The bullock cart rolled towards the east gate of Qiantang County. At this time, the morning sun was rising, the summer breeze was blowing, and the drizzle overnight made the road wet and slippery. The wheels ran over it, leaving deep ruts.
There is a ten-mile road from Ding's villa to Qiantang County. The first section is a soft dirt road. Chen Caozhi and Lai De both got on the ox cart. When they approached the county town, the road became a sandy loam road and it was no longer muddy, so they both got off the car and walked.
.
Chen Caozhi had his hair tied up in a small crown, wore a beige linen jacket, high-tooth wooden clogs, big sleeves hanging down, and walked calmly.
Laifu asked Laide to learn how to drive an ox cart, and he followed Chen Cao to talk.
Laifu asked: "Is the young man going to the prime minister's house in Feng County first?"
Feng Mengxiong, a good friend of Chen Caozhi's father, Chen Su, is currently the Prime Minister of Qiantang County. Although the County Prime Minister, the County Lieutenant, and the Chief Registrar are all ninth-grade minor officials, their actual power is much inferior to that of the County Lieutenant and the Chief Registrar. The County Prime Minister is just a mere official.
As a sinecure, his function is to preside over various etiquette ceremonies of the county government.
Chen Cao said: "Go and pay a visit to Uncle Feng first, and ask about the registration inspection in July."
Laifu has been worried about the registration inspection these days. He is afraid that his family of six will be sent to Qiaozhou for resettlement. He hurriedly said: "Xiao Langjun is considering that the Prime Minister of Feng County is a colleague of Master Lu who is responsible for the registration inspection. He can also invite
Mr. Feng County, please help us talk."
Chen Caozhi said "hmm" and felt quite worried. His sister-in-law also asked about coming to Fuyin House yesterday. He was afraid that his sister-in-law would be worried, so he told her in an understatement. However, there are difficulties ahead and they must be solved.
The Fu family is the powerful helper of the Chen family in Xilou. They have been masters and servants for many years and are loyal. He has to find a way to prevent the Laifu family from being displaced. However, the Chen family in Qiantang currently does not have high-ranking officials, so they have no right to arbitrate.
In the past two years, because the county took into account the reputation of his father and brother, the Chen family's shadow household was not taken back during the two registration checks. But now, the new Chief Lu is said to be more strict. I'm afraid this year will be very difficult -
"No matter how sad it is, you have to get through it!"
Chen Caozhi walked into Qiantang County, swinging his big sleeves.
Qiantang County ranks in the middle among the twelve counties in Wu County. The county is small, with a radius of only five miles. The county has less than 4,000 registered households and a population of about 20,000. However, the actual number of residents is far more than this, because Qiantang County
The county is located at the center of population migration on the north and south banks of the Qiantang River. There are many refugees in the north. Most of these refugees have been taken into manors by various high-ranking noble families and have become hermit households——
Yin households are different from Yin households. Yin households are private households that are legally owned by the gentry and do not have to pay taxes or serve in the government. The number of Yin households is limited. The first-grade high-ranking official can only have forty households, while Yin households can only have forty households.
Households are illegal. The high-ranking gentry relied on their power to accept refugees to farm and work on their estates. The number of hidden households was far greater than that of shady households. These hidden households did not enter the household registration, did not pay land and tenant transfer to the government, and did not perform chores, that is to say
Those noble manors and villas were like a country within a country.
Xiji in Qiantang County is the largest refugee gathering place in the three nearby counties. Feng Mengxiong lives not far from Xiji.
Laifu had been to Feng Mansion many times with his old master Chen Su. There were three large locust trees in front of the gate of Feng Mansion, which were easy to identify. The concierge of Feng Mansion also recognized him and quickly took the bamboo leaf to report. Soon, Feng Mengxiong
Welcomed out.
Feng Mengxiong was in his fifties, of medium build, with a pale face and a mole on his chin. Chen Caozhi had an impression of him. When his father and brother passed away, Feng Mengxiong came to Chenjiawu to mourn. He was a loyal elder.
Chen Caozhi saluted Feng Mengxiong respectfully, and ordered Laifu to present the prepared gifts: two ducks, five kilograms of smoked preserved meat, and a jar of home-brewed rice wine.
Feng Mengxiong had not seen Chen Caozhi for almost three years. At that time, Chen Caozhi was still a thin and elegant boy. Unexpectedly, today he is a handsome young man with gentle manners and clear words. He couldn't help but feel happy for his late friend.
Because of the family friendship, Chen Caozhi, led by Feng Mengxiong, went into the inner court to meet Feng's wife, Sun. Sun was also very happy and ordered the cook to prepare lunch, leaving Chen Caozhi's master and servant to eat.
