fisherwoman

The aunt and sister-in-law left the charcoal market and walked back slowly along the way they came.

"Sister-in-law three, there is still a long way to go back, can you do it?" Xiao Yun asked with concern beside him.

"It's okay, I'm so squeamish, it's only been more than three months, more activities are good for the child, let's go shopping while walking." Lin Xueman stroked the little carbon black stained on her clothes, and said, "Listen to you three My brother said, Yuzhou is very famous for its Huatuanjin, so let's go and have a look."

"Flower brocade? Is it a kind of silk?" Xiao Yun suddenly became interested.

"Well, I heard that the craftsmanship is very complicated, and it is an ancestral skill." Lin Xueman raised her eyes and looked at the bustling crowd in front of her, and said, "Almost all the cloth shops in Yuzhou City use this kind of brocade as their treasure. , as soon as new designs come on the market, they will be sold out.”

"It's so popular, we must go and see it."

"Who says it's not! I've been here for the past few days, staying in the house all day, eating and sleeping, sleeping and eating, I'm almost suffocated!"

"You've been here for several days, and my third brother doesn't have time to go shopping with you?"

"How can he have time to go shopping with me?" Lin Xueman smiled, "It's always very busy when you first take office."

"It seems that Mrs. Guan is not easy to do!"

"Come on, let's eat first!"

The two talked and laughed, arm in arm, and walked towards the city excitedly, with carriages passing by from time to time, blowing a gust of wind!

"My lord, this area used to be farmland. After it was occupied by the defenders, it was all planted with trees." An officer pointed to the two short hills in front of him and said in a low voice. "They didn't like these hills at first, but later they heard that there are more charcoal kilns in Yuzhou, so they came up with the idea of ​​planting trees and selling them."

The two hills not far away are indeed covered with various trees, which look green and eye-catching.

"After the common people's land was taken, what did they do for a living all these years?" Xiao Chengyu asked.

He was born in a farming family, so he naturally knows the importance of the land to the common people, as the saying goes.Food is the most important thing for the people. If they lose their land, their livelihood will be cut off. What should we do?

"After the defenders occupied the land, they didn't plant the land themselves, but hired the common people to plant the land for them. Therefore, these people in the suburbs seem to be farming as usual, but in fact they are not planting their own land," the officer said. He said, sighing softly, "In this way, the burden on the shoulders of the common people will be even heavier. The food grown will not only be handed over to the defenders for most of it, but also rent, because the rent is collected on a head-by-head basis. rather than by land."

Apparently, he is a local!

"So that's how it is." Master Yao glanced at Xiao Chengyu calmly, and said, "My lord, there is no tax on the military land, but even if the common people don't have land, they still have to pay rent. The people are struggling to survive!"

Yuzhou City looks prosperous on the surface, but in fact the common people have already complained.

"Understood, what we can do right now is to abolish the decree of taxation based on head count, and change it to taxation based on the actual amount of land owned, so as to reduce the burden on the common people!" Xiao Chengyu pondered for a moment, and said word by word. , "Master Yao, go back and draw up a notice, and it will be issued tomorrow."

"Your Excellency is wise! It's just that if the government order is changed in this way, most of the taxes will be reduced, and there will be no source for the government's expenditure..." Master Yao frowned.

"I'll discuss this later. People in the mansion don't use it if they can, such as that Ali." Xiao Chengyu said.

"My lord, how can we do without a maid in the house, besides, she is here to take care of Madam." Master Yao said hastily.

"It's okay, Madam has already said that she doesn't need others to take care of her. Besides, she will return to Longtan Town soon, and she won't be here soon." Xiao Chengyu frowned and said, "That's it!"

"Okay then!" Master Yao shook his head and replied, then turned and left.

"You all go back! I can just walk around by myself." Xiao Chengyu waved to several followers.

"Yes." Those people retreated in response.

