Anti-Qing: Starting from the Jintian Uprising

Chapter 490: Anglo-Japanese Peace Talks (8K to 9)

Zuo Zongtang heard this and took a deep breath.

"Don't worry, Your Majesty. I promise there will be no problem!"

"At present, the Bohai Fleet has completed its pre-war preparations, and the soldiers are ready to go!"

Upon hearing this, Li Yi smiled and said.

"good very good!"

Although the Bohai Fleet may not really have to take action, it is better to be prepared in advance than to be caught off guard when action is really needed.

Well, at worst, just treat it as an exercise!

After saying this, Li Yi asked Zuo Zongtang about other things.

"Mr. Zuo, how is the Military Affairs Council doing with the Navy's preparations for building the Indian Ocean Fleet and the Australian Fleet?"

After hearing this, Zuo Zongtang recalled for a while and then spoke.

"In reply to your Majesty, the Military Affairs Council has completed all preparations for the establishment of the Indian Ocean Fleet and the Australian Fleet."

"Guangzhou Shipyard and Fuzhou Shipyard have already received orders for new ships and are preparing to build flagships and supporting warships for the two fleets."

"In addition, the site selection for the home ports of the two fleets has also been completed."

"The home port of the Indian Ocean Fleet was chosen to be Chittagong in Myanmar."

"We, the Tang Dynasty, have reached an agreement with Myanmar to purchase the Chittagong Port and a piece of land nearby!"

"Chittagong is located on the west coast of Myanmar, close to Dhaka and Kolkata. If Chittagong is chosen as the base of the Tang Indian Ocean Fleet, we can send reinforcements from Chittagong as soon as possible if a war breaks out in India."

Myanmar's attitude towards Datang's purchase of Chittagong to build a military base is very positive.

Well, although the Tang Dynasty and Britain have stopped fighting and made peace, the contradictions still exist and the threat from Britain still exists.

Myanmar is somewhat afraid that Britain will invade Myanmar again.

But if there is a Tang Dynasty military base in front, it will undoubtedly be an added insurance for Myanmar.

Therefore, not to mention that the Tang Dynasty paid for the purchase of Chittagong (using arms to pay off the debt), even if the Tang Dynasty did not pay, Myanmar probably would not have any objection.

Of course, it is impossible for the Tang Dynasty to rob without paying.

Myanmar is also a vassal state of the Tang Dynasty and a younger brother of the Tang Dynasty. How can a big brother rob a younger brother of his things?

If we really do this, will we still be able to lead the team?
Zuo Zongtang continued.

“Beyond that is the location of the home port for the Australian fleet.”

"The Australian fleet's home port was chosen to be Sydney..."

Sydney was chosen because it is located on the coast of Australia and has very good hydrological conditions, which is suitable for navigation and anchoring of large-tonnage fleets.

The second reason is that Sydney is relatively close to New Zealand.

The third reason is that there are gold mines in Melbourne!
That’s right, the reason why Melbourne was not chosen is because Melbourne has gold mines.

With the gold mine, Datang's cost of developing Melbourne is indeed much lower.

But the problem that comes with it is that if the army is allowed to get close to the gold mines, the army, as a violent organization, can easily profit from the gold mines.

Once the army can become self-sufficient with the profits from the gold mines, warlords will be born.

This is something Li Yi doesn't want to see!

The imperial court could draw funds from the gold mines for military expenses, but it could not tolerate the army taking control of the gold mines themselves. The army had to get the money from the imperial court.

The military must never be allowed to control the source of military funds.

Therefore, he would rather invest more money to build a fleet home port in Sydney than take advantage of Melbourne's cheap options.

Well, no matter how much advantage you take now, you will have to pay it back tenfold or a hundredfold in the future!
After listening to Zuo Zongtang's report, Li Yi nodded slightly and continued.

"Very good, let's try to speed up the formation of the fleet!"

