Zhang Anshi's eyes were sharp, and he saw Yang Rong and the others at a glance.

So he excitedly led Qiu Song to come.

Yang Rong looked at Qiu Song speechlessly.

Qiu Song is not tall, with his feet crossed, and he is inseparable from Zhang Anshi's position.

Before he began to greet him, Yang Rong felt that this meeting was really a little spicy, so he said: "Wei Guogong, this little general Qiu ......"

"Don't mention him." Zhang Anshi said angrily: "I asked him to bring an umbrella, and our brothers will hold it together, he said that the one holding the umbrella is not a good man, he has to bask in the sun, but he only supports me." People who don't know see it, and they think that I, Zhang Anshi, am not righteous, and use him as a slave to summon him! Is this the kind of person I am Zhang Anshi? This guy is very stubborn, you ignore him. ”

"Oh, oh." Hu Guang nodded again and again, and immediately withdrew his eyes from Qiu Song's body.

I have long heard of the son of Qi Guogong...... It's a bit weird, but today is a sight.

But Qiu Song was unmoved, still doing his own thing, he has always regarded other people's eyes as air.

Yang Rong said: "Wei Guogong...... There has been a lot of drought in Nanzhili this year, and the country's plan lies in money and grain, and His Majesty is already worried about this, so he specially ordered the two of us to come here to check the truth of the Taiping Mansion. ”

Zhang Anshi said with a smile: "These days, it is busy farming and autumn harvest, and there are many miscellaneous things, but I didn't go to see me, it's really a death, I didn't expect Your Majesty to still think about me......"

Yang Rong immediately asked someone to take out the lychee and open the box, only to know that the ice inside had already melted, and most of the lychees in it were already broken.

Zhang Anshi couldn't help but regret, and Yang Rong couldn't help but say regretfully: "I'm ashamed, it's still a step late." ”

Zhang Anshi said: "This is a piece of His Majesty's heart, and you can just receive it." ”

After a few words of greeting, Zhang Anshi said: "About the grain ...... of this Taiping Mansion"

Yang Rong smiled and said, "Wei Guogong, you don't have to say it, you might as well let me see it with my own eyes." ”

Zhang Anshi knew Yang Rong's character, so he didn't say much, so he said: "Then you can look at it casually, I still have to go and explain some things to the people at the grain station." ”

"Duke Weiguo, please take care of yourself."

and they bowed their hands to each other, and went their separate ways.

Just waiting for Zhang Anshi to go away, Hu Guang whispered to Yang Rong: "Yang Gong, why don't you listen to him first?" ”

Yang Rong smiled and said, "Look, aren't you collecting grain now?" Why listen? Seeing is believing. When you understand it, you have time to listen. ”

Hu Guangdao: "Yang Gong is also afraid that Zhang Anshi, a kid, will report untruthfully? ”

Yang Rong said: "I am afraid of anyone's report, once I was bitten by a snake for ten years, I am afraid of the well rope!" If you don't see it with your own eyes, you don't feel at ease. I'm not like you, I always believe that others are gentlemen. ”

Hu Guang suddenly said angrily: "Why did it turn on me again?" ”

Yang Rong smiled, then put his hands behind his back, and did not make a sound, only looked around the cart, the chicken cart and the people who came with grain.

The people who come probably want to take the initiative to report their own number, what 269475 and so on.

The person who came to register, and the errand officer on the side quickly took out the name book, began to find out the identity of the other party according to the number, and asked: "But Wednesday 7 in Luxi Village, your mother-in-law is Xu?" ”

"Yes, yes."

"Oh, I'll take a look." The scribe only looked at it, and then said: "Your family's land is 19 acres and 6 points, and it is all Yongye land, isn't it?" ”

"Yes, yes." This made the people of Wednesday Seven nod their heads busily.

The scribe said: "Yongye Tian has more grain, these ...... Your lieutenants have been notified in place, right? The grain that your family is going to receive...... I see, it's four buckets and seven liters with one stone. Come, take down his bread, and weigh it. ”

After that, the servant on the side got on the scales, and seemed to have brought more grain, so he returned to a bucket.

