As we enter April, the temperature has generally returned to normal.
The weather in the south is warmer, so spring plowing has basically been completed, while several counties in the Central Plains have just begun.
Of course, the end of spring plowing does not mean the end of farm work, it is just the beginning of a year of hard work.
The fields need to be carefully cared for in order to have higher yields, otherwise they will either lack fertility or be infested by weeds and insects.
At this moment, Hu Lizhen was standing outside Jing'an Mansion City, talking about a large piece of farmland in front of him.
These farmlands originally belonged to the Xu family in Jing'an, but the Xu family was confiscated last year due to the crime of "rebellion." The confiscation of family property also included these farmlands.
The farmland has now become official land and is leased to local people in the name of the court. The court will receive 70% of the grain produced, and the rest will be left to the people themselves.
This decree greatly inspired the people's enthusiasm, and many people even lived directly in the fields.
Nearly a hundred families were fired last year, and their official land exceeds 500,000 acres. There is no doubt that the imperial government's tax revenue in the south will increase significantly.
Of course, half a million acres of farmland is still insignificant compared to the large amounts of fertile soil in the south.
In order to really increase the imperial tax revenue, it is necessary to inventory all the land and then implement the national policy of dividing the land into acres.
Therefore, Hu Lizhen followed Xie Xiaofang to the south, and the two of them would take charge of the land inventory in Jiangxi County.
"Sir, it's time for you to go back to Fucheng. Tomorrow we will discuss important matters!"
"I know this. It's not too late to go back in the afternoon. Mr. Xie Ge is in charge of the discussion. Why should I be anxious!"
Since we need to inventory the land, we definitely can't rely on the two of them. We have to rely on the help of the local government and county government.
In order to clarify the interests involved, before arriving in Jing'an, Xie Xiaofang sent people to the governor's Yamen and summoned the chief officials of all prefectures and counties to discuss the matter tomorrow.
After entering the Jing'an Prefecture, Hu Lizhen separated from Xie Xiaofang, and he stayed outside the city to observe the people's sentiments.
What happened in February made Hu Lizhen think that she was in a desperate situation, but in the end, not only was there a dark future, but the situation also turned around 180 degrees.
He himself was promoted to the Metropolitan Procuratorate as an inspection censor, and all the wealthy officials and officials in Gyeonggi County who were involved in the case were severely punished under the national law.
The most outrageous thing is that the case was fermented in several other counties outside Gyeonggi Province, and finally involved high-ranking court officials.
The final result was that the officials and gentry were beheaded and their homes confiscated, and tens of thousands of people were exiled to the northwest.
These methods made Hu Lizhen realize the emperor's determination to fight corruption, and also gave him greater expectations for the future.
The most important thing is that the emperor's own idea of change was also recognized by Hu Lizhen.
The people in the world are poor, but they bear the heavy burden of taxes from the court. However, the officials and gentry who occupy a large amount of wealth can avoid and even evade taxes in a big way.
In Hu Lizhen's view, this abnormal phenomenon must be changed.
However, the resistance to reform is too great.
Hu Lizhen could not see the possibility of success with Emperor Tai'an and Emperor Jingping, so she could only do her best.
Now that Zhao Yanxun was born, with a solid foundation and ruthless methods, Hu Lizhen saw the possibility of success.
So now, he puts all his thoughts on the great cause of reform.
After rolling down his trouser legs, Hu Lizhen said calmly: "You wait here, I'll go check out other places!"
"Sir, let your subordinates follow you!"
Hu Lizhen glanced at her subordinates and then said: "You put on common people's clothes but still carry official authority. I'd better go by myself!"
After saying this, without waiting for his subordinates to explain, Hu Lizhen walked away directly.
In fact, he is also wearing common people's clothes, and he looks natural, not as out of place as an official.
Hu Lizhen was a young man whose family was poor and often had to work in the fields. He had really experienced a hard life, so he cared so much about the public sentiment.
