The Fuxue Palace outside the Imperial City of Xiangyang Prefecture was as lively as a market today. The students studying here were all squeezed out of the classroom, and everyone stretched their necks to look inside, with words written on their faces. Full of anxiety.
They were not worried that their classroom would be occupied by others, but they were worried that their hometown would be harmed by millions of begging soldiers coming from the north.
Prince Zhu Yiming of Xiang, who went north to Xinye to greet the emperor and submitted a joint petition from the gentry and students of Xiangyang Prefecture to the Ming Emperor, returned to Xiangyang Prefecture with the emperor's reply the day before yesterday. On the same day, an order was passed that on the fourth day of the seventh lunar month, Miao Xutu, the deputy envoy of Xiangyang (deputy envoy for punishment and inspection), and Tang Xianyue, the prefect of Xiangyang, would meet with the registered officials and officials of Xiangyang Prefecture in the Academy of Xiangyang Prefecture. Juzi met with celebrities from the Jin gentry and discussed in detail the matter of Lord Long Live coming to Xiangyang to beg for food...
This thing doesn’t even sound like it’s true. How could the mighty Long Live Lord of the Ming Dynasty become a beggar? Wouldn't the emperor raise taxes if he had no food to eat? The gentry and people in Huguang all love the Ming Dynasty. It is not unacceptable to increase taxes appropriately, for example, add a serious 25%... which is about an average of 40 taels of millet per acre (16 taels system). You can grind out more than two taels of white rice. If the whole of Huguang could add that much, it would add more than 400,000 shi of millet a year, which is almost less than 300,000 shi of white rice. It’s very generous, right? You long live man, take the rice and leave quickly. Go begging for food elsewhere. Don’t come to Huguang!
When the old prince heard everyone talking about raising taxes, he smiled and waved his hand, saying: "Long Live Lord, I said I won't increase taxes in Huguang, so don't worry...Long Live Lord. You know the sufferings of the people in Huguang!"
Of course Zhu Youjian wanted to increase taxes on Huguang, but he also knew that this tax could not be increased without giving the Huguang gentry a taste of something powerful.
The tax of one bushel per mu is actually not high, but for the Huguang gentry who are accustomed to the tax of one pound per mu... Oh, no, the gentry have exemptions and exemptions, and they don't have to pay a pound! The "one-ton tax" must be shared equally, and a small number of private fields cannot be allowed to bear the entire tax, otherwise it will be a "one-ton tax." And sharing taxes equally is not easy!
In short, if this tax is to be added, there will definitely be blood! So Zhu Youjian simply didn't mention tax increases and only talked about begging for food. If you beg for food, you need to eat from a wealthy family. If you are not a wealthy family, you will know it just by looking at the house!
"Your Majesty, what about the beggars in Xinye? Are they still coming to Huguang?" A gentry immediately asked.
The old prince nodded and spread his hands: "Come on! There are millions of people, camping for hundreds of miles by the white water. They have been organized into groups, and are equipped with spears, bows and arrows. They have become beggars... ..When I left, they had already set off and were heading towards Fancheng! It is estimated that in two days, they will enter the ground of Xiangyang Prefecture, and then they will be stationed in various counties."
As he spoke, the old prince turned to look at the two mournful civil servants beside him, "Deputy Envoy Miao, Prefect Tang, you must properly accommodate these millions of hungry people!"
Miao Xutu, the deputy envoy of Xiangyang, and Tang Xianyue, the prefect of Xiangyang, were both very prestigious and good officials. They were not very greedy and could ask for orders from the people. They also maintained good public security in Xiangyang. Even though the hungry people of Shaanxi had gathered in Nanyang, which is next door to Xiangyang, they did not allow the bad guys among the hungry people to cross the border and come to Xiangyang to cause trouble.
But no matter how good they are, they can't cope with the 1 million hungry people who came to Xiangyang Prefecture, equipped with spears, bows and arrows...
"Your Majesty, do you think these 1 million hungry people will come to Xiangyang Mansion?" Tang Xianyue, the prefect of Xiangyang, was already sweating on his forehead.
Miao Xutu, deputy envoy of Xiangyang, also said: "Old Prince, are these 1 million hungry people crossing the border in Xiangyang?"
"I'm afraid we have to live here for a long time..." The old prince just shook his head, "One million people! You haven't seen... the large black mass beside the White River, all carrying long guns. The tip of the spear is shining with cold light!"
As soon as these words came out, the Jin gentry officials below immediately started talking about it.
"Long-term stay? Why? Why did we in Xiangyang offend the Long Live Lord?"
