Ningguo Mansion, Xuancheng.
Yamen servant Zhao Yue stepped on the stool, picked up a brush and applied paste on the west side of the city wall, took the notice from Wu Haoxue's hand, and posted it on the wall.
Wu Haoxue picked up the gong, clanged it twice, and shouted to the people around him: "Big notice, big notice, the new policy of the imperial court is related to the two taxes. As you all know."
Two taxes?
When the people passing by heard about it, they gathered around one after another.
A farmer carrying a backpack came over, looked at the content of the notice, and read intermittently: "What kind of war? What's going on in the north? Starting next year, there will be two taxes in summer and autumn, one for twenty. What, one for twenty?"
"I'm talking to Wei Da, did you get it wrong? Can the summer and autumn taxes be changed to twenty taxes and one?"
Gao Sishi took off his sweat towel, wiped the sweat from his forehead and cursed.
Wei Da kicked Gao Sishi and scolded him back: "I have followed my son in the school to learn illiteracy for a year, and I can understand 300 characters. How dare you look down on me?"
Gao Sishi patted the mud on his legs and didn't care at all: "What's the use of literacy for one year? Just like you, you can't read a book after ten years of literacy? Reading is not what we should do. Just leave it to the baby."
Wei Da took a sip and said, "I'm glad. The gentlemen are right. If you can read, at least you won't be blind. Fourth brother, I heard that your wife bought three kilograms of salt some time ago and was cheated out of three cents. After being on the street for two hours, they still didn't give you any money. As a result, your wife almost hanged herself. If you are literate and can read three-seven-twenty-one, how can you still get someone to calculate three-seven-twenty-four?"
Gao Sishi was immediately angry when he heard this.
"Stop making such a fuss, what on earth is written on it!"
high
Jiu La pulled and saw that her twelve-year-old nephew Gao Qin was going to school. He pulled him over and pressed the child's head: "Quick, tell us what is written on it?"
Seeing that he was an elder, Gao Qin adjusted his hat speechlessly, looked up at the notice, and his eyes lit up: "Okay, okay!"
"You are so tall, what are you writing!"
Gao Sishi reached out and deflated Gao Qin's hat again.
Gao Qin rubbed his head and shouted L: "The notice says that Tatar, Wala, and Uliangha are going to beat us. The emperor has said that we are going to beat them so hard that they will not dare to do it for a hundred years." Wow. In addition, the emperor also issued a decree saying that after beating people this time, they will not beat people, so next year the two taxes will be adjusted from 15 taxes per person to 20 taxes per person."
“Are we really going to change the agricultural tax?”
Gao Sishi's eyes widened, full of shock.
Wei Da laughed loudly: "Look, if you are not literate, you will be worse than a child. Gao Qin, I looked at the notice, why is there a thirty tax one at the back?"
Gao Qin looked at the notice and nodded: "Uncle Wei is right. The emperor also said that if there are ordinary people who help the army transport food and things and make outstanding contributions to the war, the imperial court will reward them and grant their descendants a license to live together for generations to come. Within an acre, you will be entitled to a tax of thirty to one.”
"Thirty tax and one? This is not half as lenient!"
"The emperor loves his people."
"We have a good emperor."
"Quick, tell others about this, the court is going to change taxes."
Just as Gao Sishi was about to leave, he saw Gao Qin running towards home. He quickly ran over and caught him: "You kid, must you have gone the wrong way? The school is in the city!"
Gao Qin tried hard to kick his legs, but he couldn't take a step forward and couldn't help but say
: "Uncle, I want to go to the front line to fight. The emperor made it very clear that after this fight there will be no more wars. This time I have to go to the front line to chop off a few heads."
Gao Sishi lifted Gao Qin up and said: "You are a weakling who still wants to fight? Go back to school. I haven't stepped up to the challenge yet. When will it be your turn? Gao Jiu, go home and tell me Mother-in-law, let’s go deliver food and wages to my family. I can’t read as well as the children, so if I try my best, I can’t compare with them? Let’s go!”
Gao Jiu grinned: "Thirty taxes per one, you have to fight for it no matter what, not to mention the emperor is so good to us. Over the years, life has become easier and easier. We can eat three meals a day, and our children have gone to school. These days I never dared to think about it before. The emperor usually doesn’t need us, but now that he’s called, we have to go no matter what. Wei Da, are you not going to sell vegetables?”
Wei Da picked up the basket on his back and strode forward: "We are going to sell grain. Hey, I am not afraid to tell you people in the Gao family. Our family has two warehouses of grain, totaling sixteen dan. There are not many people in the family. It's enough to keep a small change, and we'll sell the rest to the court for a penny, and let them be dragged over to the sergeants, and when they're full, we'll beat the Hulu hard!"
"Haha, for just one penny, aren't you afraid that your mother-in-law will do her best for you?"
Gao Jiu laughed.
Wei Da ignored him, and when he got home he called Hui Niang to pack food, but Hui Niang refused. This was the family's financial resources, and the family was very worried. How could they not save enough food for a year and a half?
"What do you know, mother-in-law? The imperial court is about to go to war. How can we do anything? If the emperor hadn't protected us and helped us all these years, how could we have enough to eat today?"
"Are we going to fight again? This...
Who can I hit? "
Hui Niang was a little nervous.
Wei Da chuckled and said: "Who else can I beat the Hulu in the north? The emperor said that those who help the court transport food and supplies and make great contributions to the army's logistics can change the agricultural tax to 30 to 1 in the future. Hui Niang , we are not going there for the thirty taxes, but for the good emperor. In the past eight years, has there ever been a corrupt official who kicked our family and asked for a little more tax? No, right?"
