"When the Qin people attacked Shangdang, Governor Feng Ting led us to resist the Qin people, collected everyone's food for centralized management, and let us women participate in the defense of the city. We had no complaints. As long as we could drive the Qin people out, all these things would be done
It's worth it. If the Qin people continue to attack Shangdang next time, we will still take all the food to defend the city." Zhong's wife hugged the child and whispered.
The war between the Three Jin Dynasties and the Qin Kingdom lasted for hundreds of years. Our ancestors have been fighting against the Qin people for generations. In recent years, it has become more and more intense. Almost every household has had relatives die at the hands of the Qin people.
South Korea was weak and was bullied by Qin, and the people's hatred for the Qin people could not be overcome.
Under Feng Ting's organization, they would rather stick to Shangdang and give Shangdang to Zhao than surrender to Qin.
Perhaps in their hearts, Han, Zhao, and Wei are one family, and Qin is just an enemy, or they may be nostalgic for the hegemony of the Jin Dynasty hundreds of years ago.
"A few years ago, Governor Feng Ting came to Shangdang and told the villagers that South Korea ceded Shangdang to Qin. The villagers did not hesitate at all. If South Korea did not send troops, we would fight on our own. Even if we died, we could not surrender to Qin.
.Fortunately, with the help of the king and General Lian Po, Qin was defeated."
"If Qin invades again, if nothing else, my more than 100 kilograms will definitely go to the battlefield. I dared to fight back then, but now even if I die in battle, my wife and children can get pensions and raise their children.
, there is nothing to worry about." Zhong said, patting his chest.
"Is this what everyone thinks?" Zhao Kuo was silent for a long time. He did not expect that the people in the Shangdang area had such deep hatred for the Qin State. This was something he had never encountered during his inspections in other places.
"I don't know about anything else. Anyway, as long as I give the order, all the adult men in our group will follow me to the battlefield." Zhong Yi said with a proud face.
"..."
The whole place is actually full of militants!
"I heard that the imperial court promised not to raise taxes. If any county or county raises taxes or assigns more labor, you can report it to the imperial court through the township school. If you know someone who is a soldier in the army, you can also contact the military from the military.
Report it, or go directly to Handan and beat the drum, and the king will personally investigate the matter." Zhao Kuo said.
Things like taxes can only be reduced, not added.
Perhaps the people would not complain if the tax was reduced even a little. Many people, like Zhong, had already expected it and were waiting for the court to increase taxes.
But Zhao Kuo knew very well that this hole must not be opened.
The scary thing is not the small amount of taxes added, but once some things are opened, and the higher authorities have tasted the sweetness, and find that the people can bear the new taxes, and the complaints are not too big, they will start to test the people step by step.
Bottom line.
At the same time, the officials below will also add fuel to the flames.
As long as the court does not issue an order to increase taxes, the officials below will not dare to increase taxes privately anyway. At most, they will collect large amounts of tax when collecting taxes, and report small amounts to the court, or deliberately kick the dendrobium on the top of the grain pile.
, causing the grain to be spread out, euphemistically called loss, but actually embezzled.
The first situation is no longer possible in Zhao State. After the unification of weights and measures, as long as anyone is found not to follow the standards, they will be sent to the border, and those who are serious will be sent to Yingzhou.
The latter type of Zhao State was unable to achieve strong supervision. It was impossible to collect taxes in every township and county. The court sent people to watch, and there was no way to guarantee whether the officials sent there had colluded with them.
As for expecting the common people to report the matter, it is unrealistic. Since ancient times, the common people have not fought with the officials. They will not choose to fight with the officials until they are forced to have no choice but to have no other choice.
Usually when something like this happens, people have put their personal life and death aside.
In fact, these two situations are relatively good. The amount of money and food that can be embezzled is limited, and it will not make the people unable to live.
What really overwhelmed the people was the imperial court's repeated tax increases. Maybe the increases were not much, but that was no longer the case once they got down to the lower levels.
Every time the court increases taxes, it is a gluttonous feast for officials at all levels.
If the imperial court did not increase taxes, they would not dare to increase them. But as long as the imperial court increased taxes, they would dare to increase them severely.
The people didn't know that most of the money went into the pockets of the officials. They only knew to curse the king and the court.
Of course, they were not wrong in scolding, maybe the original intention of the king and the court was not like this. But as a king, he cannot govern the country or appoint talents. As a minister of the court, he cannot assist the king and provide peace to the people. This is inherently wrong.
Zhao Guo's official administration was relatively good. Zhao Kuo secretly walked through some places and did not notice such things happening. Liu Ping and Zhao Sheng also did not report such things.
In fact, except for some shortcomings of the times, the administration of officials in various countries during this period was not bad.
The Warring States Period was different from the unified dynasties that followed. Each country had several powerful enemies around it. No one wanted to be a slave to the country's subjugation. Even if they were greedy, they would restrain themselves.
Moreover, there are still many true gentlemen in this era, who can truly be greedy and even sacrifice themselves for others.
Zhao Kuo once met a county magistrate who never wore silk clothes. He only wore Geyi or linen clothes knitted by his wife. He only ate as long as he could eat enough. He never cared about the quality of the food. He used all his monthly salary except for family expenses.
To help the poor people who live in extreme poverty.
If you say it's for profit, he won't get any profit.
You have to say that for the sake of reputation, when he was promoted, he took his family and rode an ox cart to secretly leave the county that he had governed for nearly ten years without telling any of the people.
You have to say that in order to win people's hearts like Tian Chen's family and pursue the foundation of the country, it is impossible for a family to have a small family and only pass down the family for several generations.
Zhao Kuo once asked him why, and the magistrate only answered with six words: for a clear conscience.
After the unification, there were no competitors, and everyone began to act unscrupulously, testing the bottom line of the people at the bottom step by step.
When the temptation comes out, the dynasty will come to an end.
Even though the official administration of Zhao State was good, Zhao Kuo still established three bottom-up supervision methods: rural schools, military, and Dengwengu, which complemented the censors.
As long as one of the rural schools, the military, the prime minister or the monarch is alive, they can play a supervisory role.
If all four are dead, then there is no need for Zhao State to exist. It would be better for everyone to finish the game as soon as possible.
"This kind of thing... who can say for sure, but even if the court does not increase taxes, when the Qin people come to attack, or when the king attacks the Qin people, I will go to the battlefield with a sword." Zhong said firmly.
"What if we attack other countries?" Liu Ping suddenly asked.
Zhong looked hesitant, then nodded, "As long as the king recruits soldiers, I will go."