This Wednesday Qi's face was full of joy, and he hurriedly packed this bucket of rice in a grain bag and put it back in his chicken cart.

The scribe made a sign that the grain had been handed over this year behind the man's yellow book, and then he opened a note and handed it to this Wednesday and Seven, and then said: "This is the proof, you bring it back, if there is anything wrong, you can take this piece out." ”

"Thank you, thank you......" Wednesday Qi happily accepted the note, and beckoned his son, ready to go back.

His son looked honest, but he refused to reply, and shouted in his mouth: "Dad, my mother-in-law said, I have come to the township, I have to go to the market to bring her a hairpin back, let's go to the market first." ”

Wednesday Qi scolded his son: "I didn't bring any dry food, if I don't go back quickly, I will be hungry." If you don't go hungry, you have to eat in the bazaar, which is very expensive. ”

"The hoe has to be repaired by the blacksmith in the market......"

"Less verbose, less verbose......"

Yang Rong felt strange because under normal circumstances, it was a messenger who went to the countryside to urge grain, and it seemed that it was rare for the households to take the initiative to pay for the grain.

But...... This really greatly reduces the loss, after all, the official errand came back with grain, and it can be said that the grain bag along the way leaked, or the grain was confiscated.

If you collect it in this way, there are obviously a lot fewer links in the middle.

He couldn't help but say to the scribe who was on the desk: "What if a household brings a few buckets of grain?" ”

"It's easy." The scribe said: "It will also be collected, but it will be registered, and when the grain is handed over in the next year, it must be made up, and ...... A few litres of late food were also handed over as punishment. ”

Yang Rong suddenly realized, and then asked: "These are the registered ...... How to ensure the amount of food handed over by each household? ”

The scribe said: "According to the land of the family, how many fields are in everyone's field, how many people, all of them are recorded, before the grain is collected, there are already people at the grain station who have calculated, and after the calculation, let the township chief and the lieutenant chief post all the grain receivable in advance, and make sure that before the grain is paid, each village has a notice, which household should pay how much, and who should bring how much grain to the grain station, all need to be clear." ”

Yang Rong's eyes lit up, and then he said with great interest: "Come, let me give it a try, I'll give it a try." ”

The scribe looked at Yang Rong suspiciously, although he didn't know what official position Yang Rong was, but he also knew that Yang Rong was an extraordinary person, so he said, "Be careful." ”

Waiting for the next grain household to come, he said, "Two-six-nine-four-four-three." ”

The numbers here can be quickly consulted in the book according to the beginning of the number.

Yang Rong followed the number, quickly flipped to it, and asked the other party's name, and sure enough, the other party said yes.

Immediately afterwards, Yang Rong said: "Your land is twenty-four acres and six points, of which fourteen acres are Yongye fields, isn't it?" ”

"Yes, yes."

Yang Rong said: "The grain receivable is one liter of two buckets of stone, did you know this amount when you were in the village?" ”

"That's the number."

But the man was glad, and he unloaded his grain and went to weigh it.

Waiting for the above side to hand over the slip that allowed it to enter the warehouse, Yang Rong made a mark like the scribe just now, and then issued a slip to this person.

After Yang Rong finished doing it, his eyes became brighter, and he asked the scribe to come back, and he said to Hu Guang: "Interesting, interesting, it's so interesting, in this way, the workload of the clerk is greatly reduced, and the space for the clerk to cheat is greatly reduced, killing two birds with one stone." ”

Hu Guang is not a fool after all, and he can't help but praise it: "Indeed, if the whole world is levied like this, it will be a good thing." ”

Yang Rong smiled coldly and said, "You think well." ”

Hu Guang glared at him, snorted and said, "What do you always do against me?" ”

Yang Rong said: "You, you are really confused, people have obtained twenty acres of land for nothing, and now they are only taught to collect some grain taxes, of course they can't ask for it." Mo said that taking the initiative to pay it was to add another 10% of the tax, and they were willing. And everyone pays it like this, it's a whip, you go somewhere else and try it! In other places, it is called the tiger's mouth to grab food, many people have paid the rent, and the remaining food may not be enough for themselves, and if they pay a little more, the whole family will go hungry. There are some things that you can't learn if you want to......"

