At the New Year's Eve dinner at the Hou Mansion, Liu Cong and several ladies arrived, and even Liu Xiu also arrived from his own mansion.
Originally, women were not allowed to sit at the table, but Liu Cong insisted on letting the female family members sit at the table. On the grounds that there were few people, he let women sit at the dinner table.
It was a rare reunion. Liu Biao held little Liu Yuan in his arms and looked at such a happy scene. He couldn't help but feel happy.
After the New Year's Eve dinner, Liu Biao handed Liu Xiu and Fan a big red envelope.
In the Han Dynasty, there was already a saying of new year's money, which was just some commemorative coins. Liu Biao gave five baht coins, which was also Liu Cong's persuasion.
After dinner, Liu Biao and Mrs. Cai went back. As for Liu Cong, he had to stay up all night on the last day of the year. He would stay in the ancestral temple all night!
On the fifth day after the New Year, civil and military officials returned to their duties again.
Auspicious snow heralds a good harvest, but the snow in Xiangyang has been falling continuously for a long time, causing great trouble and disaster to the surrounding people!
"Hush, shush, hush!" A harsh whistle sounded in the military camp.
"Gather, everyone, gather in line!" The whistle-blowing knight kept shouting as his horse galloped.
Pang Tong stood on the high platform, looked at the soldiers who had gathered, and began to shout, "Brothers, there is a snowstorm in Xiangyang, and the lord has an order, ordering us to actively provide disaster relief!"
"My lord has said that we are all soldiers raised by the common people. We cannot sit back and watch the common people suffer. Tell me, can you?"
"Can't! Can't!"
Pang Tong nodded with satisfaction, "Now, follow your general, obey the command, and start disaster relief in the Xiangfan area!"
Huba lived in the east of Xiangyang City. At that time, his father met Liu Biao who was governing Jingzhou, and he lived a comfortable life.
In the past year or two, we have had a good harvest. The most important thing is that Liu Cong ordered the abolition of all excessive taxes and miscellaneous taxes, and combined taxes based on headcount and real estate.
Huba's family has more than 40 acres of land, and last year we had a bumper harvest. Less than 10% of the harvested food was paid to the government.
No more taxes and grains were paid to the master of the aristocratic family, and the remaining 90% belonged to Huba's own family.
In the past, the Jingzhou Excursion had a tax of 1/15, which did not mean that ordinary people only had to pay 1/15 of the tax.
"Fifteen taxes and one" means that after the landlord collects five-tenths of the land's output from the tenant farmers, that is, half of the output, the landlord then pays a tax of one-tenth of the land's output to the state. That is, the land's output is ten percent.
After the landlord and the tenant farmer split their income 50-50, the landlord then pays a share of the tax to the state. That is, the land rent rate is 50% and the tax rate is one-tenth. This is the true meaning of "15-50 tax".
The aristocratic family controlled the local area and helped the country collect taxes. They took the bulk of it themselves and only gave a tenth of it to the country.
After Liu Cong reformed the system, he directly sent officials to the countryside to collect taxes in person. Anyone who dared to obstruct him would be killed without mercy!
Although it offended most of the aristocratic families, it was the country and the people who benefited.
Huba's parents passed away many years ago, and he and his wife were the only ones left in the family. They got married only a year ago.
Huba has received a lot of goods this year, and next year he plans to have a child with his wife, and then he will work hard for a few years and send the child to some school to learn literacy.
Unfortunately, a heavy snowfall crushed Huba's home and Huba's dream.
Last night, the snow fell so hard that the Hu family's dilapidated house suddenly collapsed. If Huba hadn't gotten up to sweep the snow in the middle of the night, realized something was wrong, and woke up his sleeping daughter-in-law, both of them would have been crushed to death.
"Husband, what should we do?" Huba's wife was only eighteen, sitting in front of the fire, shivering.
Huba emerged from the rubble and patted the dust on his body. "Don't worry, wife. I will get the food out. As long as there is food, we don't have to worry."