Zuo Zongtang clasped his fists and said, "I am so happy!"

"Wei Chen understands!"

Li Yi continued to ask.

"Also, how is the Military Affairs Council progressing on the project regarding the military use of tractors?"

Upon hearing this, Zuo Zongtang recalled the report submitted from below and then spoke.

"In reply to your Majesty, the latest news is that the Equipment Research and Development Department and Jingshan Arsenal jointly submitted a research and development report on armored vehicles."

"The report states that the current armored vehicle project has been completed by about one-third, including power system adaptation tests, vehicle shell design, track design, etc."

"We are currently conducting weapon system adaptation tests, vehicle body material design, vehicle structure design, etc...."

“I believe that a result will be achieved soon!”

Upon hearing this, Li Yi nodded with great satisfaction.

“Very good, very well done!”

"Let's speed up the process..."

Li Yi hopes that he can see the scene in his lifetime when the steel torrent belonging to the Tang Dynasty sweeps the world.

……

The war on the Japanese side continues.

The British fleet continued to land and harass along the coast of Japan, frequently attacking towns and villages.

It caused considerable losses to Japan!

Just after the British army attempted to attack Kyoto, the Japanese side finally could not hold back and chose to formally ask the Tang Dynasty for help.

Edo, inside the Tang Dynasty Embassy.

Chai Zhixin, the Tang Dynasty's ambassador to Japan, sat opposite Horita Masamune, a senior councilor of the Tokugawa shogunate.

Several tea maidens who had just been brought back from the shogunate residence by Shiba Zhixin were serving on the side, pouring tea for the two of them and demonstrating their tea art.

"Chaisang, please, please, the Tang Dynasty must help us!"

Masamune Horita stood up from the tatami, bowed ninety degrees, and spoke very sincerely.

Chai knew the news and laughed.

"Japan is a vassal of the Tang Dynasty. Now we can't remain indifferent as we watch Japan being bullied by the British."

"However, the British are not easy to deal with."

"If the Tang Dynasty wants to help Japan, I'm afraid we will have to fight the British on the battlefield."

"There are huge risks here. If the Japanese side cannot show some sincerity, it will be difficult for me to convince the court to put pressure on the British."

To put it simply, what Chai Zhixin said means you have to pay more!

Upon hearing this, Horida Masamune's expression changed and he took a deep breath and asked.

"So, what does Tang want?"

Chai Zhixin heard the news and held up three fingers.

"three things!"

"First, the Tang Dynasty must establish a concession in the Edo port to provide accommodation for Tang Dynasty merchants and expatriates in Japan."

"The management and law enforcement rights of the concession must all belong to the Tang Dynasty!"

Upon hearing this, Masamune Horida nodded in agreement.

The Tang Dynasty had mentioned this matter a long time ago. Since Masamune Horida took the initiative to come to them, it means that the shogunate must have made the corresponding psychological preparations.

Chai Zhixin continued to raise his second finger.

"Second, Ryukyu must regain its independence."

"The Japanese Satsuma clan has occupied Ryukyu for a long time. The Ryukyu royal family cannot bear the humiliation and asks the Tang Dynasty for help, hoping that the Tang Dynasty will help."

"The court has already agreed. I hope the shogunate can urge the Satsuma clan to withdraw from Ryukyu as soon as possible and not make things difficult for the Tang Dynasty!"

When Horida Masamune heard this, his eyes immediately brightened.

"That's no problem!"

Well, Ryukyu is currently occupied by the Satsuma Domain, not the Tokugawa Shogunate.

The Satsuma clan was one of the famous members of the anti-shogunate faction.

The profits they gained from Ryukyu would not only not be shared with the shogunate, but would also be used as funds for the anti-shogunate activities.

The Tang Dynasty wanted to take money out of the Satsuma Domain, which was not only harmless to the shogunate, but a good thing.

The shogunate would naturally not refuse!
No matter what decision Satsuma made, the shogunate would be the winner.

