Chapter 872: The Feast at Hongmen, Scooping Up the Poop (Part 2) [Requesting Monthly Tickets]

People occasionally cast their gazes in their direction.

Everyone else had no appetite, but this person was eating with gusto.

The one who was eating rice ignored it.

"Master Lin, this lady beside you looks unfamiliar. May I ask which of your young nieces she is?" A family head, who had once studied under the old man and whose families were located nearby, approached him to ingratiate himself. Based on his understanding of the old man, he knew the old man wouldn't bring a female member of the clan to such an occasion. However, considering Shen Tang's special status, the family head couldn't help but suspect that this lady was a gift the old man had brought to curry favor with Shen Tang.

This was to demonstrate Lin's loyalty.

The old man glanced at Lin Feng beside him: "You attended this child's full moon celebration and first birthday celebration when she was born. She is Guansheng's daughter and my great-granddaughter."

The "Guansheng" he mentioned was the courtesy name of Lin Feng's biological father.

Lin Feng was the same age as the patriarch, and he invited many close friends from prominent families to his full-moon banquet and first birthday banquet.

The family head exclaimed in surprise, "Guansheng's daughter?"

If he remembered correctly, the Lin clan relocated in batches. Guan Sheng, as the head of the family, led the first group to the destination to settle the local forces and arrange for the distribution of houses and land. Once everything was in place, the other clan members set off in batches. To appease the people, the current matriarch of the Lin clan and the main female members of the clan stayed behind until the very last group. Unfortunately, it was that branch that met with misfortune.

The female ruler before us should also be among them.

Lin Feng put down his chopsticks: "Lin Feng greets Uncle."

She was dressed very formally today; after she sat down, her skirt bunched up, concealing her embroidered monogram and accessories at her waist, which were not visible unless she moved slightly. The patriarch remarked with emotion, "If Guansheng knew you were still alive, he would be very gratified..."

Upon closer inspection, Lin Feng's eyebrows and eyes do indeed show some traces of an old friend.

but--

He couldn't help but mutter to himself.

How old was Lin Feng at that time? And it happened during the most chaotic period of the pandemic; it's hard to imagine how a pampered young lady like her survived. How did Master Lin manage to bring Lin Feng back? Having wandered for so many years, it's understandable that she lacked proper upbringing.

Lin Feng's eating manners were certainly not bad.

However, she spent most of her time with the army, and food was precious. At mealtimes, she had to rush to the mess hall. If she still ate with the refined, slow-eating manners of her aristocratic family, she probably wouldn't even get leftover soup. Over time, she developed a habit of eating quickly. Things like not taking three bites of a dish at once, or not finishing a plate completely, were completely ignored by Lin Feng. His chopsticks would strike with lightning speed!

Lin Feng gave a perfunctory "hmm".

Since she returned to the Lin family, her great-grandfather had given her a detailed account of each family member's household and their interactions. This uncle of hers was fairly kind to the Lin family, and would visit the elderly members who remained in the Lin family during holidays when he wasn't too busy. There was calculation involved, but also affection.

"These have been carefully prepared, Uncle, why don't you try some?"

The sorrow in the head of the family was almost palpable.

He sighed, "I don't have much of an appetite."

The more elaborate the dishes, the more they resemble a last meal before execution.

Lin Feng smiled and comforted his uncle, "It's not like it's a last meal. If our lord really intended to wipe out all the family heads, she wouldn't waste this meal..."

Food is so expensive!

This meal has both vegetarian and meat dishes, and the taste is good. It's not like the kind of haphazardly seasoned dishes from a large pot. Isn't this a high standard?

The family head looked at Lin Feng in surprise. He hadn't said what he was thinking. What was Lin Feng's name for Shen Youli?

It seems to be... my lord?

Just as he was asking for confirmation, the old man who hadn't touched his chopsticks took a couple of bites and immediately noticed the difference. This corn and pork rib soup, for example, had all the bones removed, leaving only meat that was stewed until incredibly tender. It practically melted in your mouth, requiring no chewing at all.

Then look at the other people's soup bowls.

The bones of the ribs are all intact.

The other family heads couldn't bring themselves to do the unseemly act of gnawing on ribs and spitting out bones in public. They only drank a couple of sips of the soup, without touching the corn or the ribs. The family head wanted to ask, but everyone was focused on eating, so he swallowed his question.

Everyone was preoccupied with their own thoughts and had little appetite. Apart from Shen Tang, who kept asking for more rice, the others only ate a few bites.

After Lin Feng had eaten and drunk his fill, he wiped his mouth with a handkerchief.

Then a soldier brought over several plates of pastries.

"The lord's goodwill has been wasted..." Lin Feng glanced at the nearby tables and said with some regret.

If she had known it would be such a waste, she would have just given them plain water and saved some money. The old man overheard her mutterings and said, "His real intentions are not what they seem..."

The heads of the families weren't there for a meal either.

