Bidding farewell to Old Ghost Xu, Han Xiufeng led everyone to Yangzhou in two boats.

The waterway on the river was originally very easy to walk, but now it is necessary to change boats every ten miles or so, and many dams have been filled in for the good river, and the alternate officials who were distributed to Taizhou were all sent by Xu Laogui to guard the dam, leading the young Zhuang summoned from nearby villages to check the passing boats and pedestrians.

For those of them who are poor and waiting to fill the gap, this is undoubtedly a fat gap. There were 100 "fine works" captured by them, and all of them were tied to the riverbank, and the money was probably extorted a lot. Han Xiufeng is now the "second master" of Taizhou, and this road is not only unimpeded, but also receives hundreds of taels of silver from their filial piety.

Wu Wenming sat in the cabin and drank the wine that the alternate official had just now, ate the braised vegetables that Pan Er bought from Taizhou City, and looked at the bag of silver coins on Pan Er's side.

Han Xiufeng didn't want to be looked down upon by the Wu family because of this bit of silver, so he put down his wine glass and said: "Brother Wu, Xiufeng helped you get the errand for the camp, and then I will bother Brother Wu to serve as the grain officer of our township Yongying, and have full authority to raise food and salary for our township Yongying." ”

Wu Wenming was stunned, and hurriedly said: "Brother Han, such a heavy task, I'm afraid I won't be able to do it." ”

"Brother Wu is too modest, if even Brother Wu is not competent, I really don't know who can take on this big responsibility." Han Xiufeng smiled, raised his arm and pointed at the money bag on the side of Pan's second: "This is the first silver money that Brother Wu received as a grain official, and there will be hundreds of stone rice delivered in a few days, but this little silver money can't buy much stone rice, and the hundreds of stone rice delivered in a few days can't be eaten for a few days, so I have to ask Brother Wu to spend more money." ”

Wu Wenming didn't expect Han Xiufeng to donate the money that people honored him to be the food and salary of the township Yongying, and couldn't help asking: "Brother Han, how many people are in my township Yongying?" ”

"More than nine hundred."

"What about people?"

"More than 400 people from the five regiments of Hai'an, Jiaoxi, Qutang, Baimi and Jiangyan are practicing in Jiangyan, and when the drill is almost over, Second Young Master Zhang and Li Changjing will lead the five regiments to rush to the aid of Yangzhou."

"Why not now?"

"More than 400 villagers are recruited from five places such as Hai'an, Jiaoxi, and Qutang, and they can't become an army if they don't practice well, and more than 400 people just go to Jiangdu with us to eat and drink? Instead of rushing the unknown soldiers into battle, it is better to let them practice in Jiangyan for a few days, and they can also raise food on the spot in Jiangyan, and they can also save us some food and salary. ”

Wu Wenming felt that there was nothing wrong with such an arrangement, and asked, "What about the other five hundred?" ”

"If nothing else, they should be in Jiangdu at this time."

"Already in Jiangdu?"

"The time should be up, but we can't see them when we arrive in Jiangdu, because as soon as they arrive in Jiangdu, they will divide their troops into five routes, all the way to Guazhou Town, all the way to Qibing Camp, all the way to Yizhen, all the way to Qingshan Camp, and all the way to Yangzhou."

"Brother Han, what are you letting them do in these places? As far as I know, the Green Battalion in Guazhou has long since run out, and the Odd Battalion and the Qingshan Battalion are similar. Wu Wenming asked puzzled.

"Go and put away your weapons, see if those green battalion soldiers who ran away have left anything useful, and by the way, find out the news of the bandits." Han Xiufeng sighed lightly and said helplessly: "It's not a secret, Xiufeng is now short of both food and weapons, especially bird guns, guns and cannons!" ”

"I see, it's really hard for you." Wu Wenming nodded, thought about it and asked, "Brother Han, if you scatter those people, can they come back, even if they come back, where will they go?" ”

"They should be back, and we have made an appointment to meet at Wanfu Bridge."

"So we're going to camp at Wanfu Bridge?"

"The camp is stationed at Wanfu Bridge, but you can't just guard Wanfu Bridge, if the bandits detour to Shao Bo Lake or the Fairy Temple, not only will they be cut off from the back road and even will be ended, so not only must they divide their troops to go to the Fairy Temple to fortify, but also divide their troops to go to the bridge on the west bank of Liaojiagou to collect civilian boats, fortified walls and clear the wilderness, if there is a chance, you can even set up an ambush on the west bank of Liaojiagou, give the bandits some color to see, so that they dare not easily go east."

"Where's Yizhen?" Wu Wenming couldn't help but ask.

Han Xiufeng didn't answer his question, but turned around and asked, "Qinghuai, would you like to lead a group of villagers to go with Brother Wu?" ”

Not everyone has the opportunity to befriend the Wu family, how could Yu Qinghuai not know Han Xiufeng's good intentions, and said without thinking: "Master Han, I am willing to live later!" ”

"Zhiyong, do you dare?" Han Xiufeng asked with a smile again.

"Master Han, what are you talking about, aren't you just going to take a trip to Yizhen, what don't you dare!"

