Fu Shanhe

Chapter 493 The Horn of Slaughter
Having received definite orders, the military abandoned its previous passive and sluggish approach and began to take action.

Wangfu.

"Sir, we have just received a letter from the soldiers."

They ordered us to pay all outstanding taxes within two days, plus double the amount as late payment fees.

After taking the collection notice from the housekeeper, Wang Jiaheng glanced at it and threw it into the trash can.

The Wang family has received several similar official documents recently.

It was all thunder and lightning, but no rain came.

The government's collection efforts were always aimed at the easy targets, and they never bothered these aristocratic families.

The only difference is that the amount of late payment fees on the official documents is constantly increasing.

The initial surcharge of 10% has been increased to double.

He didn't even want to pay the initial taxes, so why would he accept the late payment fees demanded by the government troops?

"Arrange for people to keep a close watch on the movements of the government troops, and set up sentry posts at major intersections within a radius of fifty miles. Report any suspicious activity immediately."

The militia soldiers were strictly ordered to strengthen patrols and guard against attacks by mountain bandits and brigands!

Wang Jiaheng immediately gave the order.

Although he didn't think the government troops would dare to do anything, he decided to be more vigilant based on the past practices of the nobility.

If some rogue soldier were to covet the Wang family's wealth and impersonate bandits to plunder, then we would suffer a huge loss.

"Sir, the men below are ignorant and do not understand your orders."

The soldiers in the militia were complaining bitterly.

The butler said with a troubled expression.

It is currently the winter plowing season, and all the able-bodied young laborers have joined the local militia, which has seriously affected production.

The Wang family is wealthy and powerful, so they don't care about this loss, but the ordinary people at the bottom of society can't bear it.

For ordinary people, losing just a few bushels of grain could mean the death of an entire family.

Unlike previous tax collection efforts, the government troops mainly targeted the middle and lower-level gentry, and had not yet affected the common people at the bottom of society.

Even when marching, they would try to avoid farmland.

Aside from the initial excitement and enthusiasm when everyone joined in the commotion, they subsequently lost their motivation.

After all, the taxes levied on ordinary people are heavy, so when the clerks in the government offices are collecting taxes, they are shifting the burden from the wealthy and powerful families onto the common people.

The army's collection of taxes has nothing to do with the local gentry, and they will not help them transfer taxes.

In a sense, this tax resistance movement has already shown signs of backfiring.

Essentially, the gentry's riots were mainly aimed at evading a series of taxes, such as commercial taxes, mining taxes, and customs duties, rather than the land tax that was passed on to the common people.

The imperial court's collection efforts were not targeted at all gentry.

Those families traditionally focused on farming and scholarship were left out in this round of tax resistance.

After recognizing reality, the enthusiasm for resisting taxes diminished.

Some gentry who were not engaged in commerce, or whose commercial income accounted for a small proportion of their income, had already retreated.

As the situation has developed to this point, the nationwide anti-tax movement in Jiangnan remains powerful, but it is increasingly divided internally.

It's none of your business, just hang it up high.

Even the most easily fooled ordinary people will develop resentment when they work hard for the benefit of others.

"Ok!"

“What do those peasants know? If we don’t resist taxes, the burden will ultimately fall on their shoulders.”

Well, they're destined to be beasts of burden for life. I can't fathom all that, so I won't bother with them.

Tell the clan members to find a way to appease the soldiers.

"That's settled then. Each member of the Wang family will receive a subsidy of two ounces of coarse rice per day for the militia soldiers' rations."

Wang Jiaheng said indignantly.

Militia organizations were not officially recognized by the imperial court, and therefore did not receive military pay.

Its main purpose was to defend against mountain bandits and outlaws; the soldiers basically carried their own rations and worked for free.

In times of chaos, it played a certain role in protecting the territory and ensuring the safety of the people.

In peacetime, this would be a means for gentry to exploit the common people.

In addition to taxes collected from the imperial court, gentry would also levy protection fees on the people under the pretext of preventing bandits.

In theory, this money was supposed to be used for militia training and weapons procurement, but in reality, it ended up in the pockets of the gentry.

This situation is special; we need to be wary of government troops.

In order to appease the public, the Wang family had no choice but to make a statement.

"The master is wise!"

The butler seized the opportunity to flatter him, but couldn't help feeling uneasy inside.

Normally, the militia soldiers would receive a daily allowance of two ounces of coarse rice, which would be considered a great joy for ordinary people.

While not everyone would be moved to tears, most people would certainly praise Master Wang for his generosity.

The current situation is unusual; the potential enemy we face is most likely the government forces.

No matter how much the Great Yu Dynasty declined, it remained an unattainable ideal in the hearts of the common people.

Two ounces of unpolished rice isn't even enough for one meal, yet you think you can win over the army? That's wishful thinking.

If you really want to win people's hearts, this number needs to be increased at least tenfold, just enough to barely fill everyone's stomachs.

