So, we headed north. Along the way, we walked for a while and stopped for a while, and where there were patients, we stopped. Along the way, he acted as my medicine boy, his hands and feet were nimble, and his arm strength was strong, and I couldn't pick up many medicines from the mountains, so I handed them over.

It's really helped me a lot along the way! ”

When Yu Ren heard this, he realized that there was such a story.

"How long has Xiangsheng been away from home?" Yu Ren asked.

"It's been more than half a year! In the past six months, Mr. Li and I have been walking around Shandong, otherwise we would have arrived in the capital long ago. Lu Xiang ascended.

"Xiangsheng has been in Shandong for half a year, what have you seen?" Yu Ren asked casually.

Lu Xiangsheng sighed, "Shandong Province is really a province where people's livelihood is withering. The yamen of the state capitals exploited the people far more than Jiangnan. Everywhere we walked, many villages were deserted. On the contrary, in some uninhabited mountains, there are people and chickens and dogs.

These hateful corrupt officials forced many people to have no way to live, so they had to flee into the mountains. And these corrupt officials are still unrestrained.

I'm just afraid that if this continues, it won't be many years before a big chaos breaks out in Shandong. The great rivers and mountains of the Ming Dynasty have been eroded by these corrupt officials little by little. In the future, if one day, I enter the cabinet to worship the prime minister, I must severely punish these corrupt officials and return the people to a clean sky. ”

Yu Ren saw Lu Xiangsheng's expression of anger, and was about to speak, but Liang Ruji on the side couldn't help but interject. "Lu Xianggong's idea is the same as when I was back. But now, inspired by Yu Xianggong, I finally understand; If we want to make the people's lives better, we need to solve the problem of one or two corrupt officials. The edifice of the Ming Dynasty has long been full of holes, and as long as the people live in it, they will not escape the fate of being exploited.

Even if there were no corrupt officials, wouldn't the imperial court collect taxes from the people? Take Shandong, for example! I lived in a small county for a few years, with a total of 18 villages and towns with a population of less than 30,000, but the statistics of the county government still have more than 100,000 people. Why is there such a big deviation, I also asked a county official friend.

He told me that these household registers of our Ming Dynasty, including the yellow books hidden in the palace, have been copied down according to the statistics of Emperor Taizu for so many years. Now two hundred and fifty or sixty years have passed, but the imperial court still collects taxes according to those data. Although the statistics are recounted every year, they are still in new bottles and old wines, and they are just copied as they are.

However, over the past two hundred years, the situation in many places has changed greatly, and it is very different from the original population. Originally, our dynasty stipulated that the tax was one out of ten, and in the previous dynasties, it was light, but because of the decrease in the people, those states and counties with insufficient personnel had to complete the task according to the above figures, and the extra taxes were apportioned to the current people.

Take the statistics made by the county in Shandong where I used to stay, the people there, the actual taxes that each household has to pay are generally about 50%, and some are very heavy, even 6 to 70%. With such heavy taxes, how can the people survive? As a result, many people have to give up their family business and run into the mountains, preferring to reclaim the barren mountains rather than stay at home and plant their own fields.

Are these problems a problem that can be solved by dealing with a few corrupt officials? ”

Lu Xiangsheng sighed, "Brother Liang is right. I have also encountered many cases of these excessive tax increases. I thought it was the magistrates who had filled their pockets with the excess taxes. It seems that what Brother Liang said is the key.

However, I still think that there is still hope for our Daming. I heard that today's saints are young and promising. As soon as he ascended the throne, he reused the Donglin people and wanted to revive the dynasty. I believe that it will not be long before the country will have a new weather. The people's lives will surely get better and better. I believe that these problems will be solved one by one. ”

Yu Ren shook his head, "The gentlemen of Donglin are indeed a group of righteous gentlemen with discipline. However, they may not have saved the building of the Ming Dynasty! ”

Lu Xiangsheng looked very confident. "I don't agree with Brother Yu's statement. It's up to people! As long as we all work together to help the emperor, I believe that we will be able to usher in the Zhongxing of the Ming Dynasty. ”

Liang Ruji glanced at Yu Ren, looking like he wanted to speak and stopped.

