Jingdong Road.
Qingzhou, Linzi County.
The scorching sun scorched the earth, and a dense heat wave rose.
Both humans and animals were tired, and even the cicadas chirping in the trees seemed feeble.
At the east gate of the county seat, two guards were leaning in the shade of the gate, drowsy.
Not far away, there is a tea shop.
The teahouse was crude, with a straw hut in front of the shop. Three or five big men sat under the hut, chatting away at each other.
"This thief is going to kill you guys?"
A big man with a dark face spat and opened his clothes with both hands, revealing colorful tattoos on his body.
A naughty guy suggested: "Brothers, how about going to the Xiaodong River to play in the water? You might even be able to touch a few fish and have a toothpaste."
"good idea."
"Let's go play in the water!"
This proposal was unanimously approved by other rogues.
However, they did not take action and all turned their attention to a tall and muscular figure.
He has a handsome face, is more than six feet tall, and has strong muscles. (Note: A foot in the Northern Song Dynasty was about 31 centimeters.)
At this moment, the muscles full of explosive power were soaked with sweat, as if they were covered with a layer of oil, giving them a unique rough and domineering beauty.
On the open chest, there is a tattoo of a tiger descending from the mountain, which is breathtaking.
Anyone who sees it will exclaim, what a man!
Seeing that he didn't speak, the dark-faced man who spoke earlier urged: "Brother Han, are you going?"
Hearing this, Han Zhen retracted his thoughts, waved his hand and said, "You go ahead and leave me alone."
The gangsters looked at each other and felt that Brother Han had been a little strange these past two days.
However, they didn't think much about it. Maybe it was too hot and there were not many people.
"Brother Han, let's go."
"Just go."
Watching the figures of several people exit the city gate, Han Zhen fell into deep thought again.
Time traveled.
Good news: After time travel, you will have a great life... No, it's because you are physically strong and have great strength.
It was even a bit exaggeratedly strong, almost reaching the pinnacle of human physique, and there seemed to be endless strength in his body.
Lifting three to five hundred kilograms of weight is easy.
Bad news: time traveled to the fifth year of Xuanhe in the Northern Song Dynasty.
At this time, it was only three and a half years before the Jingkang disaster and the fall of the Northern Song Dynasty.
Moreover, his identity after time travel is that of a rogue.
Even though he has a good reputation in Linzi County because of his bold personality and righteousness, he is still a rogue.
Just like the overlord among beggars, he is still a beggar.
In ancient times, it was as difficult as ascending to the sky to climb a class.
He is confident that he will make a fortune by using the knowledge of future generations, but in this era of rampant corrupt officials, being rich is a sin.
With no background or official status, he is just a fat sheep waiting to be slaughtered.
As everyone knows, Zhu Meng in the south used Huashi Gang to destroy many wealthy businessmen and landlords.
And the Jingdong Road where he was located was no less generous.
The key is, even if you buy a family business and manage your relationships, the golden man will come calling within a few years, and everything will be back to square one.
Individuals are too insignificant in the face of the general trend of the world.
It seems that the only option is to follow the trend of moving south when the Jin soldiers come.
After all, the Southern Song Dynasty lasted for more than a hundred years, enough to last a lifetime.
While he was thinking, a woman walked out of the tea shop.
The woman was about twenty years old, with a pretty face and watery peach blossom eyes.
As you move around, the plump millstones are looming under the coarse linen clothes.
When she came to Han Zhen's side, the woman picked up the teapot and refilled a cup of herbal tea for him, and asked with concern: "Erlang, why are you so listless? Could it be that you are sick?"
"It's okay, the weather is too hot and boring." Han Zhen said casually, picked up the teacup and drank it all.
The woman was worried: "Should we go to the medical clinic to see Dr. Wang?"
Han Zhen patted his chest, making a dull banging sound, and chuckled: "It's nothing, you don't know my body? I'm stronger than an ox!"
Looking at his explosive muscles, the woman's peach blossom eyes became even more moist, and she said in a tired voice: "Huh, I haven't seen you here in the past few days."
"Isn't it here today?"
Han Zhen's heart moved and he patted the millstone lightly, causing a burst of anger.
The woman's name is An Niang, she is the proprietress of this tea shop and Han Zhen's mistress.
