When the first rays of morning light shone on Handan City, the people outside Handan City were already beginning to work.

Donggeting is an inconspicuous small village outside the city of Handan.

There are more than 30 families in the village.

In front of the village, there is a small stream that flows through it.

The largest landlord in the village is surnamed Wang, who is in his forties this year.

His family has more than 300 acres of land.

There are several families in Dongge Pavilion who rent his family's land.

Lao Wang's proudest thing is that last year, his eldest son was successfully selected by the government and entered the list of guards of the guards, and this year he will go to Chang'an to show the Son of Heaven the gate.

It's a matter of great honor!

Even the villagers and wanderers came to congratulate them.

Because, the current Han family system stipulates that the pavilion chief and the village officials are selected first by the veterans.

To put it simply, now, organized and rank-ranking officials such as Qiang Fu and You are selected through examinations and appointed by the central government.

The Qiang Fu and the village officials and pavilion chiefs under the wandering must be selected from the veterans, especially the disabled soldiers.

It is necessary to wait until there are no veterans in the local area, and the vacancy can be filled by someone else.

This first one, there is still strong resistance at the local level.

But the second one has become an iron law.

The county lieutenants, military commanders, and princes and noble ministers of the counties and countries in the world all attach great importance to this article.

And the local people obeyed this.

After all, the retired soldiers, more or less, are all villagers.

It's not going to be too much, and it's not going to be too harsh.

Some people even teach the villagers to use various new technologies and equipment.

For example, the current waterwheel in Dongge Village was installed by the pavilion chief who retired from the army the year before last with the big guys.

Except for the main parts that were bought from the Yantie Yamen, the rest of the things were made by the pavilion chief, the carpenters and young people in the village, with their own hands, and then assembled.

Since the water wheel, the big guy's land irrigation water has hardly had to worry.

Not to mention, the pavilion chief also took the big guy to build roads and dig ditches.

So much so that some people are curious.

So he asked, "What army did you serve?" ”

He replied: "Ba Shang Army! ”

"Then how do you do that?"

"Because when I was in the army, my subordinate was ordered to go to Longshou Canal to supervise the construction of the ......"

All right......

I can use the army as a worker.

Today is also the only one.

But the change he brought to the table was real.

Now, under his leadership, Dongge Village has basically eliminated the outdated wooden and stone farm tools of the past.

The pavilion chief, who didn't know how to go through, got a batch of bronze farm tools that had been eliminated in Guanzhong and some old iron farm tools from the outside at a very cheap price.

Although these things, the people of Guanzhong can no longer look at them.

But in this Dongge Pavilion in Handan, it is a divine weapon!

Last year, the yield of corn per mu in Donggeting exceeded that of three stones.

This was simply unimaginable before!

Therefore, this pavilion chief immediately won the support of the whole pavilion.

However, it does not include Lao Wang.

As usual, when Lao Wang went down to work in the field, the pavilion chief came over again and chattered: "Uncle Wang, look, can you give an answer to what I told you last time?" ”

"Uncle Wang, now, the landlord of Guanzhong, the rent has dropped to 30%, but you still receive 60% of the highland rent...... This is not good, they are all from the villagers, and they don't see each other when they look up, don't you say? ”

Lao Wang stubbornly refused to answer.

But he knew in his heart that he wouldn't be able to resist for long.

Recently, a senior official of Chang'an was parachuted into the city of Handan.

This official is said to have been Shang Shulang who was by the side of today's son.

Quite valued by the Son of Heaven, after three years of Shang Shulang, he was sent to Handan County, and as soon as he came to be the main man in charge of people's livelihood.

This master Bo's surname is Gu, and his name is Ni Rou.

It is said that his uncle is still a thousand-family candidate!

The relationship is hard and the background is terrible!

As soon as this Gu Master Bo arrived, he lit the first fire.

This fire is rent reduction!

He summoned all the Qiangfu, You, and Postal Superintendent of Handan together and gave an order.

All landlords' rents are to be reduced.

At first, everyone thought that this master from Chang'an probably burned his brain and broke down.

How dare you reduce the rent of the field!?

Everyone was waiting to see his jokes.

However, no one could have imagined that people would not give others a chance to see jokes at all.

This Gu master Bo started from the grassroots level, visited one township after another, and understood and reasoned with those big landlords, and moved them with affection.

Although this is not an egg.

Everyone promised to be good on the surface, but in fact they still went their own way.

Anyway, the Lord is thin or something, and he can't kill people or raid his house!

Who's afraid of whom!

Everyone's idea is good.

But it's a pity that the family was sent by the Son of Heaven, and the relationship is hard and the background is big.

actually invited the imperial history of Handan County......

