From Hongzhou, you can also go to Ganshui to Yuanzhou, which is the Yichun of Jiangxi in later generations.

When you get to Yuanzhou, you can only take the land route.

However, it is not that you can't take a boat after that, you need to enter the territory of Tanzhou, take the Xiangjiang River for shipping, you can go to Guangzhou through the Lingling Canal in the south, and you can connect the Yangtze River to Hubei in the north.

But at least this section does have to be taken by land, and without the more than ten hours a day of shipping, the speed is much slower.

After all, the speed on the Beijing-Hangzhou Grand Canal is relatively slow, but if you enter the river system, the speed of the boat will be much faster. For example, from the Yangtze River downstream, you can walk more than 300 kilometers a day.

Zhao Jun arrived in Yuanzhou in early December, with more than 1,500 infantry and cavalry, and arrived at Liling in Tanzhou in two days under the escort of the Jiangnan West Road Xiang Army.

Almost just after Pingxiang, Wang Yao, the transfer envoy of Jinghu South Road, Li Suzhi, the director of the Criminal Prison, Wang Han, the governor of Tanzhou, Liu Yuan, the transfer judge, and other officials, plus more than 2,000 people from the Xiang army on Jinghu South Road, were already at the border to greet them.

It happened to rain in Hunan in the past two days, and in late winter, the weather was wet and cold, and when Zhao Jun got out of the carriage, the oncoming cold wind almost didn't freeze his nose.

You must know that he is wearing autumn clothes and pants given by his mother, and he also wears cotton clothes outside, which is a bit unbearable in the winter of Hunan, you can know that the wet and cold weather in the south, under the attack of magic, makes people frightened.

Zhao Jun stood on the carriage and glanced around, this is the foot of Wang Qiao Mountain outside the east city of Liling, where the Tang Dynasty poet monk and monk Protector once made "Song of Liling Jade Immortal".

I saw the crowd of people standing densely on the official road in front of them, the dense forests on both sides of the road are like the sea, looking into the distance, the mountains are undulating, the clouds and mist are shrouded, the sky is cloudy and raining lightly, surrounded by mountains, there is a mountain peak in the northeast direction towering into the clouds.

This is the Hunan mountain forest that he has been concerned about for a long time.

"Xiaguan has seen the prefect!"

Wang Yao and the others were all dressed in robes, and they hugged forward and saluted Zhao Jun one after another.

Zhao Jun looked at this familiar Hunan appearance, and a rare smile appeared on his originally old-fashioned and calm face, and he nodded slightly: "You have worked hard." ”

The magistrate of Liling stepped forward and said: "Governor, the lower officials have already set up a banquet in Liling County, and please invite the magistrate to appreciate the light." ”

"Well, it's time for the soldiers to rest and rest."

Zhao Jun nodded.

Then the large army set out and ran all the way to Liling.

In history, the emperor's tours often cost a lot of money, such as Emperor Yang of the Sui Dynasty who toured the south several times, was extremely poor and extravagant, and spent a lot of financial resources.

But Zhao Jun's travel is still quite simple, and the cost of the journey is basically more than 1,000 people to eat, live and eat.

Then add to that the cost of hiring a boat.

Under normal circumstances, even if there are more than 1,000 people, the daily expenses for eating and drinking are not a small expense, and if they are pressed on the heads of the local government, it will definitely cause a burden on the local finances.

But Zhao Junnan has been patrolling for almost a year, not only did he not let the local government spend a penny, but he even made a lot of money, and hundreds of thousands of pieces were placed in the baggage boxes dragged by the team.

Most of them are relatively light gold and silver, and copper coins are a little less, about 50,000 yuan, which is basically enough for more than 1,000 people to use for three or five years.

If it weren't for the inconvenience of bringing too much money, there would be more assets.

No way.

Along the way, he copied his family softly, and Sun Wei alone made about five or six hundred thousand yuan of silver for so many years, not including so many antique calligraphy, paintings, and jewelry auctioned.

If you take with you the money of those corrupt officials, corrupt officials, profiteers, and landlords in Huainan, Jiangsu, and Zhejiang, I am afraid that there will be millions or even tens of millions.

I can't bring it at all.

Therefore, most of them let the Jianghuai transfer envoy Yamen send it to Bianliang through the canal, and they could only bring a little bit on the way.

It can be said that Zhao Zhenren is sitting in Kaifeng, and there is no need to worry about this year's financial expenditure.

