The Ming Dynasty: Starting with the border troops, it was overthrown and the Qing Dynasty was destro

Chapter 363 What I Saw and Heared

By mid-June, the early summer sun was already quite scorching.

The moisture from both banks of the Fu River carried a hint of heat, sweeping across the lush green rice seedlings and creating ripples.

Jiang Han and his group, traveling light, were heading upstream from Mianzhou along the official road towards Jiangyou.

The stone-paved road was newly laid last winter. The cobblestones were interlocked, making it flat and solid. When the wheels rolled over it, they only made a slight rolling sound, unlike the bumpy dirt road.

Along the way, in the paddy fields, you can still see many farmers working, with water jugs hanging from their waists jingling.

Occasionally, you can see a few teenagers carrying bamboo baskets, digging for wild vegetables along the ridges and ditches.

Upon seeing Jiang Han's convoy pass by, the children stopped what they were doing, craned their necks, and stood on tiptoe, curiously peering out to see which distinguished guest was passing by.

"Your Majesty, if we continue forward, we will reach the territory of Long'an Prefecture."

"Ahead lies Qinglian Town in Zhangming County."

The speaker was none other than Bi Yunyi, the magistrate of Zhangming County who was accompanying them.

Seeing Jiang Han's enthusiasm, he took the opportunity to introduce the scenery along the way.
"Speaking of which, Qinglian Town is the former residence of the poet Li Bai."

The town is named Qinglian because of his pen name, "Qinglian Jushi".

Upon hearing this, Jiang Han immediately became interested:
"Such a connection?"

"Tell me carefully."

Bi Yunyi pointed to several rolling hills in the distance and explained in detail:

"Your Majesty, please look. The largest mountain in the distance is called Mount Daitian."

"This mountain has been a Taoist hermitage since ancient times, shrouded in clouds and mist, and exceptionally serene."

"Li Bai once visited this mountain to seek the Daoist but failed to find him, so he wrote the poem 'Visiting the Daoist of Mount Daitian but Failing to Find Him'."

"Amidst the barking of dogs and the sound of water, peach blossoms are heavy with dew; deer can be seen when the trees are deep, and no bell can be heard at midday by the stream."

"Wild bamboos part the green mist, a flying spring hangs from the blue peak; no one knows where it has gone, I lean sadly against two or three pines."

He recited two lines of poetry, swaying his head, then pointed to a slightly smaller mountain peak nearby:
"This mountain is called Dian Deng Mountain, where Mr. Li Bai studied in his youth."

"There is a Taibai Temple on the mountain, as well as the remains of a reading platform, for future generations to pay their respects."

Immediately afterwards, Bi Yunyi pointed to the north:
"That mountain in the distance is Tianbao Mountain. At the foot of the mountain is Longxi Academy and a stream called Mozhen Stream."

The story of "grinding an iron pestle into a needle" originates from this.

"It was the old woman's perseverance in grinding the pestle that awakened the young and playful Li Bai, prompting him to study diligently and eventually become a great poet."

Jiang Han listened with great interest and nodded, saying:
"Indeed, this is a place of outstanding people and beautiful scenery."

"I wonder how many households there are in Qinglian Township now?"

Bi Yunyi had clearly done his homework, and calmly replied:

"Your Majesty, Qinglian Township currently has about two hundred households and nearly a thousand people."

According to the land equalization decree, each household could receive about twenty mu of paddy fields.

"Nowadays, most villagers mainly grow rice and wheat, and also engage in mulberry cultivation, hemp cultivation, fruit and vegetable production, etc., and they no longer have any major concerns about food and clothing."

"In addition, the Fu River waterway has been dredged last year, making it more convenient for boats to travel. As a place where water and land meet, Qinglian Town has formed a fixed market for trading agricultural products, mountain goods, salt, iron and other items."

Seeing that Jiang Han was listening attentively, Bi Yunyi tentatively suggested:
"Your Majesty, not far ahead lies Lijia'ao, which is under the jurisdiction of Qinglian Town. If you wish to understand the people's conditions, you may wish to go in and take a look yourself."

Jiang Han nodded happily:
"Just to my liking."

He immediately dismounted, intending to personally visit the village ahead.

However, considering that leading more than a hundred men would be too conspicuous, he instructed his personal guard captain, Feng Chengxuan:

"Just pick a few clever ones to follow."

"The rest of the men can wait at the River God's Office or the Water Horse Station in town."

Feng Chengxuan nodded, then selected eight capable personal guards to step forward, while the rest of the main force followed Bi Yunyi to the town to set up camp.

