Due to the existence of long-distance communication methods, the real-time nature of the reports in this world is quite strong.
Before the night garrison, various local counties would summarize the major events that occurred within the day to the imperial capital, and the Chaowen Department under the Hanlin Academy would select the important parts for compilation overnight.
Before Mao o'clock on the next day, the Chaowen Department would send the compiled content of the arrival report back to various counties and counties. The local government offices would post it at the gate of the government office on time every day, and print it into volumes and hand them to bookshops in various places in the city. For sale.
It can be regarded as an alternative morning news, and it is also the only way for most people in the world to understand the important events of their family and country.
The thickness of an arrival newspaper is probably thicker than the paper newspapers of previous generations, but the layout is similar.
Big title, subtitle, then text description, and even some pictures.
Looking carefully along the way, Xu Yuan's expression became more and more strange.
Except for the deaths of some people in some northern state capitals due to the annual winter cold wave natural disaster, the rest of the Great Yan Dynasty summed up the situation in four words, singing and dancing.
It cannot be said that it is completely inconsistent with the Cangyuan background he is familiar with, it can only be said that it has nothing to do with it.
After a long silence, Xu Yuan opened the curtain of the carriage and took a look at the prosperous market outside.
The common people in the market are making a fuss, hawkers are walking through the crowd hawking and shouting, young ladies and beauties are walking around laughing and having a feast, and some bright lights are already lighting up in the dusk.
Seeing it with your own eyes, it is indeed prosperous.
He withdrew his gaze and continued browsing, and soon, Xu Yuan found the information he was looking for.
At this time, there was a war in the north of the Dayan Dynasty.
But only in the last part of this arrival report, some space was left.
"The Ninth Princess led the army to the north and defeated the barbarian soldiers at the foot of Hanbei City, killing more than ten thousand enemies."
A very easy description was hurriedly passed by.
Xu Yuan put down the arrival report, his eyes a little confused.
He did not remember such a war in Cangyuan, but judging from the description in just a few words, the scale of the war should be very large.
Because he had a vague impression of Hanbei City.
The original person went there once with Xu Changge when he was a child.
It was a huge military city in the northern border of Great Yan. The city was a hundred feet high, and the endless majestic city walls were filled with cold air.
Looking down at a glance, there is a vast expanse of white snow and fog, like the Great Wall in despair.
There are many satellite military towns around it, echoing the main city of Hanbei and forming horns with each other.
Xu Yuan vaguely remembered that Xu Changge said to him when he was still young:
"Hanbei City is the gateway to the northern provinces. Once it is breached, there will be no danger to defend the plains behind, and the barbarians will scatter like locusts, causing immeasurable harm.
"This place must not be lost."
And for such an important town, more than ten years later, the barbarian army had already invaded the city.
"..."
Xu Yuan raised his hand and rubbed his eyebrows, gathered his thoughts, no longer thought about it, but said directly:
"Mr. Zhou, do you know about the war in the north?"
"Um?"
Zhou Chen, who was driving, heard Xu Yuan's sudden words and hesitated. After thinking for a moment, he shook his head and said:
"I'm not sure. Zhou has never been to the Northern Territory. Well... Master, did you read the arrival report about the battle between me, Dayan, and those barbarians?"
Xu Yuan nodded slightly:
"Well, I never understood it before, but now I'm a little concerned about it, so I'm asking you."
"Young Master is concerned about the country and the people."
Zhou Chen clasped his fists towards the back, and then said with a smile: "Zhou really doesn't know the specific situation, but if you really care, sir, you can ask the housekeeper to prepare an internal report from the Prime Minister's Mansion after returning to the Prime Minister's Mansion. The internal arrival report is much more detailed than the one on this thing.”
"Internal reporting?" Xu Yuan raised his eyebrows.
Zhou Chen said nonchalantly:
"Official arrival reports are all carefully selected by the Chaowen Department, and many of them are incomplete."
"...."
Xu Yuan understood the words and said no more.
