Chapter 58: Public Sentiments

"Go, go play. Read М"

When Zhao Xu walked towards the naughty boy in the village, a group of villagers came over.

The leader was an elder who drove the naughty boy away and hurried over.

"Li Zheng Feng Zheng pays respect to His Royal Highness the Prince of Yan." When he came to Zhao Xu, the old man saluted.

"Please stand up, old man." Zhao Xu looked at Feng Zheng.

Li Zheng is basically the smallest administrative unit in Dasong, which is equivalent to the contemporary village chief.

Yesterday, Liu Fu had told Feng Zheng that the Prince of Yan was coming today.

At this time, he explained: "Your Highness, Feng Zheng was elected by the villagers together. He is the most respected. Usually, minor disputes in the village are handled by him."

Zhao Xu nodded.

In ancient times, there has always been a saying that the imperial power does not go to the countryside.

It means that officials basically have no control over the countryside.

Most of the affairs in the countryside are handled by people like the village sages.

The government only deals with the village sages and asks them to collect taxes.

And this led to the fundamental problems of ancient society.

The so-called village sages firmly controlled the countryside.

These village sages colluded with the nobles and gentry, firmly controlled the people in their own hands, and took advantage of them at will.

He naturally considered this problem.

So he broke the old rural system of Dasong and rebuilt the organizational structure of Yanjun's countryside.

Because the people cultivated the fields of the palace.

The palace could naturally dominate the people.

He did not need the village sages to urge the people to pay grain for him, and the value of the village sages was gone.

Therefore, now the palace can easily take over the jurisdiction of these people.

The former village sages were abolished.

The current village heads are directly elected by the people in the village, rather than the running dogs selected from the village by the nobles and gentry.

These village heads are like the contemporary village heads, responsible for the affairs of the village, and obey the government office at the same time.

Every month, the village head can also receive a salary from the palace.

But correspondingly, the government will conduct government affairs inspections on these village heads every year, and those who fail to meet the standards will have to go.

In addition to the village head, each village has five security chiefs.

These baozhangs are responsible for both production matters in peacetime and leading a team of local soldiers.

They are responsible for defending against enemies in wartime and for public security in peacetime.

"Your Highness, these are the five baozhangs." Liu Fu continued to introduce them.

"Your Highness." The five people saluted Zhao Xu.

Zhao Xu nodded with satisfaction. These five baozhangs were all young and strong.

"How is the tunnel digging in the village going?"

After meeting everyone, he asked Feng Zheng.

Feng Zheng made a formal arrangement and led Zhao Xu to the village.

"The rice has been planted, and now everyone in the village is idle. In the past two days, Wang Fu has asked us to dig tunnels to resist the northern Di people. The villagers are very active. Now every household is digging." Feng Zheng was cautious.

He was old and had been in poverty for half his life.

He was suddenly selected as the head of the village and could get a salary from the royal palace. He became a half-official, so he naturally cherished it.

He dared not be careless about anything on weekdays and did everything himself.

Zhao Xu stopped in front of a fenced courtyard.

Looking at the thatched house inside, he suddenly saw a woman closing the door.

Then a man walked out from inside, looking a little reserved.

Feng Zheng took a look, worried that Zhao Xu would blame the villagers for being rude, and explained: "Your Highness, don't blame me. The villagers are poor. Some families have only one pair of pants to wear. Often whoever goes out wears it..."

At this point, Feng Zheng stopped talking, and the following meaning was obviously self-evident.

Zhao Xu was embarrassed and sad when he heard it.

He knew that Yan County was poor, but he didn't expect it to be so poor that a family shared a pair of pants.

And this is the seat of Yan County, Yan County, and Yancheng.

It's like this here, let alone other places.

"I didn't expect that the people of my Yan County would be so embarrassed." Turning around, he sighed.

Liu Fu grew up in the countryside and was used to it.

He said: "Your Highness has grown up in the palace since he was a child, eating fine clothes and wearing silk and satin. It is normal that you have never seen such a scene. However, Your Highness does not need to be sad. When the rice is harvested this year, the people of Yan County will have a better life."

When it comes to this, Feng Zheng and the five heads of the village all laughed, their faces full of longing.

"The rent of the fields in the palace is only 10%. When the harvest comes, the villagers will not be able to eat it all. When the time comes, they can sell it and earn a few taels of silver. Then they can buy new clothes." Feng Zheng became happier and happier.

The heads of the village all nodded, and one of them said: "Now there is no villager in Yan County who does not appreciate Your Highness. It is Your Highness who gives everyone hope, otherwise life would be meaningless."

After saying this, Zhao Xu felt much better.

He thought that it was worth it to make this business at a loss.

In his generation, he was also an ordinary citizen.

And what the people want is not a hope?

Whoever gives this hope, tens of thousands of people will be willing to sacrifice their lives for it.

At present, this house cannot be entered.

Zhao Xu went to the next hut under the leadership of Feng Zheng.

A father and son lived in this hut, and Zhao Xu walked in.

"Your Highness, there is a tunnel under this fake stove. As long as the stove is removed, you can get in." Feng Zheng explained, "But the time is too short, and we haven't dug too deep yet."

The thatched house is very cool, and the mud ground has become very solid because of long-term trampling.

The layout of the house is also very simple.

There are three rooms, a bedroom, a main room, and a cooking room, and some rough tables and chairs are placed in the room.

The owners of the hut, father and son, looked scared at this time.

After hearing what Feng Zheng said, the father among them explained: "Your Highness, the common people have been digging day and night and don't dare to be lazy."

Zhao Xu laughed after hearing this, "Don't be afraid, I'm not blaming you, don't be anxious, dig slowly."

The father and son finally breathed a sigh of relief.

They all used to work on the Du family's farm.

If something is not done well, you will be beaten and scolded.

They were flattered by King Yan's friendly appearance.

After looking at the tunnel leading from the stove to the bottom, Zhao Xu and everyone left and visited many other houses.

Generally speaking, the tunnel thing has just begun, and only the prototype can be seen.

But he is not in a hurry. If he keeps digging like this, he will be almost done within a month.

After staying in Fushi Village for a while, he and Liu Fu set off again and went to other villages.

Like the deteriorating Pumice Village, the village institutions in these villages have been established, and production and tunnel excavation have been carried out in an impressive manner.

"Liu Fu, you did a good job." It was evening.

Zhao Xu has basically transferred all the villages around Yancheng and is very satisfied with the current rural situation in Yan County.

After all, in the agricultural era, the vast majority of the population lived in the countryside.

If you control the countryside, you will control the world.

Liu Fu said with emotion: "Xiaguan is just executing His Highness's decree. If His Highness had not redeemed these lands with the profits of the Chamber of Commerce, Xiaguan would not be able to make the countryside of Yan County so vibrant even if he vomited three liters of blood."

"You're pretty self-aware," Xu Lie joked to Liu Fu. The two of them were used to having trouble, and it would be uncomfortable if they didn't say a few words.

Zhao Xu smiled, feeling more at ease than ever before.

His fiefdom has finally improved, and in the future, he will make Yan County better.

"Your Highness, look!" Xu Lie suddenly shouted, his face changed drastically.

Zhao Xu looked along his hand and saw smoke and dust billowing on the official road, as if thousands of troops were coming.