Man Tang Huacai

Chapter 234 Setting up a trap

In the blink of an eye, it’s mid-October, and the weather is getting colder and colder, and the Luohe and Yihe rivers seem to be showing signs of freezing.

Ever since Guo Huan and Xue Bai proposed that Magistrate Lu was willing to use his connections to help him be promoted to Chi County Lieutenant, Xue Bai's attitude seemed to have compromised slightly and he no longer dared to go to the Qingzhang Temple or the fields of a wealthy family.

But since many people had been mobilized, it would be shameful to give up. He instead began to measure the acres of ordinary people's land and planned to check the household registrations in Yanshi County.

The imperial court stipulated that the register should be made every three years, but the Seyong Register and Qingmiao Register in Yanshi County were ten or twenty years old. It makes sense for this county captain to seek some political achievements.

For all these reasons, Lu Linghao was still dissatisfied.

"In the coldest month of winter, Xue Lang is a little too serious. Doesn't it seem like the other county magistrates are not doing anything anymore?"

"The Ming government is joking. I suddenly rose to a high position, and there are many jealous people. If I don't act more cautiously, I will be impeached. The acres are not measured, and the household registration is not checked. When spring comes, and the Ming government promotes me, won't I stay here? handle?"

Lu Linghao was studying wine vessels recently, and he looked careless when talking to Xue Bai. He was holding a colorful glazed wine glass and looking back and forth, as if this was a serious matter.

"Oh." After a while, he came back to his senses and said with a smile: "Well, it's time to take a good inventory of the people's acres. Xue Lang should also collect the taxes for the past two years. "

"Have you not paid everything yet?"

"Alas, this county has sacrificed its dignity and asked several noble families for donations to make up for the shortfall. However, there are some unruly people who resist taxes more than once or twice. Xue Lang should urge them."

"Do you have a list?"

Lu Linghao didn't really want him to urge him to pay, but he was just putting some pressure on him. Seeing that he was so interested, he was worried that it would be self-defeating like the last time he allowed Xue Bai to try the case in court. He shook his hand and said, "Slow down a little." , we’ll talk about it later when we have time.”

"The Ming government is enthusiastic about supporting me, but I can't contribute to county affairs. I feel ashamed."

"If you are really ashamed, would you let those unruly people go?"

"Forgive me, Mingfu. I came to Yanshi and I was accompanied by people. If there is such a major assassination case involving Liu Hua's accomplices, if we let it go easily, I'm afraid I won't be able to explain it... Why don't you take it easy... ?”

This was said very sincerely. Lu Linghao smiled and said no more.

Xue Bai stood up and said goodbye.

Lu Linghao looked away from the wine vessel, squinted at his back, and sighed helplessly.

After a while, his staff Yuan Yiheng came back from Luoyang, handed over a few newspapers, and said: "Mingfu, this is the latest news from Luoyang."

"Don't worry, can you see the pattern on this wine glass?"

"The beauty looking at the moon is like the sage's play "Spring in the Moon Garden"."

"You have discernment, what do you think of this wine vessel?"

"With all due respect, student." Yuan Yiheng muttered, "It's a bit vulgar."

"Boom!"

With a loud sound, Lu Linghao smashed the priceless wine glass in his hand to the ground, and sighed: "A word to wake up the dreamer, giving such a gift will only appear that I am eager for quick success, indecent, and unrestrained."

"There is no need to worry in the Ming Dynasty, the auspiciousness of Yin Xu will be completed soon."

"I just met Xue Bai, and I'm really jealous of him." Lu Linghao was filled with emotion. "He only needs one idea to please the saint. This is a genius! I hate him for ruining the Sacred Heart like this."

"People are often like this." Yuan Yiheng twirled his long beard and sighed: "If it is easy to get, don't hesitate to get it."

"Let's get down to business."

"Yes, the New Year is approaching, and many nobles have arrived in the Eastern Capital. I heard that Zhang Sanniang, the cousin of the saint, the sister of Prince Liangdi, and the third daughter of Zhang Gong of Shangzhu Kingdom, has recently been to Luoyang to visit relatives, and she has also arrived to discuss marriage. age……"

~~

It's a day with heavy snow.

Xue Bai went to a village south of the Yi River to measure the acres of land.

In the field, Quanfu and the guys from Fengweilou were busy. Ren Mulan also led others to help. When she saw Xue Bai from a distance, she ran over.

"County Lieutenant."

A large package filled with Hu biscuits was handed over, and Mulan happily held it.

"Eat it and take the rest with you."

"Eh."

"Did the farmer measure it?"

"Measure it...Mr. Yin, please tell me."

Yin Liang sighed before saying anything. He let out a breath of white air in the cold weather, and led Xue Bai to talk as he walked.