As long as Zhao Jun continues to inspect, continues to kill more corrupt officials on the road, and deals with more bad landlords, the money for the war next year will be enough.

The team continued through the mountains and finally arrived in Liling County before it was completely dark.

The soldiers found tents in the field, and Zhao Jun ordered people to go to the city to buy pigs, cows, and mutton, and fire on the spot, so that the soldiers who were tired all the way could have a good meal.

He himself, under the protection of many guards, entered the county town and went to a banquet in the restaurant.

Although officialdom is inevitably socialized, Zhao Jun actually doesn't hate this kind of entertainment, because he can understand the local officialdom situation and governance in such entertainment.

There were not many officials who came this time, just more than ten people, and everyone was divided into two tables, one table was the Yamen of the Fourth Division of Lu to accompany Zhao Jun, and the other table was a local Liling official.

Zhao Jun arrived at the table and exchanged a few words of greeting, the dishes were actually ready, and they were immediately served hot when they came.

After the dish was served, everyone didn't dare to move the chopsticks, so Zhao Jun got up and said a few words, looked around at everyone and said: "Ladies and gentlemen, this court has been walking the world for nearly a year, and the world thinks that this court is out to kill corrupt officials and corrupt officials, but in fact, it is not. ”

Many officials all looked at him, and heard Zhao Jun continue: "This court is most concerned about the people's livelihood in the world, and each road has its own people's livelihood governance problems, each place is different, and the problems are also different. ”

"That's why this hospital visits every place and every place, and it is important to understand the people's livelihood situation in each place and what problems there are. In this way, we can solve the problem in a targeted manner, alleviate the increasingly serious poverty in the Great Song Dynasty, and reduce the burden on the people. ”

"As for the rectification of the officials."

Zhao Jun looked at everyone and smiled: "It's not a secret, in fact, I can sit here today and chat with everyone seriously, and talk freely about local governance issues, just because I have already investigated you before I came, and there is nothing wrong with being an official, otherwise I probably wouldn't be sitting here, but taking people to prison." ”

"Hahahahaha."

When everyone heard this, they all agreed and laughed a few times, which can be regarded as a sigh of relief.

After all, Zhao Jun's prestige is too strong now.

Even if everyone here is not a corrupt official, the sense of oppression given by the other party is still very strong, for fear that if you do something wrong, you will be imprisoned by the prefect.

Therefore, now that they heard Zhao Jun's more relaxed tone, everyone was naturally much more relaxed.

Zhao Jun poured himself a glass of wine, then picked up the glass and said: "Come, everyone, have a drink together, government affairs, let's talk while eating, if there are any difficulties or problems, you can speak freely, and you don't need to have any psychological burden." ”

Everyone also hurriedly got up, raised their wine glasses and said, "Jingzhiyuan." ”

With that, everyone had a drink together.

Then Zhao Jun beckoned everyone to sit down, and the banquet began.

With such a topic at the beginning, the atmosphere was a little happier, and everyone talked about some troublesome things they encountered while eating.

For example, Wang Han, the governor of Tanzhou, sighed: "The prefect inspects the world, all for the people's livelihood, so that the lower officials admire it in their hearts." In Tanzhou, what impressed the officials the most was the serious flood disaster. At that time, I was appointed as the governor of Yixing County, where there were many lakes and fields, and there were many floods, but I mapped and mapped according to the terrain, and speculated that the annual water level could often avoid disasters. ”

Hearing his words, Zhao Jun shook his head and said: "Wang Zhizhou is a person who thinks about the people, I remember that you served in Yixing, Luling, Shaozhou and other places, and you have many political achievements. However, the flooding of Dongting Lake is related to the topography, and it is difficult for manpower to interfere anymore. ”

"Oh?"

Wang Han was surprised: "Why is this? ”

"Dongting Lake is vast, although Yixing is adjacent to Taihu Lake, but Dongting Lake is directly connected to the Yangtze River, far from the East China Sea. If Yixing encounters floods and heavy rains, it can also divert water to the East China Sea through many water systems. ”

Zhao Jun explained: "Once there is heavy rain in the Dongting Lake basin, the water level rises, the flood discharge capacity of the Yangtze River is limited, and the Hunan water flows from south to north, resulting in the overflow of Dongting Lake and the flow of the Xiangjiang River. ”

Receiving Zhao Jun's relief, Wang Han said gratefully: "I see, thank you to the prefect for solving the doubts of the lower officials, if this is the case, then I am afraid that the flood will never be eradicated." ”

"It's not completely impossible, although it can't be eradicated, but it can be alleviated."

