In the fourth year of Emperor Xin's reign, spring began.
The lively entrance ceremony of the past few days has gradually faded away, and the Xianjun Mengdi, who has been silent for more than a winter, is no longer talked about by the citizens of Chaoge.
Just like the hot searches in later generations, once the popularity fades, most people will only remember the latest current events. Without special stimulation, the old events will soon be replaced by new current events.
Countless rumors and rumors were widely circulated in the streets and alleys. The only one that could be talked about was Deng Jiugong's refusal to marry.
Some people say that the young Meng Bo was deeply emotionally traumatized and had no intention of making progress. He was secretly feeling sad all day long. The famous Meng Chang gave up many high-ranking official positions and became an official in a large businessman and civil servants, and held the rank of General Zhenbei. At the same time, he also led the court. The position of Nong Yin in Songcheng.
This Nong Yin is just the Yin of a city, not the Nong Yin of the entire Great Shang Dynasty. The person who has always been in charge of the affairs of Nong Yin is the Prime Minister Bigan. Meng Bochang, who has an unparalleled reputation, actually went high and low and ran to the Prime Minister's hand. The thing about doing muddy legs down there really makes many people feel a sense of astonishment.
Everyone thought he would challenge Huang Feihu's position as general, even Huang Feihu himself thought so, but others didn't.
Everything is booming, with farmers at the forefront. There are many good generals in Dashang. What he wants to do is not something that can be achieved among the military. So Meng Chang took Ji Dan and Wu Gan to start the farming and mulberry affairs in Chaoge. .
Everything must get to the root of everything before it can be settled once and for all. As the Art of War says, war should not be started lightly. Victory without fighting is the best policy. The battlefield is never a battle. A war without political purpose is called militarism, and a war that can be resolved through politics During the dispute, Meng Chang was never willing to use his weapons lightly.
Of course, there is a premise for this, you must have strength. Empty talk cannot convince others. It is king to use both soft and hard tactics.
"My lord, we have to do farming and mulberry production in Mengdi, and Chaoge still has to do farming and mulberry production when we come here. So isn't Chaoge's visit here in vain?"
Wu Gan hoeed the ground feebly, looking reluctantly as his master and military advisor plowed the land under their feet like a lowly man, with their faces facing the loess and their backs to the sky.
"You are just too anxious. Otherwise, I would have asked you to lead the army alone to guard one side. Watch carefully and study hard. You are also someone who will soon become the lord of a city or even a land. These are all things you can use. .”
Wu Gan shook his head. He didn't have the patience to follow his master among the fields. But when he saw Ji Dan taking advantage of him to speak, he was a few steps ahead of him. Wu Gan, who was born with a strong bones, immediately gritted his teeth and endured. , go forward to hoe the land and clear up wasteland.
Even though the noble man was like this, other farmers and servants saw this, and even more energetically worked hard with the earth beneath them.
The noble man said that if you open up one acre of land, the tax will be reduced by one point. If you can open up ten acres, the tax will be reduced to twenty-one. After calculation, not only the original fertile land can reduce the tax by half, but also the new land. After the Arata is developed, we can make more money. Is there such a good thing in the world?
The virtuous king of Mengdi is really extraordinary, he is really a great good man.
After several days of continuous farming, many farmers outside Chaoge City have basically gotten to know this new farmer Yin who is meticulous in his work and can get along well with them. The pioneering decree that was extremely difficult to implement in previous years has been particularly easy this year, and this incident has also caused alarm. The prime minister went to the city to deal with state affairs, and after hearing this, he forcibly interrupted the government affairs and came with the officials.
The backwardness of the times also has its advantages. On the one hand, the people are simple, and on the other hand, there is no exaggerated land annexation as in later generations. Especially since the big merchants moved their capital to Chaoge only more than 30 years ago, there is enough fertile land outside the city to provide for the Meng. Try to open up new fields.
