Chapter 356 He Wants to Destroy the Tax System
Turn the screen, go around the back hall, and enter the courtyard.
Qili County Magistrate Jia Bo wandered all the way and then carried out a wooden box from the mansion at the back.
Before he could walk back to the teahouse in the front yard, the wooden box was taken by Manager Tang who was waiting in front of the teahouse.
"Maybe Shopkeeper Tang will feel relieved now?"
"Master Jia, I'm sorry to bother you. Actually, I've known you for a long time before coming here. I know you're not someone who goes back on his word. But the boss asked for this, and even if it's just a formality, we can only do our job impartially."
After hearing this, Jia Bai nodded, holding the brush in his hand, and methodically filled the inkstone with ink.
Then, he signed the contract document, which stated that 80% of the output of the farmland would belong to Ji Zhai, and the remaining 20% would remain in the county.
As for Manager Tang, he sat on the armchair opposite, opened the wooden box, and took out the register stamped with the seals of the seven major immortal sects.
The Xia Luxian Rules say that all under heaven belongs to the king.
The so-called king refers to the brilliant and talented founding emperor of the Great Xia Dynasty.
Although Daxia declined later, and countless grains were needed every year to support the immortals in their cultivation, which was no different from tools, and did not live up to the grandeur of the dynasty, these lands still belonged to Daxia.
Because human history books have recorded that in order to unify the Nine Provinces, Daxia invited the hidden immortal sect to appear and help through the system of supporting the people.
What Daxia wants is territory, while what the immortal cultivators want is support. This is the orthodoxy of human history, which has long been compiled into history books and has been passed down from generation to generation.
In other words, this is also the reason why the world of immortal cultivation can unify their cognition and believe that the people should support the immortals. It is also the reason why immortal cultivators can clearly exploit all living beings but still maintain a clear mind of Taoism.
Because of this promise, it was recognized by the world.
The so-called fish scale book originated from this.
Legend has it that when Daxia pacified the Nine Provinces, the Immortal Sect no longer hid itself from the world and began to recruit disciples.
The two sides then jointly issued fish scale books to local governments to determine the amount of taxes to be collected.
The reason why it is called Fish Scale Book is because the fields and ponds are arranged in sequence and their boundaries are shaped like fish scales.
What Manager Tang needed on this trip was the contract signed by Master Jia and this thick stack of registers.
After a few breaths, Master Jia signed the document and habitually held the paper in the air, waiting for the air flow to pass through so that the ink could dry at a speed visible to the naked eye. He then used a cinnabar and oil ink pad to press his fingerprint and handed it to Manager Tang.
"Mr. Jia is indeed straightforward." Shopkeeper Tang closed the wooden box and clasped his hands in a bow.
After hearing this, Jia Bo stroked his long beard lightly and said, "The land's affairs are the land's affairs, but please tell Manager Tang that the taxes from the people who signed the work contracts must be paid in full and on time next year. They are offerings to the immortals, and we must not be careless, otherwise no one can protect us."
There is a huge information gap between the world of immortal cultivation and the mortal world, and this is especially true for the Zhima County Magistrate who governs the common people.
Just like when the zombie tide surged and the sky exploded for several months in a row, people had many speculations, but still no one knew why.
This county magistrate was not clear about the so-called status and strength in the world of immortal cultivation, so he spoke half-warningly and half-threateningly.
"Mr. Jia is absolutely right. I will certainly tell my boss the truth."
"Then I feel relieved." Jia Bo showed a happy expression.
All the people in Qili County were signed into Fengzhou, and they earned their share of taxes by working and handed them over to the immortal master. He no longer had to worry about losing his head due to insufficient tax collection like in previous years.
He even got 20% of the products by leasing the land. He was so rich that how could he not be happy?
Shopkeeper Tang packed up the things and put them into the wooden box. Seeing his overjoyed expression, he couldn't help but say, "This matter is known only to heaven and earth. It would be best if Master didn't reveal what happened today."