Feng Mengxiong said to the maid next to Sun: "Call Ling Bo out to meet Cao Zhi. The Chen and Feng families are friends of two generations. Cao Zhi and Ling Bo are just like brother and sister. We don't want to be separated."
Sun said: "I'll call her in person." Before leaving, she glanced at Chen Cao with a smile.
Chen Caozhi was a little embarrassed because his mother had previously said that he would propose to Miss Feng for him, so now he felt uncomfortable when he saw Feng's wife, Mrs. Sun, looking like a mother-in-law looking at a good son-in-law. He didn't want others to decide his future.
marriage.
Feng Lingbo was fourteen years old, with an oval face, fine eyebrows, and a long body. He was only slightly shorter than Chen Caozhi, and he was quite graceful. Yingying stepped forward and saluted, saying: "Brother, good luck to my sister."
Chen Caozhi lowered his gaze and returned the courtesy, but still saw Feng Lingbo's cheeks flushed. His mother, Sun, must have said something to her. Fortunately, Feng Lingbo went in quickly, and Chen Caozhi also left Sun and followed Feng Mengxiong to the front.
Sit down in the hall and talk.
Feng Mengxiong asked about Chen Jiawu's current situation and whether Chen Cao's mother, Li, was doing well. Chen Cao answered one by one. Feng Mengxiong also chose "Mao's Poems" and "The Analects of Confucius" to test Chen Caozhi's knowledge. Seeing Chen Cao's fluent answers, he was even more happy.
Chen Caozhi led the topic to the July registration inspection. Feng Mengxiong frowned. He knew the situation in Chenjiawu and said: "The newly appointed Director Lu said that he wanted to use this registration inspection to increase revenue for the court.
Taxes and people available for service are very high-sounding, but how dare he touch the hair of the Tang gentry? It is nothing more than bullying the poor families of the county in order to ask for bribes. I heard that Lu Zhubo wanted his Lu family to rise from the common people.
For the gentry——"
Chen Cao was stunned and asked, "Can I be promoted?"
Feng Mengxiong smiled: "If you are not promoted openly, you are secretly promoted, or you change your registration status and defraud yourself into the gentry, you can still be exempted from taxation."
Chen Caozhi was a little surprised: "It is a serious crime to pretend to be a nobleman, how dare Chief Lu do such a reckless thing?"
Feng Mengxiong said: "Very few people know about this matter, and Director Lu has a close relationship with the Chu family in this county. The Chu family has children who hold important positions in Wu County, so unless there is a grudge against Director Lu, no one will report him.
"
Chen Caozhi said in his heart: "The chief clerk named Lu is also related to the family of the powdered widower. I'm afraid it will be detrimental to my Chen family." He asked: "Uncle Feng, can the Lu family pretend to be a nobleman and keep pretending to be a nobleman?
If it goes on, it’s impossible for him to stay in the post of Qiantang County Chief Registrar for the rest of his life?”
Feng Mengxiong said: "As long as the Lu family can escape the next major civil war (that is, the nationwide registration inspection), it is really possible for the Lu family to become a legal gentry, because over time, the Lu family's status as a gentry will become fake and become real. Of course,
This may be thirty or fifty years from now."
Chen Caozhi really gained experience and thought: "This trip is worthwhile. Uncle Feng revealed such a big secret to me, so I feel confident."
Feng Mengxiong said: "As for the matter of coming to Fuyinhu, I will let you know when I meet Master Lu one day and see what he thinks. If you really want to take back Yinhu, let him take it back -"
"Huh?" Chen Caozhi felt that Uncle Feng was too weak and said, "Uncle Feng knows this. Laifu has been in my Chen family for more than ten years. Although he is called master and servant, he is actually a relative. How can I bear to let his family live in exile?"
Go to the state and be bullied!"
Feng Mengxiong said sternly: "Fuck it, don't be young and arrogant and want to fight with Lord Lu. In Qiantang, the Chen family can't beat the Lu family. Don't think that you can scare him because the Lu family pretends to be a nobleman.
He can immediately change his status to a commoner, and then the Chen family will no longer be able to gain a foothold in Qiantang."
Chen Caozhi said calmly: "Uncle reminded me that Caozhi would not be so reckless, but is there really no way to help the Laifu family?"
Feng Mengxiong said: "There is only one way, which is to change Laifu into a tenant with local household registration. In the future, he will have to perform chores and pay land and tenant adjustments. His family can still farm in Chenjiawu - you don't have to worry about this.
My uncle will take care of it for you. You wait in Chenjiawu and ask Laifu to come to my place every half month."
Chen Caozhi thanked Uncle Feng and felt quite uncomfortable. It was his duty to pay taxes and serve in the military, but Chief Lu's face made him feel aggrieved.
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