But this is impossible.

To enhance their ability to protect themselves, the royal family gathered a total of 20,000 militia members.

He pays for everything himself, and the daily food expenses alone are a considerable sum.

One or two days is fine, but if it continues for several months, it will require tens of thousands of bushels of unpolished rice.

……

At dusk, at the government troops' camp.

"Brother Ye and Brother Liu have come from afar, and it is truly regrettable that I was unable to meet with you both in time."

"Once this matter is resolved, I will certainly host a banquet on the Qinhuai River to welcome you both back."

Yun Xiangwen said with a smile.

Despite being members of the same elite aristocracy and the younger generation, the three of them actually didn't have many opportunities to meet.

The last time they met was back when they served under Li Mu.

Due to a change in position, they did not see each other for several years afterward.

"Brother Yun, you're too kind!"

"Although we did not meet immediately, Brother Yun's generosity puts us to shame."

Ye Hongchang responded with a smile.

If he hadn't witnessed the Jiangnan Academy reduced to ruins with his own eyes, he wouldn't have believed that anyone would dare to stir up such a hornet's nest.

Most importantly, after stirring up a hornet's nest, Yun Xiangwen is still alive and well, and the Jiangnan gentry have not found any fault with him.

Despite ongoing investigations by all parties, it remains an unsolved case.

For the Xun Gui Group, since the other party cannot find any evidence, it is as if nothing happened.

"Ha ha……"

"Brother Ye, you are joking. I don't even dare to go back to Nanjing right now, just to avoid getting into trouble."

If we're really talking about who's the best, these two gentlemen are the best.

In such a difficult place as northern Xinjiang, they managed to maintain 80% of their troop strength, which is truly enviable.

Yun Xiangwen responded calmly.

The Jiangnan region is prosperous, but its military organization is tightly controlled by various parties.

Several attempts were made to increase the staffing, but in the end, the plans had to be abandoned.

The answer is that the Ministry of Revenue has no money.

The imperial court's military pay was limited, and local government offices were unwilling to provide additional funding, so forcibly supplementing the ranks of officers and soldiers would leave them hungry.

"If you two keep praising each other like this, today's military meeting will have to be postponed!"

The Duke of Chu, who was standing to the side, couldn't help but interrupt.

After so long of tax collection efforts, it's finally time to get serious.

They don't mind wasting time, but the problem is that the court in the north can't stand it.

With the Grand Canal disrupted, the national treasury depleted, and rebellions erupting everywhere, the Great Yu Dynasty was teetering on the brink of collapse.

In terms of the level of danger, the current situation is even more perilous than when the White Lotus Rebellion captured Nanjing.

"What you say is right, sir. We can reminisce about the past later."

Let's discuss today where to start the process of collecting taxes.

It seems everyone has sent out the official documents, and judging from the current situation, no one has yet voluntarily paid the outstanding taxes to the imperial court.

At this point, we only have two choices left.

"We can either represent the imperial court and forcibly collect the debts, killing anyone who resists without mercy; or we can let the rebels run rampant, waiting until they've finished ravaging these powerful families before we quell the rebellion and reclaim everything."

After General Liu finished speaking, all the generals present fell into deep thought.

If the "rebels" were allowed to run rampant, they could not possibly be real rebels.

The powerful clans were formidable, and they were holed up in their strongholds, making them impervious to ordinary rebels.

If they wanted to use underhanded tactics, they would have to personally step in and play the role of the rebels.

The advantages and disadvantages are both very obvious.

The rebels shouldn't have to take responsibility for the mess they made.

And everyone has experience in this area, so they know how to play.

The only problem is that playing the role of a rebel makes it hard to leave no trace.

If this is exposed in the future, it will be a major political incident.

Conversely, if you collect debts in a straightforward and honest manner, you won't encounter these hidden dangers.

But government troops are government troops after all, and they must abide by the rules of the political game.

Ordinary people could be arrested, but scholars and officials with official titles had no right to be touched.

In particular, those whose sons or relatives held official positions in the court had to report to the court for approval, according to the laws of the Great Yu Dynasty.

We can only take action against them after all the procedures have been completed.

"Speed ​​is of the essence in war; the imperial court cannot afford to delay!"

Yun Xiangwen was the first to state his position.

On the issue of dealing with the gentry in Jiangnan, he now has no choice but to go down a dead-end road.

He fully supported all policies aimed at suppressing powerful families in Jiangnan.

"Brother Yun is right. At times like these, efficiency is paramount."

Since we're all political enemies anyway, if they can do what they say, they can't blame us for doing what they say.

In my opinion, we should take immediate action and uproot all the most well-known families in Southern Zhili.

In consideration of the money and grain we seized, the imperial court will help us finish the cleanup work.

If making an example of someone doesn't work, then keep killing them until they're terrified.