"It's not unusual for Ding Tianfa to be short of quota, and it's the same in Liquan and Chang'an counties. However, the people under the emperor's feet can get at least sixty or seventy acres of land. I thought there should be at least forty acres elsewhere in the world..."

As he spoke, Yin Liang looked up at the vast snow, and wrinkles appeared on his forehead.

"With thirty-six acres of land, he can only grow millet for less than thirty-nine dan this year. He first pays 2 dan for rent and tax on 100 acres, and also pays 2 dan for 'chasing death'."

"What does 'chasing death' mean?"

"If a registered farmer has fled his household, the local practice will not report the truth truthfully, so the tax of the escaped household will be allocated to the registered household, which is called chasing death."

Speaking of which, the word "zuyongdiao" only refers to "zui", but also includes "yong" and "diao".

"He received two bolts of silk, four bolts including the death penalty. His wife was dead and there was no one to weave for him. Fortunately, the silk on the canal was cheap. He exchanged one stone of grain for the silk, but this silk had The stain, according to Yang Shenjin's good idea back then, counted the color, and one discount cost him seven buckets of food."

"There is also 'Yong'. He has to do twenty days of hard labor every year, including forty days of death. If he doesn't want to work, he has to pay silk. The taxes are sent to Henan Prefecture, and he is willing to deliver them, but The custom is that the county government has to pay a fee for unified transportation. This item should have cost five feet of cloth, but he spent eight buckets of grain."

"After paying these, he has thirty shi of grain left, but this is just a mediocre rent. In addition, to harvest millet in the charity warehouse, he has to pay four shi for two liters per mu..."

Hearing this, Xue Bai said: "Even if he doesn't marry a wife, have children, don't wear clothes, don't keep fire, don't eat meat and vegetables, and only chews grain a year, he still has thirty shi of grain."

Yin Liang said: "Young Master, don't be anxious. We haven't finished talking yet. There is He Bian, and the remaining twenty or so grains are not for him to eat..."

Xue Bai turned his head and looked towards Shouyang Mountain to the north.

Amidst the heavy snowfall, he seemed to see the happy scene at the innermost level of Luhun Villa again.

Those people laughing in the valley are just slaves, but they have been rewarded by the master's family. What is this reward based on?

"What he planted in the first year was not enough for chewing. He thought he would plant more next year and get two dan per mu. However, after a few years, he owed more than 20 dan in taxes to the county office and was arrested three times in the county jail. , beat him almost to death, Qi Chou didn’t catch him this year.”

"Can he survive like this?"

"Stay alive."

Yin Liang led Xue Bai to a dilapidated thatched hut and opened the door. It was empty inside.

"He has sold his land and became a fugitive. Therefore, Qi Chou did not catch him this year. In previous years, he would have to prevent them from escaping."

"Where is his land? Did the county office collect the land and give it to other households?"

"Already sold it."

The county office has not produced a sex labor register for ten years, so how can it divide the fields again? It is unknown who it was sold to.

The escaped household may survive, but the burden on the remaining households who have not escaped will be heavier.

Xue Bai smiled bitterly, walked out of the hut, and looked at the thin and weak people in the distance, as if he could see that their backs were bent a little more.

"Mr. Yin."

"Master, please speak."

"You said... if I tell all this to the saint, can this be changed?"

~~

Ren Mulan followed Xue Bai and Yin Liang into a farmhouse carrying Hu cakes.

The wind blew snowflakes into the house, but it couldn't blow away much of the heat. It's freezing cold outside, and it's freezing cold inside the house. I don't know where the air is leaking, but it's leaking everywhere.

The farmer's family of four was huddled on the couch to keep warm. They just sat there, not moving or talking, wrapped in a dirty thin blanket. Seeing someone coming, the old farmer got down from the bed. The moment the thin blanket was lifted, he saw that his two little sons didn't even have any pants.

The farmer stood in front of Xue Bai timidly and said, "No food, no."

Xue Bai took a look at his family's broken rice jar. It was indeed empty, but he estimated that the family still had food and hid it to evade taxes.

"I'm not here to collect food. I want to eat some biscuits."

Xue Bai gave each of them a piece of Hu cake, looked at the old farmer with a vicissitudes of life, and asked: "The county office's Qingmiao Bookkeeping said that you have a right to allocate seventy-six acres of land, but we measured it to be thirty-eight acres, you know?" ?"

The old farmer was chewing Hu biscuits, shrinking his neck, and said: "There is really no food."

"I told you, I'm not here to collect grain. If you re-register your household registration and land, you will have to pay less rent in the future. This is something that is good for you."

"There's really no food."

After talking like this for nearly a stick of incense, Xue Bai had no choice but to take the people away.

