For a whole night, Mei Xiaohan did not sleep.

Desperately make up for everything about this country that suddenly appeared "Feather Country".

On the second day, Emperor Xuan sent an edict: "Emperor Xuan is unwell, and all major affairs of the court and government will be temporarily handed over to the right prime minister Zhuge Yuan." ”

Mei Xiaohan secretly went out of Beifujing.

The journey is that this time it is in the capacity of the master of the country and the king of the country.

If you want to understand a country, you must understand the living environment of the country's farmers.

More than 30 miles away from Beijing, I have unconsciously penetrated into the hinterland of this country, and everywhere I see is a barren land.

When I walked to a wasteland, it was already evening, and the cool breeze at this time aroused Mei Xiaohan's deep thoughts.

A teenager carrying a bundle of firewood on his back disappeared into the twilight alone.

Mei Xiaohan got off the horse and stepped forward to inquire about the situation in the county seat.

"This place is Shuangchaling, which is under the jurisdiction of Shuangniu County."

The young man said: "This place is still more than 60 miles away from the county seat of Shuangniu County, and the son wants to travel overnight?" ”

Mei Xiaohan said: "It's getting late, I'm not familiar with the road conditions here!" ”

The young man said: "Look at the son's good face, not like a bad person!" ”

Mei Xiaohan said: "I don't know the name of the little brother yet, I'm sorry." ”

The young man said: "My name is Shi Erniu!" ”

"I don't know the name of the son?"

"Mei Xiaohan!"

Shi Erniu said: "If Mei Gongzi doesn't dislike it, go to my house for one night, and it's not too late to leave after dawn." ”

Mei Xiaohan said: "Brother Erniu is so polite, I'm worried that it's not early." ”

Shi Erniu said: "Son, follow me, my house is not far from here, only five miles away!" ”

"It's not far away! Only... Only five miles. ”

Shi Erniu saw that Mei Xiaohan's expression was a little wrong, and said, "It's true that there are only five miles of road, and Erniu didn't lie to you." ”

Carrying a large bundle of firewood, Shi Erniu's small body was bent, and it was like a small ant carrying food in the night.

The young man has a yellow face and thin muscles, ragged clothes, and walks with difficulty with weight.

Shi Erniu said: "There are less than ten farming families in Shuangchaling, all of them are poor and landless farmers, because the land is barren, many crops cannot be planted, and even if the planting yield is extremely low. ”

The nearest market to Shuangjialing is also fifty miles, and more than a dozen surrounding villages all go to the market fifty miles away to trade goods.

After walking five miles, a thatched house appeared, and this was Shi Erniu's home.

Leaving the firewood in the yard, Shi Erniu shouted: "Mother... Erniu is back. ”

A voice came from the house: "Is my Erniu back?" ”

The dilapidated wooden door creaked open, and a dark-skinned, haggard-faced woman stepped out of it.

Shi Erniu said: "Mother... There was a son who was passing by in a hurry, because it was getting late, so Erniu made the decision to let him stay temporarily tonight. ”

The old woman sighed, and stopped talking, perhaps accustomed to such a situation, and was no longer surprised.

Shi Erniu welcomed Mei Xiaohan into the door and said: "Erniu is a poor family, so Mei Gongzi laughed at it." ”

One table was already missing a leg and was raised only with stones.

The old man didn't speak, and after boiling a pot of water, he sat on the side and looked at Shi Erniu and Mei Xiaohan.

Mei Xiaohan said: "There are trees all around, why do you want to go near and far to chop wood?" ”

Shi Erniu said: "Don't you know that you can't just chop wood without the permission of the government?" ”

Mei Xiaohan said: "I'm a foreigner, I don't know the laws and regulations here!" ”

Shi Erniu spread a straw mat on a bed board and said, "Mei Gongzi will be here tonight!" ”

"Alas!"

Shi Erniu sighed and said: "I originally thought that Yu Kingdom would become a vassal state of the Great Song Dynasty, and the people would be able to live a good life, but I didn't expect that the taxes would be heavier, and life would not only not improve, but would be more difficult." ”

Mei Xiaohan said: "Didn't the government stipulate that the agricultural tax was three out of ten?" ”

Shi Erniu said: "Although the agricultural tax of Yuguo is three out of ten, the imperial court only collects silver, and silver is expensive and copper, and every time it is exchanged, it brings a lot of inconvenience." Coupled with layers of exploitation, the people are very oppressed. ”

"In addition, there are all kinds of miscellaneous taxes, which make it difficult for the people to breathe."

Shi Erniu said: "The mountains and forests near Shuangchaling, the trees, are all covered by wealthy merchants, and if you want to cut down their trees, you need to pay half of the tax!" ”

Mei Xiaohan said: "I see, I want to avoid heavy taxes!" ”

Mei Xiaohan took out a few ingots of silver from her body and said, "This is twenty taels of silver, not much, please accept it, little brother." ”

Shi Erniu's eyes widened, and he said: "Erniu doesn't eat or drink, and he can't save more than ten taels of silver a year, and twenty taels of silver is too precious!" ”

"A gentleman loves money, and he takes it in a good way!"

"Erniu can't be collected!"

Mei Xiaohan said: "Money is something outside the body!" ”

The old woman smiled and took the silver from Mei Xiaohan's hand and said, "Good son! can be regarded as knowing how to honor the old lady, and knowing that the old lady has spent money! ”

Erniu sighed and said, "My mother... Crazy, don't mind Mei Gongzi! ”

Mei Xiaohan said: "It's really not easy for the old man, it's just that why are you crazy?" ”

Shi Erniu said: "This matter is a long story! If it weren't for me, my mother wouldn't have become like this! ”

The old woman with the silver in her hand, no matter how Shi Erniu persuaded her, refused to put down the silver in her hand.

The poor and frightened peasants saw the silver as if they were seeing a savior, not to mention the astronomical twenty taels.

One tael of silver can be exchanged for 2,000 wen, and twenty taels of silver is 40,000 wen.

This is an astronomical amount, not a small number even for wealthy families.

Shi Erniu said: "Mei Gongzi's kindness, Erniu has received it, but this silver can never be received." ”

Having money is easy to provoke jealousy, but without money, you can be safe.

The government was very strict with the control of the unknown source of the silver, and even if there was a windfall, it would be difficult for the silver to reach the pockets of the peasants.

The feather country is highly hierarchical! And even more so for farmers!

Shi Erniu said: "Farmers are divided into three classes and six levels. They were the upper and lower class yeoman peasants, the upper and lower hired peasants, the serfs and the unfree serfs. ”

"Erniu belongs to the inferior homesteaders."

Mei Xiaohan said: "I was born in a wealthy family, and I don't know much about folk affairs, what I heard today is really shocking!" ”

Shi Erniu said: "The world is not fair, Erniu has long been used to it. If there were no free serfs, the fate would be even more tragic! ”

Mei Xiaohan said: "What do you say about unfree serfs? ”

Shi Erniu said: "It's no different from livestock, let people slaughter it!" ”

In Yuguo, the peasants are divided into three classes and six grades. They were the upper and lower class yeoman peasants, the upper and lower hired peasants, the serfs and the unfree serfs.

Among the peasants of the third and sixth classes, 40 percent were unfree serfs, only 10 percent were self-employed peasants, and half of the peasants belonged to the upper and lower class hired peasants.

Such data shocked Mei Xiaohan.