"If the great master doesn't care about you, he wouldn't have issued this ban and asked you to use your own ancestral property to pay back the little life-saving food! That would not offend you, not offend the big households, and would not harm the government, so why not
Why?" Wu Wei said angrily: "But he still issued this ban, why is he asking for trouble? It's not to protect your industry! Not only do you not appreciate it, you actually stabbed him in the back! Are you still a human being?
you!"
After being accused by Wu Wei, the old people were silent. It turned out that the big households coveted their land, so they were naturally angry and grateful to Wei Zhixian. But when they heard that what the big households wanted to buy was not private land but official land.
, the mood changed.
It is government land anyway, so what does selling it at a low price have to do with them? So they no longer care about the greed of the big households, but instead become their accomplices, forcing the county to quickly sell land for food!
"Since the government land is to be sold, why hasn't the deal been completed?" An old man whispered their thoughts. "Anyway, it's those people from other counties who sell it, no matter how high or low they are..."
"Stupid!" Wu Wei scolded: "Those people from other counties are just hired workers! I, Fuyang County, pay and provide food and hire them to open up wasteland. Whose land is the land? It does not belong to me, Fuyang County!"
The old guys kept silent, thinking that they are not ours anyway...
"You also know that the cost of opening terraced fields is very high. Even according to the most conservative calculation, the cost of one acre of land is more than twenty taels of silver, and this does not include the value of the land itself. This money is said to be provided by the county government, but
Where does the county government's money come from? Every penny is handed in by you!" Wu Wei said solemnly: "And the big households only paid four or five stones for the terraces that have been opened, and the ones that have not been completed are even lower.
Three stones! Even a quarter of the capital cannot be recovered. If the lord agrees, doesn’t it mean that more than 70% of the county’s savings have been given to those big households? That was all handed over by you.
Royal food!"
The old guys finally changed their faces. If Wu Wei hadn't reminded them, they would never have thought that the big families were embezzling the people's wealth and money in disguise... But if the truth could be explained clearly, there would be no fools anymore. A few old stubborns would still only look at what's in front of them.
Said: "The ordinary people in the market do not understand the truth. They only know that no matter whether it is sold high or low, we can only get some food to survive."
"You..." Wu Wei was so angry that he couldn't speak, and he had nothing to say. Can you expect these ordinary people to think for the court and the government?
There was a moment of silence in the signing room, and everyone realized that Wei Zhixian had been silent for a long time. They saw him lying quietly on the bed, his eyes filled with deep sadness. Weizhi County finally realized what Emperor Yongle said to him.
——Being an official is difficult, and being a good official is even more difficult!
He devoted himself wholeheartedly to being an official, hoping to be worthy of the court, the people, and his own conscience. However, the more he tried to be considerate in everything, the less comprehensive he became... The people in this county were not satisfied, the big families were dissatisfied, and the people around him were dissatisfied.
The officials were dissatisfied, and neither were the victims... It was so pitiful and ridiculous!
After a long time, Wei Zhixian came back to his senses, but he didn't want to look at those old people. He looked at the roof beam and said quietly: "Selling the land tomorrow..."
"Thank you, sir!" "Master, you are kind!" "Master, Guanyin is reincarnated!" The old people were satisfied now.
"Master..." Wu Wei's eyes were filled with tears...
After those old guys resigned with satisfaction, Wu Weicai hissed to Wei Zhixian: "Master, is this really the case?"
"It's true that even if the people don't want to tighten their belts with you, it's useless..." Wei Zhixian said sadly: "After the disaster is over, I will write a letter of self-impeachment."
"What is the crime of the eldest sir?" Wu Wei shook his head and cried: "You are a blameless and good official!"
"You are ridiculous." Wei Zhixian said bitterly: "I am too generous and kind to a woman. If I had listened to Wang Xian earlier and only fed the people half full, even if they were seventy full, I wouldn't have waited.
Until he comes back..."
Wu Wei was silent. He knew that Wang Xian had said, 'relief with work'. Relief was the basis, and work was just to prevent the victims from freeloading and causing dissatisfaction among the people in the county. However, Magistrate Wei hoped to achieve political achievements and regarded 'work' as the purpose.
, As a result, the terraces were built vigorously, but the consumption was too great...
In a year of great disaster, food is capital and the source of confidence. Weizhi County went too hastily on the road of providing work-for-relief, and the food from the two lakes that was supposed to arrive was overdue. All of a sudden, the capital was gone and had to be replaced by others.
Slaughter.
Both of them knew that Wang Xian's hope of returning in a short time was very slim. If they did not want to cause riots in Fuyang County, they had to swallow the bitter pill of selling their land at a low price...
.
At three o'clock in the morning the next day, two representatives of large households, Yang Yuanwai and Wang Yuanwai, arrived belatedly.
When they stepped into the yamen gate, they both saw a look of contentment in each other's eyes. No matter whether you are a strong leader or a crouching tiger leader, you are no match for us after all!
Wu Wei led them into the custody room with an expressionless face.
Magistrate Wei also sat behind the case with an expressionless expression, with two copies of the contract in front of him.
