Fu Shanhe

Chapter 480 Tax Resistance Movement
"A crude brute!"

"Without His Majesty's decree, you have arbitrarily confiscated my Qian family's property. Do you intend to rebel?"

Qian Yanfeng asked, looking slightly flustered.

The strength of scholarly families is built on the premise that everyone abides by the rules.

Once someone overturns the table, all the connections they've built will become incredibly vulnerable.

Even if someone went back to report the news, the family was prepared in advance and mobilized an army of tens of thousands of people to fight against them.

The laborers who had just put down their hoes were no match for the regular army.

Compared to the powerful clans of ancient times, scholarly families inherited everything except the martial virtues of their ancestors.

"When a general is in the field, he may disobey the emperor's orders."

After the Qian family's property has been searched and confiscated, I will personally apologize to His Majesty.

Yun Xiangwen said calmly.

Since the White Lotus Rebellion, acting first and reporting later has become the norm in Dayu.

By the time everything was done according to regulations and the emperor was consulted, and the court was waiting for a decision, the daylily had already gone bad.

However, his statement indirectly boosted the morale of the gentry.

If one were to apologize to the emperor afterward, it would signify that one held the court in awe, rather than directly raising the flag of rebellion.

"Bastard thing!"

"In Nanjing, there are six ministers at the top and governors and provincial treasurers at the bottom."

You are merely a general; what right do you have to make decisions on behalf of His Majesty?

"You clown! You don't even dare to take your men and immediately return to the military camp to await the court's lenient punishment!"

An old man immediately reprimanded him.

As long as they follow the procedures, they have nothing to fear.

If you want to make an example of someone, you need to have a strong enough backbone yourself.

A mere general trying to threaten them? He's dreaming.

Let alone obediently handing over the money, even a temporary concession would be seen as a disgrace by the gentry.

If word gets out, they won't be able to get along with the gentry in the future.

Perhaps feeling that it was time to show their integrity, the old man spoke, and the gentry of Jiangnan responded in unison.

There are plenty of gentry and powerful families in the Jiangnan region. How many families can Guangyun Xiangwen's small number of soldiers plunder?
Moreover, there are still a group of high-ranking civil officials in Nanjing, and they do not believe that local officials can sit idly by.

With a renewed sense of confidence, I gradually became bolder.

All sorts of harsh words were hurled at Yun Xiangwen.

With a "thud," the sword pierced through the body of the gentry in front.

"Killed!"

Seeing that Yun Xiangwen had made a move, the originally noisy scene instantly reversed.

Some timid gentry were so frightened that they wet themselves on the spot.

Even the boldest among them could only point at Yun Xiangwen, who was holding a sword, and remain silent for a long time.

When the Marquis of Wuyang held the Feast at Hongmen, he arranged for his subordinates to impersonate rebels and kill people, rather than doing it himself.

The person in front of me doesn't even bother to act; he dares to kill someone on the spot. Clearly, he doesn't respect the laws of the imperial court.

When they encountered someone who didn't follow the rules, these verbally strong individuals were at a loss for what to do.

Seeing that he had intimidated everyone, Yun Xiangwen secretly breathed a sigh of relief.

If these gentry representatives continue to resist, he doesn't know how to end things.

Killing that unlucky guy was the limit of what he dared to do; continuing to kill was impossible.

If we were to eliminate all these people, the Jiangnan region would be thrown into chaos.

His small frame couldn't handle such a huge mess.

In fact, Yun Xiangwen did not realize that he had just made a huge mess of things.

While both involve making an example of someone to scare others, openly killing someone and secretly plotting against them are two completely different concepts in politics.

The former cannot be cleared up, while the latter is as good as never having happened if the person does not admit it and no evidence can be found.

From the moment he drew his sword, he stood on the opposite side of the gentry group, with no room for maneuver.

Hidden behind the scenes, Wan Huaijin was now sweating profusely with fear.

Don't be fooled by the fact that these gentry representatives seem to have backed down; temporary concessions do not mean permanent compromises.

We're all involved in politics, and nobody expected to run into such a hothead today.

The idea of ​​killing someone on the spot over a mere disagreement—something that only exists in plays—has actually happened in real life.

"General Yun, rest assured, we will make up the difference within half a month."

Reminded by his companion, Qian Yanfeng reluctantly made his statement.

Going head-on with a hothead is absolutely stupid.

No matter how unreasonable the other party's demands are, agree to them first and keep them calm before making any further moves.

If the confrontation continues, Qian Yanfeng suspects that this killing god might actually dare to send troops to wipe out the entire Qian clan.

No matter how fierce the subsequent retaliation by the gentry group was, the dead could not be brought back to life.

Even if we're going to cause trouble, we should wait until we're out of danger before making our move.

"If you had all done this earlier, wouldn't everything have been fine!"

"However, just to be on the safe side, let the subordinates do the task of delivering the message."

Before the yamen receives the silver, I would be grateful if you gentlemen could stay here for a while.

Yun Xiangwen said with a smile.

