Han’s Son is Not a Slave

Most of the residents of Yancheng County came from Suzhou during the Hongwu period, which is called "Hongwu Reform". There are Wu, Yang, Zhang, Wang, and Wu Clan families in the territory. If there is something wrong with the government, it is usually negotiated with the patriarchs of these five families. However, if other minor surnames are famous, they also have the right to negotiate.

When Zhou Dalang first arrived in Yancheng, there were only more than 4,000 people in Dingkou in the county. After five years of Dalang’s governance, he recruited refugees. Today, there are more than 8,000 people in Dingkou, and the rest of the minors also have 3,000 or 4,000 people. Half of the rest are scattered in the countryside, and each is a market town, which is managed by the local government. In the Ming system, men from 16 to 60 were counted as Ding, and women were counted as mouths. Dalang was able to increase the number of small mouths in this county by half in five years, but it was a rare achievement.

Most of the gentry in Yancheng County were famous and famous in the Ming Dynasty, but they were in Jiangbei after all. He was the head of the household department in Nanjing, and Yang Deqing was an academic officer in a county under the Xuzhou prefecture of the Chongzhen Dynasty. Others included Zhao who had passed the sentence for Dengzhou, Yang, the county magistrate of a county in Songjiang, and one or two others. There are no more than five or six scholars who are able to make people famous.

On this day, all the squires came together, and Dalang summoned them at the Yamen. Because the officers were told to make it clear in advance, all the gentry from the five surnames were present, and the rest of the minor surnames were also called to come.

A group of squires first made a series for Dalang. The Qing Dynasty recognized the fame of the Ming Dynasty, and was willing to be an official for an official, even one level higher than the official of the Ming Dynasty. Therefore, Zhou Dalang, the magistrate of the past, couldn't stand these gentry kneeling, because I don't know which of them would suddenly get interested. He was born in Shiqing, and now Yancheng has returned to Ming Dynasty. The fame of these people came from the Ming Dynasty. Dalang dared not neglect them. As for the gang of Lizheng, each and every one of them only got up after kowtowing.

After Zhou Dalang motioned everyone to sit down, he said: "Fathers and elders, it is not for other reasons to call you here today, but for the sole purpose of issuing a strict order from the imperial court. Talk about it."

All the squires have news in the yamen. They know that Huai'an has an official document asking Zhou Dalang to rectify the salt affairs, but they don't know how to rectify the salt business. No one answered, Da Lang felt bored, coughed lightly, and slowly spoke to the gentry.

Seeing that everyone was attentively listening, Da Lang nodded slightly and said: "Now the Ming Dynasty is rejuvenating, the southern capital is restored, the government is clean, and the top is orderly and the bottom is in order. The salt affairs have been chaotic in the past, and now it must be rectified. , this county has to do it..." Speaking of this, the conversation changed, but said: "This county knows that many of you have some connections with salt sellers. Previously, this county turned a blind eye. As long as you don't wait too much, it's fine. But now it's not possible, the orders are strict, you must stop, you must not fight against the king's law. If the soldiers come, it's you who will suffer. This county advises you not to go to war for a little profit. Killing the lives of a family of young and old. In addition, there is a saying in this county, you have to take the escaped salt sellers to the place, that is, there is no escape law now, and everyone is a citizen of the Ming Dynasty from now on, there is no need to stop Hiding in the east and Tibet, just go to the county to report, this county will make a book for you, and since then it will be on the yellow book, divide your fields, and cultivate and pay grain well, what a sad life? , smuggling and selling, bumping into checkpoint patrolmen, why bother to be scared? Live in the east, Tibetan in Tibet, flow to and fro, live and stop peacefully every day, hide the head and reveal the tail, and finally ask the officers and soldiers to take it, even Can't do it."

"What the county honorable said is that I will bring what the county honored said to me."

Whether they were willing or not, all the squires expressed their understanding of the magistrate's good intentions.

Zhou Dalang took a sip from the tea bowl on the side of the case and took a sip, and then said, "Now you all need to know that rectifying the salt affairs is the top priority in this county. Taking the arrest of smuggled salt as the key performance in the next year's assessment. Therefore, this county attaches great importance to the seizure of salt, and I also ask for your help. You must not harm others because of your own confusion. Not enough."

After he finished speaking, Da Lang felt that what he said was neither incomplete nor unpopular, but he made it clear and concise, and it didn't sound like a literal, so people didn't listen to the truth. Gentlemen, seeing that they are all focused, as if they have realized something, I can't help but feel happy. After a while, I raised my voice and asked: "This county has said everything that needs to be said, can you all have something to say?"

The county magistrate's words were naturally not asked by the officials. The squires looked at each other. Later, Yang Zhiyuan got up and said on behalf of everyone: "This private salt harms others. The county magistrate's advice is very reasonable. ."

After Da Lang heard this, he raised his hand and said, "It's not enough to just write it down. When you go back, you must persuade the people of the clan not to sell salt again, and ask the escaped salt seller to report to the yamen by himself, so as not to cause trouble. Involving you, the county can't keep it, and it will inevitably get involved."

Yang Zhiyuan nodded hurriedly and said, "I'll wait until I understand, the county magistrate can rest assured." After speaking, he bowed slightly, thinking that Dalang had already made the words clear, so he would retire with everyone, but Dalang waved his hand and said, "No. Urgent, there is another matter that the county wants to discuss with you.”

