Zhu Houxi set out from Beijing, passed through Shandong, and entered Nanzhili...... It is clear that there are three levels...... It's not that there is no difference in the degree of wealth, from heaven to hell, there can't be that big difference.

It's about the kind of breath that comes to the face, and the difference is indeed quite large.

Shuntianfu is the place where Wang Yue and Zhu Houxi have the most ink, clearing the acres of land, collecting commercial taxes, vigorously conscripting soldiers, building schools, encouraging newspapers, and cracking down on the powerful...... There are also many large projects, just to enclose the capital on all sides, to benefit millions of people.

After this set, Shuntianfu has a strong atmosphere of civil society, especially in Tianjin, which is even more refreshing.

In these places, wealth and knowledge are respected, and the people's fear of officials is not so strong. Even if you are the Son of Heaven, Emperor Zhu went to the residence by the canal to rest, the car drove by, and the people lay on the ground at will when they got close, and when the car drove over, they immediately jumped up, pointed, and had no sense of awe, as if they were watching something lively.

After entering Shandong, the people's reverence for the imperial power is obviously much stronger, especially many people who have just obtained the land, they will come from afar, just to kowtow to the Son of Heaven, and then leave with tears in their eyes.

Therefore, this section of Shandong is the easiest, and there is no need to worry about anyone having the heart to assassinate the Son of Heaven, even if there is, the people of Shandong can tear them apart.

But when the southbound team entered Nanzhili, they could clearly feel a strange feeling...... The people are not the casualness of Shuntianfu, nor the gratitude of Shandong, but fear!

It's like a group of small animals that live happily, and suddenly an elephant comes, interrupting the rhythm of their life, instinctively repulsing, panicking.

"This is the Heavenly High Emperor Yuan! I really didn't expect that I had accumulated such a long period of prestige, but I couldn't even blow Nan Zhili in, it was really a bit of a failure! Zhu Houxi sighed, "I don't plan to go to Huai'an Mansion immediately, you make arrangements, I want to meet a few ordinary people." ”

"Ordinary people?"

"That's right! It's just the kind of ordinary people who are promoted to fight, and I really want to know how they are alive. ”

Wang Yue bowed, "Please rest assured, Your Majesty, this minister can arrange it, but it may take a little risk." ”

Zhu Houxi said: "With you, what else do I have to be afraid of...... There is only one requirement, we must meet the real people and understand the most real people's livelihood! ”

Wang Yue nodded, indicating understanding.

An hour later, a cavalry rushed out of the tent, a very limited number, less than twenty...... But these men were all equipped with two horses, and their riding skills were excellent, like a whirlwind, and they went straight to the southeast.

In the face of the sudden change, the entire royal tent was stupid, this is too unexpected, right?

Your Majesty, you can't play your cards according to the routine!

Compared with the stunned feelings of these people, those who were secretly staring at the Son of Heaven and his party were completely blinded.

After Zhu Houxi left Beijing, although he did a lot of shocking things...... But on the whole, there is still a regularity, especially the schedule of the Son of Heaven, which is not sloppy at all.

Whenever something happens, Wang Yue will give a briefing to reporters in advance, and then the emperor will come out to express his position, the media will follow up and discuss, and finally form an opinion, asking the cabinet to implement it as soon as possible.

This has become a standard process, and Zhu Houxi has always obeyed the arrangement with the attitude of a good baby, and everyone else is also used to the habits of the Son of Heaven...... It's just that they forgot that neither Zhu Houxi nor Wang Yue are people who play cards according to the routine.

The reason why people can touch the law is to break the law at a critical moment!

No, Zhu Houxi was on horseback, galloping quickly, facing the wet wind blowing violently, and the whole person was full of energy, as if he was about to fly.

They ran for more than thirty miles in one go, and the horse's body was soaked with hot sweat, wet, and Zhu Houxi and Wang Yue also saw sweat.

In recent years, both of them have made great progress in riding skills, and even Zhu Houyu has learned the ability to shoot arrows immediately.

He and Wang Yue both got off their horses and looked around...... This is a typical rural scene, with no neat houses in the outer city of Beijing, and no new houses being built in Shandong.

The houses here are generally low, and more than ninety percent of them are old thatched huts.

In order to resist the rain, some straw is added to the roof of the thatched hut every year, and after a long period of accumulation, even these houses look like freshly grown big-headed mushrooms, and they have such a loss of cuteness.

As for the common people, they are also honest, harvesting the pods in the field, and after harvesting the pods, they will put them neatly on the side of the road, wait for them to dry, and then take them home to light the fire.

Here, nothing goes to waste.

Broad beans are sown in a precious gap between the two crops, and the more the harvest will be, the easier the days will be...... After all, the landlord and the imperial court don't want broad beans, this is a harvest that really belongs to them.

"Uncle, we are from the capital, I want to ask you something!"

The old man wielding the scythe at the waist of the cat paused for a moment and said, "It's a foreigner, right?" When I am finished, I will entertain you. ”

An hour later, Wang Yue and Zhu Houxi sat under a shelf of grapes, and on the three-legged table in front of them, there was a pot of steaming broad beans, and the old man found a swarthy jar out of nowhere, and carefully poured out two bowls of cloudy wine from it.

