Chapter 406 Is it worth it? (Thanks to the book friend Xiaolou Yunyan for the reward!)
On October 13, the tenth year of Anhe, a special guest came to the Liaoyang Governor's Mansion.

"My name is Yun Hanjie, nice to meet you, General!" Walking into the study, Yun Hanjie bowed deeply to Ye Mingsheng, who had a smile on his face.

Ye Mingsheng smiled and nodded, then instructed the guards outside the door:

"Mr. Yun is old, it's not suitable for him to stand for a long time. Quick, find a seat for Mr. Yun!"

"Thank you, General!" Yun Hanjie quickly bowed and thanked him:

Feeling Ye Mingsheng's attitude towards him, Yun Hanjie's tension was reduced a lot. Just yesterday, he, Cui Shao, and Zhao Yu, the representative excluded by the Gongsun family, were invited to the Xiaoanshan shooting range, and witnessed with their own eyes the horrifying scene of dozens of red cannons roaring together...

In addition to witnessing the power of the Red Cannon, they also visited the factory that produced firearms, watching the firearms being assembled and produced on the assembly line. This undoubtedly made them feel the powerful strength of the Fengwu Army.
Although he didn't know how Ye Mingsheng created these terrifying weapons, Yun Hanjie was very clear that Ye Mingsheng had deliberately shown them these things after the military parade. This was definitely not a good intention and was an undisguised naked threat!

Although he was very indignant about Ye Mingsheng's arrogant behavior, Yun Hanjie dared not speak out after realizing the powerful strength of the Fengwu Army.

Although he felt very aggrieved, Yun Hanjie knew that he couldn't force Ye Mingsheng to do it easily when Ye Mingsheng was in power. So after discussing with his nephew Yun Guanjing, they were also prepared to give up some benefits to Ye Mingsheng...
As soon as he sat down on the chair, thinking of Ye Mingsheng's usual direct and straightforward style, Yun Hanjie decided not to exchange pleasantries with Ye Mingsheng. He was ready to get straight to the point and tell Ye Mingsheng the benefits that the Yun family was going to offer.

Before Yun Hanjie could say anything, Ye Mingsheng seemed to have seen what he was thinking. He smiled, waved his hand, pointed behind him and asked:
"Mr. Yun, what do you see behind me?"

After hearing what Ye Mingsheng said, Yun Hanjie, whose attention was originally on Ye Mingsheng, looked up and behind Ye Mingsheng.

On the wall behind Ye Mingsheng, there was a map of the Great Zhou Dynasty, which recorded the various provinces, prefectures, counties, mountains, and rivers in the Great Zhou Dynasty in great detail...

Looking at the map, Yun Hanjie was a little confused. He didn't know what Ye Mingsheng wanted to do, but he still said honestly:

"My Lord, this is the map of our Great Zhou Empire!"

Ye Mingsheng nodded when he heard this, then looked at Yun Hanjie and said:
"Mr. Yun, I've heard that you are well-read and knowledgeable about the past and present. Now I have a question. Can you answer it for me?"

Ye Mingsheng's words immediately confused Yun Hanjie. He didn't know what Ye Mingsheng was doing and what he was up to.
But looking at Ye Mingsheng's sincere eyes, Yun Hanjie could only say:
“I wonder what doubts your Excellency has. Although I am not very knowledgeable, I will tell you everything I know…”

Seeing this, Ye Mingsheng said directly:
"What I'm wondering about is the general trend of the world. Mr. Yun, can you tell me who will control this great country in the future?"

Hearing Ye Mingsheng's question, Yun Hanjie seemed to have realized something, but he seemed a little unwilling to believe it. After thinking for a while, he said politely:

"In my opinion, although the rebel Shangguan has hundreds of thousands of soldiers and is resisting stubbornly in Guanzhong, he has now lost the support of the people. Heroes all over the world are denouncing him, and troops from all over the country are preparing to set out to defend the king. It won't take long before he can be wiped out and Your Majesty can return to peace in the world!"

Ye Mingsheng was somewhat noncommittal when he heard this, and then continued to ask:
"Mr. Yun also went to the Xiaoanshan shooting range yesterday and saw the firearms and training of my Fengwu Army. What do you think of my Fengwu Army's troops?"

