Chapter 83 Cooking Crane Walk (12) (2 in 1)

Chapter 83 Cooking Crane Walk (12) (2 in 1)

Chapter 83 Cooking Crane Walk (12) (2 in 1)

Zhang and Bai didn't want to alarm others, they just started from the stairs of the gate building and went to the top of the building.The only alarmed person in the middle was actually Zhou Xingfan who was about to leave downstairs, but when the latter saw the two of them, he felt guilty and almost fell down the stairs.

Walking up to the roof of the gatehouse, the snowflakes outside are actually not that big at this time, but they are just a little dense.But since the two of them reached the top, they didn't see any magnificent scenery surrounded by white.Even when Mr. Zhou turned out from the side door and rode his horse, the horseshoe marks were still black—there were too many people walking on the main road in front of the palace gate in the afternoon, not to mention the snow, and it was too muddy and slippery , and the crushed snow of the night only covered the surface, and the dark soup was easily exposed as soon as the horses and horses passed by.

It is conceivable that when the ice freezes tomorrow morning, the road will only be more difficult.

"Is he going back to report the letter?" Bai Yousi looked at Mr. Zhou, who was a little embarrassed on the road, jokingly. "You didn't say it before, because he was there?"

Zhang Xing nodded, and then shook his head again: "I know what the inspector wants to ask, but the argument discussed by everyone at night can't be said to be problematic..."

"I know." Bai Yousi said, looking at the snowflakes flying all over the sky. "But you have to promise me that you want me to know the root of the matter and make my own decision."

"Naturally, that's what I'm talking about tonight." Zhang Xing answered seriously. "It's just the root of this matter... It may only be a matter of two or three sentences, but it is extremely important, so I want to speak slowly... Moreover, even the fundamentals are layered, just like the night What everyone said is actually a layer of truth and fundamentals, at least it has explained the case itself thoroughly."

"So, I came out with you too." Bai Yousi shook his head and smiled. "Are you talking about the lower floor where are you going? Are you going to the riverside, or on the river?"

Zhang Xing did not answer, but instead took out a small jar of wine from his pocket and handed it to the other party: "Inspector, have you been to Jiangdong before?"

Bai Yousi took the wine jar, tore off the cover, and shook his head slightly.

"The inspector is one or two years older than me." Zhang Xing looked around and continued. "In addition to the inspections all the way in Jing'antai, I think I have been in Taichung for many years, right?"

"Yes, one or two years older than you." Bai Yousi glanced at the other party, with a bad tone. "The official position is also higher than yours, otherwise how would you be promoted?"

"I mean, where have you been to when you're on patrol?" Zhang Xing couldn't hear well, so he hurriedly said the truth.

"Guanlong and Dongdu are more nearby. I have been to Taiyuan and Yanmen in the north twice, once to Yedu in Hebei, once to Bashu, once to the east, and three to five times to the northwest border. You know, a few years ago When I first entered Taichung, it was the time when the imperial court was recruiting and splitting the witches." Bai Yousi answered calmly. "As for before entering Jing'an Terrace, I often traveled to and from Nanyang, and even went to Xiangyang once."

"So, for field missions, let alone Jiangdong, Jiangxi and Bashu have never been there?"

"Didn't you say it?"

"This is very wrong." Zhang Xing shook his head in agreement. "Because there are more than a hundred states and counties in the south, many of them are big and rich, and the Hanshui River developed by Lord Baidi is there, and the roads from the east to the west are actually smooth. We went all the way down here to get here. How many days did it take? It’s not Nanling, it’s really far away. But why, as the imperial court’s field patrol team, who is responsible for patrolling places, come so rarely? Compared with it, the northwest border and Yanmen, the roads and environment are obviously more Hard work... As I remember well, the desert on the northwest border and the sea of ​​bitterness to the north of Yanmen are both obstacles brought down by the sinful dragons of the Wu clan in order to protect the Wu clan. There is something wrong in the north, but never in the south?"

"Indeed." Bai Yousi held the wine jar thoughtfully.

