Ma Du got up late again, but he didn't see Chang Mao's shadow, saying that Lao Liu took them out early in the morning.

Ah Shui came over to serve Ma Du to dress and wash, and also brought a sumptuous breakfast, Ma Du left the house after breakfast.

The sky looked gray, the air was filled with the faint smell of smoke and fire, and the ground was also scattered with grass and wood ashes.

Ah Shui explained: "I floated from the north last night. Someone's wheat field may have caught fire. ”

Ma Du didn't care, so he took Ah Shui out of the Shen Mansion and went straight to Song Ke's house. When I arrived on the street, I saw that the atmosphere was very different from yesterday.

There are a lot of people rushing to buy food in the grain store, the queue is long, and the people in the troubled times are really vigilant, they should feel that they are going to fight, and they have less laughter and more sadness.

Ah Shui said: "Last night, a large army went out of the city, and eighty percent of the people on the street heard the movement and prepared, there has not been such a scene for many years, and the last time was when King Wu hit Pingjiang." ”

"It seems that the people of Pingjiang have lived quite steadily in recent years."

"That is, King Wu has set up a school with these light and meager endowments, and the life of the common people has become much easier."

……

Ma Du and Ah Shui chatted and arrived at Song Ke's mansion, but he didn't expect that the Song family was transporting grain out, and it seemed that he was taking it out to sell.

When he saw Song Kemadu, he immediately asked, "Is the eldest brother selling grain?" “

Song Ke nodded, "King Wu is buying grain, so sell him some to free up the warehouse for this year's new grain." ”

This eldest brother hid in the study all day long, and he didn't step out of the door, I was afraid that he didn't know what was going on outside.

Ma Du persuaded: "It's better not to sell it, big brother, hurry up and come back, I'm afraid this year's summer grain will rot in the ground." "He didn't know that the grain wouldn't rot in the ground and would be scorched.

"Why, Yingtian called?" Song Ke was smart enough to guess it at once, and he sighed, "This An's birthday is going to be gone again." ”

Madu asked, "Do you want to chase the grain back?" ”

Song Ke waved his hand, "That's not necessary, I didn't sell all the food, there is still a lot left, the whole family's old snacks for two years are not a problem, no matter who loses or wins, you can't fight for two years." ”

Ma Du is really worried in vain, the ancients loved to save food regardless of whether they were poor or rich, especially in this troubled era, food is the first.

"I heard that you are a doctor in the palace?"

Ma Du nodded, "Yes, it can be regarded as a reward for the second prince's treatment, and I can't refuse." “

"In the end, it's still the trouble caused by Shuang'er, I've already scolded her, and now that I've thought about it behind closed doors, you don't want to meet her in general."

"A little thing, the little brother won't take it to heart."

Song Ke groaned and said: "You treat the prince, and it is the right thing for the king of Wu to reward you." King Wu is not the Son of Heaven, and you have not received his great favor, if the thief army breaks the city, don't learn from those rotten Confucians to do stupid things like repaying the king with death. When the war is unfavorable, even if you flee home, the eldest brother will protect you. ”

In the end, the eldest brother is a literati who changed jobs halfway through the martial arts, and he doesn't eat Confucianism at all in his bones. No matter how dirty and shameless a real Confucian is, he must speak beautifully, even if he is his own son, he may not say such things.

Ma Du arched his hand and said: "Brother Xie's advice, the younger brother has not yet become a groom official, and he will not give King Wu a funeral." Song Ke laughed when he heard this.

"The younger brother doesn't understand, the eldest brother is obviously not optimistic about King Wu, but he seems to support him very much, and the rich gentry in the entire Pingjiang seem to be the same."

Song Ke smiled hesitantly: "Since King Wu conquered Pingjiang, he has been exempted from a lot of harsh taxes and miscellaneous taxes, and the people have benefited, but the rich gentry have more industries and naturally benefit more." Of course, this is all secondary, the main thing is dignity. “

The eldest brother suddenly pulled from the interests of copper smell to human dignity, and the span was too large, so that Ma Du didn't understand it very much, "How do you say this?" ”

"Under the rule of the Yuan Court, we and other southerners were treated like pigs and dogs, and ordinary people were only worth a donkey's money for a life. The life of the rich gentry is not much better, but they are just fat sheep to be slaughtered, and they will be cut by them anytime and anywhere.

