Suddenly, the car heard "killing good people and robbing people of money", and immediately men and women howled in a mess. It's just that the cavalry guards have already driven their horses to surround the convoy, where can they still get away? Fu Yuanlan's brother has been escorted over. The robe on his body was torn from the collar and half of it was dragged on the ground, and his image was very embarrassing.

Fu Yuanlan's brother grabbed the ground with his head and begged for mercy: "The younger brother's words are abrupt and offend adults, I am his eldest brother Fu Yuanxiu, and I am willing to take the blame, and if I want to kill or kill the adult!" I only ask my lord to raise his noble hand and let my Fu clan more than 70 people have a way to live! ”

Faced with the plea, Zhu Pingjin just sneered a few times: "Your two brothers insulted us as beasts, and you still want to get away with it?" ”

The people on and off the bus all knelt on the official road and begged for mercy. Calling the sky and grabbing the ground, the cry shook the sky, and he knelt down a lot. There were a number of old people kneeling in the lead, and it was estimated that the parents of the scholars were also inside. It seems that this "gathering clans and living together" in ancient China is really not a joke.

Fu Yuanxiu was a middle-aged man, with a thinner face than his younger brother. He was in a hurry to get out and kowtowed on the ground: "My family's money and title deeds are all in the car, and my Fu family is willing to dedicate all of them to adults." I just ask the adults to let me go and wait for a way out! Zhu Pingjin didn't look at him squarely, but was silent. That Fu Yuanxiu looked at Zhu Pingjian's soothing face, as if he had gained life, and hurriedly crawled back. Soon he shouted at the servants of the house, and drove four carts over.

Fu Yuanxiu touched the ground with his head, held a stack of land deeds in both hands, and held it high above the top: "Fu Yuanxiu, a student in Xiayazhou!" The general has worked hard, and the ancestral land of my Fu family is 21 hectares, 3,000 taels of gold, 41,000 taels of silver, and a number of precious jewelry and jade, all of which are dedicated to adults! I just hope that the adults can raise their noble hands and let my whole clan live! ”

The catastrophe is coming, and the loyalty and filial piety of the scholar is nothing more than that!

His subordinates received the title deed, but Zhu Pingjin still held his head high and did not speak. The two brothers continued to kowtow like garlic, and said in their mouths: "The thieves came suddenly, and the Fu family can only bring out these things." Wanqiu Lord Haihan ......"

"Abandon your family and business, panic like a lost dog! Although the world is big, where can you flee to? Zhu Pingjin suddenly spurted words out of his nostrils, and his words revealed great disdain, "Your two brothers still have the face to claim to be scholars!" The books of the saints have been read by you into the belly of the dog! ”

Zhu Pingjin grabbed the identities of these two scholars, and returned the name of the dog, which is estimated to be more ruthless. Sure enough, the two scholars on the ground suddenly raised their heads, although their faces were terrified, their eyes were full of resentment.

Zhu Pingjin sneered: "This son is here to fight with the thieves, you two scholars take your family and run for your lives!" ”

Zhu Pingjin said word by word, and the two students heard it clearly. The two of them looked at each other quizzically. The eldest brother Fu Yuanxiu asked, "Dare to ask my lord, which son are you?" ”

The thieves looted all the way and were not expected to arrive immediately. He Youyi also felt that the prince was not in a hurry to go to war. He figured out that the prince was waiting for the main force of Bifeng Gorge so that he could master his own power before entering the city, and no longer rely on the Tusi soldiers alone. Therefore, He Youyi never spoke, but watched with interest as the prince teased the two students like a cat and a mouse. It wasn't until the eldest brother abruptly asked about Zhu Pingjian's identity that He Youyi scolded with a smile: "The Ming Dynasty Etiquette System, the prince, the first rank of the lower vassal king!" Who in my Shu province dares to call himself the son of the world? You are all students, how did you study in school, and why did you know so little etiquette? ”

The two brothers were taken aback. When they really saw the big red dragon robe that Zhu Pingjin was wearing, they hurriedly got up again, and solemnly kowtowed to apologize.

It seems that he still knows the courtesy. Those who know etiquette know respect and humility, and those who know respect and humility are not easy to make trouble! Zhu Pingjin's anger was half gone, so he asked them to raise their heads and said, "The two students don't have to flee in a hurry!" This son is stationed here, what can the thief do to me? ”

The army led by the prince was close at hand, and Fu Yuanxiu was surprised and delighted. He hurriedly asked, "I don't know why the prince came to our Yazhou?" The thief is killing and looting outside the city, and the prince has thousands of elite soldiers, but why is he on the edge of the city? ”

Zhu Pingjin sighed: "Feixian Pass was suddenly attacked by thieves, and sent people to Tianquan Tusi for help. When Tianquan Tusi sent troops to rescue, Feixian Pass had fallen. Mr. Tianquan Tusi Gao fought hard all night and finally recaptured the important land of Guancheng. The son of this world was ordered by his father and mother to inspect the Wangzhuang in various places, and the road met the chaotic people, and happened to meet Mr. Gao chasing the thief here, so the soldiers were in one place. Seeing the lives of the people under the domain, this son couldn't bear it. However, there was an order from the imperial court that the vassal king was not allowed to interfere in the administration of the local government. If this prince rashly sent troops, then the governor of Yazhou would join me afterwards, and even if there were eight mouths on his body, he would not be able to tell. Don't you see the story of King Tang? ”

