Night.

Bai Chongwu, the second lang of the Bai family, has already returned from the county, he was born white and fat, and he is the standard of wealth and nobility in ancient times.

"How did Xiang Zhixian come?" The old white man asked.

Bai Chongwu said in a low voice: "Before I could tell my father, just two days ago, the state issued an official document, and this year's money for buying and buying money will rise." Also, it was ordered to make up for the previous year's endowment. The state is not evenly supplemented, and the state officials have to eat and hang; If the county is not complete, the county officials will also have to eat and hang. The county lord is already worried. ”

The old white man was silent for a while, and it took a long time to spit out turbidity: "The way of this world, alas, ......"

Bai Chongwu said: "At my grandmother's birthday banquet, my family invited many leading figures, and nearly half of the squires in the county came to celebrate her birthday. Xiang Zhixian suddenly came here, I am afraid that he has other plans, but to take this opportunity to persuade the squires of the county to actively pay for food. ”

"What are the plans of Zhu Er?" The old white man asked.

Bai Chongwu said: "Zhu Er is an official fan, whatever the county says, he will do it." ”

Zhu Er used to be an anti-thief leader, and after being recruited, he served as the chief secretary of Xixiang County and the county lieutenant. In just a few years, he has been completely integrated into the system, and he can't wait to be a dog for the county master.

He was afraid of being looked down upon by scholars, so he spent a lot of money to invite an old scholar and renamed himself Zhu Zongdao.

also made up a genealogy for his own family, the ancestor can chase the fire god Zhu Rong, and the distant ancestor is Zhu Xun, the general of the Eastern Jin Dynasty......

This guy completely forgot that he was born in hardship, and in the face of the county magistrate, he was submissive in the face of the villagers, and he was extremely active in collecting taxes every year.

The old white man said: "Do a good job, don't make trouble." The five brothers of Bai Fud, let them take turns this year, how can they cope with it for a while. If you can dodge, you can hide, but if you can't dodge, you can think of some way. ”

"That's all there is to it." Bai Chongwu said.

In the middle and late Northern Song Dynasty, counties with more than 10,000 households were set up with counties. In the Huizong Dynasty, it usually took 20,000 households to have a county.

The chief secretary and the county lieutenant of a small county are often concurrently held by the same person.

Therefore, in the entire Xixiang County, there are only two officials in the county yali, one is the chief official Xiang Zhixian, and the other is the adjutant Zhu Zhu.

Suddenly, Bai Chongwu said: "Xiang Zhixian seems to have plans to buy land. ”

When the old white man heard this, he was much more relaxed: "It seems that the Liu family is going to be unlucky." ”

Bai Chongwu said: "I'm afraid that the county lord's appetite is too big, and he can't eat enough for a Liu family." ”

"You can't choke him!" The old white man sneered.

The magistrates of the Song Dynasty were allowed to purchase property in the place where they served. This has led to many magistrates, seeing that there is no hope of promotion in the short term, and directly frantically buying land in their jurisdictions.

And it is necessary to buy good land, and if the landlord does not sell it, then the landlord will be forced to die!

This year, the imperial court suddenly wanted to raise taxes, which just gave Xiang Zhixian an excuse.

In the villages around the county, the Liu family occupies a lot of good land, and its backer has declined, which is an excellent fat sheep to be slaughtered.

As long as Liu Yuanwai is forced to ruin his family, Xiang Zhixian can take the opportunity to buy land, and second, he can get money and grain to pay for it, which is like killing two birds with one stone.

And other squires are also happy to see it: if they kill a Liu family, they can feed the magistrate, and they can also reduce their taxes.

When the second son left the study, the old white man called the eldest son again and instructed: "Prepare money, borrow money to the village neighbors to pay taxes this year, and maybe buy a lot of land next year." ”

Bai Dalang was stunned at first, and then he was happy, and said happily: "I know." ”

The imperial court raised taxes, a godsend.

The magistrate took the opportunity to eat the big households, and the squire took the opportunity to eat the small people.

