On the same day, Li Hongji's uncle and nephew entered Yansui Town from Zhenyuan Gate to ask to see Chen Jiawu.

Li Hongji gave Huang Xiao's handwritten letter to Chen Jiawu.

After Chen Jiawu saw it, he said: "Master Hou asked me to cooperate with the two of you, since you want to do such a big thing, there are no fewer people under your hands, and you have to have a few backbones, you wait a minute, I will call Erniu." ”

The two of them are overjoyed!

Not long after, Liu Erniu walked in.

"General, Liu Erniu reports!"

Chen Jiawu smiled and nodded.

"Hongji, Li Guo! Are you back? ”

Liu Erniu was also very happy to see Li Hongji's uncle and nephew.

"Yes, Captain Wu!"

The three of them met affectionately.

Chen Jiawu said: "Li Hongji has the secret decree of the Marquis of Zhongyi, Erniu, you are their original commander, you choose two people to follow Li Hongji to do things, this matter is top secret and must not be passed on." ”

Liu Erniu's heart sank and said, "Yes!" Since it is the secret decree of the Marquis of Zhongyi, I want to participate in person, is it okay? ”

Chen Jiawu nodded.

Liu Erniu was overjoyed and went.

Li Hongji said: "General, we have just arrived, I don't know what the situation in Shaanxi is now? Tell me about it, general. ”

Chen Jiawu sighed: "Yansui Town is surrounded by the four major feudal kings, the situation is very complicated, this year's drought has intensified, my Yansui Town can only barely survive, but after a large number of people around the influx, coupled with the intention of the feudal kings, all the worthless old and weak are driven to us, so that the population of Yansui Town has increased nearly eight times, and the vassal kings have taken the opportunity to sell, so that the price of grain remains high, and the new deal cannot be promoted." ”

Li Guo's face changed color: "It's increased eightfold? What a vicious scheme! ”

Li Hongji also said: "Yes, the land remains the same, the output is not high, and the population has increased so much, it is really embarrassing for the general!" ”

Chen Jiawu shook his head: "These old and weak are all the people of the Ming Dynasty, and they will be ordered to shepherd one side, but they can only maintain it with all their might!" ”

Li Hongji asked: "I learned from Daming Daily that Yansui Town's border trade is doing well, so it shouldn't be so lacking." ”

Chen Jiawu said bitterly: "For the Mongolian people, we follow the arrangement of the Marquis of Zhongyi, fair trade, most of the profits of the wool textile mill and the steel mill are used to purchase grain from the vassal kings, if there is no support from this support, my Yansui Town will be even more difficult, although the Hou Ye has sent food support, but, you say, this kind of support, can we accept it with peace of mind?" ”

He sighed: "I have the trust of the marquis, and the new deal is not conducive to development!" ”

Li Hongji nodded: "This support is really not easy to take, General Chen should not be arrogant, you must be afraid of the vassal king, so that you are tied, now the Hou Ye and Niangniang have the will to deal with these vassal kings, and it will definitely improve in the future." ”

Chen Jiawu was in high spirits and nodded: "Having said that, it was my side that did not do things well, Hou Ye and Niangniang did not punish me, but sent two of them over to act, and they will definitely give their full support!" ”

Li Hongji asked: "Hou Ye's new deal tax is one percent, isn't there any movement?" ”

Chen Jiawu shook his head and said: "Take King Qin as an example, his land is extremely extensive, seventy percent of the land in Xi'an is the property of King Qin, and officials at all levels and even the gentry originally sent their land to the palace, so that almost all the land in Xi'an Mansion was controlled by King Qin!" ”

"After the promulgation of the new policy of Hou Ye, these officials and gentry felt that it was not cost-effective, and they wanted to return the land they had posted, and they continued to collect high taxes on the people, and handed over to the imperial court in accordance with the new policy. The people still don't get any good! ”

Li Hongji scolded angrily: "It's all dog officials!" ”

Chen Jiawu continued: "This is called a policy, there are countermeasures, I admire the King of Qin, he did not allow the gentry to take back the land, but took advantage of the situation to reformulate the tax policy, directly reduce the tax, the whole Xi'an Mansion land tax to forty percent!"

Because the palace does not have to pay taxes, these forty percent are all obtained by the king of Qin, and the fees that the gentry need to pay to the palace for sending land are exempted, that is to say, after the gentry hand over the land to the king of Qin, they can also enjoy forty percent of the income, and they also save a lot of things, and they do not have to face the pressure of reform in the imperial court! ”

"The King of Qin has a condition, he requires that all the grain on these lands must be purchased by the palace, and the other three vassal kings also act in this way, so that at present, except for our Yansui Town, almost all the land in Shaanxi is in the hands of these four vassal kings, and some of the landlords and gentry who have been retained before are also attached to the palace, and the people are satisfied with the forty percent of the taxes, so naturally there is little movement."

Li Hongji and Li Guo were silent.

Li Hongji sighed: "So that's the case! It seems that these vassal kings are not wine bags and rice bags, they control a lot of land, as well as food, and appease the people under their rule, these things are stuck in the life of our Yansui Town, no wonder the general has encountered setbacks. ”

Chen Jiawu said: "In response to this matter, a few days ago, I have secretly reported to Niangniang and Hou Ye, King Qin and other people have money and food, I am afraid that they are not subservient, they secretly imitate my Yansui Town also has a militia, in fact, it is a war soldier, but there is a law of the court, and the vassal king is not allowed to support the army, so they pretend to be here!" ”

Li Hongji's face also sank, which was completely different from his plan and even the plan of Zhongyi Hou, which caught him a little off guard.

Li said: "No wonder they dare to go to the palace to force the palace, it turns out that they have confidence in their hands!" ”

Chen Jiawu was stunned.

Li Guo explained: "When we left Beijing, the Hou Ye and Niangniang summoned them, saying that the major vassal kings pretended to enter Beijing to visit Your Majesty, but in fact they wanted to force Niangniang to step down with righteousness. ”

Li Hongji snorted: "These dependences are like chickens and dogs in front of my Rhubarb Zhuang strong army!" ”

Chen Jiawu nodded: "It's just that they didn't blatantly make an incident, and we can't act rashly, where are you going to start?" ”

Li Hongji said: "The original plan has to be changed, this matter is really a bit tricky, I want to investigate one or two first, feel the situation, although it is said that the field tax is reduced to forty percent, compared with the new deal, it is still many times higher, I don't believe it, I can't incite it!" I must make this anti! ”

Chen Jiawu said: "Yes! If they are not eradicated, it will also be a blow to the prestige of Niangniang and Hou Ye, and it will also breed their arrogance! They blocked the passage of grain merchants from all over the country, coerced me at high prices, sought the technology of steel mills and textile mills, and were even more emboldened, faintly proposing to exchange firearms for grain! ”

Li Hongji said angrily: "They are really greedy and insufficient, and they are bold!" ”

As he spoke, the soldiers informed him that dinner was ready.

Chen Jiawu said: "Now, except for the soldiers, everyone else has two meals a day, let's go, let's eat, but the conditions are difficult, and I neglect you." ”

Li Hongji said: "Needless to say, the general, we are also from poor families, and we are not so particular. ”

Dinner is one person, two nests, and a bowl of porridge.