Prior to this, news that Lord Han intended to reduce agricultural taxes for the people of Tai'an Prefecture had been circulating among them.
Some people made it sound very convincing, claiming that they personally heard Lord Han say at the opening ceremony of Yuquan Villa that a portion of the profits from Yuquan Villa went to the government office, which used this money to replace a portion of the agricultural taxes.
Some people don't believe it. Going back hundreds of years, they've never heard of any dynasty reducing taxes for the common people for no reason. Unless there's a major disaster, people can't survive, and there's really no tax to collect, the court will be lenient and waive taxes for a year or two. This year, the weather is good, so it's good enough if they don't raise taxes, let alone reduce them. They're dreaming!
Therefore, starting from late autumn, many families had already divided their grain, deciding which was for tax payment, which was for their own consumption, and only the remainder dared to be transported to rice shops to sell for money to buy household items.
Taxes are usually collected by the end of October, but this year it's already November and there's still no movement. Many people are starting to wonder if there are any changes to the tax system this year, just that there won't be any tax increases, as they don't expect any tax cuts.
But in early December, a notice was suddenly posted in the town that not only were taxes reduced by 20%, but the head tax was also waived!
This has never happened before!
The notice spread quickly, and the people excitedly told each other, with relatives telling relatives and friends telling friends. Many people couldn't believe it and even traveled over mountains and valleys to the town to see for themselves.
Although they were illiterate, there were still a few literate scholars in the town. Such a practical and beneficial measure was very popular. Every day, newcomers would gather around the notice, and every day, people who knew about it would reassure the newcomers.
In this era, families of three were very rare. There was no family planning policy, and an average family would have about ten people. Some families had three generations living together, or even more than twenty people. The head tax was five copper coins, so a family could save at least forty or fifty copper coins. With the reduction in land tax, a family could save at least three hundred copper coins, and sometimes as many as seven or eight hundred.
This means that each family will have at least 100 jin more of food. If they used to eat porridge during their free time and only eat dry food during the busy farming season, with this extra 100 jin of food, they can at least eat dry food during their free time.
In short, the people were completely excited by this move, and in many places, people even spontaneously went to the gates of the local government offices to dance the Yangko in celebration.
It truly exudes an atmosphere of national peace and prosperity!
The same was true in other small places, let alone in Tai'an Prefecture itself. People spontaneously came to the prefectural government office to "send gifts" one after another. Some brought cabbages and radishes, some brought their own eggs, and others brought mountain products, chickens, ducks and fish, which moved the officials of the prefectural government office to tears.
From top to bottom, I was genuinely moved for the first time, and a sense of pride welled up from the bottom of my heart!
The feeling of being loved and supported by the people is sweeter than eating candy and warmer than drinking strong liquor.
Han Zhongyu, who was praised by everyone, was even happier than when he passed the imperial examination and rode through the streets on horseback. He was visibly elated and walked with his head held high wherever he went. It wasn't to show off, but because he had truly done something for the people and felt at ease!
On the contrary, Zhou Yi'an was transferred here specifically to pursue Xie Yushu.
Seeing the people's heartfelt support for Han Zhongyu, and even sending a courtyard full of cabbages, radishes, chickens, ducks, fish and meat to the government office, Zhou Yi'an initially looked disgusted. These things were not considered presentable in their household.
However, when he saw how the people treated the constables of the government office like their own children, how they would rush to mend their clothes when they were torn, how they would always send them any good food they had at home, and how they would greet them warmly when they met, he realized that such scenes had never occurred to him before.
In his mind, people are divided into different classes: officials are nobles, and ordinary people are commoners. Ordinary people must kneel and bow when they see officials; that is the rule.
But the scene before him revealed human kindness beyond the rules.
Thinking of the files he had recently read, which were from his uncle's time in office, he realized for the first time that those files contained only a few lines recording tens of thousands of people who died in that two-year drought, all of whom were just like the group of people in front of him, simple yet vibrant lives!
For the first time, Zhou Yi'an reflected on the meaning of her official career.
To be honest, the reason he, as the current prefect, went to check the files of the previous prefect was because he was scolded three times by Qu Xiaodie after visiting Xie Yushu at Yuquan Villa.
It is said that during the time Zhou Yi'an came to Tai'an Prefecture, she went to see Xie Yushu seven times. Twice she was transferred away by Lan Ting before she even reached the manor. Twice she was stopped by the manor's guards. And three times she ran into Qu Xiaodie.
As the head housekeeper of the resort, she naturally knew who Zhou Yi'an was, and that he was Zhang Zhidao's nephew. It was quite remarkable that Qu Xiaodie didn't strangle him to death.
After all, the blood feud with her uncle was still there. Even though Zhang Zhidao was dead and the rest of the Zhang family were exiled, she still couldn't get rid of the hatred in her heart.
Xie Yushu couldn't see Zhou Yi'an because of Zhang Zhidao, and when she learned that Zhou Yi'an was actually here to bother Xie Yushu, she immediately had him driven away.
Zhou Yi'an retorted, saying that since neither of them were married, it was none of Qu Xiaodie's business who he liked. Qu Xiaodie then kicked him quite a distance away, saying angrily...
"Nephew Xiao Jiu, that bastard Zhang Zhidao, what good nephew could he possibly have? Xie Yushu is not someone you can mess with, get out!"
Qu Xiaodie left after fiercely berating him. At the time, quite a few people were watching and pointing at him. He lost all face he had built up over the past twenty years!
Enraged, he wanted to arrest Qu Xiaodie and give her a beating for "insubordination," but when he went back to the yamen to find someone, none of them moved when they heard it was Qu Xiaodie!
Even his two personal guards couldn't defeat him, so he had no choice but to accept it.
The second time was when Qu Xiaodie pointed her finger at him and scolded him for overestimating himself, saying he was like a toad trying to eat swan meat, and he was driven away again.
The third time Qu Xiaodie saw that he was still not giving up, she coldly mocked him.
"What right do you have to pursue Xie Yushu?"
Your uncle's family has wreaked havoc on Tai'an Prefecture, exchanging the people's life-sustaining food for money. Every single person in Tai'an Prefecture has a grudge against your uncle.
Go and look at the previous files of Tai'an Prefecture. You don't need to look far ahead, just look at last year's files, as well as the account books of your uncle's family's embezzlement, and the food and clothing you have. Do you dare to say that your uncle didn't give them to you?
These are all the blood and lives of the people of Tai'an Prefecture!
Half of what Xie Yushu and Han Zhongyu have done for the people is actually covering up the losses of your cannibalistic uncle. As someone who has benefited from this, what face do you have, what right do you have to pursue Xie Yushu?
Qu Xiaodie pressed him relentlessly, leaving him speechless. Only then did he frantically return to check the case files.
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