The autumn wind in Chang'an looks very refreshing after drinking, but this is only true for the men holding wine jugs. In Longxi, especially for those who are serving, the autumn wind seems extremely bleak.
The corvee service in the Han Dynasty will not be carried out in the autumn, which is to avoid delaying the farming and sericulture, but there are exceptions. Prisoners, son-in-law, and merchants are not subject to this restriction. Wudu is in the earthquake, and most roads are subject to devastating blows, and the temple needs it.
It was maintained in time, and these people who were in labor service almost all year round were naturally summoned to Longxi again.
Those prisoners were used to it. After being sentenced, their lives would be spent in this endless labor service. Some were sentenced to three or four years. This was a little better, and some simply served labor service for life.
Although the dynasty law weakened corporal punishment and reduced corvee labor, it was still in line with the Qin Dynasty in terms of exploiting prisoners.
It is hard not to doubt that the main reason why the Han Dynasty abolished corporal punishment was that the infrastructure was not enough. Prisoners with sound limbs were naturally better used than disabled prisoners.
On a road from Wudu to Longxi, rocks and cross-woods were piled up on the road. The tracks originally laid also broke and collapsed. Tens of thousands of people were repairing them here. They cleared the debris on the road and moved them away.
Severe wooden tracks, then re-lay.
Some officials rode horses and shuttled back and forth around them. In the distance, soldiers gathered together, holding powerful crossbows and stared at them.
Several civilians struggled to pick up the big rock. As they shouted, the stone was constantly being turned around by them and gradually moved away from the road. These were different from the prisoners with shackles not far away. Most of them were
They are merchants and son-in-law.
Although the opening of the business has relaxed many restrictions on merchants, the priority corvee service has not changed. After all, they do not need to go farming in the autumn. When the road is seriously damaged, Lu Qing directly summoned the merchants to start construction, and the merchants also
I dare not say anything more.
When they were exhausted and fell to the stone, a soldier came with a wooden barrel. This was their meal. Everyone gathered to eat, which was much better than in the past. After all, they used to be without any care.
"Mai Rice. It's Mai Rice again, why is it all Mai Rice every day?!"
A merchant complained in a bitter face and said in a low voice, and he knew at a glance that this merchant must be a very rich man and was not used to eating this kind of meal.
Several merchants around him couldn't help but complain. Among these people, there was a boy who said he was a boy, but he looked like a vicissitudes and even had a stubborn skin due to long-term exposure to the sun and baptism of wind and rain.
, but turned dark and rough. Although he was young, he looked like the most mature volunteers among these people.
He ate wheat rice voraciously, eating the food one step ahead of everyone, and then sat down to rest. They didn't have much time to rest.
Seeing the merchants complaining and eating the food with a sad face, he couldn't help but say, "Some of them should be satisfied. This place is much better than that in Tongguan. We built the canal there before, so we didn't even have wheat rice.
If you eat, eat some winter vegetables on weekdays.”
His voice was a little hoarse, mature and steady.
The merchant was stunned and looked at his appearance, but was a little unsure of his age. "Why are the food worse than here when he is close to Chang'an?"
"Then, construction is all started in winter, there is nothing to eat. I have to say that the worst food in this group is Liang State. When I went to Liang State to dig a flood discharge channel, I thought it would be better there, but I didn't expect that Liang State would be
The country is so rich that I don’t prepare any food during the corvee service, so I let the corvee servants bring their own food. I was hungry there for two days before I could have food.”
"The best thing is probably Tang Kingdom. Tang Kingdom gives meat to eat. You can eat pork every two days and mutton every five days. That's how it tastes."
"Zhao State is the worst. The mines in Zhao State are all private contracts. Those people don't care about your life or death. They just want you to do more things and whip them all day long, with an attitude that is better than these officials
It's even worse."
Listening to the young young man telling the story, the merchants were a little confused, and the one in the lead couldn't help asking: "How old are you this year?"
They were really curious. This young man had a vicissitudes of life that was not of this age. He spoke of the corvee service situation in various countries. He looked like a civil servant who had been working for many years. Moreover, his words were quite different and very knowledgeable.
It's like an ordinary family, and how old is he?
The young man smiled bitterly, "This year's eighteen."
"I started to be in labor service since I was fourteen years old and have worked in northern countries for almost four years."
"Four years? That is four corvee service? Not many."
"No, not four times, I participated in 16 corvee laborers in succession. Every season is corvee laborer and I have never had a rest all year round."
The merchants were even more surprised and looked at his hands and feet, "You are not a prisoner either? Why did you do corvee service for four years without resting?"
"I made some mistakes when I was young and was punished by noble people. I won't talk about this anymore. You can eat quickly. Look at the weather. It may rain later. If it rains, you will be more tired. Remember to walk more.
Otherwise, I will be frozen to death when I was in Yan State.”
The merchants were a little suspicious at first, but when the sky really fell raindrops, the merchants were convinced by this young man who was about the same age as their son. This was too amazing. Then, they surrounded this young man.
Around the people, listen to his arrangements.
This young man is very insightful in corvee service. He knows how to save effort, how to survive, and even how to formulate it.
