Chapter 271: The gentry's plotting

"Alright, alright, everyone.

We gathered to discuss strategies to counter that Zhang Renjie, not to wallow in self-pity.

Crying day and night, can you cry Zhang the thief to death?"

Seeing the gentry disheartened and afraid to confront Zhang Jie, the initiator of this gathering,

and also the top wealthy man in Qingzhou, the Gao gentry, had to stand out.

Don't let Zhang Jie do nothing, and these gentry break themselves.

"If we can't win, what's the use of having thousands of ideas and ten thousand strategies?"

The wealthy gentleman was still disheartened, without half a fighting spirit.

The other gentry nodded upon hearing this.

Without the handle of the knife in their hands, even if they talked until the sky fell and the earth surged with golden lotuses,

once Zhang Jie's troops arrived, wouldn't they, the gentry, only be able to obediently offer money and food?

If they dared to resist to the end, the gentry whose manors were broken by Liang Shan soldiers before,

and whose families were ruined and wealth confiscated, were their previous examples.

As for the methods most commonly used by these gentry—intermarriage, letting clan members become officials,

and conducting interest transmission to officials, so that they were intertwined with the government,

and couldn't easily draw their knives—

the time for the rise of these Liang Shan bandits was too short, and there was simply no time!

"We can't, the Great Song probably can't either, but someone might be able to."

The Gao gentry meaningfully pointed his finger to the north.

The wealthy gentleman's pupils suddenly shrank, and he exclaimed:

"You mean, the Great Liao?"

"Indeed."

The Gao gentry gave the Chen gentry a look of "a child can be taught."

Although the Chen family, whether in terms of family heritage, the scale of wealth,

or the foundation in the imperial court, was far inferior to their Gao family,

the current head of the Chen family, the Chen gentry, was undoubtedly a smart man.

He understood it with one point.

He didn't believe at all that the Chen gentry hadn't thought of this method in his heart.

After all, the forces in the world that are stronger than the Great Song are truly few and far between.

The other gentry couldn't help but be excited upon hearing this:

"If it's the Great Liao, maybe they can suppress the cruel and unrighteous Benevolent Thief!"

Thinking of the Great Liao that could make the Great Song call it father on the ground a hundred years ago, the gentry felt a burst of excitement.

With the Great Liao's tens of thousands of iron cavalry that could sweep the world,

even if these Liang Shan bandits were brave and had secret weapons, they shouldn't be opponents, right?

When the time comes, they will advise the Liao Emperor to abolish these evil policies of "gentry and commoners serve and pay taxes together" and "spreading the poll tax into the land,"

then wouldn't they return to the happy days of not serving, not paying taxes,

and being able to spread taxes to those mud-legged people?

Just thinking about those days made them happy beyond measure!

"This, we are Han people, but inviting the Great Liao into the Central Plains,

this seems like inviting a thief into the house; isn't it a bit bad?"

At this time, a head of a small family who was huddled in the corner and hadn't said anything, said timidly.

"What inviting a thief into the house?

Even Confucius said that if the barbarians enter the Central Plains, then they are the Central Plains.

Besides, the Great Liao has been learning our Han culture for a hundred years,

and Emperor Tianzuo of Liao, except for his appearance being a little different,

his words and deeds are no different from our Han people.

In my opinion, he is more suitable to be the Emperor of our Han people than the Great Song Emperor!"

Other gentry refuted disdainfully.

The radicals among them even expressed a radical theory.

The head of the small family felt that this made sense, but also felt that something was wrong.

Looking at the head of the small family who was still hesitating, the Gao gentry said one sentence directly:

"Head of the Hong family, you don't want your Hong family's assets to shrink, do you?"

"This..."

The head of the Hong family, who was hesitating, closed his mouth instantly.

What distinction between Chinese and barbarians, what difference between Khitan and Han, could not compare to white silver!

"Welcome the Great Liao into the pass, defeat Zhang the thief's tyranny!"

A group of gentry unified their thoughts.

"Like this, like this..."

"Like that, like that..."

"First like this, then like that, and finally eliminate Zhang the thief, and take back our privileges and property!"

After unifying their thoughts, naturally, there was action,

and the iron roosters who were stingy in the past were now eagerly donating money, effort, and people.

"Report to the Lord, someone is asking to see you."

At night, Zhang Jie, who was temporarily staying at the Kong Mansion, received a report from his personal soldiers.

'It's already night, why is someone coming to see me?'

Zhang Jie, who was reading the battle reports of the Liang Shan army, put down the memorial in his hand and said:

"Announce."

A while later, the personal soldier brought a mysterious person wearing a cloak, wrapped tightly, without exposing an inch of skin,

making it impossible to tell their height, weight, gender, or age, into the study.

Of course, no matter how tightly they were dressed and how well their identity was hidden,

they had been searched carefully from head to toe by the personal soldiers,

ensuring that it was impossible for them to carry any weapons and there was no possibility of harming Zhang Jie.

Although they all knew that their King was not an ordinary person and could not be harmed by a small assassin,

protecting Zhang Jie was their responsibility and their obligation.

If any assassin approached Zhang Jie, they would only have to redeem their sins with death.

"The humble person Gao Jieye pays respects to the May May Ren Wang; may the May May Ren Wang live for a thousand years, a thousand years, ten thousand years!"

As soon as the mysterious person entered the study, he took off the cloak that was used to cover people's eyes and knelt on the ground.

Zhang Jie asked without raising his head: "How does Official Gao have time to see this King?"

He had done enough homework before coming to Qufu; although this person did not hold any position in the Great Song imperial court,

but with the blessing of a lot of money, he had donated several virtual positions, just like Zhu the village head of Zhu Family Village donated "Chaofeng,"

and his name was also recorded in the Great Song official list.

Of course, in terms of status, Village Head Zhu, who was just a village head, couldn't even touch the corner of Official Gao's clothes.

"The humble person has an important matter to report; someone, someone wants to plot misconduct!"

Gao Jieye, whose real name was Gao Jieye, said something shocking.

"Oh? Who dares to plot misconduct?"

Zhang Jie became a little interested.

Although because of the rebellion and the implementation of various policies,

there were countless people who wanted him, the bandit leader, to die, enough to circle Bianliang City dozens of times,

but under the suppression of Liang Shan's powerful military force, he hadn't heard of any force under his rule daring to plot misconduct.

Could it be that someone wanted to test whether Zhang's knife was sharp or not?

"These people want to invite the Great Liao into the pass to attack you, the May May Ren Wang!

This is the list; the people inside are all inside, please look clearly, May May Ren Wang!"

Gao Jieye offered the list full of names with both hands.

This mysterious person who came to inform was exactly the Gao gentry who organized the gentry gathering. ===== CHAPTER 272 =====