Fenghou

In the evening, Zhao Gou promulgated a decree, granting Han Shizhong the title of King of Xian'an County, Grand Tutor, and Privy Envoy, and at the same time leading the Jiedu Envoy of Henghai, Wuning, and Anhua Towns.

So far, Han Shizhong no longer led the army and became a high-ranking idle official.

The first thousand and eighty-seventh chapter micro service

In the early morning, before dawn, the city gate of Yuchi County opened, and people waiting outside the city rushed in, most of them were farmers selling vegetables, and some businessmen followed into the city.

A caravan composed of more than twenty donkeys entered the city, with a businessman in front and five or six men behind.

But no matter whether they are businessmen or fellows, they are all tall, with strong gaits, and a murderous look in their gestures. Although they try their best to restrain themselves, they still have an inexplicable sense of coercion, which makes the people around them fearful of them.

Almost everyone could tell that they were not businessmen, but no one could tell who they were, probably not even the magistrate, because the magistrate had never met Chen Qing.

The leading businessman was naturally Chen Qing in disguise, and the five men behind him were his personal soldiers.

The reason why Chen Qing came to Yuchi County for a private visit is because there is a typical industry in Yuchi County, which can explain the problem very well, and that is the wine making industry.

During the Xuanhe period, the winemaking industry in Yuchi County was extremely prosperous. Seventy percent of the wine in Bianliang, Tokyo came from Yuchi County, but it declined later. It flourished again during the Liu Yu period, and completely declined during the curfew period of Wanyan Wushu.

But wine cellars, winemakers, wine barrels and other winemaking tools are all there, and they can be raised at any time as long as they are needed.

Henan Road in the Central Plains has always been a heart problem for Chen Qing. It has been exploited too hard and devastated too deeply. The big families have become small and small, and almost all the middle class have been reduced to abject poverty. Cruel exploitation combined with The devastating blow caused by the diversion of the Yellow River caused millions of people on Henan Road to be displaced and starved to death.

Even the imperial court's finances could not afford the relief from Henan Road, and they resolutely opposed the Northern Expedition.

But Chen Qingyi took over this mess without hesitation, so he had to find a way to restore it slowly. In addition to the ten-year tax exemption and recuperation, there are actually many details to be done.

First, [-] donkeys and [-] mules were purchased from Hedong Road and Shaanxi Road, and put on Henan Road, mainly in the Kaifeng Prefecture area. Why?Because almost all the large and small livestock here were eaten up by the golden soldiers. Without animal power, social and economic development would not be possible.

Immediately afterwards, tens of thousands of cattle and [-] old horses were purchased from the Qiang people in the Hexi Corridor, and they were also put into Henan Road.

The second step is to transport a large number of vetch seeds and alfalfa seeds from Shaanxi Road, and plant them in large quantities on the fields and on both sides of the river beach to develop animal husbandry and let Henan Road produce its own blood.

The third step is commerce, not only exemption from commercial tax, but more importantly, the details. Chen Qing knows what merchants are most afraid of. He ordered the dismantling of all checkpoints along Henan Road, and all city gates are not allowed to inspect caravans. Once the inspection team is found, they will be severely punished, and even the county magistrate will be dismissed.

There is no need to interrogate any spies at all. The real spies will definitely not be found out, and it will only give the interrogators a chance to blackmail.

It was also for this reason that the business on Henan Road developed very rapidly, and all the cheap livestock he invested in were sold out.

Chen Qing is not very worried about the countryside. As long as the tax is exempted and the rent is limited, the people in the countryside can rely on farming to feed themselves and provide a large amount of agricultural products to the city. However, it is different in the city. Urban residents mainly rely on handicraft workshops and various commercial activities. , only when all kinds of commerce and handicrafts are active, can the people in the city find work and support their families.

This time Chen Qing walked all the way from Bianliang. During the period of Wanyan Wushu control, the distance from Bianliang to Yuchi County was only [-] miles. There were four checkpoints, as well as city gates and tax cards. Since Chen Qing had ordered All abolished, he just wanted to see the effect with his own eyes. The journey went smoothly, there were no checkpoints, and no one asked when entering the city gate, and no tax collectors stepped forward to block the way.

The only thing that made Chen Qing uncomfortable was that he waited outside the city for an hour and a half. The next step is to prohibit closing the city gates. At least one city gate should be left at night to facilitate entry and exit. It may affect public security a little bit, but compared to The convenience that the people get, this little thing is not a problem at all.

At this time, three ox carts came behind them, and the carts were full of hawthorn fruit. It should be last year's hawthorn. It was stored in the cellar and it was not damaged, but it could be seen that it was ripe. "Is this hawthorn for sale?"