"Why can't you reveal it?"
"It's just to avoid unnecessary trouble."
Shopkeeper Tang said, "Actually, this doesn't matter to us. But if others knew that the master had taken public land in exchange for profit, I'm afraid it would be difficult for us to put the money directly into his pocket next year."
Jia Bo's face darkened: "Not bad, not bad, Shopkeeper Tang reminded you in time."
The land belongs to Daxia. Even if it has not been cultivated but leased, the income needs to be included in the treasury.
If this matter were to be exposed from the dark to the light, Jia Bo might not get a penny.
Seeing that he understood the pros and cons, Shopkeeper Tang stood up, holding the wooden box in his arms. "Since that's the case, I won't bother you any more. Goodbye."
"Goodbye, Manager Tang!" Jia Bo also stood up and walked out.
"Master, there's no need to be so polite. Just stay."
"No, I want to check on my food."
Jia Bo, who was originally calm and composed, responded, then quickly ran to Manager Tang to pull the three grain carts, and asked the servants in the mansion to unload the grain.
Shopkeeper Tang's eyes couldn't help but freeze, then he waved to his waiter, and a group of more than ten people drove the remaining carriage out.
"The shopkeeper."
"What is it?"
"This Jia Bo is well-known in the surrounding area for his fast talk, but he's not very smart either. Will he tell others about what happened today?" As they were heading towards the next county town, a waiter couldn't help but ask.
Shopkeeper Tang, who was sitting on the shaft of the carriage, shook his head upon hearing this. "It's true that these officials are all foolish, but the good thing is that they are all quite greedy. They naturally know that if this matter gets out, they will definitely not gain anything, so they won't cause trouble for themselves."
As they were talking, the Wulv Trading Company's convoy continued to move deeper into Qingzhou.
At the same time, the carriage that was sent back turned around and headed in the direction it came from, speeding into Fengzhou.
The wind is rolling, the wind is rolling——
Carts loaded with grain continued to penetrate the six prefectures, going in and out of the countryside and the county government offices.
Their whereabouts were secretive, and since the civilians of Qingyun lived in remote areas, no one had noticed these convoys.
The shopkeepers who accompanied the carriages also used the temptation of profit to exchange for one fish scale book after another, and sent them to Fengzhou quietly.
And those county officials who signed the contract and gave the fish scale book did not reveal a word to the outside world because of their vested interests.
As long as the news is kept secret, it shouldn't be difficult to obtain the fish scale books containing all the signed contracts.
"Mr. Kuang."
"speak."
The Fengzhou Prefecture's advisor bowed slightly before Kuang Cheng and said, "The fifth granary has been emptied, and the merchant company has reported a shortage of grain."
Hearing this, Kuang Cheng held his breath, then pinched his sleeve and said, "Open the sixth granary."
"Sir, those immortals have always been greedy. If they continue like this, there will be no end in sight. Five of the nine granaries are empty. Even our Fengzhou will have a hard time, and many people will have to tighten their belts."
"Let's go. Jizhai won't let anyone go hungry."
"yes!"
Seeing that Kuang Cheng was determined, the master immediately agreed with a fist salute, and then a large number of people left the fifth granary and went to the sixth granary.
As the heavy gate was opened, the grain stored inside was loaded onto carriages one by one and sent in all directions.
He knew that the fish scale books of various states had been sent back, which showed that Brother Ji's idea was effective.
At this critical juncture, Fengzhou cannot be cut off from food supplies.
They had to control the attention of those aristocratic families and immortal sects to keep things moving forward, feed them, and wait for them to be willing to give some food through their fingers to the civilians to survive.
Fengzhou will be in a difficult situation as it will have to use up almost all of its grain production, and all the accumulation over the years will be used up, but the road ahead will definitely be smooth.
Wei Rui had already arrived at the Sixth Granary from Jizhai.