"And our children, the court has arranged for them to attend social education without any payment, and the classes are free. Do you think it is good enough for us? In recent years, although the court has implemented a tax policy of 10 per cent, it is no longer the case. All kinds of exorbitant taxes and even wages for corvee labor. Who would have dared to think about this eleven years ago? If I hadn’t been in poor health, I would have gone north to deliver food to the army. How about sending ten shi of food to the imperial court? You have to have a conscience."
Hui Niang rolled her eyes at Wei Da: "If I ask you a few words, will I become a heartless person? There are only five people in our family. Why should we keep six stones? Just keep three stones and give away the rest."
Wei Da burst out laughing, picked up the sack and asked Hui Niang to put the grain in it.
Some go well and some don't go well.
For example, Gao Sishi also wanted to send food, but the mother-in-law found a crooked neck tree and hung it with a rope. She claimed that she would hang herself here if she dared to give away a bucket of food for free. Gao Sishi was so angry that she hung it on the crooked neck tree first. .
Seeing that something was wrong, Gao Jiu and others directly cut down the crooked neck tree and told them to go home and quarrel so as not to be embarrassed outside.
Qiantang.
Social studies instructor Zhao Shuwen stood outside the county government office, looked at the content on the notice, and said to Hu Ke beside him: "No war in a hundred years? It seems that the emperor
This time, they were determined to annihilate the main forces of the Tatars and Walas in one fell swoop. "
Hu Ke was holding a bowl of sour plum soup and slurping it: "This is a good thing. The Tatars have invaded the border for many years and have not corrected themselves. The Tatars have been dormant for a long time, and they will become a disaster sooner or later. Taking advantage of the strong national power and the strength of the soldiers, we have dealt with them and laid the foundation for them." A century of peace is a good thing no matter what."
Zhao Shuwen waved his fan and sighed: "How can it be so easy for these nomads to be wiped out? The grassland is vast and boundless. When they move, it is difficult to chase them. How can they be wiped out? What's more, the Korean War is not over yet, Zhang Fu The army and Chen soldiers are unable to advance westward by the Yalu River."
Hu Ke raised his head and finished drinking, and said calmly: "Without foreign enemies, the imperial court can properly organize its internal governance. There have been too many changes over the years, and the common people's homes have a surplus. This is probably the original intention of the imperial court to change the agricultural tax. But in this case This policy was introduced at the right time, which shows that our emperor is fighting a war with the hearts of the people. It is hard to say how many hearts and minds he has after being in power for eleven years."
Zhao Shuwen nodded solemnly.
The common people are a complex group of people. Some of them are simple and kind-hearted and can selflessly help others, even if they suffer a little loss or hardship. But among the common people, there are also those who are sneaky, selfish, and cannot tolerate any loss.
Emperor Jianwen ascended the throne for eleven years, and the New Deal lasted for eleven years. He was very prestigious among the people and had a good reputation. But prestige and reputation are not related to their own interests after all. If they are asked to perform corvee service, deliver food and supplies, travel thousands or even thousands of miles, and follow the army in battle, then they need to be carefully considered.
"If people's hearts are united, Mount Tai can be moved. If people's hearts are not united, this will
I am afraid that such a war will inevitably strain and injure the people and cause public resentment. "
Hu Ke said seriously.
Zhao Shuwen walked out of the crowd, looked back at the people who were running happily to tell each other, and said: "At least now, people's hearts can be expected."
After returning to Sociology, Zhao Shuwen sat down and was about to write a letter to his classmates in the Imperial College to ask about the court news when suddenly there were footsteps outside the door, followed by a knock on the door.
"Come in."
Zhao Shuwen shouted.
An eleven or twelve-year-old boy walked in with a square scarf on his head and a Confucian robe. He bowed with a serious face and held up a document similar to a memorial in both hands: "Mr. Zhao, Yu Qian wrote a document. , if the imperial court can implement this policy, it will definitely defeat the Tatars, Wala and Uliangha. Please sir, please forward it to the emperor for inspection."
Zhao Shuwen coughed suddenly and stared at Yu Qian: "You are a kid, you haven't graduated from social studies yet, you dare to talk nonsense, you are really arrogant."
Yu Qian said proudly: "When the prince was young, he wrote "Youth Theory", which he highly praised. Did he ever say that he was a child? Although the student is not talented, he has read military books and understands military strategies well. "The Art of War" I have perfect scores in studies, so why can’t I offer advice to the court? Young people are ambitious and the Ming Dynasty is booming. If you despise young people, doesn’t it mean you are despising the future of the Ming Dynasty?”
Zhao Shuwen stood up and walked out, looked at the stubborn Yu Qian, took the "document", looked at it, and said with a smile: "Three groups of large-scale cavalry attacked, with time difference, and unexpectedly, they went straight to Huanglong? Haha, Yu Qian, Yu Qian, you are like this The document is probably written to Emperor Wu of the Han Dynasty. Our Ming Dynasty does not have hundreds of thousands of cavalry, and neither Huo Qubing nor Wei Qing can directly enter the grassland."
Yu Qian shook his head and solemnly said: "Xi
There are more than 200,000 horses in the northern war. Since it is a desperate move, then we should first ignore the racecourse, be fully armed, and let the cavalry become the main force in the northern expedition to the grassland. Only in this way can the remnants of the Yuan Dynasty be wiped out! "