There is still a bottom line outside the old white staff, and they are not blindly forced.

Let the five Bai Fu brothers take turns, they are responsible for collecting taxes in the village, and the villagers who have no money at home can only borrow money from the old white staff.

The five brothers must not be able to collect taxes, and it is a matter of time before they break their families and flee.

The villagers who were forcibly taxed would only resent the five brothers, and the old white man belonged to the great benevolent people. When they can't repay the loan in the coming year, the villagers will have to sell their land to pay for it.

The old white man bought land at a low price, not only annexed the land, but also got a good reputation with a little relief.

Leaving the study, Bai Dalang's steps were brisk, and his mood was extremely happy.

His own mother died in childbirth, and his relationship with his stepmother has always been bad. He can't study, he can only work diligently, and managing the family property is his pleasure. Watching the fields increase little by little, watching the mountains of money and grain, he could wake up with a smile when he fell asleep.

This year and next year, the land can be annexed again, and Bai Chongwen can't wait.

……

Early in the morning, Zhu Ming got up yawning.

After washing, I came to the courtyard to practice swordsmanship.

After practicing for a while, Zhu Ming found that his mother-in-law and daughter-in-law were not there, and asked his father, who was urging the child to read in the morning: "Where is Mrs. Shen?" Going out to work so early? ”

Zhu Guoxiang said: "Mrs. Bai has a big birthday, and they want to help." ”

After a while, two men from the village came to Shen Yourong's house to move tables and stools.

But the birthday banquet is divided into three grades:

In the first gear, the guests all have status and eat in the courtyard of the Bai family's mansion.

In the second gear, the guests are relatives of the Bai family, and they eat in the courtyard of the tiled house in the village.

In the third gear, the guests are ordinary villagers who eat at the threshing floor in the village.

The tables and stools of Shen Niangzi's house were moved to the threshing floor, and the old white staff had to put a big running water mat outside, and the beggars passing by could rub a bowl.

Zhu Guoxiang said: "I asked Mrs. Shen last night, just look at the gift money." It's not like in film and television dramas, you have to report the gift list loudly on the spot, and you can register it when you give the gift. Ordinary villagers give gifts, and they can go to the threshing floor to eat and drink without giving gift money. ”

"This Bai family treats the villagers with leniency." Zhu Ming commented.

Zhu Guoxiang said: "I plan to send a hundred yuan." But it's a little shabby, after all, the place where we eat is in the courtyard of the Bai family's mansion. Do you have any birthday poems? ”

"How about Tang Bohu's song?" Zhu Ming asked.

Zhu Guoxiang asked: "Which one is Tang Bohu?" ”

Zhu Ming said shyly: "This mother-in-law is not a person, the Nine Heavens Fairy descends to the earth. The children and grandchildren are all thieves, and they steal peaches to give to their relatives. ”

Zhu Guoxiang immediately remembered that although he had never memorized this poem, he had seen it in the TV series, and he immediately cried and laughed: "Mrs. Bai is ninety years old, aren't you afraid that she has a heart attack, she doesn't catch her breath, and the birthday banquet becomes a funeral banquet on the spot?" ”

Zhu Ming said with a smile: "I asked, Mrs. Bai is very tough, and she has never been sick or sick." In view of the matter of Erlang God, I also inquired about it, and the Song Dynasty already had the custom of longevity peach, and there was also the legend of the peach banquet of the Queen Mother of the West. ”

"There's no need to take risks, think about a birthday poem again." Zhu Guoxiang still chooses to be cautious.

Zhu Ming thought about it carefully: "Just Cixi's one." ”

"Cixi also wrote poems?" Zhu Guoxiang felt a little surprised.

Zhu Ming said: "You must have heard one of them, pity the hearts of parents all over the world." ”

"This is good!" Zhu Guoxiang immediately made a decision.

At Shen Yourong's house, there is only straw paper for practicing calligraphy, but it doesn't matter what kind of paper it is, what matters is what is written on it.

