Chapter 302 Merchants Get Ripped Off

Magistrate Shen sat on the high platform.

Sixty or seventy merchants sat down, and even the poorest shopkeeper in Ping'an County was dressed in fine clothes.

"Thank you all for taking time out of your busy schedules to come to the county government office for tea." Magistrate Shen spoke methodically, his gaze sweeping over the crowd before he slowly added, "Master Wang, you must have made quite a bit of money lately, haven't you?"

When Wang was called out, he immediately stood up and said, "It's not much, it's just enough to make a living."

Magistrate Shen scoffed: "Other merchants have to pay commercial taxes every month, but you, Master Wang, don't have to pay a single penny. You can barely make ends meet?"

The title of "Yuanwai" is a low-ranking official title, a sinecure that rich people buy with their money. Once the title is held, they no longer need to pay taxes to the government. This title was donated by Yuanwai Wang decades ago when he was at the height of his wealth, and he enjoyed a period of great prestige.

The fact that Magistrate Shen suddenly brought this up made Master Wang very flustered. He didn't understand why the magistrate would bring this up.

“You have been a magistrate for twenty years. In these twenty years, how much commercial tax have you exempted? I will not hold you accountable for that.” Magistrate Shen took a sip of tea. “Now that Ping’an County is in great trouble, as a magistrate, you should also bear some responsibility. How about this, you pay three years’ worth of commercial taxes. I will write this down and report it to the prefect. If any descendants of your Wang family take the imperial examinations and pursue official careers in the future, this matter will be a meritorious deed for the Wang family, and your descendants will have great fortune.”

Master Wang was suddenly stunned.

Isn't this just making him spend money?

Three years of taxes... Let him calculate it. The Wang family's total annual income from all their businesses is about 10,000 taels of silver, and their annual taxes are about 1,000 taels of silver. Over three years, that's 3,000 taels of silver!

Good heavens, three thousand taels of silver! How many bars of soap would he have to sell to earn that back?

Magistrate Shen's voice deepened: "What, Master Wang, are you unwilling? It seems you have disgraced the title of Master..."

"No, no, no, sir, I am willing!" Master Wang's voice was full of bitterness. "Within three days... no, today, before dark, I will have someone deliver three thousand taels of silver."

His words caused all the surrounding merchants to gasp in shock.

Many of them couldn't even earn three thousand taels of silver a year, while the Wang family could pay so much in taxes. No wonder everyone said that the Wang family was the best in Ping'an County.

At the same time, they also felt a sense of relief.

Fortunately, they didn't earn much; otherwise, they would be the ones getting ripped off now.

At this moment, Magistrate Shen turned his gaze to the two people at the front: "Master Zhou, Young Master She, the Zhou family sells salt and the She family sells iron. If it weren't for the protection of the government, these two businesses would probably be hard to continue... In the time of crisis in Ping'an County, when the government is strapped for cash, can you two be as generous as Master Wang?"

Master Zhou: "..."

Young Master She: "..."

When they saw Master Wang being slaughtered, they knew they were doomed.

But unexpectedly, this blow came so quickly that they hadn't even decided how much silver to pay.

If I eat too much, I'm afraid I'll look too fat.

If the amount is too small, the county magistrate might be dissatisfied.

After all, the business they were in depended on the government for survival; offending the government meant certain death.

Master Wang felt relieved and sipped his tea with a smile, saying, "Master Zhou's clothes are made of better material than mine. The Zhou family can't afford to spend less than the Wang family. I've heard that Young Master She frequents the Yihong Brothel every night and spends money like water. I'm sure he'll be even more generous to the magistrate."

Master Zhou and Young Master She both glared angrily at Master Wang.

In the end, the two had no choice but to agree to donate three thousand taels of silver to the disaster victims and hand it over to the government before nightfall.

The other merchants present were all trembling with fear.

Everyone avoided eye contact with Magistrate Shen, fearing they would be called out by name.

