Win the Ding 1617

ps: Happy New Year everyone!May all your wishes come true!

In the same twelfth lunar month of the year of Chongzhen, in the area under the jurisdiction of the South Central Army, people began to buy New Year’s goods and make various offerings for ancestor worship, stove sacrifices, and five internal organs temples. From south to north, the air is filled with the sweet fragrance of sugar, vegetable oil and animal oil. The oily aroma and mixed taste of fried food.The children are holding up the fried food made by their parents, wearing newly cut clothes, inviting friends and screaming through the street, attracting the eyes and reprimands of the adults on both sides of the street. What about a group of children who are serious?

But in Wuhua County, Guangdong, which is less than a thousand miles away, there is a gloomy cloud in front of a Hakka enclosure.

On the heping used for drying grain, enjoying the shade, and practicing martial arts in front of the enclosure, the owner of the enclosure, Liao Sizheng, was squatting on the ground, smoking dry tobacco.

This Wailong House is the residence of the Liao family. It is built on the hillside, facing south and backing north, symmetrical from east to west, low in the front and high in the back, with clear primary and secondary, orderly location and regular layout. The pond in front of the house and the back of the main hall The "Wailong" is combined into a whole.There are dozens of living units in the enclosed house, and dozens of families of the Liao family live here.

This enclosed house is the pride of Liao Sigong's life.

The "cooked mud" can be formed through a special fermentation process with the loess that has been searched for through untold hardships. After several stirring procedures, the glutinous rice slurry that has been boiled until it is melted, egg white and lime are added, and then bamboo chips, wood The wall is three feet thick and the building is several feet high. This enclosure, which covers an area of ​​tens of acres, allows a large family to live and work in peace and contentment. Thinking about it on weekdays, Liao Sigong can go there with a smile. Meet the ancestors.

However, the Wailong House, which can resist the harassment of bandits and robbers, cannot prevent tax collectors from entering.

Looking at the bowl of rice noodles under his feet, Liao Sigong suddenly had the idea of ​​kicking it over! [

The Liao family, who moved from Meixian to Wuhua, still retains the eating habits of the Hakka people in Meixian. Among the three meals a day, middle and upper-class families eat dry rice twice in the morning and lunch.Eat porridge at night.Or, eat porridge twice in the morning and evening, and dry rice at noon.Generally, poor people may enjoy two meals and one porridge during the busy farming season, and three meals on weekdays.In front of Liao Sigong was his favorite rice noodles in the past.

"X little thief!" He cursed, God knows what he was cursing, and the youngsters around him didn't dare to approach.

"Winter Solstice! Come here!"

Liao Dongzhi, who was seen by Sigong, walked over from the side of the wall surrounding the dragon house with some embarrassment.

"Where are you going to run wild horses?! Hey! There are so many things going on in the house. Are you still in the mood to go out and play? When the house master in the county comes down to collect taxes, what do you do?!"

"Grandpa! Brother Dongzhi is planning to go to Mei County. One of his younger brothers has made a fortune there. Brother Dongzhi plans to ask him to borrow some money and pay this year's tax."

Next to Liao Dongzhi, a young man who was carrying the burden for him quickly explained to Grandpa.

Squinting his dim old eyes, Liao Sigong looked at the winter solstice.

"Go to a friend to borrow money? What friend? Also. Go to a friend, why are you carrying a big hatchet on your back?! Are you going to find a friend or to rob?!"

"Grandpa! I really went to ask my friends to borrow money. I brought the hatchet because there are people eating rich people, borrowing rice, and blocking roads and robbing everywhere. It's also for self-defense."

"Ah!" Hearing what his grandson said, Sigong Liao couldn't help but let out a long sigh, "Our Liao family has moved here for three generations, counting from me. All these years we only cared about clearing mountains and reclamation, building fields and repairing houses. I forgot to invite someone here Sir, come here to study for you! As long as one of you can obtain a reputation like a scholar, our Liao family will not be bullied for this!"

These days, these youngsters of the Liao family could see Liao Sigong sighing here almost every day, regretting that they didn't send their children to study to obtain fame.

"All of you only know how to dance with guns and clubs every day. If one of you has a reputation, alas!"

