bestfiction Chapter 429 New Deal
Chapter 429 New Deal
Autumn arrived quickly in Xianyang. A slightly chilly wind, carrying moisture from the Wei River, swept over the city walls, across the streets, and finally dissipated into the fields outside the city. Zhao Laoliu tightened his coarse cloth clothes and slammed his hoe into the thawed earth.
"Have you heard? The imperial court is going to change the rules again." Wang Ergou from the next field came over and whispered.
Without even looking up, Zhao Laoliu said, "No matter how much you change it, it's still us farmers paying grain and taxes, isn't it?"
“This time it’s different.” Wang Ergou mysteriously pulled a crumpled piece of paper from his pocket. “It’s a newspaper my son brought back from the city. It says they’re going to divide the country into several levels, like provinces, cities, and counties. From now on, taxes will be paid directly to the county level, without going through so many intermediaries.”
Zhao Laoliu then stopped what he was doing, his rough fingers stroking the newspaper. He was illiterate, but the square black characters and bright red official seal were unmistakable. In recent years, imperial decrees had been transmitted to the countryside more and more frequently through this kind of thing called a "newspaper," much faster than the old practice of posting notices by the government.
"A few less hands? What will those old men in the middle eat then?" Zhao Laoliu sneered, but then saw dust rising in the distance as a troop of cavalry galloped toward the village.
The riders shouted along the way, "The imperial court has issued a new decree, affecting every household! The village head is gathering his men!"
Zhao Laoliu and Wang Ergou exchanged a glance and simultaneously put down their farming tools. The imperial decrees could not be ignored; this was a rule ingrained in the people since the founding of the Qin Dynasty.
The open space was already crowded with people. The village head stood on the steps, next to a young man in official robes, holding a scroll of bamboo slips in his hands.
"By imperial decree, effective immediately, the administrative division of our Great Qin is divided into six levels: province, city, county, town, township, and village," the village headman's voice boomed. "Our Huai Shu Village belongs to Xianyang Township, Weicheng Town, Chang'an County, Jingzhao City, and Guanzhong Province."
A buzz of discussion arose from the crowd. Zhao Laoliu was completely confused, only remembering the names "Chang'an County" and "Xianyang Township".
The young official stepped forward: "Fellow elders, after the new policy is implemented, taxes will be collected directly by the county government and then remitted proportionally at each level. With fewer intermediaries, losses will naturally decrease. The imperial court anticipates that this year's autumn taxes will be reduced by 10%."
These words were like a stone thrown into a calm lake, creating ripples. A 10% tax reduction! Zhao Laoliu's eyes widened. He had farmed all his life and had never heard of the imperial court voluntarily reducing taxes.
“Furthermore,” the young official continued, “each county will establish a ‘civil court’ specifically to handle lawsuits filed by ordinary citizens. In the future, disputes will no longer require traveling to the prefectural capital; they can be resolved within the county.”
Zhao Laoliu recalled his experience three years ago when he had to walk for two days to the county government to file a complaint over a land dispute, and his heart warmed. If it could really be resolved in the county, he wondered how much time and money it would save.
After the presentation, Zhao Laoliu stopped the young official who was about to leave: "Sir, is this new policy... really not going to change?"
The young official smiled, took a newspaper from his sleeve, and handed it to Zhao Laoliu: "Old man, please take a look. This is the imperial gazette, stamped with the official seal. The new policies were decreed by His Majesty; how could they be changed so easily?"
Zhao Laoliu took the newspaper. Although he couldn't read the words, the bright red seal gave him a strange sense of security. The seal of the Great Qin Dynasty was always absolute.
Meanwhile, a thousand miles away in the Nanling Prefectural Governor's Mansion, the atmosphere was completely different.
"Absurd!" Prefect Zheng Yuanpei slammed the official gazette in his hand onto the table. "The thousand-year-old prefecture-county system, changed just like that? We prefects are suddenly reduced to some kind of 'mayors,' and our rank has even dropped by half a grade!"