She was holding a lacquer box, which contained food for her lover.
While putting down the lacquer box and taking out the food, the daughter of the Wei family kept staring at the people busy in front of the granary door, feeling a little confused.
They all knew that Fengzhou was being sucked dry by crazy people.
But she didn't know why, her lover was always so happy and without hesitation every time he opened the granary to distribute grain.
"Master, where does this... so much food come from?"
In the county government of Songhe County, Yongzhou, the wife of Grand Master Pi Xian was staring at the three large horse-drawn carts loaded with grain in amazement.
Especially the two black pigs tied to the third carriage made her feel dazed.
The tide of zombies caused a food shortage in Qingyun World. Not only the common people suffered, but the officials also had a hard time.
Yes, Daxia will still pay them a monthly salary, but the problem is that under the current situation, even if the monthly salary is doubled, it will not be enough for them to buy food.
For some time now, the Pi family has been tightening their belts, hoping to survive the winter by relying on the embezzled taxes collected last year, but it is really not a pleasant experience.
But who would have thought that when Mrs. Pi woke up today, she would see so much food in the yard, so she was naturally surprised.
Seeing this, Pi Xian frowned and said, "Don't ask questions that you shouldn't ask. Tell someone to unload a cart and send it to the kitchen. Grind it into flour, which will be enough to eat for a few months."
"What about the remaining two large cars?"
"Of course, I'll send it to Governor Min and ask him to write a letter to the Zhenbei Army, asking them to take good care of Kuan'er."
As Pi Xian spoke, he ordered his servants to bring the rain cloth used for collecting taxes and cover the two large carriages tightly.
After Daxia changed its reign title to Taiyuan, the policy of expanding the military began to be implemented. Although military life was extremely hard, it was an opportunity for many lower-level official families.
Because the Zhenbei Army can cultivate immortality, and even after accumulating military merits, they can allow their relatives to join the immortal sect.
So three years ago in the spring, the far-sighted Pi Xian sent his son to the army.
This is actually the same idea as that of Fang Zhongzheng, the county magistrate of Yuyang County in Fengzhou, and is very similar to that of the Kuang family, who all hope that someone in their family can enter the world of cultivating immortals.
Unfortunately, they thought that after sending their son to guard the city wall for a few years, and then collect some taxes and bribe people up and down the ladder, they would be able to make a name for themselves. However, they did not expect that the two tribes of monsters and barbarians would join forces to invade Jiuzhou.
Now there is constant news of soldiers dying in battle in the two states of Youyun, which makes Pi Xian unable to sleep at night.
So he had been asking his immediate superior, the prefect Min, to find a way to withdraw his son from the front line and transfer him to the logistics department, and naturally he had to give gifts.
With a rustling sound, the carriage was covered.
Seeing this, the county government's legal advisor couldn't help but whisper, "Master, this is inappropriate."
"What's wrong with that?"
"When the Wuyou Trading Company left, they told us not to tell anyone. If Governor Min knew that Fengzhou would cover the immortal tax, and you would still get 20% of the land rent every year, we wouldn't get that benefit. We should wait until the harvest is better."
Pi Xian immediately interrupted his master's speech: "There is a food shortage in the world right now. Adding icing on the cake is not as sincere as sending charcoal in the snow. Moreover, the fighting on the front line is fierce. How many lives can my son wait?"
"This..." The master was suddenly speechless.
"You stay at home and take good care of the people in the mansion. I will be back soon."
"yes."
Pi Xian got on the carriage, and then hurriedly left Songhexian County under the whip of the coachman, heading towards the subordinate Yongzhou Youma County.
When Pi Xian arrived in Youma County, a large number of refugees were wandering around the city.
They drove the carriage around in circles, and it took several hours before they finally arrived at the residence of Prefect Min.
But as soon as he entered, he was stopped by the gatekeeper: "What brings you here, Magistrate Pi?"
