Zhu Yunwen's face turned red. He smiled shyly and said reservedly:

"Let's eat something first, I'm hungry. Where's the duck soup vermicelli you're talking about? ”

Shen Ruoyu said: "It's all over the street, you didn't pay attention?" ”

Zhu Yunwen looked at the street stall suspiciously. "You mean...... These? ”

"Of course. Don't look at the street stalls, then the taste is the most authentic. - I said Brother Wen, you have been here for twenty-three years, why don't you know as much as the people of Peking who have been here for less than a year? ”

Zhu Yunwen said hesitantly: "But...... Can you eat on this street cleanly? ”

"These peddlers want to eat three meals a day on this street, and the poor can't afford to pay attention to it; Why don't you try it out? ”

He pulled Jianwen Tianzi to the side of the street, forced him to sit down, and ordered two bowls of duck soup vermicelli and ten braised eggs. Both the monarch and the minister were already hungry; Jianwen Tianzi tasted this famous snack on the street of Yingtian for the first time, and the deliciousness was greatly beyond his expectations, and he couldn't help but gobble it up, and soon choked on the egg yolk, so frightened that Shen Ruoliao hurriedly poured him half a bowl of soup before he came out of his breath. Seeing that the emperor was relieved, Shen Ruoyu breathed a sigh of relief and complained:

"Brother Wen, you have really spoiled your family since you were a child, and you will choke to death if you eat an egg; How would you live if you were born into a poor family? ”

Zhu Yunwen made his face flush with ridicule, and he didn't speak.

Shen Ruoyu smiled and said, "Brother Wen, do you know that in this regard, you are far inferior to my little nephew Kui'er." ”

Zhu Yunwen was slightly stunned. "Quill?"

"That's right. In the past, every time my sister-in-law asked me to take Quier to play, I would secretly take him to the street, and his favorite food was these things, and I would buy them for him every time. And the sugar man, he had to hold one in one hand every time, and then let me lift him up on my shoulder. ”

"...... you" Zhu Yunwen looked at him in surprise. Then, the emperor sighed and said with some dissatisfaction: "You are hiding a lot from me. If Quill gets sick, neither his mother nor I can spare you. ”

Shen Ruoyu smiled lightly: "You just worry about it, Brother Wen, where can I let Kui'er have an accident." To tell you the truth, I have always wanted to teach him martial arts, his small body is so delicate, practicing martial arts is good for him. ”

"I don't agree," Zhu Yunwen smiled wittily, "Brother Wu, you think I can't see it, Kui'er only has you as Uncle Wu in his eyes now." When you're not there, you have to clamo for you, and no one will be happy. As long as you take him to play, he will immediately forget all about his parents and grandmothers. If this continues, my son will become yours. I should have restricted the two of you from seeing each other from now on, and it was impossible for you to be his master again. ”

The Son of Heaven said happily, and before he knew it, he had drunk the duck blood and vermicelli in the bowl and even the soup. He put down the bowl and continued:

Speaking of which, Quille looks almost five years old. My little nephew is still nowhere to be seen. Brother Wu, do you have to work harder? ”

Shen Ruoyu was slightly stunned, and his face darkened. He did not reply, but took out a small bill of fifty cents and handed it to the peddler, then stood up and said:

"Brother Wen, let's go, let's go elsewhere."

"Shen Ye," the peddler panicked, and shouted familiarly, obviously familiar with Shen Ruoliao, and knew his habits. "This ...... That's too much...... It's not appropriate......"

Shen Ruoyu was a little absent-minded. The words of the Son of Heaven just now touched his hidden pain. He said indifferently: "It's not easy for you either. It's so cold, close the stall early, buy some wine and meat and go back to your wife and children. I don't come every day. ”

He pulled Zhu Yunwen out of the stall and slowly paced down the street.

After a while, Zhu Yunwen asked:

"Brother Wu, did you give him more money?"

Shen Ruoyu nodded.

"How much?"

Shen Ruoyu glanced at him. "You don't want to tax it back, do you?"

Zhu Yunwen's face turned red, and he said softly: "You look at me." I want to know how much he can earn. You know, I don't actually have access to money, I don't know anything about it. ”

