exact location, so I have to mobilize as much power as possible to find it."

"It's actually there! I, Wang Dang, swear that I will help Brother Jiang find this thing no matter what. This thing benefits the country and the people, and it must be found! If the output is really as high as Brother Jiang said, then the Ming Dynasty will be saved! Brother Jiang, when we find it, we will join forces with the government and report it to the court together! This is a great achievement! What are a few petty thieves! Brother Jiang, I see, you are playing a big game!"

Wang Dang's face flushed and he was also very excited. This was an opportunity to change the entire Ming Dynasty. Now it was in front of him. It was our duty to restore the glory of the Ming Dynasty!

Jiang Han sighed: "It's useless. This thing will not attract the attention of the higher-ups at all. We should hurry up to expand the scale and plant it."

"Brother Jiang, why do you say that?"

Wang Dang did not quite approve of Jiang Han's calmness.

"Why do you think this thing has been in the country for so long without anyone knowing about it? Do you know where it came from?"

"I really don't know this. Could you please explain it to me, Brother Jiang?"

"This thing was first introduced by Chen. He realized the magic of this thing overseas and wanted to bring it back to China to benefit the people. However, this thing was regarded as a national treasure in the barbarian land and was strictly prohibited from being taken out. Anyone caught would be beheaded. Chen risked his life to take a potato vine and twist it into a water-drawing rope, and then covered it with mud. Only then did he bring a potato vine back to China. Once planted, it really had a wonderful effect. The county magistrate at the time also realized that the discovery of this thing was a great auspicious sign, so he sent a good news to the palace, but guess what? It fell on deaf ears!"

"Ah! How could this be?"

"Nowadays, war is everywhere and people are living in poverty. Officials everywhere want political achievements and want to be promoted, but where do political achievements come from? The people under their rule cannot afford to eat and have to trade their children for food! Rebellions have begun everywhere, so where can political achievements come from? They can only make up auspicious signs. Today you produce 12 ears of rice, and tomorrow I will produce six colored turtles. A large number of auspicious signs from all over the country were sent to the palace. The emperor had long been tired of seeing them and threw them directly into the garbage dump! Moreover, do you know how many people's cakes will be touched if this thing is promoted?"

"Ah...where did this come from?"

Wang Dang didn't expect that there would be such a situation in the court. How did Brother Jiang in front of him know the situation in the court? Is there really someone who can know what is going on in the world without going out?

"In today's situation, there is a shortage of food everywhere, but the noble families, high-ranking officials, merchants, and officials in the court are eating fat and fat. Where do they get their food from? The price of food is rising every day, but the grain stores are constantly full of food. Where does all this food come from?"

Wang Dang frowned, vaguely guessing the key point of the matter: "Brother Jiang, what you mean is that these people are deliberately hoarding food? But, why is this? The government has expressly prohibited this!"

"Why? If capital can make a 50% profit, it will take risks. If it can make a 100% profit, it will dare to trample on all human laws. If it can make a 300% profit, it will dare to commit any crime, even at the risk of being tortured to death!"

"Compared to before, the profit of grain price today is more than three hundred. As long as they keep hoarding grain, grain price will continue to rise. When grain price rises, people will do everything to eat, sell their property and land. With land, they can grow more grain. Brother Wang, you don't really think that the famine in this world is all caused by the weather, right? All the dignitaries in the court are vested interests. They will not allow the people to have grain in their hands."

“This…this…this…”

Facing the darkness of the world for the first time, Wang Dang felt that his brain was not enough and his three views were overturned. He spoke for a long time without saying a word.

Volume 82: Chapter Chapter : Determination

"Uncle Yan, tell me, is what Brother Jiang said before true?"

On the way back in the carriage, Wang Dang asked the doubts in his mind in confusion.

They still politely declined Jiang Han's request to take them in for the night and chose to return to the city before the city gates closed at night.

"This... Master, I can't tell you, you need to judge for yourself."

Yan Bo smiled bitterly. He didn't know how to answer Wang Dang's question.

"Even if you don't tell me, I know this. This situation is quite common, right? Sometimes, when people don't answer, it basically means that a certain answer has been determined. You taught me this."

Wang Dang was in a low mood, and Yan Bo could only respond with a wry smile.