Although the imperial history of the superintendent county can't manage the civil affairs of Handan.

But people are in charge of the scholars who went to Chang'an from Handan.

Now, Gu Master Bo has ordered: Those who do not reduce the land rent will be forbidden to take the exam.

They really listed the children of landlords with more than 1,000 acres of land in Handan.

Whoever does not reduce the land rent will not be allowed to take the imperial examination for all the children under the name of the family.

There is no way, the big landlords can only pinch their noses and reduce rent.

Of course, only a symbolic drop.

It is probably from 50 percent or 60 percent of the land rent to 5 and a half percent and 4 and a half percent.

Everyone said in private that it was to save face for the Son of Heaven and to reduce the burden on the villagers.

However, the landlords did not expect it.

This Gu Master Bo was not satisfied with such a drop at all.

He wanted to reduce the land rent to 40%.

Therefore, he used a trick - he sent people to contact the generals of the various field regiments of the Han army, and then persuaded the officers above the team leader of Handan to go home.

Let these officers do the work of their own parents.

Anyway, the excuse is Wei Guangzheng - when today's son loves the people like a son, and the public is a local celebrity, elders, does Encore obey the edict of the Son of Heaven? And husband, convenient with the people, convenient for himself.

This frightened the big landowners.

They are afraid that because of themselves, they will cast a shadow on the future of their children and nephews.

As a result, the big landlords who had served in the military lowered their rents one after another—didn't everyone work all their lives just to give future generations a better future?

Not to mention, even their sons and nephews betrayed them and took the initiative to join the ranks of persuasion, reasoning with facts and promoting the benefits of doing so.

Of course, these big landowners are not stupid, and they also know that fame is also important.

can't learn from those guys in Qilu, just care about squeezing the people, and finally put their lives into it.

What's more, rent reduction can also brush up prestige, get a good reputation, be conducive to the future of future generations, and accumulate yin virtue and be respected by the neighbors.

These people have reduced their rents, and others naturally have to follow suit.

If you don't reduce the rent, the tenants may have to run away.

Moreover, the Gu master Bo also took his relationship and reported it to Chang'an, turning the hundreds of thousands of acres of royal land that originally belonged to King Zhao into official land, and then renting it to the people for cultivation with about 30% of the tax.

This further led to landlords having to reduce rents.

Lao Wang is now the last group of recalcitrant landlords in Handan County.

Lao Wang is not unaware that rent reduction is the trend of the times.

He was really distressed.

Drop the rent of two percent of the field at once, and it will be dozens of stone corn a year!

He wasn't happy!

"Alas, if only I could have been a little nicer to the two boys of the Zhang family......" Every time he thought about this, Lao Wang felt like a pain in his heart.

Lao Wang has a brother-in-law, surnamed Zhang, who is from a neighboring village.

My brother-in-law died early, and the two children he left behind lived in his house.

In line with the concept of other people's children, even if they are tired to death, it is my business.

At the beginning, Lao Wang could be said to treat the two children like dogs, and it was a common thing to call and drink.

As a result, the two boys grew up.

The boss immediately signed up to join the army.

At that time, being a soldier was not like now, when small people who had nothing to do with it went to be soldiers, and nine times out of ten they were used as miscellaneous servants for other people.

In the army, you have to suffer a lot of humiliation, unless you are very lucky, or in the end, you can only return to your hometown with a body of injuries and illness, and live alone for the rest of your life.

But, Na Cheng thought, the boss had just joined the army, and he would be on the throne today.

Soon after the son of today ascended the throne, the Wei family of North Korea was naughty and was beaten by the Son of Heaven.

Then, the boss was transferred from the county soldiers of Handan County to Xinhua City and became a member of the Protector Army.

At that time, Zhang Jialang was undoubtedly unlucky.

Everyone is saying that I am afraid that in two years, I will bury my bones in that wild land.

Either starve to death or freeze to death.

But who would have thought that Zhang Dalang not only starved to death, but also froze to death.

On the contrary, it mixes well.

Two years ago, letters came, travel expenses were sent, and Erlang, who was messing around in Handan City, was also recruited to Xinhua.

In the past few years, Lao Wang has kept hearing that the treatment of the Xinhua Protector Army is so good, even if he is a pawn, he is richer than him.

I also occasionally heard the news of my two nephews.

It is said that they all married a fine gentleman and gave birth to a child.

Moreover, they are not only married to a fine gentleman, but also more than one child!

This made Lao Wang often sigh for a long time.

I regret that I was too harsh on them back then, otherwise I can hold my big thick legs now, and I hate that my attitude was problematic back then, otherwise at this moment, I am afraid that the two boys of the Zhang family will also farm for themselves with peace of mind, and they don't have to work so hard, let alone have a headache about rent reduction - if those two boys are still there, they don't need to rent land to others, and they have to work by themselves!

