The sky-high asking price, landing to pay back.

Zhu Ming wanted the rich to apportionment 3,000 yuan, but after crying about poverty, the rich households only accepted 1,200 yuan. In addition, the scope of apportionment became larger, and the gentry of Xixiang County also had to pledge; The number of apportioned households is more, and the third-class households should also be symbolic.

Without waiting for the apportionment to arrive, Zhu Ming used all the 1,000 guan left by Huang Qianshan to buy paper clothes and grain, and requisitioned small and medium-sized merchant ships to transport them to the mountains.

In the Song Dynasty, the cotton planting area was not extensive, and the rich naturally had all kinds of warm clothing, while the poor could only wear paper clothes for the winter.

There are also two kinds of paper clothing, one is made of skin paper, and the price is relatively more expensive. One is directly beaten with the bark of a tree, and the texture is very close to paper, which is actually a bark coat.

Lightweight windshield, thick and durable, warm all rely on breathability.

Even the low-level scholars, many rely on paper clothes and paper quilts to survive the winter.

Zheng Fatzi followed Zhu Ming into the mountain, accompanied by his brother-in-law Li Zhifang.

The Li family was very active in this, because a large number of rioters fled into the mountains, and some of them took refuge in Gongxiu, the big tiger.

According to the laws of the Song Dynasty, 20% of the gold, silver and copper mined by private individuals had to be used to pay taxes, and the remaining 80% had to be sold to the government. However, the purchase price of the government was too low, and Gong Xiu was sold privately to the Li family, and the Li family controlled the scrap gold mine in disguise.

Now the rebellious people have taken refuge in Gong Xiu, and Gong Xiu's strength has increased greatly, which is not conducive to the control of the Li family.

"Gong Xiu's cottage is in front." Li Zhifang stretched out his finger and pointed out.

Zhu Ming asked the fleet to dock at the foot of the mountain, carry some paper clothes and grain ashore, and then the fleet and the servants withdrew five miles away.

This move released goodwill and immediately won Gong Xiu's favor.

Gong Xiu personally went down the mountain to negotiate and asked Li Zhifang: "Which noble person is visiting?" ”

Li Zhifang said: "The son of Yuan Zhanggong, Jinke Tanhualang, Jinzhou Zhizhou Zhu Zhiming Zhu Xianggong!" ”

Gong Xiu was in awe: "It turned out to be Zhu Xianggong, I also grow corn and sweet potatoes in this mountain, and there is finally no shortage of food this year." ”

Zhu Ming smiled and asked, "Don't you invite me to sit in the village?" ”

"Please." Gong Xiu arched his hand.

There is no black wind village here, and there is little gentle arable land under the mountain, all relying on the barren mountain to grow food, and corn and sweet potatoes are of great use here.

There are several nearby mountains, and there are traces of mining everywhere.

Some of the pits, dating back to the Han and Tang dynasties, have been covered by vegetation.

Gong Xiu was not tall, but he was extremely strong, and his weapon was a wrought iron rod.

Zhu Ming slowly climbed the mountain and said in a casual tone: "Does the master of Gongzhai know that gold mining has to pay 20% of the tax, and the rest of the gold can only be sold to the government?" ”

Gong Xiu sneered: "The purchase price of the government was set a hundred years ago, the high-grade gold is 5,000 wen per tael, and the second-class gold is 4,500 wen per tael, and I will only sell it to the government if I am a fool." Although Zhu Xianggong is an official, I respect the benevolence and righteousness of your father and son. Since you are the governor of Jinzhou, you should not take care of the affairs of Yangzhou. ”

The government's gold purchase price is only one-sixth of the market price.

