open sea

Chapter 42
What Chen Mu thought was that the mine owners and miners were at a disadvantage. If the mine could not be opened, they would be retaliated against in the future. I am afraid that the only thing left for them is to leave their homes and leave their hometowns.But he has no other way. In this era, miners imprisoned officials and clashed with the army, which is already a civil uprising.

As for civil uprisings, in the eyes of the vast majority of officials in this era, they should be suppressed.

Anyone can suppress it, except Chen Mu.

"no!"

"impossible!"

Zhu Xiang and Zhang Yongshou subconsciously rejected Chen Mu's proposal at the same time, but then they looked around, Zhang Yongshou softened first, gave Chen Mu a hard look and said, "But for now, this is the only way to go."

He's not as stupid as that tax collector.

Zhang Yongshou still understands the truth that the situation is stronger than people.

Zhu Xiang's reaction was interesting, he actually laughed when he saw Chen Mu, and then asked the mountain owner Yang Fan angrily: "How much money did this official take from you?"

Yang Fan was the one who was looking forward to a turnaround the most. The appearance of Chen Mu pulled him back from the cliff, which was already on the verge of collapse. At this time, he heard Ambassador Ku's question and quickly replied: "Twenty or so."

Chen Mu clicked his tongue secretly. He didn’t just say that the tax collector extorted a few taels of silver, but now it’s more than 20 taels. Because of such an iron ticket of ten taels, Yang Fan can actually make the tax collector blackmail more than 20 taels intermittently... he If you open a mine here for a year and go to the miners to hire money, can you earn more than 20 taels?

Pooh!
If he can earn more than 20 taels, how can he be forced to a dead end?
Zhu Xiang turned her head and wanted to lift the tax collector's collar, but in the middle of the movement, she seemed unwilling to get her hands dirty, leaned over and said disgustedly: "Zhu's lack of discipline made you do such a dirty thing, and all the money was spit out. Hand over the words of the General Banner to Zhang Baihu to relieve the Banner Army, and hand over the ten-year handover to the government, if you can't hand it over, go to jail!"

"The matter of 20 taels of silver." Zhu Xiang was angry and annoyed, kicked the tax collector's buttocks and cursed: "Don't you feel ashamed, get up and get out!"

Without even looking at the tax collector and Yang Fan, Zhu Xiang bowed his hands to Zhang Yongshou and Chen Mugong, and said: "I will report today's matter to Fantai truthfully, so Zhu will go out first."

Zhu Xiang left first, and the miners saw that he didn't pursue the matter, and all cheered to make way. At this moment, it seemed that they had forgotten the wounded workers who were still lying on the ground and the victims who had fought with the banner army before.

Zhang Yongshou saw that Zhu Xiang was not blocked, so he didn't say anything, and said to Chen Mu with a smirk, "Chen Zongqi, Zhang will also report the matter to the commander, so you can do it yourself."

Chen Mu grinned and showed his white teeth. He lowered his head and patted the floating soil that he found while walking through the forest. He clasped his fists to the grateful miners around him and said, "Since it's over, Mr. Chen is leaving too. You should leave earlier, so as not to have long nights and dreams." .By the way——I am Chen Mu, General Banner of Qianhu Institute in Qingcheng. You are all in good shape. Now that the mine has been destroyed, if you have difficulties in making a living in the future, you can join me at the Anyuan Station. I still have food and clothing, so I bid farewell."

Yang Fan and the others bowed down to Chen Mu repeatedly. He was very satisfied to be surrounded and walked out of the crowd, but he was more lamented that the world was difficult.

In his opinion, the civil uprising was not provoked, and the soldiers were given pensions. However, the two people who should be most grateful to him were not grateful, but the angry miner was grateful to Dade.What kind of world is this, and what kind of values ​​are the values ​​of this world?

With a little effort, Zhang Yongshou called the Banner Army hiding on the mountain to help each other down. Chen Mu knew that this kid must hate him, so he didn't ask for trouble to talk to him. How could Zhang Yongshou go away by himself? Going forward, he put on another smiling face and cupped his hands and said, "Chen Xiaoqi is so majestic, he can achieve what he wants without a single soldier."