"The Ming Dynasty has really come to this point today. The court is full of rats, and outside the court, there are countless evil spirits who want to squeeze the blood out of the people of the Ming Dynasty. The emperor has been deceived by these evildoers, and the people are suffering. Uncle Yan, when I was in high school, I thought countless times about how to rise to the top and how to save the people from disaster, but I never expected that the Ming Dynasty was already on the verge of collapse and the tide had already turned."

"Uncle Yan, do you think there is still hope for the Ming Dynasty?"

Wang Dang looked at Yan Bo. Looking at the boy's expression, Yan Bo knew what he was thinking.

Sometimes, when we ask questions, we don’t really want an answer, but just want an attitude that can be affirmed, a definite concept. Yan Bo has lived for decades and he could see at a glance that what this child wanted was not an answer, but the affirmation of others.

"Of course there is hope. Look at your brother Jiang. Isn't he working hard for the Ming Dynasty?"

To untie the bell, one must find the person who tied it. Yan Bo chose to focus on Jiang Han, the focus of the previous problem.

"Look, helping refugees, studying in foreign countries, using the knowledge you have learned, and spending all your wealth to find a way out for Ming, isn't this working hard for Ming?"

"You asked me directly whether the Ming Dynasty could be saved. Of course, I couldn't answer you. But you also saw that it was because of people like this that the Ming Dynasty could be saved. You young people are like the rising sun. You have faith in the Ming Dynasty. If you work hard, the Ming Dynasty will be saved."

Listening to Yan Bo's words, Wang Dang's confused eyes gradually began to show some color. Yes, if there is anyone who has the most profound understanding of the dark side of the Ming Dynasty, it is none other than Brother Jiang. How could a learned man like Brother Jiang not be good at the imperial examination? He may have seen too much darkness in the officialdom, so he gave up the imperial examination. But Brother Jiang is still saving the Ming Dynasty in his own way. How can he fall into decadence when Brother Jiang is working so hard?

"Uncle Yan! I understand. Brother Jiang is a common man but he has been working so hard for the Ming Dynasty. How can we lag behind? I am the official of Yangzhou. I must turn the tide and save the country from collapse!"

now it's right!

Yan Bo looked at Wang Dang, who had regained his strength, and felt relieved. This was the young master he knew.

"We can't wait any longer, Uncle Yan, let's hurry into the city. Tomorrow I will take up my post and start looking for sweet potatoes!"

After recovering his spirit, Wang Dang returned to his impetuous personality and was determined to do things as they were said.

While the conversation was going on here to save the Ming Dynasty, Jiang Han was also implementing his guiding ideology with the girls in the yard.

"We have to rebel. We have to rebel! Just imagine, we are staying in the farm, eating hot pot, singing songs, and suddenly we are robbed by the government!"

“So, the days without these people who hold us back are good days. If you follow other people’s rules, you will never be able to walk your own path.”

"Oh!!!!!"

The humanoids had different reactions. For example, M4A1 and 45, which had autonomous command capabilities, seemed to be thinking about something. Commander NTW looked at Jiang Han blankly. As for the dog, he was just there to create the atmosphere.

"But Commander, as you said, this dynasty has lasted for hundreds of years. Why don't we let it continue to exist, but establish a new order? It is not a wise choice to confront the country."

M4A1 opened his mouth and raised the question. As the captain of the AR team, they had suffered a lot from confronting huge forces along the way. They couldn't afford to offend the National Security Agency, the military, or the rebels. In the final analysis, Griffin was just a private security company that did dirty work for others.

The result of the confrontation with the military is also obvious. Even the weakest rebel group was completely crushed by Griffin. In the first encounter between the two sides, 97% of Griffin's humanoids were lost. M4A1 didn't think that Jiang Han had completely forgotten such a tragic result, so why did he do this?

"Good question. First of all, let me make it clear that I am not going to lead you to rebel right now. I am just setting a goal for our future struggle. So why must we establish a new order? This has to do with the current situation of the Ming Dynasty. After hundreds of years of continuation, the land annexation situation in the Ming Dynasty has reached a peak. This peak range is the signal that the dynasty is about to change."