Liao Dongzhi and others have long been a little tired of hearing it, but the rules of the Hakka people are scary, and Liao Sigong would never dare to leave without speaking.

"Tell me. Who is the Qidi you went looking for?" [

"Grandpa, it's Wu Liuqi from Tangtian Township, Fengzheng Capital, Haiyang County, the one nicknamed Wu Gou."

"what!"

If you don't listen, it's over. After hearing Liao Sigong's forehead, he immediately swung the cane that was put aside and hit him without thinking.

"You little thief! Yaoshouzi! You still have contacts with that gambler Da Tianer! Are you planning to lose the three acres of paddy fields that your mother left you, and then go out to beg for food?! Let me tell you, Don’t ask for food in Wuhua County. I can’t afford to lose that man! Ancestors!”

"Grandpa! He used to be Da Tian Er! That's true! But in this area of ​​Mei County, when you mention Wu Gou, who doesn't give a thumbs up and praise a 'righteousness'?! And you can't help him turn his back on his evil ways and turn his prodigal son back?"

If Liao Dongzhi told the truth, what would Wu Liuqi mean by reforming evil and returning to righteousness, and turning the prodigal son back.I believe Liao Sigong will immediately order people to ring the bells and drums, burn incense in front of the ancestral tablets enshrined in the ancestral hall, and publicly announce that Liao Dongzhi will be expelled from the clan and will not be allowed to enter the ancestral grave after death!

The reason is that Wu Liuqi and his younger brother Wu Biao are currently blocking rivers and roads in eastern Guangdong with a group of brothers, charging tolls, and charging so-called protection fees for passing merchants.

Because of the conflict between the expansion of the territory and the surrounding forces, and the lack of capable manpower, Wu Biao thought of his brother Liao Dongzhi who had a good fist and had visited famous teachers in Liancheng, Fujian.

(If you have book friends in western Fujian and eastern Guangdong, you will know that Liancheng has always been known for being able to fight, and even bandits dare not go to Liancheng to rob. This shows how strong the local folk customs are. And Liao Dongzhi studied as a teacher in such an area Learning art, you can imagine the kung fu on your body.)

While talking, a group of people meandered from far to near on the distant mountain road.

"You guys, go back first!"

Seeing the tax collectors in the county come to the door to demand money and food, Liao Sigong pointed his cane at his children and grandchildren with a determined face, telling them to go back to the enclosure.He picked up the bowl by himself and put the cold rice noodles in the bowl into his mouth.

After Kankan finished eating a bowl, the tax collector had already arrived in front of him.

The tax collectors who are secretly called yellow skins by the people in the four townships are actually just a gray-clothed tax collector in the yamen, similar to a coordinator. But over the years, the various systems established by Zhu Yuanzhang when he founded the country have actually been completely abandoned, if things are done according to his system.I am afraid that more than half of the officials in the imperial court will have to pack up and leave.The reason is that they are all businessmen, the so-called cheap industry.But, Feng Shui turns around, and now the cheap industry has become Donglin, and they have all become Mr. Morality, isn't it ridiculous?

The same is true for yellow skin.A mere gray-clothed man actually owns a house with three entrances in the county town, and there are two fans who sing songs outside. Where does the money come from?This is the means of collecting money and food.

"Liao Sigong, it's the end of the new year soon. Is it time for you to pay this year's money? To be honest, I don't want to force you to grow old, but the officials can't help themselves, and the urging from above is too tight! "

"Then! Just tell me how much food my Liao family should pay!"

Liao Sigong just sat on the bamboo chair and didn't even have the intention of getting up to greet him.In the group that came with Huang Papi, some people started to frown and stare.These people have always been quite ruthless.Wherever you go, you are always greeted by people, and you are treated with good wine and meat, but you don't want to hit a soft nail here today!

"Go, get the money and food book!"

"Go, get the person book and the land deed!"

Liao Sigong and Huang Papi almost said the same thing, and someone nearby took out the Liao family's person book and land deed.

