Seeing these refugees armed with bamboo sticks and dressed in ragged clothes, the players responsible for defending them were driven away by Wang Jun's servants without even taking a step.
Wang Chengwei was riding a horse and walking side by side with Wang Jun. When he saw these refugees, he couldn't help but ask:
"Are these Lingzhou bandits so poor?"
Wuwei City had just experienced a great war, and there were still many Tibetan soldiers falling into disgrace in Liangzhou.
In addition, the original Hexi Jiedu envoy Fang Guan had poor management, and a lot of military resources were resold by his subordinates.
When generals and players receive missions to suppress bandits in Liangzhou, they must be extremely vigilant. If they are not careful, they will be injured.
However, as the number of player chiefs takes office and more players flock to Liangzhou to earn experience, the bandits' living space is further reduced.
The bandits in Liangzhou were all strong soldiers and horses. These bandits in Lingzhou looked like beggars, which really opened Wang Chengwei's eyes.
Wang Jun sighed and said: "If they really can't survive, how can any common people be willing to fall into the trap of bandits? These are just common people nearby who can't survive. How can they have any weapons and equipment?"
Wang Chengwei sighed, many farmlands along the way were overgrown with weeds and the land had been abandoned.
But even if the land is abandoned, there are still people watching over it.
"Why are these lands abandoned but no one is cultivating them?" Wang Chengwei asked doubtfully.
Wang Jun said: "These are the lands of large households in Lingzhou. Because of the imperial conscription and the flight of tenants, many of the lands have been left uncultivated."
Wang Chengwei said doubtfully: "With so many refugees and bandits nearby, can't these lands be rented out?"
Wang Jun sighed and said: "If you farm land for a large family, the rent will be high. If you encounter a natural disaster and fail to pay the rent, you will become a slave."
"Many of the refugees on this mountain are from large households. They have worked hard for a year farming, but they can't get much food. They have to be arrested by the government for hard labor. It's better to dig wild vegetables in the mountain to eat."
Wang Chengwei said doubtfully: "Even so, these big households are not willing to lower the rent?"
Wang Jun smiled bitterly and said: "Uncle, you don't know the thoughts of these big households. If the land is empty, you don't have to pay taxes. If someone works on it, renters and corvees will come. If the tenants under you run away, the government will bear these burdens."
Put it on the heads of large households."
"There are so many corvees nowadays. The Great Wall in Lingwu needs to be built, the water canals need to be repaired, and military supplies need to be escorted to the front line. None of these things are life-threatening. Even the big households can't afford them."
Wang Jun smiled bitterly and said: "My nephew also read the newspaper in Longyou, saying that when dynasties rise and fall, we, the wealthy families, annex the land."
"But according to my nephew, is it all our family's fault?"
"The imperial court has heavy servitude, numerous taxes, and excessive local levies. Doesn't the government have problems? Why are we, aristocratic families, responsible for the infamy?"
"Didn't Qiwang of the Five Surnames instigate An Lushan to rebel?"
"I'm afraid my uncle doesn't know how bad the reputation of the Tang Dynasty is in Hedong."
Wang Chengwei nodded slightly.
Although Wang Jun shirks his responsibility for the annexation of land by aristocratic families, there is indeed nothing wrong with what he said.
The decadence of the Tang Dynasty also started from top to bottom.
The extravagant and licentious years of Tianbao's reign were finally settled in Tianbao's last years.
An Lushan was able to rebel in Hedong precisely because Hedong was too oppressed by the imperial court.
Guanzhong was the land of Longxing during the Li and Tang dynasties. Whenever there was a disaster in Guanzhong, the emperor could always be exempted from rent and labor.
Jianghuai was also an important financial and taxation center of the Tang Dynasty. Although the Tang Dynasty also plundered Jianghuai ruthlessly, the imperial court had taken great care of Jianghuai since the Sui Dynasty.
Moreover, there were many Shangzhous in Jianghuai, and there were many students who could be elected as tribute students. In addition, Jianghuai had a prosperous literary style, and many scholars served as officials in the imperial court.
Places such as Sichuan, Shu, Jingxiang, and Lingnan have never been the core areas of the imperial court. Moreover, barbarians often caused rebellion in these places, and the imperial court focused on appeasing them.
The most oppressed area is naturally the Hedong area.
Hedong is the land of Yan and Zhao in ancient times. Since the pre-Qin Dynasty, it has been an area where literary style flourished.
However, since the founding of the Tang Dynasty, Hedong has often been suppressed.
The population of Hedong is not as good as that of Jianghuai, and most of them live in Zhongzhou or Xiazhou.
The number of people who can take the imperial examination is not as good as that of Jianghuai, and the number of people who pass the examination is naturally not as good as that of Jianghuai.
The imperial examinations of the Tang Dynasty were opaque, and various frauds occurred frequently. The Hedong scholars who had no one in the court were naturally unable to become officials.
Many scholars from poor families in Hedong entered the shogunate in Anlu Mountain.
Indeed, as Wang Jun said, the court's excessive taxation and uncontrolled corvee were also important reasons for the hardship of the people.
The group of people hurried on their way faster, and finally saw the city wall of Lingwu a few days later.
Zhang Tianlun said to Wang Chengwei: "Brother Wang, the front is Ningdong Town. The dinosaur fossils are here. Let's say goodbye here!"
