Chapter 4, My fate is determined by heaven, not by myself

Now, to go to Huai'an, it will take at least four to five days on foot, and it is still uncertain how many days it will actually take.

At this point, apart from seeking donations of silver from his ministers, the only lifeline left for Chongzhen is the tribute silver from the south

Alas, why go to such lengths to pick a river? The authorities simply do not allow us common people to live good lives day in and day out

The villagers gathered around the large locust tree, each discussing what to do, their faces filled with worry, especially those who had only one male member in the family, who looked particularly helpless

The house of Uncle's family was left behind by Lu Si's grandfather. Although it is somewhat old, it is built with blue bricks, which is much better than the adobe house of Lu Si's family

He cannot delay here for too long, as he needs to go to the next place. After all, he is the village head responsible for managing affairs and serving as a liaison this year, so the county's notifications cannot be limited to just the large group village he oversees; there are many other villages waiting for him to inform them.

The Cao Yin operates along the canal

On this side of Guangyun, it is not necessarily the case. The authorities require each household to provide a laborer, and Lu Wenliang is likely reluctant to let his son endure such hardship

Unfortunately, Lu Si has no choice in the matter. If he does not go to dig the river, it is likely that Lao Ma will have someone kidnap him. After all, Lu Si is already 19 years old and is a registered member on the official household register.

Later on, society progressed, the country developed, and with the advent of numerous machines, the government finally no longer relied on manual labor. From then on, the term "river labor" became a historical term, a memory that people were reluctant to mention

This means allowing the people of Huaiyang to undertake the task of river dredging

The result is destined

Aunt's voice was filled with complaints

It's not that there is no way, but who would be willing to go

Master, what are you looking at? You cannot read.

Suffering, one reason is that it can be exhausting to the point of death, and another reason is that going out to fish in the river requires traveling to unfamiliar places. For most villagers whose activities may be limited to a radius of several dozen miles throughout their lives, this constitutes leaving their hometown.

Dredging the river is indeed a laborious task

Old Ma is also quite busy, negotiating with the villagers who have come forward to either take his place or not attend, while also needing to clarify the situation to the villagers in general

Upon recalling this scene, Lu Si could not help but let out a soft hum. He truly held no fondness for Chongzhen, the individual who, after ascending the throne, had squandered a promising situation.

As soon as I entered the courtyard, I heard Aunt Wu speaking

In 2017, suffered a complete defeat

Although Yancheng is located near the sea and the land is mostly saline-alkali, it is still a land of fish and rice. The people have no problem with basic sustenance and can even have a modest surplus.

Lu Si has never been an emotional person; he is a man whose decisions are dictated by his interests. The changes in the rural areas of Yancheng over the past decade and more are sufficient for him to render a negative assessment of Chongzhen.

What is the result

Although Emperor Chongzhen's reign was brief, he managed to stabilize the situation in Liaodong during his time in power, leaving his brother a centralized government free from military factions and the dominance of powerful ministers, with military generals not yet having the audacity to commit acts of treachery or usurpation, and without the pretense of loyalty while acting in defiance. There were also no peasant uprisings.

The notice posted by Old Ma was issued by the Salt City Yamen. In this era, there were no photocopiers, so these notices were copied out one by one by the clerks from the six offices, and then stamped with the official seal of the county magistrate. However, although the notice was issued by the county, the wording was likely copied directly from the higher-level Huai'an Prefecture Yamen.

The complainants caused a disturbance at the residence, but the residence did not respond. In the end, it was unclear who suggested that the complainants file a complaint in Nandu, which ultimately pressured the Huai'an government to compensate them with silver and resolve the matter.

During the reign of Chongzhen, the era of Wanli was one of the few prosperous periods in Chinese history. The wealth and splendor of China astonished the Westerners. It was an age when commoners could walk the streets in yellow robes without interference from the authorities, and a time when everyone in the world criticized the emperor while the emperor himself kept a low profile.

"The public called for one from each family, but the second son is not present. They told the second son's family to find a way on their own. Why should Wenliang go on behalf of his family?"

After hitting his father and second uncle and going to the lake to help others with cooking, Lu Si has been eating at his eldest uncle's house.

If Chongzhen had not died, he would have forced Jiangnan to transport silver for rescue, and the transport office would not have allowed the Huai and Yang provinces to urgently conscript laborers to dredge the canal, thus Lu Si would not have had to endure the hardships of this canal excavation

Is this what you call a mess

Therefore, the Governor's Office of the Canal Transport in Huai'an must have received the strict edict from Chongzhen, which is why they urgently requisitioned laborers to dredge the canal, with the aim of ensuring that the tribute silver from Jiangnan would sustain the empire's life

Every time he returned from the river, Lu Si remembered that his parents seemed to have transformed into entirely different people, utterly exhausted and looking unrecognizable.

It is time for it to perish as well

... ...

Master Liu, your family has three strong laborers. Could you spare one to help my family? I have spoken to the village head, and you can rest assured that whatever amount they offer, my family will fully compensate...

In Lu Si's impression of his previous life, when he was young, his parents were often sent by public organizations to dig rivers in places over a hundred miles away, for as little as ten days to half a month, and sometimes even up to two months.