All the gentlemen were stunned, and Yang Zhiyuan asked, "I don't know what else the county magistrate has to explain?"

Zhou Dalang glanced at the group of squires and said unhurriedly: "This is definitely not possible by persuasion alone, most salt sellers are desperadoes, and there must be many people who regard the good intentions of this county as donkey liver and lungs, and continue to do that. Illegal things. Therefore, the county must send troops to arrest people, but the county is short of money and food, and the county cannot handle the issue of sending troops. You can praise one or two, solve the urgent needs of this county, and also invite some strong men from each family to participate in this matter..."

Da Lang's words are clear, but he wants all the country gentlemen to donate silver and food, and others will come out. After hearing this, all the country gentlemen suddenly look embarrassed. The world fell.

Zhou Dalang looked at Yang Zhiyuan, murmured twice, and refused to express his position. The rest of the people were either looking left or right, but no one was willing to share the worries of the county magistrate.

Deng Guowang, the county magistrate, watched from the side, anxious, and winked at Zhou Dalang, wanting to come out to be this black-faced person, but Dalang signaled that he was not in a hurry, and only looked at the squires intriguingly. Unable to bear Da Lang's opinion, someone finally spoke up.

"It's a good thing that the county wants to catch the escaped people who boiled salt, but I can't hide it from the county magistrate. Now the green and yellow are not available, and each family has limited money and food. After the wheat is harvested, they are busy buying seeds for summer ploughing. The expenditure is really not small. I am afraid that it will be difficult to help the county one or two, and I also ask the county magistrate to be considerate. After the autumn food is received, each family will have some slack, and I will share the worry for the county magistrate."

The person who spoke was Zhao who had done the Dengzhou general sentence. This old man was quite old, and he was a judge during the Wanli period of the previous dynasty, so his qualifications were quite old. Prestige. When he said this, several people immediately agreed, saying that each family was short of money and food, and that it would be difficult to help the county in the short term, and asked the county to be tolerant. With all these squires and patriarchs around, who would dare to talk nonsense, the hall was full of prevarication.

Da Lang felt unhappy, but he remained calm, after pondering for a moment, he said with a smile: "This county also knows that this matter is difficult for you, and it is not urgent to arrest the illicit salt dealer for the time being, this county will report to the government first. That's right, I can't really make it difficult for you, after all, this county is a public official, not an official who harms the people."

As soon as these words came out, all the squires breathed a sigh of relief, saying that the county magistrate was considerate to the people, but they thought in their hearts why should I donate money, do you think those salt dealers are easy to provoke? I'm in a hurry, pull the flag to rebel and kill the county seat. You county official patted his **** and ran away. It's not so hard for us natives. Another reason why the squires refuse to donate money and food is that many of them are called squires, but they are actually the biggest smugglers of salt. ?

In order to ease the atmosphere, Yang Zhiyuan and others said a few more scene words, Da Lang also said haha ​​when he heard it, but he was scolding his mother in his heart. For a moment, Dalang finally lost his patience, and served tea again. When Deng Xiancheng saw it, the magistrate said to everyone: "I will discuss this today, and you should leave. When you go back, please forget the county magistrate's advice, you must be sure. I want the people in the clan to stop and stop doing illegal things."

"So, I'm waiting to retire!"

Everyone got up and saluted Dalang, and Dalang laughed as well. After sending everyone out of the hall, everyone said, "The county honorable stay", and Dalang stopped after a few polite words~www.wuxiaspot.com~ Then watched everyone leave.

After everyone left, Da Lang's face was pulled down, Deng Guowang saw this, and he stepped forward and said: "Sir, these old guys are mature and mature, it is difficult to expect them to donate money and food willingly, I don't know why adults don't. Let the lower officials come forward and threaten them one or two, otherwise, how can these people be willing to donate?"

However, Da Lang said some murderous words, he said: "The official document in the mansion is clearly written, this time to rectify the salt affairs is the intention of the court, and it is the king of Qi who personally handles the sword and has a Taiping army. Here, these old guys dare to jump around? The reason why this county keeps them a little bit is just asking them to go home and think about it. If they really don't appreciate the feelings of this county, the county will be ruthless. The court has just been established, the decree has just been implemented, don’t kill chickens to warn monkeys, what are you doing?”

After hearing this, Deng Xiancheng readily agreed and said: "The county esteemed said very well, this old bastard, because of his fame and fame, thought that he really could make a fortune in the countryside, sell smuggled salt, and did not regard the county esteem as anything. In their eyes, they will know they are afraid when the county magistrate uses the thunder method. This is called toasting, not eating and drinking!"

"This time rectifying the salt affairs is not a matter for me in Huai'an. I heard that King Qi sent a salt ambassador to come to Huai'an. The county has just returned to the Ming Dynasty, but I dare not be careless. Go up, you and I don't have the head on the neck... If the government sends soldiers, the money and food consumption will not be a small number. The county has a lot of money and food. It’s hard to get them to donate more, and it’s hard to get them to scare them, but this time they really need to cut off a few heads.”

Da Lang said with a sigh and turned back, his eyes fell on the plaque hanging in the hall, but the words "The mirror hangs high", he was about to open his mouth to talk to the good talent, but a soldier came to report, saying that he was caught. A fine work from the north.

Browse and read the address: