After the summer harvest, there was a light rain in the north, and it was drizzling, even with a hint of chill, and it felt like snow in June.
The three-year tax exemption policy is a timely rain for the long-dry north.
The people who fled in the mountains, the mountain people, walked out of the forest one after another, returned to their former hometowns, registered in the yellow register again, and became civilian households.
Of course, although they are a little poorer in the mountains, they have become accustomed to the harsh government over the years. It will be difficult for them to go back down the mountain.
But when it comes to being playful, who can be better than me, a scholar?
The "Zhaitian Order" was officially released at the beginning of the fourth year of Shaowu.
"In Shaanxi, Shanxi, Shandong, Beizhili, Henan, Shuntianfu and other places, if the people return home, they will have their own land..."
In Ma Toushan Town, Zhao Tiezhu, a retired soldier who was once the corps commander in Beijing and now the mayor of Huairou County, had his hand tendons cut off and became a one-armed hero. He held his head high and preached.
In front of the township pavilion, an official document from the county was posted. After copying it, it was distributed to the township and read out by the township chief.
The village elder on the side has a gray beard, and he looks respectable at first glance; the village policeman has a knife on his waist, and he looks majestic and menacing.
About a hundred villagers gathered in front of the pavilion and talked about it.
The rural reforms in Beizhili, which was almost reduced to a white land, were very rapid.
According to the requirements, a township should be set up three to five miles away to manage hundreds of households. Each township should have three people to 'manage, educate and guard'.
Guan is responsible for managing affairs, and the township chief is established; education is for enlightenment and litigation, and the township elders are established; Wei is to protect the village and protect the people, and prohibit thieves and thefts, and the township police are established.
That is to say, the new version of Sanlao manages three to five hundred households, breaking through the limitations of villages and towns.
What's more, the three elders in the township are even more unique in that they are exempted from the corvee at home and eat county government meals every year. Although it is not much, they only have a salary of ten shi of grain and ten silver coins.
But after all, they are still members of the yamen, and the appointment and removal are handled by the county magistrate alone.
"That township chief——"
At this time, a timid man looked at the township chief, who was stronger than the rural policeman, and trembled: "What does this mean?"
"Let me tell you this!"
Zhao Tiezhu raised his voice like thunder:
"Those abandoned houses and the acres of land in front and behind the house, as long as no one claims them, whoever of you takes them will go to the Yamen to ascend the throne and get the land deed, and that kid will belong to you——"
"What if they come back?"
"So, it's first come, first served. It's limited to one year. Register your name first. If no one comes to claim it after one year, the house belongs to you."
Of course, Zhao Tiezhu patted his forehead again and said, "By the way, I forgot to mention it."
"Those nooks and crannies at the foot of the mountains, any land that is not in the yellow list, as long as you register it, it is yours and no one can take it away."
These words were immediately like planting a bomb, making everyone's heads buzz.
Isn’t this just free money?
Many villagers were eager to try it out, looking around for which house was the best.
Matoushan is a place in Gyeonggi Province that has lost the most people and has countless vacant houses.
Moreover, due to the loss of household registration and the invalidation of the yellow register, the land and population controlled by the imperial court were greatly insufficient.
According to the previous household registration, Zhao Tiezhu's Ma Toushan Township is about five miles away, that is, about 600 households. However, after several days of searching, there are no 600 households.
It's about the same length as a mile.
Household registration, taxation, land, education, these are the directions that the county government assesses in the township, and it is also the motivation for their promotion.
The homestead method is so important.
After the township agreement was read out in the township pavilion, Zhao Tiezhu was particularly worried. Looking at the brand-new township office in front of him, he asked: "Will this work?"
The village elder is an old boy, about fifty years old. He is responsible for litigation and education. To put it bluntly, he relies on seniority and seniority to suppress people.
He knew a lot about the countryside and pinched his white beard: "Although there are only a hundred of us here, who doesn't have a relative? You can reach the mountains just by turning a corner."
"Don't worry, the safekeeping will work."
"Then I'm relieved!" Zhao Tiezhu breathed a sigh of relief and said to the villager: "However, you still have to look around to avoid making mistakes."
"Old Chen, come with me tomorrow."
The rural policeman on the side nodded helplessly.
Although he is the third elder, he respects the township chief, followed by the village elder. As a township policeman, he was a white servant in the county government. He is a good fighter with his fake power and strength. In a real fight, he is definitely not a match for Zhao Tiezhu who lost half of his arm.
After a donkey rolled, Tian Dagou climbed over the wall and arrived at the home of a former wealthy family in the village, which was also his nominal uncle's home. He knew this place very well.
Military disasters and man-made disasters have left the villages deserted. Everyone who could escape fled, and the big families even fled to the capital. They said it was the safest place under the emperor's feet, but there has been no news for several years.
His family was hiding in the mountains and wanted to come out the next year, but who knew that the Tatar seduced people into slavery? Who wants to be a slave if a good citizen doesn't do it?
So he became miserable again.
Just like this, I reclaimed a few acres of mountain land in the mountains. There was no military disaster, no miscellaneous taxes and corvee, which was quite enjoyable.
Carefully opening the bamboo door, he walked into the house and knocked on the floor and walls, climbed on the roof, opened pots, and looked for any possible hiding place for food.
Summer is here, and there is no shortage of food in the mountains. There are more and more wild animals, but there is a lack of salt.
Without household registration, you can only eat private salt, but nowadays private salt is becoming less and less.
And he still has his mother and three younger brothers to support. As the eldest son and elder brother, Tian Dagou must shoulder his responsibilities.
After rummaging through the floor and roof, they found nothing. Tian Dagou couldn't help but shook his head in disappointment. He didn't expect that the owner of this room had left nothing behind.
"This is such a big harvest!" Tian Dagou licked his chapped lips with satisfaction, but then became disappointed again.
A complete set of farm tools such as hoes, sickles, iron plows, and pickaxes were hidden in the cellar. Although many of them were rusty, they were worth at least a dozen taels of silver in peacetime.
If you are renting a farm cow, clearing a few acres of land is like playing.
After rummaging through it, he finally saw a box in the cracks.
When he opened it, he found it was a box of copper coins.
"what happened?"
Tian Dagou was confused and said that there was no salt.
This old man from the Dog Clan came from a salt business, and he was the one who bought all the private salt in the village from him.
"Brother, are you okay?"
Suddenly, a teenage boy outside the door shouted: "Someone is coming from the village, and they are riding a mule!"
"What?"
Tian Dagou was startled and hurriedly opened the door, preparing to carry his younger brother and escape, but was blocked by Zhao Tiezhu, who was riding a mule.
"Are you the landlord here?"
Looking at the dirty two people, as well as the hunchback and rough skin, Zhao Tiezhu couldn't believe it.
"It belongs to my uncle's family." Tian Dagou said calmly: "His family fled the country and asked me to look after the house for him."
"That's it!" Zhao Tiezhu suddenly understood and explained the homestead order with a smile.
"If your clan uncle doesn't come back, this house will be yours."
"There aren't many people in your village. It's like a cemetery. You are the village chief."
As he said that, he took out the token from his arms, and a huge word "village" was very conspicuous.