After he walked a few steps, he realized that this old farmer was not stupid. Even if he said that he would not collect grain, it was He Bian who he was afraid of. If we don’t collect grain, do we still have to buy it by force?

The farmer seemed dull and taciturn, but he had been deceived a lot. It was strange that he could be trusted so easily.

Afterwards, they entered another farmhouse. A man in his thirties was kneeling in front of the couch and feeding soup to an old woman. He turned around and saw Xue Bai and others coming in, without saying a word.

"Qiao Erwa, it is written in the book that you have seventy-four acres of land, but the actual amount is thirty-five acres. Do you know?"

Qiao Erwa's dark face, messy beard, and old look couldn't match the name "Erwa". He knelt there and finished feeding the soup, then walked to the stove without saying a word.

Only Xue Bai could feel that the farmer's thin bones showed a sense of despair, as if he could kill officials and rebel if he disagreed with him.

Because the rebel he saw in Huaqing Palace had this kind of temperament.

"I am the new county captain. If you have any trouble, please tell me."

Xue Bai didn't ask any more questions, put down two pieces of biscuits, turned around and left. In the past few days, he visited and observed the households in Yanshi County one by one, although he only saw a very small part.

In the afternoon, Xue Xin rushed over and reported, "Brother, Gao Chong has returned to the county office."

~~

Gao Chong was thirty-four years old at the time. He was young, powerful, shrewd and cold. He seemed not as approachable as Lu Linghui or Guo Huan.

As soon as they met, Gao Chong heard that Xue Bai had recently registered in Qingzhang Tianmu, and he immediately said bluntly: "If Xue County Lieutenant is too idle, he might as well call this year's taxes."

"Okay."

Xue Bai readily agreed.

Lu Linghao quickly waved his hand and said with a smile: "Hey, the New Year is approaching, so it's better not to force the people too much."

He knew in his heart that if he really left the errand to Xue Bai, something might happen. For example, if Xue Bai uses the matter of hiding fields and hiding houses to ask for food from high-ranking families, the problem will eventually fall on the county.

Guo Huan received Lu Linghao's look and whispered to Gao Chong.

Gao Chong then nodded and said: "I will take the official messenger to handle the collection matter. Please ask the county magistrate to let Qi Chou be the leader of the class again."

After that, he ignored Xue Bai and left, pretending that the matter had been decided by him.

The power is in his hands, whether it is the policemen or the murderers on Caohe River, they all obey him as the county magistrate, so naturally there is no need to give Xue Bai face.

~~

Luhun Villa.

A woman woke up from her sleep, stroking the bearskin fur covering her skin, feeling the warmth on the soft couch, and her heart became more and more happy; there was incense burning in the room, and she didn't know what kind it was, but I know it's very expensive, and smelling it makes me feel lighter.

Such a comfortable room makes people reluctant to leave even when they wake up.

Not long after, Song Li walked over from the screen wearing only a spring shirt. Because there was a fire burning in the room, he didn't feel cold.

He stepped on the soft carpet and stood in front of the couch, stroking the woman's wheat-colored skin.

"Hachiro."

"Ok?"

"I gave it to you... to be yours for the rest of my life."

"is it?"

"Really, I don't ask for the title of concubine, as long as I can stay with you..."

"Can not be done."

Song Li sighed helplessly and said, "Master just came to see me. I have to prepare for the engagement. I can't mess around at home anymore."

"Don't worry, Hachiro. I'm very sensible and won't cause trouble to Hachiro."

"No, Grandpa asked me to sell you. Get up and get out."

When the crying continued, Song Li became impatient and left the chores at home to his servants. He changed his clothes and went out to look for his brother Song Mian in Yanshi County.

When they arrived at Shouyang Academy, Song Mian was talking to a petty official.

"Brother, what does the county office have to do with you again?"

"It's just asking the family to donate money and food. I'm a teacher, so I don't care about that." Song Mian looked quite noble. He stretched out his hand to straighten his brother's robes and said, "You, such a big man, still have nothing to do all day long. , it’s time to get married soon, you know?”

"My grandpa asked you to take me to Luoyang and ask my uncle to come and see me."

"Follow me to Longmen."

"Why?"

"I got news that the third wife of the Zhang family of Shangzhu Kingdom is in Luoyang and is going to Longmen Xiangshan Temple to fulfill her vows." Song Mian lowered his voice slightly, "Zhang Queyi's daughter, her two sisters, one is married to the prince, and the other is married to the prince. Married to a direct branch of the Li family in Qinghe."

Song Li raised his eyebrows and said, "I'm afraid I'm not worthy of this family status, right?"

"That's why I'll take you to Longmen to win you over with your style."

"it is good!"

"Longmen is the place where Aweng won the robe with his poems. You must seize it."