"Yes, there are so many places in Huguang, why should we target Xiangyang?"
"This can't be done. One million hungry people...can't we eat up Xiangyang?"
"Old Prince, you have to make the decision for us Xiangyang people!"
"Yes, we can't let 1 million hungry people come to Xiangyang..."
Zhu Yiming looked at the people below and listened to their words, and sneered in his heart: Why are you people just talking nonsense? There are 1 million begging soldiers, all of them have spears in their hands and bows and arrows at their waists. If you say you won't let them come, you won't let them come? Even if the empty words of you gentry have no effect, my grandfather’s beggar soldiers will not be able to come to Huguang!
"What are you talking about!" Zhu Yiming waved his hand, "We are here... Xinye is not far from Xiangyang, and we will be here in a blink of an eye. Let's make a careful calculation and figure out how to distribute these millions of hungry militiamen! Each town in the county must make some arrangements, and the big families must come up with rice to help the hungry!"
"No..."
"Yes, I can't give it!"
"Why should I give it to you! Not even a grain of rice!"
"Old Prince, we all agreed to raise taxes!"
"Yeah, even...even if it's 50% higher, we'll admit it!"
Five achievements is "half a catty and eight taels", and one acre of land pays one and a half catty in tax...
The old prince still shook his head, "Long live the Lord said, don't raise taxes... I just want a meal. It's up to you whether you give it to me or not! Deputy Miao, Prefect Tang, do you two want to divide it up?" As for 1 million people, the total score is one point, right?”
"Old Prince, we don't want hungry people to enter the country..."
"Yes, we can't let them come!"
The gentlemen are all anxious! The total population of Xiangyang Prefecture is less than 1 million, but 1 million beggars have arrived... What can we do!
Zhu Yiming nodded and said with a wry smile: "I know, I know... You don't want hungry people to enter this country, but the 1 million still has to be divided.
As for your unwillingness to allow them to enter the country, just say it in person when Long Live Lord comes to Xiangyang tomorrow. Long Live Lord has said it, and those who speak are not guilty!
Or you can organize the villagers to stop the hungry people, as long as you have the ability to stop them. Long live the Lord also said that if you can stop millions of people, even if you are ruthless, he will not pursue it and will not dare to pursue it!
As for the rice for relief...I can't care less whether you give it to me or not. Because Long live the Lord also said that you can’t force yourself when begging for food. You can give it voluntarily and if you are willing to give it, if you don’t want to give it... Haha! But I will give it to you, because I have a kind heart and am a great kind person! How could you watch so many people starve to death? They all have spears in their hands! Deputy envoy Miao and the prefect of Tang, please also arrange some hungry people for Zhuangzi in the palace! "
...
"Long live Long live Long live......"
On the third day of July in the fifth year of the reign of Emperor Chongzhen of the Ming Dynasty, at the Beiguan Wharf of Xiangyang Prefecture, when Zhu Youjian boarded the dragon boat that had been prepared and headed for Xiangyang Prefecture, both sides of the Han River simultaneously let out a cry of long live the mountains.
Standing on the north bank of the Han River, surrounding Fancheng, were endless "begging soldiers" and their families. Countless spear points glowed coldly in the sunlight.
Standing on the south bank of the Han River were the officials, gentry and common people from Xiangyang City and the eldest sons and daughters of King Xiang.
Facing millions of people, no one dared to come forward after all!
Zhu Youjian had known for a long time that they didn't dare... In their previous life, they didn't dare to stand up and challenge the armies of Li Zicheng and Zhang Xianzhong. How could they dare to face millions of people from Shaanxi and the Central Plains now? anti?
"Long live the Lord, do we really want to let these hungry people go to harm the people of Xiangyang Prefecture?" The person standing behind Zhu Youjian asked Gao Hongtu.
"It's not a disaster, right?" Zhu Youjian said, "If these millions of hungry people don't follow me, but follow Gao Yingxiang, Luo Rucai and others to go south to Huguang, then it will be a real disaster!"
"Long live Lord, it won't happen..."
Zhu Youjian chuckled: "Who can destroy our Ming Dynasty? The hungry people in the northwest and central plains, or the gentry in Huguang and Jiangnan? There have been terrible disasters in the northwest and central plains for many years, and I have nothing to do. But once the victims rise up in large numbers, I At most, we can protect Bafu, Shandong, Shanxi, South Zhili, Jiangxi, Zhejiang and other places in North Zhili, but we cannot protect Sichuan and Huguang... Since these victims must go to Huguang and Sichuan for food. So I It is better to lead them here than to have Gao Yingxiang and Luo Rucai lead them here!"