Although Yun Hanjie's reaction was a little slow, he was not a fool after all. If he had just made some guesses, the question that Ye Mingsheng asked him now undoubtedly confirmed his idea.
Originally, he thought that whether Ye Mingsheng held a military parade or asked them to go to the shooting range to watch the artillery firing, it was just a threat to them to cut their flesh. But now, after hearing Ye Mingsheng's two questions, he suddenly understood the real purpose of Ye Mingsheng's actions...
If he guessed correctly, Ye Mingsheng's vision was much bigger than he had imagined. Ye Mingsheng actually wanted to lead his troops into the pass, fight for the Central Plains, and contend for the world!

Yun Hanjie's heart sank when he realized this. If this was really the case, then Ye Mingsheng's appetite might be bigger than he thought. The meat that their Yun family had originally prepared to cut would most likely not be enough to satisfy Ye Mingsheng...
Seeing Yun Hanjie's uncertain expression, Ye Mingsheng knew that this old guy had realized what he wanted to do. He immediately took a sip of tea, looked at Yun Hanjie and said without any concealment:
"Mr. Yun, what do you think the chances of conquering Youyan are if Liaoyang works together and unites as one, and with the help of the firearms of our Fengwu Army?"

In response to Ye Mingsheng's question, Yun Hanjie instinctively wanted to flatter Ye Mingsheng, saying that Ye Mingsheng's military action would definitely be successful and he would win every battle. However, when the words came to his lips, feeling Ye Mingsheng's sharp eyes, he could not say these words anyway. He could only smile bitterly and said:
"I am an old man who is ignorant and I don't know the answer you want!"

Ye Mingsheng smiled dumbly upon hearing this and continued:

"I am not satisfied with Mr. Yun. At the latest within a year, or at the earliest in the early spring of next year, I will lead my troops eastward to conquer Youyan. Now, all the units of my Fengwu Army and the General Coordination Office have already begun preparations. Zhao Fuqu still knows nothing and is preparing to capture Yunbing and Jinyang. Little does he know that when he is in the middle of a fierce battle, it will be the day for me, Ye, to dispatch troops!"

After Ye Mingsheng finished speaking, Yun Hanjie's face changed again. If Ye Mingsheng had told him these things before going to Xiaoanshan Shooting Range, he would have just thought that Ye Mingsheng was bragging to him.

But after seeing the high morale of the Fengwu Army in the military parade and those terrifying red cannons, he knew that Ye Mingsheng was serious. He really intended to do this and had the ability to do so...
Thinking of this, Yun Hanjie knew that he could no longer play dumb in front of Ye Mingsheng. He took a deep breath, looked at Ye Mingsheng and said solemnly:

"You revealed such a secret to me? Aren't you afraid that the news will leak out and affect your next plan?"

Ye Mingsheng smiled and asked:

"So what if the news leaked out? So what if Zhao Fuqu knew about it? Even if you take a step back, as a native of Liaoyang, would you do this, Mr. Yun?"

After saying this, Ye Mingsheng did not wait for Yun Hanjie to answer, and continued:
"Taking advantage of Zhao Fuqu's battle to stab him in the back is just to reduce the losses. Even if we attack Zhao Fuqu head-on, he will not be able to stop the Tiger Guards of our Fengwu Army!" Feeling the strength and confidence revealed in Ye Mingsheng's words, Yun Hanjie's mood was undoubtedly heavier. After a moment of hesitation, he bowed to Ye Mingsheng and said:

"General, you have great ambitions, which is a blessing for Liaoyang. My Yun family is willing to follow you and offer you two hundred thousand taels of silver, fifty thousand pieces of cloth, thirty thousand stones of salt, and ten shops in Dongning City..."

At this point, Yun Hanjie stole a glance at Ye Mingsheng's face, and seeing that Ye Mingsheng's expression was still as calm as water, making it difficult to see any emotion, Yun Hanjie could not help but harden his heart, gritted his teeth and added:
"There are also 20,000 acres of fertile land in Sanhe County, Dongning Prefecture, and 5,000 acres of fertile land in Fengshan County of our Yun family. I am willing to give them all to you, my Lord!"

Hearing the chips offered by Yun Hanjie, Ye Mingsheng couldn't help but be a little surprised. This old guy is so courageous!

Although the Yun family is rich, after being plundered by Song Wenhui and the Zhenwu Army, even the Yun family can no longer bear it. It is estimated that the things that Yun Hanjie has taken out now are the only remaining assets of the Yun family. Ye Mingsheng had guessed that the Yun family would try to cut off some of their meat to feed themselves, but he did not expect them to cut off so much.

Yun Hanjie looked at Ye Mingsheng with both pain and trepidation. The price he had just offered Ye Mingsheng was already the limit that the Yun family could afford...
Before meeting Ye Mingsheng, he and his nephew, the current head of the Yun family, Yun Guanjing, had many discussions to decide how much meat to give to Ye Mingsheng. Yun Hanjie was originally quite confident about the offer and believed that the sincerity of their Yun family would be able to impress Ye Mingsheng.

