Infrastructure masters in the red building

In other words, the fish scale book in Wuyuan County was indeed burned down in a fire in the county government.But in the hands of the Liu family, there is indeed a private copy of the fish scale book, and it is even an "advanced version" of the fish scale book.

The "advanced version" means that this fish scale book is more detailed and comprehensive than the original fish scale book in the county government.The Fish Scale Book includes all the "hidden fields" cultivated by big households privately but never registered with the government, as well as "guiji" cultivated by big households in Tada but falsely claiming that the land belongs to others.

Relying on this book of fish scales, the Liu family has been "contracting" for many years in Wuyuan County. It is not only the umbrella of grain households in Wuyuan County, but also the object of everyone's fear and loathing. "Hidden Field" and "Deceitful Sending" have nothing to hide in front of the Liu family. If you want to take advantage of this, you must "feed" the Liu family to benefit.

Anyone from a small family who has some knowledge also hates that the Liu family oppresses small households every day. In Yurou Township—after all, Wuyuan County has a fixed amount of grain taxes. on the head.Therefore, the people of Wuyuan have a saying, "Zhao Ruhu, Liu Rumao, lick people in Wuyuan County".Liu refers to the Liu family represented by Liu Shilin and Liu Minghua, while the "Ruhu" Zhao family refers to the Zhao family from which Zhao Zilai, the head of the county's yamen servants, was born.

The Zhao and Liu families have controlled Wu Yuan for many years, and ordinary county officials can't do anything to them.Until this time, the Zhao family suffered from being uneducated.As soon as a small "diploma" exam was passed, the Zhao family was thrown off the horse first.

The Liu family still firmly controls the power of money and food in Wuyuan County by relying on the "talent" in the clan and the fish scale book in their hands.

But Liu Lixing didn't understand, and asked his uncle, "Grandpa, don't you have a fish scale book here? Why do you need Zhangtian?"

Liu Minghua said: "Master Jia and Master Yuan want to know the real situation of Wu Yuan's field. Without the fish scale book, there is only one way - Zhangtian."

"However, Mr. Jia, who held a high position at a young age, came from Beijing. He didn't have many people in his hands. It was impossible to mobilize the people of the whole county to re-measure the land of the whole county, so I had to leave this matter to me. The Liu family."

Liu Lixing still didn't understand: "Uncle, isn't he just Zhang Tian? How many people and how much effort will this take?"

Liu Minghua sneered: "How many people and effort are needed? Let's put it this way, Taoyuan Village next door has a population of 5000 and over 2000 people. If these two thousand people all come to Wuyuan to help Zhangtian, it will take two months. If only our county All the scribes and yamen servants in the yamen were sent out to Zhangtian, and it will take two years to complete the work in Wuyuan County."

"That's why Mr. Jia is still young and short-sighted," Liu Minghua said somewhat complacently. "He blamed me for not having a fish scale book, and blindly collecting and paying blindly. I agreed to help him grow the land."

"Where did he expect it? This is just a huge windfall to my Liu family." Liu Minghua finally couldn't hold back, and laughed.

Liu Lixing didn't believe what his uncle said at all: Mr. Jia was short-sighted, and there were only 5000 people in Taoyuan Village. How could he see people building houses and factories, and the natives and immigrants who had little money became rich visibly with the naked eye?

Therefore Liu Lixing felt that Jia Fang's handing over the matter of the Zhangtian to the Liu family must be on purpose.

"Just wait and see," Liu Minghua still couldn't hide his complacency. "When the news about Zhangtian is released, the threshold of our Liu family may be leveled by the grain households in the county."

He weighed the fish scale book in his hand, and said with a smile: "And this fish scale book makes their fields invisible, why don't we just let us flatten and round it?"

Liu Lixing was a smart man, and now he understood everything after hearing what his uncle said: the Liu family originally claimed that they didn't have fish scale books, but in fact they knew all the land in the county like the palm of their hands.At this time, Jia Fang nodded and asked the Liu family to take charge of Zhang Tian. In order not to suffer losses, those big households had to come to the Liu family and give the Liu family enough benefits to decide how many fields they occupied in the new "Fish Scale Book".

The more benefits to the Liu family, the less land tax they will pay in the future; and for those small households who can't get into the Liu family, the less land tax paid by the big households will be spread on them.