Zhu Guoxiang immediately went to fetch water and ink, spread out a large piece of straw paper, and cut it into the size of A4 paper for use.

The son recited a poem next to him, and his father wrote down that Zhu Guoxiang's calligraphy was much more beautiful than Zhu Ming.

In the middle of the morning, when the ink dried early, Zhu Guoxiang said: "Take the money and go out!" ”

took the child with him and went straight to the Bai family's mansion, where there were still a few gift-givers lined up at the door. Not the guests themselves, of course, but the retinue they brought.

When it was the turn of father and son, Zhu Ming put the gift on the table: "The gift money is enough, and the birthday poem is a poem." ”

The servant, who was in charge of receiving the gifts, threw the iron money into the frame, and carefully took the paper and put it aside to press, where several birthday poems were already pressed.

Perhaps because the straw paper was too nonsense, the slave couldn't help but look at it twice before putting it down, and actually praised: "Good poem!" ”

There were two slaves who received the gifts, one registered and the other received.

The person in charge of registration is Bai Dalang's scholar, and he is currently assisting Bai Dalang in taking care of the industry.

The person in charge of receiving it is Bai Erlang's scholar, and he is currently working as a housekeeper for Bai Erlang in the county.

"Two inside, please!"

Bai Erlang's housekeeper is a knowledgeable person, and his attitude instantly becomes respectful.

After he sent Zhu Ming's father and son in, he called a miscellaneous servant: "Give this poem to Erlang in person." ”

There are quite a few guests inside.

There are squires from various villages, wealthy merchants from the county seat, officials who have been promoted by old white officials, and a few well-known scholars.

There is also a stage set up in the courtyard, and the food has not yet been served, and the guests are eating snacks and chatting while watching the play.

The county magistrate's name is Xiang Bi, the word Weitian, and he sits at the main table with Bai Lao Taijun.

Li Hanzhang and Zheng Hong, of course, also sat at the main table.

Knowing that Li Hanzhang was the son of the state judge, Xiang Bi, the magistrate, was very enthusiastic and took the initiative to talk from beginning to end.

Bai Chongwu, the second lang of the Bai family, wandered around to greet guests. This guy is white and fat, smiling, and can talk about the scene, which can be called eight-sided exquisite, and he can talk and laugh with anyone.

As soon as the conversation was over, the servant handed over the straw paper: "Erlangjun, Steward Qin asked me to send it." ”

Bai Chongwu took it and took a look, only to see that it was written on the straw paper-

"I was fortunate to be invited to the old lady's 90th birthday banquet. There is nothing left, but a birthday poem to repay the favor of the owner's family. ”

"The love between parents and fathers in the world is the truest, and tears and blood dissolve into their children. Exhausted his efforts to become a son in the end, pity the hearts of parents all over the world. ”

"Zhu Guoxiang and his son Zhu Ming worshipped."

To be honest, Cixi's poem, except for the last sentence, can be described as a mess.

Putting aside the changes in the rhythm of the past dynasties, even in the Qing Dynasty, according to the Beijing official dialect at that time, this poem was also "out of stick", that is, there was a big problem with the flat format.

Although Bai Chongwu has never been lifted, he has also read the Eight Classics.

After reading the first three sentences, I was already frowning, and I only felt spicy eyes. Reading through the fourth sentence, he suddenly smiled.

There is no fourth sentence, it is called a limerick poem.

There is a fourth sentence, which is called reluctance, turning decay into magic.

In terms of poetry creation, leveling, fighting, and rhyming can all break the rules. The Tang people are the least particular, and the Song people are more particular. In order to be retro, the poets of the Ming Dynasty deliberately went to learn from the Tang Dynasty for a period of time.

Taking the straw paper to the main table, Bai Erlang stepped forward with both hands: "Grandmother, look." ”

Mrs. Bai also studied, but her knowledge was not high, and limerick poetry was in line with her appreciation level.

The old lady read the poem carefully, and suddenly smiled from ear to ear, revealing two rows of smooth gums: "Well written, really well written, I like it very much!" ”