Chapter 415 He who wins the hearts of the people wins the world
The next day.
When the news that the imperial court had sent troops to conquer the country reached the ears of the people of Shuzhou as quickly as possible, the response from the people was not too drastic.
Maybe everyone had expected that such a day would come, but at most they just didn't expect it to happen so soon.
Therefore, except for a few discussions after dinner, most people did not take this to heart.
There were no early escapes with families and families, no panicked closing of markets and businesses, and no "abandonment of darkness to the light" to welcome the imperial army.
Of course, this does not mean that the people of Shuzhou have identified Ning Yuke as the "new king", nor does it mean that they think "Shu" can withstand it.
The reason why they are so calm is simply because the war did not have a big impact on them.
Unlike previous generations in ancient times, when a war broke out, people would be arrested from door to door and sent to the army. In the world of cultivation, the threshold for "serving as a soldier" is very high.
Except for a small number of grain and logistics troops, the remaining 70 to 80% of the soldiers must at least be qualified warriors.
About 30% of people in the world have access to all eight main meridians.
If we exclude those who gave up martial arts due to extremely low talent, as well as most women, then only less than 10% will actually embark on the path of cultivation.
This also means that at least 90% of people do not have the most basic conditions for "participating in war".
To put it bluntly, if you can't even catch a strong man on your own head, then what is there to worry about?
As for the impact of war on other aspects of life... Nowadays, only Shuzhou is the most peaceful in Daning. Life in other states is not easy, so where can one go even if they are fleeing?
Besides, after all, I was still a citizen of Daning two months ago. Even if the imperial army came, they would not do anything to me.
When Shuzhou City is breached and Weiyang Palace is burned down by a fire, it will just be a matter of replacing the previous emperor, which is no big deal...
With similar thoughts, most people in Shuzhou continued to do whatever they should. At most, they prepared some "affordable food" at home to prevent food prices from soaring in the future.
I heard that food prices in other states and counties have increased three or four times.
Thinking about it this way, the new queen seems to be really good...
...
"Have you heard? The leader of the imperial army's counter-rebellion this time is General Han Zhaoli!"
"Brother Zhang, what a mouthful you are... Weiyang Palace is our court now!"
"Hahaha, I'm used to it and I can't change it for a while."
"..."
The small tea stall is not far from the new Yamen of Shuzhou City. It is noon at this time, and many porters and sellers are gathering here to drink tea and joke.
After the Shuzhou Yamen was converted into a royal palace, Wei Changtian chose a new mansion in the north of the city to serve as the new Yamen.
Because it is located in a busy city, there are many people coming and going nearby.
At first, everyone was a little afraid of the official officers with swords on their waists, but as time went by, they also discovered that these official officers seemed to be different from before.
He never arrests people randomly, pays according to price for meals and tea, and patrols the streets to catch thieves not as perfunctory as before.
What's more important is that they treat everyone very kindly.
Just like someone said the wrong thing during a casual chat, even if the yamen servant heard it, there would be no big trouble. At most, he would be reprimanded and fined a few copper coins.
If this had been the case before, I would have been imprisoned long ago and charged with "conspiracy and rebellion"...
The sun was at three o'clock, and it was a sunny day again.
Although it was already autumn, it was still a bit hot at noon. Some of the porters who had just finished their work even took off their undershirts, and just drank the herbal tea with "unlimited refills" for a copper coin with their upper body bare.
Everyone got excited about chatting when suddenly they heard a burst of noise coming from the Yamen, which seemed to be accompanied by all kinds of shouting and yelling.
"What's wrong?"
Someone looked up in confusion: "Why are there so many people gathered around the Yamen Gate?"
"It seems that a new list article has just been posted!" Someone with a keen eye replied loudly.
"annunciation?"
All the men lost most of their interest when they heard this.
The articles posted at this time must have something to do with the war, and war is a matter for military men, so it has nothing to do with them.
Such a "reasoning" was originally correct, but as more and more people gathered around the yamen gate, everyone became more and more curious about what was written on the list.
Until the shouts coming from the Yamen gradually became clearer.
"The Queen has ordered to reduce the land tax!"
"Reducing the land tax!!"
Someone was shouting and running this way, and the excitement on their faces was beyond words.
"This dude!"
A porter grabbed the man's arm and asked hurriedly: "What is going on? What is written on the list?"
"That's not the article!"
The man in ordinary clothes said excitedly: "That's the new policy of the Ministry of Revenue! The Queen has given the order! From now on, the land tax for the people of Shu will only be fifty tax per mile!"
"Fifty tax one?!"
All the porters suddenly widened their eyes: "Brother! Did you read that right?!"
"I can't read, but the officer said it himself! How can there be any mistake in this!"
The man smiled and pointed towards the yamen door: "If you don't believe me, just ask yourself!"
"..."
"Wow!!"
A group of people looked at each other for a few seconds, then swarmed towards the yamen door.
Even the tea stall owner didn't care about the stall anymore and followed him eagerly, just like the old man and old lady who were rushing to grab free eggs in the previous life.
It’s not surprising that these people behave like this, because the reduction in taxes from 50 to 1 is too exaggerated.
If you hadn't seen it with your own eyes and heard it with your own ears, this would be something you wouldn't even dare to dream about!
"The Emperor's grace is mighty! The Emperor's grace is mighty!"
The man who announced the good news watched the group of porters and sellers run away, and after a few heartfelt sighs, he continued to run forward, preparing to tell more people about this great good thing.
The scorching sun still hung high in the blue sky, cloudless.
Like the dazzling golden sunshine, the gloom brought to Shuzhou City by "the imperial court has sent troops to suppress the rebellion" was instantly dispelled by this new policy of "reducing taxes".
One word spread to ten, and ten spread to hundreds. This matter spread throughout Shuzhou in a very short period of time.
Everyone praised Ning Yuke's benevolent and benevolent deeds, and their ratings of this "female emperor" suddenly soared a lot.
And many people no longer have an indifferent attitude towards this war.
They hope that Shu can defeat the imperial army, and that Ning Yuke can win!
Because only in this way can the new land tax policy of fifty to one tax be continued for a long time.
This may be selfish, or it may be short-sighted, or it may be "seeking profit and forgetting one's righteousness."
But for the common people who face the loess and turn their backs to the sky and work diligently in the fields, their way of thinking about problems is that simple.
They do not have any great ambitions such as "establishing a heart for heaven and earth and creating peace for all generations"; nor do they understand the principle of "loyalty to the emperor and the country, and everyone is responsible for the rise and fall of the world".
However, they knew which emperor was good to the people.
If you are good to me, I will support you.
This is actually what Mencius said: "He who wins the hearts of the people wins the world."
Unfortunately, many rulers do not really understand this truth.