This... Isn't this just seeking personal gain with the convenience of his position?

Liu Lixing suddenly remembered that after his father left, he followed the newly widowed mother to the Liu clan to meet the patriarch.At that time, he saw a guest who came to pay a visit to Liu's house. This person retreated outside Liu's house with a smile on his face. When the door of Liu's house was closed, the smile disappeared suddenly, and then he spitting on the door of Liu's house. Spit in one mouthful.After that person learned that Liu Lixing was also surnamed Liu, he also scolded "little bastard" before leaving.

The Liu family looks like a wealthy family, but in fact they have a very bad reputation in the village, and others are ashamed to associate with the Liu family.

Liu Lixing also remembered that after Jia Fang's "swear oath" to the new officials of the county government earlier, he had spoken to them alone, young people who were new to the government.

At that time, Jia Fang once said: "I know that many of you came to Wuyuan County to serve as errands because of the arrangement of your clan. But being a county official in Wuyuan County is quite different from the past. You are through your own Skills, diplomas, and grass-roots public officials officially appointed by the imperial court, the imperial court will give you a salary, which is enough for your whole family to live a good life. You should be proud of yourself... But if you only care about maintaining your family The benefits, then I’m sorry, these will be gone in the future.”

"Think about it, is it worth sacrificing this future for the sake of those in your respective clans?"

Liu Lixing fell into deep thought immediately, and it took a long time before he heard Liu Minghua calling himself: "Lixing, Lixing...what are you thinking?"

Liu Lixing came to his senses suddenly, and quickly lowered his hands and said, "Uncle, please tell me what you want my nephew to do."

Liu Minghua had just explained with excitement, when he met this indifferent grandnephew, Xingxing was poured cold water on his head, and finally regained his indifferent face, gently shook his chin, and said: "Forget it, you go Get ready! I'll call you again when the specifics begin."

As soon as Liu Lixing left, Liu Shilin turned around from behind the Liu Family Ancestral Hall.

Seeing Liu Shilin, Liu Minghua quickly saluted, "Uncle Shilin, why are you here?"

Liu Shilin squinted at Liu Lixing's leaving back, and said slowly: "It's a bit too hasty for you to drag this kid into this matter."

Liu Minghua hurriedly said: "But this matter must bring him in, otherwise my nephew will be alone in the county government."

Liu Shilin coughed twice when he heard the words, and finally said: "Forget it... I heard that he has a widowed mother and a younger sister?"

Liu Minghua should be, and Liu Shilin said: "Is that guy of yours quite eloquent? Go, go and take Lixing's old lady and younger sister to live in your home. Keep an eye on them at twelve hours a day, and don't let them leave. Chance."

Liu Minghua knew how powerful he was, bowed and said, "Nephew, let's do it now."

"Also, how is the Zhao family doing now?" Liu Shilin asked.

Liu Minghua had always disliked the Zhao family, who was vulgar and rude, and only knew that he led a gang of yamen servants to run amok in the village. At this time, he was even more gloating, and said: "The Zhao family has suffered a lot this time, and Mr. Zhao is bored at home. sulking."

But Liu Shilin said: "This time, Zhang Tian, ​​be more polite to the Zhao family, give as much benefit as possible, and let the Zhao family know."

Surprised, Liu Minghua opened his mouth wide and said nothing.

Liu Shilin continued: "If necessary, send a message to Mr. Zhao, saying that the Liu family and the Zhao family are standing together."

Knowing that this uncle is the most visionary figure in the clan, Liu Minghua may have thought of some possible situation at this time, and is now laying the groundwork.He hurriedly nodded yes, and then discussed with Liu Shilin a few more words to see how to arrange this Zhang Tian's matter.

But Jia Fang is no longer in Wuyuan County. When he returned to Taoyuan Village, besides presiding over the construction of the office building, he had another matter to ask Village Chief Tao of Taoyuan Village.

"I heard that there was banditry here 30 years ago?"

When Village Chief Tao heard this, he nodded like a chicken pecking at rice: "The third master is really clever and knows everything."

Jia Fang: ...

In other words, recently, Village Chief Tao has been mixing with the four village chiefs of the new immigrant, and it is inevitable that he will be infected with some flattering habits. Jia rest assured that this atmosphere is not very good.

