Chapter 43 Section 7 The old patriarch of the Bai clan moved his backer

The matter still originated from Mei County.This time it was the leader of the Bai family. Speaking of the Bai family, the Bai Jin branch who served as a general in Liyang is the authentic lineage.However, the population of the authentic Bai family is very small, only about three hundred.Before Qin Xiangong, all the offshoots of the Bai family lived in Mei County, with a population of more than 10,000 and 23 large villages.Qin Xiangong moved to Liyang to the east, and moved the old Qin people of the Mengxibai tribe in Meixian County to the eastern half, forming "Xibai" and "Dongbai", and the same for the other two ethnic groups.Among the three Bai clans in Mengxi, the Bai family has the most valiant and profound traditions. In the Qin army, there were many middle and low-level generals and military officials. There was even a saying among the old Qin people that "no white can make an army".On the other hand, the Bai family is very good at farming and has a special talent for tending the land.Some people say that the Bai family is the descendants of the god of agriculture, Hou Ji, and they are born farmers.Whether in Mei County or in Eastern Qin, as long as major events related to land cultivation occurred on the ground where the Bai clan lived, the participation of the Bai clan had always been inseparable.

The collateral Bai family has two patriarchs, one is the white dragon of "Xibai", and the other is the white tiger of "East Bai".When he was young, Bailong and Baihu were both well-known commanders in the Qin army.During Qin Xiangong's period, in the fierce battle with Wei Guo for the Longmen Fortress, Bailong broke a right arm, and Baihu broke a left leg, and had to leave the army.Twenty years later, both of them turned into gray-haired old patriarchs.Bailong is cunning and meticulous in his work, while Baihu is naive and rude.The last time the Mengxi and Bai tribes fought fiercely with Rong and Di immigrants, Bailong took it very seriously, saying that he "stretched his neck to the knife's edge, and opened his mouth to choke the limelight", and he did not advocate the new law.In the end, although he couldn't resist the clamor of the Meng, Xiqi and his own people, he sent more than a hundred people to participate in the "combat", but they were all women and teenagers, and he didn't go there himself.Although the people of the two tribes were greatly offended at the time, after the Weishui Dafa, the old patriarchs of the Meng and Xiqi tribes repented and committed suicide on the court. The only remaining Bailong won the excellent reputation of the tribe, faintly. However, it became the core of the Mengxi Bai tribe in Mei County.

However, Bailong became depressed.At the beginning, he did not advocate fighting with Rongdi immigrants, not because he supported the new law, but because he felt that the limelight was not right.After the Weishui Falun Dafa, he felt that the new law was too harsh, and he felt very uncomfortable.Now that the well field fief is going to be abolished, he can't help it anyway. This has to talk about the method of abolishing the well field system. Under the well field system, the houses of each peasant household are in their own fields, living scattered, and facing each other from a distance, so there is the so-called saying that "the sound of chickens and dogs is heard, and old and dead do not communicate with each other".The government's so-called "village" refers to only a governance area, but no concentrated residential areas.The abolition of well fields will require a lot of trouble.First of all, peasant households (whether they are free citizens or dependent peasants) have to move out of the well fields and build houses together on uncultivable hillsides or wastelands.Demolition, relocation and construction are all great events for farmers.Secondly, the original village base, the original field boundary, the original driveway, and the furrow channel in the well field must be reclaimed and merged into cultivated fields and distributed together, which is called "opening the fields".They used to live scattered in the fields, and the yards and threshing grounds of each family were very large, occupying a large part of the arable land.The land boundary between the private fields is very wide and high, almost like a path, and it also occupies a part of the arable land.What takes up more space is the driveway across the field.The wars in the Spring and Autumn Period and the early Warring States Period were chariot battles, and the chariots were made by farmers themselves (one chariot was produced for every ten or more households).Therefore, chariot roads must be left in the fields.There are also roads and fields destroyed by large-scale vehicle battles.These have taken up a lot of fertile land.Nowadays, farmers are required to move out of the fields and live together in villages. The driveways, land boundaries, farm yards and abandoned channels in the fields are all reclaimed and redistributed into fertile land.In this way, on the one hand, it is to save land (villages where concentrated living occupies wasteland), and on the other hand, it is to increase a lot of land.One positive and one negative, Qin's land resources were greatly enriched.However, this demolition and relocation, concentration into villages, reclaiming road boundaries, and redistribution of land have caused a lot of human and financial resources, and there are indeed many conflicts of interest.