Shen Ruoyu sighed softly: "No concept - that's bad, it's too bad." Every year, the treasury is spent in billions of taels of silver and millions of taels of gold ingots. You don't even know how much they're worth. Brother Wen, the ten braised eggs and two bowls of soup powder that the two of us ate just now are only eight yuan in total according to the price he sold. I used to eat on this street, so the vendor knew me, and he knew how much I gave him and never asked for money. Why? I'm not Shen Wansan who is rich enough to rival the country. I feed a family of four and two horses, and the amount you give me is disproportionate to the expenses I have to have. I didn't care if you asked for money, Brother Wen; Even if you had, you shouldn't give it to me. Everyone is the same, Master Qi is just one level higher than me Lu, Lord Huang is the same as me, Mr. Fang is even inferior to me, he has more than ten people in his family, and he still has to buy so many books. I'm kind of rich. I just want you to have an idea. Why should I give him more money? Of the eight cents he sold, about two were the cost of pure things; If he pays taxes, he will have to donate five cents. So he got only a penny. Not counting the wages, he worked hard to get up early and work greedily in the night, standing on the street and selling in such a cold winter. If you count the salary, you don't even have a penny, and you may even lose money. But what could he do? The cost of this thing is only two yuan, and he can sell it to eight yuan. No matter how expensive it is, he won't be able to attract customers, and his taxes will be even more. He can only ignore his own salary, and get a penny. In this way, the money he earns in a day is at most enough to fill the stomach of the family, and the savings can buy a new dress for the child in a year. It's lucky; How many people work day and night regardless of cold and summer, tired, sick, frostbite, or even hungry, and the little money he earns is not enough for him to ask for medical treatment. That's why I give him more every time, that's the reason. ”

Zhu Yunwen retorted: "You are wrong, Brother Wu. I don't know anything else, but I still remember the tax law clearly. Mencius has long said that 'the people are taxed by the eleventh day', and Emperor Taizu also formulated the eleventh tax system according to the experience of previous dynasties. Eight cents to get, only need to donate eight cents, it is impossible to donate five cents, more than half, isn't it to scare people to death. ”

Shen Ruoyu was silent for a moment, and said softly: "Brother Wen, do you really not know, or do you know but don't want to know?" Yes, as you said, the tithing tax system is the law of all dynasties. But has there ever been a real levy in accordance with this proportion since ancient times? The beautiful articles of those in power are always meant to hide people's eyes, but the final effect can always be to cover up their ears and steal the bell. The tenth of the tax levied by the imperial court was the first tax of the central household department. In the provinces, counties, and townships, the local authorities would levy their own taxes on top of them. This, don't tell me you don't know, I don't believe it. The local government also had to find a way to meet its own inflating expenses, and with the support of the imperial court and the fixed tax of the central government, it was inevitable for him to increase taxes, and he could think of it with his heels. Not to mention the tyranny and embezzlement that you have no control over, and the end result is that the common people donate far more than the 11th percentage of the tax—as you can see with your own eyes, even more than half, 5/8th—and at the same time, the annual tax and silver collected by the household department may not be enough for the tenth that should be collected. And the largest part of the country and the people being illegally plundered at the same time is the pockets of officials at all levels in the middle. ”

Zhu Yunwen said in a trembling voice: "That should be a phenomenon only in the last dynasty of decay and decay. It has only been thirty-two years since the founding of the Ming Dynasty, and the emperor's grandfather has killed so many people to punish and rectify the rule of officials, and the officials around me are all as poor as water. But you told me that the world now is the same as the previous yuan. It's hard for me to believe it. ”

Shen Ruoyu sighed, and gently put an arm on the shoulder of Jianwen Tianzi.

"Brother Wen, you forgot again. This is on the street. ”

Zhu Yunwen said in a low voice: "Yes." What you said is really hard for me to accept. ”

Shen Ruoyu said: "You think about things too seriously. I didn't say that Da Ming was as desperate as Qianyuan, and it was extremely rotten. In fact, as you said, it is very effective for Emperor Gao to seek the rule of officials with heavy canons. And your benevolence is at the right time, and it is also very popular. The current world is indeed a century of unseen clarity, you should have this confidence. I just want you to understand that you can't cure this thing. There has never been a time when the first dynasty has become extinct. Murder cannot be purged, and neither can leniency. All you can do is try to minimize the damage to the people and the country. If the people only need to pay three-tenths of the tax, it is much stronger than paying half of the tax; Even if you can't do it, they will be grateful to you. So, you're doing well now. ”

Zhu Yunwen said: "Five-eighths of the tax, you still say that I did a good job?" ”

Shen Ruoxiao smiled slightly: "In the final analysis, these five-eighths are not universal, one is divided into people, heavy agriculture and suppressed business, rich businessmen donate a lot but can afford it, the most pitiful thing is these street vendors; Second, in the sub-regions, Jiangsu and Zhejiang, Suzhou, Song, Jia, and Hu are all such heavy endowments. The rest of the country is much better off than these areas. You know why? ”

Zhu Yunwen thought for a while, lowered his head and said, "I understand." It's a sequelae. ”

Shen Ruoyu said: "It's very unfair. If this continues, it will cause these people's families to be ruined. If you look at these street vendors and think about the "Charcoal Seller" you once read, do you think there is much difference? Maybe you think that you didn't send some 'yellow-clothed messengers and white-shirts' to rob them openly, then you can think about how you got the things you eat and wear every day, but if you can't do it, just ask the palace procurement, I promise they will only lie to you. ”

Zhu Yunwen sighed. "Brother Wu, how do you know the situation of these hawkers so clearly? Do they trust you and tell you everything because you come often? ”

Shen Ruoyu said: "That's not it. They knew who I was, so they didn't dare tell me anything. I know because I've lived this kind of life. ”

"You mean, when you used to be a shopkeeper in Peking?"