"This is specially used for making wine!" The old man driving the car replied.

It dawned on Chen Qing that it would be much easier to ferment the fruits if they were to be used for wine making when they were about to rot.

"Not bad! Not bad! Even fruit wine."

Alcohol is a commodity that can best reflect urban life. If the business is in decline, then the wine cannot be sold. Only when you have a few extra dollars, you will think of buying a dime of alcohol. After you get over the addiction, the demand for alcohol will come.

At present, Chen Qing is exempt from tax on the wine on Henan Road, but he cannot transport it across the border to other places. He only collects salt tax, and with the salt tax, he can barely support the governments of various places on Henan Road.

"Officer, let's stay in this store!" The soldier pointed to a nearby store.

"Old Shun Inn!"

Chen Qing nodded, the name is good, "Yes, I will live here!"

The owner of the shop is a middle-aged man in his forties. He ran out with a big smile on his face, "Welcome to stay in this small shop. The small shop has high-quality grass and comfortable rooms. In Xia Wangshun, no one can deceive anyone!"

Chen Qing saw that the yard was cleaned up quite clean, and there were no cobwebs or dust in the corners. He was quite satisfied, and asked, "Are there any customers in the store?"

"There are not many guests. There are four upper rooms on the east side of the second floor, and they happen to be empty."

"Okay! I want the four vacant rooms on the east side."

The shop owner was overjoyed, and quickly asked two guys to help unload the goods, and unloaded more than [-] large wooden barrels in a short time.

The shopkeeper asked: "Are there any special requirements for these goods? The small shop has a cellar, if not, it can only be stored in the room."

Chen Qing smiled slightly and said, "These are koji pancakes, they can't be put in the cellar, they should be put in the room!"

The owner of the shop heard that it was Jiuqu pancakes, so he hurriedly stepped forward to smell it, gave a thumbs up and praised: "Good stuff!"

"The store owner also understands wine music?"

The shopkeeper chuckled, "Yuchi County lives on wine, you know a little bit about it! My mother's natal family has a big wine cellar."

"Are the koji cakes easy to sell?"

"This is a sought-after product. When the news spread, the wine merchants who saw the product immediately crowded the small shop."

After a pause, the owner asked cautiously, "Is it convenient? I asked my cousin to come over to see the goods. Is it convenient for the guest officer?"

Chen Qing said with a smile: "It's the same for everyone, as long as the price is right, we can talk about it!"

The shop owner was overjoyed, and quickly called a clerk to inform his cousin that the goods were placed in an empty room on the first floor, so as not to have to move them up and down!

The first thousand and eighty-eight chapters complain

The owner's cousin, surnamed Jiang, is a dark-skinned middle-aged man who looks very smart and capable.

"Proprietor Chen, this is my cousin, Jiang Xiaonian, the proprietor of Jiang's Winery!" The owner of the inn introduced to Chen Qing.

The two greeted each other, and Chen Qing just learned from the assistant that this Jiang's winery can be ranked among the top ten in the county.

Chen Qing smiled and waved his hands, "Master Jiang, sit down and have a cup of tea first!"

Jiang Xiaonian was in a hurry, the jiuqu cakes were extremely popular, he was afraid that others would come after hearing the news.

"Proprietor Chen, drink tea later, let's have a look at the goods first!"

Chen Qing nodded, and said to one of his subordinates: "Take Master Jiang to see the goods, and let the master choose by himself!"

His subordinates agreed and took Jiang Dongzhu to go, but Chen Qing was sitting outside drinking tea. He didn't worry about his goods at all, they were all high-quality wine koji cakes from the Bianliang Palace, and the wine merchants here probably didn't see them. Pass.

After a while, Jiang Boss ran out like a gust of wind, "I want all these wine koji cakes, Chen Boss, let's make a price!"

"Things are good!"

"It's all first-class goods. I haven't seen such good things in many years."

Seeing his anxious face, Chen Qing smiled and said: "Don't worry, I can sell you everything, and the price is not expensive. I want to know the market, so tell me!"

Jiang Dongzhu saw that the other party promised to give the goods to him, so he made up his mind a little. He sat down and said, "The market is good now, which is related to the tax exemption order issued by the appeasement envoy last year. In the past, wine was controlled by the government. Our brewers have to pay one year each year. A large sum of money is used to buy a liquor license, and a liquor license is also required for selling liquor. Every year, money must be paid to the government. Jiuqu cakes must be bought from the government at a high price. In the end, the price of wine is very expensive. Now wine making and selling are all tax-free, and Jiuqu cakes are also available. Do it yourself, and business starts to pick up.”

"Is your wine only served in Kaifeng Mansion?" Chen Qing asked again.

