The happy life of a prodigal

Did they...know?

When Emperor Chu heard this answer, he was obviously taken aback.

Now that you know, why are you so willing to accept the price of twenty Wen a catty.

Finally, he couldn't hold back, and asked his own doubts.

"Since that's the case, why does the old man still order twenty Wen a catty?"

"Hey, after the crayfish are caught, they can't be eaten right away. They have to be cleaned, oiled, and the shop's money, which is not the cost. Drunken Flower Pavilion sells for fifty cents, which is already Earn less.

The Drunken Flower Pavilion is the restaurant in Mr. Fang's house, we have to make Mr. Fang earn more, no...

Mr. Zhao’s Chunfeng Building is where the grown-ups go. Old man, I heard that those grown-ups pay hundreds of taels of silver for a meal, and thousands of taels of silver for raising a horse. Two silvers are nothing.

We want to sell crayfish for ten taels of silver, and those adults don't want to come here to eat...

You say, is this the truth? "

After hearing this, Emperor Chu was speechless for a while.

He had always thought that these villagers were just too simple, and they were willing to wrong him.

However, after listening to what the village chief said, he realized that all of this was helpless.

After thinking about it, he said again: "I heard from the old people in the house that this year's harvest is not good, and this is what happens everywhere.

However, no matter how bad the harvest was, it was still much better than that in the Central Plains, so it wouldn't be so bad that we couldn't even get enough to eat. "

When the village chief heard this, the expression on his face was very exciting, just a feeling of disdain but pretending.

After holding back for a while, he said: "Master Zhao, you have been in the city for a long time, of course you don't know the world outside.

Not to mention the poor harvest this year, even when the harvest was good in previous years, not many people in the village could have enough to eat. "

When Emperor Chu heard this, his expression changed again.

When he went out of the city this time, he could say that he heard and saw things that he had never heard of or seen in the previous 40 years.

With a gloomy expression, he forced a smile, looked at the village chief, and asked, "What does the old man mean by that?"

The village chief raised his eyes, glanced at Emperor Chu, and saw that his expression did not seem to be fake, he probably really didn't understand what was said in it.

So, he explained: "We farmers, the crops we plant, how much we can keep after harvesting, is not up to us, it is up to the court.

Let us keep as much as the court asks us to keep, and pay as much as the court asks us to pay.

Every year just to hand over the grain, most of it has to be handed over, and there are two batches, one is sent to the government office, and the other is collected by someone, it seems to be for the court.

I'm a stupid old man and I don't understand what it means. I always thought that this mansion is the imperial court, and the imperial court is the mansion.

Only when grain is harvested, the imperial court and government offices are separated..."

Speaking of this, Emperor Chu already understood in his heart.

This is the land tax and Dingyin, part of which is handed over to the local state capital for state capital expenses, and the other part is handed over to the Ministry of Households to be charged into the national treasury.

He thought for a while, looked at the village head, and said, "But isn't the food handed in calculated according to the number of people in a family?

One labor handed in one..."

Before he could finish speaking, he was interrupted by the village chief.

This was also the first time they had chatted for such a long time, and the village chief interrupted him: "It is because of this that the people in the village don't have enough to eat.

In this village, bachelors like the old man are in the minority after all, and there are seven or eight people in a family, and at least three or four rations are handed over.

However, how much land does the family have for that big family?

How much food can be produced in the field?

Not to mention such a one-acre three-point land, no matter how much land there is, it can't be planted!

Since there is no land, there is no food, and if there is no food, what should I pay for the food?

We can only sell the land, and after selling it, we get money, which can be used as food and handed over.

This is the first year, what about the second year?

In the second year, even such a small amount of land was gone, let alone paying the grain, so they had to go to the landlord's house to rent the land.

Now it's all right, the imperial court and government offices couldn't pay the rations, so now they have to give the landlord a share of the rations.

This is a cow, and he can't plant much land with one cow!

Moreover, the more land he cultivated, the more grain he gave to the landlord.

But if he planted less, the court would not be able to pay the grain.

Thanks to the good harvests these years, this year's harvest is a little worse, but Mr. Fang has harvested crayfish, otherwise, how many people in this village would sell their sons and daughters...

Hey, when people from the Central Plains Road came to our village to grab food, they were as hateful as they wanted to be, but think about it, none of these are children of other people's families, and none of them are parents of other people's families. …

Are they willing to come out to steal and rob?

Isn't this all because of being forced and anxious, and there is really no way to do it.

If there is no Mr. Fang and no crayfish, in two years, our village will be like them! "

Chapter 583 Returning to the Palace

When Emperor Chu heard this, his face was in a daze, and he was speechless for a long time.

He never imagined that the policy of building a country in his eyes had so many disadvantages, and it actually forced these poor people to such an extent.

If you talk about the news he heard before, it really made him feel a little sad.

Now, it seemed like a sharp sword was stuck in his chest.

This policy of labor has changed in the lower levels, and the responsibility can be shifted to the officials of the state capital.

But... this time, this Tian Fu strategy left him speechless.

"Master Zhao, Master Zhao?"

