Guide to traveling through the Northern Song Dynasty

Because of the bandit suppression, Zhu Guoxiang's wedding was postponed. He made some calculations with the horoscope man in the coffin shop and found an auspicious date that was still half a month away.

Ju Ming decided to go back to the village to have a look, but did not go with his father to meet his father-in-law.

Zhu Ming had been accompanying the emissary all the time. He hadn't gone back for several days, and he was really worried. Sitting in the boat was like returning home.

However, except for the people's peace of mind, Daming Village has not changed much.

Just clearing out the burned ruins.

Zhang Guangdao was still working outside. Bai Sheng temporarily took over the post of deputy village chief. He happily came over to report on his work: "Village Chief, Brother Zhang went back two days ago and brought over more than 20 fleeing households. There are some empty houses at the foot of the mountain. I will let these fugitives live in temporarily."

"Exactly how many twenty, please be more specific," Ju Ming said.

Bai Sheng said: "Including the suckling babies, there are a total of twenty-six new arrivals."

"good!"

Ju Ming was very happy. The village's population was less than 700, and 26 new people were added in an instant. The population growth rate has exceeded 3%.

Bai Sheng couldn't help but said: "Village chief, you haven't seen how miserable these runaways are. I was pretty miserable before. Compared with the runaways, I lived the life of an emperor!"

"How miserable is it?" Zhu Ming asked.

Bai Sheng said: "Brother, do you know about brown hair? It is used to make coir raincoats and brown mats. Those who have escaped from the household don't even have a few linen clothes, and they still use brown hair to make clothes. There are three or four people in the family, and they only have one linen clothes." If you can wear it outside, you have to wear it and go down the mountain to buy oil and salt. In winter, the whole family squeezes into a linen quilt, closes the doors and windows and leans against the fire. Every winter, people freeze to death!"

"Don't they grow their own linen and spin cloth?" Ju Ming asked curiously.

Bai Sheng said: "There are not many places to draw water in the mountains, and there is not much land that can be irrigated with water. How can you be willing to grow hemp? The food you grow has to be carried back down the mountain to exchange for oil and salt. You are lucky if you don't starve to death." .”

Ju Ming was silent.

After he and his father crossed over, they came all the way downriver, where everything was deserted. It is hundreds of times better to open up wasteland and cultivate land by the river than to hide in the mountains.

It can only be said that these fugitive households are too scared to even live on the deserted riverside, fearing that the government will find out and impose taxes.

Ju Ming ordered: "For each new refugee, give them six feet of linen, so that they can at least have clothes to wear."

"Brother Renyi!" Bai Sheng couldn't stand it for a long time.

Ju Ming asked: "Has Brother Zhang said how many runaways he can take in?"

Bai Sheng said: "I guess there are two to three hundred. There are also fugitives who live a good life. They occupy water sources in the mountains and gather together to form fugitive villages. People in such fugitive villages usually have food and clothing. , I definitely don’t want to come.”

If two to three hundred fugitive households can be absorbed, the population of Daming Village is expected to exceed one thousand!

Don't worry about the crowds, there are a lot of wastelands in the lower reaches of the Han River.

Ju Ming ordered: "These twenty-six people are assigned to six commanders and let them arrange houses and land. It is still the old rule, adult men are given one acre of land, adult women are given half an acre of land, and then they are allowed to share the land. Farming and land reclamation. I provide them with seeds, and each person is given three buckets of rations per month. The rations are only given for half a year. The reclaimed wasteland is tax-free for three years."

You can't reward too much immediately, you have to take your time, otherwise the local villagers will have ideas.

But it would be impossible to survive on such a small amount of land, and it would be extremely hard even to farm on a sharecropping basis, so there was the so-called land reclamation.

It was a semi-deserted mountain land that had been cultivated before and was confiscated by Ju Ming after his death. You can only plant some sorghum randomly, and you won't get a few grains of grain in a year. If you cultivate it twice, it will be considered "ripe", which is a disguised act of granting land.

When corn and sweet potatoes are introduced, the villagers' lives will be much better. Two acres of mountain land per capita is Ju Ming's expectation.