After walking only three hundred meters, Hu Lizhen stopped at the edge of a field. On the ridge not far away, there was an old farmer drinking water and resting.
Hu Lizhen took a few steps forward, leaned over and looked at the rice seedlings in the field, then glanced at the old farmer and said, "Brother, is your rice okay?"
"It's okay...it's okay!" the old farmer replied.
Valley
Hu Lizhen didn't see anyone outside, and then walked towards the old farmer and said, "Brother, please give me a drink!"
The old farmer didn't say much and poured a bowl of water for Hu Lizhen.
"Give!"
"Thanks!"
"What's there to thank for this? The villagers have nothing else but enough water pipes!"
When Hu Lizhen was drinking water, the old farmer asked: "Are you not from our village?"
People in a village or even nearby villages probably have some impressions, so the old farmer asked this question.
"I'm from Zhuchangping. I heard that the rice grows well here, so I came over to take a look!"
"Come here from Zhuchangping? That's a bit far. It's about thirty miles round trip!"
"Almost!" Hu Lizhen said with a smile.
The old farmer immediately said: "Now, the masters have relaxed their control, otherwise you will be allowed to run around!"
"Those gentlemen were all punished by Long Live Lord. What a retribution!"
At this point, the old farmer had tears in his eyes, obviously he had been oppressed a lot in his life.
Hu Lizhen then sighed: "The emperor is a good man, so he will make decisions for us poor people!"
"wrong!"
"What's wrong there?"
Staring at Hu Lizhen, the old farmer said very seriously: "The emperor is a god who descended to earth, and an immortal king who came to the world!"
Hearing this, Hu Lizhen smiled, then nodded and said: "Yes... you are right!"
Seeing Hu Lizhen's frivolous behavior, the old farmer suddenly became unhappy. He immediately stood up and said seriously: "On the day the emperor ascended the throne, someone from our village went to the capital and saw with his own eyes that God issued a decree and blessed him. The emperor was like a god descending to earth!"
Hu Lizhen had heard this many times in Jing'an and no longer found it strange.
In fact, in the counties he was in charge of before, people were also spreading rumors about the emperor's divine status on the day he ascended the throne.
In this day and age, it is normal for a vision to occur when an emperor succeeds to the throne, and be seen by people from all over the country, and spread throughout the country.
Hu Lizhen has always adhered to the philosophy of respecting ghosts and gods and staying away from them, but now he feels that deifying the emperor is not a bad thing.
In fact, so many people, including officials, were spreading the rumor. Although Hu Lizhen had not seen it with her own eyes, she believed that the miracle that day was true.
Nowadays, the army is absolutely loyal to the emperor. If the people still respect and love the emperor sincerely, then Zhao Yanxun will be invincible, and the success of the reform will be a given.
"Although the emperor is a god, how much does he have to do with us? He has to live a hard life!"
This nonsense sentence was intentionally said by Hu Lizhen, and he also said similar words in other places.
The old farmer's face suddenly changed, and he said angrily: "You are too heartless. If it weren't for His Majesty's mercy, we would be living like we are now!"
"Nowadays, when we farm land for officials, as long as we pay the official grain according to the law, the rest belongs to us. How could such a good thing happen in the past!"
Hu Lizhen nodded, then shook her head.
"Your Majesty, for the sake of our common people, I am afraid that those officials will come up with some excuses to collect taxes randomly..."
"When the time comes, we won't have to suffer the consequences of being dumb!"
Hearing this, the old farmer suddenly laughed: "You idiot, you think too much!"
"Throughout last year, no one who deceived the emperor got any good results. No matter how greedy these officials are, they probably don't have the guts!"
From last year to now, the several major cases that Zhao Yanxun has caused have had a huge impact, and it is not unusual for the old farmers to know about them.
What's more, he also issued special edicts to announce the situation of these major cases to all counties across the country.
At this moment, Hu Lizhen said with a smile: "Brother, you are right, Your Majesty, you will have a good life in the future!"