As soon as the Mid-Autumn Festival is over, the weather turns cooler. Although the scorching sun is still hanging in the sky, a burst of autumn rain makes the chill feel particularly oppressive.
It was very hot during the day, and at night the autumn rain suddenly came, dripping to the ground.
Zhu Yiquan got up from the bed and looked at the luxurious county government office as if in a dream.
"Well..." The wife beside her groaned. She noticed that the person next to the pillow was awake and couldn't help but rub her eyes:
"Master, why did you get up so early today?"
"Autumn rain is coming."
Zhu Yiquan shook his head and said with a wry smile: "If you were in Xi'an, you would already be wearing a jacket at this time, but in Huguang, it is only slightly cold."
"Are you homesick too?"
The wife was no longer sleepy. She looked out the window at the dull sky and couldn't help but sigh: "People who are away from home are humble. It's just that you belong to the clan, so you can enjoy peace."
Zhu Yiquan smiled and was filled with emotion:
"The King of Hanyang is so great now. He has to be granted the title of King of Yu, which is a prince title. He is independent from the Qin vassal and becomes his own sect."
"However, being a county magistrate already gives us a huge advantage."
"Speaking of which, because of you, many relatives and friends have asked me about getting an official position."
The wife frowned.
"What connections do I have? I just belong to the same generation as the King of Hanyang."
Zhu Yiquan sneered: "You don't even have any fame, and you want to be an official? What a joke."
The two of them were talking and laughing, and then the maid came in and helped them change clothes.
Afterwards, after having breakfast, Zhu Yiquan said slowly: "I have to go to inspect the place today, so I won't use lunch at home."
"I understand."
Immediately, three groups of government officials opened the way, followed by sedan bearers, beating gongs and drums, and it was very lively.
As the magistrate of Dangyang County, he has his own prestige.
Dangyang borders Yidu to the west, Jingmen to the east, and Jingzhou to the south. It can be said to be an important military base.
This time I went out of the city, firstly, to inspect the autumn harvest situation. Although the field tax will not be collected this year, it will be collected next year, so I need to prepare a foundation in advance.
Secondly, we also want to see the return situation of the refugees in Nozawa, a mountain village.
Finally, it is to inspect the situation of the military camp.
As the environment improved, more and more refugees and fields were reclaimed. Zhu Yiquan was very happy. These were all political achievements.
"Your Majesty, Your Highness has only paid half a year's land tax, which is too little."
The gentry looked forward and said: "There are continuous wars and disasters, and I can only take a breath for half a year."
"How can it not be difficult for Your Highness?"
Zhu Yiquan waved his sleeves and said dissatisfiedly: "Which one is easier, raising soldiers or raising officials? If we don't collect taxes, I'm afraid those Qiu Ba people will come to rob us with their swords."
If it were in Shaanxi, with tax exemption for half a year, the people would definitely not be able to recover, and they would even be unable to breathe.
But this is Huguang, where farmers catch fish, catch shrimp, raise silkworms and reel silk, and pick tea and weave cloth. The farmers have many ways to make money, which is much better than the people in Shaanxi.
Half a year is enough for them to recover.
Moreover, the land tax was as simple as one dou per mu, which greatly reduced the burden on the people.
Seeing the disappointed expressions of the gentry, Zhu Yiquan pointed to the man beside him and said:
"Next year's two taxes will be collected by this colleague, and you no longer need to send them to the county government."
ah?
Only then did the gentlemen notice this man, who looked shrewd and looked like a bookkeeper.
I saw that he was wearing a green robe from the seventh rank, embroidered with the Xi imperial edict, a plain silver belt around his waist, a black gauze hat on his head, and he looked like an official.
He is really handsome.
"My official name is Zhang Pu, and I am appointed as the Transshipment Department of Dangyang County. I am responsible for the transportation of taxes.
In the future, all taxes in Dangyang County, whether commercial taxes or land taxes, will be collected by me, so there is no need to trouble the county officials."
