Wei Zhizhou and Huang Zhixian didn't speak, and when they saw that all the local officials were entangled in the calligraphy of Lizheng Township and whether they could read or not, they couldn't help but glance at each other.

No one is more stupid than anyone else, even if these people here are less talented, after so many years of holding the power of killing the natives under their rule, their brains have been sharpened. Who doesn't know what the county magistrate Duan Fang said now is inconsequential little things, but no one asks about things related to their own interests, the more things they want to know, the more they want others to speak, just bring your ears.

Huang Zhixian nodded to Wei Zhizhou, stood up, and said in a loud voice: "Shangguan, there is something unclear below, please give advice to Shangguan!" ”

Duan Fang looked at him and said lightly: "Speak!" ”

"We all practice the law in all the places under our control, and we have set up a village clerk, and no one is under our control, so what should we do?"

"Supervise the payment of taxes and food, hear civil lawsuits, you can decide below the cane, and send the cane above to the state and county. In other places, this is the duty of a hundred-mile official, with many difficult affairs and heavy powers and responsibilities. The local officials who are close to the people, the court attaches the most importance to it, how can they feel that they have nothing to do. ”

Duan Fang's tone was flat, as if he was telling a story that should have been known to everyone.

Huang Zhixian sneered: "Shangguan doesn't need to say how great these things are, none of us have been doing it for many years!" The cane punishment was sent to the state and county, not to mention the cane punishment before, I don't know how much I have broken the sin of beheading! Didn't you just set us up, that group of Diao people can't beat or scold, why do you collect money and food! Don't the deceitful barbarians know what is going on outside? When the time comes, if we can't collect the money and food, you will definitely force us on our heads. These people here will be bankrupt in a few years, hehe, by then, we will not even be as good as the slaves in the family now! ”

When these words came out, a group of local officials turned their heads and said yes one after another. Since the news of Yongzhou's practice of the law came out, they have inquired about things outside, especially the place where the law has been practiced on Guangnan East Road. Some local officials coveted power and took Lizheng's errands, and those who had flexible brains and clever means became the tyrants of one party, but more people were ruined. In front of the Lizheng Ya, it was a heavy service, and everyone in the interior heard about it, and the natives in these remote areas did not know that they were powerful, and there were a lot of pits.

Duan Fang didn't stop these local officials, but said: "You are officials, you can't collect money and food, and you can't find your heads, Huang Zhixian thinks too much!" ”

Huang Zhixian raised his head: "You dare to promise not to look for us?" ”

"Guarantee what? This official is appointed by the imperial court to govern the people and carry out the court code, although you are under the rule of this official, you are also your colleagues in this official. As an official, you don't want to think about how to serve the court, but here you are worried about your own catties of grain and rice! Huang Zhixian, what kind of system have you become! ”

Duan Fang's face was vicissitudes, his face was dark, and this time he raised his face, like a black-faced rakshasa.

Huang Zhixian snorted coldly and sat down hatefully.

The other local officials looked at each other, and although they were dissatisfied, they did not dare to stand up against it. The prefectures under the original Taipingzhai, except for the remote place of Zuozhou, all have direct roads, or they are on the edge of the Zuojiang River, and there is no capital to confront the government.

Seeing that Huang Zhixian touched his nose, Wei Zhizhou said gloomily: "Duan Zhixian has just taken office, so he is so majestic!" Xu Tongju has never said such a thing, and you are not ashamed to say it when you know the county! ”

Duan Fang looked at Wei Zhizhou and said with a dark face: "How does Wei Zhizhou want me to speak?" ”

"Hmph, why should I tell you? Why didn't you see Xu Tong's judgment this time? ”

Duan Fang said: "How many major events are there on the general judgment that you can see if you want to see it?" If you think I've done something inappropriate, you can go to the lifting department and submit a letter to see if the general judge sees you! ”

"Are the bullies who bully us barbarians illiterate? Hmph, I'll find someone to write and vote! ”

Duan Fang said coldly: "The yamen of the Lifting Division is there, you can go!" However, Wei Zhizhou, I remind you that this is the first time that this official has recruited you as a Taiping Zhixian County, and you are allowed to be presumptuous, if you sit and talk to this official like this next time, my board is not good-looking, but to beat people! ”

"You—" Wei Zhizhou stared, but could no longer speak.

These local officials have seats in front of the magistrates, and they are Xu Ping's head, which is considered extrajudicial grace, but no one in front of Xu Ping can sit and say what he wants.

Regardless of the official position, the local official was under the Han official, and there was no seat when talking, which was the rule of the Song Dynasty. Wei Zhizhou deceived Duan Fang's new official to take office and ignored this rule.

Due to the change of Xu Ping's identity, the current promotion division not only refers to the promotion of cane sugar, but also promotes the affairs of Zuojiang Daoxitong, and is in charge of the affairs of the barbarians here.

Last time, Xu Ping reasoned with these local officials, but they ignored them, and now they want to reason with Xu Ping, but Xu Ping is gone.

Xu Ping has his own things to do.

In the open space behind the Yamen of the Lifting Division, several new furnaces were built, and more than a dozen craftsmen who made agricultural tools under the original sugar department were recruited, all of whom were experienced and the most skilled. These people were led by Sun Qilang, and they had been busy for some days, and Xu Ping came over as soon as he had free time.

