Can I get to the other side?

Hearing that 30,000 troops had entered Jizhou, many people immediately thought of the remnants of Yuan Shao and Guo Yuan's troops.

But now it was already midwinter.

Just as the ministers were surprised and puzzled, Liu Xie said, "Don't panic, they are the troops of General Zhenbei and the people in Taihang Mountain."

After he returned from Hejian County, Zhang Yan did not come back with him, but returned to Taihang Mountains to gather troops. He had reported this to him in advance.

After all, Yuan Shao had been captured, and the Black Mountain Army and the people in Taihang Mountains also needed to be resettled. They couldn't continue to stay in the mountains.

Everyone breathed a sigh of relief when they heard this.

However, Cui Yan asked with some concern, "Your Majesty, how should we resettle these hundreds of thousands of people?"

These people came too suddenly.

How to resettle hundreds of thousands of people all of a sudden is a big problem, and now it is winter, if things go wrong, many people will starve to death or freeze to death.

"I was just about to discuss this with you."

"But let's go back to the palace first."

Liu Xie said that he had been busy dealing with the Yuan family these days. Now that the Yuan family has been exterminated, it is time to solve the problem of how to resettle these people.

"Yes."

The ministers responded one after another.

After Liu Xie led everyone away from the execution ground, the onlookers also dispersed. Zhang He escorted Yuan Shao back to the North Court, while Gao Lan stayed to command the soldiers to deal with the bodies.

"Sikong, His Majesty said that these bodies are in your hands. What do you think we need to do? Just give us your orders."

Gao Lan asked Yuan Xi.

His attitude was very polite, not because Yuan Xi was now Sikong, but because his family had just been exterminated. To be honest, it was too tragic.

Yuan Xi raised his hand to wipe the tears from his face. He couldn't bear to look at the corpses behind him, and said to Gao Lan: "General Gao, please dig a big pit outside the city and bury all the corpses together, so that I can have a place to pay tribute in the future."

"No problem."

Gao Lan agreed without saying a word.

Yuan Xi thanked him, then got on his horse and went to Yecheng alone, his back was bleak and firm.

He is the only one left in the Yuan family now.

The new Yuan family will start from him!

…

Imperial Palace, Tai'an Hall.

After Liu Xie and his ministers returned to the palace, they discussed the matter of Zhang Yan leading tens of thousands of troops and hundreds of thousands of people to surrender.

Sima Yi asked: "Your Majesty, the Black Mountain Army is a group of bandits, and there is a precedent of rebellion. Do you really intend to recruit them?"

To be honest, no one looks down on the Black Mountain Army.

It's just a group of inferior rabble.

Relying on the danger of the Taihang Mountains, they can still be of some use, but once they leave the Taihang Mountains, this group of people lacks equipment and training, and their combat effectiveness is really terrible.

Before, Zhang Yan had 70,000 to 80,000 troops available, but in order to delay Yuan Shao's retreat, more than half of these troops were consumed, and now there are only 30,000 left.

But even if the Black Mountain Army fought with their lives, Yuan Shao's army would only lose more than 10,000 in return. This shows how huge the gap between the Black Mountain Army and the regular army is.

Liu Xie said solemnly: "Recruiting the Black Mountain Army, this is the order I personally issued before, how can I go back on my word?"

"To put it bluntly, the Black Mountain Army is just some civilians who can't survive. If they are not desperate, how can they go into the mountains to become bandits?"

"And if these hundreds of thousands of people can be settled well, it can also increase the population of Wei County a lot."

In ancient times, population was the most precious resource.

Because sufficient population is the guarantee of food, manpower, and tax revenue, many princes in history took the people with them when they were defeated and evacuated.

However, population cannot be converted into productivity all at once, at least not in a short period of time. If the hundreds of thousands of people who suddenly arrived are not handled properly, it will become a big trouble.

And this is exactly what Liu Xie is worried about.

He swept his eyes to the ministers in the hall and asked: "What good ideas do you have for settling these hundreds of thousands of people?"

The faces of the ministers were all stagnant when they heard this.

What good ideas can be used to settle the people?

It's nothing more than relying on money and food.

But after years of war, the emperor has just defeated Yuan Shao and controlled these states. The treasury has no money at all. How can it settle hundreds of thousands of refugees?

Most of the ministers present came from aristocratic families, and they were all smart people. How could they not hear the subtext of Liu Xie's words.

I just hope they can pay money and food!

For a while, there was silence in the hall.