The dissatisfaction of the Bai family does not lie in these superficial conflicts. With the power and influence of the Mengxi and Bai tribes among the villages, they will not worry about losing anything in the demolition and redistribution of villages and redistribution. Their good fields and land will not be reduced because of the new law, but will be reduced. increase.They are all well-to-do farmers of the old family, and the difficulties of ordinary farmers in demolition and relocation do not pose a threat to them, nor can they hurt their vitality.The dissatisfaction of the Bai family does not lie in these trivial worries of ordinary farmers, but in the fact that their special status will be lost in the new land system.

The Mengxi and Bai tribes in Mei County are all free citizens, and they have always been treated as "nationals" by the Qin government. Their status is not the same as that of dependent peasants, and even very different from ordinary free citizens.The most special thing about the Bai people is that among the three Bai families in Mengxi, only the Bai people are the prince's fiefdom!The prince's fiefdom is a traditional practice of the Qin State in the Spring and Autumn Period - once the prince is determined, no matter how old or young he is, he will have a prince's fiefdom.This kind of fiefdom is different from the territory of powerful ministers and wealthy families. For one thing, the peasants and common people do not change their original status as free citizens or subordinate farmers (all farmers in the territory of the powerful family are attached to subordinate farmers). He is still a prominent free citizen; secondly, the prince has only symbolic power over the people in the fiefdom.That is to say, it is neither completely governed like the rich family's territory, nor completely governed by the county government like ordinary land.There is only one resident official sent by the Prince's Mansion to the fiefdom of Mei County, and regardless of the rule of the people, he only supervises farming and collects taxes.Three, the prince's fief enjoys many privileges beyond the reach of farmers.The simplest point is that if there is a drought, the water from the Baili Canal must first ensure that the farmland in the prince's fief is irrigated.If the execution of the county magistrate is not effective, or if there is an incident such as grabbing water with the fief, the resident officials of the fief will immediately report to the Prince's Mansion and be severely punished.When fighting for water and Rongdi immigrants in summer, Bai Long was calm and slow because the Bai family never felt the threat of water shortage.

Today, Wei Yang's new decree not only wants to abolish the well field, but also cancels the fiefs of the public nobles - the new decree stipulates that the nobles of the public family must have made great contributions to the country before they can be granted titles and fiefs, and they cannot enjoy fiefs just by virtue of their status as nobles.In this way, the prince's fiefdom will naturally be cancelled, and the privileges enjoyed by the Bai family as the prince's fiefdom will also disappear.Bailong was very uncomfortable, he felt that this new decree had a slant in every aspect, and he just couldn't get along with decent people!Seeing that the Bai family business and the family honor created by the old ancestors will be sunk in the new decree, and I will become the most unpromising patriarch of the Bai family, I can't eat or sleep, and I don't say a word for a few days.

At the beginning of August, Lao Bailong prepared a special village gift and rushed to Liyang with a gentleman who could read and write. "Old patriarch, who will you meet in Liyang?" the gentleman with a slender beard asked cautiously when he was about to arrive in Liyang. "Talk out. You will know when the time comes." Entering Liyang, the sky is getting dark.Bailong came straight towards the gate of the Guofu on horseback.Mr. Thin Beard was so surprised that he couldn't close his mouth from ear to ear. It seems that the old patriarch is going to take the "heavenly road"!