"The reason is actually very simple." Zhang Xing stretched out his hand, grabbed the cold and snow-covered railing, and looked at Jiangducheng in front of him and said with emotion. "Geographic barriers and oppression in the Great Wei were too heavy. Although there are reasons for love and reason, it is still too heavy...and not only geographical, but also economic, cultural, and political discrimination caused by regional issues...Southern people It is impossible to establish a foothold in the Eastern Capital. This is not only a problem in the officialdom, nor is it enough to promote a few southerners as ministers and ministers. Correspondingly, the nobles in the Eastern Capital rarely see the South in their eyes. They only regard the South as a conquered As long as the food and cloth are sent there every year, as long as there is no rebellion, I don’t bother to care about it.”

Bai Yousi nodded.

"There is something wrong with the Great Wei Dynasty doing this." Zhang Xing replied with a sigh. "When I was in the Eastern Capital before, I had faintly noticed that the city is like a barrier, and Luo is separated from the north and the south...

"The high-ranking officials and nobles surround the palace, and the key government offices are located in the north of Luoshui; wealthy officials, businessmen, and middle-class families with a little bit of property all settle down on the south bank of Luoshui; The poor poor...

"And what's more frightening is not here. The poor people come to the city to work, but they often stop at Luoshui. The servants of the dignitaries and nobles in the north of Luoshui are better than ordinary people; and the dignitaries and nobles in the north of Luoshui , Daily life and work, there are very few people who have crossed Rouroufang and Nanshi. Nanfangfang is just a name and a number to them...

"This capital clearly tells everyone that the circulation between the top, bottom, left, and inside of this country is particularly poor. The top does not look at the bottom, the north does not look at the south, and the inside does not look at the outside.

"And this principle is the same for the whole country. It is obviously a country, but it doesn't look like a country. The east and west are enmity, and the north and south are hatred. Regardless of the north, south, west, east, the people below are not treated as human beings. Look."

Bai Yousi stared at the other party in a daze, speechless for a while.

Zhang Xing turned to look at the other party: "What do you think of the inspection, am I right?"

"Yes." Bai Yousi said yes, but shook his head. "You opened up something I've been wanting to say... That's it. After I entered the Congealing Core Realm, I often flew around the Eastern Capital City at night. I saw a lot of people and things. I have read all kinds of things, and I always feel that there is something to be said, but no one has explained it to me... Once you say it this way, many things and many people can be matched."

Zhang Xing didn't respond to silence, he just felt that he was still out of control and talked a little too much.

Bai Yousi raised his hand, raised his head and took a sip of the drink, as if to hand it over, but Zhang Xing waved his hand: "It's fine for the inspector to come by himself, I'd better be sober tonight, otherwise I'll talk too much and miss the point, and point out If you say too much, you may lose.”

"So what?" Bai Yousi sneered, pinched the wine jar, and looked around. "I'm done asking, are we leaving? Where are we going?"

"Go to Zhenhuo Temple in the south of the city, the one with the carrot cellar in the backyard." Zhang Xing finally spoke. "When we get to the place, inspect and drink, and I will accompany the inspector to inspect a carrot."

Bai Yousi smiled more and more, but he tied the long sword around his waist, then held the wine jar in one hand, and suddenly reached out to grab Zhang Xing's shoulder with the other, and with just a light leap, he floated down from the city gate tower .

The two landed on the ground, one with long hair fluttering, white clothes better than snow, the other wearing a hat with hands clasped together, walking hurriedly, but heading south of the city.

Compared to Dongdu City, Jiangdu City is of course not big, but neither of them had enough energy to run wildly, instead they had room to speed up a little, and Bai Yousi didn't even fly.

It was not until they arrived at the South City Gate that they borrowed Bai Yousi's cultivation for the second time and floated over gently.

After leaving the city, the outside of the city was already clean and white, except for the great river in the distance like a black belt stretching across the sky and the earth, which made people think, but it was too late to see the scenery. Once the two of them left the city, they followed Zhang Xing's instructions and headed out of the city. The real fire by the river watched away.