"In the past, it was not allowed to sell wine across states, but now it is allowed, but it is not allowed to sell wine across roads. Yesterday, a wine merchant from Yingchang Prefecture came to my winery and bought [-] barrels of wine."

"I don't quite understand. It stands to reason that South Road has been devastated. There are so many hungry people. Where do they get the money to buy wine and eat out?"

Jiang Dongzhu smiled and said: "We often discuss this issue with customers who buy wine. There are several reasons. One is that wine is now tax-free and relatively cheap, so many restaurants want to store more goods. They are afraid that the price of wine will increase after the tax is collected. rise."

Chen Qing nodded. This is a very important reason. Merchants are hoarding goods at a low price, which is also why restaurants and shops in various places are worried about the government's credit.

"Other than hoarding goods?" Chen Qing asked again.

"Then in the last few months, people do have a lot of money in their hands. Just look at Yuchi County. Every restaurant has opened, and almost all the shops have opened. They have to hire people and pay wages. It's less than fifty yuan a day. Also, you can buy a dime of wine if you save ten cents, and the river will be widened in a few months. 10,000+ people have been hired, and basically everyone has earned seven or eight pennies. They also want to buy things , and drink some wine."

"It seems that the shops still have money to purchase."

"For so many years, I have saved a little bit, but the puppet Qi and Jin countries collected too much tax, everyone must pretend to be poor, the poorer the safer, otherwise they will be targeted by the officials, and even a little bit of wealth will be blackmailed. "

Chen Qing laughed and said, "It makes sense, otherwise where would all the money go?"

Chen Qing took a sip of tea and asked, "How long does Jiang Dongzhu think it will take for the Central Plains to recover to the prosperity of the Xuanhe period?"

"I've made bets with people and they think it's at least ten years, but I think five or six years will be enough."

"Tell me the reason!" Chen Qingrao said with interest.

"The biggest reason is that the population is small. Now it is only half of the population in Xuanhe years at most. With a small population, there will be more land. The second important reason is that the government is exempt from taxation for ten years. This is a great benefit, everyone. They will work desperately, accumulate wealth desperately, and take advantage of this ten-year tax holiday to grow bigger. This opportunity will never come again in the future. Based on these two reasons, in five years, they will be able to match the prosperity of the Xuanhe years, unless Jin Bing Breaking in and plundering wealth again, there is no way."

Chen Qing nodded. This Jiang Dongzhu still has some knowledge. He saw one of the most critical problems, that is, the population. If the population is reduced by half, the per capita resources will be more. Naturally, the development will be fast. All dynasties have developed the most during the founding of the country. The reason is that the population is small and the resources per capita are abundant.

At this time, the owner of the inn rushed in and said, "Hurry up! The owner of Wu's Distillery, Wu Dongzhu, has smelled the smell, and he wants to come over to see the koji cakes."

Jiang Dongzhu jumped up in fright, and quickly said to Chen Qing: "Let's settle the bill. A piece of wine koji cake costs [-] Wen. Yours is of high quality. I count you as one of five. Is this price acceptable?"

Chen Qing knew the price, Bianliang's ordinary jiuqu biscuits cost a penny, but his price was two guan, and it was still hard to buy, but it's normal for Yuchi County to be cheaper than Bianliang, and the price is not bad.

He nodded happily and said, "Let's count according to the usual five! I brought a total of two thousand, exactly three thousand coins, and it's best to give silver."

"Silver is hard to come by now! Let's go to the counter shop and give you the three thousand coins from the counter shop directly, and then the counter shop will issue a counter ticket, and you can get the money in Bianliang without bringing three thousand coins with you." Put the money on the road."

"Is it Fu Kee Cabinet?"

Fuji Cabinet Shop is the largest cabinet shop on Henan Road, headquartered in Bianliang. Its proprietor is a wealthy family in Hebei Province. It is said that he is somewhat related to Fan Gong, the confidant of Wanyan Wushu. He played a huge role in Chen Qing's liquidation of the puppet Qi officials, so he was spared under Chen Qing's rule.

"It's Fuji Counter Shop. If we have a lot of money, we will use its counter ticket. It's very convenient!"

Chen Qing nodded, "I'll ask my subordinates to handle it with you. The goods are placed in the inn, and you can come and get them anytime!"

"Can I inspect all the goods, your subordinates will be watching."

Chen Qing understood his cautiousness, so he nodded happily, "Just inspect the goods!"

After Chen Qing gave instructions to his two subordinates, he took to the streets for a stroll. Of course he didn't just stroll, but learned about the situation in the county through the pedestrians and shops on the street.