"That was later, and the time came to work; Brother Wen, you forget, in the beginning, I was just a beggar on the corner of the street begging for food. Your imperial guards are of a lowly background. - Where are we going now? It's too cold, otherwise you should take a boat on the Qinhuai River and take you to the Yuchun Tower to have a panoramic view. ”

Zhu Yunwen shrunk his neck, tugged at the placket on his chest, and said:

"yes, it's cold. Let's get some wine to warm up. You just said that there is a Wu Ji who sells wine? ”

"Wu Ji's family. In fact, the woman who sells alcohol in the store is already a half-aged. But I've heard that the wine is very good, but I haven't tasted it. ”

Shen Ruoyu took Jianwen Tianzi along the river for a while and came to Wu Ji's hotel. A woman in her forties was ordering wine behind the counter. In the dim light, I can only see that the store is full of customers.

"Shop, is there a place for two people?" He asked.

The proprietress raised her head and said with a smile: "Yes, there is a studio upstairs, the two masters come with me." ”

They went up to the second floor and sat down in a bay by the window. The proprietress said:

"This is the first time you've come to our house, right? Do you want to taste our eighteen-year-old Wu Ji's daughter red in Jinling? ”

Shen Ruoyu looked at Zhu Yunwen and said with a smile: "Brother Wen, I can't drink alcohol. However, now that Brother Wen is coming by name, of course the younger brother is sacrificing his life to accompany the gentleman. The store knows what's best, so just watch it, but don't get us both drunk here. ”

The proprietress went out in response. Soon, she came in with a plate and put on a plate of fennel beans, a plate of braised duck feet, a plate of sauce wings, and a small bowl of stewed beef brisket. Then there is a jar of wine. It has not been opened yet, and the rich mellow fragrance is already refreshing.

Zhu Yunwen looked at the wine jar hesitantly and said, "This is a bit ...... It's too much; Shops, I'm afraid we only need a small pot. ”

The proprietress smiled and said, "This lord, the little woman has been selling wine by the Qinhuai River for 20 years, as long as you take a look, you can know how much alcohol the guests are." This altar will definitely not be able to pour out the two, maybe it will not be enough. I bet you; If you don't drink half of it, I don't want you to pay for it. ”

Shen Ruoyu said: "Brother Wen, you haven't tasted it yet, so you will retreat first?" The younger brother hasn't said anything yet. I'm the one who wants to throw up when I get drunk. Shopkeeper, you go make a pot of tea again. And then it's fine. ”

He sent the proprietress away, opened the wine seal, filled two glasses, raised the glasses, and said to the emperor:

"Drink a cup of blood and lungs, and be healthy. That's more important than anything else. ”

Zhu Yunwen took a sip cautiously, the dragon's eyebrows frowned slightly, and he breathed a sigh of relief, and praised:

"It's really good wine, but it's not small. It seems that half a jar is enough. ”

Shen Ruoyu pointed out: "These snacks are all Jinling specialties." Brother Wen, you definitely can't eat these at home on weekdays, don't miss it now. ”

After two cups, Zhu Yunwen was already full of peach blossoms. He looked at Shen Ruoliao and said with some dissatisfaction:

"Brother Wu, why didn't you move? Just watch me drink? ”

Shen Ruoyu smiled: "If Brother Wen is drunk, someone must carry you back soberly, right?" ”

"Don't worry, you have to get up early tomorrow, and no one can get drunk. You should understand that if you don't accompany me, I drink it alone and it tasteless. ”

Shen Ruoyu thought for a while and said with a smile: "I want to vomit blood when I drink, I don't want to scare you." Well, how about I find you someone to accompany you? What do you think of that proprietress ? - Shop! ”

Zhu Yunwen hurriedly stopped: "Brother Wu, don't be joking. ”

The proprietress had already rushed up when she heard the call, and asked, "What do the two masters command?" ”

Shen Ruoyu laughed and said, "Shopkeeper, how much moisture is there in your Wu Ji's signboard?" ”

The proprietress turned pale and asked unhappily, "What do you mean by this?" ”

Shen Ruoyu said: "I mean, when you come to Wu Ji's house to drink, but you can't see Wu Ji, is there some moisture?" ”

The proprietress understood what he meant, and smiled embarrassedly: "This master, our Wu Ji family only sells wine, and it is also famous for wine." Wu Ji didn't, but there was a little girl who sang wine. How about I ask him to serve the two of you, and help them up? I'm an old woman who can't be busy, and I have a place where I don't have good hospitality, so I don't want to ask the two uncles to bear with me. ”

"Little guy who sings wine...... Shen Ruoyu's heart moved, "Then let him come up and sing two songs." ”

The proprietress hurriedly ran downstairs. Soon, a man came up the stairs, went straight to the room of the two men, and asked:

"But do the two masters here want to listen to singing?"

Shen Ruoyu and Zhu Yunwen glanced at the man, but couldn't help but be stunned at the same time.