The real fire kept burning all night, and it was very easy to distinguish it at night. After the two arrived, they didn't go to watch the fire. Instead, they fell into the vegetable garden in the backyard according to Zhang Xing's instructions.

"Agree beforehand."

Zhang Xing answered in a low voice. "When I leave the vegetable garden, I will definitely clear up the next level of the incident for the inspector... So, before that, please don't lose interest in the inspector."

Speaking of this, Zhang Xing turned around without hesitation and opened the cellar next to the vegetable field, skillfully stole a radish from inside, peeled off the skin, and then turned over and sat on the courtyard wall.

Bai Yousi stood on the wall, watching it amusedly: "I also want to eat a carrot."

Zhang Xing nodded, immediately served Shangguan, turned over again and went down into the cellar, then stole a second radish, and even took the initiative to peel the skin for him.

Bai Yousi took it, and also bent down and sat on the wall, first raised the wine jar, drank a line of wine, then imitated the other party, opened his mouth to a big piece of carrot, but hot tears came out.

Zhang Xing laughed and remained silent.

Bai Yousi regained his strength, and shook his head again: "No, Zhang Xing, you have to steal the radish for me, and I have to reciprocate, wait for me, I just smelled the fragrance..."

As she said that, the female inspector put down the wine jar, then got up and left, and turned back almost in an instant, with a pale yellow wintersweet flower in full bloom in her hand, and then went straight to the other party's mink hat. plug in.

Zhang Xing was stunned for a moment, but he held back and did not move, allowing the other party to insert him.

After inserting it, he just smiled wryly: "I remember Qin Bao had inserted flowers before, is it really a custom?"

"It's a custom in your north." The female inspector smiled. "You still come to ask me."

Zhang Xing kept shaking his head, and drove the wintersweet branch, sweeping the snowflakes.

The sky and the earth are vast, the snowflakes are lightly thrown, the river bank is level, and thousands of miles are lonely. The two sat side by side on the wall. Although they had agreed to talk about some serious topics, for some reason, the two remained silent for a long time, and neither of them was willing to speak first.

After a pause, the two still did not speak. Suddenly, on a house twenty or thirty steps away, a snowflake on the roof suddenly slipped and fell to the ground.

And at this time, there was a baby in the house crying and crying to wake up.

Then, the two could hear clearly that after the baby cried, it was obvious that the female crown was woken up again, and Fu began to coax the baby again: "Don't make trouble, don't make trouble, if you make trouble again, Jinyi Dog will come to catch you."

The two heard it funny, but they were afraid of waking up the female crown completely, so they covered their mouths with radishes together.

After finally waiting for the female crown to fall asleep again, the two who were eating carrots were considered to have regained their clarity.

After a pause for a while, Zhang Xing took the lead and said in a low voice: "Inspector, do you know how many babies are raised in this Zhenhuoguan Nursing Hall?"

Bai Yousi pricked up his ears and closed his eyes for a moment: "27 people big and small."

"Almost." Zhang Xing nodded in agreement. "But this is a loophole...According to the theory, there is no way to collect abandoned babies. If the traitors of the True Fire Cult took the food, they would get enough food. Why did this view only raise 27 babies, not many? How about raising some?"

Bai Yousi hesitated to speak.

"Also, who said tonight that the rebels in the south of the Yangtze River got food and even gave relief to their families...the land of fish and rice in the south of the Yangtze River, why should a bucket of grain be used for relief?" Zhang Xing continued ask. "Not only that, why didn't the rebellion need food, but didn't steal some armor and weapons from the palace? What's even more ridiculous is that several rebellions were suppressed so quickly, and the imperial court had heavy troops stationed in Jiangdu and Xiangyang. How dare the True Fire Sect, which has begun to take the upper-level route and is about to split in the middle, dare to rebel? As for the fact that the stolen food can be distributed to a dozen or twenty counties in a unified way, it is even more ridiculous. The True Fire Sect really has this ability, and it can Ten years of rebellion failed? Or do you think the general managers along the river are fools?"

Bai Yousi didn't say a word, she knew Zhang Xing would give the answer.