"And the Qing army in Liaodong is also constantly carrying out military operations against the Ming Dynasty. They want to use one crossing again and again to continuously consume the Ming Dynasty's war potential, and through the simplest method of looting, they want to collapse the overall economy of the Ming Dynasty. In the northwest, a large number of refugees and rebels are constantly gathering, and the court is unable to suppress them. They will inevitably form a force. Coupled with the peasant uprising in the south, the Ming Dynasty is now facing attacks from three directions."

"And in such an environment, their official system is still engaged in constant internal friction and party struggles. The basis for judging right and wrong is no longer universal values, but the camps between them. You think a person is guilty because of moral and legal concepts, but they think it's because you are a eunuch party and I am a Donglin party. The same result, the basis for judgment is completely different, which has led to chaos in the Ming Dynasty's political system."

"And in such a chaotic political system, do you think we can successfully achieve our goals? Will the actions we carry out go wrong? Will someone hinder the joint activities? What should we do if such a situation occurs during the battle? You know, what is more terrifying than a terrible enemy is a stupid teammate. Therefore, no matter how troublesome it is, we must ensure that there is a single voice and a single will behind us."

"The dynasty has lasted for hundreds of years, but is now coming to an end, which means that its system is no longer applicable to the current environment. Therefore, the introduction of new regulations is imperative. We must advance the entry into the city to achieve the goal of saving the vast majority of people."

"Once upon a time, the meaning of Griffin's existence was to do the dirty work for others, to clean up others' messes, to run around and fight for the will of those big shots, to be a chess piece at the mercy of their schemes. I've had enough of this kind of life."

"Coming here, I don't want to listen to the conspiracies of those bigwigs, and I don't want to flatter them. We want to be the masters of our own destiny. Our goal should be to seek the well-being of the people living on this land, to fight for better development and a better tomorrow."

"Every one of my girls is my treasure. I want each of you to shine brightly. You will no longer be mercenaries, intelligence dealers, spies, or consumables, but warriors fighting for the people."

"But, can we do it alone? Commander, we have to fight against an entire era."

"So what? Look at the current situation, it's just like this long night. It's not enough to just wait for someone to hold up a torch for you. Someone has to burn themselves. Why can't that person be me? If there is no torch from now on, I will be the only light!"

Volume 83: Chapter Chapter : New Official Takes Office

"Hurry, hurry, hurry up, the master is about to go out!"

Inside the Wen Mansion, the servants were busy.

For a master like Wen Ren, there are many rules for going out. Generally speaking, the ancients were relatively home-bound and would not go out often, so going out became a very ritualistic thing, and there were different rules for different people to go out.

Civil officials beat gongs, military officials set off cannons, military officials ride horses, and civil officials ride in sedan chairs. That's how it is.

Wen Ren was a businessman, so he could not enjoy the pomp and circumstance that only officials could enjoy. However, after he became rich, he wanted to have a good reputation, so he came up with a set of messy and inappropriate rules that no one could get close to. In this way, he had the status without violating the rules, but it made life difficult for the servants in the Wen Mansion.

"What's going on? Didn't they say that the county magistrate won't arrive until the day after tomorrow at the earliest?"

While Wen Ren was getting ready to go out, he asked the steward beside him. This morning, Wen Ren was still at home chatting with his maid and admiring the embroidery on the pillow. Who would have thought that suddenly news came that the new county magistrate had arrived in Yangzhou City to take office, and even invited all the big families in the city to discuss matters together in the afternoon.

"I don't know either. This ancestor arrived at the yamen early this morning. There were only two yamen runners on duty. The county magistrate got very angry and it took a lot of effort to get all the formalities in order. The first thing he did was to tell people to notify all the big families in the city to prepare for a joint meeting."

"A new official starts with three things... "

Wen Ren sighed slightly and slowly got into the carriage.

The gathering took place in the largest restaurant in Yangzhou City. Just looking at this point, it was clear that the new county magistrate was no ordinary person.

"Master Wen, you are here too?"

As soon as Wen Ren arrived, the people inside immediately noticed him. There was nothing they could do about it; his body shape was really conspicuous. Among a group of pale and skinny people, he was so white and fat that he was as obvious as a spotlight.

"Hey, Master Han, you were called here too?"

Wen Ren stepped forward and started to greet him.