When Bigan arrived, Meng Changzheng and the farmers were drinking the millet soup that had not been completely shucked, loudly spitting obscene words and mingling with them, insulting Yuan Futong, who had been reduced to ashes, and boasting about Beihai in an easy-to-understand manner. The bravery of the Meng soldiers in the battle.
Bigan couldn't help but hold his forehead a little. This Uncle Meng was simply immoral. I'm afraid he hadn't completely gotten rid of his mud-legged habits. This was not the leader of a new country. He looked just like a farmer.
"Uncle Meng, I heard that you opened up a thousand acres of land in Chaoge in just three days?"
"Hey, isn't this the Prime Minister? Come on, Prime Minister, you are here by chance. I happened to beg a fellow villager here for a bowl of millet soup. Try it. It tastes delicious, but Meng Chang has not tasted it for several years. It’s been so delicious.”
The farmer holding the soup bucket next to him smiled from ear to ear. He happily took out a bowl of rice soup from the bucket with his dim yellow front teeth. He then placed the pottery bowl on the side of the bucket and gently squeezed out the soup. , went back and forth several times, and finally handed the prime minister a bowl of millet soup with obviously more grains of rice than the others.
"Prime Minister... Prime Minister, there is more here. Eat this bowl. There are enough rice grains in this bowl."
Bigan looked at Mengchang looking a little funny at the excitement, but without being pretentious, he took the pottery bowl and poured it into the wooden bucket, then made another portion of rice soup and drank it in one gulp.
"Uncle Meng looks down on me. In the past, when Brother Wang and I encouraged farmers to do mulberry planting, we often dug food in the fields. This rice soup is not as delicious as you said."
"Prime Minister, this is the food of the people. In a small bowl of rice soup, have you ever seen the enthusiasm and sincerity of Old Man Zou? We live in a large house in the inner courtyard and usually eat meat and drink wine. It is rare to have the opportunity to eat such coarse food. , but they are different. This rice soup may be the most precious food in Old Man Zou’s family, but he gave it to us selflessly. Old Man Zou, let me ask you, why did you treat me to rice soup today? "
Old man Zou, who had dark skin and was greasy all over, had obviously taken care of himself. Although his clothes were shabby, he was clean and tidy. When he heard the nobleman asking, he scratched his head in embarrassment and hesitated for a long time to explain. .
"You are so noble, and you actually came to help us people farm the land yourself, and also exempted and exempted taxes. We all thank you, so more than a dozen families gathered some leftover millet from the New Year together, thinking of using it to thank you. "
Meng Chang drank the millet soup in the bowl triumphantly, crunching the rice grains in his mouth, and patted Old Man Zou on the shoulder vigorously and said: "Okay, I also enjoy this bowl of soup, your friendship I already know, divide the rest, and work quickly. If we finish hoeing early today, we can go back and rest early."
Watching the happy old man Zou leave, Mengchang looked at the smiling Bigan and said, "Prime Minister, what do you think of these people?"
"Simple, enthusiastic, and hospitable, Uncle Meng is very resourceful. But after the winter months, you will win the hearts of all my subjects in Chaoge. Your reputation is well deserved. However, aren't you afraid of being blamed by the king for lowering taxes without permission?" This year’s taxes have been significantly reduced. You have taken care of these farmers, but you yourself are in danger.”
"Hahaha, the prime minister may be busy with work. Meng Chang wrote several times to ask for tax reduction, but you didn't agree, so he made a bet with the king."
"What bet?"
"The king agrees to my tax reduction, and I promise to the king that the tax will be doubled this year! Otherwise, Meng Chang is willing to accept the punishment of the king."
Bigan looked at Meng Chang solemnly. Although the man in front of him was young, he was not short-sighted and unscrupulous in terms of internal affairs and military strategy. He should not make nonsense without aim.
"Just based on this newly opened land? It can't be doubled. Uncle Meng, you can't just talk about such a big thing."
