O43novel Chapter 839 Shen Gongbao's Infiltration of the Four Major Feudal States
Chapter 839 Shen Gongbao's Infiltration of the Four Major Feudal States
After entering the imperial court, Shen Gongbao did not remain idle. Instead, he used his talent for social interaction to continuously develop his own network of contacts among the vassal states!
However, at the beginning, these subordinates did not have high status and could not access the core secrets of the vassal states. But with Shen Gongbao's strong support, although these subordinates did not become core figures of the vassal states, they were enough to provide Shen Gongbao with some information that he needed!
Shen Gongbao didn't mind the intelligence sent by his subordinates at all. After some analysis, he realized that among the four most powerful marquises in the east, west, south, and north, the one with the deepest cunning and the greatest ambition was actually Ji Chang, the Marquis of the West, who had the best reputation in the outside world!
On the surface, Ji Chang, the Marquis of Xibo, loved his people like his own children, but whether he truly loved them remains to be seen. Under Ji Chang's rule, Xiqi flourished, a scene reminiscent of ancient times where "doors were left unlocked at night and lost items were not picked up on the road."
Of course, this prosperous scene was based on the fact that the common people of Xiqi had no assets at all. After all, if they had no surplus food at home, how could they possibly drop anything of value when they went out? Naturally, they didn't pick up lost items on the road.
As for leaving doors unlocked at night, that's even simpler. The ordinary people of Xiqi hand over all their grain after the annual harvest, and they have no private property at all!
After that, the officials of Xiqi distributed grain to the common people every day based on the amount of grain they handed over. Those who worked hard and had a good harvest received more grain. It wasn't enough to feed their whole family, but it was enough to make them feel about 90% full.
As for those who shirk their duties and refuse to work, the officials of Xiqi only need to ensure that they don't starve to death!
The food rations were given out on a daily basis, and they were basically eaten up every day. This meant that whether the door was closed or not at night made no difference, so even if a thief wanted to steal something, there was nothing worth stealing!
As for professionals like woodcutters who don't rely on farming to make a living, they are different from farmers. They rely on their various life skills to complete their KPIs in order to obtain enough virtual currency, which they can then exchange for enough food for their whole family for a day at the government office when they finish their work!
Of course, if someone gets a headache or fever and is unable to work, the government will immediately deduct a portion from the historical surplus of virtual currency to send food and medicine to the sick person.
If this person falls ill and never recovers, and their remaining virtual currency runs out, then the government can at most guarantee them enough food to sustain their lives!
In general, the people of Xiqi have been completely tamed under the manipulation of the bureaucratic system led by the Marquis of Xibo. If the Shang Dynasty were to attack Xiqi, these common people would definitely be Xiqi's strongest support!
Marquis Chonghouhu of the North is shrewd and cautious, and is most adept at currying favor. Although he is suspected of harboring rebellious intentions, it is undeniable that as long as the Shang Dynasty remains strong, Marquis Chonghouhu of the North will not have any thoughts of rebellion. On the contrary, he will obediently act as a lackey of the Shang Dynasty, and a lackey who will do whatever is asked of him!
Of course, Chong Houhu was not without his flaws. He was cruel and ruthless, and the people under his rule suffered greatly. If it weren't for his younger brother Chong Heihu helping him, it would be a question whether he could have held onto his title of Marquis of the North!
As for Chong Heihu, he cherished his people more than Chong Houhu. However, he was not the heir to the title of Marquis of the North. Otherwise, the lives of the people in the North would be much better!
Besides, although Chong Heihu was a disciple of the Jie Sect, he did not learn the Jie Sect's principle of prioritizing loyalty. Instead, he put the continuation of his family first and was very rational in his actions. This kind of personality made it easy for Chong Heihu to choose betrayal when faced with a crisis in the survival of his family.
However, as long as Yin Shang can ensure that Chong Heihu's family is not destroyed by those rebellious forces, or if Yin Shang suffers any irreversible decline, Chong Heihu can still be used!