The great man will live forever

Chapter 18 The wealthy Huo Qubing

Chapter 18 The wealthy Huo Qubing
Zhang Tang led his troops to surround the palace of King Huainan overnight, and then conducted a large-scale search. Many important items were found, such as his fake jade seal and the talismans of various important officials.

He immediately reported all this to Emperor Wu of the Han Dynasty, but Huainan Kingdom was still far away from Chang'an, and transportation was not developed in ancient times. It would take half a month to go back and forth...

No matter how the Huainan Kingdom develops, Chang'an remains prosperous.

On a comfortable summer afternoon, a spacious and gorgeous mansion, with shadows of trees and bluestone steps, this is Huo Qubing's home.

In a corner of the mansion, Liu Han was sitting by a marble fountain, holding a plate of delicate snacks in his hand.

In front of him is an iron pot with a charcoal fire underneath. There is soup in the pot, which is boiling and steaming. Next to it are vegetables, including eggplant, cabbage, celery...

There is also meat, mutton, duck, fish, chicken...

Huo Qubing took a cut piece of mutton, rinsed it in a boiling pot, then dipped the seasoning in a bowl at hand, put it in his mouth and ate it.

"I have to say, Brother Liu, your hot pot is really good."

Liu Han on the opposite side smiled. He was here to feed a wealthy family. Ever since Xiao Taohong calculated the accounts, he knew that he was poor.

He was poor and did not show that others were poor, but Huo Qubing was extremely rich. The emperor gave him some gold and a house, and also made him a marquis. He had so much money that he could never spend it all.

Liu Han smiled self-deprecatingly, "This is the fifth time I've come to your house in the past few days. I'm a wealthy family, but I can't afford to spend my money."

"If it's not my family, it's your family. Butler Zhao, I will give all the money given by the emperor to Brother Liu."

This time, in addition to becoming a lord, becoming a hussar general, and leading an army alone, Emperor Liu Che directly gave Huo Qubing a thousand taels of gold with a wave of his hand.

And he, Liu Han, only had 100 taels. When compared, the gap was too big, ten times. Sometimes, Liu Han even doubted whether Huo Qubing was the illegitimate son of Emperor Wu of the Han Dynasty.

What is the concept of 1000 taels of gold?

据《汉书·律历志》记载,秦汉时期重量的度量衡制度是:铢、两、斤、钧、石。1石=4钧,1钧=30斤,1斤=16两,1两=24铢。

Later generations often have a saying, half a catty is equivalent to eight taels, because in the Qin and Han Dynasties, half a catty was equivalent to eight taels.

Converted to later generations, one tael in the Western Han Dynasty is basically equivalent to about 15.6 grams in later generations. If the 1000 taels of gold are priced at 455 per gram in later generations, these 1000 taels of gold are probably equivalent to more than 700 million yuan in later generations.

Due to refining technology and other reasons, gold in the Western Han Dynasty was more precious, so the one thousand taels of gold may have exceeded 700 million, or close to ten million.

In this way, Huo Qubing became a multi-millionaire, which in later generations would be difficult for ordinary people to earn in a lifetime.

Do you think this is the end?
Liu Han studied it carefully and found that it was far more than that.

Emperor Wu even cut Luyang Township in Rang County, Nanyang County, and Linjunju in Wan County into the Champion Marquis State, and granted Huo Qubing the title of Champion Marquis, with 2500 households living in the city.

This is Liehou, the highest title in the Qin and Han Dynasties. During the Qin Dynasty, it was called Chehou. After Emperor Wu of the Han Dynasty came to power, in order to avoid the taboo of his "Che" title, he was called Liehou, which was the title of Liehou.

Many people have no idea about the 2500 households in a food town. According to the records in "Hanshu. Geography", during the period of Emperor Ping of the Han Dynasty, each peasant household cultivated about 67 acres of land. So, 67 peasant households cultivated of land is [-] acres.

Don't think it's very big, because the acres at that time were not the same unit as they are now, and were much smaller than they are now.

One acre of land can produce about two stones of grain a year, which is equivalent to [-] kilograms today.

Our current grain price is about 6 yuan per kilogram, so it can be calculated that the value of a family's annual grain production in the Western Han Dynasty was 360 yuan per mu of land, and 67 acres of land was 24120 yuan.

At first glance, it seems that the annual income of 2.4 yuan for farmers is not low, not much worse than that of later generations. Unfortunately, they have to pay taxes.

This is a family. There was no family planning in the Western Han Dynasty. The poorer the family, the poorer they were. As long as they were hungry, they would die. A family basically had more than five people, and the children could work as laborers at a certain age.

Based on this calculation, the average annual income of a farmer is only about 5 yuan, which is very low. He can only make ends meet.

