It is no simpler to deal with a gentry group led by the juren than to deal with a scholar, because the former possesses wealth that the latter cannot compare with, and its status in the village is even less than that of the latter.

The monopoly of the juren's right to speak in the countryside is specifically reflected in their right to rule over the countryside, which is due to the tradition of the imperial power not going to the countryside in all dynasties. Basically, except for the special areas directly under the capital, the government's governance rights of the countryside were delegated to local gentry, and the one who replaced the gentry to manage the local area was the chief of the security chief and chief of the A. Those who could serve as local security chief and chief of the A must be the candidates recognized by the gentry, otherwise they would not be able to manage the village instead of the gentry.

If the Taiping Army wants to gain a foothold in Xiangshan and grow and grow, it will inevitably have conflicts with local indigenous forces. This conflict can be moderate or violent and bloody. If the Taiping Army is just an ordinary army of the Ming army and Zhou Shixiang is just an ordinary general of the Southern Ming regime, then he can continue to implement the former system of imperial power without going to the countryside. He only notify the clan gentry below when the Taiping Army needs money and food, and then let them ask Baojiacheng to collect it from the people's homes. Similarly, the Taiping Army also adopts such procedures when it needs husband service.

But the key to the problem is that Zhou Shixiang was a human being for two lifetimes, so he would not accept this inefficient and extremely harmful system to the peasants, because the system is beneficial to those gentry and baojia chiefs, and the waste and infamy caused by the Taiping Army. The growth of the Taiping Army and the long-term hardship of the anti-Qing determine that the Taiping Army needs to establish an effective mobilization system in Xiangshan. This effective mobilization system not only includes money and grain, but also manpower.

A government, an army, a leader, a belief!

Under this belief, the gentry and Baojia Chiefs who existed in Xiangshan all over the country have undoubtedly become stumbling blocks for Zhou Shixiang. The best way is to eliminate them, but the consequences of doing so will make the Taiping Army famous. After all, the ones who hold the right to speak in this era were these landlords and gentry. Moreover, Zhou Shixiang had no reason to attack those gentry who did not escape. After all, the Taiping Army was wearing the banner of the Ming army and an army that was the righteous one for the Yongli court.

Before he had contacted the Ming army, Zhou Shixiang was his business. No one would care about him, because whether he admitted it or not, the Taiping Army he established was a bandit. However, after contacting Chen Qice and other Ming army, it was recognized by the Guangdong Governor's Office of the Ming Dynasty. He could not explain to the outside world any more to kill the gentry.

The fact that fighting the local tyrants and sharing the land seems beautiful, but it is difficult to implement it. Peasant uprisings in all dynasties used this as a slogan of rebellion, but none of them could have succeeded. The results of countless peasant uprisings were eventually stolen by guys who merged with the landlords and gentry? Didn’t Emperor Hongwu, the founder of the Ming Dynasty, create the foundation of the Ming Dynasty for 260 years because he received the support of the landlords and gentry? If Emperor Hongwu still under the banner of the Ming Cult and did not receive the support of the elite among Liu Ji and other landlords and gentry, could the Ming Dynasty be established?

When Zhou Shixiang came to Xiangshan, he wanted to change his previous policies. He really wanted to develop in Xiangshan, so he could not do anything to fight the local tyrants and divide the land, but this does not mean that he could not do anything else.

The word "curve" sounds bad, but it depends on how to do it.

Zhou Shixiang could not kill the landlords and gentry left in Xiangshan, nor could he forcibly rob their property, but he could deprive them of their rule.

Zhou Shixiang's first step was to formally issue the list in the name of Xinhui County. From now on, the ten fangdus that belong to the Xiangshan County will be changed from fangdus to return to their hometowns. For example, Liangdu is more Liangdu is more than Yongledus.

The renaming of Fangdu did not arouse opposition from the landlords and gentry, because the Fangdu belonging to Xiangshan was a town in the Song Dynasty, which was changed only in the 14th year of Hongwu. Since it was called the town in the past, it is nothing to change it back now, but it is just a different name in the official documents. There is no need to make a fuss. Some of the Taiping Army's actions that are just coming.

