In the early autumn of the tenth year of Qianyou (957), Chengdu.
The hibiscus densely covered inside and outside the city are already ready to bloom, ready to show their most beautiful posture in front of the Chengdu citizens and tourists. The city in the middle of Sichuan will usher in the season of blooming flowers.
Nearly three years have passed since the battle between Qin and Feng, but the impact of the defeat on Hou Shu has become more and more serious with the passage of time. The peace treaty in exchange for paying tribute has made the people of Sichuan and Shu increasingly exhausted.
The preparation and training of the Northern Defense Army, the expenditure of military expenditures, and the raising of annual tributes became a serious burden on the Hou Shu court. Coupled with political corruption, turmoil in the government, extravagance, frequent chaos, and rumors and trouble among enemies, it is no problem to describe today's Hou Shu as a country in decline and a precarious country.
More than twenty years of peace and more than twenty years of accumulation were all exhausted in the long years of failure. The court of Later Shu felt the emptiness of its money again.
In the face of internal and external troubles, Meng Chang, the Lord of Shu, let go of the burdens in his heart and became more immersed in enjoyment. It was easy to move from frugality to luxury. Following the example, Meng Chang's heirs and ministers also completely let go, enjoying the privileged life of the nobility wantonly, scrambling for the first place, regardless of everything, and the dynasty's luck was rapidly depleted.
In order to maintain the rule and replenish the national treasury, all the burdens were eventually transferred to the ordinary people in Shu. The people of Sichuan and Sichuan suffered greatly due to the increase in taxes and gifts, and the widespread recruitment of corvees. They were filled with resentment and curses.
It is very difficult for people to establish a positive and good image, but it is too easy to destroy it. It can be said that the image of thrift and love for the people that Meng Chang spent nearly two decades building has completely collapsed in just two or three years.
It was much more serious than in the original history. At least in the old history, when the Song Dynasty subjugated the country and the family moved north, the Shu people felt pity for him. However, nowadays, scolding is light. In the past few years, more than 20 civil riots have occurred in various places in Sichuan and Sichuan, and acts of resistance to taxes and donations have occurred frequently. After that, the Shu court only continued to mobilize troops. Send generals to eliminate and suppress.
Two campaigns to the north and one campaign to the north ended in failure, which had an incalculable negative impact on the Later Shu court. The Shu court also had to rush to impose numerous taxes and levies to meet the immediate needs. The result was a vicious circle, and the political and public sentiment in the Shu Kingdom became increasingly unstable.
Of course, in addition to the imperial court, there were a lot of promoters of the chaos in Shu. The spies of the Northern Han Dynasty were afraid of chaos, and the colluded officials allowed it to go unchecked. Bureaucrats, landlords, and wealthy businessmen plundered people's property and wealth to enrich themselves. .....
However, no matter how dark the government is and how chaotic the two rivers are, Chengdu is still so prosperous and noisy. However, this is an unusual kind of prosperity, and everyone can feel the tense atmosphere permeating the city, which is as oppressive as a dark cloud and makes people feel gloomy.
Ordinary people's lives are becoming more and more difficult. The price of food is rising, there is no food available, public security is deteriorating, conflicts occur frequently in the city, and it is difficult to see happiness when traveling. Around Chengdu, the number of landless and bankrupt refugees is increasing. They are constantly gathering and being dispersed, with no hope in sight.
"The price of rice has gone up again!" There was a sigh in front of a rice shop.
In front of the shop, there was a queue of about twenty people. They were all ordinary people, some carrying bags or carrying baskets. They looked at the newly written wooden sign with the price of rice and couldn't help but complain.
Twenty-seven dollars per dou rice!
Compared with that year, it has increased six to seven times. Even compared with before the war between Qin and Feng, it has doubled, and there is a continued upward trend. The price still refers to copper coins. The price of miscellaneous coins and iron coins is calculated separately. If it is the "Qianyu Tongbao" imported from the north, it will be cheaper. There was a shortage of copper in Shu. After the Han-Shu peace treaty was signed, the financial pressure increased. Later, the Shu court minted a large amount of iron coins for circulation. The result was that the economy was increasingly collapsing, and money was cheap and materials were expensive.
Compared with the complaints of the people buying food, the owner of the shop couldn't help but smile happily. There is always a balance in this world. When someone cries, someone laughs. People in the grain business will never worry about high food prices. As for the suffering of the people and the livelihood of the people, those are issues that the court should consider and have nothing to do with him as a grain merchant.
"Everyone line up, prepare money, don't crowd, don't make trouble!" A few strong men guarded the shop, maintaining order, staring fiercely at the people buying food, as if they were class enemies.
