The Ming Dynasty started with caution

Song Jing returned to the capital and studied hard at Zeng Jian's house to prepare for next autumn.

Zeng Jian intended to train Song Jing and would later recommend him to the Ministry of Industry. The prerequisite was that Song Jing would pass the exam, so he was very concerned about Song Jing's studies.

"Yixian, did you understand what I said today?"

Song Jingding nodded, but hesitated to speak.

Zeng Jian had been in the officialdom for a long time and observed people's words and expressions. He saw it at a glance and said, "If you have anything to say, you might as well tell me directly."

Song Jing felt ashamed: "I have been in Beijing for nearly a year. I never imagined that I would stay for so long. The student wants to go back to his hometown and come to Beijing again next spring."

Zeng Jian frowned: "No, it will be more than a month before I go back. If you want a wife and children, I can send someone to take her to Beijing."

"But... there are still several acres of ancestral land at home." Song Jing wondered.

Zeng Jian pondered for a few times, but it turned out that the ancestral land could not be sold, so he said: "Then I will keep it, and I will find some acres of land for you in Shuntian Mansion."

Song Jing shook his head in shame and did not dare to accept the salary: "The student still won't go back. I'll just write a letter to my wife to make it clear."

Zeng Jian nodded and smiled.

…

In mid-September,

Zhang Xian ordered someone to send news that Liangxiang Road had been repaired. Yan Chengjin asked He Neng to prepare a sedan chair and planned to go to Liangxiang to see it in person.

Arriving at the official road that leads to Liangxiang, I got off the sedan chair.

The new road is a gravel-paved avenue, nearly twice as wide as the original one. The bottom is made of big rocks as a roadbed, and the top is made of gravel and soil.

"I spent another 10% of the money, and I have to replenish it as soon as possible." Yan Chengjin's heart ached, as if his health bar had dropped a bar, and he always felt uncomfortable.

Too much gravel makes it easy to slip, but there is an advantage. When it rains, the wheels will not get stuck in the mud. If you mix in some soil, it will be much easier to walk after it is flattened.

Yan Chengjin was about to go to Liangxiang to have a look, but he saw Wang Busui running out of Liangxiang desperately, and the caravans turned around and ran out of Liangxiang.

"Master Yan is going to Liangxiang?" Wang Busui asked breathlessly.

Yan Chengjin nodded.

Wang Busui said hurriedly: "We can't go to the good land now! The refugees and the gentry are fighting on a large scale. Let's go back to the capital first."

"Fighting with weapons?" Yan Chengjin's eyes widened.

Wang Busui grimaced: "We are getting ready for winter. There is no need to be busy with farm work. The refugees have no time to spare and they do some small business in the county. As you know, young master, the gentry have always wanted to drive the refugees out of their good hometowns. The refugees have built roads." , The gentry didn’t contribute any money or effort, so naturally they refused to accept it, so the refugees beat the gentry. Young master, let’s stay away for a while and come back after they finish the beating.”

Yan Chengjin fell into deep thought.

The conflict between the refugees and the gentry has been brewing for a long time.

In the past, the refugees would have dared not take action against the gentry, but Zhang Xian was very good to the refugees. He gave them land and allowed them to do small business in the good land, and he had his support.

The refugees gradually became bolder and dared to attack the gentry.

The Liangxiang gradually turned into a treasure land, and conflicts broke out. The gentry believed that the Liangxiang belonged to them, and wanted to drive the refugees out and monopolize the Liangxiang.

The refugees registered in the yellow register of Liangxiang and became citizens of Liangxiang. They also considered themselves the owners of Liangxiang.

The refugees have vulgar habits, do not understand etiquette and teachings, and those who can do things usually do not speak. The gentry are confident and look down on the refugees at all. The contradictions naturally break out.

Such a commotion would only hurt Yan Chengjin and the imperial court. Who would dare to come to Liangxiang in the future?

Yan Chengjin thought for a while and asked, "How many people are there in Jiudou?"

