The sound of gongs sounded in the empty village, and the faces of the Lu family who heard the sound changed. Last time, the officers arrested nearly half of the village's population at the sound of a gong. It didn't take long to hear the errand outside's shouting: "The county magistrate has arrived, and everyone has come out to kneel and see him." ”

Uncle Lu walked out of the house with a nervous mood, he had been told in advance that the county magistrate was not here to arrest people, but to talk to the endless people in the village.

In the north, three bows and nine bows were already the number of courtesies of the Han ministers to the Mongol emperor in the Mongol court. The current emperor, Kublai Khan, stipulated that the governors of all places must be Mongols, and that the Hui and Semu people acted as financial officials. As for those who do the work, they are held by Han officials. Han Chen had to bow to the Mongol emperor three times and bow nine times, and the local Han people had to kneel down to the officials. The Han people are also accustomed to this and consider it to be a Han tradition.

And because of the lack of cultural education, the Han people in the north did not know that this was not a Han tradition. At this time, in the Great Song Dynasty in the south, the Han people only bowed slightly to express their greetings when they saw the Great Song Emperor. In the new system, the Han only had to shake hands with the emperor.

Kneeling on the ground, even the driver who is not tall looks high. As a prefect of the county, a Mongolian adult passed by by car. It didn't take long for the people of each family to assemble. Uncle Lu attended the meeting as the patriarch and looked around. The three families who came to participate were the Zheng family, the Kong family, and the Lu family, and the others were all Zhuang families who did not participate in applying for relief from the government. The reason why they did not apply for relief was simply because these people were timid and did not dare to provoke the government. Of course, in the righteous world, it is already considered a smart person to have such a cognition.

When the people arrived, they heard the chief of the messengers shouting, "Salute!" ”

The Zheng family and the Kong family immediately knelt down and kowtowed to the Mongolian magistrate. Uncle Lu originally thought that the Zheng family and the Kong family were the marquis of the Han army, and they were people with status, and their status should be above the Mongolian magistrate, so there was no need to kneel and kowtow. Unexpectedly, what I saw was that the patriarchs of these two families knelt down and kowtowed in a proper manner, and he also obediently knelt down and kowtowed with several other families. After they knelt on the ground and kowtowed, the Mongolian magistrate sat in his position and spoke, "None of you have applied for food from the imperial court. It can be seen that you are all very capable. ”

Zhixian's Chinese dialect has a strong Mongolian accent, and Uncle Lu can hardly understand it. No matter how unfamiliar the strange tone he heard for the first time, Uncle Lu still heard the danger from the choice of words and sentences.

The Mongolian magistrate didn't tell what the expressions of the people kneeling on the ground were at the bottom of their heads, these people all lowered their heads, and the direction of their faces was basically downward, but they couldn't tell the difference. The magistrate continued: "Everyone is very capable, and there will be no shortage of food. Benzhi County came in person this time to ask you to hand over this year's grain. ”

"What?" Uncle Lu couldn't help but exclaim. At this time, he was completely stunned, the previous events proved that the government did not mean to help the victims at all, and now the magistrate said more clearly the purpose of this trip, he actually came to collect grain. Now it's a disaster year, and everyone doesn't have enough to eat the grain harvested next year, but the county governor wants to take away the only food everyone has now, how can everyone live? Of course, if the gang still has food in their hands.

"How about it, do you want to pay the grain now?" The magistrate who was sitting on the mazar looked condescendingly at these Han people kneeling in front of him.

No one spoke. No one dared to speak, let alone want to speak.

"Why didn't anyone speak? Those who have a lot of food don't know what to say? Ha ha. The magistrate said something that he didn't know if it should be called a joke or a joke or a threat, and then he laughed to himself. The Mongol soldiers next to him also laughed.

The people below still didn't say anything. At this time, Uncle Lu only felt a strong pressure and didn't dare to say anything at all. As long as he speaks, he will definitely not go along with the request of the magistrate.

