Du Zhongxiao and Su Song took Tao Seventeen and Thirteen Lang, as well as a group of entourage, to walk through the mountains and forests to check the terrain. To make iron, in addition to iron ore, there are also ingredients such as lime, and crucibles made of graphite for steelmaking. These mineral deposits are available nearby, but they are not easy to transport.

As he was walking, Shisanlang suddenly said: "Official, look, what are the villagers planting in the field?" Planting seeds at this time of year must not be easy to live, is it not a waste of seeds? ”

Tao Qiqi stretched his neck and glanced at it, and said, "Don't ask, it must be a big family nearby, farming and occupying land, and I want to compensate." ”

Thirteen Lang looked at it carefully for a while, nodded and said, "That's right." If you really want to farm, where can you be so sloppy! Officials, these Diao people are so blatant, but they can pay it back! Why don't I take a few people over and disperse them! ”

Du Zhongxiao stood on the top of the hill and took a look, and said, "Let them go." We are busy with ourselves, and when they come to the yamen, I will deal with it myself. ”

After speaking, he continued to step forward with everyone to check the route. The graphite mine found was deep in the mountains, ten miles away from the selected place for iron mining, and Du Zhongxiao found that it was too cost-effective to build roads, so he was afraid that he could only use mules and horses to transport them.

Back at the Yamen, two days later, Du Zhongxiao was discussing official business with Su Song, when a servant came in and said: "Official, there is a money clerk outside, saying that the place we chose to build a smelting furnace is his family's ancestral land, and he is arguing there. ”

Du Zhongxiao said: "Let him come in and talk to me." - Also, Master Liu is outside, let him come in too. ”

The officer took the command, turned and went out. After a short time, Liu Zhuo came in to greet the salute and sat down as guests.

Liu Zhuoqing has been a scholar for six years, and his ranking is not high, and he has been a master bookkeeper in this county, and his political achievements are ordinary, and he can't see any future. His father was very famous in later generations, and Du Zhongxiao memorized the poems he wrote when he was in school, but this era was also a difficult career, and he couldn't help his son. His father is Liu Yong, who is an idle official at this time, Dr. Taichang, and is many ranks lower than Du Zhongxiao's official position at this time. For the sake of memorizing many words from his father, Du Zhongxiao deliberately promoted Liu Zhuo and asked him to work with the camp and field, which was seconded from Ye County.

After waiting for a short time, the money clerk came in with the officials and bowed his hand. glanced at Du Zhongxiao and the three of them, lowered his head, and his eyes were rolling around.

Du Zhongxiao looked at this person, seeing that he was brightly dressed, burly, standing there with a straight waist, obviously not under others. The Qian clerk who watched was a little cramped, and Du Zhongxiao said: "I heard that the yamen occupies your family's land?" I don't know where? ”

Qian Yuanwai arched his hand and said: "Back to the official, it is the shore of Lishui, a large piece of fertile land, and a good crop that has always been planted. A few days ago, somehow I was taken by the yamen, saying that they were going to burn bricks and tiles there, and many errand workers were pointing fingers there. ”

Du Zhongxiao smiled and said: "South of Lishui, there has always been only idle land, and I have never heard of anyone farming, how can there be your family's land?" ”

Seeing that Du Zhongxiao's face was kind, Qian Yuan became a little bolder, and said: "The officials don't know that a Zhuangzi was built near the small ancestor, not far from Lishui. And when he saw that the land was flat and close to the river, it was convenient for watering, and he planted some grain. ”

Su Song on the side said in a deep voice: "What nonsense, a few days ago, you took people to plant in the wasteland, didn't we see it!" You are a kind of trick to the people, and you use this method to blackmail the government, you must be severely punished! ”

Qian Yuanwai hurriedly shouted injustice: "Official, small wronged!" A few days ago, I brought a few villagers and replanted them there, but it was by no means a blackmail to the yamen. That piece of land was handed down from a small ancestor, and because I had been doing business abroad all these years, it was abandoned for two years. Because he was empty and couldn't speak, he took people to plant, and it was not a false name. ”