The county magistrates below exchanged bewildered glances. Nanling County was wealthy, and the position of prefect had always been a lucrative one. Now that the county had been converted into a city, not only would their power be reduced, but those hidden benefits would likely also be greatly diminished.
"My lord, the imperial decree has been issued, I'm afraid..." The oldest magistrate of Jiangling County spoke cautiously.
Zheng Yuanpei sneered, "The imperial court is far away in Xianyang; how could it know the real situation on the ground? The details of the new policies are not yet clear, so we can...implement them flexibly." He looked around at the crowd, "Are you all willing to have your power reduced and your interests harmed?"
The county magistrates lowered their heads and remained silent. They knew perfectly well that Zheng Yuanpei's so-called "flexible implementation" was nothing more than paying lip service while secretly delaying the implementation of the new policies.
"Pass down the order," Zheng Yuanpei stroked his beard, "that all counties continue operating under the old system for now, and we'll make further plans once the court urges us. As for tax reductions... let's see how the other counties respond first."
While officials in Nanling County were secretly discussing how to deal with the new policies, the Imperial Study in Xianyang Palace was brightly lit by candlelight.
"Your Majesty, the reactions to the new policies vary across the prefectures," Grand Chancellor Feng Quji respectfully presented a memorial. "The implementation in Guanzhong and Hedong has been swift, and the people's response has been positive. However, prefectures such as Nanling seem... hesitant."
King Ying Zheng of Qin took the memorial, his gaze sharp: "Hesitation? Or resistance?"
Feng Quji bowed slightly: "According to a secret report, Zheng Yuanpei, the prefect of Nanling County, has summoned his subordinate county magistrates, intending to delay the implementation of the new policies."
"Zheng Yuanpei..." Ying Zheng tapped his fingertips lightly on the table, "He was notorious for corruption when the late emperor was alive. Now that the new policies have cut off their source of income, they are naturally unwilling to accept it."
"Your Majesty, I request to personally go to Nanling to oversee the implementation of the new policies," Feng Quji solemnly replied.
The King of Qin shook his head: "Why use a sledgehammer to crack a nut? First, send imperial censors to investigate. Once evidence is found, deal with the matter according to the laws of Qin."
The next morning, Zhao Laoliu got up very early, which was unusual for him. He walked ten miles to the town, found a literate old man, and asked him to read the details of the new policy in the newspaper.
"...The county government will establish three departments: Civil Affairs, Finance, and Justice, directly connecting with the villages..." the old gentleman read with measured intonation, "People can file lawsuits directly with the county judicial department, and no fees may be charged..."
Zhao Laoliu's eyes lit up as he listened. This new policy not only reduced taxes but also eliminated the "door money" fee for filing a lawsuit! He remembered that last year, his neighbor Li Si had spent half a shi of grain just to bribe the yamen runners in order to file a lawsuit.
"Old man, can I borrow this newspaper to take back? I want the whole village to hear it," Zhao Laoliu pleaded.
The old man smiled and handed him the newspaper: "Here you go. This time, the imperial court is truly looking out for the people."
On his way back to the village, Zhao Laoliu encountered a constable sent by the county, who was measuring the land.
"Sir, the imperial court's new policy requires a re-measurement of all land in the country, and taxes will be levied based on the actual area." The constable's attitude was surprisingly kind. "Where is your land? We'll go measure it right away."
Zhao Laoliu's heart tightened. In the past, when measuring land, he always had to bribe the officials; otherwise, a mu of fertile land could be measured as only eight-tenths of a mu. He subconsciously touched the few copper coins he had left in his pocket.
“Sir, there’s no need to worry.” The constable seemed to read his mind, pointing to the brand-new badge on his chest. “The new policy strictly forbids charging any fees for land surveying; violators will be severely punished. Look, we’ve even brought our own lunch.”