The village chief sat on the spot, saw that Chu Huang's expression was not quite right, and yelled two or three times in succession, which woke him up from his trance.

"Huh? What else does the old man want to say?"

Emperor Chu suppressed the guilt and anger in his heart, forced a smile, looked at the village head, and asked a question.

The village head waved his hand and said, "The little old man has talked enough today, let's not talk, let's not talk...

By the way, Mr. Zhao didn't want to take a stroll in this village. After drinking the hot tea, the little old man led Mr. Zhao to stroll around the village. "

After all, I got up and poured tea.

While pouring tea, he said: "Actually, there is nothing to visit. Mr. Zhao comes during the autumn harvest, and you can still see the pieces of wheat, which are golden and yellow, so beautiful.

In this season, even the trees don't have any leaves, and every household has cats at home, too lazy to come out, so I can only take Mr. Zhao to the fields for a walk, maybe I can see two or three hares... ...."

Chu Huang smiled and answered a few words.

Seeing this scene, Fang Xiu secretly sighed.

I have known Emperor Chu for at least half a year.

In his impression, no matter what happened, Emperor Chu always looked like the mountain collapsed in front of him without changing his face.

This is not only on the outside, but more on the inside.

He is confident and arrogant, and he maintains the demeanor that an emperor should have at all times.

Even a few days ago, he was planted with poisonous Gu by his son and imprisoned in a dark room, he still had that calm and calm appearance.

However, now, he can clearly feel... His heart is disturbed.

After drinking the hot tea, I felt a little warmer.

The village head led Chu Huang and Fang Xiu to stroll around the village again.

In fact, it is no different from what he said, and there is indeed nothing to visit.

There are signs of decay everywhere, even the trees look dead, and there are no people, let alone hares, or even a sparrow...

This place, except for the fields and the river, is really barren enough.

However, if this were not the case, the village would not be able to produce so many crayfish.

Originally, Emperor Chu planned to walk more in the village to meet other families.

However, after listening to the words of the village chief, he didn't want to go anywhere.

The news he got from the village head alone was enough for him to digest for a while, let alone listening to other people.

From here to the city of Kyoto, it takes at least half an hour to walk.

When he got here, Chu Huang still relied on his freshness and didn't feel tired.

When I went back, it was naturally impossible to go like this again.

on the carriage.

Fang Xiu sat opposite Chu Huang.

Chu Huangduan sat by the car window, lifted the curtain from time to time, looked out the window, and then let out a long sigh.

It was the first time Fang Xiu saw him expressing all his joy and anger on his face, and wanted to comfort him, but he didn't know how to do so.

In any case, this one is the emperor, so there is no need to comfort him.

The carriage entered the city smoothly and was on its way to the palace.

Chu Huang put down the car curtain, he didn't know if he had figured it out, or looked away, his eyes that were somewhat depressed before became sharp again.

He looked at Fang Xiu and said in a deep voice: "From now on, I will go out of the city every half a month.

During this period of time, you will stay in the capital and accompany me, and there is no need to go back to the Central Plains Road. "

When Fang Xiu heard this, he suddenly felt speechless.

So, from now on, I have to hang out with him every half a month?

Fortunately, they are father and daughter, they are simply carved out of the same mold.

This Emperor Chu's ability to hang out is simply better than Zhao Yan.

Thinking this way in my heart, it was impossible to show it on my face, but I was very happy, and replied: "It is my blessing to be able to accompany Your Majesty."

Emperor Chu shook his head, and said, "I know you think I'm troublesome, and you don't want to be with me...

But, in the end, you are the only one I can trust by my side.

I don't know whether the antidote to this poisonous Gu can be found, and whether it will be useful after finding it. From today's calculations, I estimate that I only have half a year to live.

I want to use this half a year to do more things for the common people, so you should just take pity on me, an old guy, and stay with me..."

The word 'poor' is all over the place.

If those old people in the cabinet heard it, they would be so angry that they would go on the stage in person and beat them up before they could get a break.

After Fang Xiu heard it, he was also quite emotional, and cupped his hands and said: "Your Majesty is serious, I like to play, but the family and country affairs are important, and I still have a clear distinction."

Emperor Chu nodded, looked at the empty desk in front of him, and said, "I'm really hungry after being outside for so long, do you have anything to eat?"

"Your Majesty, the Zuihua Pavilion is ahead, why don't we go to the Zuihua Pavilion to have something to eat first, so as to rest our stomachs?"

Fang Xiu made a suggestion.

After hearing this, Emperor Chu waved his hands and said: "Forget it, if you delay going back to the palace today, I'm afraid it will take another day, so I don't want to eat, I'll eat when I go back to the palace.

You go back with me, I still have some questions to ask you..."

Fang Xiu heard this and sighed in his heart.

Hey, sometimes, being too talented is also an annoyance.

With a carriage, the speed of travel is naturally not comparable to that of walking.

In just an hour, Emperor Chu and Fang Xiu arrived at the gate of the palace.

In the middle, I went back to Fangfu.

Emperor Chu put on a dragon robe.

Fang Xiu naturally changed into an official uniform.