Before leaving, Zhao Bin handed an envelope to Xing'er. After sending Xing'er and the others away, Zhao Bin did not return to the palace. He sat at the gate of the palace for a while, and then went to the salt training workshop with Wang Wu. The two on duty When the guard saw Zhao Bin coming, he immediately saluted and said: "See you, Your Majesty!"
"No need to be polite, thank you for your hard work, two brothers." Zhao Bin replied.
One of the guards chuckled and said, "Thank you, Your Majesty, I just changed my shift."
"Then tell my brother who just got off work to say thank you for your hard work." Zhao Bin laughed and said.
"It's the prince." the guard replied. Then he opened the shackled door and let Zhao Bin enter.
In order to prevent the leakage of purification technology, Yanfang has always adopted closed management, because this technology is not very sophisticated, and once it is leaked, it can be easily mastered by others.
Zhao Bin entered the salt workshop and saw that everyone in the salt workshop had just started work. When everyone saw Zhao Bin coming, they all bowed and paid homage.
Zhao Bin walked to the middle of the yard: "Brothers, you have worked hard for us during this time. How about roasting a whole lamb for everyone tonight?"
"Okay, okay, okay" the guard shouted loudly, "Thank you, Your Majesty."
"Thank you, and this is my king's thanks to all the brothers. If it weren't for your hard work in practicing salt, we wouldn't be able to exchange for cattle, horses and sheep. In exchange for cattle, horses and sheep, the brothers would have no meat to eat, and the people would have no livestock to cultivate the land.
So I want to thank you, thank you on behalf of the people of Yancheng. Brothers, hold on for a little longer. After our salt factory is built, brothers will no longer have to suffer. "Zhao Bin said.
Then Zhao Bin took off his coat and started practicing salt training with the guards in the courtyard, chatting and laughing. Around noon, a guard from the palace hurriedly came to report: "Your Majesty, Your Majesty, something has happened."
Everyone was shocked when they heard this, and couldn't help but stop what they were doing and look at the guard.
"What's all the fuss about?" Zhao Bin couldn't help but ask.
The guard gasped and said, "Your Majesty, it's not good. Tens of thousands of people have come outside the city. They all have weapons in their hands. They seem to be attacking the city. Captain Qin has ordered the city to be closed."
"Tens of thousands? Attacking the city? Where did so many people come from? I haven't heard of any riots anywhere?" Zhao Bin asked doubtfully.
"My subordinates don't know either. Captain Qin sent someone to inform him." The guard replied.
"Brothers in the mansion will gather together immediately and go take a look. Lao Wu will get some clothes." Zhao Bin said hurriedly.
"Commander Xiao has already asked the brothers to assemble. My lord, you'd better not go. It's too dangerous." the guard said quickly.
Zhao Bin took the clothes Wang Wu handed him, threw them back, and put them on his body.
The brothers who practiced salt also put down their work and prepared to go together, but they were stopped by Zhao Bin: "The matter is not clear yet, brothers, don't panic yet, everyone is on standby." After saying this, Zhao Bin walked out the door. go.
Arriving at the gate of the palace, Xiao Chu was gathering his team. Except for the more than fifty people Xu Ling took away, the more than fifty people from Yanfang, and the fifty people who stayed behind at the palace, the other three hundred people all arrived, wearing armor. , with the gun and shield in hand, he seemed to be in a state of combat readiness.
When Xiao Chu saw Zhao Bin coming, he hurriedly saluted and said, "Your Majesty."
"Where is the person who reported the news?" Zhao Bin asked.
Xiao Chu pointed at a man dressed as a soldier not far behind him and shouted: "Come here."
Seeing this, the soldiers quickly trotted forward to pay homage.
"No need, what's going on?" Zhao Bin asked.
"Not long ago, when I was on duty at the city gate, I saw a lot of people approaching in the distance. It looked like there were 20,000 or 30,000 people, holding hoes and poles in their hands.
Qin Duwei ordered his people to immediately close the city gate and shoot arrows to stop them from advancing. I heard someone shouting that they were coming to report something to the prince, but they were too far away to hear clearly. Captain Qin ordered me to inform the prince immediately. "
The soldier hurriedly explained the situation briefly.
"Report for what?" Zhao Bin was a little confused.
"Revenge, revenge, revenge, my lord, someone wants to take revenge on you!" Wang Wu was suddenly startled.
"Fuck, I'll repay you, uncle. I didn't do any harm to nature, nor did I kill people or set fires. Why should you seek revenge from me?" Zhao Bin cursed angrily.
"My lord, have you forgotten that you were not teasing me in the capital...did it spread to the ears of the people and cause resentment?" Wang Wu said again.
Zhao Bin didn't bother to pay attention to him. Wang Wu's IQ was sometimes online and sometimes hung up.
Zhao Bin said to Xiao Chu: "Let's go and take a look first."
Xiao Chu did not move, but worriedly stretched out his hand to stop Zhao Bin: "Your Majesty..."
"It's okay, let's go. Although Yan City is not big, it's not that easy for a group of unscrupulous people to easily break through the city wall. If they really fight, they can't run away."
When Zhao Bin was in college, he won the 100-meter championship in the school sports meeting. He felt that if he really wanted to run like crazy, not many people would be able to catch up.
