After the New Year, it is immediately followed by the Shangyuan Festival.

The sky has just been darkened, every household has lit a lantern, the rich people hang delicate lanterns, yarn lanterns, and marquee lanterns in front of the door, which are gorgeous and colorful after being lit, and they are still dripping and turning, ordinary people are reluctant to buy these high-end goods, and when the uncle will also tie a new lantern to the nephew, the surface is mostly red paper or red yarn, and what you want is this festive energy.

When the lantern was first on, Wang Kefan and his entourage entered Yongning County, the street was full of people, the sound of crackling firecrackers came and went, the two teams playing the dragon lantern met at the entrance of the street, they did not let each other try, and the dragon lantern flew up and down like a living thing, attracting countless cheers, and the people who were watching were three layers inside and three layers outside, and the water could not be drained.

From Wang Kefan downwards, all the officers and soldiers got off the horses and walked with the reins, and as the flow of people slowly moved, Huang Zongxi and Gu Yanwu also got out of the carriage and watched the street scene with great interest.

"I haven't seen such a thriving peaceful scene for many years, but I didn't expect that Yongning, a small county in the middle of the mountain, would be a paradise by itself!"

Huang Zongxi was greatly moved, although the Jiangsu and Zhejiang areas are rich in the world, but since the Qing army went south, they first kept fighting, and then they had to bear a lot of harsh taxes and miscellaneous taxes, and the lives of the gentry and the common people were not as good as before, in contrast, Yongning County seemed to be an enviable paradise.

Gu Yanwu also felt the same way, nodded again and again, and said suspiciously: "It's really strange! It is also the boundary of Ji'an Prefecture, but Yongxin and Yongning counties are quite rich, and it seems that along the way. It's a few points stronger than Fucheng Luling, I don't know what the reason is? ”

"This ......"

Huang Zongxi didn't think about this problem at first. He was stopped by him all of a sudden, frowned and hesitated and said, "Yongxin and Yongning are these two counties." In the second year of Longwu has been recovered, Wang Junmen has been operating here for a long time, if he has been working hard, thin endowment and light punishment, naturally stronger than other places. However, ......, but most of the territory of Yongxin and Yongning is mountainous and thin, and there is no water transportation on the Ganjiang River that can be traded. ”

"If you want to come to Yongning County, you must be a rare capable official. When I see him this time, I will definitely ask him for advice! Gu Yanwu said with emotion: "Hey, if the counties and counties in the world are like Yongning Yongxin, how can I be so broken that the mountains and rivers will be broken, and the homeland will be lost!" ”

After speaking, the convoy finally passed through the crowded street, and the cheerful and festive gongs and drums were left behind.

Turning into a clean street, there are obviously fewer pedestrians, and blue-walled courtyards flash on both sides. There are stone drums or iron gates at the door, which seem to be the residences of the gentry and wealthy families, although they are far inferior to those Qionglou Yuyu in the capital of Suzhou and Hangzhou, but they can be regarded as mansions in this small county.

What's even rarer. These houses seem to have been newly built, with at least eighty percent of the paint on the doors and the bricks and stones in the corners still bearing signs of the kiln.

Gu Yanwu and Huang Zongxi couldn't help but smile slightly. Wang Fuchen was even more surprised. These houses are of different sizes, and the extra ones are worth sixty or seventy taels of silver. If it is less, it can be worth more than a dozen taels of silver, and there are so many families in Yongning County who are building new houses at the same time. Rich Cheng dù exceeded their imagination.

There are still a few hundred steps away from the county office, and the Yongning county magistrate, who has just received the news, came to greet him with his subordinate officials, and after greeting him, he led Wang Kefan and his party to the county government and entered the Yin Hotel to arrange food and lodging and rest. Compared with those newly built houses, the county government and Yin Hotel are a little dilapidated, but the Ming Dynasty has always had a tradition of not repairing official offices, and Gu Yanwu and Huang Zongxi didn't think it was strange.

What made them strange was that Tang Yonggang, the commander of Yongning County, was also a young man in his early twenties, with a white face and no beard, and a few pimples on his face.

This young man who has just reached the weak crown is not good-looking, but the wealth of Yongning County is even more in front of him, could it be said that he has a secret method of governance?

Gu Yanwu and Huang Zongxi are both well-educated and well-educated, and they are excellent at cultivating qi and kung fu, although they have a stomach full of doubts, they can be patient and slowly wash and eat.

The meal arranged by the Yin Hotel obviously used a lot of thought, not extravagant, several dishes are quite exquisite, in addition to meat, there are also two plates of stored vegetables, which are extremely delicious to eat in winter, but one of the plates looks strange, Gu Yanwu and Huang Zongxi don't know each other.

Because it was just in time for the festival, everyone drank two glasses together, Gu Yanwu and Huang Zongxi had something on their minds, the wine and food tasted the same as chewing wax, and they didn't care about the plate of green vegetables that they had never seen. After the dismissal, Wang Kefan summoned Tang Yonggang alone, and the two talked for a while.