Seeing that no one was talking, the magistrate said, "You, speak." ”

Uncle Lu lowered his head, not knowing who the magistrate was talking about. Raising his head slightly, he saw the Mongolian soldier next to Zhixian pulling out a horse whip, taking two steps forward, and splitting the head of the person next to Uncle Lu is a horse whip, in the screams of the head of the small portal family, the Mongolian soldier scolded: "What about you, are you deaf?!" ”

"Ahh After receiving such a whip, the head of the household couldn't help but scream. He couldn't hide from it, and after putting away his crying voice, he pleaded: "Master, my family is really out of food." ”

After hearing this, the magistrate smiled happily: "If there is no food, then take their whole family to work in Dadu." Most of what is lacking is a worker. ”

At the command of the order, the Mongol soldiers immediately set up the head of the family and dragged him to his house. Seeing that the head of the family was still tossing, the Mongolian soldiers scolded angrily: "Go honestly, if you are not honest, you will be killed with a knife!" ”

Moments later, the begging head of the household was dragged away. The magistrate continued to ask: "Do you have any food at home?" ”

Silence again, silence. Just when Uncle Lu felt that the Mongolian magistrate was about to be named again, he heard the head of the Zheng family say: "Our family has grain, and we will hand it over now." ”

"Humph! You're interested. The magistrate replied. Then he said to the others, "What about the others! ”

At this time, Uncle Lu didn't dare to wait any longer. He had made up his mind that he would not be arrested. Since he couldn't hide anymore, he said, "My family also has food, so I'll pay it now." ”

With such a breach, other families also had to pay for food one by one.

"You go from house to house to collect grain according to the register." The Mongolian magistrate said to the errand officer next to him.

People had to disperse, Uncle Lu went home in despair, although the Mongols continued to collect the full amount of grain tax in the disaster year was outrageous, but it did not surprise Uncle Lu. Seeing yesterday's big arrest, Uncle Lu will not be easily surprised by any action by the Mongolian government.

After walking for a while, Uncle Lu heard the faint sound of someone pleading, turned his head to look, but it was the family who knelt down directly to the Zheng family, and the sound of pleading only came from a fragment, but it was the family who begged the Zheng family to lend food to his family and let his family tide over this difficulty.

Uncle Lu was sad in his heart, and he didn't care what the final result was. He now regrets his decision to flee south of the Yellow River. If Uncle Lu's whole family goes to the south, an empty home will be tossed by people as much as they want. Compared with the amount of food that is now payable, the losses that may be incurred are insignificant.

Fortunately, there was the little leftover grain collected from the field, as well as the food given by his nephew Lu Erlang in the south. Finally, I barely managed to scrape together enough food to be delivered. The men of the Lu family all knew that they couldn't hide, either their faces were like ashes, or they wept silently. However, when the women thought that they would not have anything to eat immediately after handing over the grain, some of them could not help but throw themselves on the sacks containing the grain and weep bitterly. The men, fearing that the officers and Mongol soldiers would take advantage of the opportunity, dragged the women back into the house.

The bags of grain were opened, and the servants carefully looked at the grain, and there was no wheat straw in them. Only then did he start weighing, Uncle Lu watched them pile up the bucket of measuring wheat, gritted his teeth, took out some handover money from his personal pocket, and handed it to the messenger with a smile.

The errand officer originally looked at Uncle Lu with slanted eyes, and when he saw that he knew him so well, he immediately stepped forward and grabbed the handover money in his hand, and after reading them one by one, he said dissatisfiedly: "That's it?" ”

Uncle Lu's heart was like a knife, but he could only take out another one, handed it to the messenger with a trembling hand, and the messenger grabbed it, and saw that it was a two-hundred-dollar bill, so he said arrogantly: "It will be fine if you take it out early." We all talk about rules, where would we ask for so much! ”

Listening to the reprimand of the errand officer, Uncle Lu's tears almost flowed out, and he nodded and tried his best to accompany the smiling face. The leading officer said to his subordinates, "Just look at it." ”

With the order, the servants quickly weighed their hands and feet, and when they saw that the total number was about the same, they put away the food packets and pulled the cart and walked to the people below.

The people of the Lu family wept separately, but they could only do so. Not long after, I heard the other officer at the door shouting angrily, "What are you taking! There is a shortage of so much food, and you dare to come and coax us. What a guts. ”

The shouting and scolding did not stop, and the servants began to punch and kick the family, beating and scolding.

Uncle Lu hurriedly asked his family to go home separately, and it was the stupidest choice to watch the excitement at such a time.

After more than half an hour, the messenger outside shouted again: "The county magistrate, please go over again and sign the list of grain collections." ”

When everyone gathered again, they saw that the heads of those small portals all had blue noses and swollen faces, and their noses were broken. After a few people kowtowed this time, the Mongolian magistrate smiled and asked them to get up, and rewarded them with a few benches.