He was very dissatisfied with the corvee service now.
"This high-ranking official who was engaged in corvee service was obviously not aware of corvee service. He asked all of us to clean up together. Isn't this a waste? It should be divided into several pieces, and then cleaned up separately, and at the same time, people were arranged to repair the rear.
It saves time and effort."
Sure enough, after a few days, after the county came to inspect, the labor service method was really changed as the young man said.
The longer the merchants get along with him, the more curious they become.
"Who did you offend? You have been in labor service for four years in a row, and even theft will be only three years. Besides, you were not yet fifteen at that time. What kind of punishment is this?"
The young man shook his head, never saying much in this regard.
On this day, a group of people passed through the road, and knights were leading the way in front, allowing these laborers to make way and stand on both sides, while the nobles were sitting in the carriage, and the vast team came from a distance, and they didn't know that
To go there, the merchants just watched this scene and guessed.
"Who is this? Such a big show?"
"Jun Liu, you are very knowledgeable, maybe you can see it?"
"Looking at the carriage, it shouldn't be a marquis. It should be a county magistrate. From there, it should be a county magistrate of Shu County. I think about it. It should be the son of Yingyin Hou. I don't remember what it is called.
”
The merchants were stunned and admired him even more.
"You must have served a very powerful person in the past, right? Are you from the county? Or from the county?"
"No, I just saw it too much, and I became familiar with it."
The passage of this group of people only became their topic of conversation for a few days, and was soon forgotten by them. The road was gradually cleaned up. Unfortunately, there were not a hundred or fifty roads like this, which required repair. This would take about three or four.
The repair will be completed within a year.
The road is about to be completed, and the merchants are getting happier and happier. They will be able to go home soon. They often talk about the situation at home, but the young man is silent. However, there is no excitement or resentment on his face.
, nothing is gone, he is irritated.
He worked in labor service for four years and participated in sixteen projects. Ordinary people only did it once a year, but they died twice. This is equivalent to completing the labor service for ordinary people for the rest of their lives.
Moreover, the law is currently being repaired, and it is believed that ordinary people will be enough to serve corvee once in their lifetime. This situation is a corvee service that has been done for more than a dozen people throughout their lifetime.
After suffering so much and suffering so much sin, he had seen through everything. Now he is a very skilled civilian, and he can no longer see the appearance of the past.
On this day, they rested as usual again, and many cavalrymen appeared in the distance. As soon as these cavalry arrived, the officials who were still showing off their power had rushed up to pay their respects, with smiles on their faces, bent over, and almost headed.
Lower into the crotch.
The knights looked very arrogant and asked loudly what they were asking. Soon, the officials began to flip through the roster. Just as everyone was secretly watching them, the knights walked towards this direction.
The merchant suddenly became a little panicked.
The knights ignored the others and walked straight to the young man, looked at him for a moment, and then paid a visit.
"Your Highness, your corvette period has expired, we are here to take you back."
At that moment, Liu Wu was stunned.
He seemed to be hit by something, and he was in a daze for a long time, his hands trembled slightly. It was all over? He would never have to suffer anymore?
He couldn't believe all this. As for the merchants around him, they were already stunned. What did he say just now???
"Your Highness??"
The knight asked again, Liu Wu was startled and felt all kinds of feelings in his heart, but in the end, he couldn't say anything, as if something was blocking his throat, tears kept sliding down his eyes, and he rubbed his eyes
, said with relief: "Okay."
The merchants around him looked at him in shock and dared not say anything.
Liu Wu looked at them, took off the simple gloves he made in his hand, and handed them to the leader, "Take it, when I was in labor service later, remember to make such things so that I can avoid injury.
I'm leaving."
"Your Highness. Who are you?"
Liu Wu raised his head and said seriously: "I am the great-grandson of the Great Emperor, the legitimate grandson of King Yuan of Chu, and the current son of the King of Chu, and the Crown Prince of Chu Liu Wu!!"
Under the escort of the knights, Liu Wu left Longxi and set out towards Chang'an. He sat in the car. For some reason, Liu Wu felt a little uncomfortable and restless. His clothes had long been replaced and he had been replaced by the prince's office.
A gorgeous dress that can be worn.
But this bright and gorgeous dress could not cover his own vicissitudes. No matter how you look at this dress, it seemed a bit inappropriate, just like he stolen it, and he could never find the temperament of the prince again, it was completely
An old farmer, a weathered old farmer.
Just as he set out towards Chang'an, Guan A had already arrived in Chang'an.
"Ah!!!"
Guan A had just arrived outside Chang'an and saw the emperor coming to greet him. The emperor went out to greet him. He had always been treated as a third-rank official and princes. Guan Ying didn't have such treatment. Guan A was a little excited, not because of his own treatment.
It was just because I finally met the emperor.
He jumped out of the car suddenly, and smiled and rushed towards the emperor.
The two brothers met and were extremely excited.
The two hugged each other. Guan A, who was not tall, was held directly in his arms like a child by Chang Liu. Chang Liu even rubbed his head, "Why don't you grow a head?"
"My father is that tall, where else can I grow?"
