After entering the Taihang Mountains, the terrain becomes more dangerous. The mountains on both sides of the road are undulating, or soaring into the sky, or lined with strange rocks, or cliffs.
The three children were lying on the car window, looking out curiously. It was the first time for them to see such majestic mountains and dense forests, and their little mouths were so big.
But it was obvious that none of the three children had the talent to compose poems at the age of seven, and they could only act stupidly.
"In the Battle of Changping, we changed horses and galloped all the way, and it took us several days to get to Shangdang from Handan. Now we drive slowly, and sometimes we stop to rest for a while, go to people on the roadside to ask for a drink of water, and chat for a while.
It only took a few days to arrive at the party." Liu Ping stroked his beard and felt quite emotional.
The Battle of Changping was a turning point for many people, including him. It was unforgettable for everyone.
"Yes, with this official road, Shangdang truly belongs to my country, Zhao, and no one can take it away." Zhao Kuo pointed to the place where smoke was rising in front of him and said, "Let's go there and take a look."
"There is smoke rising from the kitchen now... It seems that ordinary people still have two meals a day." Liu Ping was stunned for a moment and sighed deeply. In the past few years, he had almost forgotten three meals a day, and sometimes extra meals.
I have stopped eating two meals a day.
Sure enough, once you get used to the life of a wealthy family, you forget about the suffering of the people.
"Yes, we still have a long way to go." Zhao Kuo said, walking straight towards the village in front.
The village is not very big, with only thirty or forty households. There are many mulberry trees planted at the door. Some people's doors are closed, and some people's doors are ajar.
The village is surrounded by a fence. Judging from the traces, the fence was not built for a long time.
At the bottom of the fence, there are traces of ruins, as if they were left over from the past.
Shangdang County once belonged to the three kingdoms of Han, Zhao and Wei. The spheres of influence of the three kingdoms were intertwined and the competition with each other was fierce. Many places belong to you today and will belong to me tomorrow.
Later, he joined the Qin State and the battle became more intense.
The Battle of Changping devastated Shangdang, and now most of the villages were rebuilt after the war.
There was an old woman cultivating a vegetable field at the entrance of the village. When she saw Zhao Kuo and others coming over, she put down her hoe. Her face showed panic at first, but then she calmed down.
"Old man, we are passing by here and come here to ask for a drink of water." Zhao Kuo walked over and said with a smile.
"How many distinguished guests are there?" The old woman looked at the carriage and the guarding soldiers not far away. Even though she was dim-sighted, she could tell that this group of people was unusual.
"There are only three wives and three children of mine. The others can just go to the front and ask for water." Zhao Kuo said. It is not easy to get water these days.
"Let them all come over. They are guests. There is no reason to turn them away." The old woman said, turning around and walking towards home.
"Mom, what happened?" A middle-aged man heard something moving outside and walked out of the house. When he saw Zhao Kuo and others, he quickly took out a shovel from behind the door and said warily. "Who are you?
"
"They are passing guests. Put down your shovel quickly and invite the distinguished guests home." The old woman scolded.
The middle-aged man raised his head and glanced at Zhao Kuo. He felt familiar, but couldn't recall it. He shook his head in confusion, threw the shovel to the door, opened the door, stretched out his hand and said, "Guests, please come in."
"Sorry for disturbing you," Zhao Kuo said, cupping his fists.
During the conversation, Zhao Kuo learned that the man's name was Zhong, who was the head of this village. His father died in the battle in Changping. In addition to his mother and him, there were also his younger brother, wife and two teenage children in the family.
And a baby who is still in his infancy.
After the war, Zhong returned to his hometown and rebuilt his home under the organization of the county guard. Because of his force, he was promoted to the chief of the village.
"Did the Li Chief also participate in the Battle of Changping?" Zhao Kuo asked.
"None of our adult men who are members of the party have not participated in the Battle of Changping. When the war was fierce, even children aged thirteen or fourteen and strong women had to participate in the war."
Zhong looked at Zhao Kuo, and the more he looked at him, the more he felt like a person. However, at first he could only watch from a distance, so he was not sure.
In his mind, King Zhao was aloof and it was impossible to sit down and chat with him, let alone drink the water in his house.
"Have the children been sent to school?" Zhao Kuo looked at the two children hiding behind Zhong and said, and like a magic trick, he took out two pieces of candy from his sleeves and handed them to the two children.
"No, the school is only in the county and it's far away." Zhong shook his head.
"It should be built in the county in a few years. Then we must let our children go to school. Even if it is a few years later, they still have to go to school." Zhao Kuo said.
"Zhong will remember your noble words." Zhong nodded.
Although he didn't understand why his children had to study, he felt that with Zhao Kuo's status, he wouldn't be deceiving himself.
"The guests haven't eaten yet. Our... rough rice... I don't know if the distinguished guests can appreciate it." The old woman and her daughter-in-law walked into the house with the food. After putting it away, they stood aside and rubbed their hands, feeling a little uncomfortable.
He said politely.
"There are a lot of us, so we won't stay here to eat. Just drink some water and leave immediately." Zhao Kuo took a look at the food. The rice was corn porridge, quite thick, as well as pancakes, and the vegetables were pickled green onions.
.
It’s not great, but it’s not a problem to eat enough.
If even the head of the village doesn't have enough to eat, then most people in Zhao will not have enough to eat.
"Then...I'll give the guests some more water." The old woman walked out quickly.
"How many acres of land do you have at home?" Zhao Kuo asked.
"One hundred and ten acres." Zhong said.
"How much is the yield per mu?" Zhao Kuo asked.
"The yield of millet is about one and a half stone per mu, while the yield of wheat and millet is a little lower, only one stone per mu, and the yield of soybeans is even lower," Zhong said.
"Have there ever been excessive taxes or labor?" Zhao Kuo asked.
"It happened before, but not in recent years." Zhong shook his head.
"Each acre of land can produce one and a half stone, and there is no harsh government. The food should be enough for three meals a day. Why is it still two meals a day?" Zhao Kuo asked.
"In order to save some food, although I can eat enough now, I don't know when a natural disaster will occur. In addition, I have to leave some food to prevent the court from raising taxes, so as not to have to borrow food later. In short, I have surplus food at home.
I'm not panicking." Zhong sighed.
"Where did you get the news? I didn't hear that the imperial court was going to raise taxes?" Zhao Kuo frowned. It has only been a few years, is it possible that another group of people are going to be killed?
"The imperial court will not notify you in advance of tax increases. Tax increases may occur at any time. In addition, as long as there is a war, taxes will definitely be increased." Zhong said, "In fact, there is nothing wrong with tax increases. After all, soldiers on the front line cannot fight hungry.
Well, they are hungry and defeated, and those of us hiding behind will also suffer. As long as the increase is not too much, we can accept it."