Waiting for everyone to sit down, the Mongolian magistrate said: "You are all subjects of the Great Yuan, and you are all local heroes. Everyone knows how fierce this locust plague is, and the court has suffered a disaster, and the support is extremely tight. Everyone talks about loyalty and patriotism, and this is the time for you to be loyal to the monarch and love the country. The amount set by the imperial court for our county is fifty ingots of silver for disaster relief. Benzhi County thinks that there are so many rich households in our village, and the five ingots must be obtained. It is up to everyone to negotiate how much each family will take. ”

Uncle Lu only felt that he was going to faint at this time. He thought that all the grain that had been looted should be the end, but he didn't expect that the Mongolian magistrate would have to loot money. Dayuan's Zhongtong ingots are calculated according to the through, which is always equal to one tael of silver. There is also a 'ingot' unit on top of the two. An ingot refers to an ingot of silver, and an ingot of silver is fifty taels. Five ingots are two hundred and fifty taels of silver, which is two hundred and fifty yuan of Zhongtong yuanbao.

At this time, it was still a very hot weather, and Uncle Lu felt cold all over, so he could only look up at Daddy Kong tremblingly. saw that Father Kong's face was also pale, and his gray beard was trembling. Obviously speechless.

"Lord Zhixian. I really didn't pay the money like this. The head of the Zheng family spoke.

"Why don't you pay so much money?"

"Master, where do we have so much money in our hands now. Even if there is, we have to wait for us to sell our property. ”

"Haha." The magistrate said happily: "I said you have it, you have it." Either let's make a bet, I'll send troops to your house to look for it, and if you can't find five ingots, I'll find you five ingots. ”

In response to such a threat, Uncle Lu was already so frightened that his teeth fought. Let the Mongols into the house, and then probably everything will be robbed.

And the head of the Zheng family smiled and said: "Master Zhixian, it's not as good as this, it's not easy for everyone to come here, we give the master ten times the tea money, it's good." ”

"Ten times? You're calling Hanako! What can you drink out of Shiguan! The Mongolian magistrate replied angrily.

"How much does the county lord think is appropriate." The head of the Zheng family bargained.

Everyone went from five ingots to twenty yuan. In the end, a tug-of-war began between the thirty and thirty-five runs. The Mongolian magistrate was also completely enraged by the insistence of the head of the Zheng family. He shouted, "You Han people just don't feel happy. Thirty-five times, if you have less, I will kill you. ”

After getting the definite number, the head of the Zheng family turned to Father Kong and said, "Old Kong, it's better for half of our family to give out this money." ”

Daddy Kong closed his mouth tightly and shook his head vigorously. It was as if without speaking, this catastrophe could be avoided. The head of the Zheng family saw that Father Kong still refused to speak, and finally sighed, and he ordered the family to return home. It didn't take long for him to get back 17 yuan and 500 yuan and hand it over to the Mongolian magistrate, and then the head of the Zheng family turned around and left.

Although Uncle Lu was extremely dissatisfied with the Zheng family, he felt that the Zheng family had done a good job in this matter. If you don't give money at this time, you probably won't be able to get by. Now it's just a little bit of money, if the Mongolian soldiers kill people, these seventeen and five hundred wen are not enough for a life.

Seeing that Father Kong insisted on refusing to pay the money, the Mongolian magistrate didn't say much. He commanded, "Tie this old thing away." Tell their families to honestly take a pengot to ransom them. ”

Hearing this, Father Kong couldn't help but plead. However, the Mongolian magistrate didn't care about Father Kong's pleading, and he was willing to discuss the plea for payment, and left with people holding food.

On the way back, the Mongolian magistrate was in a good mood. Daddy Kong shouted for a while, which made people irritable. The messenger stuffed a ball of grass into his mouth, and then tied his mouth with strips of cloth to calm down the team.

There has always been a shortage of artisans in Dadu, and now thousands of people have been arrested according to the orders of the imperial court, and they will definitely be rewarded after being sent to Dadu. In such a disaster year, food was collected, which was another great achievement. As for the money for disaster relief, it was compiled by the magistrate. The head of the Zheng family is knowledgeable and knows that this is tea money for the county. With this money, the magistrate can be regarded as making a small fortune.

For ordinary people, the year of the disaster is difficult. Based on the experience of Zhixian County, a disaster year is not necessarily a bad thing for him. In the good years, the imperial court was very concerned about the grain collected, and many things were not easy to do. In such a disaster year, all the court cares about is whether the county can guarantee that nothing happens in the county. Things that are not convenient to do in good years, it is very convenient to do. For example, he had a crush on a girl, and he could negotiate to buy it. There should also be good-looking women among these victims, and the magistrate is going to buy them after finding them.

Seeing that he was about to arrive at the gate of the county seat. But suddenly he heard the sound of arrows, and then he killed many people from the grass by the roadside. The Mongolian magistrate was shocked, and then saw that several of these people were wearing sacks on their heads, but there were holes left in the places of their eyes and noses. This appearance puzzled the magistrate.