He dared not believe the empty promises made by these gentry.

If we let them go now, they might deny everything, and all our efforts will have been in vain.

By holding these people hostage, at least we still have hostages.

Forcing these powerful gentry to pay their taxes would make it much easier to subsequently collect the debts owed by the smaller gentry and merchants.

They successfully completed the task of collecting payments, demonstrating their importance to the imperial court.

Only then can the next steps of the noble and young faction's plans be initiated.

……

The backyard of the governor's office.

Zhuang Yuanjia, who was "redeeming himself through meritorious service," was anxiously awaiting the final result.

As the governor of Southern Zhili, he was largely to blame for the failure to collect local taxes.

If it weren't for having someone in the court who spoke up for him at a crucial moment, he wouldn't even have had this chance to redeem himself.

Not only him, the governor, but all the local officials in Southern Zhili who were not dismissed were in the process of redeeming themselves through meritorious service.

In theory, they should fully support the imperial envoy and do their utmost to collect taxes to atone for their sins.

However, reality often contradicts theory. Knowing the power of the gentry in Jiangnan, to still insist on charging forward would be irresponsible towards one's own life.

If they fail to meet their collection targets, the worst that can happen is they will be dismissed from their posts.

Once the storm has passed, he can pull some strings and return to officialdom.

If you follow the imperial envoy to collect taxes with all your might and cause trouble, then you'll be ruined!
The power of public opinion was in the hands of others, and even the clerks under the government were influenced by the local gentry.

If local officials wanted to sit comfortably in their positions, they had to maintain good relations with the local gentry.

Without the cooperation of these people, imperial power could not reach the countryside.

"So, are the results out yet?"

Seeing Constable Zhou approach, Zhuang Yuanjia asked with concern.

"My lord, the situation is not good!"

"General Yun and the gentry had a very tense argument, and the situation was once out of control."

Only after the second master of the Du family in Yangzhou was killed on the spot was the gentry forced to back down.

......"

Upon hearing the news brought by Constable Zhou, Zhuang Yuanjia's brows furrowed immediately.

"Master, if I remember correctly..."

The second son of the Du family in Yangzhou was a Jinshi (successful candidate in the highest imperial examination) in the third year of the Tianyuan era. He was stripped of his academic title and never allowed to work again because he impeached the eunuch faction.

After the retired emperor ascended the throne, he exonerated the man and restored his official rank.

Zhuang Yuanjia said in a deep voice.

To be successful in gentry circles, it wasn't enough to have a prominent family background; one also needed to have official rank and achievements.

These people not only wield great influence locally, but also enjoy political privileges.

According to custom, if the imperial court wanted to punish these people, it had to first strip them of their official titles and honors.

The Embroidered Uniform Guard was hated because they had the special privilege of being granted permission by the emperor to bypass procedures when dealing with officials and gentry. Yun Xiangwen's act of directly killing someone was undoubtedly a grave taboo.

"Sir, you are not mistaken."

This second master of the Du family was also unlucky. He was reinstated as an official in the first year of Yongning, thanks to the connections of Yin Ni.

When the subsequent rebellion broke out, although he was not involved, he was still dismissed from his post by the imperial court.

Later, his ambition for an official career faded, and he went to teach at a school in Jiangnan, where he devoted himself to scholarship.

I never expected this…

Realizing he had misspoke, Master Liu promptly chose to shut up.

Whether the second master of the Du family is unlucky or not has nothing to do with them.

But the death of this unfortunate fellow dragged everyone into it.

The Jiangnan region will become an arena for various forces to fight, with the governor of Southern Zhili bearing the brunt.

"Minister Wan, you haven't shown up, have you?"

Zhuang Yuanjia asked in a deep voice.

Regardless of the circumstances, the person died during the process of collecting taxes, and in full view of everyone.

Yun Xiangwen, who lacked political acumen, was unaware of the seriousness of the problem, but Zhuang Yuanjia was.

The gentry of Jiangnan will surely retaliate, which will likely trigger a larger-scale tax resistance movement.

They also had to collect the imperial taxes.

Judging by the time, the harvest season is just around the corner.

The imperial court is waiting for rice to be cooked.

If the grain and money in Jiangnan cannot be collected, the border troops in the north will go hungry, and the Great Yu Dynasty may even collapse as a result.

"He didn't show up, but someone saw Lord Wan in the back office."

Officer Zhou admitted frankly.

He couldn't comprehend the thoughts of those important figures; his mind was now filled with shock at General Yun's audacity.

"It's good that they didn't appear, otherwise..."

After making a remark, Zhuang Yuanjia's face darkened again.

At this point in the situation, it seems that whether Wan Huaijin appears or not, the final outcome will be the same.

In the eyes of the gentry in Jiangnan, Yun Xiangwen was helping them to collect taxes.

When people keep accounts, they won't just hold a grudge against a brute who's been pushed to the front; they'll include everyone else in the mix.

Trying to avoid the storm by hiding and not showing up is just wishful thinking.

