Start Being a Vassal King Today - Chapter 3

[Chapter 3 I’m Too Difficult]

“Your Highness, please have a meal.”

Luan’er put two bowls of jujube porridge on the table and stood beside her.

His eyes glanced at the rice porridge in the bowl, and he swallowed his saliva.

It has become a habit for Feng’er and Luan’er to take care of Zhao Xu on weekdays, remembering that he hasn’t had breakfast yet, Luan’er went to let the kitchen prepare.

“Your Highness is just recovering from a serious illness, isn’t the dining room ready to order?”

Feng’er looked at the simple two bowls of jujube porridge on the table, her pretty face full of dissatisfaction.

If she would not say anything at ordinary times, she knew that the palace was in short supply.

But King Yan recovered with difficulty, so he should be allowed to eat more to nourish his body.

“Nothing else, the dining room said that there is only rice and red dates left in the palace, even if there is not much rice, why do you ask when will you buy rice for them?” Luan’er had a bitter face.

Feng’er sighed, worried that Zhao Xu would blame Luan’er, so she explained the situation in Yan County.

“The Beidi cavalry plundered every year, the people were killed and looted, and the food they had saved for a year was often robbed. They were hungry, cold and starved, and suffered unspeakably.”

“The nobles in Yan County not only did not help the people, Instead, in order to take advantage of people’s danger, they took a few steamed buns and two or three bowls of porridge to lure the starving and dying people to exchange land for land, so that the people became their vassals, servants and slaves, and plowed the fields for them.”

Zhao Xu nodded. .

Before the age of thirteen, Zhao Xu received formal court education.

The bachelor who was in charge of teaching him at that time talked to him.

This situation is not a matter of one state and one county, but the current problem facing the entire Dasong.

Due to historical reasons in this world, the local forces within the Central Plains Dynasty are deeply rooted.

Those with little power are called the Hao family, who control the power of the county, such as the current Yan County Hao family.

Those with great influence control the power of a state or even several states. They are so powerful that they are called powerful clans.

During the heyday of the dynasty, the royal family could still suppress these powerful families, and they also obeyed the rule of the court.

However, with the decline of the royal family and insufficient control over the states and counties, they have the tendency to form their own independent regime and fight against the royal family.

At the beginning of the founding of the country, Dasong learned the lesson of the previous dynasty’s death from the powerful clan, so he attached great importance to the growth of the clan and allowed the distribution of princes in order to fight against the powerful clan.

This is how the national oak has been eulogized for more than 200 years. Otherwise, it is estimated that the eulogy will not have the luck of a hundred years.

However, in recent years, the strength of the royal family has been continuously consumed in the fight against foreign races, and this balance has been broken.

And because Yanzhou where he is located is on the border, the sky is high, the emperor is far away, and the army is in turmoil, the power of the wealthy family even treats the royal family as nothing.

In order to strengthen their own strength, they also do everything they can to squeeze the people.

“Wouldn’t the palace’s tax be collected?” Zhao Xu asked after pondering for a while.

“How does Your Highness know?” Feng’er was slightly surprised.

“The common people don’t have enough to eat and can’t afford to pay taxes. The nobles are rich, and the officials of Yan County are all from the nobles. They naturally collude with each other to evade taxes.” Zhao Xu stirred the porridge in the bowl.

The historical development trajectories of the two worlds are different, but human nature is still connected.

“That’s true. For the past three months, the palace has used the silver brought from Jinling.” Feng’er shook her head lightly.

“More than that, in order to force the common people to sell land to them, the wealthy family in Yan County deliberately raised the price of rice, so that the common people who could have food could not eat, forcing them to sell the land, and our palace was also affected. If we continue, rice I can’t even eat it anymore.” Luan’er added timidly.

In Zhao Xu’s memory, after arriving in Yan County, the people in the palace gradually became thin and pale.

It is estimated that it has something to do with the lack of wealth in the palace.

If taxes are not paid, there is naturally no money. What’s more, even if there is some tax money, it must first pass through the hands of Yan County officials, and finally reach Zhang Han’s hands.

And Zhang Han, a bastard, must have filled his own pockets, so how could he leave it to the palace.

“Liu Fu, bring the account books of the palace.”