When the meal was nearly finished, rows of burly soldiers cleared away the food from the table. Looking at the wasted food, Shen Tang was displeased: "Today's dishes are crude; do they not suit your tastes?"

Before anyone could smooth things over, she clapped her hands again.

"How can a banquet be complete without singing and dancing?"

In the open space of the training ground, two groups of 100 soldiers performed a dance.

It was called a dance performance, but it was really just adding some movements to their daily drills and rehearsing formations. When changing formations, their shouts were loud and their movements were synchronized. These soldiers were all brave warriors; their exact strength was unclear, but if they all charged at him, they could easily cut the patriarch into mincemeat. The performance terrified everyone; they didn't dare touch the mat.

Shen Tang, still wanting more, requested several more performances.

It took a long time for this deadly dance performance to finally end.

Shen Tang did not dismiss them, but instead ordered them to guard various parts of the training ground. To be precise, they surrounded the training ground, each standing resolutely at their post. Only the family heads felt uneasy, as if they were sitting on pins and needles.

Their executioners are all lying in ambush in the shadows.

Shen Youli's executioners were placed in plain sight.

The threatening and intimidating manner was self-evident.

Shen Tang didn't continue to harass them. After exchanging a few pleasantries and praising the wonderful singing and dancing, she finally got to the main topic of the banquet. First, she wanted to give special praise to the most generous family heads, and then to the family heads with excellent attitudes. They were very promising and willing to respond to her call to benefit the people; such family values ​​were worthy of everyone's emulation.

The faces of those who were named turned pale and then red, unsure whether Shen Tang was mocking or flattering them, while also having to endure the strange looks from the family heads around them. They were seething with anger but had no way to vent it.

"You flatter me, Mr. Shen. I am unworthy of such praise."

The group could only respond with words that wouldn't make a mistake.

"No need to be modest, this is what you all deserve."

Those who deserve to be killed should be killed, but those who deserve to be praised should also be praised.

No one was interested in this tedious "award ceremony." They didn't believe that Shen Tang had summoned them just for a meal and to praise a few people. Finally, Shen Tang revealed his purpose: "Actually, there is something else I want to discuss with you all."

Her smile carried a hint of embarrassment.

The heads of the families secretly tensed up.

Shen Tang said, "As you all know, I come from humble beginnings and have no ulterior motives. I don't understand those roundabout ways of testing people. In order to eliminate unnecessary misunderstandings and prevent unnecessary confiscation and extermination, let's have an open discussion today. I will make a price, and you all can see if it is acceptable."

After he finished speaking, another row of soldiers came over carrying plates.

Each plate was covered with a thick scroll of bamboo slips.

"From a makeshift operation of three to five people, I, Shen, now command three to five hundred thousand troops. I've gone from He Yin to Longwu, and from Longwu to you all. I thought, with the imperial seal, troops, and land, establishing a nation shouldn't be a problem. But I've recently discovered a major issue: I possess land, but the names of these lands don't belong to Shen. How come the lands I conquered, fought by my own men, are still discounted? Am I still a complete ruler? Some say I can be a ruler of seven-tenths of the land, and I'm curious—"

Shen Tang rested his elbow on the bronze table.

He leaned slightly forward, tapping his fingers on the table as he looked around.

"Where did my remaining thirty percent go?" With that, he laughed and leaned back against the armchair, his posture casual and unrestrained, but the question he asked made everyone present's hearts tighten suddenly. "Thirty percent was due to my troops' negligence; they failed to capture it?"

Before anyone knew it, everyone's backs were soaked with cold sweat.

Shen Tang, however, seemed not to notice: "I am of humble origins. What does 'humble origins' mean? It means a commoner from the lower classes, unlike you gentlemen who have studied under famous teachers and are full of knowledge. I, Shen Tang, am not very learned and can't even read a map very well. So I would like to ask you to help me take a look and see where the troops have overlooked something!"

Speak of maps, and here come the maps.

When several soldiers carried the enormous map frame into the training ground and set it down, it kicked up a considerable amount of dust. Everyone's hearts jumped into their throats. At that moment, no one dared to utter a word; only the howling wind filled the air.

After waiting for a long time, Shen Tang sighed with a hint of regret, "Alas, maps are indeed difficult to decipher; even you gentlemen don't recognize them..."

“I recognize Mr. Shen.”

The woman's voice was exceptionally clear at that moment.

Everyone looked in the direction of the voice and saw that it was the Lin family of Lingzhou.

However, it wasn't Old Master Lin who spoke, but a pretty young lady beside him. For a moment, everyone's expressions were complicated, and when they saw Lin Feng stand up, revealing the peach-pink monogram at his waist, their expressions twisted in shock.

Lin Feng smiled and nodded to his uncle beside him.

Shen Tang rested her chin on her hand: "Lingde? What are you doing here?"