Hu Guang: "......"

After Yang Rong watched it carefully, he finally went to find Zhang Anshi with satisfaction.

At this time, it was noon, Zhang Anshi prepared a table of wine and food in this township, and invited Yang Rong and Hu Guang to eat and drink.

Yang Rong faced a table of sumptuous wine and food, but looked at Zhang Anshi tightly and said, "How is the harvest in Xintian Township?" ”

Zhang Anshi said without a little modesty: "It's a bumper harvest." ”

Yang Rong smiled and said, "What kind of harvest method?" ”

Zhang Anshi said: "The harvest is sixty percent more than last year, and the yield per mu of rice is two hundred and seventy catties, and this year's ...... The bumper harvest is more than 380 catties, and not only that...... There are also a lot more fields with two crops. ”

Yang Rong: "......"

Hu Guang lowered his head and took a sip of wine, but this should be rice wine in the countryside, which was quite inferior, as if he was drinking rice soup, he grinned.

Zhang Anshi said: "What, don't believe it? ”

"As far as the old man knows...... It's a dry year. ”

Zhang Anshi looked at a person: "Wang County Order, you talk to him." ”

This county made Wang Zheng sit with him nervously, and none of the people sitting here were higher than him.

Therefore, when he was named, he hurriedly stood up and said: "Drought is not a problem, as long as the water conservancy does not go wrong, irrigation will not delay grain production, and at the beginning of spring this year, irrigation canals and some simple reservoirs have already begun to be built." ”

"Xuancheng County is also the first county to ensure that irrigation canals reach the village, and there are also three newly built reservoirs this year. In other places, for irrigation, river water is also diverted......"

"In addition, the introduction of new grain varieties has also helped a lot. The previous rice could not be planted densely, but this new rice variety can be denser than the previous rice seed, and the insect resistance is also stronger. ”

"There is also fertilizer, and each village has built a special manure tank to fertilize the households. In addition, a lot of pigs and chickens were sold at low prices, which was to encourage the people to raise these ...... As for pig food and chicken food, you can use potato leaves, as well as pigweed, mix them and use them for feeding. This pig and chicken manure can also be used to greatly improve the soil and increase fertility. ”

"Ergong, in addition, there is the promotion of farming tools, Qixia's new farming tools, in order to promote it, let all townships organize markets, teach farmers to catch up with the market, all come to have a look. Or use it for your own use, the people now have their own land, and their confidence is more than in previous years, this aspect ...... It's much more willing than before. ”

"Don't talk about anything else, let's just say that this year, in our place, the best selling, guess what it is?"

"This ......" Yang Rong and the others reacted dumbfounded.

Let's be honest...... They didn't expect the other party to say so much.

Wang Zheng didn't dare to sell Guanzi, so he said: "It's ploughing oxen, and mules and horses." ”

"In the past, everyone farmed for others, but they couldn't support themselves, so where did they dare to buy farming cattle, they could only prefer to work harder by themselves. But now it is different, everyone has confidence, has expected a harvest in the future, there is still a surplus of grain, there is a cow at home, there is a mule and a horse, you can save a lot of work, finish the farm work earlier, go to work earlier, and make up some household for the family, the best of both worlds! ”

"To put it bluntly, in the past, everyone couldn't eat enough, life is money, who dared to exchange life for things? Now, time is silver, and if you finish your work early, you will be able to get income, and naturally, you will be willing to buy cattle, horses and farming tools for yourself. ”

Yang Rong said: "Really? ”

He retorted, which made Wang Zhuo embarrassed, as if he had made a false report.

Wang Zheng had no choice but to laugh dryly and sit down.

Zhang Anshi didn't bother to pay attention to Yang Rong and Hu Guang, in his opinion, these two people were here to provoke.

Wait until you've eaten.

Yang Rong led the slightly drunk Hu Guang and left the grain station.