He sighed like this, hesitating whether to agree to the rent reduction.

At this time, on the galloping road in the distance, there was a sudden sound of suona.

A team of dozens of people, appeared on the horizon.

At the head were several tall horses.

These horses are extremely handsome, and they look like the war horses of the army.

A battle flag, fluttering in the air.

On the battle flag, a giant bear roared in the sky, and on the left side of the flag, a large character fluttered in the wind.

The knight at the head, dressed in the standard cavalry combat uniform of the Han family, rode a war horse, and slowly moved forward to open the way.

"Which big man has returned home?" Lao Wang stood up and stared into the distance.

The pavilion chief, who had been beside him, also looked at the team from afar, and after identifying the color of the battle flag for a while, he said: "With the bear as the battle flag, today, there are only three branches, and the one who uses the giant bear standing as the flag will be the protector army!" ”

"Three horses in parallel, this is the guard of honor of the captain of the Guardian Army returning to his hometown and province!" The pavilion chief said enviously: "The eldest husband should be like this! ”

"I heard that there is only one of the current five captains of the Protector Army, who is from a noble background, and the rest are all from poor families!" He said quite yearningly: "Anton is the governor of Bo Gong, and he does not stick to one pattern to reduce talents, which can be seen!" ”

For people from poor backgrounds, a boss like Bo Shi who appoints talents, does not look at their background, but only looks at their ability, is simply an angel!

Lao Wang was quite curious.

asked: "How do you know that this is a returned provincial officer of the Guardian Army?" ”

"It's very simple......" The pavilion chief said with a smile: "The day before yesterday, Shangguan issued a document, saying that a group of non-commissioned officers and officers of the Protector Army will return to their hometowns and provinces in the near future, among them, there is a captain from Handan County, in addition, there are two Simas, both of whom are veterans of the Protector Army!" ”

"But I didn't expect that this lieutenant is still my neighbor......" The pavilion chief smashed his mouth and said, "Maybe, I may still know him?" ”

"The surname is Zhang ......," he said after a moment of silence: "The Yishui Pavilion in the neighboring township, isn't it Zhang Wei's surname?" ”

As he spoke, the team was getting closer.

Soon arrived at the intersection of Donggeting.

In the middle of the procession were two magnificent carriages.

This kind of carriage, with four wheels, with a two-horse-drawn carriage, is a stable carriage, and is a new aristocratic car in recent years.

The car is decorated with carved patterns of swords, guns, swords and halberds that symbolize the master's bravery and military exploits.

Unexpectedly, the procession stopped in front of Lao Wang's land.

Then, the doors of the two carriages opened.

Two officers wearing armor, with a majestic and burly body, appeared in front of Lao Wang and the pavilion chief.

"Uncle-in-law is on top!" At first, the officer was holding the hand of a young and beautiful lady, and also holding two or three children, and bowed slightly to Lao Wang: "Please forgive the boy for being in armor, and he can't salute ...... full."

And the other person after the officer also smiled and greeted slightly: "Uncle, don't come unharmed, the kid is not polite!" ”

Lao Wang was dumbfounded, and his hands were constantly trembling.

"You ...... You ......" he could barely believe his eyes.

The two nephews in front of him were almost unrecognizable.

He still remembers that back then, when Zhang Qi went to join the army, he was only qualified in height - seven feet!

But the body is emaciated, and it can be blown down by the wind.

But the captain in front of him is nearly eight feet tall, with a tiger's back and a bear's waist, and his whole body exudes a masculine atmosphere that makes people feel intoxicated.

As for Zhang Weiyang behind him, Lao Wang remembered it more clearly.

At that time, when he set off from Handan, he was covered in rags, and he had been hungry for several days.

But now the man in front of him is smiling, with the demeanor of some aristocratic scholars.

Not to mention, the people who saluted him with these two nephews were all beautiful and graceful little ladies, and behind their buttocks, there were a few children with pigtails and curious peeps at all this.

"Uncle-in-law, kid and Weiyang, I'll come back tomorrow to greet you......" Zhang Qi smiled slightly, and said: "Today, I have to go home, repair the rented house, sacrifice my deceased father, and sacrifice my ancestors, so I will say goodbye to the old man for the time being!" ”

Lao Wang's whole person is a little bad.

He remembered how he had treated the two brothers at the beginning, his old face flushed, and he said a little crampedly: "It should be, it should be ......."

Then he couldn't help licking his face and laughing: "If your father knew that you could have today, I'm afraid he would have to laugh at Jiuquan......" (To be continued.) )