Chapter 819: It’s about violent levy!

(0819)

“Too many.”

Zhang Zhun shook his head gently.

Five million taels of silver to treat yellow is too sharp. The annual fiscal revenue of the Ming Dynasty is probably just that little silver. In other words, it is absolutely impossible to invest more than 90% of the national fiscal revenue in the yellowing control project. All money and grain are used to treat yellowing, so should other military and political affairs be handled?

Moreover, this is an early investment, and there will be a large amount of expenditure every year. God knows how many years it will take to completely eradicate the floods of the Yellow River. Alas, when did the Yellow River, the mother river of the Chinese nation, become so rebellious? Is there no better way?

With this question, Zhang Zhun arrived at Huai'an Prefecture and stayed at the River Governor's Office. Before Zhang Zhun arrived, Cao Wenheng ordered the preparation of the highest-level residence. Zhang Zhun really had no intention of refusing Cao Wenheng's reception. He looked completely unscrupulous and moved in.

There were many Caos stationed in Huai'an Prefecture, which were private armed forces of the governor of Cao'an. In addition, Huai'an Prefecture also had the troops of the two garrisons such as Huai'an Guard and Dahewei. However, they all took a wait-and-see attitude towards Zhang Zhun's arrival. Just kidding, the Hu Ben Army even drove the Tartars away, and they dared to go up and touch Zhang Zhun's bad habits? Do you think you have lived too long?

The Caotei even knew the power of the Hu Ben Army. They had witnessed the power of the Hu Ben Army in Dezhou and Linqing, and some even witnessed the battle between the Hu Ben Army and the Tartars with their own eyes. When they learned that the Hu Ben Army was coming, the Caotei completely hid in the military camp and was beaten to death.

Yang Yipeng, the governor of the canal transport, was trapped in the capital city and could not return to Huai'an Prefecture. The canal transport was cut off. In fact, the inside of the canal transport was scattered. Without canal transport, there would be no income, and many people were looking for a way out. Cao Wenheng was the governor of the river and had no power to control the canal, so he could only let the canal transport be allowed to be scattered.

It's really different to say that Zhang Zhun's trip to the south this time. If you want to attend the Yangzhou Chamber of Commerce, you will be accompanied by thousands of troops and gunships, and you will be looking like you want to fight. But if you say that you are fighting, Zhang Zhun seems to have no intention of fighting. The Hu Ben Army's bayonet did not stab anyone, just because it makes people feel a little scared.

On the surface, Zhang Zhun was completely in an attitude of patrolling, and was heading from Shandong to inspect the Yangzhou area. The former imperial envoys and other ministers were like Zhang Zhun. However, Zhang Zhun's momentum was even more powerful. Others came with the power to defeat Huang Taiji.

"Oh, what's this all..."

When there was no one, Cao Wenheng couldn't help but sigh quietly again.

He really could not have imagined that he would encounter such strange things in his life and encounter strangers like Zhang Zhun. In name, Zhang Zhun was the Grand Governor of the Hu Ben Army, and was also the imperial court official, and he was with them. Zhang Zhun had too many official titles, and each grade was above them, and they had to show respect.

However, most people are very clear that Zhang Zhun was a rebel, an enemy of the court, and Emperor Chongzhen was determined to eliminate it. Basically, there was no difference between Zhang Zhun and the Shaanxi bandits, both of whom wanted to overthrow the court.

Why can such a contradictory consortium appear in Huai'an Prefecture in a swagger? It also makes everyone respect him? I'm afraid Cao Wenheng himself cannot explain it. The grain managers of Huai'an Prefecture and the army of the garrison usually bully the people and fight for power and profit, which is quite cruel, but when the Hu Ben Army arrives, it immediately witheres.

Such a scene easily reminds people of the Ming army in the north. The Ming army in Liaodong, Jizhen, Xuanfu, Datong and other places are usually arrogant and domineering and dare to do anything. The Heavenly King is the first, and they are the second. But as soon as the Tartars came, they immediately retreated to the stronghold and didn't even dare to let go of one of them, for fear of alarming the Tartars.