Hu Guang shook his head, sobered himself up a little, and said, "Go back now?" ”

Yang Rong shook his head and said, "It's still early, let's go down and take a walk." ”

Hu Guanghu glanced at Yang Rong suspiciously and said, "Yang Gong, what are your ideas?" ”

Yang Rong said: "You can't get used to Zhang Anshi's life, and you look down on the Taiping Mansion." Isn't the opportunity right now? Take advantage of coming out, take a walk and see more, even if you have the intention of coming to trouble Zhang Anshi, you should move your legs more. ”

Hu Guang muttered: "I'm not ......"

…………

Yang Rong and Hu Guang are gone.

Wang Xian Ling was in a hurry to find it, but Zhang Anshi said very calmly: "What about them, what does it matter to me?" They have two legs of their own, I can't stop them, I don't have to look for them, maybe they will give me a copy of the impeachment note when the time comes, why bother sticking their cold ass with a hot face! ”

"Let's go home...... It seems that the situation in Xuancheng is very good, far beyond my expectations, and I should go back...... It's time to make the final decision on this summer grain matter. ”

At that moment, Zhang Anshi went home directly.

Back in Qixia, the grain in each township is almost collected, and after the statistics are layered up, then there is the problem of storage.

Zhang Anshi and Gao Xiang continued to be busy without touching the ground.

It wasn't until three days later that two people, with a few servants, came to Qixia in embarrassment.

The two of them looked very cold, and they could even say ...... Describe it with a miserable face.

returned to Qixia from the six counties, and the lively Qixia and the pastoral of the six counties are another scene.

But now, both of them were distracted, as if they were thinking about something.

"Yang Gong, do you want to go back and play now?"

When he arrived at Qixia Wharf, Hu Guang said.

Yang Rong looked very tired, his eyes were bloodshot, and his eyes were slightly swollen, he took a deep breath before saying, "Go to the mansion...... Now the amount of summer grain should be almost out. ”

Hu Guang nodded.

The two of them continued to bury their heads in each other's thoughts.

When it was time to arrive at the mansion, people were informed, but Zhang Anshi did not come out to greet him, and only asked a scribe to invite the two in.

Hu Guang couldn't help but be furious: "This kid ...... I really don't know how to count etiquette. ”

Yang Rong still seemed to be hiding his thoughts, he sighed and said, "Go in." ”

Arrived at the yatang, Zhang Anshi was talking to Li Zhaomo at this time, until the two came in, Zhang Anshi got up and said, "The second duke is polite, please take a seat." ”

Yang Rong glanced at him and sat down.

Zhang Anshi said worriedly: "What's wrong with the second duke, how does it seem to be ......?"

Yang Rong waved his hand and said, "It's okay...... Nothing to ...... How is the summer grain levied? ”

Zhang Anshi said truthfully: "The approximate number has come out. ”

Yang Rong said: "Just say it, don't hide it." ”

Zhang Anshi said: "If you say it, it may scare you." ”

Yang Rong smiled bitterly: "No, I can't be scared anymore, there are some situations ......"

He wanted to continue, but he felt that it was inappropriate, so he swallowed the words back into his stomach and said, "But it doesn't hurt to say it." ”

Zhang Anshi was simply atmospheric, and said: "You can read the account books yourself, of course...... This is just counted, and there will be errors. ”

Zhang Anshi personally handed over the book to Yang Rong.

Yang Rong spread out the book and read it with Hu Guang.

They frowned slightly, looking at it carefully.

Immediately, Yang Rong almost held his breath, and the whole person didn't move at all.

Hu Guang on the side saw that his eyes widened.

They already understand the situation and know everything about the Taiping Mansion, but at least they have a preliminary understanding.

But the real number still far exceeded their expectations.

After all, Hu Guang couldn't help but exclaim: "How is it possible! ”

Zhang Anshi smiled and said, "How is it impossible? ”

Yang Rong took a deep breath, but raised his head and said, "I understand." ”

Hu Guang looked at him strangely, puzzled: "What does Yang Gong understand?" ”

"I understand......" Yang Rong muttered in despair.

Hu Guang was anxious: "What do you understand?" You say. ”

Yang Rong solemnly said: "I finally understand...... Why...... Why did Master Yao do this, hey......"