"Old patriarch," Mr. Thin Beard lowered his voice, "Would you like to meet the head of the family, General Bai?" Bailong shook his head silently, dismounted and tied the horse, went to the gate and cupped his hands to the gate guard officer, "Bailong of Mei County, please see the crown prince, please report to the general." The officer smiled, "O Patriarch Bai, who is entrusted by the crown prince, Please wait a moment." He hurried to the door.Mr. Thin Beard didn't expect the old patriarch to be so respectable, almost like a courtier of Liyang, and once again he opened his mouth wide in surprise.In an instant, the military officer came out and cupped his hands and said: "Patriarch Bai please." Bai Long cupped his hands and strode into the door, Mr. Thin Beard hurriedly followed in with a green cloth bundle on his back.

The Prince's Mansion is very small, just a side courtyard with three entrances and four bays in the Liyang State Mansion.The prince is listening to Prince Fu Gongsun Jia explain the "Book of History" in the second study.The military official reported to Bailong to see him, the prince frowned, "Take him to see the general manager, Master Gongsun is giving a lecture." But Gongsun Jia said with a smile: "Since you are the head of the feudal clan, the prince should meet you, there is no delay in the lecture. "The prince said quickly: "In that case, let him come in. Master Gongsun doesn't need to avoid it, but also listen to me." Gongsun Jia cupped his hands and said with a smile: "I will obey my orders."

This is the second time for Bailong to see the prince.The first time was when the prince was granted a title five years ago, when the prince was only six years old.Bailong only knew that the crown prince was Ying Si, the only son of the new monarch.But even in that short ceremonial meeting, Bailong had left a deep impression on the prince.Bailong's first feeling was that the prince didn't look like a six-year-old child, he behaved well, spoke clearly, and even asked about the population of the Bai family, the acres of land and the year of harvest.Afterwards, Bailong was full of emotions, and said directly: "The dragon species is the dragon species!" Because of this special favor, Bailong would prepare a special gift for the prince when he paid the grain tax twice a year. , or a good bow and a pot of arrows, or a good hound.One year, it was a sharp dagger used by Rongdi people. The prince said happily, "Hello, Patriarch Bai!".In this seldom meeting but slowly permeating goodwill, there seems to be a kind of year-old spiritual friendship between Bailong and the little prince.Bailong entrusted the feudal officials to ask the prince for some flexibility, and he almost responded to every request, and he was not rejected once.Bailong felt that the prince was young and sophisticated, with a city in his chest, more assertive than an adult in doing things, and he really had the air of a king.Suddenly, I haven't seen you for five years. The prince should not have changed, right?

