Raozhou City stands tall twenty miles away. Looking from the mountain, the city walls are tall and solid, the city gates are thick and majestic. Since ancient times, Raozhou City has been a battleground for military strategists. Although the conditions here are harsh, on the contrary, there are many people. Many exiled criminals and serious offenders are sent here.

Because in addition to being a border town, Raozhou City also has an iron mine and a coal mine under its jurisdiction, as well as a large canal, which was dug by Emperor Taizu of the Sheng Dynasty two hundred years ago.

Of course, it was not about excavating the entire canal. The canal already existed, but it did not reach Raozhou. Emperor Taizu sent people to build and dig the canal for the iron mine in Raozhou.

It goes without saying that iron can be used to forge iron tools and weapons, and coal is also very useful. It can be used to smelt iron and burn fires for heating. That is why Emperor Taizu ordered the construction of canals to transport these iron and coal.

However, at that time, Raozhou only had one iron mine, and the coal mine was discovered more than ten years ago.

Of course, the coal and iron mines in Dasheng are not only in Raozhou, but also in other places. There are also some other copper and gold mines. Many surrounding countries are salivating over them. Fortunately, Emperor Taizu was powerful and conquered the world, making the country rich and the military strong. However, after so many years, wars broke out from time to time, and the military strength was greatly reduced.

This is also the reason why the neighboring Bi State always coveted Raozhou, and they would fight wars from time to time just to seize Raozhou's iron and coal.

It was not until two years ago that the eldest prince led his troops to attack the State of Bi. The eldest prince had the talent to lead troops and the State of Bi was severely damaged. It was only over the past year that the border city was able to stabilize and the people's lives became much better.

This is probably why the second prince was afraid that the late emperor would give the crown prince position to the eldest prince.

When the eldest prince returned to the capital, the second prince could not help but take action. The two factions fought openly and secretly until the eldest prince was defeated...

As for why the late emperor had never appointed a crown prince, Xu Qinyu didn't know.

Not only was the eldest prince executed, he also had a daughter and a son. The daughter was Yan Jie'er, who was three years old this year, and the son was still an infant. After the eldest prince was executed, the young prince was accidentally thrown to death by the servant who was guarding him. But this was not an accident at all, it was obviously the work of the new emperor. The princess also did not survive the loss of her husband and young son, and died with a white silk scarf.

Thinking of this, Xu Qinyu couldn't help but sigh in her heart, and secretly glanced at Pei Weixuan again.

He was still holding Yan Jie'er and Feng Ge'er. He was tall and thin, with a rare blush on his handsome face, and he looked sickly and weak.

It was precisely because of his appearance that the new emperor did not rush to kill him. He probably felt that this sickly brother, who had been in poor health since childhood and took medicine every day, would not be able to cause any big waves.

Xu Qinyu looked towards Raozhou City again.

Finally she arrived. She didn't want to recall the hardships she had gone through along the way. They were even more terrible than her days in the orphanage.

Fortunately, it hasn't rained in the past few days, but it's been gloomy and it feels like it's going to snow, so they have to get into the city before dark. Their winter clothes are already tattered, so they have to go into the city to buy some winter clothes and have a good rest.

Ma Liu shouted, "Everyone cheer up, we have already reached Raozhou, there are only 20 miles left, we will arrive in the afternoon."

Then everyone continued to move forward.

They didn't open the stove for breakfast in the morning, so they ate cakes. There were only a few cakes left, so they were hoping to have a good meal after reaching Raozhou City.

After walking for several hours, we finally arrived at Raozhou City.

Looking at Raozhou City from a close distance, the city walls are even more magnificent and heavily guarded. People have to be checked before entering the city. After all, it is a border city and they are worried about spies sneaking in.

It was her first time seeing the ancient dynasty, and Xu Qinyu was a little excited.

Soon it was their turn. Deputy Captain Chen took out the token and the soldiers guarding the city gate let them in.

After entering the city, Deputy Captain Chen led them to the government office to find the household registration officer.

Sihu is responsible for managing household registration. When they first come to the border town, they have to arrange their household registration.

When they arrived at the government office, Wen hesitated, then walked over to Deputy Lieutenant Chen and said, "Sir, we don't have any cash on us, only some jewelry. Can you let us go out and exchange some silver to pay the household registration fee?"

Only then did Xu Qinyu realize that people like them who were demoted to commoners would not be safe even if they arrived in the border town. They could not wait for the government to arrange a place for them. If they wanted to stay in Raozhou City or the towns and villages under its jurisdiction, they had to pay household registration fees. As for how much money they had to pay to go to the place they were going, she was not sure yet. If she could not pay the money, she could only go to some villages that did not require household registration fees.

The villages that do not require household registration fees are all located near coal mines or iron mines. People go there because they have no money. Some refugees from previous years were also assigned there. It is a vicious cycle, and the situation becomes even poorer.

