The female shopkeepers of the thirteen pot houses looked at their boss Liu Chengzong and wanted to give him a baby.
Earlier, Muya Chieftain sent someone back to deliver a message, saying that they should be ready to receive the marshal of the Qinghai Marshal's Mansion. When they heard this name, people couldn't help but imagine an old general in his fifties.
After all, the word "marshal" is not used randomly. Generally, a commander-in-chief can be called a commander. For example, Hou Liangzhu, the commander-in-chief of Sichuan stationed in Yongning, went to Shenbian once after being dismissed from his post the year before last. His hair and beard turned white.
The shopkeepers could only think hard in their hearts, this must be a very charming handsome man, so they had the courage to come to see him.
Who would have known that the handsome man was well-born, young and tall, with broad shoulders and a square face. He looked very manly. I heard he was a good man who could shoot left and right. The more he looked at it, the happier he became. .
What's the harm in giving him a baby? Apart from other things, giving birth to a girl will inherit the pot farm and have someone to protect her for the rest of her life. Giving birth to a boy would be even more serious. Maybe any generation in the west of the Yangtze River will die. The marshal's flesh and bones can serve as chieftain.
I never expected that they looked like a nice person with weird hobbies and they had to speak Mongolian. But when they heard that they couldn't speak it, they simply asked for a young scholar.
But they couldn't control this matter. They were all very disappointed and asked people to go to Guozhuang to call the scholars out.
After a while, the men in coarse cloth and T-shirt jackets put down the goods they were carrying and walked into the official village one by one. Some of them still wore the handkerchiefs of the waiters and the ponchos used to buy cattle and sheep on their shoulders, and stood cautiously in the official village. 's yard.
Mu Ya was very dissatisfied with the way these people were dressed, and ran over to ask for an explanation from the Ajias. After a while, she came back sarcastically and explained to Liu Chengzong: "Commander, despite their shabby appearance, they are indeed students from Chengdu Prefecture. Member, I know the leader well, his name is Yang Wanchun, he is indeed a student member."
Looking along Mu Ya's hand, Liu Chengzong saw a man leading the students. He was wearing a blue satin robe with dark patterns. He was not too young and looked like a rich man.
Liu Chengzong came down from the official village, took a cursory glance at the men gathered in the courtyard, less than twenty of them, and asked, "Are you all students?"
At this time, Yang Wanchun, the leader, already knew that it was Marshal Qinghai calling them over. Hearing Liu Chengzong's northern Shaanxi language, his face showed surprise. He stepped forward and said: "General, we are indeed all members. I came here a few years ago." It’s Furnace City, and they all come here in the summer, so their clothes are inappropriate.”
Counting Yang Wanchun, there were seventeen people in total. Liu Chengzong asked them one by one and finally confirmed that these people were indeed scholars.
And they are not Tongsheng, Juren, or Jinshi. They are all students from Sichuan, mostly from Chengdu Prefecture.
Looking at this group of students who looked more like lackeys and traders than scholars, Liu Chengzong was filled with doubts. Is the matter of lust limited to the scholar group? Are they still staying in Guozhuang without going home after the Chinese New Year?
Moreover, he looked at this group of people. They didn't look like they were going to Guozhuang to have fun, but they looked like they had left their hometowns to make a living.
It was very cold in the yard, and Liu Chengzong didn't care whether these people were nice or not. Anyway, seeing a group of students made him extremely happy. He immediately called Muya to kill sheep and cattle to prepare wine and food. He borrowed the official village hall and asked these students to come with him. Sit down and chat.
The Ajias in Guozhuang were happy because Liu Chengzong not only ordered them to prepare wine and food for the students, but also to prepare meat and vegetables for the troops accompanying the Marshal's Mansion. They slaughtered sheep and cattle to entertain the soldiers.
All the cavalry accompanying Liu Chengzong were big-bellied men. Even just delivering cattle, sheep and vegetables to the camp was enough for Guozhuang to make a fortune.
Anyway, Chief Muya told them a long time ago that the troops from the Marshal's Mansion can do whatever they want when they come over, and all expenses will be settled by the Chieftain's Yamen.
Not to mention, just Liu Chengzong asking Mu Ya to prepare wine and meat to entertain the students made these trembling scholars very happy.
When they sat down to chat, people became more courageous. After a few words, Liu Shizi probably figured out the identity of the old scholar Yang Wanchun.
By fate, Yang Wanchun was from Chengdu. When Fan Long, the son-in-law of She Chongming, led Ah Liu to besiege Chengdu, he was playing outside the city and ran away when he saw the Daliang army, all the way to Dajian Lulai.
He never left after he came, and became Guozhuang's door-to-door son-in-law. His wife was originally Ajia, but later he married her, so his father-in-law handed Guozhuang over to him, and Ajia was replaced by his sister-in-law.
In Dajianlu, there are many door-to-door sons-in-law like him, but now these students in the official village are different from him.
