It is more than 400 miles from Nanjing to Jiangxi, and it is most convenient to take the Yangtze River waterway.
Only by personally experiencing the situation in the counties along the way could he make a comparison.
The Western thieves have basically been expelled from Jiangxi, and it is still safe to travel from Nanjing to Jiangxi.
Zhang Huangyan prides himself on his proficiency in martial arts and has no worries about his own safety.
However, he still took off his scholar's gown and put on a more convenient short-collared jacket.
In Yingtian Prefecture, where Nanjing is located, because it is adjacent to Nanjing, the people here live reasonably well.
Even farmers who have lost their land can still make a living by selling vegetables, firewood, and giving servants.
That's the good thing about big cities.
As long as you have some strength, you don't have to worry about finding a living job.
On the official roads outside Nanjing, there was a constant flow of cars and horses, and there were many people wearing silk clothes and brocades.
Although there were some people who were looking for food, overall it looked like a peaceful and prosperous time.
Who would have thought that just two or three months ago, a war was about to break out here.
If Shi Kefa and other civil officials refused to compromise and supported Princess Kunxing to supervise the country, I am afraid that the Nanjing area we see now would be a different scene.
And if the King of Qi did not stop the Western thieves, Zhang Xianzhong led hundreds of thousands of troops down the river. , I’m afraid this place is already a hell on earth.
Thinking of this, Zhang Huangyan suddenly shuddered.
This Ming Dynasty is really full of disasters.
Fortunately, the Duke of Qi is here, and fortunately the princes of the court have compromised for the sake of the overall situation, so that the current peaceful situation is achieved.
However, considering the suspicion of King Qi such as Chen Zilong, and the discord between civil and military officials was not a blessing for the country, Zhang Huangyan was a scholar by nature, but he was unwilling to follow blindly.
This was why he decided to inspect Jiangxi.
The Ming Dynasty has fallen into the current situation.
There are too many internal troubles.
It is time for changes.
There is no need to cling to the old situation.
Maybe King Qi can bring another scene to the Ming Dynasty.
Just beyond Yingtian is Taiping Mansion.
Because several wars have not spread here, Taiping Mansion is still peaceful.
There are endless rice fields on both sides of the road, and countless people are harvesting autumn rice in the fields.
At first glance, it looks like a peaceful and peaceful scene, but if you look carefully, you will find that the people working in the fields are already in autumn, but they are wearing thin shorts, many even have bare spines, and there is not much joy on their faces.
More numbness.
After just a few simple inquiries, Zhang Huangyan knew the cause of this scene.
The land belonged to the gentry who were tenant farmers.
Most of the harvested crops had to be handed over to the owner's family.
After paying the imperial grain tax, very little was owned by the farmers.
After a year of hard work, they could not even get enough food and clothing.
This year's harvest is pretty good.
Taiping Mansion is adjacent to the Yangtze River and has many rivers, so irrigation is not a problem.
The harvest is not too bad.
But when the harvest was good, the owner's rent was also high, and the farmers did not get much benefit.
The imperial grain had to be converted into silver, and when the grain was sold to pay the royal grain tax, one had to be exploited again by grain merchants.
As for the fact that most farmers are bare-backed, that is because they are afraid that their clothes will be torn while working.
There are also people wearing fine brocade and silk clothes on the side of the road.
These are the stewards and supervisors sent by the master's family.
Those who work are left with rags and rags and no food to eat, while those who get something for nothing are well clothed and well fed.
This situation has been like this for thousands of years, and it will continue in the future, and it is difficult to change at all.
Politicians try to reduce the burden on these ordinary people as much as possible, so that they can live a better life, have enough food and clothing, and are not in constant danger of their lives.
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This is great good governance.
The closer to Jiangxi, the more desolate the scene Zhang Huangyan saw.
When he arrived in Wuhu, he could see large areas of deserted fields, and there were faint bones on the roadside.
In the great war more than a year ago, the Qing soldiers attacked Wuhu, leaving this place It brought heavy disasters, and a large number of people died in the war, and they have not yet recovered.
Going west after Wuhu, the situation became even more serious.
Zhang Huangyan could even see small groups of refugees fleeing famine.
It was already the autumn harvest season, but these numb-looking refugees were wandering around.
Pushing a wheelbarrow or carrying a load, supporting the elderly and the young.
The direction of their wandering was not to the wealthy imperial capital, but to the upper reaches of the Yangtze River.
At first, Zhang Huangyan was worried that these refugees had something to do with the Western thieves.
However, when these people saw the noble Zhang Huangyan's dress, they only showed disgust in their eyes, but did not do anything else.
Zhang Huangyan took out a piece of dry food from the package and handed it to an old man beside him, "Old man, where are you planning to go?"
Seeing the dry food handed over by Zhang Huangyan, the old man looked much kinder and said, "Where else can we go?
To Jiangxi."
"Isn't it the autumn harvest now?
Why did you leave your hometown and go to Jiangxi?
Is it because the harvest is not good this year?"
"The harvest is not bad, but no matter how much grain you harvest, you won't be able to keep much in your hands.
You will be hungry for at least half the year.
The fields belong to the gentry, and no matter how much grain you harvest, you still have to hand them over. .
I heard that Jiangxi had just gone through a war.
Many people died, and large areas of land were abandoned.
The government there issued a notice that every family, even if they were refugees, would be given twenty acres of good land.
After the harvest, Thirty percent should be paid to the imperial rations, and the rest belongs to oneself.
It happened that the rice in our fields had been harvested, so I thought I might as well sell my property and go to Jiangxi, where I could somehow make a living."
"But Ming Dynasty has a household registration system.
If you leave your hometown privately, the local government will not care about you."
"The official really wishes that poor people like us would leave, so that no one would cause trouble during the lean period.
But the owners don't want to let us leave.
If we leave, there will be no one to cultivate the land for them.
But this is a life without a head.
Who wants to go there?
My legs are long on our bodies.
You can leave if you want and no one can stop you."
The old man got into a good mood and kept talking to Zhang Huangyan.
On the other hand, his son looked at Zhang Huangyan warily and whispered to dissuade his father.
"I'm very afraid.
This place is not far from Jiangxi.
King Qi's army is right there.
Who dares to do anything to us?"
the old man said carelessly.
Even so, Zhang Huangyan could still see a hint of nervousness on his face.
With so many people fleeing into Lin Province, it was impossible for the local gentry and government to fail to respond.
Sure enough, not long after walking again, a large number of gentry's servants and county government officials caught up with them.
At first they were kind enough to persuade the people to go back, but later they resorted to violence when the persuasion failed.
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Suddenly the people were crying and the men were crying.
Their eyes were red and they were ready to fight with the servants.
When Zhang Huangyan tried to persuade him by pretending to be a Juren person, no one among the officers was willing to listen to him, a passing Juren master.
Just when things were getting into trouble, a group of elite soldiers armed with knives and guns suddenly ran from the west.
The two sides immediately stopped fighting.
The people's faces showed joy as if they had been rescued, but the officers remained silent.
It was the officers and soldiers from Jiangxi who arrived
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