Yu Ren understood that Liang Ruji actually wanted to persuade Lu Xiangsheng to give up the scientific expedition and follow them to build that ideal new world. However, Yu Ren also knows Lu Xiangsheng and knows that what he believes will not change easily. Moreover, he is not very confident in whether his cake assigned to Liang Ruji can be realized in the end.

As a friend, he didn't want Lu Xiangsheng to risk giving up his fame and accompany him.

Yu Ren glanced at Mr. Li, "What does Mr. Li think?" ”

Mr. Li narrowed his small eyes and put down the teacup in his hand. "I don't understand these things, and I'm not interested. All I know is that my life was given by my master. I was an orphan, but it was my master who brought me home on the street, or I would have starved to death.

My master's surname is Li, so I also have the surname Li; My master is a footman. Therefore, I have made a wish since I was a child, and in this life, I must learn from the master, walk the world, and treat the poor people in the world.

I don't understand what you're talking about, and I can't comment on it. ”

Yu Ren nodded silently, as if he had an understanding in his heart.

He gently raised the teacup in his hand and said to everyone, "It's the so-called different paths to the same end!" Although our perception is different. But in the final analysis, everyone actually has the same wish: to relieve the suffering of the people of the world. If you use the words of the Taizhou faction, it is exactly what Wang Gen's predecessors said: The daily life of the people is the Tao, which is the most appropriate.

Let's replace wine with tea, make this cup together, and then work hard in the direction of our dreams! ”

Several people listened to Yu Ren's words, and they were moved for a while, and they raised their teacups one after another.

"Yes, Brother Yu is right. We are still on the same path. After speaking, Lu Xiangsheng raised his cup and drank it all.

After drinking the tea, Lu Xiangsheng slowly put down the teacup and sighed lightly, "I just don't know when we will usher in this peaceful and prosperous era of 'Jiangping turbidity and clear waves'." ”

Liang Ruji, who was sitting on the side, heard Lu Xiangsheng's words, and also sighed lightly. He remembered the Ming world he had seen over the years. The greedy merchants, the officials who are more greedy than the merchants, and the little people who quarrel all day long for a little profit. In the face of interests, they can betray friendship and family affection, and in order to allow themselves to get a little more benefits, they slander others and betray friends at will.

Thinking of these, Liang Ruji only thought about escaping from this world as soon as possible and establishing an indisputable paradise as Yu Ren said.

Yu Ren put down the teacup and patted Lu Xiangsheng on the shoulder, "Don't worry!" Things are man-made, and people will win the day. As long as we continue to work hard, our ideals will be realized one day. ”

Lu Xiangsheng looked into Yu Ren's eyes. In Yu Ren's eyes, what he saw was firmness and confidence. Lu Xiangsheng nodded heavily, and the pessimistic mood of Fang Cai disappeared all of a sudden.

The next day, Lu Xiangsheng said goodbye to Yu Ren and Mr. Li, saying that he would enter Beijing early to prepare for the next year's examination. He showed full confidence in this examination. Yu Ren found a boat for him and asked him to take a boat into Beijing, which was not only fast, but also allowed him to read a book while walking on the boat.

Yu Ren bid farewell to Lu Xiangsheng, and also took Zhao Rui and Liang Ruji to Songjiang south. The matter here was entrusted to Cao An and Mr. Li.

After four or five days, the ship arrived in Suzhou.

Everyone got off the boat, turned the carriage and headed all the way to Songjiang. Seeing that he was about to get home, Yu Ren's heart began to get nervous. Although he has known Zhao Rui for a long time. But he had never mentioned this matter to Li Ying. He didn't know what Li Ying's reaction would be when she suddenly saw that she had brought Zhao Rui home.