Eastern Jin Dynasty: My powerful father

Chapter 127 Interview with the People
  In the eighth year of Yonghe (AD 352), on the fifth day of the first lunar month, the chill in the Xitao grassland in early spring was still lingering, and the new wind blew by, making people tighten their necks.

The old shepherd took his two grandchildren to graze on the grassland and taught them some experience. Occasionally, he would talk about the past events of the Huns and mention the glory of Modu Shanyu and Laoshang Shanyu.

The grandchildren liked to listen at first, but over time, they lost interest. Instead, they asked the great Chanyu who was more powerful compared with those people.

In the hearts of the Huns teenagers, the Great Chanyu who led them to defeat the Di invasion was the most powerful person in the world.

It's no wonder that they have such thoughts. After all, starting from Liu Hu's generation, for forty years, the history of Tiefu Xiongnu has been from one failure to another, and the backbone has been bent.

The old man's eyes were already cloudy. Listening to his grandchildren's questions, he couldn't hide his pride and said:
  "The Great Chanyu is not as majestic as them."

This sentence is not wrong. Although the Great Chanyu is now sitting in Guanlong and giving orders to the Xiongnu, his majesty is still more than a little less than when Maodun and Laoshang were at their peak.

However, soon, the old man's mood dropped and he said again:

"The Huns will never have heroes like that again."

The grandchildren didn't know why the old man was sad. They were about to comfort their grandfather when a familiar figure appeared in the distance.

"I am back!"

Feilian Helong saw his father and son from a distance. He was waving his arms happily while riding on horseback.

He obeyed the call and went to serve under Da Shan Yu. He left for half a year, during which time he thought about his family day and night.

The two teenagers heard their father's voice and ran happily over. The old man was filled with joy when he saw his son coming back safely. He also saw the four pieces of cloth he brought back from this trip and couldn't help but smile and said to himself:
  "It seems that we have won another battle. Fighting for Da Shanyu is better than working for the Liu family."

Liu Hu and Liu Wuhuan, father and son, were bound to be defeated in every battle. Fighting with them would always be in vain, result in failure, and even result in loss of life.

The tribes on the grassland have always admired the strong. Although Huan Xi was not a Huns, it was obvious that he, the Great Chanyu, had indeed become the backbone of the Tiefu Xiongnu.

And this phenomenon will become more and more popular because the horse archers bring back the rewards of victory.

Different from the low morale when they followed the Liu family in fighting, today's Tiefu Xiongnu can be said to be happy to hear Huan Xi's call. Otherwise, the five thousand horse archers would not have happily gone south to obey orders after receiving Huan Xi's call.

The Huns trusted Huan Xi, trusted his ability to command operations, and believed that he would distinguish rewards and punishments and would not be unfair due to ethnic prejudice.

For them, war is often the fastest way to plunder wealth, and the protection of lances on the battlefield is enough to give them a full sense of security.

It is conceivable that if Huan Xi recruits him again in the future, they will respond more actively.

Five thousand horse archers brought back generous rewards, and the Xitao Plain was filled with laughter and laughter. Occasionally, they would talk about the prosperity of Chang'an.

After Huan Xi took control of Chang'an, this city that had been dormant for many years regained its vitality.

The Great Chanyu of the Huns left the city of Chang'an, where he was loyal, and came to the countryside to visit the sufferings of the people.

Huan Xi randomly selected a house and walked in.

The farmer in the house was horrified when he saw the soldiers pouring in. He didn't understand why these soldiers were making trouble again after just a few years of peaceful life.

The farmer desperately protected his wife and children. He had participated in the training of state and county soldiers, and he knew how to dance with a spear and a stick. However, looking at these soldiers with distinctive armor, he still felt helpless in his heart.

"You can take all the things, but don't harm anyone's life."

The farmer said with a trembling voice.

At this time, a chuckle sounded, and Huan Xi walked out of the crowd. He comforted:
  "Don't be afraid, they are not rebels, they are all my guards."

When the farmer saw Huan Xi, he was surprised and said:

"You are the general!"

"Huh? Do you recognize me?"

The farmer lowered his guard, but in front of the Lord of Guanlong, he was still quite nervous:

"Returning to the general, every time the general goes on an expedition, I will go and watch. I have seen the general a few times from a distance."

Huan Xi suddenly understood. He nodded, randomly found a bed, or stool, and sat down. He stretched out his hand to greet the farmer's two children.

The children were afraid of fear and did not dare to step forward, but the farmer pushed them over.

The older one was a girl, about ten years old, and the younger one was a boy about eight or nine years old. The children were all wearing brand new clothes. Huan Xi stroked their little heads and asked the farmer:
  "What's your name?"

