Northeast of Dongyang City, a strong wind swept through a dense mulberry forest, causing bursts of roaring sounds.
A group of government soldiers rushed out from the avenue on the Mulberry side.
The policemen in armor went first, followed by the soldiers and tax collectors in white and blue short robes, and the Qianniu guards in red clothes and golden armor followed closely behind.
Surrounded by dozens of tall horses, there was a two-car black carriage.
In the carriage, Li Xuan raised his eyes and looked at Cheng Yan, who was sitting opposite, wearing a light green skirt, with a pretty face and gentle temperament.
"Your Majesty!" Cheng Yan laid the case file in his hand flat forward and pushed it towards Li Xuan, while saying in a deep voice: "The Huang family is the oldest existing family in Dongyang. They have settled in Dongyang since the pre-Qin Dynasty. For hundreds of years , has already spread its branches and leaves, with people spread all over Dongyang, studying and joining the army, working in agriculture and doing business, respecting the old and supporting the young, and working together internally and externally..."
After a slight pause, Cheng Yan looked at the other people in the car.
The county magistrate Gu Tan and the county scholar Cheng Zipu are also sitting in the carriage.
Cheng Zipu sat side by side with his daughter, and opposite him was Gu Tan.
Gu Tan and Li Xuan sat side by side, and sitting opposite Li Xuan was Cheng Yan.
Cheng Yan's eyes were very clear, and she said cautiously and seriously: "Your Majesty, the Huang family is not domineering in Dongyang, and the acres they occupy are not the majority in Dongyang. However, what they own is the most fertile land in Dongyang. They are the best in the family. There are quite a few of them."
Gu Tan nodded in agreement and said, "Over the years, many people have thought about the Huang family's land, but in the end they all dropped the idea. The Huang family is not easy to mess with."
Li Xuan took the case file from Cheng Yan and asked at the same time: "In the Huang family now, who has the highest official position in the court?"
"Report to the prince!" Gu Tan shook his head with a wry smile and said, "The Huang family has no connections in the court. The most outstanding son of his family is currently serving as the county magistrate in Huzhou. It is said that he is quite capable."
Li Xuan nodded slightly.
Although the Huang family is one of the outstanding wealthy families in Dongyang, their reputation can only spread in Wuzhou.
Once they leave Wuzhou, a capable disciple can only serve as a ninth-grade county magistrate.
Gu Tan is already one of the most marginalized children in the entire Gu family, but he is also a ninth-grade county magistrate.
The support of the family is particularly evident in the officialdom.
Unless you are living in troubled times.
"The Huang family had started the summer harvest a few days ago. It was the first in Dongyang. At that time, the clan leader Huang Ren even invited Xiaguan to go to the fields to start harvesting. Although Xiaguan was a little embarrassed, he still went there shamelessly." Although Gu Tan said that He said this, but he didn't look embarrassed at all.
This kind of summer harvesting and planting of sickles is of great symbolic significance. Usually the county magistrate is responsible for it personally, but now it is done by Gu Tan.
At this moment, it was obvious that Gu Tan wanted to become the county magistrate.
Being ambitious is not a bad thing, as long as you have the ability to match your ambition, and it is best if you also have some care for the people.
"Today's preparations are in a hurry. In the entire Dongyang, only the rice fields of the patriarch Huang Ren's family have been harvested. Others have just started, and some even need to wait until July." Gu Tan explained briefly.
Li Xuan nodded seriously: "It is true. The land has its own fertility and poorness, the rice seeds have their own good and bad, the planting methods have their own advantages and disadvantages, and people have their own industriousness and laziness. The one who can mature the earliest must be the best in everything. And those who fall into the final harvest may not necessarily be due to personal reasons, but I save them."
Li Xuan is not someone who knows nothing about agriculture and mulberry.
Whether it is the rice fields of Prince Peng's Mansion in Pengzhou, central Sichuan, or the fields of Prince Peng's Mansion in Nanchang, they have been handed over to Li Xuan for many years.
Princess Peng's Ouyang family was very attentive in education and let Li Xuan start training very early.
He personally teaches farming, builds water conservancy, divides fields, fertilizes the land, and collects taxes. He personally presides over the completion every year.
Li Xuan is also well aware of all the bad policies.
I don’t know how long it took, but the carriage suddenly stopped.
At this time, Li Zhu's voice was heard outside: "Your Majesty, Huangjiazhen has arrived."
