Liu Xin said in his heart, I didn’t have the time to investigate a dude, and I didn’t listen to what my wife said. If it wasn’t for my wife’s pressure, who would take care of your housework, he said, "This is a long story. It was all because my wife regarded Ling Ai as a good sister and cared for her, which made me send someone to investigate."
At this moment, Cai Yan also returned from the garden. Seeing her daughter's embarrassed appearance, Cai Yong asked in surprise: "Yan'er, what's the matter with you?"
Cai Yan first glanced at Liu Xin next to him, before hesitatingly said: "Father, I accidentally fell in the garden. Fortunately, it didn't hurt much."
Cai Yong had already noticed that her daughter's expression was different, and Liu Xin on the side looked like he wanted to say something. He believed in his own judgment, but it was not easy for him to attack on the spot. He had to say to Liu Xin, "Lord, please come back first. Well, let me think about what I just said."
He gave the order to evict the guests, and Liu Xin couldn't stay here anymore, so he had to leave in shock.
When Liu Xin left, Cai Yong asked his daughter again: "Yan'er, you are honest with your father, what happened just now? Did you meet Master Liu?"
Cai Yan didn't expect that his father could even guess this, and his expression suddenly became flustered and said: "It's really nothing, it's just a fall. What does it have to do with Master Liu."
Cai Yong sneered and said, "Hmph, it doesn't matter. Do you know what happened to Master Liu who came to me just now?"
Cai Yan said strangely: "What did he do with you, how do I know."
Cai Yong's voice immediately rose octaves high, and shouted at Cai Yan: "Will you not know? He came to me to have something to do with you, and he told me to retire from the guardian of the Wei family! Huh, there is no door!"
Cai Yan didn't expect Liu Xin to leave in a hurry to talk to his father about resigning. He couldn't help but mixed feelings. After hearing Cai Yong talk about not allowing resignation, he became anxious and cried: "Father, my daughter really doesn't want to marry Wei Zhongdao. ."
Madam Cai heard the quarrel in the front hall behind and rushed out. She knew what Bian Yu had said, so she naturally stood by Cai Yan's side, and persuaded Cai Yong to say, "Master, you calm down first. Ours. My daughter is still young, so should she worry about not being able to marry her with such an appearance? Don't marry if you don't want to marry Wei's family.
Cai Yong turned around and yelled at his wife: "It's all you are used to! Look at what she looks like now. I didn't know what she was doing in the garden with Liu Xin just now. When something happens, you regret it. It's too late!" He was angry, and even Liu Xin's name was called out, no matter how Cai Yan felt.
Cai Yan stomped anxiously: "Father, what are you talking about? People just happened to meet Master Liu in the garden and said a few words."
When Cai Yong heard this, he really confirmed his guess. The two met in the garden and became even more furious: "A few words? Will a few words make him like this? How about he Liu Xin is a state shepherd? , Can I use it for my daughter?"
Cai Yan was ashamed and anxious, and said in a crying voice: "Father, I really fell and fell. It has nothing to do with Master Liu. If you don't believe it, I will die for you to see if you don't believe it."
Madam Cai panicked, hugged her daughter quickly, and said to Cai Yong: "Master, don't you say that will ruin Yan'er's reputation, and I don't think Master Liu is like that."
Cai Yong waved his hand to Cai Yan and said, "Okay, okay, don't say it. Don't go in and change clothes soon, and you are not allowed to leave this courtyard in the future!"
Liu Xin's mission this time ended in failure, and Cai Yan was placed under house arrest and deprived of the qualification to play in the garden. However, Liu Xin quickly forgot about this incident and only regarded it as an episode in the hot summer because he had too much to do.
Although Liu Xin’s subordinates have accumulated a number of civil and military talents, Liu Xin has introduced a lot of modern knowledge in both army building and urban construction. Many systems have undergone major changes from those in the Han Dynasty. At a loss as to what to do, Liu Xin needs to explain further for them. In fact, Liu Xin himself only knows a little about this knowledge. He is not too clear about what to do. As for whether he can adapt to this society, he doesn't even know. His coping method can only cross the river by touching the stones. Explore slowly.
For example, in the research institute, papermaking has made considerable progress, and Kong Wen has also received Liu Xin's award, which can be said to be a fame and fortune. Although some of the other skilled craftsmen who were called into the courtyard were very eager and geared up one by one, they also hoped to make some innovative inventions that would be appreciated by Liu Xin, but they didn’t know where to start. This required Liu Xin to point them out. direction.
Liu Xin's first thought was naturally to benefit the military. After repeated thinking, Liu Xin made a few suggestions to the craftsmen.
The first one is to try to improve the quality of the iron. Liu Xin knows that iron is actually a kind of steel. At this time, the quality of steel is not satisfactory. Liu Xin doesn't know how to make steel, but he mentioned this as the first one. He believes in the wisdom of the Han people. Ingenuity, one day it will produce satisfactory steel.
The second is the idea of making compound bows. Crossbows are the most powerful long-range weapons of this era, and they play a vital role in combat. Liu Xin once watched a short film about the manufacture of composite bows, and vaguely remembers some general content, but how to make bows with better range, higher precision, and greater power depends on the efforts of these craftsmen. Up.