What made Cao Wenheng feel even speechless was that Zhang Zhun, the vicious tiger, was swaying south, but Nanjing didn't even fart. God knew that they were planning something. Or, they didn't dare to plan anything. Zhang Zhun dared to go south to bombard Nanjing City two years ago. Now he is no longer the same as before. I am afraid that the big guys in Nanjing City will no longer dare to have any bad thoughts about Zhang Zhun.

Without the clear instructions from Nanjing, Cao Wenheng had to hold a banquet honestly to welcome Zhang Zhun. However, he did not dare to be too high-profile and leave a handle for others. The best skill of the Ming Dynasty officials was to take the blame for others. They did not have the ability to deal with Zhang Zhun, and did not dare to say no to Zhang Zhun, but they had the ability to bring him Cao Wenheng down, and even went to prison for punishment.

Those who appeared at the banquet were all officials of all sizes and big and big in Huai'an Prefecture. Unlike previous banquets, these officials of all sizes seemed to be raised in their hearts when they were drinking and eating, and were nervous. God knew what Zhang Zhun would do. Fortunately, Zhang Zhun said nothing from beginning to end, and the banquet ended smoothly.

"Call the prefect of Huai'an Prefecture."

After the dinner, Zhang Zhun returned to his residence and said casually to the people around him.

The prefect of Huai'an Prefecture is named Liu An, who has the same name and surname as the author of "Huainanzi", but his grades are far inferior. Although he has some ability to govern, unfortunately, in a complex place like Huai'an Prefecture, there are also several major yamen in which he is suppressed by the Governor of the Canal Transport, the Governor of the River, and the Governor of Fengyang. He, the fourth-rank magistrate, is really inconspicuous.

Regarding Zhang Zhun's arrival, officials at all levels at Huai'an Prefecture seemed to have fifteen buckets to fetch water. After the banquet was successfully over, they were still waiting for the news. When they heard Zhang Zhun summoning him, Liu An did not dare to be negligent, so he hurriedly came over and saluted Zhang Zhun in a regular manner: "The lower-ranking official Liu An answered the governor."

Zhang Zhun didn't give him a chance to sit down, and said straight to the point: "You will briefly tell me about the situation in Huai'an Prefecture, the population, the fields, and the famine."

Liu An did not dare to neglect and hurriedly explained in detail.

Fortunately, he, as the prefect, is not entirely a waste of time. He is quite clear about the situation under his jurisdiction. Most of the data is remembered in his mind, and the answers Zhang Zhun needs can basically be provided without thinking.

When it comes to wealth, Huai'an Prefecture is better than any prefecture in Shandong. After all, it is the two Huai area! If it weren't for the influence of the Yellow River seizing Huai into the sea, Huai'an Prefecture's wealth would have been ranked among the top three in Nanzhili. Of course, it's not very good now. Yangzhou Prefecture, Changzhou Prefecture, Suzhou Prefecture, Songjiang Prefecture and other places are all ranked first in Huai'an Prefecture. But in the country, Huai'an Prefecture can definitely be ranked among the top ten.

Huaian Prefecture has a total registered population of about 3 million. After deducting some empty households who fled and some refugees who fled, the total population will definitely exceed 3 million. This is a very large number. Yanzhou Prefecture, the largest population in Shandong, is only more than 1.5 million, and Huaian Prefecture is twice that of Yanzhou Prefecture.

The current arable land area in Huai'an Prefecture is about 20 million mu, which is almost 40% of the entire arable land area in Shandong. However, these fields are currently concentrated in the hands of major bureaucrats and landlords, and ordinary people have no land.

Zhang Zhun asked calmly: "How many million acres of land are paid in total?"

Liu An did not dare to hide it and said honestly: "There are 830,000 acres in total."

Zhang Zhun reached out his hand.

Liu An did not dare to neglect and hurriedly bent down to send the relevant information.

Zhang Zhun looked over carefully, his face a little sarcastic. The prefect did not lie. The more than 20 million mu of land in Huaian Prefecture had to pay taxes, which was less than half a century (5%). The rest of the land was tax-free.