It would be best if the Satsuma Domain agreed. If the Satsuma Domain lost Ryukyu, it would lose a major source of financial resources and would naturally be unable to continue to overthrow the shogunate and cause trouble.

It doesn’t matter if you don’t agree!
At that time, if the Tang Dynasty sent troops to Satsuma Domain, it would be able to help the shogunate eliminate this great threat to Satsuma Domain.

This second condition can be regarded as the Tang Dynasty giving the shogunate a sweet treat while giving him a blow.

Seeing this, Chai Zhixin raised his third finger.

"Third, the shogunate must demolish the ear tomb in Kyoto and send the remains of Korean and Ming soldiers back to their homeland for burial."

The Ear Mound, also known as the Nose Mound, is a building built during the Imjin War invasion of Korea. The noses and ears of fallen enemy soldiers were cut off on the battlefield, pickled with salt, and sent back to Japan to be buried together to show off their military achievements.

To put it bluntly, this is a replica of the Yasukuni Shrine!

It's just not as notorious as the Yasukuni Shrine.

In addition, this ear tomb contains not only the remains of Korean soldiers, but also the remains of many Ming Dynasty soldiers who fought in Korea.

When Wanli came to aid Korea, although the Ming army had an overall advantage on the battlefield, it also suffered heavy casualties.

Allowing the remains of these soldiers who sacrificed their lives for their country to lie in a foreign land and be humiliated by the enemy is something that the Tang Dynasty cannot accept.

Therefore, Li Yi took this opportunity to ask Chai Zhixin to make a request to the Tokugawa shogunate to demolish the ear tomb.

Upon hearing this, Horida Masamune opened his mouth with a conflicted expression.

But he finally figured it out and nodded.

"Okay, I can agree to that!"

How to say it? Although the Tang Dynasty asked Japan to demolish the ear tomb itself, it was clearly a humiliation to Japan.

However, the ear mound highlights Toyotomi Hideyoshi's military achievements.

Instead of the martial arts of their Tokugawa family!
Under this premise, agreeing to demolish the ear tomb does not seem to be something unacceptable.

Besides, it can be said that the Japanese are bullies and fear the strong in their nature.

When facing the weak, they are aggressive.

But when facing a strong person, the Japanese are absolutely submissive to a degree that most people can never imagine.

Chai Zhixin chuckled.

"Haha, this is the best!"

"I will now send a message to the court, requesting that it promote peace between Japan and the British..."

Upon hearing this, Masamune Horida was obviously relieved and said with emotion on his face.

"More Chai-sama help!"

Chai Zhixin heard the news and just waved his hand casually.

……

Capital city, the Tang Dynasty’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs!

After receiving a satisfactory response from Japan, the Tang Dynasty immediately issued a formal diplomatic message to Britain, demanding that Britain stop invading Japan.

"Ambassador Bruce, please send a telegram to Japan immediately to stop the British fleet's invasion of Japan."

"Japan is a vassal state of the Tang Dynasty. In your Western terms, it is also a protectorate of the Tang Dynasty."

"I, the Tang Dynasty, will never watch you launch an attack on Japan!"

"If the British army cannot stop the war, then our Tang Dynasty will have no choice but to send troops to seek justice for Japan."

Zhang Jinglin sat on a sofa in the conference room, crossed his legs, looked relaxed, but spoke in an unquestionable tone.

British Ambassador Bruce spoke with a unhappy expression.

"This conflict was caused by the Japanese side."

"I, Britain, am only giving Japan equal retaliation and avenging the British citizens who were killed."

Because the British army suffered a loss at the hands of the Tang Dynasty in the Battle of the Bay of Bengal, the British side raised the diplomatic level with the Tang Dynasty by one level.

The minister to China became the ambassador, and Bruce still held the position.

Zhang Jinglin just spoke after hearing this.

"is it?"