The farmer smiled sheepishly:

"We vulgar people don't have names. My surname is Zhao. I am the fifth child in my family. Everyone calls me Zhao Awu."

Huan Xi nodded and asked casually, as if chatting about family matters:
  "Ah Wu, how was the harvest at home last year?"

Upon hearing this, Zhao Awu lost the embarrassment he had felt before, and introduced with excitement:
  "Thanks to the general's allocation of fields for us and the good weather, my family planted 60 acres of land last year, harvested 90 shi of millet, and paid 3 shi of land rent. There was a surplus at home, and we also planted 10 shi of grain. Even acres of mulberry fields can yield something.”

Although Huan Xi granted 80 acres of land to men and 40 acres to women, considering the fertility of the soil, it was necessary to keep it fallow and rotate crops.

Therefore, although it is said to be one hundred and twenty acres of land, only sixty acres are actually cultivated every year.

It costs ninety shi to harvest millet, which is in line with the standard of one and a half shi per mu.

After deducting the tax of three shi and the food rations for a family of four, there is still a large surplus. It is no wonder that Zhao Awu can give a pair of children new clothes.

Of course, since every household had a surplus of grain, a drop in grain prices was an inevitable result. And Huanxi used silk cloth to collect rent and deduct labor and corvee, so the price of cloth would also rise accordingly.

Huan Xi often sold excess cloth at high prices and hoarded grain from the market at low prices.

After all, if you really have to wait until there is no more silk cloth to use for rewards, you can also directly give money to the soldiers.

Huan Xi now only hates that he studied liberal arts in college. Otherwise, if chemical fertilizers could be produced, there would be no need to consider fallow rotation, and the arable land would be doubled.

But with his poor knowledge base, it was obviously impossible.

Huan Xi asked Zhao Awu many questions. Before leaving, he took out a bunch of copper coins from his arms, about a hundred coins, handed it to the two children, and said with a smile:
  "I came to visit you in the New Year, but I didn't bring any gifts. I kept the money to buy snacks for you."

Snacks are snacks. After saying this, Huan Xi said goodbye to Zhao Awu and his family, turned and left the house, and the guards followed him.

The children were naturally overjoyed when they got the copper coins, but Zhao Awu took them away. How willing were they to obey, noisily saying:
  "This is what the general gave to us. I can't take it away!"

Zhao Awu said helplessly:

"I will give you another bunch of copper coins, but this is a gift from the general. How can I let you use it to buy snacks?"

The two children cheered and laughed again.

Zhao Awu's family can be regarded as a microcosm of the people of Guanlong. Precisely because the people have surplus, they have the ability to consume, which also promotes the development of all walks of life.

Huan Xi has now begun to collect commercial taxes. The tax rate is not high, at 5%. For the time being, he only collects residential taxes and does not collect excess taxes.

The so-called residence tax refers to the amount of tax collected when entering the market. Huan Xi limited transactions to specific occasions in counties, counties, and townships to facilitate management and collect commercial taxes.

The overtax is the commercial tax paid by merchants when they go all over the country with their goods and pass through customs. Huanxi does not collect commercial tax for the time being, which is also to encourage the circulation of goods.

Of course, if one day, when business is booming, tax policies will change again.

Huan Xi returned to the military mansion between Weiyang Palace and Changle Palace. Wang Meng heard the news and hurriedly came over.

"My lord, there is news about the steel filling method." Wang Meng said with excitement.

There was nothing I could do, it was really Huan Xi who pushed me hard.

Although the steel-filling method appeared as early as the late Eastern Han Dynasty, it has not become popular. Not many people know this method. When Wang Meng was doing business, he heard about this method in Xingyang County, so he sent people east to explore. I really need to find a craftsman who knows how to pour steel.

The person is now on his way back to Guanzhong.

Huan Xi couldn't help but feel excited after hearing Wang Meng talk about it in detail.

He had been hoping to use the steel-filling method instead of the steel-frying method to forge armor. After all, the quality of the steel obtained by the steel-frying method was really poor.

While Huan Xi was waiting anxiously, Sima Xingnan and his party were about to arrive in Jiangling.

Huan Wen had groomed himself very early in the morning. For this reason, he had not even been close to women for quite some time, just because he was worried that when Sima Xingnan came back, she would see him looking like he was overindulging in sexual pleasure.

Although stimulated by Huan Xi, he went to the nunnery less often, but after Sima Xingnan left, Huan Wen lived a relatively comfortable and unrestrained life.

But as time passed, I began to miss my wife.

There was no one in front of him, and he was surrounded by fawning faces. However, Huan Wen felt that life was boring.

Youdao is that a little separation is better than a new love. After so many years of marriage, apart from when Huan Wen was conquering Shu, this was the first time they had been separated for so long. No wonder Huan Wen couldn't adapt.