In the face of Liu Xie's question, all the ministers remained silent, even Fu Wan, Yang Biao, Cui Yan and others were no exception.

The cost of resettling hundreds of thousands of refugees is too huge, and the key is that there is no benefit at all, and no one wants to be the scapegoat.

Liu Xie frowned slightly and said coldly: "You are full of civil and military officials, but you can't even think of a countermeasure to resettle the people!"

There was already a hint of anger in his voice.

All the ministers trembled, but they looked at each other and still chose not to speak tacitly. No one wanted to be the first to speak out.

"These guys..."

Liu Xie couldn't help but snorted in his heart.

It was as difficult as climbing to the sky to get a little meat out of the mouths of these noble families. The key is that he couldn't speak directly, and it was useless to speak.

If they really didn't want to spend the money and effort, and insisted that they had no money, what could he do?

Could he force them to pay money and grain with a knife?

That's not how politics works.

The reason why he was able to destroy the Yuan family and kill Xun Chen was because he had sufficient reasons and the timing was just right.

But if he directly used force to coerce these wealthy families, he would be breaking the rules and overturning the table. His current strength is far from reaching this point. Doing so would leave a reputation for violence and increase the difficulty of unifying the world in the future.

If you don't eat meat, you'll risk your life.

I wonder which family is willing to follow such a moody emperor who is always willing to use force to intimidate others?

"His Majesty."

Just when all the ministers chose to remain silent, the Zhen family elder stood up tremblingly, cupped his hands to Liu Xie and said, "I, Zhen family, are willing to do my best to share your Majesty's worries."

"It's just that my Zhen family has limited capabilities. I can only house 30,000 people at most. If there are any more, I'm afraid I won't be able to do it. Please forgive me, Your Majesty."

As die-hard members of the Emperor's party, the Zhen family must take a stand at this critical moment, so they took the initiative to take part of the responsibility.

"Ai Qing is interested."

Liu Xie's face softened a little, and he nodded slightly to the Zhen clan elder, and then looked at the other ministers, "Where are you, dear friends?"

The ministers remained silent.

Seeing this, the Zhen clan elder said: "You are all important ministers of the imperial court. Now is the time when His Majesty needs your help. You should all express your stance."

There are some words that are not suitable for an emperor to say.

So it can only be said by him.

But even though the words were said to this extent, the ministers in the palace still pretended not to understand and found various reasons and excuses.

"Your Majesty, I really have no good plan."

"My family's wealth is shallow, and I am really helpless."

"Hundreds of thousands of refugees are too many."

"Oh, I can't even cook the pot at home."

"My old mother is still waiting for my salary."

The ministers either remained silent or complained, but the summary was just two words.

No money!

The more Liu Xie listened, the uglier his face became. Finally he stood up and said coldly: "This is the end of today's meeting. Retreat!"

After saying that, he turned around and walked away.

…

After returning to the announcement room, Liu Xie was so angry that he swept the memorial on the desk to the ground and said angrily: "These guys are just showing off to me!"

These aristocratic families have been operating in one place for decades or hundreds of years. If they say they can't afford money or food, who would believe them?

Even if it's not as good as Zhen's, it won't be any worse!

There are only two reasons why he is unwilling to pay. One is because there is no benefit, and the other is because of other people’s actions of destroying the Yuan family and killing Xun Chen!

The demise of the Yuan clan certainly made the major families feel frightened and put away their little thoughts. At the same time, they also did not dare to use the power of the family to threaten the imperial power.

But it’s also harder to get them to sacrifice their own interests.

And as long as they acted according to the rules, he wouldn't have to use force to coerce them.

After venting his anger, Liu Xie called Zhang He and said to him: "Send Jia Xu and Guo Jia over."

"promise!"

Zhang He respectfully accepted the order and said at the same time: "Your Majesty, Sikong is outside asking for an audience."

Yuan Xi?

Liu Xie's eyebrows were slightly raised. He didn't know why Yuan Xi came to him at this time, but after thinking for a moment, he still said: "Let him come in."

Zhang He clasped his fists and retreated.

After a while, Yuan Xi walked into the announcement room. As soon as he entered, he respectfully saluted Liu Xie and said, "Your Majesty, I am here to see you!"

Liu Xie asked: "Why do you want to see me, my dear?"

The Yuan family had just been exterminated. He originally thought that Yuan Xi would rest at home for a few days and adjust his mood. Unexpectedly, he came to see him right after the execution.

Yuan Xi said respectfully: "Your Majesty, the Yuan clan is destroyed, but my disciples and former officials of the Yuan clan are still there."

