Guide to traveling through the Northern Song Dynasty

The Jishui River meanders eastward, and the sails on the river are like weaving.

Compared with the busyness on the dock, the city of Jinan is much deserted.

Ju Ming stood on the tower and looked out for a while, and couldn't help but ask: "How many households are left in Jinan Fucheng?"

Ling Guxu replied: "More than 20,000 yuan."

Ju Ming was speechless as the crowd was smaller than he imagined.

It is difficult for the elderly to survive wars and famines. The average population per household is estimated to be only two or three, and it will never exceed four anyway.

In other words, Jinan, as the provincial capital of Shandong, has only 70,000 to 80,000 residents inside and outside the city.

Zhang Shuye pointed to the distance and said: "Jinan City has been besieged by bandits many times, but only once was it breached. Every time the city could not be breached, the bandits plundered rural towns. Nearby Liuhong Town, Sungeng Town, Yaoqiang Town, Huizhou Town, etc. He Town... has been repeatedly plundered by bandits five or six times. Although a large number of refugees were resettled last year, these towns are still sparsely populated. Even some large landowners cannot recruit tenants, so they can only abandon their properties."

It is strange that large landowners can recruit tenants. The Shandong government encourages reclamation, and everyone can be allocated land.

If you can cultivate your own land, why should you share it with the landlord?

Nowadays, the landowners in Shandong regard their tenants as bodhisattvas, fearing that their tenants will give up their jobs. The reason why they can still retain some tenants is purely due to the usury they lent in the past.

However, the Ming Dynasty court has launched a "rent and interest reduction campaign" in the hardest-hit areas.

The government does not recognize the interest on loans that have been dated for too long, which is equivalent to encouraging poor peasants to only return the principal. For old debts that are more than twenty years old, you don’t even need to repay the principal. For recent debts with exorbitant interest rates, the government has also set a maximum interest rate, and will not recognize any excess interest.

Officials at all levels in the provincial capital, prefecture and county send their yamen officials to the countryside on horseback and boats to repeatedly publicize policies every month.

More and more farmers are aware of these policies.

Farmers who owe debts tend half of the land owned by their creditors, and the other half farm the land assigned to them by the government, and then live frugally and use their money to repay in installments the money owed by their ancestors for generations.

Due to the lack of tenant farmers, the big landowners were unable to defy the government, so they could only hold their noses and admit it.

Once the landlords pushed too hard, the tenants simply chose to run away with their families. Anyway, all the governments in Shandong are resettling the refugees. If you go to the government to report, you can get the abandoned land.

"Is there a Xin family here in Jinan?" Zhu Ming asked.

Zhang Shuye has been an official in Jinan for many years and is very familiar with this place: "There is a Xin family who moved here during the reign of Zhenzong of the Song Dynasty and served as a judge in Dali Temple. Four generations of his ancestors have been Jinshi, and they are quite famous in Jinan. They I live in Yaoqiang Town to the east, which has been plundered four times by bandits in the past few years."

"What's going on now?" Zhu Ming asked.

Zhang Shuye said: "I don't know much about other ministers, but there was Xin Zan in the Xin family, who was a Jinshi in the late Song Dynasty. Not long after he returned home to Dingyou, he was robbed by bandits. He fled to the city with his family to take refuge, and he also assisted I am guarding Jinan. I recommended this person to the imperial court last year, but now he has been sent to Zhejiang to serve as the county administrator."

The recommended Xin Zan was Xin Qiji's grandfather.

Grandpa has only been admitted to Jinshi for a few years. He is still in his prime, and his grandson must not have been born yet.

Zhu Ming didn't bother to explain why he suddenly asked about the Xin family, and left the tower muttering in a low voice. Zhang Shuye and Ling Guxu faintly heard the prince reciting: "When I was drunk, I lit up the lamp to read the sword, and dreamed about the horn-blowing camp..."

The next day.

Ju Ming rode to the eastern suburbs and saw large tracts of cotton fields.

Zhao Huan followed the chief officer of the Farming Office to pay a visit. He had been working here for more than half a year.

"Just the four of you?" Zhu Ming asked.

Zhao Huan's superior replied: "Reporting to your highness, there are currently only twelve agricultural officials in Shandong, scattered among Licheng, Juancheng and Zhucheng."

Ju Ming asked again: "There are only four people here, are you busy enough?"

