Qing Yao

Chapter 409 What a load of bull! A prosperous era!

The cold wind in December felt like a knife scraping your face. The north is currently experiencing a snow disaster. Although the heavy snow has long since stopped, the low temperature has caused the North China Plain to be covered in white snow except for a few places. At first glance, it looks nothing but white.

Zhao An also suffered greatly on this journey. In the past, Anhui officials would travel to the capital by water, which meant going down the Yangtze River from Anqing to Zhenjiang, and then crossing the river from Zhenjiang to go north along the Grand Canal. Although it took twenty to thirty days, the journey was comfortable. They could simply lie in the cabin to sleep and read. If they had a concubine with them, they could pass the time even more easily.

Ke Tingji demanded that Zhao An arrive in the capital before the New Year's Day Grand Court Assembly. There were only eleven days left until the assembly, and traveling by water would definitely not be enough. Therefore, Zhao An had no choice but to travel by land to the capital, and not by carriage but by horse.

In this way, it would truly be a living hell.

Knowing that Zhao An was not yet skilled at horseback riding, he was afraid that his thighs would be chafed, so he specially asked Chunlan to sew him a very thick groin protector and two soft pads for his knees.

The former made him, the acting governor of the second rank, look like he had a diaper in his crotch, which was very unsightly. Fortunately, he was able to remove it after arriving in the capital.

The latter is required after arriving in Beijing.

There was no way around it. In Anhui, Zhao An ruled as king and did not kowtow to anyone, but when he came to the capital, this dragon crossing the river had to coil up. Who knew how many times he would have to kowtow and how long he would have to kneel?

How can you manage without protecting your knees?

His wives and concubines certainly couldn't be taken north. In addition to the 120 horse-riding guards that Xu Lin selected from the governor's camp, the accompanying personnel included the head steward Yang Xiaoshuan and the office "secretary" Liu Penggao. Two clerks from the governor's office and the provincial treasurer's office also accompanied him to handle some urgent matters and deal with local people along the way.

Keep everything simple.

He did not bring any local specialties from Anhui, firstly because there was no time to purchase them; secondly, Zhao An was portrayed as an incorruptible official, and even if his rise to power was questionable and he liked to give money away in private, in the eyes of the uninformed public, he was still as incorruptible as could be.

What kind of talk is it for an honest official to bring local specialties to the capital in large and small carts?

The capital is not like Anhui. There are many officials who are dissatisfied with Zhao An, and the censors and officials are not to be trifled with.

But you can't just go empty-handed. You have to pay tribute to Heshen, you have to pay tribute to Fu Chang'an, but what about the other big shots?
The 200,000 taels of silver notes hidden in Yang Xiaoshuan's arms were Zhao An's source of confidence for his trip to the capital.

These 200,000 taels of silver notes were not bank drafts from Xianfeng Bank, but rather from another money shop in Anqing called Desheng Money Shop. Although this money shop was not a big name, it had a branch in the capital, making it convenient to exchange and withdraw money.

Giving gifts with Xianfeng bank drafts that cannot be cashed in Beijing is no different from issuing bounced checks to the officials; it's just plain disgusting.

I also brought some cash, not much, just over four thousand taels of loose silver and copper coins, for expenses on the road.

In order to reach the capital as quickly as possible, everyone, including Zhao An, rode two horses each, taking turns riding them along the way. If the horses could not bear the burden, they would change horses at the post stations along the route.

The shortest and fastest land route to Beijing is to go through Anqing, then Luzhou, Fengyang, and Suzhou to enter Guide Prefecture in Henan Province. From Guide, go north to Weihui Prefecture, cross the Yellow River to Daming Prefecture in Zhili Province, and then follow the official road north to reach Tongzhou.

Everything went smoothly, and we should arrive in the capital in eight days at most.

There is plenty of time.

The day after receiving the imperial edict, Zhao An tearfully bid farewell to his wives, concubines, and children and embarked on a journey north to "recognize his relatives."

The living conditions in Anhui are appalling, with people living in abject poverty, and this situation did not change after entering Henan.

Along the way, Zhao An saw mostly low mud-walled houses with thatched roofs, occasionally a slightly taller brick and tile house with a small courtyard, and two-story buildings were a rare sight.

When Zhao An stopped to rest at a major road in Guide Prefecture, he made a special trip to visit a nearby villager's home. Upon entering, he saw a family of several people huddled on a floor of less than three or four square meters. There was no bed or kang (heated brick bed), and the floor was covered with straw with one or two filthy cotton quilts on it.

For a family of several people, let alone having a decent set of clothes, the husband and wife probably have to take turns wearing that big cotton-padded coat when they go out to run errands.

At the other end of the house was a stove made of bricks and mud. Not far from the stove was the family's food supply. Some families kept a few laying hens in their houses, while others had an outhouse.

It's alright in winter, but it smells terrible in summer.

Besides that, there were piles of firewood, mostly wheat straw and branches, with very little chopped wood.

There are no so-called "private plots" in front of or behind the houses for villagers to grow vegetables, because every inch of land now belongs to an owner.

