Late Tang Dynasty Floating Life

Chapter 165 Little Days (Part [-])
"I heard people say yesterday that the commander-in-chief broke down the Three Realms Temple as soon as he arrived in Suizhou. How can there be such a big temple in Xiazhou?" Huang Tao said in surprise on the north bank of the Wuding River.

"Someone is also a little surprised." Feng Wei said: "This stone Buddhist temple is full of incense, there are many tourists, and there must be a lot of monks. Go, go in and have a look."

The two entered the temple one by one.

Today is the Ghost Festival and also the Obon Festival.Since the Kingdom of China, these two festivals have always existed side by side. Which one is more prosperous depends entirely on whether the upper class worships Taoism or Buddhism.As far as the folks are concerned, it seems that the mages are more attractive. On July [-]th, Buddhist temples are always more lively than Taoist temples.

Stone Buddha Temple is the largest temple in Xiazhou. It originally had more than a hundred monks, but after some renovations, there are still dozens of monks.

After the two entered, the first thing they met were a few flower sellers.After careful questioning, it turned out that it was sold for the temple, and of course a man named Fan Yanbo sold it himself.

"When I visited Xuanzhou in the past, there were more than [-] flower houses. The government held receptions, and most of them came to this city for flowers, and most of them got rich by selling flowers." Huang Tao said: "As the saying goes, there are flower sellers on the edge of the old city. The water song boat is easy to go. The ten acres of Fangfei is the old business, and the family's misty rain is the Yuangong. I thought Xiazhou was a frontier, but unexpectedly there are also flower sellers."

"There are more than ten officials in the state, with a total monthly salary of 20 yuan. The shogunate generals spend more than one million yuan a month. There are also Shuofang County, Duzuoyuan, officials, businessmen, and chieftains. , There are many people who have wealth. It is a certain sister who wrote official letters and memorials for the king of Lingwu County. She was paid according to the position of Sima of the state, and the annual salary was discounted by more than [-] yuan. If they want to buy flowers, Naturally, you can buy a lot." Feng Wei said: "Huang Er, if you go to answer an official, after a year, it will not be a problem to get more than [-] pieces of money, silk, millet, firewood, cattle and sheep, and you can be in the state in a year. From the big house."

The eight towns in the northwest of Beijing have always followed the court's laws and regulations, the rules set by the Wuzong Dynasty, and the salaries of the prefectures, counties, and shogunate officials.Specifically, in Xiazhou, because of poverty, they received uniformly according to the state standard, and then gave a discount. For example, the imperial court stipulated that a salary was calculated as one thousand yuan, but here they were eight hundred yuan.But even so, the governor of the state can get 720 mins a year (after converting in kind), 480 mins for Biejia, 420 mins for Sima, 360 mins for joining the army, 120 mins for recording affairs, 260 mins for Zhucao joining the army, 130 mins for doctors of Confucian classics, and 130 mins for medical science. 120 min for a doctorate and [-] min for joining the military.

At the county level, 360 min for the magistrate, 260 min for the magistrate, 180 min for the master book, and 180 min for the county lieutenant.

It's classy.There are still dozens of officials without grades, including economics students and medical students, all of whom are subsidized.Xiazhou spends more than 4000 yuan a year on official salaries, Shuofang County also spends 22 yuan, and the town's six prefectures and [-] counties spend more than [-] yuan a year on salaries.

Of course, this is nothing compared to the cost of raising the army.

Thirty-five thousand sergeants, if the annual consumption is fully converted into money, it will exceed 90 min.In the fourth year of Zhonghe, the three prefectures of Xia and Sui prefectures, after converting the regular tax, taxation tax, and money for selling horses, were about 56 yuan. Less than 20 yuan, just enough to spend.

It is only because the commander-in-chief has the ability to make the Tibetans pay tribute, and has seized a large number of cattle, sheep, horses and camels for two consecutive years, that he has the confidence to pay officials and sergeants in full.Normally, Lingxia Bazhou can support more than ten thousand troops, and now it is almost three times.This gap is either supported by the imperial court, or by conquering the aboriginal people, there is no other way.

Of course, the Hedong Town next door, normally speaking, cannot support Li Keyong to raise [-] to [-] troops, and continues to fight with militarism.But the feudal town commanders are ruthless in collecting taxes, there is no way, they have knives.In comparison, the taxation of the people under Shao Dashuai is lighter than that of Hedong, and the people's life is more satisfactory.

So don't blame Jinshi who are willing to work in feudal towns. The salary of Beijing officials is really good, but they may not be able to get all of them.For the Dingnan Army, you can really get it. At most, you will get a discount when there is a war, or if you have more stuff, you don’t have much money.

There are officials in the state who have taken too many cattle and sheep, so they can only find people outside the city to foster them.But even so, the real life is not bad, at least it is really giving something.If Marshal Shao wants to, he can build a mansion anywhere in the state. His old house is only worth one or two thousand coins.As a new scholar, even if he is penniless, as long as he gets a job, someone is willing to lend you money for an emergency, because he believes in your ability to repay the loan.