The official replied: "Although there are only four agricultural officers, we have also recruited more than ten officials. We usually work in the fields and we also spend money to ask nearby farmers for help."

Ju Ming walked to the cotton field and looked at the two-meter-high cotton tree: "Is this cotton?"

The official said: "These are tree cotton, and grass cotton is also grown over there."

"Can this thing breed dwarfs?" Ju Ming asked.

The official said: "We can only give it a try. Every year, we select seeds with short plants, early flowering, and large flowers. We will also select some for hybridization with grass cotton."

Ju Ming asked the guards to bring silver coins as a reward: "Thank you for your hard work."

"It's not hard work to be loyal to the emperor and love the people." The four agricultural officers were extremely happy.

After watching the cotton test field for a while, Ju Ming just watched the excitement. He chose a place to sit down, and only called Zhao Huan to him, while the others walked away on their own with great discernment.

"Sit down." Ju Ming said.

"Thank you, Your Highness." Zhao Huan didn't hesitate and sat down on the field ridge neatly.

Ju Ming asked: "Are you still used to it?"

Zhao Huan replied: "When I came to Shandong, my colleagues were very strict, and not many people knew me. It was much better than being pointed out in Tokyo."

"That's fine." Zhu Ming didn't know what to say.

Zhao Huan is a person who has been depressed for a long time and has no independent opinions. Letting him take charge of important affairs is a disaster.

Now that the living environment has changed, his emotions are no longer suppressed, and he no longer has to make the decision himself. He can just do agricultural research every day, which makes Zhao Huan feel particularly relaxed and comfortable.

He only brought one wife and one concubine, who were the former queen and concubine. The rest of the concubines were left to them to find their own way out. Now some people have remarried to officers in Tokyo.

Zhu Ming had nothing to say, and at the same time observed Zhao Huan's expression: "You only cultivate cotton in Licheng?"

"There is also the cultivation of rhizome." Zhao Huan said.

"What is coriander?" Zhu Ming had never heard of it.

Zhao Huan explained: "Officials say that 虙虙 is the language of the Hu people, and it was adopted as a close pronunciation when it was introduced to China. The common people also call it cowhide vegetables and thick-skin vegetables. They are edible for both humans and animals, and they can be broken off again. New leaves. The official idea is to cultivate the leaves of the wildflower to make them bigger and thicker, the better."

The yield of kraft is much higher than that of cabbage, and it can continue to grow new leaves after being picked.

The young leaves are eaten by people, and the old leaves are fed to livestock. In ancient times, they had extremely high economic value, so they were cultivated by Zhu Guoxiang.

Ju Ming carefully observed Zhao Huan's micro-expressions and found that this man did not seem to be faking it. He was really very satisfied with his current life and work.

Zhao Huan could be in this state because he had been suppressed for too many years. He finally cheered up, but was attacked by Ju Ming and Jin Ren again. All his confidence and belief were shattered, and he had the idea of ​​loving someone after lying down. After coming to the new environment, he had no desire or desire.

This old Song emperor was the fastest reformed among the Zhao brothers.

The one who really finds it difficult to accept the reality is Zhao Kai, because he has been prosperous for too many years and has never suffered any setbacks.

…

Tokyo.

The management of the previous royal family became more relaxed with the pacification of the south, and they were even allowed to enter and leave the city at will.

The imperial court no longer provides monthly financial and food subsidies, and these old nobles must rely on themselves.

The living conditions are rapidly becoming polarized!

Most people have no skills and can only earn a living by farming. You may not die of hunger, but it's normal to be short of money. You have to save money on oil, salt, and cloth. If you accidentally get sick, you won't have money to buy medicine.

A few people are really capable of doing things, and by virtue of their status as a former royal family, they have prospered in Tokyo.

"Ms. sir, walk slowly!"

Early in the morning, the boy sent Zhao Kai to the gate of Fanlou.

Zhao Kai could afford Fan Lou's expenses by selling calligraphy and paintings, and he was often treated by others.

But it's been going downhill recently, and people's sense of freshness and curiosity about him is getting weaker and weaker. The truly respectable family was taboo about his identity and ordered the children in the family not to associate with him.

There are fewer people entertaining guests, and fewer people are willing to buy his calligraphy and paintings.

But consumption is difficult to downgrade. Although he has a lovely wife and concubine at home, Zhao Kai still likes to spend the night in Fanlou.

"My husband, do you want to go home for breakfast?" the attendant and coachman asked.