"The answer is very simple." Zhang Xing answered seriously. "Inspection, in fact, the shortage of food in Jiangdong is particularly serious...the land of fish and rice does not have much food."

"Impossible." Bai Yousi blurted out. "There are countless grains sent into the Luokou warehouse every year. You say that corruption is corrupt, that corvee disturbs the people, and that the North and the South are divided. I believe it all, but why is there a shortage of food?"

"I don't believe it either." Zhang Xing replied with a sigh. "Anyone who has lived in the Eastern Capital will not believe it... But until I saw an old document, learned how the food in the palace warehouse came from, and followed the clues, I didn't dare not believe it."

"What document, how did you get it?" Bai Yousi asked in a low voice.

"The document is an old document. It is the sage's will when he established the five-accompanying capital system after he ascended the throne and moved the capital. He asked the seven counties near Jiangdu in the Jiangdong area to pay [-]% of the annual autumn grain to the Jiangdu palace on the spot to enrich the local storage... ...Then, in seven or eight years, the storage overflowed, so the transshipment was stopped...That is, in those years, Eunuch Zhao became the governor of the Jiangdu Palace, and he did it now, and another five or six years have passed." Zhang Xing calmly narrated. "What did the inspector think of?"

"This year, several counties in Jiangdu suddenly lost [-]% of the autumn grain. I sent a letter to ask, saying that the rain was delayed, and the transfer was not in time. It will be delivered at the spring time...you go to Jiangdong to remind me." Bai Yousi asked. He repeated it expressionlessly. "You mean, Dugong Zhao is a good man, or a weak man. After he took over, he either took the initiative or was coerced to release the food in the palace, and let the officials of the seven counties take the food away. , used as autumn food for business, and this year the food in the palace was empty, which attracted us to come here...so...but..."

When it came to the end, Bai Yousi was obviously a little unbelievable, but he didn't know where to refute, so that such a smart person actually became incoherent.

"It doesn't matter whether Dugong Zhao is a good person or not. The key is that the numbers are too coincidental, and it also explains why many people in Jiangdu's official circles, including Duke Zhou, have such ambiguous attitudes, and the case is completely clear." Zhang Xing talked eloquently. "But there is still a huge problem, that is why Dugong Zhao and the officials of the seven counties are willing to take such a big risk to do this matter, even if the True Fire Sect is used as a black hand... This goes back to the beginning Because Jiangdong is really short of food, adding [-]% of the autumn food may cause famine, or even large-scale rebellion... In the case of food shortage, entanglement in whether a person is a good person or a bad person, whether it is initiative or coercion , has become too meaningless."

"That's the truth, but I still don't understand why there is a shortage of food?" Bai Yousi was a little out of breath.

In the next room, there were already children crying again, and the female crown was clearly vigilant, but she didn't dare to coax her anymore.

"Please inspector take me to Jiangxin Island." Zhang Xing stood up without saying a word.

Bai Yousi stared at the opponent, didn't touch the wine jar and radish, but grabbed the opponent, leaped in the air, like a streamer of light, drifted towards the river ahead in the snowy night, and flew to the center of the river, where there was a On the huge Jiangxin Island, there are several villages and a market on the island.

"That's over there, the village below, next to the house at the head of the village." Zhang Xing was clearly prepared, but he shook his finger. "There's a tree up ahead."

Bai Yousi was already impatient, so he flew down here like a vigorous crane, dropped his competent subordinate, and then couldn't urge him:
"Don't be a fool, just say it."

Zhang Xing ignored it, but stood under the tree, pointed to an open space in front of the tree, and said seriously again: "This matter is very important, please inspect and measure the size of this land, from this tree to that tree, There are ridges on all sides, so it is easy to measure..."

Bai Yousi glanced at the other party in a daze, but still walked over, used the long sword, like a magic trick, used the true energy in the air to make the long sword roll over and measure quickly, and then gave the answer after only a moment: "I The sword is exactly four feet long, and the land is less than three acres..."

Zhang Xing nodded, and stared at the other party with a smile under the tree:
"Inspector, you have been trying to figure out the root, and this is the root of the root."