Zhao Xu drank the rice porridge and decided to take over the affairs of the palace.

If Yan County continues to develop like this, apart from Xiliang, Beidi and the local nobles, I am afraid that the common people will rise up.

At that time, he can only lie down and wait for death.

Liu Fu went there for a while, and brought an old man with half-white hair over.

This is the Qin accountant of the palace.

“Your Highness, the younger one was also coerced by Zhang Han, please spare your life, Your Highness…”

Zhang Han was detained, and the news spread throughout the palace. The old accountant naturally knew who was the real master now.

“As long as you tell the truth, I will spare you.” Zhao Xu came to the old accountant.

These little people are people who do things. Naturally, they will do whatever Zhang Han asks them to do. There is no need to kill them all.

“Yes, Your Highness.” Qin accountant tremblingly held up the account book page by page for Zhao Xu to read.

Seeing that Zhao Xu’s words were really like ordinary people, he didn’t dare to lie.

“After three months in Yanjun, the Wangfu received a total of fifty taels of tax silver from the Yanjun government office, all of which were taken away by Zhang Han in the name of repairing the Wangfu.

” We were in short supply, and we sold them separately on the grounds that we needed two taels of silver, and each mu was sold for one penny, which was also taken away by Zhang Han.” said the old accountant.

“What!” Zhao Xu almost fainted after hearing this.

The 3,000 mu of fertile land was allocated to him as private property according to the royal code when he left Yan County.

The reason is that without any tax, the palace can live comfortably on the rent of the 3,000 mu of fertile land.

Zhang Han actually sold it to him directly, and it was still such a low price. I don’t know how much kickback this bastard took.

“Has Zhang Han woke up? If he wakes up, he will beat me hard.” Zhao Xu wanted to kill someone.

Dare to sell the royal property, just this one is a capital offense.

“Yes, hit him hard.” Liu Fu immediately ordered the two servants to go over.

Zhao Xu’s heart still hurts.

There is no tax, and there is no fertile land, which means that the palace has no income, how to support the whole family.

After scolding, he looked at the old accountant expectantly, and asked, “How much silver do you still have in the palace?

” Let’s go.” The old accountant didn’t dare to tell lies.

Zhao Xu sat down after listening.

These more than forty taels are acceptable for one person, after all, one tael in Dasong is enough for an ordinary family to live for a month.

But his palace servants, servants, and staff all wanted to feed Li Yin.

In addition, there are a hundred guards from the capital to protect him.

These dozens of taels of silver are simply not enough for anything.

What’s more terrible is that the palace has no income, and now it can only go in and out.

No wonder Luan’er became greedy for two bowls of porridge.

If this continues, he will have to disband his servants, and he will no longer be able to eat a big bowl of dirt.

With a long sigh, Zhao Xu asked the old accountant to go back.

I walked out of the bedroom, looking at the dilapidated courtyard walls, roofs, and corridors of the palace due to years of disrepair.

He frowned and thought hard.

Obviously, the situation he’s in right now is pretty bad.

He can’t count on the rich family in Yan County.

These bastard royals are not birds, so how to pay attention to him, a down-and-out prince with no power, starving to death is more in their favor.

If he wants to control Yan County, he has to rely on the people of Yan County, they are the cornerstone of Yan County.

It’s just that you can’t rely on words to make these people return to their hearts.

After all, in their eyes, there is no difference between themselves and the rich clan of Yan County who exploited them.

Only by giving them land to grow and food to eat can they get their support.

To achieve this, the premise is that the palace must have land allocated to them. After all, in ancient times, land was the lifeblood of the common people.

But at present, the land is in the hands of the Hao family in Yan County, which seems to be an endless loop.

And the only thing that can break this vicious cycle is to fight poison with poison. The palace purchased a large amount of land, let the people attach themselves to the palace, and became the largest wealthy family in Yan County.

When he is full-fledged, he will completely control Yan County, eliminate the forces that violate him, and control Yan County.

“Money!”

Zhao Xu initially had his own plan in mind, no matter what he did, he had to have a lot of money first.

Looking up at the scorching sun in June, the scorching sun made him feel hot for a while.

Suddenly, a way to make the nobles of Yan County give him money willingly came up.

And all he did was use a little knowledge of chemistry.

(end of this chapter)