This can ensure that after paying taxes, the villagers can barely have enough to eat and clothe themselves, but they must also work hard on sharecropping. Only when farmers need to make a living through sharecropping, can the village chief, deputy village chief, and Baojia chief own good farmland with enough labor force for production.

If too much land is given to the villagers and they cannot grow their own crops, who will still be able to farm the land of wealthy households?

In addition, Ju Ming also discovered a difficult problem: there is no doctor in the village!

"In the past, when everyone was sick, they collected herbs to eat by themselves?" Zhu Ming asked.

Bai Sheng said: "I asked about it. When bandit leaders are sick, they usually go to Baishitou to ask for help from a doctor. As for farmers, they either collect their own herbs, or they have to fight it out."

Ju Ming muttered: "No wonder the bandits have occupied this place for decades, and foreigners have joined in from time to time, but the population has never been able to thrive. We need to hire a doctor to settle down!"

Bai Sheng had an idea and said: "In addition to his son studying medicine, Dr. Zhao from Bai Market also has an apprentice to help him. The territory here is too small and there are not many doctors. His apprentice has been studying for more than ten years. , I have been sitting in the clinic for several years, but I just can’t leave."

"I understand, the place is too small. If the apprentice becomes a disciple, it will ruin the master's job," Zhu Ming said happily, "I have an errand for you. Invite Mr. Zhao's apprentice here. As long as he is willing to come, he will be given twenty acres of land immediately. If he The whole family has come, and each person will be given an acre of land. Even a child can have land. The whole family has come, and I will reward him with two more acres of paddy field!"

"Then he would be a fool not to come." Bai Sheng said with a smile, this task is too easy.

No matter how much mountainous land you give, it will be in vain, but two acres of paddy fields are extremely valuable!

In Shangbai Village and Xiabai Village, some families own dozens of acres of land, but not even an acre of paddy field. They are all controlled by wealthy households.

That afternoon, Bai Sheng went to ask for a doctor.

Before the doctor came, Zhang Guangdao came back first.

Moreover, fourteen more runaways were brought back, as well as a group of private salt dealers.

Zhang Guangdao introduced: "Village chief, this is Brother Liu Peng. He heard that Xiaobai Yuanwai was missing and planned to come over to sell private salt." He added, "Brother Liu, this is to kill Zhu Zongdao and Bai Zongmin and lead the troops." Destroy Ju Ming and Zhu Dutou of Heifeng Village."

"I have admired you for a long time," Liu Peng said with cupped hands, "Which hero in Xixiang County doesn't know Zhu Dutou's name? Two archers from my village came home and brought a lot of rewards, saying they were given by Zhu Dutou. Everyone says that Zhu Dutou is benevolent and righteous, and if you follow Zhu Dutou, you won’t suffer any loss!"

Ju Ming laughed heartily: "Everywhere, brothers are working together to kill thieves. Since we are our brothers, we must not let them suffer."

Although the position of Head of Archers is only a temporary appointment, everyone likes to call it that.

Just like Wu Song became Dutou when he was fighting tigers. After he resigned, some people still called him "Wu Dutou".

It is a status symbol, and common people just accept it, even heroes in the world are no exception.

Liu Peng didn't waste any time and went straight to the point: "Xiao Bai Yuanwai colluded with Zhu Er to occupy the private salt road here. He sells salt for twenty cents per catty, and he has to go to Baishitou to buy it. Now I will transport the salt to By the river, it’s only fifteen cents per catty! This is for Zhu Dutou’s sake, otherwise it would be at least sixteen cents per catty.”

"Can't it be cheaper?" Zhu Ming still wanted to bargain.

Liu Peng said: "If Zhu Dutou doesn't believe it, you can ask Brother Zhang. Which private salt in the county sells it cheaper than me? The price will probably increase next year, whether it is a new bookkeeper or a new county. Lieutenant, everyone who sells private salt must pay tribute to him."

Well, this is still an anti-smuggling window period.

Zhang Guangdao nodded secretly, indicating that the price was indeed very low.

