Cutting over the end of the Ming Dynasty: a dog-leg knife at the beginning

Chapter 346
A large number of tenants gathered outside the gate of Tang Wangfu in Nanyang City, trembling with fear, their feet turned red from the cold wind in early spring, and they did not dare to squeak.They were uneasy, Tang Wang actually wanted to see them?For an honest commoner, this is simply unbelievable. The commoner and the prince are people from two worlds. When did they meet?They were very scared in their hearts, not knowing whether it was a blessing or a curse.

Zhu Yujian came out and saw that all the tenants were sallow and thin, and their clothes were shabby. He frowned involuntarily and said to the housekeeper, "Go and get some steamed buns to fill their bellies."

The housekeeper didn't take it seriously: "It's a great blessing for a group of mud-legged people to see the prince. Do you need to be so polite to them? Just finish talking quickly and send them away!"

Zhu Yujian asked in a deep voice, "Are you the prince or am I the prince?"

This Tang Shisun was just at the age when he was showing his sharpness. Once he got angry, he was quite majestic. The butler was so frightened that he didn't dare to say any more. .Now the tenant farmers were even more at a loss. Looking at the big, white steamed buns, they didn't know whether to pick them up or not.The steward said impatiently: "Your Majesty rewards you, hurry up and take it!" It was very vicious, but to the tenant farmers, this face was very kind—the kind-faced prince was so strange to them, so unfamiliar. make them afraid!They thanked them sincerely, took the steamed buns, and stuffed them into their mouths regardless of whether they were cold or hot, and couldn't bear to spit them out even though they were choking.When they were almost done eating, Zhu Yujian walked up to them and said kindly, "I am Tang Shisun, Zhu Yujian, and also your boss. I invite you to come here today. I want to discuss something with you."

The tenant farmers hurriedly knelt down: "My son, please speak, my son, please speak!"

Zhu Yujian said: "Everyone get up, let's talk while standing up, just be casual." After everyone stood up, he looked at the old faces and said: "Everyone is a tenant of my Tang Palace, and we are the tenants of the Palace. Plowing the fields and collecting firewood, fishing and collecting herbs, you have worked for the palace for longer than my age, everyone has worked hard!"

The tenant farmers were stunned for a moment, this prince was so polite, it made them feel uncomfortable.For hundreds of years, they have worked as cows and horses. Has anyone ever told them "Thanks for your hard work"?I'm afraid this son is still the first one?Someone muttered in their hearts: "Speaking so nicely, the devil knows if it's a bad idea!"

really----

Under the horrified gazes of all the tenant farmers, several healthy servants of the palace worked together to lift out a large basket of documents, which looked like ledgers.Zhu Yujian casually picked up a book and flipped through it, and said, "I took the time to check these ledgers these days, and found that most of you are in arrears with the Wangfu for a lot of rent, and even owed a lot of money for the Wangfu. Now, it has been delayed for more than ten years!"

All the tenant farmers turned pale, knelt down on their knees, and begged repeatedly: "My lord, it's not that we defaulted on purpose. It's really a bad year. Even if we hand over all the harvest, it's still not enough to pay the rent! Please do me a favor, my lord!" , let us allow some more time, and we will try our best to pay the rent in arrears and pay back the money!"

Zhu Yujian frowned and said, "It's procrastinated year after year, and the profits are huge. How can you pay it back?"

The tenant farmers kowtowed like garlic: "I beg your son to be merciful! I beg your son to be merciful!"

Zhu Yujian made a gesture, and Wang Zhao brought a bucket of oil and poured it on the large basket of ledgers, and handed over the booklet.Zhu Yujian blew on the fire folder, blew on the fire folder, and then threw it into the basket. With a slap, the flames surged up and devoured the books that either exuded the fragrance of ink, or were yellow and moldy.Immediately, the whole audience was silent, and everyone looked at the fire that was rising higher and higher as if under a holding spell, with their mouths slightly open, unable to close, and they couldn't believe their eyes.

Zhu Yujian said: "These have become bad debts. You are tired, and I am even more tired. I just burn it all, and everyone is relieved." He picked up a thick contract and said: "These are the deeds of sale for everyone, and it is this deed of sale that has turned you into slaves and made you suffer. Now——" Throwing the deed of sale forward like a brick, the thick All the thick deeds of sale were thrown into the fire, "I will release you, from now on, you are no longer serfs in my Tang Palace, you are free."

This time, everyone was no longer surprised, but dumbstruck!Thousands of unbelievable eyes focused on Zhu Yujian, and the same thought flashed in everyone's mind: "Is he crazy!?"

There was a dead silence in the audience, only the occasional bursting sound from the flames flying up.

However, this silence was immediately broken. A few middle-aged men in luxurious clothes hurried over with a large group of servants. The gang of servants shouted: "Put out the fire! Hurry up and put out the fire, and get out the ledger and the contract of sale!"