"I would like to see the governor. Please report to the chief steward."
"My master is currently meeting with distinguished guests from the Immortal Sect and has no time to see anyone else. County Magistrate Pi, please return."
Pi Xian swallowed his saliva, then took out some small change from his pocket and said, "I'm here to bring you some food and meat. Please let the steward know."
Upon hearing this, the gatekeeper of the county magistrate's mansion looked up and looked at the pile of large carriages.
Seeing this, Pi Xian immediately ordered his men to pull open the tarpaulin so that the doorman could take a closer look.
When the doorman saw the two black pigs and several baskets of fruits, he was surprised but also confirmed the purpose of Magistrate Pi's visit. So he took the silver and turned into the courtyard.
The doorman of the prefect's mansion did not lie. Prefect Min was indeed meeting a distinguished guest in the front hall at that time.
Some of these distinguished guests were elders from local families, and some were disciples sent by Shanhai Pavilion.
They came to deliver food to the Wulv Trading Company and had been staying in the prefectural governor's residence. They drank tea and savored the aroma while chatting about how the arrogant country cultivator now regretted his actions.
With the arrival of the doorman, this process was inevitably interrupted, causing these immortals to frown slightly.
"You bastard, who let you in?" Prefect Min was very angry.
"Master, the magistrate of Songhe County, Pi Xian, has arrived. He said he wants to offer you some grain. I saw him bring some over to report."
"How can a mere county magistrate get food?" An old man with a hooked nose in the hall couldn't help but speak.
He was an instructor at Shanhai Pavilion, with the cultivation level of Rongdao Realm. His name was Hesui, and he was sent to supervise the grain collection in Youma County. The refugees in the city who kept getting grain from Wuliu Trading Company were also driven here by him.
He was very clear about the current situation, so he wondered how a small county magistrate could get food to give away since it was difficult for the noble families to get food.
Hearing this, Prefect Min bowed and said, "In response to Immortal He, two-thirds of the arable land in Youma County is located around Songhe County. The grain he has must be the grain he saved from collecting taxes in the past."
"oh?"
"No, it's not stored food." The doorman knelt down and said, "I also saw black pigs and green vegetables!"
As soon as he finished speaking, the doorman saw that all the immortal masters in the hall had their eyes fixed on each other, and their eyes were full of confusion.
The relief food was distributed to civilians to keep them alive, so it was all corn. As for wine, meat and vegetables, they could only be found in restaurants.
Thinking of this, everyone's eyes couldn't help but become deeper.
Because they were sure that the person who could make such a big move at this time must be the one in Fengzhou whose combat power was comparable to that of Wujiang.
But the problem is that this is Yongzhou, which is thousands of miles away from Fengzhou, and is separated by Zhongzhou and Liangzhou.
It is very thought-provoking as to how a county magistrate in such a remote and secluded place could obtain these things.
"Food is in short supply now, and meat and vegetables are even harder to come by. I'm rushing to deliver it, but I still have to wait. How can this be justified?"
"I am an official after all. That little doorman is so rude. He is really taking advantage of his superiors."
Under the scorching sun, Pi Xian, who was blocked outside the door, leaned against the carriage and muttered to himself. Just after he finished speaking two sentences, he suddenly found that a group of servants came out of the prefectural government.
He thought it was Prefect Min who came to greet him personally, so he quickly stood up, bowed, and walked up the stairs.
But after taking a few steps, he found that his arm was held.
"What are you doing? What are you doing?" Realizing that something was wrong, County Magistrate Pi struggled.
The leading steward gave him a cold look and said, "You'll know once County Magistrate Pi comes along.
"I'm just here to deliver food. I didn't do anything?!"
The servants of the prefectural government were all following orders, and they ignored his excuses and ordered their men to pull the carriage outside the door in. Then they brought Magistrate Pi into my front hall and forced him to kneel in the hall.