There were no clouds in the sky, even the trees were languishing under the scorching sun, the cicadas were hiding in the leaves and screaming frantically, and there was nowhere to hide from the steaming heat between heaven and earth.

Under the shade of the tree, Xu Ping sat on the chair and drank tea slowly, looking at the map on the table in front of him, and silently calculated in his heart.

Most of the newly recruited officials belonging to the Xitong Affairs Promotion Division were sent out to build white walls in various grass markets, key crossings, ferries, and other places with a large number of people, and posted posters to inform the local people of the content of the law to be implemented, and even the number of two taxes to be paid per mu of land after the implementation of the new law.

Compared with the taxes levied by the local officials, the amount of taxes set by the government was extremely low, and in the barbarian areas, except for the families and relatives of the local officials, there was no one to find a household, and the heavy labor had nothing to do with them. Once it is bent, it is tantamount to going from hell to heaven for ordinary barbarians.

Xu Ping's idea was very simple, taking advantage of the time that had to be delayed, let the contradictions between the local officials and their cronies and the ordinary barbarians ferment first. Not to mention that these ordinary people can help themselves when they do it themselves, and at least they can remain neutral, and there will be much less resistance to the implementation of the bracket method.

Studying the map is to consider the strategy of fighting, and it is impossible to do this kind of reform without bloodshed, but only to minimize bloodshed, fight quickly, and minimize the negative impact. Once the local rebellion drags on for a long time, Xu Ping doesn't care, there will be officials in the court who make him ugly.

"Official, the medicine is loaded, you can take a look again!"

While Xu Ping was pondering, Sun Qilang stepped forward and rubbed his hands excitedly and said.

Xu Ping got up, also a little excited, and said to Sun Qilang: "Go!" ”

On the ground was a small cannon, and Gao Daquan stood aside with a torch, silent.

Sun Qilang stepped forward and patted Gao Daquan on the shoulder: "The official is here, light the fire!" ”

Tan Hu took two soldiers to Xu Ping's side, looking nervous.

This thing looks inconspicuous, but the power is very great, and it is not safe to stand aside, the last time the explosion made Sun Qiyun lie down for several days. That is, Sun Qiyun's temper, he almost lost his life and didn't care, but he still drummed up every day when he got up from bed.

Tan Hu's duty is to protect the safety of the chief, but he doesn't dare to be sloppy.

Gao Daquan raised the torch in his hand, looked at everyone, and said in a deep voice: "I ordered, be careful!" ”

"Hurry up! Hurry up! ”

Sun Qilang shouted while leaning over and covering his ears, like a child who lit a cannon fight.

Gao Daquan looked at Xu Ping, saw Xu Ping nodded, and then put the torch on the medicine twist.

I only heard a "boom", and a burst of gunpowder smoke rose.

Xu Ping put down his hand covering his ears and looked up ahead, only to see that a stone wall standing in the distance had collapsed, revealing a man-wide opening.

"How far is the wall?" Xu Ping asked Sun Qiyang.

Sun Qiyun said: "Official, this time there are two hundred steps, but it is amazing!" ”

Xu Ping smiled: "Two hundred steps are not close, so let's do it, let people build dozens of them." ”

Two hundred steps is not as good as the strong crossbow of this era, Sun Qiyun felt that it was far away, and Xu Ping just smiled. However, Xu Ping didn't want to rely on this thing to fight a tough battle with the barbarians, as long as he could blast through the stone wall. As long as the wall is broken, there are no barbarian forces around that can resist Xu Ping's Xiang army.

This is also something that can't be helped, Xu Ping is really not familiar with the knowledge of artillery, and the mountain march can be carried but not overbuilt, so it can only be like this.

For things that he is not familiar with, Xu Ping is better to hand them over to the craftsmen than to ponder them himself, and improve them little by little in practice.

This is a small steel cannon, and cast steel can't make large pieces, so it can only be so.

Xu Ping also thought about using cast iron to make it bigger, and then simmered in the furnace for decarburization, but it was really not easy to use. Yongzhou has inconvenient transportation, and things that can't be carried up and left by horses are ultimately useless. As for the copper cannon, Xu Ping didn't think about it at all, thousands of catties of copper at every turn, as a forbidden item, who would he explain to him? If it is spread out, it will be played by anyone who sees it as unpleasant, and it will not be able to be punished by the imperial court. Because of the bracketing method, there is a commotion outside, and some people are trying to find their own handle.

After seeing the effect, Xu Ping still went back to look at the map, and it would be more worthwhile to spend more effort on it.

Sun Qilang pulled Gao Daquan, excitedly looked at the cannon barrel that was still hot, and then looked at the stone wall that had been blown down, and saw that some stones on the ground were shattered, and said to Gao Daquan: "This cannon made by the official is so domineering, Gao Daquan, what do you say will happen if this is going to hit people?" ”

"What else? The bones are broken and the tendons are broken, and a life is lost. ”

"I can't stop watching," Sun Qilang shook his head repeatedly, "Most of them will be smashed into a big meatloaf!" ”

Tan Hu, who came over, heard Sun Qilang's words, and couldn't help but say: "Seventh brother, the official cannon is here to hit the wall, why do you always want to hit people!" ”

"If you can hit the wall, why can't you hit people?"

Sun Qilang said as he walked up and down the stone wall excitedly.