As soon as these words came out, everyone in the hall was shocked.
The gentry were dumbfounded and regretful. Now their connections in the county government were no longer useful.
Zhu Yiquan, on the other hand, was filled with sadness. Without the tax collection, his filial piety would be greatly reduced in the future.
But there is no way. Others can use excuses to delay, but he cannot.
As a member of the royal family, he could only follow in the footsteps of King Hanyang and follow suit.
Next, although the gentry did not ignore him, Zhu Yiquan still felt the warmth of the world.
Taxation is, after all, the greatest interest of the gentry.
After all, land tax is different from commercial tax. The resistance of the transfer department is greater and more difficult.
However, he heard that the Transportation Department's men would be equipped with troops, so all the difficulties seemed insignificant.
Afterwards, he came to a military camp.
Although the military villages were directly subordinate to the Military and Political Department, the local yamen also suppressed them, and the supervisory duties were related to the great cause of the King of Hanyang.
"Your Majesty, this army camp has a total of 5,000 acres of land, a hundred troops, ten cattle, five donkeys, and more than a thousand chickens and ducks. We usually use eggs to improve our food."
The person in charge of the military camp was called the camp chief. He was a veteran of the army. He was just missing his thumb and could not hold the sword.
He had about ten wounded soldiers under his command and was responsible for suppressing the military camp.
At the same time, his establishment was also appointed as the leader of the strong squad in the county government.
Looking at the golden ears of rice, Zhu Yiquan nodded and said: "In this way, Juntun can provide tens of thousands of shi of food to His Highness!"
"The yield is only two or three stones per mu, which is more than ten thousand."
The commander of the camp, with his missing front teeth, grinned: "The military camp is open at 30-70, and can offer about 10,000 stones."
"These guys were all very lazy and had to be whipped before they were willing to work. After two or three months of training, they got better."
Zhu Yiquan looked at the soldiers in ragged clothes working hard to cut rice, and of course he knew that these people were former prisoners.
A trespasser, a thief from the west, or a leftist army.
"Your Highness is still too kind."
Zhu Yiquan sighed: "These thieves can be cut into pieces with a thousand cuts."
The village chief didn't answer the call.
"It's impossible for the Transportation Department to transfer personnel from the army, right?"
Zhu Yiquan looked at the village chief with a fierce look on his face, thought of his nominal squad leader, and suddenly thought of something.
After a round of inspection, Zhu Yiquan left the place.
There are about two or three military camps in Dangyang County, ranging from three to five thousand acres. There are dozens of military camps in Chengtian Prefecture, and nearly 10,000 prisoners are resettled.
The autumn harvest is about to begin, and this is the reason why the King of Hanyang will be exempted from the autumn tax.
Naturally, the Department of Military Affairs also knew the importance of the military settlements and sent officials to inspect them almost every month.
You have to find something to do for the hundreds of people you have recruited, right? There will still be some time before decentralization.
By the end of September, almost all the autumn rice in the military villages had been harvested, and then the rice was transported to Xiangyang according to the 30-70 ratio.
Thirty percent of the military garrison is in Chengtian Prefecture, and 70% is in Xiangyang Prefecture.
Fifty thousand prisoners of the left army were placed in more than 300 military camps on nearly 10,000 hectares of land.
The land is unevenly fat and thin, but the yield per mu is at least one stone, and ten thousand hectares equals one million acres. The autumn harvest can yield at least one million stone of grain.
"Thirty-seven points, you can get 700,000 stones."
Zhao Shu said quite excitedly.
"There is plenty of wasteland. Your Highness has obtained another 100,000 Western Army prisoners from Sichuan, and can cultivate another 20,000 hectares of farmland. The harvest next summer will be more than two million shi."
"Mr. Zhao, these 100,000 people have to eat during these six months, right?"
Zhu Yixi interrupted his fantasy without hesitation.