After the autumn harvest, the footsteps of winter seem to be approaching suddenly. The harvest of this year's autumn harvest is gratifying. The granary is full, and even more than a dozen are built. These grains are enough for the people to eat for three years. The land production in Taizhou is not high. Even if you plant sweet potatoes and potatoes, which require the least land, you can't compete elsewhere.
But for the people of Taizhou, the bad news in previous years doesn't seem so bad this year.
They can earn money, and then they can buy food by themselves, and the price of food is not high.
It's not difficult to live without tightening your belt.
Wang Xi is the youngest son of a family in Taizhou. He makes a living by moving goods. When the merchants' caravan arrives, they will find someone to unload the goods locally and move them to their warehouse. Thin, but very strong, others earn more than ten cents a day, but he can earn more than twenty cents.
He supports his parents and raises children. His wife is now working in a sewing bureau, earning more than 300 to 400 yuan a month. With his salary, the family is living well.
Although he was tired, Wang Xi was very happy, and he could only reap the rewards if he worked hard.
This is something I never thought about before.
After moving the goods that day, Wang Xi settled the wages in the hands of the caravan steward. He hid the money in his underwear and patted his flushed cheeks before heading home. Now there are not many households. When I lit oil lamps, I replaced them with candles, which were cheaper and more convenient.
Usually when he goes back at this time, his wife is still lighting a candle, and the sweet potato rice is hot in the pot.
The children would also wait for him with his wife. Although he repeatedly said that there was no need to wait, but when he came home and saw those little faces, he always felt indescribable satisfaction in his heart.
Crossing an alley, Wang Xi took a shortcut home.
This alley is very dark. He has walked this alley so many times that he can't even count it. The alley is very dark. Sometimes the moonlight is brighter. The dark clouds covered him, so he could only walk according to his memory. Fortunately, his memory was always good.
In the dark alley, only one household's candle was lit. Wang Xi sat under the corner of the house, ready to rest for a while before leaving. He was really tired today, so he moved two caravan's Goods, I feel like my hands and feet are not my own anymore.
Just when Wang Xi was about to stand up and continue walking, he suddenly heard someone talking.
"At that time, we should work together inside and out."
"I don't know when the imperial court will send someone here."
"They don't know that now these untouchables are about to climb on the heads of adults. If this goes on, those untouchables will forget what they were originally."
"This so-called Nan Bodhisattva is the person with the most vicious mind."
Wang Xi is very smart. He has been a smart man since he was a child, so he can always find the caravan with the highest salary.
He almost instantly understood what these people were doing.
They want to make Nan Bodhisattva's opponent.
They are going to fight Taizhou.
After realizing this, Wang Xi stood up without making a sound. He had never been so light-hearted in his life. After walking on tiptoes for a while, Wang Xi made a full run, and there was no one on the road at this time. Now, if he hadn't wanted to earn more today, he wouldn't have left work so late.
Wang Xi did not run home, he went directly to the yamen.
The yamen is now on duty all day long.
Wang Xi was terrified. He felt that if he was discovered just now, he would be dead now.
He heard from his co-workers that now the yamen has a protection policy for key objects, he can bring his family into the house of the protected person, and there are soldiers nearby, so he is much safer.
The guard in the concierge saw Wang Xi approaching and asked, "What's the matter with you coming to the yamen so late? Come back tomorrow if it's not a big deal."
Wang Xi hurriedly said, "I have something to do! I have something important! I want to tell the Lord of the Province!"
The guard looked at him and said, "Come in with me. If you have nothing to do but wake up the adults at this time, you will go to prison for a few days."
Wang Xi nodded quickly and followed the guard through the side door.
Jiang Gui got up from the bed in the middle of the night. Since he became a Taizhou province, Jiang Gui felt that his pressure was increasing. When he was a small official, he had never been under such pressure—yes, pressure.
He still remembered what Lin Yuan said to him when he was sent by Lin Yuan to be the province.
He said, "Third brother, treat the people kindly, otherwise I will find any reason to treat you kindly."
"I give you power and wealth, but I want you to reciprocate by being kind to the people."
"Third brother, I hope we will always be brothers, not one day, I can only see you on the guillotine."
Jiang Gui knew that Lin Yuan was not just talking.
He always remembered that he did not dare to slack off one day.
Fortunately, Lin Yuan had taken care of Taizhou long ago, and even if the people below were a little careful, it would not affect the operation of the entire Taizhou.
He put on his clothes, told his wife to go back to sleep, and then walked out of the room.
Wang Xi was fidgeting in the study, he had never been to such a place before, and the nervousness almost suffocated him.
So much so that when Jiang Gui entered the study, all he saw was Wang Xi sitting on the ground without a chair.