No wonder Chongzhen would shout that he had no money and all the taxes fell into his private pockets. If all the land was paid, the taxes from Huaian Prefecture alone would have hundreds of thousands of taels of silver every year, which would be enough to support the daily expenses of the two military towns of Xuanfu and Datong. I wonder if Emperor Chongzhen knew about these data, and if he knew, what expression would he have?

With more than 20 million acres of land, Zhang Zhun felt that his saliva was about to flow down. To be honest, he now needs money very much, very much, especially money. Since Zhang Zhun is so rich, he will definitely not let go since he has set his sights on it. However, if you think of a way to get some money first, you still need to calculate it.

After pondering for a while, Zhang Zhun slowly said: "Is the flood today serious?"

Liu An honestly answered: "It's quite serious. In Pizhou and Suqian, a large number of fields were flooded, and 50,000 or 60,000 people were affected."

Brigadier General Zhang put down the information and asked calmly: "Who is the person with the most fields in Huai'an Prefecture?"

Liu An suddenly felt a little chill behind his back. Zhang Zhun asked this, it must have a purpose. What purpose? Of course it won’t be a good thing.

However, facing Zhang Zhun's butcher knife, he really didn't dare not say anything. After hesitating for a moment, Liu An took out another piece of information from his sleeve and sent it to Zhang Zhun's hand, and whispered: "Please look, sir."

Zhang Zhun nodded with satisfaction, and was quite satisfied with his obedience. He opened the information and found that the records above were indeed very detailed. It seems that this prefect Liu An still has a clear understanding of the situation of Huai'an Prefecture.

According to Liu An's statistics, the three largest landlords in Huai'an Prefecture are Liu Handa, Zhang Dabao and Lin Shuen. The land of these three major landlords is more than 50,000 mu, and the Liu Handa family even exceeds 100,000 mu, which is really a veritable big landlord. The other landlords are tens of thousands of mu, and the fewest are thousands of mu. Liu An listed only more than 10,000 mu, and as for hundreds of mu, there are more.

When you first look at these names, there is nothing special. They all seem to be strangers. However, if you think about it carefully, you will find that behind these strange names, there are countless secrets hidden. These big landlords are all local tyrants in Huai'an Prefecture, and there are quite a lot of servants and thugs raised by the government. Usually, the government dares not offend them. Ordinary people dare not offend them.

Among these three powerful people, the most domineering one is obviously Liu Handa. Liu Handa's land is all in Shuyang. In Shuyang County, all the fertile land belongs to his Liu family. The power of his Liu family even surpasses the county government office. Liu Handa's words are much more powerful than the county magistrate's words. Basically, the Liu family is in the local area, so it is the law.

In order to protect his own interests, Liu Handa raised a team of hundreds of servants, well-equipped and even equipped with muskets. Because of this, almost everyone took a ignorant attitude towards Liu Handa's behavior, even Yang Yipeng and Cao Wenheng. Because Liu Handa donated 10,000 taels of silver every year to decorate the storefronts of the two Governors' yamen.

The most important thing is that they have a close relationship with all the ***s in the court and the officials in Nanjing. It seems that the former chief assistant Zhang Juzheng, the former chief assistant Shen Shixing, the former chief assistant Zhou Yanru, the former chief assistant Wen Tiren, and the current chief assistant Liu Yuliang and others have their own power in Huai'an Prefecture. For example, Liu Handa is Wen Tiren's cousin. With Wen Tiren's care, Liu Handa is naturally lawless.

Zhang Zhun put down the list and said with a cold expression: "Have you paid the money for managing the river this year?"

Liu An thought to himself, you should ask Cao Wenheng, why did you come to ask me? However, he did not dare to question Zhang Zhun, so he had to say tactfully: "In previous years, all gentry donated, and it looked like 30,000 to 40,000 taels a year. This year's donation figures have not been distributed yet."

Zhang Zhun shook his head and said, "Thirty or forty thousand taels, it's useless."

Liu An thought to himself, you said it lightly, that was donated by others. I, the prefect, don’t know how much face I have, can only raise 30,000 to 40,000 taels a year. Even if the two governors came forward in person, they might not be able to raise much. Those rich families are supported by great forces, so they will not take the initiative to pay the money out.