"That's right. I was taking a bath at home when the county magistrate called me over. He said he had something important to discuss with me. I didn't even dry myself when I hurried over here."

“Who says it’s not…”

Everyone was talking at once, and it was obvious that they were quite dissatisfied with the sudden attack by the new county magistrate.

"The county magistrate is here!"

Speak of the devil, here comes the devil. Everyone was discussing this when they heard the doorman outside singing. Just as they stood up, they saw a young man with high spirits and walking with the wind. He walked into the hall in two steps, followed by a number of attendants.

Young and energetic.

This was the first impression Wang Dang left on these old hands.

"Excuse me for waiting, everyone. I have some formalities to go through at the government office, so I will be delayed for a while. I heard you are all discussing me?"

Wang Dang showed his talent right from the start.

"No, no, no, we don't dare. We just admire the county lord for being so dedicated. He is really a role model for us. If all the officials in the world are like the county lord, why would the Ming Dynasty be in turmoil?"

This group of businessmen all say one thing to one person and another thing to another. They first tried to flatter Wang Dang to test the waters and see how cunning this county magistrate is.

"Hahaha, no no, you guys are flattering me too much, I know my level very well, I'm still far from it"

Wang Dang waved his hand, indicating that he did not accept the flattery.

"Everyone is short on time, so I will speak frankly. I called everyone here today because I want to make some arrangements for some current events in Yangzhou City. Everyone, please take a seat first. I will tell you in detail."

Wang Dang's vigorous and decisive style made these old hands very uncomfortable. Normally, if people want to discuss business, they should do it in a restaurant. They should serve cold dishes first, then hot dishes, and have some fun to build relationships. After three rounds of wine and five dishes, they can talk about business. But you started talking about business right away, which made it difficult for everyone to adapt.

"I have been in Yangzhou for a short time, but I still see a large number of refugees wandering around in the city. They have no place to live, and some even starved to death on the roadside. I wonder what you think about this?"

Just after they sat down, Wang Dang's words made everyone frown again. What does that mean? There are refugees everywhere. Why do you want to bring this up?

"To reply to the county lord, the celestial phenomena are abnormal now, so the people have no rice to eat, and refugees are everywhere. We merchants in Yangzhou are very sad to see this. For this reason, Master Wen has united with other families to set up several porridge stalls to help the victims. However, as the number of victims increases, we are powerless and can only support ourselves with all our strength."

Some people were very smart and they came up and said, "We are also very concerned about this and have taken corresponding actions. There are too many victims now and we have no choice. If you ask us for money, we definitely cannot give it to you."

"Yes, yes, it's a bad year now, and my family has been out of food for many days."

"yes..."

Wang Dang looked at the big brother who said he had no rice to eat and said, "Look at your stomach. Does anyone believe what you say?"

The big investors all said one thing after another, and it can be summed up in two words: no money.

How could they have no money? What kind of business are these people in?

As the saying goes, one cannot live without salt. Salt is the basis of food and clothing for millions of people and the biggest source of tax revenue for the imperial court. Everything depends on this one word: salt.

How can a person who uses salt permits to do this kind of business possibly cook every grain of rice at home?

Seeing these people starting to act out one after another and the scene was about to turn into a talent show, Wang Dang changed the subject at the right time.

"You all have worked hard to serve the people and set up the porridge stalls. I have seen it and I am grateful. This year is not a good year for us, so we should help each other. Let's talk about the next thing."

Hearing what Wang Dang said, everyone present breathed a sigh of relief. Good thing, they managed to fool him. Now let's see what tricks this county magistrate is going to play next.

"The second thing we want to talk about is the mountain bandits around Yangzhou City. I heard that there is a group of mountain bandits in the nearby mountains. They are arrogant and have been entrenched for a long time. The government has been unable to take them down for a long time. Is this true?"

"Oh! Yes! So much!"

Someone in the crowd slapped his thigh.

"You don't know, old parents, this group of bandits controls a major transportation route, and their camp on the mountain is easy to defend but difficult to attack. We wanted to sell salt to the north, but eight out of ten times, they robbed us. We asked the government for help, but we couldn't get any news of success. We are suffering."

"Yes, yes, my goods have been robbed several times."

Wen Ren nodded in agreement, looking sympathetic.