Guide to traveling through the Northern Song Dynasty

"How many vacancies are there?" Zhizhou Han Zhao asked.

The general judge, He Zhengqing, said: "We are short of 64,000 yuan of money and 8,000 shi of food. All counties have reported that wealthy households have been forced to donate, but they still can't make up the amount."

"Where is the insufficient amount? The county officials took too much," Han Zhao sighed, "Oh, let's start the transportation at the beginning of next month. Regardless of whether we can make up the amount, we will first transport the money and grain to Xiangyang."

He Zhengqing said: "The imperial court is too hasty in recruiting, and I'm afraid that all parties will not be able to turn over enough. This is not the case for our Jinzhou family."

"Maybe." Han Zhao could only think this way.

After Wang Fu became prime minister, it was his first nationwide levy, and his experience in plundering was still insufficient. Only the overall task was issued, not how many husbands should be recruited along the way, how much each husband should pay, and no one was sent to supervise.

Historically, he had experience the second time around.

At that time, the land of Yanyun was obtained, and blood was drawn and donated in three places of Hebei, Hedong, and Shandong. However, it became unbearable within a year.

So the husband's money was levied and exempted from all roads in the country, and the detailed amount of money for each road was stipulated. Each husband paid thirty guan. Cao ministers were also sent to supervise, and any violation would be punished according to military law. It was also stipulated that no one from the clan, relatives, prime ministers, palaces, temples... could escape, and all had to pay free money.

To put it bluntly, knowing that the common people could no longer squeeze out money, they asked local officials to select fat sheep for slaughter, and Wang Fu levied another 20 million yuan per life.

Han Zhao and He Zhengqing, as the first and second leaders in Jinzhou, get along relatively harmoniously.

It’s not too hard to get money, everyone gets what they want without interfering with each other.

It's a pity that the general environment is not good, and the tasks assigned by the court are too heavy. They didn't make much money themselves, but their reputation was worse than Li Daochong's. There was already widespread public dissatisfaction in various counties in Jinzhou.

"I heard that Zhu Chenggong is back?" Han Zhao said.

He Zhengqing said: "Those who return to Yangzhou to visit relatives will receive a solar eclipse and amnesty will be granted to the whole world. The person named Zhu will also be demoted from a supervisor to a resettlement. After reporting, he can temporarily return to his hometown. The common people are ignorant, and they all say that he returned to Jinzhou to be a prefect."

Han Zhao thought about it carefully: "Thieves are common in various counties. I heard that Zhu Chenggong is quite famous in Jinzhou. Can you ask him to recruit thieves? It would be better to organize those thieves into an army or send them home with traveling expenses. Waste money on sending troops to conquer.”

"It's a good idea, but is he willing to help?" He Zhengqing asked.

Han Zhao said: "You can give it a try."

These two people were trying to save trouble, and they actually went to find Ju Ming.

Zhu Ming didn't know whether to laugh or cry: "You want me to recruit thieves? Prefect Han, I am a guilty person."

Han Zhao said: "It is no longer a serious crime to be reorganized and pardoned for resettlement. Nowadays, thieves are causing harm to the local area. If you successfully become a parent in Jinzhou and spread your reputation to the five counties, it will have miraculous effects."

Ju Ming looked hesitant and said over and over again: "Please give me some money and food, and arrange some government officials to be at my disposal."

"Okay," Han Zhao said, "Six hundred guan of money, one thousand dan of grain, and fifty people in front of the government."

Such a bizarre incident really happened to Ju Ming.

When he called Wang Jia over and told him the specific situation, Wang Jia's expression was extremely wonderful.

Zhu Ming ordered: "You are the head of the government officials in Jinzhou. Send this notice to each county. Each county will send ten government officials with archers from each county to go to the mountains to appease thieves in my name. .”

Wang Jia wanted to ask, are you really going to rebel?

But I felt it was inappropriate. Maybe I was overthinking it, and Xianggong Zhu didn't intend to raise an army.