Lu Si thought about this issue, and logically it does seem to be the case

The work of river porters is indeed arduous, as the time for river work often falls in the cold winter months. The porters are organized by village teams and assigned to specific areas, where they manually carve out large rivers.

Unfortunately, it is of no use, merely a last-minute attempt to seek help.

While the villagers were discussing the matter of the river work, Lu Si walked over to the old locust tree to examine the notice posted by the old horse, looking quite serious as he did so

From this point, it can be seen that Lu Si's grandfather was living quite well during the Wanli period

There is no life left, my man is at the lake, and there is no one in my family to help out.

Lu Si ignored his nephew, after all, Guangyuan did not know whether his old uncle truly understood or was pretending to understand

Those who are unwilling to go actually have their ways, just as Old Ma shouted, one can simply find him privately later. It is nothing more than not sending people but increasing the supplies, or spending money to hire someone to take their place

The minister asked him to send his son to Nandu, while also worrying that he might become like Emperor Xuanzong of Tang, saying that the young boy understands nothing about such matters

In other words, Lu Si currently does not possess the three essential elements for rebellion; otherwise, he would have to learn from Li Zicheng and rise up. The Ming Dynasty truly cannot be relied upon.

All of this seems like nonsense to Lu Si

Zhou Wang's elder brother, Zhou Sheng, sustained an injury while working on the river six years ago. He died from coughing up blood less than a month after returning. It is said that that year, the authorities sent many prisoners to work on the river, resulting in the deaths of more than a dozen of them from exhaustion.

When hanging oneself, it is said that all civil officials can be killed, but where in the world is there a notion that a company owner is not held accountable for bankruptcy

At this time, Emperor Chongzhen sought to preserve the Ming dynasty's state and territory, and could only think of every possible means to acquire silver in order to reassemble a military force capable of resisting the army of Li Zicheng

The principle that an emperor does not lack hungry soldiers has been universally applicable since ancient times

The Lu Si family certainly does not have the money to hire someone to take his place, and his father, Lu Youwen, is not at home. Therefore, regardless of whether Lu Si is willing or not, it is a foregone conclusion that he will go to the river to carry out the task, and there is no way for him to escape.

If all goes as expected, in the spring, Li Zicheng's Shun army will march eastward to Beijing, launching the final strike against the Ming dynasty

The villagers were still gathered in groups, some to the east and some to the west, discussing the matter of river work, while Lu Si slowly made his way through the crowd towards his uncle's house.

However, at present, the task of digging the river is the one that the villagers are least willing to undertake, as it can indeed lead to fatalities

Guangyuan did not know when he left, but he must have been eager to inform his father about the river work. On Lu Si's side, he was still reading the notice from the county office, and he noticed that the deadline for the river work mentioned at the end of the notice was very tight, requiring each county to organize labor to the designated area within two days of receiving the notification

For the current Chongzhen, having money is actually no longer important. If he truly wants to preserve the legacy of his ancestors, the only option left is to flee south with his son.

Am I also considered to have been let down by Chongzhen?

Indeed, the fate of the little people is always determined by heaven, not by themselves

However, under the increasing burden of land taxes and miscellaneous levies, the lives of the common people have been deteriorating, to the point where even eating meat has become a luxury. One must ask, can this emperor be considered a good emperor? Can this court be regarded as a good court?

This left his nephew Lu Guangyuan somewhat perplexed, as his uncle, like him, had never attended school and could not recognize a single character

Eliminate the unnecessary details; the central idea is straightforward. Due to the lack of dredging in the canal for many years, there is significant silt accumulation in various sections of the canal from Yangzhou to Huai'an, resulting in difficulties for navigation. To ensure the smooth passage of the canal, the transport governor's office has issued a directive to the counties under the jurisdiction of Yangzhou and Huai'an to mobilize labor for the purpose of dredging the canal.

Lu Si could not help but think of the city of Beijing, thousands of miles away. Although he could not grasp more information for analysis, he knew that Sun Chuanting's devastating defeat in Henan had completely stripped the Ming Dynasty of its defensive capabilities in the north. Moreover, Li Zicheng had most likely already captured Xi'an and was preparing to declare himself emperor

It is often said that Chongzhen was not the ruler who caused the fall of the nation; rather, the Ming dynasty perished under his grandfather Wanli or his brother Tianqi. Chongzhen inherited a mess of a situation.

So urgent

Perhaps at this moment, Chongzhen is persuading his father-in-law to donate silver, while those royal relatives and high-ranking officials in the court are all weeping and saying that their families truly have no silver

Such matters are not uncommon throughout history and across cultures. Old Ma and his associates are also willing to facilitate such affairs privately, as there are benefits to be gained.

Everyone should be aware by now, this afternoon I had someone go door to door to register. The laborers should prepare their bedding and dry rations, and gather at the village entrance tomorrow morning. Oh, by the way, each household should prepare the necessary tools, and I will specify what is needed at that time. If you do not have something, quickly borrow it from others, so you won't be empty-handed when speaking to the county...

The result is not that he himself does not want to run, but that his ministers and his people do not allow him to run

After finishing, he still had to go to the town to meet with the grain chief to discuss the specifics of grain contributions from each village, as this was directly related to his own interests.