The next day, it was cloudy and windy.
In the whistling wind, the whole Chang 'an seemed to be telling the story of Pyong Kang Square.
As long as one knew a few words of a poem, he would try his best to find someone to recite it.
The ordinary people were still busy. No matter how good the poem was, it had nothing to do with them.
The number of woodcutters sending firewood to the city decreased. Under normal circumstances, they would harvest firewood for two to three days and then transport it to the city once.
Now they would harvest firewood for two to three days. After transporting it once, they would no longer harvest firewood but help transport charcoal.
Most people in the city started to burn charcoal. Charcoal was more durable than firewood.
Then small mud chimneys were erected. The firewood was used to ignite the charcoal.
The soft firewood was lit first and then some chopped firewood was put in. When the chopped firewood burned, the charcoal was added.
There was smoke in the morning and in the afternoon. No one felt the air was polluted.
"Song De, prepare the porridge." Li Yi was wearing thin cotton pants and a leather coat. He stood outside and felt the biting cold wind as he spoke to the steward.
"Together with the temple?" Song De asked.
There were many temples in the city. Every ten days, they would hold activities. The women of Pyong Kang Square would participate. The literati would also go.
In winter, they would give porridge once every ten days as a pretense.
"No, ask them to help transport coal and make coal billets. Those who are disabled and sick don't need to pay. The others will work as relief."
Li Yi didn't want to follow the example of the temple. The temple treated scholars better than the ordinary people.
In case any scholar became successful and the temple had something to do, he had to take care of them for the sake of friendship.
The ordinary people couldn't make a living in Chang 'an. They could only ask for news every day.
Today, the temple in this square was giving porridge. They had to line up quickly and change to another place tomorrow.
A bowl of porridge, even if it was thicker, could last for a day. It was cold and the body's energy consumption was greater.
"Got it." Song De nodded.
Li Yi strolled to the side of the harvested rice fields.
After harvesting the rice and crabs this year, there was no time to plant other crops.
He didn't plan to plant more crops. The rice fields were soaked in water and some of them were covered with thin ice.
They would be dried like this until next year, when the fertilizer would be put in and plowed together. After that, they would plant rice again.
"Next year's forest frogs and crabs can be fully distributed, but the yield of cabbage isn't high enough. Si Nongsi … "
Li Yi muttered to himself. He wanted to blame the Agriculture Temple for not cultivating new seeds in time, but he felt that it was not the fault of the Agriculture Temple alone.
Walking along the ridge of the fields, there was a large group of people in front of him. There, they were using guillotines to chop straw, wheat straw, and bean stalks.
Cut them into inch by inch so that they could be used to mix with other ingredients to feed livestock.
Others were weaving curtains or transporting wheat and bean stalks from other places to Zhuangzi, and then returning with some grains.
While he was watching others work, Li Chengqi arrived with a group of guards.
"Brother Yi, you have a lot of people here. Are they all from other villages?" Li Chengqi noticed the situation.
There were nearly a thousand people working there, and he was puzzled.
"They are all hidden families." Li Yi told the truth.
"Hidden family? Why did they come here? "Li Chengqi's face darkened when he heard the word 'hidden family'. Hidden families could not collect taxes.
"Because I asked the steward outside to tell them that there is always work to do in winter, so they can build shacks. Naturally, they can't eat in the canteen."
Li Yi explained the reason.
"Hidden families have no birthplace. Some of them rent out their land to other people. If they collect one stone of rent, they will keep half a stone.
Then, they don't work for the government and usually find someone from the same clan to rent out their land.
Some of them suffer disasters or fall sick, so they sell their land.
If they don't have land, what can they use to pay the rent? So they quit and change places.
Those who look for work around Chang 'an are naturally those who have lost their permanent property. They are doing odd jobs everywhere.
Summer is easy, but winter is difficult.
I am short of manpower, so I have cheap labor. "
Li Chengqi listened and recalled, "Is that so? I always thought they were lazy. "
Li Yi did not want to talk about this problem. How would the relatives of the emperor know the lives of the lower class?