"There are no less than a thousand people, young master, you won't go to Liangxiang at this time, will you? Mr. Zhang can't hold him back!" Wang Busui saw that the momentum was not right and said hurriedly.

Liangxiang has patrol roads and military preparation roads, but they are under the jurisdiction of the Ministry of War and Yan Chengjin is unable to mobilize them.

At this time, Yan Chengjin did not dare to enter Liangxiang. Very few refugees knew him. If he was mistaken for a gentry and was beaten to death with a brick from behind, I don't know what would happen.

Yan Chengjin took out the document from the sedan chair, immediately wrote a memorial, bought a horse from the caravan nearby, and ordered it to be quickly delivered to the Jin Yiwei secret post at his residence, and they would deliver it to Mou Bin.

On the official road in Liangxiang, some caravans turned around and headed back, while there were also bold caravans waiting on the official road, waiting to finish the fight before going in to make purchases.

They have traveled thousands of miles from Jiangnan and even further places. They are not afraid of robbers on the road. Why are they afraid of armed fights?

Half an hour later, Mou Bin rushed over with hundreds of royal guards.

Yan Chengjin said: "I'm afraid there won't be less than a thousand people, so I'd better mobilize soldiers and horses to prepare the way and guard the way!"

In the memorial, he asked Mou Bin to ask for a decree before coming.

Mou Bin nodded: "Don't worry, my dear nephew. After things calm down, Shibo will send someone to deliver a message to you. Please don't go in."

However, Mou Bin felt that Yan Chengjin was extremely cautious and would not go in even if he was asked to go in.

Liangxiang County,

The gentry were hiding in their homes and shivering. They had sent servants to fight with the refugees just now, but the refugees were beating more and more, stealing farm tools and doing whatever they wanted. The servants were bullied into their homes before the fight lasted long.

Zhang Xian sent people to drive them away. The number of people in the yamen was not even a fraction of the amount for the refugees.

"You leave quickly! If not, you will be dealt with according to the law!"

Zhang Xian shouted loudly.

His words were drowned out by the noise. Zhang Xian was angry and powerless. There were more than a dozen gentry houses in Liangxiang that were surrounded by refugees, and this was just one of them.

The epidemic exploded far beyond his expectations.

Zhang Xian was about to return to his hometown to write a memorial and request the imperial court to send troops to suppress it, but he saw the soldiers and horses of the Jinyi Guards and the soldiers and horses galloping towards him!

More than a thousand people gathered together!

Mou Bin shouted: "I am following the imperial order to kill the evil people!"

Everyone knew how fierce the Jinyiwei were. Seeing more than a thousand people pulling out their shining swords, they were frightened and knelt on the ground.

When the gentry heard that the imperial court had sent people, they hurried out of their homes and said, "Sir, they want to kill me."

An older refugee came up and knelt in front of Mou Bin's horse, with a worried look on his face: "Sir, we are not evil people, but gentry. We built canals and paved roads for Liangxiang. The gentry neither paid money nor labored, but took the benefits for nothing and wanted to drive us out of Liangxiang. We were forced to fight with them."

Zhang Xian said: "This matter can only be handled by me. I have given orders many times, but you have turned a deaf ear to them. Do you still want to make trouble? Take them back to the government office!"

Mou Bin sent someone to inform Yan Chengjin that he could enter Liangxiang.

After a while, the subordinates came back with a message: "Boss, Lord Yan said that it's good that it has calmed down. He has returned to the capital, and the rest is left to Lord Zhang."

Mou Bin's old face twitched. This kid is really cautious.

It must be observed for a while before daring to come to Liangxiang.

Zhang Xian took the refugees who led the riot back to the yamen, as well as the gentry who drove the refugees back to the yamen.

"In the eight articles of "swearing" in the "Great Ming Law": swearing. Anyone who swears will be flogged ten times, and those who swear at each other will be flogged ten times each."

If the people swear, they will be punished with caning.

The refugees not only swore, but also beat the gentry.

"Sir, I don't understand the Great Ming Law."

Today's two updates, more than 4,000 words of the manuscript have been scrapped. I probably can't type it out today, don't wait