Chapter 145

"Above there is Heaven, below there are Suzhou and Hangzhou."

The beauty of the gardens in the land of Suzhou and Hangzhou surpasses all under heaven.

Inside the Eastern Garden, the private garden built by former Deputy Minister of the Court of Imperial Stud Xu Tai Shi.

Lin Dao, who rarely gave himself a day off, strolled leisurely, appreciating the scenery at ease.

"Piling mountains and stacking stones, strange peaks arrayed in rows, woods desolate and dense."

Walking among the artificial hills and strange rocks, amid the lush woods, Lin Dao was in high spirits: "The fusion of environment and artistic conception, truly not bad."

It has been three days since Su Zhou Fu was captured.

During these three days, Lin Dao has been busy handling the aftermath.

Holding the "Register of Gentry," arresting people and confiscating property, reorganizing the servants of various households, sending the civilian militia who were forcibly conscripted back home to receive land, inventorying war spoils, and so on.

Finally managing to relax temporarily, he specially came here to admire the world-renowned Suzhou gardens.

"Great King."

In the waterside pavilion, the Bian Sai sisters burned incense and brewed tea, arranged everything properly, and invited Lin Dao to take a seat.

The wind blew past; the shallow lakes and flowing waters all around, bamboo shadows swaying on the riverbank.

Looking around, Lin Dao sighed with emotion: "This kind of place, before I could only watch rich people go."

Bian Sai thought Lin Dao was right; only high officials and prominent dignitaries could set foot in such gardens, at the very least one had to be a famous scholar.

He was of merchant origin; uninvited, he naturally had never entered such a garden.

Actually what Lin Dao meant was the high-end business banquets in the Modern World.

In the Modern World, inside lavishly decorated private rooms where beauties in ancient costume dance for you, that is no longer considered so high-end.

They have all shifted into antique, elegant gardens.

Beauties play the zither, pursuing artistic conception.

The former Lin Dao had only heard of them; he fundamentally had no qualification to join them.

Listening to the music and drinking tea, a beauty by his side.

He now counts as having fulfilled his previous wish.

"Great King."

Bian Sai and Xiao Yi observed his expression, saw that Lin Dao was in a good mood, and only then lightly parted their cherry lips: "Captured so many gentry, wonder how you intend to deal with them?"

"Hm?"

Lin Dao raised an eyebrow, his gaze sweeping over.

Hearing the string sound and knowing the elegant meaning, the current Lin Dao's experience was gradually becoming rich.

Hearing Bian Sai's words, he understood her meaning: "Who do you want to intercede for?"

"Great King."

Bian Sai hurriedly saluted: "We sisters once lived near Hu Qiu."

"There were wicked men harassing us; fortunately Wu Ji Shan assisted us, only then did we escape."

"Wu Ji Shan." Lin Dao thought carefully.

There really is such a person.

A Gold Decoration graduate, closely connected with the Ye Jia people.

Historically he surrendered to Zhang Xianzhong, served as Minister of Rites for a few months, and his whole family was killed.

A few days ago when attacking Suzhou, this man led his household servants to defend the city; as a result the servants rebelled and directly tied him up.

Lin Dao picked up the tea bowl: "Then go send him off."

"Prepare some wine and dishes, let him die a well-fed ghost."

Bian Sai's expression darkened slightly.

Her original intention was to save a life; even taking away all the family assets would be fine.

But the Great King treats gentry with extreme cruelty.

Anyone who has been on the "Register of Gentry," not a single one is spared.

The setting sun sank in the west; the Bian Sai sisters carried food boxes and arrived at Su Zhou Fu Da Lao.

Here it was packed full, crammed with people.

Even because there were too many people, the prison uniforms were insufficient, so they simply didn't change clothes at all.

Everywhere one looked was Ling Luo Luo Duan, only filthy and tattered beyond measure.

The arrival of the two sisters attracted everyone's attention.

Those who could move all threw themselves against the bars shouting for help.

Those who recognized the sisters wept bitterly, begging them to help, to let themselves out.

