"Oh, tell me, what exactly happened?" Zhao Qingfeng asked.
"The former magistrate's home was confiscated for embezzlement. Later, it was said that two more magistrates were appointed. One disappeared, and the other had a hand torn off by a wolf."
As you know, disabled people cannot become officials.
It's a pity that after so many years of hard work, he ended up as a useless person.
We don't have a county magistrate here, so there are many things we can't do.
"We haven't been able to collect taxes in grain and silver, and those of us working in these government offices haven't received our monthly wages for almost half a year."
The reason we have this hundred taels in the account is because I took it upon myself to cut down two large trees belonging to the yamen and sell them for a high price. That's how I obtained this money.
If you had come two days later, we would have lost even the 100 taels. We brothers can't go without food.
Li Xiancheng's words made Zhao Qingfeng laugh.
"So I've inherited a mess, and I have to solve the brothers' monthly wage problem immediately?"
Li Xiancheng nodded, and Zhao Qingfeng asked.
"In the past, when there was a county magistrate, how were everyone's monthly allowances distributed? Were they directly allocated from the prefectural city or something else?"
"After collecting the tax grain, the remaining amount is sent back to the prefectural city after deducting the necessary expenses."
Li Xiancheng said weakly.
A phrase quickly popped into Zhao Qingfeng's mind: "self-financing," a phrase he had heard from Zhao Qingyan.
"Tell me, why can't we collect taxes? Is it because you haven't tried to collect them, or is it because the people are determined not to pay?"
"Whether or not there is a county magistrate, we will still go and collect it."
As a result, the common people refused to pay money, citing the lack of a county magistrate.
Our yamen only has about 20 constables in total, how could we possibly intimidate the common people? Every time we went, we got beaten up, so the brothers stopped going.
After all, if we're beaten to death or injured, no one will stand up for us.
As Li Xiancheng spoke, he seemed particularly aggrieved.
The man, in his forties, actually started wiping away tears.
This scene made Zhao Qingfeng's heart tremble; it was too shocking to bear.
Northerners are generally tall and strong.
Zhao Qingfeng's height was already exceptional, yet standing next to the county magistrate, he wasn't much taller than him.
But it's quite pitiful to see a rough man shedding tears.
Zhao Qingfeng could only pat the other person's arm to offer comfort.
The first thing to do now is to solve the problem of the brothers' monthly wages. You can't expect the horse to run without feeding it.
As a result, the 100 taels of silver in the county government office disappeared instantly.
Zhao Yonggeng and Zhao Qingluan felt great sympathy for Zhao Qingfeng.
“You need to come up with a plan for what to do here,” Zhao Yonggeng said.
Zhao Qingfeng thought about it for a moment,
"Here's what I think: County Magistrate Li said that the people are refusing to pay taxes, and we have to find out for ourselves."
If, as Li Xiancheng claims, the people are resisting taxes, then measures must be taken, such as seeking help from the local garrison.
If it weren't for what County Magistrate Li said, then this wave of yamen runners would have had to undergo a major reshuffle.
Moreover, if the predecessor was corrupt, there's no guarantee that those below him might also be corrupt; these also need to be investigated.
Regarding the farming issues faced by the local people, I need to summon all the village chiefs and town heads to understand the situation before we can proceed with the next steps.
Zhao Yonggeng nodded.
"Since you have a plan in mind, then do it your way."
We will stay here for 5-7 days.
"While we have this time, if anything comes up and we need manpower, the bodyguards we brought can still hold their own."
Zhao Qingfeng's eyes lit up.
"Yes, with them around, what am I afraid of? Solving the problems one village at a time will be much easier."
The largest of the villages under its jurisdiction has a population of no more than 500 people, while the smallest has around 70-80 people.
With those 60 bodyguards and 20 constables, that's enough.
In the days that followed, the three county magistrates from the Zhao family were extremely busy. In order to speed up the process of streamlining things in the county government, they went out at least once a day, and the flesh on their thighs was rubbed raw and bleeding.
Being able to ride a horse and spending all day at the barracks are completely different things.
While Qixian County may indeed have its share of poor, remote, and unruly people, the vast majority of its inhabitants are good.
The main reason for not paying taxes was that the county magistrate whose property was confiscated had already collected three years' worth of taxes in advance. What does that mean?
If people overdraw their money and refuse to pay, enforcement will be carried out.
They would steal other people's pigs, rob other people's belongings, and in more serious cases, even young women would be forcibly taken away.
The county magistrate's home was confiscated, and the constables were indeed punished.
The people are already starving due to exorbitant taxes and levies; to impose taxes on them further would be inhuman.
Zhao Qingfeng and his group would decide where to go each day on the spot, then gather information locally before returning to the government office to check the accounts.
Only then did they discover that the so-called advance tax payment was listed under various categories.
In spring, a tax was levied on seedlings; in summer, a tax was levied on the sun; and in autumn, a tax was levied on the land. Even worse, when hunting in the mountains, a tax was levied as well.
The local people living near the mountains would resolutely refuse to sell any wild game they hunted in the city, since after paying the wild game tax, it would all be for nothing.
It's better to eat it secretly at home; at least it'll replenish some oil and fat.
This is truly shameful beyond belief. That guy getting his home ransacked is practically a miracle.
The person who took charge of the case at that time was none other than Prince Rui.
At that time, Prince Rui happened to be passing by and discovered the oppressive government. After investigation, he executed the county magistrate and arrested his entire gang.
He was just a military commander who, after resolving the matter and reporting it to the imperial court, went about his business.
Who would even notice such a small county town?
Then last year I returned to Beijing to report on my work. I don’t know when I’ll be able to come back to the north again in this lifetime, at least I have to get married first.
After investigating everything, Zhao Qingfeng still wrote a report.
The document details the lives of the local people and the exploitation they face.
Regarding tax exemption, the monthly wages of yamen runners, and yamen maintenance, etc.
Basically, they just complain about being poor and ask for money.
After all, only the squeaky wheel gets the grease.
Whether or not to give it is one thing, whether or not you want it is another.
Having ensured the safety of Magistrate Zhao Qingfeng, Zhao Yonggeng led the others on another journey.
The situation in Hei County is much better than in Qi County. At least they still have some money in their accounts.
The biggest problem here is poverty.
Magistrate Ma, who was handing over the reins to Zhao Qingluan, was incredibly excited.
After enduring two terms and six years, finally an unlucky guy came to take over his position.
The old man was so excited that tears streamed down his face.
The official in charge of a county had lips so cracked they were bleeding. It was obvious he hadn't been eating any vegetables and was just boiling them.
There weren't many decent-looking taverns in the entire county, let alone any high-end restaurants.
Being able to go in and have a bowl of stewed pork noodles is already quite an achievement; wanting more dishes? Dream on.
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