In the next few days, Pang Yu followed Tang Weimin to inspect more than a dozen warehouses such as Tangjiagou, Kongcheng Town, Liantan, and Sansanlipu. He also visited the main towns in Tongcheng. Pang Yu's general impression
Among them, Tongcheng is high in the northwest and low in the southeast. It extends from the remaining veins of the Dabie Mountains to the Yangtze River. The closer it is to the Yangtze River, the flatter the terrain becomes. The land is fertile, the water and grass are abundant, and water transportation is convenient. It can indeed be called a land of plenty.
But even in a place where food is so abundant, there are still no grains in the official granaries, disappearing into the yamen at all levels in Tongcheng.
Fortunately, Pang Yu got the last bit of scraps, successfully promoted to the corruption group of the Ming Dynasty, and gained more than 200 taels of silver. Zhou Yueru, the number one female helper in Tongcheng, because of the inconvenience of traveling, only followed a few warehouses near the county seat.
I also received seven or eight taels of silver.
After walking in such a circle, it was almost the end of July. After walking through the last stop of Kongcheng Town, Pang Zaoli's fat trip was finally coming to an end. On the 28th, he arrived at Lutingyi in the north of Tongcheng, only fifteen miles away from the county seat.
Because it has been a post station for a long time and is next to the main road, a market town has formed around it, with about two to three hundred houses. There are more than ten inns and restaurants next to the official road.
Tang Weimin rode ahead and stopped in front of a food shop on the roadside.
Pang Yu has passed the running-in period of horse riding, and his riding skills have improved a lot. The inner thighs are almost bleeding. Before he is completely accustomed to it, he can only ride and walk.
Seeing Tang Weimin stop, Pang Yu hurriedly walked to the side of the horse and asked, "Sir, would you like to stop and have a rest? Tongcheng is not far away, and we will definitely be able to get there today."
Tang Weimin pointed to the sky in the southeast, "There is a dark cloud coming over. It looks like it will rain soon. It will take three miles to get shelter from the rain in Luting. We will rest here and wait for the rain to pass before leaving."
Pang Yu squinted and looked to the east. Sure enough, there was a dark area. There were often heavy rains in Tongcheng in July. Although Pang Yu didn't know much about the history of the late Ming Dynasty, when he studied economic history, he knew that in the early seventeenth century, the fifth
During the Little Ice Age, and thereafter the Maunder Minimum of sunspots, the temperature dropped and water vapor evaporated, resulting in reduced rainfall and drought.
But you can't feel this at all in Tongcheng in July. Heavy rains can come at any time.
Pang Yu quickly agreed and helped Tang Weimin dismount in an exaggerated manner. In fact, the horses they used were less than one meter high at the shoulder, and a little stretch of the legs was enough. However, Pang Yu lifted Tang Weimin's arms as if Tang Weimin was in his seventies or eighties.
old man.
There were seven or eight people sitting in the restaurant, occupying three or four tables. Most of them were businessmen, and there were not many seats left. Tang Weimin's accompanying helper went up and kicked two of them, and the two were immediately kicked.
He fell to the ground, got up and saw that it was someone from the Yamen, and quickly ran out of the restaurant.
People at the other tables stood up and gave up their seats. Only one middle-aged man at the corner table was still sitting firmly as usual. However, he seemed a little worried and kept looking at Pang Yu and his group.
Fortunately, Tang Weimin and his party already had enough seats and did not bother the man.
Pang Yu looked at the roof of the food shop. It was all made of tiles. The gaps in some places were bright and the paving in the middle was denser. He found a good seat in the middle and carefully wiped the stool clean before asking Tang Weimin to sit down.
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At this time, the dark clouds were approaching, and the heavy rain was coming from the south. Judging from the size of the dark clouds, the rain would not be too short. Pang Yu estimated that one meal would be enough.
The shopkeeper was well-informed and knew that they were from the yamen by looking at how many people were dressed. He treated them very carefully. Pang Yu called him over and ordered a few cold dishes. These were Tang Weimin's favorites. Pang Yu always liked them.
