Chapter One, the Ming Dynasty is about to perish

Lu Si's father has a grand name, which sounds quite impressive, called Lu Youwen

Lu Si almost got bitten by the landlord's dog yesterday, not because he was picking up ears of grain in their field, but because he wanted to feed the dog.

And next ... ...

The second matter is that the 120,000 troops led by the Grand Governor of Jilin and Liaoning, Hong Chengchou, were completely annihilated by the Tatars at Songshan outside the pass. This was undoubtedly a further blow to the already troubled Ming Dynasty, which was plagued by rampant banditry.

Over time, the originally small community of several dozen households in Shanggang Suixing has developed into a town, where the local residents primarily engage in the craft of building kilns for salt production

What is destined to be will ultimately be, and what is not destined to be will inevitably not be

According to this nephew from her maternal family, her uncle originally served as the governor in Dezhou, Shandong. Later, when bandits besieged Kaifeng, the court ordered General Liu Zeqing from Shandong to lead troops for assistance. Unexpectedly, that Liu Zeqing was not a good person; he even brought her uncle to the front lines, claiming it was to help manage the supplies and logistics.

Lu Si's mother is a girl from Wangzhuang, which is thirty li away. Although she is not particularly good-looking, she is sturdy and capable of hard work

Shanggang is situated at the confluence of several rivers, and within its territory lies the Hanhai Dyke (commonly known as Fan Gong Dyke), which was constructed under the supervision of Fan Zhongyan during the Northern Song Dynasty. This dyke extends from Chuzhou Yancheng through Taizhou Hailing and Rugao to Tongzhou Haimen, facilitating convenient transportation and making it a hub for the surrounding areas. Therefore, after the reform of the salt industry known as "Kaizhongfa" in the mid-period of this dynasty, merchants from Xin'an River began to establish salt collection operations in Shanggang.

Lu Si is fine, his body is fine, but he has concerns in his heart

Old Master Wu is indeed a figure whom no one in the Shanggang area dares to provoke. Old Master Wu has a distinguished reputation and has held an official position outside, though it is unclear whether this was in Henan or Shandong

In contrast, the stove sites within the Fan Gong Dike (West) that were abandoned due to the inability to continue salt production have, over time, been rejuvenated by the local impoverished populace who have long utilized the alkaline soil. As a result, the land gradually became cultivable, and by the Chongzhen period, the land west of the dike was capable of producing two seasons of rice and wheat, although the annual yield remained low

The only property of the entire family consists of the five acres of land that Lu Youwen's father distributed to each of his three sons during his lifetime, as well as the three houses made of mud bricks, which are filled with beehives on top.

Arriving in the Chongzhen era, Lu Si had not eaten meat for over a month. Just the thought of the fatty meat that he had no appetite for in his previous life made his mouth water.

The third matter pertains to Lord Wu, but it was not disclosed by the gentry, rather it was revealed by the nephew of Lady Wu's family during a drunken episode.

But that was in the past; now Lu Si just wants to eat meat, regardless of what kind it is, whether fatty or lean, even if it is just the scraps of lard, he would eat it, because it satisfies his cravings

Not bad, Lu Youwen is not single; otherwise, there wouldn't be Lu Si

A poor boy who cannot even afford to eat meat, and is unable to have rice at every meal, what right does he have to point fingers at the world and make grand proclamations

History is clearly laid out before him, yet he is powerless to change it

At that time, it was precisely this point that prompted Lu Si's grandfather to borrow money from various sources to provide a dowry for his younger son in order to marry this daughter-in-law

Therefore, during the agricultural off-season, local people often work in the sea (to the east of the embankment) for salt merchants, earning some money to support their families. Otherwise, if the entire family relies solely on the harvest from the saline-alkali land, they would struggle to make it through the year and would end up suffering from malnutrition.

People, after all, are all destined to have their fates

However, having only straw is not enough, regardless of whether it is adults or children. When there is time, one must also go collect some dry branches and reeds to use; otherwise, if the household runs out of firewood, the stove cannot be lit.

However, as more people began to visit Old Master Wu, certain matters unknown to some villagers gradually came to light

The three matters should actually be combined into two. Liu Zeqing's assistance to Kaifeng should be associated with Li Zicheng's attack on Kaifeng in Henan, followed by a series of battles resulting in the great defeat of Sun Chuanting, collectively referred to as the Battle of Henan

In the sixteenth year of the reign of Emperor Chongzhen, in the town of Shanggang, Yancheng County, Huai'an Prefecture

This is November, and the rice has already been harvested. Besides drying the rice, the people are busy gathering the straw from the fields and stacking it into piles. This straw is a primary material for cooking rice, and it is regarded as quite precious.

What are the land tax, pacification tax, and training tax? The total of these three taxes alone takes at least one-third of the harvest, not to mention the various harsh levies and corvée labor imposed from other places. The common people truly suffer immensely

However, Liu Zeqing, who is about to become one of the four towns of Jiangbei, is merely a minor episode in the Battle of Henan, while the experiences of Lord Wu are even more of an episode within an episode

Lu Si, whose family was so poor that it was almost unbearable, had no money to buy meat. Therefore, after enduring for more than half a month, he could no longer stand it and set his sights on the two dogs raised by Old Master Wu's family in the neighboring village.

