Chapter 148 The Days Have Changed
Zhu Yuanzhang looked down at the steamed bun wrapped in lotus leaves, then took Xu Da to say goodbye to the man.

Then he rode out of the village swiftly.

After walking about a mile forward, I saw lights on in the inn ahead.

Not only that, these inns are connected to each other, and there are stables, taverns and other shops along the way.

Even at night, it was still bustling. The bustle here was no less than that of an ordinary county town.

At this time, the wine shops and tea houses along the way are actually the busiest.

Various shouts echoed throughout the place.

Zhu Yuanzhang couldn't help but frown, and said with some displeasure: "Tonight... you're drinking and having fun all night long?"

Xu Da knew that Zhu Yuanzhang had always been displeased with the overly extravagant social atmosphere.

After all, Zhu Yuanzhang had also seen the extravagant lifestyle of some people when he was young, and he believed that this was the root cause of the people's inability to survive.

Zhu Yuanzhang's expression became increasingly unhappy, and he could not help but say coldly: "All along the way, there are only wine shops, drinking day and night, how can we use it?"

After saying that, he got off the horse.

Then he went straight into a tavern.

"Sir... please take a seat..."

The place was already crowded with people, many of them drinking happily, it was quite lively.

Zhu Yuanzhang had a stern face at first, but at this moment he was stunned.

Xu Da also arrived shortly afterwards, and discovered that the atmosphere in the tavern was actually not very good. Although it was lively, most of the people there were rough men dressed in short clothes.

Zhu Yuanzhang looked surprised.

You have to know that in this era, ordinary people rarely drink alcohol. Drinking is mostly seen among rich families. After all, alcohol is made from grain.

It was not easy to have enough food and clothing, let alone alcohol made from grain. Even if ordinary people drank alcohol, they could only do so during festivals.

However, most of the people in front of them were rough men. When the shop assistant saw the attire of Zhu Yuanzhang and his companions, he frowned, as if he thought that Zhu Yuanzhang and his companions were of unusual status.

Zhu Yuanzhang then walked to one side, while Xu Da called the shop assistant over and whispered, "Why is business so busy here?"

The shop assistant looked at Xu Da with some fear at his imposing manner and said honestly, "We have all finished work and have been tired all day, so we come here... to drink some wine to relieve our fatigue."

Xu Da asked in surprise, "Off work? Off what work?"

The shop assistant said, "Some are working in the mines in the mountains, and some are working in the smelting workshops at the foot of the mountain. In addition, there are also people transporting goods by carriage and horse, and boatmen transporting goods by ship... In Qixia, there are tens of thousands of strong men, and after receiving their salaries, shouldn't they take a break?"

Xu Da suppressed the exclamation that almost burst out of his mouth, and tried his best to suppress the shock in his voice and said, "Tens of thousands?"

The shop assistant said, "It's hard to say." He licked his lips and continued, "It's hard to say exactly how many there are. Anyway, now there are people coming every few days. The market is so good now...ah...sir, I have to go and greet the guests."

Zhu Yuanzhang and Xu Da looked at each other.

Zhu Yuanzhang's expression became more and more strange. The two of them walked out of the tavern one after another. Zhu Yuanzhang finally said, "Deng Qianqiu and his gang must be in the Hundred Households Office."

The Hundred Households Office was heavily guarded.

Still brightly lit.

Under the flickering firelight, there were actually people coming in and out.

Most of the people coming in and out were merchants, and there were also quite a few people who looked like accountants.

Zhu Yuanzhang felt more and more strange, because these people who looked like merchants and accountants looked very familiar. He had seen them in the Qianhu Suo before.

Could it be that... the tax from the Hundred Households Office is also collected here?
Zhu Yuanzhang, full of doubt, took the lead and was about to go in.

However, there were a few captains who did not try to stop them.

Xu Da followed Zhu Yuanzhang and could not help but whisper, "Your Majesty, this Hundred Households Office is so lax."

Zhu Yuanzhang remained calm and said calmly, "Follow me."

He was surprisingly familiar with the place. He first went to get a number plate, and then did not go to the place where the merchants and the accounting office went. Instead, he took advantage of everyone's inattention and went straight to a building at the back.

Xu Da was surprised and began to wonder in his heart, "This His Majesty... seems to be very familiar with this place... Has he been here before?"

After walking for a while, I finally arrived outside a study, and heard a voice. "What is a country, and what is a home?"

Zhu Yuanzhang was about to rush in quickly, but at this moment, he slowed down.

At this time, Zhu Di's voice was heard saying: "The country is the country, and the family is the family."

Deng Qianqiu's voice said: "Zhu Di said it very well. His answer is thought-provoking! Come on, Zhu Di, stand up and stand in the corner."

After hearing this, Zhu Yuanzhang couldn't help but smile.

When Xu Da heard Zhu Di's voice, his face couldn't help but show a bit of warmth.

At this time, Deng Qianqiu said: "In fact, in the beginning, before the Three Sovereigns and Five Emperors, did there really exist a country? At that time, the people drank blood and ate raw meat. Everyone lived in tribes, relying on hunting animals or picking wild fruits for a living. After a tribe lived for a period of time, it would start to migrate. Why? Because the wild fruits nearby were picked up and the wild animals had been hunted almost all. If they did not migrate, then this tribe of dozens or hundreds of people would have to starve to death. At that time, people did not know what a country was, they only knew the instinct of survival..."

Zhu Di's voice continued: "Isn't this the same as the Tatars in the desert, who all make a living by hunting?"

Deng Qianqiu said: "That's about right."

Zhu Di said again: "But Master, I don't think that's right. In the desert, from the Xiongnu to the Xianbei, to the Turks, Khitans, and Mongols, they also have countries."

Deng Qianqiu said: "This is because their hunting has been upgraded. Haven't you noticed that their national organization is very loose? In fact, they still retain a lot of tribal characteristics. They have begun to organize a loose tribal union. To be precise, it is in the form of half a country. The reason why they are different from the tribes in ancient times is that they have discovered a more advantageous way of production besides hunting and picking wild fruits for a living."

Without waiting for Zhu Di to ask, Deng Qianqiu said: "Plunder..."

When Zhu Yuanzhang heard this, he suddenly understood.

What Deng Qianqiu said was very novel, but if you think about it carefully, you will find that he has his own reasons.

But these were things Zhu Yuanzhang had never heard of before, so he listened even more carefully.

Deng Qianqiu continued, "It's like if in ancient times, our ancestors lived by hunting and suddenly found that a wealthy city-state appeared around them, and the city-state accumulated a lot of wealth. Then... guess whether the ancient tribes would slowly unite. The purpose of their union is to strengthen their own strength and obtain their own wealth in a more effective way than hunting and picking wild fruits. This is also the difference between the tribes in the desert and the ancient tribes in China."

"What do you conclude from this?"

"I know, I know." This time, it was Zhu Gang's voice.

Deng Qianqiu said: "Okay, Zhu Su, you go ahead and talk."

Zhu Gang immediately revealed a frustrated tone.

Zhu Su said timidly: "When they were injured, did they also take medicine?"

Deng Qianqiu said: "Zhu Su's question is very good. You see, he has very innovative thinking. Zhu Su, you also stand up and stand with your fourth brother."

"Oh."

At this time, Deng Qianqiu said: "We can conclude that under different lifestyles, our social organization is different. When hunting, we have to migrate, and a piece of land cannot sustainably feed a large population. Therefore, there can only be a tribal system. Then, people discovered the benefits of farming. The emergence of farming forced people to settle down because the land needed to be reclaimed, and once it was reclaimed, people could not leave the land. A large number of people began to be bound to the land. Over time, the population began to increase, and a large number of people who specialized in agriculture appeared..."

Deng Qianqiu paused and continued, "So, don't underestimate this arable land. With arable land, we have become different from the tribes in the desert, and they have also undergone tremendous changes compared to their ancient ancestors. The emergence of settlements requires a large number of tools, so various craftsmen began to appear. The craftsmen are full-time and need food, so they inevitably need to exchange with farmers."

"But simple bartering cannot meet the demand. It is impossible for a craftsman to produce a pot today and then go out and find people to exchange for a few pounds of grain. Tomorrow, he produces a new pottery pot, but spends a lot of time to exchange for grain. So, merchants appeared."

"Not only that, people also found that because everyone settled down, once settled down, they would inevitably be threatened. For example, if there is a wealthy family in the wilderness, at this time, they will definitely be coveted by people nearby. You can no longer migrate when you find danger like before. So at this time, you must have full-time soldiers to protect yourself."

"Now... do you understand what I mean? At this time, almost everyone, even those who live in the most miserable conditions, needs something to protect their property, and they also need someone to adjudicate disputes arising from their transactions. Then the country will naturally appear."

"Master, I have a question..." Zhu Gang said.

Deng Qianqiu said: "You say."

"Why must it be like this? Did the ancients know that it must be this way? If they don't want to change, then what?"

Zhu Yuanzhang nodded secretly after hearing this. Although Zhu Gang was arguing, Zhu Yuanzhang also felt that it made sense. Deng Qianqiu was shooting the arrow first and then drawing the target. He was just making a summary.

Deng Qianqiu smiled and said, "It's very simple. At that time, there were many city-states. Of course, most of them were unwilling to change. After all... it is extremely difficult to change. Even for us humans, it is said that it is difficult to change one's nature. What's more, there are so many people, asking them to accept a different way of life. However... among these hundreds or thousands of city-states, as long as one changes, then it will become stronger, and then they can easily destroy those tribes that are unwilling to change, kill all their men, and rob their women."

After a pause, Deng Qianqiu continued, "You see...if you don't change, then...the person who has changed will use the sword to change you."

After hearing this, Zhu Yuanzhang began to think: "Hmm?"

Zhu Gang shouted at this time: "Isn't this the same as my father, who killed those who didn't obey?"

Zhu Yuanzhang's face changed, and then he made the same slight sound from his nostrils: "Hmm?"

(End of this chapter)