The Fuxue Palace outside the Imperial City of Xiangyang Prefecture was as lively as a market today. The students studying here were all squeezed out of the classroom, and everyone stretched their necks to look inside, with writing on their faces.

Full of anxiety.

They are not worried that their classroom will be occupied by others, but they are worried that their hometown will be harmed by millions of begging soldiers coming from the north.

The Prince of Xiang, Zhu Yiming, who went north to Xinye to meet the emperor and submitted a joint petition from the gentry and students of Xiangyang Prefecture to the Ming Dynasty, returned to Xiangyang Prefecture with the emperor's reply the day before yesterday afternoon. On the same day, he ordered someone to pass on the order that on the fourth day of July,

Together with Miao Xutu, deputy envoy of Xiangyang (deputy envoy for punishment and inspection), and Tang Xianyue, the magistrate of Xiangyang, they met with the registered officials and officials of Xiangyang Prefecture and celebrities of the Jin gentry in the Academy of Xiangyang Prefecture, and discussed in detail the matter of Lord Long Live coming to Xiangyang to beg for food.

...

This thing doesn’t even sound like it’s true. How come the long live Lord of the Ming Dynasty has become a beggar? If the emperor has no food to eat, won’t he raise taxes? The gentry and people of Huguang all love the Ming Dynasty, so they should raise taxes appropriately.

A little tax is not unacceptable. For example, if you add a severe 20%, it would be roughly an average of 4 taels of millet per mu (16 taels), which can produce more than 2 taels of white rice. If the whole of Huguang can

Adding that much will add more than 400,000 shi of millet that year, which is almost less than 300,000 shi of white rice. That's very generous, right? Take the rice and hurry up, go beg for food elsewhere, don't come to Huguang!

When the old prince heard everyone talking about raising taxes, he smiled and waved his hand and said: "Long live Lord said that he will not increase taxes in Huguang, so you can rest assured...Long live Lord is still

You know the sufferings of the people in Huguang!"

Of course Zhu Youjian wanted to increase taxes on Huguang, but he also knew that this tax could not be increased without giving the Huguang gentry a taste of something powerful.

The tax of one pound per mu is actually not high, but for the Huguang gentry who are accustomed to the tax of one pound per mu... Oh, no, the gentry have exemptions and exemptions, and they don't have to pay a pound!

The "one-ton tax" must be shared equally. A small number of private fields cannot be allowed to bear the entire tax, otherwise it will be a "one-stone tax." And sharing the tax equally is not easy!

In short, if this tax is to be added, there must be blood! So Zhu Youjian simply did not mention the tax increase, and only talked about begging for food. Begging for food means eating from wealthy households, but not from wealthy households. You will know it by looking at the house!

"Your Majesty, what about the beggars in Xinye? Are they still coming to Huguang?" A gentry immediately asked.

The old prince nodded and spread his hands: "Come on! There are millions of people, camped hundreds of miles away by the white water, and they have all been organized into groups, equipped with spears, bows and arrows, and they have become beggars...

..When I left, they had already set off and were heading towards Fancheng! It is estimated that in two days, they will enter the ground of Xiangyang Prefecture, and then they will be stationed in various counties."

As he spoke, the old prince turned to look at the two mournful civil servants beside him, "Deputy Ambassador Miao, Prefect Tang, you must properly accommodate these millions of hungry people!"

Miao Xutu, deputy envoy of Xiangyang, and Tang Xianyue, prefect of Xiangyang, are both good and prestigious officials. They are not very greedy and can ask for orders from the people. They also maintain the public order in Xiangyang well. Even though the hungry people of Shaanxi have gathered in Nanyang next door to Xiangyang,

Nor did he allow bad people among the hungry people to cross the boundaries of the government and come to Xiangyang to cause trouble.

But no matter how good they are, they can't cope with the 1 million hungry people who came to Xiangyang Prefecture, equipped with spears, bows and arrows...

"Your Majesty, do you think these 1 million hungry people will come to Xiangyang Mansion?" Tang Xianyue, the prefect of Xiangyang, was already sweating a little on his forehead.

Miao Xutu, deputy envoy of Xiangyang, also said: "Old Prince, are these 1 million hungry people crossing the border at Xiangyang?"

"I'm afraid we have to live here for a long time..." The old prince just shook his head, "One million people! You haven't seen... the large black mass beside the Baihe River, all carrying long guns.

The tip of the spear is shining with cold light!"

As soon as these words came out, the following Jin gentry officials immediately started talking about it.

"Long-term stay? Why? How have we in Xiangyang offended the Long Live Lord?"