Xiao Chengyu stood there, looked at the two hills in front of him, and sighed, this problem is really tricky, and if he wants to return the forest to farming, he may have to go through a lot of trouble...

Although he is the magistrate of Yuzhou, the defenders here belong to the Ministry of War and are not subject to the restraint of the local government. Liu Yuantong, the servant of the Ministry of War who leads the Yuzhou defenders, is usually arrogant due to his military exploits and strong family power. Disrespectful, supercilious, it is said that the previous prefects were afraid of him three points, let alone come to him to argue, if he didn't take the initiative to come to ask for trouble, it would be considered a great face...

At this time, a carriage stopped quietly behind him.

The coachman jumped down immediately and set up the low stool.

A red figure stepped on a low stool and walked down slowly, and the maid beside her immediately stepped forward to hold her arm, as if she would fall down at any moment.

It is Princess Nalan.

She wore a red veil, making her even more mysterious and lovely.

"Why is your lord sighing here?" Princess Nalan Yingying stepped forward and asked, she looked at him with a coquettish smile on her face, her fair face seemed to have a blush.

"Princess!" Xiao Chengyu turned his head to see her, and hurriedly stepped forward to salute her.

"Don't tell me, my lord, I also know that your lord is worried about the land these few days, right?" Princess Nalan looked at him with crooked eyes and lips.

"Exactly, I made the Princess laugh!" Xiao Chengyu replied calmly.

"I heard that your wife is here, where is she?" Princess Nalan said, took off her veil, looked up at him, and said with a sour voice, "A woman who can match up with an adult must be a beautiful lady of all ages, right?" ? Is she more beautiful than me?"

"Reporting to the princess, how can the appearance of the clumsy bushes and willows match the beauty of the princess!" Xiao Chengyu said in a deep voice.

"Haha, sir, don't be so nervous, I'm just asking casually." Seeing his serious face, Princess Nalan smiled, "My lord, I'm going back to the palace tomorrow, please accompany me to my father in his busy schedule." The Queen Mother bought some gifts to take back, your lord will not refuse, will you?"

"I obey orders!" Xiao Chengyu had no choice but to respond.

Princess Nalan smiled slightly.

The two walked slowly among the bustling crowd, handsome men and beautiful women.A few envious eyes aroused!

A group of people behind drove the carriage and followed quietly.

After walking for a while, princess Nalan's forehead was covered with sweat, and the maid beside her hurriedly handed over the handkerchief.

"Princess, let's get in the car!" Seeing her panting, Xiao Chengyu persuaded.

"No, can't I even walk?" Princess Nalan blushed, replied angrily, and took a few steps forward.

"Princess, please slow down and be careful!" The servant girl hurriedly followed.

Xiao Chengyu also walked a few steps quickly and chased after him.

"Does your lord think that I'm a useless person?" Princess Nalan stopped, panted, and smiled sadly at him.

"How could it be? The princess has golden branches and jade leaves. I will recuperate a little in the future. I will be healthy soon." Xiao Chengyu comforted.

"My lord doesn't know that I was weak since I was a child, which made my father, queen, mother and concubine very worried. They took me to the temple many times to offer incense. Later, I ran into an eminent monk in Baohua Temple. He once told my fortune by telling my fortune. In my previous life, I was a summer cicada, singing on the bodhi tree in front of the Buddha all day long. I have been reincarnated from generation to generation, and finally I have some spirituality. I am reincarnated as a human being, and I can see the beauty of spring and the snowflakes of winter, so I don’t want to be a cicada forever. I only want to reincarnate once in the world.” Nalan coughed lightly when he said this.The handkerchief wiped the corners of his mouth, and said again, "How could I know that I am a man in this life, and I am honored as the Emperor's daughter, but I am still Xia Chan's fate. In a year, I can only have some vitality in summer and autumn. In winter and winter, I spend almost all of my time in bed."

"The princess is worrying too much. There is no past life or future life in this world, it's just an excuse from some Taoists!" Xiao Chengyu frowned, he didn't know how to comfort her.