"They are not attracted by Ajia. Many of them are my friends. In the past, when they came to Furnace City to play, I hosted them. It was not until the summer of the year before last that they came to join me."
Yang Wanchun raised his finger to greet the monks, and then said to Liu Chengzong: "They are just like the monks in Lucheng who lost their temples, just living a living."
Liu Chengzong sat cross-legged on the couch blanket, holding the armrest of the couch with one hand and his chin with the other, thinking carefully, frowning and saying: "They came here to eat?"
"Of course, some people also want to be a house-in-law son-in-law. Ajias are very capable of running a household, are rich, and are born in a generous manner." Yang Wanchun laughed, and then said: "But more people here live for two tsampas a day. Dad, there is a place to shelter from the wind and rain, where they can study and pass the exam."
Liu Chengzong thought about it, but still felt strange: "Although there are many students, they can't find a sheltered place to study anywhere in the world. Why do they come here? I see their appearance... they seem to be still giving Are you working as a helper in Guozhuang?"
Yang Wanchun couldn't help but smile bitterly when he heard this, nodded and said: "I'm afraid the commander-in-chief doesn't know what happened in the court the year before last, otherwise he wouldn't have said this."
Liu Chengzong thought for a while, shook his head and said: "I was busy with military affairs at that time, so I don't know what big thing happened."
The summer before last, he defeated the troops of He Huchen, the commander-in-chief of Ningxia, on Huanglong Mountain Road. He had no hope of surrendering the Ningxia border troops. From then on, his military strength became strong and he encountered no strong enemy.
After that, he went all the way west and had no time to inquire about the court.
But in the final analysis, these people are not children. Scholars are in charge of food in the county school. Moreover, they are from Sichuan, and they are not students from northern Shaanxi.
In northern Shaanxi, the court could hardly afford to pay officials, but in Sichuan, the court would still give them food every month.
Although the living conditions are not luxurious, there is no need to be like those rogue monks who lost their temples and come here to earn a living. Sometimes they have to go out to help Ajia slaughter a cow or carry tea.
He prefers to believe that these dicks are all lustful people.
"In the twelfth lunar month of the year before last, Hou Jin broke through the barriers and sent out border troops from various towns. The emperor felt deeply that there was a lack of funds and issued an edict to recruit new students with preferential treatment and exemption from silver. This would increase the revenue of nearly 500,000 taels for the national treasury."
Yang Wanchun said: "There are so many students in the world, five to six hundred in large counties and two to three hundred in small counties. It is easy to collect money... but it is not easy for students to find work."
Liu Chengzong sat up straight, leaned back slightly, raised his hand and patted the armrest twice: "Go on."
He knew that when it came to disgusting the people of the world, he could always trust Emperor Chongzhen, who gave birth to free money and was a wise emperor!
Five hundred thousand taels was a drop in the bucket compared to the tens of millions of taels for border guards, but it was enough to disgust a poor man.
Indeed, there are many people from the wealthy class among the scholars. For them, it is nothing to make up for the service fee that the imperial court itself exempts.
But for young people from small families, after ten years of studying hard to become a scholar, they have not yet made any money from your court, and all the benefits and exemptions are suddenly gone.
The most critical issue is that the exemptions and exemptions for civil and military officials disappeared during the Tianqi years. Taxes for the court increased by more than 400,000 taels, leaving only the exemptions and exemptions for students.
Civil and military officials have salaries and do not rely on exemptions and exemptions, but many military officers themselves relied on these exemptions to survive, and now they no longer have them.
This reminded Liu Chengzong of the set of sixteen methods given to him by Xiao Lazun.
The Sixteen Laws are not anything progressive, they just have to be written in black letters on a white background. This set of Tibetan laws exists to protect the power of slave owners and aristocrats.
Liu Chengzong wondered, what is its foundation in the eyes of the current Ming Dynasty court?
Is he a farmer? Unlike, the tax in Shaanxi has not been exempted yet.
Is he a soldier? It's not like that, otherwise I wouldn't owe two or three years of military pay.
Is it an official? Liu Chengzong once believed that the foundation of the imperial court was officials.
But if the emperor thinks that the loyalty of the three or four hundred thousand members of the official reserve army is not as good as three or four hundred thousand taels of silver, then they must not be considered the foundation.
After all, the capital gap of the imperial court is not three to four hundred thousand taels of silver, and the annual military expenditure is already around 15 million taels.
So what does the emperor think is the foundation of his court?
Liu Chengzong didn't know.
"We are all ordinary people. We have no land in Sichuan. The land there is vast and the population is sparse. Since the Tianqi period, the head tax has been included in the field tax to collect money. This money is usually paid by the tenants."
