Those running in front saw that the road ahead was blocked, stopped, and looked back to see that the pursuers were approaching.

Many people simply rushed into the fields on both sides.

There are wheat fields and rice fields nearby.

The wheat in mid-May was obviously plump and even golden in some places, and farmers could be seen harvesting in the fields.

It seems that the lean season will be over in another half month.

Judging by the time point, by this time, various northern officials should have already begun preparations to collect summer taxes.

By June, all state and county officials will take action.

Rice in the south has to wait until autumn.

This is the origin of the ancient summer tax and autumn tax.

Zhao Ning found it strange that the group of people ran away in a panic, as if they were being chased by wild beasts.

The person chasing behind shouted: "Stop! Don't run!"

Those who stood in the middle of the road at a loss were caught up by those behind them and quickly surrounded them.

Some people rushed into the field, pushed those who tried to escape into the paddy field, and dragged them back by force.

"Run! Run again!" A strong man kicked a runaway away and said viciously, "If you run again, I'll break your legs!"

Others were arrested one after another.

"Li Dalang, look over there, someone is coming." A fat man with a tanned face said in the ear of the strong man.

"I saw it, you guys need to count the people first," Li Sui said.

Zhao Ning came over with someone.

Although the two thousand cavalry did not appear to be wearing armor, no one dared to ignore such a scale.

Moreover, with the field strength of the Central Guards Brigade, two thousand cavalry can come and go like the wind on the Jianghan Plain, and no one dares to do so.

If he really took action, he could push them from Jinghu North Road to Jinghu South Road, and blood would flow like a river.

Zhao Ning was riding a horse, the dust was flying, and the sound of the horse's hooves was like thunder, which was shocking.

Everyone stood there, feeling a little worried.

After getting closer, Zhao Ning glanced around and asked: "What's going on?

Li Sui came out and said, "I wonder where Shangguan came from?"

Zhao Ning did not answer directly, but asked: "I ask you what is going on and why are these people arrested?"

Li Sui replied: "These people broke the law by escaping from their husband's servitude. We were ordered to take these people back!"

One of the arrested people said: "I am a fifth-class rural household and do not need to perform husband's service!"

"There is no such thing!"

Another person said: "I have paid the money, I have paid the exemption money!"

Li Sui said: "Now the fortifications are tight, and everyone must do corvee service!"

"But who will plant our fields? Our family is clearing up wasteland..."

"We don't care about this!" Li Sui said coldly.

After hearing this, Zhao Ning roughly understood.

This incident involves the corvee system of the Song Dynasty.

Corvee was a thing that existed in ancient times.

As the name suggests, ordinary people work for the government for free, such as opening water conservancy projects, transporting taxes and grain, etc.

However, by the Song Dynasty, the corvee system had undergone great changes.

The Fang system in the Tang Dynasty was abolished in the early Song Dynasty, and sales offices developed in the city, giving rise to Fangguo households and rural households.

The total amount of fields increased greatly, grain production increased greatly, technical productivity increased greatly, the number of water canals increased greatly, and commerce became unprecedentedly prosperous.

The handicraft industry also prospered.

At this time, if all the people continue to perform corvee labor as in the past, it will affect handicrafts and commerce.

Seventy to eighty percent of the Song Dynasty's treasury revenue was commercial income. If handicrafts and commerce were affected, the court's treasury revenue would be affected.

Moreover, there was a special group in the Song Dynasty: the Xiang Army.

Looking at the history of the Song Dynasty, we will find that the Xiang army ran through the two Song Dynasties, and the number increased year by year.

During the Shenzong era, the total number of Xiang troops was as high as 300,000.

The Xiang Army was originally the regular army of various vassal and town forces in ancient times.

After the founding of the Song Dynasty, in order to weaken local forces, elites were selected from the Xiang army in the original vassal towns to join the Forbidden Army.

However, the Xiang Army has always been retained, and the Xiang Army gradually turned into a logistics army.

The administrative divisions of the Song Dynasty included roads, prefectures, and counties, but there was also an administrative unit called "the army."

For example, Fafu City, where Yue Fei is now, belongs to the Yongjing Army.

These armies, as the name suggests, are stationed with military units and belong to military regions.

This place is the Jingmen Army on Jinghu North Road, and it is also a military area where the Xiang Army is stationed.

As we all know, the Song Dynasty has been in financial difficulties, so why not eliminate the Xiang army?

Because the Xiang army took on a large part of the corvee work that the common people had to do in the past, and it was mainly forced labor.

Therefore, in the Song Dynasty, Liyou was replaced by Xiangjun.

However, plans cannot keep up with changes.

The Xiang army could not completely fill the labor force. For example, due to the Yellow River disaster, a large number of people had to be recruited for corvee service every year.

As a result, farming and handicrafts will be seriously affected.

Therefore, Wang Anshi introduced the recruitment law.

The content of the corvee law is very simple: You want to farm now, right? You want to weave now, right? Yes, you don’t have to do corvee, just pay some money. You continue to work on your work, and I will use the money you paid to hire those who

People who are so idle go to work.

From a 21st century perspective, this is called division of labor, but it's just a little rough.

Wang Anshi's Recruitment Law stipulates that those with a rural household below the sixth grade do not have to serve, and those with a rural household below the fourth grade do not have to serve.

If someone who is supposed to serve does not want to serve, you can pay the government to hire him.

The Recruitment Law was later abolished by Sima Guang. The reason for the abolition was: Putting aside the facts and logic, it was introduced by the treacherous minister Wang Anshi, so it must be abolished.

But later, Cai Jing fully recovered, but the new law had changed.

Zhao Ning asked Li Sui: "What is your organization?"

Li Sui said proudly: "I am the commander of the Jingmen Army."

The lowest-ranking officer in the Xiang army is Dutou, also known as the centurion.

The commander was in charge of five hundred people.

The Jingmen Army has a total of 3,000 people, and the highest-ranking officer is Du Yuhou.

"Just now he said that he is a fifth-class rural household. I remember that the fifth-class rural household does not have to serve." Zhao Ning said, "And he, after paying the money, does not have to serve, right?"

When Zhao Ning said this, those who were arrested immediately said: "I am a fifth-class householder!"

"I paid the money!"

"We are currently clearing up wasteland and cannot serve at all."

Everyone asked Zhao Ning for help.

"Sir, this is stipulated by the commander of the Jingmen Army. It's not up to us. Besides, you are not an official in the Jingmen Military Area, so you cannot ask about this matter."

Zhao Ning whipped his whip and hit the ground in front of Li Sui, causing dust to fly.

Li Sui was so frightened that he took several steps back.

People around him immediately took out their weapons.

As soon as they took out their weapons, the Imperial Guards took out their crossbows one after another, as if on conditioned reflex.

Li Sui and others looked shocked when they saw that these people not only rode horses but also had crossbows.
Chapter completed!