People in Datang, start with a golden hoe

Since the turn of spring and summer, students from the government schools have had a particularly difficult time going to school.

"Ah? Zheng Chongtian is on duty again today. It's over, it's over!"

As soon as the list of doctors on duty in the school was posted today, the students complained one after another.Zheng "Chongtian" was a nickname given to Zheng Yisong by his students.He held classes, taught scriptures, and whipped his disciples into the classroom, but mixed with a lot of angry words.Often after half a day, I didn't teach much about the classics, but instead said a lot of deviant things to the students.

So the students gave him this nickname, which means "full of resentment."

"Clang-clang-clang-"

The bell of the government school rang, and the students who were gathered outside just now were like rabbits frightened by hunters, running towards their respective schools with their heads shrunk.

Zheng "Chongtian" explained the meaning of "Mencius" as usual.While everyone in the hall was surprised and wondering why Dr. Zheng had not said a word of gossip today, they heard the voices in the hall suddenly stop.

The student looked up and saw tears the size of soybeans rolling down his face.

"Dr. Zheng, something happened at home?"

"Everyone, I feel bitter in my heart." Zheng Yisong felt really bitter in his heart.

The day before yesterday, Cai Xiaolan came to him and told him about this matter, asking him to speak out for the poor people.He thought about it all night and looked for his classmates and friends, but he couldn't find anyone who could clear the trade pass in Yangzhou City.

I have been holding back for a day at home and giving lectures today. My heart is blocked and my breath is not smooth.The more I talk about it, the more I feel that the so-called sages’ books are meaningless.

No matter how well you learn, it is no different from the world.When he thought about the fact that the officialdom was filled with corruption and corruption by some corrupt officials, he couldn't help but feel sad and burst into tears.

"Do you have any clothes to keep out the cold at home? Do you have clothes to cover your body?"

Everyone nodded.

"What material is it made of? How much does it cost?" Zheng Yisong mentioned a student in the middle.

"The fur used to keep out the cold is the fox fur that my father brought back from the north. It is soft and very warm. Most of it is made by Xiulou for daily wear. As for how much it is worth? The student doesn't know." The answer of the handsome boy with jade on his waist, "Unpretentious"!
The crowd immediately became noisy.

"Of course Shen Bancheng's clothes are priceless."

The person who answered the question happened to be the third son of the Shen family.

"Do you know what poor people use to keep out the cold? What do they rely on to protect themselves from the cold?" Zheng Yisong continued to ask.

Everyone focused their attention on the corner of the school. The person sitting there lived in the suburbs of the city and was the poorest.

"The clothes the students wear are made by my mother. There are dozens of acres of mulberry fields behind the house, where they raise silkworms, reel the silk, and collect the silk into cloth. All it costs is some labor." In this life, he is not ashamed of his family poverty at all, and his answers are generous and unique. tolerance.

However, if a family has good land, how can they be so poor?How many people can go to a private school, but their family background is really poor?

"Shen Dongyue and Wang Hanyun, please take a seat. Does anyone know how much an ordinary piece of silk fabric costs on the market?"

Someone said, "Dr. Zheng, I know. Five hundred dollars for a piece of silk cloth." "How many people in Yangzhou City can afford five hundred dollars to buy silk cloth for making clothes? Most people avoid it. The most common things are hemp and kudzu." Zheng Yisong popularized common sense of life among the young masters.

"Dr. Zheng, we know. All the servants at home wear this. But what does this have to do with lecturing? We study hard and gain fame. There are thousands of bells in the book, and there are silks and satins in the book." Qi Ancai said rudely interrupted Zheng Yisong.

"What Qi Xianggong said is reasonable, but what I said has nothing to do with the class. I am too humble. Only today do I know that there is another thing in the world that can keep out the cold, called cotton. The cloth weaved is better than silk. It’s not much different, and the cost is only one-tenth. And cotton is easy to grow, and the yield is dozens or hundreds of times that of silk.” Zheng Yisong said this with great pain.

The people may not be suffering, but because of the malicious obstruction from the upper levels, their living standards have always been at the basic level of "living".

Qi An was humiliated and frowned. After thinking for a moment, he had an idea in his mind.Just listen to him continue: "I have never heard of this thing, but since Dr. Zheng said it exists, I believe that it does exist in the world. However, the emergence of new things must have a process."

He turned from sorrow to smile, and seemed to have a thousand words to say.

"I looked through the classics, and it was recorded in the Han and Wei dynasties." Zheng Yisong protested loudly.

"Then why?" Qi Ancai was confused for a moment, "I know, there must be something wrong with the cotton -"

"Wrong, wrong!" Zheng Yisong lamented twice before calming down, "They are Zhu Sheng's family members and powerful people in the city. They control the trade routes and set up barriers to strictly prohibit cotton from Lingnan Road from entering the Central Plains area. "

"Ah?" Everyone in the audience was shocked.Everyone believes in Dr. Zheng's character and has no doubt that he is telling the truth.

"Well, as far as I know, dozens of carts of cotton are blocked at the pass from Lingnan Road to Yangzhou Prefecture. You will know when you ask." Zheng Yisong said with certainty.

The class has reached this point and there is no need to continue.The good-natured ones among the students rode their fast horses after school and went to the pass to check it out in person.

After waiting for two days, the results finally came.Sure enough, dozens of carts of cotton were detained at the pass.And Shen Dongyue also used the money offensive to get a ball of cotton and brought it to the school.

“This thing is really warm!”

One by one, the students poked their palms into the cotton balls and felt the warmth inside.For a moment, everyone became confused.The books of sages all say "putting the people first", but in reality, meat eaters take pleasure in fooling the people.

It was obviously not Xiu Mu, but Dr. Zheng's students all skipped class in the afternoon and gathered around his home, shouting "Doctor teach me"!
Zheng Yisong was forced to have no choice but to run to the government office with a group of indignant students.The group of people shouted vigorously and chanted loudly, almost shocking Governor Lu who was sitting high in the hall and fell to the ground.

And when he heard the whole story, he couldn't laugh or cry. They were really a bunch of official seedlings who were worried about the country and the people.

"Please be patient, I am about to break this convention. A few days ago, I have built two workshops on the outskirts of the city, specializing in the production of cotton cloth. As for the cotton imports that you said were blocked, I will do it now. Let me solve it." Governor Lu immediately decided.After the public opinion incident became serious, it had a great impact on political performance.

He was actually grateful to Qicai Xiaolan.If it weren't for her workshop, I really wouldn't know how to answer the questions of the students in the official school.

The largest official in Yangzhou Prefecture issued an order, and the pass was immediately cleared.Dozens of carts of cotton were sent along the official road, and each cart was delivered to Tianfu Jucai Residence.

The owner of the largest silk and satin shop in the city did not need anyone to organize it, and every family got together.With one word from you and one word from me, we can sort out the whole story clearly.

"I broke the rules for a few students. If I don't accept it, they will sue, and so will we!"

A group of people marched toward the government office.