"Asking her son to take the blame for her?" Jiang Yushu shook her head. "That's inappropriate."
Li Qigong was tall and thin, and he bent over and asked, "What do you think we should do? She has blatantly stolen many times, and according to the law, she should be caned, but I'm afraid an elderly woman can't stand the beating."
Jiang Yushu lowered her voice slightly and replied calmly, "I don't intend to use torture. Theft is certainly punishable, but the circumstances in this case are extenuating. Thirty acres of land is indeed a lot. The plaintiff, encouraged by the government, cultivated it for three consecutive years and received six 30% dividends. How much grain did he receive in total? What is considered 'reasonable' compensation?"
"This..." Li Qigong and several clerks looked at each other, with different thoughts in their minds. Considering the actual complicated 30%-70% split, they simply kept silent and protected themselves.
Jiang Yushu was blunt. "While the intention behind the farmland order was good, the regulations weren't detailed enough when it was issued. The land, after all, had an owner, which is why the plaintiff endured it. Otherwise, if the land belonged to him, he would never have tolerated the defendant's repeated theft."
"In your opinion, what is the appropriate judgment?" The clerk followed him and asked for advice humbly.
Li Qigong's eyes flickered as he warned, "Under the Daigen Order, there must be more than just these two families arguing. In my humble opinion, the government shouldn't insist on a serious settlement. It's probably enough to mediate to prevent the people from following suit and sparking more cases."
Poverty is not a big deal, stability is the most important responsibility of the government is to maintain order and stability in the local area.
The policy formulated by the previous magistrate was implemented for three years, and I overturned it as soon as I took office? I can't just destroy my own system. Jiang Yushu glanced at his subordinates and sighed, "I know."
Li Qigong listened to the light sigh, as if he was being affirmed and praised. His thin lips curled up, and he felt elated inside.
Meanwhile, on the ground, the defendant's family knelt and kowtowed, crying and begging in fear: "I know I was wrong, and I will never do it again. Please forgive me, sir."
"Please spare my mother!"
"She was already over sixty years old and confused. She loved her grandson so much that she had no choice but to steal some food."
The plaintiff's family also knelt and kowtowed, pleading aggrievedly: "Sir, first, we have not 'occupied' the land; we have only 'borrowed' it for cultivation. We agreed to compensation and return the land the day she returned to the village. Second, 70% of the harvest from the borrowed cultivation was always turned over to the government. We have worked so hard, but only received 30%. We have not taken advantage of anything."
"Please, sir, seek justice!"
Jiang Yushu carefully considered the matter, raised her hand to stop the clamor, and surveyed the accused's family. She slowly said, "This habit of stealing must not be allowed to continue. Besides, you and your partner already reached an agreement in the presence of the village head. How can you go back on your word?"
The accused old woman was afraid of being tortured and dared not deny it. She kept kowtowing and begging for mercy with tears streaming down her face.
Jiang Yushu glanced at the bags on the ground, ordered a few followers to weigh them, and asked seriously, "This time, we caught the thief red-handed. These bags weigh about 50 kilograms. Plaintiff, how much was stolen in the last three times? Tell me the truth."
"Ah?" the plaintiff hurriedly asked his family, racking his brains to recall, and angrily replied, "To answer your Excellency: the first three times were earlier, the crops hadn't even matured, and the potatoes were even smaller than they are now. Although a large area was ruined, the weight of the grain was about... 100 kilograms."
In fact, the plaintiff deliberately reported less, and the defendant knew it very well but kept silent.
Jiang Yushu nodded. "Then it's 150 kilograms. You just said that we agreed to compensate the landowner with another 1,000 kilograms of grain after the autumn harvest, correct?"
"Yes." The plaintiff calculated the losses and felt both distressed and aggrieved.
Under the gaze of over a hundred eyes, Jiang Yushu remained calm as she pronounced the verdict in a loud voice: "Punish where necessary! These 150 kilograms will be deducted from the 1,000 kilograms owed by the plaintiff. If the defendant continues to steal, the deductions will continue until all the money is gone."
"Also, if more than a thousand jin (approximately 1,000 kilograms) is stolen, every jin (approximately 200 kilograms) in excess will be counted as a debt owed to the government. You will be fined three times that amount, three times the amount for every jin stolen!"