Zhao Jun suggested: "You can plant more trees near the lake, and dig more canals, ponds, and reservoirs. In the event of a flood, trees will help divert the flow and reduce the damage to the people if there are enough canals, ponds, and reservoirs. ”

You must know that even in the 98th year, when the productive forces were quite advanced, floods in the middle and lower reaches of the Yangtze River could flood Changsha, which is far away from Dongting Lake, to a height of one or two meters at one time, not to mention Yiyang and Linxiang.

Therefore, the flood in the middle reaches of the Yangtze River is really no way, and the downstream side can still find the East China Sea to help discharge the flood, once the water in the middle reaches of the Yangtze River overflows, and the water has nowhere to go, then it can only run to the shore, and the places where the people live have all become a country.

However, in '98 it was a special situation, and the floods were more than 10 times worse than in previous years. Under normal circumstances, ordinary floods, more surrounding lakes and trees, and digging more canals, ponds, and reservoirs to discharge floodwater, can barely withstand it.

"Thank you."

Wang Han was very grateful for the effective solution.

Wang Yao was surprised: "I didn't expect the Zhiyuan to know so much about Jingnan, and the lower officials have been in Jingnan for a long time, so they know how serious the Dongting Lake is, but I don't know why it is so serious." The prefect is clear, could it be that the prefect has been to Jingnan before? ”

Everyone looked at Zhao Jun curiously, Zhao Jun's information was actually spread out, Bianliang people, his parents died early, and he was alone, saying that he had a talent, so the official family specially promoted him and made him the top of the house.

Although it can't block the mouth of the world, at least this is the information on the surface, so everyone is very curious about why Zhao Jun knows Jingnan so well.

"Amount"

Zhao Jun was embarrassed for a while, he couldn't tell them that he was from Hunan in his last life.

But fortunately, his mind turned quickly, so he said: "But I came to the south once when I was young, and I happened to encounter a flood, and after seeing it, I also understood the reason." ”

This reason is obviously a bit far-fetched, after all, Zhao Jun is very young now, and when he was young, a few years ago, wouldn't he be only a little over ten years old?

However, everyone didn't have the courage to ask to the end, Wang Yao smiled and said: "No wonder it is said that the Zhiyuan is a genius who is unique in ten thousand, compared to Zhuge Reincarnation." Just came once, and I understood the reason, and the officials and others couldn't be compared. ”

"Huh."

Zhao Jun smiled and didn't speak.

Is that.

If you want to be like them, what else should you do with this Zhiyuan seat?

Naturally, it is different to be able to rise step by step.

With Wang Han at the beginning, the atmosphere of the banquet was much more relaxed, and everyone spoke one after another and talked about the difficulties they encountered.

For example, the problem encountered by Wang Yao is that Jingnan is remote, and the imperial court pays heavy taxes, which makes the people bear a great burden.

The main thing is to pay taxes in other places, and it can be transported directly to Bianliang through the Grand Canal, even if it is on the Sichuan side, there are many rivers that directly lead to the Yangtze River, which is more convenient than Jingnan.

In addition to the Xiangjiang River in Jingnan, other places are deep mountains and old forests, and when paying taxes in various places, they are all urged to pay by Lizheng, and then sent to Tanzhou by land, and then take the Xiangjiang waterway from Tanzhou to enter the Yangtze River, and finally send it to Zhenzhou.

The biggest problem here is that all localities pay taxes to Tanzhou, the road is far away, the road is difficult, if you want to ensure that the annual tax is full, you must pay more taxes than other places.

Naturally, the people were reluctant to pay more taxes, and the local officials would let Li Zheng collect them.

As a lizheng, it sounds like a very high status, but in the actual process of service, it is not easy, if the tax is insufficient, or when the tax is not collected in full, the government orders those who serve this service to pay compensation by themselves; If they encounter the local officials again, the enlisted ones will be even more miserable.

In this case, "the people who are in the service of the people, since the age of the old is before the teeth, the presiding officer's treasury, or the transportation of official goods, often go bankrupt." "There are many qualities and recklessness, and the boat people cannot be inspected, the boat people embezzle official property, and the people cannot be compensated for bankruptcy."

Therefore, the problem of wounded people in forced labor is very serious.

Zhao Jun attached great importance to it after hearing this, but he did not immediately give a solution, but frankly admitted that he needed to go to the countryside to see the actual situation in person.