Unexpectedly, Village Chief Tao had plausible words: "Thirty years ago, Mr. Jia was not born yet, and he even knew this, isn't it a magic trick?"

Jia Fang was even more speechless, and could only guide Village Chief Tao to recall: "What happened at that time? How many bandits were there? Are there any officers and soldiers to pay?"

Village head Tao snapped his fingers and said, "Third Master, in fact, it was not a bandit at that time, it was a rebellion in the seven caves and thirteen villages. Our Taoyuan village was also included in the 'thirteen villages' of the seven caves and thirteen villages." , as one of the villages. But we really didn’t have many people at that time, only about 900 people, and there were not so many roads to go out of the mountains at that time, so we just stayed on our own territory..."

"Seven caves and thirteen villages?" Jia Fang, as the Pingnan Jiedu envoy, was somewhat popularized the concept of administrative divisions in the southern region.In areas where the Han people live here, prefectures and counties are used as the organizational units for administrative management; but in areas where non-Han people live in concentrated areas, most of them are named after caves and villages, which is why Taoyuan Village is called Taoyuan Village.

There are cave masters in caves and village masters in villages, most of whom are self-governing leaders elected by the people themselves.These cave masters and village masters are theoretically controlled by the officials of the prefectures and counties, and they can be regarded as the subjects of these prefectures and counties.

He still remembered that when he first arrived in Wuyuan County, he seemed to have heard that the rebels from Seven Caves and Thirteen Villages had besieged Wuyuan County for half a year.

Jia Fang asked again: "Do you know why the Seven Caves and Thirteen Villages rebelled?"

Village head Tao made a bitter face: "Because of the salt! At that time, the salt tax was taxed, and our village could not get a jar of salt for a year of hard work... and there was no sour soup like now. , there was no salt at that time, even the best food could not be eaten. Some people rebelled under the banner of Seven Caves and Thirteen Villages.”

"Then why did I hear that it was banditry?"

Village head Tao continued: "That's because after more than half a year of rebellion, the imperial court's Pingnan camp recruited the leaders of the villages, promised to give them enough salt, and then turned around and went to attack other villages. They naturally I don’t want to mention the rebellion in the seven caves and thirteen villages, but only say that the other caves and villages are all bandits.”

Jia reassuredly thought: This is indeed the case. In fact, there is not much difference between rebels and bandits.Especially in such resource-poor areas, rebels and bandits all aim to plunder resources.

At that time, it took Pingnan Camp more than half a year to quell the rebellion in the Seven Caves and Thirteen Villages by adopting the method of internal division and disintegration of the rebels.

Jia Fang remembered that his "Jiedu envoy" could actually control the Pingnan camp, and several generals in the camp had come to pay a visit to Jia Fang a while ago.However, Jia Fang still had no idea of ​​the strength of the Pingnan Camp.

"So in the past 30 years, has the southern land been calm?" Jia Fang asked.

"How is this possible?" Village Chief Tao complained, "every few years, there will be bandits in this mountain. When bandits come, they will grab food, things, and women. "

"It's just that our Taoyuan Village was too poor in the past, and there was really nothing to grab. The bandits are not willing to come." Village head Tao didn't know whether to feel inferior or proud, "Later, Master Xiang came and gave us even more advice. How to save your life and defend yourself."

Jia Fang raised his eyebrows, he didn't expect to hear this name - this is his... grandpa.

"Tell me, my lord, to make friends with the surrounding villages. If you hear news of bandits, please send us a letter. There is a hole in the mountain behind us, and we store all the food and water there in advance. , If the situation is not good, immediately hide in that cave. Those who stay in the village will be discarded, but there is really nothing valuable in the village."

"Really?" Jia Fang felt very interested after hearing this. Taoyuan Village actually adopted such a strategy of fortifying the walls and clearing the wilderness. Village is naturally not on the list of bandits.

"Let's go!" Jia Fang quickly pulled Village Chief Tao, "Take me to see the cave."

Village head Tao didn't expect Jia Fang to leave as soon as he said it, so he quickly called two young men in the village, took torches, and walked along the trail to Taoyuan Village together.

Village head Tao said all the way, "To be honest, in the past ten years, bandits haven't come to our Taoyuan Village very much. Especially in the past four or five years, they haven't come near us at all. Therefore, there are many caves in this cave. Years have passed."

