Chapter 2389: People's Heart

The two riders rushed into Zhuozhou City and went directly to the prefecture.

Later, a shout came from the prefecture: "Long live the emperor!"

Soon, a clerk came out to post the notice.

Everyone couldn't help but rush over to see his jubilant appearance.

Because time was tight, he didn't make paste. The clerk got some fresh rice from somewhere and posted the notice directly.

After posting the notice, he turned around and rubbed the rice on his hands, and said happily: "Your Majesty's decree, this year, the grain tax in all parts of the Ming Dynasty will be reduced by 10%! 10%!"

The people who gathered around were originally here to go shopping, most of them with their children, and some with their wives.

Even Fang Hongzhong took Zhuzhu to go shopping. At this moment, the two of them stood in front. Fang Hongzhong's eyesight was not very good, and he couldn't see clearly because of the bright light.

Fang Xing liked Zhuzhu, so before leaving Zhuozhou last time, he suggested that Zhuzhu also learn to read. Although Fang Hongzhong was old-fashioned, he knew that Fang Xing had good intentions, so he personally taught his granddaughter.

After Zhuzhu was often taken to Beiping, she studied with Wuyou. Not only did she learn to read, but her knowledge was far ahead of those daughters of officials in the city.

Zhuzhu looked at the notice and said, "Grandfather, it is said that the grain tax will be reduced by 10% in the fifth year of Xuande! Those who disobey will be arrested, and everyone must know about this."

Fang Hongzhong was stunned and murmured, "The whole Ming Dynasty? In these peaceful years, there is no famine or disaster. Which dynasty will reduce taxes?"

"Is it really reduced by 10%?"

A man asked while holding his daughter. Everyone around him looked excited, but also nervous.

Grain tax exemption has been done in every year and every generation, but the reason is mostly famine.

But the weather in the Ming Dynasty has been good in the past two years, and there has been a bumper harvest every year. The emperor in the palace didn't have any big happy events, so why did he issue this decree?

The clerk's face darkened, and he glared at the man who asked the question. When he saw that the little girl was frightened by him, he put away his anger and said with a stern face: "The document just arrived. It has only arrived in Zhuozhou now. I think it will spread all over the north in a few days. Yes, the tax will be reduced by 10%. As for the reason you mentioned, it is also said in the decree that there will be a good harvest every year next year... By the way, I still have to read the words of His Majesty. I forgot, I forgot, you wait!"

The people were waiting devoutly, and everyone looked happy.

When the clerk came out again, he was holding a piece of paper in his hand.

He walked out of the door with the paper in his hand very respectfully, stood on the stone, and first cleared his throat with a dry cough according to the rules of the grand court meeting, and then began to read the emperor's words.

"Emperor Wen told me that the people are not water, and the emperor is not a boat."

Uh!

Fang Hongzhong felt something was wrong when he heard the beginning, and the relationship between water and boats has long been known to everyone, so some people behind him were muttering.

"The people are the land, and the emperor and officials are the planters."

"Work at sunrise and return home at sunset, and respect the land that gives us food. This is what the emperor and officials should do."

Hearing this, the people who understood were a little shocked.

The people are the land, and the king and officials should respect the land. What kind of metaphor is this?

This...

Fang Hongzhong felt that if this was said by someone else, he would be criticized on the spot.

But this is the emperor's words!

The clerk was probably a little shocked. He paused here, then looked at the people who were listening in a panic and continued to recite.

"Planters should abide by their duties and never trample on the land. Don't fish out the pond. Otherwise, the land that produces a lot of food will crack into a huge gap that makes people panic, and it will spew out flames that can melt everything in the world..."

Oh!

There was a sudden noise below.

Fang Hongzhong was a little uneasy. He felt that this statement lifted the people too high.

"This means that we should cherish the people's strength, love the people, and not abuse them, otherwise we will be unlucky sooner or later and suffer the consequences!"

Someone was explaining below. Fang Hongzhong turned around and took a look. He vaguely remembered that the man was studying science.

He looked at the people in a daze.

He saw faces full of joy in astonishment,

and the astonishment was gradually dissipating.

He saw an old man grinning, with only a few thin yellow teeth in his mouth, looking ugly. But the joy seemed to surge from all over his body, and people could not help but be infected and become happy.

"The weather is cold, and it's the New Year. Can they wear warm clothes? Can the children afford maltose? Can the women in the family make a new dress? There are so many things. I think about them carefully and can't sleep at night."

"This is your majesty thinking about us, worrying about whether we can wear warm clothes, whether the children can afford candy... Your majesty can't sleep at night thinking about these."