"But in my opinion, the blame for the Edo Massacre does not lie with the Japanese, but with you British."

"Edo is the land of Japan, and we Chinese have an old saying, 'When in Rome, do as the Romans do.'"

"Since you British people have come to Japan to do business, it is only natural that you should follow the local customs and respect the local laws and customs of Japan."

"Those British merchants and sailors are just commoners. Shouldn't they make way for the nobles who are traveling?"

"Not giving way would be fine, but they also insulted the nobles. Shouldn't they be killed?"

"Put yourself in their shoes. If a commoner from another country blocked the way of your nobles in your country, would your nobles teach him a lesson?"

"Or will your nobles take the initiative to make way for the commoners of other countries? Or will your nobles be able to smile and not take it seriously after being insulted by the commoners in person?"

As I said, there are many things that can be argued about in this bloody incident in Edo.

It’s just that the Japanese are not qualified to argue with the British.

But the Tang Dynasty was different!

The Tang Dynasty was a powerful country that was truly qualified to argue with the British, while the British could only argue with the Tang Dynasty.

Bruce took a deep breath after hearing this.

"The Tokugawa shogunate has already granted us British extraterritoriality and consular jurisdiction."

"Japan has no right to manage the activities of our British citizens in Japan. Even if British citizens commit crimes, they can only be tried and punished by Britain itself."

Zhang Jinglin continued.

"However, the law enforcement authority of Edo Port has been transferred to the Tang Dynasty by the Tokugawa Shogunate. In other words, Edo Port can actually be considered as Tang Dynasty's land."

"But you British people do not have the privileges of extraterritoriality and consular jurisdiction in the Tang Dynasty."

"And according to Tang Dynasty law, commoners also have the obligation to make way for nobles!"

How to put it, as a feudal dynasty, the Tang Dynasty can at most be regarded as a feudal dynasty that started the Industrial Revolution.

It is inevitable that the nobility has privileges!
You know, the nobles of the Tang Dynasty were all military nobles who fought with Li Yi in the blood and fire on the battlefield.

To put it bluntly, they shed blood for the Tang Dynasty and made contributions to it.

They exchanged their blood and sacrifice for the rebirth of this nation. Why should the civilians who just sit back and enjoy the fruits of their labor be equal to them?

Not everyone can be as selfless and great as the teacher.

At the very least, Li Yi and the people under him can't do it.

Bruce continued to argue.

"But the citizens of Great Britain were killed!"

"Those murderers must pay the price, otherwise we will not be able to explain to the British people."

Zhang Jinglin immediately responded sharply.

"Yes, British citizens were killed, but it was because they were at fault."

"You British people should really learn how to respect the laws and customs of other countries when you are on their soil."

The British of this era have become accustomed to being arrogant and domineering overseas. It is not uncommon for them to actively stir up trouble!
To say that it is notorious is no exaggeration.

The reason for this is that at that time, Britain and most Asian, African and Latin American countries signed treaties on extraterritoriality.

In other words, these countries cannot deal with British people who commit crimes.

The person must be handed over to the British or taken back to the UK before being dealt with.

However, due to the level of corruption in Britain at that time, which was the worst in the world and no less than that of the Qing Dynasty, basically only a little effort was needed to successfully escape punishment.

As for those who were escorted back to their homeland, they would be fine as long as they got off the ship.

Because the corrupt officials in our Great Britain are busy making money and have no mood to care about these criminals who have committed crimes overseas.

Ignoring them is not the first or second time.

This will naturally reduce the cost of British crimes overseas to almost nothing.

When the cost of committing a crime is almost negligible, the evil in people's hearts will naturally be infinitely magnified...

Zhang Jinglin's words left Bruce unable to refute.

Of course, this was said by Zhang Jinglin, the Foreign Minister of the Tang Dynasty. If a diplomat from another small country said this.

Bruce would just give him a look of contempt.

What is your identity and status?
Do you have that strength?

