Northern Dynasties Imperial Industry

As winter deepens, the vegetation in the wilderness is withered and there are few human traces.

There is a village dotted on the south side of Piyuan. Villagers' houses are scattered in the valleys facing the sun from the wind. There are about two to three hundred households.

The most houses are distributed at the diversion point of the mountain stream. There are about forty or fifty households. A woman set up a spinning wheel inside the fence, spinning flax carefully under the thin sunlight. Next to her, a half-grown child was drying hay harvested in summer and autumn.

There are chicken coops set up in front of some houses. When the hen clucking comes from the chicken coop, the children immediately prick up their ears and take a squinting look. If they find that the adults in the household are not paying attention, they quietly go to the chicken coop. Go, but often before even putting your hands into it, a pair of big eyes staring at you will already appear on the top of your head. Not only will the warm-skinned chicken that has just been delivered be handed over to the father, it will also have to endure a few slaps from the adults.

The crying children wiped away their tears and went out, carrying wooden wedges to dig around the dry riverbed for grass roots buried in the ground, picking out some relatively soft grass roots and feeding them to the skinny sheep with bulging abdomens.

There are stone grinding mortars and other objects in the center of the village. The relatively strong villagers line up here to grind the grains and peel them. The stone grinding mill was pushed and pulled by manpower, while several dull-colored oxen and horses were pulled by people, pacing back and forth to trample on the dung piles.

The largest number of villagers gathered in the corner of the small square in this village. There were three floors inside and three floors around a large stove with a fire. There were pottery urns on the big stove, in which a pungent black glue juice was boiled, but Still can't get rid of the crowd who are greedy for warmth. The glue becomes viscous when cooled and can be used to prevent fire and water when applied to utensils.

The plant ashes under the stove will not be wasted. The fine powder will be dried and placed in a black-painted wooden box, which will be used for daily washing and hair washing. The rest is mixed with dry manure and stored as fertilizer for next year's farming.

People have three emergencies. From time to time, some people in the crowd warming themselves by the fire stand up. They squeeze out of the crowd and run home with uncomfortable expressions. After returning with a relaxed look, they can no longer squeeze into the position nearest the fire, so they can only squat helplessly. On the outside, waiting for people inside to make room for themselves.

"Why haven't the clan elders come back? Do you still have to confess to the bandits this year? The chaos is getting worse in September. It will be difficult to confess again this year..."

Youzhuang man looked at the entrance of the village and said, which immediately caused a sigh from the crowd.

"Didn't he say that there are strong soldiers from other states entering the country to eradicate the gangsters in Longzhou? If the serious trouble is really eliminated, then naturally there will be no need to pay more tribute, and the kidnapped son and son may also be rescued..."

"If the Longzhou bandits can really be wiped out easily, how many years will they last? Isn't it possible that some of the soldiers have run out of food for the winter and come to the countryside to make a show of themselves so that they can collect the food? These thieves are worse than gangsters. He lacks faith, even if he rescues the country boy, he still has to pay for it with grain and a few stones! It’s okay if his hands and feet are intact, but if his body is broken, it will be a drag! "

I don’t blame the villagers for being ruthless. In fact, there are too many sufferings in this world. Even if you stay in the village honestly and dutifully, you will be lucky enough to steal your life for even one day.

A swaying bullock cart appeared at the entrance of the village. An old man with gray hair and beard walked vigorously in front of the cart, followed by a dozen villagers carrying sticks.

Seeing the villagers gathering around him, the old man raised his wooden staff and said loudly: "Those who have called me by name, come forward and get your things. Black dog, half a bucket of salt..."

The villagers stepped forward to receive the supplies one after another, and someone was already shouting impatiently: "Elder of the clan, has there been any result in suppressing bandits this year?"

"The Longzhou bandits are gone. Ma Jinlong and several other governors and generals were stripped of their skin and cramped, and hung on the city tower!"

A young man from the village who was accompanying him shouted excitedly: "The officers and soldiers who came to suppress the bandits this time were really fierce. It is said that they attacked the stronghold all the way from Kusang Ridge and it took less than two days to break through." Ma Bao's lair, I heard that when Ma Jinlong was arrested, he was sleeping naked with his head covered! "

When the people in the village heard this, they immediately smiled and said: "God finally opened his eyes and accepted these evil thieves. This year we finally save money on offerings!"

But some people were worried and said: "It's too early to rejoice... There are thousands of horse bandits. How many men and horses do the officers and soldiers need to win a big victory? How can they leave if they don't have enough food? The big families don't donate materials to raise troops, so they still have to The people will add more tunes!”

"This is wrong! It is said that there are only five hundred officers and soldiers in this group. They are led by a brave commander. There are five hundred iron beasts with no exposed hands and faces. Not to mention thousands, tens of thousands of thieves can kill one It’s all clean! The county government also specially announced that the officers and soldiers on this road are righteous soldiers and will not seize food and goods from the villagers. They will leave immediately after killing the thieves..."

Hearing the people outside the village shouting like this, the villagers looked surprised: "Is there such a kind and righteous army in the world?"

The clan elder raised his hand to stop everyone's discussion, and said in a deep voice: "The government has issued an order that there will be no expedition this winter, and those who have received their belongings will go home!"

Seeing the clan elders saying this, the villagers heaved a sigh of relief. They each laughed and received the distributed supplies and then dispersed one after another.

The banditry in the territory has been eliminated, and the county government has not imposed additional taxes. This double-layered exploitation has been avoided, which is always a good thing worthy of great celebration.