"Are you Wang Xi?" Jiang Gui yawned, wanting to settle things early and then go to bed. This man didn't know why, except that he didn't want to talk to anyone, he only said that he had something important, and only told Xingxing. Province.
However, what Wang Xi said next made Jiang Gui sleepless.
His complexion is very poor, black and dripping with water.
Wang Xi said tremblingly: "Sir, can my family apply for protection of important key objects? My family still has..."
Jiang Gui: "Take him to Tongzhi."
Wang Xi was taken down by the servants. He seemed to want to kowtow to Jiang Gui, but he was taken away by the servants before he had time.
He asked people to quickly send news to Lin Yuan.
The mansion that Wang Xi said was surrounded by people overnight.
Fortunately, Wang Xi did not disturb the people in the room. When they arrived, those people were still sleeping in their respective rooms.
A total of five people were arrested. The people sent by Jiang Gui made little movement and did not even disturb the surrounding people. These five people had the same surname and had similar appearances. Their noses were almost carved out of a mold.
After an overnight interrogation, Jiang Gui learned most of the information.
These days, they are all surnamed Ma. The original Taizhou surname has a lot of wealth. He is a very great landlord. There are five streets in Taizhou. Now, the servants are gone, and even the family's big house is gone.
One can imagine how the Ma family should feel.
They always felt that as long as the court came back, they would be able to get back their original things.
So they secretly passed the news to the imperial court. At first, they were ignored. Recently, they finally heard back.
The court sent someone to reply to them!
Ask them to inquire about the positions of all the granaries in Taizhou, as well as when the armory and barracks are at their weakest.
The five brothers of the Ma family secretly contacted the court without the knowledge of their family members.
They feel that by doing so, they will be able to become the hero of the family.
Simple and simple.
Also irredeemably stupid.
When Jiang Gui went to see them, they had already said everything they could say under torture.
Their buttocks were beaten to the point of being bloody, but they didn't kill them. They cried and screamed in prison. All tears were shed, and no more tears could fall.
The Ma family didn't know how the five brothers suddenly disappeared. They had a lot of family members, and they searched around the whole Taizhou, but they still found nothing.
Until some people found their belongings on the road running over the wheels of the wagon outside the city.
The Ma family thought they couldn't stand life now and left Taizhou.
But what the Ma family doesn't know is that they may not have the opportunity to leave Taizhou in the days to come, and people related to them should not even think about leaving the city. They will be placed under house arrest in this city. As for when they can go out. , it depends on their luck.
As for their correspondence with the imperial court, Jiang Gui asked someone to hand it over to Lin Yuan.
"The court will not send troops." Lin Yuan said to Song Shizhao and Wu Changqing with a letter, "Just to see if there is any advantage."
Wu Changqing said strangely: "Cheap?"
Song Shizhao explained: "The court has no extra troops now, and they are the most, that is, let the five fools provide some information that is not beneficial."
Song Shizhao: "How are the five idiots now?"
Lin Yuan: "In the prison, Jiang Gui asked people to watch them. They didn't know who they were in contact with. They only knew that it was from Tongzhou."
Song Shizhao was speechless: "How can people be so stupid?"
Lin Yuan smiled and said, "You ask me, I don't know, the family raised them too naively?"
Song Shizhao: "No wonder the Ma family fell into disrepair so quickly. If they were all such people, they would be no different from pigs waiting to be slaughtered."
Wu Changqing asked, "That Tongzhou..."
Lin Yuan: "Tongzhou don't have to worry, give them ten courage, and they don't dare to call at this time."
Now that Lin Yuan's military strength has increased greatly, as long as Tongzhou knows that the state is not a fool, they will know that when the imperial court does not order to send troops, their own troops will never be enough to confront Lin Yuan head-on, even if it is a sneak attack or a surprise attack.
If they really want to attack, they also need someone who can disrupt the order in Taizhou, such as setting fires and burning granaries, which can make people panic quickly in a short period of time.
After the five fools of the Ma family were arrested, they obviously couldn't find anyone who did this.
What's more, all the grain depots are heavily guarded, and every soldier has to go through an identity check, and anyone with a little doubt can't guard the grain depot.
Lin Yuan: "Since Tongzhou is so interested in us, let's give Tongzhou a big gift."
Wu Changqing and Song Shizhao looked at Lin Yuan.
Lin Yuan smiled and said, "We are rebels."
Song Shizhao understood: "If your lord is relieved, you will ask the lower officials to deal with this matter. It must be done properly without any flaws."
Lin Yuan: "Then go."
Since there are people in Tongzhou coveting Taizhou, he can only take action. He wants to take Tongzhou without any blood, and ask the people of Tongzhou to donate the state himself. Lin Yuan's face is smiling, but his eyes are cold.