As for those serious criminals, they were all sent to the coal mines.

Coal mining is the most tiring and dangerous job, and it is easy to get people killed. Even if people are paid money, not many people are willing to do it. Therefore, since ancient times, serious criminals have been sent to coal mines everywhere to mine coal. Since these people are prisoners, naturally they will not be registered and are managed by officers and soldiers at the coal mines.

As for iron ore, although it is hard work, it is not very dangerous, and the pay is high, so there are still many strong people willing to do this job.

I just don't know how to pay the household registration fee.

Xu Qinyu didn't understand, but she didn't ask any random questions for fear of revealing something.

Deputy Captain Chen nodded, "Madam, go ahead."

After all, she was the former queen, so Lieutenant Chen was very polite.

"Mom, let me go with you." Xu Qinyu called out to Wen.

Even she felt that Wen was weak and worried that she was being fooled.

Wen nodded, asked Pei Jianing and Pei Weixuan to take good care of Feng Ge'er and Yan Jie'er, and then left the yamen.

After leaving the yamen, Xu Qinyu looked around curiously. They had just entered the city and were in a hurry to get on with their journey. In addition, there were serious criminals in their group who were handcuffed and shackled, so they would always be surrounded by people, and it was not convenient for them to stop and look around.

It's not that urgent now, so I can take a look.

The city of Raozhou cannot be compared with the capital city. The capital city is richer and more prosperous, and the architectural style is obviously different. The houses here are not as exquisite as those in the capital city, and are a little rough, but also very prosperous. People come and go, walking in the streets, and peddlers and hawkers are all busy running for their livelihoods.

There are all kinds of restaurants, bars, inns, grain stores, cloth shops, pharmacies, tea shops, jewelry stores, etc. on both sides of the street, and there are still many people doing business.

Xu Qinyu not only paid attention to these, but also to other people and things. They might have to stay in Raozhou City for the next two days. She wanted to see if there was any way to make extra money. She certainly couldn't just live off the savings. Besides, the household registration fee must be quite a lot, and money was needed everywhere.

She didn't want to be sent to a village near a coal mine or an iron mine. Not only was it remote, but the people there were also a mixed crowd.

Wen quickly found a larger pawnshop nearby.

After entering, she took out three pieces of jewelry from the compartment of her long skirt.

A pair of ruby ​​and pearl earrings, a ruby ​​and gold bead headpiece and a jade bracelet.

Looking at the three pieces of jewellery, Mrs. Wen felt worried. When her eldest son was killed, their whole family was sent to prison. Even when Yu Niang came into the house, there was no one in their house. The next day, the new emperor banished them to the southwest and asked them to return home first. When they returned home, there were also soldiers following them. The soldiers were fierce and did not allow them to take anything with them. She thought these pieces of jewellery were relatively small, so she secretly hid them in her trousers before taking them away.

He originally had four items, but on the way he begged Lieutenant Chen to pawn one of them in order to have food and drink, and now he had spent all his money.

There were only these three pieces of jewellery left, which could be worth a hundred taels at most. A hundred taels was too little in Wen's eyes. After paying the household registration fee, there might be little left. Wen also didn't want to go to a village that was too cheap.

The rubies and gold beads on these jewellery and the jade bracelet were all quite valuable and were pawned for one hundred taels of silver.

Basically, they could only get half the price for a dead body pawned, and even less for a live body pawned. The shopkeeper did not cheat them.

Seeing this, Xu Qinyu took out five gold leaves from her purse and handed them to the shopkeeper, "Shopkeeper, please help me change these gold leaves into silver."

These gold leaves should have been secretly sewed into the inner lining of her clothes by her parents when she married into Prince Shu's palace. She had no idea about it. She was in a state of trance and her five senses were blocked. After being sent to the palace, she sat there for a whole night. She found these gold leaves by feeling them on her body after she recovered from her illness.

When the original body left the Dechang Marquis' Mansion and was sent to the prince's palace to get married, her parents should have also told her about the household registration.

But the original body definitely didn't listen, so she didn't have much impression of it.

Mrs. Wen was a little surprised when she saw her daughter-in-law took out a few gold leaves, "Yu Niang..."

Xu Qinyu sighed softly, "My parents hid these on me before I left. I was so distracted during my exile that I didn't notice these gold leaves. I only found them a few days ago. It would be better to change them into silver. Once we enter the city, we will definitely need silver everywhere, so it will be more convenient to use them."

These five gold leaves were worth about fifty taels of silver, which should be all the property of my parents. My father had a monthly salary of four taels of silver, and my mother was from a small family, with little dowry and no business as a dowry. Although other social interactions and food and drink were all paid on the public account of the mansion, and my mother also had a monthly allowance of two taels of silver, she had many private uses for money and could not save any private money.