The county magistrate was originally dissatisfied with the conscription and labor service, and now that he heard that the Tai family came to ask for a favor, he naturally would not make things difficult for them.
Not to mention that the Tai family is on good terms with the Wu and Min families, the Tai family has supported and respected them in everything from the beginning when they made ice lanterns for the county government to now. He has to show leniency to them no matter what.
If there weren't so many gentry asking for favors and requiring his intervention, he would have liked to meet Mr. Tai.
Just like what his wife said, the Tai family always has a vague feeling of being lucky.
In just half a year, the family went from having mud on their legs to becoming a gentry family, and it might even become a scholarly family in the future.
It's always a good idea to make friends with people like this. Maybe one day he will also rise to prominence along with his family!
In the yamen ahead, Master Tai and Steward Min hadn't been waiting for a moment when the official emerged, beaming with joy. "Master Tai, great news! Our county magistrate has heard about your village's situation, and I just pleaded with him, and he's finally given the green light. Your village will be exempt from corvée labor, and the fine will be the original price, not doubled. Of course, this matter shouldn't be publicized, lest others protest, and it would be difficult for us to convince them."
"Of course, of course!" Old Master Tai was delighted and quickly responded, "Please rest assured, sir. I will definitely give good instructions to the clan members when I return. Today, thanks to my brother for helping to mediate. If you have the chance in the future, I will definitely come to the village and we can have a drink together."
"Okay, thank you, old man!" The official got the silver smoothly and was in a good mood.
After chatting for a few more words, Mr. Tai said goodbye to Manager Min.
In Taijia Village, Uncle Tai San and a group of old, weak, women and children were so anxious that they were smoking. They all stood at the entrance of the village and refused to go back.
Village chief Liu, village chief Zhang, and village chief Sanchahe also had no idea what to do. They were worried about the conscription and came over early in the morning to ask for advice.
When they heard that the old man had gone into the city to inquire about the news, they shamelessly stayed behind, hoping to get the exact details.
After waiting for a long time for Old Master Tai to come back, they surrounded him before Third Master Tai could come forward.
"Brother, what do you think? What did the county government say? Is this corvée mandatory?"
"Yeah, two draws for one, that's really too harsh!"
"Did anyone cause trouble at the county government office? Did the county magistrate change his mind?"
Old Master Tai greeted the three of them and gave Third Master Tai a subtle wink before sitting down with the others under a tree. He said, "I went to the county office and asked someone carefully. This corvée labor is an official decree. It's not because of any work in our county, but because they want to repair the palace and the official road. So, the county magistrate has no choice but to impose the labor service. There's no way to avoid it."
The three village chiefs all looked unhappy. Repairing the palace was okay, but building roads was heavy physical work, and whoever was responsible for it would be unlucky.
Village Chief Liu glanced at the elderly, weak, women, and children of the Tai family around him and asked tentatively, "Brother, since the old and young men in your village are not here, do we not have to collect labor service?"
"Of course not," Old Man Tai sighed, frowning, and replied, "I've asked. In the past, if you didn't do corvée labor, you had to pay one tael of silver per person, but now it's two taels. But for a village like ours, we still need to make extra arrangements. When you add it all up, it's really..."
He didn't finish his words, but Village Chief Liu and others understood and felt a little relieved.
It was originally thought that Taijia Village was lucky because before the conscription, all the young and strong people in the village went far away and escaped the disaster.
But now I hear that this person will be fined two or three taels of silver, it seems that he is not so lucky...
A glint of understanding flashed in Old Man Tai's eyes, and he added, "Don't worry too much, everyone. This time we're not repairing a canal or anything like that, and there's no guarantee it'll rain in autumn. Bring some extra clothes and food, and we might be back in half a month!"
Sure enough, the expressions of Village Chief Liu, Village Chief Zhang and others became better.
"Okay, I'll listen to you, brother. Now that we've gotten into this, we can't avoid it, so we'll just have to deal with it."
"Yes, fortunately, life is better this year, and my family can still afford food and thick clothes. I will definitely suffer, but I don't think I will die."
"Yesterday, some people came to the village to ask about buying corn seeds. At worst, they can sell more to buy things. Saving lives is the most important thing."
After chatting for a few more words, they hurried back to the village, leaving everyone in the Tai family looking a little gloomy.
Master Tai San came close to his old brother, and the two whispered a few words to each other, and Master Tai San's eyes lit up.
He said loudly to everyone, "Don't worry, everyone. Although the fine is a bit high this time, the money we get back from the border defense troops is enough. As long as the men in our family are here, we can earn back as much money as we want in the future. This little bit is not a big deal!"
"Every family should clean up their land and store up food. Be careful with the lights at night. If you have any problems, come to me or your sixth uncle and tell him."
Although the elderly, the weak, women and children felt sorry for the money, their pain gradually faded away when they thought about the food and money they had at home.
Aunt Tai San was the first to agree, "The clan leader is right. My son has just become a father and is doing well. He can't lose his life for this little bit of silver. Otherwise, my daughter-in-law and child will be left, and I, an old widow, will be broken up."
Tiedan's mother also quickly responded, "Yes, my family also plans to build a yard next year. Although it has been delayed now, a house is not as important as a person!"
The other women all nodded, and the matter was settled.
After everyone was busy, Third Master Tai pulled his old brother to confirm again, "Sixth Brother, is it true that each person needs to be fined one ounce of silver?"
Old Master Tai nodded and replied, "Seriously, Third Brother. This time, thanks to Steward Min's favor, the County Magistrate, mindful of our past friendship, personally reduced the fine to this much!"
"That's great," Mr. Tai San said excitedly, waving his pipe and whispering, "I'll listen to you. You really can't tell the villagers about this. We can give them a surprise when we divide the money for the corn seeds. Otherwise, there are only women left in the village, and if they go back to their parents' homes and tell people about it, it will be bad news."
Old Master Tai nodded and looked towards the somewhat empty fields in the distance. "By now, Jiye and the others should have reached the border. I wonder if they've heard the news about the conscription?"
"You should have heard it. The time for this conscription is tight, and the border is not far from the palace. I guess the people nearby can't escape."
Master Tai San responded and cursed in a low voice, "Those damn nobles, why are they running around for no reason? Don't they know that if they move, the common people will be in trouble!"
Mr. Tai sighed and said nothing...
Far outside the border, the Tai family's caravan was still stationed in a familiar place. Because the weather was getting slightly colder, many bonfires were lit in the camp before dusk fell.
The villagers gathered around the campfire, eating dry food and chatting.
A villager asked, "Jiye has been at the camp for half a day, why hasn't he returned yet?"
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