For example, from clothing, skin color, mental outlook, etc., and then from the situation of the store, you can know the autumn leaf.

The north-south street in Yuchi County is called Dukang Street, which has something to do with wine. Sure enough, there are wine shops along the way. There will be a shop every few steps, and the street is full of wine lees.

There are a lot of pedestrians, most of them are dressed in old clothes, with gray and black as the main tone, and they are all fine linen shirts, but there are also coarse linen clothes, mainly for the elderly.

At this time, Chen Qing saw a familiar shop, a Pingcang shop with a red roof and white wooden walls, with a flagpole next to it, and the words "Pingcang shop" were written on the banner.

There are three queues in front of the store, each with hundreds of people. Pingcang store supplies coarse grain and coarse cloth, and coarse salt has been canceled. Pingcang store supplies coarse salt, which seriously affects the salt tax.

The Pingcang store was not opened by the county, but directly opened by Zhang Xiao's comfort envoy, bypassing the prefectures and counties. It does not make money online, but it guarantees the food and clothing of the people at the bottom.

This is also Chen Qing's original intention. Every single old man over 50 years old and orphans under 14 years old can get a subsidy of [-] Wen per month, which is enough for them to eat.

Why do we have to be over 50 years old? It is because the life expectancy of ordinary people is relatively short. Most of them can only live to be over 50 years old. The actual expenditure is not much. There are only 30 or [-] elderly people over [-] years old in each county. Spending is more of a symbolic meaning.

"Dang! Dang!"

A few gongs sounded, and an official sedan chair came in front of them. More than a dozen yamen servants walked in front holding signs, avoiding and keeping quiet. This is the official sedan chair that should be the county magistrate.

At this moment, a young woman dressed in sackcloth and filial piety knelt in front of the sedan chair with two children who also wore filial piety. The young woman held the pleading paper above her head and shouted, "The women have been wronged. The women of the people will avenge their grievances!"

Chen Qing didn't expect that he would encounter such a bloody thing. He stopped by the side of the road to see how the county magistrate would deal with it.

Chapter 89 Murder

The next scene surprised Chen Qing. He saw a yamen servant rushing out from both sides, took a water and fire stick and beat the woman, knocking her unconscious. The yamen servant dragged her aside again, and the two young The child threw himself on the woman crying and shouting.

The two elderly people beside him shook their heads and sighed: "How dare she sue Xu Huhu? She is the servant of the county lord, and she is simply impatient."

The magistrate's team walked away, Chen Qing's face was gloomy, and he ordered the soldiers behind him: "Go and see that woman, and bring her to the teahouse next door to see me."

There was a Yang Sanmei teahouse nearby, and the three soldiers divided into two groups, two went to rescue the fainted woman, and the other followed Chen Qing into the teahouse.

Chen Qing sat drinking tea in the elegant room between the inner and outer coats, feeling really angry in his heart. He really didn't expect the officials under his rule to be so cruel and brutal. He remembered that the magistrate of Yuchi County was surnamed Tang, and he was an official of the Puppet State of Qi. The evaluation is clear about public and private, and the accounts are clear.

Unexpectedly, there is another kind of person behind him. Who is Xu Huhu?What does it mean to take care of someone?Chen Qing was full of doubts.

At this time, the soldiers said at the door: "Your Highness, she is here. I said you are the inspector of the appeasement envoy."

Chen Qing nodded, "I want some cakes for her two children to eat outside, bring her in!"

Not long after, the young woman was brought in, knelt down and cried loudly: "I beg the elder to be the master for the women!"

The woman was only 24 to [-] years old, and she was relatively handsome. Her forehead was broken, and she was directly bandaged with the filial piety on her head. It may be due to a lot of blood loss, and her face looked very pale.

"Where's the pleadings just now?" Chen Qing asked.

A soldier said: "It seems to have been torn off by the yamen servant!"

Chen Qing could only say: "Just talk about it! What grievances do you have?"

The woman wiped away her tears and choked up her voice, "The husband's surname is Lei. He is from Leijiazhuang in the east of the city. After the in-laws passed away, they left behind an ancestral house of three acres and three hundred acres of farmland. My husband is a scholar. He I hired two tenant farmers to farm in my hometown. Our family lives in the county seat. My husband is a clerk in the county government. Last month, my husband was captured and beaten to death by Xu Huhu, and all his bones were broken..."

Speaking of this, the woman couldn't help but burst into tears again. Chen Qing let her cry for a while and then asked: "Why was your husband beaten to death, and, who is this Tiger Xu?"

"A month ago, Xu Huhu bought [-] acres of land and the ancestral house in my hometown with three pennies. My husband was so angry that he went to Bianliang to file a complaint. As a result, he disappeared the next day."