An Niang is not a widow. On the contrary, she has a man, children, and a blind mother-in-law.
It's just that the man was drafted into corvee service two years ago. While transporting grain, he accidentally slipped down the valley and broke his back. For the rest of his life he could only lie in bed, eat and wait to die.
The backbone of the family collapsed, the child was still young, and the mother-in-law was blind. The burden of supporting the family fell on An Niang alone.
Fortunately, she was quick-thinking and sold several acres of her family's land, borrowed money from here and there, and opened a tea shop in the county town.
It is very difficult for a woman to do business, and she is pretty, so she often gets naughty and makes trouble, and even petty officials use various miscellaneous taxes to make things difficult and tease her.
Han Zhen helped her several times, and An Niang was very grateful. As time went by, the two of them got along well.
The relationship between the two is somewhat similar to a clique.
While talking, I saw a government servant leading seven or eight archers from outside the county.
This group of archers carried grain, bedding, and earthen pots and iron pots on their shoulders. The leader of the government even carried three chickens in his hand.
With just one glance, Han Zhen and An Niang knew which family must have been harmed again.
Han Zhen, the yamen official, recognized him. His name was Liu Yong, and he served as the head of the county yamen.
After entering the city gate, the group went straight to the tea shop.
As soon as he sat down, Liu Yong shouted loudly: "Mother An, bring me the braised plum water, this bird is really hot to death."
Braised plum juice is the sour plum juice of later generations.
The tea shop not only sells tea, but also sells various fragrant drinks and food according to the season.
After more than a hundred years of development in the Northern Song Dynasty, the diet during the Huizong period was very close to that of later generations.
The braised plum water that had been cooled by well water was cold and sour. After one glass of it, Liu Yong couldn't help but let out a sigh of relief.
Han Zhen glanced at the three chickens flapping on the ground and couldn't help but ask: "Liu Dutou, whose family suffered a disaster?"
Liu Yong wiped the sweat off his face and replied: "Wang Leidi from Xiaowang Village, this guy responded to the Yamen and fled into the mountains with his wife and children last night."
An Niang on the side frowned slightly and asked curiously: "I remember Wang Yuli is not a fourth-class householder, why did he answer the Yaqian?"
Liu Du looked around and lowered his voice: "I'm just telling you two, don't go out and talk nonsense." Wang Yuanwai was interested in the several acres of paddy fields inherited from Wang Yuli's family. Wang Yuli refused to sell them, so Wang Yuanwai went to see Master Xu. I asked the scribe to classify Wang Yuli's family as a third-class household and arrange the office."
In the Northern Song Dynasty, there was a very strange household level system, which divided farmers into five levels.
The first and second classes were landowners, big and small, the third class were rich households, and the fourth and fifth classes were poor peasants and tenant farmers.
As for how to divide and determine, each state and county is different. Some places are based on the amount of tax paid, and some are based on the total family property.
When the imperial court levied exorbitant taxes and apportioned corvee labor, in order to take care of the subordinate households, it was implemented from rich to poor.
That is to say, the first and second classes are more frequent, the third class is less important, and the fourth and fifth classes are less likely to be avoided.
At first glance, you might think that this policy is not bad, as it takes care of the poor peasants at the bottom.
However, after the actual implementation, it completely changed.
Because what class of household you are in, it doesn’t matter what you say, it’s what the government says.
It is very simple for the county officials to harm a household. They only need to go to his house, point at an object and say this is worth 50 guan, and that is worth 80 guan. The total must exceed 300 guan, and that is a third-class household.
Once you reach the third-class household, you can be assigned to the Yamen.
Yaqian was one of the many corvees in the Northern Song Dynasty.
To put it simply, you run errands for the government for free, and you have to pay for your own food and lodging, and you also bear unlimited liability.
For example, if the government suddenly increases taxes one day, and if the government fails to collect the full amount of taxes, the government will have to make up the difference out of its own pocket.
In this case, let alone an ordinary wealthy household, even a wealthy landlord would be ruined as long as he accepted the yamen.
An Niang sighed and murmured in a low voice: "Master Xu has become more and more rampant in recent years, and the county magistrate doesn't care about him."
"Hey!"