Wang Jia personally led people to carry out the mission. He went to various counties to gather archers and then dispersed to work in the countryside. He asked Chief Baojia to deliver the news to the thieves: the former Jinzhou prefect Ju Ming was entrusted by the current magistrate to recruit the thieves with a guarantee of credibility. Anyone who is not a heinous person can go to Jinzhou City to surrender, and he will be freed from his crimes and be resettled, and he can also receive money and food to go home.

Ju Ming's signboard was really loud. Just a few days later, a group of thieves from Xicheng County came.

There were only a dozen or so thieves in this group. The leader of the thieves knelt down when they saw him: "Second King of Pantuogou, kowtow to Governor Zhu!"

Ju Ming said cheerfully: "Get up and talk, why are you a thief?"

Wang Er stood up and said: "Our village is poor. We were hit by a disaster a few years ago. Half the village came to the city to beg for food. My mother died of starvation at that time. Thanks to my husband's food relief, my brother and sister were able to survive." My husband gave me food rations when I returned to my hometown. I will always remember your kindness throughout my life. After my husband left Jinzhou, those officials became bad, and I became a thief because I had no other choice."

Ju Ming nodded and said: "Since you are willing to surrender, you can trust me and I will not let you suffer. Stay in the camp and make unified arrangements when more thieves surrender. Take your brothers with you to collect rations."

"Yes!" Wang Er bowed respectfully.

One after another, more than two hundred thieves came to the city.

The remaining ones who didn't come were either too far away or didn't trust the government.

Liu Shiren, Yang Zhi, Sun Li, Zhang Qing, Tu Shen, Zhang Jin and others, together with the village braves from Tiemao Village, sneaked into the city in batches to stay.

The village head Liu Shiren often went to the city and made friends with officials at the prefecture and county levels, and even got to know some scholars very well. In the name of transporting ironware, he transported many soldiers and armors to the city without attracting anyone's attention, and the city guards didn't even bother to check.

On this day, the magistrate Han Zhao was working in the government office, but he heard that Ju Ming had come to see him personally.

"Bring him in." Han Zhao didn't think much.

Bai Sheng entered with an anxious look on his face: "Prefect Han, my husband and I have important matters to discuss. Please go to Qingfeng Tower for a while."

"What's important? When will you arrive?" Han Zhao asked.

Bai Sheng said: "I don't know what it is. I just said that there will be a banquet at Qingfeng Tower at noon."

Han Zhao said: "I will go there then."

Bai Sheng resigned and continued to invite other officials.

At almost noon, Han Zhao left the state government office with his entourage. As soon as he left the government office, he met his secretary-general: "Where are you going, Bourne?"

Xu Hou, the observation envoy, said: "Zhu Chenggong held a banquet at Qingfeng Tower."

"Invited Bourne too?" Han Zhao was a little confused.

Xu Hou asked: "Did you also invite the prefect?"

The two of them chatted and walked, but they couldn't figure out what was going on, so they each got into the carriage full of suspicion.

When Han Zhao entered the Qingfeng Building, he found that the entire restaurant had been booked by Ju Ming, and many officials from the Prefectural Court and the General Court had come.

The officials greeted each other and then inquired about the situation, but the more they asked, the more confused they became.

Not long after, General Judge He Zhengqing also came.

Han Zhao asked: "Does He Dafan know what important matters we have to discuss today?"

He Zhengqing shook his head and said, "Don't you know, the prefect?"

The two looked at each other in confusion, neither of them understanding what medicine Ju Ming was selling in his gourd.

After waiting for a while, officials at the state and county levels had almost arrived.

"Where did those soldiers come from?" Someone's personal attendant exclaimed outside the door.

The rest of the family went out to watch the fun.

I saw about a hundred people, all wearing armor and equipped with swords and guns, trotting towards them.

Judging from his momentum, he is an elite soldier!

Until now, no one had realized what was going to happen.

