After the rooster crows three times, Wang Chen leaves Yunlong Gate, takes dozens of carriages, builds his own Spring Gate, turns south, travels seven or eight miles, and stops outside a village.
He looked at it intently for a long time, then wiped his tears with his sleeve.
Once upon a time, these villages belonged to him.
The manor that had been converted into an arsenal, a fighting arena, and an orchard was also his former manor.
What a shame! After taking bribes for half a lifetime, I accumulated so much wealth, and it was suddenly taken away.
It would be a lie to say that I am not heartbroken, but what is the use of being heartbroken again?
Lingxiu, Guo Yi and others complained and were killed.
Of the five eunuchs who once controlled Ningshuo Palace, only he and Xuanhuai were left alive.
He was in charge of purchasing, and Xuanhuai was in charge of cleaning, so his status was low.
Even those newcomers who were captured and became eunuchs in the palace because they could not survive or were defeated in battle, did not seem to have much respect for them, alas.
The nearly 100 members of the Wang family have been dispersed to various counties in Pingyang, where they have divided their fields and houses to support themselves, just like a farmer.
Wang Chen hated it in his heart, but he was also very frightened. He only had one obsession now, to find a chance to start over.
I could coax Liu Cong into doing things back then, and I can definitely coax Shao Xun into doing things now. The opportunity still exists.
"Prince!" Several farmers who were weeding in the fields saw him and fell to the ground one after another.
"Don't call me 'Prince', I am no longer your master." Wang Chen sighed and waved his hand for them to get up.
The farmers stood up quickly, feeling a little embarrassed.
Indeed, they are already registered citizens, and they are no longer anyone's dealer. They have just bowed to them because they have been accustomed to them for many years.
Furthermore, when the prince is the owner of the manor, compared with other Wubao commanders and owners of the manor, he is actually pretty good.
The grain requisition was light and the labor was small, so they lived a comfortable life. Now that they have become self-cultivated farmers, the burden has become heavier all of a sudden - for families who are not soldiers of the Yellow Head Army, two families can contribute one grain to help transfer food. It will be bitter when the grain and grass are separated from the stone.
While Wang Chen was talking to others, his subordinates had already begun to enter the village to purchase various supplies, mainly fresh fruits and vegetables.
Although Lao Wang is not very respected by his subordinates, he still has a certain amount of power. A purchase like this is not a semi-robbery transaction like "half a bolt of red silk and a foot of silk, tied to a cow's head with charcoal." The price given is relatively affordable.
When fruits, vegetables, poultry, and eggs from farmers were loaded onto the truck, they were not given any deceptive coins, but "Yongjia Tongbao" newly minted in Dongyuan County.
After all, Wang Chen still wants to take care of his old friends and let them still think of him. Maybe it will come into play someday in the future?
While Wang Chen was shopping, another convoy came from the south. Upon inquiry, it turned out that it was a convoy going to the countryside to collect grain.
When the motorcade passed by, Wang Chen glanced at it and was speechless.
Some carts were loaded with newly harvested wheat, while others were loaded with last year's millet and various miscellaneous grains. The search was thorough enough, and the people were afraid that they might not have much left in store.
Thinking of Pingyang ordering the people to reduce silkworm rearing and collect mulberries as food a few months ago, I am afraid I have thought of this day for a long time.
This is Cao Cao and Yuan Shao’s old business!
In this world, people like Wang Chen who have no shortage of food feel miserable, let alone ordinary people who face tax collectors?
Cao Cao died only a hundred years ago, and everyone knows more or less who he was.
King Liang cannot degenerate into a cruel person like Cao Mengde.
"Oh..." A guard came back with some chickens, waking Wang Chen from his reverie.
Wang Chen stepped aside a few steps and stood in the middle of the road.
Not long after, another group of people came from the north.
Carrying flags and wrapped in yellow scarves, followed by several carriages and donkey carts.
Wang Chen secretly thought that this must be a group of people. If there were no accidents, they were probably Huangtoujun living in a nearby village.
Sure enough, every time they passed a village, some people left the team.
When they were dozens of steps away, the people carrying the flag also left.
They went straight to the manor, unloaded the drums, armor, and baggage from the convoy, inspected them one by one, and stored them in the warehouse. The sergeants were allowed to take their sidearms home with them.
There were also soldiers returning from Wang Chen's village, but from what they said, it seemed like one of them had died and not all of them had returned.
The house where the deceased died is at the end of the village.
The woman held two children in her hands and was still pregnant with one. She listened silently to the description of her colleagues, saying that they went north with Xue's tribe from Hedong, but were repelled by the Xianbei cavalry and lost hundreds of people, including One person belongs to this village.
There was no expression on the woman's face, as if the last trace of luster had been worn away by this heavy world, leaving only numbness.
Two years of civil war and two husbands died, what do you want her to say?
Fortunately, the Pao Ze people are more loyal, saying that they all survived the flood in Hebei Province, and they have an extraordinary bond of friendship. They will help if there are any difficulties in the future.
When she heard these words, the woman's face showed a hint of life, as if she had finally come to life. She covered her face and cried non-stop.
I am pregnant with a child, and there are two young ones at home. If no one helps me, it will be really difficult - Silver Gun and other soldiers have pensions, but it is really hard to say whether Huangtou Army has any.
"Let's go, we won't receive much." Wang Chen sighed and said when he saw the palace people coming and going and the guards never being able to fill the cart.
Everyone obeyed the order and drove away.
Wang Chen took one last look at the Zhuangzi he once owned.
After the Huangtou Army soldiers returned, the village finally felt a little lively.
They barely rested.
After putting down their swords and guns, someone began to water the garden.