Zhou Chen, who was driving, seemed to have thought of something because of this topic. He suddenly let out a long sigh, picked up the wine gourd, took a sip, and said nonchalantly:
"Those guys from the Chaowen Division keep reporting good news but not bad news. What kind of chaos is happening outside? Don't you have any idea in your mind?"
Hearing this, Xu Yuan frowned immediately.
What kind of chaos has it become?
Jingjiang City is so prosperous inside, but it's so chaotic outside?
But if this is the case, it would fit in with the plot.
After pondering for a moment, Xu Yuan asked:
"Mr. Zhou, what do you mean by "chaos"?"
"...."
Zhou Chen looked back at the small window on the carriage with some surprise.
Nowadays, monsters and bandits are rampant in the world. Isn’t it common sense?
Why doesn't the Third Young Master know?
However, after a little thought, Zhou Chen came to his senses and smiled helplessly.
These three young masters either stayed in the Imperial Capital or in the huge Jingjiang Mansion. They almost never left the city. They grew up in a honeypot and it was normal for them not to know what was going on outside.
Zhou Chen carefully considered his words and said in a low voice:
"Third Young Master, you have been staying in the city and you don't know why. In recent years, natural and man-made disasters have been happening all over the place."
As he spoke, Zhou Chen sighed with a slightly complicated tone:
"I was ordered to come to Jingjiang City from the Imperial Capital. I encountered countless monster attacks along the way. Passing by many villages from the air, I could only see a pile of ruins and some withered bones."
Xu Yuan's heart sank:
"Monster attacks people?"
Zhou Chen explained: "It does not refer to those domesticated monsters that hurt people, but those that remain in the mountains and wilderness."
"I know, what I mean is, where are the people from the Supervisory Office? Isn't it their duty to harass the people with monsters?"
"..."
Zhou Chen didn't answer this.
After a long pause,
Seeing that Zhou Chen was silent, Xu Yuan took the initiative to speak:
"If Mr. Zhou has anything to say, just say it and don't take it into account."
Zhou Chen no longer remained silent when he saw this and smiled:
"Because the court has no money."
His laughter contained a hint of sarcasm.
Because there is no money, there is no one in the Supervisory Office, so it cannot take care of it.
As for why there is no money?
hehe.
The carriage was quiet for a few breaths, and it took a long time before the voice came out again:
"Mr. Zhou, can you tell me the reason? Official corruption?"
When Zhou Chen heard this, he didn't care anymore and just said softly:
"It's just one of those things."
"What's the rest?" Xu Yuan asked.
Zhou Chen did not answer, but asked:
"Third Young Master, do you know how many sects' properties there are in Jingjiang City?"
Xu Yuan's eyes narrowed and he shook his head slightly;
"I don't know."
Zhou Chen talked while drinking:
"Zuixian Tower, Xiaoxiang Pavilion, the Demonic Beast Spinning Market in the east of the city, the vast hectares of farmland outside the city... all of these are the sect's property.
"Haha, the money needed to feed those sect disciples who are not engaged in production is several times more than the military expenditure required by the border army every year."
Zhou Chen’s tone was leisurely, but his voice was low:
"But these sects don't have to pay taxes. What they pay attention to is tribute. As for the amount of tribute every year, haha... they have the final say."
Xu Yuan's scalp was numb, which was probably obvious.
Because the example is right in front of us.
Zuixian Tower is the property of Mr. Qin.
And at the Tianyuan Conference, Xu Changge would kill Mr. Qin, which shows that he is also a member of the local sect.
At least on the surface.
As a gold-selling cave, Zuixian Tower can make huge profits in one night.
And this is only a small part of the sect's thousands of properties, but the court cannot receive any of this money.
None of the gentry in ancient times were so outrageous.
No matter how it is implemented in practice, at least officially, this group of people only receive tax reductions and exemptions.
But when they got here, these sects simply refused to accept them.
I saw Xu Yuan and said nothing for a long time.
Zhou Chen raised his hands toward the sky:
"Third Young Master, the Prime Minister has repeatedly appealed to the Crown Prince to rectify this problem, but the Crown Prince dismissed them all because the ancestral system cannot be easily changed.
"I guess it was probably because of this that Mr. Qin attacked you."