As he spoke, Yang Rong stood up and closed the book: "When will these grains be put into storage?" ”

"Just these few days......" Zhang Anshi said.

"Well done." Yang Rong said: "I need to return to Your Majesty immediately, I can't stay here for a long time, Duke Weiguo, farewell." ”

He didn't say anything, arched his hand, turned and walked away.

Zhang Anshi chased after him: "My book, my book, I still have to keep the reconciliation." ”

Yang Rong ignored him and walked in a hurry.

Hu Guang could only catch up.

Zhang Anshi: "......"

A scribe cautiously approached: "Grandpa...... What now? ”

Zhang Anshi had no choice but to say, "Let's count it again."

The scribe could only smile bitterly: "Yes." ”

…………

"Taigong...... Taigong ......"

Li Xiucai came back happily again.

He came back every day, and every day, he brought good news.

Of course, there is also bad news.

However, all this bad news was provided by those lowly merchants and those farmers who entered the Xia.

Facts aside, these unfortunate businessmen and farmers know how to sell crops and trade.

Of course, the main thing is that Taigong, like all the gentry and village sages, does not like to hear bad news.

After Li Xiucai learned a lesson, he learned from the pain, and after repeated reflection, he naturally knew what to do and what to say.

Mrs. Zhang sat and drank tea, and the maid on the side carefully beat his legs.

Mrs. Zhang took a sip of tea, and couldn't help but reach out and gently pinch the maid's delicate face.

When this Li Xiucai came in, he immediately withdrew his hand, put on a righteous and awe-inspiring appearance, and coughed: "Oh...... Coming back? ”

Li Xiucai said with an uncontrollable smile: "Taigong, good news, I heard it...... Fengyang, Huai'an, and Anqing have all reduced their grain production a lot due to the drought...... I'm afraid I won't be able to levy it. But even so, many farmers ...... Or are you going to starve? ”

After a pause, he continued: "Today's grain prices have not risen, and they are still at yesterday's price of around five or three hundred yuan. But I think about it, in a few days, I will wait for news from other provinces to come...... This price has to go up. ”

After hearing this, Mrs. Zhang asked again: "What is the news from Taiping Mansion?" ”

Li Xiucai said: "I met a few senior brothers in Qixia, and they all said that Zhang Anshi was finished, and His Majesty had noticed the many disadvantages of the Taiping Mansion, so he specially ordered Wenyuan Pavilion scholars Yang Rong and Hu Guang to investigate thoroughly. Taigong, these two dukes are both Zaifu, they went to investigate thoroughly, you can see how big this case is! ”

"I also heard that many people died of starvation in Taiping Mansion, but the county has covered up the news, and most of them are related to this incident. My senior brothers are all upright men and gentlemen, and there will never be anything wrong. ”

When Mrs. Zhang heard this, he smiled and said, "Sure enough, sure enough...... Ha ha...... Okay, very. Oops, you've worked hard, these days, it's all about you running back and forth, actually...... You don't have to go to Qixia, these days, some relatives and friends have come to visit, in fact, they all say the same. Hmph, Zhang Anshi...... That dog thief also has today, such a national thief is not eliminated every day, and the world is uneasy every day. ”

Mrs. Zhang first smiled happily, then gritted his teeth, and deep hatred burst out in his eyes.

Mrs. Zhang then looked at Li Xiucai again and said, "Go to the account room later, take ten taels of silver, you have worked hard these days......"

"The elder gave it, I dare not resign, thank you." Li Xiucai was overjoyed.

……

Forbidden city......

After reading the reports from Fengyang, Huai'an, Anqing and other prefectures, Zhu Di was worried.

He hurriedly summoned the minister to see him, pointed to these reports, and said with a calm brow: "The output has been reduced so much...... I also ask for exemption from ......"

Zhu Di's face was cloudy, and the ministers did not dare to come out.

But at this time, a eunuch came in and said, "Your Majesty, Duke Yang and Duke Hu are here." ”

Zhu Di was displeased: "I've been going for so many days, and I'm only back now?" Xuan came in, and there was something important to discuss with them. ”

(End of chapter)