"Bai Long, patriarch of the fiefdom of Mei County, see the crown prince—!" Bai Long prostrated himself on the ground, bowing three times.He is a commoner, and he is completely different from the prince, so he chose this unusual etiquette. "Old Patriarch Bai, please hurry up. I haven't seen you for a few years, and the patriarch has aged a lot." "It's been five years, but the prince has grown up, and he is full of heroism. How happy this old man is." "The old patriarch, please sit down. Serve tea. The old patriarch has come from a long way, so let's talk about something, and have dinner after talking." Although Bailong sat in front of the long table, he seemed cramped, but he also felt reliable. He cupped his hands and said with a sigh: "It's not a big deal. I haven't seen the prince for a few years, and I feel very uneasy. I came to Liyang to buy some farm tools. By the way Meet the prince, bring three mink furs, and make a cloak for the prince in winter, it will keep you warm." After finishing the sentence, Mr. Thin Beard hurriedly unwrapped the green cloth bundle, and respectfully presented the three healed mink furs.The prince took it and said with a smile: "Ah, it's so white and soft! I've never seen such a fine mink fur. Master Gongsun, take a look." Gongsun Jia took it and stroked it, and praised: "The fur color is good, The workmanship is fine, and the leather is of the highest quality." Bailong smiled and said, "This old man hunted it under the shadowy mountain in the snowy winter last winter. The barbarian said that this kind of mink melts snow three feet away. This old man doesn't know the truth. Fake, please try wearing it, Prince." The prince laughed happily, "Okay! I won't be afraid of the wind and snow when I hunt this winter." Gongsun Jia nodded and said: "Patriarch Bai is an old Qin man, an old fiefdom, and he thinks about the prince in everything. , It's really rare." Bai Long let out a long sigh, but just bowed his head and remained silent. Gongsun Jia looked at this strange old man, and his heart moved, "Old patriarch, how is the progress of Mei County under the new law? How much good land has Patriarch Bai divided?" "That's right, old patriarch, tell me, how many good lands have been divided?" The prince was also in high spirits, but unexpectedly, the old white dragon burst into tears, hoarse and miserable, the one with a broken arm His empty sleeves were also shaking.Only the 12-year-old crown prince Ying Si panicked and was at a loss, squatting in front of the old man and said repeatedly: "Old patriarch, don't cry, don't cry, talk about what you have, talk about what you have to say." Gongsun Jia sighed, "Old patriarch, You are a member of the Prince's Mansion, and the Crown Prince is in charge of you, why are you crying? Tell me, the tax is heavy?" The Prince smiled and said, "That's not easy? The Prince's Mansion will reduce the income by half next year. I, the Prince's Mansion, can't afford it. That's a lot of food." Old Bailong wiped his tears, shook his head and choked with sobs, "Where did the prince come from? It is a great blessing for Bai's thousand households to become the prince's fiefdom. We old Qin people, who doesn't want to contribute something to the prince's mansion? Old man The reason why I cry is that I can no longer serve the prince like a dog, this road has come to an end." "But why?" The prince was surprised, and his face suddenly turned red. Gongsun Jia said with a faint smile: "The crown prince was fascinated for a while, but he forgot? The new law will abolish the land fiefdom." "Ah? Ban the government fiefdom? Is the crown prince's fiefdom also banned? Master Gongsun, why don't I know?" "The monarch has an order to only teach the book to the prince, and not to explain the new laws of Qin to the prince." Gongsun Jia replied with his hands clasped. The prince stood there in a daze, unable to say anything for a while. However, Bailong was heartbroken, "The Mengxibai clan in Mei County and Huashan were all supposed to be the prince's fief. This new law is so evil that it wants to abolish the fiefdom of the public office and take away the health preservation that the former emperor Mu Gong bestowed on the meritorious officials." Tian! Where is the law of heaven? Men, women, and children are all afraid, please be the crown prince! If the crown prince does not make decisions for the old Qin people, the old Qin people will be finished..." As he spoke, he burst into tears. The prince was anxious, walking up and down in the study, "This, this, is the new law? I heard from your father that the state of Qin is going to reform the law. Is this the law reform? Is there any reason for this? The old Qin people are suffering so much, that Wei Yang, don't you know? ?” Gongsun Jia shook his head silently, sighed heavily, but didn't say a word. The prince suddenly stood still, impassioned, "Old patriarch, this prince has not obeyed the emperor's order, the fief is still fief, and no one can move!" "The Meng people and the Xiqi people are equally pitiful." Old Bailong burst into tears. "That's a matter of increasing the fiefdom. I'll report it to your father." In this way, Lao Bailong returned to Mei County with the Prince's "Shangfang Sword" on his shoulders. When he summoned his clansmen to talk about it, the whole clan cheered.When the news spread, the Meng and Xiqi people responded immediately. On the one hand, they wrote to the government to ask the prince to enfeoff the land, on the other hand, they refused to demolish the houses, and stood firm.The Mengxibai clan disobeyed the order, and the rest of the families with a little foundation also stopped when they heard the news, and the implementation of the new land system in Mei County suddenly came to a standstill.Within three days, the Mengxi and Bai tribes in the west of Mount Hua immediately followed suit, not only submitting a letter asking for the fiefdom, but also driving away the Fentian county officials sent by the county magistrate!Do it more blatantly. Everyone has one thought, what if a prince speaks for the old Qin people, what can a Wei Yang do?