Jiang Han and his group walked along the narrow ridges between the fields, their steps uneven, towards the village at the foot of the mountain not far away.

Lijia'ao is a small village with only a dozen or so households. The village consists mostly of mud-brick houses and thatched huts, scattered along the mountainside, making it appear somewhat chaotic.

At the entrance of the village stands a huge banyan tree, its branches and leaves so thick that they cast a large shade like a canopy.

A stream babbled beside the trees, and several farmers who had just returned from the fields were washing the mud off their legs and feet by the stream.

There were also a few elderly men with gray hair sitting on stone benches under the trees, enjoying the cool air and chatting.

As Jiang Han and his group approached, the villagers immediately stopped what they were doing and gathered around.

It's rare to see so many unfamiliar faces in the village. Although Jiang Han and his group were dressed in casual clothes, they were all strong and muscular, which made the villagers a little nervous.

Among the crowd, an old man with gray hair and dressed in a coarse cloth outfit stepped forward.

He nervously rubbed his hands together and cautiously stepped forward to ask:

"You gentlemen look unfamiliar. May I ask where you are from?"

"I don't know... I don't know what brings you to our little village?"

Jiang Han smiled, cupped his hands in a respectful gesture, and casually gave a pseudonym:
"Greetings, sir."

"My name is Liu Ze, and I am a merchant from Chengdu Prefecture."

"I'm passing through your village and was wondering if I could buy some grain. If it gets late, I might have to bother you for the night. Would you be so kind as to do me a favor?"

As he spoke, he walked around the crowd and came to the banyan tree on the side.

Upon seeing this, the guards behind him immediately followed and stood firmly to Jiang Han's left and right.

They scanned the villagers warily, their hands constantly on their waists, poised to strike.

Seeing this scene, the old man who had asked the question became even more nervous. His lips trembled, as if he wanted to refuse but dared not speak, for fear of angering this group of shrewd outsiders.

Seeing his behavior, Jiang Han understood, and he immediately waved to Feng Chengxuan and the others:
"Go away, go away, what's there to be so nervous about on your own turf?"

"Spread out a bit, don't frighten the villagers."

He gestured for his guards to step back a few paces, then comforted the old man before him:
"Don't worry, sir. We are all honest businessmen, not bad people."

"If you're really in a difficult situation, then ask for a bowl of water and take a rest."

Seeing this, the old man at the head of the group finally breathed a sigh of relief, and he quickly forced a smile:
"So you're a distinguished guest from Chengdu. If you don't mind, please come into my courtyard and have a cup of tea."

After saying that, he waved the crowd away and led Jiang Han toward his own courtyard.

The old man's yard was small, with only two low mud houses, and firewood and corncobs were neatly piled up in the corner.

During their conversation, Jiang Han learned that the old man was only in his forties, named Li Chunsheng, and had a family of four.

Besides him, there is an elderly mother who is bedridden and two young sons in the family.

The eldest son was thirteen years old. He was a little thin, but his eyes were bright and clever.
The youngest son was only five years old and very shy. He hid behind his older brother, only daring to peek out half of his head, curiously observing the stranger.

Jiang Han had his personal guards bring some dried fruit, candy, and other snacks he carried with him and gave them to the two children.

The eldest son reached out and took it, thanked him several times, and then excitedly pulled his younger brother out.

Jiang Han nodded and smiled:
"Not bad, he's quite polite."

"I've heard that Qinglian Town is the hometown of the poet Li Bai, so it must be a place with a rich literary tradition. I wonder if the two of them ever attended a private school?"

Hearing this, Old Man Li sighed, his words filled with regret:
"You've misunderstood, sir. The flourishing of literature has nothing to do with us farmers."

"Let alone a private school, if you had come two or three years earlier, you probably wouldn't have even seen these two boys."

Jiang Han was somewhat surprised and pressed for an answer:
"Why do you say that, sir?"

Old Man Li shook his head and sighed:

"Well, it's a long story."

“Our family has been tenant farmers for generations, barely making a living by renting a few acres of paddy fields from the landlord.”

"Three years ago, my wife fell seriously ill and passed away."

"To pay for her medical treatment, medicine, and funeral arrangements, the family is now heavily in debt."

"But then the government raised taxes, and the landlords followed suit by raising rents. The family was really struggling to make ends meet, so we had no choice but to bite the bullet and borrow money at exorbitant interest rates."

"Later, when we couldn't pay the interest, the debt collectors wanted to sell my eldest son to the mine to pay off the debt, and they also wanted to take my younger son as a slave..."

