Not only did Manager Qiu come by himself, he also seemed to have brought a distinguished person of extraordinary bearing and several subordinates with him.
Not only did they personally arrange accommodation for everyone, they also provided everyone with delicious white rice and unnamed vegetables.
This is not enough. The young men of Nanliang Lane have been feeling unwell since they heard that the other party is the second son of Aqiu, the governor of Yuncheng.
The highest officials they could see on weekdays were the head of a village or the governor of a town, and they already felt that they were out of their reach. They didn't expect to see the prefect today, how high of an official was that?
The key point is that this prefect not only stayed to dine with them at the same table, but also asked everyone some common and trivial matters in a gentle voice!
Everyone was wondering if the higher the official, the easier it was to get along with. Their town officials and county magistrates only appeared in front of them when they were collecting taxes, so it was not easy for them to see each other at other times!
As for what they eat, what they drink, and what difficulties they have, no one asked a single question!
It was nothing like the nobleman in front of them who was so concerned about them. Some young men approached Qiu with their glasses, and found that he was used to it, and even talked and laughed with the host. They were surprised and secretly envious.
When it was my turn to answer the questions, I couldn't help but feel more at ease.
The things Qiao Yunqing asked most about were trivial matters in daily life.
For example, how much land can each person cultivate, what is the yield per mu, how much tax does one have to pay each year, what are the miscellaneous taxes, and are there many people fleeing famine?
This also made the people from Nanliang realize that the prefect in front of them was a good official who really cared about the people's livelihood. From the other party's questions, it can be seen that he is obviously someone who often deals with country people. Every question is so down-to-earth and asks real questions.
Instead of being like the town governors and county magistrates who only know how to talk but do nothing.
The key is that the white rice in the bowl smells so good.
It's funny that they have been growing millet all their lives but have never been willing to eat a bite of it!
That had to be handed over to officials and employers as taxes. Even if there was a little bit of surplus millet, it had to be exchanged for coarse grains to ensure that they would not starve to death in the next few months!
Master Wu saw through Qiao Yunqing's intentions and asked with a smile, "Sir, do you want them to move in?"
"Well, our Yuncheng is so large, with only about 50,000 people in total, and there are too many abandoned fields. If more people come, we can feed them. Even in the entire Weizhou Prefecture, how many people are there?"
Master Wu was excited, but he still thought carefully!
Yuncheng is not rich now, so are people willing to come? Without good policies and conditions, who would be willing to leave their hometown and bring their families to develop in other places?
"The rich stay in their hometowns, while the poor go to other places! They will come. Your Majesty has given me three years of tax exemption and five years of tax reduction policy. Just based on this, it is a fatal attraction for the common people who can't survive in Nanliang!
We will then provide them with free seeds and rent cheap farming tools. Do you think they will be willing to stay and farm?
Besides, Nanliang and we were one family 20 years ago. Ordinary people don’t care who is in that position. What they care about is who can keep them from going hungry!"
"Then if we send people to Nanliang to rob him, I'm afraid it will alert the local prominent families!"
"No, we already have it. A Qiu and his gang are a good opportunity to make a breakthrough. Locals are more credible than outsiders. People are not fools. When they are forced into a desperate situation, they will take risks. I just provided them with a way out in advance."
By chatting with these people, Qiao Yun basically understood that the situation on the other side of the river was different from the two sides!
First, due to the insatiable competition of the noble families, the taxes on land became heavier and heavier. Many people worked hard for a year, and they could not eat at least half of the year. In most cases, they would grind tree bark into powder and mix it with a certain amount of rice bran, black beans, sorghum and other grains to solve the problem of filling their stomachs.
Some people say that there are many lakes and rivers in the south, and if you don't have enough food, you can catch fish and shrimp to fill your stomach!
Haha, that's wishful thinking. The rivers and lakes have long been occupied by many big families. Whether you fish or go to the river, you have to pay fish taxes. The tax is no lighter than theirs. Besides, not every family can swim and have a fishing boat. If you can't swim, who dares to go into the water easily?
The second point is that the bandits colluded with the mountain bandits, and the crops grown by the common people often did not fall into their pockets when the harvest season came.
This cycle continued, causing the people of Southern Liang to first become refugees and eventually be forced into bandits, and rebellion became a common occurrence.
This situation became increasingly serious, especially after a large number of northern gentry moved south.
Dajing and Dongyi accept a number of refugees every year.
In the past, they waited for refugees to arrive, but now Qiao Yunqing doesn't want to wait anymore. Yuncheng has a lot of work to do and there is a lack of people to do many things.
He cherishes the refugees that the other party does not care about! The other party despises them as a burden, but for him, they are a rare demographic dividend!
Her mother once said that in this chaotic world, people should not be worth less than cattle and horses. Cattle and horses can be used in two or three years, but people. It takes at least ten years to return to society, and the cost of investment is much higher than that of cattle and horses. People can use their smart brains to create countless miracles with cattle and horses, but cattle and horses cannot command people.
So Ah Niang had advised him in a letter that he should not put the cart before the horse like the officials of today!
In her mother's eyes, common people are the most worthy group of people to invest in. As long as they are well fed and clothed, they can create countless miracles for you!
Ah Qiu followed Master Wu's hint: We must serve these young men well no matter what. It would be best if they don't want to leave after they come. It would be even better if we could bring our own family members to settle down in Yuncheng!
Ah Qiu asked indirectly, "Are you planning to ask me to bring more people here?"
Master Wu's eyes widened, and he denied it openly, "What do you mean by kidnapping or not? You're talking as if we are human traffickers. If you don't move a tree, it will die; if you move a person, he will live. If you can't survive in your hometown, why don't you come to Yuncheng to find a way to make a living? Our Yuncheng is so good. We are tax-free for three years, half tax for five years, and we give you seeds, rent cattle and horses and tools, and we also give you resettlement fees. If you have any problems, the government will help you solve them. What's more important is that there are no bandits here!"
Master Wu said this with such pride, "Don't think that it's like this in other places. There are no bandits. It's only like this in Yuncheng and Lao Hu Town in Weizhou Prefecture."
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