Du Qi did not travel fast at this time. On the contrary, he traveled very slowly. This was because Du Qi wanted to see the situation of various places along the way so that he could understand the situation of the entire Xia Xia. From the taxes on the books, Xia Xia's taxes had been rising rapidly, and the economy was developing rapidly. It could be said that it was thriving day by day.
However, Du Qi could only understand the specific development situation of the place when he saw it with his own eyes. After all, the increase in taxes did not mean that the people were really living well.
The official road was still a cement road. Although such a road did not meet the standards of an asphalt road, there were no large trucks or the like in this era for the time being. Even if it was a cement road for the time being, it was enough to ensure that the road was smooth.
In particular, all the cement roads were the standard of two feet wide, which was wide enough to pass through. The carriage drove on the cement road and was relatively stable without any bumps.
Du Qi sat in the carriage and looked around as he walked. When it was close to noon, the group stopped halfway to eat. As there were no villages or shops around, there were no signs of human habitation on the way. After all, it was not a place where the people gathered, so they could only cook by themselves. Fortunately, Liu Jian had enough ingredients and equipment with him at all times. Soon, he started cooking and prepared lunch in the open air.
Du Qi sat at the side and quietly looked around.
Shangguan Yi sat next to Du Qi and said, "Young Master, we walked for half a morning. Because we walked slowly, we could see a lot of places. Now that it's spring in March, the people are busy farming and plowing. They are either planting crops or cotton. Especially since the weather is good this year, I reckon that it will be a good harvest year. "
Du Qi smiled and said, "I'm not worried about farming at all. Because now, all the people in Xia Xia are working hard to farm and strive for more food because they are exempted from the agricultural tax. "
"Along the way, I only paid attention to one thing, and that is that we encountered ten carriages along the way. These ten carriages are different from ordinary carriages. They have four wheels at the bottom and are more than two feet long and three feet wide. They are very spacious. "
"In front of the carriage, there are two horses pulling the carriage forward. I've seen the carriage and there are people sitting inside. In this case, they should be here to pick up and drop off the commoners. "
Du Qi said, "My original plan was to ask about the situation on the way. It was just that their carriage had been hurrying along, so I didn't bother to disturb them. When we meet later, we'll go and understand the situation. "
The situation of a horse carriage pulling a person was similar to a public bus in the future.
It had to be said that the intelligence of the working people was indeed impressive. In this era, there were no public buses, bicycles, or motorcycles. After all, with the current level of industrialization, it was still impossible to create such transportation tools.
However, this wooden carriage could transport goods and pull people along at the same time. If it was an ordinary muddy road, the carriage would not only be bumpy, but it would also cause great wear and tear on the carriage. It would not last long.
Although there would be some wear and tear on the wheels of the cement road, the actual wear and tear would not be too great. Therefore, in the current situation, the appearance of carriages that could carry people was an extremely good thing. It would make transportation more convenient.
Shangguan Yi said, "Emperor Xia has arranged it. I'll arrange for someone to inquire about it."
Du Qi said, "There's no rush. Let's wait for a while."
Shangguan Yi nodded.
When Du Qi and Shangguan Yi were chatting, they saw a commoner not far from the cement road. He then stood by the roadside and waited. Du Qi's gaze fell on this commoner.
This person was not old. He was about thirty years old. Although he was dressed plainly, he was clean. In his hand was a bag with some items. It seemed like he was going out.
Du Qi saw a commoner and stood up to walk towards him. He smiled and said, "Fellow countryman, are you waiting for a carriage? It's the four-wheeled carriage. "
"Yes!"
The middle-aged man smiled and replied.
However, on the middle-aged man's face, there was a trace of restraint. Because even though Du Qi was dressed plainly, there were people around to cook and protect him. Looking at this formation, he was definitely not a commoner. He must be a noble.
He was a commoner. In front of Du Qi, he was very reserved.
Du Qi smiled and said, "Fellow countryman, what's your name?"
The middle-aged man said, "My name is Liu Ping 'an."
Du Qi said, "Brother Liu, this is my first time in the Western Region. I don't understand the situation here. I'm on the road and this is the first time I've seen a carriage. What's going on? "
After Liu Ping 'an heard, a smile appeared on his face. He relaxed a little and said, "Master, this carriage suddenly became popular in the second half of last year. Each carriage can sit at most ten people. It's not very bumpy and the speed is fast. The most important thing is that in the past, it took a lot of time to go from home to the city or visit friends and relatives. Now, although it costs a little money, the carriage is extremely fast and cheap. "
Du Qi asked, "Brother Liu, do you know the coachman? He's the one who runs the carriage. "
Liu Ping 'an said, "I know the one who runs the carriage, but I know him. He doesn't know me. In fact, many people know him. The one who runs the carriage is in a mountain village about ten miles ahead. There's a family surnamed Wang there. All the carriages are run by him. "
Du Qi nodded after hearing this. Now that he knew the situation, he could pay a visit to him. Du Qi asked again, "Brother Liu, you just said that the carriage fee is not expensive. How much is it?"
Liu Ping 'an said, "The carriage fee is quite reasonable. It's only two coins for a distance of five miles. It's only five coins for a distance of ten miles. I don't know if it's further. After all, I haven't ridden it yet, so I don't know how much it is. But I guess it won't be more than ten coins at most, because the carriage's distance is limited. "
Du Qi said, "Thank you, Brother Liu."
"You're welcome, you're welcome."
Liu Ping 'an hurriedly waved his hand. He was still a little shy. But at this time, the carriage arrived. Liu Ping 'an waved his hand and waited for the carriage to stop. He entered the carriage, and the coachman quickly drove away.
Shangguan Yi said with a smile, "The existence of this carriage does make it more convenient for the people. If the people are hurrying, it's not a big problem to walk five miles or ten miles, but it will take a little more time. If it's further, it won't be easy. The carriage is also a good business opportunity. I didn't expect someone to find it. "
Du Qi said, "There are many capable people in the world. There will always be someone who can see the opportunity."
The two chatted and time passed.
When lunch was ready, Du Qi and the others ate, they put away everything and continued on their way. Du Qi was heading in the direction of the Wang family in the mountain village. He wanted to visit the Wang family who ran the carriage.
After all, the specific situation and operation of the carriage were best known to the people who ran it.
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