"I heard yesterday that the commander-in-chief destroyed the Three Realms Temple when he arrived in Suizhou. How come there is such a big temple in Xiazhou?" Huang Tao said in surprise from the north bank of Wuding River.
"I am also a little surprised." Feng Wei said: "This stone Buddhist temple is full of incense, full of tourists, and there must be a lot of monks. Come on, let's go in and have a look."
The two entered the temple one after the other.
Today is the Ghost Festival and the Bon Festival. Since the Chinese Dynasty, these two festivals have coexisted. Which one is more prosperous depends entirely on whether the upper class worships Taoism or Buddhism. As far as the people are concerned, it seems that the magicians are more attractive.
On July 15th, Buddhist temples are always more lively than Taoist temples.
Shifo Temple is the largest temple in Xiazhou. It originally had more than a hundred monks, but after some renovations, there are still dozens.
After the two of them entered, the first thing they encountered were several flower sellers. After asking carefully, it turned out that they were selling flowers for the temple, and of course there was also a man named Fan Yanbo who was selling them himself.
"When I visited Xuanzhou in the past, there were more than 20 flower houses. Officials held cocktail parties, and many people came here to sell flowers. Many people made money by selling flowers." Huang Tao said: "As the saying goes, there are flower sellers near the old city.
The water is winding and the boat is light enough to pass by. The ten acres of flowers are an old business, and the mist of the family is Yuan Gong. I thought that Xiazhou was a border area, but unexpectedly there were flower sellers."
"There are more than ten officials in the state, with a monthly salary of 200,000 yuan. The shogunate officers and generals have a total monthly expenditure of more than one million yuan. There are also Shuofang County, which has a courtyard, officials, traders, and various chiefs.
There are many rich and powerful people. It is a certain girl who wrote official letters and memorials for the king of Lingwu County. She received a salary according to the position of Sima of the state, and the annual salary was more than 400 yuan. If they want to buy flowers
Of course, you can buy a lot." Feng Wei said: "Huang Er, if you go to apply for a recommendation, in one year, you can get more than 300 yuan of money, silk, millet, firewood, cattle and sheep.
Build a big house in the state."
The eight towns in the northwest of Beijing have always abided by the imperial decrees and the rules set by the Wu Zong Dynasty. The salaries of various states, counties, and shogunate officials are all fixed. As for Xiazhou specifically, because of poverty, they all receive according to the state standards, and then give a discount.
For example, the imperial court stipulates that the salary is calculated as one thousand yuan, but here it is 800 yuan. But even so, the governor of a state can receive 720 yuan a year (after conversion in kind), 480 yuan for don't drive, 420 yuan for Sima, and 360 yuan for joining the army.
There are 120 mins for recording events, 260 mins for serving in the army, 130 mins for a doctor of classics, 130 mins for a doctor of medicine, and 120 mins for joining the military.
At the county level, the county magistrate has 360 min, the county magistrate has 260 min, the chief bookkeeper has 180 min, and the county captain has 180 min.
This is graded. There are still dozens of officials without grade, including economics students and medical students, who all receive subsidies. Xiazhou’s annual expenditure on official salaries is more than 4,000 yuan, and Shuofang County also spends 1,000 yuan.
800 yuan, the town's six prefectures and 22 counties need more than 90,000 yuan in salary expenses a year.
Of course, this is nothing compared to the cost of raising an army.
The total annual consumption of 35,000 sergeants is more than 900,000 yuan. In the fourth year of the Zhonghe Period, the three states of Xia and Sui were responsible for taxation, taxation, and horse sales, which were converted into about 560,000 yuan, and the tribute of the Tibetan people was converted into money.
It was more than 200,000 yuan, and now there is more salt profit. Counting the two states of Lingyan, the amount is less than 200,000 yuan, which is just enough for expenses.
Only if the commander-in-chief has the ability to make the people pay tribute, and has also seized a large number of cattle, sheep, horses and camels for two consecutive years, can he have the confidence to pay the officials and sergeants enough. Normally, the eight states of Lingxia can only support one.
If there are more than 10,000 troops, if it is almost three times the number. This gap must be supported by the court or by conquering the Tibetan people. There is no other way.
Of course, the Hedong Town next door could not normally support Li Keyong in raising 50,000 to 60,000 troops, and continued to engage in military warfare. However, the commanders of the feudal town collected taxes ruthlessly, and there was nothing they could do about it. In comparison,
Under Marshal Shao, the taxes on the people were lighter than those in Hedong, and the people's lives were more satisfactory.
So don't blame the Jinshi who are willing to serve in the feudal towns. The official salary in the capital is indeed good, but you may not be able to get it all. You can really get it from the Dingnan Army. At most, I will give you a fight when there is a war.
It may be folded, or there may be too much material stuffed in, but not much money.
There are officials in the state who have taken too many cattle and sheep, so they can only find people to foster them outside the city. But even so, the actual life is not bad, at least they have real things. If Marshal Shao is willing, he can build a mansion in the state.
His old house is only worth one or two thousand yuan. Even if a new scholar is penniless, as long as you find a job, someone will be willing to lend you money for emergencies because they believe in your ability to repay the loan.