It was easy to wait until the summons was over, Tang Yonggang said goodbye and wanted to leave, Gu Yanwu and Huang Zongxi hurriedly caught up and politely invited him to the house to ask for advice on the governance strategy of Yongning County.

"The two gentlemen seem to have misunderstood!"

Tang Yonggang respected these two famous predecessors very much, and said respectfully: "Born in Enke in Longwu for three years, it has been less than a year since he went to Yongning, and the county has been governed, and it has nothing to do with the late life, and he never dares to plunder the beauty of people and whitewash his credit!" ”

"A lot of things can happen in a year, the former Yongning County Commander is the son and nephew of the Wang family in Ji'an Mansion, right? I think I have some ability, but it is difficult to start a business, and it is even more difficult to keep it, Yongning can have this situation, why should Tang Daling be too humble? Mr. Lizhou and I sincerely ask for advice, and please give me some advice! Gu Yanwu saw that he shirked, and blocked back with a few words, he must ask what happened.

In front of Wang Kefan, Gu Yanwu will inevitably suffer from gains and losses because of the huge disparity in status and the need for others, but he has been an official, fought in battles, and has traveled south and north over the years.

"Well, it's a long story."

The elder asked, don't deceive, Tang Yonggang had to answer carefully: "As far as I know, there was nothing special about Yongning County in the early years, and it was the poorest among the counties in Jiangxi. However, since the defeat of Wang Junmen's army to regain this place, Yongning has seen that every day is stronger and stronger, and the taxes are obviously doubled, but the countryside is getting richer and richer......"

Huang Zongxi asked in surprise, "Oh? Is it true that taxes are doubled, but it is not a light tax? ”

Make no mistake! Expropriation and tyranny, but it can be peaceful for the country and the people, how can there be such a reason in the world?

"The decision is good, and I was quite surprised at the beginning of my late career, and I can't figure out the reason." Tang Yonggang deliberately paused for a moment before saying: "Later in life, I learned that there are more than 1,000 children in the Chu army in this county, and as long as one person in the family is a soldier, more than ten taels of silver can be sent back every year. ”

Jinggangshan is in Yongning County, as the old base of the Chu army, there are many Yongning children in Ji'an Camp and Liu Shu's troops.

Huang Zongxi suddenly realized: "Yes, why didn't I think of this section?" More than 1,000 Yongning children joined the army, which is enough to benefit thousands of people, and I heard that the Chu army never defaulted on military salaries, no wonder Yongning was so rich. ”

Gu Yanwu shook his head again and again, and said, "That's not right! Although Yongning is a small county, there are nearly 100,000 Dingkou, right? Even if the military salary can help tens of thousands of people, how can other people live? ”

"This is Wang Junmen's merit!" Tang Yonggang said with a smile: "The Chu army opened a mine and set up a factory in Yongning, as long as the people are willing to work hard, they can always find a way to make money all year round, and the official land in this county is managed by the county government. ”

Jinggangshan Repair Institute, once the only arsenal of the Chu army, responsible for providing equipment and ammunition for the army, all kinds of material demand is very large, plus the Qing army was the most rampant, Huguang and Jiangxi have fallen one after another, Jinggangshan area is one of the most important rear bases of the Chu army, so there are many institutions here, vigorously carry out infrastructure construction, and the demand for labor is also very large, thus driving the local economic development.

"Can you make money by opening a mine in a ravine?" Gu Yanwu had only heard of the factory, but had never heard of the factory, the two words had different pronunciations and similar meanings, which did not hinder his understanding, but he did not understand the situation in the Jinggangshan area, so he was not convinced by Tang Yonggang's explanation.

"Are the people willing to rent official land? It's new, tell me about it, what's going on? Huang Zongxi's attention is different, and he is more sensitive to the fundamental agricultural affairs of the country.

The reasons for the fall of the Ming Dynasty are complex.

For example, the economic structure of society has changed, from a single agricultural society to a commodity society, and the germ of capitalism has appeared, but the superstructure has not changed in time;

Another example is that land annexation at the end of the Ming Dynasty became more and more strict, coupled with the continuous natural and man-made disasters, the poor people's lives were unsustainable, and they had to rise up;

For example, the state system has congenital defects, no matter the political, economic, military, cultural aspects, there is a huge internal friction and waste of resources, so that compared with the Han, Tang and Song dynasties, the Ming Dynasty always makes people feel particularly aggrieved;

Another example......

More like......

Due to the limitations of the times, Huang Zongxi did not realize the importance of the transformation of the social structure and paid more attention to agricultural affairs. But there is nothing wrong with this, there is a problem in agriculture, and it is also an important reason for the fall of the Ming Dynasty, there is no food to eat, the people will rebel, and the water can carry the boat and capsize the boat, it is such a simple truth.

"It's too big a topic to explain at once. Early tomorrow morning, Wang Junmen will go to Jinggangshan to inspect, if the two gentlemen are interested, they may wish to go together, and explain carefully in the evening. Tang Yonggang confessed again and again, Wang Kefan had assigned him several tasks just now, and he was waiting to go back and implement them one by one, and he couldn't continue to chat with these two curious babies anymore. (To be continued......)