Ju Ming said: "I have been to Jiangnan, and the private salt there only sells for a few cents."

"Can Jiangnan compare?" Liu Peng said speechlessly, "All the salt sold here is Sichuan salt. It is transported from Bazhou and has to go over mountains and ridges all the way. There are still many inspection checkpoints to check, and you can't pass them without spending money. "

"I see," Zhu Ming said with a smile, "then it's fifteen cents per catty!"

Ju Ming was not trying to lower the price, he just wanted to find out where the private salt came from.

Now I have found out clearly that the illegal salt was transported from Bazhong via Micang Road, which required crossing Micang Mountain.

Sichuan salt is not as easy to control as Huai salt. If it cannot be kept, a salt well will be drilled in a remote area. This kind of salt well is called Zhuotong Well, and the government cannot collect taxes at all. Therefore, private salt is rampant in Sichuan, which directly squeezes Jin salt out of the private salt market in Hanzhong.

Ju Ming had a plan in mind. From now on, he would start a rebellion and must capture Sichuan as soon as possible.

Firstly, it avoids being stuck with salt, and secondly, it can collect a large amount of salt tax.

After negotiating the price of private salt, Ju Ming warmly invited: "Brother Liu, please come to the village for a drink!"

"That's easy to say." Liu Peng was also in a good mood due to the expansion of his business, and he greeted a group of private salt dealers behind him, "Zhu Dutou invites you to a drink. Have a good drink today!"

This was a long-term cooperation. Not only did Ju Ming serve drinks, he also asked someone to kill a pig and called several commanders to accompany him.

After a few bowls of wine, Tian Er boasted: "Brother Liu has also seen it. Killing the tiger's mouth is very dangerous. Brother Zhang led people to climb up the mountain at night, and Yang Ying was so scared that Yang Ying peed! The village chief was even more amazing. Carrying a sword, no thief can be his opponent. He can kill one with one sword strike. The former leader of the village, Yang Jun, was also stabbed to death by the village chief in Shangbai Village!"

"The majesty of Zhu Dutou," Liu Peng said in awe, "I respect Zhu Dutou with a bowl!"

Ju Ming laughed heartily: "It's easy to say, let's do it!"

This group of private salt dealers can barely be regarded as small salt lords. They purchase goods from big salt dealers and resell them.

Ju Ming seriously suspected that the biggest private salt dealer in the county was Lu Guanren, the richest man in Xixiang! He didn't even need to come forward in person. He only needed to transport the private salt to Xixiang County. Naturally, someone like Liu Peng was responsible for distribution.

That night, he was very drunk. Liu Peng patted his chest and said, "Zhu Dutou is a good man. If he is ever needed in the future, I will come to help him as soon as he says hello!"

"It's easy to say that we are all good guys and should help each other," Zhu Ming said with a smile. "If Brother Liu is in trouble, just come to Daming Village."

This kind of salt dealer who runs around will be useful in future rebellions.

Yesterday, Ju Ming was accompanying the scholar to correct the scholar's scriptures. Today, he was fraternizing with a group of private salt dealers.

The style of painting really changes a bit too quickly!

The delivery was made the next day, and the first transaction was reached, buying three hundred kilograms of salt from Liu Peng.

From now on, if the villagers want to eat salt, they can go to the village to buy it. Ju Ming will not make money from this. He will just charge some costs and make a slight surplus.

After sending the private salt dealer away, Zhu Ming said to Zhang Guangdao: "Brother Zhang, don't be in a hurry to go out and recruit fugitives. You take twenty or thirty people with you and go into the mountains with me to get things. There are tigers there, and you are there to deal with them. expert."

Heavenly King A, it’s time to get it back.

(An interesting anecdote, Lao Wang’s father’s great-grandfather used to be a private salt dealer. When the People’s Army came to liberate it, they donated hundreds of yuan. Later, they became enlightened landlords during the land reform. As for Lao Wang’s father’s great-grandfather, haha, smoke it. He went bankrupt after smoking opium, and he was already a poor peasant during the land reform.)