Empress Wu once ordered hundreds of officials to compose poems at Longmen Xiangshan Temple, and the best ones were given brocade robes. Shangguan Wan'er presided over and judged the merits. At that time, Dongfang Qiu first wrote a good poem in order to get the robe as a gift, but Song Zhiwen used a good poem to let Empress Wu "seize the brocade robe", which became a good story.

The Song family is very proud of this matter. Going to Longmen Xiangshan Temple is like visiting their own home.

Song Li smiled and said, "Don't worry, brother, others won't. I'm the best at winning a woman's heart."

"The chicken tongue is delicious."

"know."

Chicken Tongue Fragrance is another story. It is said that Song Zhiwen was a flatterer and wanted to be the face of Empress Wu. Unfortunately, Empress Wu did not like him because of his bad breath.

In short, the brothers have made a good plan and plan to go to Longmen tomorrow, and then inquire about Zhang Sanniang's whereabouts to avoid missing it.

It was a rare night for Song Li to feel peaceful. He didn't go to the brothels and bars in the city to mess around. He tossed and turned all night long, thinking about marrying the saint's cousin's niece.

The next day, when I was about to go out, I suddenly heard a piece of news.

"Zhang Sanniang got lost by the Yishui River..."

~~

In the county office, among the officials, Lu Linghao took a few steps, looked at Yuan Yiheng again, and asked: "Zhang Sanniang is really lost? How could it be?"

"Under the orders of the Ming government, the students rushed to Luoyang to deliver gifts. When they learned that Zhang Sanniang was leaving for Xiangshan Temple, they hurried there. When they arrived at the bank of Yishui, the Zhang family had alerted the county officials and were looking for them along the river... When I asked Later, I found out that Zhang Sanniang was swept away by the rapids while crossing the Yishui River in a boat."

Lu Linghao understood the topography of Longmen and knew that the Yi River flows from south to north to the territory of Yanshi and meets the Luo River from west to east. In winter, the water flow must be unpleasant.

"Riptide? Washed away?"

"Yes."

"did you find it?"

"This matter is also strange. The county officials couldn't find it no matter how hard they searched."

Lu Linghao said: "Didn't the boatman do it on purpose?"

"This matter... I'm afraid it's hard to say. But if we can find Zhang Sanniang, it will be a great achievement. Even Cui Youfu, the captain of Shou'an County, rushed to Longmen."

Lu Linghao took a few steps and murmured: "It's so weird. Who did it? Tell me, who knows about Zhang Sanniang's arrival in Luoyang?"

"Zhang Sanniang came quietly and stayed in Princess Yuzhen's annex in Luoyang without making any announcement to the outside world."

"This happened quietly? Even this county knows about it."

"A few days ago, Aunt Gongsun specially brought her disciples to visit. After that, Zhang Sanniang went to the newly opened Fengwei Restaurant in Luoyang to dine and commented on it. Liu Changqing wrote a poem for her, so the news spread. "

"In other words, everyone knows she's coming?"

"What Mingfu said...is true."

"Quick! Search along Yishui and protect Zhang Sanniang!"

"Well, Prime Minister Gao County has asked Li San'er to take care of it..."

"Have they seen Zhang Sanniang?" Lu Linghao asked, "Let Xue Bai come see me."

~~

"The Ming government came to me, but it's because of the county's tax collection?"

"Xue Lang, please sit down." Lu Linghao asked, "I wonder if you have ever seen the daughter of Duke Zhang of Shangzhu Kingdom in Chang'an."

"Zhang Liangdi?"

"No, no, it's Zhang's Sanniang."

"Master?"

Xue Bai asked this casually, and Lu Linghao's eyelids couldn't help but twitch.

"Xue Lang has seen you?"

"I met you at the Qujiang Banquet."

Lu Linghao said thoughtfully: "Then, did you hear about Zhang Sanniang getting lost in Yishui?"

Xue Bai shook his head and said: "Recently, I have only been thinking about how Prime Minister Gao plans to pay taxes..."

"The tax is not urgent." Lu Linghao frowned and said, "Zhang Sanniang was lost in Yishui. We need to find her back as soon as possible."

Xue Bai asked: "What does the Ming government mean by asking me to investigate this matter?"

"This……"

Lu Linghao hesitated for a moment and said, "You have just arrived in Yanshi and are not familiar with it yet. It would be best for Gao Xian Cheng to investigate this matter. However, you are the only one in the county who has seen Zhang Sanniang. You must cooperate with Gao Xian Cheng."

"If there is a disappearance case in the country, you should do your duty."

Xue Bai responded with an attitude that made people unable to make mistakes, and was not in a hurry about the matter.

Whoever is anxious will be passive.

(End of this chapter)