"That's all there is to it, don't be surprised, guests."

Zhu Houxi didn't want to refuse the old man's kindness, but he really couldn't swallow such a thing.

He simply gets straight to the point.

"I heard that the Son of Heaven is going to Huai'an on his southern tour, have you heard?"

"I've heard about it, I've heard it for a long time...... When I heard this, I got angry. You said that our emperor didn't stay in his house well, what did he run out for? ”

Wang Yueqiang held back a smile and said in a low voice: "Uncle, Your Majesty cares about the people's livelihood and suffering, and it is natural for him to come out and take a look. ”

"He cares about people's livelihood? Then as soon as he came, he made me suffer, what is the reason? The old man snorted.

"My husband suffered?" Zhu Houxi asked in a deep voice.

"Not really! My two sons were called away, saying that they were practicing the palace for the emperor. I don't know what the palace is, I heard that it is for the emperor. I wondered, when the emperor came out, wouldn't the guest house be good? What are you doing with that effort? Isn't that a waste of things? ”

Wang Yue finally laughed, "My lord is really a wonderful person, your suggestion is really good, if Your Majesty hears it, I guarantee that I will appreciate you!" ”

The old man's face was slightly red, he wiped his chin, and said, "I'm just talking nonsense." People are the Son of Heaven in the end, how can they be the same as the common people! Eating well and living well are all as they should be. Who can eat broad beans every day when he is the emperor? ”

Wang Yue smiled and said, "My husband is right, isn't this broad bean good?" ”

"Good! How bad! The old man grabbed one, threw it into his mouth, chewed it slowly, and enjoyed it all over his face.

"You descendants may not believe it, if you can fill the broad beans every day, it will be the life of the gods!"

Wang Yue couldn't help but shake his head and smile bitterly, this immortal is really a bit miserable!

"Uncle, how have you been in the past few years, have you changed anything?" Zhu Houxi asked directly about the topic.

"Nope!"

The old man's words directly choked Zhu Houxi enough, let's cooperate, okay, I, the emperor, work very hard, and I don't have any achievements?

The old man paused, and finally smiled.

"Actually, it's still different, just take it in the past, there are many conscripts every year, from the beginning of the year to the end of the year, this is more than two years, it's just this time the cultivation palace."

"Oh? Reduced conscription? Zhu Houxi asked excitedly.

"Hmmm! It's a lot less. Also, there was a disaster last year, and I heard that the imperial court also sent food relief...... In the final analysis, His Majesty the Emperor is still good, he doesn't want the people to be unable to live. But, but these crooked-mouthed monks below can't recite good scriptures! ”

Wang Yue nodded with a smile, "The old man is really high-minded, the local officials are indeed good and bad, and there are too many black sheep who have a bad conscience. ”

The old man nodded heavily, he saw that Wang Yue and Zhu Houxi didn't touch broad beans and wine, and his face was a little uneasy. He reached out and took out his shirt for a long time before he found a black piece of broken silver.

"boy, go buy some cooked food and soju, we can't snub the guests."

At this moment a gray-haired woman came out of the house, timidly came to the old man, and stopped talking.

The old man paused for a moment and snorted, "If you want to buy it, you can buy it!" It's rare that people didn't treat what we said as a fart. I'm happy today, I'm going to drink it, I'm happy! ”

The old woman hesitated for a long time, but finally grabbed the silver and turned to leave.

Looking at his wife's back, the old man smiled, "She is a woman, I don't understand." The piece of broken silver was earned by staying up all night and doing embroidery work. She pondered that she would pay her taxes this fall. But, but the old man doesn't recognize it! They said, our silver is not good, it takes four taels to exchange for one tael of official silver, you say, it's all the same silver, why is there such a big difference? ”

Wang Yue and Zhu Houxi looked at each other, and they both showed surprised looks.

No one denies that fire consumption does exist...... But three times more, it's ridiculous!

"Uncle, the official silver is indeed better than the silver in private circulation!"

"What a thing! I don't know that in the first few years, when I was young, I worked as a handyman, and I saw it with my own eyes, and they dared to stuff lead into the silver! ”

Zhu Houxi couldn't help but say: "This is a big crime of stealing the treasury silver, aren't they afraid?" ”

"I'm afraid! How not to be afraid! The prefect has been allotted a ...... But the officials and lords below are not all good! Therefore, even if it is the prefect, if he wants to sit firmly, he must let the people below be greedy, and if he is not greedy, he will not be able to sit steadily! ”

The old man took a sharp breath, his swarthy face glowing with ruddy.

"Uncle, I really didn't expect you to have such a good experience!"

The old man laughed, "It's nothing, I've lived for a long time, so I'll naturally understand...... Don't say anything else, if you can give me an official to do it, don't say anything else, this Huai'an Mansion will be peaceful! ”

"Good!"

Zhu Houxi suddenly said faintly: "I will appoint you as the Imperial Supervisor of Yingtian now, and let you deal with the problem of the consumption of officials in Huai'an Mansion, can you do a good job?" ”

The old man laughed, "Little offspring, of course I can do a good job!" It's a pity, you're not the emperor, it doesn't matter if you say it! Let's have a drink!"