Zhu Ming said again: "You accept the rebels privately, and you are also a murderer." ”

Gong Xiu stood halfway up the mountainside, turned around and said, "Zhu Xianggong will make it clear if he has something, and there is no need to talk too much to scare me." ”

"Be quick to talk, if you are a good man," Zhu Ming didn't go around the bend anymore, "I don't bother to care about those chaotic people who defected to you." But you have limited arable land here, and you must not accept too much, and many people will go into the mountains. ”

"You send someone to tell them, just say that I, Zhu Ming, will be the guarantor, and the government will not pursue it again, but you must go to the downstream of Daming Village to open up the wasteland and settle down. The gold diggers in the Golden Gorge also sell gold to you, and you send people to send a message to those gold diggers, asking them to go to the mountains and deep valleys of the Golden Gorge, and tell the people what they just said. ”

"As soon as they go out of the mountain and cross the Golden Gorge plank road, there will be boats waiting on the shore every day. If you go to Daming Village, each person will be given a piece of paper clothes and three buckets of grain. Next spring, we will lend them seeds, rent cattle for farming, and pay no taxes for the first three years. ”

"I brought some light gifts to the master of Gongzhai today, fifty pieces of paper clothes and thirty stones of grain."

Gong Xiu was silent for a moment after hearing this, and said with emotion: "Zhu Xianggong is really benevolent and righteous, and he can save countless lives. Fortunately, there was no snow this year, otherwise more than half of the people who fled into the mountains would have frozen to death. I agreed to help with this, and it can be regarded as accumulating virtue and doing good. ”

Li Zhifang was a little anxious, the Li family was afraid that Gong Xiu would become bigger, and the original intention was to let Zhu Ming ask for refuge in the chaos here.

didn't think about it, Zhu Ming didn't mention this stubble at all.

Zhu Ming continued: "If those rioters have wives and children in their families, they can also be reunited next year. ”

Gong Xiu joked: "With such a good thing, I want to go to Daming Village." Although I am poor in the village, I also have a few jars of wine, and I have a good drink with Zhu Xianggong today. ”

"I won't go up the mountain, and I'll have to go back to the village in a hurry, and I will have a chance to drink in the future." The purpose of Zhu Ming's trip has been achieved.

Gong Xiu called some of his subordinates to bring back the paper clothes and food given by Zhu Ming, and asked people to immediately spread the word around.

Zhu Ming took the remaining paper clothes and food, took a boat out of the mountain, and went south along the Golden Gorge.

Gong Xiu stood on the shore and shouted: "Zhu Xianggong has time to come to the village to eat and drink!" ”

He has been completely convinced by Zhu Ming, putting aside other factors, only Zhu Ming, as the governor of the state, does not put on a show at all, and is willing to hand over with a bandit, which is enough to flatter Gong Xiu.

For example, if you are engaged in an illegal business in a poor ravine, suddenly a mayor will come to you and not only make friends with you, but also offer you gifts. How do you feel?

There is also an official boat parked by the Han River, and Zheng Yuanyi and others are on board.

After the convergence, Zhu Ming said goodbye to Zheng Fatzi: "The matter of Yangzhou, please ask my brother-in-law." ”

Zheng Hong patted his chest and said, "Wrap it on me!" ”

Zheng Hong's task was to use the money apportioned by the wealthy to buy paper clothes and food, and transport them to the place where the rebels were received.

Watching the fleet leave, Li Zhifang said depressedly: "I came for nothing, and in the future, Gongxiu will become bigger, and I am afraid that I will raise the price of gold again." ”

Zheng Hong said: "Your family's price reduction is ruthless enough, and it makes sense for him to raise it." If you lower the price like that, sooner or later someone will steal your business, and how many people will stare at the gold trade. ”

Li Zhifang was speechless, gold trading is indeed lucrative, but illegal purchase of gold is a big crime, and there is a lot of money from the government every year. His Li family's business is really not as profitable as others think.

Zhu Ming crossed the Golden Gorge, looked for a place to slow the water, left the fleet and supplies there, Bai Sheng stayed behind to be responsible for receiving the rebels, and the government sent a messenger to assist.

That night, dozens of rioters came running to defect.

They are hungry and cold in the mountains, and some people have already died of hunger and cold, but they will not miss any hope they see.

Bai Sheng first asked the rebels to put on paper clothes, then distributed food to them, and put together a boat and transported it back to Daming Village.