"Your Liao family has 340 men on the list, and the payable person is Ding Yin, starting from Zhang Xianggong. In this dynasty, all the corvettes were allocated to the land according to the land and collected together. Instead, it is based on the land. You should pay land tax, tax, Liao payment, training payment, suppression payment, plus fire consumption, etc..."

"Don't bother, just say the number directly!"

"Okay! Sigong Liao deserves to be Sigong Liao! Then, you can just give me [-] taels and seven cents and two cents!"

"However. There is a message from above. Starting this year, the collection of money and grain will no longer collect broken silver. Brothers who collect money and grain everywhere have received orders from the county parents. Only silver dollars can be accepted. Of course, it would be better if you have gold coins That's it! Our brothers don't have to take the trouble to carry the more than 300 silver dollars back to the county!"

Huang Papi slapped a haha, but his greed was not concealed in his voice.

Since the goods of the Nanzhong Army entered Guangdong and Guangxi on a large scale, merchants and officials from all over the country were pleasantly surprised to discover the fact that the same silver, but the silver dollars from Nanzhong had more and stronger purchasing power.

As a result, county magistrates and magistrates from all over the country, these old parents and lords of great respect, took out the means of breaking the county magistrate and exterminating the family magistrate, and when collecting money and food in their respective areas, they only needed silver and gold coins.However, fire consumption is accepted as it should be.

While talking, several sons in charge of the Liao family rushed out from the field and the yard. Seeing Sigong talking to a group of people collecting money and food on the lawn in front of the enclosure, they came forward and apologized with smiles on their faces. .

Several nephews even ordered Liao Dongzhi's brothers to catch chickens and slaughter ducks, fish in fish ponds, and prepare wine and meals for the gentlemen.

Seeing that the Liao family was so knowledgeable, the thug-like people who came with Huang Papi couldn't help but grinned with pride and laughed endlessly.

"Wait a minute." Liao Sigong used his cane to stop the fawning of several nephews.

"It's not too late to settle the accounts before inviting everyone to dinner."

He signaled a young man from the Liao family to take out a piece of land deed from a wooden box.

"Mr. Huang, this is the land deed of my Liao family. The mountains, forests, paddy fields and dry land are all here. The efforts of generations of my family have been here. However, there are more than [-] mu of paddy fields, more than [-] mu of mountain forests, and [-] mu of dry land. More than acre is the source of food and clothing for thousands of people in my Liao family. Over the years, my Liao family has been a good citizen, and I dare not owe the slightest amount of money to the state. But the tax money is getting more and more, why is it?"

Hearing this, Huang Papi's pupils shrank suddenly, and there was a murderous intent in his eyes, but in a blink of an eye, there was a smile on his face again.

"Liao Sigong, you can't blame me for this! Since Emperor Wanli, Liao's salary has been levied, and now since Emperor Chongzhen ascended the throne, Liao's salary has been levied. It is distributed to everyone and every mu of land. On the other hand, there are almost five qian silver."

"But this year's rice can't be sold at a price. If the imperial grain runs out, hundreds of people in my family will starve to death!" An uncle in charge of the Liao family cowardly begged Huang Papi, "Can you postpone the payment for a while?"

While speaking, he motioned to his nephew behind him to present a wooden tray, which was full of strings of copper coins.

"Some small things, please ask Mr. Huang to reward a few brothers for tea."

One of Huang Papi's subordinates glanced at the copper coins on the plate, and curled his lips, "Who wants these horse racing Chongzhen? At the very least, I have to bring some Nanzhong Tongbao and Jiajing Tongbao? This kind of money. Send the beggars? "

"Lao Six. The officials don't want it, so forget it. I still have a few words to ask."

Liao Sigong's face was full of indifference, as if he was afraid, which made Huang Papi feel a little worried, wondering what this Hakka guy was thinking.

"Just now you said that each person will be charged three rates per mu, which is about five yuan, but I can't match the account. Does my Liao family have so many people and fields and forests?"

"Also. The Xie family in Xiawei Village has several times more land, mountains, forests and fields than my Liao family. Why have you never heard that you went to his house to collect royal grain?"

"Sigong, you don't know this! According to the rules since the establishment of the imperial court, scholars and those who have fame are all exempted from money, food, taxes and corvees. This is the rule set by the great grandfather. We dare not violate it."