"Brother Yi, why don't you ask them to change their birthplace?" Li Chengqi thought of a good idea. At least he thought it was a good idea.
"Then I will be responsible for their rent transfer?" Li Yi asked.
"Uh!" Li Chengqi was stumped.
He changed the topic, "There are so many people. When it gets colder, will they still have work to do?"
"I can find work for as many people as they want. In winter, I ask the women to sew and mend, the men to transport, and the children to sell newspapers.
Those who know how to engrave or are clever will engrave for me. I have good ink. I want to print newspapers.
Newspapers can also make money. There are more literate people in Chang 'an than in other places.
I want to build a big paper workshop. I am short of manpower, very short of manpower. "
Li Yi introduced the work to be done in Zhuangzi in winter. It was very busy.
"The newspaper is the court bulletin? I can get the details of the court bulletins in various places. "Li Chengqi naturally thought of the court bulletin.
Li Yi was startled. How could he casually print official documents for the people to see?
"No need. Brother, the newspaper is different from the court bulletin. It is an entertainment newspaper."
Li Yi hurriedly refused. Collecting information about the imperial court and various places was a crime of espionage, wasn't it?
"When it is finished, you must let me see it first." Li Chengqi could not figure it out. He pulled Li Yi's sleeve and went to watch the hermits work.
At the place where the guillotine was, the hermits put a piece of wood with a mouth on each hand.
As soon as the mouth was closed, the wood would clamp a bundle of straw or wheat straw and push it forward. It was exactly one inch long and entered the guillotine.
When the guillotine fell and the straw was cut, the person holding the straw moved his hands back and clamped it again.
"Brother Yi, this piece of wood is slow. There is also a slanted one on it. Why don't you take it off?" Li Chengqi had seen the coachman in the residence cut straw and advised Li Yi.
"I am afraid that when they get the guillotine, I will have to treat them. If it is someone else's place, the host family will not care.
I am a doctor. How can I just stand by and watch? Or ask them to find another doctor? Or pay me to treat them? I can also make a profit. "
Of course, Li Yi knew that it was slow, but it was safe.
If a finger was cut off, with his current ability, he could reconnect it, but he could not use it after reconnecting it.
Moreover, reconnecting it was also very tiring, wasting medicine and time.
The person who delivered the straw to the guillotine raised his head and was about to speak. Li Yi pointed at the person who was about to cut the guillotine, "Don't move."
The person in charge of the guillotine stopped.
Li Yi's face was gloomy, "What did I say? What did the steward say to you? When the guillotine was working, the guillotine looked at the incoming worker. When the incoming worker was distracted, the guillotine immediately stopped.
And you, what did the steward say? When you wanted to speak, you let go of your hand and put it to your side.
Do you still want to work in Zhuangzi? If I find out again, you will leave Zhuangzi. "
The two people who were scolded were like quails and did not dare to move. The people around who were doing the same work stopped and dared to watch the show.
"What did you want to say?" Li Yi asked the person who wanted to speak.
The man almost cried and swallowed his saliva, "I wanted to say that Li Dongzhu is a kind person and is afraid that we will hurt our hands."
"Mm!" Li Yi accepted the compliment and said gently, "So you have to be more obedient and remember the safety regulations. Don't cause trouble for a kind person like me."
Then, he said, "But I thought of a way that doesn't hurt our hands and can cut them quickly."
He came to the guillotine and said while gesturing, "Make a long groove. One end of the groove is the edge of the blade. Put the straw into the groove and push it from the back.
The push from the back is a piece of wood with a pole. You can hold the pole and push it. This saves time for the guillotine to adjust and you don't have to be afraid of touching your hands.
Yes, let's do it this way. Find a craftsman to make it. If it works, everyone can use it. "
Eunuch He Yan, who was following behind him, turned and ran off to find a craftsman to bring wooden planks and tools.
Li Chengqi stood there in shock. That works? He thought of a new way while talking?
If it works, give it to the coachman in the residence. This Prince treats his servants too well. He deliberately thought of a way for the coachman.
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