However, soon the gentry realized something was wrong. Just after the end of the year, the soldiers stationed in various Fangdu soldiers of the Taiping Army "invited" the local security guards to Xiangshan County. Then news came from the county that the former security guards and the chiefs of each township were all removed, and the chiefs of the A will no longer be appointed in the future. Instead, the township chiefs appointed by the Taiping Army, and the village chiefs were responsible for the governance of the local people. The local people would first find the village chiefs appointed by the Taiping Army to deal with the matter. If the village chiefs could not handle the matter, the township chiefs would deal with it. If the village chiefs could not handle it, the county magistrate would deal with it.

Not only that, the Taiping Army also set up township offices in each township. This township office is generally located in densely populated villages or convenient transportation places in each township. In addition to one township head as the main official, the township office also has two deputy township heads, and there are also office management personnel ranging from 10 to 20 people.

The candidates for the heads of each township were as early as the New Year. Zhou Shixiang agreed with Duke Xiang of Song and finally decided to take the position of the old battalion in the rear camp, and to choose another battalion manager as the deputy head, while another deputy head was prepared for the locals.

The management personnel of the township office alone could not shake the gentry and clan forces in the township, so Zhou Shixiang established security teams in each township. The township security team with a small population was 100, called security squadron; the township with a large population was 150 to 200, called security brigade.

The members of the security team were all drawn from the former Houying Security Group, and the Houying staff was disbanded, and the people under the camp were resettled to the townships. In addition to the 2,000 women and children in the Houying camp were originally placed in Longyandu, Zhou Shixiang successively placed 3,000 people in Renhoufang, Xiangshan County, 1,600 people were placed in the front village, 800 people were placed in Liangzi, Changle, Yongning, Dazidu and other places, hundreds of people were placed in Changle, Yongning, Dazidu and other places. In this way, the elderly, weak, women and children in the Houying camp were placed in dispersed and resettled.

The responsibility of the security team is to maintain local public order and to request the return chief to deal with emergencies, such as gentry inciting farmers to resist donations and encircle and suppress all the bandits in the country. When the Taiping Army mobilizes war, the security team also assumes the security of the rear and provides soldiers to the front line. In other words, the security teams in each township not only have functions similar to later police officers, but are also used as Taiping Army reserves.

The establishment of the township office, the entry of the security team, and the emergence of the village chief... After a series of dazzling actions, the gentry came back to the scene-their rule over the country had been deprived of the Taiping Army.

Zhou Shixiang was also worried that when setting up township offices in various places, there would be gentry unwilling to lose their rule and clan forces to incite the people to cause trouble. Therefore, when each township office was established, not only were all members of the security team armed, but the local and nearby garrisoned Taiping Army were also on standby in the camp and ready to kill possible resistance at any time. However, until all ten township offices were established, the expected resistance did not occur.

The news from the townships was that the local gentry was very honest and welcomed the establishment of the township office. Several gentry specially sent people to the township to inquire whether they could arrange an errand in the office, and some even went directly to Liao Ruixiang. In response, Zhou Shixiang's statement was that if they did not affect the normal duties of the office, they could make certain arrangements for these gentry children.

Afterwards, Duke Xiang of Song analyzed the mentality of these gentry and said, "These people were not brave enough. When Qing Yao came, they hid in the village and refused to come out to resist. Qing Yao killed their people and burned their houses. They all smiled. Now Qing Yao has been driven away by us, and we have not confiscated their land or robbed their silver. We just let them hand over the local rule and give their children a certain way out. This is the end of kindness. The people have gained our benefits. Although it is due to the face of the village and clan, they are still welcome to us. They will never listen to these people and do things against us, so they can only be honest. If they are really not honest, what can they do? Fight? Qing Yao told us to drive them away. Can they still be better than Qing Yao!" In the end, he said, "I am not afraid of anything else, I am afraid that they will sue us. If that is not good, I will explain it to the Governor's Office."

After hearing this, Zhou Shixiang laughed: "What are you afraid of? Let them sue! Even if you sue Kunming, I'm not afraid! At worst, I can open the church and ask them why you gangs of troublemakers sue me!" (To be continued.)
Chapter completed!