The second thing Zhang Meng did when he got married was drinking. Zhang Meng also did a good job in this matter, he was big and drunk, he was not drunk in a thousand glasses, and several guests drank down, but he didn't have anything to do, and his wife who was still serving at night was comfortable.

It's just that there is one thing that should be told during the drinking. It was before drinking, several rich people who sent congratulatory gifts and a few distant relatives came over again and again to plead with Zhang Meng, most of them asked Zhang Meng to help delay the payment date and reduce the number of business trips, Zhang Meng didn't know whether he should agree or not, just looked at Zhou Baozhong, who was drinking next to him, and looked at himself vigorously, Zhang Meng only said a few words of plausible nonsense, and just dealt with the matter.

After returning to the post pavilion, Zhang Meng asked Zhou Baozhong why he made a strong look, and Zhou Baozhong said: "Ah, master, you forgot, we used to be a family that didn't agree to a request, and we agreed to one family, and the others did the same, do we still need to eat this bowl of rice?" ”

Hearing Zhou Baozhong say this, Zhang Meng still didn't feel the cattiness in it, so he asked casually: "Is it so serious?" ”

Zhou Baozhong said: "Master, we have to pay the military rations they can't pay, if we can't pay it, it will be corruption, and it will be a capital crime - it's not nonsense, it's a big deal!" ”

When Zhang Meng heard this, he changed the topic and asked, "The notice has been posted, will they pay the grain tomorrow?" ”

"Yes, master. They are required to pay it all tomorrow evening. ”

Early the next morning, after Zhang Meng had breakfast, he took out a bamboo chair and sat outside the warehouse in the post pavilion, drinking tea while watching Zhou Baozhong Ma San'er and the other two messengers collect military rations.

In the years of the Three Kingdoms period, as in other places, there were a lot of excesses and miscellaneous taxes and servitudes, whether it was a farmer or a shop, it was really a hard time.

It's not a day that I'm busy working until dark today, and there are still thirteen families left, not only do they not come to pay for military rations, but they don't even have a single figure. Zhou Baozhong frowned and finished settling the account, so he suggested to Zhang Meng: "Master, let's go down and take a look tomorrow and collect the military rations." There are only two days left, and the day after tomorrow will be transferred to Wangmian County······ Take us for a spin. ”

After breakfast the next day, Zhang Meng rode a horse, took Ma San'er and another official according to the roster, and found the farmers who did not hand over the army food in turn.

Here's the thing, the thirteen peasant families went over and over again, and the reason for not paying military rations was either that there were dead people in the family or that there were sick people in the family, and most of the others were indeed because they were poor, and they really couldn't get military rations.

Every family eats bran and suffers from hunger, and this food does not come out of the sky or the ground, where can they get military rations?

Zhang Meng saw it, there was really no way, and he slowly became angry in his heart: "The crops are all poor like this, but Prime Minister Zhuge is busy with the Northern Expedition - how good it is to be an official for one day, and plan for the people for one day!" The sky-high price is devoted to the Northern Expedition and the Northern Expedition, what is the Northern Expedition, I don't see the people eating bran and can't live? No way! I have to find a way to find Prime Minister Zhuge Cheng, this Northern Expedition can't be carried out by tossing the common people! ”

Thinking of this, Zhang Meng gritted his teeth, clenched his fists tightly, paced his left foot, and said hatefully: "I must go to Prime Minister Zhuge Cheng!" ”

Zhang Meng became angry like this, and Ma San'er and the official surnamed Liu around him also became angry - when he arrived at the last house, Zhang Meng watched from a distance outside the door and ordered the two of them to go in to collect military rations.

Who knows what Ma San'er said when he went in, anyway, it was noisy in the house, after a while, Ma San'er and Liu Ya dragged a peasant woman out of the door, just out of the door, the peasant woman fell to the ground, scolded and scolded and turned back into the house and put out a bamboo basket and walked towards Zhang Meng, there was half a basket of brown rice in it, the peasant woman tore and fought behind her, crying and screaming, Ma San'er saw it, kicked the peasant woman in the stomach, and the peasant woman fell to the ground and rolled and cried.

At this time, a man living with crutches came out of the door, in his thirties, thin skin and bones, his face was full of dust, with a look of pain and helplessness, only holding a rag around his waist, bare upper and lower body, holding a cane in one hand, and a four or five-year-old child in the other, he went to the peasant woman and helped her up, and then the three of them came to Zhang Meng, knelt down together, crying that there was indeed no food at home, and asked Zhang Meng to give him a little time, and the family went out to beg for food and pay for military rations.

In this way, Zhang Meng felt a ball of anger in his heart, took the horse whip, whipped Ma San'er and Liu Yashi a few times, and then did not speak, turned over on the horse, and returned to the post pavilion empty-handed.

When Zhou Baozhong came to greet him, he didn't say anything, just threw the reins of the horse to the servant, turned around and entered the house, put it on his body, lay on his back on the bed, and thought to himself: "Collecting military food, Ma San'er They are not wrong, there is nothing wrong with collecting military food, there is no fault in collecting military food, there is no food payment at the peasant woman's house, and there is no mistake, why am I so angry and smoke Ma San'er them?" There was nothing wrong with it, but I got angry and hit someone! ”

Zhang Meng turned over when he thought of this, and continued to think: "It's not wrong, it's wrong in this war?" Shouldn't Zhuge Liang have gone on the Northern Expedition? Cao Wei usurped the world of the Han Dynasty, this is a great rebellion, everyone in the world is not convinced, so it seems that Zhuge Liang is right to crusade against Cao Wei, and there is nothing wrong! Since there is nothing wrong, we must support him and support him in the Northern Expedition to the Central Plains to exterminate Cao Wei Kuangfu Han Dynasty. However, the common people are too bitter - Zhuge Liang may not know this above, and it is impossible for a person like him to be so careful not to know, but he also had to do it during the Northern Expedition to the Central Plains. ”

Zhang Meng's heart calmed down a little when he thought of this, and after lying down again, he thought about it again, and immediately made up his mind: "Yes!" I can't be the head of this nest pavilion here, be the head of the pavilion here, do such trivial things all day long, when will it be the day to come out? I'm going to go to Prime Minister Zhuge and help him plan - it doesn't matter if the Northern Expedition is made, but it is necessary to minimize the fighting between soldiers, end the war as early as possible, and reduce the burden on the people. If I succeed in doing this, it will not be in vain for me to sacrifice my life this time! ”

Zhang Meng thought of this, looked at the ceiling, looked around the house, and his thoughts extended to the depths one by one, and said to himself: "Hehe, isn't it a fantasy to find Prime Minister Zhuge Cheng?" I'm such a small head of the ditch mouth pavilion······ Who does Zhuge Liang recognize me? He said he knew me, but where did I find it? ”