A Millennium Aristocratic Family Starting from the Shang Dynasty

Chapter 570 Taiping Road Zhangjiao

Daqian Tianming 425 years ago, now, although Tianming is still there, it has faded away. At the same time, since the last reform failed, scholars all over the world have not spoken about reform.

After that, with the emergence of the Confucian classics family, there were no more passionate scholars who made impassioned speeches, regarded the world as their own responsibility, and asked for orders for the people.

Even the imperial court's inspection and censorship system has ceased to exist in name only, and has even become a tool for fighting among the Confucian classics families.

Although the Daqian royal family controls the army, the army cannot govern the country. Now Daqian has become an imperial power and does not go to the countryside. The few townships can only be controlled because of the peasants and soldiers.

Beginning in the 10th year of the founding of the People's Republic of China, there was a severe drought, followed by a locust plague the following year.

The royal family of Daqian issued an edict to reduce taxes, but this edict was not implemented seriously. Daqian's taxes were collected by counties and counties. After collection, they were retained by the government offices for use, and the rest were handed over to the court. The imperial court then used these taxes to distribute salaries and food.

If the imperial court's tax reductions and exemptions were implemented, the officials below would have no money to enjoy them, the government offices would have no money to work, and even the scribes, officials, and servants below would have no money.

Therefore, the royal family issued an edict to reduce taxes, but it was not implemented at the lower level. Even with the connivance of those officials and subordinates, the taxes collected were no less than in previous years.

In the first year of the severe drought, people in various places still had some food reserves and could barely survive, but they would go hungry in the second year. The imperial court ordered the allocation of grain and grass for disaster relief, but very little actually fell into the hands of the people.

In order to survive, a large number of people had to sell their fields at low prices, sell themselves to the powerful, or support the elderly and children to escape famine.

The weather was hot, a large number of people fleeing the famine were killed or injured, and bandits were everywhere. It could be said that starvation was everywhere.

A group of young Taoist priests were walking in straw sandals. The Taoist leader sighed when he saw the people lying dead on the roadside. Several disciples shook their heads after checking it.

"Master, there is still one alive here!" At this moment, a young Taoist shouted while holding a skinny child.

The leading Taoist hurriedly walked over to check.

"I'm hungry. Get some water and dry food quickly."

"Child, where is your father?"

"I was exhausted from being drafted to build river embankments."

"Pension?"

"What is a pension?"

"Food distributed by the imperial court? Didn't you give it?"

"I gave you a few liters of grain and finished it."

".Where is your mother?"

"Mom is starving to death."

"Is there anyone else in your family?"

"I have a sister who was sold to Liu Dahu's family."

Having just woken up, the child, who was as thin as a skeleton, was swallowing a bowl of corn porridge. After consecutive years of severe drought, the imperial edict reduced taxes and provided food relief, but along the way, there was simply not enough food.

The imperial court exempted and exempted taxes, but the officials below still levied taxes. The allocated grain and grass were transferred layer by layer. When the subordinates did not even get 20%, how could they feed the people?

What's more, those nobles, powerful people and wealthy families are waiting for the common people to sell their fields and join in.

The royal family relied on the embroidered clothes envoy to punish some corrupt officials, but there were hundreds of prefectures in the world, and the royal family could not control them even by relying on the embroidered clothes envoys.

What's more, the world is exhausted and the royal family's income is getting less and less. It is already stretched to maintain the Yulin Guards and the Xiuyi Envoys.

The face of the Taoist wearing a white robe next to him dimmed. He had seen too many such things along the way. Maybe others were numb, but he still found it difficult to accept it.

After the child drank a bowl of porridge, he stopped eating and carefully stuffed the piece of pancake into his arms. "Why don't you eat?"

"Mom said, leave a mouthful of food for the next meal."

The little child was not very sensible yet, but he remembered his mother's words. Every time there was food, there would be some leftover, but my mother was starving to death.

My mother told me that if she starved to death, she would fall asleep. If she fell asleep, she would not be hungry anymore. If she starved to death, she would be able to see her father. She told herself not to worry and to live well.

Originally, they were going with many people, but one day a man brought a child about his own age and wanted to exchange. As for what was being exchanged, he didn’t know, but his mother seemed very angry and took him away that night. .

Then one night, my mother never woke up again. His mother, who used to be able to walk with him on her back, fell asleep. She was so small when she fell asleep. Only then did he realize that her mother was not much older than him.

When his mother fell asleep, he left her in the earth enclosure and covered it with branches. He originally wanted to cover it with a layer of earth, but he was too hungry and had no strength.

He continued walking along the road until today, when he passed out on the side of the road.

The Taoist leader was silent for a moment, then rubbed the child's head and asked, "What's your name?"

The child replied: "Aniu."

"What's your last name?"

The child said: "I don't have a last name."

The Taoist was silent for a moment. He sighed slightly and seemed to have made a decision.

"Master, our trip is dangerous. If we take him with us, his body will probably not survive!" said the Taoist next to him.

"If we don't take him with us, how long will they live after we leave?" the leading old Taoist priest sighed.

Others stopped discouraging.

The Taoist continued: "Aniu, from today on, you will worship me as your teacher and follow me, okay?"

"Okay!" The child agreed immediately.

"You don't have a surname, so take my teacher's surname of Zhang! From today on, you will be called Zhang Aniu!"

After a short rest, everyone set off again, but this time there was an extra child in the crowd.

There was a severe drought, followed by a plague of locusts. Because too many people died, there was no way to bury them, which led to a plague. At this time, there were serious epidemics in prefectures and counties all over the world, including Jizhou, Yanzhou, Yuzhou, and Jingzhou, and Jizhou was the most serious. They, a group of Taoist priests, were going to Jizhou to save the people.

These Taoists call themselves Taiping Dao, which is derived from Taoism, and Taoism is a religion derived from Taoism, Yin Yang School, Huang Lao's School, and Five Star Theory.

Although Taoism has become less and less popular in the court, Taoism has developed and grown.

It's just that there are many differences between Taoism and Taoism. There are fewer ideas about governing the country, but there are more various treatments and medicines. There are even some immortals and alchemists who have also integrated themselves into it, hoping to pursue immortality and godhood after death.

There was a severe epidemic in Jizhou, but the state and county officials did not dare to report it. The imperial court still found out about it from the embroidered clothes envoy. Wang Heng severely punished the state and county officials and sent officials and imperial hospitals to treat the disease, but the effect was still not good.

Zhang Jiao came here with his followers, brothers, and apprentices, hoping to cure the plague.

The officials who were dispatched were also afraid of the plague, so they could only isolate areas and seal them off, with no entry or exit allowed.

Officials accused Zhang Jiao of using herbal medicines and talismans as witchcraft to deceive people, but only Zhang Jiao was willing to enter the epidemic area.

(End of this chapter)