But unfortunately, plans cannot keep up with changes. Now, after feeling the strength and ambition of the Fengwu Army, Yun Hanjie clearly knows that his original offer will definitely not satisfy Ye Mingsheng, so he can only increase the offer significantly without authorization, and add another 25,000 acres of fertile land.

To be honest, after saying these things, Yun Hanjie's heart not only bleeds, but he also feels extremely guilty, blaming himself for ruining the family business left by the Yun family's ancestors!

Faced with such a generous offer from Yun Hanjie, it would be a lie for Ye Mingsheng to say that he was not tempted. Now he was going to eat the meat cut by the Yun family.

If he cuts off the meat from the Gongsun family and the Cui family as usual, Ye Mingsheng won't have to worry about finances at least until next autumn. By that time, Ye Mingsheng might have taken over Youyan. Taking over Youyan would give Ye Mingsheng a lot more room for financial maneuver...
If it was not Ye Mingsheng, but someone else who faced Yun Hanjie's offer, he might have really accepted the conditions and reconciled with the privileged class like the Yun family. However, after Ye Mingsheng came to this world and felt the slavery and oppression suffered by ordinary people, and all kinds of endless suffering, a sense of mission was generated in his heart!

Although Ye Mingsheng never thought of himself as a good person, he believed that since God had brought him here and given him this opportunity, he wanted to do something for those ordinary people, so that they could have food to eat and clothes to wear, have money to treat illnesses when they were sick, and not have to sell their children in years of famine. He wanted them to live a quality life with dignity, and not have to worry every day about which would come first, death or tomorrow.

The output of a world is limited. If you eat more, others will eat less. So if Ye Mingsheng wants to fulfill his wish, he must seize the interests of privileged classes such as aristocratic families and redistribute the cake to more people.

As the saying goes, "Don't forget your original intention, and you will succeed!"

Under Yun Hanjie's gaze, Ye Mingsheng chose to shake his head. Seeing Ye Mingsheng shaking his head, Yun Hanjie also got a little angry. The elderly man stood up from his chair and emphasized to Ye Mingsheng word by word in a very serious manner:
“General, this is the limit of what our Yun family can take out. We have already taken out all the savings of several generations of our Yun family. If you ask for more, our entire Yun family will have to beg on the streets…”

In response to Yun Hanjie's anger, Ye Mingsheng waved his hand and said;
"Mr. Yun, don't be anxious. Be patient! Sit down and talk!"

Hearing Ye Mingsheng's words, Yun Hanjie suppressed his anger and reluctantly sat back in his chair.

Seeing Yun Hanjie sitting down, Ye Mingsheng took a document from the desk, handed it to Yun Hanjie and said:

"Mr. Yun, this is the reform measure I plan to implement in Liaoyang. As long as your Yun family supports it wholeheartedly, not only will I not pay for what you said above, but I can also guarantee the status of the Yun family in Liaoyang and the careers of the Yun family members in Liaoyang!"

Hearing Ye Mingsheng say this, Yun Hanjie was suddenly surprised and happy. The reason why he appeared here and was humble and respectful to Ye Mingsheng, who was almost like his nephew, and gave so many benefits to Ye Mingsheng, was not because he wanted Ye Mingsheng to guarantee the status of the Yun family and the career of the Yun family's children?

Although he was a little excited, his subconscious told Yun Hanjie that the reform measures in this document must not be simple to make Ye Mingsheng give up so many benefits.

With a look of doubt and vigilance, Yun Hanjie took the document from Ye Mingsheng and began to look through it.

Yun Hanjie's face darkened after reading only the first page, but he still patiently read the entire document.

Although the document recording Ye Mingsheng's reform measures only had a few pages, Yun Hanjie spent a whole incense stick of time reading it. After a stick of incense, Yun Hanjie put down the document in his hand and looked at Ye Mingsheng deeply. It was unclear whether he was praising Ye Mingsheng or saying in a sarcastic tone:
"I didn't expect that you, the Governor, are such a good official who loves the people like his own children!"

"Your reform is clearly going to kill us. Is it worth it for those poor Koreans?"

Ye Mingsheng smiled when he heard this, and said with some melancholy:

"Mr. Yun, you are well-read in poetry and classics, but have you ever heard of that sentence in Xunzi?"

"Which sentence?"

“Water can carry a boat, but it can also capsize it!”

(End of this chapter)