After Zhou Peigong left, Deng Ming found a western Sichuan merchant named An Lesi, who was not only an arms dealer, but also an imperial councilor.

After hearing that his colleague Lou Hangyi was sent to Jiaodong to expand his business, Anlesi often came to Deng Ming to inquire about any new markets to be developed.

"Boss An, have you heard about the Text Prison? It is the series of sales, Ming history and crying temple cases that Jiang Guozhu and Zhao Guozuo want to do. After introducing the inside story to An Lesi, Deng Ming said his plan: "I plan to sell weapons to the gentlemen." ”

"Guogong intends to help these gentlemen?" Instead of smiling when she heard that business was coming to her door, she asked, "Why should we help them?" ”、

"Well, what do you think?" Deng Ming realized that the other party had another identity.

"They don't pay taxes to us, and they are not our people, if they are rectified by the Qing court, their property will benefit us in western Sichuan, and there are many scholars who go to western Sichuan to help with the education of the empire." Councilor An talked eloquently, just as Gong Yan predicted, as an imperial councilor, An Lesi felt that he could not refuse such a windfall.

"Not a good arms dealer." Deng Ming laughed.

"What makes a good arms dealer?" An Lesi was born as Yang Youcai's auxiliary, and belonged to the most powerful indigenous group in Sichuan.

"A qualified arms dealer should be able to sell weapons to the enemies of the Motherland." Deng Ming expressed his opinion.

"Hmm." The education he received in the school run by Deng Ming, and he had many interviews with Deng Ming, and like everyone else, he was full of respect for Deng Ming, and he could quickly accept any unconventional theory, as long as it came from Deng Ming's mouth. But this time, after a moment of contemplation, An Lesi decisively shook his head and refused: "Then I should not be a qualified arms dealer, I can't sell weapons to the enemies of the Empire, and I can't let the enemies use my weapons to attack the Empire." ”

"These gentlemen are not enemies of the empire, and Boss An actually puts money and doesn't make money?"

"Maybe they're not enemies, since the princes have said no," An Lesi pondered for a moment: "But if these big cases are launched, won't the empire benefit?" It can make the empire stronger and more calmly deal with the enemies of the empire. If I damage the empire because of greed for money, I will be poked in the backbone by fellow talents. ”

"Sure enough, a completely unqualified arms dealer." Seeing that the capitalist class nature of An Lesi was actually overwhelmed by patriotism, Deng Ming made an evaluation in his heart.

Unconsciously, there is a sense of national identity spreading in western Sichuan, and among the officials and people whom Deng Ming met before, there is also a sense of national identity, such as the Sichuan people can fight for the Ming Dynasty in Liaodong and think that this is to defend their own nation. But this sense of identity is quite indifferent, far from being comparable to the chain of loyalty of superiors and subordinates, so soldiers will be at ease if they follow the generals to defect. And if it is not hung on a chain of loyalty, for example, ordinary people are quite indifferent to the victory or defeat of the Ming and Qing dynasties, and there is no sense of conflict in paying taxes to the Qing court and doing business with the Ming army.

The Sichuan people now began to have a sense of the country, which was strong enough to confront the chain of loyalty, and it was very difficult for an officer of the Sichuan army to lead his men to defect to the Qing court. However, this kind of consciousness is very narrow, basically that the land in Sichuan is its own people, even if it is a new immigrant, but it is not outside, including Kuidong and Jianchang are not - more like allies that can be used by the motherland.

As for the Jiangnan and Shandong people, they are even more unpopular, if it were not for the large number of immigrants from other provinces in Sichuan, and the large number of daughters-in-law from other provinces, they would have regarded these areas as colonies of Sichuan as much as the Qing court. The feeling for Deng Ming is that when the sense of national identity and the sense of national identity conflict, the former has the absolute upper hand.

"It's the same thing I asked the landlord to do." Deng Ming said, and Lou Hangyi happily went to sell weapons.

"Because that's good for the Empire, right?"

"There are also benefits to the weapons you sell to the gentry, and your proceeds are the proceeds of the empire." Deng Ming is good at persuasion.

"Well, Guogong is right." An Lesi accepted Deng's statement this time, but he still seemed to be a little resistant: "But these people are different from those poor refugees in Shandong. ”

Knowing Lou Hangyi's specific mission, if those refugees took up arms, forced the gentry to increase their remuneration and leave a bite to eat for the refugees, then Ann Les would feel very happy, and even feel that he had done a good deed. However, selling weapons to the southeastern gentry did not bring him the same sense of moral satisfaction, and even thought that these gentry were suspected of taking the blame for themselves: "If they had paid taxes to the emperor of Chongzhen that year, maybe there would not have been turmoil in the world, let the Tartars enter the customs, and let so many people starve to death." ”

"Do you hate the rich?" Deng Ming felt as if he was aware of the source of Anlesi's resistance.

"I hate those who are unkind to the rich." An Lesi was a destitute auxiliary soldier in the first half of his life, so he had instinctive sympathy for the people who could not eat in Shandong, and he still did not have the slightest good impression of these gentlemen who had no good impression of him in the first half of his life.

"But you're a rich man now."