If Yun Xiangwen were a commoner with no background, he could be thrown out to appease the gentry's anger.

The problem is that they have powerful noble families behind them and thousands of elite troops under their command.

In the Jiangnan region, those few thousand elite troops were the most capable fighting force.

In Southern Zhili, no one could convict him.

Since there's no chance to ease tensions, we have no choice but to bite the bullet and move forward.

Or they will be torn to shreds in the ensuing political storm.

They could either suppress the gentry of Jiangnan and forcibly collect taxes to fulfill the court's mission.

……

Suzhou Prefecture.

"Master, something terrible has happened! The plan has been ruined!"
......"

After hearing the servant's brief account of what had happened, Qian Chengxuan couldn't help but wipe the cold sweat from his forehead.

Fortunately, the unlucky Du family member took the fall for them; otherwise, if that hothead surnamed Yun had led his troops to attack, the Qian clan might have been wiped out.

"When a scholar encounters a soldier, reason is useless."

This time, he truly understood.

In political struggles, the most frightening thing is not a powerful enemy, but suddenly encountering a clueless naiveté who doesn't understand politics.

No matter how deep your plans are, you can't withstand a single blow from someone else.

They don't think that far ahead, they only know how to use the most "simple" principles.

"Prepare the silver immediately and ransom him for me!"

After hesitating for a moment, Qian Chengxuan coldly gave the order.

Originally, he hadn't made up his mind to resist to the end when the imperial envoy came to urge payment.

With this turn of events, there's nothing more to discuss.

If no action is taken to retaliate, the gentry of Jiangnan will be regarded as easy targets by the imperial court, and various additional taxes will be levied on them when the court is short of money.

“Father, if we just hand over the money like this, outsiders will think that our Qian family has backed down.”

It got out…

Before the young man could finish speaking, Qian Chengxuan waved his hand to interrupt him.

"This money is not only a ransom, but also a way to buy us time."

The imperial court doesn't just collect taxes once; the earlier taxes have been collected, but the later ones haven't been collected yet!

Make some preparations in advance, prepare a generous gift for the imperial envoy, and take care of that hothead while you're at it.

In addition, under the pretext of preventing banditry, they mobilized the local militia for me.

Remember to act in a dispersed manner, organize several militia groups, and keep their numbers within the limits set by the imperial court to avoid leaving any evidence against them.

Our men were to be deployed to key transportation routes, and to report any movements of government troops immediately.

Despite his strong words, the fear in his eyes betrayed Qian Chengxuan's inner unease.

This kind of rule-breaking behavior poses a great threat to the gentry and powerful families.

For his own safety, he did not intend to let the Qian family take the lead in subsequent tax resistance movements, but instead would remotely control them from behind the scenes.

Charging into battle was a job for scholars from poor families and those working at the bottom of society.

Similar scenes are constantly playing out in various places.

Sensing the danger, the gentry and powerful families incited scholars and commoners to riot while simultaneously organizing militias to protect themselves.

The busiest places were the post stations in various regions, where the business of sending letters home experienced a collective boom, with letters being sent from Jiangnan to all parts of the country.

Clearly, while launching the anti-tax movement, they still habitually focused their struggles on the court, where they were more adept.

As a result of the situation, many traditional farming and scholarly families that had maintained neutrality were also passively drawn into it.

……

Governor's Yamen.

Just as the autumn harvest was beginning, a series of bad news began to arrive from various places.

"Lord Wan, see for yourself!"

At the same time, anti-tax movements broke out in more than a dozen prefectures and counties in Southern Zhili.

Scholars from various regions led the people in protesting the imperial court's excessive taxes and levies, holding up plaques commemorating the sage.

The tax collectors from Yangzhou Prefecture had barely left the city when the people splashed them with gold juice, forcing them to slink back home in disgrace.

The tax collectors sent by the Suzhou government were even beaten to death.

......"

Zhuang Yuanjia said angrily.

Although they knew the gentry of Jiangnan would launch a counterattack, they never expected it to be so fierce.

In his eyes, Yun Xiangwen, who had caused the trouble, was just a crude and vulgar brute.

They may look down on me, but they're definitely not to be messed with.

Complaining too much in front of others might get you beaten up, so she could only vent her grievances to Wan Huaijin.

"Lord Zhuang, since things have already happened, we should just figure out a way to deal with it."

The imperial court's current tax collection efforts are mainly targeting commercial taxes and customs duties, which originally had nothing to do with ordinary people.

They joined in the commotion, completely misled by the local gentry.

Finding a way to separate the two will solve half the problem.

Wan Huaijin spoke slowly.

The allies I recruited have messed things up, so I have no choice but to keep going, even with tears in my eyes.

Yun Xiangwen's methods were indeed despicable, but they were effective in getting results quickly, and last year's debts were recovered.

"Lord Wan, as far as I know, this is in order to force the court to make concessions."

In addition to inciting the people to resist taxes, they also organized merchants to strike.

......"

(End of this chapter)