"Three penalties for stealing one?"
For a moment, the villagers were stunned and talked about it: "Serves him right!"
"Well, it's her own fault. She keeps stealing and stealing, and is so greedy."
"Every household in the village is not well off these days. If they have to rely on stealing to make a living, what will happen?"
"A fine of 150 kilograms is appropriate, but I wonder if he will be beaten with a stick?"
"Who knows?"
…
Jiang Yushu heard this and replied calmly, "Considering the defendant's advanced age and the extenuating circumstances of this case, the caning punishment will be waived."
"Thank you for your forgiveness, sir!" The frightened old woman breathed a sigh of relief and wiped her sweat.
As villagers, we meet each other every day. The plaintiff's family, with many concerns, had no intention of completely severing ties; they simply wanted to protect their crops. As they whispered to each other, their frustration gradually faded. They glanced at their opponents with relief and kowtowed in gratitude, "Thank you, sir! We thank you for upholding justice!"
"Great! After the autumn harvest, we only need to compensate her family with 850 kilograms."
The accused's family was utterly embarrassed, dejected, and grumbled, "Being fined grain is worse than being beaten with a stick."
"Being beaten may not kill you, but being hungry will certainly kill you."
"I tried to persuade her this morning, but she wouldn't listen and insisted on digging potatoes. Look, something went wrong! Oh!"
"Winter is almost here, and we're short on food. With over a dozen mouths to feed, we might not make it past next spring." ...
The old woman's mirth turned to guilt at the younger generation's complaints. She knelt down, slapping the ground and crying, "Sir, you might as well give me a beating. I'd rather be spanked. We're suddenly short of 150 kilograms of food, and my family won't be able to survive the winter!"
Jiang Yushu's face was stern. She ignored the defendant and instead instructed, "Plaintiff, after the autumn harvest and the grain has been sorted, you must return the grain to its original owner as soon as possible. No mistakes are made."
"Yes, yes, I understand." The middle-aged man nodded vigorously, then knelt and looked up, saying, "As long as she stops stealing, the remaining 850 kilograms will be given to her family! As for the 30 acres of land, it was never ours in the first place. We must return it according to the original instructions of the government."
Jiang Yushu nodded in satisfaction, then turned to the defendant and asked slowly, "How many able-bodied men are there in your family?"
The old woman was startled and instantly became alert and shrank back, stammering.
"Didn't you hear the magistrate asking questions?" The bailiffs shouted in a dignified voice, "Tell me quickly, how many able-bodied men are there in your family?"
The old woman was trembling with fear, not daring to disobey, and replied anxiously, "I have four sons, but the eldest was killed by enemy soldiers during the war, leaving three."
Jiang Yushu took a few looks and asked, "Is your daughter and her family living with her parents?"
"Alas, my son-in-law's house was also burned down by the bandits, so we just lived there together."
Jiang Yushu was puzzled. "For the refugees returning home, the government has formulated special relief measures. In addition to providing relief grain and loaning grain and seeds, able-bodied men can apply to repair city walls and dig canals. They can serve as laborers for a while, and the government will provide food and drink, and they can also earn enough food to last through the winter. You have five or six able-bodied men in your family, why don't you apply? Try to get through this winter, and start farming next spring. Don't be afraid of the hard work, life will gradually get better."
"Well, why don't you want to apply?"
"At the end of July this year, when we returned to the village and heard about it, we immediately asked the village head. As a result, the village head said: Unfortunately, the official who is recruiting laborers has already come to our village. You are one step too late. Try again next year." After she finished speaking, the old woman pounded the ridges of the field in frustration, and dust flew up.
Jiang Yushu nodded in sudden realization, saying, "We're still short of manpower for the city walls." After a moment's thought, she instructed her attendants, "Pick three able-bodied men from her family and assign them to the laborers."
"Yes!" The clerk was very attentive and immediately came forward to ask questions, fearing that he would not show his diligence.
The old woman and her family were overjoyed and couldn't believe it. They kowtowed vigorously and said, "Thank you so much, thank you for your mercy and care!"
"I will make sure my boys work hard and never let your kindness go to waste."
