In a blink of an eye, more than half a month passed, and Shi Yun finally returned to the mountain from Wusheng.

However, Shi Yun did not bring back good news to the Shi family, Shi Yun brought more than a dozen beauties such as salt, iron, silk, and cloth plus Sanniang and My Fair Lady Huang Bo accepted them all, but Huang Bo never mentioned the matter of Shi Zhong's request for the Huang family to raise troops, Shi Yun urged a few times, and Huang Bo simply avoided it.

In fact, Huang Bo didn't want to fight, but he really couldn't raise an army.

Because the Huang family and the Mao family have always been at odds with each other, the Mao family suddenly got a large number of iron weapons recently, and even got hundreds of war horses to form a cavalry, which made Huang Bo very worried, if he took the strong men of the clan to go out, would the Mao family take advantage of the situation to destroy the nest? It is important to know that Shanyue is not monolithic.

Shi Zhongtie blushed and asked Shi Yun, "So, Uncle Huang won't raise troops?" ”

Shi Yun sighed, shook his head and said, "Grandpa, I'm afraid it's impossible." After saying this, Shi Yun said again, "Grandpa, let's face the reality, the clans of all surnames in Jibei are scattered, and if you want to fight against the royal power, you will simply bring about your own destruction, if our Shi family insists on resisting the law, it will inevitably repeat the mistakes of the Sun family." ”

Shi Ping also said: "Yes, if you support the new law, the eldest brother is at least still the county commander of the mountain, and you are still the pavilion chief, and you are still the master of the ten miles and eight towns near and far, if not, I am afraid that there will be nothing." Shi Ping still hasn't said a word, if the Shi family insists on resisting the law, then he can't be a county leader.

"That's it, so be it." Shi Zhong sighed and sat back on the table.

Shi Yun was shocked to find that he hadn't seen him for more than half a month, and Grandpa was already gray-haired and old, as if he had aged more than ten years all of a sudden.

On the mountain road outside Wuzhong City, Xiang Zhuang took the lead, and walked away, behind Xiang Zhuang, Gao Chu and Pang Yu walked side by side, but Pang Yu deliberately lagged behind Gao Chu by half a horse, no matter what, Gao Chu is now the number one henchman under the command of the king, and he Pang Yu does not dare to keep pace with Gao Chu.

Behind Gao Chu and Pang Yu were the five hundred tiger guards of Jin Xiang.

Xiang Zhuang turned his horse back, looked at Gao Chu and Pang Yu who were accompanying him behind him, and couldn't help but lose his mind a little, thinking that when he first broke through from the Wild Horse Plain, Gao Chu was just a small personal soldier commander, but now, this guy is already a general who is alone in the town and commands a thousand armies, and Pang Yu, or the crown salute that was only performed yesterday.

Pang Yu's crown ceremony was presided over by Xiang Zhuang himself, which was very grand, and also made many Chu military generals envious.

Today, Gao Chu and Pang Yu accompanied Xiang Zhuang to hunt in Qionglong Mountain, and now the two are the generals of the Duzhen side, so they don't often follow Xiang Zhuang's side, after a long time, it is inevitable that there will be alienation between the monarch and the minister, so it is extremely important to drink together, hunt, and contact the relationship between the monarch and the minister when the two return to the capital.

Since Wei Yi's death, Xiang Zhuang's political skills have become more and more skilled.

Turn a mountain beam in front of you, face a large rice field, it is the middle of August at this time, the rice in the rice field is already a piece of golden, you can harvest it, a gust of mountain wind blows, the rice waves rise and fall layer by layer, the air is filled with the fragrance of rice, Xiang Zhuang does not feel in a good mood, it seems that this year's autumn grain can be harvested.

Just wait for the autumn grain to be harvested, the embarrassment of the treasury should be alleviated, and now the treasury of Chu is really stretched, and Lu rice will be distributed this month, which is a huge expense, don't look at the Chu State has just been established, but the number of officials and clans is really a lot, plus the title rewarded for military merits, the expenses are even heavier.

Yesterday, when Xiang He presented the list of Yulu to Xiang Zhuang's desk, Xiang Zhuang was really shocked, officials at all levels, generals in the army, Shiqing Xun clan (mainly the old Chu clan), and new nobles (mainly veterans who have won titles for their military exploits) all added a piece, and even wanted to distribute more than 100,000 stone of rice, which is not counting other money and goods.

In fact, more than 100,000 stone of rice is nothing, the key is that the family foundation is too thin.

Xiang Zhuang believes that as long as he survives this year, and waits until next year, it will be impossible for Chu State's finances to be so embarrassed.

Although the current Jiangdong is not the land of fish and rice, at least compared with Guanzhong and Bashu, it is still slightly inferior, but the middle and lower reaches of the Yangtze River Plain has a unique natural irrigation convenience, and tens of millions of acres of fertile land can be cultivated casually, calculated according to the yield of one stone per mu, that is ten million stones, and then according to the fifteenth tax and one field tax, that is, more than 600,000 stones. Of course, there must be enough people, otherwise there will be no food if there is more fertile land and no one will grow it.

According to the latest statistics, there are more than 680,000 households in 56 counties in the four counties of Jiangdong, with more than 2.6 million people and a population of more than 2.6 million.