As soon as Guan A opened his mouth, he pointed his finger at Guan Ying, living up to his identity as a virtuous person.
Liu Chang put his hand directly on his shoulder and hugged him intimately. Lu Lu, Zhou Yafu, Zhou Jian, Fan City natives, Lu Zhong, Xuan Moru, Lu Tazhi and others all came to welcome Guan.
Oh.
Everyone hasn't seen each other for a long time, and this time they meet, they are in a very good mood.
"Look, we are almost all complete, just a few of them are missing. Xiahou Zao is not here. I'm thinking, why don't you let Ruyin Hou give you some wine instead of his son?"
"Hahaha, it's easy to say. Let Marquis Ruyin drive us again!"
"Then you will be beaten by your father at night, right?"
Several people smiled, Guan A was surrounded by them and walked into Chang'an. Lu Lu couldn't help but say, "You are really good. Your Majesty has transferred you to Chang'an for seven or eight times, but he can't even move.
Why, have you found a mistress there? Don’t want to come back?"
"The main reason is that you are farther away from there."
"You guy!"
Everyone was talking nonsense and unconsciously came to the Tang Palace in the past. This was the old Tang Palace, which was the residence of Liu Chang. It had been a long time since no one lived in it, and there was only a party with the wise men.
At that time, Chang Liu would come with people.
Nowadays, there are many choices for gathering places, but it is the best choice for the place to be quiet and without outsiders.
Everyone entered here and sat down, as if they were young. They brought wine and meat to them. Regardless of whether Guan A had suffered the pain of the journey, they toasted him one after another, and the meat was stuffed into his mouth. Everyone played
It was so fun that Liu Chang sang a song again and everyone started dancing.
"Chen Mai's son is coming soon. It's probably just a few days."
"I heard that guy married the daughter of the Xiang family? Is it true?"
"Yes, but I've been given the surname Liu long ago."
"Why haven't you got married yet? Among us, it seems that you haven't got married yet?"
"Didn't Lu not have a family?"
"Who said that Lu just had no children, he had already started a family!"
Everyone was chatting about family matters, and the topic gradually came to Guan A. Guan A talked about interesting things about Shu County and even the Shu County under his own control, and bragged to his friends. These words could scare others, but Liu Chang knew the truth.
.
"Yes, you have managed well. After so many years, your fief has not changed. However, your three county magistrates have been promoted to county magistrates. How did you do it? If my title had not been reached
Till, I will follow you, do you know?"
"By the way, Lu, haven't you always complained that you have too little fief? Work with this guy for a few years and you can be promoted!"
Guan A said proudly: "This shows that I have a keen eye to know talents and can promote useful people. This place of governance does not require personal experience, but also needs to promote useful people. Just say, Your Majesty, Your Majesty can compare to the war.
Is the Marquis of Huaiyin? Can governance be comparable to that of the Marquis of Beiping? Can strategy be compared to that of Qu Nihou?"
"Yes."
Liu Chang's answer was very straightforward.
"I fought with the teacher and captured him alive many times. I often taught another teacher that he revised the calendar, or did I help him see right or wrong. As for Qu Nihou, he couldn't see through my strategy!"
"If you say that, your majesty, it's a little bit."
Liu Chang's eyes twitched, "What's the point?"
“A little too modest.”
"How can they compare to you? Compared to you, it is a shame to you!"
"Hahaha, it's OK, come and have a drink!!"
It was evening when Guan A was sent back to the mansion. Guan Ying had long guessed that this guy would be pulled out to have a drink by his friends when he came back, so he didn't wait for him at all and had already rested.
Ah slept like this and woke up the next day before he met Ah’s father.
Guan Ying and Guan A are different from the rest of the people. Guan Ying is not very strict with her son. This is probably because Guan A had no mother very early, and Guan Ying never even remarried. She was almost alone.
Pulling his son up, so Guan Ying is more pampering than Zhou Bo and others.
At this moment, Guan Ying looked at her son with pride in her eyes.
His expectations for his son did not seem to be great, and the county magistrate had exceeded his expectations. Moreover, the county magistrate did a good job and received favor from the local people. Even in the court, he had a reputation.
"Yes, you did a good job in Shu County and didn't disappoint me."
"It's all because of Ah Father's help. If it weren't for the cavalry you sent, they wouldn't be so obedient."
"This is not the most important thing, but why don't you want to go back to Chang'an?"
"I don't have that ability. Chang'an doesn't lack someone like me. In Shu County, I can do more things."
"Okay, I won't force you to stay in Shu County. However, this time you have to get home and go back. In this way, I have nothing to worry about."
“Get a family??”
Guan A was stunned and asked, "But who should I get married?"
"You don't have to worry about this. I've already arranged it for you and will help you organize the marriage in a few days. By the way, I have to take you to see you."
"Father, who is the woman from?"
"What are you afraid of? Can I still harm you? This was chosen by the Queen Mother himself."
"Of the Lu family?"
"Yes, in terms of generation, he is the great-granddaughter of the Empress Lu family."
"Oh Chong. Wait, great-grandson?? Then what is she and Lu Lu?"
"In terms of seniority, he is his granddaughter, but his age is not too different."