Seeing that his wife was still worried, Huba continued to comfort her, "Don't be afraid if the house is gone. The weather will clear up in a few days. It won't take much effort for me to repair it."
Mr. Hu nodded and asked, "It's snowing all the time. Where should we live now?"
"Uh..." This sentence stopped Huba from asking. His parents died early, and his wife had no relatives or friends. Where would she live next?
While I was thinking about it, a group of soldiers rushed over from a distance!
"Husband, what are they doing here?" Mrs. Hu suddenly stood up from the ground. These days, there are few ordinary people who are not afraid of being an official.
Huba shook his head, "I don't know, let's take a look first and then talk."
"Could it be that it's snowing heavily and the government will collect taxes and grains again?" Hu's question was also what Huba was thinking about.
What he is most worried about is that this year's food supply will not be guaranteed. The common people's concept of the government is - they are not welcome!
There are eleven soldiers in total, and the leader is riding a war horse.
"Hey!" He stopped his horse and Shichang dismounted and walked towards Huba.
Huba hurriedly greeted him and said, "Soldier, I wonder what business you are here for?"
The chief returned the courtesy and said, "I am Zhang Liu, and I am the chief under General Chen Dao."
Looking behind Huba, Zhang Liu said again, "Your house has been crushed by the heavy snow. Is there anywhere else you can go? Where is the food? Have you saved it?"
When Huba heard the word "food", his face darkened, and he secretly thought to himself that these people were indeed here to ask for food.
Putting on a smile, Huba said, "Master Bing, look, our family has become like this. Can we charge less tax?"
Zhang Liu laughed and said, "You misunderstood. We are not here to collect taxes. The Marquis of Chu has an order to help the people affected by the disaster tide over the difficulties. We are here to help you."
"Help us?" Huba couldn't believe it.
"Do it."
"yes."
Zhang Liuyi gave an order, and the soldiers behind him stepped forward and began to clean up the ruins of the Hu family.
"The Marquis of Chu said that if the people have nowhere to go for the time being, they can gather in the camp first and then go back on their own when the weather clears."
"Also, if the people's grain production is damaged, we will make statistics and report it to the government, and the government will provide equal amounts of relief."
Zhang Liu spoke sincerely, but Huba was guarded. It is true that the Marquis of Chu was a good man, but when did the government and the soldiers become so kind?
"Sir, twenty bags of grain, twelve bags are wet." The soldiers under his command said to Zhang Liu.
Huba ran over anxiously, then ran back and knelt in front of Zhang Liu, "General, my family is gone, and I only have this little food left. Please give me a way to survive!"
Zhang Liu hurriedly helped him up, "What are you doing? I already told you that we are here to help you, and we don't want to collect your food."
Under Huba's anxious gaze, Zhang Liu's soldiers rescued the Hu family's food. They also cleared the ruins of the Hu family into open space and set up a simple camp.
"Okay, let's go. If the heavy snow continues to fall, you two should go to the camp to stay." Zhang Liu stood up and said.
In Huba's eyes of disbelief, he walked out of the Hu family's small courtyard.
When everyone was gone, Huba hurriedly chased him out of the yard. As soon as he saw the whole village, there were soldiers, some holding brooms and some holding shovels.
Or they are in full swing of action in each house or on the paths in the village.
"Husband, they?" Mrs. Hu, who was chasing after her, covered her mouth and said in surprise.
Huba turned around and pulled Mrs. Hu inside, "Madam, let's go in and make porridge!"
"Why are you making porridge? Husband, are you hungry?" Mrs. Hu asked doubtfully.
Huba pointed to the soldiers in the distance and said, "Give it to them!"
"I used to work for a wealthy family, and before I started working, I was given a bowl of hot food and a full meal. They didn't want anything, and they came to help us just because of the order from the Marquis of Chu."
"We don't have much good food at home, but at least we can give people a warm bowl!"