"Okay, I'll ask Liang Jiu and Ji Daji Er to bring their shotguns and go with you." Han Xiufeng turned around, looked at Wu Wenming again, and said: "Brother Wu, Wujiazhuang, you are more familiar than Qinghuai and Zhiyong, and the news is also better than Qinghuai and Zhiyong. It is naturally good to be able to win, but if you can't win, you have to withdraw, and you must not let the two ancestors fall into the hands of thieves, and you must not let the more than 200 children of your Wujiazhuang give their lives in vain. ”

"You know, I'm going to be measured." Wu Wenming put down his chopsticks and couldn't help asking: "Brother Han, I went to Yizhen with Qinghuai and Zhiyong, where are you going?" ”

"When I get to Wanfu Bridge, I have to first inspect the terrain on both sides of Liaojiagou, and if I don't look at it, I don't know how to defend it." Han Xiufeng took a deep breath and continued: "After inspecting the terrain on both sides of Liaojiagou, I will go to Yangzhou to find Governor Yan Zhang Yiguo to see if I can persuade him to retreat to Liaojiagou with us." ”

"Okay, I'll go back to Wujiazhuang first, Brother Han can rest assured about the grain and grass, my Wu family will never leave a grain of rice for the bandits, instead of cheap bandits, it is better to quickly transfer to the Wanfuqiao camp for the villagers to eat!"

"Brother Wu really understands the righteousness."

Speaking of grain and grass, Li Zhiyong couldn't help but ask: "Master Han, Master Xu asked us to intercept the bandits, but we can't talk nonsense, why don't you ask him for money and food?" ”

"I want to, but does he? Even if he raises some these days, will he give it to him? ”

"Now that Taizhou has the final say, how can he have no money and food?"

"You don't necessarily believe it, if it weren't for the persuasion of donations these days, and the best of his ability to raise some money and food, he really wouldn't have been able to take out much."

"How is that possible!"

"How is it impossible?" Han Xiufeng asked rhetorically, and explained with a wry smile: "Although I haven't read the tax list of the state government, I have read the state chronicle. It is clearly written in the state chronicles, and in the first year of Daoguang, there were 137,965 households in Taizhou, and 1,139,251 people in Dingkou. I have been in the Qing Dynasty for a long time, and there are more and more Dingkou, but the fields are still those, and there are no more.

In other words, the taxes have always been so much, and they have never changed for more than 100 years, and the amount of silver levied is more than 34,800 taels, and the river beach and miscellaneous taxes are more than 39,000 taels of silver, plus more than 30,000 stones and rice. ”

"Quite a few!"

"It's a lot, but there are many more that should be handed over." Han Xiufeng patiently explained: "Every year, more than 31,000 stone of rice will be transported to Jiang'an Grain Road, more than 300 stone of grain and rice will be given to various armies, and more than 500 stone of grain and rice will be given to the warehouse soldiers. More than 28,400 taels of silver should be paid to the Jiangning Domain, and the fire consumption should be 10%, that is, more than 2,800 taels of silver should be paid with the fire, and more than 250 taels should be levied in the leap month. Then there is the silver that moved into the treasury, the straw mats and foot money that were levied by the yamen of Jiang'an Grain Road, and the depreciation and miscellaneous silver of Huai'an and Bozhou warehouses, and these all had to be added to the fire consumption. ”

"This is more than 30,000 taels, and the grain is calculated separately." Li Zhiyong muttered.

"It is only more than 30,000 taels to be handed over to the treasury, but the state government has the same expenses, and the Guangzhou government, the state office, Confucianism, the official office, the two inspection divisions and other large and small yamen and hundreds of shop soldiers have four or five thousand taels of silver, not to mention that the lord of Zhizhou not only has to support people but also has to raise gods, and the sacrificial incense and candle money of the large and small temples such as the school palace, the Wenchang Emperor Temple, the Chenghuang Temple and the Fire God Temple are also thousands of taels a year."

Looking at everyone's incredible appearance, Han Xiufeng continued: "In addition, we also have to assist in the repair silver of Jiangning Science Field, Xuzhou Chufu Chuncao silver, Yizhen Gate Worker Food Silver, Qingjiang Gate Worker Food Silver, Jiangdu Guazhou Gate Worker Food Silver, Xia Zhen Branch Division Chuncao Silver, General Cao Ministry Courtyard and General River Department Courtyard Water Craft Silver, and even the prefect Yamen Silver for repairing torture tools." Master Zhang hired four friends, and the four friends alone cost more than 2,000 taels a year, in addition to the friends, there are dozens of family members such as Changsui and Menzi...... In short, a few hundred taels here, a few hundred taels there, and more than 70,000 taels of silver can't stand the flower at all! ”

"So there is no silver in the state treasury, and there is no grain in the state warehouse?" Yu Qinghuai asked in surprise.

"You just know, but now there is a little money and food, all of which was donated by the gentry and salt merchants in Taizhou after Master Xu moved to Taizhou. But the money and food can only be kept for the defense of the city, so he will not give it to us. ”

"Master Han, are you saying that if we want food and salary in the future, we can only go to those gentry in Jiangdu?" Li Zhiyong asked again.

"What else can we do, but even if they don't give us their money and food, it will fall into the hands of bandits." Han Xiufeng sighed lightly and turned around and said, "Brother Li, it all depends on you what nearly a thousand people eat and drink in the future, and if you want those gentry in Jiangdu to pay money and food, you can only bother you to come forward." ”

"It's not about labor, it's just a matter of duty." Wu Wenming took a deep breath, clenched his fists and said, "When I come back from Yizhen's hometown, I will visit those gentry in Jiangdu, and they will definitely help!" ”

"Not only to raise money and food, but also to ask them to come forward and persuade the people to clear the wall. We want food, and the thieves can't go without food, and the people's rations, especially the grain, must be well hidden, and must not fall into the hands of the bandits! ”

"It's natural, it's a pity that the time is too hasty, and I can't afford to persuade the gentry over there."