I always pay attention to what dishes Tang Weimin likes, and then keep them in mind, and order a few of them next time.
Although Tang Weimin never said it, Pang Yu knew that Tang Weimin would definitely pay attention to these details. As long as they spent enough time together, he could leave a good impression on Tang Weimin.
While waiting for the food, Tang Weimin called Pang Yu, who was still busy directing the helper to take care of the horses, "Brother Pang, please stop working so hard. This journey has been hard enough. Sit down and let's talk."
"I don't think it's hard work for me. I'm just doing some strenuous work. It can't compare to Master Tang's exhaustive efforts."
Tang Weimin laughed twice. Pang Yu's attitude was attentive along the way, and he did not regard himself as a confidant of the county magistrate. Tang Weimin followed Tang Weimin's lead in all matters. He spoke and acted appropriately, and it was completely impossible to tell that he was a fool.
"Today we are going to Tongcheng. Tang Mou felt that he got along quite well with Pang Xiaodi on the way. If Pang Xiaodi is interested, Tang Mou would like to invite Pang Xiaodi to come to the house and submit. I don't know what Pang Xiaodi wants."
"I am so lucky to be able to stay with Master Tang and listen to his teachings."
Pang Yu agreed without hesitation. The most urgent thing for him now was to break away from Wang Dazhuang's jurisdiction.
The Zaobans were originally scattered under various officials and houses. There were only a small number of Zaobans that Wang Dazhuang could directly control. Once Pang Yu went to the household, Wang Dazhuang had nothing to do with him.
He treated Tang Weimin so courteously this time because he wanted to earn a good performance so that he could sneak into the county magistrate's office and become a subordinate of the county magistrate. Now that Tang Weimin took the initiative to extend an olive branch, it was also a good choice. Tang Weimin naturally also had
It was a consideration to please the county magistrate, but from Pang Yu's point of view, anywhere was better than Wang Dazhuang's.
The food was quickly put on the table. Tang Weimin took a moment to eat each dish and then stopped eating, as if he was not satisfied with the taste.
"This Lutingyi has also fallen into decline."
Tang Weimin pointed to a courtyard on the opposite side and said to Pang Yu, "The post station has been across from us before. Let's take this road, which leads to Huguang by land and must pass through from Jiangxi to Zhili in the south. Luting, Daguan, and Sansanlipu are all
On this road, the ancients called it the thoroughfare of seven provinces, and Luting was also very prosperous.
In the second year of Chongzhen, the emperor ordered to reduce the number of post stations by 60%. Luting Post was too close to the county seat and was first laid off. Now there are only a few shops along the official road, and there are fewer people staying in them.
The taste of the food shop is not as good as it used to be.”
"I see. No wonder when I came here just now, I saw that some of the buildings were empty. The post station is so closed. It would be very hard for those who used to rely on the inn to make a living."
"Who says it's not the case? Some postmen have been transferred to the third shift. Some of them do some work on their own to make a little money, and some of them go back to their hometowns. But in fact, after working in the yamen business for a long time, it is difficult to settle down and do farm work.
Some people who had already settled in the city had no other skills to support them, so it was extremely difficult to support their families. Naturally, they felt resentful. Therefore, the postmen in various places often colluded to cause trouble.
Among the bandits who wreaked havoc in Shanxi, there were many postmen and shopkeepers.
These people are good at riding and have traveled north and south to see the world. They are familiar with the roads and are not afraid of traveling far. Once they get into the bandits, they will be a big problem for the court."
"Rogue thief?"
Pang Yu quickly recalled his poor historical knowledge carefully. Officially speaking, bandits were those who rebelled. Among the rebels during the Chongzhen period, the only ones he could recall were Li Zicheng and Zhang Xianzhong. He didn't know whether they were counted as bandits.
A dull thunder came from the direction of the dark clouds. Pang Yu looked up at the sky and saw that the heavy rain was not far away.