Su Song was about to speak, but Du Zhongxiao stopped him and said, "Since it is your family's field, no one can rely on it, so why waste seeds." ”

Seeing that Du Zhongxiao was easy to speak, Qian Yuan hurriedly said: "Official, in recent days, there have indeed been treacherous people who have taken up the land and wanted the yamen to lose money. The small ones can't help it, if they don't do this, they won't see the officials, and the officials will drive them away early, where can they enter the yamen! ”

Du Zhongxiao nodded, and said to Liu Liang on the side: "Master book, you are in charge of a county Tianfu, go back and check the account books, whether there is this piece of land in the field book." If so, the yamen should also give some compensation. ”

Liu Zhu said: "Back to the judgment, there is no field south of Lishui in this county, it is all wasteland. In the next two years as the head of this county, you can't go wrong! ”

The money clerk listened to it and said busily: "Official, this small piece of land is not naturalized, but is just planted." This dynasty does not establish a field system, this field was opened by my ancestors fifty years ago, and it is not in the tax book-"

Du Zhongxiao said: "This dynasty has been established for 70 years, every three years, and the land that has been opened for 50 years is not on the tax books, do you mean that the officials in the county have been vegetarian in the past few decades?" If it is not in the account, it is tax evasion. ”

The money clerk said in a sneering manner: "There are many such things, what is so strange? ”

Du Zhongxiao said: "There is nothing unusual, and it is the practice of this dynasty, even so, to recognize this land as yours." ”

Qian Yuanwai was overjoyed when he heard this, and hurriedly arched his hand and said: "The official is wise! ”

Du Zhongxiao nodded, and said: "Yours on the ground, the tax still has to be paid, otherwise what is the face of the court?" The main book, how much land is given in that area every year? The land in the south of Lishui is not in the books, so it is calculated according to the north bank. Also, how much is the land in that area now? ”

Liu Lan comprehended and arched his hand: "Return to the judgment of fortune, Tian Fu has one bucket a year, and one stone in ten years." The land there is now worth 400 wen per mu in the market outside, because the land is vast and sparsely populated, and this price is actually not easy to sell. ”

Du Zhongxiao nodded: "Tian Fu Yidou, calculated according to fifty years, is five stones per mu in tax arrears." In addition, there is so much more land, and the household level will inevitably be promoted, and the errand service will naturally increase. Also, in the past 50 years, how many times have the county allocated and bought according to the local department, and the county has accounts. The main book went back to check, and all the taxes were made up, and the market price of 400 wen per mu was supplemented to this family. Refund more and make up for less, and don't take advantage of the people. ”

Liu Juan said: "Xia Guan has been the master bookkeeper for two years, and I still remember these accounts. Under the rule, the life of the people is not easy, the accounts do not have to be calculated, and it is nothing for the yamen to suffer some losses. In addition to one bucket of field tax, plus miscellaneous donations, there are about two buckets per mu, which has been the case for decades. Because the years are deep, it will be calculated according to one and a half buckets per mu, and the changes in prices and grain prices during this period are all in this half bucket. Calculated in turn, one mu of land owes 12 stone and 5 dou, and the market price is 50 wen for one dou of millet, a total of 6,250 wen. - By the way, outside of Qian Yuan, how much land do you have there? ”

Qian Yuanwai was dumbfounded when he heard this, and said casually: "A total of one acre and twenty acres——"

Liu Zhuo listened, lowered his head and calculated silently, and said, "In this way, it is a total of seven hundred and fifty full." In addition to the land price of forty-eight feet and the money clerk, you need to supply the yamen seven hundred and two feet. - Originally, you have not paid your taxes for so many years, and you will be fined. If you take the initiative to make up for it, you will not be penalized, and you only need to make up the tax you owe before. ”

Qian Yuanwai's eyes widened, and he said after a while: "The yamen occupies my land, and you still want me to give the yamen 700 yuan?" ”

Liu Juan said: "It's seven hundred and two, the accounts of the imperial court, and they can't be messed up." If you don't have two runs, I won't have the money to make up for you. ”