"Boy, do you want to buy these flowers? There are so many people coming in today to enjoy themselves (to visit the temple), if they don't buy them, they will be sold out in a while." Fan Yanbo urged: "These are all planted in my garden, there are dozens of flowers in total.
, it’s okay.”
"How much do you get from selling flowers in a day?"
"Not many. The family's cattle can only be farmed for two or three years. Marshal Renyi, last year's tax revenue was low, and next year's waste will be donated, so I thought of saving some money to buy a calf next year. Last year's cattle will be raised this year
The price is very cheap, and I’m afraid it will go up again in two years. Do you want to buy this flower?”
The two looked at each other, smiled, and said, "Let's leave it to the sergeant's wife to buy it."
Officials, sergeants, and farmers are different and live a very comfortable life. Today, most of the people who come to the temple to celebrate the wedding are family members of sergeants. They also support the prosperity of flower sellers, wine shops, silk training shops, carriage shops and even brothels in Xiazhou
main group of development.
On the way here, Feng and Huang saw a family of a sergeant who rented a carriage directly to the Shifo Temple. Spending money so lavishly showed that they had the confidence to rent a donkey cart in Guanzhong. It costs fifty yuan for twenty miles. Henan, Shu
It is more expensive in China, and in Xia Sui, a carriage only costs twenty or thirty yuan, but five years ago, it was not so cheap.
Sergeants are privileged people in every town in the world. Ninety percent of the money of the shogunate supports the army. When it comes to spending money, they are the only ones. After all, the number of officials is too small.
Marshal Shao encourages the sergeants to spend money, which can activate the economy, otherwise there will not be so many party members fleeing in the city, and it can also make the sergeants more motivated and braver in battle.
Feng Wei and Huang Tao walked around the temple for a while and found that the masters sold a lot of things. In addition to the fruits, vegetables and flowers they cultivated in their spare time, they even had vegetarian food and talismans. However, they were not surprised.
These temples are better than Taoist temples, more friendly to the people, more lively, and of course more profitable.
However, this stone Buddhist temple is indeed a little bit greedy for money. After further inquiries, it turns out that their temple fields have been turned into military fields. They are also taxed now and cannot support too many monks. Compared with the heyday,
Almost 60% less.
No wonder! Taxes were levied on monks and nuns. It was practiced during the Wu Zong Dynasty, but then it gradually became less common. Today, there are more mages who do not tax taxes in various towns. Because they have great magical powers, they often command commanders and the families of generals.
In respect of Buddhism, will Prince Lingwu also abolish the taxation of monks in the future?
"Sanlang, it's getting late, it's time to go into the city." Huang Tao bought a steamed cake, and each person had half of it, holding it in his hands and eating it.
These are the good things that the court officials in Beijing couldn't help but buy and eat when they were walking on the road. They had white noodles and pig paste. The two of them ate it very deliciously.
Someone was already singing in the open space outside the temple, and many people gathered around. Judging from their clothes, many of them had patches, they must be from nearby farmhouses. The children were playing around, happily, completely different from the lifeless look of the war-torn feudal town.
different.
"There have been years of war, and many festivals have been abandoned. After hearing that the King of Lingwu County advised the people to celebrate more festivals, are you indulgent in pleasure?" Feng Wei suddenly asked.
"Maybe if you want to boost people's morale, you can also ask the sergeants to spend more money. Look over there. There are many farmers selling flowers, fruits, chickens, ducks, and onions. If they can sell them all, it can help subsidize the household income.
." Huang Tao replied.
The festival economy, as far as ancient times are concerned, is indeed a wave of consumption frenzy.
The Buddhist temple integrates religion, folk customs, entertainment, and commerce, and it is very impressive. The combat effectiveness of the magicians is indeed stronger than that of the Taoist priests. Although Feng and Huang can't explain it clearly, they understand the principle vaguely. To promote the sergeant,
Officials' consumption activates the commercial economy and allows the money they receive to enter the market cycle.
If money does not enter the market, it is a dead thing. In the long run, it will only cause deflation. Later, the Ming Dynasty imported so much silver, but it did not completely enter the market circulation. Many of them became silver winter melons and went to the rich.
Cellar. What is the use of this money? Without investment, consumption, or expansion of production, capitalism will still be the sprout in a hundred years, and it will always be the sprout.
But these actually require a stable environment and relaxed systems.
The system of the commanders is quite loose. They don't care about anything. As long as they have money, it doesn't matter what you do. But a stable environment is difficult, and this is the main reason why Shao raised an army of 35,000.
It’s the sea-fixing needle!
It's just that the current situation is chaotic, and war may break out in Guanzhong. The prosperity of Xiazhou has just begun, I hope it won't die midway.
Beautiful things are all very fragile. The situation that Shao Shude worked hard to protect with great care may be wiped out by a fiasco. When people think about it many years later, they may feel that it was an unreal dream.
Have we really ever lived such a life?
Instead of staying in Wubao Village and watching with trepidation as the troops passing by outside took away women, goods and even the last bag of grain?
On the post road not far from the temple, the sound of horse hooves was heard, and the courier with a recognition flag on his back was riding fast. He must be delivering military reports.