Even the residents of the city went to the streets to watch the excitement, pointing at the soldiers, guessing that they might be officers and soldiers from other places.

There was too much noise, so Han Zhao and He Zhengqing took the officials out to check.

He Zhengqing speculated: "Isn't it Xiangyang sent here to urge for money and food?"

"Mostly so."

Han Zhao nodded and took two steps forward.

When these soldiers approached, Han Zhao noticed that the leader had tattoos on his face. He immediately understood that he was a traitor to the army, and immediately asked: "Are you the Xiang army from Xiangyang? The money and grain from Jinzhou have been loaded on the ship. In two days, Just transport it out.”

Yang Zhi said: "Fellow officials, please return to Qingfeng Tower. My husband will come soon."

"Who is your husband?" Han Zhao asked.

Yang Zhi grinned and replied: "But I am an old acquaintance with Prefect Han."

Han Zhao really couldn't remember which old friend he was, so he returned to the restaurant in confusion, drinking a small drink and waiting for his old friend.

Zhu Ming went to the school grounds, followed by nearly a hundred soldiers.

The barracks near the school field are now full of surrendered thieves, and Ju Ming asked them to come to the school field to receive money and food.

Ju Ming distributed money and food first. Although everyone didn't give much, it still made the thieves happy.

Ju Ming asked: "Can you trust me?"

"We surrender, of course we can trust our husband." Wang Er said.

Ju Ming added: "It's true that you surrender, but it's false to recruit you. It's just sending a few money and food to send you back to your hometown. I don't want to treat you badly, so I tell the truth. Even if you are organized into the Xiang Army, you won't have enough to eat. Are you willing to live that kind of life?"

"I don't want to!" More than two hundred thieves shouted.

Ju Ming said: "The emperor in Tokyo only knows how to enjoy himself. He demoted all the good officials and only used treacherous ministers as officials, allowing the treacherous ministers to plunder the people. Can you tolerate drinking your blood and eating your flesh?"

Another thief leader named Dong Daliang said: "What can I do if I can't bear it? We don't want to be thieves, but the government won't let us live a peaceful life. I surrendered this time because I thought my husband was a good official and could provide Let’s arrange an errand to survive.”

Ju Ming said: "There are thieves everywhere now, and the officials are forcing the people to rebel. The emperor does not care about the life and death of the people. If you go back to the countryside, you will not survive this year, but you will not survive next year. The taxes will be heavier next year because the court is at war with the Liao Kingdom. I advised the emperor to be kind to the people, and he took off my official hat. I really couldn't bear to see the people suffer, so I planned to start a rebellion. Those who have no eggs will go back to the countryside to farm with their money, and they will be taxed heavily by the officials next year. Sons and daughters are sold to get a bite of food. Those who have eggs should follow me and fight into Tokyo to seize the bird's seat!"

As soon as these words came out, all the thieves were shocked, and then they were inexplicably excited.

They are all more courageous, after all, even those who are timid will not become thieves.

Now someone is taking the lead in the rebellion, and it is the trustworthy Governor Zhu. It seems that he has found the backbone in an instant.

"Come into Tokyo and take the bird's seat!"

"Come into Tokyo and take the bird's seat!"

"..."

Ju Ming drew his sword and shouted: "Follow me!"

Over at the dock, the Xiang Army infantry and Xiang Army handymen were all organized into the Gang Army to escort money and grain.

They are now loading money and grain onto the ship. More than half of it has been loaded on the ship, and they will leave for Xiangyang in two days.

Zhu Ming led two teams of local warriors and more than 200 thieves to the North City Gate to control the guards, and then rushed to the dock on horseback: "All soldiers, put down their work and gather together to count the number of people!"

There were nearly a thousand people in those Gang troops, half of them were Xiang Army soldiers without combat effectiveness, and the other half were Xiang Army infantrymen who had been trained by Zhang Gen.

Although Ju Ming had been dismissed from office and although he could not produce official documents, these Xiang soldiers still gathered together honestly.