"What?" Bai Yousi said gruffly, as if he was avoiding something. "What is the basis?"

"The root of this case is why Jiangdong is short of food?" Zhang Xinglong answered calmly. "Including the root of another question that has troubled the people of the world for many years, that is, why didn't the late emperor become a Jackie Chan? Was it just because he usurped the throne?

Also, for example, why did Yang Shen dare to rebel, and why did he and many people, including smart people like Li Shu, think that he could accomplish things?
Also, why do I, a rural person, always feel that the Great Wei Dynasty is too unharmonious since I entered the Eastern Capital, sometimes it looks like the beginning of a new dynasty, and sometimes it looks like the end of the dynasty?

What's more, why does Xu Dalang, who is so powerful in the east, have to be an enemy of the imperial court?The root of all kinds of problems lies under your feet and sword. "

Bai Yousi was stunned for a long time, then suddenly looked at the snow under her feet, and the next moment, she was dumbfounded by the words in her ears.

"This land of less than three mu was clearly measured in the official book when the first emperor was in power, and it was ten mu." Zhang Xing answered seriously.

"Impossible!" Bai Yousi immediately retorted when he came back to his senses.

"That's not counting. The latter family has five members, three generations of grandparents and grandchildren. As soon as the son became an adult, he was recognized as two households... Calculated according to the poor tax set by the late emperor, his family's harvest, [-]% It’s used to pay taxes. I’ve asked Brother Hu and Qin Erlang about this figure, which is [-]% in the Eastern Territory and Hebei, and [-]% in Guanlong.” Zhang Xing continued. "The reason for this is related to the order in which the late emperors destroyed Dongqi and Southern Chen. After the late emperors destroyed Dongqi and Southern Chen, they each emphasized one thing again and again... that is to ask the local officials of all states and counties to Inspect the land, check the household registration, and no powerful family is allowed to hide anything, if anyone can't do it, the house will be ransacked and beheaded immediately."

"You mean, it was far away, the late emperor was suspicious and couldn't check it, so the persecution was too much, and the officials below could only exaggerate according to his wishes, and finally had to pay taxes several times the actual land, which is too absurd It's already..." Bai Yousi laughed a little angrily. "Why did no loyal minister tell the late emperor?"

"Did the first emperor really not know?" Zhang Xing joked. "This year, the Central Plains suffered from wars. The Xianggong of Nanya blocked the prefectures and counties, but did not provide relief. What kind of skill do you think it is? Where do you think the political tradition came from? And I was in Jing'antai, and I clearly saw that the late emperor, It became more and more harsh, and even formulated the law of stealing a penny from the official storehouse, murdering and ransacking the house with a bucket of grain...so much so that some masters of Chengdan couldn't stand it, stopped the court documents, and asked the first emperor. Since ancient times, there is a court that kills people with a penny ?”

"Why didn't you push back..." Bai Yousi continued to question, but stopped abruptly after only half a sentence.

"Here in Jiangdong, the country was destroyed first, killing people's heads rolling, all the essence was lost, killing Jiangdong without even a master." Zhang Xing shook his head in response. "But even so, there was a huge turmoil in the later years of the first emperor. Otherwise, how could Yang Bin, who has never committed a crime, take the opportunity to have great prestige in the southeast? But Yang Bin just kept his word and marched with restraint. Didn't he kill people? But now In just how many years, there is actually a group of trash from the True Fire Sect under the banner of rebellion, easily gaining the hearts of the people, but they live in harmony with the government? Also, why do Jiangdong people want to be scared like that when they see us?"

Under the snowflakes, Bai Yousi let out a long breath, unable to catch his breath for a long time.

But Zhang Xing clasped his hands together and continued: "Because I'm afraid of being killed, if I kill them all, I don't dare to rebel, otherwise I will die... Inspection, the matter is so simple, what do you want to do?"

PS: Thanks to the new leader Jiang Jiang Defu... This chapter is not easy to divide, so it is late, and to be honest, it may not be there at night, everyone forgive me.

(End of this chapter)