As he said that, Zhang Yongshou pointed to the flag army formed on the hillside, and asked with a smile: "I have heard Jingchen say that Chen Erlang is good at training soldiers, no wonder he has made great achievements in fighting against invaders; they are all from the same military household. It’s different under the banner, you and I are old acquaintances, I don’t know if I can teach you a thing or two, and Zhang can also ask for self-protection when the battle comes.”

Chen Mu had known for a long time that Zhang Yongshou was a tiger with a smiling face, and he was very wary of him, so he didn't want to make friends with him again.But now that Zhang Yongshou opened his mouth, Chen Mu simply stopped, and asked Zhang Yongshou with a smile: "Brother Zhang doesn't like the ten taels of silver?"

He is not short of money, and looks down on the ten taels of silver. Naturally, he will not be grateful to Chen Mu, let alone forgive Chen Mu for calling him down to put him in danger, but Zhang Yongshou also does not understand that Chen Mu said ten taels at this time. What is the silver for.

"What does this have to do with training?"

"It's not for Zhang Baihu, it's for the dead and wounded bannermen." Chen Mu raised his eyes and looked at the miserable military households behind Zhang Yongshou who were supporting each other, and said with a smile: "Chen has no family background, he only knows how to practice Queue, teach the flag army to be proficient, how do you know how to train soldiers. But brother Zhang, you always feed them grass, and you want them to fight for you like wolves when you start a war. How is this possible? You eat grass, go up Once you get out of the battlefield, you can only run faster than you like a horse, and you can't even catch up!"

After finishing speaking, Chen Mu didn't stay any longer, walked up to the hillside with the handle of the knife and waved to his subordinates, very proudly, "Let's go back to Anyuan Station—Emissary Zhu Ku hasn't left yet?"

Chen Mu saw that the Chief Treasurer Zhu Xiang, who was wearing a peach-colored robe, hadn't left yet, and was standing with Shao Tingda with his hands behind his back. When he saw Chen Mu approaching, he got on his horse and turned his head to point at the tax collector who was escorted by two flag soldiers. Said: "This idiot just wanted to escape, thanks to Chen Zongqi's subordinates, they took him down. The way back is one way, why not go the same way, Chen Zongqi?"

What could Chen Mu say, took the reins from Wei Balang, got on his horse, reached forward and said to Zhu Xiang, "Please!"

After walking a few steps, Zhu Xiang asked Chen Mu: "Chen Zongqi, just now I have something that I don't understand, and I hope to clarify it. Why did Zhang Baihu bring troops here, and the miners fought bloody with them? The miners are willing to give up their hands, and there are dozens of deaths and injuries, but in the end they only end up with 20 taels, why is this?"

Chen Mu, who was walking along the horse, was taken aback for a moment, and almost blurted out 'Zhang Baihu is stupid', but he held back in the end.

After deliberating for a moment, Chen Mu smiled at Zhu Xiang: "Zhang Baihu is a miner to change the people, and he should be crusaded; Chen is a miner as a miner, so they live in peace. The people can't eat enough and are bullied by the officials, but they can still protect the court. Fearing and loyal, how can Chen insist on forcing them against him?"

Chen Mu just said casually, but Zhu Xiang didn't know what he was thinking, and he was silent for a long time before he said quietly: "Chen Zongqi has insight, Li Wenbiao in Guangdong, Li Zhen and his son rebelled last year, Xie Yunzhang in Jiangxi, and Lai Qinggui in Xiali rebelled; The miners' uprising in Zhejiang and Jiangxi the year before last, and Cai Boguan in Sichuan's establishment of the White Lotus Sect are all due to your words!"

Note: Zhu Xiang is a tax official, don't think too much because of his surname.

During the Jiajing period of the Ming Dynasty, there are well-documented civil unrest and mutinies, and there were four or fifty cases of great momentum in 45 years. Because the Ming Dynasty’s finances were beyond its means at this time, and its expenditure was more than twice its income, it continued to increase the apportionment of taxes to the south. Civil unrest and mutiny continued.In the civil unrest, the subjects participating in the rebellion were farmers, salt disciples, and miners, representing the increasingly heavy land tax, salt tax, and mining tax respectively.

But now is not the time when taxes are the heaviest. It is generally believed that the increase in mining taxes began when Emperor Wanli sent middle officials to serve as tax supervisors.

(End of this chapter)