"But I believe it. When I first met my lord, I felt very cordial. I must have known him in my previous life!" Princess Nalan smiled lightly. "In my previous life, I was a summer cicada. I don't know what a lord is?"

Xiao Chengyu smiled without saying a word.

The two of them walked a few steps forward, and saw that a shop had just opened, and a long booth had been set up in front of the door, covered with a dazzling array of pearls, emeralds, and silk flowers.

Princess Nalan couldn't help walking over, with a curious look on her face, she picked up a string of silk flowers, looked at them carefully, then turned her head and asked, "Surely these are the silk flowers made of the famous flower brocade in Yuzhou City?"

"Exactly." Xiao Chengyu looked aside and nodded.

"Which one do you think looks better?" She took those silk flowers and put them in front of her, squinting her eyes and asking.

"I think these are all good." Xiao Chengyu smiled slightly.

"Your Excellency's saying that is just refusal, why not just choose one for me!" She looked at him a little coquettishly.

"Then this one!" Xiao Chengyu had no choice but to take a red silk flower and hand it to her.

She didn't answer, and said softly, "Put it between your temples for me!"

"This...." Holding the silk flower, Xiao Chengyu was in a bit of a dilemma. Monarchs and ministers are different, men and women are different, they don't agree with reason, they don't agree with emotion....

"If your lord is open-minded, why hesitate, it's just a matter of raising your hands." Princess Nalan looked at him, with the corners of her mouth raised, and said softly, "Don't lord even want to do this little thing for you?"

Not far away, two figures stood there, staring at them, stunned!

Xiao Yun couldn't believe his eyes, he saw her third brother holding a bunch of silk flowers, smiling and putting them on a woman's head, and the woman had a shy face.

Lin Xueman's heart sank suddenly, and tears suddenly appeared in his eyes. He was busy all day long, so he was busy with these things...

Xiao Chengyu looked very familiar with the woman, only to see that he paid for her, and the two turned and walked forward.

She didn't know what to say, and he turned his head and smiled at her, that smile was so gentle and natural.

Lin Xueman watched them gradually disappear into the crowd, and suddenly felt heartbroken. All this time, she had never really doubted Xiao Chengyu, and felt that he was not that kind of amorous person, but now....

She wiped her tears, turned and walked back without saying a word.

"Sister-in-law three." Xiao Yun looked back at the two people, hurriedly stepped forward to grab her, and persuaded, "Sister-in-law three, don't be angry, my third brother is not that kind of person, there must be a misunderstanding."

"Misunderstanding? Sister, you are still saying that there is a misunderstanding about the fact that you and I saw it at the same time, so should I calmly pretend that I didn't see anything?" Lin Xueman shook off her hand and sneered, "If you If you plead for him in front of me again, I will know you for nothing."

"No, sister-in-law three, I'm afraid you'll be angry!" Xiao Yun looked at her cautiously, "You, don't be angry, it's too worthless if you get angry!"

She had never seen this sister-in-law so angry, but she didn't know what to say for a while, this third brother, what is he doing!

Lin Xueman didn't speak, and walked forward on her own. She took a few steps, raised her hand and stopped a carriage, and someone stuck her head out in the carriage: "Little lady, where are you going?"

"Longtan Town."

"Come up!"

"Sister-in-law three, wait for me!" Xiao Yun ran over from behind and supported her, "Slow down, I'll go back with you!"

She paused, and then said, "Sister-in-law three, my third brother doesn't know if we go back, he might be in a hurry!"

Catching Lin Xueman's gaze, he hurriedly changed his words: "Never mind him! Let him go in a hurry!"

The two sat in the carriage, silent all the way! (To be continued. If you like this work, you are welcome to vote for recommendations and monthly tickets. Your support is my biggest motivation.)

ps: Thank you for the love ^^, sunflower889, yh_yh1166 for their safety symbols, thank you dear!