A group of troops trotted towards the south city gate, and the people on the road gave way. At the same time, the government office also got the news that Wei Xiang was not there, and Cao Li also rushed towards the city gate under the escort of more than a dozen government officials.
Zhao Bin and Cao Li almost rushed to the city, and they hurriedly climbed onto the city wall. When Qin Fang saw Zhao Bin coming, he saluted and said, "I have met the prince."
"Captain Qin, what's going on?" Zhao Bin asked hurriedly.
"The general doesn't know either." Qin Fang replied.
"Send someone out to ask." Zhao Bin said.
"This..." Qin Fang hesitated.
"It doesn't matter, you ask someone to open the city gate, and I'll ask someone to go out and ask." Zhao Bin continued.
"No need, the general will send someone there." After Qin Fang said that, he turned around and walked towards a soldier. After giving some instructions, the soldier ran down the city.
The city gate was opened a crack, and the soldiers ran out. They saw the soldiers running to the front of the formation, talking to the opposite side for a while, and then the soldiers hurriedly ran back with a smile on their faces when they came back.
"Your Majesty, Your Majesty, I've asked clearly." The soldier ran to the bottom of the city wall and shouted loudly to the top.
"What's going on? What are they here for?" Zhao Bin asked while standing on the city wall.
"Your Majesty, they are here to do corvee service, and they say they are here to repay their kindness." the soldier replied
"They said that the prince not only reduced taxes, but also distributed cattle and sheep to the people. After the people received the notice of corvee service, they all came. I also saw my second uncle."
"No, Mr. Cao, how did you send out the corvee notice? Why are there so many people here?" Zhao Bin turned to look at Cao Li.
Cao Li also looked confused: "Your Majesty, the corvee notice issued by the humble position only has 5,000 people. Every village and town has a quota."
"Then what happened to the two or thirty thousand people?" Qin Fang asked.
The soldiers under the city wall shouted: "Your Majesty, the people came voluntarily, and many of them brought dry food. The leading village chief said that those who did not get a quota followed them on their own, and they couldn't stop them at all."
Cao Li took a step back, bowed deeply and said, "Your Majesty, this is the people's gratitude for your kindness!"
Zhao Bin looked at the crowd of people in the distance and felt moved in his heart.
He shouted to the soldiers below the city: "Brother, go make another trip and tell them to stay if they have been assigned a quota.
Everyone else should go back. It won't be long before there are other things to do. It will be their turn then. "
"It's the prince," the soldier responded and hurriedly ran towards the crowd.
After a while, there was a commotion in the crowd. Many people didn't know what they were shouting, but they were too far away to hear clearly.
After a long while, I saw people returning the way they came, but the number of people who stayed behind seemed to be 10,000.
The soldier had no choice but to run back: "Your Majesty, some people still refuse to go back. The village chief who took the lead was so angry that he gave up."
"Let them come forward, and I will tell them personally." After saying that, Zhao Bin turned to look at Qin Fang and saw that Qin Fang didn't say anything, "Go ahead."
Seeing that Qin Fang had no intention of stopping him, the soldiers turned around and ran towards the crowd in the distance.
After a while, the crowd began to move slowly towards the city, and waited until the people arrived at the city.
Everyone knelt down in unison, and a sound like a roaring mountain and a tsunami came from below: "Greetings to His Highness King Yan."
Zhao Bin looked at the people kneeling down, took a deep breath and shouted loudly: "Fellows, please get up."
"Thank you, Your Highness King Yan." The crowd gradually stood up.
“I am very grateful to everyone, but Yancheng’s current affairs cannot require so many people.
In accordance with Lord Cao's order, everyone will stay with those who have service quotas, and other people will go home temporarily. There will be other things for everyone to do in half a month. "Zhao Bin shouted loudly.
"Your Majesty, please let us stay. We can continue to do the corvee work behind us." A voice in the crowd shouted.
"Yes, Your Majesty, let us stay." Many people shouted.
Zhao Bin's voice hurt a little from shouting, and he signaled Cao Li to reply.
"Everyone must follow the prince's orders and do not disobey. Yancheng's affairs do not require so many people. Too many people will cause congestion. Everyone, please go back quickly."
Cao Li made it very clear that a large number of people would be a hindrance. Only then did some people in the crowd begin to leave.
But they handed over the items they were holding to nearby people. Some people got chickens, and some people had a few eggs in their baskets, and something similar to a grain storage bag hung around their necks.
"Old Cao, the people are probably tired from walking all the way, so we can just stay outside the city today.
Tomorrow morning, except for those who are building factories in the city, the others will go to Xishan to dig coal.
Let Zhou Hu of the fifth team accompany him with a hundred guards to protect the safety of the people. "Zhao Bin said to Cao Li.
"It's the prince, but now it's the Mid-Autumn Festival, and the weather turns cold at night. I'm worried about letting the people live in the open air like this..." Cao Li said.
"Captain Qin, there should be a marching tent in your barracks, right?" Zhao Bin asked Qin Fang
"Indeed, there is." Qin Fang replied.
"Take it out and lend it to me. No, no, rent it. I will pay your rent." Zhao Bin said with a smile.
"My lord, you'd better borrow it. If my lord pays the rent and the news reaches the ears of the court, I'm afraid Old Qin's head will fall to the ground." Qin Fang said with a smile.
