Reincarnation of the powerful minister

After the New Year, it was spring plowing in March.

On the day of Qingming, the prince will take Su Yan to go for an outing.The two brought a few guards and rode horses from Zhongshan to Tangshan, passing a ferry named "Qinjiadu".

There is a large area of ​​plowing fields next to the ferry, and the prince was curious to see the farmers planting rice seedlings in the fields with their sleeves and trouser legs tied up.

The commander of the guards suggested: "The willows at the bridge over there are growing well, why don't you get off your horse and take a rest?"

So the group rested and drank water under the willow tree. Zhu Helin said with emotion: "I remembered that every year on the second day of February, the emperor would hold a spring plowing ceremony to set an example for the people of the world, persuade farmers to pray for mulberry and pray for the land. The spring plowing ceremony is quite grand. It has been passed down to this day, and the emperors of all dynasties dare not abandon it."

Su Yan had no impression of watching the ceremony, so he recalled that on the second day of February last year, he did not serve as a chauffeur, but went to visit Ruan Hongjiao, and then went to Linhua Pavilion to track down Fuyin. The Baizhifang explosion happened that night.

"What's the spring plowing ceremony like?" he asked.

Zhu Helin said: "That's it. The minister is leading the oxen in front, and the emperor is helping the plow to plow it himself. After plowing three times, it will be finished. I have seen several "Pictures of the Son of Heaven's Spring Plowing" in the palace. Cough, all of them are wearing loose clothes. Whatever the dragon robe with big sleeves can do, it’s just a formality. The father is very serious. Every time he changes into the commoner and short brown clothes, and he finishes plowing all the fields. Some officials are lazy when they lead the cows. , and was punished by him.”

Su Yan was a little hard to imagine the scene of the elegant and noble Emperor Jinglong dressed as a farmer plowing the fields. He couldn't help laughing and said: "My big Ming's national policy is also to encourage land reclamation and reduce agricultural taxes. The emperor knows that agriculture is the lifeblood of the country. , I also know the hardships of farmers' labor, and know that they are the most humble and honest group of bottom people who can't be let down and exploited."

Zhu Helin himself can praise his father, but when he heard Su Yan praising his father, he felt unconvinced and compared him, and jumped up from the saddle: "I know it too! Although I have never participated in the spring plowing ceremony, it is by no means that'why not?" Sima Zhong, who eats minced meat! Look, my young master is going to the field to help these farmers plant the rice seedlings."

Su Yan grabbed his pleated pendant: "I believe it, I believe it! It's not convenient for me to go to the field, so let's just plant the rice seedlings." In case the good rice seedlings of other farmers are damaged... the second half The sentence was hidden in his stomach, but he didn't dare to say it, for fear that the prince would blow his hair.

However, Zhu Helin took advantage of the situation and untied his belt, and took off his boots and shoes, leaving only a white singlet and soap-colored trousers. He rolled up his sleeves and trouser legs, and jumped into the paddy field with bare feet.

Several guards saw that the master had left the field, so they were ashamed to still stand on the ridge, quickly stripped off their clothes and boots and jumped down.

"—Hey! What are you doing!" A young farmer aged seventeen or eighteen looked up at this scene, pointed at Zhu Helin and yelled, the seedlings in his hand were still dripping with muddy water, "This is a paddy field, not a pond. Touch the fish and go to the ferry over there!"

Zhu Helin stepped on the mud and nearly slipped, stabilized his figure, and said loudly: "Seeing that you have a small number of hands, help me plant a seedling."

The young farmer was stunned for a moment, and then he shouted angrily: "Who said we have a small number of people? This is our own field, and we don't need help from outsiders!"

"Oh, what a big tone." Zhu Helin turned his head and twitched the corner of his mouth at Su Yan, "Humble, simple—that's it?"

Su Yan stood on the ridge of the field and advised, "Since they don't welcome outsiders, why don't you come up and let's go for a dip in the river over there?"

An older young farmer approached them.Su Yan saw the other party's naked upper body, his complexion was tanned like dark honey-colored satin, but his eyes were bright and even sharp. He stared at them with a little vigilance, holding a long-handled hoe, and the muscles on his arms were swollen and tight. Stretched.

"Several...nobles, the grassroots are busy with farm work, and they really don't have time to serve them. The paddy fields are dirty and slippery, not a place for spring, so please do what you do." The young farmer spoke respectfully and his tone was cold.

Zhu Helin raised his eyebrows, and was about to speak, when he suddenly heard an old man's voice not far away, coming over forcefully: "Mei Tsai, if they want to help, let them help."

The young farmer named "Mei Tsai" turned his head and frowned at the old man in short brown clothes. He obviously didn't want to petition, but he didn't voice any objection.

"That young boy, yes, the youngest one, come here."

"Me?" Zhu Helin pointed to himself, saw the old man staring at him, then pointed to Su Yan on the ridge of the field, and said a little unhappily, "It seems that he is the youngest, this old man, you are not an eye..."

