On the eighth day of the first month of April, news came from Huguang that Zhang Xianzhong finally surrendered to Xiong Wencan in Gucheng after several major defeats. Pen @ fun @ pavilion wWw. ｂｉｑUｇE。 ｉｎｆｏ

Li Zhiben thought that after he defeated Zhang Xianzhong, Xiong Wencan would kill Zhang Xianzhong. Unexpectedly, under the gathering of reinforcements, Xiong Wencan finally chose to be appeased. Thinking about it, it was probably because the officials and soldiers who suppressed the thieves were weak or domineering, especially the soldiers of Zuo Liangyu and others burned and plundered like the thieves, so that Xiong Wencan had no confidence in the officials and soldiers, and was tolerant of the thieves.

However, Li Zhi didn't care much about the affairs of the thieves, and Li Zhi was more concerned about the construction of his own territory. By April, Li Zhi had sent a family member to the south in search of sweet potato plants to return with seedlings and two farmers who could grow sweet potatoes, and Li Zhi asked them to plant a season of sweet potatoes on the land after the winter wheat harvest to test how many sweet potatoes could be harvested by rotating wheat and sweet potatoes, and then to see if the rotation of sweet potatoes would reduce wheat yields.

On the other hand, by the beginning of April, more than 2,000 new tenant farmers had been hired by Li Zhixin and began to build irrigation canals along the rivers in Jinghai County, so as to repair them before the winter wheat was planted.

More than 2,000 new tenant farmers were recruited by old tenant farmers, most of whom were tenant farmers from Baodi and nearby prefectures and counties, who had rented very little land from the landlord's family and lived in poverty. Hearing that Li Zhi had a good life here, these tenant farmers moved their families to Li Zhi after harvesting the last crop of winter wheat and paying the rent. Unlike the first batch of refugees, these tenant farmers who moved over brought their belongings and had everything, and Li Zhi did not need to distribute cotton clothes and quilts, but only needed to divide the cattle and houses.

Not only are more than 2,000 new tenant farmers building irrigation canals, but more than 2,000 old tenant farmers are also joining the army to build irrigation canals. It's a slack period, and the old tenant farmers don't have much to do. Li Zhi paid each of them six cents of silver a day, and these old tenant farmers came to earn money and help repair the canals.

Li Zhi originally thought that the reclamation work of Xintian would go smoothly, but who knew that he would bite the money halfway through the way -- several large landowners along the river who had promised to build irrigation canals for Li Zhi suddenly changed their minds, saying that they were unwilling to take Li Zhi's high compensation and would not give up their land to Li Zhi to build irrigation canals.

The land newly reclaimed by Li Zhi was a little further away from the river, and irrigation canals had to be built on the existing fields along the river. These irrigation canals inevitably pass through the fields along the river, and occupy some of the existing acres. Li Zhi originally compensated for the land occupied by the irrigation canal at a price of 20 taels per mu. But if the landlords along the river did not agree to this price, Li Zhi's irrigation canal could not be built, and new fields could not be cultivated.

Li Zhi was stunned when he heard the news, and secretly said What kind of bear-hearted leopard gall did these big landlords eat to dare to go against themselves? He is a person who has just killed all directions in the three counties and collected business taxes.

The irrigation canal is Li Zhi's major event, and now that Li Zhi's tenant farmers have been recruited, the scene of new fields not being opened cannot be cleaned up. Li Zhi took Zheng Hui to the river to take a look, ready to deal with this problem.

Zheng Hui led Li Zhi to the vicinity of the Crescent River and rode up a small high mound. I only saw the crooked crescent moon river flowing from the west, passing through the farmland on both sides of the river, and slowly flowing to the east. More than 100 meters on both sides of the river are dry fields, and at this time the winter wheat has been harvested and the land is empty.

Zheng Hui pointed to the Crescent River and said, "My lord, you see, nearly 1,000 acres of dry land from three miles to the east four miles belong to the Liu family. It was the Liu family who took the lead in not cooperating with our canal construction, and several other big families also clamored to refuse our canal construction after the Liu family took the lead. ”

Li Zhi thought for a while and said, "What about raising some subsidies?" ”

Zheng Hui said: "My lord, I'm afraid it's not a matter of money. These riverside dry fields are irrigated by carrying water, and one mu is worth more than ten taels of silver. I have already told the Liu family that I am willing to subsidize them with 2521 acres, but the Liu family still does not agree. I'm afraid that the Liu family is not as simple as subsidizing. ”

Li Zhi lowered his head and thought for a while, and asked, "What is the background of this Liu family?" Dare to take the lead in stirring up trouble. ”

Zheng Hui said: "It is said that the son of the family is the Huguang Inspector according to the imperial history. ”

Li Zhi said: "What a big official, patrol the imperial history, what about the seventh grade, don't want to make it difficult for us to extort a sum of money?" ”

Zheng Hui said: "It is possible! ”

Li Zhi said loudly: "Let's go, go and meet this person from the Liu family." ”

The two rode horses with their families, held the flag of the Dragon and Tiger General, and rode to the house of the Liu family in Jinghai County. After riding for an hour, I found the Liu family's house. The Liu family's house is located in the north of a village, with five entrances before and after, high walls and deep courtyards. At the entrance of the courtyard stands a gatehouse with triple eaves, and there are two large stone lions with teeth and claws, which are the homes of the powerful at a glance.

Li Zhi secretly said that this imperial history is very rich, is this silver greedy or robbed?

The side door of the house was open, and a tall housekeeper stood in the doorway. Li Zhi asked the family to send his name card, and the family took a look at Li Zhi and went in to report the news. After a while, the housekeeper came out and invited Li Zhi into the courtyard. Li Zhi walked into the courtyard with Zheng Hui and two family members, and saw an old man with more than a dozen family members already waiting in the yard.

The old man was about fifty or sixty years old, with a white beard and a cane on his hunched back. More than a dozen family members around him all had straight faces when they saw Li Zhi coming in, and none of them had any intention of saluting Li Zhi. That posture was not going to invite Li Zhi into the house for tea, and he was very hostile.

Li Zhi was stunned, and arched his hand and said, "Dare to ask who this is?" ”

The old man took his crutches and said loudly: "Liu Jianshen, the head of the Liu family." After a pause, the old man seemed to feel that his name was not famous enough, and said again: "Huguang Patrol is my son!" ”

Li Zhi still had the idea of easing the situation, and arched his hand and said: "It turned out to be Liu Gong!" Li Zhi, the general of Fanjiazhuang, came to visit Liu Gong for the irrigation canal! ”

The old man snorted and said, "This irrigation canal occupies our land and cannot be repaired!" ”

Li Zhi thought for a while and said, "How about I compensate Liu Gong with thirty taels of land for the occupied land?" Nowadays, the market price of those dry fields is only a dozen taels and one mu! ”

The old man put up his crutches, pointed at a middle-aged man next to him, and said, "Come on!" ”

The middle-aged man stood up and said loudly: "My second brother Liu Bingchuan has written a letter, and we are waiting for a famous Qingliu!" It is absolutely impossible to build irrigation canals for traitors! The general wants my family to take the field out to build a canal for you, first stop the commercial tax that competes with the people for profit, and then expel the remnants of the eunuch party who took it in, and draw a clear line with the eunuch party, and then my family will discuss with the adults the compensation for the land occupied by this canal! (To be continued.) )