Yes, Zhao Kai also hired servants, and there was no one around to serve him. He thought it was too cheap.

Zhao Kai said calmly: "Go to the Xu Family Hugen Shop!"

Xujia Hugen Store, across the street from Panlou, is a high-end restaurant in the inner city of Tokyo.

The master and servant entered the store, and the servant shouted: "Store, the old rules!"

"coming!"

Hu soup is a kind of meat and vegetable soup. The main ingredients are gourd leaves, mutton and green onions.

Zhao Kai also ordered a lamb chop, boiled in white water and seasoned with green onions, coriander, soy sauce, and fruit juice.

There is a dedicated waiter who cuts the mutton chops for him.

Servants stood beside him to serve him, pouring wine for Zhao Kai from time to time.

After he was full of wine and food, he still remembered to pack some for his family to take home.

But the shopkeeper came over and said, "Ms. Zhao, it's time for you to settle the bill this month."

"It's not yours, how much is it?" Zhao Kai was very unhappy.

The shopkeeper took out the account book: "Twenty-nine yuan and eighty-four yuan."

For one month's breakfast money, he could accumulate nearly thirty taels of silver. Zhao Kai's life was really fulfilling.

Zhao Kai reached out and took out only six silver dollars. He threw them all on the counter and said, "The rest is twenty-four dollars. I don't have much money with me. I'll get it for you tomorrow."

The shopkeeper said: "My husband, please ask me to go home and get it."

Zhao Kai said angrily: "Can I still rely on you?"

The shopkeeper smiled and said, "It's a small business, sir, please forgive me."

It was too humiliating to be detained in a restaurant, so Zhao Kai said, "Bring me a pen and paper, and I'll draw you a picture to pay off the bill."

The shopkeeper said: "Xiangong Zhao's calligraphy and paintings seem to have been unable to be sold at a high price in the past two months."

"How many more assemblies can I draw for you?" Zhao Kai became increasingly angry.

This guy was detained in a restaurant and painted seven small-sized ink paintings in a row before the shopkeeper rolled his eyes and let him go.

Sitting on the carriage, Zhao Kai became angrier as he thought about it, feeling extremely humiliated.

Well, he also bought this carriage, and it was not cheap, costing more than a hundred dollars.

When he returned to his home in the southern suburbs, he found a small courtyard here. Zhao Kai paid for it and he had already moved out of the thatched house.

Too many people died the year before last, housing prices outside the city plummeted, and many houses were even vacant. A dilapidated and unclaimed house in a poor location can be bought from the government for two to three hundred guan (purchase is limited to household registration).

The wives, concubines, children, and even a few male and female servants were all there.

Zhao Kai called his wife into the room and said, "Take some money out, I don't have enough money."

Zhu Ying was very unhappy when her husband didn't return home for a long time. She brought a small wooden box and slapped it on the table: "That's all. If my husband goes to Fanlou again, the whole family will have to eat grass next month."

Zhao Kai opened the box and took a look and said in disbelief: "That's all there is left?"

Five one-dollar silver coins, twelve nickel silver coins, and seven dime silver coins.

The rest were all copper coins, which added up to less than two guans.

"How much do you think is left?" Zhu Ying asked.

Zhao Kai thought hard: "This is not right."

Zhu Ying counted in detail: "The fifth brother borrowed ten yuan, the sixth brother borrowed eight yuan, the seventh brother borrowed... They all said they couldn't borrow it, and they would definitely not pay it back. But you are so obsessed with face that you borrow money from anyone who asks. , give as much as you want!”

Zhao Kai shook his sleeves and said lightly, "It's okay. I'll make a few more calligraphy and paintings. I'll make money if I sell them someday."

Zhu Ying sneered: "In the first two months, people who came to you to buy calligraphy and paintings were able to break through the threshold. This month is over, and there is not a single person who buys calligraphy and paintings. There are too many of your calligraphy and paintings on the market, and they have long been worthless! Can you Seriously looking for a living? There are a lot of people at home waiting for dinner."

"As a woman," Zhao Kai said with disdain, "I am a nobleman, how can I make a living by doing such mundane things? Just wait!"

Seeing that her husband was about to go out again, Zhu Ying quickly asked: "I just came back, where are you going?"

Zhao Kai didn't look back: "Find those brothers to pay off the debt!"

Zhu Ying said angrily: "It's in vain if you go. They didn't think about paying it back when they borrowed the money."