Do you deserve my respect?
This is Britain in this era!

"Japan is a vassal of the Tang Dynasty. If you, Britain, continue to mobilize troops against Japan, then the Tang Dynasty will not be able to explain to the people!"

Zhang Jinglin continued, his tone was calm but there was absolute no doubt in his voice.

His eyes just stayed fixed on Bruce's, without blinking.

Bruce couldn't stand the pressure when he heard that, so he raised his hands and said.

"Alright alright!"

"Dear Minister Zhang, I will send a message to Japan and ask the British fleet to stop attacking Japan as soon as possible."

Zhang Jinglin heard this and leaned forward.

"Not as soon as possible, immediately!"

"The Tang Dynasty's Bohai Sea Fleet is ready to attack at any time. I hope the British side will not wait until things are irreversible before regretting it!"

If it comes to interfering in America, the Tang Dynasty still needs to discuss it with Britain.

Then, in East Asia and Southeast Asia, the Tang Dynasty was the real ruler.

No need to discuss with anyone!
To put it simply, I talk and you listen, that's all!

Bruce's mouth twitched, but he could only speak.

"Alright alright!"

"Dear Zhang, please give me a moment. I will send a message to Japan right away..."

After the Tang Dynasty intervened to broker peace, the British fleet stopped its attacks on the Japanese coast.

The war between Britain and Japan finally came to an end.

Representatives from both sides, or rather, from all three sides, gathered in Edo to discuss peace talks.

Edo, the official residence of the shogunate!
It was still in the same conference room as last time.

Chai Zhixin sat in the main seat and presided over the meeting.

On both sides of the long table in front of him sat the negotiators sent by Japan and Britain respectively.

Looking around and seeing that everyone was present, Chai Zhixin reached out and knocked on the table with his knuckles.

After everyone turned their eyes to him, Chai Zhixin spoke.

"Now that everyone is here, let's begin the negotiations!"

As Chai Zhixin finished speaking, Horita Masamune spoke to Bezov sitting opposite him.

"Minister Bezov, although the victims of the conflict at Edo Wharf were British citizens."

"But the conflict between the two sides broke out because British citizens provoked it first."

"However, even though things are like this, we in Japan are still willing to compensate Britain for this conflict."

"A total of 10,000 Tang Dynasty silver dollars!"

The shogunate really wanted to end the war, so it was even willing to make concessions on compensation.

Bezov heard this and slammed the table.

"No, that's not enough!"

"The culprit must be punished. The citizens of Great Britain cannot die in vain!"

Upon hearing this, Matsuda Tadamori took a deep breath and spoke as if he had made up his mind.

"Yes, the shogunate can hand over the samurai involved to the British for disposal."

Of course, it was just a matter of handing over the samurai to take the blame, but it was naturally impossible for the daimyo Shohei Matsuda to do so.

The shogunate still has to have some shame!
Bezov continued to be aggressive.

“The compensation is not enough!”

"Ten thousand Tang Dynasty silver dollars are not enough to cover the military expenses needed by Great Britain for this military operation!"

"The shogunate must increase the compensation!"

"I, Great Britain, request that the shogunate open more trading ports to Great Britain and establish concessions. Both sides will jointly negotiate import and export tariffs..."

To put it bluntly, it is a set of unequal treaties such as ceding territory and paying indemnities, opening up trade, extraterritoriality, and agreed tariffs.

After these words were spoken, the shogunate did not say anything, but just turned their eyes to Chai Zhixin.

That look seemed as if they were asking the big brother to help them.

Seeing this, Chai Zhixin knocked on the table to draw everyone's attention to himself, and then continued.

"Minister Bezov, I hope the British side will not be greedy for more."

"This compensation of 10,000 Tang silver dollars is a humanitarian compensation from the shogunate to the families of the deceased, nothing else."

"The war was started by you, Britain. Why do you ask Japan to bear your military expenses?"

