The most reckless man in the Ming Dynasty

Starting from Zhangjiawan, Tongzhou, the next stop is Tianjin Wei.

After spending most of the day, Tang Hao and his party arrived in this bustling city.

Tianjin's prosperity began with the opening of the Grand Canal in the Sui Dynasty.

Since the middle of the Tang Dynasty, Tianjin has become a water and land terminal for the transportation of grain and silk from the south to the north. It was called "Zhigu Village" in the Song and Jin Dynasties, and was renamed "Haijin Town" in the Yuan Dynasty. It is a military town and a grain transshipment center.

However, the name "Tianjin" comes from the name given by the emperor.

During the Battle of Jingnan, King Yan Zhu Di led his troops from Zhigu, the predecessor of Tianjin, to attack Cangzhou. After several years of war, they finally captured Nanjing and successfully seized the throne.

"The emperor burst into laughter after hearing this, but when he returned to the palace, he couldn't eat it when he looked at the fine clothes and food, and even burst into tears in the end. Do you know why?"

Tang Mu opened his mouth, wanting to say something, but finally chose to shut up.

"Master Hou, let me ask you clearly!"

For example, when Zhu Houzhao first came to the throne, because there was no money in the internal treasury, he had to hold a funeral for his father, a coronation ceremony for himself, and a coronation ceremony for Queen Xia, so the little emperor reached out and asked the civil servants and gentry for money. , asking for 12,000 Yanyin, which is Changlu Yanyin.

"But the people are disheveled and half-dressed. Do you think this is normal?"

"This Tianjin Guard is located between the capital and the Bohai Sea. Its geographical location is very important. Since ancient times, this place has not only been an important outlet for the capital, but also has the important mission of protecting the capital. It is an out-and-out military location."

"Yidao, don't be stunned, write these words down and send them back to His Majesty!"

Fearing that the old farmer would not accept this kindness, Tang Mu took the dry food with a smile, and then shared it with the old farmer.

"Tell me, what's the problem?"

However, no matter what, Tianjin cannot be short of salt, nor will it be short of salt.

"No, Lord Marquis!"

"As you just said, Tianjin is the gateway to the capital and the most benign place."

Indeed, it is normal for the people at the bottom not to have enough to eat. After all, Liu Daxia once said, "The soldiers and civilians in the world are poor, and the people are poor and their wealth is exhausted."

Tang Hao was very angry when he saw this and was too lazy to explain too much to these bastards.

Even Zuo Yidao, who had a cold expression on his face, looked at the Zhongshan Marquis with a strange expression at this moment.

In order to commemorate the "Longxing Land" where he began to send troops, Zhu Di named "Zhigu", which was once "the place where the emperor crossed the river", Tianjin.

Even without the Changlu Saltworks just around the corner, Tianjin was the hub of water transportation in the Ming Dynasty. Wouldn't it still be a worry about not having salt?

"The gateway to the capital, a prosperous place." Tang Mu spoke sincerely.

Tang Hao then looked at the people behind him, including Zuo Yida.

Everyone was silent, not understanding what the Marquis of Zhongshan wanted to say.

However, the common people in Tianjin cannot even eat salt, and cannot even afford salt!

"The reason why the emperor was sad was because he saw that the people did not know him, and he had never understood the real sufferings of the people. The emperor is the father of the people in the world, and the subjects are the people of the emperor. As a result In the end, the father doesn’t know the son, and the son doesn’t know the father. Isn’t this sad?”

"You don't know, right? Of course you don't know, because no matter how humble your background is, you are at least from a high family, and at the lowest you have the position of a hereditary military attaché."

And they also understood something from Tang Hao's tone.

When Zuo Yidao heard this, he was immediately shocked and subconsciously distanced himself from these group of killers.

After a pause, Tang Hao suddenly changed the topic and looked at Zuo Yidao.

"Although the land of Liaodong is isolated outside the pass, you should all understand the importance of this place to the Ming Dynasty, right?"

I saw that most of the people's faces were yellow and yellow, and most of them were obviously suffering from malnutrition. The clothes on many of them were in tatters and full of patches.

In just a few words, everyone understood the importance of this place.

"If it's murder, then there's no problem. Brothers, you take care of everything!"

Tang Hao smiled happily, and then ordered to rest on the spot. Those who ate dry food should eat dry food, and those who drank water should drink water.

At the feet of the Emperor, the most virtuous place, you will do some good things no matter what, right?

"Master Hou, are we going to... kill people?"

"No, in your hearts, I am just a cruel butcher and executioner who likes to kill, right?"

Seeing that the old farmer was weak when he spoke, Tang Hao glanced at Zuoyida.

"Tom, what do you think of Tianjin?"

Tang Hao was stunned when he heard this, and then felt that it was understandable.

"But if you are going shopping, it will be a big problem. None of the brothers have brought any money. Mr. Marquis, have you brought any money?"

"However, the people you see now are not just a matter of whether they can fill their bellies, but their physical condition is extremely bad. They may fall down in the field at any time and turn into corpses!"

Zuo Yidao: "???"

"This official salt is too expensive and cannot be bought, and all those who sell private salt are killed by the government. The common people really cannot afford salt, and they are forced to not eat it..."

"No, he really doesn't know." Tang Mu replied in a low voice: "According to the old man, we used to eat salt, and salt was not expensive at that time and everyone could afford it."

After hearing this, everyone realized the seriousness of the problem.

However, he didn't know, Tang Hao knew.

It was still early in the day, but Tang Hao ordered all official ships to dock and anchor, camp on the shore and wait for orders to continue moving forward.

After such a relationship, about half an hour later, Tang Mu came back with a gloomy face.

The imperial court opened the country in order to transport grain to the border, so it gave away part of the salt profits.

I have to admit that this Tom is still somewhat smart.

Zuo Yidao hesitated for a moment, then took out a pen and paper and started recording seriously.

Later, Tianjin Guards were as famous as Weihai Guards, Jinshan Guards, and Zhenhai Guards, and were also called the Four Davids of the Ming Dynasty. They played a huge role in defending the country and fighting against Japanese pirates, and were admired by future generations.

What's left is that a large number of people are working inside, working tirelessly and tirelessly, like zombies.

Hearing this, Tang Hao gave him an annoyed look.

Tianjin Wei is famously prosperous and prosperous. It is the core of the water transport hub. Merchants gather and trade is developed. It is difficult to think of it as prosperous.

Tang Mu spoke concisely and uttered one word.

"Salt!"

Salt is a necessity for the human body. If you don't eat salt for a long time, or you can't afford it, it will cause weakness in the limbs. In more serious cases, it will cause edema throughout the body and a series of physical problems!

But the question is, does Tianjin lack salt?

"Can you tell me what you want to do in advance?"

"Then look at these people. They all look disheveled and don't even have a single intact piece of clothing. Don't you think it's strange?"

There was nothing he could do. In his entire life, he had never seen such a murderous butcher and executioner, a whole bunch of them!

Seeing the look in Zuo Yidao's eyes, Tang Hao couldn't help but smile bitterly and spoke.

"It is true that people's lives are difficult, this is the norm in the Ming Dynasty."

The soldiers were busy setting up camp. Tang Hao took Tang Mu, Chang Kuohai and others, as well as Zuo Yidao who insisted on following, on horseback to Tianjin Town. He wanted to see how the people of Tianjin were really living.

Yumu swallowed and asked cautiously.

Tang Hao looked at the people in front of him with a deep smile.

"Tian" naturally means the emperor; and "jin" means the ferry.

"In today's world, the only people who can fill their stomachs and eat meat from time to time are the people in the capital."

The arrogant commander of the imperial army snorted coldly, but he still dismounted and walked forward, handing his dry food and water to the old farmer with a smile.

There is no other way. His Majesty the Emperor's orders are in front of him. The thief Zhongshan Marquis can do whatever he wants.

Good people?

Tang Hao: "???"

The Ming Dynasty has always attached great importance to the control of salt prices. It was not until the fifth year of Hongzhi in the Ming Dynasty that Ye Qi carried out the reform!

Ye Qi, who was the Minister of the Ministry of Household Affairs at the time, proposed to change the grain warehouse to the Silver Transportation Department, that is, the salt merchants would no longer transport rice and wheat to the border guards in exchange for Huai salt quota, but would directly transfer silver to the salt transportation departments in the Huaihe River and Huaihe River. In exchange for salt, he went to the field to guard the branch, and the silver he received was handed over to Taicang. The silver was used to decompose the guard, and the guard used the silver to buy grain.

The old farmer has been a farmer all his life and may not have even been out of this village, so it is normal for him to not know what time it was. Even if you ask him now, he may not know who the Ming Emperor is. This is a feudal dynasty. A true portrayal of the vast majority of people.

Hearing this, Tang Mu was startled, and then fell silent.

"Then did this old man ever say where the salt went?"

After Tianjin received its name from the emperor, it set up a military department in the same year, including Tianjin Guards, Tianjin Left Guards, and Tianjin Right Guards, collectively known as the Three Guards.

Tang Hao keenly captured a key piece of information, that is, what the old farmer said started a few years ago.

"What about you guys? Do you know why?"

Is official salt too expensive and you can’t afford it?

Were all the private salt dealers killed?

Beautiful, really beautiful!

Collusion between officials and businessmen, corruption and bribery, is it such a waste of money?