As for Zhang Tianlun, the [Captain Touching the Gold], Wang Chengwei had long wanted him to get out.
Along the way, Wang Chengwei looked at Zhang Tianlun, fearing that he would pick up the Luoyang shovel and start fighting upside down.
However, seeing a person like Zhang Tianlun, Wang Chengwei was also very surprised. He didn't know how he could dig up dinosaur fossils by himself.
When he digs out the dinosaurs, is he afraid that the server of "Feng Yun of the Tang Dynasty" will be shut down?
With doubts, Wang Chengwei continued towards Lingwu City.
After bribing the city gate officials, the group easily entered Lingwu City. Wang Jun immediately took Wang Chengwei to convince the clan leader.
Several businessmen and players who came to Lingwu with Wang Chengwei also formed a team to visit Lingwu City.
Homer is a businessman player and a member of the "Family of Literary Masters".
Wenzhao Gongzhijia is a player guild dedicated to bringing various famous novels into the game.
Now this guild has gained some fame in Longyou, and after a long period of losses, it has finally found a profit point.
Through continuous improvement of papermaking and printing technology, Wenzhao Gongzhi finally produced newspapers and magazines.
Taking the lead in using simplified characters and using pictures and texts to publish newspapers, several player newspapers began to make profits in Shazhou, Xizhou and Guazhou areas with relatively high education levels.
But what the copycats never thought was that the most profitable business was the flower arrangement edition of Jin Ping Mei.
Jin Ping Mei, with its exquisite flower arrangements, is even sold as far as the grasslands, and even the Uighurs are rushing to buy it.
Those merchants from the Western Regions would bring back several beautifully printed copies of Jin Ping Mei every time.
The Wenzhaogong family originally hated this kind of immoral phenomenon, but when the profits were placed in front of them, they could only say that it was really delicious.
Immediately afterwards, a batch of ancient story-telling novels with side plots were also transferred into the game by players.
All three words and two pictures have been released with exquisite illustrations, which are very popular among LSPs.
Inspired by these books, some comic strips and short-format books also began to appear in bookstores.
The familiar Journey to the West and Water Margin have both been released in comic versions. These books are beautifully printed and have interesting stories. Not only children, but even illiterate adults also like them.
Hou Mo is a member of the Wenzhao Gong Family, and he came to Lingwu to investigate whether he could open a bookstore in Lingwu.
But after Rohmer wandered the streets for a long time, he finally found a bookstore in the corner.
The bookstore owner was an old man with gray hair and beard, and Ho Mo quickly chatted with the owner.
"You are a businessman from Longyou and want to sell books here?"
Rohmer took out several beautifully printed books from his arms. Of course, these were serious books.
The old man carefully took these snow-white books, touched the smooth pages with his hands, and couldn't help but admire:
"Great book! It's a pity that it can't be sold in Lingwu."
Homer quickly said: "The books in our workshop are all printed, and the price is very cheap!"
The bookstore owner shook his head and said: "It's not a matter of price. There are fewer and fewer people buying books in Lingwu now. No matter how good your book is, you won't be able to sell it."
Homer was stunned.
The bookstore owner sighed and said: "In these troubled times, if you can't fill your stomach, who will buy books."
"Lang Jun, your book is a good book, but it cannot be sold in Lingwu."
It seems that this trip was in vain.
Ho Mo sighed and was about to leave when he heard the bookstore owner say:
"Wait a minute, is Lang Jun from Longyou?"
Homer nodded.
The bookstore owner closed the store door and took out a book from behind the bookshelf.
"Lang Jun, do you sell this book?"
Romo took a look and saw, wasn't this "The Premium Illustrated Edition of the Plum in the Golden Lotus"?
Gan!
Isn’t this the flagship product of our own printing workshop?
Homer nodded, and the bookstore owner blew his beard and said:
"This book is now in Lingwu, but it's hard to find a copy! If Lang Jun can get this book, our store will take as much as you can get!"
Seeing the serious bookstore owner become like this, Homer couldn't help but ask:
"Didn't my husband just say that no one reads books in this world?"
The bookstore owner said: "No one reads books. No one reads the Four Books and Five Classics anymore. But there are still people who read these books, and there are still people who buy them at high prices!"
The bookstore owner said: "Don't talk about those rich gentlemen, even illiterate poor men still have this human nature, right? Last time the old man sold a copy, several poor men divided the illustrations on the spot."
Homer has black lines all over his head, what is this? Crowdfunding to buy a book?
The bookstore owner continued: "There are more and more bachelors in this age who cannot marry. This kind of book is easy to sell! It's a pity that Longyou's book is so exquisite. The local bookstore hired a painter to make it.
You can’t even read the book.”
Hou Mo sneered, how could you pirate Longyou's workshop?
Recently, his workshop is preparing to produce a painted version of Jin Ping Mei. Will he make Lingwu's bachelor cry when it comes out?
"Husband, if I can get these books, how will I divide the account?"
When he heard that Romo could get books, the bookstore owner immediately said: "The cost is 55%, and the profit is 50%!"
Homer thought for a while and realized that selling this kind of book requires local connections. His properties are all in Longyou, and it is impossible for him to stay in Wuwei permanently.
If you can get half of the profits every time, it seems to be a good choice.