Sky Curtain: With a vermilion mirror, Jing travels through the modern world, shaking all dynasties.

Chapter 128 Reward Upgrade

Jiang Chuan steadied himself and looked around. Sure enough, it was that familiar cave.

He heard a soft "ah" behind him. He turned around and saw Zhu Jingjing standing behind him, wearing pink pajamas and barefoot, rubbing her eyes with a blank expression.

"Brother, why are we here again?" the little princess asked, confused.

Before Jiang Chuan could answer, a bright light suddenly shone above his head.

The two looked up at the same time and saw lines of golden characters slowly emerging from the cave ceiling, their light shimmering and shining brightly.

"The Zier siblings guided Emperor Ming to adopt the policy of merging the poll tax into the land tax, which won over Emperor Hongwu and made him sincerely convinced. This was a great achievement for the country and benefited the people!"

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"From this day forward, I will invite wise men from all corners of the world and outstanding figures from all dynasties to visit your tavern in turn, to raise a glass and discuss the Way, and to recount the ages."

"Those who have already arrived are permitted to bring one old friend along to share in the pleasures of the finest wines."

The golden lettering hovered in mid-air, its radiance gradually fading, yet lingering for a long time.

Zhu Jingjing tilted her head back and read it out word by word. Suddenly, she turned to Jiang Chuan and asked, "Brother, does this mean that more people like Mr. Taibai will come to our tavern?"

Jiang Chuan stared at the line of golden characters and murmured, "Not only that, those who have already been here can bring one more person."

The little princess tilted her head and thought for a moment, then suddenly smiled: "Then next time Mr. Taibai comes, will he bring Master Meng along too?"

Jiang Chuan nodded slightly and replied, "It should be. Let's wait and see!"

The Great Ming Dynasty, Fengtian Hall.

The following morning at court, Zhu Yuanzhang sat high on his throne.

The prince and his civil and military officials stood in solemn silence.

Zhu Yuanzhang surveyed his ministers, then slightly turned his head to signal the eunuch holding the scribbling.

The eunuch unrolled the scroll and loudly proclaimed the imperial edict: "By the grace of Heaven, the Emperor decrees: From this day forward, all corvée labor throughout the land shall not be levied based on the number of people in the household, but solely on the amount of land owned. Those with more land shall bear heavier corvée labor, and those with less land shall bear lighter labor labor. The poor who own no land shall be exempted from corvée labor. This is the imperial decree!"

The imperial decree caused an uproar in the palace.

The Vice Minister of Revenue stepped forward and reported: "Your Majesty, this law is unprecedented in history. We fear that wealthy households will not accept it, and its implementation will be difficult."

Zhu Yuanzhang snorted coldly, slammed his hand on the table, and said, "Dissatisfied? I rose from humble beginnings and personally experienced the hardships of farming. How could I not know that the powerful and wealthy own vast tracts of land yet their corvée labor is as light as a feather, while the poor have no place to stand yet their corvée labor is as heavy as a mountain? Now, corvée labor is determined by land area, precisely for the sake of equality!"

He stood up, his voice booming, "My mind is made up; there is no more to say. Anyone who dares to obstruct or violate the law will be punished for disobeying the law!"

The ministers looked at each other and dared not speak further.

After the court session ended, Zhu Yuanzhang remained alone in the hall, gazing up at the sky.

He stood with his hands behind his back, and murmured to himself, "Jing'er, I have already accepted this plan. You can rest assured in the afterlife."

modern.

The morning sunlight streamed into the dining room through the gaps in the curtains, casting a soft glow on the white porridge and pickled vegetables on the table.

Jiang Chuan scooped a spoonful of porridge into his mouth, and out of the corner of his eye, he saw Lin Xiaoyu holding a bowl, her eyes half-open and half-closed, poking at the pickled vegetables with her chopsticks for a long time without being able to pick them up. "Sister Xiaoyu, you're so sleepy, why don't you go and take a nap?"

Lin Xiaoyu yawned and shook her head: "It's nothing, I'll eat first and then sleep. Tell me quickly, what did you encounter in the cave last night?"

Jiang Chuan put down his chopsticks and recounted the contents of the golden characters within the cave in detail.