The old farmer was so flattered that he wanted to kneel down tremblingly, but fortunately, Tang Mu held him in time.

“What is civil suffering?”

But what about the people in front of us?

One by one, it looks like they almost have no energy to walk, they still have to work hard and plow the fields!

"I don't kill people, nor do I go shopping. I just want to see how Tianjin Wei is doing!"

What a "good people"!

Tang Hao glanced at him and spoke meaningfully.

That expression seems to be saying, are you making me laugh?

"From the moment they are born, these people must be familiar with working and cultivating the fields, and then they will live such a life all their lives, working hard in villages and towns. They don't know what year it is today, let alone what the outside world is like!"

Hey, this is really interesting!

Tang Hao had a smile on his face, but even a fool could see how cold and bone-chilling his smile was.

When it came to business, the generals also put away their laughter and listened carefully to their prince's teachings.

"Let me tell you a joke. Before this, an emperor paid a private visit incognito. Of course, he was the emperor after all, so he couldn't go too far. He just wanted to take a walk on the outskirts of the capital. He passed by a field and asked an old farmer in the field. What is his impression of His Majesty’s life?”

The Changlu Salt District has a long history of development. As far back as the early days of the Ming Dynasty, a salt management envoy was set up in Changlu Town, Cang County, to oversee the sea salt production throughout Hebei.

Damn it?

But if you give the salt guide and put the light salt guide into your sleeve, it will be done!

"But since the past few years, the price of salt has been soaring, and the government has not paid any attention to it. Even if someone reports it to the government, it is useless. On the contrary, the government is actively arresting those private salt dealers who resell cheap private salt. , every one was caught and killed, so there were no more private salt sellers.”

Then, Tang Mu, Chang Kuohai and the other thirty-two generals who followed them all nodded in unison.

If you give money that is heavy and heavy, it will be easy for people to accept it, which is very inconvenient.

Because Tianjin Guard is also affiliated with the 36th Coast Defense Guard, and this is precisely the goal of Tang Hao's troops on this trip.

"But these common people, they don't even have a "family". The humble family and the humble family are not talking about these common people, but the declining gentry and wealthy families, which have nothing to do with these common people."

"The old farmer has been cultivating the fields all his life, and he doesn't understand any common etiquette, so he answered truthfully that in his opinion, His Majesty the Emperor's life is nothing more than a few more woks for meals and more money for carrying water. It’s just a shoulder pole and a golden hoe for plowing the fields.”

Because the Changlu Salt Field was the closest to the capital and easy to cash out, Changlu Salt Yin became a common bribe for officials in the Ming Dynasty.

That is this trip to send troops to suppress the Japanese. I am afraid that starting from this Tianjin Guard, there will be killings!

Passing through many villages and towns along the way, everyone saw low thatched houses, low earth walls, and short houses everywhere. There was no paradise like those in later TV series.

On both sides of the Haihe Estuary in Tianjin and to the east by the Bohai Bay, there is a giant salt field - Changlu Tanggu Salt Field, which is also the Changlu Salt Field, one of the three largest salt fields in my country.

Tang Mu asked curiously: "These are good people, is there any problem?"

What the hell is wrong with this place?

Tang Hao looked at Tang Mu. The latter was startled at first, and then he realized what he was doing. He hurriedly dismounted and walked towards an old farmer in the fields, asking for information.

Seeing this scene, Tang Hao basically knew that this trip to Tianjin would not be very peaceful.

"But Liaodong is a notoriously cold place. In order to control Liaodong, the imperial court had to transport grain and grass supplies to the military towns in Liaodong by sea. Tianjin Wei assumed this important responsibility and became the Grand Canal Water Transport And a hub for shipping grain.”

But if you don't have enough to eat, there will be another person who will not die of hunger, and you can survive by relying on gruel to satisfy your hunger every day.

"The first is to suppress the Northern Yuan Dynasty, now the Mongolian barbarians; the second is to control the Jurchen tribes; the third is to control the bridgehead of Korea, a vassal state."

Um?

Um? ? ?

Are you serious?

Tang Hao, however, ignored him and continued to speak on his own.

Seeing this situation, Tang Hao stopped his horse and quietly observed the working people.

"Master Hou, what are you looking at?"

What the hell are you all?

You kill people without saying a word, but still find it difficult to go shopping?

After Ye Qi's reform, he became even more shameless. The imperial court simply handed over the salt directly to these salt merchants to operate and sell, while the imperial court only collected money from the salt merchants and collected real gold and silver. As for the life and death of the soldiers and civilians on the nine sides, the people of the world They don't care about life or death.

And now, retribution begins.

If the right to rain is given to the umbrella seller, will it stop raining?