Then, let's talk about paying taxes. "Han Dynasty Food and Huo Zhi" records: A family of five cultivates 67 acres of land and harvests 150 shi of millet a year.The tax is 15 out of 135. If you pay 1.5 shi of grain, you will still have 90 shi of millet left.The common people eat 45 shi of millet a month, and five people eat [-] shi a year, leaving [-] shi left.

One stone of millet costs 30 qian, totaling 1350 qian.The clan ancestral hall requires money. It costs 300 yuan a year, and there is still 1050 yuan left.

People need to wear clothes, one person needs 300, and a family of five needs 1500.There is still 1050 left above, minus the money for clothes, and I still owe 450.

There is no other pocket money, funeral expenses, medical expenses, school fees, etc., so the people are often poor...

Many times, only a few people in a family can wear clothes, while many others are topless.

Later, people felt that one-in-ten was too much, so they changed it to one-in-fifteen and one-in-thirty tax, but they also added a head tax, which was cleverly designed to make it even heavier.

In addition, they also have to obey corvee labor, which is very serious and can lead to death.

From ancient times to the present, people, especially farmers, have been living a very miserable life.

Liu Han has thought about changing, but it won't happen overnight. He has to take his time. He is here to eat big money today.

The people were poor, but his brother Huo Qubing was extremely rich. There were 2500 households, and each household had an income of 2.4. The total output that year was worth 6000 million, with a draw of 30, plus the poll tax, he could take at least ten percent of it. One, more than 600 million.

This is just food, which means that as long as he lives, he will have it every year. If he dies, he will have his son, and if his son dies, he will have his grandson. This is the hereditary feudal lord, and this is why Li Guang dreamed of becoming a feudal lord. Hou's reasons.

Besides fame, the key is to have real money and pass it on to your son.

Do you think this is over?
There are also feudal countries and champion countries, and this is even more remarkable.

A fiefdom is far worse than a fiefdom.

A fief only collects the harvest from the labor of its population, while a fief can enjoy everything, including the farmers' land, means of production, and even the farmers themselves, who are also the owners of the fief.

A fief can only be responsible for collecting rents, but a fief has real power. It can make laws, have an army, and has its own bureaucracy, and its power is very powerful.

It is equivalent to being the master and everything in the fief. Everything in the fief belongs to him, even a mosquito.

That's not all. They can also receive a salary, which is estimated to be millions a year, which is higher than that of a prefect.

Wei Qing had been fighting for several years and was ranked as the Marquis of Changping. Huo Qubing fought once and was awarded the title of Champion.

Not to mention, Li Guang has been fighting for his whole life and has not yet become a marquis.

It can be seen from this that Liu Che is really good to Huo Qubing, so good that Liu Han drools with envy.

Of course, Emperor Wu of the Han Dynasty was quite good to Wei Qing at this time, especially in the past few years, Wei Qing had won great victories.

Emperor Wu of the Han Dynasty happily gave Wei Qing's three sons, who were still a few years old, and one of them even still in infancy, a title of queen.

The eldest son Wei and his wife were the Marquis of Yichun, the second son Wei Busuo was the Marquis of Yin'an, and the youngest son Wei Deng was the Marquis of Fagan. They both had a household of 1300 households.

None of Wei Qing's three sons belonged to Princess Pingyang, and he had not yet married Princess Pingyang at that time.

There is almost no record of the mother of these three children in the history books. It was probably that he and his concubine lived together.

After all, the main reason is that Princess Pingyang is too old and she probably won't be able to have a baby.

Hearing that Huo Qubing wanted to give all the gold and silver given by the emperor to Liu Han, Butler Zhao on the side was a little hesitant.

"Master Marquis, those are all given by His Majesty."

Butler Zhao is a man in his 40s, gentle-looking but tall. His name is Zhao Bowen, and he is Zhao Ponu's cousin.

Huo Qubing said calmly: "Since it is a gift from His Majesty, it belongs to me. I can naturally do whatever I want with it. Besides, what's mine belongs to Brother Liu. When did he and I separate?"

Zhao Bowen said hesitantly: "That thousand taels of gold is too much, how about leaving some in the house? The house's expenses have been quite high recently."

"What are you leaving behind? Your Majesty just gave me food for 2500 households. Isn't that all money?"

"It will take some time after the autumn harvest."

Huo Qubing was confused, "Does the government use so much money?" Liu Han shook his head and said, "Forget it, brother, just give me half. I will pay you back after a while. You need money to practice martial arts, feed BMWs, deal with favors, and recruit subordinates. .”

Of course, Huo Qubing doesn't need any favors. He just likes it if he likes it, and doesn't like it if he doesn't like it. He goes straight to the point. He doesn't need to fawn over anyone, even Emperor Wu of the Han Dynasty and Wei Qing. He just respects them.