Farmers have very little land and are reluctant to use it to grow vegetables. For impoverished farmers, a small bowl of rice or wheat flour to fill their stomachs is more economical than a few bites of vegetables.

Rice and wheat flour are probably luxuries that these farmers can only dream of. The food that Zhao An observed in the villagers' homes consisted of sweet potatoes and other grains such as beans, sorghum, millet, and corn.

They were all sallow and emaciated; without exception, all the children looked malnourished and were terribly thin.

The villagers also went to see the landlord, Zhang Jia Zhao An. Although this landlord had dozens of acres of land, he neither hired long-term workers nor rented the land to the villagers. Instead, he led his whole family to cultivate it themselves.

The reason he became a landlord, besides the accumulation and hard work of three generations of his family, was that his family had livestock that other villagers did not have.

Technology is the primary productive force for future generations.

These days, the primary source of power is livestock.

Having a cow at home is equivalent to having two or three strong laborers!
Only with strong laborers can there be a harvest; only with a harvest can there be surplus; only with surplus can one become a so-called landlord.

In Zhao An's view, the Zhang family's standard of living was even lower than that of the "Five Guarantees" households in later generations. At least the "Five Guarantees" households could eat fish and meat several times a month, or even every meal, since a pound of meat could be bought for about ten yuan. In contrast, the Zhang family could only eat fish and meat two or three times a month.

Calling him a landlord is an understatement; he was more like a peasant who could barely make ends meet.

Even the poorest person receiving the "Five Guarantees" (a government-provided social welfare program) receives several hundred yuan a month, plus the welfare benefits during holidays. Their income is definitely much higher than that of this small landlord surnamed Zhang.

Of course, Zhao An knew that these small landlords could not be considered part of the gentry class at all. The real gentry class was not in the countryside, but in the city, in the imperial court.

The situation was alright in Henan, but further north into Zhili, the Han Chinese landlord class was no longer relevant, because the Han Chinese did not own land.

Ninety-five percent of the land in Zhili was seized by the Qing government and given to the Eight Banners. The Han people were either bondservants or tenant farmers working for the Bannermen.

Zhao An simply took a look; whether you call it on-site research or a cursory glance, at least he gained an understanding of the true situation of peasants under the Qing Dynasty.

The snow disaster situation in Henan is relatively better than in Zhili. There are no large groups of refugees. The area looks lifeless and gloomy, but social order is relatively stable.

Even if people are not full, as long as they don't starve to death, no one will take the risk.

When he left, Zhao An did not leave these villagers any money or food, because it would be meaningless. If he really wanted to turn these emaciated and sallow-faced farmers back into human beings, the only way was to overthrow the Qing Dynasty, improve the level of science and technology, and develop productivity.

After he left, the local village head immediately ran to the county government to report it. As a result, the county magistrate led a large number of yamen runners to the village to interrogate each household.

What did Magistrate Zhao from Anhui ask you when you asked for directions? What did you say? Did you report any wrongdoings against the county magistrate to Magistrate Zhao?

The separate trials of husband and wife, father and son, caused chaos and disorder. The fact that the acting governor of Anhui was ordered to go to the capital for an audience with the emperor was a major event, and that Zhao An and his entourage ate and slept at post stations along the way meant the news must have spread rapidly.

When Zhao An and his party arrived in Weihui Prefecture, Ma Minglu, the prefect of Weihui who had already received the notification from Guide, was already waiting at the post station. He was determined to give Lord Zhao and his party a warm welcome.

This was a gesture of goodwill from the local official, after all, Zhao An was a current second-rank official, not a retired "old leader" passing through his jurisdiction on his way back to his hometown.

Today he is the acting governor of Anhui, tomorrow he might be the governor of Henan, and the day after tomorrow he might be the governor-general of Zhili.
Therefore, as long as you're not mentally challenged, you should try to be nice to everyone. It doesn't matter if you're useless; the real concern is leaving a bad impression.

Anyway, I don't have to pay for the hospitality myself.

The inn was brightly decorated, and the aroma of meat filled the air for miles around, instantly energizing the soldiers who had endured hardship with Zhao An along the way.

"I am merely passing through your esteemed territory; there is no need for such hospitality from the Weihui Prefecture."

Zhao An naturally had to exchange pleasantries, and he was sure he would eat the meal. He also needed to understand the prefect's intentions. However, upon entering the post station, he suddenly realized something.

That is, since he was promoted to acting governor and then to provincial governor, he seems to have never visited his "old leaders" in the province.

This is a very serious "political" oversight, because there are indeed some retired officials of the second rank or above in Anhui Province who have returned to their hometowns to live.

Although these people had retired, they certainly still wielded some influence in the court, since feudal officials valued their protégés and old friends. They also had the power to submit memorials to the emperor.

If Zhao An does things well, no one will say a word. If Zhao An does things poorly, will they really keep quiet?

Even in Zhao An's previous life, it was standard procedure for a newly appointed official to visit retired cadres in the province.

I've neglected this; the first thing I should do upon returning from the capital is to visit them.

"Lord Zhao, please!"