"Yeah!" Li Xuan nodded, opened the curtain and walked out first.
A quaint village and town appeared in front of Li Xuan.
Mulberry forest fields can be seen everywhere, and not far away there is a large green lake lying in the northeast of the town, with beautiful scenery.
Standing at the exit of the village, you can clearly see children with bare buttocks and balls climbing and playing around.
There were old men and women watching from time to time, showing kind smiles.
The child's parents have now gone to the fields and began to harvest the mature rice in batches.
After the rice is harvested, it must be dried and sifted, and then officials from the government will come to collect taxes.
This is one of the biggest events of the year and no one dares to take it lightly.
"I've seen Shangguan, but I didn't know Shangguan was coming. I'm so scared!" An elderly man with black hair and white beard strode forward from a distance with a somewhat anxious expression. He greeted everyone from afar.
When he came closer, the old man quickly handed over his hand: "Old Huang Ren, I have met all the superior officials!"
Huang Ren, the patriarch of the Dongyang Huang family, looks rosy, has a loud voice, wears a gray robe, and has a somewhat elegant attitude.
The faces he looked at Li Xuan and others were full of respect, but it was only respect and nothing else.
"Huang Weng, this is the new Wuzhou Farewell Master Li Langjun. The main reason for coming here this time is to check on Wuzhou's summer tax collection." Gu Tan politely returned the greeting and said: "Now the entire Dongyang is also here. Only Huang Weng's family has finished harvesting the summer rice, so I personally brought people to collect the summer tax from Huang Weng's family. Although it is a little earlier than in previous years, I ask for Huang Weng's understanding."
"It doesn't matter. After all, my family has always been the first to pay summer taxes in Dongyang. It's just a few days early." After Huang Ren finished speaking, he bowed to Li Xuan and said, "I have seen Mr. Biejiaolang. , I'm a little confused, wasn't the post of Bijiajia already changed to Changshi during the Zhenguan period?"
"Your Majesty reactivated this this year, less than a month ago." Li Xuan returned the greeting to Huang Ren gently.
But there was a sharp look in his eyes.
If it is said that Huang Ren has not cared about the situation in Dongyang County in recent days, so it is understandable that he did not know about the arrival of Li Xuan, the king of Nanchang County and Wuzhou Biejia, but he should not have been ignorant of the assassination of the governor of Wuzhou. Big news like death on the spot.
Under such circumstances, the imperial court re-activated the post of Biejia. What is the intention? Anyone who is interested should see through it at a glance.
Relying on the old and betraying the old!
"Okay, Huang Weng, I don't need to say more here. Let's get people ready to start this year's summer tax acceptance." Gu Tan directly brought the topic back.
"Follow the order!" Huang Ren first bowed and agreed, but then said with some embarrassment: "I still need some help from some health workers, but they are all in the fields right now..."
"I'm not busy. I just happened to go to the fields to take a look. Land taxation is fundamental in the world. Don't delay!" Li Xuan's smile was still gentle. Z.br>
However, the county magistrate Gu Tan, who was standing aside, did not dare to neglect at all. He took a step forward and shouted to Huang Ren: "Hurry up and lead the way."
Gu Tan didn't know what kind of gourd medicine Li Xuan was selling, but he knew that their new boss, Biejia, had never been so easy to deal with.
In just two days, the whole of Dongyang was turned upside down by him. Who knows what he is thinking at the moment!
Everything you say and do must be carefully attended to.
"Obey the order!" Although Huang Ren didn't know what he meant, he still led Li Xuan and his party to the fields honestly.
The farmland is vast and green, farmers are rising and falling, and buffaloes are buzzing!
"It looks like this year's harvest will be good." Li Xuan walked around the fields full of half-ripe rice, and finally stood by the road with satisfaction.
Then Li Xuan looked at Huang Ren and said, "Huang Weng, I'll go take a look at my home field later."
Huang Ren handed over his hands with a wry smile: "All the rice in the old fields has been harvested, and I don't know if there are any good ones now."
"It's okay, let's go and lead the way." Li Xuan
With a faint smile and a slightly cold expression, Huang Ren had no choice but to lead everyone there.
Soon, a stretch of empty paddy fields appeared in Li Xuan's sight.
Sure enough, all the rice in the paddy fields has been harvested, and it has been many days.