But it was said that when Zheng Fatzi returned home, his grandfather Zheng Lan asked him: "Didn't you succeed?" ”

Zheng Hong said: "I'm back to Daming Village." ”

"Why don't you keep him longer? You have to have a good life. Zheng Lan reproached.

Zheng Fatzi smiled: "He is a busy man, I will go again for the New Year." ”

Zheng Lan stroked his beard and said, "The court officials are so busy, you can bring more rituals over." ”

Stuffing her granddaughter to Zhu Ming as a concubine, Zheng Lan can be said to have made a lot of money.

Officials at the state and county levels all looked at him differently. The gentry and merchants outside the city are also more enthusiastic than before, and even the common people's perception of the Zheng family has changed.

Even this time, Huang Qianshan levied taxes indiscriminately, and he did not persecute the Zheng family too much.

In the evening, Zhu Ming landed in Shangbai Village.

He took his entourage straight to the old white man's house, and met someone eating in the courtyard with a bowl on the way, Zhu Ming greeted with a smile: "On this cold day, Fifth Uncle Bai doesn't eat in the house?" ”

The man was stunned, and then said happily: "Zhu Xiu...... Zhu Xianggong is here! ”

The people in the house ran out one after another, huddled around Zhu Ming, as if they wanted to get a little official, but they were afraid of the official authority and didn't dare to get too close.

"Zhu Xianggong has returned to his hometown!" The villagers next door also came out, and soon someone shouted at the top of their throats.

Wealth does not return to the hometown, just like a brocade night walk.

Although this is not Zhu Ming's hometown, he also feels such feelings.

More and more villagers rushed to hear the news, and even children jumped up and down to open the way for Zhu Ming.

The father and son of the Zhu family have become legends in the village, and the more they spread, the more evil they become. Whenever a woman returns to her parents' home, she is asked about the father and son, and those strange stories will spread to other villages, and gradually to the county seat and state town.

Some villagers even said that when they saw the Zhu family father and son for the first time, they found that they had red light on them.

Some villagers said that they had witnessed Zhu Guoxiang use magic to turn a barren mountainous area into a field, and the crops in the field could be harvested without fertilization.

This is somewhat related to the expedition of Song Huizong, but once he is touched by the emperor, it will always become bizarre. If Zhu Guoxiang doesn't know the immortal law, how can he get the emperor's weight?

Combined with the promotion of corn and sweet potatoes, as well as the dissemination of Zhu Guoxiang's agricultural books, coupled with Zhu Ming's examination in one fell swoop, such messy stories have been convinced by many people.

Mrs. Yan has moved to live by the river, and it is very convenient to take a boat back to Shangbai Village. When she went to Baishitou to catch the market, she often went back to the village to sit and sit with the old sisters she knew before.

Every time I come back, it's the stars holding the moon.

Even the eldest girl and the little daughter-in-law sat down with needles and threads, and inquired about the gossip around Mrs. Yan, and the whole process was full of sycophants, so happy that Mrs. Yan couldn't close her mouth.

"Meet Zhu Xianggong!" Bai Dalang came with a servant to greet him.

Zhu Ming handed out the letter from home: "This is what San Lang asked me to bring back." ”

Bai Chongwen held it with both hands: "Is my third brother good in the capital?" ”

Zhu Ming smiled: "It's still the same, it's humble and light-hearted, intriguing, and it's not very pleasant to be an official." My father is often in front of the official family, and next year I will find an opportunity to recommend San Lang to be an official. ”

Bai Chongwen suddenly became more respectful, bowed forward and said, "We all have to rely on Prime Minister Zhu's good words." The last time the third brother wrote a letter, he said that he had not passed the exam, and it was only because of Zhu Xianggong's recommendation that he was sent. ”

"My own brothers, it's right to help each other, don't be too outside." Zhu Ming said.

Bai Chongwen said: "It's still Zhu Xianggong who misses the old, and I am very happy in my heart." ”

Halfway through, the old white man also came, and he asked the servant to carry it, trembling and trembling: "The grass people meet Zhu Xianggong!" ”

As a big official, nothing is different.

(End of chapter)