Someone started watering the soybean field that had just been planted for more than a month.
Someone took a sickle and started mowing the grass.
Someone went to chop wood.
Someone helped his wife weave a mat.
There are also people who plan to tidy up a corner field that has been abandoned for a long time and plant some vegetables.
The food levy did not reach the heads of the Yellow Head Army officers and soldiers, and these families had a relatively easy life. But the battlefield was too cruel. Should I be a field husband who tightened his belt and lived a hard life, or should he face the enemy's cavalry in overwhelming numbers? , I really can’t tell which one is better.
Maybe it's not good either.
****
When Wang Chen returned to Ningshuo Palace, it was already afternoon.
When he entered through the closed door and saw Wang Yan sitting in the chariot awarded to him by the King of Liang, he respectfully gave way to the roadside.
Wang Yan didn't notice him and just frowned.
After the car stopped, people were shouting in front and behind, and they walked to the side hall on the right side of Guangji Hall.
Yu Wenjun was sitting at the top, looking majestic and solemn, but his eyes were wandering, without focus, and he didn't know what he was thinking.
Wang Huifeng was writing and drawing on the side, and occasionally took out a copy to show to Yu Wenjun.
Only at this time did Yu Wenjun become a little more serious and discussed with Wang Huifeng in a low voice.
After Wang Yan came in, everyone stood up and greeted each other.
"Princess." After Wang Yan sat down, he organized his speech and said: "If you want to restore the old view of Taiyuan, it will take a few years. There is not much food and grass in Hedong, Pingyang, and Xihe. After all the hard work, we can only collect more than 190 It’s just 10,000 hu of dendrobium. If you want to cultivate it in the counties of Taiyuan, you probably won’t be able to accommodate too many. Besides, long-distance transportation will consume a lot of money, so we need to think twice about this matter.”
Yu Wenjun suppressed the idea of ​​asking Wang Huifeng for advice and asked: "May I ask the military commander, is it more expensive to transport grain and grass from Yuzhou to Jinyang, or is it more expensive to transport grain and grass from Pingyang to Jinyang?"
"It's almost the same." Wang Yan was silent for a moment and replied.
"Then transfer them." Yu Wenjun looked at Wang Yan and said calmly: "Husband, the king said that there may be disaster victims in Hebei, and some of them can be moved to Taiyuan for resettlement."
When he said this, he held the hem of the skirt tightly with both hands, almost making a twist.
"Okay." Wang Yan looked at Yu Wenjun in surprise and nodded in agreement.
Yu Wenjun secretly breathed a sigh of relief, glanced at Wang Huifeng from the corner of his eye, and found that she was also looking at her.
"There is another matter." Wang Yan said again: "There are only a few people in Taiyuan, and the king decided to merge the counties. The three counties of Wu, Zhongdu, and Jingling were merged into one county, called 'Pingyao County'. Yangqu, Langmen, and Yu The three counties were merged into one county, called "Yangqu County". Pingtao County was destroyed by a flood last year and has been unable to recover. The elders requested that the city be moved to Dagan City built by Liu Yuan and the tribal people be incorporated into the people. This requires a seal. ,princess--"
Wang Yan said as he handed over the official letter.
Yu Wenjun took it, read it carefully, picked up his pen and wrote: "It should be punished quickly."
The palace attendants took the seal, stamped it at the designated place, and handed it over to Wang Yan.
Wang Yan's eyes were a little complicated, and he secretly glared at Wang Huifeng.
Wang Huifeng lowered his head and pretended not to see it.
Her father was blaming her for teaching the princess how to do things, but she had her own ideas.
To be honest, if Prince Liang hadn't been staring at her and insisting on killing her, she would rather stay by his side and make suggestions for him. But - no way, Prince Liang has the disadvantage of being a man of few people. If you want to realize some ideas, Something always has to give.
"Military Secretary." Yu Wenjun glanced at Wang Huifeng subconsciously, and then said: "The king wants to build the Third Friend, the Second Longxiang Mansion in Shiling, when can it be completed?"
Wang Yan pondered for a moment and said: "The princess doesn't know something. The two Longxiang mansions have nearly ten thousand households. Calculating one household of five, that is 48,000 people. Even if they eat wild vegetables, fruits, vegetables, and mulberries,
To raise it for one year, more than two million dendrobium grains are needed."
"The victims of the disaster may not have as many as five people in one household, and not all the soldiers in the government are burdened with families." Yu Wenjun said.
Wang Yan frowned and had to admit: "What the princess said is true."
"In this case, it may only take more than one million grains of dendrobium." Yu Wenjun said: "Sanjiao is in the north of Jinyang, and Shiling is in Yangqu. These are all critical places..."
When saying this, Yu Wenjun glanced at the map Wang Huifeng pushed to her.
"There is still not enough food. Hebei also needs millions of hu of dendrobium for disaster relief." Wang Yan reminded: "There are complaints in Henan. If you peel off the bed and skin, you may become angry."
Yu Wenjun was stunned.
Wang Huifeng couldn't help but raise his head and look at his father.
I'm afraid that some scholars from Henan asked my father to advise him on preventing the grain collection for disaster relief. It was inconvenient for my father to mention it in front of the King of Liang, but he came to bully the princess.
The father and daughter looked at each other quietly for a moment. Wang Yan was so angry that he secretly thought that all the daughters he married were losers. In the end, he could only say angrily: "I will find a way to raise some. The government soldiers can be filled by the victims of the disaster, killing two birds with one stone."
"
"Okay." Yu Wenjun said happily.
Wang Huifeng lowered his head again, looking at the official letters that seemed to last forever.
Wang Yan felt a little sad and lost his guard. After saying a few words casually, he left.
Chapter completed!