The servants responded, and stepped forward to put out the fire. Wang Zhaoshua pulled out the horizontal knife, stood beside the fire, and said in a cold voice, "If you are not afraid of death, just come up!" This horizontal knife was a gift from Yang Menglong to Zhu Yujian , Zhu Yujian didn't know martial arts, so he gave it to him again.He was already quite tall, and behind him was the tumbling fire and billowing smoke. The blade of the horizontal knife in his hand gleamed coldly against the firelight, which made people frightened.

The short-bearded middle-aged man in the lead yelled: "Wang Zhao, there is no room for you, a servant, to talk about the family affairs of my Tang Dynasty mansion in this mansion! Go away!"

Wang Zhao said: "If the prince asks me to go away, I will go away. The prince asked me to stay here, but if you insist on coming up, don't blame me for being rude!"

The short-bearded middle-aged man had nothing to do with this stubborn warrior, so he poured fire on Zhu Yujian: "Are you crazy!? Do you think the money is too hot or something? Tell him to get out of here and take out these ledgers!" "

Zhu Yujian stared at this guy coldly. It was this pious uncle who caused him to be imprisoned together with his father for 16 years, and even poisoned his father to death. He will never forget this hatred in his life!Seeing his distraught look, he felt a strange joy in his heart, and said with a sneer, "These are all the property of my Tang Palace, what does it have to do with you?"

King Fushan roared: "These are the property of King Tang's lineage! We all have a share!"

Zhu Yujian said: "I will not short you of the cloth money that the Fushan Prince's Mansion deserves every year. Please leave now and let me finish the business, okay?"

King Fushan was so angry that his face was blue and white, his chest heaved and heaved like a bellows, and his neck was bruised, which was very scary. His lips were trembling, and he couldn't say what he wanted to say. He finally waved his sleeves and left in a rage up.In his opinion, this nephew must be crazy. His father handed over the family business to him, and Tang Wang's lineage is finished!

The fire continued to burn ragingly, and it took half an hour to finish burning up the pile of ledgers that looked like a hill.

Everyone also stayed with the mad prince for half an hour.

After the flames were gradually extinguished and it was confirmed that everything was completely burned, Zhu Yujian said, "From today onwards, everyone will be free."

Only then did the tenant farmers believe that Zhu Yujian was not joking with themselves, but their hearts became more and more frightened—they had no land. Although it was hard work for the Tang Palace as tenant farmers, they still had a mouthful of food. Now that Zhu Yujian let them go, they Where are you going?Zhu Yujian saw what they were thinking, and said to the butler, "I'll leave the rest to you." Ignoring the butler's sad face, which looked like a dead old woman, he took Wang Zhao back to the mansion quickly.

The housekeeper looked like crying or laughing, stepped forward dejectedly, took out a notebook, and began to read.

Back in the study, Wang Zhao was a little worried: "My lord, is this really feasible?"

Zhu Yujian asked back, "Why not?"

Wang Zhao said: "I always feel that it is too hasty."

Zhu Yujian said: "I just hate that it's too late. This is how Yang Menglong led a group of poor military households to dig out the current prosperous situation in Wuyangwei. He can do it. , I can do the same."

Wang Zhao said: "I'm afraid that everyone will not know the painstaking efforts of the son and will gossip!"

Zhu Yujian said: "If you love to talk, let them talk about it!" He sat on the chair, closed his eyes, and murmured: "The people are living too hard... In such a cold day, they don't even wear a pair of shoes. , I can hear their stomachs growling from far away..."

Wang Zhao sighed and said, "The Crown Prince is truly a bodhisattva. If the Crown Prince were the emperor and used talented officials like Mr. Yang and Mr. Fang, the lives of the common people would be much easier!"

Zhu Yujian opened his eyes suddenly, and burst out a ray of light: "What nonsense!?"

Wang Zhao knelt down in amazement, and said, "This subordinate made a mistake, please forgive me!"

Zhu Yujian said: "Forget about it this time, next time control your mouth, and be careful not to let it come out of your mouth!"

Wang Zhao said repeatedly: "Yes, yes, my subordinates understand!"

At this time, waves of cheers surged into the study like a tsunami, with shouts of "My son will live forever". The joy and love from the heart were unprecedented. .Zhu Yujian smiled slightly: "Look, it worked. The people are still the same people, but using a different method can make them grateful and sacrifice their lives to repay each other, instead of being passive and working hard!"

Wang Zhao listened intently, only to feel that the cheers were getting louder and louder, as if they were going to overthrow the entire Tang Palace.He couldn't help saying: "It seems that Master Yang really gave the son a wonderful idea. Don't let them farm now, even if they are asked to charge forward, they will not frown!"

Zhu Yujian smiled and said, "It's not a good idea. He just told me that love is never free. If you want to get it, you have to pay first... If you want to eat delicious ham, you have to let them eat it first." Sausage, this is a win-win situation.” Opened the drawer, took out a stack of bank notes and handed it to Wang Zhao, “Send this to General Yang and tell him that he should send me the seeds, phosphate fertilizer, and steel farm tools Already!"

(End of this chapter)