Lin Xiaoyu listened intently, but her eyelids kept drooping as she fought off sleepiness. "So, as long as you have a positive impact on the Ming Dynasty, you'll get a reward?"

Jiang Chuan nodded: "It seems so. Last time, I made suggestions to the Ming Dynasty regarding the famine caused by the floods, and I got the opportunity. This time, I proposed the integration of land tax and poll tax, and I was given a new reward."

Lin Xiaoyu picked up her bowl, took a sip of porridge, and stared unfocusedly at the table, muttering, "So that means the more you do, the better you do it, the more people that grotto will attract to the tavern?"

"That makes sense," Jiang Chuan said. "Besides, those who have been here before can bring one more person."

Lin Xiaoyu yawned again, tears welling up in her eyes. She wiped the tears from the corners of her eyes with the back of her hand and smiled weakly: "That's great. If Mr. Taibai can bring Meng Haoran, your tavern will become a gathering place for literati."

During the Jiayou era of the Song Dynasty.

The sun shone brightly in Tokyo that day, and the Imperial Street was shaded by locust and willow trees, with carriages and horses coming and going in an endless stream.

In front of Xuande Tower, a young man dressed in a green robe, wearing a newly made turban and a silver fish-shaped pouch at his waist, strode out of the Ministry of Personnel's office.

He was tall and slender with a handsome face, and his brows exuded the fearless spirit of a newborn calf. A smile he couldn't hide played at the corners of his mouth.

It was Su Shi, Su Zizhan.

He was only twenty-six years old that year, and had just been appointed as a judge of Dali and a judge of Fengxiang Prefecture, officially embarking on his official career.

"Zizhan! Zizhan! Slow down!" A person chased after him, panting as he called out.

Su Shi turned around and saw that it was Zhang Dun, a fellow Jinshi (successful candidate in the highest imperial examination) from the same year. He stopped and cupped his hands in greeting, saying with a smile, "Brother Zihou, what brings you to this in such a hurry?"

""

Zhang Dun caught up with him, patted him on the shoulder, and said with a face full of envy, "You're going to Fengxiang so soon? How carefree! Appointed by the Emperor himself, your future is limitless!"

Su Shi laughed heartily, his gaze fixed on the distant horizon, his voice clear and resolute: "The position of magistrate, though not prestigious, is one that brings people closer to the people. I, Zizhan, will certainly do my utmost on this journey, living up to the trust placed in me by the court and the expectations of the people."

Looking at his spirited appearance, Zhang Dun couldn't help but sigh, "Zizhan's ambition is beyond our reach."

Su Shi smiled without saying a word, mounted his horse, and Chao Zhangdun bowed in farewell.

As the sound of horses' hooves faded into the distance, Su Shi continued his westward journey until dusk, when he finally found an inn to rest at.

He tied up the horse, carried his baggage through the hallway, and arrived at the door of the guest room in the backyard.

Pushing open the door and stepping over the threshold, I stood frozen in place, gazing at the scene before me.

Jiang Chuan and his two companions had already prepared wine and food, and were waiting for Li Bai to bring Meng Haoran.

Hearing the door open, he quickly got up and was stunned when he saw the green-robed man standing in front of the door.

Su Shi stood frozen on the threshold, his gaze sweeping over the unfamiliar furnishings of the tavern, his brow furrowed. "Why is your tavern located inside an inn?"

Jiang Chuan scrutinized him closely and tentatively asked, "Judging from your attire, you must be from the Song Dynasty, right? But this is not the Song Dynasty, but a thousand years later in modern times."

Upon hearing this, Su Shi's face darkened. "Why would you utter such absurd words? Are you perhaps mocking me?"

Just as Jiang Chuan was about to explain, he suddenly heard the door behind him creak open again.

Everyone turned to look and saw two men in blue robes stepping in one after the other.

The man in front had a wine gourd hanging from his waist and walked with an elegant gait, while the man behind him had a thin face and flowing clothes; both were dressed in Tang Dynasty attire.

"Young friend Jiang, I have come as you instructed!" The man in front untied the wine gourd from his waist and led the person behind him to Jiang Chuan.

Su Shi's gaze fell on the two people, especially the one who had spoken, and he was immediately filled with shock!