Longzang

Chapter 326 Childish
In a large mansion in the south of the city, the back garden was shrouded in a magic array. Although it was a cold night with snow about to fall, the garden was still warm as spring, with lush green trees and clusters of flowers.

There is a lake in the garden, and a pavilion spans the lake. Inside the pavilion is a table of exquisite food and wine, and next to it are two couches of different heights and styles.

At this moment, Princess Ningguo, dressed in a thin skirt, leaned against a couch, reading a storybook. The material of her long skirt was extremely soft and flowy, draping over her body like a waterfall, resembling a graceful and impressionistic landscape painting.

She was barefoot, her small, white feet peeking out. They were delicate, with a hint of pink, but each toe was perfectly round, with no visible bone structure.

Occasionally, when she got to a crucial part of the story, she would tense up, her little toes curling up, making everyone around her hold their breath.

A tree in the garden shook its branches and said, "Isn't it time yet?"

A fish in the pond surfaced, looked at the full moon in the sky, and said, "There's still a quarter of an hour left."

Another fish floated on the water and asked, "What important matter could that barbarian have that requires two hours to arrive, insisting on coming only at midnight?"

A rock in the garden swayed and said in an all-knowing tone, "He received some remarkable rewards and needs time to refine them. These few days are the most crucial time, so it's not surprising that he's working hard. Besides, it's late at night and quiet, which is perfect for concealing his weak nature."

"Hehehe..." A duck chuckled maliciously from the darkness in the corner, saying, "It's a pity he could never have known that we were already lying in ambush here, to bear witness to his reputation for three shots! It just means the princess will have to suffer again."

Princess Ningguo said lazily, "You lot, if you're going to pretend to be the background, then pretend. It's not time yet, why are you getting impatient? Oh right, we should test the magic weapon first, so we don't forget to use it later."

She flicked her finger, and several gauze curtains descended from thin air, enveloping the entire waterside pavilion. Only a pale pink hue could be seen flowing beneath the curtains; no matter how powerful one's abilities, nothing could be seen behind them. Sound, however, could be heard without hindrance.

Everyone in the background fell silent, and after a moment, an atmosphere of sorrow and indignation filled the back garden. They knew that Princess Ningguo must possess a magical treasure, but this treasure was far too powerful; only a True Lord could see through it. Why had it come to this!

In the darkness of night, a troop of knights galloped past, heading straight for the West Gate.

The knights were all radiating a divine light, and their iron hooves landed silently, so the people in the houses on both sides of the road were completely unaware of their presence.

Seeing the group of knights rushing towards them, the city gate guards were startled awake and hurriedly shouted, "Halt! Who dares to break through the gate in the middle of the night?"

A magnificent sword was presented to the gatekeeper officer, and the rider on horseback coldly shouted, "This is a sword bestowed by the King! Seeing this sword is like seeing the King! I am Wei Yuan, the military governor of Dingxi, and I have urgent military business to attend to outside the city. Open the gate immediately!"

The sword contained a unique magical imprint, and the officers guarding the royal city knew how to distinguish its authenticity. After verifying the sword, they opened the city gates. Wei Yuan summoned the knights stationed in the city and, under the cover of night, left the city and traveled far away.

The bright moon hangs high in the sky; it is midnight.

After running for more than ten miles, Wei Yuan finally turned around. In the darkness, Yingcheng was like a monster lurking on the earth, devouring people without spitting out their bones.

A full hour had passed since midnight, and Princess Ningguo could no longer contain herself. She sent someone to the post station to look for Wei Yuan, only to find it deserted. After questioning the night patrol soldiers and gate guards, she learned that Wei Yuan had left the city overnight and his whereabouts were unknown.

The princess was both ashamed and angry, but there was nothing she could do.

So all the living things in the yard either came out of the water or were uprooted. The ducks almost forgot to transform back into human form and tried to fly away on the spot. Luckily, a branch from a nearby tree caught them. This is Jindu, after all; flying around at night is easy to get shot.

These young masters had never suffered such hardship before, nor had they ever experienced the lives of ordinary people so deeply.

After that day, the story of "When Ning State summoned him, he fled a thousand miles in the night" became a topic of conversation for Wei Manzi, and it would inevitably be mentioned during tea breaks and after drinks.

After leaving Jindu, Wei Yuan held nothing back and led his cavalry on a rapid advance, covering 20,000 li in three days, and arrived at Lai, a city in the western part of the Western Regions.

Laicheng had approximately 200,000 households, making it a large city in western Shanxi. It boasted well-developed trade routes and was surrounded by vast fields, making it a prosperous city. Wei Yuan designated it as one of his transit points, intending to rest there for a day and observe the customs and culture of the Western Jin Dynasty.

A knight went out first to complete all the formalities, and then the cavalry camped outside the city. Wei Yuan, on the other hand, entered the city in plain clothes and strolled around at his leisure.