Yang Wanchun introduced the basic situation to Liu Chengzong, waved his hand and said: "So starting from last year, suddenly, hundreds of workers in Chengdu Prefecture were looking for work. Where can there be so many things for them to work for? They came Make an arrow stove, have food, drink, and a place to sleep, and if you're lucky, you can be a house-to-house son-in-law like me."
"The Ajias are also willing to take care of them. These people may soon become candidates, Jinshi, or high officials in the future, and they can become the support of the Ajias."
Liu Chengzong nodded slowly, and then asked in a low voice: "Don't the chieftains recruit these talents?"
"Recruiting, Shen Bian Lengbian, and Chang Hexi are all recruiting scholars, but recruiting is recruiting, how can we use so many people." Yang Wanchun sighed and said: "Which student does not want to be an official, who is willing to be a chieftain Be a master!"
After Liu Chengzong heard this, he almost got angry.
Aren't these students tailor-made for him?
"What about you?" Liu Chengzong asked Yang Wanchun, "You also want to be an official?"
Yang Wanchun laughed a little sheepishly, shook his head and said: "It's fine if I pass the exam. It's good to be in Guozhuang now. I don't have to worry about food and clothing, and I can show my talents. Although I don't have an official position, there are many barbarians here. Scholars are respected enough."
"Everyone has their own ambitions. They have lived here for a long time, so they should understand the Western language, right?"
Yang Wanchun nodded. In fact, he had already guessed what Liu Chengzong wanted to do. In the past six months, although Liu Chengzong was far away from Dajian Lu, he was a man of the hour here.
After all, Dajianlu was the edge of both the Barbarians and the Han people. When people heard that a group of Han people were carving out a world in the northwest and southwest, everyone was excited.
Yang Wanchun answered truthfully: "Commander, I know more or less."
"That's enough. You can ask them later. If anyone is willing to serve as an official for me, come with me. I have seven counties and need a group of county magistrates, bookkeepers, classics, and edicts. If there is anyone with real talent and practical knowledge, , it is not impossible to reach a higher level in the future.”
Yang Wanchun had been waiting for him to say this. After he finished speaking, he immediately nodded excitedly and said, "Okay, I'll tell them soon."
After all, this old scholar cannot help but worry about gains and losses.
He was very embarrassed, just like he said to Liu Chengzong, where is there anyone in the world who doesn't want to be an official?
After all, an official is not a petty official who is called around by others. Any official of the lowest rank can be called the parent of tens of thousands or even hundreds of thousands of people in the local area. What kind of power and responsibility does that have?
But the wealthy life in Guozhuang was indeed hard to let go, but just when Yang Wanchun was secretly anxious, he suddenly heard Liu Chengzong laughing.
Liu Chengzong knew what the old scholar was thinking.
At first, he was worried that these Sichuan scholars would be unwilling to defect because he was a bandit.
But now it seems that they are even willing to work in the chieftain's Guozhuang, and there is no need to consider whether they are willing to become officials in their own country.
On the other hand, this Yang Wanchun was actually quite close to him. They were both talented scholars in the same year.
The only difference is that Yang Wanchun is twelve years older than him.
He said to Yang Wanchun: "What about you, do you want to work with me? I'm just working on the arrow furnace. I may not be able to give you an official position for a while, but it won't affect your life here. If you do things for me, I will give you a job later." How about your official position?"
Yang Wanchun's eyes suddenly lit up: "I wonder what the commander wants me to do?"
"Simple, you have lived here for many years and have many friends, and there are many students in Sichuan who have nothing to do. Call them all, as many as you can, and learn the Western and Mongolian languages from you. Once you have learned them, Come to me."
Liu Chengzong said, thinking that he should just learn language here. It doesn't matter whether he is a scholar or not, so he said: "Common people can do it, too. The land is being reclaimed here. When the Han people call, I will plant the fields and do this well." , it all counts as your merit."
Isn't it easy for Yang Wanchun to hear this? He has been here for so many years and knows so many businessmen. Isn't it easy to ask businessmen to send landless farmers here?
But he was afraid that too many people would be pulled over, so he asked, "Does the commander have so much land?"
"Hi!"
When Liu Chengzong heard this, he almost laughed. He leaned forward, raised his hand and touched the couch and said, "From Xining to Qamdo, it's all mine. How much land do you think I have?"
Yang Wanchun stood up suddenly and immediately gave Liu Chengzong a big gift. Then he got up and entered the state: "Commander, I will reserve food and grass in Furnace City."
The old scholar was full of fighting spirit, which made Liu Chengzong feel very comfortable. He waved his hand and said: "Yes, let's do this. I got some land from Mu Tusi. There is a lot of mature land in it. You can recruit tenants for me and put half of it into your Guozhuang. To eat on the way to immigration, how many immigrants can you recruit for me?”
Yang Wanchun was not in a hurry to speak big words, and thought for a while and said: "Commander, wait for me to see the land. The land is reduced by a few hundred households a year, but with more land, it is not impossible for tens of thousands of households a year."