"Yes, there are so many places in Huguang, why should we target Xiangyang?"

"This can't be done. One million hungry people...are we going to eat up Xiangyang?"

"Old Prince, you have to make the decision for us Xiangyang people!"

"Yes, we can't let 1 million hungry people come to Xiangyang..."

Zhu Yiming looked at the people below and listened to their words, and he sneered in his heart: Why are you guys just talking nonsense? They are begging for 1 million soldiers, all of them have spears in their hands and bows and arrows at their waists. You say you won't let them come.

Are you not allowed to come? If the empty words of you gentry have any effect, my grandfather’s beggars will not be able to come to Huguang!

"What are you talking about!" Zhu Yiming waved his hand, "They're all here... Xinye is not far from Xiangyang, and they'll be there in a blink of an eye. Let's make a careful calculation and figure out how to distribute these millions of hungry militiamen! Everyone

Each town in the county must make some arrangements, and the big families must come up with rice to help the hungry!"

"No..."

"Yes, I can't give it!"

"Why should I give it to you? I won't give you even a grain of rice!"

"Old Prince, we all agreed to increase taxes!"

"Yeah, even...even if it's 50% higher, we'll admit it!"

Five achievements is "half a catty and eight taels", and one acre of land pays one and a half catty in tax...

The old prince still shook his head, "Long live the Lord said, don't raise taxes... I just want a meal, it's up to you whether to give it to me or not! Deputy Miao, Magistrate Tang, do you two want to divide it up?"

As for 1 million people, the total score is one point, right?”

"Old Prince, we don't want hungry people to enter the country..."

"Yes, we can't let them come!"

The gentry are all anxious! The total population of Xiangyang Prefecture is less than 1 million, but 1 million beggars have arrived... What should we do!

Zhu Yiming nodded and said with a wry smile: "I know, I know... You don't want hungry people to enter this country, but the 1 million still has to be divided.

As for your unwillingness to allow them to enter the country, just say it in person when Long Live Lord comes to Xiangyang tomorrow. Long live Lord has said it, and those who speak are not guilty!

Or you can organize the villagers to stop the hungry people, as long as they have the ability to stop them. Long live the Lord also said that if you can stop millions of people, even if you are ruthless, he will not pursue it, and he will not dare to pursue it!

As for the rice for the relief...I can't care less whether you give it to me or not. Because Long live the Lord also said that you can't force yourself to beg for food. You can give it voluntarily. If you are willing to give it, give it. If you don't want to...

..Haha! But I will give it to you, because I have a kind heart and am a good person! How can I watch so many people starve to death? Everyone of them has a spear in hand! Deputy Ambassador Miao and Magistrate Tang also gave it

Prince Zhuangzi, please arrange for some hungry people!"

...

"Long live! Long live! Long live..."

On the third day of July in the fifth year of Chongzhen reign of the Ming Dynasty, at the Beiguan Pier of Xiangyang Prefecture, when Zhu Youjian boarded the dragon boat that had been prepared and headed for Xiangyang Prefecture, both sides of the Han River simultaneously let out a cry of long live the mountains.

Standing on the north bank of the Han River, surrounding Fancheng, are endless "begging soldiers" and their families, and the tips of countless spears glow coldly in the sunlight.

Standing on the south bank of the Han River were the officials, gentry and common people from Xiangyang City and the eldest sons and daughters of King Xiang.

In the face of millions of people, no one dared to stand up!

Zhu Youjian had known for a long time that they did not dare to... In their previous life, they did not dare to stand up and challenge the armies of Li Zicheng and Zhang Xianzhong. How could they dare to face millions of people from Shaanxi and the Central Plains now?

anti?

"Long live Lord, do we really want to let these hungry people go to harm the people of Xiangyang Prefecture?" The person standing behind Zhu Youjian asked Gao Hongtu.

"It's not a disaster, right?" Zhu Youjian said, "If these millions of hungry people follow Gao Yingxiang, Luo Rucai and their like to go south to Huguang instead of following me, then it will be a real disaster!"

"Long live Lord, it won't be like that..."

Zhu Youjian chuckled: "Who can destroy our Ming Dynasty? The hungry people in the northwest and the Central Plains, or the gentry in Huguang and Jiangnan? In the northwest and the Central Plains, there have been disasters for many years. I have nothing to do. But once the victims rise up in large numbers, I

At most, we can protect the eight prefectures of North Zhili, Shandong, Shanxi, South Zhili, Jiangxi, Zhejiang and other places, but we cannot protect Sichuan and Huguang... Since these victims must go to Huguang and Sichuan for food, then I
Chapter completed!