Chapter 232 True Feelings Were Fed to the Dogs
"Oh, what's the problem? Tell me. Money? Or people?"
“Of course it’s a person, my dear.” Magistrate Liang sighed. “Wuqi Village used to have a school. Although there was only one teacher, it was enough to enlighten people and teach them to read and write. But ever since the villagers contracted a strange disease, the teacher has run away.”
"There are tens of thousands of unsuccessful scholars in Daliang. If Magistrate Liang can't invite them with the official title, does that mean he can't even invite them with money?"
Magistrate Liang paused for a moment, then said, "That's not quite right. As the saying goes, a generous reward will surely bring forth brave men. Some impoverished scholars who can't even afford to eat might come for the money, but whether they'll teach properly or have ulterior motives towards the people of Wuqi Village is something I can't guarantee. After all, a scholar who values money more than reputation is unlikely to be a good person. If the people of Wuqi Village are put in danger because of this, how can I face them?"
"What if I have a teacher with impeccable character? How much silver is Magistrate Liang willing to pay?"
Magistrate Liang thought for a moment and said he could only give half a tael of silver a month. Then he realized something and said, "That's not right, Doctor Zhou! You're the one who wanted to set up this school. I can find a teacher for you, but shouldn't you be the one to pay for it?"
"So, if the village children pass the imperial examinations in the future, you'll give me the reputation you've built for them? You, the local official, don't want anything?"
"...One tael! This official can only offer one tael at most!"
"One tael?" Zhou Mujiao rolled her eyes. "Magistrate Liang's monthly salary is thirty taels, and even if the income from the estate and shops is only one hundred taels, with your small family, you can still have eighty taels left over each month. Hiring a tutor for one tael of silver can kill you?"
"Dr. Zhou, you don't know this, but even though Qili County is only three or four days' journey from the capital and close to the official road, more than half of the eighteen villages under its jurisdiction, apart from the city, are struggling to make ends meet. My estate isn't big, only a few dozen acres, and the tenant farmers are truly pitiful. I only take 30% of the harvest and give them the rest, but even so, they still can't afford to eat. So, I... I can only help them out often..."
Magistrate Liang said with shame, "I know that what I'm doing won't solve the problem and will only encourage people's laziness. But even if I have no food to eat, I can't stand seeing others starving in front of me. If I did, I would want to cut off a piece of my thigh for them."
"Lord Liang is indeed a saint."
"I am ashamed."
"Lord Liang is a man of great kindness, a rare find in this world. Very well, I will cover the expenses for building a school and hiring teachers in Wuqi Village. Someone will come to you later to discuss the establishment of the school. Is Lord Liang free now? Before I left, the Emperor instructed me to take a good look at the fields of our Great Liang along the way and write a letter to report to him."
Should we report directly to the Emperor?
Magistrate Liang's spirits lifted, and he was about to speak when a male voice came from behind him: "Lord Liang, it's been a long time!"
Zhou Mujiao frowned, turned around and saw that it was indeed Young Master Chen—oh, now he should be called Prince An Ding, Li Changyi.
"I thought you had already arrived halfway, but I didn't expect to meet you here. It seems that I have a deep connection with you, Ah Jiao."
As Li Changyi spoke, he walked up to Zhou Mujiao with a big smile on his face.
Zhou Mujiao softly called out "Your Highness," and Magistrate Liang, realizing what she meant, quickly swallowed the words "Lord Chen" and replaced them with "Your Highness."
"I just heard that you, Lord Liang, are going to check on the rice seedlings? It just so happens that my father has given me a task for this trip: to compile the grain growth data along the way into a book for the Agricultural and Sericultural Department to study. So, I'll go with you!"
Magistrate Liang was naturally more than happy to accept, but he didn't know what Zhou Mujiao was thinking. Zhou Mujiao had no other thoughts; she was originally going to Magistrate Liang's estate as well.
Magistrate Liang's estate was located at Shisanli Bridge. It was a journey of an hour by riding straight to the right after leaving the city.
Magistrate Liang, fearing he would waste their time, suggested riding horses in, but Zhou Mujiao rejected the idea, saying that riding horses into the village would only result in a fleeting glimpse, and it would be better not to come at all.
In order not to alarm the villagers, Zhou Mujiao did not allow anyone to inform them in advance.
If, by this point, Magistrate Liang still doesn't know what Zhou Mujiao is up to, then he has lived most of his life in vain—this Doctor Zhou is afraid that he and the villagers will just go through the motions to appease her!
Women are so cunning! He's a good official who only gets things done!
Soon everyone entered the village.
A group of women were washing vegetables and chatting loudly by the river. They were so engrossed in their conversation that they didn't notice someone approaching from the road.
"This top scholar surnamed Zhao is a lucky star! Our lives have become much easier since he came!"
"Look at what you're saying! We've always had a good life!"
"Speaking of which, I envy you. Your employer only asks you to hand over 30% of the harvest, and the rest is yours. Unlike our employer, who has to hand over 70%, the remaining 30% isn't enough for us to eat. We go hungry every day! Your employer is such a kind person!"
"What good person? He's just guilty! He's been embezzling so much that he's afraid he won't be able to sleep at night, so he's only giving us this little bit! Which official doesn't have tens of thousands of taels of silver at home? What's this little bit of grain? It's like sending beggars!"
"Yes, yes, he just treated us like beggars! We only smiled at him because we were afraid he would increase the amount of harvest we had to hand over! Otherwise, we would have cursed him long ago!"
"They embezzled so much and only gave us a tiny bit, they're utterly heartless! Black-hearted!"
"This kind of person will definitely be purged by the court one day! Hey! When he comes next time, everyone remember to be desperate and beg him to take less of our grain, so we can stockpile more or sell it for money! Otherwise, if he is purged by the court and these estates are taken over by others, our lives will really be hard!"
"Exactly! Corrupt officials never have a good end! They should all die! They should all be childless!"
Lord Liang on the road was petrified. He was a little confused and thought he was hallucinating.
He recognized the old woman who had cursed him to die and have no descendants. She had two sons, and the last time she came to him crying, both of her sons had broken their legs. He had found a doctor, paid for their medical expenses, and given them money. Afterwards, because of this incident, he decided to reduce their tax burden from 60% to 30%.
He thought he was a benevolent person who could help everyone, but he never expected that people would not respect him at all and would treat him like a sucker!
"Liang! Lord Liang!"
Someone screamed, and the group of women turned around in unison, looking at Magistrate Liang in horror.
"My lord, I, I misspoke! Please, have mercy and let us go!"
"Your Honor, you are the kindest official we have ever met. Please forgive us! We still have—"
"You have elderly parents and young children at home, but don't I have a wife, children, and elderly parents at home?"
Magistrate Liang said calmly, "That's right, I am a corrupt official. You are welcome to expose me with facts and evidence. Zhang Long, instruct the steward to restore the standard of 60% of the harvest that the tenants are required to hand over, effective immediately."
"My lord! My lord, we were wrong! My lord—"
"Then it'll be 70%."
The village women exchanged glances, then suddenly rushed forward, stabbing the magistrate in the stomach with their knives!
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