allonlinenovel Chapter 1021 If I'm not as skilled as others, is it my fault?
Chapter 1021 If I'm not as skilled as others, is it my fault?
Li Wenzhong couldn't help but look at Yang Shaofeng with the eyes of someone who pities the mentally challenged, and asked with sarcasm, "You're the one who caused this mess, and now you're asking me if it will affect you?"
Yang Shaofeng immediately became anxious: "What do you mean I caused all this trouble?"
Li Wenzhong did not answer Yang Shaofeng's question directly. Instead, he snorted and asked in return, "Guess why those gentry and gentlemen are preparing to rebel?"
Yang Shaofeng shrugged and said, "How would I know?"
Li Wenzhong glared at Yang Shaofeng again, and sneered, "You don't know?"
"Then let me ask you, who proposed a progressive tax system to force the gentry to give up their land?"
"Who proposed setting up a fleet in Dengzhou to fight pirates and establishing checkpoints to collect taxes along the coast of the Ming Dynasty and the surrounding vassal states?"
"Who was it that built community schools everywhere, forced the children of ordinary people to attend school, and abolished the path of 'family education leading to officialdom' for the gentry?"
"..."
They forced the local gentry to give up their land, and the gentry also had the means to smuggle along the coast.
Even after coastal smuggling was banned, the local gentry still controlled the path to officialdom through the imperial examinations.
But you, Yang the Madman, spent six years gradually destroying the three paths of the local gentry.
If they didn't raise the flag of rebellion, the educated gentry would still have a chance to take the imperial examinations and become officials, while those who weren't so bright would just have to live as wealthy men.
Even being an official is not peaceful—if you collude with merchants to make money, you will be arrested by the Embroidered Uniform Guard, imprisoned, and beheaded; if you don't collude with merchants to make money, you will be tormented to death by your uncle, Prime Minister Li, and you, Yang the Madman.
Honestly, the fact that the local gentry could endure until the seventh year of the Hongwu reign before preparing to rebel already shows how much patience they had!
Li Wenzhong was sharp-tongued but inwardly he was also cursing, while Yang Shaofeng just snorted coldly.
If you're not as skilled as others, is it my fault?
Are they planning a rebellion?
With a group of professional rebels like Lao Deng, Li Shanchang, Liu Bowen, Xu Da, and Chang Yuchun around, the so-called rebellion of these gentry was nothing more than reading the Analects in front of Confucius and showing off one's skills in front of Guan Yu.
Thinking of this, Yang Shaofeng said with a forced smile, "That's fine too."
"If there were more rebellious gentry, it would at least alleviate the manpower shortage in Liaodong and Dengzhou Prefecture."
"I'm afraid these local gentry are all bark and no bite. They're all very enthusiastic when it comes to making preparations, but when it comes to actually rebelling, they don't have the guts."
As they talked, Yang Shaofeng looked at Li Wenzhong with suspicion and asked, "That doesn't make sense either. Cousin, you haven't mentioned any trouble you've encountered—don't tell me that your so-called trouble is that these local gentry are planning a rebellion?"
You, Li Wenzhong, the prototype of Zhao Yun, a professional-level rebel leader, would worry that you can't beat a few amateur rebels?
As Yang Shaofeng finished speaking, the mockery and disdain on Li Wenzhong's face vanished instantly, replaced by a rare hint of embarrassment: "Well... as for fighting, I'm naturally not afraid."
"But."
“Brother-in-law, as you know, I haven’t received much education since I was a child, and I don’t know anything about how to govern the people.”
“If the local gentry really rebel, it would be easy for me to lead troops to quell the rebellion, but it would be difficult to pacify the people.”
"So we've ended up asking our brother-in-law for help?"
After a slight pause, Li Wenzhong continued, "What I mean is, brother-in-law, could you transfer a few capable people from Ningyang County to me? Whether they are students from the Ningyang County School or clerks from the Ningyang County Government Office, I won't be picky."
Oh~!
Yang Shaofeng glanced at Mu Ying, then at Li Wenzhong.
So Mu Ying was eyeing the soldiers of Ningyang Thousand Household Garrison, while you, Li Wenzhong, were eyeing the students and clerks of Ningyang County?
Good guy, really good guy!
You two are truly worthy of being raised by Old Deng and are brothers of Black Sesame Dumplings—you're both bandit-like, yet you love to play the "revealing the true colors" trick, and you guys don't like to use longer maps, right?
The key issue is that you all come to fleece me, and I'm afraid you'll fleece me so much that I'll become like Ge You (a famous Chinese actor known for his shrewdness).
Seeing the look of realization on Yang Shaofeng's face, Li Wenzhong chuckled twice and said, "Actually, I had no choice either."
Yang Shaofeng chuckled and said, "Alright, I'll find a way to get a few men for my cousin."
I'm definitely going to be the Best Actor today.
Because Li Wenzhong is the legitimate brother-in-law, unlike Lao Deng and Heizhima Tangyuan, and this is the first time he's come to take advantage of us, we have to give him face.
As for the dissatisfaction after being taken advantage of?
We'll find a way to get revenge on Lao Deng, Heizhima Tangyuan, and Li Shanchang later.
Having made up his mind, Yang Shaofeng smiled and said to Li Wenzhong and Mu Ying, "Cousin needs to prepare for a possible rebellion, and sworn brother will soon lead troops on an expedition. Why don't you stay at home today and have a simple meal?"
Li Wenzhong and Mu Ying immediately looked away.
My brother-in-law's mouth is as poisonous as if it's been coated with arsenic.
The possibility of suppressing a rebellion is equivalent to saying that a rebellion has not yet occurred, and that it is not possible to lead troops to war in the short term.
In other words, the brother-in-law had already seen through his true intentions of taking advantage of the situation.
……
Just as Yang Shaofeng and Hei Sesame Dumplings were entertaining Li Wenzhong and Mu Ying, Emperor Zhu was also having a small meeting with Li Shanchang and Liu Bowen in the palace.
Emperor Zhu smiled and pointed to a black wooden board, saying, "Look at this, it was just delivered from Luan County."
After saying that, Emperor Zhu picked up a small white stick, walked to the black wooden board, and wrote a few words stroke by stroke, saying, "Just a black stone slab, plus chalk made of plaster."
"Words written in chalk can be wiped off directly with a cloth."
"If we could provide each child in the community school with a small blackboard and some chalk, the children could use it to do arithmetic and practice writing."
"This is much better than practicing calligraphy on a sand table."
Li Shanchang stared intently at the blackboard, bowed to Emperor Zhu, and said, "Your Majesty, may I write a few words with this chalk?"
Emperor Zhu smiled and nodded, then had Li Shanchang and Liu Bowen take turns writing a few words on the blackboard with chalk.
After taking his seat again, Li Shanchang stroked his beard and said, "Your Excellency, these blackboards and chalks are indeed good things. They are inexpensive to produce, easy to carry, and can greatly save on ink, paper, and inkstones."
"Luan County?"
"I never imagined that Luan County would have such a capable person."
"Those who rise to power should be rewarded handsomely."
Emperor Zhu smiled strangely and said, "Mr. Shanchang, you may not know this, but this Magistrate Zhou sent someone to deliver the blackboard and chalk, and along the way he made a request of us."
Li Shanchang was slightly taken aback and asked, "You took the initiative to make a request? This behavior seems somewhat familiar."