"How many rice fields does Huang Weng have?" Li Xuan couldn't help but look at Huang Ren.
"Five hundred acres, this is what my family has accumulated over decades." Huang Ren smiled sheepishly.
"It doesn't matter!" Li Xuan waved her hand and shook her head calmly.
After the founding of the Tang Dynasty, Emperor Gaozu issued a decree during his seventh year in Wude, which stipulated that each male and middle-aged male should be granted 1 hectare of land, which is equivalent to 100 acres, of which 80 acres are oral subdivision fields and 20 acres are permanent field fields.
The 20 acres of Yongye land can be inherited by the family, or can be added up to each other. It can also be traded, but the Koufen farmland is leased to the people by the court, so it is not allowed to be bought or sold.
Huang Ren's family had inherited only 160 acres of land for at most three generations, but now, Li Xuan has 500 acres of land in front of her.
Huang Ren's sons have already established their own families, but the most fertile farmland in Dongyang in front of them all belongs to Huang Ren alone. The deep meaning of this is clearly revealed.
However, a clan leader who leads his people to struggle in this world should have more land.
"Let's go, I'll wait until we get back..." Li Xuan hadn't finished speaking yet. Just as he was about to leave, he couldn't help but look to the other side. There was only half an acre of rice field that had not yet been harvested.
The rice in the rice field was completely mature, and there were still several people busy inside. Li Xuan asked curiously: "Whose family does this belong to?"
"This is the property of Huang Bai, nephew of the old man clan. It has eighty acres and is about to be harvested." Huang Ren smiled reluctantly.
Li Xuan glanced at him deeply, then turned to look behind her: "Go find a sickle. Even though it's too late, I will personally cut an ear of rice this summer and take it to the city."
"Follow the order!" Li Zhu immediately went to look for the sickle and found it quickly.
Li Xuan nodded to Gu Tan and Huang Ren, and then without waiting for others to react, he walked straight into the paddy field, walked deep into the paddy field, and cut a rice ear with his own hands.
At the same time, Huang Bai's family also returned with Li Xuan.
"I have asked, and some of his rice has been dried, which is enough to pay for today's summer harvest. Let's harvest it together today." After saying that, Li Xuan nodded to Gu Tan, and then walked towards the village first.
Huang Bai, who was behind, raised his hands to Huang Ren with some fear: "Fourth uncle!"
Huang Ren took a deep look at Huang Bai, waved his sleeves, and shouted indifferently: "Let's go back."
Huang Ren's field was on the edge of the village. Not long after, everyone had returned to the village.
At this time, Hucao's soldiers were in the open field, ready with large dendrobium trees, and began to collect grain and pay taxes.
The Huang Ren family on the side quickly put the grain into the grain pile. The grain pile was deliberately piled into a sharp pile shape, and the taxman on the side immediately began to weigh it.
Li Xuan took one look and stopped caring. She called Huang Bai's son who was not far away: "What's your name and how are your studies?"
"The villain Huang Xi has met Shangguan. The villain has now begun to recite the Thousand-Character Classic..." Huang Bai's son looks very smart, with a tiger-like head and a tiger-like brain, and looks very happy.
Li Xuan ignored the lively tax collection scene there and just kept testing Huang Xi's knowledge.
The biggest way out for a family is to take the exam.
Even just becoming a Jinshi or Number One Scholar is enough to change the future of such a good family.
Suddenly, a "bang" sound was heard. Li Xuan frowned and turned his head, and saw a young taxman kicking the wall hard.
At this moment, the part of the grain beyond the wall of the dendrobium immediately fell to the ground.
Huang Ren, who was standing aside, looked inexplicably complicated, but he never spoke.
Li Xuan's face darkened and she stared at the tax collector fiercely. Then she looked at Huang Xi as if nothing had happened and continued.
Test his knowledge.
Seeing that Li Xuan didn't have an attack, everyone around him breathed a sigh of relief and continued to collect food.
Everything was in order, and just when everyone was relieved, there was a sudden "bang" sound again.
Li Xuan turned her head sideways, with a hint of murderous intent in her eyes.
In the middle of the open space, it was the young tax collector who just kicked him on the wall, and the grains fell down.
Seeing Li Xuan pay attention, the young taxman's face was immediately filled with embarrassment and an apologetic smile.
Next to the tax collector, Huang and Bai were standing. At this moment, their faces looked like they were mourning.