After a long time, Xiang Zhuang withdrew his gaze from the rice field, and casually asked Gao Chu behind him: "Gao Chu, can Lujiang County harvest this year's autumn grain?" ”

"Well, don't mention it." Gao Chu sighed and said, "Fanyang, Chaisang, Liling, and Pengze counties have all suffered from locust plagues, although it is not that there will be no harvest, but a large-scale reduction in production is inevitable. Saying this, Gao Chu complained bitterly, "King, the Lumi of officials at all levels in Lujiang County has not yet been settled, you can pay for one or two." ”

"You, you." Xiang Zhuang shook his head and smiled, "I really know how to reach out at the right time." ”

Gao Chu smiled, and then patted Xiōng and said: "But don't worry, king, when the summer grain is all harvested next year, the minister will definitely return it in full, oh no, it is to return the principal with interest." ”

Xiang Zhuang said angrily: "The widow doesn't want your principal and interest, as long as the counties in the west and south of Lujiang." ”

"That's sooner or later." Gao Chu said with a big grin, "The minister is already in the layout, if nothing else, the Nanye, Ganxian, and Yandu counties in the south at the beginning of next year should belong to Dachu, as for the Luling, Anping, and Yichun counties in the west, just wait for the military rations to be prepared, and the ministers can capture it without much effort." ”

Xiang Zhuang said: "If you can not use force, it is better not to use force." ”

Gao Chu nodded and said, "Don't worry, the king will take care of it." ”

Xiang Zhuang turned his head again and asked Pang Yu: "Ziang, has there been a disaster over there in Donou?" ”

Pang Yu scratched his head a little unnaturally, and responded: "King, it's really a disaster, a wind disaster!" However, only one county was more seriously affected, and the rest of the counties were in good condition, but they did not need to pay for grain from the state treasury. ”

Xiang Zhuang laughed and said: "It's still Ziang who is sympathetic to the widow, unlike Gao Chu, who wants to get benefits from the widow and fight the autumn wind." After that, Xiang Zhuang feigned anger and said, "Last night, the widow's wine cellar was robbed, and there were two barrels of imperial soju missing. ”

"No, no." Gao Chu shook his head again and again, "What's the matter." ”

Xiang Zhuang looked at Pang Yu and said, "Ziang, look, this kid still doesn't admit it." ”

Pang Yu could only smirk, he didn't dare to answer this stubble, General Gao Chu was familiar with the king, and it was nothing to joke and joke, but he Pang Yu couldn't be so arrogant.

Xiang Zhuang is in a very good mood tonight, although the current situation in Chu is a bit difficult, but the implementation of the first batch of new laws represented by the "Household Qi Civil Law" is quite smooth, which also makes a good start for the follow-up reform, just now the imperial doctor told him a good news, Baili Yishui and Wei Yue are happy at the same time, this is really a double happiness.

However, when he came to see him with this year's Tianfu budget book, his good mood was ruined at once.

"How is that possible?!" Xiang Zhuang shook the booklet in his hand and said in disbelief, "Ziyi, are you mistaken?" You must be mistaken, the results of the inventory of the Qi people have come out, the fifty-six counties of the four counties of Jiangdong have more than 600,000 households, and the Qi people have more than 2.6 million, so Tian Fu should have 500,000 stones, how can it only be 200,000 stones? ! ”

Xiang Zhuang really couldn't believe it, or didn't want to believe it, Jiangdong has a population of more than 2.6 million, Tian Fu should have 600,000 stones, how can it only be 200,000 stones? ! If there are only 200,000 Ishida Fu, then how much will be left after distributing the Lu rice of officials at all levels, Shiqing Xun clan, and knighted veterans?

This also means that the military rations borrowed from the major clans in the spring are still not available.

It's still a small problem to borrow grain, and more importantly, Tian Fu only has so much, which means that the financial resources of Chu State are only so much, and what can be done with such poor financial resources? Not to mention anything else, once the Chu army wins the battle in the future, just the money and property used for rewards will be a big problem!

"Ziyi, take a look again, is it wrong." Xiang Zhuang said and handed the booklet back to Xiang Zhuang.

Xiang He took the pamphlet and read it carefully, and said with great certainty: "King, that's right. ”

"That's really the number?!" Xiang Zhuang frowned and asked in a deep voice.

"That's the number." Xiang nodded and replied in the affirmative.

"Fifteen tax one?" Xiang Zhuang asked again.

"Fifteen taxes and one rate." He replied again.

Xiang Zhuang pinched his fingers and calculated, and said, "In other words, the entire Jiangdong only has three million stone autumn grain this year?" Three million stone autumn grain, raising more than 2.6 million mouths, on average to each person's head only more than one stone, at most enough to eat for three months, but until next year's summer grain harvest season at least eight months away, what to do with the remaining five months? ”

Xiang He hurriedly said: "King, Jiangdong's autumn grain this year is nearly 10 million stones. ”

"Nearly 10 million stones?!" Xiang Zhuang's eyes widened, and he said in a deep voice, "Then there are more than 600,000 Shitian Fu?" ”

"This ......" Xiang was stunned when he heard this, and then continued, "The king doesn't know, there are more than 10,000,000 mu of fertile land in the entire Jiangdong, but most of them are the sī fields of the major clans and scholars, and this part of the sī fields is not taxed, and the official fields that need to be paid are only more than 3 million mu, so the field endowment is less than 200,000 stones. ”！。