"What I want to ask is, if the disciples and former officials of the Yuan family come to seek refuge with me, will I use them or not? Please give me your instructions."

He is now one of the three nobles and has the right to open a mansion. Moreover, he is the only direct bloodline of the Yuan family and is highly regarded by the emperor.

It is conceivable that after this news spreads, the disciples and former officials of the Yuan family will flock to him to seek refuge with him.

But he didn't dare to decide on his own whether he could use these people, lest he be suspected of having any disloyal intentions, so he came specifically to ask Liu Xie for instructions.

"That's it?"

Liu Xie was stunned for a moment, then patted Yuan Xi on the shoulder and said with a smile: "Just use it, feel free to use it."

"Since I have made you the third prince and given you the right to open a mansion, I want you to inherit all the connections of the Yuan family. Wouldn't it be a waste if you don't use them? How can we create a new Yuan family?"

"I believe in your loyalty."

Yuan's disciples and former officials are all over the world, so it was his plan to let Yuan Xi serve as a link to gather Yuan's power and turn it into his own use.

Yuan Xi nodded heavily and said: "I will live up to His Majesty's expectations. No matter who comes to vote in the future, I will report to Your Majesty as soon as possible!"

Liu Xie smiled, and just as he was about to say a few words of encouragement to Yuan Xi, Zhang He led Guo Jia and Jia Xu into the announcement room.

Yuan Xi was a discerning person. When he saw the two of them walking in, he immediately said: "Your Majesty, I will leave first."

"No need."

Liu Xie held Yuan Xi down, motioned him to sit down, and then said to Jia Xu, "Fengxiao and Wenhe, you can come and sit too."

"promise."

Jia Xu and the others glanced at Yuan Xi, smiled at him, and then went to sit down one after another.

Yuan Xi was shocked again.

Jia Xu and Guo Jia were the emperor's absolute confidants, known to everyone in the government and the public. Liu Xie must have important matters to discuss when he summoned them privately.

But now the emperor asked him to stay too...

Yuan Xi's heart began to beat violently.

Feeling a little dry mouth.

Because he knows what it means.

This means that the emperor has regarded him as a confidant like Guo Jia and Jia Xu, and has given him unreserved trust!

"His Majesty!"

Yuan Xi cried when her nose sore.

He originally thought that after his clan was exterminated, the emperor would definitely be wary of him harboring alien intentions and ask him to cut off all contact with Yuan's disciples and former officials.

But the emperor's trust in him continued unabated!

Not only did he let him use those disciples and former officials of the Yuan family at will, he was even allowed to participate in this extremely private court meeting!

It was Yuan Shao's fault that the Yuan family was exterminated. The emperor not only spared him and his mother from the death penalty, but also gave him great trust, making it possible for the Yuan family to regain its glory.

What a gift is this?

Even if he is allowed to be a dog, he is willing to do so!

Seeing the crying Yuan Xi, Jia Xu and Guo Jia were stunned, wondering why this guy burst into tears suddenly.

Only Liu Xie knew what was going on, and said with a smile: "Ai Qing is so rude, how can you still have the dignity of San Gong? Don't cry anymore."

Yuan Xi cried and nodded, but also made up his mind.

No matter who dares to persuade him to rebel and avenge the Yuan family, he will directly kill the person who said this!

He must not betray the emperor's trust in him!

After appeasing Yuan Xi, Liu Xie said to Jia Xu and others: "You all saw at the meeting just now that those aristocratic families are not willing to contribute to the resettlement of the refugees."

"Fengxiao, Wenhe, is there any way you can get them to pay?"

He summoned the two men to discuss the matter.

Yuan Xi wiped his tears and was the first to say: "I am willing to donate all of my Yuan family's property, food, and money for your majesty's use!"

The Yuan family has been exterminated, and the huge amount of money and family property has become ownerless. Logically, he will inherit these.

But he plans to donate all these belongings!

"What?"

As soon as these words came out, even Jia Xu and Guo Jia couldn't help but look sideways, with surprised looks in their eyes.

Is it necessary to fight so hard?

Just when Liu Xie wanted to speak, Yuan Xi said sincerely: "Your Majesty, please do not refuse. Only in this way can I express my gratitude to Your Majesty for his grace!"

"good."

Liu Xie coughed lightly. In fact, he had no intention of refusing. Now he was short of money, and the Yuan family's family property could just fill part of the gap.

But the Yuan family's family property alone is not enough. All the major families must jointly donate money and food.

So...how do you get them to bleed voluntarily?