These gentry and powerful officials, where have they ever suffered such torment.

The cells had no incense, no candles lit, and there were actually lice and rats!

The two sisters lowered their heads slightly, not saying a word, following the soldiers to where Wu Ji Shan was.

Wu Ji Shan had passed the Gold Decoration exam; he did have a narrow single room.

"Wu Dashanren."

Entering the cell, the soldiers set up a small table and chairs.

The Bian Sai sisters took out wine and dishes, placed them on the table: "When we sisters lived at Hu Qiu, we once received Great Philanthropist's assistance."

"Today we specially come to repay the favor."

"Hua la la~~~" A huge noise came from outside.

Several half-dead people covered in wounds were dragged in by the soldiers, and thrown into different cells.

He immediately opened the iron-chain gate, and amid screams, pleas, and cries for mercy, dragged away another batch for extortion.

Wu Jishan, witnessing this scene, trembled in both legs and turned deathly pale.

He begged the Bian sisters, "Please put in a good word for me, I am willing to serve the Great King~~~"

After the city fell, many scholars expressed their willingness to serve Lin Dao with dog-and-horse devotion.

Unfortunately, Lin Dao did not trust them.

From this great dye vat of Ming scholars, could anything good come out?

He would rather trust soldiers who came out of night school than believe Ming scholars.

Bian Sai smiled bitterly and shook her head. "Great Benefactor, you think too highly of us sisters."

Although they followed by Lin Dao's side, they knew their own status—they were nothing but serving maids.

How could they have enough face to make Lin Dao release people?

The Great King was not someone soft-eared; he was one who truly did great things.

"Great Benefactor." Bian Sai took out a wine cup, poured alcohol, and comforted him, "When we sisters were in Yangzhou, we saw those salt merchants suffer great crimes."

"Great Benefactor, still obey the Great King's orders—give what should be given, hand over what should be handed over, lest you suffer crimes yourself."

"It cannot be spoken; at least an intact corpse can be kept for burial."

Wu Jishan looked confused. "We are willing to surrender~"

"We are willing to serve the Great King."

"If the Great King does not want our scholars' help, who will govern the world? Wouldn't that make him a bandit~"

He simply could not figure it out.

It was said that even Li Zicheng and Zhang Xianzhong and their like had begun recruiting scholars.

Why was the Great King still walking the old path of bandits?

Bandits, bandits—drifting to the end, they have nothing at all.

"Great Benefactor."

Bian Sai pushed the wine cup over and said softly, "I have heard the Great King's words: the Great Ming perished at the hands of scholars."

"With the Great Ming as a lesson before him, he will not take in scholars."

"Especially someone like Great Benefactor, who has achievements to his name—there will not be the slightest chance."

Wu Jishan subconsciously replied, "The Great Ming hasn't fallen yet."

As soon as these words left his mouth, even he felt they were dull.

Beyond the Pass had long been doomed; the Jurchen and Mongol tribes constantly harassed, even breaking through the Pass southward to ravage.

Guanzhong and the Central Plains had become the bandits' territory; the imperial army could only bear with difficulty.

Now even the relatively stable Jiangnan Region had produced Lin Dao.

Everywhere in Jiangnan was powerless to stop him.

Judging by the current environment, the Great Ming's extinction was only a matter of time.

On this side, Bian Min set down the chopsticks. "Great Benefactor, don't think about it."

"I heard the Great King say that henceforth local officials would be selected only from the military."

"Impossible." Wu Jishan, picking up chopsticks, shook his head repeatedly upon hearing this. "Those soldiers don't recognize a few characters; how could they serve as officials?"

"Not to mention anything else, they don't know numbers and don't even know how much tax to collect."

"No." The younger Bian Min had a somewhat stubborn personality. "The Great King's soldiers are different."

"They have to attend night school every evening."

"Learning to read, learning arithmetic, and other things."

"I heard that in the Great King's army, one must recognize a hundred characters to become a squad leader."