Before the word "blind" came out, Su Yan leaned forward, slapped Zhu Helin on the shoulder, and said in a low voice, "Be polite, my lord! If the words are off-putting, and there is any conflict between the two sides, our guards can't help you." .”

It's just a group of farmers, one young master can beat twenty of them!Zhu Helin refused to accept it, but he also felt that the pre-set scene of "beating a farmer" for himself was particularly cheap, and it was unreasonable, so he softened his tone and cupped his hands at the old man: "We have no malicious intentions, just to see everyone's hard work in the spring. Anyway, I want to help out when I have time.”

"Come here." The old man beckoned to Zhu Helin, then glared at Su Yan on the ridge, "And you! The companions have all left the fields, why are you still standing idle on the ridge? It's ridiculous!"

"Me?" Su Yan also pointed to himself, and smiled bitterly, "Okay, I'll come down too."

He untied his belt, robe and boots, tied up his cuffs and trousers like a prince, and touched the paddy field.

Zhu Helin wanted to turn around to stop him, but the old man stuffed a lot of seedlings into his hands.

The old man said: "Just stand next to me... Here, follow me to insert... Hey, who told you to insert a lot of them! Hold it in your left hand, and draw out three or four trees in your right hand at a time. Don't cut off the small snacks. Index finger Hold the root with your middle finger, and insert it downward into the field mud... Yes, the seedlings should stand upright, with two punches between each clump, step back while inserting, don't step on the newly inserted seedlings..."

Zhu Helin had never been ordered around like this before.The old man was thin and short, but his voice was not low. He had a commanding tone in his speech, but it was not annoying.Zhu Helin woke up from his dazed state after stabbing two clusters, and turned his head to look at the old man.

——Judging from the courage and momentum, he doesn't look like a farmer; judging from the proficiency in dressing up and doing farm work, he is definitely a farmer.For a moment, Zhu Helin couldn't grasp the other party's identity, and felt that the other party's thick eyebrows, leopard eyes and eagle hook nose seemed familiar, but he couldn't remember where he had seen him before.

After the old man taught him how to transplant rice seedlings, he turned around and wanted to teach Su Yan, but found that Su Yan had already done it by himself.

At the beginning, I didn't know how to insert a few clusters, as if I hadn't touched it for many years, but I seemed to have mastered the skills, and the insertion became more and more agile.The old man's eyes were slightly satisfied, and he said: "You young man, looking at the thin skin and tender meat, did not even think about doing farm work. Well, you just do it like this, and when you can't bear it, go up to drink water and rest. "

The old man led "Mei Tsai" to the other side of the paddy field.

Zhu Helin bent down once and for all, and asked Su Yan, "You are a powerless—"

"Stop! Let me hear this word again—" Su Yan made a gesture to insert the green seedlings on his hair.

Zhu Helin laughed: "Okay. You are a scholar who reads sage books, how can you do farm work?"

In my previous life, I learned it when I went back to the countryside with my parents during the holidays and helped my grandparents take care of their private plots.But Su Yan couldn't tell the truth. After all, the magistrate Su had been studying and becoming an official for several generations. He can be called a scholarly family, so he replied vaguely: "Because I am very smart. After listening to the old man teach me a few words, I will understand it in no time." gone."

Zhu Helin invited the credit and said: "Isn't the young master smart? Look!"

Su Yan saw that the seedlings were planted really well, and then thought of Emperor Taizu's humble background, it is estimated that their old Zhu's family had farming and animal husbandry genes in their bones, so he smiled and said: "Yes, the young master is also very good."

Zhu Helin was finally praised, and he was even more motivated.

More than an hour later, with their help, the farmers finished planting the seedlings ahead of schedule.

Zhu Helin usually practiced martial arts for an hour or two, and he didn't feel tired. He planted a seedling for an hour or two, and repeated the bending motion tens of thousands of times, which made his back ache.But he wanted to save face, especially in front of Su Yan, he insisted on not showing the slightest.

On the contrary, Su Yan's heart was too weak and his strength was insufficient. He had no skills but no physical strength. He froze there halfway through the insertion, and was dragged by Zhu Helin to rest under the shade of a tree.

Su Yan felt ashamed, but fortunately, none of the farmers minded. It seemed that it was natural for him to be unable to do farm work as a poor-faced scholar.

The farmers started to pack their tools.Mei Tsai took the young farmer, who was seventeen or eighteen years old, with a bad attitude, and came over to thank them.

The young man grinned and said naively, "I overreacted before, and to you—"

Mei Tsai corrected him: "Gentlemen."

"Uh, why don't you apologize to the nobles..." The young man scratched the back of his head and suddenly said, "Why don't we invite you for lunch?"

Mei Tsai glared at him.

The young man seemed to be a little afraid of Mei Zai, and lowered his head and muttered: "It's just a few more mouths, it's not that I can't afford it..."

Zhu Helin laughed, waved his hands and said, "No, no, we have prepared our own dry food, and we will continue our journey in the afternoon to visit Tangshan."