"You two, do you still want to buy these flowers? There are so many people who come here today to rejoice (the meaning of visiting the temple), and they will be sold out if you don't buy them for a while." Fan Yanbo urged: "These are all planted in my garden, and there are dozens of flowers in total. , it's all right."

"How much do you earn from selling flowers in a day?"

"Not much. The family's cattle can only be farmed for two or three years. The commander is benevolent. Last year, the tax was low, and next year it was a waste of firewood to donate. So I wanted to save some money and buy a calf next year. Last year, this year's cattle 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 and smiled, and said, "Let's leave it to the little lady from the sergeant's family to buy it."

Officials, sergeants and peasants are different from each other, and their lives are very well off.Most of the people who went to the temple to rejoice today were the family members of soldiers, and they were also the main group that supported the flourishing development of flower sellers, wine shops, silk shops, chariot shops and even brothels in Xiazhou.

On the way there, Feng and Huang saw a family member of a sergeant who rented a horse-drawn carriage directly to the Stone Buddha Temple. They spent such extravagant money, which showed that they had the confidence to rent a donkey cart in Guanzhong. , Shuzhong is more expensive, and in Xiasui, the carriage is only twenty or thirty yuan, but five years ago, it was not so cheap.

Sergeants, in every town in the world, are privileged people, and [-]% 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 soldiers to spend money, which can activate the economy, otherwise there would not be so many fleeing party members in the city, and it can also make the soldiers more motivated and braver in battle.

Feng Wei and Huang Tao wandered around the temple for a while, and found that the mages sold a lot of things.In addition to the fruits, vegetables and flowers cultivated in leisure time, there are even vegetarian food and amulets.But they are not surprised. The temples of the Guochao are better than the Taoist temples. They are more friendly to the people, more lively, and of course more profitable.

However, this Stone Buddha Temple is indeed a bit too much for Qianqian, a little too much.After inquiring again, it turns out that their monastery land has become military land, and now they have to pay taxes, and they cannot afford to support too many monks, which is almost [-]% less than when it was in its heyday.

No wonder so!Taxes were paid to monks and nuns in the Wuzong dynasty, but then gradually decreased.Today, in every town, there are many mages who do not pay taxes. Because of their great powers, they often make the family members of the commander-in-chief and general worship Buddha.Will the king of Lingwu County also abolish the taxation of monks in the future?

"Sanlang, it's getting late, it's time to go to the city." Huang Tao bought a steamed pancake, half of which was held in his hand and ate.

This is a good food that the court officials in Beijing and China couldn't help buying while walking on the road. White noodles and pork paste, the two of them ate deliciously and sweetly.

There are already people singing in the open space outside the temple, surrounded by many people.Judging by their clothes, there are many patches, it should be from a nearby farm.The children were playing and playing happily, which was completely different from the lifeless appearance of the Zhanluan feudal town.

"The war has been chaotic for many years, and many festivals have been abandoned. I heard that the king of Lingwu County urged the people to celebrate more festivals. Are you indulging in pleasure?" Feng Wei asked suddenly.

"If you want to boost people's morale, you can also ask the soldiers to spend more money. Look over there, there are many farmers who sell flowers, fruits, chickens, ducks, onions, and leeks. If they can sell them all, they will be able to subsidize their household. " Huang Tao replied.

Festival economy, in ancient times, is indeed a wave of consumption frenzy.

Buddhist temples integrate religion, folk customs, entertainment, and commerce into one, and they are very impressive. The combat effectiveness of mages is indeed stronger than that of Taoists.Although Feng and Huang couldn't tell the difference, they understood the truth vaguely, promoting the consumption of sergeants and officials, invigorating the commercial economy, and allowing the money they received to enter the market cycle.

Money is a dead thing if it does not enter the market.In the long run, it will only cause deflation.Later generations of the Ming Dynasty imported so much silver, but not all of it entered the market and circulated. Many of them turned into silver melons and entered the cellars of the rich.What is the use of these silver coins?Without investment, consumption, or expansion of production, capitalism will still be the bud in 100 years, and it will always be the bud.

But these actually require a stable environment and a relaxed system.

The system of Jieshuai is quite loose, they don't care about anything, as long as money, it doesn't matter what you do.But a stable environment is difficult, and this is also the main reason why Shao raised an army of [-]. This is the magic needle of Dinghai!

It's just that the current situation is chaotic, and war may break out in Guanzhong.The prosperity and prosperity of Xiazhou has just started, I hope it will not die halfway.

All good things are fragile.The situation that Shao Shude took care of with great care and care, maybe a fiasco would come to naught.People may think that it was an unreal dream when they recalled it many years later.

Have we really lived such a life?
Instead of guarding in the Wubao stockade, watching with trepidation the passing army outside, being robbed of women, goods and even the last bag of grain by them?
On the post road not far from the temple, the hooves of horses were clattering anxiously, and the courier with the flag on his back was running fast, probably delivering the military report.

A horizontal mountain separates the two worlds.

(End of this chapter)