Qiao Lian'er pondered for a moment and said, "I will not collect taxes on silk and cloth or poll tax. I will only collect taxes on grass and land. As for corvée labor, you do not need to perform it. Just focus on farming."

"ah!"

"What? So many taxes are being cut off, and we don't have to do forced labor anymore?"

The villagers couldn't believe their ears and exclaimed in surprise.

Someone's hoe fell to the ground with a thud.

The elders' hands were trembling. He Lizheng stepped forward and said, "Your Highness, what you just said—"

"You heard me right. However, I want the land tax to be based on the harvest, which is three-tenths. Every autumn harvest, soldiers will come to calculate it. Moreover, you must plant my rice seeds. This is my only request."

"In the first year, I will provide rice seeds. From the second year onwards, everyone can save their own seeds."

The villagers started talking about it again.

He Lizheng gestured for everyone to be quiet and said, "Everyone, the rice that the county magistrate brought has just been cooked. The clan elders, several villagers, and I have tasted it, and it tastes much better than ordinary rice. If we grow it, not only can we satisfy our own appetites, but we can also earn more money by selling it outside."

"The problem is the yield. If the yield is low, and the produce isn't enough to feed a family, how will we pay taxes and sell our produce?" someone shouted.

"Don't worry, this kind of rice can yield 300 jin per mu, and some can even yield 400 jin per mu," Qiao Lian'er said.

Actually, the number she mentioned is conservative. For new varieties cultivated directly with the help of modern science, 800 jin (400 kg) is possible.

She's not giving the villagers an inflated estimate now, just to give them a surprise. Anyway, she'll collect taxes based on the yield eventually.

The villagers were in disbelief again. The rice they grew only yielded a little over 200 jin per mu each year. 300 jin was a harvest that could only be achieved under extremely good conditions. As for 400 jin, that was something they could never dream of.

But the county princess looked completely certain, and there was no indication that she was lying.

"In the first year, I will provide everyone with things like deworming medicine and manure for free. The yield per mu will be at least 300 jin. After the second year, if you still need these, you can buy them from me. The price is not expensive. Everything is voluntary and I will not force you."

"What if we can't achieve that yield per acre?"

"If the target isn't met, this year's taxes won't be collected. If even the usual yield of 200 jin per mu isn't met, I'll make up the difference for everyone."

Qiao Lian'er said, "Today I will write a petition for everyone and place it here with Village Chief He, with all the clan elders as witnesses."

Does anyone have any further questions?

The villagers fell silent.

Their silence wasn't due to hesitation, but rather a disbelief that such a wonderful thing could happen to them; it was more like they were processing what they were going through than remaining silent.

Regardless of any laws or regulations, they have always been obligated to protect the safety of their farmland.

Even if they were hungry, they still had to pay their taxes. Some years were so difficult that they could only grit their teeth and endure it.

If anyone dares to resist, a large army will be dispatched to suppress them.

However, the new county magistrate abolished several taxes as soon as she arrived, and exempted them from labor service. They were also exempted from paying for the seeds for the first year, as well as the costs of pest control and manure application.

Do such county magistrates really exist?

Their burdens suddenly felt much lighter, and they were painted with an incomparably beautiful future; they felt like they were dreaming.

While the villagers were still in a daze, Qiao Lian'er had already written the petition, which a scholar elder read aloud.

“If everyone has no problems, put your fingerprints on this petition. You don’t need to worry about me going back on my word. If I do this, you can take this document and file a lawsuit with the emperor.”

Seeing the girl's resolute, determined, and sincere attitude, he was deeply moved.