Laicheng was indeed bustling, with crowds thronging the city and a lively atmosphere everywhere. The city had grand mansions with high walls and deep courtyards, as well as rows of shantytowns, somewhat similar to Quliu Town, only a bit richer.

Wei Yuan wandered through the city's streets and alleys, neither avoiding the fierce servants of wealthy families nor bothered by the filthy sewage in the shantytowns. He walked, observed, and occasionally exchanged a few words, and a whole day passed by.

As night fell, Wei Yuan arrived at the prefectural governor's residence, where the governor had already prepared a banquet to welcome him.

The prefect was thin and somewhat old. His name was Wang Duan, a Jinshi (successful candidate in the highest imperial examination) forty years ago, now over seventy years old. He had been practicing the Dharma for eleven years, but had made no further progress.

After several rounds of drinks and pleasantries, they got down to business. Wei Yuan said, "I have long heard of the wealth and prosperity of Laicheng, and seeing it today, I can confirm that it lives up to its reputation. I am new to governing this region, and there are still many things I do not understand. I would like to ask Lord Wang for his guidance."

"Speak everything you know, and speak everything you know."

Wei Yuan said, “I have two questions. First, the number of people in the city seems to be much larger than the census records indicate, and I don’t know where they came from. Second, many facilities in the city have been in disrepair for many years. Given that Lai City is wealthy, it should not be unable to afford to repair them.”

Wang Duan chuckled and said, "Lord Wei is testing me. First, let's talk about people. There are 189,000 registered households in Laicheng now, but the actual number is probably more than double. However, these extra people are not on the official register, but on the private registers of various wealthy and powerful families."

Wei Yuan pondered, "Is it because of the household tax?"

"Exactly."

The Western Jin Dynasty had a household tax, also known as a poll tax, which was paid based on the number of registered households. Therefore, there has always been a saying that if the population is large, the tax revenue will be sufficient.

Wei Yuan asked Wang Duan detailed questions along the way, and Wang Duan answered them all without reservation.

To avoid paying household tax, many people in the city chose to sell themselves to wealthy families, becoming unregistered servants. The wealthy families in the city were mostly surnamed Xu or Lü, these two surnames accounting for 80% of the population, with the remaining 10% including families like Li, Xu, and Bao. Those who were not from wealthy families totaled less than 50%.

Now slightly tipsy, Wang Duan spoke more frankly, saying, "Lord Wei, your two questions are actually the same thing. Laicheng looks wealthy, but its treasury is actually empty. Where will the money come from to repair the streets? Do you know how much of my annual revenue comes from wealthy households?"

Wang Duan didn't need Wei Yuan to guess; he simply held up a finger as he spoke.

Wei Yuan was greatly shocked and said, "Ten percent?"

Wang Duan nodded: "Only 10%! And most of that 10% was collected from local wealthy families outside the seven surnames. The 180,000 registered households contributed 90% of the tax revenue."

"What if we disregard taxes and only consider income?"

Wang Duan smiled and said, "Lord Wei is testing me again. This matter doesn't need to be investigated by the clerks. A quick look will tell you that the ratio is reversed in terms of income, and probably even higher."

"So, ordinary people pay 90% of their income in taxes?"

"This is true throughout the whole world."

Wei Yuan laughed and said, "I noticed that the neighborhoods where those mansions are located are quite neat and clean. I hope the repair costs weren't all spent there?"

"Lord Wei is referring to the Upper Three Districts. Indeed, even after all the expenses have been covered, it's still not enough. It's only because the wealthy households have to contribute some of their own money that things are as they are today."

"I see! Let's drink!" Wei Yuan raised his glass.

There's no need to ask any further questions. For example, why do some small shops, despite their booming business, have owners dressed in rags and living in abject poverty? The answer is: 90% of their income is taxes.

Moreover, the wealthy households in the upper three districts also had to pay out of their own pockets to repair the streets, which must have put a lot of pressure on Wang Duan to collect more taxes.

After a hearty meal, Wei Yuan took his leave.

Before parting, Wei Yuan asked one last question: "Why not collect more taxes from the wealthy households? For them, it's just a drop in the ocean."

Wang Duan said, "Lord Wei, you hold a high position, how could you not know that although there are many ways to collect money, each one is extremely difficult? From ancient times to the present, the simplest way to collect taxes is from the common people."

"If we collect too much, won't that lead to a rebellion by the officials?"

Wang Duan chuckled and said, "Then this humble official would rather annihilate several more rebel groups."

Wei Yuan bowed and said, "Thank you for your guidance, Lord Wang. Farewell."

Wei Yuan had just disappeared when Wang Duan returned to his residence. He ordered the gate to be closed, then shook his head and uttered two words: "Naive."

(End of this chapter)