"yes." An Lesi felt a little confused, but soon he reacted again: "I have paid taxes to the empire after earning money, supporting our army, supporting the academy to educate children, and supporting immigrants to open up wasteland!" ”

"That's right." Deng Ming did a test in his previous life, he belongs to the liberal left, as a leftist he thinks that the rich should take more responsibility for the state, but he is also a liberal: "Having wealth is not a crime, not taking responsibility is a crime." Whether it is the massacre of the common people or the slaughter of the gentry by the Qing court, we must lend a helping hand. And we will not give them more help just because they are rich, more than the refugees in Shandong. ”

As Gong Yan said, Deng Ming will not use taxpayers' money to protect people who have no contribution to western Sichuan, unless there is a clear benefit: "If the Shandong refugees are willing to resist, we will provide them with weapons, and the same will be true for the gentry, and if they prove that they are people with the spirit of resistance, we will help them gain the ability to resist." ”

……

Suzhou, Wu County.

"Mr. Jin, you must have heard the rumors." An Lesi took Deng Ming's name card and was immediately received by Jin Shengsi: "The Qing court plans to retry the matter of your crying temple, and since they want to retry it, you will not have a good result." ”

Jin Shengxian and several people involved in this matter were pale, the movements of the government were not a particularly difficult secret for them celebrities, as early as before An Lesi arrived, they had heard that the Yamen, the governor of Liangjiang, was going to build a prison, and the only way for these scholars to save themselves was to bribe officials and officials, hoping that the officials would open up and let the officials help find out the inside story.

"You don't have to go to the officials to spend money in vain," An Lesi said coldly, "Although the trial has not yet begun, and you have not been imprisoned, I have known your verdict for a long time." Your homes will be raided, and your people will be exiled to Ningguta. ”

Someone was already as pale as earth, and although Jin Shengsi's face was pale, he was not as unsteady as his companions.

"Please also ask Baoguo Gong to say a few good words for us." Since Deng Ming's people made a special trip to visit, Jin Shengsian had hope, Deng Mingri had every opportunity, and if he didn't plan to interfere in this matter, he would probably not be bored and send people to Wu County to find them.

"Baoguo Gong has already spoken well for you, so you can avoid death, the original intention of the Qing court is to kill you all to set an example, and let the Jiangnan people see what will happen to the officials who criticize the Tartars." An Lesi let out a piercing laugh: "And Baoguo Gong can also buy the soldiers who escorted you and take you and your family to Sichuan." Of course, if you don't want to go to Sichuan and have to go to Ningguta, Baoguo Gong also respects your choice. ”

Seeing that the people present were speechless, An Lesi proposed another way: "You can also leave now, pack up and flee to Sichuan, so that the floating wealth can still be saved, but there is really no way to leave the house and land." ”

"Please protect the country and save your life." A scholar couldn't hold on anymore: "We have old and young, these thousands of miles are bumpy, and the life and death of the old people and young children in the clan are uncertain." The grass people are willing to help pay and give the public a salary. ”

"Bao Guogong has already left to return to Sichuan," An Lesi shattered the last illusion of these scholars: "Jiang Guozhu promised to give us half of the stolen family property in exchange for Bao Guogong's non-interference." No matter how much you don't pay, can you compare to Jiang Guozhu? Even if it's the same, why should Bao Guogong take the risk himself, if he messes up, it will provoke your resentment and ruin his reputation. ”

Not everyone can be as calm as Jin Shengsi, there is a person who has already started crying, this scholar has been stuffing money for the county officials these days, and the reply he got is to make him believe in the emperor Shengming, and believe that the court will not wronged good people. These vague assurances are also their last hope, and they keep bribing the government in exchange for more illusions.

"Boss An is here today, just to sue us that we must ruin our family?" Jin Shengxi asked softly.

"If you believe in the Qing court and the government, then you should entrust your children to reliable friends as soon as possible, pack your baggage and prepare for the road." An Lesi waved his hand, asked his entourage to take out a thick notebook, and showed it to Jin Shengxian and his friends: "I brought a hundred strong bows, two thousand sharp arrows, and twenty crossbow machines, each equipped with ten crossbow arrows...... This is the latest type of firearm sample in western Sichuan, spontaneous fire, we call it flintlock musket, very expensive, but the power is huge, that is, the Liang Admiral of Jiangnan came wearing three layers of iron armor, and he was also killed with one shot. At the moment, we only have two samples, which were supposed to be given to Baoguo Gong for the purpose of passing ...... There is also armor, which is of high quality, all of which are genuine products of the Gyeonggi Green Battalion, and I dare not say that the soldiers of Suzhou Prefecture are no problem when facing the government officials of Wu County...... If you pay, I can arrange for instructors to train your Zhuang Ding on how to use these weapons......"

"Boss An wants us to rebel?" A scholar was already fighting with his teeth, and the sound of geege resounded throughout the room.

"No, I don't advise you to rebel, I'm just suing you for a way, how to make your loyal government willing to accept you and not bully you," An Lesi shook his head and said, "Bao Guogong hopes that you can maintain unity with the government. ”

In Deng Ming's view, unity refers to the concessions made by both sides, if one side is pressing step by step, and the other side is giving in infinitely, it is not unity, but exploitation and oppression.

Deng Ming remembered what a person had said, and An Lesi was ordered to bring this sentence to Jin Shengsian: "If you seek unity through struggle, you will survive." ”

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