Some elderly individuals still take their own children to the fields of wealthy families to glean. If they encounter kind-hearted wealthy individuals, it is acceptable; however, if they come across those who are difficult to deal with, they may even unleash dogs to bite you

There is one more thing that Lu Si is very certain of, which is that Li Zicheng should have already prepared to march towards Beijing, therefore it is estimated that only a few months remain before Emperor Chongzhen hangs himself

However, Lu Si's mother had a hard life. In the fifth year after giving birth to Lu Si, while she was carrying rice in the field, she accidentally fell into a ditch. She was carried back, but within two days, she passed away, leaving Lu Si and his father to rely on each other.

It seems that the Ming army breached the Yellow River dike, flooding Li Zicheng's forces and preserving Kaifeng. However, Li Zicheng similarly annihilated a large number of Ming officials' troops, gaining the initiative on the battlefield, and ultimately dealt a crushing defeat to Sun Chuanting in Ruzhou, ringing the death knell for the Ming Dynasty

Old Master Wu returned from out of town in July. Just a couple of days after his return, the officials from the county came to pay their respects, with a continuous stream of large and small carts delivering gifts. It is said that even people from the government came over, which made those around him extremely envious

In this life of Lu Si, which has suffered to an unimaginable extent, there came a calamity that caused him, who had lived for 19 years without ever wearing a decent piece of clothing, to leave this world forever. However, it also brought forth a new Lu Si, who could not even eat half a mouthful of fat meat.

It is often said that children without a mother mature early, and Lu Si is no exception. At just 19 years old, his hands are already covered with cracks and calluses. Throughout his life, he has never worn a new piece of clothing; all he has are the old clothes worn by his uncles and the older brothers from his second uncle's family, and even the hand-me-downs from his nephew who is a year older than him.

In fertile lands, the annual yield is merely around 300 jin, while in the more barren areas, it is only about 100 to 200 jin. Those with more land may have 20 to 30 mu, while those with less may have only a few mu. Even with the entire family working tirelessly, they are unable to harvest a significant amount of grain

However, over the course of a century, due to the retreat of the coastline, the gradual disappearance of brine, and the relocation of salt kilns eastward along the coast beyond Fan Gong Dike, wealthy salt merchants began to occupy the lush coastal wetlands to establish commercial kilns. Gradually, they monopolized salt production, causing many local residents who originally operated kilns to become private workers for the salt merchants.

This is all due to good fortune; Master Wu is the star of literature, destined for wealth and nobility, unlike those who suffer hardships, whose ancestral graves do not emit smoke

In summary, there are three main concerns. The first is the fear that the Ming Dynasty may fall, as the bandits in the northwest have been causing significant turmoil, and the imperial troops have been unable to defeat them anywhere. It is said that the leader of the bandits, Li Zicheng, has declared himself king in Xiangyang and has annihilated the main force of the imperial army led by Governor Sun Chuanting in Henan. The current court is already in a precarious situation.

Lu Siqi initially did not know, but heard it from his uncle Lu Youcai, who was over twenty years older than his father

The idea of stealing a dog was a difficult decision that Lu Siwu made only after much contemplation four to five days ago. Prior to this, he had never imagined that he would one day become someone who engages in such petty theft.

The imperial troops fled in panic, and many soldiers drowned in the Yellow River while fighting for boats. Her uncle, with the help of his attendants, managed to seize a boat and escape. Seeing that Liu Zeqing was utterly incompetent, he decided not to return to Dezhou and hurried back to his hometown under the cover of night.

Unfortunately, Lu Youwen has never been able to recognize even a single character since childhood. He lacks culture, martial skills, wealth, and power, being a genuine poor peasant.

Shanggang is located to the east of the Yellow Sea, and during the Qin and Han dynasties, it already benefited from fishing and salt production. In the Hongwu period of the Ming Dynasty, the court established a new salt market one hundred miles south of Shanggang for the collection of salt. Since then, the salt industry in the Salt City area has flourished, and market trade has thrived. The salt produced here is in high demand in regions such as Southern Zhili, Henan, Jiangxi, and Huguang, and is known as Huai salt

A very realistic point is, what does he have to rebel with

After deducting the land tax paid to the court, most families barely manage to survive, as every household in the local area has several members. The elderly and children consume less, while the able-bodied adults require a significantly larger amount of food.

A very realistic point is that to change history, one must have troops and territory. In order to obtain these, for the land of Si, there is no other choice but to rebel.

The idea of rebellion is simply fanciful for Lu Si

Lu Si knows little about the details of the late Ming history, but he is certainly aware of the major events. Moreover, he has seen a movie called "The Great Ming Catastrophe" in his previous life, and the story background in that film is likely related to the Battle of Henan.

In the past, things were somewhat better; no matter what, one could manage to make ends meet throughout the year. However, ever since the disturbances caused by the Jurchens in Liaodong, the situation of the court has deteriorated year by year, and the lives of the common people have also worsened correspondingly. Especially after the rise of bandits in the northwest and the Central Plains, the taxes demanded by the court have increased even more.

Little did one expect that General Liu was defeated by bandits just eight li away from Kaifeng. The two sides had been at a stalemate for three days with mutual casualties; logically, this battle should not have ended in defeat. However, General Liu, for reasons unknown, suddenly ordered his troops to break camp and leave, without even having the time to inform his subordinates.

That patch extends from the knee to the buttocks, resembling a patchwork garment. If one were to carry a bowl while going out, one could probably return with half a bowl of porridge.

At that moment, Lu Si instinctively touched his head, his brows furrowed deeply, to the extent that his uncle thought something was wrong with this young Si.

Whether in his past life or this life, Lu Si can be considered an honest man. Especially in this life, he is seen by his neighbors as a simpleton, a foolish young man who cannot even make a sound with a clap of his hands—an impoverished youth without a name.