Seeing this, He Sui, the instructor of the Shanhai Pavilion, raised his eyes slightly and asked, "Are you Pi Xian, the magistrate of Songhe County?"
"Your subordinate is Pi Xian."
"Where does your food come from?"
Hearing this, Pi Xian couldn't help swallowing.
Although he didn't know what had happened, he knew that this wasn't the right attitude for a recipient of a gift, so he stammered, "To answer the Immortal, this was saved from taxes in previous years."
"Nonsense! The fruits and vegetables in your car may be wilted, but you can tell at a glance that they were just picked. Could it be that you're practicing privately and using magical tools to preserve their freshness?"
Magistrate Pi's mind suddenly buzzed: "No, no, no, I am not practicing privately. I have been honest and upright since childhood. How dare I commit such a capital crime!"
Hearing this, Governor Min shouted, "Hurry up and tell me! Do you think you can hide this from the eyes of an immortal?"
“I…I…”
"Pi Xian, are you really not afraid of death?"
Pi Xian wiped the cold sweat from his forehead and said, "To answer the Immortal, it was given by Wuyou Trading Company."
Hesui narrowed his eyes upon hearing this: "Why would they give you these?"
"They came to me with the work contracts of the people in Songhe County, saying that all the county's laborers had gone to Fengzhou to work, leaving the land in the county barren. They wanted to lease my land, saying that in addition to the taxes paid to the immortals each year, they would keep 20% for the county as tax revenue."
At three quarters past noon, the sun began to set. He Sui and his disciples rode a flying boat, holding a confession in hand, and left Youma County in a hurry, returning to the dojo of Shanhai Pavilion.
After entering the mountain gate, He Sui rushed all the way up the mountain and found the elder Huo Ku, whom he had studied under.
Soon, Pi Xian's words were delivered to the deputy headmaster Huo Jin and the direct disciple Huo Xingzhong through Huo Ku.
After reading it word by word, Huo Xingzhong fixed his eyes: "He is truly fearless."
"He's simply asking for his own death." A fierce look flashed in Hawking's eyes. "Put a hold on the grain collection. Immediately inform the other five major immortal sects and see how far he has gone."
"yes."
"besides!"
Huo Ku looked up when he heard the voice and said, "Deputy Master, please give me your instructions."
Huo Jin said in a deep voice: "Please ask Elder Ku to go there in person and meet the magistrate of Songhe County!"
"I understand." Huo Ku bowed in response, then turned and left the sect, flying to Youma County on his sword.
Ever since he was questioned, Pi Xian was locked up in the woodshed of the prefect's mansion. He hadn't had a drop of water to drink all day and felt numb all over.
You don't want such good food, but you just want to refuse it and lock me up. Is there any law in this?
Just as he was cursing in his heart with hunger, the wooden door of the woodshed was kicked open, and Prefect Min led Huo Ku, who came from Shanhai Pavilion, in with a servile look on his face.
Pi Xian was naturally not qualified to know such a person, but even through the pressure that made his whole body tremble, he could guess that this was an immortal with a higher status than the immortal who asked questions that day.
"You are Pi Xian?!"
"To answer the immortal, the younger one is Pi Xian."
Huo Ku stared at him and said, "You rented the farmland in Songhe County to Ji You?!"
"It's...it's what I did." Pi Xian didn't dare to hide it at all and answered tremblingly.
"Where is the Fish Scale Book jointly issued by Shanhai Pavilion and Daxia?"
"In reply to the Immortal, they took the Fish Scale Book away, saying they would exchange it as scheduled in ten years."
"You really are so brave!"
"Master Immortal, please spare my life. I just think what they said makes some sense. All the young and strong laborers in my county are going to Fengzhou to work. The farmland left behind will soon become barren. It's better to give it to them."
Pi Xian kowtowed and said, "When the time comes, the immortals will collect their taxes from those of us lowly people, and 20% of the farmland will be left. What's wrong with all parties paying tribute?"