However, there were still a few people from the village who were keenly aware of the worry on the clan elder's face, so they deliberately stayed behind. After the villagers dispersed, they came together and asked in a low voice with some anxiety: "What else is the clan elder worried about?" It’s not Shi Nu and the others…”

When the clan elder heard this, his eyes suddenly became sharp, and he refused to let them continue talking, and then he sighed: "Master Zhou summoned me to the Yamen, and informed me that this group of people is leaving Zhangyuan, and wants my family to provide supplies." Grass Valley Horse Feed.”

"The chief secretary is really hateful this week. Although he killed several people from other clans during the fight for water last year, we also compensated him. If Songlinggong hadn't led his children to die in the battle in Guandong, would there be any place for his family to show off their strength in Nanbaishui? Will we be punished? Not only did they drive me down, they also sent my people to do all kinds of hard work in the county over the years!”

When the people of Youzhuang heard this, they immediately said bitterly.

Others said: "If it is just grass, grain and horse feed, although it is difficult, if the tribesmen gather closely, they can provide it. Didn't Qilang say that there are only 500 officers and soldiers in that team?"

After hearing this, the clan elder snorted coldly: "I have lived for a long time. I have seen officials become thieves and thieves become officials. But regardless of whether they are officials or thieves, I have never seen an official who does not lick blood! When the army crosses the border, it is always a disaster. It is also a proud soldier who has defeated the bandits. How can it be easy to ask for it? The clan's valuable goods are hidden and a dozen sheep are left. If they are still dissatisfied, I will die. Go! Just remember, don’t tell Shi Nu and the others!”

Everyone in the village obeyed the elder's instructions and hurriedly mobilized the villagers to hide the grain and goods savings in the village. When it was learned that there would be officers and soldiers crossing the border, the village that had just shown a little joy was suddenly shrouded in haze, and there was even a burst of ice rain in the afternoon.

The next day, the sky was still hazy, and the falling ice particles turned into snowflakes, falling intermittently, covering the village with a layer of white. Everyone was waiting with fear for the arrival of the army, and no one even dared to move. Fire smoke.

In the morning, the rapid sound of horse hooves sounded outside the village. More than a dozen villagers stood at the entrance of the village surrounded by the elders, waiting anxiously. Finally, more than twenty knights wrapped in thick robes appeared in sight.

As he approached, a knight with his face wrapped in a turban shouted to the people of the village: "A certain class is the pioneer of Li Dadu's department who entered the country to suppress the bandits. Is the owner of the village here? Have you received the order from the county government to provide supplies?"

"The old man is Zhang He of the village. Yesterday he went to the Yamen to listen to orders. After returning, he helped the villagers prepare. The grass and grain materials have been gathered in the village. Please ask the general to come to the village to inspect them!"

The elder of the tribe hurriedly stepped forward and crossed his hands and said. The knight nodded after hearing the words, got off his horse and signaled the villagers to lead the way, and led ten people into the village to check. The other knights ran around the village and inspected the surrounding terrain of the village.

After seeing that the quantity and quality of the grass and grain piled in the farmhouse were acceptable, Lu Chuan, who had already served as the captain of the team, nodded with satisfaction. Seeing that the villagers were a little nervous, he smiled and said: "Director Li is very strict in running the army and does not allow soldiers to disturb the people. Don't worry, fellow villagers. The grass and grain materials are quite complete, and there is one more thing that needs to be done by the village owner."

Although he was very polite, the villagers did not dare to neglect him. The clan elder quickly stepped forward and bowed his head and said, "General, what else do you have to say?"

"It's snowing on the way home, but our luggage is not well prepared. We still need felts, furs and other things to keep out the cold. If the village has savings, we need to borrow Bailing. If not, please lend it elsewhere. When the headquarters stops here, we will calculate the expenses together with the owner of the village. ”

Hearing this, the people in the village breathed a sigh of relief at first, but then their heartstrings were lifted again. It wouldn't be difficult to get only a hundred felt furs, but they could barely make it with a thousand people in their village. But the question is, are the requirements really that simple?

They have also experienced that the soldiers passing through the border are more serious than bandits. The large group of troops has not yet entered the village and they have made new demands. The soldier commander in front of them seems polite, but if he is not satisfied, he will definitely become ruthless.

The people of the village were still thinking about how to respond, when suddenly the sound of sheep bleated in the nearby house. Lu Chuan heard this and walked over to take a look. He saw more than a dozen sheep in the empty adobe house, and he casually smiled and said: "The appearance of this village is not very eye-catching. There is quite a bit of savings inside, but these sheep don’t have much fat and need to be carefully raised to survive the winter!”

This was just said casually, but the expressions of the people in the village changed drastically after hearing the words. The clan elders quickly stepped forward and said: "These sheep are the contributions of the villagers to comfort the generals and others. Although there are not many things, they are already there. The people of the village are trying their best to give it, and I sincerely ask the general to..."

After hearing this, Lu Chuan's face suddenly darkened, he raised his leg and kicked the elder to the ground, and immediately shouted angrily: "Capture this powerful and evil tycoon, the Governor has issued a clear order to those who take advantage of our military power to seize the countryside." Must be punished! Gather all the villagers here and put this beast on trial!"

Soon, all the people in Zuojinzhuang were driven to the vicinity of the courtyard. Lu Chuan held his knife and raised his legs and jumped up on the wall. Looking at these frightened villagers, he said loudly: "A certain class of people from the Dushui Administrative Office, Li Dadu, are under the command." The county magistrate invites us to enter the country to suppress bandits, and we will not take any goods from the villagers except grass, grain, horses and supplies. The county government has issued an order not to disturb you and other villagers. The village bandits have been imprisoned. If there is any damage to the goods. Come and get it!"