In this negotiation, Japan's attitude was very clear, and it had also discussed it with Chai Zhixin in advance.

That is, you can lose face, but you cannot lose substance.

For example, the shogunate could compensate the victims and hand over the samurai who committed the crime to the British for punishment.

But it was impossible to pay war reparations to the British, and it was impossible to allow the British to open Japan's door again.

Otherwise, Japan could have just asked Britain for peace directly. Why would it have to ask the Tang Dynasty for help?

Since the Tang Dynasty has benefited from Japan, it will naturally help them at the critical moment.

As soon as Chai Zhixin said this, Bezov's face visibly darkened.

But before he could say anything, he saw a British officer named Boli, who was sitting next to him, slamming the table and saying.

"Does Japan want to continue the war by not agreeing to Britain's demands?"

Chai Zhixin's face darkened and he spoke expressionlessly.

"Japan is a vassal state of the Tang Dynasty, and the current Shogun was also appointed by the Emperor of the Tang Dynasty."

"If Britain continues to go to war with Japan, our Tang Dynasty will never sit idly by!"

Threat, this is a naked threat of war!

After Chai Zhixin said this, the British officer Boli opened his mouth, but in the end he could not say anything.

The reason is very simple. The Battle of the Bay of Bengal had just ended. No matter how bold the British were, they would not go to war with the Tang Dynasty again in a short period of time.

Besides, everyone is still planning to go together to bring warmth to America, so of course they won’t fall out at this time.

That's how negotiations work. If you are tough, he will be soft.

Since the Tang Dynasty is very tough, the British will naturally soften.

Both sides calmed down and continued to negotiate.

Soon, the final negotiations ended.

Under the witness of the Tang Dynasty, Japan and Britain reached a peace treaty and signed and sealed the treaty.

The specific details are as follows.

First, Japan apologized to Britain for the Edo Massacre.

Second, Japan must pay a total of 1 Tang Dynasty silver dollars as compensation to the victims.

Third, Japan must hand over the murderer to Britain for trial.

Apart from that, there is nothing else.

Although the British side failed to gain enough benefits from Japan, at least it regained its face.

Although Japan lost face, at least it managed to keep its dignity.

This negotiation is a win-win situation!
Not to mention the Tang Dynasty, which obtained a concession in Edo, Japan through simple diplomatic means.

And forced the shogunate to express its willingness to withdraw from Ryukyu and demolish the ear mound.

That's even more of a win!

Beijing, Old Summer Palace!

Li Yi received a report sent back from Japan.

"Your Majesty, according to the news sent back from Japan."

"The peace talks between Japan and Britain have concluded, and this is the agreement reached between them."

"In addition, the shogunate also agreed to several conditions proposed by the Tang Dynasty."

Zhang Zhidong came to Li Yi and began to report.

Li Yi nodded slightly, then took the report and read it.

After he finished reading the report and closed it, he began to give orders.

"Let the East China Sea Fleet prepare to go to Ryukyu and put pressure on the Satsuma Domain to withdraw from Ryukyu."

"In addition, we will send a special envoy to Japan to supervise the demolition of the ear tomb by the Japanese side."

"After the remains of the Ming soldiers are transported back, we will start to build a martyrs' shrine next to Dingling Mausoleum and bury the remains of those soldiers there. We will ensure that there is no shortage of incense all year round."

Dingling refers to the mausoleum of Emperor Wanli of the Ming Dynasty!

Since these soldiers were sent to Korea in accordance with Wanli's imperial edict and then died in battle, burying them next to Dingling after their death can be considered a complete beginning and an end.

This kind of thing is of great significance to the Chinese who attach great importance to incense.

As for what to do with the remains of North Koreans mixed in?

What else is there to deal with?
First, it is probably impossible to distinguish nowadays.

Second, there is no need for that, just bury them together.