"Just when it seemed our family was about to be destroyed, thankfully the Han King's heavenly army arrived."

"The soldiers not only dragged out and killed the landlords, but also ransacked the homes of the wealthy men who lent money at exorbitant interest rates. The killings were so numerous that heads rolled and blood flowed like rivers."

"That's how they rescued my two kids from that hellhole!"

Jiang Han listened silently, nodding with satisfaction:

"This can be considered a narrow escape from death, and the bitter end has brought happiness."

"And then what? After killing the powerful landlords, how much land did your family get?" At this, Old Man Li's tone immediately became excited:

“My family is small, and originally each person was only allocated four mu of paddy fields, but the military officer took into account that we had two half-grown sons, so he allocated an additional three mu of dry land.”

"It's right at the east end of the village, close to the stream, so fetching water is very convenient."

"Not only that, His Highness the Prince of Han also issued a decree exempting grain taxes for a whole year!"

He pointed to the corn under the eaves, gesturing wildly:

"Last year was a good year, with favorable weather and a total harvest of nearly thirty bushels of grain."

“After deducting what he had to eat himself, he sold five shi (a unit of dry measure) of grain to the government granary, and exchanged it for some urgently needed salt and cloth, and also bought some medicine…”

"Life has finally settled down."

Jiang Han nodded in satisfaction. It seemed that his policy of equal land distribution and tax exemption had been implemented quite well at the grassroots level.

Poor farmers like Li Chunsheng have finally benefited.

Now that life is stable, do you have any long-term plans?

He pressed on with more questions.

Upon hearing this, Li Chunsheng turned to look at his two sons who were playing and frolicking not far away, and smiled憨厚ly:

"What long-term plans can a farmer like me have?"

"Take good care of my elderly mother, so she suffers less and can live a peaceful and comfortable life until her death."

"If I raise my two sons to adulthood and save some money, I can find them wives in the future, and then I will be content."

"At our age, with one foot already in the ground, we're not going to think about anything else."

He paused, then pointed to his eldest son and said:
"It's the boss; he's gotten a bit wild."

"He heard that the government is recruiting soldiers now, providing food and lodging and paying military salaries, so he was determined to go."

"They say it will not only save the family some food, but also allow them to earn a future and get married more respectably in the future."

Jiang Han looked at the thin figure not far away and shook his head secretly. With that physique, he might not even be able to make it as a militiaman, let alone go any further.

The two chatted casually about everyday things until the sun gradually set.

As dusk approached, Jiang Han got up to say goodbye.

But Li Chunsheng grabbed him and insisted that he stay for dinner before leaving.

After all, it's lunchtime, so it would be too impolite to just send them off like this.

Seeing that he couldn't refuse such a kind offer, Jiang Han had no choice but to agree.

Because it was too dark inside the house, they simply ate dinner in the yard. Dishes were laid out on the table, and everyone stood up to eat.

The meal was very simple: a pot of rice, boiled pumpkin, a few dishes of pickled vegetables, a plate of stir-fried wild vegetables, and three or four cornbreads mixed with bran.

Li Chunsheng rubbed his hands together, his face full of apology:

"Please forgive me, sir, but we really don't have anything worth showing off at home."

"I'm sorry for the neglect, please have a couple of bites."

But Jiang Han didn't care at all.

He knew very well that this was already the best food they could offer to their guests.

It's estimated that this family eats even more simply on ordinary days.

“There’s still a long way to go.”

Jiang Han sighed silently in his heart. Although he had introduced many new policies to benefit the people, poverty was still an indelible feature of this land.

There is still a long way to go before the people can truly become wealthy.

After a quick bite, Jiang Han didn't linger any longer, solemnly thanked Li Chunsheng, and took his leave.

Before leaving, he instructed Feng Chengxuan to leave five taels of silver as payment for his meal and a token of his appreciation.

Li Chunsheng was initially hesitant, wanting to accept the offer but not daring to.

Jiang Han didn't waste any words and simply shoved it over:
"Just consider it as giving the child something good to eat, and getting some medicine for my mother."

Li Chunsheng accepted the gift with profuse thanks, watching Jiang Han and his group disappear at the end of the field with torches.

After leaving Lijia'ao, Jiang Han and his group traveled at full speed and arrived in Jiangyou County in less than three days.

The magistrate of Jiangyou County, who had already received the notice, was leading his subordinates, including the county magistrate and the registrar, to wait for him by the official road outside the city.