"Really? Then why did the money and food from Xie's 1000-acre farmland be thrown on my head? Let my Liao family carry it for him?!"

Liao Sigong's old eyes were bursting with anger, as if he wanted to turn all the hatred that had been bullied and squeezed for decades into flames, and burn the group of subordinates in front of him to ashes.

The so-called Feisa refers to the fact that powerful figures collude with the masters, officials and other characters in the government to break up the taxes, money and grain that should be paid in the mountains, forests and fields under their own names, and distribute them to the fields of other farmers.A means of evading taxation.The result of this operation is that from the perspective of the local government, the total amount of money and grain expropriated has not decreased, and the interests of the gentry have been protected. The unlucky ones are ordinary small landlords and self-cultivating farmers.

"Stop slobbering!" Seeing that the hands and feet that he and his father had played with for many years were exposed, Huang Bapi was a little annoyed, and his yellow-white face was full of anger. "Let me ask you a question, will you pay the money and rations today or not?"

"There is no money to pay! This year's grain price is too low, so we sold the grain. If we pay the imperial grain tax, we will starve to death!"

What happened next made Huang Papi make a move and decision that he would regret even in hell.

"Don't pay, right!? Little ones! Go to the enclosed house and bring out all the bulls of their Liao family! By the way, I went to each house to have a look. Women's jewelry and valuables are deducted from the tax. !"

"Good job! Law enforcement for the country! We are willing to do this job!"

The accompanying thugs grinned ferociously, and made a gesture to rush into the enclosure.

"I see which of you dare?!"

Liao Sigong knew when he saw a group of thugs like wolves and tigers rushing into the enclosure built with his own efforts.Once this group of guys who are not even as good as bandits rush into the enclosed house, not to mention my own family, I am afraid that the younger sisters in the family will not be able to find their husbands.

He stood up and threw down his cane. "The old man has lived for more than 60 years anyway, he has already lived enough, and I will give this old life to you today!"

As he said that, he rushed towards the half-moon-shaped pond beside Heping. This pond was dug out by the elder brother, the second brother, the third brother, the fifth brother, and the seventh brother to solve drinking water, fish farming, and fire prevention. Today is the pond where his life will end.

However, a figure blocked his way head-on.The huge and fat body blocked Liao Sigong's figure, and the huge impact made the old man dizzy.

Before Liao Sigong saw the face of the man opposite, the man opened his mouth.

"Old man, is he going to threaten us with this rotten life? Let Mr. Huang take the blame for killing people?! Courting death!"

The person who stopped Liao Sigong from throwing himself into the water and talking was a thug who accompanied Huang Papi to collect taxes.

"I won't let you see how powerful it is, you don't know what the three-eyed Lord Ma is!"

As he said that, the big man waved his palm with the size of a cattail fan, and smacked Liao Sigong's face.

The so-called seventy don't hit and eighty don't scold, this guy's actions are a bit too much.However, Huang Papi's face was full of color. Seeing that the blood flowing from the corner of Liao Sigong's mouth had stained his white beard with spots of red, he began to speak comforting words there.

"Bastard, who told you to treat Liao Sigong like this?"

"Sigong, look, this tax money..."

"You big-headed ghost's tax money! X bastards!"

Liao Dongzhi, a group of young descendants of the Liao family who rushed out from the enclosure, surrounded Huang Papi and his party in a turbulent manner.Liao Dongzhi, who was the leader, held high in his hand the firewood knife with a blade more than three feet long. The sharp blade shone with a shuddering coldness in the winter sun.

"What? Are you planning to rebel?"

Huang Papi still looked menacing, and under the siege of dozens of lightly dressed men with various farm tools, he was still indifferent, showing no signs of failure.

"We are collecting taxes according to the decree and official document of the county parents. Are you planning to beat the tax official and gather people to rebel?"

Seeing the dozens of villagers surrounded by them seemed a little timid, and some older villagers even started to shrink back, which made Huang Papi and his party feel relieved. They had seen such a situation countless times. But they were all resolved under their threats and lures, and then they had to ask someone to come out to make amends and pay some money to settle the matter. (to be continued...)