He is also strong enough that others can only look up to him. This is his champion Hou Huo Qubing.

"General Liu is right. Marquis, your horses are expensive to maintain. They need fine feed, salt, and the arrows you shoot. You spend dozens of arrows every day, as well as the ones in the mansion." Servants’ expenses, a few days ago…”

Butler Zhao rambled on, talking about things that cost money.

"Okay, okay, let's keep half of it. Brother Liu, if you don't have enough, why should you pay for it? Don't say such nonsense next time.

You and I have been friends for 11 years. This money is nothing. I still remember well when you were five years old and I was seven years old. When we met, you half-knelt down and said that you wanted to recognize me as your eldest brother. I really wanted to kick you out at that time. , but I find it interesting.

I was naughty back then, and I wanted to tease you, so I asked you to practice martial arts and archery with me every day. I see that you are only 5 years old, and you are the younger brother of the king. You were born well and have never endured hardship. You will definitely not be able to persist. It was time to go back dejectedly. "

Liu Han smiled, remembering those days when he practiced martial arts and archery every day, but it made him miserable.

"But, you didn't expect that I persisted?"

"Yes, you are only five years old, and you have good food and clothing. I didn't expect you to persevere. My cousin, cousin, and some other people also tried, but gave up within two days. They will eventually end up with you. I’m not from the same place.”

The two talked some more, and Liu Han felt that he had to find a way to make money. It was not enough to come to Huo Qubing's place every day and eat for free.

"By the way, it seems that Chang'an is not at peace recently. I heard that Zhang Cigong, who was offshore, was arrested?"

In addition to wanting to get some money, this is what Liu Han wanted to ask. When he got the news, it was already relatively late, six or seven days later. I have to say that Zhang Tang did a pretty good job of keeping it secret.

After all, he was a senior general of the Han Dynasty, so he couldn't hear any trouble.

Hearing this, Huo Qubing waved his hand and asked Butler Zhao to go down. Butler Zhao also very wisely stepped back, leaving Huo Qubing and Liu Han alone.

"Well, Your Majesty told me to keep this matter a secret for now. The reason why my uncle failed this time was because the Huns got the news in advance, and the Huns were able to get the news in advance because someone in Chang'an City passed the news to the outside world. This person is Liu Ling, the daughter of King Huainan. Liu Ling committed suicide by taking poison in prison a few days ago.

If he were not still at war with the Huns, I estimate that Your Majesty would have taken action against the King of Huainan. This man was so ambitious, especially Liu Ling, that he actually leaked the news to the Huns. It was really abominable, and it would be a shame to die.

And that Zhang Cigong was actually fooled by Liu Ling's beauty and revealed important information. Your Majesty has already deserved him by not killing him. Brother Liu, you are still young. Remember not to be fascinated by women in the future. What you brought You have to watch out for that Hun princess. "

Huo Qubing rarely patted Liu Han's chest and said, his words full of concern.

"Okay, am I the kind of person who is seduced by women?"

"No way? I saw that when you rushed into the tent, your eyes almost dropped to the ground."

"Okay, okay, I know, I will keep an eye on her, and what can a woman like her do?"

"Don't underestimate anyone, not even a woman."

At this moment, Huo Qubing suddenly looked at Liu Han seriously, his eyes full of sincerity.

Liu Han was stunned at this moment, and he suddenly shouted: "The king of heaven is the same as the tiger of the earth, and the odd and even remain unchanged."

"Ok?"

Looking at Huo Qubing's confused eyes, he knew that he was stupid again. Also, if Huo Qubing was really a time traveler, Liu Hannian would have discovered it long ago after spending 11 years with him.

But many times whenever I get along with him, I feel as if he does not belong to this world or this era.

"Complain a little bit. By the way, will you block arrows for me on the battlefield?"

Liu Han must admit that the first time he approached Huo Qubing was to hug him.

But people's hearts are always made of flesh. We have been together for 11 years, practicing martial arts, practicing archery, and reading and writing.

The kind of personality charm he has, the kind of courage to move forward, the kind of wanton freedom, and the kind of keen judgment on things.

All of this made Liu Han rely on him more and more. He was really sincere, without any cover-up, and his whole body seemed to be radiating light.

Liu Han was thinking that if he were a woman in his next life, he might fall in love with such a person.

It's a pity that he forgot that this is the second half of his life. Maybe love is not long-lasting, but brothers are for life.

"Yes!" Huo Qubing's answer was simple and direct.

"Won't you stand in the way of an arrow?"

"I don't know, probably not. I only have one life, and I cherish my life. Besides, we are all generals, why do we need to charge into battle?"