Liu Yong sneered, with a hint of disdain in his tone: "He only cares about reciting poems, drinking and having fun. He will not care about these things. At the end of the year, the money for enshrining him will not be missing."
It is no wonder that Liu Yong despises him, because in Linzi County, the magistrate is famous for his clay sculptures of Bodhisattvas.
They are worshiped as being high and mighty, but in reality they have no rights at all.
The real person in control is Master Xu.
Part of the reason for this is the system of the Northern Song Dynasty. Officials could only serve as officials in other places, and their terms were three years, and they would be transferred after completing their term.
County magistrates come and go, but chief clerks and clerks remain rooted in the local area.
Even a dragon crossing the river can hardly fight a local snake.
Another part of the reason is that the folk customs in Shandong are fierce, and it is common for farmers to kill officials and rebel.
Ouyang Xiu once made such an evaluation when he was serving in Qingzhou.
Qizhou: known as violent Jie
Qingzhou: Robbers gathered in the mountains and forests, and became a patient in the county.
Yizhou: The people are fierce and like the invaders
Mizhou: Customs of martial arts and a fondness for robbery
Weizhou: Many violent bandits...
To sum it up in one sentence, Jingdong Road has simple folk customs.
At first, when Chang Zhixian first came here, he was still thinking of fighting Master Xu. But after hearing last year that the magistrate of Qiancheng County next door was killed by a group of bandits who broke into the county office, Changzhi County became completely honest.
Because it is rumored that Master Xu and King Li Tianwang of Black Mountain seem to have some friendship...
The Clay Bodhisattva is the Clay Bodhisattva. Anyway, there will be no shortage of offerings at the end of the year. Once the term is over, he will change places and continue to be the county magistrate.
Make money, not shabby.
Seeing several archers eavesdropping with their ears raised, Liu Yong couldn't help but change the subject and said, "Have you ever heard that the emperor of Kaifeng City gave a stone a title of marquis? It is said that it was called Pan...what kind of marquis."
Han Zhen said: "Marquis Pangu!"
Liu Yong slapped his thigh: "Yes, he is called Pan Guhou."
"Why is it so ridiculous for an official to grant a title to a stone?" An Niang exclaimed softly, with a look of surprise on her face.
Han Zhen couldn't help but laugh secretly, thinking that Song Huizong had done many ridiculous things.
I don’t know how the generals of the Western Army on Qinfeng Road who defended their homes and country would feel about conferring a title on a stone.
After drinking another glass of braised plum water, Liu Yong seemed to have remembered something and said, "Han Er, there is a profitable business, are you willing to do it?"
Han Zhen raised his eyebrows: "What kind of deal?"
"There are wild pigs causing trouble in Xiaowang Village, destroying the grain fields and injuring several people. The king sent word outside that if you kill the wild pigs, you will be rewarded with ten pieces of gold."
Ten strings?
Han Zhen sneered: "I'm afraid it's not easy to earn this reward."
Wang Yuanwai of Xiaowang Village is a famous miser in Linzi County.
It is said that one time the cook was slapped in the face by Yuan Wai in public just because she put too much salt in the dishes.
For such a master to be able to bear the pain of offering a reward of ten guans, it means that the wild pig is extremely difficult to deal with, and it is guaranteed to weigh three to four hundred pounds.
In the Song Dynasty, a pound was 660 grams, so the three or four hundred pounds now were much heavier than those in later generations.
You know, the three to four pound wild pig is like an overlord in the mountains. It has rough skin and thick flesh, and its body is covered in mud and resin, making it difficult to be hurt by swords and arrows.
A maniac is like a chariot. If he is hit head-on, his muscles and bones may be broken, or he may be killed on the spot.
For hunters, they would rather kill a tiger than provoke such a big wild pig.
After chatting for a while, after resting enough, Liu Yong picked out the smallest chicken and threw it at An Niang's feet: "I forgot to bring money today, so this chicken is worth the tea price."
After that, he called the archers to leave.
Looking at the little chick that weighed less than a pound at her feet, An Niang couldn't help but smile bitterly.
This chicken is too small and doesn't have much meat at all. It's a pity to kill it, so it can only be kept at home.
This was all for Han Zhen's sake, otherwise Liu Yong and others would have just patted their butts and left.
