Chapter 40 Be prepared
"Would that old fox like the head of the Wu family agree to this condition?" After hearing Yao Hu's report, Ma Di was silent for a while and said.
His request was intended to be a bargain. After all, he didn't know if other forces would intervene, so Ma Di was still cautious. Unexpectedly, the head of the Wu family did not counter-offer at all and agreed completely.
He agreed decisively, as if he was afraid that Ma Su would regret it.
But considering the strength of the family, knowing that Ma Su was framed certainly cannot be appointed casually. Not to mention Qi Bing chatting with him on the battlefield, he must have bargained for a low price.
The Wu family accepted their fate so quickly, which made Ma Su feel very wrong.
There is something wrong with even nine out of ten!
"Ming Gong's suspicion is correct. These nobles have other plans! I even venture to guess that the assassination of Ming Gong this time is probably related to this!"
Li Mu narrowed his eyes, his expression became serious, and he said with certainty.
"As a local aristocratic family, it is impossible for them to compromise on their core interests. Forget it if they publicly executed clan members before, the land equalization law and the household registration policy have touched their foundation."
"So they can keep making concessions now, probably to cover up their final calculation!"
Compared to Ma Su, Li Mu had a deeper understanding of the wealthy families in these places. Each of these powerful families is a tough guy, and in some places they even dare to confront the imperial court.
The original Nanzhong Rebellion was a rebellion between the local aristocratic families and the barbarians. The rebellion was so powerful that it ravaged four counties and forced Zhuge Liang to personally conquer it before putting it down.
Therefore, Li Mu knew very well that the local big families were very difficult to deal with and could not be completely eliminated unless they sent troops to uproot them.
But it seems impossible to completely eliminate them. Local aristocratic families have many people in various places and have a wide range of influence. , after the aristocratic family is eliminated, the entire county will fall into paralysis and chaos in a short period of time.
Therefore, the Shu Han court treated local aristocratic families by pulling together one faction and fighting another, as long as they could stabilize the local situation and pay taxes and food.
But Ma Su's goal is obviously not limited to this. Although Li Mu supports this, he also knows the difficulties involved. When Ma Su proposed blackmail, Li Mu had already specified the entire negotiation process for Ma Su.
It turned out to be useless...
"Send more people to keep an eye on it, and take back the soldiers scattered outside to take precautions." Ma Di's expression became very serious. This situation is very troublesome, because you have no idea what your opponent's plans are.
It is very likely that the opponent's long-planned attack will hit your most vulnerable place.
You must be prepared to avoid big problems.
"Ming Gong, I suggest you write to the Prime Minister as soon as possible and ask for help." Li Mu looked seriously at Ma Su and said.
"We only have two thousand Shu soldiers in Longxi County, and they are still scattered in various counties. There are only a few hundred soldiers in Didao County. Once there is a sudden change, it will be difficult for us to resist."
"As for the remaining county soldiers, they are basically all new recruits without any war experience. We don't know how many of them are from aristocratic families, so they are completely useless."
"Okay! Let's send people to go find the Prime Minister and ask for reinforcements!" This time Ma Su was very straightforward and agreed directly.
"Let the soldiers in Didao County, except those who are necessary for garrison, return to the city. Focus on prevention and control near the county government office to guard against enemy attacks."
After giving these instructions, Ma Su looked at Yao Hu again and said lightly.
"Yao Hu, now I have a task for you!"
"Prefect, tell me!" Yao Hu said with his hands in hand.
"In case of any emergency, such as a sudden riot in a noble family or a sudden attack by thieves. As the county guard, I will definitely lead the troops to defend the people of the county." Ma Su said slowly,
"But the county magistrate and these officials are the most important personnel of the imperial court, and there must be no mistakes. So I order you, if there is any trouble with my troops in front, you are not allowed to go to the rescue!"
"Definitely! You must protect Prime Minister Li and other officials, and withdraw from the county to find the Prime Minister for help!"
"Understand!"
Although Ma Su spoke slowly, his tone was very serious and firm. After hearing this, Yao Hu was even more shocked and said quickly.
"Prefect! My duty is to protect your safety! If anything happens to you, I..."
"Are you still thinking about whether you will be punished by the Prime Minister at this time? What is more important, the court affairs or my Ma Di's life?" Ma Di suddenly turned dark, interrupted him and scolded him.
"I'm just a Confucian scholar in Xiangyang, and I'm also a county chief. I can't run away! Even if I leave, the Prime Minister will have to behead me. The outcome will be the same whether I leave or not."
"And Li Juncheng and others are the pillars of the country, should they die too?"
"Ming Gong, things are not that dangerous now." Li Mu was silent for a while and then said.
"And even if we get to that point, I, Li Mu, am not afraid of death..."
"Don't talk nonsense. Just because you're not afraid of death doesn't mean you can die. Just leave when the time comes."
Although he didn't know what those aristocratic families had behind them, Ma Di definitely had to make arrangements in advance.
But if he dies, he will die, but in this situation, he really can't die at will. At least he must ensure that these loyal officials of the court and the people of Longxi will not be buried with him after his death.
This is the best way to get Zhuge Liang's support, and at the same time let Yao Hu protect Li Mu and others. In this way, as long as he delivers it quickly enough, Zhuge Liang will not be able to save Ma Su's life, but can only save the people of Longxi County.
At that time, Shu Han will have the opportunity to use force to rectify Longxi, and the people will live a better life.
Win-win! It’s a win-win this time!
Ma Su was very satisfied with his plan, so that he would not feel guilty when he returned home.
Ma Su's words put Yao Hu in a dilemma, but looking at Ma Su's attitude, he could only nod and agree.
Longxi County is still relatively stable now, and he has already asked the Prime Minister for help, so he shouldn't have too many problems, right?
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Ma Su's response was very fast, and he called back all the soldiers outside in just a few days.
At the same time, some new recruits were incorporated into the army in the name of drills, and veterans were trained to fight.
"Work hard! Once the county governor has dealt with the threat of resisting the imperial court, he will allocate farmland to you!"
The pie painted by Ma Su inspired many people's hearts, and everyone believed in it.
After all, this is a county governor who is willing to execute scholars in public in order to enforce the law!
However, although Ma Su's reaction was quick, it was already too late.
Late one night a few days later, a group of unknown soldiers and horses without any banner appeared quietly in Didao County.
"Chief! We're already here!"
"Send a signal to the top of the city and tell those people who are domesticated dogs that we are coming!"