"Mr. Tang, I have been in Tongcheng since I was a child and have not seen much. I wonder what the names of these thieves are?"
Tang Weimin sneered and said, "Just Cao Cao, Chuang Wang, Chuang Jiang, Mantianxing, Sweeper King, Shooting Sky, Eight Great Kings, etc., there are dozens of groups to count. I guess we can get together by going to Shuibo Liangshan together."
One hundred and eight generals were obtained."
Pang Yu breathed a sigh of relief when he heard the word Chuang Wang. Chuang Wang was not Li Zicheng. He had never heard of Chuang Jiang. He was probably Chuang Wang's son or younger brother. He actually felt a little familiar with the name. At least he heard it was a familiar one.
He was a character, and in my memory he felt that he was strictly disciplined and never made any mistakes.
But with Pang Yu's age and experience, he understood very well that the impressions obtained on paper were mostly artistically processed repeatedly, and the difference from the actual situation was as big as the difference between reality and art.
So he asked Tang Weimin, "Will these bandits come to our Tongcheng?"
"Everyone is worried about this. The rogue bandits are raging in Huguang and Henan. The local bandits everywhere are stirring up people's thoughts.
Last month, Qianshan County reported to Anqing that the bandit named King Sweeper had arrived in Huoshan, which was less than a hundred miles away from Anqing. The Anqing Prefecture was shocked every day.
In the end, he didn't come again for some reason. I think the imperial court had made arrangements for the bandit to retreat when he saw the difficulties."
The dark clouds on the horizon were getting closer and closer, and the strong wind made the shop roar. Sparse raindrops began to fall, making a pattering sound on the tiles. Pang Yu was still digesting the information in Tang Weimin's words, and did not answer the call for a while.
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Tang Weimin sighed to himself, "Alas, the world is in trouble. Let's talk about the north. In July, the slaves entered Shanxi again. The killings were very brutal. The Liao Dynasty paid taxes for more than ten years, but they did not bring Liaodong to an end.
Well, Jian Nu came to our country from time to time.
The rogue bandits here have caused terrible harm to Henan and Huguang. Fortunately, we in Nanzhili have never had any troubles. Rich families can live a better life, and poor families can live a poor life. But if the thieves don't come, the soldiers won't come.
It’s a blessing.”
"Sir, if these soldiers come and can't stop those rogues, wouldn't it be a good thing?"
"Those Qiu Ba are no different from thieves. They don't want to have soldiers anywhere. Fortunately, not only do Tongcheng have no soldiers, but Anqing Prefecture also has no soldiers. That's why we have such peaceful days."
Pang Yu recalled that although he didn't know much about the administrative divisions of the Ming Dynasty, he knew that Anqing was on the bank of the Yangtze River next to the Dabie Mountains. The Dabie Mountains were located in the hinterland and bordered Huguang, Henan, which meant that Liuthi was separated by the Dabie Mountains.
If what Tang Weimin said is true, Anqingnuo, a large government, faced such a serious threat and did not deploy military force, is it like fat on the chopping board?
Just as he was thinking about it, there was a sudden thunder in the sky. Pang Yu was startled. Seeing that the heavy rain had not yet fallen, he asked Tang Weimin, "My lord just said that the bandits have arrived in Huguang, Henan, not far from here, and Anqing Prefecture has no soldiers available.
If a first-class thief is really here, how can he stop him?"
"Then the sweeping king has been repulsed. We don't know where the soldiers and horses may have been deployed. The adults in the court have their own plans. We can just live in peace and peace. If the world is in chaos, it will not disrupt Nanzhili.
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We, Tongcheng, have enjoyed a hundred years of peace, and it is not an area that is easy for rogues to come to. The land of Longxing in South Zhili is also where the wealth of the world lies. I think the imperial court will not allow rogue bandits to come in at all costs."