"Two hundred characters, and one is qualified to serve as Qianhu."

"Recognizing two hundred characters and knowing addition and subtraction in arithmetic—only then can one serve as Qi Guan."

"Recognizing over three hundred characters and understanding arithmetic calculations—only then is one qualified to discuss military merit and serve as a hundred-total commander or above."

"If the standard is not met, even if one achieves great merit like beheading generals and capturing flags or being first to scale the wall in battle, one can only receive gold and silver wealth as a reward, and in status remains merely an ordinary soldier."

Bian Sai added, "Those soldiers study with great enthusiasm."

"Even when marching, they hang character boards behind the soldiers in the front rank, learning characters as they walk."

People of the Central Plains have always been like this—as long as there is a channel for advancement, they will risk their lives to squeeze in.

It's just learning; nothing major.

The sisters' words left Wu Jishan staring dumbfounded.

"How could this be?!"

He found it unbelievable. "If so, our scholars' ten years of cold-window study would have been in vain?"

"It should change in the future." Bian Sai said uncertainly. "Once the world is at peace, I suppose scholars should still have opportunities."

"Great Benefactor, drink wine and eat dishes."

"We sisters can only do this much."

Lin Dao, who rarely had a day off, entered the Humble Administrator's Garden and continued his busy work.

Retiring a batch of soldiers, he established yamen at various levels in Suzhou Prefecture and County.

He conscripted several thousand troops locally, organized the Suzhou Yingjun, to garrison the area.

These troops could be allotted fields—fields belonging to themselves—and during their military service they did not need to pay taxes.

This would greatly stimulate their combat will.

As for the main source of recruits, they were the rebellious slaves and servants who surrendered Suzhou City, and the elite men who defended the city.

Among the outstanding ones, those with good physical quality, basic cultural knowledge, or a particular skill would all be recruited into the various field camps.

As for the shops and such within the city.

Merchants who run family businesses register on the tax rolls and simply pay their taxes on time from then on.

Shops belonging to various powerful eunuchs behind the scenes are all confiscated.

The shopkeepers and assistants inside continue to stay on and work.

Then there are the numerous cases.

At the end of the dynasty, there are countless wrongful cases.

On Lin Dao's second day in the city, someone was already crying out for the great magistrate to uphold justice.

All these matters are sent to the Military Law Office.

The scribes and clerks of the prefecture and county offices, along with the constables and yamen runners, are all arrested and interrogated, made to confess voluntarily, then cross-checked and confirmed.

In addition, there is the distribution of relief supplies and the organization of the restoration of production and daily life, and so on.

There really are too many matters.

"No wonder so many people like to be bandits."

"Just robbing and plundering is indeed simple and convenient."

"Governing a place—where is it that easy?"

Lin Dao, working at high intensity, rubbed his brow.

He then signed the last document and had it posted as announcements everywhere.

Three days later, a public trial assembly is convened before the Su Zhou Fu office.

Those with grudges and grievances can come identify them on the spot.

Those officials and gentry whose value has already been squeezed dry will make their final contribution at the public trial assembly.

At the same time, hundreds of li away, at the He Dao office of Huai'an Prefecture.

Shi Kefa, having received the Imperial Edict, was full of helplessness.

The Emperor ordered him to lead troops southward, to destroy the great bandit Lin Dao and retake Jinling City.

The Imperial Edict is simple—one can write it holding a brush.

But wanting to accomplish the matter is as difficult as ascending to heaven.

The news that the invading Jurchens had been destroyed by Lin Dao is already known to all.

Shi Kefa, who had previously gone to aid the court, knew very well how formidable the Jurchens' fighting strength was.

When the Ming Army fought the Jurchens in open battle, they collapsed at the first touch.

Yet such fierce Jurchens were destroyed by Lin Dao's forces, so their fighting strength must surely far surpass the Jurchens.

With just these few thousand soldiers and horses under his command, lacking grain and salary, to go retake Jinling City?

"Your Majesty, you think too highly of this subject."

End of Chapter