After hearing Pi Xian's reply, Prefect Min couldn't help but look at Huo Ku.
In fact, after knowing what Pi Xian had done, he also thought that this was a good choice.
He couldn't help but want to agree to it because the tax share was not reduced at all, and his jurisdiction could even earn 20% more profit. So he didn't understand why the immortal from the mountain was so angry.
At this moment, he suddenly heard a creepy sneer.
"Have you ever considered that he won't let the civilians under your rule go to Fengzhou to work, but will instead let them continue to work in the leased Songhe County?"
Huo Ku stared at him. "Next year, he will take 80% of Yongzhou's grain production, and the remaining 20% will be distributed. He won't even be able to support a thousand-year-old family. How do you plan to pay the full amount of taxes? Or will we all starve to death?"
Upon hearing this, Pi Xian's eyes widened instantly, and Prefect Min held his breath, his head buzzing.
Ji You had returned to Ji Village three days ago and was currently in the study, looking at a batch of fish scale books he had just received.
To be honest, it is not unreasonable that the barbarians and demons have been wanting to return to Jiuzhou for more than a thousand years, because the land of Jiuzhou is indeed fertile.
If the people of Kyushu did not need to offer sacrifices to immortals every year, supporting themselves would not be a problem at all.
But this model has been solidified for too long, and it is difficult for people in it to break it, especially since the rise of the human race, everyone has tacitly accepted that a large part of the products of Jiuzhou should belong to the Immortal Sect, because it was they who ended the war and unified the human race.
What Ji You wanted to do was to make this acquiescence a well-known fact.
Whether it is grain production or scenery, it should not belong to the immortal sect.
But after production is completed, these products must have a home.
They cannot belong directly to the people because the people simply do not have the ability to bear the fruits of production.
They cannot belong to Daxia either, because Daxia has been doing nothing but mediating between cultivators and common people for hundreds of years.
Therefore, it can only belong to those who can withstand the pressure and prevent the world from repeating the same mistakes.
Ji You knew from the beginning that the relief food would definitely not be distributed to the refugees, because he knew how despicable the bottom line of the aristocratic families was, and he also knew where his own weaknesses lay.
What he wanted was never to make a fortune by selling grain. What he wanted was the title deeds to the land of Kyushu and the labor contracts of the people of Kyushu.
Because only when these two are in his own hands, the grain products will have nothing to do with the people, Daxia, and the Immortal Sect, and there will no longer be any historical correctness.
Those cultivators felt that the taxes were what they deserved, so they did not harbor greed. This allowed them to exploit the people while maintaining a clear mind.
He wants to shatter this "should" and let ugliness be ugliness.
When Ji You obtained a batch of Yongzhou fish scale books including Songhe County, other immortal sects also received the news from Shanhai Pavilion, and the whole mountain was shocked.
The original land and people belonged to Daxia, and Daxia needed to pay tribute to the immortal cultivators in return for the promise made a thousand years ago.
But now, both the land and the people have been signed away by Ji You in the form of a contract, so in the next ten years, all the property will no longer belong to Daxia.
Only then did they realize that from the very beginning, Ji You wanted to destroy the tax system of the entire Qingyun world that was "natural" and "in place for thousands of years" by changing the ownership of the production.
The food that was thrown out in vain was just bait scattered by him with a wave of his hand.
And they actually pushed hard to get workers all over the world to sign work contracts.
For thousands of years, they have always thought that battles are all about swords and knives, life and death, but this is the first time they have seen such a silent killing.
In fact, the key to this kind of planning is that the person behind it really has the ability to control everything. Otherwise, all the contracts and registers are nonsense. When the Immortal Sect needed the Dan Sect, it didn't even care about the Qingyun Immortal Rules.
But the problem is that Ji You may not be absent.
Because they all knew that Tianshuyuan and Lingjian Mountain had always had a strange attitude towards him.
(asking for monthly ticket)
(End of this chapter)
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