Whether they were Korean soldiers or Ming soldiers, they were all heroes who went to the battlefield to fight against the Japanese invaders and sacrificed their lives for their country on the battlefield. They were also comrades who sacrificed their lives together.

Besides, for the Koreans, being buried in the imperial mausoleum of the Ming Dynasty after death is a great honor.

At this time, there is no need to make such a clear distinction.

Upon hearing this, Zhang Zhidong immediately nodded in agreement and then asked.

"Your Majesty, what if the Satsuma Domain is insensible?"

Li Yi said with a smile.

"Then fight!"

"Ryukyu is also a vassal state of the Tang Dynasty. Since the Tang Dynasty has helped India and Japan resist invasion, how can we sit back and watch Ryukyu being invaded and do nothing?"

The role that the Tang Dynasty now plays is the arbitrator of the East Asian world.

If this is the case, then we cannot just sit and watch Ryukyu being invaded.

As I said, a leader should act like a leader!

If conflicts arise between your younger brothers, you have to step in and make peace. If your subordinates really fight among themselves and one kills another, you, as the big brother, will just sit back and do nothing.

There's no way to lead the team!

If the war is to be declared against the whole of Japan, Li Yi may have to think more about how to deal with the aftermath.

But now that the shogunate has given in, the only domain the Tang Dynasty has to deal with is the Satsuma Domain.

For the Tang Dynasty, the tiny Satsuma Domain could be exterminated with just a wave of the hand.

No need to be too serious!

This is why the Tang Dynasty had to communicate with the shogunate before taking action to resolve the Ryukyu issue.

Even though the shogunate is now only the nominal ruler of Japan, its control over the various daimyo is limited.

Those outer daimyo were not even pretending to obey the shogunate, but actually disobeying it in public.

But even if it was only in name, the shogunate still had a certain appeal throughout Japan.

If the Tang Dynasty could deal with the shogunate, it would only need to attack the Satsuma domain.

But if the Tang Dynasty cannot deal with the shogunate, there may be a war between Tang and Japan.

Zhang Zhidong nodded again after hearing this.

"Don't worry, Your Majesty. I understand!"

……

Time passed, and the end of the fifth year of Kaitai passed quickly.

After entering the first month of the sixth year of Kaitai, snowflakes were still floating in the sky from time to time.

Zhao Wu stood on the ridge of his own field, looking at the neatly divided wheat fields in front of him. The green wheat seedlings covered with white snow, his eyes full of reminiscence.

He was about to board a train away from home, heading to an unknown place to make a living.

The future and prospects are shrouded in fog!
On the eve of leaving home, Zhao Wu's attachment to his hometown made him travel back and forth between the fields.

He forced himself to remember every tree and blade of grass in his hometown deeply in his mind.

Never forget it!
After taking one last look at his own land, Zhao Wu went home, packed his bags, and said goodbye to his parents and brothers one by one.

Then we set off on our journey!
Last year, a large-scale locust plague broke out in Henan.

In the end, the locust plague was successfully eradicated.

However, Henan's people's livelihood and production still suffered considerable damage.

The Zhao family’s stored grain was almost exhausted, and the money they had saved was used to pay rent to the landlord and to buy crops for the next year.

Well, although the Tang Dynasty organized land distribution after it recovered Henan, the land was not distributed to the poor for nothing.

After the poor man got the land, in addition to paying taxes to the court every year, he also had to pay a rent to the landlord. The land was rented instead of bought. Only after paying the rent for a certain number of years could the land become his.

The same is true for the Zhao family!

The fields suffered a disaster this year. Although the imperial court reduced taxes in Henan, they still had to pay rent to the landlords.

Unless they don’t want to share the land given by the court!
The result is that after paying the rent.

The Zhao family became so poor that they could barely afford to eat. Even during the Chinese New Year, the family could not have a full meal.

……

PS: After finishing this chapter, I still owe one more chapter.

Thank God, the updates that I owed during the Chinese New Year are finally being paid off!

(End of this chapter)