Soon the banquet ended.

The next day, Zhao Jun set off again, but instead of going north to Tanzhou, he headed southwest to Shaozhou.

Because this itinerary was actually selfish and changed it without authorization.

Otherwise, according to the normal plan, it should be from Jiangnan West Road to the south to Guangnan and Guangxi 2nd Road, after inspecting the south, and then going north to Jinghu Road, inspecting Hunan and Hubei, you can take a boat to take the Yangtze River into Sichuan.

Then from Sichuan to Guanzhong, then east to Shanxi, Hebei, Shandong, and finally from Shandong back to Bianliang, even if it was a circle on the territory of the entire Great Song Dynasty, inspecting all places.

The whole route is from the map of later generations, starting from Kaifeng, Henan, going southeast into Anhui, Jiangsu, Zhejiang, then from Zhejiang to Fujian, Jiangxi, and then south to Guangdong, Guangxi, then north to Hunan, Hubei, west to the Yangtze River to Sichuan, Guizhou, and finally north to Shaanxi, Shanxi, Hebei, Shandong, even if it is the end of this circle.

However, Zhao Jun changed his route and did not go south from Jiangxi to Guangzhou, but came to Hunan first, which led to the fact that if he first inspected Hunan and then went south to Guangzhou, he would obviously waste more time if he had to go through Hunan when he went north.

But he felt it was worth it.

If he could return to his hometown before the year, even if it was a waste of time, he would be willing.

At the end of December, near the end of the year, Zhao Jun refused to be accompanied by the road transfer envoy, the criminal prison department and others, and entered the territory of Shaozhou alone, only letting the governor of Shaozhou and the local county order follow.

On the 28th, he arrived along the Zijiang River, between Shaoyang County and Xinhua County, overlooking the northwest, Changlong Mountain was towering and shrouded in clouds and mist.

On both sides of the river, there are villages and fields.

Zhao Jun, accompanied by the Shaozhou Zhizhou, Shaoyang County Order, and Xinhua County Order, inspected Shaozhou Prefecture.

What puzzled them was that Zhao Jun did not stay in the local area for long, but ordered the fleet to continue sailing along the Zijiang River, and by the 29th, they had arrived at Baisha Town, north of Xinhua County.

Shaoyang County ordered to get off the boat and leave when he arrived in Xinhua, he had the duty to guard the land and had to go back.

So accompanied by the governor of Shaozhou and Xinhua County, Zhao Jun stopped the boat in Baisha Town, he first looked at the development of the town, and in the afternoon, he walked all the way to the north slope and looked at Meishan in the distance.

This is a hillside in the north of Baisha Town, and there is no wide county road in the north, but a winding mountain range, as if there is no end in sight.

"What's that?"

Zhao Jun pointed to the north and said knowingly.

In fact, he knew Baisha Town better than the people in Baisha Town, and it was renamed Baixi Town in later generations, and Baixi Tofu was very famous.

The mayor of Baisha Town said: "Back to the Zhiyuan, there is Meishan. ”

"Are there people living in the mountains?"

"Stay."

"Oh, who are they?"

"He is a local barbarian, a wild man, who dwells in the mountains."

"Aren't there any market towns or villages?"

"There are no towns, but there are some barbarian villages, all in the mountains."

"Let's go check it out."

Zhao Jun said.

The mayor of the town was puzzled: "The mountain road is rough and the road is far away. ”

In fact, it is not far, Baisha Town is more than ten kilometers away from the later town where Zhao Jun is located.

But at that time, this place was occupied by the mountain people, so the people in this place in later generations were also called Meishanman.

"It's okay, they're all the people of the Great Song Dynasty."

Zhao Jun smiled.

At this moment, his mood was a little excited.

Although he knew that his ancestors had migrated from the Southern Song Dynasty, he still wanted to know what his hometown was like now.

Seeing that they couldn't resist him, they had no choice but to go north into the mountains under the leadership of the mayor.

After walking through countless mountain beams, more than an hour, before it was dark, they finally arrived at the place where Zhao Jun wanted to go.

After climbing another mountain beam, Zhao Jun lowered his head and looked down at the mountains.

It's getting dark.

Tomorrow is the thirtieth day of the Chinese New Year's Eve.

Underneath the mountain beam, there was nothing.

There was only a dense forest, and a stream running through the wilderness, which seemed so lonely.

In the hometown, after all, there is no reason.

(End of chapter)