Most of the people in line were honest, either prepared as instructed, planned to give up rice and buy millet, or counted the money they had with them and left voluntarily. However, the impact of rising food prices is very intuitive. Some people may have left, but more people came with sacks after hearing the news. The scramble for food gradually spread in the city...
"If this continues, the people of Chengdu will not even be able to have a full stomach!" In a wine shop, several scholars were drinking light wine and heard the scramble for food in the city. One of them couldn't help but sigh.
These young scholars are students of official schools. On weekdays, it is inevitable to call friends to talk about state affairs and the current situation. As the politics of Hou Shu gradually collapsed, there were many knowledgeable people who felt sad and wanted to call for improvements, but often they were unable to do so.
"It's hard to make preserved fruit!" One person said even more angrily: "Food prices are high, refugees are multiplying, and public sentiment is raging. Why does the court do nothing? People can carry a boat, but they can also capsize it. Don't the princes in the court understand such a simple truth? ?"
"Why don't the government care about those profiteers who are driving up the price of grain? There is a shortage of food in Sichuan, so the court should come up with effective policies to crack down on profiteers, ban grain for brewing, open warehouses to release grain, and stabilize prices!" One person drank the wine in the glass and shook the glass vigorously. He landed on the food table and said angrily.
"Behind these profiteers, there are indispensable high-ranking officials of the imperial court. How can they take care of it? How can they take care of it?" Hearing this, another person said angrily: "As for the official food of the imperial court, we need to support officials, the army, and support the people." If you rebel, you have to pay tribute to the Northern Han Dynasty, how can you care about the people of Guizhou!"
"Only after the autumn harvest, the autumn grains are put into storage, and the new grains are brought to Beijing, can there be some relief..."
"I heard that there was civil unrest in Zitong again!"
"The rebellions in Ling and Rong Prefectures have not subsided yet. That Zhao Jiwen was so useless that he allowed a group of people to run rampant to this day!" One person yelled, "Why doesn't the imperial court change its generals?"
In the winter of last year, the Hu people in Shuling and Rong prefectures rebelled. Thousands of people rebelled, and they attacked and plundered the government and Shu people, making a big fuss. The Shu court sent Zhao Jiwen, an envoy from the bow and arrow library, to lead an army to quell the rebellion. Although they won the battle, the remaining rebels were unable to surrender, and the legacy remains to this day, involving a large amount of financial and military resources in Later Shu. For Hou Shu, who was suffering from internal and external troubles, it was just adding insult to injury.
"There are strong men outside who are watching with eagerness, and there are rebellions one after another inside, and the country's power is in turmoil! Alas..." No matter how angry you are, it can only turn into a helpless sigh.
"Da Shu cannot continue like this, otherwise it will be annexed by the Northern Han Dynasty sooner or later. We will pay homage to the palace and ask Your Majesty to change his ways, reform the bad government, appease the people, enrich the country and strengthen the army!" Someone suggested with righteous words.
But there are only a few people who respond, and it’s just talk. If you want to take action, isn’t it difficult for others?
There is a saying that the Northern Han Dynasty should bear a large part of the responsibility for the chaos in Later Shu. Several conquests broke the economic balance in Shu. They were full of malice, fanned the flames, and conspired to disrupt Shu, which further exacerbated its turmoil.
Of course, the role of the Northern Han Dynasty was due to external factors. Ultimately, it turns out that the Shu court itself was in chaos. Starting from the leader of Shu, Meng Chang, it was rotten layer by layer, and nothing could stop it.
At a time when public sentiment is surging inside and outside Chengdu, Shu Palace, the Crystal Palace built on the Maha Pond, is still full of brilliance, wind, flowers, snow, moonlight, and melodious sounds lingering inside and outside the palace.
Meng Chang, the Lord of Shu, was enjoying himself with his Hua Rui wives. The suffering of the people was no longer his concern, or perhaps he deliberately ignored it.
As a ruler who has been in charge of Sichuan and Shu for more than 20 years, it is impossible for Meng Chang not to be aware of the chaos and turmoil in the country in the past few years. However, if he knows, he will never recover.
He had no way to deal with the corruption of the government. When the country was stable, he could not make up his mind to rectify the shortcomings of the nobility and bureaucrats, but now.
For Meng Chang today, instead of worrying about those boring things, it is better to indulge in sensuality and make up for the enjoyment of the previous twenty years.
The sound of silk and bamboo was melodious, surrounded by the singing and dancing of orioles. Meng Chao's visibly fat figure shuttled among them, holding a wine glass and a flask in his hands, pouring and drinking. He was slightly drunk, with a rosy complexion. Sometimes he laughed, sometimes he cried emotionally, and he behaved like a wild man. , intoxicated by it, unaware of the changes in the world...
Fall, sinking, and escaping are the truest portrayal of the current Shu Lord.