She immediately recognized Lin Feng, so Lin Feng no longer needed to pretend he didn't know him. He took out a scroll from his sleeve and presented it to her: "My lord, this is all the land owned by the Lin family."

Lin Feng's uncle almost lost his temper and cursed.

Then, he suddenly turned his head to look at the old man: "Master Lin!"

The old man said calmly, "Lingde is now the head of this branch of the Lin family. Although I am her elder, I cannot stop the head of the family from doing what she wants. If she insists on handing over the Lin family's land, then she has to support us old folks in our old age. As long as she can afford it, that's fine."

But—but she—

"With Lingde's talent, even Guansheng couldn't beat her. She's more than capable of being the head of the family, so don't worry!"

Lin Feng's uncle: "..."

Is this the problem he's worried about?

The Lin family wouldn't care if they made Lin Feng, a female ruler, the head of the family; they wouldn't even care if they made a dog at the gate the head. But the situation is completely different now that Lin Feng, as the head of a powerful family, has spoken up! Should the other families follow suit or not?

Lin Feng donated all his farmland!

All the lands, including clan lands!

"This is truly a case of a son selling his father's land without a care in the world!"

The other family heads were so angry they wanted to kill Lin Feng.

Judging from the conversation between Lin Feng and Shen Tang, their idea was just wishful thinking; this whole thing was arranged by the man surnamed Shen! For a moment, everyone cursed Shen Tang inwardly. They'd seen people with ugly behavior before, but never one this ugly.

What's the difference between what she did and outright robbery?

Shen Tang looked at Lin Feng with a gratified expression.

The kid I raised is really smart.

He said a few hypocritical words: "The land is so important. If you give it all up, how will your family members make a living?"

Lin Feng calmly cooperated.

"Besides the farmland, the clan also has other savings."

Shen Tang didn't need to read minds to know that the heads of the noble families present were on the verge of losing their guard, and most of them even had their ancestors from the Lin family saying, "This won't do. Isn't this just sitting around and eating away our wealth? Although I come from humble origins, I am not a bandit. Wouldn't this make people despise me?"

"What makes you say that, my lord?" Xie Qi stepped forward from among the group of clan heads. "My lord once said that every subject should have land. We are also under your rule, so naturally we should be treated equally."

The confiscation of all land was done to make it easier to clarify the accounts.

Once the domestic land accounts are settled, each family will still be able to receive their share of land, and all of this land will be accounted for.

Shen Tang tapped her head: "Look at my memory."

She asked the heads of the household to take a closer look at the scrolls in their hands: "The contents of these scrolls are the result of many days of discussions between me and my subordinates. See if you can accept them. Actually, I think they are fine."

Actually, it's really not bad.

Shen Tang only confiscated their land and tenants; all other property remained untouched. After this land reform concludes, each family can report the number of members in their clan. Regardless of gender, anyone over fifteen years of age can lease land from the local government. The exact number of acres will be determined by the government after a new measurement and count, but it will definitely be enough to support one person. Clan members will have the right to cultivate this land from age fifteen until death. After death, their direct minor descendants will have priority in leasing this land.

These land properties cannot be bought or sold.

To be precise, land within the territory of Kangguo could not be bought or sold.

In other words—

Shen Tang wanted all the land and property held by the aristocratic families.

Looking at the colorful expressions on everyone's faces, she smiled and said, "Of course, you can refuse—"

The family heads: "..."

Can they refuse?

Haha, if you refuse, then walk out sideways.

Unexpectedly, Shen Tang changed the subject and rejected their idea: "Don't be afraid, everyone. I'm not an unreasonable person. Do you think I'm a tyrant like Zheng Qiao who kills people at the drop of a hat? I said that everything can be discussed and negotiated. However—you should know that if the land is in your hands, it belongs to your private property and not to the state, which will make things very difficult."

"What's the difficulty?"

One stubborn head of the family couldn't help but ask.

Shen Tang explained earnestly, "It's like this: in order to increase yield per mu, only state-owned farmland can apply to cultivate improved high-yield grain varieties. The nation will also protect these farmlands, ensuring fertile soil and favorable weather throughout the year. Privately owned farmland is excluded. If anything goes wrong with these fields, resulting in poor harvests year after year... then you can only blame your bad luck! And the tax is high!"

"Inconsistent taxes?"

Shen Tang said, "Of course they can't be the same! How can they be the same? The national fortune can guarantee favorable weather and abundant harvests in a region, and private farmland located in that region also enjoys the benefits brought by the national fortune. Shouldn't these national fortunes be subject to national fortune taxes? Are you trying to get something for nothing?"

"As you all know, the fate of a nation is extremely precious."

"Therefore—private land should be taxed at a higher rate!"

"If you gentlemen can bear the national tax, that's fine too."

|ω`)

Unable to snag a 60 Pro, I'm prepared to wait for it to be widely available.

The new chapter won't open; it seems to have crashed...

(End of this chapter)