Zhang Zhun pondered for a moment and said coldly: "You can send me a notice. For all the fields under your name, one tael of silver will be paid for each acre of land, as the cost of managing the river! I will give them ten days! If there is no money paid for ten days, you will be responsible for the consequences!"

Liu An's legs became weak, and he couldn't help but kneel down with a thud, shouting: "Governor, may it be! may it be!"

Zhang Zhun said coldly: "What's wrong?"

Liu An's forehead was covered with sweat and he was stammering and unable to speak. He knew in his heart how to do it, but he did not dare to tell Zhang Zhun bluntly. Zhang Zhun's doing this would cost those people the lives! One tael of silver per acre of land would be tens of thousands of silver at once, which was like a robbery! If this announcement was posted, it would be strange if Huaian Mansion did not rebel.

It seems that Liu Handa, Zhang Dabao, and Lin Shuen, these big landlords all have many servants and thugs. Their servants are basically similar to Caoshen. If Zhang Zhun does this, it will inevitably arouse their force of resistance. Once they unite and engage in violent confrontation, the Huai'an Mansion will be in chaos.

Let me ask, who hasn't received the benefits of these big landlords at all levels in Huai'an Prefecture? That is, Liu An, also earns hundreds of taels of silver every year. Once these big landlords get in chaos, the grain officials, garrisons and military households in Huai'an Prefecture will be incited. At that time, Huai'an Prefecture will become a real battlefield.

After a while, Liu An stammered: "Governor, whether it is possible or not, something will happen if you force the levy. Those people are lush and they will be affected by the whole body. Please think twice!"

Zhang Zhun stared at Liu An and said coldly: "Don't worry about this, you just need to post a notice. The money is what I, Zhang Zhun, want to collect, and it has nothing to do with you."

Of course he knew what the consequences would be. However, such consequences were exactly what Zhang Zhun needed. If the Huaian Prefecture did not become a chaos, how could the Hu Ben Army get out of the fire? If the Huaian Prefecture did not become a battlefield, how could the Hu Ben Army's butcher knife be found? If those big landlords were not eliminated, how could the Huaian Prefecture fall into the hands of the Hu Ben Army?

Liu An then breathed a sigh of relief. With Zhang Zhun's words, his responsibility could be reduced a lot. However, after a moment, Liu An still felt frightened. Those people did not dare to take their anger on Zhang Zhun, but they could still take their anger on him Liu An!

Zhang Zhun stared at Liu An and said coldly: "Are you afraid of them? Are you not afraid of me?"

Liu An suddenly felt that his spine and bone marrow were chilling, as if he was about to suffocate. Liu An did not dare to resist the cruel governor at all. He hurriedly said, "I dare not, I dare not, the subordinate immediately issue an announcement, immediately."

After saying that, Liu An hurriedly bowed and said goodbye. It was not until after leaving the door that he secretly wiped the cold sweat from his forehead. He felt that his whole body was wet, and that was all cold sweat! This Zhang Zhun was really terrible.

Liu An really doesn't understand. Didn't he say that Zhang Zhun was going to Yangzhou to participate in the Yangzhou Chamber of Commerce? Why did he make a big fight in Huaian Prefecture and start a massacre? Is he going to kill the chickens and show the monkeys to shock the people in Yangzhou Prefecture? If so, the people in Huaian Prefecture would be really unlucky.

But what can they do? Zhang Zhun came with his army unless they have an army stronger than Zhang Zhun. Is there no army stronger than the Hu Ben Army in this world? Perhaps there is, but Liu An did not see it.

Alas, forget it, in this era of chaos, it’s better to take one step at a time. It’s really not possible, so I had to hold the Hu Ben Army’s thighs tightly. Even Lu Xiangsheng is said to have worked hard for the Hu Ben Army. What is his small prefect?

After making up his mind, Liu An accelerated his pace and hurriedly went there. In the early morning of the next day, the relevant notices were posted to several places in Huaian Prefecture. All the prefectures and counties under his jurisdiction also received relevant documents. For a moment, a stone caused a thousand sensation, and the entire Huaian Prefecture was boiling.
Chapter completed!