“My lord,” an older merchant stood up and said, “all the merchants have gathered here today to raise money for the disaster victims. Merchants from Ping’an County should all contribute generously. So, shouldn’t Madam Sui also do something?”

Upon hearing this, many merchants present nodded in agreement.

Lady Sui, a ninth-rank lady personally appointed by the Emperor, came from a commoner background and should dedicate herself to the common people. How could she stand aside?

Most importantly, they heard that Lady Sui's soap workshop produces several thousand bars of soap a day and can earn hundreds of taels of silver a day. By that calculation, she is even richer than Master Wang.

Wang Yuan went out with 3,000 taels of silver, so Lady Sui should at least contribute 5,000 taels.

Magistrate Shen's gaze swept coldly over the person who had spoken.

These merchants were able to do business in Ping'an County entirely thanks to the protection of the government.

The fact that Lady Sui's business has grown so large has absolutely nothing to do with the Ping'an County government.

Furthermore!

He sneered: "What do you all think of the newly improved treatment prescription from yesterday?"

“My wet nurse’s son had a persistent high fever, but after taking the medicine, he is much better this morning.” Master Wang said with his hands clasped. “The doctor at Rende Hall said that the prescription came from a wandering divine physician. May I ask, Your Excellency, what is this divine physician’s name? My mother is unwell and I would also like to invite this divine physician to examine her pulse.”

"The one who presented the prescription was Madam Sui," Master Yuan sneered. "The reason Madam Sui didn't come is because for the past three days, she has been working tirelessly on the prescription. Just as Shennong tasted hundreds of herbs in ancient times, Madam Sui personally tested the medicine... After the prescription proved effective, Madam Sui fell ill with a persistent high fever and a dangerous condition. It's uncertain whether she can pull through... Ha! All you've done is give up a little money, and you're all so unwilling, while Madam Sui almost lost her life..."

Everyone present was stunned.

Was the new prescription obtained at the cost of Lady Sui's life?

Some of them had seen Lady Sui before, and now their minds were filled with her gentle smile and kind voice...

Lady Sui's righteousness is so admirable; in contrast, look at them...

Just then, a figure walked in through the main gate; it was Manager Gao, who had been locked up for three or four days.

He said coldly, "As people of Ping'an County, you should have the responsibility and awareness to protect Ping'an County... Ha, I am an outsider who has only been in Ping'an County for less than ten days, and seeing the current miserable state of Ping'an County, I can't help but feel sad. I am willing to contribute my strength to the people of Ping'an County and the refugees outside the city. This time I came to Ping'an County to do business, and I brought a total of five thousand taels of silver, which I will donate to the Ping'an County government. I hope that the magistrate will not refuse!"

Manager Gao looked righteous and awe-inspiring.

But my heart is bleeding.

He was arrested and imprisoned for three or four days because he had an affair with a widow who sold tofu in the city.

If he doesn't pay the money, he'll be convicted, that damned clerk Yuan said, he'll be in jail for at least three years.

He came to Ping'an County to do business; how could he suddenly become a criminal?

Paying money to avoid disaster is like losing money in business.

Master Yuan laughed loudly: "Manager Gao is a man of great righteousness and a blessing to the people of Ping'an County. I hope everyone will take Manager Gao as an example."

What else could the merchants from Ping'an County sitting below say? With Lady Sui risking her life first, and outsiders donating five thousand taels of silver later, what reason could they, as people from Ping'an County who had been protected by Lord Shen, possibly have to refuse?

"Li's Tea Shop, one thousand taels of silver."

"Xu's Wine Shop, five hundred taels of silver."

"Yuelai Inn, two hundred taels of silver."

"Zhang's General Store, fifty taels of silver."

"..."

The merchants reluctantly paid up.

They probably paid their donations based on three years' worth of taxes, and after adding up all the various amounts, the total came to a staggering 20,000 taels of silver.

Magistrate Shen's brows relaxed, and he said slowly, "Now that we have money, the next step is to purchase grain. I will buy grain from you all at a price of one hundred coins per catty. This time, it is voluntary."