A group of people returned to the field ridge, walked to the river to wash their hands and feet, and put on their coats again.

The old man walked over at some point, holding a bamboo basket in his hand, and handed it to Zhu Helin: "This is lunch."

Zhu Helin was curious about what the farmers ate, so he opened the lid of the basket and saw that the yellow pancakes were very rough in texture, hard when pinched, and the skin was still crumbly.

In addition to pancakes, there is only cold water.

"Is this what you eat?" Zhu Helin asked in surprise, "After doing so much farm work, how can you just eat this?"

"This is what ordinary farmers eat." The old man said, "Young man, do you want to eat?"

Zhu Helin picked up a pancake and took a bite, almost breaking his teeth.He stared at the pancake in his hand in a daze for a while, took a deep breath, and chewed slowly.

The pancakes wrapped in yellow rice flour and crumbs of chaff rubbed against his mouth and throat, which was favored by polished rice noodles. The prince chewed and swallowed hard, and his eyes gradually turned red.

The guards thought he was choking and hurriedly handed him water.

Zhu Helin waved his hand and ordered: "You all have to eat. Qinghe, you just—"

Su Yan said, "I'll eat it too!" He picked up a pancake and ate it slowly with cold water.

A group of people sat in the shade of a tree and ate bran cakes. The old man didn't say anything, just picked up the empty basket and turned to leave.

After the old man left, Zhu Helin's eyes became more wet and red, and he tried his best to suppress his nasal voice and said: "I thought...except for those places where the Yellow River breached and bandits made trouble, most of the people in Daming live and work in peace and have no worries about food and clothing... I Look at Beijing, and Nanjing, where pork costs only two cents a catty, and the people in the market are all smiling..."

"How many miles away is this from Nanjing City? Farmers in suburban counties eat this kind of food..." He lowered his head, took a bite of chaff cake, ground his teeth hard, and his voice was choked, "How could this happen? What about Qinghe, tell me, how could this happen?"

Su Yan sighed deeply, not knowing where to start.

It is true that in the capital city of Daming and the major cities he has seen, the people live and work in peace and contentment, and the prices are stable. Which one is not cheap?For a family of several, the daily cost of big fish and meat is only two or three qian, which is considered extremely rich; for a small family, earning twenty or thirty copper coins a day can easily live a day.Further south, the area around Suzhou and Hangzhou is even more prosperous and prosperous.

But there are also a lot of barren places:

In places where natural disasters occurred, such as the flooded area of ​​the Yellow River that burst last autumn, the lives of people were devastated and it was terrible.

There is also Shaanxi, where he has traveled, where officials are unfit for people, and the government is harmful to the people, so that the refugees become bandits.The shepherds stationed at the border suffered from starvation due to insufficient military pay and exploitation by Shangfeng, so they had to join the ranks of smuggling military horses, knowingly breaking the law.

And more generally, those farmers in the counties and villages outside the Fucheng, who are at the lowest level of society, have to pay the summer and autumn taxes, and have to serve corvee in winter. Many times they can only eat bran cakes to satisfy their hunger.

——How to make the prince understand that this is a separation caused by the gap between the rich and the poor?

But what is even more incredible than this is that although the imperial court has repeatedly reduced the agricultural tax and other industries' taxes, the treasury has always been kept at a low level, but the life of the farmers is still difficult.

"Why is that?" Zhu Helin asked in shock after hearing Su Yan's explanation.

Su Yan showed a embarrassed expression: "Because of the tax system implemented, because of class interests, because of the deep-rooted concepts of the entire civil service system, in short...it's hard to say."

Zhu Helin was confused when he heard it: "Qinghe, tell me more about it."

Su Yan sighed: "After I return to the mausoleum, I will talk to you in detail when I have time. And I won't be able to tell you everything in a while. It depends on what I can think of at the moment, so I will talk about it."

Zhu Helin looked down at the half-eaten chaff cake, and said with emotion: "No matter what, there are still so many people in the world who struggle to make a living. How could the court not cherish the power of the people? Those in power should put the people first."

Su Yan nodded: "Young master has this awareness and determination, which is already very good. There are still opportunities to realize other policy improvements in the future."

"Have you finished eating?" Zhu Helin stuffed the last bite of pancake into his mouth and asked the guards, "Get on the horse after eating. I'm not in the mood, so I won't go for an outing and go back to the mausoleum."

A group of people took off the reins, got on the horse and returned the same way.

A few horsemen and horses disappeared beyond Liu Yan, and the old man and farmers who had just left appeared on the ridge again.

The old man looked at the back of the horse, and smiled on his stern face: "'The ruler should put the people first', did you hear that?"

Mei Tsai beside him nodded.

"This is the kind of virtue that my great prince should have." The old man patted Mei Zai on the shoulder, "No matter what kind of chaos the court in the capital becomes, it has nothing to do with you. Don't forget, you only recognize one thing, one people!"

"Yes, Governor." Mei Tsai said.