King Wu is different, not to mention tax exemption, he is quite polite to rich gentry and businessmen, for example, your cousin Shen Wansan enters the palace as if he is entering his own house. King Wu also reused the rich gentry and merchants, not to mention the daily supply of the palace and the government, even the grain and grass, ordnance, horses, medicinal materials, weapons, armor, which one lacked the shadow of the rich gentry and merchants......"

Belch...... It turns out that in the final analysis, it is still his mother's interests, or the greater interests, of course, because of Zhang Shicheng's reuse, their status is naturally rising.

At this time, the businessmen are not like the later generations, they still have to have face, and they don't have the courage to fool the government, what is given to Zhang Shicheng is not necessarily the best, but it will definitely not be bad.

After careful comparison, Lao Zhu's set is almost completely opposite, and he has to get everything by himself. A lot of things go bad with time.

For example, Tuntian, the original purpose was to reduce the burden of the people, but in the end, it was this policy that dragged the Ming army and the Ming Dynasty into the abyss.

In the middle and late Ming Dynasty, the officers became landlords and pawns became tenants, and it is not an exaggeration to say that they were serfs, and they couldn't even eat enough, let alone have any combat effectiveness.

In the late Ming Dynasty, Li Zicheng's team was not only surrounded by homeless and hungry people, but also many soldiers who were forced by the officers to have no way to live, and even became Li Zicheng's backbone.

Another example is firearms, the firearms of the early Ming Dynasty were tested on the battlefield, but at the end of the Ming Dynasty, they began to cut corners, and the soldiers did not dare to use them for fear of exploding.

Ma Du felt that Zhang Shicheng's set was very good, not to mention that it won over people's hearts, and also reduced a lot of troubles and drawbacks, which was a bit like the procurement mechanism of the government in later generations.

He felt that he should recommend it to Lao Zhu if he had the opportunity, but with Lao Zhu's rigid temperament, it would be difficult to accept it.

"Xuanzhong, Xuanzhong, what do you want?"

"Oh, I'm wondering, if Zhu Yuanzhang also learns from Zhang Shicheng, will he get the support of the rich gentry and businessmen in Pingjiang." 、

Song Ke said with certainty: "I'm afraid that Zhu Yuanzhang won't learn from King Wu." ”

Ma Duxin said: "Lao Zhu really won't, he will take a heavy tax from you, confiscate your land, and then move you to Huaidong and Fengyang to support the economic construction there." ”

"Xuan Zhong went and talked to Xiaoshuang, I have to ask you every day these days if you are here, you kid has a set." Song Ke smiled ambiguously.

"Big brother has won the prize! It's just that isn't unconventional. ”

"It's a little late to talk about the rules at this time!" Song Ke snorted coldly: "You really think I'm complimenting you? When you first met in the Qinhuai River in Yingtian, you Gaoyou people ran all the way to the Qinhuai River, don't think I don't know what you are going to do.

Don't use the set in the Qinglou to deal with Xiaoshuang, although she is a year older than you, she doesn't have as many eyes as you. In the future, it's better not to go to a place like Qinglou when you get married, and young people must always be a little restrained. You should learn from your eldest brother, you haven't been there since you took the fourth concubine......"

I didn't see that my uncle was so thick-skinned, and he was embarrassed to say that he hadn't been to the Qinglou since marrying five wives. However, Ma Du had no way to explain to him now, ignoring Song Ke's chatter and entering the backyard of the Song family, as soon as he entered Song Shuang's yard, he heard Guan Jia shouting: "Miss, my uncle is here!" ”

Ma Du then saw Song Shuang, who was dressed in women's clothes, came out of the house, and said with a happy face: "You are here!" ”