Huo Qubing glared at him and was so angry that he wanted to hit him.

"How can a man make great achievements when he is wrapped in horse leather and is so greedy for life and afraid of death?"

"I'm not afraid of death, I just haven't enjoyed it enough. It's not a shame to die like this. However, I am willing to fight with you forever, even if one day I die with you on the battlefield."

At this moment, Liu Han was speaking from his heart.

Let's say he's not afraid of death. He seems to be quite afraid. After all, it's death. Although he has died once, he doesn't want to experience it a second time.

It can be said that he is afraid of death. If he can really seal the wolf to Juxu with Huo Qubing, he will be willing to do so even if he ends up dying on Juxu Mountain.

Ask 99.9% of the military generals in ancient China, as long as any of them can complete the sealing of the wolf and live in Xu, they are willing to die immediately.

"Yes, this is the Brother Liu I know!"

Huo Qubing patted his shoulder and smiled, and the two looked at each other and smiled.

"By the way, bring delicious food with you when you fight in the future. Don't treat yourself badly. Don't let yourself be too tired. Bring some supplements, such as ginseng, deer antlers, etc. Also, don't drink water casually in the ditch. Maybe there is an epidemic..."

Liu Hanxu rambled on for a while, but before he could finish, he was interrupted by Huo Qubing, "Brother Liu, when did you become such a mother-in-law? I am a big man, not a little woman, and I am not so delicate. .”

Liu Han wanted to say something else, but Huo Qubing kicked him out.

He was helpless, but he had no choice. Historically, Huo Qubing died at the age of 23, only 5 years ago.

There are also different opinions on his death in history, and Sima Qian simply wrote "death" in the historical records.

As for how he died, there are four theories.

The first type was those who were secretly killed by Emperor Wu of the Han Dynasty. Huo Qubing had made too great a contribution. Emperor Wu of the Han Dynasty felt that his achievements had shaken the master, but it would not be good to kill him openly, so he sent someone to assassinate him.

This is simply nonsense, it is impossible. Emperor Wu of the Han Dynasty treated Huo Qubing much better than his own son, and he was eager to keep him. Huo Qubing kept fighting to the west, defeated the Huns, conquered the Western Regions, and then went west, or Fight to the north, fight to the end of the world, how can you be willing to kill?
Later, Huo Qubing was so angry that he shot and killed Li Gan in the imperial garden in public. Emperor Wu of the Han Dynasty kept it secret and tried hard to save Huo Qubing. How could he secretly send someone to kill him later?
The second theory is that people from Wei Qing Group sent people to kill him. It is said that Huo Qubing's contribution became more and more important and he gradually replaced Wei Qing. The two interest groups formed a struggle. This theory is also unreliable. Wei Qing is Huo Qubing's uncle. , they can say that both will be prosperous and harmed, and Huo Qubing has such a good relationship with Wei Qing, will they kill him?

The third theory is that he was poisoned by the Huns, or drank unclean river water during the march. The Huns threw dead cattle and sheep into the river, or was poisoned, or something else. Anyway, he got into trouble. After the plague, this statement is still very possible.

The fourth theory, and the most likely one, is that Huo Qubing was exhausted from fighting all year round. He joined the army at the age of 4, and became a marquis in a battle at the age of 17. In the following five or six years, he completed achievements that others could never imagine in their lifetime.

I am 17 years old. I will not yet be an adult in future generations. My body is in the stage of rapid development. Many things have not yet been finalized. At this time, I am exhausted. I have been riding horses across thousands of miles of plains and deserts all year round. Just riding a horse is fine. , we also need to consider how to fight the enemy, and we also need to kill the enemy and fight on the ground.

In later generations, many people traveled for days and nights, taking trains, driving cars, or flying, and had to take a break. Not to mention riding horses day and night, and then when they arrived at the destination, they didn’t take much of a break before dismounting. Come and fight the enemy.

He didn't eat well, didn't sleep well, had to ride horses all night, was constantly tired, and then had to fight with others. Even an iron man couldn't bear it, let alone a growing boy of about 18 years old.

If possible, Liu Han thought, even if Huo Qubing never became a wolf, as long as he could live well, live a long life, and die in peace, he would be extremely happy.

But if he didn't seal Lang Juxu, would he still be Huo Qubing?Will he be happy?
 My protagonist has few appearances. I deliberately did this earlier because I feel that most people in history are protagonists, and those who can leave their names are worth mentioning. Later I will strengthen the protagonist's presence, but this seems not to be pleasing!
  I'm a little worried about gains and losses, and I care too much about other people's opinions. Just keep your attendance perfect, and just write on your own and be happy.
  
 
(End of this chapter)

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