The third one is relatively simple, then the stirrups. At this time, the cavalry had not used the stirrups. For Jingzhou soldiers, who were mainly farmers, it took considerable effort to train a qualified cavalry. With the stirrups, the horses can be more easily controlled. The horses and the horses are connected together. The hands of the cavalry can be freed. They can easily ride and shoot on the back of a galloping horse to complete the military action of slashing left and right. The training period will also be greatly shortened.
In addition to vigorously developing these military items, Liu Xin also made suggestions for the research of some civilian items. For example, with the successful mass production of Xiangzhi, a new stationery such as paperweight can be born, and the folding fan made of paper will inevitably become a favorite item of literati. Liu Xin even began to imagine that in the future, Zhuge Liang would no longer hold a feather fan in his hand, but a folding fan, and the feather fan towel would never appear. As for the tables and chairs he had made by carpenters when he was in Hejian, they are more practical in a humid southern area like Jingzhou.
In order to improve the enthusiasm of the soldiers in training, Liu Xin also introduced the concept of military rank, dividing the ranks of soldiers into six ranks: private, superior, corporal, sergeant, sergeant, and sergeant major. The higher the rank, the more military pay.
In order to strengthen the control of the counties, Liu Xin also adopted Ma Yun's opinions and further strengthened the management of household registration. In the past, many maidservants and servants of large gentry families did not register their household registration. Now Liu Xin is compulsory to require all those who marry, give birth, pass away, and buy or sell people, to go to the local government for change registration in a timely manner, and they will be subject to corresponding changes if they are overdue. Penalty.
With so many things going on at the same time, the money needed is not a small amount. Although there were more than 6 billion property seized from the Yellow Turban when Nanyang was recovered, Liu Xin still felt a little strenuous, and he used his taxation brains.
Regarding taxation, Liu Xin discovered a very strange phenomenon. Taxes in the Han Dynasty were actually not high. It used to be only 30 taxes per one, but now it has been increased to 15 taxes per one, but even less than 10%, but the people are still very poor and life is extremely difficult.
After several understandings, Liu Xin finally discovered the mystery. That is, a large number of land was annexed by gentry landlords, and the peasants were forced to depend on these gentry landlords, and these gentry landlords all held positions in the ruling and opposition parties, and they had absolute right to speak. The policy they formulated was low tax rate and high rent. Most of the farmers’ harvest was handed over to the gentry landlords, and what they had left was pitiful. It was very difficult for adults to support their families. Sell yourself as a slave. This is also the main reason why Zhang Jiao can respond in various places.
Liu Xin resolutely carried out reforms, imposing a new rate of rent and tax. The maximum land rent allowed was only 45%, the tax rate was 10%, and the poll tax and household tax were no longer levied. This policy greatly harmed the interests of the gentry and landlords, and gradually many voices of opposition came out. But Liu Xin was unmoved. He knew that now is the best time to implement the new policy in Jingzhou.
In the four counties of Jingxiang under Liu Xin’s control, the gentry and landlords of Nanyang and Nanxiang have existed in name only, and the land is basically controlled in Liu Xin’s hands. The implementation of this policy is still beneficial to the majority of farmers, and they have hardly been affected. resistance.
In Xiangyang County, the former four major families, the Chen family, have been confiscated, and the land has fallen into Liu Xin's hands. The Kuai and Cai families have taken the initiative to seek refuge in Liu Xin, so it is natural inconvenience to come forward to oppose it. The Wang family is mainly engaged in business, and the reduction of land rent has almost no effect on them. On the contrary, if the people have more money, their business will be better, so they support Liu Xin's reform. The other small families and small landlords all looked at the faces of these three families and did not dare to make any storms.
The only resistance is Changsha County. There are Su and Song families in Changsha, and they control more than 80% of the county's land, and they have suffered the most. Surprisingly, the two families accepted the facts calmly and did not make trouble. Many small families gathered to attack the county office. They were immediately suppressed by Tian Feng and Xu Chu. They killed many people and copied many houses before they swept the storm down.
Liu Xin knew that Cao Cao severely suppressed the gentry during the Three Kingdoms period. Later, the Sima family used the gentry's resentment against the Cao gentry and relied on the power of these gentry to usurp power. Liu Xin will not tolerate such things happening, so his attitude towards the gentry is more determined than Cao Cao. For the gentry who dare to rise, Liu Xin's policy is not to suppress, but to directly kill!
Seeing that his policy was enforced forcibly, Liu Xin finally breathed a sigh of relief, and then he was in the mood to sit down and listen to Jushou's report.
Jushou has spent a lot of energy during this period of time to build up the framework of the espionage organization. After a period of piloting, it has begun to operate officially. He said to Liu Xin: "Lord, I named this secret spy named Fengying. What do you think, lord?"
Liu Xin was very curious and asked, "Why did you choose this name?"
Jushou said solemnly: "The wind is tasteless and invisible, but pervasive, but the shadow is visible and intangible. It fits the characteristics of the spy, so it was named Fengying."
Liu Xin groaned: "There is some truth to it, but the name is not very loud. Whether it is wind or influence, the meaning is the same, I think it needs to be changed.