When the ship emerged from the river fog and gradually approached the ferry, Sima Xingnan, who was standing on the deck, saw Huan Wen and called the old slave happily.

Huan Wen also waved to her excitedly and said:
  "Princess! The old slave is here!"

The ship docked, and Sima Xingnan took the lead to get off with Aman in his arms.

"Old slave! Come quickly! Take a look at your Aman!"

Huan Wen also ran over happily, stretched out his hand impatiently and said:

"Princess, give this old slave a hug quickly."

Sima Xingnan handed the child into Huan Wen's arms, still saying:

"You have to be careful. If you get bumped, I won't be able to spare you."

"I know, I know."

Huan Wen responded impatiently, and then looked down at his grandson with joy. Unexpectedly, Aman could now reach out and grab things. He grabbed his grandfather's beard and pulled it twice.

In front of Huan Wen, he was much bolder than his father Huan Xi.

Huan Wen bared his teeth and shouted:

"Yo yo yo."

In fact, he was having fun with Aman. Seeing Aman babbling and smiling in his arms, Huan Wen felt that his heart was melting by him.

Huan Wen had an obvious preference between A Man and Luo Niang. After all, one was the eldest grandson and the other was the granddaughter of a concubine. Not to mention a powerful official like Huan Wen, even ordinary nobles would have preferences.

He just glanced at Luo Niang a few times and praised her for looking like his mother, but he hugged Aman and refused to let go.

It wasn't until they returned to Linhe Palace that Aman started crying, and then Sima Xingnan took it from Huan Wen.

"I haven't seen the child being hungry and still holding it and not letting go. Could it be that you can breastfeed him?"

Sima Xingnan handed Aman to the wet nurse.

The nurse held the baby in her arms and was about to go to the side room to breastfeed. Huan Wen also followed, but Sima Xingnan grabbed his beard from behind:
  "Old slave! Why are you following me when I'm breastfeeding?"

"Oh, princess, be gentle."

Sima Xingnan's hands were not as strong as Aman's, and Huan Wen was really in pain.

He explained:

"I just want to see Aman a few more times, I have no other ideas."

Sima Xingnan then let go, and she hummed:
  "Sit down for me. Now that there are no outsiders in the room, tell me carefully. I've been in Chang'an for so long, where did you steal the food?"

When Huan Wen heard this, he didn't bother to comb his beard and said seriously:

"What did the princess say? Since the princess left, the old slave has always behaved himself. Even the female raccoon man dare not bring him home, let alone a woman."

Sima Xingnan sneered:
  "You don't dare to take it home, but why did I hear that you have prayed to Buddha very frequently in the past six months?"

Huan Wen immediately said:
  "Isn't this to pray for the family?"

Sima Xingnan nodded:
  "I see, I made a mistake in blaming you. Okay, you go and ask the chef to prepare some food for me."

Huan Wen breathed a sigh of relief and quickly agreed. Just when he was about to step out of the door, Sima Xingnan suddenly asked from behind:
  "Old slave, are those nuns beautiful?"

Huan Wen was completely unprepared and smiled subconsciously:
  "Very beautiful!"

As soon as the words came out, he knew he was in trouble, and the smile froze on his face.

I just heard Sima Xingnan say coldly from behind:

"Don't leave in a hurry, come back."

Huan Wen explained with a wry smile:
  "The princess said it herself when she left. As long as the old slave doesn't bring anyone home, he can indulge occasionally outside."

Sima Xingnan grimaced:

"Did I say so?"

Huan Wen quickly shook his head and said:
  "No, I heard wrongly. I am guilty."

Sima Xingnan said angrily:

"Even if I allow you to indulge, you really do. When did you become so obedient? If I ask you not to touch other women in the future, will you really stop touching her?"

Huan Wen nodded repeatedly:

"No more! No more! In my eyes, everyone except the princess is a red and pink skull."

Sima Xingnan was amused by his appearance, but he quickly straightened his face and said:
  "I'll spare you this time. Next time, you should shave your beard as soon as possible, lest I pull them out one by one."

Huan Wen lamented in his heart:
  Could it be that I am really old and confused? After finally having a relaxing life, I am still looking forward to the early return of this shrew.

　The weights and measures of each dynasty are different. The three-stone tax collected in the Northern Wei and Northern Qi Dynasties is different from the three-stone tax in the Jin Dynasty. In fact, this was my negligence. I didn't pay attention at first. Now I want to change it, but it's hard to change it. I have to make the mistake and ignore it.

　　I apologize to everyone. I will pay more attention in the future and try not to make such mistakes.

　　The first chapter is 4000 words long, and the second chapter is still at p.m.

　　
  　
  (End of this chapter)