After the two of them saluted, Magistrate Wei did not look at their seats, but said slowly: "Let's take a look."
Wu Wei then gave each of them a contract.
The two officers took a look... The 10,000 acres of land were for sale as a whole, with one acre of matured land and four and a half acres of cultivated land, and the total price was eighteen shi of rice.
Yang Yuanwai frowned and said, "It should be sixteen stone and five stone."
"Narita is four and a half stones, half-crop is less than three and a half!" Wei Zhixian slapped the case hard and said: "I have already given in a big step, and you are still going to insist on it?"
"Haha..." The price was acceptable, but the land they bought this time was already more expensive than expected. The two officials said to themselves that they should pursue the victory at this time, and there was no point in being polite to him. It was just because they couldn't get along with money. Wang
The member laughed dryly and said: "If we had the final say, we would definitely agree to it."
"But it doesn't matter what we said," Yang Yuanwai said in a negotiating tone, "Why don't we talk about it tomorrow? Let's go back and discuss it to see if it's possible to give in again."
How could County Magistrate Wei not know that they were threatening him? His face turned livid.
"This is too much!" Wu Wei said angrily: "Don't you think about the future?"
"What Wu Lingshi said makes no sense." Yang Yuan curled his lips and said with a cold face: "We abide by the law and be kind to others, why should the government threaten us?"
"That's all, the premise of buying and selling is voluntariness," Wang Yuanwai shook his head and said, "Since the county magistrate is so unwilling, let's not force it."
"That's right, it's as if we are buying and selling by force," Yang Yuanwai nodded and said that the two of them were about to leave!
"Come back!" Wei Zhixian shouted lowly and said to Wu Weidao: "Rewrite it according to their wishes."
There was a look of victory in the eyes of the two members, but they heard Wei Zhixian calmly say: "But there is one sentence you remember. You will be in the first grade of junior high school, and I will be in the fifteenth grade. If you don't show mercy to me today, I won't do it tomorrow either."
Ask me to show mercy."
Wei Zhixian's voice was not loud, but the two other officials felt chills in their hearts. They suddenly remembered the saying, "The county magistrate who ruins the family, the magistrate who destroys the family"! But then he laughed to himself, fearing that he was a fool, and it would not matter if he walked away.
, just drive him away from Fuyang.
So the two of them pretended not to hear anything and waited for Wu Wei to rewrite the contract, read it carefully again, and confirm that it was correct before signing and affixing their signatures.
Wu Wei also signed it for Wang Xian, and then sadly placed the two copies of the contract in front of Wei Zhixian.
When Wei Yuan picked up his pen, he felt that it weighed more than a thousand kilograms. Writing his name also brought an end to his official career... Someone must be responsible for the sale of official land at a low price. Even if the court and the province did not pursue it, he would
If you can't pass your own test, you won't look at Yan to be an official of the imperial court again.
Of course, signatures alone are useless. Even private land sales require the seal of the county magistrate to be effective, let alone official land. Putting down the pen, he opened the seal box, picked up the magistrate's seal, and pressed it on the appointment book.
Pick it up, press it on the other one, and the contract is completed...
The two members held the appointment letter and left happily...
Weizhixian closed his eyes in pain. He failed. He failed completely...
Wu Wei punched the back of the chair angrily, breaking the rosewood official hat chair into pieces!
In the afternoon of the same day, the big families transported 17,000 shi of grain to Yongfengcang in accordance with the contract, of which 9,000 shi was the full payment for the purchase of the two thousand acres of cultivated land; and the remaining 8,000 shi was for the other eight and a half thousand acres.
Deposit from Narita.
In any case, the food crisis in Fuyang County has passed, and the people are relieved. The big households are holding wine and celebrating all night long in Yuan Li's villa. It is one thing to celebrate the big profit, but it also makes them more happy.
Happily, the rebellious County Magistrate Wei finally bowed to them!
This is very important, because for the wealthy squire families, overwhelming the prefectures and counties, or at least forming good ties with the prefectures and counties, is their accustomed survival mode. In this mode, they can maximize their own interests and enjoy great glory.
They stood proudly in the countryside. But Wei Yuan did not want to collude with them, and even wanted to overwhelm them. This was something the squires could not accept.
Then they had to overwhelm him, and they did it...
In the early morning of the next day, the wealthy families ended their all-night debauchery and went to their respective homes in cars and sedans.
Yang Yuanwai was sitting on his carriage, humming a tune proudly. This time he took the greatest credit and got the most benefits, two thousand acres of terraced fields, worth at least 60,000 taels of silver. Even if it was deducted for the big shot of the same clan,
, enough for him to squander for three generations.
Thinking of the happy place, the small carriage could no longer accommodate his swollen heart. Yang Yuanwai asked people to remove the curtains of the carriage, and looked at the people coming and going on the street like a king inspecting his territory.
Suddenly his eyes froze, as if he had seen a ghost in the daytime!
He actually saw Wang Xian, who was probably still in Suzhou, walking towards the dock surrounded by several companions...