With a beaming smile, Prefect Ma of Weihui invited Zhao An to the newly decorated post station, where a table laden with delicacies looked incredibly tempting.

The accompanying officers and soldiers had their own arrangements, and although not as lavish as Zhao An's meal, there was still plenty of fish and meat.

Zhao An sat down with ease, and the guests and hosts exchanged toasts, creating a lively atmosphere.

During the meal, Zhao An didn't say anything that would spoil the mood, such as how dire the people's lives were and how thin and weak the common people were.

There's no need for that; Henan isn't under his jurisdiction.

After the banquet ended, Zhao An naturally rested.

His accommodation was located on the far east side of the second floor of the inn, which was equivalent to the number one room in the highest tier.

As night fell, Zhao An quickly washed up and prepared to go to sleep. He heard a faint noise nearby, and when he opened the window, he saw hundreds of nearby people outside the post station wall scrambling for the leftover scraps that the post station workers had brought out.

Many people were still holding basins in their hands. After grabbing the food, they immediately carried the basins and disappeared into the night. It seems that there were still relatives at home waiting for the "leftovers" from these officials.

In my line of sight, a father snatched half a chicken carcass, barely any meat, from the bucket and stuffed it into the hand of his young child, who immediately grabbed the carcass and started biting into it as if it were some delicious treat.

After letting out a soft sigh, Zhao An slowly closed the window.

After daybreak, the group appeared at the Yellow River ferry. Due to the cold weather, there was a lot of floating ice on the river at the ferry. To ensure that Lord Zhao would not be in danger, Prefect Ma of Weihui arranged for a ferry to carry over a hundred laborers across first. The ferry also had a tow rope to pull subsequent ferries across the river.

This arrangement was undoubtedly very thoughtful. Zhao An nodded slightly, but soon discovered that the laborers had been whipped onto the boat by the yamen runners of Weihui Prefecture.

With a slight frown, Zhao An asked Xiao Shuan to quietly inquire with the other boatmen at the ferry crossing about what was going on. He was told that these laborers were not hired by the government at all, but were forcibly dragged from their homes by the yamen runners to work, without being paid or given food.

Such things were commonplace for the villagers near the ferry. Anyone who dared to run away would not only be caught and beaten half to death, but also have government officials come to their homes to take away their grain and tear down their roofs.

In the distance were nearby villagers being whipped by yamen runners like a herd of cattle and horses; closer was the Weihui Prefecture, which was used to such sights. What could Zhao An say? He remained silent.

After crossing the Yellow River without incident, Zhao An and his party hurried towards the capital. Four days later, the group arrived in Jinghai, within Tianjin.

The canal passes through this place and connects to Tongzhou in the north.

Zhao An did not intend to stay in Jinghai. He asked Xu Lin to arrange for the soldiers to rest briefly and feed the warhorses some fodder, while he and Yang Xiaoshuan went to the frozen canal.

The northern section of the canal, the empire's vital artery, had been severely frozen not long ago, but as temperatures rose slightly, a large number of laborers and soldiers were deployed to break the ice in the Shandong section, which has now largely restored traffic flow.

However, the Tianjin section was still not open, so under the unified command and dispatch of the Ministry of Works, the Grand Canal Transport Commissioner's Office, the Shandong Governor, the Tianjin Prefect, and the Waterway Administration, a large amount of grain and goods stranded in Shandong were transferred to the capital by land.

As a result, tens of thousands of vehicles and horses were requisitioned from various regions.

Less than three miles from where Zhao An and the others were standing, a steady stream of carriages were heading north.

What's so interesting about a frozen canal?

Estimating that it was about time, Zhao An was about to order them to continue their journey when his gaze was inadvertently drawn to something beneath the ice. At first, he thought it was some discarded rag doll, but upon closer inspection, his heart skipped a beat.

Because beneath the ice was a tiny body.

Then, more infant corpses appeared, densely packed together under a block of ice, like the corpses of dogs.

Soon, the nearby villagers were called over.

Zhao An wanted to know what had happened to these infant corpses. If it were just one or two, he wouldn't ask too many questions; at most, he would report the matter to the local government and treat it as a criminal case.

However, after searching the ice, Yang Xiaoshuan and his team discovered hundreds of infant corpses frozen under the ice!
Could this be a criminal case?
"My lord, you are unaware of the many corpses in the canal. There are even adults among them, let alone children. It's nothing unusual. If you were to take a look at the Haihe River, I guarantee you would be shocked!"

The speaker was a villager in his fifties. He said that the infant corpses were abandoned by their parents because they couldn't afford to raise them.

There aren't many corpses on the canal side because of the cargo ships, since the government has to clean the waterways regularly. However, the Haihe River, which leads to the sea, has been left unattended, with tens of thousands of infant corpses floating on its estuary year after year.

The locals absolutely do not eat the fish and shrimp there!

After hearing the villagers' answer, Zhao An remained speechless for a long time. It wasn't until he mounted his horse that he couldn't help but say to Xiao Shuan, "Is this the so-called 'Qianlong Era'?"

(End of this chapter)