"Prime Minister, food is the most important thing for the people. In the past years, taxes were high. No matter how much they planted or how much land they cleared, one of the ten taxes, plus corvee, oral taxes, and miscellaneous taxes, would still reach ten taxes under the Prime Minister's benevolent government. The third standard is different, but Mengchang is different. If there is no land reclamation, the division of acres will not be reduced. However, if one more acre is opened, one point will be reduced. If there are ten more acres, the tax will be uniformly twenty one, and if there is an extra twenty or thirty acres, the tax will be reduced by one point. At this time, do you think that because there are more people saving grain, will the taxes of our merchants decrease or increase?"
Bigan silently calculated the pros and cons in his mind, and it took him a while to realize: "When the people's power is limited, people are not cattle and horses. How can you make them work so hard?"
"My good Prime Minister, Meng has not left the house all winter, and has been checking the conditions of the fields all winter. You supervise the agricultural affairs. Don't you know who has the most fields in Chaoge City?"
"Furthermore, this is a temporary method in itself. Regardless of whether there is wasteland development or not, won't the king give me more gifts?"
Looking at Bigan who was deep in thought, Mengchang smacked his lips and thought silently in his heart: If there was no sweetness, how could these people take the slaves out of the mansion and mobilize their own disciples and servants to go into farming? Haha, if there is not enough bait, even if it is Jiang Ziya, he will still have to stay in the air force.
Meng Chang and his people were working hard outside the city. At this time, in Chaoge City, Zhang Zichen, the senior official in charge of rites and music, this "young veteran" who was second only to Shang Rong in the rites and music department, looked delighted. Looking at the immortal Taoist priest in front of him, he couldn't help but admire: "I already know Taoist Master Kuang's intention. Recently, I have had a long talk with Taoist Master, and Zichen has benefited a lot. What you asked for, Zichen is determined to do. We will try our best to push forward.”
"Doctor Zichen is so complimentary. Kuang Cheng was originally a monk in the mountains. Now that he has received your praise, he is willing to introduce the poor Taoist to teach the Prince of Yinjiao. This is a great blessing from heaven. The poor Taoist has caused many troubles. I hope you will forgive me. .”
"Taoist Kuang is too foreign. Recommending talented people for the country is exactly the duty of a minister. How can you bother me? Tomorrow morning, Taoist Kuang can come to see me. I will take you to the inner court and recommend you to the queen in person."
The nameless cultivator Kuang Cheng smiled, stroking his beard, and resigned from the house with satisfaction.
After Kuang Cheng left, Zhang Zichen excitedly picked up the wooden box and looked at the vermilion pill in the box as if it were a treasure, his eyes full of admiration and greed.
"The Life-Extension Pill, what a Life-Extension Pill. Is this the legendary elixir that is the most precious treasure in the Supreme Master's furnace? If a Zhu Dan is taken into the abdomen, all diseases will be eliminated and life will be extended for ten years?"
After thinking about it, Zhang Zichen immediately hid the elixir in his sleeve, closed the door vigilantly, and rummaged through boxes and cabinets to find a suitable place to hide things.
He was in charge of rituals and music, and he happened to be responsible for supervising the prince's teaching. Everyone was eager to get close to Prince Yin Jiao, because this was the eldest son of the King and Queen Jiang, who was still young at this time. If you can stay with the prince, when he ascends to the throne in the future, the people close to you will not be the second to be honest or evil.
He has seen many people like this. It would have been impossible for him to do this kind of thing for personal benefit based on his temperament, but he was helpless. The other party gave too much, and if God did not take it, he would be blamed. He was in the court. He is still a new minister, but he has already entered his forties. He looks to be the same age as the king, but is actually far less physically strong than the king. After all, not everyone can be protected by the power of the black bird and live such a long life.
"Just this once, I have never broken the rules in my life, so I should be fine."
It's the end of the month, Zhongfumen, please give me your monthly votes that you haven't voted for yet.
(End of chapter)
