In a blink of an eye, more than half a month passed, and Shi Yun finally returned to Shanyin from Wushang.

However, Shi Yun did not bring good news to the Shi family. Shi Yun brought the black-skinned salt, iron, silk, cloth, Sanniang, Yao Niang and other dozen beauties, but Huang Bo refused to mention Shi Zhong's request for the Huang family to rise up. Shi Yun urged him several times, and Huang Bo simply disappeared.

In fact, Uncle Huang did not want to raise an army, but he really couldn't raise an army.

Because Wushang Huang's family and the Mao family had always been in disagreement, the Mao family suddenly obtained a large number of iron weapons and even got hundreds of war horses to form cavalry. This made Huang Bo very worried. If he brought the strong men of the clan to go out, would the Mao family take advantage of the situation and destroy the old nest? It should be noted that Shanyue is not a single piece.

Shi Zhong asked Shi Yun with a blue face: "So, Uncle Huang will not raise an army?"

Shi Yun sighed and shook his head and said, "Grandpa, I'm afraid it's impossible." After saying this, Shi Yun said, "Grandpa, let's face it, all clans in Jibei are all a mess. If we want to fight against the royal power, it is simply to perish. If our Shi family insists on resisting the law, it will inevitably repeat the mistakes of the Sun family."

Shi Ping also said: "Yes, if you support the new law, you will at least be the magistrate of Shanyin County. Grandpa, you are still the pavilion chief. Grandpa, you have the final say. Otherwise, you will be gone." Shi Ping didn't say anything. If the Shi family insisted on resisting the law, then he would not be the county magistrate.

"Forget it, let's do it." Shi Zhong sighed and sat back on the mat dejectedly.

Shi Yun was shocked to find that it was only half a month since he saw him, and the grandfather was already gray-haired and old, as if he had suddenly become more than a teenager.

On the mountain road outside Wuzhong City, Xiang Zhuang took the lead and walked slowly. Behind Xiang Zhuang, Gao Chu and Pang Yu walked in a row, but Pang Yu deliberately lag behind Gao Chu by half a horse. No matter what, Gao Chu is now the number one confidant general under the command of the king. Pang Yu dared not go along with Gao Chu.

Behind Gao Chu and Pang Yu are the five hundred Tiger Guards of Jin Xiang.

Xiang Zhuang turned around and looked at Gao Chu who was following him. Pang Yu couldn't help but feel a little lost. He recalled that when he first broke through the wild horse, Gao Chu was just a small personal military commander. However, now, this guy is already a general who commands the thousand troops alone, and Pang Yu, who is still the ceremony that he only performed yesterday.

Pang Yu's Guanquer was personally presided over by Xiang Zhuang. It was extremely grand and made many Chu army generals envious. After the Guanquer, Xiang Zhuang gave the name Yu again. Yu was the one who was so majestic, so he gave the name Zi'ang.

Today, Gao Chu, Pang Yu accompanied Xiang Zhuang to Qionglong Mountain to hunt. Now the two are generals who are alone in the same place and do not often follow Xiang Zhuang. Over time, the monarch and ministers will inevitably become unfamiliar. Therefore, it is extremely important to drink and hunt together when they return to the capital.

Since Wei Liao passed away, Xiang Zhuang has become more and more skilled in political skills.

Turning over a ridge ahead, there was a large rice field facing us. It was mid-August. The rice in the rice fields was already golden and could be harvested. A gust of mountain wind blew, and the rice waves were undulating layer by layer, and the air was filled with the fragrance of rice. Xiang Zhuang was in a good mood. It seemed that the autumn grain this year could be harvested.

Just when the autumn grain harvest comes, the embarrassment of the treasury should be alleviated. The Chu State's treasury is really stretched. It will be distributed this month. This is a huge expense. Although the Chu State has just been established, the number of officials and honors is really large. In addition, the titles rewarded for military merits make the expenses even heavier.

When Xiang Zhuang submitted his salary list to Xiang Zhuang's desk yesterday, Xiang Zhuang was really shocked. He added all the officials at all levels, generals in the army, the descendants of the clan (mainly the ancient Chu clan), and the newly promoted nobles (mainly the veterans who obtained titles for military merits) and even had to distribute more than 100,000 stones of rice, which was not considered other money and goods.

In fact, more than 100,000 stones of rice are nothing, the key is that the family’s foundation is too thin.

Xiang Zhuang believes that as long as you survive this year, by next year, the Chu State's finances will never be so embarrassing.

Although Jiangdong is not a land of fish and rice, at least it is slightly inferior to Guanzhong and Bashu, the plains in the middle and lower reaches of the Yangtze River have unique natural irrigation conveniences, and can easily reclaim tens of millions of mu of fertile land. Calculated by one stone per mu, that is tens of millions of stone, and then the land tax is collected by one fifteen taxes, that is more than six hundred thousand stones.

Of course, this requires enough population, otherwise no matter how many fertile land is, no matter how many people grow, there is no food.

Fortunately, the implementation of the "Law on the Implementation of Households and Civil Affairs" has achieved good results. According to the latest statistics, there are more than 680,000 households in the 56 counties in Jiangdong, more than 2.6 million households and more than 2.6 million people, and at least nearly one million strong laborers. Cultivating tens of millions of acres of paddy fields is not a large number.

After a while, Xiang Zhuang took his gaze from the rice fields and asked Gao Chu behind him casually: "Gaochu, can the autumn grain in Lujiang County be harvested this year?"

"Oh, don't mention it." Gao Chu sighed and said, "Fanyang, Chaisang, Liling, and Pengze counties have been plagued by locusts. Although there is no grain harvest, large-scale production reduction is inevitable." After saying this, Gao Chu complained again, "King, the Lumi of officials at all levels in Lujiang County has not yet been settled, you have to support one or two."

"You, you." Xiang Zhuang shook his head and smiled, "I really know how to pick and stretch out my hand."

Gao Chu laughed, then patted the xiongjiao again and said, "But don't worry, when the summer grain is collected next year, I will definitely return it as much as possible. Oh no, it's the principal and interest."

Xiang Zhuang said angrily: "I don't want your principal and interest, just those counties in the western part of Lujiang and the southern part of Lujiang."

"That's a matter of time." Gao Chu said carelessly, "I am already planning. If nothing unexpected happens, the Nanye, Ganxian and Yudu counties in the south should belong to Dachu at the beginning of next year. As for the Luling, Anping and Yichun counties in the west, I will only wait until the military rations are prepared, and I can capture them without any effort."

Xiang Zhuang said: "If you can do not use force, it is better not to use force."

Gao Chu nodded and said, "Don't worry, I will pay attention."

Xiang Zhuang turned his head and asked Pang Yu again: "Zi'ang, is there any disaster in Dong'ou?"

Pang Yu scratched his head unnaturally and replied: "My king, it's really a disaster, a storm! However, only one county was seriously affected by the disaster, and the other few counties were in good condition, so they didn't need the national treasury to spend food."

Xiang Zhuang laughed and said, "I'm still polite to me, unlike Gao Chu, who is just thinking about getting benefits from me and fighting Qiu Feng." After that, Xiang Zhuang pretended to be angry again, "Last night, my wine cellar was thieves, and I lost two barrels of Yujiu Shaojiu. Gao Chu, tell me honestly, did you steal it?"

"No, no." Gao Chu shook his head repeatedly, "What's wrong?"

Xiang Zhuang looked at Pang Yu and said, "Ziang, look, this kid doesn't admit it yet."

Pang Yu could only smile foolishly. He didn't dare to answer these things randomly. General Gao Chu was familiar with the king and it was nothing to joke, but Pang Yu could not be so arrogant.

Xiang Zhuang was in a pretty good mood tonight. Although the situation in Chu State is a bit difficult, the implementation of the first batch of new laws represented by "The Law of the Literature of the Household and Qimin" was quite smooth, which also set a good start for the subsequent changes. Just now, the imperial doctor told him another good news, Baili Yishui and Wei Yue were happy at the same time, which was really a double happiness.

However, when Xiang came to see him with this year's land tax budget book, his good mood was destroyed immediately.

"How is that possible?!" Xiang Zhuang shook the booklet in his hand and said in disbelief, "Ziyi, have you made a mistake? You must have made a mistake. The results of the investigation of Qimin's registered household registration have been released. There are more than 600,000 household registration household registrations and more than 2.6 million Qimin's registered household registrations. Then the land tax should be at least 500,000 stones, how could it be only 200,000 stones?!"

Xiangzhuang was indeed a little unbelievable, or he was unwilling to believe that Jiangdong had a population of more than 2.6 million, and the land tax should be at least 600,000 stones, how could it be only 200,000 stones? If there were only 200,000 stones of land tax, then how much could be left after the officials at all levels, the honor tribes of the Shiqing clan and the veterans who were awarded titles?

This means that the military rations borrowed from major aristocratic clans in the Spring Festival are still not yet paid.

It is still a small problem if you can't repay the loan. What's more important is that only a little land tax means that the Chu State's financial resources are only so much. What can such a pitiful financial resources be accomplished? Not to mention anything else, once the Chu army wins a battle in the future, the money, silk and property used to reward will be a big problem!

"Ziyi, please see if you are wrong?" Xiang Zhuang said and handed the booklet back to Xiang him.

Xiang took the booklet and read it carefully, and said with great certainty: "Master, that's right."

"It's really this number?" Xiang Zhuang frowned and asked in a deep voice.

"It's this number." He nodded and answered affirmatively.

"The tax rate of 15 taxes?" Xiang Zhuang asked again.

"The tax rate for 15 taxes." He answered again.

Xiang Zhuang calculated with his fingers and said, "In other words, there are only three million stones of autumn grain in Jiangdong this year? Three million stones of autumn grain, and more than two and six million people are raised. On average, only one stone is more than one stone on each person's head, which is enough to eat for up to three months. But there are at least eight months left until the harvest season for next year's summer grain. What should I do if there are five months left?"

Xiang said hurriedly: "King, Jiangdong's autumn grain this year is at least tens of millions of stones."

"Nearly tens of millions of stones?" Xiang Zhuang opened his eyes wide and said in a deep voice, "Then will there be more than six hundred thousand stones of land?"
Chapter completed!