The two Xiucai are not ignorant, and they know that Zhu Pingjin is right. The two hesitated for a while, and Fu Yuanxiu finally spoke: "Shizi, my Fu family has a very personal relationship with Lord Wang, the minister of the Yazhou Zhizhou Kingdom. The student is willing to infiltrate the state government and say that Lord Wang wrote a handwritten letter to ask for help! ”

Zhu Pingjin shook his head and said: "Then the crow in the court even said, impeaching the local officials of this world!" ”

The prince refused to send troops under the pretext that the two brothers were so anxious that their heads smoked. If the rebels are allowed to occupy the state capital, then their Fu family will really become a lost dog.

Fu Yuanxiu thought about it and said resolutely: "Since the prince is here, my family should be safe." My brothers and I would like to enter the city together, saying that the civil and military officials in the state and a gentry jointly signed a letter for help! In this way, the people who asked for help were not only local officials, but also gentry and virtuous people, and even ordinary people. It is expected that the court crow wants to take the opportunity to make trouble, and there is no reason! ”

The two brothers were in a hurry, but they fell into Zhu Pingjin's arms. Regardless of their motives, they are not bloodless greedy and afraid of death!

He Youyi gave Zhu Pingjin a look on the side, meaning that it was okay, and he would accept it when he saw it.

However, Zhu Pingjin was unmoved, and sneered at the two brothers: "You and other big families occupy a wide range of fertile land, and there are many illegal things in the fish and meat township. Now that the hungry people are rising, you can't protect yourself, but you want this son to take a chestnut from the fire for you! Is it young and ignorant to deceive the world? This son of the world came to ask you, what is the population of your Fu family? How much land is there? How much rent is charged? ”

The two brothers' little caution was easily pierced by Zhu Pingjin, and their faces suddenly became very ugly. He Youyi understood Zhu Pingjian's intentions, and when he saw that the two of them hesitated and refused to speak, he scolded sharply on the side: "The prince of the world is noble, and he is the prince of Shu. You and other little students, dare to bully you! ”

Seeing that the prince refused to send troops left and right, and refused to let their whole family go, Fu Yuanxiu knew that he must make his words clear today, otherwise the lives of the Fu family will not be lost in the hands of thieves, but also in the hands of the son. So he said in his heart: "My Fu family has more than 70 people and 21 hectares of land, about half of which are sent by other people's families to my clan. With the population of my Fu clan, the land is widowed, but it is only a family of Chinese people! Fu Yuanxiu chewed the words while observing Zhu Pingjian's face, and weighed what should be said and what should not be said in his heart, "The rent is generally collected like this: the main family produces land, cattle, farm tools, seeds and seedlings, and the tenants only plant and harvest, and the master has eight tenants; If the main family gives out the land, cattle, and farm tools, and the tenant produces seeds and is responsible for harvesting seeds, the main seven tenants are three; The main family only produces the land, and the tenant produces cattle, agricultural tools, and seeds, depending on the fertility of the land, or the lord has six tenants and four or five or five or five (Note 1). As for the land that is deposited in my house, the total amount of rent collected by the Lord is divided into three, my family receives one, and they send it to the family to receive two. ”

Twenty-one acres is 2,100 acres, minus half of the scheming, and then divide by 70 people, 15 acres per capita, this is still the home of the Chinese! It seems that this big landlord in Yazhou is very broad, and Zhu Pingjin's mind to fight local tyrants has been rekindled again.

At that time, Zhu Pingjin carefully interrogated the two members to understand the land occupation and other conditions in Yazhou. In the end, Zhu Pingjin sighed and said: "You and other officials and gentry have both duty-free fields from the imperial court and their own shops, and they are pampered and pampered. Those ordinary people, there is no tile on the top, there is no cone below, why bother to pay the field tax, he is not opposed! Lu Gong (Lu Xiangsheng) once said: The poor are getting poorer and poorer, and the rich are getting richer, and the rich are about the marrow of the poor. This is true! ”

He Youyi saw that the time had come for him to speak, so he interjected: "Since you have already dedicated the land to the palace, why don't you also say that you will mobilize other big households and dedicate the land to the palace?" ”

The two brothers took the initiative to sacrifice the land deed in order to save their lives just now, and it was given for nothing. Even if the son of the world reveals his identity, it will be difficult to take it back now. Therefore, He Youyi's words of "dedication" suddenly made the two brothers look at each other.

The so-called "contribution" is similar to "trickery", but it is just a substitute for land assets to be attached to privileged people in order to evade taxes!