Pang Yu quickly agreed, but Tang Weimin's words seemed to have no logic. If the Anqing Mansion did not make any defense preparations, had no soldiers available and no battle took place, then the Sweeping King was not repelled, but did not reach Anqing.
It's just the government, and the reason why the imperial court doesn't allow it is even more far-fetched. If all the bandits follow the imperial court's wishes, it would be best if the bandits don't go anywhere and starve to death. Obviously, the bandits have no intention of letting the imperial court get what they want.
According to Pang Yu's understanding, if the bandits are in the form of an army, they should have military goals or economic motives. They are unlikely to be running around headlessly, and the possibility of economic motives is greater.
This economic motive is not necessarily money, but more likely the materials needed for survival. There must be a lot of these things in South Zhili, a prosperous place, but Tongcheng is north of the Yangtze River and has neither soldiers nor excellent geographical defense conditions.
, in fact, if you think about it carefully, the risk is not small.
The more Pang Yu thought about it, the more guilty he became. In his previous life, he lived in a stable and prosperous era, and never thought that he would experience troubled times. In the Ming Dynasty, he continued to receive ancient information and focused on daily trivial matters. The troubled times seemed to have nothing to do with him.
Listening to Tang Weimin talk about the world situation today, Pang Yu felt that his worries were not unfounded and he should be prepared as well.
Another thunder ripped through the sky, dark clouds finally came, strong winds and heavy rain poured down. The heavy rainfall in a short period quickly produced water on the ground. The dense raindrops hit the tile surface, and then merged into water flow, like a curtain of water.
Hanging on the eaves, the heavy rain hits the earth, the crackling sound is continuous, the water mist flies with the strong wind, the sky and the earth are vast, it seems that nothing exists except the heavy rain.
The wind and rain combined into a roaring sound, and it was difficult to hear clearly even the conversations across the table. Pang Yu and Tang Weimin were unable to continue talking. It was raining heavily outside, and there was light rain inside the house. This shop has been around for a long time, and there are some leaks everywhere.
The store owner knew where the leak was, so he quickly took out the pots and pots and placed them to prevent the water from overflowing everywhere.
The position where Tang Weimin was sitting was indeed the one with the densest tiles, but there were still some small drops of water leaking. Pang Yu took out an umbrella from his luggage and stood next to Tang Weimin to shield him.
The noise outside was so loud that they couldn't talk to each other. Pang Yu held an umbrella and looked around in boredom. Suddenly he saw the middle-aged man sitting alone in the corner looking at him. As soon as he met Pang Yu's eyes, he immediately lowered his head.
Pang Yu couldn't help but look at him carefully. He was wearing a lake silk gown, his head was tied with a net scarf, and he was wearing a pair of black tartar boots. He looked like a man with some wealth. He had no luggage or goods around him, so he probably was.
A local from Tongcheng who took shelter from the rain.
Pang Yu didn't care too much, because there were Zaobun uniforms among his group, and those common people often observed secretly when they went out.
The heavy rain didn't stop for a while. Pang Yu held the umbrella until his arms were numb. Tang Weimin asked him to put it down several times, but Pang Yu refused. This business trip was a good opportunity. Tang Weimin was the second in command of the household. As long as
Wang Dazhuang would be wary of Pang Yu hooking up with Tang Weimin, and would not have the opportunity to put on Pang Yu's shoes again.
Tang Weimin's invitation to Pang Yu just now was the result of Pang Yu's achievement, so now he wants to please Tang Weimin even more.
Pang Yu occasionally observed the person sitting alone in the corner. The person no longer paid attention to this side, but kept looking towards the avenue in the direction of Tongcheng. He didn't know whether he was hoping for the rain to stop or waiting for someone. Pang Yu guessed that he was hoping for the rain.
We stopped and hurried on, because the heavy rain was coming from the direction of Tongcheng, and no one would rush through such a heavy rain.
Just as he was thinking this, the man suddenly stood up excitedly and walked to the door. Pang Yu looked in his direction and saw a blurry figure appearing on the official road in the heavy rain.