The county magistrate's name is Jiao Yu. He is a Jinshi (successful candidate in the highest imperial examination) from Wulong, Chongqing, and just turned thirty this year.

Upon seeing the royal procession, Jiao Yu straightened his clothes and quickly stepped forward to greet them.

"Your subject, Jiao Yu, the magistrate of Jiangyou County, along with all his colleagues, respectfully welcomes Your Majesty!"

Jiang Han jumped down from the vehicle, glanced at the group of local officials in front of him, and nodded slightly:
"You've worked hard, no need for such formalities."

"Magistrate Jiao, how is Jiangyou doing lately?"

Jiao Yu was somewhat flattered and bowed in response:
"Thanks to the king's great blessing, everything in the county is well and the people live in peace and contentment."

"Your Majesty must be tired from your journey. I have prepared some tea at the county office. Would Your Majesty please move to the county office and rest for a while?"

"No need."

Jiang Han waved his hand, refusing.
"The main reason I came to Jiangyou this time is to inspect the progress of the saltpeter refining workshop."

"Tea can be drunk anytime, but it's more important to take care of business first."

"Lead the way."

Jiao Yu was not surprised at all and quickly replied:
"I obey your orders."

"Your Majesty, please follow me. Let's first go to the Fu River Wharf for a look."

"The saltpeter refining workshops are mainly concentrated in the Laojun Mountain area of ​​Chonghua Town, which is dozens of miles away from the county seat."

"If Your Majesty wishes to personally inspect the area, it would be more convenient to travel north along the Lingxi River."

Led by Jiao Yu, the group entered the city through the South Gate, Qingping Gate, and went straight through the city.

The main road in the county town was relatively clean, with shops lining both sides, including grain shops, cloth shops, inns, and many other types of businesses.

Because of the king's arrival in the city, the county government had already blocked off the main road and cleared the streets, and no unauthorized personnel were allowed to approach.

Jiao Yu led the way while taking the time to report to Jiang Han:
"Ever since Director Li personally came to Jiangyou to oversee the saltpeter industry, the entire county has regarded this matter as a top priority and has fully cooperated with it."

"As of the tenth year of Chongzhen's reign, there are now more than 500 saltpeter makers in the government-run saltpeter workshops on Laojun Mountain, all of whom have been registered."

"The saltpeter workshop can produce about 15,000 to 20,000 catties of saltpeter per month, and the output is very stable."

"Today, Jiangyou has become the largest supplier of saltpeter in Sichuan. The saltpeter produced is of high quality. In addition to meeting the military needs of the province, there is also a surplus to be transported to the front-line troops."

He paused and continued:

"In order to transport the saltpeter produced in the mountains out smoothly, I conscripted more than a thousand laborers last year and focused on improving the water and land transportation."

"On land, the main task was to widen and reinforce the official roads leading to the workshops to ensure that mules, horses, and carts could pass without hindrance."

"Waterways mainly rely on the Fujiang River and its tributary, the Lingxi River."

"Last year, the Ministry of Industry and the Ministry of Agriculture organized a joint operation that dredged several main waterways that were clogged;"

"In addition, three new or renovated docks were built along the route for loading and unloading."

"Nowadays, seven or eight out of ten saltpeter shipments are transported by water, which not only increases the transport capacity but also reduces costs significantly."

During the conversation, the group unknowingly arrived at the Fu River Wharf.

Here, the river widens and meanders, forming several bends where boats can moor.

Looking around, dozens of boats of varying sizes were moored on the shore, including government cargo ships and privately owned freighters.

The boatmen were chanting as they busily unloaded boxes of saltpeter onto the shore.

A designated open space on the dock was piled with a large number of wooden crates labeled "saltpeter".

Several officials and clerks dressed in black robes were carefully calculating the weights and recording them in the register with paper and pen in hand.

Jiang Han stood with his hands behind his back on the dock, looking at the orderly scene before him, and nodded in satisfaction:
"The road construction was done well."

"Only when waterways and land routes are unobstructed can goods be transported to all directions; this is the way to get rich."

Upon receiving the King of Han's personal acknowledgment, Jiao Yu was overjoyed and quickly and humbly replied:

"It is all thanks to Your Majesty's overall planning, and with the assistance of my colleagues in the Ministry of Works and the Ministry of Revenue, that I have been able to fulfill my duties."

After inspecting the docks, Jiang Han didn't linger and immediately instructed Jiao Yu to lead the way:
"Let's go, let's go straight to Chonghua Town."

"I want to see the saltpeter workshop there with my own eyes, and also meet the saltpeter makers."

(End of this chapter)