The voice was explaining in plain language, and gradually more and more people spread these explanations. But the emperor's words were actually no different from plain language, and most of the people present could understand them.

Fang Hongzhong saw tears falling from the old man's eyes, and then he suddenly knelt down and shouted: "Long live His Majesty!"

The people did not hesitate and knelt down.

"Long live His Majesty!"

The clerk was frightened and wanted to kneel down, but just as his knees were bent, the voice of the superior came from behind: "Stand firm, finish reading."

The clerk cheered up and continued to read: "I feel deeply uneasy about asking the people of the world to support me, so I always remember the sufferings of the people."

This is still plain language.

"Long live His Majesty!"

The people shouted in unison.

The clerk's body trembled, he blinked his eyes, and said: "I have thought about it for a long time. When I got up early this morning, I suddenly felt that all those thoughts were hypocritical prevarications. Therefore, I decided that in the fifth year of Xuande's reign, the world's grain tax will be reduced by 10%. become!"

He finished reading, but the people below were silent.

He glanced blankly, then was shocked and trembling all over.

Those crazes!

Numerous faces were filled with enthusiasm, tears in their eyes, and then cheers came as expected.

"Long live your Majesty!"

This is not a song of praise, but a cheer.

Cheers exploded from in front of the state government office, and then spread quickly.

After the entire Zhuozhou City learned the news, cheers continued.

The gentry in Zhuozhou also secretly resented the emperor who ordered to clean up the privileges of his group. To put it bluntly, there were countless people who secretly cursed the emperor for his early death.

But at this moment, they could only listen to the cheers and watch the ecstasy with their mouths open.

"Long live your Majesty!"

A child didn't know why he was shouting "Long Live Long Live", but when he saw the adults shouting intoxicatedly, he shouted along.

He ran past a group of scholars and was caught by a man.

"father!"

The man grabbed him and said happily: "Let's go buy some meat."

The child became happy when he heard it and shouted: "Dad, buy some candy."

"Okay, I'll buy you some candy!"

Fang Hongjian also saw this scene. Zhuzhu raised his head and asked, "Grandpa, you just said that you were only given the benefits of farming. What are those businessmen so happy about?"

Fang Hongjian said with a complicated mood: "Farmers will spend their spare money. If they are willing to buy some meat, pull a few feet of cloth, or even dare to go to restaurants a few times, the merchants will make more money." !”

"Grandpa, what makes the government happy?"

"Government? If the business of the merchants is good, the government will collect more taxes. When the time comes, the superiors will praise them, so they will definitely be happy!"

…

Mingbao is coming.

As a newspaper, it even published the latest news in Jinan Prefecture before Di Bao.

"One percent?"

No one was interested in those articles. All eyes were focused on the emperor's speech.

"Your Majesty said it, it's the exact words."

A science boy was shouting at the top of his lungs.

"Emperor Wen told me back then that people are not just water..."

Those faces gradually turned red, then they were happy, and then they raised their arms and shouted.

"Long live your Majesty!"

Cheers echoed everywhere in this city of springs. The cheers on the shores of Daming Lake also reached the painted boats. Those businessmen and 'talents' who came to have fun during the Chinese New Year all stuck their heads out. , listen carefully.

The water of Daming Lake is rippling slightly, and the clean water carries several boats going deeper.

"like……"

A businessman was listening, frowning, and said, "What do you seem to be talking about... 10%?"

At this time, a cry came from another ship: "The 10% grain tax is exempted!"

That was the boat of the 'talents', but when the merchants heard it, their eyes lit up, and someone shouted over there: "Brother, where is it? Is it our Jinan Prefecture?"

No one answered there, and it gradually fell silent.

"Shore to shore!"

The boat the merchants were riding on immediately began to turn around.

Those prostitutes were preparing to use their skills to make these high-rollers willingly take out their wallets, but they didn't expect such a sudden appearance, so their faces turned pale without any powder.

Before reaching the shore, someone heard the news. He stood up and walked to the bow of the ship. Then he turned around and said calmly with his hands behind his back: "Everyone, good news!"

"say!"

The businessmen couldn't hold it any longer, so they cursed him and asked him to speak.

"It's not our Jinan Mansion!"

"Why!"

After sighing for a while, the businessman felt that the prank was successful, and he proudly said: "It's the entire Ming Dynasty!"

"What?"

There are wealthy merchants here who sell their goods all over the Ming Dynasty. When they heard this, they jumped up and shouted: "Hurry to the shore! I'm going to ask people to buy goods soon. I'm going to make a fortune this year!"

"Yes, hurry up!"

There was cheering and cheering here, but the two boats still staying in the center of the lake were quiet, as if they were mourning for their heirs.

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