The onlookers were startled and bewildered, muttering quietly, "Is this... a blessing in disguise?"
"The city wall has already been rebuilt. It only requires some simple repairs before winter. It's not a strenuous job. Tsk, if my family had any extra men, I'd send him off to enlist. As for food, we should save as much as possible."
"People who just returned to their hometowns have nowhere to go, so they all want to apply for jobs and fight for them. It's not your turn."
…
After the verdict was made, Jiang Yushu took one last look around, turned around and said, "The case is closed. Let's go, continue our journey and visit Jingzhen Town."
"yes."
"Slow down, the road is not smooth, be careful with your steps."
Everyone hurriedly followed and escorted the magistrate away.
Without being told, the villagers knelt down and shouted, "Farewell, sir." After watching the officials leave, they discussed enthusiastically for a long time.
Half a month later, County Yamen
In October, the weather is getting colder.
In the study, Jiang Yushu called together several subordinates to discuss official business.
The new official takes office and the first fire is about to be lit.
"Everyone, take a look at this regulation." She unfolded a piece of paper and motioned for the servant to hand it to the county magistrate first. "I just learned about the 'Substitute Farming Order' after inspecting Jing Town and Lijiabao these days. I think it's very suitable to implement it in the first few years after recovering the lost land. Firstly, it will prevent the good farmland from being abandoned, and secondly, it will provide the government with tax grain to collect."
Jiang Yushu said solemnly, "But this order has been in effect for more than three years, and drawbacks have gradually emerged. In order to revitalize Tuning as soon as possible, we have to revise it."
Chief Clerk Wen Xi was always the first to respond: "Your Excellency is absolutely right! Now that we've discovered the malpractice, how can we not deal with it?"
The county magistrate's nickname was "Yellow Wood." Huang Yichun held the draft regulations, read them silently for a while, and agreed, "The population and land should indeed be strictly surveyed. Previously, the government office conducted inspections once a year. Do you mean to change it to twice a year?"
Jiang Yushu nodded. "Regarding population. This county has experienced war and a sharp decline in population. With so much work to do, the population is slowly increasing. The old household registers were burned by enemy soldiers, so we have to re-register them. We update them twice a year until the population stabilizes, and then we can go back to annual checks."
The subordinates all had their own thoughts, but nodded frequently.
Jiang Yushu continued, "Regarding land. The amount of land owned by every household in every town and village is directly related to the amount of tax grain. To ensure that taxes are collected in full, starting with this autumn harvest, we will change the process to checking twice a year. For example, during the autumn harvest, the government will traditionally send people to the countryside to supervise and urge payment. They will also take the opportunity to conduct inspections in the villages, and if any errors are discovered, they will be corrected on the spot."
She glanced at her subordinates intently, seemingly casually. "In particular, if we find anyone exploiting the 'proxy farming order' to seize large amounts of unowned farmland during the chaos, and then finding ways to avoid paying taxes, we will punish them severely and serve as a warning to others!"
Oh no... Wen Xi was startled, and he glanced at his brother-in-law out of the corner of his eye, secretly cursing the female official for meddling in his affairs.
Huang Yichun asked hesitantly, "But the old files were all burned by the enemy soldiers, and the original number is unknown. How can we verify it specifically?"
Jiang Yushu was confident. "That's all right. When I was serving as the special envoy to the military depot, the Ministry of Revenue issued a Northwest tax book. It was from before the war. The population has changed, but the land has not. The government can refer to the old book when verifying. I've written to Xiping Depot for help, and Ambassador Liang was very happy to help. He quickly sent me the old tax book for Tuning."
Li Qigong nodded, but his heart skipped a beat.
"Oh?" Chief Clerk Wen Xi gritted his teeth, pulled the corners of his mouth together, and praised with a smile: "That's great, you are really wise!"
"Your humble servant..." Before Huang Yichun could finish his words, the guards of the Guo Mansion suddenly appeared outside the door, their faces full of anxiety.
Jiang Yushu caught a glimpse of it and asked in surprise, "Come in. What happened?"
The guard quickly approached, bent down and whispered, "Madam, something bad has happened!"
"The girl was suddenly sent here from the mansion. She is said to be seriously ill. The child has been taken to the back hall. Please go and see her quickly."
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