Jia Fang listened to Village Chief Tao's words while walking through the path where the weeds grew to half a person's height.He silently thought, Taoyuan Village has not been what it used to be in the past two years, if there is such a force as bandits, they will definitely not sit back and watch such a piece of fat become fatter and fatter in their mouths.

Village head Tao still forgot to add: "However, no one has come to see if the cave here was affected by the landslide last time. I don't know if it was damaged."

The group of people walked for about a cup of tea. The old village head pushed aside a large piece of weeds, and a hole appeared at the end of the road.The old village head first held a torch and stretched it into the entrance of the cave, took a photo inside, waited for a while, and then turned around and said to Jia Fang: "Please come with me, third master."

The old village head took the lead, Jia Fang walked in the middle, and there were two young and strong palace queens from Taoyuan Village behind him, so he didn't have to worry about it anymore and just observed the scene in the cave.

In the opening paragraph, four people walk in an extremely narrow mountainside tunnel.Jia Fang saw that the torch of Village Chief Tao was burning vigorously in front of him, and he didn't feel any shortness of breath. He knew that the space inside this cave should be large and connected to the outside world, so that there would be no shortage of oxygen.

This section of trail almost reminded him of the ground whip in Daoxiang Village.After walking dozens of steps, a huge and deep space appeared in front of his eyes—as the old village chief said, it was a huge cave in the mountains.With the light of the torches held in the hands of a group of people, it is impossible to see the whole picture of the cave.

Jia Fang saw upside-down stalactite pillars one after another hanging from the stone wall around him, and knew that this was another giant cave that is very common in karst landforms.

"This cave was more than enough to hold the whole village back then, and it could store food for about a year. If there are now five thousand people in our entire village..."

Village head Tao walked forward while talking, suddenly, there was the sound of water under his feet.He also stood still in astonishment, and raised the torch in his hand to shine it on the ground, only to realize that a puddle of water had formed in the cave at some point.At this time, the calm water surface rippled round and round, and the reflection of Village Chief Tao on the water also swayed round and round along with the ripples.

It turned out that before arriving for many days, a puddle of water had accumulated in the cave.It seems that when the two mountains "Wangwu and Taihang" collapsed, they blocked Qingfang River and piled up Qingfang Lake, which caused the groundwater level in the surrounding area to rise accordingly, so water accumulated in this cave.

Village head Tao was dumb for a moment, thinking that originally the cave was more than enough to accommodate 5000 to [-] people, but now it seems that it may not be possible.

Unexpectedly, Jia Fang suddenly stretched out his hand and clapped his hands vigorously, and there was an "empty" clap, which was a bit louder than ordinary applause, causing a buzzing echo in this huge space.

Jia Fang listened quietly for a while, and said, "The place is big enough!"

He once participated in the design and construction of a concert hall, and listened to experts in acoustics and architecture explain the relationship between architecture and sound transmission. At this moment, he can roughly estimate the size of the entire space when he hears the echo.

He asked Village Chief Tao: "Is this cave all flat?"

Village head Tao said in confusion: "Yes, it's all dry flat land, and it can still pile up grain."

Jia Fang said to a young man beside him, "Throw the torch in that direction."

He points to the most profound and empty direction in the entire space.The young man threw the torch in his hand vigorously as he said.

I saw the torch draw a beautiful and bright line of fire in the darkness, then fell on the dry ground and continued to burn fiercely.

I saw that in this large karst cave, the middle is high, the surroundings are low-lying, and there is a circle of stagnant water, but there is still a large dry flat land in the middle, which is completely enough to temporarily accommodate two or three thousand women and children.But if 5000 people in Taoyuan Village have to live here for a while, it will be more difficult.

Jia Fang expressed satisfaction with this: "It's ok - it's completely enough as a safe house in an emergency. Now we have 5000 people, and I can control the Pingnan Camp again, and I won't teach everyone to be the same as before. , To avoid banditry, you have to hide for a year."

Jia Fang's words obviously gave Village Chief Tao a lot of comfort, but the old man still showed a little worry and hesitation, and said timidly: "Master Jia, I heard that the banditry in this mountain has always been there, and it is ...they are private soldiers raised by some people."