xymnovel Chapter 70 Closed-Door Negotiation
Chapter 70 Closed-Door Negotiation
Shen Ce looked down at the three tax collectors in front of him: "Didn't you hear what I said?"
The tax collector stood there dumbfounded. According to County Magistrate Sun, the newly arrived county magistrate was a very kind person to the villagers. Why was he helping them so much today? Was it because he had acted too pitifully?
Before the tax collector could speak, the villagers nearby immediately deflated. They had thought that if the commotion got too big, it would attract the county magistrate, giving them a chance to plead their case and make amends.
Unexpectedly, the official disregarded everything and immediately tried to arrest people. What could they do? For a moment, they were at a loss.
Shen Ce coldly looked at the villagers surrounding him and said loudly, "I am Shen Ce, the Assistant Magistrate of Chang'an County."
"The reduced crop yield is a natural disaster, yet instead of taking remedial measures and working, you dare to be so audacious as to besiege the tax collectors."
"Do you really think that just because you outnumber us, the imperial court won't dare to punish you?"
"Would you like me to tell you how the officials and constables in Hebei Province collect taxes?"
Shen Ce's words pierced the hearts of the villagers like an awl. Several people from the village who had fled from Hebei Province also shared their stories with the surrounding villagers.
Hundreds of able-bodied men from Qinglin, Shixia, and Beiyuan were silenced by Shen Ce's few words, and dared not raise their heads. They dared to harass minor officials, but dared not show the slightest disrespect to official officials.
The tax collector straightened up and pointed at the villagers who had been shouting the loudest, yelling, "Speak up! Didn't you just say you wanted an official to come and settle your score and solve your problem?"
"The county magistrate of Chang'an County is right here. Why are you all afraid to speak?"
Still not satisfied with what he had said, he grabbed the villager kneeling on the ground, pulled him up by the collar and dragged him forward. Perhaps because the ground was too rough, the reeds inside the hemp clothing were scattered.
He fawned, "It was this man who was pulling and tugging at me just now, blocking the door and preventing us from leaving."
Shen Ce turned his head expressionlessly and asked County Magistrate Ma beside him, "According to Tang law, what should be done?"
County Magistrate Ma was unsure of Shen Ce's intentions. After some thought, he decided to tell the truth: "Sixty strokes of the cane."
Upon hearing this, the man who had been dragged out knelt on the ground and begged for mercy, his head hitting the ground repeatedly. Soon, blood began to flow.
"County Magistrate, I was ignorant. I only tugged at the tax collector a couple of times. I didn't lay a hand on him. I beg you to have mercy."
The surrounding strongmen glared angrily, their fists clenched tightly, but none of them dared to speak up for this man.
Shen Ce nudged the man's head twice with his foot and asked, "Get up and answer. Why are you doing this?"
When the county magistrate asked the question, the man stopped and hastily wiped the blood off his body, saying in a low voice, "My family are tenant farmers, and our entire family's harvest comes from the fields."
"But this year it's been a bit dry, and there's less water in the canals, so the harvest has dropped by 30%. I've already paid my taxes, and my whole family is going to starve. There's no way out, no way out."
An elderly man from behind shook off his children and grandchildren who were holding him back, and stepped forward, saying, "County Magistrate, I am also a farmer from this village. Today our harvest has decreased by more than 30%. Could you do me a favor and report it to the higher authorities as 40%? That way, we can be exempted from taxes, and we villagers can store up surplus grain this year."
The local gentry, who was watching the show from the back, quickly stepped forward and loudly interrupted the old man: "County Magistrate, this is inappropriate, this is inappropriate!"
After bowing respectfully, the local gentry turned to the old man and said with disgust, "If the officials have done you a favor today, and similar situations arise in other villages and towns throughout the county in the future, what will Magistrate Shen do? Will it all turn out the same way as today?"
"If this gets out, how will the county magistrate face himself?"
After saying that, he bowed again and said with a fawning smile, "Am I right?"
Shen Ce nodded almost imperceptibly; that was indeed the case.
Seeing the county magistrate nod, the other local gentry standing behind echoed him, shouting loudly, "Your actions have put your superior in a difficult position; you're truly despicable!"
Shen Ce knew the gentry's intentions. The villagers had paid their taxes, but their surplus grain was not enough to live on, so they naturally had to sell their land. Of course, lending grain was also a good option. If they could get double the interest, it would be a considerable income for the gentry.
As for tenant farmers, they were even more delighted by the gentry. They had no land to sell, only people, especially if they had a half-grown son or a pretty girl. If they did, the tenant farmer's annual harvest would certainly be good.
Even if someone's interests dictate their position, when the county magistrate arrives, he will still have to collect taxes according to the law.
Is it really impossible to postpone the delivery?
Shen Ce said, "This matter needs to be reported to the Yongzhou Prefecture government and the Ministry of Revenue, but it's definitely too late now."
Upon hearing this, everyone in the ancestral hall buried their heads in their hands and squatted down in anguish.
Some of the villagers panicked and rushed to the local gentry, pleading and begging to borrow some grain to tide them over.
Seeing that the county magistrate was also on their side, the three tax collectors had no more scruples and immediately pulled the villagers who had pulled them out of the crowd. Some of them were originally innocent, but knowing that there was a young woman in the family, they had evil intentions and pulled them out of the crowd as well.
Whenever someone was identified, the village headman would record it in the register.
Shen Ce watched coldly from the sidelines. Seeing the farce escalating, County Commandant Ma wanted to step forward to stop it, but Shen Ce stopped him.
"There's more to come, but you'll have to work hard."
"What does the county magistrate mean by that?"
Shen Ce smiled but did not answer. Instead, he turned to look at the villagers in front of him. He had pushed them to such an extent, yet the villagers were still huddled in place. Was it because his official power was too great?
Shen Ce strode to the center of the ancestral hall and pointed at the villagers in front of him: "Don't think that I will make an exception for you. The purpose of your existence is to pay taxes."
"The county yamen runners will arrive in an hour. At that time, I won't be able to care about anything else. Even if you sell your land or your children, you must pay the taxes in full."
Upon hearing this, the villagers went berserk, rushing toward the local gentry on the high platform, begging them to lend them some grain so they could survive the upcoming autumn tax.
"Please, how about a 50% interest rate? I'll lend you ten bushels of grain, and my family will repay you fifteen bushels next year."
Seeing that the local gentry remained unmoved, a villager immediately said, "Sixty percent of the profits, my family is willing to accept sixty percent. Are you satisfied?"
The local gentry remained unmoved and instead ordered their guards to keep the group firmly outside the high platform.
They had just heard the county magistrate say that a large number of county government officials would arrive in an hour, so it seemed that the county magistrate was going to collect all the taxes today.
They don't care about 60% of the profits; they want the land.
Once they acquire the land, even if they rent it out to the villagers, they can receive 50% of the harvest for free every year.
If we wait another half an hour, I believe the villagers will offer an even higher price.
Seeing that the villagers were already getting angry, Shen Ce cleared his throat and said loudly, "County Commandant Ma, I have just taken office and I will absolutely not allow a poor autumn tax harvest to occur."
"From now on, no matter how late it is, we must collect all the autumn taxes from these three townships."
Ma Lian frowned. He had thought that this county magistrate, having come from the battlefield, would understand the suffering of the people, but he never expected that he was just a person who only cared about his own official position. His disgust was palpable.
But since he was an official, it was not easy to offend him, so he could only humbly acknowledge him.