Seeing that the two were puzzled, He Youyi explained to them: The Shu Wangfu is rich in Sichuan, how can he covet you to wait for this bit of family property? The official gentry have land and land, and the rent collection is as high as seven or eighty percent, and the tax is paid to those who have no land and little land, which is the root cause of the disaster in Yazhou! Only by strictly reducing rents and paying taxes in Shu can the mob be pacified and the governor of Deya be kept in peace and stability. For this reason, Wangfu Gan is the first in Shu, and some Wangzhuang has reduced the rent to fifty percent. You and other gentry put the land in the name of the king's house, and our palace reduced the rent by five or five, of which the palace only got one percent, forty percent went to the family, and the rest went to the tenant farmers. In this way, although you have given up a small profit, in exchange for a hundred years of peace and security, wouldn't you be happy?

On the banks of the Ya River, a large army has formed a formation, but it is dormant. Like a tiger stalking in the grass, it waits patiently for the perfect opportunity to seal its throat with one blow.

Taking advantage of the fact that the army did not move, He Youyi explained in detail to the two brothers of the Fu family the benefits of surrendering the palace. Oh, it turned out that the prince did not take advantage of the danger of people to occupy the land of the Fu family, but asked the Fu family to donate the land to the palace in order to reduce the rent paid by the tenants. Fu took the lead, and the other gentry in the state followed suit, and the people of a state were safe; If the gentry of a province follow suit, the people of a province will be safe. Fu's move, in line with the will of heaven and the will of the people, is a move of immeasurable merit for the benefit of the country and the people......

Fancy things can deceive fools and fools, but they can't deceive the Fu brothers. However, under the knife, the person had to bow his head. Moreover, from the free donation of land to the donation of land, the nature has changed fundamentally, even if it is less land rent, the Fu brothers are still a hundred willing. But by dedicating the royal palace to achieve the "equal taxation" of a state or even a province, they only have 10,000 words in their hearts. Besides, what a fool is that magistrate! The local taxes have become the rent of the royal palace, and they still don't make trouble?

The boss of the Fu family opened his mouth and said tentatively: "Huangtian Wangzhuang does not pay taxes, and the students naturally understand. But...... If we wait for all the land to enter the palace, and the yamen of the state capital can't collect taxes, won't it be trying to trouble us? ”

Zhu Pingjin said coldly: "The state capital yamen has my own palace to deal with!" This son is not afraid of the princes of the court! It's a big deal that my Shu clan will repay the emperor's internal treasury a sum of silver, and this matter will be issued by the Holy Judgment! ”

However, Fu Yuanxiu is not a person who is caught everywhere. Once he found the slightest hope, he would try other possibilities: "What if those officials and gentry do not know what to do and refuse to surrender their land to the palace?" ”

Zhu Pingjin smiled and said: "Then the prince of the world will hold his hands and smile, watching the rebels kill his whole family!" Such silverfish that plague the country and the people are best dead! ”

This is the true face of the Son!

Fu Yuanxiu listened to Zhu Pingjian's words, and his face turned pale and blue. He said: "The stakes are high, and students should go to their parents first. ”

"Serve your parents as filial piety! Permit! Shizi nodded.

The title deeds were all sacrificed before I thought of giving them to my parents? So that's just Fu Yuanxiu's rhetoric to save face. At this time, Fu Yuanxiu had suddenly realized: the greatest value of his Fu family to the prince was not the one percent of the twenty-one hectares of land, but the joint letter asking for help to the prince. With this joint letter, the army of the prince can enter Yazhou City and seize all the benefits of the city.

Looking at his parents and clansmen kneeling on the ground, Fu Yuanxiu understood: Even if it is a mountain of swords and a sea of fire, both of them must go to the city!

Note 1: Thanks to KZFDY, a friend of the late Ming Dynasty, for his post "The Real Life of a Peasant Before and After Liberation", which refers to some rent collection methods and figures.

Note 2: The official record of cultivated land in the Ming Dynasty is extremely confusing, ranging from more than 4 million hectares to more than 11 million hectares. Among them, two of the strictest land measurements, Taizu personally presided over the measurement in the 26th year of Hongwu, with a total of more than 8.49 million hectares of land; Zhang Juzheng presided over the measurement in Wanli, with a total of 11.61 million hectares of land, equivalent to 1.1 billion mu. Mr. Gu Cheng believes that the main reason for the confusion in the official records of cultivated land in the Ming Dynasty is mainly due to the change in statistical caliber. Some figures only count the acres of land that are taxed, and do not include the number of acres of fields such as Juntun. This viewpoint is gradually being recognized by the historiographical circles.

Note 3: The number of acres of land in Sichuan was 11,203,256 mu in the 26th year of Hongwu (1393), 1,026,672 mu in the 15th year of Hongzhi, and 13,482,767 mu in the 6th year of Wanli (1578). The above figures are from the "Daming Huidian".

After the war in the Ming and Qing dynasties, there were only 600,000 acres of cultivated land left in Sichuan. In the seventh year of Yongzheng (1729), the land of Sichuan was re-measured, and the total number of acres was 45.9 million mu. The figures are from Peng Yuxin's book: "Sichuan Qing Dynasty's Population Attraction and Light Endowment Policy"