As the Marquis once said, if you can't solve the problem in chaotic times, then solve the problem of the people who created it.

The problem is simply a lack of strength!

Ye Hongchang said with great interest.

How can someone call themselves a member of the younger generation if their political views aren't radical?

If it weren't for the well-developed political system of the Great Yu Dynasty, which provided ample constraints on military commanders, they would have caused trouble when they were in the north.

As a spiritual leader of the younger generation, Li Mu's previous words and actions have inevitably been subject to in-depth analysis.

In particular, their methods of cracking down on local forces have been widely imitated.

After the initial discussion, the generals shared their opinions, and a purge plan was quickly finalized.

"Have you done this before?"

The Duke of Chu couldn't help but ask.

In normal discussions, compromises are reached through arguments; there's no way to reach a consensus right from the start.

Simply having a unified stance can be attributed to luck.

However, when everyone's proposed solutions were pieced together, they didn't seem out of place at all, which was just strangely abnormal.

If the younger generation were truly so in sync, then there would be no point in having anyone else involved.

"no!"

Everyone unanimously denied it.

Such a shameful thing cannot be admitted.

Moreover, it wasn't entirely a lie. Back when the noble faction swept through the south, the local gentry had just been brutally beaten by the White Lotus rebels and were in their most fearful state.

After eliminating a few unlucky ones as a warning to others, the rest learned their lesson.

Throughout the entire process, there was no organized resistance, so the cleansing efforts were far less intense than they are now.

After the brief incident, the generals dispersed, and the miserable life of the gentry in Southern Zhili began.

……

"Rumble..."

At dawn, just as the sky was beginning to brighten, the booming sound of cannons pierced the sky.

"what happened?"

"What's going on outside?"

Wang Jiaheng, startled awake from his sleep, asked in a panic.

Cannons were strictly controlled in the Great Yu Dynasty. Even powerful families like theirs only dared to use them on ships and dared not bring them home.

Being found to be illegally possessing artillery is a more serious offense than illegally possessing armor.

Not only would they confiscate the property and exterminate the entire family, but they would also use torture to extract confessions and trace the origins of the cannons.

"Master, a rebel army has appeared outside, operating under the banner of the White Lotus Sect."

There are over thirty cannons, and they are currently attacking…

The butler rushed in to report.

It's strange enough that a rebel army suddenly appeared, but to make matters worse, they even brought a bunch of cannons.

It's one thing to fool the common people, but anyone with eyes can see there's something wrong with it.

If such a powerful rebel army was hiding in the Jiangnan region, it's impossible that they wouldn't have heard a word about it.

Moreover, the biggest characteristic of the rebels is their large numbers; the number of enemy troops outside is at most no more than three thousand.

"How dare they..."

"This is utterly shameless!"

Wang Jiaheng said with a look of fear.

The worst-case scenario has finally come to pass.

The Wang family had been remotely controlling the previous series of tax resistance movements from behind the scenes, precisely to avoid being targeted by the imperial court.

Unfortunately, this time the opponent is different. They don't care who is causing the tax protests, and they're not even bothering to investigate.

He immediately targeted the largest and most powerful family in the area.

This unruly way of playing completely stunned Wang Jiaheng.

"Sir, the rebels' firepower is extremely fierce. I'm afraid the militia won't be able to hold out for more than a few hours."

You'd better think of a way to deal with the current crisis quickly!

The butler urged hurriedly.

The sword has been raised; the question of right and wrong is no longer important.

Even if they knew it was the noble faction that was behind it, they could only insist that it was the White Lotus Rebels, otherwise the morale of the militia would collapse.

Following the lords in resisting the rebels, everyone was able to muster their courage.

If they were to oppose the imperial court, their morale would vanish instantly.

Without the militia as cannon fodder, even if the Wang clan's own members managed to hold off the enemy's attack, they would suffer heavy losses.

"Despite having a numerical advantage, how could they not hold out for even a few hours?"

"Was all our daily training for nothing?!"

Wang Jiaheng angrily questioned.

It was inevitable that the militia would be no match for the regular army.

From the very beginning, he never imagined that a single militia could hold off the main force of the government army.

But now, a detachment of enemy troops has arrived and has utterly defeated them, leaving them far from achieving their goals.

"Master, I don't understand training matters either; the clan elders are in charge of that."

Presumably due to poor construction quality, the rebel artillery tore a hole in the defensive line as soon as it came in.

I reckon it won't be long before the enemy forces break in.

The butler explained nervously.

Shoddy construction projects are everywhere.

The defense line was hastily constructed, and the people were forced to work, so their enthusiasm was already low.

It's normal for problems to arise in order to complete the project on time.

Just because a servant can understand doesn't mean their master can.

Just as the two were talking, the shouts of battle outside grew closer and closer.

"The enemy has broken in!"

Upon hearing this news, the Wang family compound instantly descended into chaos.

(End of this chapter)