After the wheat harvest, due to several natural disasters, the entire Qinan Prefecture was exempt from taxes for three years. In addition, the population had decreased. In ancient times, the land was already sparsely populated, but now it was even more sparsely populated. With nothing to do, Magistrate Tang thought about going to the countryside to experience the local customs and understand the people's opinions.
Anyway, there's nothing going on in the county town, and Magistrate Tang will continue in his position for another three years. He can go wherever he wants; no one will stop him. Isn't it better if the magistrate isn't in the county town?
When the tiger is away, the monkey becomes king.
There are plenty of people in the county government office who want to be this monkey.
Even if Magistrate Tang wanted to understand the people's situation, he wouldn't visit every village and ask questions. At most, he would walk along the road, and if he saw a village not far away, he would go over to take a look and ask a few questions to the villagers, such as how the wheat harvest was this year, how their families were doing, and whether they had any difficulties, etc.
Although the county magistrate traveled by carriage, by the end of the day, he was like a pregnant woman in her seventh or eighth month, supporting his back with his hands.
Sitting for long periods of time is tiring!
Surely we can't sleep in the carriage at night?
Of course, that's impossible. Just like last time when I went to the countryside to observe how the villagers were growing sweet potatoes, this time I will naturally do the same thing and stay overnight at the villagers' homes.
It was quite a hassle for the fellow villager, but he didn't eat and stay for free; he gave him copper coins before he left.
There was no way he would give him the silver. Magistrate Tang wasn't that lenient. Since arriving in Caolu County, he had only done this when he was a complete novice and knew nothing about things. He had never made such a foolish mistake since.
The journey was arduous, with stops and starts over several days. Despite the hardships, Magistrate Tang was in high spirits because the weather had been favorable this year, resulting in a good wheat harvest for every household. In three months, there would be another autumn harvest, ensuring a prosperous New Year for the farmers!
Of course, this is good news, but it's hard to say what will happen in the next three months. Seeing four or five empty villages along the way, Magistrate Tang's mood was still quite heavy at times. After all, population count is also one of the performance evaluation criteria!
I only hope that those who left because of the natural disaster, whether they were commoners or merchants, will return one day during his term.
Otherwise, how could he conjure up people from several villages out of thin air? And if we add the places he hasn't been to, wouldn't that number in the tens of thousands?
This number is probably low, since the population of each village now is less than a third of what it used to be.
"Old Li! Do you think there will ever be a day when I, the magistrate, will leave Caolu County?"
Magistrate Tang expressed his feelings.
"Things will get better!"
Master Li offered words of comfort.
Even if Magistrate Tang really can't leave Caolu County, there's still the Duke's Mansion. Even if the Duke can bear to watch Magistrate Tang waste half his life in this remote corner, can the Duchess bear it?
"well!"
Magistrate Tang sighed. Being a county magistrate is really tough!
However, the villagers have worked much harder than the villagers.
They all rely on God's blessing to make a living. If they were to cause trouble again like they did in the previous three years, this place would probably become deserted, and Caolu County would become a ghost town.
Which village is that up ahead?
Magistrate Tang pointed to a village not far away, a place that looked somewhat familiar.
Master Li looked up and said:
"Oh, that's Linjiagou Village, the village where the emperor bestowed a reward upon Lin Yue, who discovered sweet potatoes. I heard that the village handled the floods well and no disease broke out."
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